Chapter 1 Cooperative Relationship

  On August 22, 1627, the Tianqi Emperor Zhu Youjian died at the age of 23. Zhu Youjian lived a shorter life than his short-lived father, but fortunately he was the emperor for seven years, while his father only lasted two months. According to Chen's standard, Tianqi's life wasn't too bad either. On August 24, his brother Zhu Youjian succeeded him and changed the year number to Chongzhen next year.

  The emperor is dead, and everyone just spread the news and discussed it a bit. No one cried uncontrollably on TV. After all, it was his Zhu family's world, and ordinary people couldn't elect an emperor anyway. Life went on as usual.

  Others weren't in a hurry, but Chen Xinyan stood at the door every day, looking out at the street entrance, waiting for Song Wenxian and Dai Zhenggang to return. She almost became a "waiting-for-husband stone" at the door.

  Lu Luosi bought a good house in Beijing and returned to Tianjin on September 10th. Liu Min's clothing store business wasn't doing well, although it was better than other clothing stores. But compared to his idol, Yohji Yamamoto, it was still far behind. So he went to the clothing store early every day, listening to them develop new products.

  It was already September 30th, and Chen Xin was waiting at the door as usual. Finally, he saw Song Wenxian and Dai Zhenggang arriving in a flurry of dust. As soon as Chen Xin saw them, he got excited and jumped up, rushing to greet them. Song Wenxian had a smug look on his face.

  "Brother Chen, fortunately not disappointing your orders, the documents from the Shandong Governor's office have all been taken care of." As soon as Song Wenxian sat down, he took out the official documents from his package. Chen Xin glanced at his package and casually accepted the documents.

  Song Wenxian sighed and said: "I also heard about the emperor's death on my way here. I was told that the new emperor is Xizong's younger brother, who is only seventeen years old."

  Chen Xing thought about Zhu Youjian, who had not had a comfortable day since he ascended to the throne. The Manchu rebels came and went, the eunuchs were replaced by the Donglin Party, and more than 50 cabinet ministers were changed like a revolving lantern, but it was all in vain. Since he became emperor, he had been practicing frugality, although the legend of his clothes being patched up was exaggerated, but indeed, in the following years, he was troubled by financial difficulties, even the silverware in the palace was all given to the Silver Bureau and melted into silver ingots. He worked hard all his life, but didn't enjoy much good fortune, and finally fell victim to rumors of a few hundred million taels of silver in the treasury. Being an emperor at the end of the dynasty was not a good thing after all. In comparison, his brother, who was a carpenter, had a relatively carefree life despite his short lifespan.

  But now is not the time to sympathize with him, this young emperor who aspires to be a ruler like Yao and Shun is currently full of confidence and composure, judging from his calm and collected handling of Wei Zhongxian, his cunning and strategic thinking are also highly skilled, if there were no troubles in the world, being a peaceful ruler, most of these courtiers would not be able to surpass him.

  Chen Xin received the letter and said to Song Xian, "Mr. Song, you and Dai Shu have had a hard journey, but I can only let you rest for one day at most. I'm in a hurry to go to the capital."

  Song Wenxian hastily said: "At this time, the capital is probably not in a hurry to go. The situation in the capital is uncertain, and if we go, what if we get caught up in it like the fish in the pond?"

  Chen Xin smiled and said, "Then I'll set the fire first. Since he's a young emperor, who knows if his reform of the old system will succeed or not? If it does, maybe after some time, the imperial examination will be abolished, and where would I go to cry about it then? Taking advantage of the current situation where all the officials are still the old ones, let's get things done first."

  "Don't newcomers handle things in the same way?"

  "Mr. Song has been in the government for a long time, he should be clear about it. You also said that one day the emperor is gone and the ministers are gone too. If you know that your official position won't last long, you will hurry up to do what you can do, and as for money, you will collect as much as you can. But if you wait until a new official comes, he has spent his silver to get promoted, so he won't do it if there's less."

  Song Wenxian suddenly realized: "So Brother Chen is anxious about this. This matter is indeed seen through by Brother Chen. Then I'll listen to you."

  Dai Zheng's joy was beyond words: "That Chen Ge will soon be a thousand households."

  Chen Xin chuckled: "In this era, brother will also go with me to Weihai, I must let you have a future too."

  Song Wenxian said, "Dai Shu is indeed born with divine strength. When others push a cart up a slope, several people can't move it, but he alone can push it up. Since Brother Chen is in the army, he should bring Dai Shu along. Given time, he will surely become a fierce general like Lü Bu or Zhang Fei."

  Dai Zheng hurriedly showed modesty.

  Chen Xin smiled and said: "Dai Shu is not only born with divine power, but also has a good character. Nowadays, he can also write some words, so I don't hope that Dai Shu will only be a fierce general."

  Song Wenxian looked at Dai Zhenggang with some surprise: "It turns out that Brother Dai can still write, it's really rare."

