Daming Crazy Emperor

Chapter 273 Why Maritime Merchants Suddenly Become Pirates

Taichang's complexion was obviously a little ugly.

He originally had high hopes for the famous future Yu Zigao, but he never thought that this guy would actually accept bribes from the traitor Xu Xinsu and use him as his right-hand man, causing him to be fooled around by Xu Xinsu!
Can this kind of person still be given important tasks?

He was frowning and meditating with a cold face, but Yuan Keli cupped his hands carefully and said: "Your Majesty, I think that the reason why General Yu drifted with the crowd may be because his father Wu Xianggong suffered too much for it, and he was afraid of stepping forward." Follow in the footsteps of Lord Wu Xiang.”

What do you mean by that, are you trying to excuse Yu Zigao?
Taichang was puzzled and said: "Why did Yu Wuxiang follow in the footsteps, what did Yu Wuxiang suffer?"

Yuan Keli carefully explained: "Yu Wuxiang is a rare and honest general, and he is very kind to his subordinates. Therefore, he has made outstanding achievements many times and has shocked the southern borders. However, Yu Wuxiang's official career is not going well. He has experienced He made great achievements in battles, but was dismissed more than ten times, and when he was old, he was impeached by Li Liangchen for corruption.

Now Taichang finally understood that Yu Dayou's emotional intelligence was not very good.

He knew that Yu Dayou finally became an official as a governor, but it was the first time he heard that Yu Dayou was dismissed more than ten times.

He couldn't help being surprised and said: "You mean Yu Wuxiang only knows that his opponents are good, he doesn't know how to please his superiors, and he has no money to bribe those censor inspectors?"

Yuan Keli cupped his hands repeatedly and said, "The emperor is wise."

Well, he was indeed trying to excuse Yu Zigao.

Taichang finally understood that Yuan Keli was trying to persuade him not to give up Yu Zigao, a rare hero, because of this matter.

Oh, what a muddle!

Yu Wuxiang was clean and honest all his life, and made great military achievements, but he was dismissed more than ten times. At the end of his life, he was sent to the governor's office because he had no money to bribe a patrol officer. Can Yu Zigao not learn his lesson?
Perhaps, this is the reason why Yu Zigao followed the trend.

All right, even if Yu Zigao is going with the flow.

This fierce general is indeed rare, and Yu Zigao also helped Zou Weilian defeat the Dutchman in history, which proves that Yu Zigao did not join forces with Xu Xinsu.

Thinking of this, Taichang nodded slightly, and sighed: "Yu Wuxiang has made outstanding contributions, and he should be a descendant of Yinze. Yu Zigao was confused for a while and was deceived by Xu Xinsu. Let's forget about it. General Zheng, don't mention this to others in the future." It's over."

Zheng Zhilong couldn't help being secretly shocked when he heard this.

He couldn't help but sneak a glance at Yuan Keli, and a trace of fear could not help showing on his face.

This guy didn't take money from others, did he?
In fact, he misunderstood.

Naturally, it was impossible for Yuan Keli to accept money from Yu Zigao, let alone Xu Xinsu.

He just cherishes his talents.

Historically, he was also very kind to his generals, supporting him as much as he could, being tolerant as much as he could, and saying good things as much as he could.

To put it bluntly, he is a calf protector.

Including Shen Yourong, including Mao Wenlong, including Liu Xingzuo, etc., have all been protected by him.

It's a pity that after he was dismissed by Wei Zhongxian, his generals did not end well.

Shen Yourong was indignant because he was dismissed from office, and immediately resigned from office, and soon became so angry that he couldn't get sick, and died in anger.

Liu Xingzuo was also squeezed out everywhere because he didn't have his protection, and finally died in battle and became cannon fodder.

Mao Wenlong was even worse, he was directly beheaded by Yuan Chonghuan!
If he was still there, he would definitely not let Yuan Chonghuan kill Mao Wenlong.

It has to be said that Yu Zigao was lucky, he happened to be a navy general, and he happened to meet Yuan Keli.

Yuan Keli, the governor of the navy, always cherishes talents and protects the calf. Therefore, as soon as Taichang showed displeasure, he used the name of his father Yu Dayou to speak kindly to him, and virtually resolved a crisis for him.

Of course Taichang knew that Yuan Keli didn't take money from other people, and what Yuan Keli said was very reasonable. The reason for Yu Zigao's behavior was probably because of what happened to his father, he was jealous and had to follow the trend.

Anyway, forget it.

He thought for a while, and then continued to ask: "I still have one thing I don't know. Aren't you a sea merchant? I haven't heard of you gathering people to steal. Why did you suddenly become pirates this time?" What's more, you went ashore to plunder one after another as if you had made an agreement, it's like going crazy! What good will this do for you, the fishermen along the coast are very poor, what can you grab?"

This cannot be told the truth!

Zheng Zhilong thought about it carefully, and then carefully explained: "We were originally doing business at sea, selling some private goods to make money, and we didn't think about going against the imperial court.

But after the imperial court fully opened up the sea, all the foreign countries went to Taicang to buy goods, and our business was not easy.

