At the end of May, Zhu Hao led the fleet to Nanjing.

After entering Nanjing City, he was very low-key, and Su Xigui had already arranged a place for him to live, so he didn't need to live in the public office of the Nanjing Ministry of Industry, and he didn't even go to the Nanjing Ministry of Industry to complete the handover of his position.

Guan Dezhao came to the private residence that night to meet him, and at the same time brought him the latest news: "...... At the beginning of the year, the first batch of sea ships was dispatched, but no news has been sent back so far. The shipyard here has been shut down...... The imperial court has not allocated silver taels for a long time, and it is difficult to maintain it......"

For the expedition of the Ming naval army, Guan Dezhao did not go with the fleet, but Guan Jing and Lu Bing went, and the Zhoushan Islands set off after the first naval battle.

Guan Dezhao is not a commander-in-chief talent, he stayed in Nanjing, mainly to help Zhu Hao keep an eye on the "business" here, Zhu Hao for the sustainable development of his industry, Nanjing's weaving, printing and dyeing, glass workshops and steel mills in Ma'anshan have been open, although the profit is not very high, but the annual income is very fixed, bringing economic benefits to the people of Jiangnan.

The person who came to manage the business here before was the head of the Ouyang family, Ouyang Fei, who was nominally Zhu Hao's concubine.

Subsequently, Guan Dezhao handed Zhu Hao the general account book of the business in the Jiangnan area in the past few months, especially the expenditure part.

Zhu Hao didn't rush to look, and sent someone to call Su Xigui.

……

……

Now Su Xigui's nest is not in Nanjing, he is from Yangzhou, and he is a fellow villager with his brother-in-law Huang Zhan.

"Little master, I have inspected all the businesses here, everything is fine, the Sixth Department of Nanjing has not interfered with the workshop we operate, and the garrison yamen has also been taken care of. After the death of Cheng Guogong, the garrison of Nanjing is now controlled by Wei Guogong......"

Nanjing's officialdom has not changed much from the first few years, its power structure is clear at a glance, the officials who moved from the capital are like strong dragons crossing the river, and the head snake is the secretary of the Nanjing Military Department, the garrison lords and the garrison officials.

"There's a guy who says he wants to see you." Su Xigui said.

Zhu Hao frowned: "Who?" ”

Su Xigui handed over a letter of worship, which was actually Yan Song, who was a student at Nanjing Hanlin Academy and was in charge of Nanjing Hanlin Academy, and Su Xigui seemed to value Yan Song very much.

"When Huang Gong was in Nanjing, he had a lot of dealings with Yan Hanlin, and he didn't know where he heard the news that the little master was coming to Nanjing, so he specially entrusted the relationship and sent the post to the contemptible people, and the contemptible people followed him...... It's a one-sided relationship, and I can't climb ......"

Su Xigui said that he couldn't climb Yan Song, but in terms of actual status, it was Yan Song who climbed Su Xigui.

It's not a clinging to power, it's more about using Su Xigui's powerful connections, after all, Yan Song is just a Nanjing officialdom official in the traditional sense, if it weren't for Zhu Hou when he entered Beijing later? Appreciate and stay, then he may be in Nanjing for the rest of his life, and it is difficult to touch the top of power.

The situation on Su Xigui's side is different, Su Xigui not only has Zhu Hao, a big backer, but his brother-in-law Huang Zan is now the head of the household department, and he will take over as the secretary of the ministry at any time, and he holds the official hat of the world's officials. From the perspective of local officials, Huang Zan belongs to the "golden phoenix who walked out of the mountains", and his connections in Nanjing officialdom are far deeper than those in Beijing.

The seven-rank official in front of the prime minister, Su Xigui is not a doorman, he is still a famous white glove among Hui merchants, Yan Song wants to see Su Xigui, I am afraid that he will have to hand over the letter to wait.

