Yuyao, Zhejiang.

Wang Wuyi and his entourage had been waiting here for two days as merchants.

The reason is that Luo Zimu needs to dredge the green battalions guarding the coast to "protect" them to the sea.

This sounds ridiculous, but it is actually the prevailing situation on the coast at the moment.

That is to say, in the actual operation of the ban on the sea, the officers and soldiers responsible for implementing this order are changing their methods to make money from it.

As we all know, the Ming Dynasty had a short period of forbidden sea policy in its 300-year history.

However, the Ming Dynasty forbade coastal residents to go to sea to trade, that is, to engage in smuggling, and did not prohibit fishery production and sea salt production, nor did it force coastal residents to move inward.

The Qing Dynasty's ban on the sea forbade residents living along the coast for 30 miles and forbade any ships from going to sea, resulting in an uninhabited ring belt that stretched thousands of miles from northern Jiangsu to Lianzhou, Guangdong.

This policy not only led to the deaths of millions of people, but also led to the cessation of all fishery production from northern Jiangsu to Guangdong, and the suspension of all sea salt production.

The salt production in Fujian, Zhejiang, and northern Jiangsu has been hit hard.

As a result, the price of salt has risen several times compared with the Ming Dynasty.

Similarly, the price of marine fish in the market is also somewhat higher than in the past.

High profits inevitably lead the bold to take risks beyond the boundaries to boil salt, smuggle and sell salt, and go to sea to fish.

At the beginning, the Qing army in various places implemented the ban on the sea very thoroughly, but after a long time, when the chain of interests appeared, it was inevitable that there would be a "mouth", and when this "hole" gradually formed an industrial chain, all kinds of things appeared.

Last year, Zhao Tingchen, the governor of Zhejiang, reported to the imperial court: "Although the flood land is vigilant, and the crossing can be passed from time to time, there are saddle-wearing armor-piercing chasers, obviously escorted and arrested, but in fact secretly escorted, but for the benefit of equalization." ”

What does that mean?

That is, because of reasons of interests, many officers and soldiers privately reached a "tacit understanding" with salt dealers and fishermen, allowing them to engage in various things in their own jurisdictions that the imperial court did not allow them to operate.

Grass sellers are also included.

What is a grass dealer?

They are the ones who sell reeds.

Reed production is high in coastal areas.

If they encounter people from above, these officers and men will pretend to arrest these salt dealers, fishermen, and grass dealers, but they will release them as soon as the patrol is gone.

With the passage of time, the phenomenon of "collusion between officials and bandits" in the no-man's land of thousands of miles has become more and more intense, and it is impossible to prohibit it at all.

There were even officials who were assassinated by the people below because of the severity of the arrest.

At the end of the day, it's a matter of interest.

Cutting off people's financial means is like killing your parents.

The high-level of the Qing court was also helpless about this, after all, it was the green battalion soldiers and the coastal government that relied on the relocation of the border and the ban on the sea.

Therefore, as long as it is not fornication with pirates, one eye will be turned a blind eye.

Luo Zimu is now in contact with the Green Camp Sailor stationed in Guanhaiwei, some daring people.

In fact, this water division used to be the Ming army, and many people in it were familiar with Luo Zimu, and some of them were undercover agents planted by Zhang Shangshu.

With the help of these people and spending some silver to dredge up and down, Wang Wuyi and his party were able to go to see Zhang Shangshu through the naval blockade.

Originally, Wang Wu was going to go to sea directly from Wusongkou, but the governor of Jiangning, Yamen, recently suddenly ordered the Wusongkou Naval Division to improve its "combat readiness," that is, not to allow any ships to go to sea, and at the same time to step up the investigation of suspicious persons.

The intensity is very strong, and Wang Wu does not dare to stay in Kunshan for a long time.

If there were only a few people, Wang Wu would definitely be able to fool him.

But in addition to staying in Jiangnan to engage in market research and buy materials, there are twenty or thirty people, and Liu Ru is mother and daughter.

There are many people, and they speak with foreign accents, Liu Ru is mother and daughter are not ordinary people at first glance, so it is basically impossible to go to sea from "Shanghai".

had no choice but to go to Zhejiang as a businessman and go to sea through Luo Zimu's secret "channel" in Zhejiang.

