meanwhile

In the Qunle Courtyard of the Former State Guesthouse in Guangzhou, Zhou Huai'an, who was ordered to come forward to contact, also met Qu Rong, a messenger from the Annan Metropolitan Protectorate. This is a middle-aged man with thin eyes and a narrow face and three stubble beards, and some rough and dull skin, wearing a round-necked and lanlan cage shirt, which has a shrewd and philistine taste at first glance.

"The little envoy has seen a false judgment, and after a long time, the judgment has made the talented and famous person finally be able to see it, and he is really a very person. ."

As soon as the other party met, he took the initiative to compliment his posture and identity very low.

"I don't dare to bear it, but I did my duty to do some small things. It deserves no praise."

Zhou Huai'an was slightly vigilant in his heart. is the so-called acquaintance who meets in his life, but has nothing to offer affection, either treachery or theft, at least it is the purpose that must be sought.

"The judgment is too modest, who doesn't know that the current weather and situation of your army are mostly inseparable from your officials."

Qu Rong continued to compliment the snake with the stick.

"Even a family in a remote village has heard of it. Not to mention the judgment and local punishment of Haoqiang. In the name of helping the poor and the weak, helping the needy, even the business travelers who come and go are also called oral jobs."

"You're such a good lobbyist."

Zhou Huai'an was slightly touched in his heart, the amount of information in his seemingly routine compliments was quite large, but he couldn't just be led by the other party to the rhythm of the conversation.

"But what's the use of saying too much of these empty and cheap words. Is it possible to make a bargain out of thin air? ”

"I just want to ask, what do you want to do, and what do you want to get out of this."

"That's right."

The other party is also interested in changing his words.

"I just want to communicate with Guangfu and take advantage of each other."

According to his next statement, the current Annan Prefecture has jurisdiction over 13 prefectures, 39 counties, and 32 prefectures. Jiaozhou, located on the Red River Plain in northern Vietnam in later times, was the seat of governance and the hinterland. Since the Qin-Han Dynasty's Rinan County, it has been rich in rice and timber, and there are silver and copper mines; Now it has more than 100,000 household registrations, and it is also an important port and shipbuilding base in the South China Sea;

However, due to the relatively single local product structure and the lack of key bulk civilian resources such as salt, iron and cloth, the garrison under the Protectorate of Annam needed to transfer food and clothing from Guangzhou all year round in order to continue to maintain. Since it is now possible to make peace with the rebels in disguise in the name of subordination, it has become this relationship and state of mutual trade.

As for today's Jiaozhou Thorn History, he is the grandson of Gao Biao, the envoy of Huainan Jiedu, but he has no talent and is very weak and weak, all relying on Gao Biao's team back then, so that he can sit firmly in the key position of this Jiaozhou Thorn History; It's just that now that Jiaozhou is connected to the mainland, the sea and land are cut off, and many of the people under his command are panicking, so no one takes him seriously anymore, and they start to find another way out.

This envoy, Qu Rong, is one of the representatives of the forces that are actively looking for foreign aid and assistance. Because there are only a handful of professionals in the field of trade and maritime trade in the rebel army. Therefore, after the General's Mansion preliminarily negotiated and confirmed, the principled title subordination; Most of the follow-up operations of the nature of communication and interaction need to be implemented and confirmed by Zhou Huai'an one by one.

For example, the price of short-grown rice produced in the local area is quite cheap, and even if the cost of transporting it to Guangzhou by sea is lower, it is lower than the price of rice in most local producing areas. This is unconsciously quite good news for the grain and grass reserve work of the rebel army and the food processing industry. However, the other party prefers to be able to exchange the coarse salt and sucrose produced in Panyu, Gaoyao and other places along the eastern coast of Lingdong, and it would be better if there were further deep-processed refined products;

In addition, there is a need for the import of iron products, in addition to the traditional gold and silver treasures, the other party can even use the local tuhu and slave mouth as a means of payment. But Zhou Huai'an also proposed other products, such as open-air coal from Jiaozhou and specific kinds of wood.

You must know that the two major sects of salt and iron have always been the main ones controlled by the imperial court, and the salt and iron envoys of each province and the local patrol courts and customs offices at all levels have been specially set up to carry out inspection and circulation control; Even these local wealthy families are quite restricted, and can only secretly sell some privately; But now that the rebel army that occupies most of Lingnan has been replaced, it is obvious that there is no such restraint and consideration.

And as long as they can get the resources they want, and even be able to share the profits, these local forces hiding behind the "spontaneous trade between the people" will have no discipline or lower limit to speak of. Therefore, once a mutually acceptable initial intention has been reached, all that remains is to negotiate the specific quantity and price.

Just like the Qu clan from which Qu Rong was born is one of the great clans in Hongzhou, Xiazhou, there are many fields, dock forts, and tribes in the local area, and they drive these thousands of slaves and tuhu, which can be regarded as one of the few local strengths; If it falls under the rule of Zhou Huai'an, I am afraid that I can kill the fat pig again, and also do a practical education of showing up and saying.

