"Yesterday, news came out in the palace, and after Lord Chen said that he would not come to Beijing, the emperor was quite angry with my Dengzhou Town." Zhang Dong coldly sent the information aside, "Anger can't hurt Lord Chen in the slightest, but the emperor's latter move is really a headache." ”

Zhang Dahui sat opposite him, since the last time Chen Xin passed the order, Zhang Dahui moved out of his original residence, and changed to a secret line in the Beijing Division, mainly responsible for foreign affairs, regularly exchanging information with Zhang Dong. Because he has been in Beijing for many years, he is not only the person in charge of the Intelligence Bureau, but also the affairs of the Foreign Affairs Department, and has a close relationship with many Beijing officials, and the new Foreign Affairs Department personnel cannot be handed over for a while, so some key officials still need to be visited by Zhang Dahui in person. He came here today to exchange news with Zhang Dong.

Zhang Dahui took the information and looked at it, and said with some surprise: "No smoking? ”

Zhang Dong nodded, "It is said that an order will be issued tomorrow, and if there is a criminal, he will be arrested and beheaded." If cigarettes are not allowed to be sold in the north, I will lose hundreds of thousands of taels of Dengzhou business. ”

Zhang Dahui muttered: "It's not so strict, the emperor's will, you can't get out of Beijing, and we are not afraid of outsiders, but the annual cigarette sales in Beijing are huge, and it is also a big loss for us." ”

Historically, Chongzhen's ban on smoking was in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, and he did cut off his head for this matter at the beginning, but it was only effective in Beijing, and it was still the same in other places. In the border army, he was especially addicted to smoking, and in the end, Hong Chengchou asked for the ban to be lifted, saying that there were many benefits of smoking, and the emperor reopened the ban.

"I heard that Cao Huachun told the emperor that tobacco was introduced from Wanli, and tobacco was eaten everywhere, and tobacco was eaten by swallows. It is the thieves of the world who have swarmed, and this is why it is also. ”

Zhang Dahui snorted and said, "Cao Huachun himself is also running a tobacco shop. The powerful people of the hundreds of officials in Beijing are more or less involved in cigarettes, and he Cao Huachun dares to commit public anger. Let's poke this matter out, whether he is the master of ceremonies or not, and see how many people want to impeach him. ”

In the past, the trading company mainly sold cigarettes and southern goods in Kyoto, but it only started to increase cotton cloth last year, and if Chongzhen's smoking ban was issued, the trading company would have to remove the cigarettes from the shelves. This matter is very extensive, and it is an order issued by the emperor himself, and it is not something that the Intelligence Bureau can reverse.

Zhang Dong frowned and said: "It's still a trivial matter to ban smoking in Beijing, the emperor is giving us Dengzhou." It shows that he can influence the financial resources of Dengzhou. Especially in various parts of the south of the Yangtze River, my Dengzhou military strength has not been able to get there for a while, and there are countless gentry staring at cigarettes in the locality, and there are more than ten known homemade cigarettes, and two have been dealt with since the beginning of this year, but there are many inconveniences in doing things there, and many times it depends on the face of the local government. As soon as this decree was issued, officials in various places had more reasons to benefit from it, and when the trading company was in charge, the tide could only rise. Therefore, his will can actually make a lot of trouble for Dengzhou Town. ”

Zhang Dahui agreed: "Let's say less about the profit of more than 300,000 taels, Cao Huachun's gelding." ”

"Lord Chen will have his own way to deal with the smoking ban, and in the last letter from Lord Chen, he asked us not to provoke the court this year. To maintain peace with the imperial court, let's not provoke Cao Huachun in Beijing, he is still the factory of Dongchang after all. There are thousands of fans under his hands, although we are not afraid of him. You don't have to provoke it. ”

Zhang Dahui nodded and said, "Cao Huachun's clown jumped off the beam, and Lord Chen wants us to keep an eye on Liaozhen." This time, the emperor is dissatisfied with our Dengzhou, and the most powerful ones near the capital are still Liaozhen and Shanhaiguan soldiers and horses, and the emperor may support Guanning to balance Denglai. ”