Zhu Hao frowned and said, "I don't want to have too much contact with this person." ”

Zhu Hao didn't plan to forcibly clean up Yan Song, a traitor who left a name in history, just like some things he had forcibly done before, it seemed that the results were not very good, so it was better to go with the flow. Besides, he doesn't want to engage in any factional struggle now, and his goal is already overseas.

Su Xigui said: "This Yan Hanlin is the former head of the Yang Pavilion old man, said that the door is actually just a few letters exchanged, although he has been promoted by the Yang Pavilion elder, but in fact it is just a small step in the officialdom, from the South Hanlin Academy to edit and promote to the attendant, it stands to reason that he has been in the Hanlin Academy for 16 years, how should he be promoted."

"But it is precisely because of the unclear relationship with Yang Ge that his position is embarrassing after His Majesty's pro-government, many people avoid him, and there are even rumors that his position as the head of the Nanhan Forest Academy will be taken down and ordered to become a minister. For this reason, he wanted to tie up with the little master, eliminate the current adverse effects, or further transfer to the Beijing Division. ”

Zhu Hao smiled, Su Xigui spoke very directly, without concealment.

"Lord Su, you have always been unprofitable, can you say that this Yan Song can give you any benefits to make you speak for him like this?" Zhu Hao asked with interest.

Su Xigui smiled ashamedly and said, "What can he give?" I just think that this person is a meticulous worker, treats people and things well, has a good official reputation, and has an unlimited future, which is not comparable to ordinary Confucian officials. ”

Su Xigui is quite accurate in seeing people.

He admires Yan Song because Yan Song has an inexplicable affinity, and to put it bluntly, the level of stammering people is quite high.

And it fits the eye very well, and there is a feeling of being in contact with it like a spring breeze, and knowing Entubao, plus this person has never had a prominent position, the relationship between the court and China has at most Yang Tinghe, and now Yang Tinghe has also become a thorn in the emperor's side, which is equivalent to saying that Yan Song has no strong background in the court.

This kind of person is actually very likable.

Su Xigui felt that Yan Song, who was born in Shujishi, could always remember him, be committed, and even be willing to give him some officialdom convenience, so he should repay the favor and help him introduce him.

Zhu Hao thought to himself, if you know that this person will cater to flattery in the future, cover the sky with only one hand in the power of the DPRK, and treat political opponents cruelly and ruthlessly, you probably won't think he is a good person.

"It's still gone."

Zhu Hao has no intention of rectifying Yan Song now, but he also has no intention of taking the other party as a junior brother, and it is not beneficial for him to receive such a person under his command, in history, Yan Song has no affection for Xia Yan who promoted him, he chased and beat him, persecuted more, and even spread rumors that caused Xia Yan to be beheaded by Emperor Jiajing's order, the despicability of his character can be seen, and promoting Yan Song is no different from raising a white-eyed wolf.

"I came to Nanjing, not to take over the secretary of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, the errand entrusted by His Majesty is to let me go overseas to find a panacea, although it is not necessary for me to go in person, but the affairs of Nanjing officialdom have nothing to do with me."

What Zhu Hao meant was not that I deliberately targeted Yan Song, but that I would not have substantive contact with anyone in Nanjing officialdom.

Su Xigui shook his head and sighed: "That's a pity." ”

Although he didn't say very clearly, what was a pity, but Zhu Hao could sense it.

The so-called pity is that Zhu Hao had the opportunity to use the emperor's favor to clean up and rectify the Nanjing officialdom, and weave the Nanjing Military Department Shangshu, the garrison lords and the garrison lieutenants under his command, and establish a strong network in Jiangnan, whether it is doing business or serving as the first assistant in the center, it will be of great help in the future.

Zhu Hao is tantamount to crossing Baoshan without entering.

……

……

Zhu Hao is in Nanjing, doing only two things.

The first is to raise money and hire people, and the second thing is to prepare to go to sea.

Less than three days after Zhu Hao arrived in Nanjing, a doorman named Zhang Lianjiao hired by Lu Wan came to pay a visit.

