I'm really not doing business

Chapter 978 Braving Wind and Rain, Perilous Journey, Ambitious Ambition Unfolds Amidst Difficult Road

The captain did not deceive Zhu Yiliu; the fleet brushed the edge of the storm and escaped the danger zone.

The Ming Dynasty was very familiar with this sea area, and as long as one did not get lost at this time of year, there would not be too much danger.

Moreover, even if they accidentally stepped into a storm, the fast sailing ship's copper hull made it excellent in terms of wind and wave resistance, speed, and structural sturdiness, ensuring that Zhu Yiliu's flagship would be in no danger.

Zhu Yiliu noticed that the Ming emperor had dispatched three star-gazing ships to accompany him on this trip to the Kingdom of Jinshan, and one of these ships was positioned right next to the flagship.

In other words, even if they were lost in storms and endless sea fog, the Stargazing Ship could still bring Zhu Yiliu's flagship back to the Ming Dynasty or to the Kingdom of Jinshan.

Zhu Yiliu was very clever and immediately realized that this was a blessing from his elder brother, the emperor, who was lenient in his assessment of the enemy.

In the eyes of the Prince of Lu, his elder brother always put the affairs of the country first. This trip to Jinshan Kingdom to take up his fiefdom was probably the most serious instance of the emperor abusing his power for personal gain.

"We've captured a rather unusual Japanese soldier," Chief Secretary Meng Jinquan reported quietly.

This Japanese soldier has been escorted to the flagship, which is entirely under the control of the elite naval forces. This particular Japanese soldier was captured on a horse-drawn ship, and after several days of interrogation, his identity was confirmed.

The reason for his arrest was simple: this Japanese was preaching to other Japanese on the ship and was reported to the authorities.

"A fanatical follower of the Bliss Cult, after castrating himself, escaped the investigation by the Nagasaki Governor's Office. This time, he mingled on a ship bound for the Kingdom of Gold to preach there," Meng Jinquan told Zhu Yiliu about the arrest.

After personally interrogating the fanatic, Zhu Yiliu ordered him to be chopped into eight pieces and thrown into the sea.

This was the first time Zhu Yiliu had personally come into contact with members of the Japanese Blissful Religion, and they were fanatical believers at that.

He never expected these fanatics to be so insane. From their fragmented words, it was clear that the other shore they longed for was no longer the blissful paradise of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty still holds an extremely high position in the doctrines of the Blissful Religion, but the other side of the Blissful Religion has become a completely nihilistic world without right or wrong, good or evil, beauty or ugliness, or morality.

In this absolute vacuum, completely empty world, there is nothing but the self.

According to the fanatical pronouncements of the believers, even the Ming Dynasty owed the Blissful Church a debt, meaning that even the Ming emperor owed the Blissful Church a debt.

The situation is extremely complex and convoluted, but the general logic is this: the followers of the Blissful Kingdom yearned for the Ming Dynasty, but the Ming Dynasty closed its doors to them.

This change in doctrine was something the Ming Dynasty was unaware of, which is why this fanatical believer bypassed layers of scrutiny and appeared on the ship.

Zhu Yiliu found it difficult to comprehend this madness, and even could not describe it accurately. He could only choose to kill them. Based on the newly discovered information, he conducted a second review of all the Japanese slaves on the fleet and selected all the Blissful Believers to be thrown into the sea.

In Zhu Yiliu's view, the Bliss Sect had become so twisted that it had reached an extreme.

Humans are the sum total of social relationships. If, apart from the self, the close relationships with parents, family, children, and relatives and friends are all unimportant, then a person has no social relationships and is not human.

Moreover, the doctrines of the Blissful Religion always avoid the issue of exchange.

People need to exchange their surplus production for the surplus production of others, and this exchange becomes the cornerstone of social relations.

In the eyes of the Prince of Lu, the doctrines of the Blissful Religion were full of sophistry and could not fundamentally explain the problem.

In the eyes of Blissful believers, everyone else in the world owes it, and everyone should become its devotee, offering everything they have to atone for their sins.

The doctrines of the Blissful Religion are very strange. They presuppose the natural position that others are guilty. Based on this position, they use all sorts of false reasons to list crimes on people who are not related to them and force them to atone for their sins.

According to the basic theory that social relations are based on exchange, Zhu Yiliu believed that he was guilty. He had indulged in extravagance and debauchery for so many years because of his relationship with his elder brother, the emperor, and he had to use his status to repay all the preferential treatment he had received.

