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

Chapter 611 Secret Message
Somewhere in the capital.

Zhang Xijun has been in the capital for many years. Since he came to the capital during the Tianqi period, Zhang Xijun has been living in the capital except for temporarily leaving the capital to avoid disaster when Wei Zhongxian's party was eliminated.

As the years passed, Zhang Xijun's accent and behavior were no different from those of the people in the capital, and his status in the capital was very transcendent. On the surface, Zhang Xijun was just an idle commoner, and apart from owning a few shops, he was an ordinary wealthy man. But in fact, after so many years of business, Zhang Xijun was regarded as a very powerful person in the eyes of some people.

Not only was he rich, he also had intricate connections in official circles. He was even friends with several cabinet elders, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, and high-ranking officials of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Whenever there was a problem that was difficult to solve, they could just ask Zhang Xijun. If Zhang Xijun was willing to nod for help, then big things would be turned into small things.

Some people even privately said that Zhang Xijun was somewhat similar to Wang Wenyan back then. Although he was born in a commoner family, he had a great influence on the Donglin Party and the government. In order to deal with the Donglin Party, Wei Zhongxian first started with Wang Wenyan, because Wei Zhongxian knew Wang Wenyan's power very well. As long as Wang Wenyan was dealt with and made to speak out, the Donglin Party would have no secrets from the Eunuch Party, and the internal communication of the Donglin Party would be in chaos because of Wang Wenyan's imprisonment.

In fact, some people had already made fun of Zhang Xijun in this way during the Wei Zhongxian period, but there were still big differences between Zhang Xijun and Wang Wenyan.

Zhang Xijun was not as ostentatious as Wang Wenyan, and he was not as high-profile as Wang Wenyan. Moreover, in politics, Zhang Xijun did not support the Donglin Party as clearly as Wang Wenyan, and he even considered himself a member of the Donglin Party. Zhang Xijun always acted in a low-key manner, and he made friends regardless of factions. No matter what faction or party the other party belonged to, as long as they caught Zhang Xijun's eye, they could become friends.

Moreover, Zhang Xijun was very kind to his friends. He never refused to help them if he could, and he never advertised it afterwards. He also never took the initiative to accept gifts or feedback from anyone. As a result, Zhang Xijun's character was appreciated by everyone. In addition, the more friends he had, the wider his network was, and more people wanted to make friends with him. His reputation gradually spread.

On this day, Zhang Xijun got up early in the morning as usual, washed up and had breakfast at home. After breakfast, he took a walk to several shops under his name, looked through the account books and chatted with the shopkeepers, and then went to a nearby teahouse to have tea or visit friends.

Zhang Xijun's life has been very regular these years, almost every day. Unless someone comes to visit him temporarily, Zhang Xijun will return home early.

But today was a little different from usual. At noon, Zhang Xijun, who should have been outside, suddenly came back in a hurry. As soon as he entered the yard, he told the housekeeper to close the door and refuse any visitors, saying that he was not feeling well today.

After giving the instructions, Zhang Xijun went straight into his study. In the study, Zhang Xijun took a book from the bookshelf against the wall, then flipped through the book, ground ink, picked up a pen and wrote a secret letter. After finishing the secret letter, Zhang Xijun checked it carefully again. After confirming that it was correct, he put the letter into the envelope, sealed it, and then stamped it with sealing wax.

After finishing all this, Zhang Xijun burned all the drafts he had just made. After they were reduced to ashes, he used a wooden stick to look at them. He was relieved to make sure that there was not a single word left.

After doing all this, Zhang Xijun stood up, picked up the secret letter, and walked out of the study. When he reached the corridor, he looked around, raised his hands and clapped three times.

As soon as the applause died down, a person who had been hiding somewhere suddenly appeared.

"Sir, what are your orders?"

"Send this letter to Shanxi as soon as possible. There can be no delay for a moment. It is extremely urgent!"

"Understood!" The man took the letter with both hands, put it carefully in his arms, then turned around and disappeared.

Zhang Xijun looked up at the sky. It was not even evening yet, but the sky was already gray. The dark clouds in the sky had gathered into a ball at some point, and it was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.

"The storm is coming!" Zhang Xijun sighed softly, his brows furrowed and no one knew what he was thinking.

A few days later, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi.

Kang Youfu, as the chief manager of Hengtong Commercial Bank, is currently in charge of Hengtong's head office. With the rapid development of Hengtong, the scale of Hengtong Commercial Bank is now one of the largest in Shanxi and even in the entire Ming Dynasty. In particular, Hengtong's money houses are spread all over Shanxi, and branches have been established in the capital and other provinces. If it were not for the bandits like Gao Yingxiang roaming around the provinces and causing great trouble, Hengtong's original plan would have extended its tentacles to all parts of the Ming Dynasty long ago.

Even so, Hengtong's money houses are still flourishing everywhere. Last month, news came from Nanjing that Hengtong's development in Nanzhili was very good. The money houses in Nanjing made a lot of profit as soon as they opened. In addition, the money houses in Suzhou and Hangzhou were more powerful than those in the north. However, as the saying goes, the rafters that stick out first rot first, and there is also a saying that a tall tree attracts the wind.

Nanzhili, or the entire Jiangnan region, was originally the most developed commercial area in the Ming Dynasty. The merchants in the south were no less powerful than those in Shanxi. In addition, the Jiangnan merchants often had the support of local gentry and wealthy families, so the situation was far more complicated than in the north.

