Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 16 Plan
After the meeting in the hall, they discussed some matters related to the family's leasing of land, expanding the acquisition of some fertile land, as well as some issues involving expanding production at the salt factory and strengthening the fleet. They talked for more than two hours.

The banquet was set up at noon. The male heads of each family set up nine tables in the lobby and the front yard, and the women and their families set up more than ten tables in the backyard. Bowls and pots of dishes were brought in like flowing water, and it was a lively reunion.

The dishes in Tongzhou City are not exquisite, but they are mainly local flavors with large portions and filling enough to make your mouth drool.

At the main lobby table in the front yard

Zheng Guohui sat high up in the seat, emitting an invisible aura that made the elders from several branches of the family seem somewhat restrained and spoke more cautiously.

After the banquet, everyone dispersed.

Old man Zheng Shouren brought Zheng Guohui to the study in the backyard, set out some fragrant tea, and the father and son sat opposite each other, drinking tea to sober up and chatting about some family matters.

After hesitating for a moment, Zheng Shouren finally spoke;
"My son Guohui, my nephew's marriage proposal to the national army today was originally well-intentioned, but we lost our sense of proportion.

Isn't the punishment of kneeling in the ancestral hall for three days a bit too harsh?"

Seeing Zheng Guohui drinking tea without saying anything, Zheng Shouren sighed softly and began to plead for Zheng Guojun, saying;
"You know, your second uncle is a short-lived man. He lost his father when he was young and had no one to take care of him. He didn't know the rules and etiquette, so naturally he acted recklessly.

We, the uncles and elders, have been very protective of the second son for the sake of that dead guy, and he has developed a domineering personality..."

"So?" Zheng Guohui said with a half-smile, picked up the tea and took a sip, then put it down gently and said;
"The Zheng family has several hundred members, and with the relatives through marriage, there are more than a thousand people.

No rules no standards.

If my father only wanted to be a local rich man in Tongzhou City and had no intention of glorifying the Zheng family, I would naturally not interfere.

But if you want to join a prominent family, you must follow the rules.

Father, look...

These famous and prestigious families in Jiangnan, the wealthy and powerful families with generations of scholarly traditions, all have strict rules and regulations, and they usually make friends with their fellow villagers and donate money to build bridges and roads to gain reputation.

Wouldn’t it be unjust for a rich man who is unkind and acts tyrannically in the village to be severely criticized?

Most of the neighbors in Tongzhou are relatives, or at least have a sense of friendship from fellow townspeople, which is the foundation of my Zheng family's existence.

This is the relationship between fish and water. If the fish leaves the water, isn't it destroying its own future?

You should have a clear mind about what is more important.

As for eliminating certain family scum, it is like removing the poisonous wounds in one's body. If it can win the praise and praise of the villagers, I think it is worth it."

"Guohui, my son, it's not that serious, right?"

"Hmph, Zheng Shun only made a few inquiries and was able to verify many of the thief's crimes." Zheng Guohui said without saying a word. After his face turned cold, old master Zheng Shouren felt puzzled when he saw it.

Zheng Guohui continued;
"This thief was a womanizer. He had a beautiful wife at a scholar's house in Pingyang Street, and after she caught his eye, he tried many times to get her.

Not long ago, that scholar was found drowned in a small river. Zheng Guojun then abducted the woman and hid her in his own courtyard, where he indulged in sexual pleasure day and night. Is this true?

Seeing that Old Master Zheng Shouren remained silent, he must have heard a lot of rumors, because this thief Zheng Guojun never hid from people and always acted domineeringly.

This is only a small part of his evil deeds. Relying on the power of the Zheng family, he was accustomed to bullying men and women in Tongzhou City. He forcibly occupied more than ten women and even allowed his evil slaves to beat and kill many people.

In these turbulent times, no one paid any attention even if you reported the case to the authorities.

A fierce look flashed across Zheng Guohui's eyes. He would never allow such a despicable person to ruin his plans.

After revealing this article, we talked about Zheng Guohui’s marriage.

Zheng Guohui originally didn't want to get married so early, but it is indeed an unusual thing in today's era, and there is no excuse for being unable to split up because of the tense war.

