Suzhou Prefecture

Canglang Pavilion

Fang Yuan was discussing with Xi Benzhen about the construction of the naval base in the Zhoushan Islands, and after half a month of on-the-spot investigation, the Xi family finally gave an offer of 2.3 million taels of silver for at least one year.

2.3 million taels of silver, hundreds of thousands of taels lower than the previous estimate, Fang Yuan immediately decided to pay the first installment of 500,000 taels of silver to Xi Benzhen.

The two were discussing the details of the construction, and on the auspicious day of the start of construction, Qin Zhan hurriedly approached, pulled Fang Yuan to a remote place, and whispered in his ear, "Boss, the prince has arrived outside the Canglang Pavilion. ”

Fang Yuan was stunned, didn't come back to his senses for a while, and asked rhetorically, "Fourth, which prince?" ”

Qin Zhan hurriedly said, "Boss, it's Wang Chengen of the capital, the prince and princess!" Or disguised as ordinary people to sneak to Jiangnan. ”

Wang Chengen actually went to Suzhou Mansion? Could it be that something happened in the capital?

Fang Yuan had a hint of foreboding in his heart, and hurriedly ordered Qin Zhan to keep it a secret, not to spread a hint of rumors, and immediately arranged for Wang Chengen to wait at the Taihu Military Base.

He settled Wang Chengen first, and then went back to Xi Benzhen to continue to discuss the details of the naval base.

It was not until the early morning of the next day that Fang Yuan went to the Taihu base to meet Wang Chengen under the pretext of inspecting military affairs.

As soon as Wang Chengen saw Fang Yuan, he immediately cried and knelt on the ground, "Horse, horse, the prince is reversed, reversed!" ”

He cried and told the story of the changes in the court.

Fang Yuan took a deep breath, the ominous premonition really became a reality, the day of the Donglin Party's counterattack would come sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to come so quickly.

He hurriedly picked up Wang Chengen, who was crying, and asked, "Princess, is Your Majesty safe now?" ”

Wang Chengen shook his head and cried, "After Your Majesty sent the old slave out of the city, he was brought back to the palace by the Jinyi guards who were chasing, and they still had to hunt down the old slave, all relying on a eunuch who was similar to the old slave to give his life to the old slave, so he escaped the pursuit!" Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's time to be under house arrest now! ”

Fang Yuan also had tears in his eyes, looked at Wang Chengen and said, "Princess, I will definitely protect you, you will stay at the Taihu Military Base for the time being." ”

Wang Chengen handed over the edict of Chongzhen in his arms to Fang Yuan's hands, and whimpered and said, "Don Ma, when will you go north to King Qin, Qingjun's side, and rescue Your Majesty?!" ”

King Qin in the north? Qingjun side?

Fang Yuan opened Chongzhen's edict and looked at it, there was no half sentence to ask Fang Yuan to go north to King Qin, Qing Jun's side, just to remind Fang Yuan of the edict from the capital, secretly sighed, Chongzhen also saw it clearly, and hurriedly went north to King Qin, it was a game of more defeats and fewer victories, and the time must be ripe.

Now the Xuanjia Army has just expanded to 40,000 troops, and the recruits have not yet been trained; The naval base has not yet been built, and it is completely powerless to stop Zheng Zhilong's offensive from the sea, if he goes north hastily, once the battle situation reaches a stalemate, Zheng Zhilong will inevitably copy Fang Yuan's lair in Jiangnan.

At this moment, the time is not ripe at all for King Qin to go north.

Fang Yuan had already made up his mind, the grand strategy of first the south and then the north still could not be shaken in the slightest, and before going south to destroy Zheng Zhilong, he must not go north!

Fang Yuan could only comfort Wang Chengen with kind words first, "Princess, as long as Your Majesty is still on the throne for a day, it will be safe for the time being, let's wait and see what happens, and we must not be hasty." ”

Wang Chengen nodded with tears, he also has some military and political knowledge, if the war is together, then it will not die, how can he start a war so hastily?

Fang Yuan properly settled Wang Chengen, and immediately summoned all the generals of the Xuanjia Army to discuss countermeasures.

He said 1510 about the major changes that took place in the capital, all the generals looked at each other, and the situation had forced Fang Yuan and the Xuanjia army to make a choice, whether to continue to obey the orders of the capital, or to establish themselves as kings.

