Buried alive in the Qing Dynasty

Zhu Heqi took the envelope, tore open the seal, took out the letter paper inside, opened it and read it word by word.

The letter was full of ambiguous words, saying that it was Wu Sangui's "personal letter", but when it came, it was "not well-known", and I don't know if it was really handwritten.It really doesn't hold any ground!

After reading the letter, Zhu Heqi looked at Liu Xuanchu again, and said with a smile, "Mr. Liu, how should the lonely family reply to Xibo Ping?"

Liu Xuanchu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you can reply any way you want, but it's best to show a little sincerity... For example, what happened to Zhuge Tianlei?"

Chapter 190 Zhuge Tianlei's Secret!

In the eyes of others, Zhuge Tianlei is of course the third prince Zhu's greatest reliance!

However, for Zhu Heqi, "sugar medicine" is nothing more than convenient materials and easy preparation.

If you really want to give him some time, he has produced the two acids of nitric acid and sulfuric acid, and there will be too many kinds of explosives that can be produced in the future.

And these are all high-tech that are difficult to imitate, no, they should be "high-tech" products!

In addition, the convenience of obtaining materials for "sugar medicine" is only for the current Zhu Ming Group... Now the world's sugar industry is concentrated in Guangdong and Fujian provinces.Only Guangdong and Fujian can produce the high-purity white sugar required for the preparation of "sugar medicine".Nowhere else!

And Zhu Heqi has now "developed" "military-grade white sugar", that is, added iron dioxide powder, gum arabic and a small amount of fire nitrate for boiling, and then pressed and cut into blocks of white sugar.

Such candies are easy to store and transport, not prone to moisture, and are also convenient to configure before the army, without the need to add catalysts and coagulants.

The white sugar for military use will be in the form of lumps, and the weight of each piece is the same. With the fire nitrate that is weighed in advance and then packed, there is no need to use a scale to weigh it before the battle.

And this catalyst and coagulant...you can't understand it by licking it with your tongue!

In addition, because Zhu Heqi will add a certain amount of fire nitrate to the military white sugar, the new sugar medicine formula will be quite different from the original formula.

According to the new formula, if ordinary white sugar is used instead of military-grade white sugar, there is no way to make a powerful enough sugar medicine. At most, it can only be used to make a sugar medicine for smoke bombs.

When the northern factory specializing in the production of "special white sugar" and sugar cane wine moved to Guangzhou, Zhu Heqi planned to change the formula of "sugar medicine" and replace ordinary white sugar with military white sugar.

At the same time, Zhu Heqi will also move all the "pharmacists" who have mastered the original formula away from the front line as much as possible to prevent them from being captured during combat operations.

And he will also inform the Yanping Palace to take the same action to strengthen the management of "sugar medicine".

Therefore, even if external forces partially cracked the formula of "sugar medicine", it would not be a bad thing for Zhu Heqi, who had already started to grow bigger and started to "upgrade" white sugar... After all, this is used to satisfy hunger It is very expensive to sell white sugar for a hundred coppers a catty.But as an important raw material for making the most powerful gunpowder in the world today, isn't one hundred cents a catty too cheap?

Such an important military product, a strategic material that is critical to the survival of the country, and civilian sugar should be doubled!And the military white sugar with catalyst and coagulant added, selling for one or two silver a catty, doesn't seem to be expensive, right?

No matter how expensive you have to buy it!

Moreover, whoever Zhu Ming is willing to sell to is already a big face.If anyone is unconvinced, Zhu Heqi can create a "white sugar embargo list" and add their names to it, so that they will no longer be able to buy "military white sugar", and even "civilian white sugar" can be embargoed for you. !

"Mr. Liu..."

Although Zhu Heqi had long been prepared for the spread of sugar medicine technology, but now facing Liu Xuanchu's request, he still pretended to think for a long time, and finally seemed to grit his teeth and nodded.

"Forget it," Zhu Heqi said, "when the imperial court sends a mission to Yunnan, it will naturally bring a batch of raw materials for Tianlei...and also the formula. As long as Ping Xibo raises his troops against the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court will His envoys will naturally give him the formula."

