At night, an autumn rain quietly and silently fell on Guangzhou in late August, making this beautiful flower city still immersed in the atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival wet. The lights on both sides of the Pearl River, under the fine and hazy rain decoration, become more and more poetic and picturesque. The flower boats shuttling back and forth on the river, the sound of oars, lights and shadows, music and laughter, set off the whole city is a peaceful and prosperous scene.

In the city, from time to time there are rows of patrol men and horses on the streets, all of them are dressed in brand-new mandarin duck battle jackets, with hats on their heads, red hats under the hats, oilcloth ponchos on their bodies, and knives on their waists. That kind of heroic posture of looking forward to self-pride, as if it were a lion general, is in stark contrast to the malaise of the Ming army elsewhere.

If you look at it from the outside, it's easy to be deceived by this illusion. As a matter of fact, most of these troops, who were responsible for patrolling and maintaining law and order in various places inside and outside the city, were the original Ming army in Guangdong, and some of them were members of militia groups in various localities. After Li Shouhan took over the affairs of the two Guangxi provinces, he disarmed all these chaotic armed forces, and then reorganized them according to the criteria of eliminating the old and the weak and selecting the able-bodied, and consciously added fresh blood and different components in the process of reorganization, so as to change the work style of the original troops to the greatest extent.

In the face of full military pay, good food, and thick and refined uniforms, the harsh training faced by these soldiers did not seem so terrible. After several months of training, these patrol battalions, which are tasked with the task of arresting bandits and maintaining law and order, have also gained some momentum as elite divisions, and it will not be a problem to deal with all kinds of bandits, and there will not be a situation in which hundreds of officers and men will be chased away like ducks by more than a dozen bandits.

A simplely decorated carriage, escorted by a hundred and ten riders in iron armor and helmets, roared along the bluestone pavement. In the eyes of the experienced patrol battalion soldiers, these riders were warriors who had survived a hundred battles. They were divided into two parts, front and back, riding horses, the iron armor on their bodies flashing with cold light, the kind of prestige that looked forward to their own pride, made people look forward to it.

"Get out of the way! Team on the right! The officer who led the team hurriedly issued the order for his subordinates to dodge the road. He saw it clearly. The carriage was unadorned, but it had the latest rubber tires and spring-loaded shock absorbers, and it walked silently and briskly. With such a guard, the characters sitting in such a carriage are naturally extraordinary.

The person sitting in the car was none other than Ye Qi and Ye Shaoning, one of the three giants of the Nanyue Army's new science and technology spies.

Because although he did not officially take over, the mission at hand had been rapidly expanded, and Ye Qi immediately became a powerful upstart in Guangzhou City.

Shinhapo in Higashiyama. Ye Qi had already purchased land here when he was in charge of Long's prevailing commercial affairs and built an extremely exquisite and gorgeous mansion. The same mansion or villa, he also has a place in the scenic place outside Guangzhou, which is used to house his many wives and concubines.

"Master back home!" With the spread of the porter, a large number of Ye Qi's wives and concubines from all over the world, who had been collected by him for many years like collecting antique calligraphy and paintings and stamps, appeared in the large living room. Welcome him home.

Looking at these, they are either from the banks of the Qinhuai River, or from Datong, Shanxi. Whether as a princess of the Japanese Kingdom, or a Tianzhu orchid, or even the wives and concubines from the more distant Franc Ji, Ye Qi couldn't help but let out a long breath. It seemed to be about to spit out a lot of stasis in his chest with this breath, but it turned into a faint sentence.

"Everyone's there? What to eat at night? ”

"Back to the master, the weather is a little cold today. Let's make a side stove. Eat some sashimi. A concubine in charge of Ye Qi's family's food and drink answered Ye Qi's question in a voice as crisp as a yellow warbler.

As the only person from Nanzhi who is subordinate to Nanzhi in the core of the high-level power of the Nanyue Army, Ye Qi is second only to the lord Li Shouhan and Li Peiting, the second son of the Li family, in terms of food. The Huaiyang cuisine is not tired of eating, and the fine style is not tired of being meticulous, and it has been well implemented in his family's diet. What's more, there are several women from the banks of the Qinhuai River in his family?