Qin Zhan said loudly, "Boss, we still obeyed the orders of the capital and restrained ourselves before, and that was because of Your Majesty's kindness. Right now, His Majesty is being hollowed out, is he in the middle of it, what are you still hesitating about? It's the other way around! ”

Fang Yuan was slightly surprised when he saw that he was the first to come out, and he was slightly surprised when he looked at Jing Jie, the commander of the Xuanjia Army, and asked, "Third brother, what do you say?" ”

Jing Jie said lightly, "Boss, we control the richest Wufu, the soldiers are strong, the grain and silver are piled up, what are you worried about?" It's the other way around! ”

Chigutai is also not afraid of big things, brandishing his saber and shouting, "It's the opposite! It's the other way around! I immediately led my troops to attack Nanjing, and first occupied Nanzhili. ”

Li Zongze and Ma Lin also said in unison, "Only the military gate is the first to look forward!" ”

Only Su Hongyu was a little worried and said, "Boss, the recruits haven't been trained yet, and the sailors haven't been built yet, so why are you in such a hurry to hang up the anti-flag?" As long as the capital doesn't come to provoke us, why don't we pretend to be deaf and dumb and continue to develop? ”

Fang Yuan listened to everyone's speeches, Chongzhen was set up by Queen Zhou and the crown prince, which is both bad news and good news, at least for now, no matter what action is made, there is no need to care about the face of the capital, and he can even immediately cut off the land and taxes handed over to the capital, as well as the silver that pays tribute to Chongzhen.

It can be said that the current Fang Yuan can be regarded as getting rid of the control of the capital and becoming a warlord who has really divided one side. Not only is there no shackles of any decrees, but even the annual tribute of two or three million taels of silver can be saved.

Fang Yuan looked around and said lightly, "I agree with Sister Su's suggestion, or develop with peace of mind." We will never honor the edict of the capital; If the capital dares to take the initiative to provoke, it will fight back immediately. ”

Jing Wei objected and said, "Boss, if you use troops in all directions at this moment, you can immediately take down the entire Nanzhili." If it is delayed, when the capital has laid out the situation, and then wants to attack, it will be even more difficult. ”

Fang Yuan groaned and said, "Third brother, at the beginning of the change, what movements will occur in the Five Mansions, but I don't know. If there is still an undercurrent surging in the five provinces, no matter how greedy you are to occupy the entire Nanzhili, the expansion will be fast, and its defeat will be fast! In my opinion, at least we must wait for the training of new recruits and the completion of the naval military base before we can use troops abroad. ”

This is a conservative strategic policy, and it is not right or wrong with the military adventures of the generals, but the strategy is different.

Jing Jie promised, "Yes, everything depends on the boss!" ”

Fang Yuan stared at Jing Jie and Qin Zhan and said, "The third, fourth, there is one more that must be decided immediately, this year's autumn harvest of land endowment, commercial tax, silk cloth, to pay or not?" ”

His topic is not superfluous, the entire Beijing court, the food supply of the Jiubian Military Town all comes from the fields in the south of the Yangtze River, and the silk cloth in the north also comes from the south of the Yangtze River. If Fang Yuan immediately cut off the tribute and field tax, commercial taxes, and silk cloth, there would be an economic crisis in the capital and even in the entire north.

Qin Zhan said, "Boss, half of the grain and cloth in the whole world are supplied by our five mansions, which is a strange commodity. The surrounding forces, as long as they obey us, provide food and cloth; If you don't obey, you will cut off the supply of food and cloth, haha! ”

Jing Jie and Qin Zhan had different views, "Boss, the husband is not guilty, it is precisely because we control half of the food supply in the whole world, and eighty percent of the cloth supply is the target of everyone's eyes." If the old food and cloth supply system is broken in a hurry, it will inevitably attract the imperial court and warlords from all sides to attack it, and a decisive battle is just around the corner! ”

Fang Yuan's worries also lie in this, if he wants to maintain the harmony in front of him for the time being, gain time to train his troops and cultivate his internal strength, he must spend money to buy peace, and not let the northern forces jump over the wall in a hurry, otherwise he must immediately prepare for a decisive battle.

Su Hongyu also said, "Boss, for the time being, we still pretend to know nothing and keep the existing food and cloth supply system unchanged. ”

Fang Yuan nodded and said, "Okay, according to the suggestion of the third child and Su Meizi, the existing supply of grain and cloth will remain unchanged." It's just that the money that was privately handed over to His Majesty before was cut off and no longer handed over. ”

In this way, Fang Yuan saved three million taels of silver every year.

Ma Lin, who went to the capital to send the silver back, said regretfully, "It's a pity that the two and a half million taels of silver that were sent to the capital are alas! If you knew it, you wouldn't send it. ”

Fang Yuan looked around at everyone for a week, and said unhurriedly, "Everyone, remember to block all the news that the prince has come to Suzhou Mansion in the military base and Canglang Pavilion, just because we don't know anything about the changes in the imperial court, understand?" If there is a trace of leakage, military justice will be punished! ”

All the generals surrendered their hands to receive the order.

Fang Yuan and Qin Zhan returned to Suzhou City from the Taihu Lake base, and Qin Zhan couldn't help but ask, "Boss, what should Princess Kunxing do next?" ”

Fang Yuan's eyes flashed with cold light, everything was because Princess Kunxing and his party accused him of reciting anti-poems and wearing dragon robes, this account must be calculated clearly. Since Emperor Chongzhen is now under house arrest, what kind of politeness does Fang Yuan need to be to the eyeliner and assassins planted in the Canglang Pavilion in the capital?

Fang Yuan said in a deep voice, "Fourth, let's go, let's go find Kunxing!" ”