Chapter 76 Demanding Person

Ye Shanming felt more relaxed around Su Qing and spoke his mind freely. He knew, anyway, that Su Qing's attitude towards the Emperor was probably no better.

After cursing, Ye Shanming actually laughed and said, "We're both unlucky, aren't we?"

Hearing him say this, Su Qing knew that he had also heard about the favored concubine.

Su Qing shrugged: "I only lost my reputation, you lost your gold and silver."

Upon hearing this, Ye Shanming's lips twitched downwards.

Why bring up something you shouldn't talk about?

Why.

He's really unlucky.

"I moved the valuables down beforehand so they wouldn't take too much advantage of me," Ye Shanming said. "That's why I wanted to move the things to your place."

This was a last resort.

However, when Ye Shanming brought it up, his family all agreed.

Firstly, Ye Shanming is already the head of the Ye family; secondly, everyone is aware of the safety of Nanjiang County in Guangle Prefecture.

Some relatives have even bought properties in Nanjiang County, seemingly to avoid trouble.

Head of the family?

Su Qing was unaware of this matter.

Ye Shanming said, "My grandfather is seriously ill, and my father is not in charge, so naturally I will take over."

Ye Shanming was raised by his grandfather since childhood, and he was most saddened when the old man fell seriously ill.

Upon hearing the news as he disembarked, before he could even feel sad, someone tried to forcibly seize his goods.

No wonder he's lost so much weight.

Su Qing offered a few words of comfort, but then asked curiously, "Grandfather Ye is seriously ill, yet you still go out."

"Is grandfather's illness related to this?"

Ye Shanming nodded.

The newly arrived officials, eager to please the emperor, pressured the merchants to hand over silver.

They came from the imperial examination system and became officials. They talked about the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, and considered merchants the lowest in status.

It must be said that many merchants in the Jiangnan region did not have a good impression of the emperor.

The emperor sought refuge in Jinling, and everyone could see that the person in question was just an ordinary person.

Without the royal filter, it's naturally difficult to be respectful, and even less willing to give money.

This will cause trouble.

So when Ye Shanming disembarked, his grandfather instructed him to move the family's valuables, also in order to protect the family.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; the Ye family must also make some plans.

Su Qing nodded: "Go ahead and move it. I'll tell Magistrate Zhu later."

"But it must be made clear in advance that local housing prices cannot be inflated, people cannot be pressured with money, and houses cannot be too luxurious. Any trend of competing in extravagance will not be allowed."

Ye Shanming nodded in agreement, and Su Qing added, "Please sit for a moment while I have someone fetch some samples."

Su Qing went out and said a few words to Quan Jingwu at the door.

Before long, Quan Jingwu brought over a bottle of pills, which were Qi-boosting and spirit-nourishing pills.

“Take it. You’ve come all this way, surely it’s not just to settle your valuables.”

Ye Shanming did love money, but Su Qing also understood his grandfather's deep affection for him.

Ye Shanming looked at the Qi-Boosting and Spirit-Nourishing Pill in his hand.

This was indeed one of the purposes of his trip.

It was both unexpected and unsurprising that it was obtained so easily.

Perhaps it was because I had spent so much time with local officials in Yangzhou that I subconsciously felt they were difficult to deal with.

But he also knew that dealing with Su Qing wouldn't be too complicated.

She will most likely grant any reasonable request.

Years ago, he had the audacity to ask Su Qing to be the manager of his household.

Actually, it's kind of funny when you think about it.

Of course, he's the one who's funny.

"I won't thank you enough. I'll take this medicine home first." Ye Shanming should stay and thank Su Qing more, but he also knew that the other party didn't care about such things. "I'll come to thank you properly next time I'm here."

Su Qing waved her hand, clearly unconcerned: "Take good care of the elderly."

Ye Shanming came and went in a hurry.

But Su Qing knew this was neither a big nor a small matter, so he told Magistrate Zhu to be prepared.

When Ye Shanming comes next time, he will probably bring a lot of money and manpower.

Unexpectedly, even Jiangnan is in chaos.

It's so far from the capital that even the emperor couldn't control it before.

This shouldn't have happened.

New and inexperienced

The present-day Nanjiang County is basically the center of Guangyue Prefecture and Gaoqing Prefecture.

All parties must strengthen their vigilance.

Meanwhile, Prefect Wang and his wife from Gaoqing Prefecture had already come over from their shopping trip.

Nanjiang County is certainly not comparable to the capital, but the things they could buy there really surprised them.

We won't go into the details of Mei Niang hosting a banquet for everyone.

