The Mysterious Ming Dynasty: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom

The gate of the camp.

Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu, Marquis Liu Wenbing of Xinle, and Marquis Li Cunshan of Wuqing arrived on sleds.

In front of the sled, six large dogs with white whiskers and fur lay prostrate on the ground, panting heavily.

The crowds gazed at each other from a distance across the Haihe River.

Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu looked around at the camp, which had been leveled and even the customs office had been cleaned up, and couldn't help but marvel.

This place can barely be considered a stockade, and it is transforming into a fortress, but given the trend of large-scale construction, building a city is inevitable.

Marquis Liu Wenbing of Xinle and Marquis Li Cunshan of Wuqing bowed with their hands clasped.

"Greetings, Heavenly Official."

"No need." Si Chen glanced at the six large dogs beside the sled. "Why do you gentlemen not sit comfortably in the capital, but instead come to find a commoner like me? What brings you here?"

"Could it be that Marquis Yangwu's businesses in Shandong are unstable, or that Marquis Xinle is eager to find a way out? As for Marquis Wuqing, I really don't understand."

Marquis Yangwu, Xue Lian, gazed at the camp.

"You jest, Your Excellency. I have no other assets."

"The great plague is still spreading in the capital region, the corpses in the five cities are left uncollected, and the imperial officials have cut off the customs and salt fields. There is widespread discontent throughout the court and the country."

"Your Excellency, I have come to deliver a gift at the request of the Duke of Cheng," said Liu Wenbing, Marquis of Xinle, bowing. He was the younger brother of Consort Zhao of the Wanli Emperor.

Consort Zhao held the Empress Dowager's seal for four reigns, which is why Liu Wenbing, unlike other relatives of the emperor who engaged in business, always served in the Central Military Commission. During the Wanli reign, he was the Vice Commander-in-Chief, in charge of the imperial estates and fields on behalf of the Wanli Emperor, and also served as the Supervisor of the Imperial Garden.

"I was entrusted by the merchant Pu to relieve the worries of the Heavenly Official," said Marquis Wuqing, Li Cunshan, with a smile.

"You two, leave your things here, you can leave now." Si Chen waved his hand.

"Farewell." Marquis Liu Wenbing of Xinle ordered the tiger skin to be put down, then turned and left.

Marquis Li Cunshan of Wuqing stepped forward.

"Heavenly Official, please wait and hear me!"

"We are willing to offer the salt fields to the Heavenly Official!"

"I won't take a single cent!"

In the Changlu salt region, the four major salt fields in the lower reaches of the Haihe River in Tianjin have a long history, and gradually came under the control of Pu merchants during the Chongzhen era.

Si Chen couldn't help but scoff, "Foolish. Even if I kill you all, they'll still be mine, won't they?"

Have you guys lost your minds?

Marquis Wuqing, Li Cunshan, said, "No, no, no. Fighting and killing are very bad."

"We not only surrendered it without hesitation, but also offered a million taels of silver, only begging the Heavenly Official to show mercy and give the Pu merchants a way to survive."

Si Chen gazed at him intently for a moment.

"Come in."

Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu and Marquis Li Cunshan of Wuqing pushed aside the halberd in Jia Chen's hand and followed him into the camp.

His eyes gleamed as he looked at the White Horse Cavalry.

Seeing the Feathered Guards take flight, they couldn't take their eyes off them.

The group passed through the screen wall and entered the hall.

Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu and Marquis Li Cunshan of Wuqing sat down on either side of each other.

"Why isn't there even a cup of tea?" Xue Lian sighed. "Why is the Heavenly Official so stingy?"

"A hermit from the mountains, utterly ignorant of manners." Si Chen showed no mercy. "If you're not going to talk business, you can get out. What exactly did the Emperor send you here for?"

Xue Lian waved his hand, "Serious business? Haven't we already finished discussing the serious business?"

"Then why are you still refusing to leave?"

"How about we stay at your esteemed place for a few days?"

Give me your six large dogs.

"Can!"

Si Chen stared at Xue Lian for a moment, too lazy to pay attention to the fellow, and turned to look at Marquis Wuqing.

"Heavenly Official, Pu Shang is willing to serve you."

"In this world, surely the Heavenly Officials will always have some needs?"

Marquis Wuqing raised his hand and pushed a piece of gold essence onto the table. It was the only piece, weighing no more than sixteen taels, but worth a million.

"Whatever you need, they can find it for you, Heavenly Official."

Puzhou is located in southern Shanxi, separated from Shaanxi and Henan by the Yellow River.

