In order to prevent the recurrence of Korea, starting with Huang Taiji, the proton strategy was used, that is, the Joseon royal family sent princes as hostages in Shenyang and Beijing every year. However, these princes, who had been held hostage in Beijing for many years, were filled with hatred for the Manchus. After they returned to China to inherit the throne, they attacked the power of the Gongxi faction and encouraged the court and the people to actively prepare for war.

The Manchu rulers were very aware of the changes within Korea, and in order to gain the trust of Korea, they returned the princes who had been taken hostage one after another during the Dolgon and Shunzhi periods, and also inherited the foreign policy of the Ming Dynasty, making Korea the first subject state.

However, the goodwill of the Qing Dynasty still did not improve the attitude of North Korea, and the Han Party that supported the Qing Dynasty was attacked, and Song Shilie, the leader of the Westerner Party, put forward the theory of the Northern Expedition, hoping to make a northern expedition against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty.

It's just that the Northern Expedition was known to the Qing Dynasty, and immediately sent envoys to inquire, and Xiaozong was forced to release Song Shilie and the Yili faction back to the mountains and forests, and did not dare to act rashly in the next few years. In the ninth year of Xiaozong (1658), Song Shilie was reused, first served as Zanshan, and then promoted to the official Cao Jushu, held high the banner of respecting the Ming and opposing the Qing Dynasty, and continued to reconspire with Xiaozong for the Northern Expedition.

With the rise of the Ming army in the southwest, although the attitude of the Joseon royal family was still cautious and wait-and-see, it already had the intention of acting secretly, and there was a plan to completely eliminate the pro-Qing faction internally.

Zhu Yongxing is not particularly aware of the forces of various factions in North Korea, but he believes that North Korea will happily agree to Nammyung's request.

Historically, Yan Huayi, a scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, after the Qing Dynasty destroyed the Ming Dynasty, regarded himself as Chinese orthodoxy and was called "Little China". Out of contempt and hatred for the Manchus, the Li Dynasty carried out the Northern Expedition to restore the Ming Dynasty at home, and often placed unrealistic hopes on China's anti-Qing forces. What excites him the most is the "Rebellion of the Three Feudatories". When the monarchs and ministers of the Li Dynasty heard that Wu Sangui had raised troops, they were overjoyed and ready to move, trying to take the opportunity to take revenge.

It was just because Wu Sangui was too uncompetitive and missed the opportunity, and the Qing Dynasty quickly turned defeat into victory. Seeing that it was good, Li Chaocai did not dare to act rashly.

It was precisely in view of this that Zhu Yongxing sent an envoy to contact Korea in an effort to unite all parties and put the Manchu Qing in an unprecedented state of isolation.

For Yin, the "cloth minister", Zhu Yongxing also talked cordially with Xi and the spring breeze, set up a casual banquet to entertain him, and rewarded gifts. Finally, someone was sent out.

"Your Highness, if the DPRK is sincere, how can it send a 'cloth minister'?" Yi Cheng did not know the history of North Korea's hostility to the Manchus like Zhu Yongxing, but only made skepticism according to traditional etiquette.

"Although he is a 'cloth minister', he can concentrate on representing the ideology of the Li Dynasty." Zhu Yongxing drank tea and patiently explained: "The lord of a country, it is natural to be serious. If you act rashly, once you fall. Isn't it doom? For the time being, he forbears and secretly helps, and is not controlled by the Manchus. In the future, when our army conquers Liaodong, we should have more help. In this regard, Lone quite agrees. ”

"I just don't know if North Korea's national strength is really as strong as it says?" Yi Cheng's suspicion is correct, what kind of elite soldiers, heard in the world, is indeed blowing the conch.

