Silva listened to Lin Heshui's translation, he had also heard of Zheng Zhilong's reputation before coming to the Ming Kingdom, and knew that he was one of the best overlords in the seas of Southeast Asia, and he thought that he was also a big man like a duke and prince in the Ming Kingdom, but listening to what this Mr. Zhao said, he was just an ordinary petty official, and couldn't help but sneer: "Yes, but how did I hear that this Lord Zheng has tens of thousands of soldiers and thousands of ships, so how many troops and how many ships does your master have?" ”

"Hahaha!" After listening to Lin Heshui's translation, before Zhao Youcai could speak, Du Gu on the side suddenly laughed: "I don't know the height of the sky, Mr. Lin, you tell this guy, don't compare Zheng Zhilong's rabble with the elite soldiers of the general army, the elite of my Ming Dynasty are all in the nine border towns, and the Fujian side is just some local chickens and tile dogs." As long as the commander-in-chief gives an order, I will lead 3,000 soldiers to set foot on the left and middle! ”

Silva looked at Dugu suspiciously, but he wisely remained silent. Zhao Youcai coughed twice, trying his best to relax the atmosphere: "Mr. Silva, although Lord Du's words are a bit big, they are not far from the truth. You also saw it on the island, the first two times you came to fight with you were local officers and soldiers, and the last time it was an adult's soldiers, you always know the difference between the two sides. If you want to say that there is no boat in my family, because Ningxia is located in the border area, there are no rivers and lakes, if it is about soldiers and horses, my family has an order, and 100,000 people gather, how can Zheng Zhilong be compared with a guerrilla? “

Hearing Zhao Youcai mention the first two battles and the last defeat, Silva's face finally changed, the number of troops and the level of official position can be based on a mouth of nonsense, but a knife and a shot in the battle cannot be faked, he thought about it and said in a low voice: "I just lost my words, please forgive me!" “

"It's okay!" Zhao Youcai smiled generously: "Actually, this is also a good thing for you, although this Zheng Zhilong is already my Ming official, but after all, he was a sea bandit, after being appeased by the imperial court, he built a city and trained his troops, gathered excessively, colluded with foreign vassals, and had ill intentions!" Although you are not my Ming clan, you will cause a big disaster sooner or later if you are mixed in it! “

Zhao Youcai's words were quite profound, Lin Heshui had some difficulty translating, and seeing Silva's inexplicable face, Zhao Youcai simply said it bluntly: "You said that you were hired by Zheng Zhilong to deal with the world enemy Dutch, but you can't help who you fight when you come to him." According to the rules of our Ming Dynasty, there is a fixed number of soldiers and ships for an official. Zheng Zhilong is just a guerrilla, with so many soldiers and so many ships, and he buys cannons from you and hires you to train soldiers for him, do you think the imperial court doesn't care? Now the southeast sea bandits are rampant, and there is something in the northeast of the imperial court, and there is no way to deal with it for a while. Just give him an official to attack the thief with a thief, and when the matter in the Northeast is over, or the other pirates are cleaned up, do you think the court will continue to let him do this nonsense? At that time, if you continue to follow him, it will naturally be all the jade and stones, and maybe it is not impossible for the court to use the power of the Dutch to deal with you! “

Although Lin Heshui's translation was still chirping this time, he finally let Silva understand what Zhao Youcai meant, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought. No matter how he said it, he was also a nobleman, although there were cultural differences between China and the West at that time, but "the enemy of the enemy is a friend", "distant friendship and close attack", "if the monarch wants to have power, he must weaken the nobles below" These truths are still known, and he has also heard of what big people like Zheng Zhilong did before he started. In the short term, the Spaniards gave Zheng Zhilong military technical assistance by supporting him in his struggle with the Dutch East India Company for a trading base in Taiwan, and in the long term, hoping to intervene in the lucrative ocean trade with the Ming Dynasty. But if Zhao Youcai is not lying, the short-term goal is just that, unless Zheng Zhilong can successfully rebel and overthrow the Ming Empire as emperor himself, the long-term goal of the Spaniards is counterproductive.

"Mr. Zhao!" Silva pondered his tone for a moment and said cautiously: "The order given to me by the Governor only asked me to serve a general of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng Zhilong said in his letter to the Governor de Salcedo that he wanted to drive out the Dutch colonists who had invaded the border lands of your country, and needed us to help him build a fleet and the artillery necessary to besiege the fortress, I think he did not know the inside story of your country, this is a misunderstanding. “

"Very well, I think it was a misunderstanding, otherwise you wouldn't be here, Mr. Silva!" Zhao Youcai smiled: "But you are not wrong in what you said, it is true that Da Ming is planning to expel those Dutch, but it is not Zheng Zhilong, otherwise it is just a tiger and a wolf, do you understand?" ”

"Then you mean you want to replace Zheng Zhilong?"

