However, Zhu Yongxing's bottom line is not too much. Yi Cheng also knew some about the situation in advance, knowing that the place marked Haiphong on the map of Langdao was just a small fishing village with dozens of families, but he didn't know why Zhu Yongxing attached so much importance to Ludao Dao, and he didn't even hesitate to meet each other with swords.

Now it's just a small fishing village, but in the future it's a big port! There you can build wharves, build military stations, set up merchant halls, and expand ports. Moreover, with the right to navigate the Jingtai River, not only was Yunnan Province's foreign trade routes opened, but troops could also be transported from Haiphong to fight. After that, either immigrants will expand the Mekong Delta, or attack Guangxi Fangcheng and Qinzhou from the sea, which will play a great role.

Zhu Yongxing and Yi Cheng discussed for a while, and they explained clearly. Yi Cheng drafted a letter of inquiry to Annan Zheng, and Zhu Yongxing reviewed it before letting Yi Cheng act according to the plan.

If it weren't for the continued defense against the Qing army in Yunnan Province and the plan to attack Guangxi, Zhu Yongxing's bottom line would not have been so low. Of course, if he really wants to meet each other, he will not hesitate. The Annan Metropolitan Envoy already has a group of Metropolitan Envoys, as long as Zhu Yongxing speaks, these guys will definitely respond positively in order to expand their territory. As for the Ming army, it only needs to send a small number of troops to help the battle, and the Zheng clan, whose main force is still fighting hard with the Ruan clan in the south, will not be able to parry.

But now, if the goal can be easily achieved, Zhu Yongxing does not want to undermine the overall stability of the Annan base. Moreover, he also wanted to suppress those commanders, so that they could contribute more strength to the great cause of resisting the Qing Dynasty.

Yi Cheng is resourceful and businessman-minded, and this kind of negotiation is very suitable. He is still the behind-the-scenes leader of the Annan Metropolitan Embassy, with Zheng Hua, the puppet, and Huang Xiuren, the dogleg below, running the Annan Metropolitan Embassy quite well.

Although access to the sea may be taken without a fight. However, Zhu Yongxing still did not give up his plan to make progress in Guangxi, and he had already begun to work quietly. The 3,000 Ming army was led by the general soldiers Zhang Guoyong, Lei Chaosheng, and Wang Sancai, as the vanguard of the west out of Zhennanguan, and was marching towards Pingjia, Tongdeng, and Qixi. As long as the situation in Yunnan Province eases somewhat, its follow-up army will be led by Ma Bao, the king of Ruyang, and follow up into Guangxi.

The future strategic direction of the Ming army. Gao Ping Mohs also understands now that it is a matter of time before he enters Guangxi, and Mohs is also very contradictory about this. If the Ming and Qing dynasties started a war in Guangxi, Gaoping Mo's was in the middle, and the grain and grass were inevitable, and perhaps they would suffer from the pond fish.

On this issue, Moh's older generation and the new youth are divided. Mo Jingyao was ambitious to go, and he was reluctant to go to the palace of Gaoping, so he only handed over Qixi, Pingjia, and Tongdeng to the Ming army in the west of Zhennan Pass. But he refused to leave Gaoping.

The younger generation, led by Mo Jingyao's son Mo Yuanqing, believed that Gaoping, Qixi, Langshan and other places bordering Guangxi should be abandoned, and the land of Laizhou and Shanluo should be exchanged with the Ming army. In this way, the wars of the Ming and Qing dynasties can be avoided, and they can operate in Laizhou and Shanluo, where the territory is larger, and wait for the opportunity to plunder the land of Zhenla in the west to strengthen themselves, and then compete with the Zheng clan of Annan in the future. If you stay in the land of Gaoping and are greedy for luxury, where can you have the atmosphere of lying down and cheering up?

Wait for Lao Tzu to die. Cheer up your son! Although Zhu Yongxing appreciated Mo Yuanqing's idea, he did not think that he would have this opportunity in the future. Annan. Sooner or later, if it is to be incorporated into the Chinese territory, how can there be any more vassals?

The study was quiet, and Zhu Yongxing picked up the documents again to review the instructions.

More than 2,000 people have returned to Annam and have been resettled west of Shaba. This is what Zhu Yongxing promised when he passed through Menghua Mansion (Weishan and other places), on the condition that a group of returning craftsmen would work in the arsenal; There are more than 300 households of the Bai nationality who also have a settlement in Beiguang, which can be regarded as a promise to Duan Wan'er. It also made the lacquerware of the Bai nationality enter the list of exports; Menghua Zuo Xinghai got the territory as he wished, and also won the title of the commander of Annam for his son, at the cost of thousands of Yi people becoming free residents of Annam, and 3,000 native soldiers joining the army.