With a few chefs drinking two bowls of hot porridge with fish fillets that combined Anqing-style Yipin pot and Guangdong's side stove, Ye Qi felt much more comfortable. and do not say much to their wives and concubines and children. Just get up and leave, and go to his study, where he wants to sort out the day's business and private affairs.

Sitting down in his study, making a cup of fragrant tea, and quietly listening to the rustle of the rain outside the window against the banana leaves in the courtyard, Ye Qi began to sort out the things of the day. This is the habit he has developed over the years, sitting in the study every day, reminiscing about the gains and losses of the day, and every time he has gained.

He thought quietly, at this time, how could he have the slightest appearance of Ye Xianggong, who was sloppy and dashing on the bank of the Qiantang River that day, spending a lot of money to chase the tide?

The shelves are full of books of letters, divided into categories, and there are many rare books of all kinds. Unlike those guys who don't read much in the Nanyue Army, but only because of the system after enlistment, and because of the requirements of the lord, the officers who can't meet the standards are not allowed to be promoted, or they are forced to do so or are vassals who have an elegant study, Ye Qi is still a scholar in his bones. It's just that the reading is really a practical learning.

After thinking for a while, a wry smile appeared on his face, and he took from the desk a stack of gift slips placed on the table by the two concubines who were in charge of the affairs of the guests and the financial expenses of the family.

Since he began to take charge of some of the intelligence work in the Liangguang region a few days ago, the civil and military officials and wealthy businessmen in the city of Guangzhou have been pounced on one after another like flies seeing blood. All kinds of gifts, gold, silver and jewelry, real estate deeds, antique calligraphy and paintings, beautiful maids and beautiful women, and even the dry stocks of various trading shops. All kinds of means, one after another. The purpose is to get a good deal with him, the spy leader, and don't ask you to say anything in front of Grandpa Guo, as long as you don't target us!

Somewhat different from the previous days, today's gifts were sent by foreign businessmen in Guangzhou.

Different from the style of the leading figures from all walks of life in Guangzhou, where do these Europa barbarians know all kinds of methods and tricks of giving gifts and bribes in China? What is the thank-you gift for asking someone to write an article is called Wenyi, asking for someone to write an inscription is called a moist pen, and the gift to the ladies and aunts is called makeup and so on. This group of guys from England directly and blatantly wrote the words 5,000 gold coins on the gift list.

(Having said that, the brain has not been enough.) The author, who has been called a fool since he was a child, suddenly understood why so many leaders like to practice calligraphy and write inscriptions everywhere. It turns out that the secret of the mine is like this! But it's not right, it seems. I like to write inscriptions everywhere, and I leave a stinky word between the white mountains and black waters on both sides of the Yellow River in the north and south of the river! How do I send him a pen? ! No way, the brain is not enough! ）

These English people probably also know that there is another person in Guangzhou who may not be high, but has huge absolute power, so they are busy coming to give gifts, worship Menzi, and Lala relationship.

Ye Qi smiled bitterly twice, and took a piece of letterhead from his hand, placing the name of the person who gave the gift. Whatever was given, one by one according to the gift list, copied on it. After that, sign and seal, and hand it over to the official office for retention and filing in accordance with the previous handling methods. After receiving the receipt of the official documents from the official office, he would hand over these gifts to the branch office of the national government and get a receipt back, so that in the future, some people would say that he had taken bribes or something. He only had to show the two receipts to silence the crowd.

"Lao Tzu has already reported to the lord. And these gifts have already been handed over in full. Why do you say that Lao Tzu took bribes? ”

However, these businessmen from England aroused Ye Qi's interest.

As a person who had managed commerce and trade on Lingjiawei Island for a long time before, Ye Qi's vision and understanding of the world were far higher than those of other high-ranking members of the Nanyue Army. At least, he won't put the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Mirror Flower (eh, it seems that there is no such novel at this time. Books like this are real descriptions of the world. He was more convinced. It is also a relevant record of Zheng He's voyage to the West.

Another source is the descriptions of the merchants everywhere. From the mouths of these merchants, Ye Qi's understanding of the so-called Franc machine or Westerners was far higher than that of other people in the Nanyue army.

