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

Chapter 593 Wang Rong's Plan

Wang Rong was not surprised by Gao Jie's words. In fact, when Xing Qiaoer wanted to worship him as her godfather, Wang Rong had vaguely guessed their purpose.

For Wang Rong, Gao Jie and Xing Qiaoer had no roots in the Ming Dynasty, and it would be impossible for them to gain a foothold in the Ming Dynasty without some background.

The Ming Dynasty officialdom was complicated and the network of relationships was intricate. Ordinary people were completely in the dark when they entered the officialdom, let alone those who were surrendered from bandits.

Not only do they have no foundation, but they also have innate deficiencies, even if Emperor Chongzhen officially grants Gao Jie an official position and gives Xing Qiaoer a noble identity. If Gao Jie and Xing Qiaoer want to survive in the Ming officialdom, they must rely on something. If they don't rely on their current identities and backgrounds, there will be a lot of trouble in the future.

Just like what Gao Jie was worried about, as a military commander, he would definitely lead troops to fight. This was not only a way for Gao Jie to show his loyalty to the court, but also a way for Gao Jie to cut off the past by fighting the bandits. In fact, to put it bluntly, it was just a token of surrender. How could you surrender and not turn around to fight the bandits? If this was the case, neither the court nor anyone else would trust Gao Jie and his wife.

Hearing what Gao Jie said, Wang Rong nodded slightly to show his agreement. He thought for a moment and said, "Your concerns are not without reason. Neither Cao Wenzhao nor Zuo Liangyu's tribe is a good place to go."

At this point, Wang Rong asked, "How about letting you go to He Renlong's tribe?"

"He Renlong? A subordinate of Lord Hong Chengchou?" Gao Jie was suddenly startled.

Wang Rong smiled and said, "He Renlong is no longer under Lord Hong's command. The court recently issued an order to appoint Lord Chen Qiyu as the governor of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan. Now that Shanxi is also under his jurisdiction, it is only natural for him to go to his side."

Gao Jie hesitated. He knew He Renlong. He was a military officer of the imperial court. He was a military scholar and served as a garrison commander under the governor Hong Chengchou. He Renlong had a good reputation, but Hong Chengchou was not so good. After bandits in various parts of Shaanxi Province revolted one after another, Hong Chengchou was ordered by the imperial court to encircle and suppress the bandits. He Renlong, as a garrison commander, was the main force in suppressing the bandits.

Now, it is said that Gao Jie was the first bandit leader to surrender to the imperial court. In fact, this statement is both right and wrong. To be precise, Gao Jie was the first bandit leader to successfully surrender to the imperial court. Before Gao Jie, there were actually bandit leaders who surrendered to the imperial court, but they were unknown.

The reason is simple. Although they surrendered, they failed. At that time, Hong Chengchou led He Renlong to suppress bandits in Shaanxi. They beat several bandits to the point where they had no way out and could only surrender. Hong Chengchou agreed on the surface, but secretly asked He Renlong to lure them in, and then set up a Hongmen Banquet to catch all the bandit leaders in one fell swoop.

In the end, Hong Chengchou killed all the enemies, a total of 320 leaders of all sizes. After killing these people, Hong Chengchou ordered He Renlong to launch a sneak attack on the remaining enemies overnight and wiped out these gangs of bandits in one fell swoop. He then reported the report to the court and received commendation from Emperor Chongzhen.

Although Hong Chengchou was a civil official, he was even more vicious than a military commander. He had no moral principles and was notorious among the rebels for his fickleness. Although He Renlong was not involuntarily responsible, he did not gain any good reputation because of this incident. Instead, he was nicknamed "Crazy He". If Gao Jie went to work for him, he would have to worry about his own safety.

Wang Rong mentioned He Renlong's name intentionally. He wanted to see Gao Jie's reaction, and Gao Jie's reaction was also within his expectations. Seeing Gao Jie's worried expression, Wang Rong smiled secretly. But Gao Jie's expression soon returned to normal. He bowed and said to Wang Rong: "I will let my father-in-law arrange it. No matter where I go, as long as my father-in-law says a word, I will go there willingly."

After saying this, Wang Rong instantly looked up to Gao Jie. Gao Jie came from a humble background, but he had such courage and could make such a decision in such a short time. It seemed that he had made a good choice in choosing this adopted daughter and adopted son-in-law. If Gao Jie had found excuses to shirk Wang Rong's words today, or played dumb and talked about other things, then Wang Rong would have made up his mind. The so-called adopted daughter and adopted son-in-law were just words. Gao Jie was not worthy of being used. It was the same thing whether he was there or not.

Since Gao Jie had this attitude, he was quite tactful. While Wang Rong looked up to Gao Jie, he also had other thoughts. He nodded and said nothing more, just saying that he knew. The imperial decree had just come down, and Gao Jie's arrangement would have to wait for a few days. Gao Jie should rest well in Luzhou Guard these days and wait patiently for the final order of the imperial court. As for other things, he didn't need to think too much. No matter how the imperial court arranged it, it had its considerations. As an official of the imperial court, Gao Jie had to obey the imperial court's orders.

Gao Jie repeatedly said yes, and although he was about to ask a few more questions, he swallowed them back. He remembered what Xing Qiaoer had told him before coming here, and didn't dare to ask any more questions. Although he was a little nervous, he could only put his hope on Wang Rong.

After the banquet, Gao Jie took Xing Qiaoer to say goodbye and left. After returning to their residence and closing the door, Xing Qiaoer asked Gao Jie what she talked about with her adoptive father after she left. Gao Jie did not hide anything and told Xing Qiaoer the details of the conversation. After listening to it, Xing Qiaoer thought for a moment and smiled.