The craftsmen sent by the arsenal have already set off for Tengchong, in addition to expanding the production of sulfur in Tengchong. It is also necessary to establish the second ordnance factory to manufacture weapons and ammunition for the Ming army in western Yunnan; The saltpeter and sulfur purchased by Yu Xian, plus the sulfur and earth nitrate produced and collected by itself, temporarily met the production needs of the arsenal, but with the expansion of the scale of production, it was necessary to purchase a large amount.

The territory is bigger, and there are more minerals. The silver factory has the crooked chong of Xundian, the Huangmaoling and Juan Mountain of Jianshui, the Yimeng and Shiyang of Nan'an, the Guanyin Mountain of Zhaozhou (near Xiaguan City), the Liangwang Mountain of Yunnan (Xiangyun), the jade silk of Heqing, the Shalai of Shunning, the silver pot of Nan'an, etc.; The copper factory has Lu Tho Chong, Lao Hetang of Jianshui, and the old ditch of Shunning (Fengqing), etc.; The iron factory has a small well in the south of the road, the three mountains of Luliang (Lu Liang), the small east boundary of Dayao (still known today), and the west kiln of Menghua; The lead factory has Luoping (now still named) of the Zheze River, Jianshui Shui Ditch, Yao'an Sanjian Mountain, etc.; The gold factory has the north and south ya, Jinsha River and other places in Heqing.

This is only the current rough statistics, there are still a lot of not in it, although Yunnan is remote, but the mining industry is developed, worthy of the "real estate hardware" place. However, since the Ming Dynasty, the mining tax has been full of drawbacks. Zhu Yongxing believes that the most fundamental reason is that the civilian-bureaucratic clique itself is the spokesman for the interests of the business clique, and naturally it is natural to vigorously oppose any policy that may harm the interests of the clique. In this regard, Zhu Yongxing is not facing much pressure now, but he is very cautious, and is conducting investigations and studies to prepare to introduce more scientific and rational policies.

There are salt wells in Yunnan, and the salt tax has been reduced by Zhu Yongxing from one point and six cents at the end of the Ming Dynasty to two cents, which is the same as the salt tax of the Yanjiang River at that time. In the areas controlled by the Qing army, the original amount was also levied. As a result, people in the controlled areas often cannot afford salt and are "willing to eat lightly", while ethnic minorities "do not know the taste of salt over time". The business households engaged in frying salt are time-consuming, the cost of work is high, and then heavy taxes are imposed, and the salt cannot be sold, and the hardship is abnormal.

He treats the people harshly, and I treat the people with leniency. With contrast, there is yearning, unwillingness, and resistance. The land of Yunnan Province, which was ravaged by the Qing army, was recovered by the Ming army, and after it was recovered by the Ming army, it was like a blank piece of paper, which could be freely swayed by Zhu Yongxing, but the resistance was already minimal.

Be steady, slow down, it's okay. The good reputation of wisdom and generosity, the policies and laws that the people sincerely support, the happy homeland that the people are willing to protect desperately, and the effective management measures...... There is some hard power, and soft power must also be consolidated and strengthened.

Zhu Yongxing reviewed the instructions. While thinking about the record, time passed quickly. It wasn't until Mengzhu brought the maid the food that he felt hungry.

Since changing into Duan Wan'er's clothes, Mengzhu has been happy to do it, and has begun to collect costumes of various ethnic groups, or make them by herself. This can make Zhu Yongxing feast his eyes. Every day there is a pleasing feeling for the eyes. There is a bit of a mix and match of today's wearing, white shirts and red shoulders are common costumes of the Bai people, but the lower body is a long skirt of flowers, a bit like the Dai people.

"Well, it looks good with each other." Zhu Yongxing looked up and down and praised: "People are beautiful, and everything they wear is beautiful." ”

Mengzhu smiled happily, laid out the dishes and chopsticks, and sat down with Zhu Yongxing to eat.

"It's been so busy these days." Zhu Yongxing opened his mouth to take the dish from Mengzhu. While chewing, he said a little apologetically: "Wu Sangui's side has not been reassuring, and I am afraid that the things promised to you will be delayed again." ”

Mengzhu nodded and said with a smile: "I don't think there is a big operation, now is an extraordinary period, thrifty and low-key, it is showing that His Highness is working hard and not extravagant." ”

Zhu Yongxing pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Da Zhang Luo." Small manipulation. First, let everyone know your identity; Second...... Hehe, I have a point. If nothing else. It's scheduled for the end of this month! ”

Getting married, having a birthday, having children...... Of course, Zhu Yongxing will not let go of this good opportunity to accept gifts, and the gifts of his soldiers and generals will not be accepted, but Annan Zheng's family, Mo's family, plus various toasts, Zhu Yongxing doesn't want to let go of these guys. Money is used as one's own savings. It is a good choice to generously devote themselves to the great cause of resisting the Qing Dynasty.