Moreover, those military supplies purchased by the Portuguese, those mercenaries and cannon fodder recruited in the Japanese country. Every ship has to go in and out of Lingjiawei Island for supplies, guarding such a platform near the water, Ye Qi naturally has a lot of knowledge about the situation in Europe.

At least he knew that England at this time was the eve of the civil war!

Since the last time Britain was violently beaten by Li Shouhan at the mouth of the Pearl River, the original momentum was as vigorous as a deflated ball, especially when the captured people appeared on the streets of London with their faces covered with scars, and suddenly domestic public opinion was in an uproar.

Those nobles and royals didn't even think about why their own country's trading ships were attacked by the opposing army's fierce fire on the inland rivers of other countries. Instead, he only saw the wounds on his own body that were still bleeding and purulent. (More than half a year has passed, and the captives are in the streets of London, scarred and accusing of the cruelty of the evil and ignorant monarchs of the East?) Syllable! A certain reader flew a brick, your sister, it will take half a year to go to the UK at the earliest, even if you discount your legs, you should be cured! The unkind author can only say that you have too little knowledge, and a reporter in the West who has been gang-raped by the dictatorship five times can cry perfectly, and the wounds are still there for half a year, all of them are pediatrics. ）

"You can't! Those Dutch and Spaniards can endure the insults of those tyrannical monarchs of the East, and endure their barbarism, but we must not! I will send a fleet to the East to teach this brutal and ignorant fellow a lesson! ”

The English House of Parliament was applauded and cheered, and whistles and shouts were heard incessantly.

"Since we want to teach that barbaric and brutal Eastern monarch a lesson, where will the military money come from for this great modern Eastern crusade?"

After receiving the unanimous request of the members of the House of Lords and the nobles, the current King of England, Charles I, who was worried about the emptiness of the treasury and the lack of money in his hands, couldn't help but ask with a smile.

"Do you want the House to grant me the right to collect taxes again for a few years? To finance the military of the Crusades? It is also possible to build ships, recruit sailors, and forge cannons. ”

"Ahem!"

"It's a nice day, it's a rare good weather in London!"

Upon hearing such a request from His Majesty the King, the parliamentarians and nobles who had just now been filled with righteous indignation, and were eager to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and across the Indian Ocean to pull the cruel and unkind Li Shouhan out of his bed and drag him to the streets of the Thames to the streets, and immediately discussed the topic of going there for a walk.

Charlie had to smile bitterly and continue to think about where he should find money to fill the deficit and deficit in the treasury.

His days are compared to Chongzhen thousands of miles away. Life is much more miserable. Chongzhen's classmates are just because there are too many tax-exempt people in the country, and the amount of taxes is too low, but Chongzhen's classmates can collect taxes if they want to. It's not like Charlie, who has to get the consent of the House of Representatives if he wants to collect taxes.

No way, who let Charlie inherit from his predecessors and ancestors a regime that has been touted by countless Western media? Who made the kings of England for many generations not get the throne from horseback, but from bed and marriage? It's not a country that you have beaten yourself. Naturally, the weight of speech was insufficient, and it was necessary to reach a tacit understanding with the local tycoons (that is, the so-called English aristocracy), so the "Magna Carta", which was regarded as the model by countless people and advocated as the ancestor of the spirit of the rule of law, came out. The biggest difference between this article and my China is that my China pursues "the whole world is not the king's land", as long as it is within my regime, then my power cannot be rejected, of course. Whether or not it can be actually implemented is another matter. And this Magna Carta is a different set, "My vassals are not my vassals." "What do you mean? The king has no power over the territories of the dukes and marquises!

Such treatment, if it was known by those Donglin scholars in the Ming Dynasty, would they cry bitterly? "This is the treatment that I should enjoy as a scholar!"

Not only can we not pay taxes, but the imperial court must also obtain our consent to collect taxes, and there is no one in the world who respects scholars more than this and has the spirit of the rule of law. Does it have all the benefits of a coordinated government?

