The ship was about to reach Suzhou. Yang Ling leaned against the railing and looked back. The waves created by the bottom of the ship created white bubbles that were like a white net being dragged by the ship.
"Daren, do not worry. Chu Ling and Chu Yan are clever and obedient girls. They understand other people's thoughts the best. Adding on that they are skilled in the four arts, chess, calligraphy, and painting, Miss Lian 'er will not be lonely with them at Qixia Mountain."
Yang Ling turned around and saw Cheng Qiyun sitting elegantly on a chair made of pear wood and carved with roses. She was holding an expensive Song porcelain teacup as she gently tasted the premium Longjing tea from before the rain, speaking in a calm and composed manner.
Yang Ling nodded and walked back to the chair to sit down. Cheng Qiyun immediately put down the cup and poured a cup for him. She held the cup with two fingers, her other fingers like an orchid as she lightly offered it in front of him.
Yang Ling took the teacup and said in a deep voice, "So you are a person of the surface. When Mo Qinghe was here, many officials must have recognized you. In a while, the military and government officials of Suzhou and Hang will come to greet the imperial envoy. Do you think it is convenient to show yourself, if … …"
Just as he said that, he heard a "pa" sound. The expensive Song porcelain teacup fell to the ground and shattered. Yang Ling raised his head in shock and saw that Cheng Qiyun's face was drained of blood. She was as pale as a sheet of paper, and her body was trembling uncontrollably.
Yang Ling jumped in fright and hurriedly stood to ask, "What is it?"
"Don't come over!" Cheng Qiyun shouted. She retreated step by step to the railing. Her eyes became misty as she looked sorrowfully at Yang Ling and said, "Do you dislike me? Are you afraid that my lowly past will make you lose face as an imperial envoy? "
Even though the ladies from the brothel were of the lowest status, they were as beautiful as flowers and had many talents. Regardless of whether it was in terms of looks or knowledge, they were many times better than the daughters of a wealthy family. Yet, the difference in their backgrounds was like the difference between heaven and earth. The huge contrast gave them an extreme sense of pride. Cheng Qiyun had washed away all her splendor and followed by Yang Ling's side wholeheartedly. Hearing his words, she could not take it, and her pride exploded uncontrollably.
Only then did Yang Ling realize that she had misunderstood his meaning. He hurriedly stepped forward and explained, "Qiyun, you misunderstood me. I …"
Cheng Qiyun's face was covered in tears. She shook her head frantically and said, "Don't say it, don't say it. I knew I shouldn't have such wishful thinking. I might as well jump into the water and die …"
Seeing that she wanted to impersonate Du Shiniang, Yang Ling became anxious and couldn't help glaring at her and shouting, "Scoundrel! You shut up! "
Liu Bangchao heard the commotion inside and pushed aside the curtain to take a peek inside. Wu Hanchao grabbed him by the collar and pulled him out of the front cabin. Wu Hanchao scolded him in a low voice, "You dare to eavesdrop on the Factory Supervisor's family affairs? Are you tired of living?"
Stick Liu stuck out his tongue and said with a silly smile, "Are you kidding me? Will Milord kill me to silence me? "
Wu Hanchao kicked his buttocks and scolded him with a smile, "Get lost. Go to the front and stay there. No one will think you're mute."
Liu Bangchao was born with divine strength, but he had been easily defeated by Wu Hanchao several times. Therefore, he was very obedient toward Wu Hanchao. He quickly ran out of the cabin and leaned against the side of the ship to enjoy the scenery.
Wu Hanchao looked around and saw that there was no one around. He quickly tiptoed back and stood outside the cabin. He pricked up his ears and listened. Curiosity killed the cat. The Wudang Daxia was also a human. How could he not like to listen to gossip?
Cheng Qiyun felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly in the palm of someone's hand. The pain penetrated deep into her bones and made it hard for her to breathe. Originally, no matter how much Yang Ling begged her with soft words, it was impossible to move her heart that was in so much pain that she wanted to die. However, Yang Ling's uncharacteristic roar at her had actually suppressed her anger.
Cheng Qiyun looked stupidly at Yang Ling. She saw that Yang Ling's face was red with anger. He pointed at her nose and scolded, "To think I praised you as a female Zhuge. You really are an idiot! You … you … if I didn't like you, why would I let you show your face in public and assume the position of the Jiangnan supervisor of the Inner Sanctum, holding the power of life and death in your hands? Why would I let you stay by my side and show your face in public in front of the nobles and officials of Nanjing? Idiot! "
Cheng Qiyun trembled from the scolding and timidly explained, "But … but you … just now you …?"