  Dai Zheng's face turned slightly red, fortunately his dark complexion made it hard to notice: "I've just learned a few hundred words, and my writing is still not presentable."

  Chen Xin and Song Wenxian both burst out laughing. After the clothing store's business had slowed down a bit, Liu Min started teaching a few people to read again in the evenings. Unexpectedly, Wang Dai Xi was the quickest learner, picking up reading and arithmetic skills fast, and now she's even more proficient with the abacus than Chen Xin. She has great potential to become an accountant. Moreover, during their daily studies, everyone is extremely serious. Perhaps it's because educational resources are scarce in this era, many people can't even write their own names throughout their lives, and when signing documents, they just draw crosses or circles. So everyone cherishes the opportunity to learn and never says they're too tired to study. The only exception is Zhang Dahuai, who usually works at the brothel selling clothes and only comes back once every few days. He's already fallen behind in his studies, but now that business has slowed down at the brothel, Chen Xin is thinking of calling him back.

  "Writing neatly is fine, we're not calligraphers, as long as it's recognizable."

  Dai Zhenggang had no confidence in his own words and quickly changed the subject: "Brother Chen, this time when I went back, some of my former fellow apprentices also wanted to come with you to Weihai. I thought it was a big deal, so I didn't dare to agree rashly."

  Dai Zhenggang and his gang, who had been soldiers before, were considered by Chen Xin to be the best troops. Most of them had made money with Lu Zi and Dai Zhenggang and now wanted to follow him, eager for more wealth. Of course, people were needed, but not everyone was suitable. After a brief consideration, Chen Xin said: "Those who are willing to come will be accepted, but they must be divided into batches. The first batch will definitely be tough, and those with families may not be able to take care of them. Only 30 people will be selected for the first batch, and they must be single men. You must also make it clear beforehand that there is a possibility of death or injury, and in such cases, compensation will be 30 taels of silver."

  "Alright, Brother Chen. I'll go to the dock and ask that fellow townsman to take a message back. Whether they come or not depends on them." Dai Zheng had barely finished speaking before he hastily exited and headed towards the dock.

  Song Wenxian narrowed his eyes and said slowly: "Brother Chen's vision is not small, I'm afraid it's not just a matter of being a thousand-household official."

  Now only two people are left, both are of the same mind. Chen Xin also set aside his reserve and said calmly: "The Eastern Barbarians are in a state of turmoil, it is the time for men to make their mark. If not now, then when?"

  Song Wenxian looked at Chen Xin in front of him, who had risen from a humble accountant to become a powerful official through his bravery and military prowess. He was well-versed in human relationships and etiquette, and seemed to have a promising future in the imperial court. However, he chose not to pursue a career as a high-ranking official, which left Song Wenxian perplexed. Now, Chen Xin was saying that he wanted to rely on his martial arts skills to achieve success.

  After some thought, Song Wenxian decided to advise him: "Brother Chen, that Jian Nu is not easy to defeat. Since the Seven Great Hatreds rose up in arms, our great Ming dynasty has hardly had any victories. Many generals and deputy generals have died. It's better for us not to get involved in this muddy water."

  "Last year there was a victory at Ningyuan, this year there is a great victory at Ningjin, isn't Liaodong still full of possibilities?"

  Song Wenxian feared that this partner was going to his death, and hastily said: "Brother Chen, do you know what you're asking? The court's flowery words can't be taken seriously. What they call a great victory in Ningyuan is just a matter of counting the number of heads, Brother Chen should understand what kind of thing it is. Since ancient times, has anyone ever heard of a great victory with only two hundred beheadings? Just say that one place was captured, and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians were killed. In Liaoxi, eight or nine out of ten fortresses were destroyed. This time in the Ningjin war, even the small Linghe River was breached."

  Chen Xin added on the side: "Huang Taiji also helped Guanning Army collect winter wheat, and it can be said that they are still kind-hearted, running from afar to help."

  Song Wenxian smiled: "Of course, we must accept it. Otherwise, when the Koreans return to rest, they won't even have time to take care of themselves. What's the point of pretending? Who knows who will win in the end? We can joke about it now, but actually fighting against Jian Nu is no laughing matter. Brother Chen, don't believe what the messenger says."

  Chen Xin couldn't help but smile when he saw Song Wenxian's anxious face.

  "Hey, Brother Chen, you're still smiling. The imperial court spends 3 million taels of silver each year to support the 110,000-120,000 soldiers within and outside the passes (note 1), and the 20,000-30,000 soldiers in Dongjiang Town (note 2). So many soldiers can't even defeat the Jianzhou slaves, which shows how cruel they are. We want achievements, but we don't have to risk our lives like warriors."

  "That young brother has something unclear, Mr. Song had been a scholar before, why didn't he take the imperial examination to get an official title, but instead wants to go abroad and fight for his life like us martial artists?"

