Chapter 39: Transaction of Power and Money

  Li Song's trip to Tea Cool, being able to get back the principal is not bad, but Sun Guozhen may not need to send so much. Chen Xin originally planned to say send 8,000 taels, and the two would privately divide the remaining 10,000 taels, earning at least an additional 3,000 to 4,000 taels for himself. Unexpectedly, Song Wenxian actually wanted to send all of it.

  A promotion worth 18,000 taels of silver, giving 3,500 to 5,000 taels to the Grand Secretary is enough. If it's just for a clerk or official position, why spend so much money? Qian Yi bought the title of Zhuangyuan for 20,000 taels, but he only spent 18,000 taels to buy a Muzhi (a lower-ranking official).

  Song Wenxian saw Chen's new expression, thinking he suspected him of wanting to embezzle the money alone, so he quickly explained: "I'm giving him this big gift just so we can travel freely around Dengzhou later. Otherwise, if we're intercepted while purchasing and loading goods in Tianjin, the loss will be huge. As for me, I'm just trying to get close to the officials every day, to smooth out our connections. It's a good thing Chen is here too, or else I would have taken care of your official business at the same time."

  Chen Xin listened without speaking, in Tianjin purchasing goods, all of which were transported via the Grand Canal, with six customs checkpoints along the way. Adding transportation costs, wages and profit margins, they were much more expensive than at the production site. The best method would be to purchase directly from Jiangnan and transport by sea to Japan, but there were many pirates in the Zhoushan Islands, so the risk was not small. It wasn't possible for just anyone with a boat to engage in maritime trade in the south. Given his current limited resources and weak position, it was better to earn some small money in the north instead. In this case, he would need these few gentlemen to provide convenience, but he still felt that 18,000 taels was too expensive.

  "Zhao Dongjia, why did he want to cooperate with several big shots back then? With such high profits, he could have just sent some silver to the waterborne troops and didn't need to let those big shots get involved and give up so many shares."

  "Chen brothers, you don't know that Zhao Dongjia's family was intercepted by the waterborne troops in Tianqi 5th year and many soldiers on the military ship were killed. As a result, the financial officers on his ship were afraid of being implicated and sold out the location where Zhao Dongjia's ship was anchored to another group of thieves. They ended up killing Zhao Dongjia's only son, and the goods were also looted. Later, Zhao Dongjia found someone to go to Master Zhong's place and said that as long as he helped him eliminate those thieves and retrieve his goods, he would help Master Zhong make money. That's how it came about, Masters Zhong and Li didn't spend a single penny of silver, the initial capital all came from Zhao Dongjia's family."

  Chen Xin only then learned that Zhao Dong's family had such a relationship with these dignitaries. Song Wenxian continued, "This is not all, later Master Zhong tasted the sweetness and felt it was not enough to be at ease, so he also brought the families of Han Bin and Hei Pao to this Dengzhou City. Zhao lives in Tianjin, he has also talked with me about it, saying that he is getting old and wants to live a peaceful life, letting his family stay in Tianjin is fine too, after all, the silver they earn is enough for them."

  Chen Xindian nodded, it seemed that this bowl of rice was not easy to eat. The family members of Hei Pao and others were still in the hands of others. It turned out that the share he had given up was too large, and it was difficult for him to fight for it himself. Li Song originally took the silver without doing anything, if it were up to Chen Xindian, he wouldn't have given him a single coin. However, he didn't know what kind of official Li Song would become in the end. What if he became a Grand Secretary or Minister? It would be easy for him to deal with Chen Xindian later on. In the Chongzhen era, there were 50 Grand Secretaries who had been replaced. Chen Xindian didn't even know their names. After weighing the pros and cons, it was better not to be too ruthless. He should show respect where it was due, but he also wanted to earn some interest on the silver he spent.

  He thought for a moment, and then said to Song Wenxian: "Mr. Song, that new Sun Circuits doesn't know how much the original quota was for Lord Li, this 18,000 sent out, don't let him get any bigger ideas. Besides, Lord Li only served for just over a year, what if this Sun gentleman also serves for just over a year? Wouldn't that be a loss? It's better to...

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  The bird boat passed through the Half Moon Bay, heading towards the water gate of the Water City. The city wall of the Water City was three miles long, three feet five inches high and one foot one inch thick, with bricks wrapped around it during the Wanli period. The north side of the Water City faced the sea, the northwest spanned over a mountain, the southeast bordered a river, and there were gates on both the north and south sides. Passing through the water gate could lead directly to the Liaodong Sea. Later, Kong Youde and his group of traitors escaped from this place, but now they are still hiding in the old forest of Liaodong, fighting with their future bosses until death.