Of course, the raw material that Zhu Heyi planned to be taken to Yunnan was military white sugar, and the recipe was not the original recipe, but a special recipe for military sugar cubes.

And the supply chain of military white sugar is still stuck in the hands of Zhu Heqi's Beichang!

Liu Xuanchu didn't know how high Zhu Heqi's "magic power" was, so he was naturally overjoyed, and immediately asked, "Who is the envoy of the imperial court?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Yang Qilong, "This Mr. Yang has cheated Prince Ping Xibo, so he can't go to Yunnan anymore."

Yang Qilong really can't go to Yunnan anymore, he made Wu Yingxiong miserable.Although Wu Yingxiong finally got a blessing in disguise, but the past few months did scare Wu Yingxiong enough!

Zhu Hechi smiled and said, "Mr. Liu, don't worry, this time the lonely family will arrange for a world-renowned celebrity and Confucian scholar to go with Mr. Liu to meet Ping Xibo in Yunnan with my father's decree."

Arranging celebrities and Confucian scholars to meet Wu Sangui in Yunnan is of course to show Wu Sangui that the revived Zhu Ming court is by no means a grassroots team, because it has already won the support of a group of Lingnan celebrities!

And this famous Lingnan scholar is Chen Gongyin, the eldest son of Chen Bangyan, the head of the three loyalists in Lingnan.After Yongli was murdered, he lived in seclusion in Zengcheng County, Guangzhou Prefecture, devoted himself to calligraphy and poetry, and became a famous master of a generation.Originally thought that there was no hope of recovery, but unexpectedly, the third prince Zhu and the third grandson of Zhu would rise miraculously.

So on the recommendation of his good friend Qu Dajun, who had just come to Canton from Chaozhou to serve as the chief envoy of Guangdong, he became an official of Zhu Heqi and served as the chief bookkeeper of Xingshizifu.

It is very appropriate for such a person to represent the newly opened Ming court to meet Wu Sangui in Yunnan.

At this moment, Liu Xuanchu smiled again and said to Zhu Heqi: "I have one more matter to discuss with my son...Jian Guo is the son of Wei Temple and is the orthodox Ming Dynasty. It is quite inappropriate to use the Yongli year name now. Should it be changed? Use Chongzhen year name? This year should be the 45th year of Chongzhen."

Of course Zhu Heqi knew why Liu Xuanchu said this.Because the Yongli Emperor Zhu Youlang was killed by Wu Sangui!

If Zhu Cijiong, Zhu Heqi and his sons continue to use the Yongli reign name, it will be tantamount to admitting that Zhu Youlang is the orthodox emperor of the Ming Dynasty.How does this make Wu Sangui deal with himself?

Zhu Hechi nodded and said: "The Yongli Year Name was used just for the Yanping Prince's Mansion before, but now the solitary family has occupied eleven counties in Guangfu, with a population of one million and tens of thousands of soldiers. Naturally, the Yongli Year Name will not be used anymore... Later, it will be changed to the reign title of Ding Wang Jian Guo, and this year is the first year of Ding Wang Jian Guo, so please rest assured Mr. Liu. The lonely family and father will not let Xibo Ping down from power."

In fact, the third prince of Zhu and the third grandson of Zhu were originally branches of the Tang Wang faction, and Longwu and Shaowu should be enshrined as Zhengshuo, and the Yongli should not be used to record the year.

……

Outside Beijing, Zizhu Courtyard.

Early this morning, a group of imperial guards in yellow jackets blocked the roads around the Purple Bamboo Courtyard, and the idlers were not even allowed to approach, let alone a way out!

According to those yellow jackets, the emperor came here to hunt in Zizhuyuan—that is, to the east of Zizhuyuan, where there are many animals!

When it was close to noon, there was a loud "rumbling" noise around the Purple Bamboo Courtyard...it sounded like a cannon!