The emperor's favorite younger brother, Prince Lu, thought this was truly fair.

Even though going to sea was extremely dangerous these days, he still mustered up his courage and embarked on the journey.

All those who exploit others are guilty; exploitation is the cause of all the tragedies in the world.

However, if those who eat meat are willing to use their own strength to make some changes to this terrible world, then they are worthy of being united with, and this can be seen as a process of self-redemption.

This is the conclusion Zhu Yiliu reached by using the concept of religion to understand class theory, based on Lin Fucheng's famous article "Religious Alienation".

However, according to the doctrines of the Blissful Sect, the whole world owes Zhu Yiliu! No matter what, Zhu Yiliu could not say such a guilty word. The Ming Dynasty had never owed Zhu Yiliu anything.

The fleet continued its journey, and Zhu Yiliu enjoyed standing on the deck, gazing at the boundless ocean and pondering all sorts of questions.

From the moment he boarded the ship, he was no longer a child hiding in the arms of his mother and elder brother, but the king of Jinshan Kingdom.

After drawing four tally marks, Zhu Yiliu became silent. He was always very quiet and unwilling to talk to others. Most of the time, he would shrink into a corner of the room and only eat one meal a day.

Zhu Yiliu was feeling a bit homesick.

This is nothing to be ashamed of, but he cannot tell others. As a ruler, no matter how much he misses home, such a weak emotion should not appear in him.

He went from the materially abundant Ninth Heaven to a ship with extremely scarce resources; this transition was very drastic.

In the past, he had no worries about food or clothing, but now every bite of food is unsatisfactory. He can't eat his favorite foods, and most of the meals are cold, either too salty to swallow or too sweet to make his throat hurt. Even the water he drinks has a strong smell of alcohol and fish, and he feels like vomiting after a few sips.

There wasn't even a beauty from all over the world.

Before he set off, Chief Secretary Meng Jinquan advised him that he, born into nobility, would never be able to adapt to such a life.

Indeed, Zhu Yiliu was emotional, feeling homesick, regretful, and uncertain about his future.

After Zhu Yiliu finished drawing the fifth tally mark, he overcame his weak emotions and started fishing. Sea fishing is a troublesome thing; he didn't catch a single fish. The coastal patrol officer, Shui Jiangfei, even considered going into the sea to hook the fish.

The Prince of Lu was not pursuing catching fish, but rather the process of fishing. He just wanted to find something to do to avoid falling into endless self-doubt.

Everyone else has something to do, but he's the only one with nothing to do. The sailors work very hard every day, but he, the king, only needs to ensure his own safety.

When he finished drawing the sixth tally mark, Zhu Yiliu finally caught his first fish. After catching the first fish, he stopped fishing and instead chose to use a crossbow.

Fishing rods and such are too much trouble; he's had enough of all the red tape!
Ballista, activate!
The ballista was incredibly useful; Zhu Yiliu caught a big fish that very day—a tuna that was lurking along the shipping route.

"Why can't I eat raw fish?" Zhu Yiliu asked angrily. He had seen other sailors eat raw fish, but Chief Secretary Meng Jinquan forbade him to eat it.

“Eating raw fish can cause worms to grow in your stomach,” Meng Jinquan said in a low voice. “Sea fish can also carry parasites, Your Highness. The Department of Internal Medicine has discovered that sea fish parasites can also infect humans.”

The research team found 11 types of parasites on tuna, some of which can infect humans. For example, a parasite called the stomach worm can infest humans and, although it does not eventually mature, can cause various symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

"Forget it, it has to be cooked thoroughly." Upon hearing this, Zhu Yiliu shuddered and chose to eat cooked food.

When he was a child, Zhu Yiliu liked to play in the dirt. After playing, he would put the dirt in his mouth without washing his hands. Later, he had a stomachache and couldn't sleep all night. He cried and made a fuss. Empress Dowager Li had no choice but to ask the imperial physician to prescribe medicine. Li Shizhen chose arsenic to kill the worm. Zhu Yiliu pulled out a worm that was three feet long.

Since then, Zhu Yiliu has been terrified of insects. He really wanted to taste the deliciousness of sashimi, but considering the insect problem, he chose to eat it cooked.

On the day the seventh tally mark was completed, the fleet replenished its fresh water on a small island called Zhongji Island, meaning the place where the Ming Dynasty made a stopover for supplies on its way to Jinshan City. The ships stayed for a day, and Zhu Yiliu wandered around the island. As soon as he got off the ship, he experienced severe seasickness.

