I'm really not the carpenter emperor

The officer smiled and said:

"Look at what happened to the last grandpa of our Dengzhou mansion, and the wealthy Li Dong's family in Haiyang."

"If His Majesty doesn't rub the sand in his eyes today, how can anyone dare to do such a thing!"

Seeing that the people around him still had doubts, the officials were helpless, there was nothing they could do, this was all the scourge planted by the previous prefect of Dengzhou.

Announcements were originally something that the government announced to the people about some major events or decrees. No one had thought of falsifying such things before.

But if this kind of thing happened for the first time, there is no guarantee that there will be a second time.

So now when many people look at the official notice again, they have already kept an eye on it.

"If you don't believe me, I can't help it. You can go to the newspaper room to get a copy of the Beijing News and ask the literate person to read it to you!"

"The subsequent notices are not only issued by our government, but also issued by the Salt Inspection Division regarding the salt administration, and there are special personnel to read and read."

After hearing these words, the people gradually became quiet.

"Everyone be quiet, listen to the official's notice!"

The official waited until there was no sound around, and read aloud:

"Lu Daqi, the magistrate of Dengzhou, tampered with the imperial court's notice, and accepted bribes from the owner of the Haiyang Salt Field, Li Wei. The crime was added to the crime. He lost all his family property, and his family was copied and executed!"

"From now on, the Imperial Salt Inspection Division will take over the major salt farms in Shandong Province. The salt farms will be reopened, and private sales of salt by coastal people will be strictly prohibited. However, the imperial court will rebuild workshops in the old salt farms and recruit a large number of coastal people to dry salt!"

"The magistrate's yamen doesn't care about the specific wages and benefits. There is no relevant content in the notice. You have to ask the patrol salt department or the salt inspection department yamen!"

Hearing this, many people felt relieved.

Not being allowed to sell salt is nothing. Selling salt violates government regulations, and it is not a stable job. If there is something else to do, no one is willing to take the risk to sell salt.

"Where's that Li Eel, will he be all right?"

As soon as the officer said this, he was interrupted by his subordinates, and then he frowned, looked at the man who asked the question, and said, "Don't interrupt, I haven't finished reading yet."

"The owner of Haiyang Saltworks, Li An, violated the new salt law and killed nine clans! Li Yan peeled off the last grass and hung his head on the city of Laiyang for seven days, as a warning to others!"

"Kill the Nine Clans!?"

"The punishment of peeling the last grass, I haven't seen it for many years..."

"The court's treatment is so strict."

The punishment of killing the nine clans and peeling the last grass was indeed too heavy, which also made the people quiet for a while, looking at each other, not knowing whether to celebrate or call it cruel.

Less leaning, the cheers still appeared on the street.

"Should kill!!"

Chapter 492 Just Set an Example

Things happened suddenly, and within a month, Shandong suffered drastic changes.

This made the tycoons and salt merchants in the Lianghuai and coastal areas of Fujian, which are under the control of the new salt law of the imperial court, not know what to do for a while.

But things have come to this point, even the Zheng family doesn't dare to be too arrogant.

Today's Emperor Tianqi's methods are too harsh. Even if there is a civil uprising in Shandong, he still responds calmly without retreating in the slightest.

This also made many people clearly realize that perhaps the implementation of the new salt law is unstoppable.

The sea waves are clear and clear, Yuegang in Zhangzhou, Fujian.

Since Zheng Yiguan broke with the maritime merchant Li Dan in the first year of Tianqi and was recruited by Fujian governor Nanjuyi, Yuegang has become the coastal base of the Zheng family's fleet.

Zheng Yiguan was appointed as Zhangzhou coastal defense, which is different from inland defense. This is a position with a low official position but great authority.

But Zheng Yiguan seldom stayed in the garrison mansion in Zhangzhou City. In comparison, he spent more time in the former Galen ship in Yuegang.

The Galen ship, the main battleship commonly used in Western countries today, is equipped with large-caliber heavy artillery, which can be fired accurately every few miles, and its firepower is extremely powerful.

At present, no navy in Ming Dynasty owns Galen warships, not to say that money is cherished.

It's just that when Yuan Keli developed his navy in Denglai, he abandoned the consideration of introducing major Western warships and instead developed himself.

The advent and popularization of the Zhenlu Cannon greatly improved the problem of insufficient firepower of the Daming Navy.