"Therefore, Lord Chen specially requested that from July onwards, some rumors be spread in Guanning and Jingshi, saying that Jiannu and Chahar would enter the Kou from Xuanfu and Jizhen in order to contain Liaozhen and Shanhaiguan. There was also a task given to the Intelligence Bureau, to prepare for the destruction of the conditions of the march from Yongping to Dezhou, including water sources and grain depots, as well as to create chaos in the Guanning area, and if necessary, to use all secret lines to plot against the Guanning army. ”

Zhang Dahui hesitated and said, "Do you think that your lord may fight with the Guanning army in the autumn?" ”

"I don't quite understand, maybe Lord Chen thinks it's just maybe, Lord Chen has also arranged some tasks in the past, but they didn't carry it out in the end, but we still have to prepare properly."

The two of them thought about it in their hearts, this year's Dengzhou strategy has changed, in previous years, the Foreign Affairs Department and the Intelligence Bureau were asked to hand over officials as much as possible, and if the imperial court had something unfavorable to Dengzhou, they would try to stir up trouble in it. This year, it is only required to maintain the original relationship, and the current directive requires not to provoke the imperial court, and it is obvious that the strategy of Dengzhou Town is being adjusted.

On the other hand, grain prices have begun to rise again this year, Zhang Dong and Zhang Dahui are not ordinary people, they are easy to know that there are trading companies in the lead, it seems that the time is earlier than last year, the location is still from Tianjin and Linqing, the difference this year is that the grain prices in Yongping and Luanzhou are particularly high, obviously the trading companies are specifically aimed at these two places.

Both of them have an understanding of Dengzhou's strategy, from the recent Chen Xin's instructions, Dengzhou Town seems to be guarding against the imperial court, especially against the Guanning army, so deliberately from now on to hype the grain price of Yongping, most of the grain in Liaozhen is shipped from Tongzhou, through Luanzhou and Yongping to Shanhaiguan, as long as there is a grain shortage like last year, the Liaozhen army is unstable, and the grain prices along the way are expensive, and the Guanning army should not think about any war, their march will be very difficult.

Zhang Dahui patted his head and stood up and said: "Deputy General Manager Zhang, I will go to Qian Yuanhu, he is now in charge of the Wenxuan Qing Officials Division, and if I want to ask about the new Qingzhou military equipment and the situation of the governor of Denglai, I can only go in person." ”……

Zhang Dong personally sent Zhang Dahui out, where they are now is a three-entry compound in Xuanwumen, outside is an alley, not far from the Xuanwumen Outer Street, for intelligence officers, the crowded street is easier to cover themselves. The outer city of Jingshi is a city first and then a city, so most of the alleys are not as neat as the inner city, and there are many small alleys in between, and the complex terrain is also more conducive to intelligence officers to get rid of.

Zhang Dong took Zhang Dahui to the door, turned his head and looked at the attic on the north side, where the window screen moved, and there was a lookout post on it, which would observe the cover point at the entrance of the alley, and if there was no abnormality there, the personnel would be allowed to leave through the side door.

While waiting, Zhang Dahui rubbed a bunch of beard on his chin with glue. After a few moments, a pot of orchids rolled out from the windowsill. Indicating that it was safe at this time, Zhang Dong said to Zhang Dahui: "Be careful yourself." Since the emperor is angry, the factory guards may make some moves. Especially Cao Huachun has broken off relations with us, what he is going to do, no one can guess, usually bring a few more people to cover. In addition, in the past month, I have been going out less often, and I don't want to come here, until I understand the tricks of the imperial court. ”

"Got it." Zhang Dahui nodded, one of his subordinates opened the side door, and Zhang Dahui swaggered out.

After the door is closed. Zhang Dong listened to the movement at the door for a while, and only after confirming that there was no abnormal movement outside did he walk into the house. Zhang Donggan has been doing this for a long time, and he knows the truth of being careful to sail the ship of ten thousand years, especially at this time in the core area of the imperial court, although the level of the factory guard is far inferior to that of the Wanli period, but after all, there are many people.

For people like them in secret, even if the imperial court kills them, Dengzhou Town can only suffer a dumb loss. It is convenient for Jiang Yuegui to be a stall head of the East Factory, although he can walk sideways in Beijing. But when he arrived in Denglai's circle of influence, he was killed by Chen Xin. Zhang Dong captured the spies of the imperial court and Houjin many times in Denglai, and often the other party exposed the stuff from a small detail.

