Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1177 Shi Dewei

"It is not difficult to meet Bian Yujing. I know where she lives. It is in Xinyang outside Gusu City, not far from Taihu Lake. I will go back to Suzhou Prefecture in a few days. If it is convenient for you, you can come with me to visit her. However, Bian Yujing is aloof and arrogant. I don't know whether she can meet you." Nie Chi answered very politely.

If it was someone else, Nie Chi would definitely not say these words, let alone reveal the other person's residence. But Zhu Minlan was different. Ever since meeting Zhu Minlan in the restaurant, Nie Chi felt that Zhu Minlan was very unusual. Without mentioning other things, one could tell from Xie Guangwei's attitude.

He and Xie Guangwei were good friends, and he knew Xie Guangwei's temper and personality very well. Although Xie Guangwei had some of the habits of a dandy boy, he was well educated, and at least he knew what he should and should not do, and he would never bully the weak by relying on his status. Even when he asked Zhu Minlan to give up his room in the restaurant today, he was polite before using force, and he also offered to pay the bill to the other party. If it were any other son of a noble family, he would have had everyone thrown out without saying a word.

Furthermore, Xie Guangwei's status was not bad, and he could be said to be the highest among the four of them. Although Xie Guangwei was not the eldest son and had no chance of inheriting the family title, he was not only the son of a marquis, but also the younger brother of the crown princess, the brother-in-law of the current crown prince, and the uncle of the crown prince's grandson.

Such an identity can be said to be the best in the entire Ming Dynasty, and there are only a handful of people who can surpass him. But Xie Guangwei's attitude after meeting Zhu Minlan was puzzling. In front of Zhu Minlan, Xie Guangwei was as obedient as a quail, making him afraid to go east and west. Moreover, not only in the restaurant, even now on the flower boat, Xie Guangwei sitting next to Zhu Minlan was different from his usual lively personality, and was very well-behaved. Just now, everyone was chatting and laughing, and Xie Guangwei, who usually talked the most, didn't say a few words today, and when he spoke, he would subconsciously sneak a glance at Zhu Minlan. Such small actions could not be hidden from Nie Chi at all.

Nie Chi had the lowest status among the four. Although his family was rich, none of his elders were officials, let alone honors. However, the children of merchant families were best at observing people's expressions, so he concluded that Zhu Minlan's identity was definitely not simple. According to Nie Chi's guess, Zhu Minlan was probably not only the son of a noble, but he might even have a high-ranking noble status. Could he be the son of the Duke or the Marquis? Or a royal relative of the royal family? Or even... ?
Thinking of the end, Nie Chi was shocked and didn't dare to continue guessing. But no matter what, Zhu Minlan, who was accompanied by Xie Guangwei, must be an extraordinary person. His noble identity was not something he could guess. Since the other party was curious about Bian Yujing, whom they just mentioned, and he knew where Bian Yujing lived and knew him, it might be a good idea to take Zhu Minlan to visit him.

In addition, Nie Chi also had some thoughts in his mind. He had been thinking about Bian Yujing since he met her once when he was a teenager. Although he knew that it was impossible for him to have any relationship with Bian Yujing, the white moonlight in his heart was deeply remembered. If he had the chance to see Bian Yujing again, he would never give up.

After hearing what Nie Chi said, Zhu Minlan's heart was slightly moved. He was going to Songjiang Prefecture next. Going from Nanjing to Songjiang Prefecture happened to pass by Suzhou Prefecture. Not only was it convenient, but the Nie family was a big family in Suzhou Prefecture, and Suzhou Prefecture was adjacent to Songjiang Prefecture. This time when he went south for inspection, the trading port in Shanghai was the top priority, and it was also specially instructed by his father. It would be convenient if he had the help of the local tyrant Nie family during the inspection in Shanghai.

However, Zhu Minlan did not express his opinion immediately, but just nodded slightly to show that he understood, and did not give the other party a positive or negative answer. Seeing this, Nie Chi was not anxious, and smiled and said that he would go to Songjiang Prefecture in a few days. If Zhu Minlan planned to go with him, he could let him know and he would arrange everything on the way.