"Just now what? I'm not going to explain it to you. If you think it through, tell me. If you don't, I don't want to see you again! "Yang Ling said boldly and confidently. He swung his hand to leave.
What kind of woman used what kind of method. Cheng Qiyun had always been forceful and played with others in the palm of her hand. If he wanted to suppress her, he had to first suppress her with his aura.
This move was effective. Cheng Qiyun's heart full of grief and indignation was turned into a river of spring water by Yang Ling's scolding and flowed eastward. Don't look at how Yang Ling didn't explain a word, but Cheng Qiyun already felt that she was in the wrong.
She saw that Yang Ling was about to wave his sleeves and leave. She quickly rushed over and grabbed his arm. Smiling apologetically, she said, "Daren, it was I who thought wrong. Daren was worried … worried that Qiyun would be too embarrassed to see an old friend from Jiangdong and had the heart to plan for me?"
Yang Ling glared at her and gave a heavy huff. He didn't answer.
This was even more effective than an answer. Cheng Qiyun's heart felt sweet. She hurriedly shook his arm and said in a sweet voice, "Daren, it was I who was wrong." She lowered her head and faintly said, "I used to be a prostitute in the brothel. It was the fashion in the brothel to become an official's concubine. It was not shameful to show my face in front of others."
She secretly glanced at Yang Ling, like a child who had done something wrong. She lowered her head and said, "As for Gu Qinghe, he used me to make friends with officials, but … looking at Jiangnan, there were not many officials worthy of him making friends with. Daren let me take charge of the situation in Jiangnan. After I returned to Jiangnan, I … I released the rumor that I was … "
She raised her eyes to look at Yang Ling. Her face was as red as a pomegranate. She murmured, "I released the rumor that I was daren's concubine, and … greatly favored by daren. Six ministries, nine ministers, and three scholars of the cabinet were killed or demoted by daren. When the news came out, those corrupt officials were very afraid. Some resigned and returned home, and some voluntarily applied to be transferred to the side of the Desolate Prefecture. They were afraid that staying in Jiangnan would provoke daren's killing intent, so … so it was not a problem …"
Yang Ling was stunned for a moment. Cheng Qiyun's expression became nervous again. She softly said, "Does daren blame Qiyun for ruining daren's reputation?"
Yang Ling smiled bitterly. "How is this ruining my reputation? It's just … do you remember the first time we went along this canal to Jinling, what I said to you? I said … even if you climbed up the nobility and held great power, that is not the end of a woman. Sooner or later, you will still have to walk the path of serving your husband and raising your children. If this matter gets out, it will only fill in a romantic story for me. How will you be able to marry in the future? "
Cheng Qiyun remembered that the two of them had been like enemies but also friends. He had gone with her to Jinling with caution. Suddenly, Yang Ling was treating her with sincerity. Who said that her heart's blood was wasted?
Cheng Qiyun suppressed the agitation in her heart. She softly and softly said, "If I can marry, I will marry. If I can't, I will serve daren for the rest of my life. I will be at your beck and call to repay your kindness. As long as daren does not despise me, I … even if I die, I will not complain!"
※ ※ ※
Because Wu Jiyuan, Xu Jing and the others were at the Longjiang shipyard discussing the purchase of an ocean-going merchant ship, they did not accompany Yang Ling to Suzhou. The three ships of the imperial envoy arrived at the Suzhou pier. Gu Daeyong, Li Daxiang, the Jiangnan administrative envoy, the commander, the inspector and other officials rushed over to welcome them.
Although the Jiangnan administrative envoy, Yue Daren, had just arrived, but he had heard of Jiangnan's number one prostitute, Dai Lou 'er, and her entanglement with Yang Ling. In the eyes of the scholars and officials at that time, famous prostitutes were like precious commodities. Whoever had the ability could take them. The more famous they were, the more valuable they were. Anyway, they were not the official wives, so no one cared about their pasts.
Hence, when she saw Cheng Qiyun, who was by Yang Ling's side, this Chief Minister, who was a First Rank Scholar, was only stunned by Cheng Qiyun's beauty and envied Yang Ling for getting there first, but she did not look down on Cheng Qiyun in the slightest.