When Mengzhu saw that Zhu Yongxing had made a decision, she was happy in her heart, her smile was like a flower, and her hands became more and more attentive. After a while, he put vegetables in Zhu Yongxing's mouth. After a while, he fed a spoonful of soup again, and Zhu Yongxing was comfortable.

After eating, Mengzhu served tea again and chatted with Zhu Yongxing.

"Your Highness, since it is scheduled for the end of the month, why don't you let the concubine's brother go to Tengchong later?" Mengzhu took Zhu Yongxing's hand, gently circled it with his fingers in the palm of his hand, and tentatively suggested.

Zhu Yongxing thought about it and felt that the time was not so urgent, so he nodded and agreed.

Bai Wenxuan, the king of Zhao, had already proposed to Zhu Yongxing to withdraw the soldiers and horses from the Tongtie Pass and let Zhu Yongxing send people to guard them. Although the copper and iron pass is small, it is the main road from Yunnan to Burma, and Bai Wenxuan abandoned it here, and the meaning is self-evident. Zhu Yongxing thought about it, but his eldest brother was the most credible, so he obtained Siwei's consent and sent Menghe to lead 500 Mengshan Gram tribes to be strong, and 300 Ming troops to cooperate, and went to defend the town.

The remaining road to Burma is the Mu Bang guarded by Li Dingguo, the king of Jin, although Li Dingguo has also made the same statement, but he has not yet put it into action, and has not yet notified Zhu Yongxing to send troops to change the guard. Zhu Yongxing didn't urge, but seemed to have ulterior motives, so he waited naturally.

As for the candidate to guard Mubang, Zhu Yongxing also chose it, it is Long Jizhao, although he has no outstanding achievements, he can be regarded as knowing a little about military affairs. In Tongtieguan and Mubang Town, what is needed is not martial arts, but loyalty to Zhu Yongxing. As for the closest relationship with Zhu Yongxing, it is naturally the maiden family of the two women, whose interests are inseparable from Zhu Yongxing, and they will definitely not have strange thoughts.

"Now inform Annan Zheng, Mo, and those toasts, well, I have to make a special note that at an extraordinary time, the marriage is frugal and not extravagant." Zhu Yongxing put Mengzhu's hand under his mouth and nose, kissed and sniffed gently, and smiled very much.

Mengzhu chuckled: "There are no three hundred taels of silver here, Your Highness is trying to cover it." ”

"Those guys' money, don't take it for nothing." Zhu Yongxing said slightly apologetically: "When I was in Dali, I only let you and Long'er simply pick a few items, and the rest of the property was used for military purposes. This time, let's leave half of it! ”

Mengzhu thought for a while, shook his head and said, "Your Highness will be rich all over the world in the future, why should you covet this little wealth now?" The registration is all used for military purposes, and the concubine is not stingy. ”

"Concubine? You're right. Zhu Yongxing was happy to hear this, reached out and hugged Mengzhu in his arms, kissed him several times on the cheek, and kissed his warm red lips.

Mengzhu obediently complied, spit out cloves on her tongue, and even had some skills.

……………

When Guangguo Gonghe Jiuyi walked out of the house, the sun was shining on his head, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes. When he had gotten used to it, he saw three gendarmes standing in the courtyard, and one of the gendarmerie officers standing in front of him with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a blank expression.

"Seems past noon? I didn't even have a bowl of wine when I ate just now, and this severed head meal was really bad. Guangguo Gonghe Jiuyi smiled self-deprecatingly, thinking that his life had come to an end. Although he did not suffer any crime when he was imprisoned, he was psychologically tortured. Presumably, His Royal Highness Min has returned, and he is finally going to dispose of himself.

"He Jiuyi, although there is no collusion and rebellion, there is a crime of concealment and non-reporting, and the Ministry of Military Justice is collegial. Demote the knighthood to two ranks, in order to see the after-effect ......"

He Jiuyi bowed down and listened to the military police officer read aloud, but he hadn't reacted yet, and was still waiting for the final punishment decision.

The footsteps sounded, and the three gendarmes turned around and left, which made He Jiuyi come to his senses, raised his head, and blinked his eyes in confusion.

