In late September, the unpleasant incident that occurred in Huizhou at the end of August became clear to the cantonese and Fujian provinces, along with the courier's detour in Jiangxi and southern Jiangxi.

According to the report from the Pinghai Senhu Office, they did see pirates landing at first, and even attacked their fishing boats. The pirates were not uniformly dressed, and their weapons were varied, but there were quite a few of them, so they asked Huizhou Town for reinforcements.

However, after the messenger left, the pirates soon approached the city of Qianhusuo, claiming that it was to negotiate peace, and the Qing court divided the Huizhou Mansion to their national duke, so they asked Qianhu to provide grain and grass for military use. Qianhu did not receive notice in advance, of course they refused to give in, but after the Qing army's reinforcements arrived, what they heard was the news that the Qing army raided the Ming army and was completely annihilated by the Ming army.

"I've never heard of the officers of the guard station still have the right to gossip about things!"

Liu Qingtai was very angry, because of such a place, the overall situation was almost ruined, and it led to his current passive situation. Although Zheng Chenggong is so passive, there is no benefit to him, but he is not happy, and he is not comfortable.

"The army, that Haicheng Gong claims that the army lacks cloth, so many soldiers in the army lack military uniforms. The misunderstanding may have been caused by this, and the guy's tone has eased a lot now, and he has not clinged to this matter, which is already a good progress for the overall situation. ”

Speaking of which, Tong Guoqi is also suspicious of this, but Liu Qingtai said that as a governor, it is not good for him to continue to arch the fire, and he wants to give the governor a step down is the way to be a subordinate. Otherwise, it would be difficult to encourage Liu Qingtai to fight with the two feudatories in Guangdong, as well as the newly established Southwest Economic Strategy Hong Chengchou and the new governor of Liangguang, Li Shutai.

On the Guangdong side, they don't count on it anymore, they just beg those guys to do less pig teammates, so as not to destroy the overall situation and Amitabha. Fortunately, Zheng Chenggong did not dwell too much on this matter, but only said that he would expand the scope of the levy to cloth and porcelain, the former was naturally used to make clothes, and then because the soldiers in the army lacked utensils for dining, so they were levied.

This is clearly deceptive!

Many people have had such an idea in their minds, but no one has put it into their mouths, especially Liu Qingtai and Tong Guoqi, the two highest-ranking officials in Fujian.

Speaking of which, from the collection of grain and wages, to cloth and porcelain, this has become a disguised form of trade. It is nothing more than that it was originally smuggled by merchants to the Zheng Group, but now it has become a government levy, and then resold to the Zheng Group to collect kickbacks. In this way, the businessmen have suffered a loss, but they have no right to speak; The bureaucracy, which has the right to speak, is the profiteer, so naturally it is not too much to say about it.

Not having the right to speak does not mean that there is no resentment in the heart, but when the expropriation work really began in October, the gentry and the common people found out that the officials of the Qing court came to collect with knives.

Money, grain, cloth, and porcelain were being collected, and materials were being transported to the Central Left Office one after another, and the rebate silver was sent to the homes of the officials at the same pace and frequency.

During this period, Tong Guoqi heard about an incident, and hurriedly rushed to the governor's yamen with someone to report. It's a pity that Liu Qingtai has already gotten the news on this matter.

"Siyuan is talking about Haicheng Gong sending people to open a porridge field and giving silver money to those Confucian students. This official has already heard about this, so there is no need to make a fuss. ”

Hearing this, Tong Guoqi and Feng Junrui, the deputy general of Fuzhou City Guard, who came with him, were all stunned. Next, Liu Qingtai told the two about an old incident to explain his reaction.