(That's it!) Countless developers of the Celestial Empire dragged a cannon out of the camp and opened fire on the unkind author. This cannon. In the camp of developers and the camp of the public elite, it can be described as a sharp weapon in the town, and the lethality is huge. And the tactical effect is quite numerous. The government wants to regulate housing prices, he fires shells, what mother-in-law needs, just needs, etc., housing prices in various places have fallen. Once the government wants to take measures to curb property speculation by imposing property taxes and prevent excessive growth in housing prices, he jumps out to ask the government to protect the interests of developers. What's more, they openly ignored the partyization promoted by the president in the National Revolutionary Army, and turned a blind eye to the president's idea of governing the country and the army with the party. Claiming that the National Revolutionary Army is not a party army, but a national army. If the principal knew underground, he was afraid that he would jump out of Cihu's coffin and scold a few times in the Ningbo accent, "Niang Xipi!" "You must know that during the Huangpu period, the principal's descendants were all from a certain department of the party army! If this person was born in the Chongzhen year of the Ming Dynasty or the British Civil War, I am afraid that he would also be regarded as a saint. ）

The British Revolution, which has been touted by countless historical works and textbooks as a precedent for bourgeois revolutions in the West, if a basin of water is brought to wash away the rouge and gouache smeared on the face, what is exposed in front of everyone will be the same as the tombstone of the five people in Suzhou.

In order to satisfy the demands of the domestic aristocracy for land and markets, the king launched a large-scale war of aggression against foreign countries, but these nobles and vested interests only thought about eating meat and drinking wine, and did not intend to help with the fire and the dishes. In the war, those ordinary people can die, and the land and other benefits that are fought down will naturally be obtained by us first.

However, the military expenses of the war, sorry, your majesty xià you can figure it out yourself. What the?! Going to tax us head, how can that be?! Down with the tyrant!

So, after being sold and bought, Charles I went out into the streets in two shirts.

Although the country was intricately contradicted by the entanglement of their own interests, this did not prevent the nobles and the royal family from forming companies together to trade in the lands they accused of barbarism and cruelty in public, in order to earn the silk, tea, porcelain, and other things that they sought in their sleep.

Of course, the English trading fleet that came this time was much more disciplined, leaving the ports of several Indian princes, and after learning that it had entered the territorial waters of the Nanyue Army, they immediately sealed the artillery, guns and other items on the ship, and waited for the sailors to check when they boarded the ship.

After arriving at the port of Guangzhou, the English merchants, who had already been numbed by the prosperity and wealth along the way, had to go to the Dutch, Spanish, French, and Portuguese who were also from the European continent to learn about business information, but also to have relations with the officials here.

So, this generous gift, which made the nobles who came with them feel a little painful, was placed in front of Ye Qi.

In order to be able to purchase goods that can make a lot of money along the way, from weapons and armor, to food and medicine, not to mention tea, sugar, spices, porcelain, and silk that is as smooth and brilliant as the skin of a beautiful woman. No matter how much money you have, you have to grit your teeth and spend it! Compared with those goods that can make a profit several times or even ten times as long as they get the contract, this money is nothing!

In addition to the 5,000 gold coins given to Ye Qi, dozens of fine peony horses and horses collected along the way were carefully raised on the ship, and they had already received news from their relatives who were fighting in Europe, and this Duke Li liked all kinds of famous horses. I hope that these high-quality horses can be used as stepping stones to open the door to wealth for everyone.

Now Ye Qi will be able to see these gold coins that were originally issued by Nanzhong? Don't say 5,000, if you really want to get it, it's 500,000, as long as he opens his mouth, those who are close to the Japanese daimyo will flock to him.

After copying the gift list, a mocking smile appeared on the corner of Ye Qi's mouth, and he took another piece of paper and made his own reply on it.

"I ordered a division in Guangzhou to contact the English people of the ministry. Find out what it means. If it is a legitimate trade activity, it will be made to comply with the law. By the way, find out its domestic dynamics. Can it be used by our Nanyue Army? This order! After writing, Ye Qi carefully signed and drew the seal.

If it weren't for the fact that there were too few people at this time, Ye Qi really wanted to send people to visit the country of these red-haired people. If he can come, why can't I? Look at what people and things the Nanyue army needs there, you can trade back, kidnap back, and save the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spaniards from profiting from it.

Alas! It's a pity that now in addition to arranging manpower to cooperate with the suppression of the chaos in various places, it is also necessary to send people to Siam, which is ready to be attached to the country, to install hidden stakes one by one. How can there still be people to go to England in Europa? (To be continued......)