"Certainly not as powerful as he said. Or bragging, or not understanding, or arrogant. Zhu Yongxing shook his head again and again, and said with a worried face: "However, its geographical location is important and can provide a foothold for our army. Well. Liaodong, the battle is not easy, but it is difficult to avoid. ”

"Since ancient times, Liaodong has been 'the land of heroes and a hundred battles, the so-called tiger and dragon, high and low'. Your Highness is wise and martial,

will be able to recover Youyan, and then smash the nest, and his deeds will surpass the high emperor. Yi Cheng saw that Zhu Yongxing seemed to be in a bad mood, so he complimented him to relieve his heart.

Zhu Yongxing smiled bitterly, it's easier said than done, how can it be so simple? After chatting casually, Yi Cheng retired, leaving Zhu Yongxing to meditate in front of the map.

……………

Internal affairs, foreign affairs, and the Nanming government, under the leadership of Zhu Yongxing, launched an all-round confrontation with the Manchus. The chaos caused by the war has an uncontrollable tendency in the land of China. Well, if the Qing court had known about this, they would have realized the danger lurking, and the difficulty of being completely isolated. But do they know?

Beijing was in a state of chaos, and no one thought of foreign countries at all, but the act of recruiting flag slaves and family members caused an uproar.

Those banner slaves and family members either found a way to escape, or cried to their masters and begged for forgiveness, or hated the heavens and scolded the earth, and used excuses to make trouble. In addition, the wife and children are pulling their legs, the family business is difficult to give up, and life and death are unpredictable, which makes these guys lose their temper and mess around.

The Jingshi was in a mess, and in the village brewer in a small façade outside the Xibian Gate, there were four people who were in the chaos and discussing confidential matters.

The Qing court stipulated that Han people who gathered more than three people for no reason were considered rebellions, and the other provinces were lax and tight in enforcing this rule, and it was impossible to strictly enforce it everywhere. But in Beijing, the rule is unambiguously enforced. Therefore, the business of teahouses and liquor stores in Beijing has been quite sluggish, but no one pays attention to it in this remote place.

"Even the flag slaves and family members have been recruited to go south, and the Manchu Qing Qi is exhausted!" One of them was Wu Sangui's confidant Fang Guangchen, who sipped the wine lightly and said with a sneer.

Gu Yinghui, deputy director of the Beijing Intelligence Station, is a middle-aged man, with a somewhat professional smile on his face, and a philistine appearance, swallowing the roasted wheat in his mouth, and said a little vaguely: "This is good, it is a mess, just take advantage of this time to act." ”

"The son of the world-" Fang Guangchen shook his head and said with a wry smile: "It's not as far away as a father!" Finally keep the minister's festival and preserve the throne? It's ridiculous. ”

"In the correspondence, the prince was repeatedly advised to observe the courtier's festival and not to act rashly, and it is not surprising that he still says the same thing." Wu Sangui's henchman Li Shu snorted and said: "Anyway, I have been prepared for a long time, and now I will take advantage of the chaos to do it, and it will be done." It's just that the Manchu princess also has to bring it, I'm afraid it will cause trouble. ”

If possible, Wu Yingxiong's wife, the princess Jianning in the novel, will also be taken captive. This is what Zhu Yongxing meant, Fang Guangchen did not say anything at this time. Li Shu is Wu Sangui's confidant, and this time he was sent to the north together, and he was subdued by the Intelligence Bureau at sea, but he still couldn't access the core secrets.

"Bringing the princess is also a foolproof strategy." Fang Guangchen explained from another aspect, "She is the wife of the son, she gets along day and night, her husband and son are gone, isn't she the first to find out?" ”

"That's just as well." Li Shu thought for a moment. A little timid, he looked at Wu Gao, who was expressionless and silent, just drinking slowly, he was his subordinate outside, but in fact he was the boss sent to him by the Intelligence Bureau, "Lord Wu." The subordinates have been properly contacted by Zhang Biao and others in the house, and with a princess, it is no big problem. ”

Wu Gao nodded, looked at Gu Yinghui, and asked inquiringly, "How about the day after tomorrow?" ”

Gu Yinghui sighed for a moment and said, "Yes." According to the plan, Shen Shi started to go out of the west gate before the city was closed, and someone answered him. ”

"Hmm. When Shen Shi, if the palace is properly arranged, it will not be until dawn the next day that he will find that the prince has disappeared. Fang Guangchen thought for a while and praised: "One night, it's enough." ”

"There is no problem in the house." Li Shu promised again and again, "Leave a few false stories, and when it is almost dawn, they will scatter and escape, and it should be no big problem." And he has been favored by the prince for many years. Dare not serve your life. ”

Fang Guangchen's eyes flashed, and he felt that Li Shukou would not leave the prince. I'm afraid it's displeasing to this side, but it's not time to remind.