According to Liu Qingtai's rumors, Zheng Zhilong and the great pirate Yan Siqi worshipped together, and a group of Chinese pirates, with the support of some Japanese leaders, prepared to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate, but they were defeated and fled. Then Yan Siqi died, and Zheng Zhilong became the leader of Yan Siqi's pirate group, and plundered the coastal counties of Fujian.

is such a giant, it stands to reason that he should be hated by everyone and gnash his teeth. However, except for Li Dan's partner Xu Xinsu in the mainland and the officials he bribed, other officials did not know whether they could do this. In addition, among the people, Zheng Zhilong is regarded as a "righteous thief" who robs the rich and helps the poor.

The reason for such a big contrast is that Zheng Zhilong's wanton bribery of Fujian officialdom, coupled with the fact that "it is not allowed to kidnap women and slaughter people...... There are poor people, and they use money and rice with them", and even the Confucian students who meet the road to take the exam will also give away the travel expenses for the exam. is so unusual, in exchange for the natural recruitment of officials as he wished, and achieved the transformation from thieves to officials.

"The army is well-informed, and the subordinate officials admire it to the fullest."

In fact, Liu Qingtai doesn't know much about this, but he has probably heard of this matter. told the matter at this moment, Liu Qingtai, as the governor, would not say much to Feng Junrui, a small lieutenant, so he directly waved his people away, leaving Tong Guoqi to continue the conversation. However, looking at Feng Junrui's withdrawn figure, he nodded and said to Tong Guoqi: "This person is still a usable person." ”

"It's exactly what the army says."

Speaking of which, Feng Junrui is a close confidant of Zhang Xuesheng, the former governor of Fujian. It stands to reason that such an identity is indispensable when Zhang Xuesheng is in prison, especially when this person also participated in the battle of Xiamen. However, in recent years, Feng Junrui's private sea trade seems to be very profitable, and he is also very self-motivated to continue to send silver to Shangguan's house, so that when Zhang Xuesheng was imprisoned, he relied on those silver money to get through the door of his successor Tong Guoqi, so that he could continue to be the deputy general of Fujian City Guard.

Such a character, in today's Fujian officialdom that sings praises for appeasement, is naturally rarely wary of the Zheng Group. When he learned that Zheng Chenggong paid for the local people, he hurriedly warned Tong Guoqi, so there was the scene just now.

As soon as Liu Qingtai said this, Tong Guoqi nodded spontaneously - although it is the direction of the wind to appease now, there is always a need for some of his subordinates to be wary of the target of the appeasement, which is the proper meaning.

"After the official goes back, he will appease his people, and he will not be cold in this heart of retribution."

"Siyuan does things, I am the most assured."

Although Tong Guoqi is just a governor, his surname is Tong, and in the officialdom of the early Qing Dynasty, Tong Jia's family was an absolute wealthy family. What's more, Tong Guoqi's cousin also entered the palace as a concubine this year, which is the identity of a relative. Liu Qingtai has never had the prestige of an official in front of Tong Guoqi, and the latter also guards the duties of his subordinates and does not go beyond Lei Chi, which is naturally a lot of harmony between the governors.

Feng Junrui's matter passed by in a word, and Liu Qingtai made an interpretation. Thinking about it carefully, Zheng Zhilong's big trouble in Minhai also led to the downfall of Zhu Yifeng, the governor of the main suppression, and Yu Zhigao, the general soldier, and Xiong Wencan, the successor governor of the main governor's faction, was also prosperous in the Chongzhen Dynasty for a time. Now that I think about it, it is in response to the imprisonment of Zhang Xuesheng, the governor of the main suppression, and the fact that these main Fu factions are manipulating the overall situation.

There are old things to learn from, and it is also the old story of Zheng Chenggong's Lao Tzu, there should be no surprises. However, Tong Guoqi was still a little worried, or a mediocre person disturbing himself.

"The army, if it continues to develop like this, the people of Fujian are afraid that they will no longer be owned by the imperial court."

This is a problem, after all, it is the Qing government that is levying more money, and Zheng Chenggong is buying it from the local people. However, Liu Qingtai only laughed at this, and even if Tong Guoqi hadn't asked, he might not be willing to tell the truth.