Those who didn't know thought that the Qing emperor didn't hunt with bows and arrows or shotguns, but directly mounted cannons!

But whoever really wants to get close will find that this is not the case at all. It is not Kangxi who is hunting at all, but Emperor Kangxi, accompanied by several confidant ministers such as Yue Le, Tu Hai, Suo Etu, Xiong Cilu, etc. Shi Lang and Deng Zhong are playing with Zhuge Tianlei!

This time it's terrible, the Qing Dynasty also has its own Zhuge Tianlei!

Of course, theoretically, this sky thunder cannot be called Zhuge Tianlei, but should be called Shi Lang Tianlei, because it was originally invented by Shi Lang.

The iron-cased bombs that were detonated were not filled with sugar powder, but black powder mixed with finely ground "special white" white sugar.

Of course, the power of this kind of black powder mixed with white sugar cannot be compared with that of sugar powder, but it is still much more powerful than ordinary gunpowder. It can smash an iron shell bomb into pieces!

Emperor Kangxi, who was watching the explosion from a distance, showed a rare smile on his Ma face, nodded repeatedly and said: "Okay, okay... This Zhuge Tianlei turned out to be gunpowder with sugar added! I thought it was some kind of magic, it was really a lie I am in so much pain!"

He suddenly thought of something, turned his head and said to the ministers and servants beside him, "None of you are allowed to reveal this secret...not even Nan Huairen!"

"Whoo!"

Of course, several ministers and servants would not ask why, and they all answered "嗻".

Kangxi then said to Deng Zhong: "Deng Zhong, I order you to select 200 people from the banner soldiers you lead to be in charge of fire and thunder, and temporarily put them under the Armed Forces Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This time, I will follow Shi Lang to go south to Guangdong and help Dingnan General Create fire and thunder, but don't reveal the secret of fire and thunder!"

Chapter 191 Examination First, Encirclement Later

Emperor Kangxi's "fire and thunder policy" coincides with Zhu Hechi's "sugar and medicine route" a bit, they both try to monopolize as much as possible... This is a sharp weapon of the country and must be firmly grasped!

And you have to hide it from the foreign devils, so let that sorcerer of the Roman town magician study it carefully!

Thinking of this, Emperor Kangxi said to Tu Hai again: "I remember that in the title book that Shang Zhijie handed over, there was a so-called real Zhang from Longhu Mountain, who seemed to be quite good at fooling people."

Tu Haidao: "There is such a person, whose name seems to be Zhang Hongtian, whose Taoist name is Qiling, and who seems to be staying in Huizhou Mansion right now."

Kangxi said: "Send Liu Bingquan an imperial edict, saying that this Daoist Zhang is proficient in the law of fire and thunder, and he is a master of Taoism, let him carefully escort this person to Beijing... The fire and thunder of the imperial court are on the bright side. It has to come from him!

When the mage from Xiyi came to our place, we also asked this real person Zhang to deal with it. "

"Whoo!"

Tu Hai responded, and then reminded: "Your Majesty, a large amount of white sugar is needed to prepare this fire and thunder medicine, and most of the white sugar is produced in Guangdong and Fujian... Should the imperial court order the two provinces to purchase private sugar for military use?"

"No." Kangxi said, "With this order, either the white sugar will go up to the sky, or the local officials will harass the sugar farmers, so that the people below dare not plant sugar cane or make white sugar... Shi Lang, you are from Fujian, what do you say? What should I do?"

"Your Majesty," Shi Lang replied, "this white sugar only sells for a hundred cents a catty in Beijing... It's even cheaper in Fujian and Guangdong, so it's nothing. As long as you send some capable servants to buy it secretly, it's enough for military use." , there is no need to do it with great fanfare.”

"Okay," Kangxi said to Shi Lang with a smile, "I will leave the errand of buying sugar to your family. You are from Fujian, and your family has run a business, so you will be able to handle it. Feel free to give me as much money as you need. Zhezi, I trust you alone!"

"Slave thank you Lord Ron!"

Shi Lang hurriedly kowtowed, he was so moved that Emperor Kangxi sent the most important "military industry order" from the imperial court to his family!