Gu Yinghui still had that smile, but she glanced at Wu Gao, there is no need to say it explicitly, these people are clear in their hearts.

Although Li Shu was subdued, it was unpredictable. It's better to be on guard. But in the matter of rescuing Wu Yingxiong, he should not destroy the obstruction. After all, this is also the task assigned by Wu Sangui, although the final result is not the same, but in the end it is to get Wu Yingxiong out of the hands of the Manchus. As for the future, it will be a negotiation and mediation between Wu Sangui and Zhu Yongxing.

Several of them deliberated on the details. Then they all dispersed.

"This is the White Cloud Temple, right?" Fang Guangchen stood in front of the restaurant, looking around.

"There it is, just a few steps away." Gu Yinghui pointed casually and said, "After the war, there is a rubble and ruins, and there is nothing to play." ”

"Nothing to do left and right, walk around at will." Fang Guangchen smiled slightly, said goodbye to everyone, took his subordinates, and walked away slowly.

Baiyun Temple was originally built in the twenty-sixth year of Tang Kaiyuan (739), and was originally known as Tianchangguan. In the long history of the change of dynasties, after several wars, and several reconstructions, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the view was destroyed in the fire.

Fang Guangchen came to Baiyun Temple with a small amount of effort, but when he saw piles of rubble and bushes of basil in the courtyard, it seemed very quiet and desolate. The only remaining worship hall after the fire and the clay sculptures under the east corridor give people a sense of gloom and mystery.

Entering the mountain gate, Fang Guangchen stopped in front of a wrong golden incense tripod and looked around the six-foot-tall tripod with great interest. Then he knocked with his hand and said with emotion: "I don't know who in the world has the power to carry the mountain and move it!" ”

The subordinate didn't know what he meant, so he stepped forward and pushed the incense tripod, and said with a smile: "The master said that he was joking, this tripod is afraid that it weighs thousands of catties, how can mortals move it." ”

Fang Guangchen smiled faintly, and did not share the deep meaning of the words with this person, and examined it for a long time in front of the ding, before moving to the corridor, where the original clay sculpture story of Tang Seng learning the scriptures was nine hundred and eighty-one difficult, and now most of them are destroyed.

"Buddha Amitayus!" A Taoist priest came out of the ear room on the east side of the Taiji Hall at the back, and arched his hand and said, "Lay people are blessed!" It's rare to be so pious, to come so early. The view in front of it is deserted, and the back is still quiet, please come in and have tea! ”

Fang Guangchen hurriedly turned around and replied, "Dao Chief, please take care of yourself." We'll look at the front first, and then we'll go to the back later! ”

Lao Dao turned to leave, Fang Guangchen smiled and said to his subordinates: "This is coming to us." It's so dilapidated that it's rare to have pilgrims on weekdays. Seeing that we are coming, how can this bull's nose be let go! Prepare some scattered silver taels, and donate some incense money after a while. ”

The subordinate agreed, and pointed to the clay sculpture with some curiosity and asked, "Master, how to talk about monks in this Taoist temple, the little ones don't understand." ”

"The Taoist monk is indeed not very interesting!" Fang Guangchen was amused and said: "The descendants of the pseudo-Tuoqiu Changchun wrote "Journey to the West", which makes you see the strangeness. ”

"Hey, hey." The subordinate laughed dryly twice, and said: "The little one doesn't know what a false trust is, and I don't know who this Qiu Changchun is, but I just think that this Taoist priest praises the monk and is a bit nondescript." ”

Fang Guangchen was still smiling at first, but when he heard this, he suddenly felt something in his heart, the Taoist priest praised the monk, and he was nondescript; The Han people help the Manchurians, but how should they be determined? Don't look at the scenery now, I'm afraid it will be difficult to escape the infamy in the future! Fortunately, no, it was His Royal Highness Min who set off a trend, which made many people, including himself, begin to re-examine the future and re-weigh what to do after the changes in the world.

