Yiqinghe County was attacked and seized by the Haikou, the governor of Caoyun died when he was in Kang, and the Huai'an Prefecture governed Shanyang County and deceived the Kou, and the prefect fled......

When the news reached Yangzhou City, it only made the hearts of the people in the city even more panicked, and the city gate, which had been open for a few hours, suddenly closed.

Even if the city gate is closed, the salt merchants who are hiding in the courtyard of the city are all looking at the prefect's yamen one by one, looking at the salt envoy yamen, especially the latter, after all, this city defender has long been transferred to Guazhou, which will have been thrown into the Yangtze River to feed the fish, as for the current one who guards the city, it is the salt in the salt envoy yamen, in other words, only the salt envoy is in charge now. Although he is not a city guard, this soldier is his, even if the prefect can speak, it is far from being a salt envoy, after all, this soldier belongs to others.

Now that the situation has come to this point, why hasn't Gao Chaoling surrendered?

For these salt merchants who have either experienced or heard of the tragic situation in Yangzhou for ten days, they now have only one thought, that is, this Gao Dynasty Order can directly open the city gate and surrender like Zhenjiang Zhixian, instead of defending the city.

For them, maybe they once earned a lot of silver by relying on the Manchus, but it does not mean that they are willing to die for the Manchus, the court will always be just the court, and their lives are their own!

Qing comes to clear the clear, and Ming comes to clear the light, this is the foundation of saving life. They will never be like the Yangzhou salt merchants back then, all their worth and names are bet, they are Jin merchants, they can cooperate with the Manchu Qing Dynasty back then, and now they can also cooperate with the Ming army, as long as they can keep the current glory and wealth.

Just as these salt merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi were trying in every possible way to test the idea of the Yangzhou prefect, trying to persuade Gao Chaoling to follow the example of Zhenjiang Kaicheng and surrender, staring at the salt envoy Yamen who seemed to be still deployed to defend the city, in that yamen, Gao Chaoling was waiting for news all day long.

"Master, people have heard that in this opera garden, there is a new drama in the past few days......"

Xiyun leaned on Gao Chaoling's arms and said coquettishly, she was originally a famous prostitute in Qinhuaihe. When Gao Chaoling first served as the salt transport envoy, the salt merchants paid for her to redeem her and sent her into the mansion to become Gao Chaoling's concubine.

Even now, when people are panicking, it does not prevent her from listening to the drama in the opera garden every day, as a woman, she knows that this kind of military affairs has nothing to do with her, even if the city is broken. What's the matter, it's just a change of master.

Women are practical sometimes!

"When is this all the time, still listen to the play! It's really a businesswoman who doesn't know the hatred of the country! What a slut! ”

Gao Chaoling was a little bored and pushed away this usually extremely gracious woman, where is there still the usual favor, and then shouted outside the door,

"Sixth, let you pack up your things, have you packed up? If General Dasu comes, we will have to go and see General Dasu......"

The so-called visit to General Dasu is just an excuse, and sometimes, even when going out of the city, an excuse is needed to avoid suspicion among his subordinates.

For Gao Chaoling, who has been a salt transport envoy for three years, he has already accumulated a lot of family business.

After so many years, where have the salt profits of these two Huai gone? At most, the imperial court can touch two percent, and the rest falls into the hands of salt merchants, who eat meat, and as a salt transport envoy, he can naturally drink some soup. It is these soups that are enough for him to eat and drink all his life, and enough for his high family to squander for several lifetimes.

Of course, a more important reason is that he is not a Xinjiang official, although he leads Cao Ding, but he has no responsibility to defend the city, even if the city is lost, it has nothing to do with him. Defending the city is the business of the prefect's yamen. What does it have to do with him, the salt carrier?

For him, who has accumulated a net worth of millions in the past three years, he is naturally unwilling to throw his life in this place in vain. Thousands of miles of officials are only for money, and the reason why he is this salt envoy is not to throw his head here, why is the Qing Dynasty loyal. If this was the case, she would have been loyal to the Ming Dynasty a long time ago! Since he was not loyal to the Ming Dynasty back then, how can he be loyal to the Qing Dynasty now.