Although Shi Lang didn't dare to treat Kangxi as a victim, he still had to make reasonable profits... and Kangxi also said "just trust him", which made it very clear. He was telling Prince An, Yue Le, and University scholar Tuhai No one is allowed to trouble Shi Lang on the issue of purchasing sugar!

If someone wants to intervene if they don't open their eyes, then one of them, an elder of the clan, a chief scholar, will go to that person and bulldoze him, and they are not allowed to poke up.

Both Yue Le and Tu Hai are smart people, so of course they know what Kangxi means.Kangxi no longer mentioned the matter of buying candy, but changed the subject and talked about the Guangdong Provincial Examination.

"Xue Zhang handed me the brochure, and asked whether the talents from the occupied Guangdong prefectures can come to Shaozhou for the imperial examination? Prince An, Tuhai, what do you think?"

"Your Majesty," Prince An Yue Le said, "These scholars have no responsibility to guard the land. If the territory falls, you can't blame them! This slave thinks that they should come to take the exam."

Tu Hai frowned and said, "Your Majesty, the slaves also thought they should be allowed to take the test, but this braid..."

Braids gone!

This is actually what Xue Zhang’s paper asked. Guangdong scholars with braids can of course take the provincial examination, but Zhu Heyi does not allow adult men who are registered in the jurisdiction to wear braids.

"Let them take the test!" Kangxi laughed, "Compared with braids and heads, the head is always more important... I can't be unkind!

Besides, the head is gone, so where are the braids?What other imperial examinations are you taking?How can you serve me?Although I can't tolerate those traitors who are true followers of thieves, those who cut off their braids to save their heads are not true followers of thieves.

Ming issued an edict, telling the scholars and candidates in Guangdong that no matter whether they have braids or not, they can go to Shaozhou to take the provincial examination, and come to Beijing to take the national examination. I will treat them equally and will not blame them just because their braids are cut off. "

Kangxi ordered Xue Zhang to conduct a large-scale provincial examination in Guangdong, the purpose of which was to poach Zhu and Qi's corners and at the same time consolidate his own camp.How can you not give an exam because a scholar has no braids?Doesn't this mean that they are stabilizing the camp for Zhu and Qi?

"Emperor Shengming!"

Regarding Kangxi's decision, of course Yue Le and Tu Hai called "Sheng Ming" together.

In fact, this is not a holy name, it is just common sense.Although Kangxi is not a holy king, he is not the kind of king who is aloof but does not know the fireworks in the world.

Moreover, most of the ancestral family laws of the Manchu Qing Dynasty came from Kangxi... some were established by Kangxi when he was alive, and some were summed up by Yongzheng after Kangxi's death. Of course, these ancestral family laws cannot be used to restrain Kangxi himself.

……

"Prince An, Tuhai, what did Geng Jingzhong want to do all the way to Beijing? Have you asked?"

On the way back to the city from Zizhuyuan, Emperor Kangxi, who seemed to be in a good mood, asked about Geng Jingzhong's going to Beijing again.

Geng Jingzhong left Fuzhou in May, spent two months traveling slowly north, and finally arrived in Beijing one day ago.

Kangxi asked Yue Le and Tu Hai to meet him, and asked him what he wanted to do when he came to Beijing.

"Report to the emperor," Tu Hai replied, "Prince Jingnan is here to ask for power."

"Want power? What kind of power do you want?" Kangxi asked again.

"Your Majesty," Yue Le took over the question, "King Jingnan said that he has great power and little power. Although he bears the name of King Jingnan, in fact he can't even control Fuzhou. Only a few people are really under his jurisdiction." Ten feudal vassals and villages, fifteen flag troops led by assistants, and six thousand green battalion soldiers. He felt that with this strength, he could not defeat the false third prince Zhu and the pirate Zheng Shizi. If he could not gain more military power, wait for those two If he comes to the door, he will be like Shang Kexi."