Yang Ling was worried that some stubborn officials would be disrespectful to Dai Lou 'er. Dai Lou' er was proud and arrogant, so she would not be able to bear this kind of humiliation. But he did not know that in this era, the scholars' views on chastity were very polarized. On one side, they were extremely harsh to women. On the other side, they saw loitering in brothels as romantic affairs. Taking famous prostitutes as concubines was fashionable. It was not as serious as he thought.
Gu Daeyong was naturally overjoyed at Yang Ling's arrival. These days, he had been busy with the establishment of the customs yamen, the department of trade, the navy, and the tax administration yamen. Gu Daeyong's knowledge was limited, but he had learned from his mistakes. He remembered Yang Ling's instructions and did not blindly give out orders. He only grasped the power of people and did not let go.
Those who were willing to work hard and could produce results were people who could be used. So he dared to let his subordinates do it. Behind him, he had Yang Ling, the Emperor, the support of the royal family in the capital, and the local gentry and nobles. As a person who controlled the overall situation, his main function was to mobilize the enthusiasm of his subordinates. He did not need to personally handle the details. Moreover, there were the two factories and one guard that secretly passed on all kinds of business information and the process of establishment of the yamen. Nothing could be hidden from him.
Yang Ling and Cheng Qiyun agreed to a welcoming banquet and thanked and sent off the local officials. Only then did they, Gu Daeyong, Li Daxiang, and a few other people who were close to them, return to the imperial envoy's residence to have tea and chat.
This residence was a newly built office of the sea market that Gu Daeyong had built next to the department of trade. Gu Daeyong was a northerner and was not used to the small bridges, flowing water, and winding corridors of Jiangnan. This residence was built like a mansion in the north, paying particular attention to its open and open style.
A tall lintel, perfectly straight corridors, and a row of bronze wind lanterns hung from the main door every five steps, all the way to the central hall, illuminating the courtyard as if it were daytime.
"I have already ordered the Suzhou weaving factory to expand production. Those individual weaving workshops have also followed your orders and are each in charge of a piece. Those who produce silk will produce silk, and those who weave will weave luo. The finished products will be purchased by the weaving bureau.
With this division of labor, each family can save a lot of manpower and resources, and the speed of production is much faster. Furthermore, each family is in a relationship of mutual supply, and no one can leave the other. The various weaving workshops will no longer undermine each other or make trouble for each other. "Li Daxiang was a person who had been frightened by Yang Ling's" hidden dagger in his smile ". As soon as he sat down, he tried to curry favor.
Yang Ling smiled and said, "You have worked hard. Things like porcelain, silk, cloth, Buddhist scriptures, poems, and the like must be prepared. After the trade is established, we can sell them to Japan at a high price."
He drank a few cups of wine and was in high spirits. In front of him were all his subordinates, so he did not have to worry. In a moment of excitement, he laughed and said, "These days, made in China are not made cheaply. Haha, those are good things that cost 30% of the cost and 70% of the profit."
Li Daxiang stared at him and said, "What do you mean... people without... carry?"
Yang Ling laughed and said, "Uh... I mean made in Ming Destiny. Haha, it was just a foreign language. Eunuch Li, please do not take it to heart."
Gu Daeyong quickly tried to be clever and explained, "Mr Yang's residence has a few foreigners with red hair and blue eyes who came from the far west. Sir, you are speaking the foreign language of that country."
Li Daxiang and the others acted as if they were suddenly enlightened and quickly expressed their admiration and praise.
Yang Ling said, "But all of you must remember, although it is said that the people are free to trade, the glorious Huaxia is not comparable to a small barbaric country. We are the subjects of the holy court, the subordinates of the Emperor, and we have the responsibility to guide and educate the people. If we let them do as they please, won't we turn the world upside down and corrupt the country? Then the people in the marketplace will be allowed to do as they please. Alas!
We cannot let the people do as they please. We need to guide them, understand? Things that shouldn't be imported, that shouldn't be exported, when we set the tax rate, we should adjust it a bit higher, so that the common people will naturally touch those things less. We should import more sulfur, swords, hemp, copper, and so on from Japan, and less entertainment items.
Also, Master Min Wenjian will come to see me tomorrow. But I have heard that the crops planted in the army's fields are growing very well. After a large amount of planting next year, we will have surplus grain and sell it to other countries. Don't just look at the immediate benefits. We must make it inseparable from us. "
Li Daxiang said worriedly, "Sir, the Weaving Bureau has accumulated a large amount of cloth and silk purchased from Song Jiang and other places. I heard that the feudal lords in Japan are fighting each other and are extremely poor. Do they have the money to buy our things?"