  Song Wenxian hesitated, opening his mouth but not speaking. After a while, he glanced at the door and made sure no one was there before whispering to Chen Xin: "Now I won't hide it from you either, you know that my being a scholar is also fake, but it's not that I couldn't pass the exam, it's just that my luck wasn't good."

  Chen Xin saw that he had finally admitted it, and was satisfied in his heart. He had always been suspicious of Song Wenxian's enthusiasm for power. If he had any achievements, he would not be willing to be a staff member like this. What he said before about being a scholar was all deceitful, but when he said he had the ability of a scholar, Chen Xin believed him.

  Song Wenxian and Chen Xin each exposed the other once, so they were even. This again proved that the two were truly a perfect match. Song Wenxian didn't feel embarrassed at all, and leisurely started drinking tea.

  Chen Xin didn't laugh at him either. He put on a serious face and said thoughtfully, "Mr. Song, what's the difference between me doing maritime trade now and Zhao Hai Ming?"

  Song Wenxian was taken aback: "Brother Chen is both civil and martial..."

  "Brother Song, let's not be polite, I'm now no different from Zhao Hai Ming. To put it bluntly, we're just a bunch of sailors on the sea, united on the ship but scattered like a mob once ashore. If we had a foothold in Weihai, with everyone gathered together, the situation would be vastly different. The same maritime trade could be done with one ship or three to five ships, going to Japan or Jiangnan, and not just earning this little bit of silver. Therefore, whether you're an official or seeking fame, we should support each other, that's the long-term plan."

  Chen Xin would not give Song Wenxian a share, although he had made more money after leaving the selection. With his ability as an aide, it was not enough to take so much silver. Normally, each time he gave him silver would not exceed one thousand taels, unless it was like this time when they seized the ship, but most of the time they did not seize it. The main reason Chen Xin cooperated with Song Wenxian was that Song Wenxian was familiar with the official circles in Dengzhou, and Chen Xin's power and maritime trade share were also a strong support for Song Wenxian's position in the provincial governor's yamen. Therefore, Chen Xin took this opportunity to clarify such a strategic partnership relationship with him, so that he would seriously help himself do some things.

  Song Wenxian was a cunning and experienced old man, he quickly understood the situation. However, in his heart, he still valued the profits from maritime trade. With this, his position as the Provincial Governor would be very stable. As for Chen Xin's mention of support, Song Wenxian didn't take it seriously. He had been somewhat influenced by the Ming dynasty's disdain for military generals. A low-ranking officer like a thousand-household, in an era where scholars were valued and warriors were looked down upon, what could he possibly offer in terms of support?

  Song Wenxian naturally agreed, and he also hoped that Chen Xin could expand the maritime trade. Maritime trade is not a canal, it's not possible to go out to sea at any time. The big merchants of Jiangnan and Fujian generally make two trips to Japan every year, mostly traveling in groups. In June and July, they follow the northward ocean current seasonal wind to Japan, and in August and September, they return following the southward ocean current. Those who go to Japan after September take a long time, plus the time spent purchasing goods, generally have to wait until after winter to return. Previously, Zhao Haiming sometimes only made one trip a year, if there was an additional ship, profits could be doubled.

  However, it's easy to find a boat, but hard to find sailors. The navy doesn't dare to use its personnel, and if we recruit fishermen, they need to be trained slowly. Once there is another bloody battle like last time, the loss of personnel will also be difficult to replenish. If we have a base, we can recruit some refugees, and the problem of personnel will be solved.

  Song Wenxian thought of this and asked Chen Xin: "Are Hei Pao and Ba Zi planning to follow you?"

  "Scar has come to find me, saying he wants to follow me. For now, he's rented a stall near the dock, and both he and Zhu Guobin are living on that side. Hei Pao is still helping Zhao Dong's family guard the tomb, saying he'll do it for a year."

  "Scar and Blackbeak are quite popular among the sailors. Many of them listen to these two, if you want to go out to sea, you have to use these two."

  Chen Xin agreed and thought of another person on the ship: "Mr. Song, Han Bin has been in Dengzhou all along. This time he lost his power, and after going back, there will be no unusual movements."

  Song Wenxian snorted, "Han Bin is a narrow-minded and stingy person. He treats others poorly, and except for his fellow villagers, no one wants to listen to him. Since he returned to Dengzhou, he's been spending every day in brothels and gambling dens. His three thousand taels of silver won't last long."

  Chen Xin hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "If he runs out of silver, Mr. Song should be even more careful. He knows everything about the ship, and if he's out of money, who knows what kind of crooked idea he might come up with."

  Song Wenxian coldly smiled and said: "I will let Wang Yong keep an eye on him..."

  Note 1: The number of troops inside and outside the pass, in the seventh year of Tianqi (1627), was 117,000. It is difficult to say what the actual number of soldiers was.

  Note 2: Dongjiang Town has an army of 28,000 men.