Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 75 Chief of Staff Li Hezhang
With Li Hezhang joining, Zheng Guohui felt like he was adding wings to his army. He was so happy that he wanted to appoint him as "Military Advisor General", whose status would be second only to the emperor.

Li Hezhang was not carried away by the importance he received. After politely declining the offer, he accepted the position of chief of staff of the general's office, taking charge of both government and military affairs.

The functions are similar, just called differently.

"Military Advisor General" is too sensitive. This is an important position held by Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi during the Three Kingdoms period. How could Li Hezhang dare to agree to it?
Early the next morning

When the sky was just getting light, Zheng Guohui woke up early as usual and went to the courtyard with a long knife.

After stretching his muscles, he began to dance vigorously. The bright blade flashed and swirled, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that split the air, and was filled with boundless murderous aura.

The Bagua Wansheng swordsmanship practiced by Zheng Guohui is more inclined towards battle formations. He is proficient in chopping, wiping, lifting, cutting, stabbing, pressing, hanging and blocking, and his skills are all used smoothly and with amazing power.

Relying on his outstanding skills, he has killed more than a hundred enemies in the more than five years since he joined the army, and has made a great name for himself.

The personal guards knew the general's habits and came to the perimeter of the courtyard early to stand guard. Seeing the general wielding his broadsword with great momentum and murderous intent, they couldn't help but shout "good" in unison.

Li Hezhang lived next door. Upon hearing the noise, he came out with a sword in hand and stood in the corridor to watch.

The Li family in northern Anhui has a long tradition, and he is also a martial artist. He is not a weak scholar, but a master of both civil and military affairs.

He could see the sharpness of the Bagua Wansheng sword technique, which was a method of attacking with every move and charging forward without hesitation.

Zheng Guohui wielded his broadsword as fast as flying, exerting all his strength. The sharp blade rolled around, and his silhouette could not be seen clearly. He was invincible and full of murderous aura.

When seeing the exciting parts, Li Hezhang couldn't help but shout "good" loudly.

The time it takes to light an incense stick

Zheng Guohui slowly retracted the machete in his hand, a blush appeared on his face, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his whole body was fully active.

"What a great swordsmanship! General, you are very strong and thriving. This set of swordsmanship frightens thousands of soldiers and no one dares to approach you. You have already touched the essence of swordsmanship. You are worthy of being a master." Li Hezhang applauded loudly.

Zheng Guohui threw the machete in his hand away. Zheng Gui, who was standing nearby, quickly caught it with both hands. He was shocked by the inertia brought by the wind and took a step back, with his palms numb.

This Pudao, made of fine iron, weighs seven pounds and two ounces, has a thick spine and a thin blade. The blade is made of tempered fine steel and is a heavy weapon used with both hands.

The knife is so sharp that it can cut off a horse's head with one blow.

Zheng Guohui took the hot towel and wiped his sweat, then walked over and replied with a smile, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Third Uncle. I can't use so many tricks in battle. I just had brute force and nowhere to vent it, so I just played around a lot."

"General, why are you being so modest? Wouldn't we be ashamed?"

"Haha... I'm obsessed. Uncle San has brought his sword. Let's practice a round together."

"Right on my mind."

Li Hezhang did not refuse and went down to the battlefield with his sword in hand. Zheng Guohui stepped aside and stood under the porch to watch.

Li Hezhang made a starting posture, and Zheng Guohui knew that this was Tai Chi sword.

really
Li Hezhang swung his sword with a flourish and began to practice with ease. His movements were far less ferocious and powerful than Zheng Guohui's, but his blade's momentum was full of murderous intent.

In Li Hezhang's hands, a Tai Chi sword is like a gentle breeze when it is slow, and creates waves when it is fast. The charm is revealed in both movement and stillness, which shows the profound foundation of twenty or thirty years.

Most of the people present were martial artists, so they could naturally see the beauty of it and all of them shouted "good".

After finishing a set of Tai Chi sword exercises, Li Hezhang was sweating. He walked over with the hilt of the sword upside down. Naturally, a maid handed him a hot towel and tea.

Zheng Guohui said with a smile, "Third Uncle's swordsmanship is quite impressive. He must have put a lot of effort into it."

After washing his face, Li Hezhang took two sips of tea before answering, "Old people don't use their muscles and bones for strength. Now I just practice to stretch my body, but I'm definitely not good at fighting in the battlefield. It depends on you young people."

Zheng Guohui said, "An old person in the family is like a treasure."

"Haha, General, stop joking. I have been running around for more than 20 years, but I have gained more experience but achieved nothing. I just want to serve you and do my best for the rest of my life." Li Hezhang handed the sword in his hand to his follower and followed Zheng Guohui to the restaurant.

Walking and chatting along the way.

