The fiftieth year of Kangxi's ascension to the throne passed quickly, and in this year, many people had a bad time, even the high-ranking Kangxi Emperor.

However, comfort is a day, and discomfort is also a day, since people are in this role, they still have to live it, and no one can escape! However, many people did not expect that the rest of the day would be even more difficult and that the situation would become more and more difficult.

……

Fifty-one years of Kangxi, summer!

Jiangning Mansion.

Ma De got up early in the morning, while the weather was still relatively cool, just finished a set of long punches, refreshed his muscles and bones, sweated, and was called to the study by Luo Xin.

In the Qing Dynasty, husbands and wives like the Ma family shared a study, and they all had to "work", only this one, no other semicolon! Yu Zhong and Mo Jing don't have this kind of study! Because Yu Zhong and Mo Jing are both people who don't need to work hard, although Yu Zhong is also the governor, he is more of a general, and most of the political affairs can be handed over to Ah Ling'a and Yang Mingshi, while Mo Jing's affairs need to be moved around.

But Ma De and Luo Xin are different, one of them is in charge of the rich township of the three provinces in the south of the Yangtze River, where there are many affairs, and if one is not careful, it may touch the interests of many people, although Ma De has tried his best to divide things below, but sometimes he is still very busy; As for Rohin...... In the past 20 years, from North America in the east, to Europe in the west, to Nebuchu in the north, and to the South Seas in the south, several huge intelligence networks have almost been controlled and developed by her, how can she really be idle? Especially now, when her intelligence network has begun to play a big role, it is even more impossible to take it lightly.

"What's the matter?" Ma De walked into the study while wiping his sweat with a "wool" towel, and asked Luo Xin.

"You know what? His Majesty Louis XIV...... He's dead! Luo Xin didn't raise his head, and directly handed over a piece of paper.

"Oh? That old guy is in his seventies, and it's very natural to die at this time!

Sometimes it's so fuss that the Governor actually has to ask the Governor himself? Mader took the message and looked at it. Laughed.

"Then you look at this one again......" Luo Xin glared at Ma De angrily, and handed over another piece of paper.

"And what? …… Depend on! This old guy is too good...... Admire! After reading the second message, Mader's face became a little weird. Because, what is written on this news is a rumor that has been circulated in European folklore: the great "Sun King" died in the belly of his mistress!

"Seventy is still so romantic...... There is no reason not to die! "I knew that Louis XIV was so 'lustful', but I didn't expect that he would be 'lustful' to this extent, and this guy's "ability" is too strong, right? It's still ...... in your seventies Mader's judgment was slightly tinged with the taste of not being able to eat grapes.

"What is unreasonable? Just know nonsense. Although it is rumored that Louis XIV died of sexual exceeding, but. Since this guy is so good, there is no reason why he can't restrain himself after decades. Moreover, according to the news from the spies we arranged at the Cao family's Paris branch, they had seen the old man before Louis XIV's death, and he was in good spirits, in good health, and could hunt on horseback! With such a good body, how could he suddenly die without illness or disaster? Luo Xin said again. Because of Mo Jing's unified planning, and the Qing court was not as closed as usual.

So. Nowadays, many large Chinese businesses have opened their business in Europe, and the development is still very fast.

Moreover, because of the operation of the best tea, fine silk and other oriental luxuries. Many of the shopkeepers of these merchants' branches in the West were also able to meet with many nobles there and get a lot of information.

"Do you suspect that Louis XIV died a strange death? Is someone making trouble? Mader laughed.

"yes. ......" Luo Xin sighed and said.

"So what? What does it matter to us that he's dead? Mader asked with another smile.

"Please! Governor Martha, you must know that Louis XIV was a domineering man, and if he was there, the situation in Europe would not have changed much from what it is now, but if he died, it would be difficult to say. …… Our plans will encounter many unstable factors! Luo Xin said unhappily.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. In my opinion. It's good that Louis XIV is dead. This old guy is stubborn and very difficult to deal with. If he doesn't die, maybe the British won't dare to dig the Suez Canal, in which case the war in the Indian Ocean may start early. At that time, if the Qing army is defeated, Kangxi will definitely have a great chance of letting Brother Yu come forward again, in that case, Brother Yu's plan in Yungui will have to be suspended. Very unfavorable; And if the Qing army wins, it will only increase the prestige of Nian Qianyao's gang, and it will be even more detrimental to our plan...... So, I'd rather have the British dig the canal, so that they have the logistics and can pull more forces into the Indian Ocean, but they have to wait a little longer to get started, which is what is most needed for us. Mader laughed.

"That's right," Luo Xin suddenly smiled, "but I still want to know the cause of Louis XIV's death!" ”

"Don't be so unrealistic, okay? Wife, when did you love dreaming so much? That's not good...... Why don't I call my son over to tease you? Ma De stroked Luo Xin's forehead and said anxiously.