After being on the boat for a long time, the seasickness subsided, but once ashore, the feeling of dizziness returned.

Zhu Yiliu's feelings were very complicated. He shouted and yelled on the island for a long time, then ran a few more steps before sitting on the beach, looking at the huge fleet on the sea.

It is difficult to formulate a great ocean exploration plan without the support of a collective called the nation. Whether it was Columbus or Magellan, they both had the support of the Spanish royal family and even the strong support of the Portuguese Maritime Academy.

All of the Western free-roaming expeditions were also state-sponsored activities, at least until the Wanli era.

Without a doubt, the successful voyage to his fiefdom will mark a crucial step forward for the Ming Dynasty's opening of the seas. Zhu Yiliu is not merely a witness to history, nor a participant in it, but a creator of history.

No matter how thick the history books become in the future, it will firmly occupy a place and become an unavoidable topic in this magnificent era.

Zhu Yiliu suddenly stood up, found the stonemason's chisel, and carved on a large stone, "Zhu Yiliu, Prince of Lu of the Great Ming Dynasty, visited here, left on the 14th day of the third month of the 18th year of Wanli." After carving, he worked hard to chisel it much deeper, and this was his original work.

As for whether he could leave a lasting legacy, Zhu Yiliu didn't really care. What was more important to him was the act of carving those words, which represented that he had been there.

Before finishing the ninth character, Zhu Yiliu saw a series of islands floating in the sea like pearls. These islands were all uninhabited. On the advice of his chief secretary Meng Jinquan, Zhu Yiliu named one of the islands Jinquan Island.

Meng Jinquan did not object to the name, because His Highness Prince Lu meant that gold would flow like a spring, endlessly.

Zhu Yiliu was filled with curiosity about this chain of islands that stretched for thousands of miles. Most of these islands were formed by volcanic activity, with hard rocks and steep coastlines. Not all of the islands were suitable for landing.

Because of the voyage, Zhu Yiliu did not make any trouble by requesting to go ashore for sightseeing.

Before the tenth tally mark was completed, the fleet encountered another storm. This time, the massive fleet, consisting of three three-masted deck ships and three warships, was lost on the vast ocean, and their chances of survival were almost zero.

Zhu Yiliu was acutely aware of why ocean voyages were considered a life-or-death struggle in this era.

When the twelfth tally mark was finished, the captain told Zhu Yiliu that Jinshan City was almost there, and the voyage would last about three more days. The sixty-three-day sea voyage was about to end.

Zhu Yiliu was very much looking forward to the upcoming moment of taking up his fief. His understanding of Jinshan City came from the miscellaneous reports of Songjiang Prefecture and the observations of the sailors.

Because the water and heat are not synchronized here, it is warm in winter and cool in summer. The lowest temperature in winter is 10 degrees Celsius and it will not freeze, while the highest temperature in summer is less than 30 degrees Celsius.

The early settlers chose this place because it is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on the other, making it a mountain city that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and also convenient for escape. In addition, there is a bay within the Kinmen Strait that can provide shelter and anchorage for large ships.

On the afternoon of April 19th, the 19th year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, Zhu Yiliu finally saw the Jinshan City he had longed for through a telescope.

A small, isolated town, barely ten miles in circumference, stands quietly in the mountains, looking exceptionally desolate. Around the town are many fields and some fortified camps, with several dirt roads stretching all the way to the sea.

There are a total of fourteen piers along the coast, which together constitute Jinshan Port.

Extremely dilapidated, this was his fiefdom. Less than four thousand Han people, plus more than twenty thousand slaves, and less than four hundred thousand mu of farmland—this was all the wealth of the Jinshan Kingdom.

When Jinshan Earl Quan Tianpei saw the ships of the Prince of Lu and the dragon flags flying on the fleet, he realized that only the Ming Dynasty could build such fast sailing ships. The appearance of ten ships at once meant that His Highness the Prince of Lu had come to assume his fiefdom.

Quan Tianpei immediately ordered all the people and slaves in the city to go to the dock to welcome His Highness Prince Lu. Although it was simple, Quan Tianpei still built a welcoming gate and a welcoming hall at Pier 8.

Quan Tianpei knew nothing about the Prince of Lu, only the title of "Demon King". Quan Tianpei desperately hoped that the Prince of Lu could come to Jinshan City, because he really couldn't hold on any longer.

