Chapter 103: Infernal Affairs

The memorial on the table contains the original copy of the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Friendship and Trade. It was requested to be approved by the Regent Zhu before it officially took effect. There was also a letter written by Jin Feng, who said that the Japanese had sent them to exchange silver for gold.

What Ye Zhao is reading now is a secret letter from Guangzhou and written by Huang Wenxiu. The shopkeeper is preparing to mobilize capital to build a chemical factory, mainly producing chlorine and its derived hydrochloric acid and other chemicals.

The thick secret letter, with more than a dozen pages, is almost a feasibility report.

It turned out that Huang Wenxiu had set his sights on the technology of electrolyzed brine to produce chlorine and hydrochloric acid, and was preparing to use the generators made by Sanchez to produce industrial chlorine and hydrochloric acid.

In fact, the electrolytic chlorine hydrochloric acid method appeared in Europe thirty years ago, but because there was no generator with sufficient current, it stayed in the laboratory stage and would take about ten years to enter large-scale industrial applications.

Many of the technical team projects in Guangzhou adopt the form of fundraising and sponsorship between the government and Taihexing. After all, the Xiguan Inventor's Furniture Club was first started by Taihexing.

Huang Wenxiu was also very concerned about these projects. Sanchez said that although his generator was not perfect enough, there was no problem with the electrolytic production of chemicals by the current generated, especially the electrolytic production of chlorine hydrochloric acid. The technical link is simple and very feasible.

Huang Wenxiu found a lot of relevant information and naturally discovered the role of hydrochloric acid in industrial production, which led to the idea of ​​investing in the construction of chemical products factories.

Ye Zhao naturally agreed, and Huang Wenxiu only saw a little prospect of hydrochloric acid, but Ye Zhao knew that chlorine, hydrochloric acid, and its wide application in pesticides, medical use, organic synthesis, etc. Many technologies and raw materials complement each other. The more developed the technology, the closer the connection between various technologies is.

He picked up Zhang Youcun's note again, but Ye Zhao nodded slightly. Sure enough, he did not choose the wrong person. Zhang Youzhong was making a fortune. Now he is in contact with the famous royal merchants and is in line with them with Chinese merchants. Some merchants who value interests are more serious and have begun to sign trade contracts with merchants in the south, agents for commodity trading, etc., probably similar to the Chinese compradors in Shanghai.

Of course, it is not just that they only value interests and are more rational. They naturally know that if they want to enrich the country and strengthen the people and save themselves, they must develop industry and commerce. Temporary cooperation with the Chinese is inevitable, and they must also learn and absorb the Chinese's ideas and new technologies.

Although Europeans have basically no barriers to technological exchanges today, Ye Zhao has seen the history of a century-old technology. Naturally, there are certain restrictions on the exchange of commercial technology with Japan, but it will not be discussed in the open.

I also looked at the considerations of the domestic situation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Zhang Youcun, the contradictions between the shogunate and the royal family, the relationship between the major names, their personalities, political propositions, and their positions in the conflicts between the shogunate and the royal family.

Nowadays, its national sentiment is very high, which is obviously very unfavorable to Sino-Japanese trade.

Just as he was thinking about the matter, the guard reported that Li Jianchen and Yuan Jiasan were asking for a meeting.

It is naturally an important matter for the two chief ministers to come to see the Regent together. It turned out that the silver from Risheng Changyun came to the Southern Dynasties was detained by the Northern Government, and the shopkeeper Lei Honghui was imprisoned by the government. Risheng Chang's major shareholder Li family used countless silver and money before they found out that this matter involved Gui Liang, the Minister of Military Affairs. In desperation, the Li family had no choice but to send people to the Southern Dynasties for help.

Rishengchang Silver No. is the leader of Shanxi merchants. There are now more than a dozen sub-regions all over the country. The three ticket numbers in Guangzhou, Nanjing and Fuzhou are even more prosperous. Since the war between the north and the south, Rishengchang has almost become the only silver No. 1 nationwide. Nowadays, northern merchants come to the south to settle down. In addition, trade is not equal. Merchants buy industrial products from the south and transport silk tea to the north. After making money, they deposit it in Rishengchang and then withdraw cash back to the Southern Dynasties. The goods traded between the north and the south are grain rice, coal and other resource raw materials, and the goods are cheap and low, which naturally leads to a huge surplus in the trade between the south and the north, and the silver in the north flows into the Southern Dynasties.

Among them, Richangsheng played a huge role in the circulation of silver coins. Almost every month, a batch of silver carts must be installed and transported to Guangzhou, Nanjing and other sub-colonies. Otherwise, the merchants from the South will take bills and return to the south to exchange for the silver. If you have no silver to exchange for, this reputation will be ruined.

