"Li Weigong said that the art of war has thousands of chapters, and it is not to cause people but not to people."

Zhao Xingde looked at everyone and said with a slight smile: "The imperial court used Yue Shuai to preside over the Northern Expedition. We'll see. He rubbed his wine glass, although he didn't hate Bianliang for winning the handsome, but after all, he had a rift with Cao Yue. Yue Fei's personality is heavy and urgent, if he is pointing fingers at the Northern Expedition, the words may reach his ears, and this misunderstanding will not be clear. As soon as he said this, Liu Gongliang and Huang Yuanlong both nodded in unison, obviously understanding the meaning of Zhao Xingde's words. Yue Fei and the generals of the Zhenguo Army are also generals who started on Guangnan Road, and everyone has some friendship, so they naturally don't want to see Zhao Xingde and them become inseparable.

It's one thing to understand, though, and quite another to feel. In the quiet Accord, for a while, many people seemed to hear sighs. The life of the Song people was rich and colorful in this era, however, the life of the vast majority of people was still very poor. Listening to a legendary figure like Zhao Xingde talk about the major affairs of the Northern Expedition, whether he is reasonable or not, it is enough for people to talk about it for a long, long time after they go back. As soon as Zhao Xingde's words fell, many people's faces showed regret.

"Lord Zhao's words are reasonable," Liu Gong nodded and smiled, "Let's wait and see." ”

"If you are not in your position, you don't want to be in charge, I don't have that ability, and I don't have to worry about that." Jia Siweidui said with a smile, "I'll do a good job of going to sea and trade." The Pingliao tax has passed for the time being, and everyone has a chance to breathe, but in the final analysis, whether this business can be done or not, we still have to rely on our own strength. He looked at Zhao Xingde and said, "Report to the general, these days, our Guangnan Chamber of Commerce has discussed, and we have pieced together more than 30 ships of treasures, formed a fleet to follow the sailor to the South Seas, and asked Lord Zhao to take care of it." ”

"This is natural," Zhao Xingde's expression turned from serious to relaxed, and asked with a smile, "Have you bought the bodyguard ticket?" ”

Nie Siwei's tone froze, and then he said, "I bought it in full." He exchanged glances with several other big businessmen, but he didn't expect Zhao Xingde to have a great reputation in Confucianism, and he didn't shy away from these things. Liu Gongliang and Liu Yu looked at each other and smiled bitterly, but did not speak.

The South China Sea Naval Division does not prohibit ships other than those of the South China Sea Voyage from following the naval divisions of the official army to the sea, but it does not guarantee that these ships will be safe. Only merchant ships that have bought bodyguard coupons will be escorted by the Nanhai Dart Company, that is, the naval division detachment, and with the increase in the price of the bodyguard coupons, the South China Sea Travel can compensate for the loss of treasures in full. However, in this way, a large part of the profits from maritime trade also went into the books of the South China Sea. Therefore, to test Zhao Xingde's attitude and see if there will be room for "loosening" on the part of the sailors, that is, one of the main purposes of this banquet for these merchants in Guangzhou. It seems that Zhao Xingde knows their ideas well, and with the importance he attaches to the detachment, he does not recommend that these big businessmen take risks and follow the sailor fleet to sea without buying bodyguard tickets. After all, the main fleet of the South China Sea Naval Division is not a nanny for merchant ships.

"It seems that I have to stock up well before I can earn this money back in the South China Sea."

Nie Siwei said with a smile, he couldn't see any dissatisfaction, the so-called harmony and wealth were exactly what he was talking about. He raised his glass and said, "On behalf of us guys who are adrift on the sea, thank you Lord Zhao." However, I heard that the Great Cannibals have many dens in the South China Sea, and the last time the Great Cannibals crossed the sea, they got food and water from them. These guys are a gang of pirates, who robbed us, this time we go to sea, what should we do, 'repay grievances with straightforwardness', and beat these guys well." ”

"Nie Xingshou is so right!" Nie Siwei's words caused a chorus of echoes among the businessmen.

"Lord Zhao, if you are not of my race, your heart will be different, this sentence is definitely good."

"Otherwise, maybe something will come out again."

"Exactly!" "This blood debt has to be repaid by the big cannibals with interest!"

"Yes, kill all these big cannibals, and pay for the blood debt!" Zuo Nianyuan roared.

The word "revenge" seems to have a natural appeal, and the young civil officials who have just drunk some rice wine, such as Luo Huan, Tang Di, Zuo Nianyuan and others, are also red-faced and red-eared, as if they have poured half a catty of wine and sweat.

Zhao Xingde, Liu Gongliang and others just watched this scene silently and did not say anything to stop it.

Seeing this, the merchants became louder, and one by one they were excited, eager to go to sea immediately to find the big cannibal to take revenge.

In fact, when the pirates attacked, the sea merchants were always the fastest to flee when they heard the news. Compared with the gentry and common people who were struggling to defend the land of Sangzi, the casualties of the merchant family were negligible. Now this look of bitterness and hatred is tacitly understood by everyone, going to the sea to seek wealth is to sell his life to the Sea Dragon King, when the wind is down, he will pull the sails, and when he is powerful, he will not spare people. Most of the Song merchants only dared to sell the goods of the Song Kingdom to the Great Cannibals in Annam, and then returned with treasures that were not known how much the Great Cannibals had increased their price. There are also people who have the courage to continue sailing westward, but most of them have no return, and both people and money are lost. Never underestimate the ambition and imagination of the merchants, who immediately thought of the possibility of monopolizing the trade in the southwest seas as soon as they saw the officers and navy divisions display their strength to overwhelm the Great Food Fleet. What they are most worried about is that the officials and soldiers of the imperial court are bound by the doctrine of benevolence and righteousness, and they cannot let go of their officials.

