Cheng Qiyun received Yang Ling's deep and heavy bow and her face heated up. She hurriedly stood and bowed deeply to him, saying, "Thinking of Daren's thoughts, Mi Daren's failure is the responsibility of a subordinate. If one is to say thanks, it should be Qiyun thanking Daren's benevolence on behalf of the many innocent and pitiful women of Jiangnan who have been deceived."
Yang Ling bowed deeply and said, "Wrong. When we depart tomorrow, Yang will leave Zhenjiang and leave behind women who have hung themselves or jumped into wells. One person has died, and countless families in her husband's family are grief-stricken. Everywhere is a cloud of sorrow. This official cannot bear the burden on my conscience."
Cheng Qiyun returned the bow and sighed. "The fathers and husbands of these women were ignorant, and led the wolf into the house to taint their innocence. The fault was not their own doing. It was clearly the fathers and husbands who opened the door to the thief, but once the matter was exposed, all the sin had to be shouldered by this woman alone. Using her death to show her sincerity, there are countless orphans. Qiyun just could not bear to see it. "
Suddenly, a giggle sounded. "Husband and Cheng Jiejie are praying in the middle of the night in this hall, what are they doing?"
Yang Ling raised his head and saw Ma Lian 'er had come. In the past few days, Yang Ling had stayed with her. When she woke up in the middle of the night, Lian 'er saw that Yang Ling was not by her side. She put on her clothes and got out of bed. Seeing the bright lights in the front hall, she hurried over to see what was going on.
Yang Ling saw her hair was slightly disheveled, her sleepy eyes like a dream, and that young woman was strangely moving. He hurried over with a smile to invite her to sit down and tell her the story. Ma Lian 'er thought and then said, "Jiejie's words have saved countless pitiful people. It is a great merit, but … Husband, since this Hong Ying Society leader is called Fifth Shigong, there must be countless remaining members. If we don't publicize this scheme, aren't we afraid that the remaining members will go elsewhere and do the same thing, harming other people?"
Cheng Qiyun smiled faintly and said, "This lowly officer was just about to speak. Compared to other sects, the most obvious difference between the Red Tassel Society and the other sects is that they have a ceremony to preach the Dao in the bridal chamber. Daren, immediately send an order to the Three Workshops and One Guard. Any sect that has this kind of ceremony should be immediately apprehended. Do your best to capture the disciples of the Red Tassel Society."
She sat down on the chair and took a sip of tea. "The teachings of the White Lotus Cult are widespread, and they never preach in the bridal chamber. It's very obvious that Society Head Hong Ying altered the teachings and took the opportunity to deceive women. This time, they had suffered a huge setback. Even if some of them escaped to other places and changed their appearance, would they use the same method to attract the attention of the government?
Moreover, when it came to propaganda, did Sir want to use the meager financial resources of the imperial court to print books and distribute them to the illiterate villagers, or did he want the perfunctory yamen runners to go to the countryside to do propaganda? The imperial court has always attacked the followers of the White Lotus Cult, using all kinds of cruel punishments to slaughter families and exterminate entire families. However, the ignorant people still flock to them like ducks. It's because the evil cult has endless methods to deceive the ignorant people, and they are extremely tempting. For hundreds of years, the government has long portrayed the White Lotus Cult as the incarnation of the devil. They have countless branches. They just need to change their name, change their name, and they can still deceive the villagers. When has there been a lack of people believing in them? Publicizing this matter will only increase the number of women who have died unjustly, but it won't help the situation. "
When the Maitreya Cult was preaching in Shaanxi, they bewitched the common people into donating all of their family property into the cult, but they still refused to repent. Bystanders found it unimaginable. Who would have thought that the brainwashed people who had joined the cult would not be able to see through such an obvious clumsy method?
When the Maitreya Cult's crimes were exposed, they turned and fled to other places to continue preaching. The common people clearly knew that countless families in Shaanxi had been destroyed, but didn't the Maitreya Cult still have countless believers? When they first preached, they would not reveal their true intentions. No matter how evil the cult was propagated as evil, the deceived people would not believe that the cult they joined was the one you propagated. When they were brainwashed, they would see all kinds of irrational behavior as normal, and would not listen to good advice.
Yang Ling thought of the modern multi-level marketing and even the evil cults of various countries. They were still thriving under the bombardment of sound, shadow, and text. He could not help but sigh with emotion.
Although the Red Tassel Society acted covertly, preaching in the bridal chamber was too obvious a target. The magistrate of Zhenjiang mobilized the Yamachi, patrolmen, and strong people to search for and arrest them. Checkpoints were set up at various traffic junctions. When the Jiangsu Provincial Commissioner heard the news, he also issued a strict order. The Red Tassel Society bandits scattered in various places suffered a devastating blow.