When we were worried about this, Xu Xinsu sent a message for the Dutch, asking us to plunder the sea merchants from the Southeast Asian countries to and from Ming Dynasty. As long as we can transfer the goods we robbed to the Dutch, the Dutch will not only give us money, but also sell them. Give us arms.

We were also greedy for profit, fell into the trap of the Dutch, and really ran to rob the Nanyang maritime merchants, and after robbing the Nanyang maritime merchants' goods, we really exchanged a lot of money and weapons from the Dutch.

After we tasted the sweetness, we fell deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper.

When we turned from maritime merchants into real pirates, Xu Xinsu began to hint to us that the imperial court would know about our plundering of Nanyang maritime merchants sooner or later, and the imperial court would definitely send troops to encircle us.

We are also afraid, so we can only plunder desperately, exchange money and weapons from the Dutch, and then continue to buy warships and expand our men in order to protect ourselves.

As a result, at the end of last year, the Dutch sent a message through Xu Xinsu to let us go ashore to plunder and cooperate with them. Otherwise, they would not sell us weapons, and they would not accept the goods we robbed!
We had no choice but to go ashore and rob under Xu Xinsu's order. "

What he said was seven parts true and three parts false. He completely concealed his ambition and said that everything was instigated by others.

Was Zheng Zhilong forced to become a pirate?
Taichang expressed doubts about this.

However, he still believed what Zheng Zhilong said about the Dutch intimidating and luring them, because colonial robbers liked to use this method to invade or even destroy a country.

The set of colonial robbers has been seen through by later generations.

To put it bluntly, they just try to lure some people first, give them money, give them weapons, let them make trouble in their own country, and then they take advantage of the chaos to invade and even destroy this country!

Once the colonial robbers get involved, the matter becomes more complicated.

Xu Xinsu, Zheng Zhilong and other pirates were pawns cultivated by the southeast interest group, but the Dutch also joined in, holding these pawns and playing chaotic chess here!
However, the Dutchman doesn't seem to be playing chess very well, because Zheng Zhilong is not willing to be a chess piece, he wants to be a chess player!
Therefore, in history, Zheng Zhilong eventually became the biggest opponent of the Dutch in the Far East, and the southeast interest groups seemed to be manipulated by Zheng Zhilong for a while.

However, at this time, neither Zheng Zhilong nor the Dutch, including the southeast interest groups, can ever dream of becoming a chess player!

Let me play this game of chess!
To play this game of chess well, the traitor Xu Xinsu must be eliminated first.

Taichang thought about it again, and then asked: "How long will it take for Xu Xinsu to know about you being blocked here?"

Zheng Zhilong estimated: "Tomorrow he should be able to receive the news that I was blocked here, because he has been operating in the southeast coast for many years and has a lot of eyeliners, and it is not very far from Nan'ao. If the Clippers send a message, one day is enough carry on."

This is a bit of a hassle.

They've been stuck here for a long time, and Xu Xinsu's people must already know about it.

In other words, Xu Xinsu is likely to receive the news at noon tomorrow.

If they set off now, they would naturally be able to arrive in Nan'ao ahead of the reporter. The question is, it's getting dark now, how do they set off?

Taichang looked up at the sky, and then slowly said: "There are no clouds in the sky now, and the moonlight at night should be able to illuminate the sea. Li Qing, Yuan Fang, tell me, if we go to the outer sea now, can we use the moonlight to illuminate the sea?" Sailing slowly south?"

Yuan Keli looked up at the sky, then exchanged a glance with Zhang Yuanfang, then nodded solemnly and said, "As long as we don't drive too fast and pay attention to keeping the distance between the boats, it should be fine."

Taichang thought for a while and asked again: "General Zheng, you should know Xu Xinsu's pirate Yang Lu and others, right?"

Hearing this, Zheng Zhilong hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly and said, "I have seen them a few times in the end."

Hearing the words, Taichang said decisively: "Well, General Zheng, you go back and explain to your subordinates, let them repair here, don't run around, come over after explaining, and go to Nan'ao with me, and take Xu Xinsu and his family together. All the pirates under his command were wiped out."

Alas, it really is.

He knew that the emperor asked him if he knew the pirate Yang Lu and others because he wanted him to recognize them.

The problem, he said before, Yang Lu and others used to be Li Dan's subordinates just like him!

Can he say he doesn't know him?
Zheng Zhilong had no choice but to board the Spike and go back to confess.

At this moment, he really didn't dare to play any tricks, because the naval warship led by the emperor was too terrifying, even if his men and horses hadn't rushed back and forth for more than 100 miles, they couldn't do it, not to mention that his men basically Were all paralyzed.

Taichang watched Zheng Zhilong board the Spike Battlefield and gradually went away, and immediately ordered: "Li Qing, send a fast boat to inform Shihong, and lead the soldiers of the Shenji Battalion to come here early tomorrow morning to control all Zheng Zhilong's warships!"

Zheng Zhilong thought that Taichang really asked him to recognize people, but he didn't know that Taichang wanted to take him away, and then let Shen Yourong lead the army over to control all the warships under him!
(End of this chapter)