The autumn wind swept up the dark clouds and gradually covered it, and the yellow sun was eclipsed in the flying clouds. In the porch. Fang Guangchen looked at the clay sculpture, but his mind had already galloped to nowhere.

………………

The circumstances of life, or fate, are really unpredictable. Creation makes people, and it is also appropriate to use these four words to describe it.

From the far past to the present. Li Dingguo, King of Jin, Bai Wenxuan, King of Zhao... It can include all the soldiers of the Ming army who have changed their lives in the changed history, and now it is the turn of the civil and military generals who have defected to the Qing Dynasty, as well as the separatist forces who have changed their courts and come to take refuge.

Zheng Jinxu walked out of the palace, subconsciously stretched out his hand to block the sun, and then exhaled a long breath, saying that he was relaxed, but it was not all; It's a little bit of a loss......

"Young Marquis-" I heard the greeting. Zheng Zhangxu turned his head to look, but it was his uncle Zheng Mingjun who beckoned not far away with two Zheng clansmen, and he hurried away.

It was the second day when he came to Guangzhou, and on the first day, Zhu Yongxing met with him, warmly said comfort, set up a banquet and entertained him, and asked about his plans by the way, but he did not make a decision immediately.

Today, Zhu Yongxing summoned him alone. Zheng Zhangxu went with trepidation, and Zheng Mingjun and the others were not very relieved. He waited outside the house.

"Your Highness—" Zheng Mingjun asked again and again.

"Uncle, it's nothing, let's go back and talk about it." Zheng Zhangxu knew that this occasion was not the place to talk about things, so he smiled hurriedly to show comfort.

Zheng Mingjun understood, waved his hand, and the group led the horses. Drive straight to the inn.

After entering the post house, Zheng Mingjun hurriedly gathered in a room with Zheng Zhangxu and other close people to inquire about the details of the separate summons.

"His Royal Highness Min wants to attack the Wa Kingdom—"

"What?" Zheng Mingjun was taken aback, after Zheng Tai's death, the channels of trade between the Zheng family and the Wa Kingdom in charge were in their hands. With this convenience, it is not difficult to achieve great wealth and wealth over time.

"Uncle, listen to me." Zheng Zhangxu smiled bitterly and said, "It's not the entire Wa Kingdom, but the Satsuma Domain of the Wa Kingdom." ”

"Satsuma Domain?" Zheng Mingjun thought for a while, guessed and said, "His Royal Highness Min wants to open up another trade route through the Japanese?" ”

"It's not all about that, either." Zheng Zhangxu explained in detail: "Ryukyu was invaded by the Satsuma Domain, and a secret envoy was sent to beg His Highness to fulfill his responsibilities as suzerains and help Ryukyu regain his royal power. His Royal Highness summoned me to inquire about the situation of the Wa Kingdom, and wanted to confer on me the commander of the Navy, well, the Satsuma Domain. ”

"When will the Wouldn't be Killed? Did you say yes? Zheng Mingjun asked anxiously.

"The time has not yet been decided, and it is estimated that it will not be delayed for too long. His Royal Highness's desire to grant an order is also a test, and his nephew dares not to accept it. Zheng Zhangxu replied truthfully.