I think the officials in the North also felt that the situation of silver outflow was not good, so they put their heads on Richangsheng, which was considered an unpredictable disaster.

The young master of the Li family came to Nanjing for help. After his business partners, he saw a deputy minister of the Southern Dynasties' Ministry of Commerce. The officer was smart and immediately felt that this matter was not only the Li family's business, but also affected the trade between the north and the south. So he reported it layer by layer, and finally alarmed the Political Consultative Office.

Listening to Li Jianchen's final talk, Ye Zhao frowned slightly, and it was obvious that the North was intending to use violent means to reverse the adverse situation in this economic war.

Li Jianchen continued to report: "Prince, my subordinates think that they can invoke the Shanghai Treaty and Trade Freedom Regulations. Please mediate the three countries to put pressure on the northern countries. If the northern countries insist on their own, our army can attack northern Jiangsu and Anhui, and put on a decisive battle and force them to submit." In fact, Li Jianchen also knew that this is not the best time for the Southern Dynasties to fight the northern countries, but diplomacy naturally requires the other party to be unable to understand the details and have an illusion in order to get better chips.

Ye Zhao calmly tasted tea. After a while, he asked, "Where is the young Dong of the Li family? Can I call him in Nanjing? I will meet him."

Li Jianchen was very surprised. The Li family was just a businessman in the northern country. No matter how big the business was, there was no need for the prince to personally receive it. But he bowed and said, "Yes."

In the afternoon, the Li family Shaodong was attracted to Xiyin Academy. He was about thirty years old, with a good appearance and a very bright eyes. He was a shrewd person.

Mr. Li knelt down and kowtowed as soon as he entered the house. Bang bang bang bang. The regent was kind to civil and military and laid a soft cushion, so he made a loud bang, which shows how much effort he used.

"Li Zhen, a grass-roots man, pays homage to the prince!" Li Zhen was the younger brother of his family's current owner. Seeing that the family was a catastrophe, his brother sent money everywhere to do money, and he came to the south for help.

Originally, I didn't have much hope. After all, this was just his own business of the Li family. The Li family is a native of the Northern Kingdom, so how could officials in the Southern Dynasty take care of it?

Who knew that yesterday, I heard that this incident had already alarmed the Political Consultative Office, and today it was even more mysterious. An official came to the inn to look for him and said that it was the Regent who summoned him. At first, he thought that someone was joking about him, and almost cursed him. Later, he realized that it was true. Now he is really scared and surprised. Perhaps, the Li family is really saved?

"Get up and sit down." A gentle voice seemed to have someone moving a soft pier beside him.

Li Zhen didn't dare to get up, so he hurriedly kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Prince, Caomin, don't dare, Caomin kneels down and says."

Ye Zhao didn't force him and said, "What about your family's affairs? I already know a rough idea. Tell me, is there any matter in your family's accounts that are not clear?" The accounts that are not clear were the crimes that the Northern Dynasties convicted Lei Honghui, the shopkeeper of Richangsheng.

"No, Caomin dares to use his head to guarantee it." Li Zhen kowtowed hard again.

Ye Zhao said: "Trades between the north and the south and material circulation, your family has done a lot of effort. Just the word "profit", don't pay too much attention to it. Good deeds in the Southern Dynasties have never heard of your Li family."

Indeed, although the Li family is from the northern country, the Piaohao business is booming in the south, and it is a bit of money to raise funds without any pennilessness. It is also famously stingy in the south.

When Li Zhen heard the cold sweat falling, he gritted his teeth and kowtowed, "Prince, if my Li family can escape this disaster, Caomin is willing to convince his elder brother and donate half of his wealth to serve the elders in the south."

Ye Zhao didn't say anything.

Li Zhen knew that he was wrong and immediately felt like he fell into an ice cave. After his heart finished speaking, why was he not serious?

Ye Zhao sipped the tea, smiled, and said, "Li Zhen, you have been worried too much. I don't mean this, but I can't blame you. As for your family affairs, there will be someone to do it, not for your Li family, but for maintaining the trade route between the north and the south. Therefore, if it is done by chance, you don't have to be grateful. As long as you always have a charity, you will not let down this trial. Let's go on."

"Yes, yes." Li Zhen kowtowed repeatedly and took his leave.

On the second day, Ye Zhao did not go to the yamen, and the selected auspicious day was today, and he married Zhu Sisi.

When taking concubines, ceremony and weddings, it actually depends on the master's family. Some of the media have hired them, some of the worshipers of heaven and earth, some of the relatives and friends, and some of the unknown buys them home. However, in the past two years, the law was revised, and the concubines were recognized as the relative position of the concubines, their personal freedom was recognized, and it was strictly prohibited to buy and sell concubines and wife. Although the phenomenon of placing wives and concubines still exists in a large number of privately, it is naturally no longer as rampant as before. When marrying concubines, more and more families held weddings seriously.

