Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming both nodded when they heard Chen Jie's words, and they were not surprised.

Ximentang is now the most powerful force in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Whether in the martial arts world or the imperial court.

In times of great chaos, whoever has the strongest fist is right.

Since Ximentang rose to prominence at the Dagu Fortress in Tianjin, it has possessed the power to dominate the world.

not to mention,
Ximen Hall now commands an army of over 300,000, enough to balance the various forces within the Great Qian Dynasty.

Although Emperor Li Zheng was very wary of Ximen Tang, he kept trying to win him over. Wasn't it because Ximen Tang was able to stabilize the situation of the Great Qian Dynasty?
From the moment Ximentang defeated the Western Allied Forces, he became the cornerstone of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Therefore,
It's perfectly normal for Ximentang to want to create a commercial district in the east.

Any force that wants to develop must have strong financial backing.

Ximentang has built numerous factories in Shandong, and its various products have been sold throughout the Daqian region thanks to the transportation services provided by the Grand Canal.

but,

Over the past few decades, a large amount of silver in the Great Qian Dynasty has been plundered by Westerners and Japanese.

To earn money overseas, it is essential to vigorously develop overseas trade.

In fact, the Daqian Dynasty has always had business dealings between officials and merchants, with the Textile Bureau being the most obvious example.

Many businessmen actually need to rely on government officials to open up channels.

Many of Zhang Ming and Zeng Yongxiang's transactions were conducted through the Textile Bureau.

This is why the Textile Bureau became incredibly wealthy, even becoming one of the main sources of revenue for the imperial court.

If merchants lose the protection of officials, various forces will act like hungry wolves, quickly dividing up all the profits.

Zeng Yongxiang had been seeking an audience with Chen Jie in Nanjing for some time, with the aim of finding a powerful patron for himself.

Therefore,
It's perfectly normal for Chen Jie to want to develop overseas trade and build Nanjing, Songjiang Prefecture, southern Jiangsu, and eastern Zhejiang into the largest commercial district.

The key is,
Chen Jie is now the Grand Commander of Ximen Hall, the Governor-General of Shandong, and also the Imperial Son-in-Law.

His power was so great that all the major factions in the Great Qian Dynasty had to act according to his wishes.

He doesn't attend court, yet he can influence the course of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Any force that can pledge allegiance to Ximen Hall and gain Chen Jie's approval will be accepted.

So, as long as Ximentang doesn't collapse, there will be many benefits.

Judging from the current situation, even if the Great Qian Dynasty falls, Ximen Hall probably won't fall.

Zeng Yongxiang thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and said:
"I wonder what kind of business you intend to pursue, sir? I'm worried—won't it collide with the Textile Bureau—!"

Chen Jie said calmly:

"Don't worry about the Textile Bureau. Suzhou Prefecture is already under the jurisdiction of our Ximen Hall."

"If the Textile Bureau has any objections, I'll fire them!"

He spoke casually, showing no regard whatsoever for the Jiangnan Textile Bureau.

finished,

He continued:

“Things like silk, tea, and ceramics are naturally sold to the West. As for industrial products, we buy raw materials from the West, process them, and then sell them back to them.”

Upon hearing this, Zeng Yongxiang nodded and said:

“Overseas trade focuses on unequal information. Westerners used opium to exchange for a huge amount of silver from our Great Qian.”

"Our silk, porcelain, tea, and other products don't generate much profit when sold to the West."

"A large portion of the profits are taken by Western distributors; we only earn a small portion for processing and transportation fees."

"Moreover, most of the business in the middle is handled by the Weaving Bureau. We merchants can only receive some small orders from the Weaving Bureau, and there is very little profit left."

"Furthermore, in the Jiangnan region, various powerful forces are intertwined, and whether it's transportation or receiving goods, a considerable amount of protection fees must be paid."

"If you don't pay, there's a 90% chance your goods will be lost."

Chen Jie nodded and said:
"I know a bit about the situation in Jiangnan, but my idea to create a business district is just a plan at the moment."

"If we want to implement this plan, we'll have to wait until I quell the rebellion in eastern Zhejiang."

“We at Ximentang need some supplies right now, and we hope that you two can help us purchase them from overseas.”

Zeng Yongxiang nodded without hesitation and said, "Please speak, sir."

In the following time, Chen Jie gave Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming a list of materials that needed to be purchased for overseas trade.

Copper, pig iron, medicinal herbs, timber, grain—and so on.

Simontang has been purchasing many overseas goods for a long time.

Strategic materials, in particular, were purchased from various parts of the West through overseas trade, as they were bulk commodities.

Ximentang wanted to acquire many military supplies on a long-term basis, which Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming understood.

However, purchasing these large quantities of supplies requires a significant amount of funds.

However, the large-scale purchase of grain from overseas surprised the two of them.

It is currently the harvest season for grain, and the lands of Henan and Hebei have seen a bumper harvest. In the short term, the Great Qian Dynasty will not face a food crisis.

