……

……

While Zhao Junchen was discussing with his staff, the spies of the major factions in the DPRK and China also informed their respective backers of the detailed information about Zhao Junchen's banquet for the merchants of Huizhou and Zhejiang.

In the Zhou Mansion, after hearing Shi Kesong's report, Zhou Shangjing's old face was full of appreciation, and he said slowly: "This Zhao Junchen is really good-hearted, good-hearted, good-minded, and ambitious, although I don't know all of Zhao Junchen's plans, but I know the whole leopard at a glance, and after the formation of the joint shipping company, Zhao Junchen's powerful influence is probably going to soar into the sky and be difficult to suppress, as for Shen Changmao, I'm afraid it will be unlucky......"

After hearing Zhou Shangjing's exclamation, Shi Kesong said with some hesitation: "So, Zhou Ge, do you think we want to secretly sabotage Zhao Junchen's plan?" If Zhao Junchen is allowed to run too fast, he may be a threat in the future. ”

Unlike Xu Changde under Shen Changmao, Shi Kesong is more loyal to Zhou Shangjing, although the United Shipping Company is indeed an opportunity for him, but for the sake of Zhou Shangjing's overall situation, Shi Kesong is still willing to give up this opportunity! But it is not like Xu Changde who will waver.

However, Zhou Shangjing shook his head lightly and said indifferently: "The situation in the temple has not changed much for a long time, but it is also very boring, since Zhao Junchen is willing to break the dull situation, then let him do it...... Next, you don't have to make trouble secretly, just follow Zhao Junchen's plan, for the time being, there are only benefits and no harm......

After hearing Zhou Shangjing's instructions, Shi Kesong secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that Zhou Shangjing's attitude was more beneficial to him.

At the same time, Shi Kesong saw that Zhou Shangjing had an attitude of sitting back and watching Zhao Junchen's growth, and he couldn't guess Zhou Shangjing's true thoughts at all, but he felt more and more that Zhou Shangjing was unfathomable.

*

At the same time, Xu Changde also reported to Shen Changmao about Zhao Junchen's ideas.

At the beginning, after learning that Zhao Junchen wanted to unite thirty-seven powerful merchants from Huizhou and Zhejiang to form a joint shipping company, Shen Changmao's performance was quite calm, and he sneered: "The old man knows that Zhao Junchen's plan is by no means so simple, what to say is just to select a shipping company for piloting, but the so-called 'one shipping company' is thirty-seven large-scale shipping companies united in one place!" With such an astonishing scale, coupled with the support of the imperial court in terms of policy, I am afraid that it is very easy to become big...... However, Zhao Junchen is inevitably self-righteous! The thirty-seven merchants of Huizhejiang are indeed powerful together, but they are also mixed in people's hearts and have their own needs, as long as they secretly provoke a little, this joint shipping company may soon fall into infighting, and then it will fall apart...... When the time comes, Zhao Junchen's wishful thinking will inevitably fail! ”

On the other side, Xu Changde hurriedly said: "Shoufu, you know a thousand miles, Zhao Junchen, that hairy boy, naturally will not be your opponent." ”

Shen Changmao nodded proudly and continued to ask, "Later, what did Zhao Junchen say?" ”

After hearing Shen Changmao's inquiry, Xu Changde hurriedly told Zhao Junchen in detail about the matter of luring businessmen from Huizhou and Zhejiang to report the crime of smuggling.

This time, Shen Changmao's face changed greatly, and after a long time, he said slowly: "This Zhao Junchen is really an ignorant and fearless, but he is bold enough, he actually intends to deal with all the smugglers at the same time, isn't he afraid that his actions will arouse the hatred of those smugglers, and also offend the backers of those smugglers, and set up a great enemy for himself?" ”

But after thinking about it, Shen Changmao already understood Zhao Junchen's thoughts, and said: "That's right, after Zhao Junchen accepted the errand of commercial tax rectification, he was already a big problem for those smuggling merchants and relevant court officials, but he was not afraid of offending more ruthlessly...... However, Zhao Junchen's plan must not be allowed to continue, otherwise he will inevitably grasp the evidence of countless officials, and his influence will be even more difficult to suppress! ”

After listening to Shen Changmao's muttering, this time Xu Changde was silent and did not answer.

After all, Xu Changde must not tell Shen Changmao that after the banquet, he first returned to the mansion to collect many criminal evidence from his peers, and personally sent these incriminating evidence to the Zhao Mansion, and then hurried to the Shen Mansion to report the news to Shen Changmao - after all, the benefits promised by Zhao Junchen were too tempting for even Xu Changde to give up - and Shen Changmao waited for most of the night because of Xu Changde's selfishness in order to wait for specific information.

Shen Changmao didn't know Xu Changde's careful thoughts, but he secretly made up his mind to sabotage Zhao Junchen's attempt.

Shen Changmao's brows furrowed, and he secretly thought: "Perhaps, we can publicize this matter and create some rumors, claiming that Zhao Junchen has mastered the evidence of a large number of officials participating in smuggling and covering up smuggling, so that everyone in the court officials is in danger, and it also arouses their hatred of the enemy...... However, in this way, if you do not do it properly, it will deal a heavy blow to your morale, and perhaps some people who are not strong will defect to the battle...... Be cautious indeed! ”

While pondering, Shen Changmao continued to ask, "Other than that, what else is there?" ”

After a slight hesitation, Xu Changde shook his head and said, "Other than that, there is nothing to pay attention to." ”

After thinking about it secretly, Xu Changde did not tell Shen Changmao about Zhao Junchen's "repaying grievances with virtue", after all, this matter was easy to arouse Shen Changmao's suspicion, and even Shen Changmao would order himself to refuse Zhao Junchen's benefits, but this was absolutely unacceptable to Xu Changde.

However, Xu Changde didn't know how much trouble his temporary selfish concealment would bring to Shen Changmao and himself in the future!

*

Prior to this, Zhao Junchen had always thought that among the 37 merchants from Huizhou and Zhejiang who attended the banquet, four of them did not really want to cooperate, but spies sent by the factions other than the "Zhao Party" in the DPRK and China.

Among them, Shi Kesong's backstage is Zhou Shangjing, and he is naturally a spy sent by Zhou Shangjing.

Xu Changde's backer behind the scenes is Shen Changmao, who is naturally the spy sent by Shen Changmao.

There is also a merchant named Zhang Cheng in Huizhejiang, who is a native of the palace of Wang Shou, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and Wang Shou is a backbone member of the "Imperial Party", so Zhang Cheng is naturally a spy sent by Emperor Deqing.

There is another Huizhejiang businessman named Li Xiangru, who is a distant relative of the crown prince Shaobao Guo Tang, and Guo Tang is a supporter of the prince Zhu and Yu, so Li Xiangru is naturally a spy sent by the prince Zhu and Yu.

However, there is one thing that Zhao Junchen guessed wrong, the Hui merchant named Li Xiangru was indeed a distant relative of the crown prince Shaobao Guo Tang, and he was indeed assigned by Guo Tang to spy on Zhao Junchen's plan, but the reason why Guo Tang did this was not because of the order of the crown prince Zhu Heyu, but because of the advice of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian!

In fact, since the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian began to participate in the "******" matter, the relationship between Guo Tang and the Seventh Prince Zhu Hejian has become closer and closer.

In many cases, compared with the firm position of the crown prince Zhu and Yu, Guo Tang actually trusted the strategy of the seventh prince Zhu Hejian even more!

Moreover, among the "******", there are now many members like Guo Tang!

……

…… (To be continued.) )