Cliffordshire.

"Hahaha, I haven't seen the head of the Zhang family for a long time!"

"Hahaha, hasn't the head of the Huang family not shown up for a long time?"

"Busy! Busy! Where did you raise a big family who is not busy, but it is the head of the Zhang family, who seems to be doing a big business recently, and Huang is envious when he sees it! ”

"Hey, what's a big business, it's just a small business to eat, it's not a big business."

In Haifu County, a luxurious manor in Tien Fu Province, two of the top local wealthy businessmen are greeting each other.

After the two of them sat down humbly, the head of the Huang family, who was the first to speak, showed a mysterious smile and looked at the Zhang family on the other side, and asked in a low voice:

"Master Zhang, don't hide it, I heard that the rising Zhang Tianwang of Shunyi County has an inextricable relationship with your Zhang family.

Look at the places that have been sneered by them, almost all of them have been pocketed by your Zhang family, isn't this obvious enough? ”

Even if he was pointed out in person, Zhang Mi still smiled indifferently and said: "Don't laugh at the head of the Huang family, my Zhang family is a law-abiding businessman in the Great Song Dynasty, how could he do such a thing as colluding with thieves?"

Talking nonsense is deadly! ”

After that, Zhang Mi also looked at Huang Kai opposite with a meaningful smile and said: "Huang family master, it's your royal family, I've heard that Huang Tiangong Huang in Mi County seems to be the side of your Huang family, right?" ”

As soon as he heard this, Huang Kai immediately shook his head with a serious face and continued: "Don't make such a joke as the head of the Zhang family, my Huang family has always been law-abiding, how could he do such a thing as colluding with thieves?" ”

After finishing speaking, the two of them smiled on their faces, but they sighed in their hearts at the same time!

"Damn, old fox!"

Since the chaos in the south and the north has taken care of itself, the whole south has become a pot of porridge.

For their own interests, all kinds of demons and monsters appeared at this time.

At first, the thieves formed by the outcasts really had to rebel in order to survive.

But later, they all changed their tastes.

Behind them, from the original empty to full of people.

The major clans in the south, the strong, the landlords, and the big businessmen, have begun to choose a team in all the teams to support them, and if they can't find it, they let their own side departments pull up a team, with their support behind them, after the suppression of the imperial court, their respective teams have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain!

Not only the Huang family and the Zhang family, but also the larger families in the entire south who did not support their own people.

Even if they are slaughtered by bandits who are not supported by others, they have to support their own people.

However, after a business conversation, the two began to talk about the main reason for today.

"Brother Zhang, have you heard of this reform army?"

Zhang Mi's face suddenly became solemn, and he nodded emphatically and said:

"They rose from the Xia Gate, although the number of people is the smallest among the anti-thieves from all walks of life, but their combat effectiveness is not to be underestimated.

From the time they raised the flag to the present, at least three prefectures of the entire Haifu County have been occupied by them, and now they are coming towards the Zhangzhou Mansion of my Zhang family.

The most important thing is that these reform armies are very difficult, and they don't know what deep hatred their leaders have with landlords and businessmen.

Those mud-legged rats are eyeing the fields, so they are particularly respected, the recent county commander of Hua'an County was just preparing to defend the city, and the group of mud-legged people actually opened the city gate directly, allowing the reform army to rush in, and the entire Hua'an County was served in a pot!

Tsk, those officials, landlords, and businessmen in Hua'an County died a miserable death! ”

After listening to Zhang Mi's words, Huang Kai also nodded, and said with a solemn face:

"Indeed, their momentum is too strong, and now there are rumors among the mud-legged people that King Chuang is coming to not pay for food, divide the fields, and fight the local tyrants.

If we let them continue like this, I'm afraid that they will soon run to our Dragon Flame, how can this be good! ”

Both of them frowned, they didn't think about transferring the forces they supported back to guard their homes, but judging from the past achievements of the Reform Army, the forces supported by their two families were not the enemies of the other party at all.

And unless it is absolutely necessary, they do not want to transfer back the forces they support, and they never put their eggs in one basket, which is the consistent practice of these people.

This is also an important means for large families to continue to pass on.

"Master Zhang, I said that the Zheng family is going to send someone to talk to the general of the Reform Army, if it goes well, maybe we won't have to worry!"

Huang Kai remembered something and immediately said with some excitement.

"The Zheng family? Which Zheng family? ”

Zhang Mi's mind was a little confused for a while.

Huang Kai immediately said: "And that Zheng family, isn't it the Spring Water Zheng family?" Oh no, they are now the Zheng family! ”

"Elder Zheng family?!"

Zhang Mi was taken aback, this big Zheng family is not simple.

None of these coastal families and businessmen like them are engaged in maritime business, and only maritime business can bring him such lucrative benefits.

But one of the many families is special.

Others buy more ships, transport more goods, and do business to make money, but the Zheng family buys more ships, summons more people, and then makes a fortune by robbing merchant ships at sea!

At first, the big guys along the coast were naturally very angry, and they tried to join forces to encircle and suppress the Zheng family, but by robbing merchant ships, the scale of the Zheng family has developed to a terrifying point, with thousands of ships, and they occupied Dayuan Island as a stronghold.

Every day, let his subordinates block the necessary roads of various routes, as long as people come, they will rob, and everyone joined forces to fight a battle with the Zheng family, but they did not fight.

But raising so many ships always requires food, drink, and silver, so in the end, there is no way to defeat the coastal merchants and families of the Zheng family.

They negotiated with the Zheng family, and finally paid a protection fee so that they could continue to do business at sea.

Specifically, every time each family goes to sea, according to the size of the ship, they have to buy the Zheng family's flag, and the Zheng family's merchant ships that buy the flag will not be intercepted, and even if other people move these ships, the Zheng family will send someone to ask for justice.

Ships are divided into large, medium and small, and so are flags.

The banner is three thousand taels.

One side of the middle flag is 1,500 taels!

A small flag is five hundred taels.

Every year, the Zheng family can earn millions of nearly 10 million taels of silver by collecting this protection fee, and with the rich silver, the Zheng family's power is getting bigger and bigger year by year.

Today, the Zheng family has become a behemoth along the coast, and in addition to the official ships, the ships going to sea must hang the Zheng flag!

That's why the two of them reacted so much when they mentioned the Zheng family.

"It's just a mere reform army, is it difficult to ask the Zheng family to take action?"

Zhang Mi was puzzled.

Huang Kai nodded and said, "Naturally, no matter how strong the Zheng family's power is, it is also on the sea."

The Zheng family has little strength on land, and the current scale of the Zheng family, the amount of money to be spent every month is already an astronomical amount, the reform army is like this, and the number of businessmen going to sea is getting smaller and smaller day by day, and the interests of the Zheng family have been lost, so it is natural to solve it.

However, the Reform Army did not go to the sea, and their power could not affect the Reform Army, so they could only send people to negotiate. ”

"I see, when did the news start the negotiations?" Zhang Mi asked.

Huang Kai narrowed his eyes: "Just tomorrow, in the base camp of the Reform Army, Xiamen Mansion!" ”

…… (End of chapter)