The three prominent merchants of Pu were the descendants of Wang Chonggu, Zhang Siwei, and Yang Bo. What they all had in common was that their families had never produced a high-ranking official of the first rank.

Power is the lubricant of business.

Monopoly means exorbitant profits.

There is a salt lake nearby. The Jiezhou Salt Transport Office, one of the eight salt transport commissioners of the Ming Dynasty, was the only inland salt transport office, the only salt transport office that sold salt throughout the country, and the only salt transport office that could trade with border towns. They were also involved in the Changlu Salt Field.

Although the Open Market System was abolished, those who became wealthy through it did not disappear.

The salt industry was completely different from the impoverished Shanxi and Shaanxi merchants who traveled the Tea Horse Road.

"The two traitors, Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, turned Nanjing, Jiangxi, Wuchang, Xiangyang, Nanyang, Luoyang, Pingyang, and Xi'an into complete chaos."

"The entire western region is in complete chaos."

"There's no other way, is there?"

"I beg the Heavenly Official to show mercy and grant me a way out."

After saying this, Marquis Wuqing gritted his teeth and presented another piece of gold crystal.

Si Chen pressed his fingers on the table, deep in thought.

"Tianjin allows you to trade."

"However," Si Chen pushed the two pieces of gold essence back.

Wu Qingbo's expression changed slightly. "What are your orders?"

"I don't want gold and silver treasures, I only want a treasure ship." After Si Chen finished speaking, the scene immediately fell silent.

Was the treasure ship truly lost?

not necessarily.

Anyway, Si Chen didn't believe it.

How could we bear to burn the blueprints for something so valuable?

It's just a tactic to divert attention.

"Oh dear, this is troublesome." Marquis Yangwu Xue Lian watched the show from the sidelines, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Marquis Wuqing composed himself and put the two pieces of gold essence into his sleeve.

have to.

Things went wrong.

Who knew Si Chen had such a big appetite?

"I cannot make this decision. Well then, I take my leave, Heavenly Official."

"see a visitor out."

Jia Chen, wielding a halberd, looked down upon the Earl of Wuqing and escorted him out of the camp gate.

Si Chen turned his head. "My lord, they've all left."

"The Heavenly Official truly understands me. I've already completed my duties as the Emperor, but there's still a personal matter to settle. Your path with the White Horse Cavalry is truly enviable; I wonder if you'd sell it or not?"

"Can."

"Oh! What's its value?"

Xue Lian's eyes lit up. Having more paths in life meant having more ways out.

"This item is priceless." Si Chen looked up. "You can exchange it for a night watchman."

He was genuinely curious about this thing.

They were especially amazed by their ability to hide.

Even the Duke of England, Zhang Shize, clung tightly to this path.

The military commanders in the north seemed to maintain an unspoken understanding.

The more wary they are, the more tempting they become.

Marquis Yangwu, Xue Lian, hesitated, stroking his chin. "Let's choose another one. I can't make the decision about the Night Watchman."

Si Chen flatly refused, "Go wherever you want, don't get in my way."

Marquis Yangwu, Xue Lian, was relieved and smiled, "Would you like a few messages?"

"With Master Xu of the Duke of Wei's mansion planning to come to Tianjin again, how can these Pu merchants not be anxious?"

"And Zhou Yanru is going to be executed. That guy went too far. It's one thing to accept bribes, but how could he keep them all to himself? That's too crude."

"And Johann Adam Schall von Bell is planning to make a suggestion to the emperor again."

"Heh." So it turns out both sides are vying for this outlet to the sea. As for Zhou Yanru, he deserved it, that's his own fault. Si Chen pondered for a moment, "Tell Tang Ruowang that if I see him wandering around the capital again, I'll kill him."

"You have to give a reason, right?"

"The reason is that I suspect they spread the plague in the Gyeonggi region."

What the hell does it mean that a bunch of barbarians have brazenly occupied the Imperial Observatory?

Xue Lian bowed and took his leave.

As he was leaving, he looked at the six large dogs that Si Chen had taken away.

"Good luck to you all."

Marquis Xue Lian of Yangwu was in a very good mood.

He had already helped deliver the goods, and the money these people gave him was only worth that much.

As for the subsequent news, that was just muddying the waters.

The Duke of Wei's mansion is quite imposing; they are indeed very pleased with themselves now.

The conflict between the North and the South persisted throughout the Ming Dynasty and never ceased.

As for Johann Adam Schall von Bell, he looked down on him even more, considering only the Donglin and Fushe societies as worthless and treating them like treasures.

You're not worthy to be our dogs.

We can deal with this later, after the uproar over the change of dynasties has passed.