Zheng Mingjun nodded, pondered for a long time, and said, "In the officers and soldiers and ships we brought, the military strength of the crusade against the Satsuma Domain should be enough. I thought that His Highness had already done this, but he never freed his hand. Well, that's fine. If you say that you are familiar with the situation of the Japanese country, it is really difficult to pick out people except us. Although it may have an impact on our trade with the Japanese, your contribution is the most important. ”

Japan entered the Edo period in 1603 (Keicho 8), and for more than 260 years, the Tokugawa family ruled the country. After the Shimabara War, the Tokugawa shogunate expanded religious persecution into trade restrictions and completed the policy of seclusion. The Portuguese were expelled first, then the British, and finally in the first year of Kanei (1624) the Spanish ships were strictly forbidden to sail. In addition to the seals, Japanese ships must also obtain a "letter from the old man" before they can go to sea, and all Japanese living in foreign countries are strictly forbidden to return to China and will be executed if they return.

Japan basically cut off the Nanban trade, with the only exception being the Dutch, the Dutch East India Company set up a branch in Japan, promising the shogunate that it would never spread Christianity, and as soon as the Dutch merchant ships arrived in Japan, the director of the merchant hall immediately submitted the "Dutch Wind Tale" to the shogunate, reporting the overseas situation.

But even the Dutch were only allowed to build a merchant house on Dejima in Nagasaki, and were not allowed to set foot in the interior of Japan, and even Chinese ships were only allowed to anchor in the port of Nagasaki. It can be said that Nagasaki is the only place in Japan that is semi-open to the outside world, and the shogunate doguò directly rules Nagasaki and monopolizes all foreign trade.

Because of Zheng Chenggong's close relationship with Japan, the Zheng family enjoyed certain privileges in the Japanese sea trade, and was treated similarly to the Dutch. However, after Zheng Chenggong died and Zheng Tai was also killed, it is unknown how the Tokugawa shogunate would react.

"Maybe the Japanese will be angry with Zheng Jing because of the previous king, and from then on trade will only be done with our family." Zheng Zhangxu said with luck.

Zheng Mingjun shook his head and said, "Not necessarily." The Japanese people are attached to the strong and bullied the weak, and the first king begged for soldiers several times, and the reactions of the Japanese people before and after are completely different, which can be seen from this. If the Wa Kingdom redefines commerce and trade, in my opinion, the imperial court will have more advantages. ”

"His Royal Highness Min said the same thing." Zheng Zhangxu was a little surprised, recalled it carefully, and said, "The words are not the same. The Japanese are cruel to the weak, but they surrender unconditionally to the strong. Helping the Ryukyus to restore their kingdom was only one thing, and the second was to intimidate the Japanese with a fierce and ferocious attack that would make it difficult for them to match. ”

"That's it." Zheng Mingjun suddenly shook his head and said: "His Royal Highness Min has long had the heart of war, so he didn't send someone to talk about trade with the Tokugawa shogunate, and the plan is very big!" ”

"Fight first and talk later, His Royal Highness Min is really-" Zheng Zhangxu wanted to speak and stopped, shaking his head again and again.

"In this case, we will not be able to monopolize the benefits of trade with the Japanese in the future." Zheng Mingjun touched his beard thoughtfully, then patted the table, and said resolutely: "Then don't make such extravagant hopes, try your best to spy on the intelligence of the Japanese country, and help His Highness to help him in the future." In addition, he joined the merchant group to expand the maritime trade business to overseas countries. With ships and funds, our Zheng family will not be weaker than others. ”

Zheng Zhangxu blinked, understanding why Zheng Mingjun was so generous. The merchant group was supported by His Royal Highness Min, competing with Xiyi's company for profit, and was an important channel for providing funds and money to the imperial court. With the continuous victories of the Ming army, the area is more and more extensive, and the products are more and more abundant, and the goods exported are more and more controlled in the hands of the imperial court. The Zheng family wanted to monopolize the trade with the Japanese, but this would inevitably conflict with the merchant group. It is certain that the imperial court is inclined to the merchant group, as long as the supply of goods is limited, the Zheng family will not have no rice to cook.

It's not okay to eat alone! Zheng Zhangxu and Zheng Mingjun knew in their hearts that they could no longer do things with old eyes and methods, the imperial court was no longer the original imperial court, and the policy was no longer the original policy.

…………… (To be continued......)