Today, the Denglai Navy's refitted Dafu ship is also equipped with a large number of suppressing captive guns. Although its firepower is slightly inferior to that of the Galen ship, it has a huge advantage in terms of manning.

There is no real fight, but it is impossible to say which is better between the Dafu Ship and the Galen Ship.

"An official..."

Zheng Hongkui didn't find Zheng Yiguan in the garrison mansion, so don't think too much, he must be on the deck of the Galen ship in Yuegang again.

When he came here, he really saw Zheng Yiguan, he called out and approached slowly.

Zheng Yiguan knew who was coming just by hearing the voice, and without replying, he stood on the deck with his hands behind his back, looking at the rippling sea, and said faintly:

"Second Uncle, can I ask you something?"

Zheng Hongkui seemed taken aback.

"An official, why do you say that?"

"This year is the fourth year of Tianqi, and I am 20 years old, can...can you stop calling me by my nickname in front of others."

Zheng Yiguan said, turned around, and said:

"Second Uncle, can you call me Zheng Zhilong?"

"I heard that the current emperor is only in his early twenties, similar to me, is that true?"

Zheng Hongkui was taken aback for a moment, then laughed, patted him on the shoulder, sat on the big stone box beside him, and sighed:

"Yeah, I'm only in my early twenties."

"An official has grown up, he will be twenty this year..."

Although Zheng Zhilong has just turned 20 years old this year, he has always been very mature in dealing with people, and he will not hesitate at all when he should be decisive.

Although Zheng Hongkui is his elder, in fact, most of the time he regards himself as a subordinate, and in terms of personal ability, he is even more inferior to himself.

For a long while, the two were silent.

Zheng Hongkui patted his buttocks and got up, raised his voice, and said in a voice that could be heard by the "Zheng family officers and soldiers" on the deck:

"Zheng Hongkui, meet Zhangzhou Guard and Zheng Zhilong!"

Suddenly such a loud voice attracted the attention of most officers and soldiers on the deck.

Zheng Zhilong finally heard this sound. He was so relieved and overjoyed that he quickly bent down to help him up, and laughed and replied: "We are all family members, second uncle don't need to be polite!"

After Zheng Hongkui got up, he stood behind Zheng Zhilong and said worriedly:

"The salt inspection department of the imperial court has come to Yuegang. In the past few days, a large number of people have been expanded to go to various places to inspect the salt industry."

Zheng Zhilong didn't seem surprised, nodded and said lightly:

"Well, I know that."

Holding on to the railing, Zheng Hongkui leaned against Wang Yang and said:

"It is said that the Nanzhao Institute, the Tongshan Institute, and more than a dozen salt farms in Zhenhaiwei have all been taken over by the local salt inspection department."

"The imperial court moved very quickly, and the new salt inspector is also a ruthless character. I heard that he was transferred from Dongchang. He handled the Donglin case. As soon as he took office, he brought out Jiang, Shen, Han, The Yang family hoarded a large amount of private salt evidence."

"Speaking of... these four families are quite unlucky!"

"The power of these four families is not small on weekdays, but how can they fight against the imperial court?"

"Wang Mengxiong also sent troops to maintain the surrounding order when the Salt Patrol Division took action, in order to deter the rest of the tyrants who were about to make a move."

"The inspection was very straightforward. It directly copied the four families of Jiang, Shen, Han, and Yang. The family wealth accumulated in several generations all went to the emperor's internal funds."

"The situation is severe now, you should make up your mind, you can't drag it any longer..."

"Wang Mengxiong..." Zheng Zhilong murmured when he heard this, and said:

"I know this person well. He must be a general from South Fujian Road. That year when he was recruited, it was this Wang Mengxiong who came here on behalf of Fujian Governor Nan Juyi."

"After all, at that time I was just a pirate who had just left Li Dan and had a small fortune..."

Speaking of this, Zheng Zhilong was a little self-deprecating. He was no longer as excited as when he received the imperial decree at the beginning of the year. He also leaned on the railing and said to Zheng Hongkui:

"This time the imperial court's new salt law, what does Second Uncle think?"

Zheng Hongkui thought for a while, then sighed:

"It's difficult. The salt industry is very profitable. It has always been [-]% or more of our Zheng family's income. The new salt law of the imperial court took back the salt farms in various places and rectified the salt industry. Presumably, it is also eyeing this huge profit."