"This is a good thing!"

"Good news? How come I didn't know about it?" Gao Jie asked in confusion.

"Fool!" Xing Qiaoer covered her mouth and laughed, "Godfather was deliberately testing you. If you had given any other answer at that time, I'm afraid Godfather would not have helped you. Fortunately, you listened to me and answered appropriately today. Since Godfather asked you to rest in Luzhouwei and wait for the court's order, it means that Godfather has a plan in mind. Don't worry about this matter. Godfather has an idea when he said this." "Yes! Why didn't I think of it?" Gao Jie slapped his forehead and suddenly realized that he was really in a dream. Fortunately, Xing Qiaoer was smart and pointed out the key in one sentence.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Gao Jie, who had been a little nervous just now, suddenly became excited. He hugged Xing Qiao'er and couldn't help but kiss her, praising her, "You are right. We have chosen the right adoptive father. Tell me, how will he help us next?"

"How would I know that?" Xing Qiao'er said with a grin, "No matter what, just keep your mind at ease. Even if your adoptive father really asks you to work for Crazy He, you don't have to worry. Anyway, we are already people with a background. With your adoptive father around, you won't have to worry."

"Yes, yes, yes." Gao Jie grinned and laughed. He was very fond of Xing Qiaoer. He thought his Gao family must have burned incense for several lifetimes to be lucky enough to have such a smart woman as his wife. Thinking of this, Gao Jie couldn't help but hug Xing Qiaoer in his arms. Xing Qiaoer struggled slightly and leaned over limply, feeling a sense of springtime...

In the evening of that day, Wang Rong asked someone to invite Zhu Shenzhui to his house. After Zhu Shenzhui arrived, he learned that Wang Rong had adopted Xing Qiaoer as his adopted daughter.

"What's wrong? You don't seem surprised?" Seeing Zhu Shenzhui's calm expression, Wang Rong asked with a smile.

Zhu Shenzhui said, "Of course there are some surprises, but I can guess why my uncle did this, and it's not a bad thing to adopt her as his adopted daughter. Gao Jie has no foundation in the Ming Dynasty. Now that the court is dealing with the bandits, it is inevitable that Gao Jie will be reused. After all, he and Xing Qiao'er have different identities. Even if the court and His Majesty know about your actions, not only will they not blame you, but there will be some benefits."

"Hahaha!" Wang Rong burst into laughter. Zhu Shenzhui's words touched his heart. He had thought so at the beginning.

However, in addition to what Zhu Shencui said openly, Wang Rong had other plans in private, which was to take this opportunity to win over Gao Jie and use him for his own benefit. Or to be more precise, Wang Rong was making arrangements for Zhu Shencui. Gao Jie was a capable person who could stand out in the rebel army and become one of the leaders. Moreover, Gao Jie's hands were not stained with much blood. If a person like him surrendered to the court, the court would definitely regard him as an example to show the court's grace, and at the same time, it could also divide and win over other leaders within the bandits.

That would be fine, the key lies in this woman Xing Qiao'er. Wang Rong had already seen that between Gao Jie and Xing Qiao'er, Xing Qiao'er was the one who really made the decision, and this woman was very smart and knew how to make choices. Now that they were establishing a relationship as foster father and foster daughter, it was a good thing for both of them.

Wang Rong knew better than anyone what kind of person his nephew Zhu Shencui was and what he had been doing over the years.

It was fine before, but ever since the death of Emperor Tianqi and the ascension of Emperor Chongzhen, there has been a hint of chaos in the Ming Dynasty.

The Ji Si Change that occurred at the end of the previous year shocked the world. It was the most severe crisis the Ming Dynasty had ever faced since the Battle of Tumu. The great Ming Dynasty was actually directly attacked by the Jiannu army and reached the capital. The empire, which had a million troops, was helpless. In the end, the Jiannu army plundered the capital for a hundred days before they left.

The consequences of the Ji Si Rebellion were extremely serious. Not only did it make the world see the weakness of the Ming Dynasty, it also led to rebellions in various places. Bandits rose up everywhere, and the northwest region of the Ming Dynasty was turned upside down.

Not to mention now, Gao Yingxiang's troops were actually roaming around in the northwestern provinces, and took advantage of the gap when the government troops had not yet gathered to directly enter the Central Plains, and then entered Zhili from Henan, heading straight for the capital.

Although Gao Yingxiang was repelled by Lu Xiangsheng, and then fled to Shandong and was attacked head-on by Xu Xiancheng's troops, suffering heavy losses, Gao Yingxiang now went directly south from Shandong to the Nanzhili area. Judging from his route, he intended to take Nanjing directly. Once Nanjing fell into Gao Yingxiang's hands, the world would be shaken.

From all aspects, the Ming Dynasty was in chaos and there were changes in the world.

When Qin lost its power, all the heroes chased it together.

Once the Ming Dynasty collapsed, it was possible for the dynasty to change. Although the current Emperor Chongzhen was diligent, he was not a truly wise ruler. He had been on the throne for only a few years and had caused chaos in the country. Could such an emperor still turn the tide? Wang Rong absolutely did not believe it.

Under such circumstances, Wang Rong's mentality also changed. In his opinion, his nephew's early arrangements for a rainy day were particularly foresighted. Moreover, Zhu Shenzhu's status was not ordinary. Once he got the chance to start a rebellion, he might be able to take over the world. Even if he failed, there was still a way out on the grassland. Why not give it a try?
(End of this chapter)