"It's just another Zheng Zhilong, don't be afraid. As for the people's hearts and minds, as long as the Eight Banners Iron Cavalry is still there, where they are not satisfied, they will be slaughtered, and the remaining untouchables will naturally bow down to the court. ”

………………

In Fujian, the drama of appeasement and kickbacks complement each other. Speaking of which, the reason why there is appeasement is that the stalemate in the southwest is indispensable. Just like what Lei Yuelong said earlier, it will not be beneficial to the Ming army if it continues to be consumed like this. But if you think about it carefully, in this way, the Qing court already has a dead hole with too few core Ding mouths, and if the First World War continues, it is also difficult to say which side will not be able to bear it first.

For this reason, the Qing court decided to take advantage of the gap when the front army returned to Yungui to recuperate from its wounds, transferred back the main force of the Eight Banners Army in Tunqi, and at the same time appointed Niu Colu * Chen Tai as the general of Jingkou in Ningnan, and together with the generals of Manchuria Zhenglan Banner Gushan Ezhen Tong Jia * Lanbai, Mongolian Zhenghongqi Gushan Ezhen Fucha * Ji Xiha, and Baya Laqizhang Jingnara * Sukh Saha and other generals to take over his town and guard Huguang.

Of course, this alone is absolutely not enough. Therefore, at the same time that Liu Qingtai appeased Zheng Chenggong, the Qing court also appointed Zheng Chenggong's fellow countryman, the university scholar Hong Chengchou, to serve as the Southwest Economic Strategy and stationed in Changsha, with full responsibility for the military and political affairs of the five provinces of Huguang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

In charge of the military and political affairs of the five provinces, and at the same time facing the Qin Fan and the King of Xining of the Ming Army in the southwest, as well as Chen Kai, the governor of the four prefectures of the Zheng group in Guangdong, the burden on his shoulders is unimaginable.

For this reason, Hong Chengchou first did his best to second, recruit capable people, and form the shogunate with it. Because it was in Changsha, it was also called the Changsha shogunate in later generations. At the same time, Hong Chengchou also recommended some officials to the Qing court who were not going well for the time being, such as the new governor of Liangguang, Li Shutai, one of them.

Li Shutai is the second son of the great traitor Li Yongfang, whose real name is Yanling, and later Nurhachi changed the word Sutai for him. His people, before entering the customs, accompanied Huang Taiji to conquer Chahar and North Korea, and also attacked Jinzhou in western Liaoning, and even plundered Shandong with Beile Abatai. After entering the customs, he accompanied the army to conquer Li Zicheng, went south to seize Nanzhili, Zhejiang, and Fujian, and later also suppressed it with the army during the Lu Jian State riot in Fujian, and later went north with the army to conquer Shanxi Jiang Zhuang, which can be described as a great achievement.

However, his official fortune in recent years has not been very good, and he was dismissed from office in the fifth year of Yongli, and he was demoted to his post. In the next year, it was a slight improvement, but the extent was not large, until Hong Chengchou strongly recommended him to the Qing court to be the governor of Liangguang, and finally relieved himself.

Hong Chengchou and Li Shutai were appointed to Beijing in May and June, and on the eve of their departure, they had already learned of the Qing court's decision to appease Zheng Chenggong. In this regard, Li Shutai was in charge of the Liangguang area, and there was still a guy like Chen Kai who jumped out and tossed it when he had nothing to do, so he discussed countermeasures with Hong Chengchou on the way.

"The matter of appeasement, Shuda, you know, this is a decision of the imperial court, and it is also a good thing for us to relieve pressure. However, I am a fellow villager with the Zheng family's father and son, and I have heard of this son somehow, and I always feel that he will not be a character who will give up. Chen Kai is the kid's staff, and he is always looking forward to it. It is best to do the things that can be done, and it is also Liu Qingtai's responsibility to do it, as long as we don't interfere too much. ”

"The old gentleman is reasonable, and the lower officials have been taught."