Jinshan City was far, far away from the Ming Dynasty, spanning the entire Eastern Ocean. The 30,000-mile waterway made it extremely difficult for Han Chinese to come here. Without the backing of the imperial court, Jinshan City was like a flame that could be extinguished at any moment.

No matter what kind of personality Prince Lu had, Quan Tianpei had to tolerate him and serve him well and make him feel comfortable.

Zhu Yiliu walked down the ship's stairs to the pier, stomped his feet to relieve his dizziness, and then approached the crowd waiting on the pier.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Lu." Quan Tianpei led everyone in kneeling to welcome Zhu Yiliu to his fiefdom. He knew nothing about etiquette and law. Although he had looked up the "Rituals of the Feudal States," the conditions in Jinshan City were limited.

"No need for formalities." Zhu Yiliu stopped and looked at the somewhat simple Ying'en Gate. He was at least certain that Jinshan City welcomed him.

When the princes of the Ming Dynasty were enfeoffed, they were not welcomed by the local people for various reasons. After all, each prince's enfeoffment meant that a large amount of land had to be allocated to the prince's palace. When the official land in various places was not enough, the people would be harassed.

The reason why Prince Lu refused to take up his fiefdom in the heart of the Ming Dynasty was also because he was already supported by the people, and to be hated by them was to add insult to injury.

“My brother told me that it’s not easy to expand without a slave system. Seeing Jinshan City today, I can see that my brother was right,” Zhu Yiliu said to Quan Tianpei.

Quan Tianpei's expression immediately relaxed. His biggest worry was that this prince from the capital, who seemed to live in the heavens, had too many moral burdens, which would be detrimental to the development of Jinshan City. However, as soon as Prince Lu spoke, Quan Tianpei immediately realized that this prince had not been turned into a fool by the principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.

On the contrary, His Highness is quite pragmatic.

Logging, land reclamation, water conservancy, bridge construction, road construction, city and fortification construction all require labor slaves. How much can the Han people who travel across the ocean do?

"Welcome the King's Flag!" Quan Tianpei shouted again.

Three imperial guards disembarked carrying three flags. The first was the dragon flag, symbolizing imperial power; the second was the royal flag of the Prince of Lu, a large flag with the character "Lu" on it; and the third was the Seven Star Flag, the naval flag of the Ming Dynasty, representing that the Kingdom of Jinshan was an overseas vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

The royal carriage and throne of King Lu were also unloaded from the ship. This was King Lu's royal carriage, and naturally it would accompany King Lu to the Kingdom of Jinshan.

The three large banners were carried to Jinshan City by the imperial guards. Prince Lu led Quan Tianpei, Meng Jinquan, and others into Jinshan City.

Upon entering the city, Prince Lu's eyes lit up; this mountain city was far more prosperous than he had imagined!

On both sides of a main street that is three zhang wide, there are all kinds of shops, the most numerous of which are gold and silver shops, selling rice, flour, cooking oil, wine, firewood, writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones.

Four thousand people were not even considered a village in the heart of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yiliu was prepared to endure forty years of hardship to completely rebuild Jinshan City, but the rows of brick and tile houses told him that the place was not as poor as he had imagined.

"Gold is produced, and gold can buy a lot of goods." Quan Tianpei explained in a low voice why the inside and outside of the city were so different. There were too few Han people. He had done his best to make it this way.

Zhu Yiliu entered the Lu Prince's Mansion. This Lu Prince's Mansion was located in the center of Jinshan City, in a very good location, covering an area of ​​more than 80 acres. However, the buildings and pavilions were very ordinary, far less luxurious than the Lu Prince's Mansion in the capital.

But this already satisfied Zhu Yiliu greatly, since his expectations were not high to begin with.

Quan Tianpei is a very good businessman.

After Zhu Yiliu was seated, he said to Quan Tianpei, "I am new here, Lord Jinshan, please leave everything in the city as usual."

"Your Highness, I have a few urgent matters here that require your attention." Quan Tianpei took out several documents and handed them to Zhu Yiliu, asking for his instructions.

Zhu Yiliu frowned. Logically speaking, he should have rested for a few days since he just arrived. Why was he being asked to handle official business right away? Was he being given a hard time as soon as he landed?
"Uncle Jinshan is having a rather unpleasant time," Zhu Yiliu said after reading the letter, realizing that he had misunderstood Uncle Jinshan.

The Earl of Jinshan dared not intimidate the Prince of Lu. The Prince of Lu's three thousand soldiers slaughtered their way through Jinshan City and swept through it three more times.