"Ha Luha, Lao He. What are you sending stupid? With hearty laughter, Ma Bao, the king of Ruyang, strode into the courtyard and joked with a smile: "Why, you are still reluctant to this house?" ”

"W-what's going on?" He Jiuyi was still in a dream, and said in disbelief: "Could it be that it's just like this, it's done like this?" ”

"And what else do you want?" Marble raised his eyebrows. smiled: "I have been demoted by two levels, and the Duke of Guo has become an earl." It's like you've picked up a bargain. ”

He Jiuyi thought for a while, and suddenly bowed to Ma Baoshen and said, "Thank you for the prince's kind words, Jiuyi can not die." ”

"Huh?" Ma Bao turned to one side, did not accept He Jiuyi's gift, and said, "Thank you." Thank you, Your Highness. His Royal Highness once said: Ruthless may not be a true hero, how can a poor son not be a husband. For you, a small punishment is a big warning. You will repay this grace in the future!"

"Your Highness Longen, the last general will definitely repay with death." He Jiuyi randomly looked for a direction. Arched his hand.

"Today is double happiness, go, go with me." Ma Bao grabbed He Jiuyi and walked out, and said with emotion: "Your Highness is indeed deeply gracious, after a while, you feel that it is not enough to repay you with death." ”

He Jiuyi didn't know why, and followed Ma Bao out of the imprisoned courtyard. Outside, Ma Bao's two guards were leading the horses and waiting, and everyone turned over and galloped away.

After a short walk, the people came to a village, and had just stopped in front of a courtyard, when the people in the house heard the sound of horses' hooves and hurried out to meet them.

"Daddy, Daddy." A boy of about ten years old ran fast and screamed merrily, and a woman followed, wiping tears from time to time.

He Jiuyi couldn't believe his eyes, rolled down from the horse, and took a few steps forward, the boy threw himself into his arms, and a few tears immediately burst out of his eyes, but his throat choked.........

Of course, the people of that era were not as unrestrained and unscrupulous as modern times, not to mention that there were Ma Bao and others beside them. He Jiuyi was also anxious to know what was going on, so he quickly collected his emotions and asked his wife to bring the child into the house, and he turned around to ask Ma Bao.

"Our army won a great victory in Yuanjiang, killing and capturing several generals who were close to Wu Wei." Ma Bao asked a few soldiers to send the food, meat and vegetables they brought to the house, and took the initiative to explain to He Jiuyi: "His Royal Highness Min made a deal with Wu Rei, and exchanged the heads of Wu Rei's trusted generals for some lost dependents. Your lady and the child, but His Royal Highness Min specially asked Wu Yi by name. As soon as today arrives, I urge the Judge Advocate General to release you. ”

I see. He Jiuyi thought about it for a while, and knew that although His Royal Highness Dao Min intended to punish a small punishment, he was still not at ease after all. Perhaps two disposal plans have been made, depending on the situation. In exchange for his wife from Wu Sangui, he naturally no longer doubted that he would surrender and rebel, and his disposal of himself was only a two-level demotion.

Despite this, He Jiuyi was still inexplicably grateful. It's just a two-level knighthood, and being able to reunite with your family is better than anything else.

"Your Highness Long, I should go and thank you." He Jiuyi arched his hand to Ma Bao and said, "Please also invite the prince-"

"Your Highness is not here." Ma Bao waved his hand and said: "Your Highness has also explained, there is no need for red tape, thank you, as long as Uncle Pingshuo can be loyal to his duties in the future, it will be enough." ”

"Please tell His Highness Chitose that He Jiuyi should be loyal to the death to repay His Highness's great kindness." He Jiuyi solemnly arched his hand, paused and said: "His Royal Highness has long had the intention of enterprising Guangxi, Jiuyi is not talented, and he is willing to use the ability of the old horse to know the way and serve His Highness with a meager force." ”

Ma Bao admired He Jiuyi's mind, nodded slightly, and said, "Uncle Pingshuo's words are exactly what His Highness intended. To put it simply, I will not delay the reunion of your husband and wife. Although our army won the battle of Yuanjiang, the Qing army in Yunnan Province still had combat strength, and its movements were unknown, and His Highness could not send more troops, and he could only mobilize 10,000 horses to enter Guangxi. The preliminary plan is to break the south of the town and advance eastward, and the vanguard has moved closer to Qixi to garrison. Pingshuo Bojiu has been in Guangxi for a long time, is familiar with human geography, and can put forward a strategy for marching into the army. Well, five days later, Ping Shuobo had to report to the barracks. Hehe, before the army moves, you can still get together with your wife at night. ”

"The last will obey." He Jiuyi bowed his hand and was respectful.

"Whether the Guangxi Theater can be opened up depends on whether the plan we finally formulate can be approved by His Highness." Ma Bao, the king of Ruyang, patted He Jiuyi's arm very expectantly, and briefly said a few words about the future settlement of He Jiuyi's family, and then took people on the horse and left.

He Jiuyi watched Ma Bao and the others walk away, and then hurriedly walked into the hospital, reunited with his wife and children, told each other about the parting experience and lovesickness, cried and laughed, and vented to his heart's content.

……………… (To be continued......)