Ye Zhao and Zhu Sisi got married naturally, which was a low-key and gorgeous one. They also had ten thousand yuan of silver and various bride gifts, so they sent someone to the Zhu family in Guangzhou. Zhu Sisi also wrote a letter to the family, saying that the road was long and it was not as good as asking for instructions from their parents. Now the brother is the leader, and he married the young master of Taihe, Ye Zhao, to be the sixth concubine.

Zhu Sisi's brother and sister-in-law, Ye Zhao paid for the capital to open a restaurant and helped him buy a house. It was in the alley of Ye Zhao and Zhu Sisi's new home, two families separated from Ye's house.

This is what Ye Zhao must do. Her sister has become a princess. If she doesn't ascend to heaven, she will seem too sorry.

That night, after worshiping the world and drinking a glass of wine, Ye Zhao and Zhu Sisi were naturally in a state of being in a state of ecstasy and affectionate manner.

The red brocade bed is endlessly beautiful, the green palace lanterns, and the endless spring feeling.

Ye Zhao even more rarely enjoyed Zhu Sisi's shy and angry kiss, and enjoyed the wonderful taste of his powerful legs that were so powerful that he could not deserve his life. Ye Zhao naturally came to conquer the new thinking woman under him who made him pity, love and headache, and the water that opened his heart melted, making him feel comfortable and almost ascend to heaven.

...

The carriage was running, and Ye Zhao looked at the documents in his hand. It was a countermeasure to the Li family matters by the Southern Dynasties Political Consultative Office. It took a few days to work very efficiently. One was told to mediate the envoys of the Three Kingdoms and explained that the Southern Dynasties' move had disrupted the Shanghai peace treaty; the other was published in the Tianjin Dagu Daily in the name of the Southern Dynasties' Government Council, denounced the Northern Dynasties' behavior of persecuting the people and undermining the peace treaty. He also said that if the case is not properly resolved, the Southern Dynasties will regard the Shanghai peace treaty as invalid, and all the consequences arising from this will be borne by Prince Yixin of the Northern Dynasties.

Although after the North-South peace talks, the newsprint of the South no longer called Yi Xin a fake emperor or a fake king, they were also called him a prince.

In the absence of formal communication channels in the north and south, it is the fastest and most effective way to explain the position of the South. Otherwise, when the mediation country communicates, both sides will send envoys, and they will not know when they will go there. I am afraid that the Li family will be searched several times during this period.

Now, the telegrams from Beijing, Zhigu (Tianjin) and Shanghai are early. In fact, if it were not for the dispute between the north and the south, the telegrams from Beijing could have been sent directly to Guangzhou.

The announcement of the State Council of the Southern Dynasties has been sent to Tianjin. I am afraid that it will be reported tomorrow and the next day. Let’s see what the North will react.

Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard a faint sound of gunfire from afar. Ye Zhao frowned slightly. He was on the way to Qixia Temple. Qixia Temple was dozens of miles away from Nanjing City. It was destroyed by war a few years ago. Like the remains of Confucius Temple and other relics in Nanjing City, Ye Zhao is now being renovated. He is preparing to inspect the progress of the project.

When the gunfire sounded, the carriage gradually stopped.

"Master, the situation is unknown, go back to the city?" Outside, there was the voice of Ulden, the deputy general manager of the guard.

Ye Zhao nodded, and soon, the carriage turned around, and the guards rode horses to follow, and thousands of Yulin Guards scattered in teams, and teams of alerts were suspended.

Shortly after returning to Xiyin Academy, Rui Si hurriedly came. It was Ye Zhao who asked him to call him, but he was confused. He didn't know anything about Ye Zhao's gunshots on his way out.

No wonder, more than twenty miles away from Nanjing City, there is no sound of gunfire in the city, and it is even more impossible for the people from the Interior Affairs Office to appear in the wilderness.

Not long after, the Police Headquarters submitted an emergency document to the Political Consultative Office. The words came to the emergency report of the county bureau that there were gunfires near Qixia Temple, and it was very dense. People had been sent to investigate. Although the Chief of the Police Headquarters, Su Na, did not know about Ye Zhao's patrol, there were shootings in Nanjing Prefecture, and there were still a large number of people, which was naturally the top priority and reported to the Political Consultative Office.

Li Jianchen and Yuan Jiasan rushed over. They knew that Ye Zhao was going to tour Qixia Temple this morning, and it was strange that the prince moved back so quickly.

Ye Zhao didn't say much to them, just said it was okay. When they stepped down, Ye Zhao's face gradually faded. He held the teacup, but he didn't know what he was thinking about.

Rui Si didn't dare to show his energy. He stood aside and gradually felt sweat from his forehead.