"Die!" Rohin reached out and opened Mader's hand, "Don't you think that if you know the cause of Louis XIV's death, it may make France hostile to certain countries?" Although the French hated Louis XIV very much, he was a generation of hegemons and the pride of the French. If he really died of murder...... Maybe at some point, this message will help us a lot! ”

"That's what I said, but ...... Thousands of miles away, how do you check? Mader asked with a smile.

"There is nothing difficult in the world, but I am afraid of those who have a heart!" Luo Xin smiled confidently. And what about Europe?

There, too, she can reach for it! Besides, what if you can't find it? Many things don't require much evidence. Moreover, she had a hunch that Louis XIV's death should be related to the British!

……

"Alas, there's one more thing here! …… Sister Jing wrote that there seemed to be more horses sold in Manchuria this year...... It is estimated that this year may be twice as much as last year, maybe more......" After talking about Louis XIV, Rohin asked Mader another question.

"Sister Jing, didn't she increase the purchase?" Mader asked with a frown.

"Hundreds of thousands of taels a year...... So many years. Sister Jing has already lost no less than two million taels of silver just for these horses. Luo Xin shook his head and said.

"Send a letter to Mr. Fei and ask! I think...... It seems that this restriction can be relaxed a bit! Mader said.

"Sister Jing has already written to ask ......," Luo Xin shook his head and said. Restricting the number of horses they can enter, this is something they have been doing in secret, and others simply don't know about it. And the reason they did this was because of the popular farming method in Manchuria that replaced the ploughing oxen with horses. At the beginning, in order to allow the people to settle down quickly, Old Man Fei used heavy-nailed horseshoes and new-style yokes, and used horses to plow the ground. It makes one person worth several people, which greatly improves the efficiency of farming.

However, there is a disadvantage to this, that is, it cannot be passed into the Kannai. This is because if horses are used for farming in the Kannai area, especially in the northern drylands, where cattle and even manpower have been used for farming, the landlords will inevitably give up a large number of tenant farmers for the sake of greater interests. A large number of laborers will lose the land on which they depend. The rule of the Qing Dynasty was bound to produce turmoil. This situation, both for the Qing court and for the five of them. are unacceptable, especially when many of their plans are not yet complete. Moreover, according to the situation in those years, if there was turmoil in the Qing Dynasty, it would definitely be quickly pacified by Kangxi, and what they did would only become a waste of work. So, rather than letting such a big opportunity go to waste, it's better to postpone it and wait until the right time to trigger it, in that case. Maybe it could be even more useful. Therefore, from the very beginning, under the orders of Old Man Fei, a large amount of the gold and silver they earned was invested in the purchase of horses outside the Guanwai Territory. Moreover, this matter has been done for more than ten years, although they have also tried many ways to digest these horses, but over the years, they still lost a lot of money. If it weren't for the fact that they've been doing big business all the time. I really can't afford it. However, knowing that the local business is being lost, and the current situation seems to have changed a lot more than usual, there is really no reason to continue to do it.

"Then let's see what Fei Lao says!" Although Old Man Fei was idle by Kangxi, this does not mean that this old guy is useless. At all times, the four of them really need the help and guidance of this shrewd old man who seems to have been "staying out of things".

"By the way, I heard that the court has begun to prepare to celebrate Kangxi's 60th birthday......" Luo Xin said again.

"Sixty? Hehe, the last time I went to Beijing to participate in the Tiren Pavilion banquet, I saw that our Kangxi Ye seemed to be more than sixty, and I think seventy should have it! Mader laughed.

Although there is no son to take the heir, but the son is plotting "chaos", and the sons are far away, it is not necessarily a good thing for a father. Moreover, without a suitable heir, it is not necessarily much better than a prince fighting for it there. People like Kangxi, although they attach great importance to family affection, they pay more attention to the inheritance of the dynasty. In addition, the Northwest War a few years ago, Yu Zhong's assault on India was enough to annoy this old guy, these things, plus Kangxi often had to deal with state affairs, people have been a little thin over the years, and it is good enough to look like seventy years old at the age of sixty, at least, it is much stronger than those ordinary people who look seventy or eighty years old at the age of forty or fifty. However, Kangxi, as the emperor, is a good doctor himself, so he naturally knows how to maintain it, and Ma De's words are still a bit exaggerated. At least, Luo Xin didn't believe it.

"Kangxi's body is good! You don't need to chew your tongue there! Stretching out his hand and slapping Ma De, Luo Xin asked again: "Now that many officials are already preparing congratulatory gifts for this 60th birthday banquet, what are you going to give?" ”

"What's there to give? Gold, silver and jewelry are not rare, and I don't know how to read books, calligraphy and paintings, so I just get some local products. Ma De waved his hand and said nonchalantly.

………………

"Your Excellency Governor, I'm in trouble down there, and I'd like you to ask for your help!"

