"Waste, all waste! Can the living people be captured by people outside the pass on the territory of my Ming Dynasty?" Chongzhen said angrily.

"Your Majesty, it's not just that. Although the Restoration Liao army began to have no movement outside the pass, it actually infiltrated us more. Xiong Wencan, Minister of War and Right Assistant Commander of the Ministry of War, Prime Minister of Guangdong and Guangxi Military Affairs and Governor of Guangdong, has now reported an urgent report in Guangzhou City, claiming that the fleet of the Restoration Liao army has sailed into the estuary of the Pearl River, and demanded that the Guangdong Maritime Bureau reopen trade and allow merchants to trade goods with the Restoration Liao army freely." said the chief assistant Zhou Yanru.

"Firstly, we occupied Xiamen Bay, Hong Kong Island, and Macau Peninsula. Now we still have Guangzhou Prefecture. Is this a pity?" Some officials said dissatisfied.

"We must close the Guangzhou Prefecture and do not trade with the Fu Liao army. Our tea and silk must not flow into the hands of the Fu Liao army!" Chongzhen said.

"Your Majesty must be cautious. Reply to the Liao army's request to open up Guangzhou Prefecture for trade, and threaten it with 100,000 troops outside the pass. If we do not open the pass, 100,000 troops outside the pass will be deducted from the pass. At that time, we will fight on both sides, which is very dangerous!" Zhou Yanru said.

"One hundred thousand soldiers? Ningyuan, we also have a hundred thousand troops. Can we stop them?" Chongzhen asked.

"The Liao army joins Mongolia and can go around thousands of miles away, and any pass at the border may encounter their attacks. If the Liao army is determined to oppose us, even a 300,000 army will not be able to completely ensure that the Great Wall is safe and sound!" said the Minister of War.

Emperor Chongzhen, civil and military officials were silent.

In the southern Guangzhou City government, Xiong Wencan, who was transferred from the Fujian Governor to Guangdong Governor, looked sad, and outside the government, a group of businessmen who asked for their orders surrounded the government.

"It's fine if this group of unlucky people, the fleet of the Liao army's fleet sailed into the estuary of the Pearl River. Not only did they not work together with our government, but they instead supported the Liao army and asked our Maritime Mansion Bureau to reopen trade." Xiong Wencan said with a headache.

He has been in trouble for eight lifetimes. He had a great future as the governor of Fujian, but he expected that the Liao army would attack Zheng Zhilong and rob Xiamen Bay while fighting, causing him to be removed from his official position.

A year ago, he was re-activated by the court and Prime Minister of Guangdong and Guangxi. As a result, after the Liao army destroyed the most powerful pirate in Guangdong, Liu Xiang, and successively occupied the former Liu Xiang's territory such as Hong Kong Island and Macau Peninsula. Now he is here in Guangzhou Prefecture. Isn't this a special purpose to find fault?

"They are mostly jealous of merchants near Xiamen, Fujian, who can sell goods on the spot, and deliver goods to foreigners in Xiamen Bay, with a profit of more than ten times a hundred times. Our Guangdong-Guangxi region developed late, and the journey from Lingnan to the north is long and the competitiveness is not high. They rely on all trade with overseas. Now the Fu Liao army controls the southeast coast, and all business with foreigners must be passed through their hands. The court ordered the ban on the coastal dock and strictly prohibited contact with the Fu Liao army. Isn't this asking us Guangdong merchants to eat the northwest wind?" The yamen official who came to lobby in the Guangdong business gang said to Xiong Wencan.

"In recent years, the imperial ban has not necessarily caused the decline of the Guangdong merchant gang. Aren't we still here? I just turned a blind eye to your private trade and did not completely block it." Xiong Wencan said.

"Your Madam is such a bad thing. In the past two years, the pirate Liu Xiang has been wiped out, and the shipping situation is very good. In our Guangdong Province, the merchant gang should have become the largest merchant gang in the southeast coast. Now, we can only secretly trade with the outside world through Macau and Hong Kong Island. We are not talking about the twists and turns, and we will restrict our hands and feet, allowing Fujian merchants and Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants to take a big advantage. In short, the merchant gang members mean that they want to fully open the maritime ban, take this opportunity to strengthen their power, and catch up with Fujian merchants and Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants in one fell swoop." The yamen official said.

"This group of merchants are just seeking profits, and even abandoning the interests of the Ming Dynasty. I disdain to make peace with the Restoration Army for their own selfish desires." Xiong Wencan said.

"The Liaodong where the Refuting Liao army is located is also the land of our Ming Dynasty, and the people of Liaodong are also the people of our Ming Dynasty. We earn money from Westerners and South Americans together to strengthen ourselves. How can we abandon the benefits of the Ming Dynasty?" said the yamen official, "Don't you hear about the Xiamen Bay? The newly appointed governor of Fujian secretly accepted the benefits of the Refuting Liao army and the Fujian merchant gang, which was as much as 10,000 taels. What happened in the end?"

"I have heard of this official," said Xiong Wencan.

The newly appointed governor of Fujian, who succeeded Xiong Wencan, was said to have accepted a large amount of bribes from the Restoration Liao army and the Fujian merchants, and opened the Xiamen area privately as a port for open trade, ignoring the new round of sea bans by the imperial court. Any caravan in Fujian can go to Xiamen area for trade, and the fleet can also go from Quanzhou and Fuzhou to Xiamen Island. Compared with Xiong Wencan turning a blind eye in Guangdong, this newly appointed governor of Fujian can be said to be blatant.

But the most disgusting thing is that not only did this new governor not be punished for it, but also received praise from the court for his stable territory and increased tax revenue. This is called Xiong Wencan, who has always been known as being upright, feels uncomfortable.

"It can be seen that the so-called ban on sea is just a document, and everything must start from practice. If the adults open the port of Guangzhou, Guangdong's commerce will flourish and displaced people can get jobs because of this. This move can be said to be a benefit to the people." The lobbying official continued.

After saying this, Xiong Wencan was unmoved. It was obvious that the open opening of Guangdong's trade had both pros and cons. On the one hand, the officials had already spoken out. Although the disadvantages were not mentioned, it was obvious that the Rest Liao Army had the opportunity to infiltrate Guangdong, and to win over the Guangdong merchant gangs, which harmed the interests of the Ming court.

"Eat the king's fortune and be loyal to the king. Since I am an official sent by the court, everything is subject to the orders of the court. I will report to the Heavenly Court. If Your Majesty agrees to open the port of Guangzhou Prefecture for trade, everyone will be happy at that time. If not, everything will be the same." Xiong Wencan said.

"Sir..." The lobbying yamen official wanted to persuade him.

"You don't have to say much, my intention has been decided." Xiong Wencan said.

When Xiong Wencan was having a headache to compete with the business gang, Xiong Wencan's aide came in.

"Sir, the fleet of the Fu Liao army docked, and many soldiers came down from the fleet. The soldiers of our fort dared not set off fireworks easily, but they seized the fort..." The staff member said in Xiong Wencan's ear.

"What, the Fu Liao army is so bold and armed invading?!" Xiong Wencan was startled, "There are also soldiers on the fort doing what they do. They didn't even dare to resist at all, and they were robbed of the fort. We don't have the fort, so what can we do to deal with the Fu Liao army's fleet!"
Chapter completed!