Hengtong wanted to open up the market in the south without cooperating with the locals. To be on the safe side, Hengtong found some businessmen with backgrounds to cooperate with in the development of the south, so that it could smoothly promote its development. But even so, there were still many people eyeing this piece of fat meat, and many people relied on their own power and background to come in and get a piece of the pie. These messy things involved Kang Youfu's energy. In order to properly solve these problems, Kang Youfu could only send his capable shopkeeper to Nanzhili to understand the specific situation and find a way to deal with it. If it really didn't work, he could only report it to the boss, Zhu Shenzhui, to make a decision.

Zhu Shenzhui went to Mongolia last month. After fighting with the Eight Banners and the Chahar and Khorchin tribes, the Tenger tribe's reputation on the grassland was greatly enhanced.

You should know that since the reign of Ligdan Khan, the wars between the Mongols and the Later Jin Dynasty were basically more defeats than victories. Even when Ligdan Khan was at his most powerful, he had to avoid the sharp edge of Nurhaci. After Huang Taiji ascended the throne, Ligdan Khan was beaten to a pulp by the Eight Banners Army. In the end, the Mongol Khan was actually driven out of the Chahar headquarters by the Eight Banners Army and the Chahar tribes, causing Ligdan Khan to die in exile in Qinghai.

Even though the Mongolian tribes had many criticisms of Ligdan Khan, especially those who had a bad relationship with him and were even repeatedly suppressed by him, they still felt bad after seeing Ligdan Khan suffer such an end and die in a foreign land.

After all, Lin Danhan was the Great Khan of Mongolia and the leader of all Mongolians, which was acknowledged even by his opponents. Lin Danhan's experience became a pain in the hearts of all Mongolians, but because of the strength of the Eight Banners, they could only succumb to Huang Taiji.

But now the battle of the Tenger tribe has demonstrated the power of the Mongols and defeated the invincible Eight Banners elite. This makes all the Mongols excited. Even among the Khorchin and Chahar tribes, many people feel proud of such a record. In the eyes of the Mongols, the Mongols are the kings of the grassland and the real masters of Mongolia!
The Tenger tribe has now become a hero in the eyes of the Mongols, and is truly the master of the Tumed. After the war, the Jiannu in the east was completely quiet, and no longer had any intention of advancing westward in the short term. Zhu Shenzhu also took advantage of the victory of this battle to ask for hostages from the defeated tribes, and then used the original conflicts among the tribes to divide and exploit them, creating a barrier for the east of the Tumed.

Now that the war on the grassland has subsided, the Tenger tribe did not take this opportunity to expand like other Mongolian tribes thought, but instead developed based on Guihua City. This move made the Mongolian tribes a little confused, but it was not a bad thing for them. The peace on the grassland gave the tribes a chance to breathe. After years of continuous wars and natural disasters, the tribes suffered heavy losses. It was a good thing to be able to recuperate.

Zhu Shenzhui had a plan for the development of Tumed. The expansion of the grassland was not the main thing for him. After all, he was not a Mongolian, let alone the former Lin Dan Khan. He did not have the idea of ​​unifying the grassland once again and restoring the glory of the Golden Family like Lin Dan Khan.

Tumed's power is Zhu Shenzhu's foundation. If it expands endlessly, it will not only be useless, but also disperse his own power, and will provoke unnecessary battles and consume them on the battlefield. In addition, Zhu Shenzhu himself does not want to see a huge, unified Mongolia. Even if the Tenger tribe belongs to his son's tribe, he does not want the Tenger tribe to unify the grassland in the future. His real goal is in the south, in the Central Plains, and in the Ming Dynasty. This is his foundation.

To the east of Guihua City is a large area of ​​arable land, which is also a rare agricultural and pastoral area in the entire grassland. This advantage must be utilized. Zhu Shenzhui started to do this as early as after taking Guihua City. After a year of preparation and recovery, it has achieved initial results.

Judging from the current situation, as long as it continues, Tumed will have its own stable grain production area in a few years. These grains will not only be able to supply the needs of the entire Tumed, but will also bring huge profits to Zhu Shencui. With enough food, many things can be done, and Zhu Shencui has high hopes for this.

Kang Youfu had just finished reading an account book and wrote down a few numbers on a piece of white paper beside him. He put the account book down and stretched his slightly sore wrist. Just as Kang Youfu was about to take the next account book, someone suddenly knocked on the door and said someone wanted to see him.

Originally, Kang Youfu thought it was the shopkeeper who wanted to see him, so he asked nonchalantly. However, when he got the answer that it was not the shopkeeper but a strange yet familiar name, Kang Youfu was stunned at first, then his face changed, and he immediately remembered something.

He stood up and opened the door himself, asking where the person was and asking him to bring him in quickly. After a while, the other person entered the house. Kang Youfu did not recognize this person, who looked ordinary and no different from an ordinary person, but Kang Youfu knew that this person's identity was not simple.

"Are you Shopkeeper Kang?"

"My name is Kang Youfu. May I ask if you have the seal?" Kang Youfu asked in a neither arrogant nor humble manner.

The other party nodded and reached out to take out a finger-sized thing from his arms. This thing was somewhat similar to a tiger talisman, but it looked more like half a jade statue.

Kang Youfu took it and looked at it carefully, then pulled a similar jade piece from his neck, and then put the two together. The front side was a Guanyin with closed eyes, and the back side was a laughing Amitabha. This thing was made by Zhang Xijun. There are three pieces in total, one in Zhang Xijun's hand, one in Zhu Shenzhui's, and one in Kang Youfu's.

(End of this chapter)