Chapter 355: Someone is targeting you

He is not even twenty years old yet, but he looks very tall and mighty, with clear facial features and sharp eyes. He is a very handsome man.

As soon as he entered, he bowed to Zhao Shen and Ji Yunshu and said, "Sorry to bother you two."

Ji Yunshu was unsure why he came, so he bowed and left.

Zhao Shen watched Lu Ru bring tea, then offered his seat to Qi Zheng and asked, "Why are you looking for me so late at night? Is there something wrong?"

Qi Zheng didn't hesitate and sat down opposite him. He took a sip of tea before saying, "If I have nothing to do, can't I come to see you?"

If Ji Yunshu were here, she would find that these two people were not as unrelated as she thought, and their words and actions were very familiar.

Zhao Shen stroked the teacup with one hand and looked at him: "You came in such a hurry, you don't look like nothing happened."

Qi Zheng acted as if he was bored. "I really can't hide anything from you. I'm in charge of arranging the defenses of the palace, and I've placed some secret guards everywhere. I heard something interesting today. Do you want to know?"

"Is it about me?"

This is not difficult to guess. If it was not related to him, Qi San would not come to him.

"Yes, it's not only related to you, but also to the people of Mobei. I'm afraid you don't know that the prince of Mobei is plotting against you, right?"

Zhao Shen really didn't know, but it wasn't surprising. The people from Mobei had been in the capital for some time and had always been very well-behaved. It was time for them to make some moves.

"What are you planning on doing with me? Prince Mobei can't possibly be interested in me, right?"

Zhao Shen said calmly.

Qi Zheng didn't expect Zhao Shen to say such a thing. He said in a rather puzzling way, "After not seeing you for so many years, you've changed a lot. You even start to make fun of yourself."

In the past, Zhao Shen seemed like a gentleman, but in fact he was as cold as the snow and ice on the top of Mount Kunlun that had not melted for years, and it was impossible to tell any emotion from him.

Now it has gained some popularity.

This made him feel very interesting.

Zhao Shen rolled his eyes at him. "You said it's been years since we last met. Who would remain unchanged? You don't look as bitter and resentful as before."

Qi Zheng said with some emotion: "Yes, I used to want those people to die. After going out and seeing the world, I realized how narrow-minded I was back then."

Zhao Shen was a little surprised: "So you don't hate them now?"

He thought Qi Zheng had been unwilling to come back for so many years because he was still holding a grudge against those people. Turns out he has let it go?

Qi Zheng gritted his teeth and said, "Of course I hate it, but I just realized that hatred is not the only purpose of living."

Zhao Shen nodded: "You are right to think so. The emperor has always hoped that you would come back."

"I know, I'm just used to being outside and I can't bear to come back and see those people's faces."

At this point, Qi Zheng waved his hand in boredom, "Alright, let's not talk about these spoilers. The secret guards in the courtyard of the Third Prince of Mobei heard today that he seemed to want to do something to you."

Zhao Shen raised his eyes to look at him: "What are you doing to me?"

Qi Zheng shook his head: "The other party is very cautious. I didn't hear the details, but I'm sure it's related to you."

Zhao Shen paused as he was stroking the teacup. What would the people of Mobei want to do to him?

Qi Zheng said, "I think they've been dragging their feet for a while now. If they want to do anything, they can only do it in the palace. It's hard to guard against hidden attacks, so you have to be careful."

Zhao Shen nodded: "Thank you very much."

Qi Zheng smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite to me? If you hadn't saved me back then, I would be a pile of bones now. I know how to repay a favor."

Zhao Shen glanced at him sideways. "Saving you was just a matter of convenience. Why mention gratitude or ingratitude? You're not returning to the capital just because of the emperor's decree, are you? What are your plans?"

Qi Zheng looked at the darkening sky outside and said seriously, "You really understand me. The emperor wants to hand over the imperial guards to me, but you know I'm really fed up with those people at home. If I could, I would rather stay at the seaside forever and never come back."

Zhao Shen looked at the complicated expression on his face, his eyes moving slightly: "Is the situation in the south not too good?"

Qi Zheng looked at him and said, "The court's attention is now focused on the people of Mobei. This is understandable. If the Mobei invaded directly, capturing cities and plundering territories, Daxia would be in immediate danger. But it's different in the south. Those pirates and corsairs don't invade on a large scale. At most, they'll come ashore to plunder and then flee. The victims are ordinary people."

No one cares about the lives of ordinary people.

Zhao Shen understood what he meant and pursed his lips, saying, "The imperial court hasn't had the energy to care about the maritime affairs in recent years, so those officials in the south are trying to whitewash the situation. Tell me frankly, how bad the situation is."

Qi Zheng said, "Perhaps it's worse than you can imagine. The imperial court banned maritime trade, but the profits from maritime trade were enormous. Collusion between officials and businessmen, and even between officials and bandits, was rampant. From top to bottom, corruption was rampant. Groups of pirates came ashore to plunder, but the officials didn't mention it in their memorials."

Zhao Shen said, "Hasn't the Emperor allocated several funds to the navy since last year? Can't they improve their combat capabilities and get rid of these people?"

Qi Zheng shook his head: "How can it be that easy? Those people are so elusive, and there are also people who tip off the enemy, so it's not easy to catch them."

Zhao Shen looked at Qi Zheng and said, "You should tell the emperor about these things. I'm just a civil servant, and I can't reach that far."

Qi Zheng smiled awkwardly and said, "I heard that the Shen family in Quanzhou is building a seagoing ship. That's your maternal grandfather's family."

Zhao Shen had an expression that said, "I knew it. Even if it's my maternal grandparents, I can't give you the boat for free, right?"

Qi Zheng said rather embarrassedly, "I'm not so bold as to ask for it. Can I buy it for it? The Shen family is keeping it a secret, but I've seen the boat being tested. It's a powerful tool for sailing on the seas, far superior to the navy's existing ships. Can you give me some clues?"

Zhao Shen didn't bother to keep him in suspense and said directly, "Actually, I had that boat built. The person who drew the blueprint was the young master of the Meng family in Ruyang. You should have heard that many of the people who built the boats came from the Ministry of Works."

Qi Zheng's eyes lit up: "The emperor also knows about this?"

Zhao Shen glanced at him. "I'm not planning a rebellion. How could we possibly conceal such a major event from the Emperor? Don't say the Emperor doesn't care about the lives of the people in the south. The treasury simply has no money. Our initial plan is to send the ships out to sea, earn money through maritime trade, use the money to develop the navy, and then eliminate those pirates."

Qi Zheng is not stupid. When he found out that the Shen family was building a ship, he secretly guessed that this might be related to Zhao Shen, so he wanted to ask him about the sea ships. Even if he couldn't get the maps, buying a few ships would be good.

But I didn't expect to hear such news.

Happiness came too suddenly. He asked excitedly, "Is this... is this true?"

Zhao Shen said with a smile, "Why would I lie to you? In fact, if you didn't come to me, I would have come to you. The ship is almost built, and I still need your help with the maritime trade. The emperor said he wants 30% of the profit, and we can handle the rest."

Qi Zheng: "He has no worries about food and clothing in the palace, what does he need so much money for?"

Zhao Shen looked at Ji Yunshu and saw that he and Ji Yunshu both looked in pain, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Why don't you go discuss it with him again?"