"My lord, when dealing with these barbarians, you must not be soft-hearted!"

Liu Gongliang frowned slightly, and saw a businessman named Sun Shen pulling the sleeve of his robe, crying with a handful of snot and tears: "The so-called people are harmless and tigers, and tigers hurt people's hearts." If you fight a snake, you will not die, but you will suffer from it. We, the merchants floating on the sea, have long been fed up with the bullying of the big cannibals. If the officers and soldiers of the navy only go away with great fanfare and can't cut the grass and eradicate the roots, they are afraid that the big cannibals will make a comeback, and we will all die without a place to be buried! Lord Liu, this, this is called 'adults don't kill Boren, Boren dies for adults'? ”

Although this person is good at business, he only knows half of his reading, and listening to his indiscriminate use of allusions, Zuo Nianyuan and the others almost lost their breath when they laughed.

Zhao Xingde watched from the sidelines, and couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry, Sun Dongjia, the so-called cannibalism is a matter of loyalty." In the future, if our sailors are in the South China Sea for a day, it will be impossible for the pirates to be as arrogant as before. "General Zhao is really the reborn parent of Xiaomin and others." Sun Shen let go of Liu Gongliang's sleeves, and was about to stand up and bow down, but after Zhao Xingde insisted on not accepting it, he sat back in his seat, with a mixture of joy and sorrow, and then full of melancholy, as if his heart was always lingering. Nie Siwei saw that the expressions on the faces of Zuo Huang and the two adults were stiff, and he also stepped forward to comfort him, but actually hinted that he should not exaggerate too much, but embarrass others.

"Sailors often patrol the South China Sea, which is easy to say." Huang Yuanlong watched the maritime merchants come forward to make friends with Zhao Xingde and the others, and said in his heart: "I heard that if the sailor gunboat fired a salvo, hundreds of silver coins were wiped out. In addition, the construction and maintenance of warships, the usual training, the construction of docks, and water villages, all of which were piled up with silver money. The South China Sea Naval Division has less than 20,000 forbidden army personnel, but the food and salary consumed are enough to compare with several major camps. The imperial court spent a lot of money to support the sailors, and it was these wealthy merchants and this Mr. Zhao who benefited, but it was all the gentry and common people of the Great Song Dynasty who paid the taxes of the imperial court. He frowned and said secretly, "One day I will go to Ezhou to participate in the deliberations, and I would rather cut the expenses of the sailors than increase any more taxes." ”

At this moment, Huang Yuanlong thought so in his heart, but he didn't show it, just looked at these people in the banquet thoughtfully.

Who has benefited the most from maritime trade? Who has nothing to do with maritime trade? Before and after the Battle of Guangzhou, Chen Gongju and Huang Yuanlong had reached the point where water and fire were incompatible. And Zhao Xingde, Chen Dong, and Chen Gongju are undoubtedly in the same group, so the second Chen Ding will not agree to the reduction of the water division's salary. And when the imperial court really increased taxes, the gentry, the families who lived on land rent, and even the scholars who cultivated and read the heirlooms, chose between the reduction of the water master's salary and the increase of taxes, and they were likely to agree with the abolition of the water master.

Many of the civil officials present here, as well as businessmen who had little to do with maritime trade, frowned unconsciously when they heard the "Pingliao tax." However, the imperial court is such a big account, and it is not a way to tear down the east wall and make up the west wall. The imperial court has to go on a northern expedition again, and it has to maintain this huge naval division, and the future expenditure will inevitably be insufficient. If most of the students feel that the water master is spending money on food and salary, and opposes the tax increase to maintain the water master, they will have the capital to fight against Er Chen, after all, the position of the student and the government is elected by the students.

Huang Yuanlong secretly pondered, and the banquet somehow quieted down, and he didn't realize it.

"The sailor has been stationed in Guangzhou for many days, and he has been bothering you."

Zhao Xingde said with a smile: "When the thieves were exterminated, they obtained a batch of good utensils from the big food, and this time they just brought it over to give you a look. And all the money he received was given to the people. ”

He nodded slightly to Liu Yu and looked out the door.

Ten dancing girls slowly walked in with wooden plates, and after standing still, Liu Yu, the envoy of the city, stepped forward, and took away the red silk covering the utensils one by one, and suddenly there was a sound of inhalation and admiration. I saw that there were gold and silver utensils of different shapes placed on each of the ten trays, such as the melon edge gold bowl, the silver twig pattern horse head gold pot, the lily pattern inlaid with red sapphire silver square box, etc., these are the treasures of the sea at a glance, do not take the light and delicate road of the Central Plains utensils, the treasures are large and heavy, but the ornamentation is extremely exquisite, the gold and silver are intertwined with thousands of wisps, and the light of the lamp and candle scatters the dazzling treasure light. Although everyone at the banquet was well-informed, they couldn't take their eyes off it for a while, and some people even held their heavy breath.

"Obediently, a single golden cup will weigh a pound." Sun Shen grinned and said in a low voice, "But I like it." ”