Zheng Zewu rushed over, and he came in almost with the emergency documents from the police headquarters. The documents from the police headquarters said that the people who went to investigate were stopped halfway and that area had been controlled by Pingyuan Army soldiers.

"Gozi, what's going on?" Ye Zhao put down the official documents of the police station.

Zheng Zewu's face looked even more ferocious, and he said viciously: "Damn, the lard is so heartbroken. The thieves in the Sixth Town Fair Party can follow the prince. The prince has not pursued their sins. What a great grace. They turned against each other and did something to turn against each other. Just now, more than one hundred bandits turned against each other, as if they were going to ambush the prince. The official found out that they left the military camp without authorization and reported to Zhao Qishan. Zhao Qishan sent people to chase him, as if they had exchanged fire on both sides." After that, he remembered that he was very disrespectful in front of the prince, and hurriedly knelt down on one knee, saying, "The dog was speechless for a moment." He reached out and wanted to slap himself. Ye Zhao waved his hand, and Rui Si hurriedly went up to pull him.

"Zhao Qishan is investigating this matter. The young man is afraid that the prince will be anxious, so he comes back to report first. He asks me to tell me that all those who have joined the Fair Party before will be killed, so he will be worried." Zheng Zewu gritted his teeth and seemed extremely angry.

In the Fifth Party, Ye Zhao slowly lit a cigarette. The core officers of the fifth town are still the old subordinates of Guangxi, and there are many former Fifth Party members. However, the Sixth Town has long been reorganized, expanded and disarmament, and few of them are from Guangxi.

Moreover, in recent years, even if the fifth town fought east and west, the Guangxi bandits and fair party members were gradually fading away. It was just because of the competitive relationship between the various legions. Naturally, there were officers from other legions who thought they were the direct lineage of His Highness the Prince. The fifth town was a bandit soldier and looked down upon them. However, this was just an internal conflict between the various legions. Moreover, no one dared to look down on the fifth town. As for the admiral of the four towns, let alone, they admired the matchmaker hero, and because of the matchmaker and the prince, several generals had to respect him even more.

This is the first time I heard someone in the army scolding the Fifth Party for surrendering troops, especially Zheng Gouzi, one of the most senior officers in Pingyuan's army.

"Wait for Zhao Qishan's letter." Ye Zhao waved his hand.

"Yes." Zheng Zewu and Ruisi stood aside in a proper manner.

Zhao Qishan was the commander of the Sixth Town Guards, and in fact the commander of the Sixth Town. It was more than an hour after he rushed in. When he came in, he knelt down with shame and apologized: "Your Majesty, I deserve to die!"

The mutiny in the army was naturally to blame.

"What's going on?" Ye Zhao could guess a little bit now, it must be the activity of the fair party members again. He used his old friendship to connect with the old fair party members in Pingyuan's army.

"Yes, Bei Zhi deserves to die. The second battalion of the Third Infantry Regiment led the dog thief Zhao Hengbei, who contacted more than a hundred old subordinates and prepared to ambush the prince! Bei Zhi has taken all of them, killed more than fifty people on the spot, and the remaining half were captured. Now Bei Zhi has ordered the whole town to conduct an investigation, seize all the fair party firearms, and examine them one by one!"

"Nothing!" Ye Zhao slapped the table, and it was really a little angry.

Ruisi and Zheng Zewu were so scared that they both knelt down, and Zhao Qishan even knelt on the ground, sweating profusely.

Ye Zhao scolded: "Where is the fair party in our Pingyuan army? You are the same, so dare to talk nonsense again, I pulled your tongue!"

The three of them kowtowed repeatedly.

Ye Zhao looked at them, and after a while, he said, "All up, Zhao Qishan, you continue."

"Yes, I found the Sixth Town Jingping Party, ah, no..." Zhao Qishan didn't know what to call these Pingyuan soldiers who had joined the Jingping Party for a while, so he could only say vaguely: "There are 1,396 people in total. In addition to the rebellion who captured it on the spot, there are still two supervisors, twenty-two sentry officers, forty-three teams, and the rest are soldiers. Among these people, thirty-five are artillery teams, and the rest are affiliated with the rifle battalion. Bei Zhi particularly noticed that one of the two supervisors was the artillery battalion of the Second Infantry Regiment..."

Ye Zhao listened quietly and nodded slightly: "You understand how to do things, but you are just confused."

Zhao Qishan was on the ground and dared not speak.

"Send the order quickly, let everyone go, and the matter of review will be abandoned!"

Zhao Qishan did not get up and said, "Prince, since the humble position has started, it will be useless to release people now. I will die in a lot of humble position. I beg the prince to allow the humble position to investigate one by one. After this trip, I will have no regrets in the humble position. Let the prince be dismissed and beheaded!"
To be continued...