After discussing with Luo Xin for a while, and calling his son to have breakfast together, Ma De didn't have time to drink tea and rinse his mouth, and someone found him again. However, the person who came back this time was not a person in the officialdom, but in the business field, the new president of the Hui Chamber of Commerce, the eldest son of the previous president Wang Weihe, Wang Wei.

"I said President Wang. You are the president of the General Association of Merchants of the People's Republic of China, and almost half of the merchants in the world have to live by looking at your face...... Why is there so little concentration? If I let the elder know, I'm afraid I won't be able to spare you! Ma De put Wang Wei, who was in a hurry, into his seat and said with a smile.

"Your Excellency, if I had not been in great trouble, how would I dare to come to work for you? My father also knew about this. Wang Wei said with a fist at Ma De. Over the years. The Jin and Hui merchants achieved tremendous development. Jin merchants stretched their hands and feet very long, and through Russia, business has been done to Europe; They are not bad merchants, and they take up most of the business from Nanyang to India. And the reason why they can have this kind of achievement, in addition to their own good management, a large part of the reason is that they have the support of Mo Jing and Ma De, so that they can not be afraid of many troubles. Therefore, this also develops a kind of dependence psychology on them, if they encounter something that cannot be solved, they will ask Mo Jing or Ma De for help. After all. Inside their business. Mo Jing and Ma De also own a lot of shares.

"President Wang, originally, if it had been put in the past. Of course, I can help you. But it's a bit of a hassle now......" Mader laughed.

"Your Excellency the Governor......" Listening to Mader's tone, he seemed to know what trouble he was encountering, but what did he mean by that now? Having some trouble? Don't you want to help?

As a businessman, although Wang Wei is not as shrewd as his father Wang Weihe, he has also experienced many things, and naturally has a certain understanding of Ma De's personality in his usual contact.

Knowing that the other party is not the kind of official who turns his face and does not recognize people, and besides, the shares of the Embard in the various businesses of the Hui Merchants Guild should not stand idly by and watch the troubles they encounter.

"President Wang. I know you don't quite understand it in your heart. However, I would like to ask you to calculate, how many years has it been since I, the governor of Jiangnan, have been in it? Ma De looked at Wang Wei with a smile and asked gently.

"This ...... It's been nine years, right? Are you going to be transferred, Your Governor? ”

In the forty-second year of Kangxi, Ma De was promoted from the governor of Anhui to the post of governor of Jiangnan, and it should have been nine years by the fiftieth year of Kangxi, that is to say, it has been three terms. According to the rules of the Qing court, after serving three terms, a local official needs to be transferred to another post to avoid the formation of local forces. Originally. Ma De has established absolute authority in the three provinces of Jiangnan after several major events, and most of the people here did not expect him to be transferred, nor did they think that anyone could replace him as authority in Jiangnan, but now that Ma De said it himself, the taste is different. Anyway, Wang Wei immediately lifted his heart after hearing Ma De's words. Over the years, their Hui businessmen will always be under the support of Ma De, if Ma De suddenly leaves, what kind of scene will it be? If nothing else, those corrupt officials who have been suppressed will definitely jump out at once and ruthlessly plunder their property. Moreover, if the new governor is a little greedy, after all these years of development, the three provinces of Jiangnan will probably have to go back again.

"I haven't heard from the court yet. However, in the past few years in Jiangnan, it sounds good, what I do is doing my best for the court and the people, and if it is ugly, it is called arbitrariness and covering the sky with one hand! Now that my term of office has passed, the chances of the imperial court allowing me to continue to serve in Jiangnan are very low. There has been no news so far, and I think it should be just because the emperor has not yet found a suitable candidate to replace me. But I have a lot of talents in the Qing Dynasty, and if I can't find it for a while, it doesn't mean that I will never find it. So, if you want to continue to live a good life, you have to prepare in advance! Ma De said to Wang Wei again.

"But, Lord Governor, is it ...... Do you want to withdraw your shares? "The other party wants to pull his hand! This was the first thing Wang Wei thought of after hearing Ma De's words. At this moment, his mood was extremely sad and indignant. Why didn't he take over the Hui Merchants Association for a long time, and he encountered such a big event? If Ma De and the others withdraw their shares, not to mention anything else, their business will not be able to slow down for at least three to five years. How could he explain this to the rest of the club!

"Hehe, President Wang, you don't have to worry, I didn't say that! , everyone has been working together for so long, and nothing unpleasant has happened, and I have no reason to pump out my own shares, right?

I just want to tell you that there are some things that you can't rely on alone. Sometimes, you have to make up your own mind! Mader laughed again.

"Your Excellency...... The villain doesn't quite understand! Wang Wei took a deep breath, made up his mind, and asked with his fists clenched.

"People are good at being bullied, and horses are good at being ridden! In this world, if you don't let people know how good you are, how can people take you seriously? Ma De said lightly.