The most fierce quarrel with Liu Xiang was a Jingjiang maritime merchant named Gu Rong, who had smallpox when he was a child, although he was cured by luck, but he also left a pockmarked face, plus he ranked third in the family, so people who knew him called him Gu San Mazi.

Gu Rong, who was only 22 years old, was originally a smuggler of salt, but with the opening of Shanghai, he became familiar with the Shen family in Chongming, so he turned to overseas trade.

After Liu Xiang arrived in Beijing, he publicized the attack on Saigon by the Annamite people at the meeting, and he asked the representatives of the Maritime Merchants Association to work together to help him join the court in their crusade against Quang Nam, recapture Saigon, and rescue the captured subordinates and immigrants.

At this point, the representatives of the association did not actually speak out against it, and they also felt that the attack on Saigon by Quang Nam seemed to be out of line, and if everyone stood by and watched, maybe the next target of the attack would be themselves.

But then, Liu Xiang shamelessly believed that he, as the envoy of Saigon, had the right to lead the fleet to recover Saigon, and the cost of dredging the imperial court to send troops should be borne by the Maritime Association. In addition, Liu Xiang also insisted on contacting the Dutch East India Company, which had suffered losses in the Saigon Night, and forming an alliance with these Dutch to put pressure on the attack of Quang Nam.

Whether it was the idea that everyone should bear the cost of clearing the imperial court, or contacting the Dutch, the delegates at the conference were dissatisfied, especially merchants like Gu Rong, who were new to overseas trade, and felt that their rights had been violated.

Unlike the Eighteen Zhi Pirate Group and Xu Xinsu and other maritime merchants and four sea trading houses that were recruited, new maritime merchants like Gu Rong did not enjoy the most preferential treatment after the imperial court developed the sea ban.

For example, the East China Sea Patrol Office, the Taiwan Strait Patrol Office, and the Saigon and Anbuna Patrol Offices set up by the imperial court, these official offices that combined the power of overseas trade management, maritime security management, and overseas territory management were in the hands of the four seas trading houses in the north and the pirates who were recruited in the south.

Even the maritime merchant family, led by the Chongming Shen family, failed to get a piece of the pie from these pirates. However, the maritime merchants of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, because they controlled the output of goods, and the two ports of Shanghai and Zhoushan, could get along well with these former pirates who had mastered the safety of sea navigation.

However, small and medium-sized maritime merchants like Gu San Mazi did not have the support of the local gentry behind them, nor did they catch up with the good time to be recruited by the imperial court, so they were regarded as the lowest group of people among the Ming maritime merchants.

Whether it is the pirates who have been recruited, or the maritime merchants like the Shen family in Chongming, they have already carved up those overseas markets that were originally controlled by Chinese maritime merchants by virtue of their first-step advantage. When small and medium-sized businessmen like Gu Rong stepped into this industry, they either started for the former, or opened up a new market.

Some people may feel satisfied with the former in exchange for some scraps to survive, but more adventurous Chinese businessmen who want to make a fortune are unwilling. And the Chinese who dare to go to sea to do business in this era will never lack the spirit of adventure and the ** of making a fortune.

Or rather, it is these two things that they are pursuing in this profession. In this way, breaking through the Strait of Malacca and participating in a wider overseas trade is the goal that maritime merchants like Gu Rong want to pursue, which is also the reason why maritime groups like Gu Rong are hostile to the Dutch East India Company.

In line with the proverb that the enemy of an enemy is a friend, the Portuguese, who occupied the city of Malacca and levied high taxes on Chinese merchant ships out of hostility to the Dutch East India Company, won the sympathy of Gu Rong and other maritime representatives. After all, the Portuguese just wanted money, while the Dutch wanted to take their business with them.

Gu Rong and others, who participated in the meeting for the first time, originally wanted to propose to the emperor at this meeting that the imperial court put pressure on the Dutch East India Company and prohibit these red-haired devils from interfering in the free trade of Chinese maritime merchants. As a result, they had not yet met the emperor, but they heard Liu Xiang's idea of uniting with the Dutch East India Company to suppress the Quang Nam Kingdom, which naturally aroused their opposition.

Although Liu Xiang was born as a pirate, and his words often revealed a little viciousness, Gu Rong, who was born as a smuggler of salt, was not afraid of him at all, and directly argued with him at the venue. Led by Gu Rong, representatives of maritime merchants who opposed the alliance with the Dutch also came forward.

There were not many representatives at the venue who had good personal friends with the Dutch, but there were not many who were willing to stand on Liu Xiang's side. Except for Xu Xinsu, who was focused on the affairs of the East China Sea, occasionally helped Liu Xiang with a few words, most of the time everyone was more willing to watch Liu Xiang quarrel with Gu Rong and the others.

For example, Zheng Zhilong, a man from Chiayi County, was very willing to watch and quarrel with Liu Xiang, who was equal in status, and the same group of new representatives with a red face and a thick neck. Liu Xiang's clumsy performance made the leaders of their group of former Eighteen Zhi laugh ashamedly, this big pirate from Guangdong not only lost his flood land, but was also reprimanded by the representatives of this group of newcomers for his act of hooking up with the Dutch, which was really disgraceful.

Zheng Zhilong looked at the roaring Liu Xiang with some contempt, feeling that this person didn't even have a little self-knowledge. Although he used to be one of the more powerful leaders of the Eighteen Zhi, but now it is different from the past, and the pirates who were recruited by the imperial court are regarded as members of the sea who have a place on the sea according to the area divided by the imperial court.

