My eunuch godfather

There weren't many Imperial Guard officers willing to leave the capital and follow Xu Bengao to Nanjing, but there were still some, about two hundred or so.

To a large extent, it was because of the positions held by the middle and high-ranking members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Now, these positions are dominated by people like Luo Sigong, Li Rumei, Xu Bengao, and Tian Ergeng, who were born into privilege.

Just like Chen Jizong in the Beijing garrison, there was no room for promotion, and the salary and other benefits were not generous.

Rather than wasting his life in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he could go to Nanjing and make a name for himself; perhaps he could really get promoted and make a fortune.

As for the horse-breeding warriors, the Four Guards Battalion, and the Four Guards under the supervision of the Imperial Horse Administration, there were many soldiers and surplus soldiers who struggled to make ends meet.

A shi (a unit of dry measure) of unpolished rice per month was not a high amount for a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but it was quite good for these soldiers and their spare time.

It should be noted that, under the control of so many eunuchs in the Imperial Horse Administration, they even had to eat the bean feed meant for the horses to survive.

Zhang Kun did not participate in the establishment of the standard battalion.

Xu Bengao's battalion was to remain in Nanjing, and his military status would be transferred to the Nanjing Imperial Guard, so his participation in the establishment was of little significance.

In recent days, Zhang Kun has been arranging for the team remaining in the capital to prevent any mishaps after heading south:

With a eunuch godfather and several sworn brothers in charge, Jin Yun didn't need Zhang Kun to make any arrangements.

On the other hand, Zhang Kun was not in the capital, and the people he left behind had little influence over his eunuch godfather and adopted brother.

The business of selling raw rice, such as Liminhao and Zhenjinhao, was managed by Sun Jing, Cheng Wenqing, and Deng Wenqi.

Chen Jizong was stationed at the river work camp, while Yang Desheng, Sun Shoucheng, Zuo Liangyu, and Ge Dajin assisted him.

Zhang Kun only brought Xu Xin, Zhou Zhong, and Cao Meng, along with the three squads of guards under the command of Zhou Zhong and Cao Meng.

In addition, a team of able-bodied men was drawn from the river engineering camp to guard the camp, making a total of four teams of 200 men, who embarked on their second southward journey.

......

British Duchy.

"Going to Nanjing!?"

Zhang Zhiyuan was puzzled by Duke Zhang Weixian's decision and asked:

"Father, my Yingfu Company has just been established and I'm very busy. Why are you suddenly calling me to Nanjing?"

After several rounds of negotiations with Zhang Kun, the British Duke's Mansion spent 46000 taels of silver to buy a merchant slot from the Jin Yun ship.

Jin Yun then "lent" this money to the British government to buy a 10% stake in Zhen Jin Hao, claiming it was worth 60000 taels.

In reality, the silver was directly transferred to Zhenjin Bank, which then lent 12000 taels to the British Duke's Mansion.

The name was used to establish Yingfu, which is a homonym for the British government.

"His Majesty wants to establish a Jin Yun Hao in Nanjing as well, and has ordered Zhang Kun to go to Nanjing to assist in the establishment."

Zhang Weixian took out several written letters and explained to his son:

"Your father wants you to go south with Zhang Kun and help him get this done!"

"No, Father, are you really planning to marry our youngest sister to him?"

Upon hearing Zhang Weixian's instructions, Zhang Zhiyuan was shocked and asked in surprise, "My little sister is only five years old!?"

"What are you thinking? How could Father possibly marry his daughter to a eunuch's godson?!"

Zhang Weixian reached out and smacked his son on the head, explaining, "She's your second uncle's older sister!"

That's it!

Zhang Zhiyuan's cousin, Zhang Jingzhen, was already married. After her father accepted a large sum of money as a dowry, she married into the Xiangcheng Earl's family.

Unexpectedly, the groom turned out to be a sickly man, leaving Zhang Jingzhen to live as a widow for several months before she turned twenty.

Zhang Weixian felt that this incident had caused the Duke of Ying's mansion to lose face, so he called his younger brother over, gave him a good scolding, and kicked him out of the mansion.

Then he sent several of his sons to cause a scene at the Marquis of Xiangcheng’s mansion and forcibly brought Zhang Jingzhen back to the mansion.

Marrying Zhang Jingzhen into the family would both win over Zhang Kun and avoid damaging the reputation of the Duke's mansion.

"Father, doesn't this matter require Sister Jingzhen's approval?"

Zhang Zhiyuan scratched his head and smiled dryly at Zhang Weixian.