However, since Chen Jie had provided the purchase list, the two of them didn't say much.

As long as the funds were in place, the two assured Chen Jie that they would definitely purchase supplies from the West and bring them back to Daqian.

Chen Jie chatted with the two for a while, and when he felt that the conversation was almost over, he got up to say goodbye.

After a few minutes.

After watching Chen Jie leave with his personal guards from the pleasure boat, Zeng Yongxiang turned to Zhang Ming and said:

"Brother Zhang, what do you think Governor Chen of Ximen Hall is really trying to do? Could it be that he—?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ming shook his head and said:

"As it stands, he won't rebel!"

"He is not only the Governor-General of Shandong, but also the Prince Consort. Although Princess Lingyue has not yet married into the family, it has already been announced to the world. This matter cannot be taken lightly."

"Judging from his ambition to develop Songjiang Prefecture, southern Jiangsu, and eastern Zhejiang into the largest commercial district in the Great Qian Dynasty, he had no ambition to compete for supremacy within the Great Qian."

"He is a builder, not a destroyer, so he will not stand against the Great Qian Dynasty for the time being."

“If someone else did this, we might think it was arrogant and conceited, but Simon is different. No one can stop them from doing what they want to do.”

"We shouldn't have made a mistake in choosing him."

Zeng Yongxiang nodded slightly, took a deep breath, and said:
"According to the investigation, although the Emperor and the Sixth Prince have a high regard for Ximentang, Ximentang's rise has nothing to do with the court."

"The reason why Ximentang has achieved its current status and developed into the most powerful army in Daqian is entirely because of Chen Jie."

"By winning him over, the Emperor is essentially winning over the entire Ximen Hall."

"The most terrifying thing about the West Gate is that its internal structure is as solid as iron, so united that outsiders simply cannot penetrate it."

"The Green Gang, Taiping Ship, the Japanese Black Dragon Society, and the Ministry of War of the Imperial Court have all arranged for many people to infiltrate the Ximen Hall."

Unfortunately, no one has succeeded so far.

Zhang Ming smiled and said:

"Let's do as he says for now. The chances of the Green Gang succeeding in raising their flag in rebellion are slim!"

-

After leaving the banks of the Qinhuai River, Chen Jie returned to the Governor's Mansion in Nanjing.

He ordered someone to summon the people from Tongbeimen.

Yuan Zhang and Ma Tongming quickly entered the Governor's Mansion.

After exchanging pleasantries with the two men, Chen Jie asked, "How's the situation? Any news about what I asked you to inquire about?"

Ma Tongming nodded and said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, everything has been investigated and clarified."

finished,

He took out a roster from his person and handed it to Chen Jie, saying:
"This is all the information about the Zeng family, including their internal list and their current businesses."

It turned out that from the moment Zeng Yongxiang kept contacting Chen Jie, Chen Jie clearly sensed that Zeng Yongxiang not only needed his help, but also seemed to be avoiding something.

He must have sensed the crisis and was looking for a powerful backer for his family.

In other words, someone must want to deal with the Zeng family, which is why Zeng Yongxiang was so eager to find Ximentang.

This is normal. A family like the Zeng family, which has been in business for generations, is bound to attract unwanted attention.

They must always find a powerful backer to avoid being swallowed up by others.

With Ximen Tang stationed in Jinling and also stationed troops in Suzhou Prefecture, his next step is definitely to unify Jiangnan.

It's perfectly normal for Zeng Yongxiang to want Ximentang as his backer.

Chen Jie also needs Zeng Yongxiang's business channels.

Cooperation between the two parties would be mutually beneficial and would be good for everyone.

but,

Chen Jie knew very little about Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming's background.

Even if he could leave a mark on Zeng Yongxiang's subconscious, there were so many people in the Zeng family that he couldn't possibly take care of everyone.

Therefore,
If Ximentang wants to engage in comprehensive business cooperation with the Zeng family, he not only needs to leave a mark on the Zeng family's top management, but also needs to know the Zeng family's background.

Chen Jie did not send the Ximentang "undercover" team to investigate, but went directly to Tongbeimen.

Tongbeimen is more familiar with the Jiangnan region, making it more efficient.

The Zeng family was known as the foremost family in Jiangnan, with businesses spanning both domestic and international markets.

therefore,

If you want to investigate them, the best approach is to start with the underworld.

If they can't even handle such a small matter, then there's no need for Ximentang to continue supporting Tongbeimen.

Chen Jie opened the roster and looked at it carefully!
Although Zeng Yongxiang is the head of the Zeng family, the Zeng family is not a monolithic entity, and the family business is divided into many parts.

Fortunately, Zeng Yongxiang was quite capable and managed to bind the interests of the family together.

Although the Zeng family had been in business for generations, they had close ties with the government and also had very good relations with various forces in the martial arts world.

Perhaps it was because merchants were not highly regarded in the Great Qian Dynasty.