In the restaurant

A delicious breakfast was already laid out on the round table: a snow-white fish head tofu soup, fried dough sticks, steamed dumplings (xiaolongbao), seafood porridge, thousand-layer fried cakes, and other side dishes. Fermented tofu, refreshing pagoda vegetables, and scrambled eggs with Chinese toon were also spread out, filling the table. Zheng Guohui and Li Hezhang sat down on either side. Apparently feeling hungry, they each drank a bowl of porridge, some steamed dumplings, and fried dough sticks to fill their stomachs. Then, they sipped tea, savored the side dishes, and chatted about things.

Li Hezhang asked, "General, now that the copper ore has arrived, we shouldn't delay refining and minting the coinage. What are the rules?"

"Preparations have already begun. The coal purchased from northern Anhui will arrive soon." Zheng Guohui took a bite of the scrambled eggs with Chinese toon, chewed it slowly, and then continued.
“Forty-six experienced blacksmiths have been selected on the island and are currently building the furnace. This is managed by my fifth uncle Zheng Shoucheng.

Right now, Fifth Uncle is very busy with the island's agricultural and pastoral affairs, the mobilization of garrison troops, the resettlement of the refugee population that has just arrived on the island, etc., so there may be delays.

Since Third Uncle is in charge, these are all your responsibilities.

I won't ask about the specific arrangements.

The first batch of copper coins must be minted in a month at most. Time is running out for preparations for the second voyage to Southeast Asia, and money is needed in all aspects.

All planning and arrangements will be entrusted to Uncle San. "

After saying that, he picked up the teacup and took two sips, looking relaxed and completely let go.

Li Hezhang was at a loss for words. They had just agreed on it yesterday, but now they were forcing the issue to happen.

But he did not refuse, and after thinking for a moment he said;

"This is about the preparations for the second batch of supplies to Southeast Asia. This matter cannot be delayed. I will stay on Chongming Island for a few more days and will not return to Nanjing with the general.

Once this matter is sorted out, it won’t be too late to go to Jinling.”

"That's fine. The news about Third Uncle's appointment has been passed on to all officers above the rank of captain. They are all at my disposal. The order will be issued today."

"That's good. There's still more than a month until the summer harvest. I can spend more time on the island and prepare the granaries, farm tools, and other necessary supplies as soon as possible to avoid missing the farming season. We can't be careless."

"This is a big deal. I'll be waiting for Uncle San in Jinling. Do you need to go back to northern Anhui to visit relatives soon?"

"You have so many trivial matters on this island, and I'm sure it will be the same in Nanjing. I can't split my time between them for now, so let's wait until the end of the year. Is the general really going to lead the troops to Southeast Asia personally this time?"

"I won't feel at ease unless I go and see it with my own eyes."

"In that case, we must hurry up and start all preparations. Once I arrive in Jinling, I'll need a large sum of money. Do you have enough money?"

"The private salt business over the past two months should have brought in 260,000 to 270,000 taels of silver. This military expansion will cost about 100,000 taels of silver, and the Ministry of War's appropriation won't arrive until next year at the earliest. Feel free to use the rest; it should be enough for the time being."

"Fifteen or sixty thousand taels is about right. By the time copper coins are minted next month, the famine won't be too severe. If it's really not enough, I can go back to northern Anhui to get some for emergencies. I have fifty or sixty thousand taels of silver."

"Let's put that aside for now. I still have some properties in Jinling City. By the end of June, it will be half a year, so I can collect some money. If there's any shortfall, I can sell some houses."

"Hahaha... I forgot that the general is known as "Zheng Half City". Where can't he find some silver?" Li Hezhang said with a laugh.

People in Jinling like to give nicknames, like the "Jiang the Donkey" in the past and the "Zheng Half City" now, which soon became known to everyone.

Zheng Guohui owns thousands of shops and houses, which are truly spread all over the city of Jinling. He also holds the property rights to large tracts of ruined and vacant land, which he has not had time to develop and build houses on.

This is Zheng Guohui, the local warlord who holds military power. If it were someone else, he would have been eaten alive by the bones.

Jinling City is now increasingly prosperous. With the return of a large number of wealthy businessmen and gentry, the prices of real estate and shops have skyrocketed, and have increased four or five times compared to earlier last year.

Zheng Guohui was undoubtedly the biggest beneficiary. His wealth was so great that even the governor Elong was jealous, but he was helpless against him.

Finally, a word

The Minister of Rites, Fuzhu Shoushan, died suddenly of illness, and the unlucky governor of Jiangnan, Fuzhu Hong'a, died at the hands of the Nian Army. The original situation in Jiangnan Province suddenly changed.

The Governor Elong was originally like an evil dragon with a mountain pressing on his head and three iron chains on his body. One was the Governor of Jiangnan Fuzhuhong'a, one was the Deputy General of Jiangnan Zheng Guohui, and the other was the Minister of Justice Wu Weicheng.

That big mountain was naturally the Minister of Rites Fuzhu Shoushan. Elong was oppressed to the point of suffocation.

Now the mountain has collapsed, and one of the three iron chains is missing. Negotiator Wu Weicheng is alone and struggling to hold on. The situation has completely reversed.

Jinling City is no longer what it used to be.

(End of this chapter)