"Mr. Silva, you are such a smart man!" Zhao Youcai laughed: "But it's not me, it's my master, Lord Liu, you and your subordinates will serve my master for three years, and my master will fulfill his obligations on behalf of Zheng Zhilong!" ”

Silva lowered his head and thought about it, then raised his head and said, "Yes, but I must first write a letter to Governor de Salcedo, he is the supreme commander of the empire in the Far East, and I am only an executor!" ”

"That's fine, I'm sure the Governor will be glad to hear from you!"

Kyoshi, Chongfu Temple.

Late spring in Beijing is not a good season, although there is no haze in the sky after 400 years, but from time to time strong north winds blowing from the Mongolian plateau cross the Yanshan Mountains, mixed with thick dust, sweeping over this ancient city, dyeing the sky a bitter earthy yellow, everywhere this fine powder, even the tables and chairs in the house, as long as they are not wiped for a day, will be covered with a layer of soil, the whole city seems to be buried by loess. There were few pedestrians on the street, except for the occasional one or two, who also wrapped their mouths and noses in cloth, and walked briskly, as if something was chasing him from behind.

Chongfu Temple is no exception, this ancient temple built in the 19th year of Tang Zhenguan, the bell rang down at a time, and the evening drum and morning bell were heard in the ear, and it seemed to be very few. A few small novices waved brooms in front of the mountain gate, sweeping the dust from the bluestone steps. One of the youngest suddenly threw the broom on the ground and sighed, "Oh, it's boring!" Seeing this, others asked, "Are you lazy again?" Work quickly, and be careful that the steward sees the punishment! “

The little novice sat on the broom and complained, "I sweep it in the morning and sweep it in the evening, and few people come to the incense, anyway, if I sweep it now, it will be a place of dust at night, so why waste my efforts?" ”

"Hurry up, someone's coming!"

"Where did you come so early, come to coax me again!" The little novice turned his head away, but he ignored it, and when his companion saw him like this, he forcibly pulled him up, pointed not far away, and said, "You see, that is not a man, and if you annoy your guests, you will go to the steward's place, and your flesh will suffer again!" ”

Xiao Shami looked in the direction of his companion's finger, and sure enough, the group was walking along the road, seeing that the clothes were either rich or expensive, and hurriedly stood up straight: "Finally, someone has come, go and call the steward, I just hope to give more, and our life will be better!" ”

When the steward arrived, the group had already come closer, and the front was a middle-aged man with a white face and beard, dressed in a brown brocade robe, and his clothes were plain, only the hat on his forehead was inlaid with a piece of mutton fat and white jade, but he couldn't see the nobility and cheapness, and his face was not speaking with a smile; Behind him was a tall man, wearing a deerskin robe, with a short beard under his hair, a frosty face, a faint expression, but his demeanor was very powerful, and the more than ten people who followed behind him were all vigorous on horseback, with weapons bulging around their waists, and they were obviously first-class guards. The monk in charge of the affairs in the temple on weekdays is to usher in the messenger to be sent, and when he saw this line-up, he knew that it was not an ordinary person, so he hurriedly stepped forward and saluted with his hands folded and said: "Amitabha, are the two donors here to make incense or make a vow?" ”

The tall man frowned, and a look of displeasure appeared on his face, but the white-faced man smiled: "I'll wait for today's events to take a look around, not to incense or to repay wishes!" ”

The steward was stunned for a moment. Before he could say something, the two of them had already walked in front of him, and the entourage that followed him closely followed him almost squeezed him down the steps, and he didn't dare to catch up, so he had to watch the group go straight into the temple.

"General Liu, I just made you laugh!" The white-faced man smiled and said: "Most of the children of the Shi family in the Beijing Division are wealthy, and they don't have the appearance of a monk at all!" ”

"Grandpa Hu!" The tall man smiled: "Chang'an is expensive, it's not easy to live in a big place, and you can't blame him!" ”

"Huh!" When the white-faced beardless man heard this, he couldn't help laughing, he was Hu Kejian, who became the eunuch of the imperial horse supervisor not long ago, and the tall man was Liu Cheng, who had just come to Beijing, the two were old acquaintances in Ningxia, Liu Cheng also played a role in Hu Kejian's becoming the eunuch of the imperial horse eunuch, and he can be regarded as an old friend. Liu Cheng came to Beijing, and Hu Kejian was also the host, so the two made an appointment to travel together, but it was taboo for the ministers to collude with the ministers, so they both dressed up quite low-key, so as not to let the third party see it and cause trouble.