There will be an additional delay of three to five days.

Qian Qianyi's "suicide note", Wang Wu handed over to "Puming Toutuo" to return to the village.

Guizhuang didn't know that this old Zongbo's suicide note was forged, and he didn't know the true identity of Wang Wu.

Luo Zimu only said that Wang Wu was Zhang Shangshu's person.

This suicide note was also given by Hedongjun.

In order to successfully bring out the old Zongbo's suicide note and hand it over to the people who regained his sight, Hedongjun ran away from home.

The reason why the truth of Guizhuang is not told is not because I am afraid that Guizhuang will not be credible, but because it makes this matter more credible.

Let's ask, even Guizhuang doesn't doubt that Qian Qianyi's suicide note is fake, who can doubt it.

After reading the suicide note, Guizhuang was silent for a long time, and said: "I didn't expect that the old uncle valued Wu Sangui so much, and pinned his hope for regaining his vision on this person, alas, although I hate this thief to the core, but if there is a glimmer of hope, I will not obstruct it." ”

After that, he sighed: "It's a pity that Tinglin is in another country and doesn't know his trace, otherwise he would be able to move Wu Sangui by bringing the book to Kunming." ”

Wang Wu and Luo Zimu glanced at each other, the best person to deliver books in their minds was Gu Yanwu, but this person's whereabouts were erratic, and it was really difficult to find.

Gui Zhuang then said that the book was sent to Kunming by him.

Wang Wu nodded in agreement, Gu Yanwu's return to Zhuang was the best choice.

However, he didn't know that after he left, Guizhuang picked up the pen and wrote a suicide note to himself.

The suicide note was written to his son, who went out to earn a living and did not know what he had done.

The letter did not mention Qian Qianyi's suicide note, nor did he mention that he would go to Kunming, but only told his son about some family affairs in his father's tone, and finally told his son that if he had the ability in the future, he would return to his great-grandfather Youguang Hui to engrave a collection of books.

The next day, Guizhuang gave all the paintings and calligraphy he had never sold to the little novice San'er, nor did he say goodbye to the presiding monk in the temple, nor did he reveal it to the people who were familiar with the restoration of sight, so he traveled lightly and went directly to Kunming.

is determined to never return.

When Wang Wu was waiting for Hou to go to sea in Yuyao, he suddenly remembered something, and called Gou Yu to ask him to take people to Yuyao City to find those who opened private schools, and named a private school opened by Mr. Wang.

Gou Yu was inexplicable when he heard it, but the fifth brother would definitely not shirk what he asked him to do, so he looked for it in the city.

It is quite easy to find a private school, because there are cards to be found.

Yuyao is also a small city, and it only took half a day to inquire about the place.

Wang Wu, who was talking to Liu Ru, hurriedly confessed his guilt, and rushed to the door of the private school with Gou Yu, but did not go in, but pretended to be an idler not far away and watched casually.

"My lord, I inquired clearly, this private school was opened by a person surnamed Wang, but he was a foreigner, and his daughter-in-law's surname was Hu, a local, and people nearby said that he was a household that came to Shandong the year before last to settle here."

Cao Diwei quietly came over and told him what he had heard.

"Oh."

Wang Wu nodded, and he didn't know whether it was the student's parents or the neighbor's who happened to go to Wang's house, and before long, a gentleman who looked less than thirty years old came out to talk to someone.

I couldn't hear what I was saying when I was far away.

But Mr. Wang's appearance is very delicate and gentle, giving people a sense of intimacy.

Gou Yu looked strange on the side, and couldn't help asking, "Fifth brother, do you know this person?" ”

"I don't know."

Wang Wu shook his head.

"I don't know the fifth brother, why did you want us to look for him?"

The dog leftovers are even stranger.

"It's nothing, it's a distant relative of my stepfather, and I happened to come to Yuyao to take a look."

Wang Wu said casually.

The dog left also sighed, and then said that since he was the fifth brother's father, the fifth brother should go over to say hello.

"I can't say hello, I'm afraid of scaring people."

Wang Wu smiled and motioned for everyone to go back with him, but he really didn't go over to greet the distant relative.