Lu Wan went to the capital to report on his work, and he may have to accept a new assignment from Emperor Jiajing, this Zhang Lianjiao is just a student, it is said that Lu Wan was rescued by this person when Jinghaiwei was in trouble, so that after Lu Wan was used by the imperial court, he accepted Zhang Lianjiao as a staff member.

“…… Before Lu Gong left, he specially explained that after Lord Zhu went south, he would be hospitable. ”

Zhang Lianjiao doesn't look like he has an official position, but he has a lot of money.

This person is in his forties, and it seems that it will be difficult to go to the township to try to enter the court as an official in the future, and he can only rely on being a master to get to the top position, relying on the power of the proprietor to manage the relationship network in the officialdom, make good friends with officials at all levels, and pave the way for future generations to enter the court.

Seeing such a "big man" as Zhu Hao this time, he behaved extremely respectfully, and was about to kneel down to salute, but was stopped by Zhu Hao.

Zhu Hao asked: "Before Lu Zhongcheng left, didn't he say that there were any difficulties in the matter of Jinghai in the south?" The robbers along the coast of Jiangsu and Zhejiang were swept away by his army, but the land of Fujian and Guangdong was not peaceful, and he was afraid that the robbers would make a comeback. ”

Zhang Lian said: "It's okay." In the past year or so, various coastal guard posts have been frequently dispatched, and pirates, pirates, and rebels have retreated to overseas islands and do not dare to invade. ”

Zhu Hao shook his head: "The thieves are on the island, don't they eat?" It's not good to be hungry...... In order not to starve to death, those robbers will inevitably continue to harass the people in the coastal areas, plundering ships coming and going, and they can't be expected to farm their own land and be self-sufficient, right? Although I did not go south this time to lead the troops to pacify the army, I still have to take care of coastal defense matters. ”

Zhu Hao is the secretary of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, and the war in the south is indeed not under his control.

In fact, this is Zhu Si's careful thinking, to prevent Zhu Hao from using the army to "make a fuss", not that Zhu Si is guarding against Zhu Hao's rebellion, but that if Zhu Hao stays in the south to fight, it will be even more distant to return to the capital.

Zhu Si has checked, to completely Jinghai, it will not be completed in three or five years, this time Zhu Si transferred Lu Wan back to the capital, there is also a kind of Zhu Hao to the south, must contact the Nanjing garrison, Jiangsu and Zhejiang local officials, to create a little trouble for Zhu Hao to lead the troops.

In addition, Zhu Hao himself is only a secretary of the Ministry of Industry in Nanjing, Zhu Si feels that this will definitely make Zhu Hao retreat.

But in fact, Zhu Hao's purpose is not how to pacify pirates and pirates, but to bring a group of people to sea, which Zhu Si has no restrictions...... Maybe Zhu Si thinks that Zhu Hao will come back soon after he goes to sea, after all, overseas is a place where Ru Mao drinks blood, and there is value in exploration, but there is no value in living or even operating for a long time.

If you don't come back, will you stay overseas and live with the "wild people"?

Zhang Lian said: "If Master Zhu wants to see someone, the student can recommend it on his behalf." ”

Lu Wan set off for the capital, but the significance of leaving Zhang Lianjiao is fully reflected.

As Lu Wan's cronies, Zhang Lianjiao has no official position, but the magistrate is going to talk to Lu Wan, so he must go through the path of Zhang Lianjiao, plus Zhu Hao's current status in the court is no longer a secret, so as long as Zhang Lianjiao helps to introduce him, who dares not to give Zhu Hao face?

And Zhu Hao didn't need those old-fashioned and pedantic civil officials to succumb to him.

Civil servants have no value to him at all.

What he wants is the network of coastal health posts, especially those who are the commanders and commanders of the guards, and then go to the thousands and hundreds of households below, and fully mobilize them and recruit manpower, so that the preparations for going to sea will be guaranteed.