"Brother Nie, why did you suddenly think of going home? Is there something wrong at home?" Ma Yuan asked curiously.

"Yes, Brother Nie, has something happened at home? If you need help, just tell me. You and I are brothers and we are not outsiders. We will definitely help if we can." Wei Anding is a member of the Wei family, and the Wei family is a big family in Songjiang Prefecture. He and the Nie family in Suzhou Prefecture can be considered old friends, so he couldn't help but say something.

"Haha, it's nothing serious. Sorry for your concern." Nie Chi smiled and bowed. After thinking for a while, he said, "The court previously set up a trading port in Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture. You also know that my Nie family has been doing maritime trade in the north for many years. Now Shanghai County is almost completed. It is said that the Zongli Yamen will be officially operational in the near future and set up a customs office in Shanghai."

"Such a major event, our Nie family will naturally not miss it. To be honest, as early as the court announced Shanghai as one of the trading ports, the Nie family had already started preparations. This time I went back because my father wrote to ask me to go home. My brother went to Shanghai a few days ago, but he has no official title. It's okay for him to do business on weekdays, but Shanghai is different from other counties. Many official affairs still need to be negotiated with the government. It's inconvenient for my brother as a commoner. I have the title of a student, so I guess my father asked me to go back to Suzhou Prefecture to prepare first, and then go to Shanghai to assist my brother."

“So that’s how it is…” Everyone nodded in sudden realization.

What Nie Chi said was right. They also knew about the situation of the Nie family. As for the establishment of a trading port and customs in Shanghai, Songjiang Prefecture, it has been a long time. Nanjing is not far from Songjiang Prefecture. How could they not know about it?
As for Nie Chi's father's arrangement, it was also reasonable. Although the Nie family was rich, they were still a merchant family, and Nie Chi's brother, no matter how capable he was, was a commoner. If Nie Chi came forward to help, it would be different. Nie Chi not only had the title of a student, but was also a student of the Nanjing Imperial College. Even if he had no official position, he could still negotiate with the government on an equal footing. Naturally, it would be different.

"I also know about what happened in Shanghai. My family is in Songjiang Prefecture. Opening Shanghai to set up a trading port is no trivial matter. How about this, I have nothing to do anyway, so I will accompany Brother Nie on this trip. We will go to Suzhou Prefecture first, and then follow me back to Songjiang. When we get to Songjiang, I will help with the smooth sailing. With the status of my Wei family in Songjiang, I may be able to help Brother Nie a little." Wei Anding thought for a while and suggested.

"Yes, yes, yes! Brother Wei is right. How about I go with you? Before I go, I will ask my uncle to help put a call to Songjiang Prefecture. This way, we can get twice the result with half the effort. How do you say that?" Ma Yuan also suggested enthusiastically.

"This..." Nie Chi was stunned, and his heart suddenly felt warm. The status and position of the Wei family and the Ma family were not comparable to that of their Nie family. If they had the help of the Songjiang Wei family and Ma Shiying's greetings to the Songjiang Mansion, they would indeed save a lot of trouble.

However, while feeling grateful, Nie Chi also felt that it was a little inappropriate. As the saying goes, the friendship between gentlemen is as light as water. Although both friends wanted to help him, this matter was a family matter, and it might not be appropriate to ask their family elders to intervene.

"What's wrong with that? It's just a piece of cake." Ma Yuan laughed and said, "It's settled. The Imperial College will be closed for a few days in a few days, and I'm thinking about where to go after the holiday. It is said that Shanghai has been very busy with construction in the past two years. It's a good opportunity for me to go there with Brother Nie to take a look and relax."

Listening to their words, Xie Guangwei was also somewhat moved, but he didn't know Zhu Minlan's attitude, so he hesitated and felt itchy inside.

"In that case, let's go and have a look. I'm also quite interested in Shanghai." Zhu Minlan said with a smile. Xie Guangwei quickly agreed and said that he would go with him and if he needed help, he would also come forward. Nie Chi was very moved by this and stood up and saluted everyone solemnly before agreeing.

"By the way, what do you think about the court opening several trading ports this time?" Ma Yuan took a sip of tea, put down his teacup and asked.