He could only obey his parents' wishes and choose a date to get married as soon as possible. However, after looking at the family background of the woman he was planning to marry, he simply shook his head and rejected everything.

the reason is simple

She looked down upon the family backgrounds of all the girls that the family had arranged for marriage. The best one was the daughter of a seventh-rank county magistrate. What level was that?
"Why, my son doesn't like it?"

"To be honest with you, father, I have accumulated a lot of military merits this time. I have submitted seven military reports to the Ministry of War. The Minister of Rites, Lord Fuzhu, has promised to help Guohui smooth the way and seek an official certificate as the second-rank deputy general of Jiangnan..." Zheng Guohui said with full confidence. He calmly poured a cup of tea for his father and himself.

Then he picked it up, put it to his lips and blew gently on the hot air. His attitude was self-evident.

Old Master Zheng Shouren became anxious when he heard this. He slammed his cane on the ground and scolded, "You're still keeping me in suspense. Are you itching to get into trouble again? Tell me now."

After failing to act tough, Zheng Guohui looked at his old father with a resentful expression and said directly;

"I received a letter from the capital today, and I know there's some progress on this matter. I estimate I'll need to go to the capital in person in March or April after the New Year to take care of everything.

If everything goes well

I will go to court to meet His Majesty and the two Empress Dowagers, and after questioning them, I hope to receive an imperial decree to confer the title. I have a 60% chance of that."

"May our ancestors bless us and bring glory to our family! That's wonderful!" Old Master Zheng Shouren blurted out excitedly. After a moment's thought, he added, "It's all thanks to our ancestors' blessings. This year, during the Great Winter Festival, we must solemnly worship at the ancestral temple. My son Guohui, can you come when the time comes?"

"For such an important matter, I must be there in person."

"That's good, that's good. I will instruct my subordinates to start preparations early. No supplies should be skimped upon. We will also invite virtuous and eminent monks to perform the ritual. It must be grand and solemn."

"As long as Father likes it, I'm glad. What about Chongming Island now?"

"You've been suppressing bandits in Jiangnan for a while now, and you've sent over quite a few men and women. I heard from the fourth brother that there are already over 40 people, and they've established over villages. But a lot of the grain stored from the summer harvest has been consumed."

"Storing grain means consuming it. Next year, we will reclaim more wasteland and produce more food. Don't worry about how much you use."

"I understand the logic, but my son Guohui, you now hold an important position in the military and have a promising future. Do you really have to go to Southeast Asia?"

"Father, Guohui doesn't want to be a slave to the Manchus all his life!" Zheng Guohui sighed softly, then explained in a firm tone;

"I believe father has already seen that the court is doomed and will not last much longer.

If it were to collapse one day, it would be a huge event that would sweep across the Chinese continent. The situation would be turbulent, heroes would rise up, and it would be another era of war and turmoil.

How many years will it last?
It may be thirty to fifty years, or even more than a hundred years. The changes of dynasties will be accompanied by blood and rain, which is far more terrifying than the Taiping Rebellion.

People without thought, he must worry about.

If you want to take your destiny into your own hands, the best option is to leave the Chinese mainland and go south to find a fertile land to settle down and achieve great things.

By then
My Zheng clan may be crowned king and appointed prime minister, controlling a piece of land and governing according to our will, without having to look after anyone else.

"Passing on such a great legacy to future generations would be a beautiful story, so why not do it?"

The wonderful picture he described was so beautiful that the old man Zhen Shouren's eyes lit up. He said with a look of hesitation and disbelief, "My son Guohui, is there really such a good thing in Nanyang?"

"I have my own plan for this matter. I will gather hundreds of Western sailing ships and more than ten thousand soldiers and sail to Southeast Asia in a mighty force. All the local chickens and dogs will be wiped out in the blink of an eye." Zheng Guohui said with full confidence.

He is now constantly trying to persuade the old man with sweet talk in order to gain the family's full support.

"Okay, okay, okay. With such a grand wish, my Zheng family will support it to the end even if we have to sell everything we have." When old man Zheng Shouren thought of such a wonderful prospect, his eyes were so wide with smiles that he couldn't close them.

(End of this chapter)