He didn't know what would happen to the future of the Great Qing Kingdom, but he knew that as long as he got the 200,000 taels of silver, it would be enough to persuade those people in the capital to save his life, and he might even be able to release a fat difference in the future. Even if it is not good, the 200,000 taels are always extra silver. Who would be afraid of silver in these days!

As for the rest, I can't take care of it for the time being, the little concubine who used to be pampered is just for a while, and the bottle is just to let her serve herself better in bed.

This Yangzhou can't stay anyway, anyway, the family is in their hometown in Shandong, while they can still leave, leaving Yangzhou is the best choice!

But the problem is Zheng Xiaru's side...... Why is there no news so far?

If there is no news from Zheng Xiaru's side, whether he can safely return to his hometown in Shandong along the Grand Canal is a matter of whether he can safely return to his hometown in Shandong.

"I really should have lost this Yangzhou earlier, and left Yangzhou earlier, why did I get to this point now."

Thinking like this in his heart, Gao Chaoling even thought that if it really didn't work, he wouldn't wait for the news from Zheng Xiaru's side, 200,000 taels...... It's nothing more than earning 200,000 taels less!

But the point is - the boat!

It is necessary to find reliable people to make the ship, which is why he chose Zheng Xiaru, the Zheng family has a salt ship.

In addition to the boat, the Zheng family's connections on the Grand Canal are what he needs. Especially now that Qinghe has been occupied by the Ming army, the relationship between the Zheng family is even more needed. Now only by relying on the relationship of the Zheng family can he be able to protect his safe return to his hometown in Shandong.

"If it really doesn't work, I just pay for a boat and just bring the silver home......"

Even if the Ming army invades Beijing in the future and regains the world, it will not rush to arrest the old officials of the former dynasty, after all, there are too many people who work for the Qing Dynasty in this world, and they can still come to the door one by one?

As long as he honestly stays in his hometown as an apartment, with the family business accumulated over the years, even his children and grandchildren can enjoy all the blessings in their lives.

Although more than ten years after the ups and downs of the Huan Sea, Gao Chaoling was unwilling to do this to live for the elderly, and he even thought about taking Zheng Xiaru's 200,000 taels to go to Beijing for some activities, first to shirk the blame, and then wait until the situation is stable, and then put a fat difference again, even if the salt transportation is not successful, it is not impossible to put a fat difference in the south of the Yangtze River!

If it is said that in the future, the Ming Dynasty will regain the world. That's okay, who in this world would be afraid of silver? As long as you have the money, you may be able to find another errand in the new dynasty at that time.

"The world loves officials, so what's wrong?"

With this thought in his heart, Gao Chaoling muttered to himself again.

"If it really doesn't work, I will take my own money and go over to the capital first, and then talk about other things after I release it in the future...... But I just don't know what the situation will be like in the future? Is it the Ming Dynasty or the Qing Dynasty? This world? Ay...... It's hard! ”

When Gao Chaoling was thinking about how to plan for the future, there was a report from the doorman there.

"Master, Zheng Xia is asking to see!"

As soon as he heard that Zheng Xia was asking to see him, Gao Chaoling, who had been looking forward to him, heard it, and almost immediately spoke.

"Quick, hurry up and invite him into the house!"

Gao Chaoling shouted and ordered, probably realizing that he was a little out of shape, and commanded again.

"Please, invite him to the study!"

Then Gao Chaoling waited anxiously, until the next person said that the guest arrived at the study, he pretended to walk slowly to the study, but after he entered the door, when he saw Zheng Xiaru, the eagerness between the words still showed his state of mind.

"Shisuke, when did you come back? What's the news over there? ”

As soon as these words came out, Gao Chaoling regretted it a little, didn't this just tell him that he was anxious about this matter. But how can the current situation be hidden?

For Gao Chaoling, he didn't want to lose his life and wealth for nothing.

"Big ......"

Before Zheng Xiaru finished speaking, Gao Chaoling said.

"Shisuke, why do you and I need to be so polite?"

"Senior brother, it's the younger brother who has seen the outside!"

Zheng Xiaru smiled, looked at Gao Chaoling and said.

"Brother Gao, this matter has been done......"

As he spoke, he had already taken out a piece of paper. You can vaguely see that the paper is covered with a large seal!

"Brother Gao, this is a certificate to go north along the canal, as long as Brother Gao takes this certificate, the Ming army on the canal will not stop it, nor will it be searched, as for this Yangzhou ......"