If His Highness Prince Lu does not take up his fiefdom soon, Jinshan City will be on the verge of collapse, and the Earl of Jinshan is in a very difficult situation.

"My momentary compassion has led to this predicament. It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away." Quan Tianpei's face was somewhat bitter as he recounted events from four years ago, in the fifteenth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign.

A group of pirates who had fled from Japan to Jinshan Kingdom crossed the ocean and arrived in Jinshan City. Quan Tianpei accepted them because their leaders were all Han Chinese.

During the four years of development, the pirates, numbering over eight hundred, became the elite troops of Jinshan, launching attacks in all directions.

Now, under the leadership of Xie Ruixiang, these pirates are becoming increasingly unruly. In the city, they are imposing taxes, seizing goods, framing innocent people, charging exorbitant fees, killing and robbing, and treating human life as worthless. Quan Tianpei has less than four hundred men in total, and he simply cannot control Xie Ruixiang.

Recently, Xie Ruixiang has set his sights on gold, demanding that Jinshan City give him 30% of its gold, or he will throw a tantrum!

Simply put, the most capable fighters in the city oppose Quan Tianpei and even plan to kill him and take his place.

"Did Xie Ruixiang come to the dock to greet me today?" Zhu Yiliu sat up straight, his aura changed, and a cold light appeared in his eyes.

Chief Secretary Meng Jinquan immediately replied, "I have not yet come to the dock to greet you."

Meng Jinquan was one of the few chief clerks who had passed the imperial examination. He went to the Prince of Lu's mansion with the intention of advancing from chief clerk to the Censorate. Chief clerks were responsible for monitoring the princes, and advancing to the Censorate was a path to promotion.

When the Prince of Lu was to take up his fief, Meng Jinquan wanted to become the prime minister of the Jinshan Kingdom. When the Prince of Lu was to take up his fief in the heart of the Ming Dynasty, Meng Jinquan was promoted and transferred to the Censorate last year.

When Meng Jinquan was at the dock, he already had doubts. Jinshan City was not peaceful, and its armed forces only numbered four hundred.
"No." Quan Tianpei's face grew even more bitter as he said in a low voice.

Zhu Yiliu took a deep breath and said, "That's simple. This Xie Ruixiang has probably already colluded with the barbarians and the foreigners."

"Huh?" Quan Tianpei was stunned, then broke out in a cold sweat. He said blankly, "No way, didn't he want gold? If he's colluding with the barbarians, how will he get the gold?"

"He deserves at least half the credit for Jinshan City's current success. What good would it do him to destroy Jinshan City?"

Zhu Yiliu thought Quan Tianpei was acting. After all, when Prince Lu followed his elder brother in ruling and served as regent in the thirteenth year of the Wanli reign, he encountered many seasoned actors whose acting skills were evident from head to toe.

Zhu Yiliu glanced at Meng Jinquan, who shook his head. Quan Tianpei wasn't acting, because from top to bottom in Jinshan City, Meng Jinquan had never seen Quan Tianpei show any wariness towards Xie Ruixiang, the head of the guards.

Meng Jinquan judged that either Quan Tianpei was a natural-born veteran actor with superb acting skills and had a backup plan, or he was truly too soft-hearted.

"Fine, just arrest them and question them. Ask Commander Luo to take charge. Those who resist will be charged with treason and executed without exception." Zhu Yiliu did not explain in detail, but took out the fire token and ordered Luo Shangzhi to take charge.

Luo Shangzhi was from Yuyao, Zhejiang. He came from a family of hereditary centurions. In the thirteenth year of the Wanli reign, he entered the court to fight against Japanese pirates and served as the deputy commander of the Yangwei Regiment of the Navy. He was one of the Twenty-Eight Heroes of the Eastern Expedition and had the Western Louhu Star bestowed upon him by the emperor. He was a true naval general.

Luo Shangzhi accompanied Zhu Yiliu to Jinshan Kingdom this time for training the navy's long-range deployment.

"Your subordinate obeys." Luo Shangzhi bowed his head and accepted the order, then mobilized a thousand naval men and headed straight for Xie Ruixiang's stronghold.

Zhu Yiliu waited for less than half an hour before Xie Ruixiang was captured by Luo Shangzhi and taken to the Prince of Lu's residence.

"Lord Jinshan, the man has been captured. His failure to greet me at the dock is already a great disrespect. I believe he doesn't want gold, but your life. Let's interrogate him face to face and see if I'm right," Zhu Yiliu said with great interest.