It's just that the negotiation came here, and Zhou Huaian suddenly remembered a public case on the Internet. If he remembered correctly, someone in the Qu family of the local tyrant of Annam would begin to seize power, and since then they have been in the Protectorate of Annam for three generations, until the fifth generation was destroyed by the Southern Han regime. It can't be the Qu in front of you.

"I don't know, do you know a person from Qu Chengyu."

Zhou Huai'an suddenly asked casually.

"That's the subordinate brother below... The judge actually knows his name. ”

Qu Rong replied with some surprise. , but there is a little sweat in my heart, could it be that the minions, ears and eyes of these grass thieves have already reached Jiaozhou, which can not be ignored.

"It's just that I've heard that he's quite a bit of a capable person."

Zhou Huai'an made a false and understated revelation of the past.

Sure enough, this Qu Chengyu was in history, because the Huangchao army fell to Lingnan and cut off Annan from hanging alone, leading the Hongzhou wealthy Qu clan to rise at the right time; In the end, he gained the leading power and upper hand in the local power struggle, and in 905 A.D. (the second year of the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty), the appointment of An Youquan by the imperial court was missing, and he claimed to be the envoy of Jiaozhou Jiedu to ask for orders in the court; At that time, Tang Zhaozong was beyond the reach of the whip, and the Qu clan was the envoy of the Jinghai Festival. Since then, it has begun to emulate the beginning of the secession of inland feudal towns.

And this local tyrant Qu family at the end of the Tang Dynasty has become the origin ancestor of the so-called self-reliance of Jiaozhi in the history textbooks compiled by Vietnamese monkeys in later generations; And once caused a lot of controversy and criticism on the Internet. However, for Zhou Huai'an, this is just a few thoughts between lightning and flint.

"That's about the case, and since the official rebels said that the amount is about the same, I'd like to ask an extra question

Zhou Huai'an suddenly said tentatively.

"But I don't know what the envoy and his family want to get from coming this time."

"I think I am,"

Seeing this, Qu Rong's expression suddenly changed, and he once again showed a bright smile that had been guessed.

"I hope to get some friendship and goodwill from the judge."

Although as a small member of the rebel army with status and strength, most people may not necessarily look down on this local tyrant in Annan, but as Zhou Huai'an's private will, he can invest and bet first; There is no need for control or long-term influence, as long as it can ensure that there is a relatively friendly force that can be used as a transit point and partner for long-term trade.

It would be better if they could establish their own intelligence-gathering channels in this regard. You must know that the awareness and investment of the rebels in this area is almost blank, that is, in the random mobile warfare, it will temporarily send some eyeliner and spies to the cities that are about to be attacked. Now, through the means of reopening maritime trade and attracting trade, it is possible to release some eyes to spy on intelligence.

Among them was the Mindi Maritime Merchant Clan, who had already taken over the lineage, as a price and exchange for monopolizing this interest for a period of time; He will regularly collect some public news and information for Zhou Huai'an, including the latest imperial court newspapers, in Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, and even Wenzhou and Mingzhou, where the family has been active.

After all, as the largest money bag of the imperial court and a wealth of blood transfusion to continue life, the importance of the southeastern provinces can be described as extraordinary; If you can put a wedge in it, then you can also see the subtleties to a certain extent.

According to the news that Zhou Huai'an has now, although the Tang court at this time is difficult to slow down and is dying, there are still some loyal ministers who will fight and run for it to continue their lives;

For example, in the imperial court, under the power of eunuchs and traitors led by the "great father" Tian Lingzi, there are still people who call Zheng Jin, the "prime minister of the time", and Wang Duo, who is the "economic minister", are struggling to maintain the authority of the court; In addition, Cui Anqian, Zeng Yuanyu and others, who have long been the key to the control of the party, have committed a lot of blood debts in their hands by fighting the surging peasant uprising with all their might in the midst of the intrigue and rivalry in the feudal towns.

Under their efforts and selection, such as Zhang Zimian and Li Xian, new generals such as Zhang Zimian and Li were either behind the generals or veteran generals of the border army, and they also stood out among the exploits of suppressing various places, causing quite heavy injuries and heavy blood and tears to the rebel army that had repeatedly risen back.

And Gao Yu, known as the last famous general of the late Tang Dynasty and the pillar of the country, has just begun to cultivate immortals in the appointment of the Huainan Jiedu envoy, and has not yet gone further and further on the road of pretending to be a god and a ghost in the future. Just when Huang Chao's army was constantly frustrated and turned south to Lingnan, he continued to arrange troops in Jiangnan to make the plan of pursuit, but he was only stopped by the imperial court.

All of this also touched Zhou Huai'an's hidden ambitions, desires, and expectations, and became more and more puffy. A corner of the trajectory of history may start with this inconspicuous detail.

(End of chapter)