The more people are arrested, the less courage they have, and Zhang Dong is now in charge of the intelligence system of the Beijing Division. It turned out that Zhang Dahui's years in Beijing were very smooth, because the relationship between Dengzhou and the imperial court was very good, and he played more of a role as a Beijing office. Receiving the Denglai personnel who came and went, relying on the military exploits of Dengzhou Town. It was also easy to deal with court officials.

Now, with the gradual deterioration of the relationship between Dengzhou Town and the imperial court, Zhang Dong continued to transfer the original personnel stationed in Beijing back to Denglai. Changing the location of the contact point and the location of the detective has changed the situation of the trading company and the intelligence system, and the two lines work separately, so that the intelligence system is more secure.

Zhang Dong returned to the house and sorted out the information of the past two days, went through it in his mind, and then got up and walked into the outside, where there was a shop, and the door was on the street outside the Xuanwu Gate, and there would be a liaison officer to deliver information every day. As soon as he passed the door of the outside entrance, a henchman hurried over from the shop and handed Zhang Dong a note.

Zhang Dong's face changed after opening it, and the henchman asked in a low voice: "It's the news sent by the thousand households of the Fusi of Beizhen, and Cao Huachun asked for Zhang Dahui's head by name." ”

"Is the message reliable? Do they know where Zhang is hiding? ”

"It should be reliable, the news from the East Factory is about the same as that of Jinyiwei, and the time is also the same, Cao Huachun was arranged for Luo Yangxing before yesterday afternoon, and the stall head of the East Factory was also ordered by Cao Huachun received yesterday. Luo Yangxing arranged to Beizhen Fusi in the afternoon, this person is still acquainted, and he specially found a few who are familiar with us, Luo Yangxing knows it, and it is a report to us. Judging from the news of these two people, the factory guards do not know the address of Zhang Dahui, but they will keep an eye on some court officials' residences. ”

Zhang Dong frowned and said, "Why is it so late, Zhang Dahui just left." He wants to go to Qian Yuanhu, and you will send someone to the ministry immediately. ”

The henchman stood still and didn't move, Zhang Dong was about to urge, but the henchman said in a low voice: "My lord, Zhang Dahui is a person close to Lord Chen, and he has been in charge of intelligence and foreign affairs in Beijing for many years...... I'm afraid there is one more opponent. ”

Zhang Dong squinted at the henchman in front of him, this person was born as a bandit in Pingdu Prefecture, he was ruthless, he has been following Zhang Dong to do things, and he belongs to Zhang Dong's hardcore henchman.

After a long while, Zhang Dong suddenly sneered at him: "You can help this official think about this, it can be seen that you are loyal to this official, but you used it in the wrong place." Zhang Dahui, Hai Gouzi, Zhang Erhui, and Wang Daixi followed the adults at the earliest in the past few days, and now that Hai Gouzi is dead, if Zhang Dahui has another incident, Lord Chen and Lord Liu will definitely blame it, and the intelligence from several sources has confirmed that Cao Huachun wants to do it, if the official does not deal with it in time, and then it will be traced, and the official will not be pleased. Just look at the sea dogs...... There are some things you don't know, so you may not understand, the intelligence bureau often does things to the death, but being an official is not like this, what you just said is something that outweighs the loss. The Intelligence Bureau also has Qin Rong and Wu Jianzhong, and there are many opponents against him, Zhang Dada, in short, Zhang Dacheng can't have an accident in Beijing. ”

The henchman immediately said: "That subordinate will immediately bring someone to Qian Yuanhu's place to answer." ”

Zhang Dong said coldly: "You don't need to go, I will personally pick it up, you are responsible for completely cutting off the connection between intelligence and the trading company and foreign affairs, this shop will be closed immediately, and the personnel will be transferred to the No. 2 point outside the Zhengyang Gate first, and the other contact points known to Zhang General Assembly and the trading company will be evacuated immediately, and those who must stay will be transferred to the reserve point and safe room." In addition, prepare two retreat routes to send Zhang Dahui away at any time. (To be continued......)