Zhang Jingzhen used to be a gentle person, but after that marriage, she became much stronger and even colder.

"Father wants her to go too, saying it's just to let her go south to clear her head. Tell her to see Zhang Kun more often."

Zhang Weixian nodded to Zhang Zhiyuan and continued:

"If she is unwilling, then let's choose another one from a distant branch."

......

Before setting off south, a minor incident occurred: Zhang Kun lost his post as a street ward officer.

Initially, Zhang Kun's godfather, the eunuch, assigned him this post so that he could easily manage the Feiduan of Xuanbei Ward.

Today, Xuanbeifang Feiduan has been reorganized into Fengguhao, and Zhang Kun holds a 30% stake in Fengguhao.

With the help of the river engineering camp to dredge the moat of the nine city gates and remove a large amount of silt, Fenggu took the initiative to lower fertilizer prices and launched a price war.

After crushing and swallowing all its competitors in the South City, it successfully monopolized the entire South City's lucrative business!

The reason why the North City's competitors can still survive is because the population is much denser than that of the South City, making it easier to collect money from door-to-door customers.

As things have developed to this point, there's no longer a need for a street-level military officer to protect them.

The newly appointed Admiral, Daido Fusa, perhaps felt that Zhang Kun and Xu Bengao were getting too close, which is why he withdrew the assignment.

Zhang Kun had some recollection of the name Tian Ergeng; this fellow later became a general under Wei Zhongxian and had done many dirty jobs.

Tian Ergeng's sudden withdrawal of the order without prior notice greatly displeased Zhang Kun.

But with my departure for the south imminent, I don't have time to deal with this.

Perhaps the other party thought that the Nanjing Jinyun incident, which Zhang Kun co-organized, was bound to fail?

"Brother Zhiyuan, what's going on?"

Seeing Zhang Zhiyuan and the dozen or so carriages and hundreds of mounted servants behind him, Zhang Kun was somewhat surprised.

"Brother Kun, my father wants me to go to Nanjing on some business. I was originally scheduled to leave after the New Year."

Zhang Zhiyuan smiled and explained to Zhang Kun:

"Things aren't peaceful in Shandong. I heard that Brother Kun is also leading a large group to Nanjing, hoping to seek refuge there!"

I'll protect you?

Zhang Kun looked at the hundreds of mounted servants of the Duke of England's mansion, each one of them a tall horseman, well-armored, and burly.

Not to mention Zhang Kun's guards, even Xu Bengao's personal guards were far inferior.

I'm afraid that a single charge from the enemy would be enough to rout the thousands of men in the standard battalion!

"Brother Zhiyuan, are you thinking of opening a Yingfu restaurant in Nanjing as well?"

Zhang Kun spoke directly to Zhang Zhiyuan.

"That's the idea."

Zhang Zhiyuan nodded to Zhang Kun and smiled:

"However, the British Duke's business in Nanjing is limited, and without the protection of the Jin Yun, it would be difficult for them to make money!"

"I see," Zhang Kun immediately grabbed Zhang Zhiyuan's arm, laughing as he assured him.

"Brother Zhiyuan, rest assured, as long as the Nanjing Jinyun Shipping Company is successfully established, the Nanjing Yingfu Shipping Company will become the number one shipping company in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang!"

Zhenjinhao's premium gold-thread cigarettes were exclusively sold by Nanjing Yingfuhao in both Southern Zhili and Zhejiang!

Moreover, the Nanjing Jinyun Trading Company can lend Brother Zhiyuan 10,000 taels of silver now, interest-free for three years, to be used for the establishment of the Nanjing Yingfu Trading Company!

Today, the Duke of England's mansion is indeed somewhat marginalized compared to the Duke of Chengguo's and Duke of Dingguo's mansions, but it has a very deep historical and cultural heritage.

For example, Xu Hongji, the Duke of Wei in Nanjing, was the brother-in-law of Zhang Weixian, the Duke of Ying, and was serving as the commander of the river patrol.

With the support of the British government, the chances of successfully launching the Nanjing Jinyun ship would certainly increase significantly.

Therefore, Zhang Kun did not hesitate at all and immediately took out real money to establish a cooperative relationship with Zhang Zhiyuan.

"Brother Kun, you are exceptionally intelligent and courageous. I believe you will definitely succeed in making the Nanjing Jin Yun a success!"

Zhang Zhiyuan praised Zhang Kun with a big laugh.

In the British Duke's motorcade, the curtain of one of the carriages was lifted slightly, revealing a pair of phoenix eyes watching everything unfold.