"Same as Shang Kexi?" Kangxi frowned, "Didn't I give Shang Kexi great power? Shang Kexi has been in Guangzhou for so many years, and the Xiangshan-Macao trade alone has made millions... But he doesn't give the surname the same. Is Zhu beaten like that?"

In Kangxi's tone, he was quite dissatisfied with the Xiangshan-Macao trade, because the Macanese Portuguese such as Rotoni and Sampaolo had already arrived in Beijing, and they all became glorious slaves with the yellow banner.

Emperor Kangxi also summoned them in person, and not only asked Zhu Hechi about the capture of Macau, but also carefully asked about the trade situation in Macau.Knowing that Shang Kexi can get at least 100 million taels of silver from the Xiangshan-Macau trade every year, he is a little dissatisfied.

It's not because the people below are dissatisfied with making money, but because Shang Kexi only knows about making money and having children, and he is dissatisfied because he has forgotten about the war.

Moreover, the money was not spent in the end, and most of it went to the third prince and grandson of Zhu third!

Do you think Emperor Kangxi can not be angry?

"Your Majesty," Yue Le looked at Kangxi's unhappy face, so he tentatively said, "Why don't you withdraw Geng Jingzhong's domain and let him return to Beijing to be an idle prince."

"Withdraw the domain?" Kangxi was taken aback, "Is Geng Jing loyal?"

"Yes!" Yue Le said, "He told the servant yesterday that if he didn't have great power, he would definitely not be able to defeat the false Third Prince Zhu and the false Prince Zheng... Rather than miss your Majesty's important event, he would also fall into the trap." If a soldier is defeated and dies, it is better to hand over the power early and return to Beijing to become a rich man. This way, the emperor can also send officials to Fujian to take charge of the military and political power, so that the court officials and the vassals will not hinder each other, and the event will be ruined in the end."

"The high officials and the vassal king are holding each other back?" Kangxi frowned deeply when he heard this, and he already understood what Geng Jingzhong meant... There were not many soldiers in Fujian, but there was a vassal king, a guarding duke, a governor, and a Imperial envoy.

This can make up a table of mahjong!

The four bosses each have their own way, and the people below don't know who to listen to?No wonder the battle was fought well.

And the situation in Guangdong is similar to that in Fujian, or even more chaotic!Now there is a governor, a vassal, a duke, a general Dingnan, and a certain Nan Gege...the five bosses, who should they listen to?

Thinking of this, Emperor Kangxi said in a low voice: "It's also the same reason... well, let Geng Jingzhong meet me in the South Study later, and I want to ask you face to face."

Chapter 192 Can Geng Jingzhong have evil intentions?

Forbidden City, South Study Room.

On the second day after Emperor Kangxi received the white sugar Huolei presented by Shi Lang and Deng Zhong, Geng Jingzhong, the king of Jingnan in the Qing Dynasty who went to Beijing with Shi Lang and Deng Zhong, finally wore a flower feather on his top, and entered the daily office of Emperor Kangxi neatly. And the South study room where the minister was summoned.He met Aixinjueluo Xuanye, the Little Holy Master of the Qing Dynasty who had made him "think about it day and night" for many days.

"Slave Geng Jingzhong respectfully invites Sheng'an, long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

This sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked Geng Jingzhong was an honest man after all, although he had been secretly discussing how to deceive the emperor with the military adviser Zuo Chunqiu along the way, but now when he kowtowed to Kangxi, his mind was blank, and he was only trembling.

"I bow to you."

Kangxi replied, and then looked at Geng Jingzhong, who was kneeling on the ground sweating profusely, trembling, as if he had done something wrong, and asked half-jokingly, "What are you afraid of? I'm not a tiger. I'm not a tiger. Can you eat it? You must have done something to offend me, right? "

This Geng Jingzhong and Kangxi are also relatives, he married Hauge's daughter as Zheng Fujin, Kangxi's cousin husband.Before he took over the throne, he often lived in Beijing, and often met with Emperor Kangxi, and the two sides were fairly familiar.So it's okay for Kangxi to joke with him.