Gu Daeyong was instructed by Yang Ling to pay close attention to the movements in Japan. The factory guards had sent back some information and he knew what was going on. When he heard this, he said, "Old Li, you don't have to worry about this. Although Japan is small, there are many gold and silver mines. In recent years, there have been wars everywhere. The fields and cities have been deserted. They have no choice but to open up the mountains to mine. They don't have anything else, but they have an endless supply of gold and silver."
Li Daxiang was relieved when he heard this. His face suddenly changed into a relaxed smile.
In fact, Yang Ling did not have any good intentions. He used the excuse of opening up the sea trade to send a group of envoys to Japan with a large number of intelligence gathering experts. According to the intelligence they sent back, the various daimyo in Japan were fighting fiercely. No one under their rule was willing to farm or work. As a result, they became poorer and poorer.
In order to enhance their strength and gain an advantage in the war with other daimyo, the daimyo everywhere took advantage of the geographical conditions of the mountains in Japan. There were many gold and silver mines in the mountains. They were organizing manpower to fully mine. The farsighted daimyo even began to build water conservancy and encourage farming.
Yang Ling calculated that gold and silver were the universal currency of the world. They were valuable no matter where they were. If they were provided with various goods and even food to solve their worries, then the attention of the daimyo everywhere would be shifted from preparing for a temporary truce because of economic difficulties to vigorously develop the agricultural industry and then to fighting for hegemony. Then when Ming Destiny vigorously developed the navy to compete with the world, he could take advantage of their civil strife to be at least 50 years ahead of them. It would be difficult for them to catch up.
Yang Ling never expected that his purpose was so simple, but this move had a huge impact on the future. Japan thus embarked on the same development path as Spain, and Ming Destiny accumulated enough capital for the industrial explosion 150 years later.
In history, the daimyo of the Warring States in the 16th century mined a large number of gold and silver mines and developed the economy. Only 50 years later, they did not have to rely on trade with Ming Destiny to survive, so they embarked on the road of independence and self-improvement. However, now Ming Destiny lifted the sea ban more than 60 years in advance, dumping a large number of products and even food that Japan urgently needed, so that they no longer had to worry about the consequences.
The inexhaustible gold and silver mines made it so that they did not have to worry about the consequences of not producing. Gold and silver extracted from the mountains could be exchanged with Ming Destiny for fine silk, expensive porcelain and food. Who would be willing to farm with their face in the yellow soil and their backs to the sky?
This situation was just like the situation of Spain in the period when they destroyed the Inca Kingdom and plundered countless gold to become a nouveau riche. With such a strong capital, if they used it to develop production in the West, which used gold as currency, they would undoubtedly become the richest country in Europe.
However, they mistakenly thought that they could continue to plunder countless gold and silver from the New World, so they only knew how to squander and consume. As a result, they only became a bridge to transfer gold and silver from the New World to Europe. As a result, after decades, there were four financial crises, and the country was almost destroyed.
And Ming Destiny's generous trade and continuous mining of gold and silver gave Japan the same illusion, so they also embarked on this road. But what about Ming Destiny? The people of Ming Destiny preferred to store gold. The Ming Destiny Dynasty became a huge 'gold-sucking sponge'. Once the gold flowed in, it could not be squeezed out.
This kind of universal gold currency, after more than 100 years of accumulation, provided enough capital preparation when Ming Destiny's culture, law, technology, and ideology from commerce to industry matured and finally led to the Industrial Revolution.
Yang Ling chatted with several confidants about the opening of the sea and trade, and listened to the establishment of the various yamen under Gu Daeyong. After about two hours, he finally sent the guests off with tea.
When he returned to the field office, Cheng Qiyun secretly told Shark King Peng Fugui that he had sent someone to deliver the latest military secret report. She had already gone to the back hall to receive him. Peng Fugui had joined the Ming Destiny Navy after being recruited by Cheng Qiyun. However, he had two identities. He was both an officer of the Ming Destiny Navy and the head of the Inner Factory. He was similar to the military agents of later generations.
The Peng family had been operating on the sea for many years and had secret channels of information with the Wokou pirates and Japan. After joining the Inner Factory, he had secretly recruited his subordinate, Beauty Wang, who had followed him for many years, to surrender. Beauty Wang was one of the four largest pirate groups in the Zhejiang and Fujian regions. Almost all of them were inherited from Old Master Peng's old team. Their base was on Mount Putuo. His secret surrender was like burying a sharp knife among the Wokou pirates. In the future, it would play an immeasurable role.
