I can't live in fear!

It is very appropriate to use this sentence to describe Yangzhou City at this time, since the town of Guazhou was occupied by the Ming army a month ago, the city gate of Yangzhou City is close at hand, lest the Ming army enter Yangzhou. However, what relieved them was that in the eyes of the Ming army stationed in Guazhou, there was no Yangzhou at all. Although there were rumors that the army was approaching the city several times, it was only a false alarm in the end.

After a long time, people will always relax, the Qing army that originally patrolled the city all day long, slowly slackened down, and after a long time, those temporarily recruited people, maybe they took turns to go home at night for the night. Even the Lijin Gate, which is close to Yunhe, is open for an hour or two every day so that grain can be transported into the city, and of course, more importantly, even if the war is coming, the salt merchants always have to do business, and the people in Jiangnan still have to eat salt. Although the wharf outside the Lijin Gate is not as lively as in the past, the salt ships still continue to transport salt from the salt field through Yangzhou to all parts of the Yangtze River.

As in the past, after sending out thousands of stones of Huai salt, after getting the letter from the shopkeeper, Zheng Xia came to the two Huai Salt Transport Envoys, the two Huai Salt Transport Envoys and the Salt Patrol Imperial History Yamen, one in the east and one in the west, only a small Qinhuai River was separated between them. Although the two seem to be salt management yamen, compared to the fat difference of the former, the latter is only a clear water yamen - it can only supervise transportation, but does not have much real power. In contrast, the salt transport envoys are specifically in charge of the transportation and marketing of salt, the collection of taxes, the payment and allocation of money and grain, as well as the illegal salt cases in various places, and the assessment of anti-smuggling.

As soon as the front foot entered the yamen, an errand officer of the yamen reminded Zheng Xiaru softly.

"Master Zheng, this big man seems to be a little uncertain, when you pass by in a while, you have to be careful!"

The reminder of the errand made Zheng Xiaru smile.

"Thank you, Brother Li, for reminding me!"

As he spoke, he took out a piece of silver ingots and stuffed it into the man's hand. The officer took his hand, and the smile on his face became even brighter.

"Thank you Master Zheng for the reward!"

The errand officer in this yamen usually likes to report to the salt merchants, after all, these salt merchants have always been generous. It's like this, but it's just a sentence, and it's a reward of five taels.

When he arrived outside the study, the servant walked through the door.

"Tell the eldest master, Master Zheng has arrived!"

"Quick, please let him in!"

There was a shout from Gao Chaoling in the study, and when he pushed the door into the study, Zheng Xiaru knelt down and kowtowed.

"The grass people knock to see the master!"

The people must kneel when they see officials, although Zheng Xia is worth millions, he can't change this rule, but is more cautious than ordinary people.

"No courtesy, no courtesy......"

After Zheng Xiaru finished kowtowing, Gao Chaoling said.

"Shisuke, why do you need to be so polite between you and me, quick, please sit down and serve tea!"

After serving tea on the errand and leaving and closing the door, Zheng Xia Rucai looked at Gao Chaoling and said.

"Master Qibing, today another 10,000 stone salt was issued, and the grass people have already ordered someone to send you the master's share."

According to the rules of the past, every time a batch of salt is transported, the salt envoy can get a sum of silver, although the term of office of the salt envoy is only one year, but the one-year salt envoy is far better than a prefect.

"Don't talk about this now, Shisuke, how about it, is there any news from Guazhou?"

Gao Chaoling looked at Zheng Xiaru with some nervousness, half a month ago, Zheng Xiaru was the first person to transport salt to Jiangnan after being caught as a thief in Guazhou, not because he was a thief, but because he was more courageous than ordinary people. He recognized that the people in Jiangnan needed salt, and even those pirates needed salt, and if they blocked the salt road, they would force the pirates to come over. For Gao Chaoling, who is a salt transport envoy, although he has no responsibility to defend the land, but as the highest-ranking official in this city, he can only think of ways to keep this Yangzhou City, and it is precisely because of this that half a month ago, he agreed to the request of Zheng Xiaru, these salt merchants from Jiangnan, and agreed to them to transport salt to Jiangnan, so as not to stimulate the pirates to seize the city, and even bribed the Guazhou pirates with a lot of money. Of course, his benefits naturally did not fall, and even doubled compared to the past.

"Back to the eldest master, the thief leader stationed in Guazhou has not reported any other news except for the 10,000 taels of silver sent by us last time."

Zheng Xia replied truthfully, if it weren't for the Ming army guards in Guazhou who received the silver, he really wouldn't have dared to let the salt ship enter the Yangtze River.

"However, judging from the news from the salt ship in the past, it seems that the thief leader has no intention of attacking Yangzhou in the north."

"Shisuke, you must do this errand well, when the thief retreats, the official will naturally ask the court for credit to you......"

"The grass people don't dare to take credit!"

Zheng Xiaru hurriedly got up and said.

"Lord, grass people......"

"Shisuke, it should be your work, it is your work, what dare you dare! Yangzhou can survive at this time, it all depends on your original offering, the pirates have always been greedy for profit, and they will be tempted to take advantage of it, and they will be able to slow down their troops, but ...... But now the situation is even more sinister than it was then. ”

After interrupting him, Gao Chaoling continued.

"This official just heard the news from someone that Zhu Mingzhong, who captured Changzhou and Jiangning, has been appointed by Zheng Thief as the Jiangbei pacification envoy, if this thief invades Yangzhou, I am afraid that this, this Yangzhou will not be protected......

As he spoke, Gao Chaoling's face was full of melancholy, and the reason why he was so worried now was precisely because of the news he had just gotten.

Originally, he was not very worried about the Ming army in Guazhou, after all, there were only 2,000 Ming troops there, as long as they were lured to take advantage of it, they would definitely not invade Yangzhou lightly, after all, no one would be afraid of silver. But now it's different, so Zhu Mingzhong is going north, how can he not worry?

What the!

Zheng Xiaru looked at Gao Chaoling in surprise, and then asked in a lost voice.

"Big, big lord, but that Zhu Mingzhong who took Jiangning?"

Even in Jiangbei, Zheng Xiaru had heard of Zhu Mingzhong's name more than once, after all, the salt ships in the past would always bring all kinds of news, among which there was naturally the news of Zhu Mingzhong's surprise attack on Tongjimen.

"Who is it not the thief, this son has the longest siege of the city, and his soldiers are all outlaws who are not afraid of death, this official ......"

Shaking his head and sighing, Gao Chaoling's face was full of uneasiness.

"I'm afraid, once this thief comes, when the time comes, Yangzhou will be difficult to protect!"

"That big man, if Yangzhou can't hold it, then, what should I do?"

Although the salt envoy in front of him is not the magistrate of Yangzhou, as the highest-ranking official in Yangzhou City, he is the actual host of Yangzhou's city defense, and even this city guard is also a soldier of the salt transportation yamen. That's why Zheng Xiaru asked him like this, and at this time, Gao Chaoling, who originally seemed to be full of anxiety, suddenly asked back.

"Shisuke, in the previous dynasty, since you were able to become the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, why did you have no intention of joining the new dynasty after entering the new dynasty?"

The sudden question made Zheng Xiaru stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said.

"Big, big lord, grass, grass people......"

Looking at the stammering Zheng Xiaru, Gao Chaoling's face suddenly turned pale.

"Could it be that you also claim to be a remnant of the previous dynasty, and I can't do it in the Qing Dynasty?"

(Today's three watches, the update time is 12 noon, 7.30 pm and 9 pm.) Thank you all for your support. ）