When Yang Ling's ship arrived in Jinling, he had already arrested nearly three thousand core believers of the Red Tassel Society. As for the ordinary ignorant people who joined the society, the government could not deal with them all, nor could they find out who had joined the cult, so they could only give up. However, the foundation that the Red Tassel Society had painstakingly built in Jiangsu for many years had been uprooted.
* * *
On the bank of the canal, an inconspicuous small boat was anchored, gently rippling with the rise and fall of the river. A tall man of about forty years of age, dressed in a green robe, with well-proportioned eyebrows and eyes, stood steadily at the bow of the boat, gazing at the distant imperial envoy's huge ship. He spat out a breath of hatred.
He was the Grand Master of the Red Tassel Society, Wang Senyu. Of the Red Tassel Society's members, only he, the Second Grand Master Li Zuotong, the Third Grand Master Yang Qing, and a few personal bodyguards had escaped. Fortunately, the gold, silver, and jewels that had been gathered in the open and in the dark filled the bottom of the boat and were smuggled out. Otherwise, he would have lost everything.
Yang Qing angrily said, "It's all because of Lao Si and Lao Wu. Those two idiots had wild fantasies. They said that preaching in the bridal chamber would allow our society's future disciples to flourish and spread their branches, and become even stronger. Bah, it's all to satisfy their own selfish desires. Isn't the money they earned enough for them to go whoring? This time they've played with their lives, and the foundation that our society has painstakingly built is all gone. "
Wang Senyu's face heated up; he was somewhat embarrassed. Two years ago, Ni Ke and the others came up with this scheme to swindle and seduce women. Wang Senyu's heart was delighted, and he also nodded his head in approval. It's just that he was not like Ni Ke, who attached importance to virginity; he was somewhat unable to distinguish between good and bad. If he did not inquire about the bride's appearance, he would not have been willing to visit the house to give his blessing and preach the Dao. Therefore, when the Grand Master visited the house to preach the Dao, the families were all moved to tears with gratitude; they even thought that they were pious to the Cult, thus they received the Grand Master's presence.
Now Yang Qing was scolding him as a baldie in front of the monk; obviously she was dissatisfied with him. Although Wang Senyu was angry, he also knew that his carelessness had indeed harmed the Cult's foundation. For a moment he was at a loss for words, unexpectedly he was unable to answer.
Li Zuotong hastily tried to smooth things over. "Forget it," he said, "Where there's life, there's hope. We still have a boat full of jewels, gold, and silver, what's there to worry about? Lao Si and Lao Wu were reluctant to part with women, they tampered with the doctrine, causing our Cult to suffer a crushing defeat. From now on, we'll learn our lesson and strictly abide by the Cult's rules. Da Ge, San Di, right now Jiangsu is in turmoil, where do you think we should go to avoid the wind? "
As soon as Yang Qing heard what he said, her anger subsided a little. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Why don't … we join the Maitreya Cult? I heard they're doing well in the north, we're all branches and leaves of the White Lotus, they won't leave us in the lurch. "
Wang Senyu seized the opportunity and said with a cold laugh, "Indeed they won't. They're rich and overbearing, they'll swallow our treasures first and then throw us, who have no roots and no foundation, into the Cult. Will it be easy to live under someone else's roof?"
Yang Qing was ranked third in the Red Tassel Society, but her martial art skill was the highest. She was the chief instructor of the Red Tassel Society's spear and stick, so she had never been too afraid of the Great Leader. Hearing this, she rolled her eyes and said in a strange tone, "Then what does Da Ge think?"
Wang Senyu narrowed his eyes and said, "Guizhou's Miao District's Ba Gua Jiao is also under the White Lotus Sect, but the poor are few in number and there aren't many talented people in the Cult. Based on the three of us' ability, if we join the Ba Gua Jiao and secretly bribe the important people in the Cult with gold and silver, in less than two years the Ba Gua Jiao will be ours. What do you think? "
Yang Qing sneered and said, "Da Ge also knows that place is barren and dangerous? So what if we make a name for ourselves? Leading a group of savages to dig holes in the mountains? "
"You …" Wang Senyu was furious, and Li Zuotong hurriedly said, "We're brothers, we can discuss anything. Originally, I wanted to suggest that we go to Dongting Lake and rely on Yang Ziqiao and Da Gouzi, but after listening to Da Ge's words, I feel that you're right. Those two guys are not good people, they have nearly ten thousand pirates under their command, and they're usually close to each other. Now that we're in trouble, it's hard to guarantee that they won't have any ideas on us.