Yang Ling was also anxious to know what news Peng Fugui had sent. He hurried to the back hall but saw that no one had left. He asked the servant girl who was waiting on him and said that the messenger had already left. Yang Ling then walked towards Cheng Qiyun's residence.
Cheng Qiyun's residence was separated from Yang Ling's by a winding corridor. In the middle was a potted garden, and on the pillars of the corridor hung a string of Jiangnan style red lights.
Cheng Qiyun's two personal servants had been left behind to serve Ma Lian 'er. At this time, there was only a servant girl sent by the Temporary Command to serve Cheng Qiyun. Seeing that Yang Ling had arrived, Cheng Qiyun hurried over to welcome him.
She led Yang Ling into the small hall and sat down. The servant girl served two cups of tea and retreated. Yang Ling saw that she had removed half of her makeup and had not changed her clothes. However, her fine black hair had been untied into a bun. Her appearance was soft and charming. After drinking, her jade cheeks were dyed red, making her look even more charming. He couldn't help but laugh. "Your attire today is elegant and extraordinary. When you attended the banquet, everyone was stunned. With such effort, it really is a case of a woman dressing up for the man who pleases her."
Cheng Qiyun glanced at him affectionately and said meaningfully, "Qiyun only wants to … only want to dress up for the man who pleases me. I don't care what other people think."
Yang Ling saw that her jet-black hair hung down to her slender waist like a waterfall. Cheng Qiyun's tone of voice also revealed a kind of seductive tenderness. Under the dim light of the night, it was even more seductive. Therefore, he didn't dare to look at her again. He hurriedly looked away and used the opportunity of drinking tea to calm his mind. He then cleared his throat and said, "What news did Master Peng send?"
Cheng Qiyun saw that he kept avoiding her flirtatious smile and bit her lip in annoyance. She then said, "None of the things that Daren was worried about have happened. Everything that Daren wanted to see has been done just fine. However, in this way, there is a bad thing."
Yang Ling glared at her and said angrily, "Don't keep me guessing. What exactly is the news?"
Cheng Qiyun chuckled and then laughed as if she had vented her anger. She said, "The two most powerful daimyo, the Ōuchi and the Hosokawa, have spared no effort to eliminate the Wokou pirates in order to seize the greatest benefits from the trade with Ming Destiny. The Japanese royal family intends to use this opportunity to expand their influence, so they are very cooperative.
At present, the Ōuchi and Hosokawa have separately assembled their navy to attack the Wokou pirates stationed in Satsuma, Nagato, Bodo, Kashyashima and other places. Those who refuse to submit and continue to be pirates will be killed without mercy. According to the information sent back, at least the Japanese main island is preparing to take advantage of the wind to head west. The Wokou pirates who came to Ming Destiny to plunder have been wiped out by the two daimyo, Ōuchi and Hosokawa. The remaining Wokou pirates fled in panic. "
Yang Ling doubted and said, "They have always been lenient towards the Wokou pirates. Will they really change their character? I was afraid that they would cooperate with the pirates to suppress the pirates. I didn't expect … Is the news accurate? "
Cheng Qiyun smiled and nodded. "It's absolutely true. It's not that they have sincerity or good intentions. It's just that they now have the opportunity to trade with the Great Ming Empire. Moreover, they want to monopolize the huge profits from the trade with the Great Ming Empire. Naturally, they don't want the pirates to spoil the big picture. Since the pirates have become a stumbling block to their profits, naturally, they will mercilessly kick them away.
Yang Ling was secretly worried. He was worried that under the coordination of the Emperor, the Ōuchi and Hosokawa would cooperate politically on the basis of the military cooperation to suppress the pirates. If the two daimyo were to govern together, then the chaos of the whole Japan could quickly subside. This was obviously not what he wanted to see. Was this what Cheng Qiyun meant by something bad?
Thinking of this, Yang Ling hurriedly asked, "You said something bad, what do you mean?"
Cheng Qiyun smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know how the combat power of our navy is now. Sigh! The Ōuchi and Hosokawa are working too hard to suppress the pirates. It's convenient for them to use their troops on the island. The pirates can't resist, so they simply withdrew from the island and raised the sails. Several groups of pirates have gathered together and are coming to Ming Destiny in a mighty manner. "
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