For many years, the Zeng family has been cultivating its members to participate in the imperial examinations of the Great Qian Dynasty, hoping that someone could enter the court as an official and escape the identity of a merchant.

only,
After more than a century of effort, they have not succeeded.

The Zeng family is very good at business, but not so good at studying.

When Zeng Yongxiang was young, he took the imperial examination five times, but failed once.

That is,

The Zeng family had a deep-seated obsession with serving as officials in the imperial court.

After looking at the roster, Chen Jie couldn't help but laugh.

It seems that the best way to control the Zeng family is to give them an official position.

then,

Chen Jie said, "Let's end the investigation into the Zeng family here. Have you done any research on Zhang Ming?"

Yuan Zhang nodded in reply:
“I have investigated this person. Zhang Ming is different from Zeng Yongxiang. He originally came from a poor family and his mother was seriously ill and he had no money to treat her.”

“Zeng Yongxiang helped him and even took him around the country to do business.”

“Zhang Ming used to be Zeng Yongxiang’s most capable assistant. Later, some problems arose within the Zeng family, and Zhang Ming was ostracized by other members of the Zeng family. He was forced to leave the Zeng family and start his own business.”

"After Zhang Ming left, he made a three-point agreement with the Zeng family: to only engage in overseas trade."

"It is said that Zhang Ming has families in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, and has several wives."

"However, although he left the Zeng family, he did not fall out with Zeng Yongxiang, and the two have always had a good relationship."

"I heard that when Zhang Ming left, Zeng Yongxiang felt guilty and gave Zhang Ming a large sum of money. Otherwise, how could Zhang Ming have done business overseas so smoothly?"

"People in the underworld say that Zeng Yongxiang is a very loyal and tactful person who knows how to conduct himself in society."

Chen Jie nodded, very satisfied with the investigation into Tongbeimen.

The situation of Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming has been basically investigated.

However, Chen Jie needs to think carefully about how Ximentang should use them in the future.

Zhang Ming, in particular, is of great use to Ximentang.

From the current situation,

Zeng Yongxiang wanted to join Ximentang not only for the future development of the Zeng family.

After all, the Zeng family had close ties with the imperial court, and Zeng Yongxiang and Guan Qilin even had a relationship before this.

of course,

For Chen Jie, the Zeng family's allegiance was not a bad thing for Ximentang.

The development of Ximentang requires business.

In the Jiangnan region, in-depth cooperation with the Zeng family would be beneficial to both sides.

Ximentang is located in Jiangnan and needs an agent.

Overseas, trade agents are also needed.

This is a win-win situation.

of course,

Chen Jie cannot offer Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming any business benefits at this time.

Although Ximen Tang had already stationed troops in Jinling, he also had 100,000 troops stationed in Songjiang Prefecture.

but,

The rebellion in eastern Zhejiang is escalating.

If the rebellion is not quelled, nothing we say will make a difference.

Therefore, even if Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming wanted to cooperate with Ximentang for the time being, they must have been observing the situation.

They were certainly being very cautious, as they were putting their lives and everything on Simon's shoulders.

Therefore,
What Chen Jie needs to do now is to give Zeng Yongxiang and Zhang Ming confidence.

It is not only necessary to express Simon Church's willingness to cooperate, but also to demonstrate Simon Church's strength to them.

Suppress the rebellion in eastern Zhejiang and wipe out the Green Gang!

This matter is imperative.

As long as the Green Gang and Taipinghao are trampled underfoot, the territory of eastern Zhejiang can be brought under the control of Ximentang.

It is believed that Zeng Yongxiang, Zhang Ming, and all the forces in Jiangnan will voluntarily surrender to Ximentang.

Chen Jie knew very well that as long as the Green Gang was not destroyed, the rebellion in eastern Zhejiang could not be stopped.

"How's the cooperation between your Tongbei Sect and the Canal Gang going?"

Chen Jie suddenly remembered something and asked a question.

Ma Tongming nodded and said, "During this period, the canal gang's fleet has already delivered a batch to us."

"We have already secured sixteen wharves along the Yangtze River."

Although Tongbei Sect helps investigate matters in the martial arts world, they are not an organization that specializes in intelligence gathering.

The Ximen Hall has a special "undercover unit" responsible for intelligence, while the Tongbei Gate specializes in the shipping business.

Therefore,
After arriving in Jinling, Thirteen Aunt's main focus was to build the most important base for the "undercover" force in Jiangnan.

Tongbeimen will eventually have to return to their old ways.

Nanjing will serve as the most important central area for Ximentang in the south, making the intelligence department a top priority.

Chen Jie selected a group of elites from the "undercover unit" and had them conceal their identities and infiltrate various gangs in Jinling.

of course,

In the beginning, Tongbeimen needed to operate behind the scenes to smooth the relationships between various gangs.

Ximentang is currently in the casting phase, not yet in the haul phase.

Before attacking the rebels in eastern Zhejiang, Chen Jie planned to wipe out all the forces in the entire Jiangnan region in one fell swoop! (End of Chapter)