Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 343 Knocking off the Guangzhou Mansion

"Waste, it's all waste! How can a living person be taken away by people outside the pass on the territory of my Ming court?" Chongzhen said angrily.

"Your Majesty, it's more than that. Although the Liao army didn't move at first outside the customs, it actually infiltrated us more. Xiong Wencan, the Minister of the Ministry of War and the Imperial Envoy of Youqian Capital, the Prime Minister of Guangdong and Guangxi Military Affairs and the Governor of Guangdong, is now in Guangzhou City, submitting an urgent report, claiming that The fleet of the Fu Liao Army has sailed into the Pearl River Estuary, asking the Guangdong Shipping Department to reopen trade and allow merchants to freely trade goods with the Fu Liao Army." Chief Assistant Zhou Yanru said.

"First occupied Xiamen Bay, then Hong Kong Island, Macau Peninsula, and now Guangzhou Mansion. How is that reasonable?" Some officials said dissatisfied.

"Tightly close the Guangzhou government, do not trade with the Liao army, and our tea and silk must not flow into the hands of the Liao army!" Chongzhen said.

"Your Majesty, please be careful. The Liao army demanded to open the Guangzhou government for trade, and threatened the [-] soldiers and horses outside the pass. If we don't open the pass, the [-] soldiers and horses outside the pass will be detained. Combat is very dangerous!" Zhou Yanru said.

"One hundred thousand soldiers? We also have one hundred thousand troops in Ningyuan, can we stop them?" Chongzhen asked.

"The Liao army united with Mongolia can go back and forth for thousands of miles, and any pass at the border may be attacked by them. If the Liao army is determined to oppose us, I am afraid that even a 30 army will not be able to completely ensure the safety of the Great Wall!" Said the minister of the Ministry of War .

Emperor Chongzhen and all civil and military officials remained silent.

In the government office in Guangzhou City in the south, Xiong Wencan, who was transferred from the governor of Fujian to the governor of Guangdong, was frowning. Outside the government building, a group of pleading businessmen surrounded the government building.

"For these unruly people, it's fine for the Liao Army's fleet to sail into the Pearl River Estuary. Instead of working together with our government, they support the Liao Army and demand that our city shipping department reopen trade." Xiong Wencan said with a headache.

He had been bad luck for eight lifetimes, and he had a bright future as the governor of Fujian, but who would have expected that the Liao army would beat Zheng Zhilong and rob Xiamen Bay by the way, and he would be dismissed from office.

A year ago, he was re-enabled by the imperial court to be the prime minister of Guangdong and Guangxi affairs. As a result, after the Liao army wiped out Liu Xiang, the most powerful pirate in Guangdong, he successively occupied Hong Kong Island, Macao Peninsula and other former Liu Xiang's territories, and now he came to Guangzhou. Isn't this just to find fault?

"Most of them are jealous that merchants near Xiamen, Fujian can sell goods locally, and deliver goods to overseas foreigners in Xiamen Bay. The profit is more than ten times and a hundred times. The development of our Guangdong and Guangxi regions is relatively late, and the transportation of goods from Lingnan to the north is a long way away, and the competitiveness is not strong. Gao, all we rely on is trade with overseas countries. Now the Liao army controls the southeast coast, and all business with foreigners must go through their hands, but the imperial court ordered the blockade of the coastal docks and prohibits contact with the Liao army. This is not for us Can Guangdong merchants eat the northwest wind?" the government official sent by the Guangdong merchant gang to lobby said to Xiong Wencan.

"In the past few years of sea ban by the imperial court, it doesn't necessarily mean that the power of the Guangdong business gang has declined. Isn't it still here? I just turned a blind eye to some of your private trade, and I haven't completely blocked it." Xiong Wencan Said.

"My lord's words are wrong. In the past two years, the pirate Liu Xiang has been wiped out, and the shipping situation is very good. Our Guangdong is the closest to Nanyang, and the merchant gang should become the largest merchant gang on the southeast coast. Now we can only secretly pass through Macau, The trade between Hong Kong Island and the outside world, not to mention the twists and turns, made Fujian merchants and Jiangsu and Zhejiang merchants take advantage of it. All in all, the group of merchants wanted to fully open the sea ban, and take this opportunity to strengthen their forces and catch up with them in one fell swoop. Fujian Merchant Gang and Jiangsu-Zhejiang Merchants Gang." Said the Yaguan.

"This group of businessmen are only chasing profit, and they don't even care about the interests of Ming Dynasty. I don't bother to negotiate peace with the Liao army for their own selfish desires." Xiong Wencan said.

"Eastern Liaodong where the 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 use the Liao Army to earn money from Westerners and Nanyang people to strengthen ourselves. How can we abandon the interests of Ming Dynasty? The yamen official said, "Don't you hear about Xiamen Bay? The newly appointed governor of Fujian secretly received benefits from the Liao army and the Fujian business gang, which amounted to ten thousand taels. What happened?"

"This official has also heard about it." Xiong Wencan said.

The newly appointed governor of Fujian, who succeeded Xiong Wencan, is said to have received a large amount of bribes from the Liao army and the Fujian business gang, and privately opened the Xiamen area as a port for open trade, ignoring the new round of the imperial court's sea ban.Any caravan in Fujian can go to Xiamen for trade, and the fleet can also go to Xiamen Island from Quanzhou and Fuzhou.Compared with Xiong Wencan who turned a blind eye in Guangdong, this newly appointed governor of Fujian can be described as blatant.

But the most disgusting thing is that not only was the new governor not convicted for this, but he was also rewarded by the court for his stable territory and increased tax revenue. This made Xiong Wencan, who has always been known for his integrity, feel uncomfortable.

"It can be seen that the so-called sea ban is just a piece of paper, and everything must be based on practice. If you open the port of Guangzhou, the commerce and trade in Guangdong will be greatly prosperous, and the displaced people will also be able to get jobs. Your Excellency's move can be said to be beneficial. One side." The lobbying official continued.

Now that the words have come to this point, Xiong Wencan can't help but not move.Obviously, openly opening up Guangdong's trade has both advantages and disadvantages. The officials who lobbied for the advantages have already finished talking. Although the disadvantages have not been mentioned, it is obvious that the Liao army has the opportunity to infiltrate Guangdong and win over the Guangdong business gang. Damaged the interests of the Ming court.

"The salary of the emperor is the matter of loyalty. Since I am an official sent by the imperial court, everything is permitted by the imperial court's order. I will report to the heaven above. If your majesty agrees to open the port of Guangzhou Prefecture for trade, then everyone will be happy. If No, everything remains the same," Xiong Wencan said.

"Your Excellency..." The lobbying Yaguan still wanted to persuade.

"You don't need to say too much, I've made up my mind." Xiong Wencan said.

When Xiong Wencan was struggling with the business gang with a headache, Xiong Wencan's staff walked in.

"My lord, the Liao army's fleet is docked, and many soldiers have disembarked from the fleet. The soldiers of our fort did not dare to fire lightly, but they seized the fort..." the staff said in Xiong Wencan's ear.

"What, the Fu Liao army is so bold, armed attack?!" Xiong Wencan was startled, "And what are the soldiers on the fort doing? They were robbed of the fort without even daring to resist. We don't have a fort, what are we going to do? Deal with the fleet of the Liao army!"

"My lord, you should hurry up and take a look. The officials who came down from the Liao army asked you to meet them by name."

(End of this chapter)