How about I make a suggestion? If we rely on this person, first, he won't have any ideas on our gold and silver treasures, and he'll even give us gifts. Second, under his protection, we can change our course, change our name, change our doctrine, and recruit new followers. I guarantee that we can make a comeback with one call! "
Wang Senyu said happily, "Who are you talking about, Second Brother? Tell me quickly. "
Li Zuotong smiled and raised his thumb, saying, "The one in Jiangxi. We've been doing well in Jiangxi, and it's been smooth sailing. Did Da Ge forget that he sent people to recruit us last year?"
Wang Senyu's eyes brightened, and he turned to look at Yang Qing. Yang Qing seemed to suddenly understand and nodded heavily, saying excitedly, "Good! It's easy to trick ignorant people into joining the sect, and there are countless ways to do so. We're weak because we don't have the protection of the government, so we've failed miserably. If we go to Jiangxi and rely on him, we'll be able to handle both the black and the white. I think this plan is feasible. "
Wang Senyu clapped his hands and laughed, saying, "Good, if that's the case, we'll go to Jiangxi immediately. If we're ruined by the Zhu family, we'll have to let the Zhu family lift us up again. Ha ha ha, we'll set sail immediately!"
* * *
Today's Longjiang Shipyard was crowded with people and carriages, and it was much more deserted than before. The government and the aristocrats of Jiangnan had enough silver, and the internal factory had detailed blueprints. The shipyard was working day and night to build warships for the navy.
Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun, accompanied by a large group of officials, shuttled back and forth across the shipyard. Xu Jing, Wu Jiyuan, and the other aristocrats of Jiangnan were also there. Wu Jiyuan was the richest man in Suzhou, and he was an old acquaintance of Yang Ling. This Xu Jing was the culprit who caused Tang Bohu to be unable to become an official for the rest of his life.
In fact, although this person was the richest man in Jiangyin, with forty thousand mu of fertile land and all kinds of businesses, he was forthright and liked to make friends. He was not an evil person. When he and Tang Bohu went to the capital to take the imperial examination, because he admired Tang Keyuan's talent, he became good friends with him and went to the capital together. He was very courteous to Tang Bohu.
In the end, after he was reported for buying the exam questions, because Tang Bohu was also on the top of the exam and was very close to him, he was accused of being an accomplice of buying the exam questions. The Xu family bribed everyone and spent countless gold and silver to protect them, sparing their lives. However, from then on, the two of them had no fate with an official career. Xu Jing became a rich man, while Tang Bohu wandered among flowers and drowned his sorrows in alcohol.
Xu Jing was famous in later generations, firstly because of the story of him and his good friend Tang Bohu, and secondly because his future great-grandson was the famous Xu Xiake. He was the richest man in Jiangyin, and Wu Jiyuan was the richest man in Suzhou. With the Wu and Xu families taking the lead, the aristocrats of the coastal area competed to invest. To these people, they saw the huge benefits of the sea business more than anyone else. Now that there were two aristocratic families taking the lead, and it was said that even the royal family was investing, what did they have to worry about?
Don't underestimate these aristocrats of Jiangnan. The wealth they could take out was more than ten times the amount of silver that the national treasury could allocate. The Longjiang Shipyard was surrounded by endless giant trees that had grown for hundreds of years. Plus, there was enough silver and detailed manufacturing blueprints. If you wanted people, there were people, if you wanted things, there were things. The manufacturing speed was extraordinary.
At this time, Han Wu had already become a thousand households in the navy. Old Master Peng's family and the valiant naval officers who had followed him for many years had already joined the navy. Everyone was appointed to an official position and was training the navy on the coast to fight on the sea.
Qian Ning said with a smile, "Mr Yang, look at this errand that was given to me. How did I do? Damn, at first I thought it was boring. I didn't think that when I got here, I would see the pieces of wood turn into huge battleships. I'm really happy. "
As he said this, he secretly glanced at Cheng Qiyun and swallowed. His heart thumped wildly. Wasn't this woman's birth too bewitching? He had seen many beautiful women, but the only one that made him think of a bed at a glance was this seductress in front of him. Second grade head of the inner factory? Heh heh, I'm afraid she's Yang Ling's second wife. Too bad, not only can I not touch her, I can't even f * * king look at her.
Yang Ling looked at the huge battleship that was gradually taking shape in the shipyard. He couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart and nodded. Suddenly, he leaned close to Qian Ning's ear and said in a low voice, "Just a little bit of money from the Jiangnan aristocrats is enough for you to drink a few pots. You can be greedy, but you can't go too far. If you delay important matters, I will hold you responsible."