"General Liu, how long do you plan to stay in Beijing this time!" Hu Kejian and Liu Cheng walked side by side, and the entourage behind them fell about twenty steps away, so as not to hinder the two of them from talking.

"It depends on the situation, seven or eight days, ten days, the sooner the better, and return to Ningxia immediately after the face!" Liu Cheng's voice was a little urn-like, as if he had a cold.

"What's going on over there in Ningxia?" Hu Kejian sensitively grasped the key to it.

"Hmm!" Liu Cheng nodded: "Gonggong Hu, I originally planned to take the road in Shanxi when I came to Beijing this time, but when I arrived in Chaoyi, I encountered thieves and captured Pingyang Mansion, and that road was impassable, so I had to go down the Yellow River in Tongguan, cross the river in Zhongmu, and then come to Jingshi to the north. “

"Yes!" Hu Kejian sighed: "Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai have both left Shanxi and crossed the Yellow River, and the Central Plains has been troubled since then!" Speaking of this, he looked at Liu Cheng's face and suddenly asked in a low voice, "General Liu, have you ever thought about going back to the Central Plains to beg for thieves?" ”

"Go back to the Central Plains to beg for thieves?" Liu Cheng turned his head abruptly, stared at Hu Kejian's eyes and asked, "Who does this mean?" Isn't that holy? ”

"No, it's not!" Hu Kejian was taken aback by Liu Cheng's reaction, and hurriedly waved his hand again and again: "It's just a casual talk, it has nothing to do with the Son of Heaven!" But a few minutes later, he turned the conversation back: "General Liu, this time the matter of Li Dongguo, the imperial history of Hedong patrol, the Son of Heaven is very rewarding, if my guess is right, the soldiers he borrowed from Chaoyi are your old department, right?" ”

When Liu Cheng heard this, he already understood that Hu Kejian's question was by no means a "casual question", although the palm print eunuch of the imperial horse eunuch could not be compared with the celebrant who was commonly known as the "inner minister", but he was also one of the most important yamen in the inner court, the soul of the eyes and ears, and the wide reputation of the rumors may not be comparable to those ministers in the cabinet, since he mentioned the court, he naturally had a practical grasp, and it was useless to deny it himself, so he simply nodded straightforwardly: "Yes, that Du Ruhu is my old general, When I was the deputy commander-in-chief of Yansui, I was ordered by the Hong Army to lead the troops north to level the thieves, so I left him to guard the court! ”

"No wonder, then Li Dongguo can recapture the court, it turns out to be your old department!" Hu Kejian cocked his thumb: "If you talk about elite soldiers, I am afraid that I will count you in addition to Liaodong now, and now the Central Plains is swinging, and the Son of Heaven has the worry of looking back." General Liu, why don't you want to lead the troops to quell the thieves? Yu Gong said to solve the worries of the Son of Heaven, and Yu privately said that he would seal his wife and shadow the son, and the prince would be all generations! ”

"Grandpa Hu!" Liu Cheng smiled bitterly: "It's not that I don't want to go back to the Central Plains and make meritorious contributions, but I can't go, I can't go!" ”

"Can't go, can't go? Where does this start, aren't Bu Lost Rabbit Khan and Hudun Rabbit Han both dead? His wife and chief also let you send you to Jingshi, such a great victory, the northwest side can be safe for at least 20 years, right? ”

"Grandpa Hu, it's not as good as it used to be!" Liu Cheng looked left and right, and said in a low voice: "The pasture land of Hudun Tuhan was originally in the area of the Liaohe Hetao, why did it move west to the Hetao?" It was not because of the coercion of the eastern captives that I had to move west to the Hetao area, and was finally destroyed by me. Its original pasturelands and the two Otoks of Inner Khalkha, Korqin and Chahar Naiman and Ao Han were all surrendered to the east. Now that Hudun Rabbit and Bu Lost Rabbit have been destroyed by me, there is no buffer zone between me and Dongyu, and I am already the first to bear the brunt, how can I be safe? “

Hu Kejian listened to Liu Cheng's analysis, his face suddenly changed greatly, counting from the Battle of Sarhu, the empire and Houjin have been fighting for more than ten years, and there have been countless defeats and fiascos, and there are only a handful of victories fought, or simply say no, the upper-level bureaucrats have already talked about this fierce enemy, and when they heard Liu Cheng mention Houjin, Hu Kejian's voice trembled: "Liu, General Liu, do you mean that Houjin will come to fight Ningxia?" (To be continued.) )