  On both sides of the Water Gate, there are several gates with cannons. The west wall winds its way up Danxia Mountain, and on top of Danxia Mountain stands the famous Penglai Pavilion. The Penglai Pavilion is situated on the mountain and faces the sea, with a magnificent momentum and excellent scenery. It is one of the four most famous buildings in ancient times. Due to the frequent appearance of mirages over the sea, it is also known as the Penglai Fairyland. According to legend, the Eight Immortals crossing the sea and Xu Fu's eastward journey took place here.

  But Song Wenxian and Chen Xin were too busy to appreciate the scenery, each lost in their own thoughts. It was now afternoon, and Chen Xin and Song Wenxian boarded a bird-shaped boat to head towards Dengzhou, with their first priority being to find Commander-in-Chief Zhong of the Dengzhou Coastal Defense.

  "Chen brothers, all along the coast there are no troops stationed on the roads, and the sea defense road is in charge of the soldiers' preparations. In the future, even if you surrender to the officials, you can still get his help."

  "Yes, thank you Brother Song for your guidance. If this matter is successful, I will ask for your advice on even more things in the future."

  "It doesn't matter." Song Wenxian's eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, clearly still worried about losing his reliance.

  The bird boat soon entered the Shuimen, a wide inner harbor, where more than ten warships were anchored. People came and went on the shore, busy as ants, with flags flying all around. Chen Xin looked at a team of officials and soldiers walking on the shore, which had a somewhat majestic momentum, and their uniforms and complexion were better than those in Jizhou and Tianjin.

  "Brother Song, it seems that the soldiers in Dengzhou are a bit stronger than those in Tianjin."

  Indeed, Dengzhou is north of Liaodong, and from there to Lushun, it takes only one day by boat when the wind is favorable. In the year that Liaoshen fell, countless Han people came floating across the sea from Liaodong. Some who didn't have boats made wooden rafts or even just hugged a large log to set off into the ocean. Many died at sea, but many also arrived safely. That's why there are so many people from Liaodong in Dengzhou. The Liaodong people are sturdy and strong, with exceptional arm strength, and they have a deep-seated hatred for the ruling dynasty, making them excellent soldiers. Take Zhu Guobin on the boat, for example - he was one of those who came floating across the sea back then, rescued by Master Yu halfway through his journey.

  "No wonder."

  "Hey, Brother Chen, you may not know that Qi Shaobao (Qi Jiguang) is from Dengzhou. In his early years, he took over as the commander of the Dengzhou Guard and later was transferred to Zhejiang to prepare against the Japanese pirates. If Qi Shaobao were still alive today, would he have allowed Jian Nu to be so arrogant?"

  "Originally, Qi Jianguang was from Dengzhou." Chen Xin sincerely admired Qi Jiguang. Not only did he establish the powerful Qi family army, but also wrote books such as "Ji Xiao Xin Shu" and "Lian Bing Shi Ji", which already had the embryonic form of modern military tactics. He himself was a skilled martial artist, who spent his life fighting in the south and north, always able to devise different military strategies according to different situations and achieve victory. It's not an exaggeration to call him a military genius. Every time Chen Xin thought about the Qi family army marching 110 miles overnight on mountain roads to raid Taizhou, he became hot-blooded. What kind of army was that?

  As they spoke, the bird boat docked at the shore and lowered the gangway. The two followed a Ming army battalion commander to the Haifang Tao government office. Song Wenxian told Chen Xin that this was Mr. Zhong's official residence. At the entrance of the government office, two soldiers stood guard on each side. When the battalion commander went to report to someone, the two waited at the door. The person who came back to report soon returned and led them in.

  Chen Xin followed behind Song Wenxian, just walking to the entrance of the second hall, a hearty voice came out: "Dao Shi you're finally back, these days have made me worry day and night, it's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

  Chen Xin looked out from behind Song Wenxian and saw a tall, majestic official with a broad face and big ears, who also had a beautiful beard. He was wearing a red official uniform with a cloud crane pattern on his chest, a black hat on his head, official boots on his feet, and a leather belt around his waist. His face was full of joy. This gave Chen Xin the impression that he had quite a leadership quality.