Qian Ning heard this and beamed with joy. "Your words make me feel comfortable. Don't worry, the Nanjing Ministry of Works's Water Department, Commissioner's Office, Operations Department, and Nanzhen's Craftsmen and Craftsmen Department are all taken care of by me.
If you want money, I give money. If you want people, I give them people. But if there are still bastards who don't work, damn it, I'll throw them into prison. I'll kill them, cripple them, and throw them home. Those who work will take money, and those who don't work will take handicaps. These bastards still don't play with their lives? "
Yang Ling didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When this evil person did a good deed, he still had a set of evil methods. But this kind of person wasn't that kind of material. Looking at the shipyard's step-by-step, well-organized work, and the departments and departments didn't dare slack off. It was clear that Qian Ning's carrot and stick method was indeed effective.
Yang Ling responded noncommittally and said with a smile that wasn't a smile, "It's fine as long as you don't go too far. How many battleships have been delivered? What models are being built now? "
Qian Ning stared. "You ask me, who do I ask? I only care about forcing people to work. I don't understand these things. Your excellency, wait a moment. " He looked around and pointed. "You, you, you, you, you, come over here. The imperial envoy has something to ask you."
When Yang Ling saw this, his nose almost crooked from anger. That person's face was thin and he wore a green official's robe. Looking at his clothes, he should be a fifth-rank official, the same rank as the prefectural magistrate. Yang Ling guarded the shipyard all day, but he didn't even know this person's name. Calling him by his name was too disrespectful.
But the official seemed to fall for this trick. As soon as he heard Qian Ning's call, he hurriedly picked up the hem of his robe and ran over in a daze. Nodding and bowing, he said, "This lowly official is the Ministry of Works's Water Department Luo Enyuan. What instructions does the imperial envoy have?"
Yang Ling smiled. "So it's Lord Luo. Please introduce these ships to me. I'd like to have a brief understanding of them."
Although Luo Enyuan's tone was humble, he was an expert in shipping. He pointed at the ships being built in the shipyard and said, "Your excellency, these ships are all based on the information sent from the capital. We also asked the navy yamen's Master Peng, who is used to running ships on the sea, to make some changes. But we still use the old names.
This ship is called a sentry ship. This one is called a blue sea ship. That one is a blue mountain ship. They are all pointed bottoms and are suitable for long sea voyages. The outermost ship is a big fortune ship. "
Once this Lord Luo mentioned shipbuilding, he forgot his fear and nervousness. He pointed and pointed excitedly and said, "For the sake of safety and fast reaction when encountering enemies, ocean-going ordinary wooden ships should not be too big. Therefore, when we build ships, we mostly build ships that are less than two thousand tons. As a large warship, the big fortune ship can be guarded by the other ships. Therefore, there is no need to build more."
Yang Ling listened and laughed in his heart. No matter how he heard it, this kind of ship formation was somewhat like a modern aircraft carrier fleet. With such equipment and good training of the navy, how difficult would it be to wipe out the Wokou pirates and roam the four seas?
Yang Ling could not help but nod his head in delight when he saw rows upon rows of workshops for joinery, ironwork, cable work, dock work, sail work, and twisting and sewing. The seven majestic workshops were all busy working nervously at the construction site.
Lord Luo continued, "We have already handed over seventeen warships and thirty-four flat-bottomed sand ships to the navy. At present, the craftsmen are becoming more and more skilled, so the speed of building ships should be even faster."
Although Yang Ling didn't know much about ships, he could tell from the name that the flat-bottomed sand ships weren't used for long sea voyages. He asked, "Are these flat-bottomed sand ships also used for long sea voyages? Or are they used for other purposes? "
Lord Luo said, "Lord, flat-bottomed sand ships can also be used for long sea voyages, but they are more suited for shallow waters and sea areas with many submerged reefs. They are most convenient for inland rivers, coastal waters, and beach landings. When exterminating the Wokou pirates, if the pirates retreat to the islands and resist stubbornly, the big ships can't enter the submerged reefs, so we have to use the sand ships."
"Oh." Yang Ling nodded. Just as he was about to ask about the specific functions of the various ships, Cheng Qiyun, who was walking beside him, suddenly stepped on a movable piece of wood. Her body slanted, and with a scream, she fell to the side.
The people beside her were all civil officials and scholars, so their reaction speed was limited. Although Qian Ning was able to catch her in time, this woman was flirtatious to the bone. No matter how he looked at her, she looked like Yang Ling's wife. He didn't want to get involved, so Lord Qian could only watch innocently as the great beauty Cheng fell to the ground.
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