Looking at Gao Chaoling, Zheng Xiaru asked rhetorically.

"Brother Gao can arrange everything?"

In fact, at noon today, he has returned to the city, he has been waiting, waiting for the news in the city, just as he expected, from the prefect to the county and the salt merchants in the city, they have to find a way to live, the news that the military gate has taken Huai'an, has shaken the entire Yangzhou, in the face of the reality of becoming a lonely city, the people in the city of Yangzhou, naturally have found a way to live.

It's just that they didn't know that long before they were active, Gao Chaoling here already had other plans, and he had already planned everything.

"Shisuke, don't worry, you just have to order someone to take my warrant to open the city gate, I have already arranged everything, and when the time comes, the army will only come in disguised as reinforcements, as for Yanding's side, which dog thing in Sun'er Mansion, it's okay to get money and prostitute bitches, as for the war...... Hmph, he doesn't have the guts yet! In the past few days, he has been asking when the reinforcements from Fengyang will come! ”

After saying this, Gao Chaoling looked at Zheng Xiaru again and asked.

"So, are all those things ready?"

Seeing that everything was as originally planned, Zheng Xiaru nodded and said.

"Senior brother's arrangement, how dare the younger brother not do his best? Everything has been brought to you on the boat, and the younger brother has prepared ten salt boats for you on the canal......"

Hearing that Gao Chaoling had already arranged everything, Zheng Xiaru naturally informed the other party of everything that had been arranged, including the 200,000 taels of silver, of course.

Everything was as discussed by the two, and by the time Zheng Xiaru left, he had already got everything he wanted, and even Gao Chaoling ordered his master to prepare the silver of the labor army in front of him - these silvers, of course, these silver were not escorted by him.

"Prepare the car, prepare the car...... If the silver is not transported over first, the general soldiers of Fenghuai Town will not move! What are they all a bunch of, don't they know that they are eating the court's food? ”

Just as the climax was complaining, his master came over and asked.

"Master, where are the soldiers in Fenghuai Town?"

"It's less than fifty miles away from the city, no, I sent someone to send a letter, without 30,000 taels of silver, they will never come over, this group of bastards who have made a fortune in the country, and when they pass this level, they have to participate in them!"

Gao Chaoling said angrily.

"Well, Nianpu, in this way, you personally bet the silver over, and you must greet those grandsons, and we can all point to them in Yangzhou!"

"Yes, yes, the villain knows."

Zhao Pingyue hurriedly smiled, but quietly returned to his house and quickly packed his belongings. He didn't have much money, but it was a lot, more than two thousand taels of silver. This silver has long been exchanged for more than two hundred taels of gold, if it is said, the reinforcements have not come, maybe he will stay and wait for Gao Chaoling to surrender, but now, for him, there is only one thought left - escape!

Just when Zhao Pingyue, who was the master, was planning for himself, Gao Chaoling's long-term follower who had already ordered him to prepare everything, in fact, many things had already been prepared, and he would load the car and send it out of the city as soon as he gave the order.

As soon as he saw the personal long entourage, Gao Chaoling asked.

"Are you ready?"

"It's already packed, the cart is parked in the back alley, and those boat villains have already seen it, and they are all parked on the dock outside the city!"

The subordinate's answer made Gao Chaoling just nod his head, and then didn't say anything, and then took out a key and went straight to a warehouse in the back house. After the door of the warehouse was opened, dozens of iron-nailed Nanmu boxes were neatly placed there.

Then Gao Chaoling shouted to the people.

"All in the car!"

Although half of the silver has been exchanged for gold over the years, there are still more than 30 chests in it. For Gao Chaoling, this is his last point.

"I should have shipped the things away first......

Throughout the ages, the appointment of officials has been a light car Jane from the office, thousands of cars and hundreds of ships to leave office, because of the inconvenient transportation, the things that are fished in the office can only be taken away when leaving office, of course, he also left a way back for himself, as early as last year, he ordered people to transport tens of thousands of silver back to his hometown,.

"Well, now...... That's it, that's it......"

Shaking his head, looking at these boxes, thinking that the salt transportation made this fat difference just gone, Gao Chaoling was just a heartache, but he still commanded.

"Changshun, load them all into the car!"