  "Dao Shi has met with Master Zhong, and Master Zhong has taken great pains. This trip has been smooth so far, but unfortunately, we encountered pirates along the way. Zhao Hai Ming protected the ship's cargo, but unfortunately lost his life." Chen Xin only found out at this time that Zhao Dong's full name was Zhao Hai Ming.

  Master Zhong's face changed from shock to sorrow: "Alas, Zhao Daoren, what a pity! A ship can be bought again, but a man is gone forever. What use is it to leave behind the ship? But his loyalty and integrity are not something everyone possesses. If our Great Ming officials could also be like this, then the Great Ming would indeed be blessed."

  "Yes, this is all because Master Zhong treated Zhao Haoming well, he was grateful and couldn't help but be diligent in his work."

  Master Zhong waved his hand and said with concern, "Dao Shi, are you alright? These pirates are extremely ruthless. No wonder I had a sudden feeling of worry some time ago, it must have been because of you."

  "We owe it to the big man, without losing a single hair."

  "Alright, that's good." Master Zhong looked relieved and saw Chen Xin behind Song Wenxian, asking him, "Daoshi, who is this?"

  Chen Xin hastily came out and knelt down to pay his respects, saying: "I am Chen Xin, I have seen Lord Zhong. Lord Zhong is always worrying about the country and the people, those soldiers are influenced by him and will definitely work harder to kill the slaves. Even though it's my first time seeing you, Lord, I admire your broad-mindedness."

  Master Zhong stroked his beard and took the letter, "You young man look dignified and what you just said shows that you have a heart of loyalty and righteousness, please get up quickly."

  Song Wenxian and others spoke up, saying: "Chen Xin is the financial officer on the ship, originally a scholar, relying on his indignation in his heart, he personally killed the murderer who killed Zhao's family with his own hands. He is both literary and martial, and now everyone on the ship looks up to him with great respect. The young master of the Li family from Japan also admires him very much. Chen Xin heard me mention Lord Zhong's magnanimity and character, and insisted on following him to pay his respects."

  Master Zhong nodded slowly, sizing up Chen Xin for a few moments. Song Wenxian's meaning was already clear: this person had obtained the support of the Li family from Japan, and bringing him here was to use him to replace Zhao Haiming. As he was also in charge of finance, everything was clear, and there was no need to avoid him anymore. He first asked the two to sit down, then sat himself in the main seat, only then did he let the servant come up with tea.

  Song Wenxian and others, after the people left, began to report on this income. He slowly said: "Lord Zhong, this time at sea, although there were some twists and turns, your goods were not damaged in the slightest. The original capital was 8,000 taels, and it was thought that only 8,000 taels could be earned. Coincidentally, Japan was short of goods this time, so an additional 8,000 taels were earned. In this way, Lord Zhong should have 24,000 taels."

  "Oh?" said Master Zhong softly.

  Then Song Wenxian again with a regretful face: "It's just a pity for Mr. Li's goods, when the pirates robbed, one of the robbers jumped into the cabin and set fire in desperation, I tried my best to rescue, but still burned half of Mr. Li's goods, now barely enough to cover Mr. Li's capital, with a terrified heart, don't know how to report to Governor, please punish me, Lord Zhong."

  Master Zhong's fingers lightly tapped on the table, his heart full of satisfaction. He had heard Xuan Ge's elegant words and understood Song Xian's meaning, which was already clear in his mind. As for Li Daren, he was no longer in power and didn't get any benefits, which was also to be expected. These two people were still somewhat sensible, using this reason to give up nearly half of the profits to him. If Li Song wanted to blame someone, he couldn't blame himself.

  "The stone road is where the words come from, this sea journey has risks from the beginning, being able to protect most of it is already difficult, since we've managed to recover our capital, we can just return the capital to Lord Li, I think Lord Li will also understand." The two men had already reached an agreement on Li Song's profits during their conversation.

  "Yes, thank you for your understanding, sir. I don't know where Mr. Li is now." Song Wenxian had already known that Li Song had left, but he deliberately asked this way.

  "You don't know, Governor Li went to Nanjing as the Vice Minister of Revenue some days ago. The current governor is Governor Sun. Daoshi was originally a staff member under Governor Li, so will he follow Governor Li to Nanjing or stay in Dengzhou?"

  "Ah, so Governor Li has been promoted. I've been out at sea for nearly two months and didn't know about this. My family is in Shandong, and it's hard to leave one's hometown, so I'd like to stay in Dengzhou. However, I don't know Governor Sun, so it seems I'll have to go back home and farm a few acres of land."