Let's make a bet. Losing doesn't matter, but winning means that this will be the first step in establishing the fiefdom and getting things moving.

"Pah!" Xie Ruixiang spat forcefully, looking at Quan Tianpei and saying, "Quan Tianpei, I fought so hard to build Jinshan City, and you, on the other hand, ran back to the Ming Dynasty and became the Earl of Jinshan! This Earl of Kaiyuan should have been mine!"

"Uncle Jinshan, it should have been mine! Mine! Without me, would Jinshan City be what it is today!"

Xie Ruixiang was not one to keep things to himself. After being captured by the elite naval soldiers, he knew there was no hope of turning the tables. He knelt on the ground, looking at Quan Tianpei with bloodshot eyes and a look of rage, wishing he could kill him.

"Back then, I asked you to return to the heart of the Ming Dynasty to receive your reward, but you said you had a criminal record in the Ming Dynasty and didn't want to go back. You said you wanted to stay home and asked me to return to the Ming Dynasty. Now you're blaming me for taking the earl's title?" Quan Tianpei said in disbelief, his eyes wide.

Quan Tianpei never expected that it wouldn't be because of the gold, but because of the title!

Xie Ruixiang was a pirate; it was already a miracle that he wasn't arrested when he returned to the Ming Dynasty, let alone expect a reward.

"If I had known there would be a title and rewards, would it have been your turn?" Xie Ruixiang struggled twice, but could not break free from the restraints of the guards. He then spat angrily onto Quan Tianpei's shoe.

Xie Ruixiang dreamed of having the identity of a respectable person, not a pirate.

"I...I...I..." Quan Tianpei was speechless for a moment, and finally sighed and flicked his sleeves.

Zhu Yiliu was right. Xie Ruixiang harbored hatred, and this hatred had accumulated over time to the point where he wished he could kill Xie Ruixiang.

"Take him away, investigate, and then execute him." Zhu Yiliu looked at Xie Ruixiang, considered for a moment, and without playing any games of compromise, beheaded him directly.

Upon hearing the Prince of Lu's verdict of beheading, Quan Tianpei was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, could you please show some leniency? Xie Ruixiang is quite popular in Jinshan City. To be beheaded so easily would likely cause unrest among the people."

"You don't need to worry about the unrest in people's hearts; I have my own methods." Zhu Yiliu waved his hand. As the initiator of the public trial system, he had his own ways of calming people's hearts. He looked at Xie Ruixiang and said, "Xie Ruixiang, don't be unconvinced. Let me ask you, why didn't you come to the dock to welcome me today when I was enfeoffed in Jinshan?"

"I didn't see it!" Xie Ruixiang said stubbornly, "Now that you've taken it, do with it as you please!"

"Good, that's tough!" Zhu Yiliu wasn't annoyed. He said to Quan Tianpei, "After the investigation, you'll understand. Take him away."

Zhu Yiliu did not kill without cause. Xie Ruixiang's collusion with foreigners and barbarians was probably about to be launched. Gold was very attractive to both the Ming Dynasty and the West.

The investigation lasted only a little over an hour. Before Zhu Yiliu and Quan Tianpei could even finish speaking, the investigation was completed. Xie Ruixiang had colluded with the Mexican Governor's Office to seize Jinshan City. The evidence was irrefutable, with witnesses, physical evidence, and even a blood oath.

"Your Highness, how did you make that judgment?" Quan Tianpei looked bewildered. He hadn't noticed anything amiss in Jinshan City, yet Zhu Yiliu had made such an accurate judgment so soon after arriving!
Zhu Yiliu said calmly, "It's nothing. Xie Ruixiang couldn't take Jinshan City or kill you without external help. Otherwise, he would have done it long ago. So, he can only seek external help. The Earl of Jinshan is just confused because he is involved, while I am a clear-headed bystander."

Zhu Yiliu suddenly realized that the people and things he encountered in his daily life, especially the struggle manuals he read, were extremely useful in judging the situation!
Judging from Quan Tianpei's letter, the conflict between Quan Tianpei and Xie Ruixiang has escalated to an irreconcilable point. In particular, Xie Ruixiang has become increasingly arrogant, even ordering his subordinates to commit heinous acts of murder. Xie Ruixiang no longer cares about the lives of the Jinshan people.

When the conflict escalates to such an extent, a struggle to destroy each other will unfold.

(End of this chapter)