Liu Xiang was attacked by the Annanites and lost the flood land and his subordinates, so after going to Beijing, he should be obedient and low, maybe everyone will have to look at the past feelings and pull him up. However, the former pirate leader has not yet figured out the situation, and he obviously came to Beijing to ask for help, but he pretended to be like an uncle, and from time to time he used the Dutch to imply that he was not without support.

Zheng Zhilong sometimes can't understand how a stupid guy like Liu Xiang survived until now. He felt that if Liu Xiang looked like this in front of the emperor, it was estimated that if he didn't get the emperor's support, he would suffer some punishments. He couldn't help but think to himself, maybe this is also a good thing, to see how big this emperor's measurement can be, so that he can have a number in his heart.

Just when everyone in the venue was arguing with different thoughts, a guard hurriedly ran into the venue, walked in front of today's speaker and whispered a few words. So the speaker, who had been looking at the quarrel with the representatives below, immediately stood up, grabbed the gavel in front of him, and quickly tapped it on the wooden table.

When the delegates in the hall were attracted by the sound of percussion, the speaker in his fifties immediately shouted: "Quiet down, Your Majesty has come to the Jiale Palace, and all the delegates stand up and prepare to welcome Your Majesty into the entrance..."

When Zhu Youzhen came to the gate of the Jiale Palace, he saw a group of people standing on the steps to welcome him, and he stepped forward to greet these delegates with a few words, and then let everyone enter the meeting together.

The representative who was the speaker of the Speaker today whispered to the Emperor what was being discussed in the meeting room before his arrival. After listening to the speaker's story, Zhu Youzhen stood on the speaker's seat, he raised the gavel and struck it a few times, and after watching everyone's attention focus on himself, he said a few words unhurriedly.

"I was unable to participate in the discussion at the meeting some time ago because I was away from the expedition, but I have already gone through the speeches of the delegates and the discussion of the meeting some time ago.

The delegates should also be well aware that due to the invasion of the border by the Houjin, I had to personally lead the troops to the battle, and only returned to the capital yesterday. Although the war has ended, the aftermath has not yet been dealt with, and I have not been in the capital for more than two months, and I have accumulated a lot of official documents to deal with in various places.

As a result, I haven't had much time to attend meetings of the Maritime Association lately. However, considering the importance of the Maritime Association to my Ming Dynasty's overseas trade, I will visit you as soon as possible. I hope to take advantage of this limited time to listen to the affairs that the association needs to communicate with the imperial court first, I wonder if you have any opinions? ”

Regarding Chongzhen's statement, the maritime representatives present all said that they had no opinion on the emperor's proposal. Before Zhu Youzhen could continue to speak, Liu Xiang couldn't wait to jump out and say: "What Your Majesty said is very true, the minister here has important affairs that need to be reported to His Majesty, and I hope the imperial court can help..."

For fear that someone would speak out and ruin his good deeds, Liu Xiang said his purpose for going to Beijing this time without panting. Fortunately, he has a good water nature, and he can support his request in one breath, but his actions made Zhu Youzhen anxious for him for a long time, worried that he would not be able to slow down in one breath and fall directly to the ground.

After listening to Liu Xiang's words, Zhu Youzhen beckoned him to sit down and rest, and said teasingly: "It turns out that you are my Saigon town guard Liu Xiang?" I really want to thank the people of Annam, without them taking Saigon, I guess I wouldn't know what my Saigon envoy looks like. ”

The emperor's words made the delegates burst into laughter, and Liu Xiang, who had already had a dark face, looked even darker, but he quickly recovered and explained to Chongzhen: "It's not that the minister is unwilling to go to Beijing, it's just that Saigon was just built last year. The minister couldn't rest assured, so he asked the minister's brother to go to Beijing for a meeting instead of the minister. ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, I'm just joking with you." Now let's get to the point, I also received a report from Nguyen Phuc Yuan, the lord of Quang Nam, who said that since last year, a group of Guangdong pirates have forged official uniforms and seals in the name of Ming officers and soldiers, and forcibly occupied the border area between Quang Nam and Cambodia.

The reason why this lord of Quang Nam thinks that this is a group of pirates pretending to be Ming officers and soldiers is that after this group of pirates occupied Puliange, they robbed the land and houses of the local people of Annam..."

Zhu Youzhen took out Ruan Fuyuan's recitals from his sleeve as he spoke, and read them to Liu Xiang one by one. Liu Xiang suddenly became a little restless, and the other representatives in the venue also cautiously observed the emperor's expression, wanting to know Chongzhen's true thoughts on the Saigon incident.

After Zhu Youzhen read a few articles, he impatiently threw the fold on the table, and reprimanded Liu Xiang: "Envoy Liu Zhen, if you want to be a pirate, don't wear this official uniform, don't do such things in official uniforms, isn't it to discredit me?"

You did all these things, and you even let the people of Annam drive you out of Saigon, and let that Nguyen Phuc Yuan send these incriminating evidence to me. Now you still want the imperial court to send troops to help you recapture Saigon, what is the name of this division?

Do you know that if the cabinet didn't have time to take care of this matter, the court would have to use your head to appease Annan. ”

Liu Xiang hurriedly avoided the table and knelt down to worship Chongzhen and said: "Your Majesty, the minister is really wronged, this Ruan Fuyuan..."

Zhu Youzhen immediately frowned and shouted, "Shut up, Ruan Fuyuan is also called by you." ”

Liu Xiang immediately changed his words and said: "Lord Ruan is completely bloody, and the minister has definitely never done such tricky and robbing things. This Saigon was originally a Cambodian place, and the locals call it Shui Chenla. There is also a Cham country between Saigon and Annam, how did it become the place of Annam?

The minister only complied with the request of the local Cambodians and expelled some Annam immigrants who came to Saigon without authorization to reclaim the land, and it was by no means that the minister wanted to seize their land and drove them away..."