  Master Zhong laughed and said, "Dao Shi, you have followed Master Li for a long time, your character and talent are among the best. If you go back to farming, it would be a waste of a great talent for our dynasty. Why don't I introduce you instead? From now on, just follow Master Sun, no need to go to that southern place."

  "Thank you so much, Lord Zhong. I don't know where Lord Sun is from."

  "Mr. Sun was originally a civilian from Zhejiang, and he passed the imperial examination in the year of Wanli's reign with the title of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. He was sent to patrol the coast of Dengzhou and Dongjiang. This time, when the slave thieves invaded the border, Mr. Sun stayed in Dengzhou to direct the military operations, and the naval forces went back and forth on the sea, threatening the three forks of the river. He also dispatched a surprise attack by the Dongjiang garrison troops to Liaodong, making the Nuzhen tribes so fearful that they had to retreat. Others may not know this, but we subordinates must understand."

  Song Wenxian, now fully composed, continued: "Lord Zhong is right. We subordinates should indeed take Lord Sun as our model. Chen Xin also thinks this way. He's a Liao person who fled into the pass and heard about the noble character of all the gentlemen here. He admires you deeply and wants to fight for the country. I think if he can be close to all the gentlemen, listen to more teachings, it would be good."

  Master Zhong naturally wouldn't ask Li Song about other profits, he was very clear about these things and could roughly calculate them himself. There were probably still several thousand or tens of thousands of taels left, but he didn't want to swallow all of Li Song's profits. Knowing when to stop was his guiding principle over the years. If the Japanese sea trade could continue, then he and Master Sun would have a closely related interest, which would be more profitable than swallowing this ten thousand taels now.

  Now it's time to talk about Chen Xin, who should be the master of the house, Mr. Zhong can't make decisions and doesn't care, he just wants a mortgage, so he can rest assured that the goods are handed over to this person to do, after listening to Song Wenxian's words, he thinks Chen Xin is going to use himself as a mortgage, more sensible than Zhao Haiming, but it's not enough with just him alone, once they go out to sea, who can still find them.

  Master Zhong looked at Chen Xin and asked slowly: "I understand Mr. Chen's intention, but killing enemies for the country is also a very dangerous thing, I don't know if Mr. Chen has already started a family?"

  Chen Xin had been listening to the two men chatting and thought he was quite thick-skinned, but seeing Zhong Daxia and Song Wenxian made him realize that there were mountains beyond mountains. The two were both superstars of acting skills, and their understanding was also very strong. After a few rounds, they had already allocated Li Song's profits and solidified Song Wenxian's work. What was rare was that after discussing bad things, not a hint of ill intention could be detected. If you didn't understand, you would think they were genuinely considering others. "Thick-skinned indeed!" Chen Xin praised the two in his heart.

  At this time, Chen Xin heard Master Zhong's question and hastily stood up to say: "In reply to the master, I had planned to get married as soon as I returned to Tianjin."

  Song Wenxian was slightly surprised, as he hadn't heard Chen Xin mention anything about getting married on their way.

  "It's great, if we can also bring the whole family to Dengzhou. When there's nothing to do, I can invite Chen Gongzi and Dao Shi to go to Penglai Pavilion and take a look at the immortal scenery on the sea."

  "The humble person thanks the noble for their kindness."

  "I wonder if Mr. Chen has thought of joining the infantry battalion or entering the logistics battalion, or perhaps he will join our naval forces?"

  "Gentlemen, I am limited in ability and worry that it will tarnish the good name of our troops. My ancestors were from a military household in Zhejiang, now I also join the military household, when needed to go into battle, I can do so."

  "A military household?" Lord Zhong was somewhat perplexed, as it's rare for people to want to be a military household these days. Most of the guards and soldiers have escaped from their posts. And yet, this person still insists on becoming a military household.

  "The little man thought that promotion in the military household might be faster, and if he could become an official or half-official, it would also bring honor to his ancestors." The position of Wei Suo was not worth much money, but its rank was not low either. It was still a government position after all, and Lord Zhong accepted this explanation. As long as Chen Xin came, the military preparations in Dengzhou would be under the control of the Hai Fang Dao, even if he was from a military household, he could still be controlled.

  "Filial piety comes first in all things. Since Chen Gongzi has such a filial heart, I should also support him. Now, where does Chen Gongzi wish to be registered as a resident of Dengzhou?"

  Weihaiwei.