Zheng Zhilong nodded and said:

"Second uncle is right. I have read the new salt law of the imperial court. It has settled down for the people along the coast. The main content is to take back the salt farms across the country, clean up the salt fields, and select new salt merchants to issue salt quotations."

"The implementation of the new salt law is unstoppable. Even our Zheng family is struggling with their arms and legs. Let's let go of the errands on land..."

Hearing this, Zheng Hongkui seemed a little surprised.

"Yiguan, what do you mean?"

Zheng Zhilong smiled and said:

"Our Zheng family is not good at land business, and there is absolutely no need to tear ourselves apart with the imperial court because of this. We still have to rely on the imperial court."

Having said that, Zheng Zhilong looked at the sea again, with a little light in his eyes.

"In this day and age, the real huge profits are not on land, but at sea, in the depths of the distant sea! What kind of tea, horse, salt and iron, compared with the profits at sea, are not huge profits at all."

Zheng Hongkui understands that Zheng Zhilong has greater ambitions, but he doesn't understand that there are many maritime merchants in the world, and as far as he knows, the biggest one is Li Dan.

Doing business with those foreign businessmen is not a stable profit. How can it be as fast and stable as the salt industry?

Although he was puzzled, Zheng Hongkui did not talk too much. He has always been like this, not asking too much, not talking too much, because this kind of relationship can last long.

Zheng Zhilong looked at it for a while, then got up suddenly, and said:

"If the imperial court wants to accept it, we will let it go. Not only do we want to let it go, we will throw all the outlets of the salt industry to the court! The Jiang, Shen, Han, and Yang families are examples of disobedience. Our Zheng family, simply Just set an example of obedience!"

"Send someone to find Wang Mengxiong, and tell him that I, Zheng Zhilong, gave him a great credit. He will be prosperous in the future. Don't forget to do it today."

Chapter 493 This is a handle

"What, Zheng Yiguan sent someone here?"

"This is really weird..."

Sitting in his general's mansion in Jinjiang City, Quanzhou Prefecture, Wang Mengxiong was still surprised to hear what the soldiers said.

Come to think of it, Zheng Zhilong, a pirate, has been recruited by the court for almost two years. What he did in Zhangzhou seems to be following the rules. In fact, Wang Mengxiong also knows that the Zheng family has been developing secretly.

Although Zheng Zhilong submitted to the imperial court, the Zheng family's fleet still only listened to him.

As a general, I can't control Zheng Zhilong's Zhangzhou garrison, nor Zheng Zhibao's thousands of households in Tongshan, nor can he control the Zheng family's fleet.

In his opinion, what the Zheng family's fleet actually did was pirates.

It's just that the Penghu naval battle helped the Fujian navy, so that they were able to wear the skins of the official army and do their own convenience.

Of course, with the help of the Zheng family's fleet, the Fujian navy defeated the invading Dutch East India Company fleet in Penghu, and got their ships and artillery. Competing development situation.

But then again, after Zheng Zhilong left Li Dan, he was going to be chased and killed by many pirates headed by Li Dan, but he turned into the Zhangzhou defense of the Ming court.

With the help of the imperial court, the Zheng family's critical situation was turned upside down at once.

Even though the pirates got married because of Li Dan and the Zheng family, the Zheng family has now been appeased by the court, so it is not so easy to do it.

The current situation is no longer that the pirates are chasing and killing Zheng Zhilong. It is Zheng Zhilong who has taken advantage of this position of coastal defense to gradually erode the pirates and merchants in the past, that is, the southeast coastal armed group headed by Li Dan.

Wang Mengxiong could see these things clearly, this Zheng Zhilong would definitely not be at ease as an official of the court, his ambition was much bigger than this.

Now that Zheng Zhilong took the initiative to send someone here, it must be for some big event.

There is only one major event in Fujian recently, that is, the implementation of the new salt law of the imperial court from Shandong to here. It is likely that Zheng Zhilong is doing this.

But in his heart, Wang Mengxiong still wanted Zheng Zhilong to learn from the four families of Jiang, Shen, Han, and Yang, and to oppose the court in the local area.

In this way, he can get rid of this scourge early.

"Let him in."

After all, a person who had been waiting outside the lobby of the garrison mansion walked in, but to Wang Mengxiong's surprise, this person came empty-handed.