No more than Hong Chengchou, on the way to ask for capable people to fill the shogunate, Li Shutai walked with him for a while, and then immediately went south, and arrived in Guangzhou as fast as possible.

In September and October, the grain and salary requisition in Fujian was in full swing. On the Guangdong side, the unpleasantness that occurred in the Pinghai Thousand Households was quickly passed under the overall situation of the appeasement, and according to the letter discussed by Chen Kai and Zheng Chenggong in the letter earlier, Chen Bao, the Marquis of Zhongyong, came forward to take charge of the grain and salary collection work in Guangdong.

Outside the city of Pinghai Thousand Households, Lu Wei, the chief military officer who was heroically wounded last time, came again. This time, the local guards did not dare to ask for help from the city, so they had to pay the money and food in a proper manner, so as to send the uncle away as soon as possible, so as not to cause any more trouble.

There is not much money, and they also have the reason that "the local area is just a thousand households". In this regard, Lu Wei was not too hypocritical, and waved his hand like his colleagues in Fujian, and the proportional kickbacks were sent to the eyes of those officers.

"Oh, although it is not authentic to do things last time, but this marshal has served the Duke of Haicheng, as well as the military order of our loyal and brave marquis, this rebate still has to be given. Yicheng, this is the rule, if you give more food, Ben Shuai will give you more, don't make noise. ”

After that, Lu Wei, who was hanging one arm, swaggered back, leaving only the group of guards officers still looking at the silver, continuing to entangle.

"Qianhu, this has both a receipt and this rebate for nothing, which is really a beautiful thing that fell from the sky. It doesn't seem that the head of Nalu is very satisfied......"

Deputy Qianhu said that Qianhu didn't know that he was encouraging him to transport more money and grain from the treasury to get kickbacks. However, he just received news yesterday that the new governor of Liangguang was checking the accounts, and he had repeatedly mentioned in his lectures that Guangdong was between Guangxi and Fujian, and that warehousing was particularly important.

"Do you think I don't want to?"

Without explanation, Qianhu snorted and embarked on the journey back to Qianhu. However, on Lu Wei's side, he returned to Nanao Island by boat and reported the silver account to Chen Bao, but it caused a complaint from the loyal and brave marquis.

"After receiving the kindness of Huang Ming for hundreds of years, now give them kickbacks, let them give them more money and are not willing to give them more money, they are really a bunch of bastards!"

Chen Baoren, as his name suggests, has always been short-tempered, and at this moment, he is also smiling in the eyes of Chen Kai, who came to Nanao Island to inspect.

"It's done, you can still laugh. Do you know what the grain harvest looks like in Fujian, and we are so drizzling here in Guangdong, how to explain to the national surname. ”

In this regard, Chen Kai was not in a hurry, and calmly pointed out to Chen Bao the different problems of the governor. In his words, the expansion of Zhejiang will not be like Guangdong, in the final analysis, it is still the same sentence, there is something good at the top, and it will be very bad at the bottom.

Chen Bao didn't understand this truth. Speaking of which, emphasizing these at this moment is nothing more than incomprehension that Chen Kai limited the scope of the levy to Huizhou Mansion. Especially in the Huizhou Prefecture, most of the county seats are in the central and northern, and there are only three counties in the south, Haicheng, Guishan and Boluo, and in addition to Haicheng County in the hands of the Ming army, the Boluo County north of Guishan and Guishan where the government is located is even more inland, and they can only take thousands of households like Pinghai and Dapeng in Huizhou to open the knife, where there is how much oil and water.

"Master Hou, it's just such a small thing, Shang Kexi and Li Shutai don't seem to like the silver we sent in the past. The twisted melon is not sweet, and besides, don't I continue to sing with a white face, and the character cannot collapse before the end of the discussion. ”