"Opening more trading ports is naturally a good thing. Brother Ma, haven't you seen that the maritime trade in Shandong in the north has been in full swing in recent years? Not only has the imperial court made huge profits from it, but also merchants and ordinary people have benefited a lot. It is said that the south is even more prosperous. In the past two years, merchants from European countries have gathered in Guangzhou, and countless shipments are shipped every day. Not counting the profits from the goods, the tariffs and commercial taxes alone are far more than before." Nie Chi talked about the matter. Their Nie family had been involved in the maritime trade in the north for a long time, so they naturally had a say in this matter.

Wei Anding agreed with this view and said, "My Wei family thinks the same. Moreover, this time we set up a trading port in Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture. Even if we don't talk about the commercial profits, the benefits brought to Songjiang Prefecture by the gathering of goods from the north and the south and the influx of merchants are extremely amazing."

"My father mentioned this in a letter some time ago. In my opinion, my Wei family will not stand by and watch. We will probably directly participate in it. However, I never get involved in these matters at home. You will have to ask about the details after you get home. But in my opinion, this is a good thing."

Ma Yuan nodded in agreement, but he added: "Although it is a good thing, it is difficult to actually do it. I don't know if it can be done."

"Why do you say that, Brother Ma? Treaty ports are a policy set by the current emperor, and the Zongli Yamen is responsible for implementation. The court attaches so much importance to it, how can it not be possible?"

Ma Yuan shook his head and said, "You know one thing but not the other. This is a good thing for the court, but it is not a good thing for some people..."

Everyone was stunned, and then some of them reacted. Wei Anding asked, "What? Did Brother Ma hear anything?"

"This..." Ma Yuan hesitated slightly, and Wei Anding immediately understood. He waved his hand to ask the three women who were still playing to leave for the time being. After they left, he urged Ma Yuan to explain in detail.

Without outsiders, Ma Yuan whispered, "Do you know Shi Dewei?"

"Shi Dewei?" Wei Anding and Nie Chi looked at each other. For a moment, they felt that the name sounded familiar, but they couldn't remember where they had heard it.

At this time, Xie Guangwei interrupted and asked, "Is Shi Dewei, whom Brother Ma mentioned, the adopted son of Shi Kefa, the Minister of Rites of Nanjing? A captain of the Nanjing Military Command?"

"It's this person!" Ma Yuan nodded.

Everyone then remembered Shi Dewei's background. Shi Dewei was not well-known. He was just a Dusi in the frontier army. Dusi was not a high-ranking officer in the army. It was usually promoted from the general, the commander, the commander, and the garrison commander. The specific position depended on the grade of the job.

Shi Dewei was originally just a captain, but later he was transferred to serve as a personal guard under Shi Kefa. Shi Kefa was appointed by Emperor Chongzhen as the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and was in charge of military affairs and governor of various places south of Northern Zhili. Later he was transferred to be governor of Fengyang, Huai'an, Yangzhou and other places.

Shi Kefa was a Jinshi, and his career was prosperous. He made great contributions in the suppression of bandits, and he could be considered a capable minister. Although Shi Kefa led troops to the north to defend the emperor after Zhu Shenzhu entered the capital, he was eventually repelled. Later, Zhu Shenzhu took control of the government and ordered Shi Kefa to go south by the emperor's order, and did not hold him accountable for sending troops. Shi Kefa then served as governor in Jiangnan.

When the Jiangnan case broke out later, Shi Kefa was not implicated in the case. The Nanjing officialdom was cleared out, which left Shi Kefa with an opportunity. He was transferred from governor to assistant minister of the Nanjing Ministry of War, and was recently promoted to minister of the Nanjing Ministry of Justice. He was considered the big boss among the six ministries in Nanjing.

Shi Kefa had no children, and Shi Dewei had followed him for many years and gained his trust, so Shi Kefa adopted him as his adopted son. Shi Kefa was promoted step by step, and Shi Dewei, as his adopted son, naturally also benefited from it. In just a few years, he was promoted from a mere captain to a captain of a thousand households in the Nanjing Garrison, becoming an officer of the fifth rank.

(End of this chapter)