Everyone should go home now.

Su Qing still took Yunxi and the others back to the prefectural city.

The Prefect of Gaoqing Prefecture, Wang, and his wife also wanted to return to the prefectural city.

They were extremely reluctant to part with Lord Su, and also reluctant to leave the comforts of Nanjiang County.

Su Qing glanced at Wang He behind them and felt relieved.

It was already the first day of the eleventh month when they returned to Guang Le Prefecture.

That concludes the discussion.

Guangyue Prefecture, Gaoqing Prefecture, neighboring Shanyang Prefecture, Tongmin Prefecture.

It's basically all under control.

The first two were both carefully managed by Su Qing.

Prefect Wang of Tongmin Prefecture knew what was going on and basically listened to Su Qing.

Prefect Shen of Shanyang Prefecture was determined to help his daughter pass the imperial examinations. As long as this thought remained, he would not disrupt the current environment.

Moreover, the mines in Shanyang Prefecture are waiting for Guangle Prefecture to buy their ore.

Without Guang Lefu as a major buyer, the mining revenue there plummeted.

Neither the imperial court nor the local authorities would be willing to accept this.

But as everyone knows, the previous mine manager had swindled too much money from Guang Lefu.

It definitely won't work if we don't let Su Qing and the others calm down.

Because of this matter, their attitude towards Guangyuefu will be very good.

If Nanjiang County is the center of Gaoqing Prefecture and Guangle Prefecture.

Guangyuefu itself was already the center of these four places.

There's a stone-patterned island sandwiched in the middle.

The people of Shiwenzhou looked left and right, and couldn't help but sigh.

In the surrounding areas, everyone's lives are getting better and better.

Why are they getting worse and worse?

Local magistrate, do you have any clues?

The prefect of Shiwen Prefecture was also a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

He can barely handle his daily affairs, let alone manage the local area.

Therefore, most of the people of Shiwen Prefecture fled to other surrounding prefectures, and the local officials could do nothing about it.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Su Qing.

She was already busy, but she also had to oversee four locations.

It's already quite remarkable that they can find the time.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who had previously returned to their hometowns to visit relatives in Guangyue Prefecture have basically arrived at their posts.

Needless to say, Gu Congsi took his parents to the capital, and he and his father were already in office.

However, the rumors circulating in the capital about the favored concubine made the Gu couple even more ashamed.

At the Guangyuefu, everyone mostly joked around, but out of consideration for Gu Congsi's feelings, they didn't bother to make fun of him.

But once they arrived in the capital, the news of the emperor's favored concubine caused many people around them to look at them with obvious mockery.

It's likely that the two of them regretted it long ago, wishing they had stayed in Guangyuefu, but of course, it was too late to say anything.

As for the others, Qi Anping went to serve as the magistrate of a county under the jurisdiction of Bazhu Prefecture.

Before leaving, he asked Su Qing for a few experienced clerks.

Hui Rong was in the next county, and both counties were poorer than the other, so Su Qing naturally gave him a few people as well.

The most embarrassed person was Hua Jingming.

Hua Jingming's attendants naturally didn't need to ask the government for favors.

But when he said goodbye, there was obvious embarrassment on his face.

Everyone knows about the Hua family's situation, so there's no need to elaborate.

He went to a county in Fujian this time.

He brought many servants and clerks with him, as well as scribes hired by the family.

With his intelligence, he should learn very quickly.

It all depends on how you act.

The newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of Guangyue Prefecture have all taken up their posts, and it is estimated that officials from other regions have also arrived by now.

Hopefully, these newcomers to the "workplace" won't cause any major trouble.

Perhaps it's true that what you say comes true.

Problems have indeed arisen along the coastal areas of Jiangnan.

The rebels, who were originally on a small coastal island, gathered together and came ashore to burn, kill, and loot.

Taking advantage of the bumper harvest in the Jiangnan region, they plundered a considerable amount of grain and took it back with them.

There had been signs of this before, but as defenses have become lax, these rebels have grown bolder.

Countless farmers and fishermen were killed by the rebels.

The local garrison arrived late and only managed to clear the battlefield.

And this unrest seems to be just the beginning.

When Ye Shanming arrived in Nanjiang County with the valuables, and then traveled to the prefectural city to see Su Qing, his expression was noticeably more unpleasant.

Inside Su Qing's study, Ye Shanming explained the situation there in detail: "Haiwanzhou has several large ports where ships from the Yangzhou area dock."

"The rebels knew the situation on the coast and, taking advantage of the dark night, landed at several small ports and looted the local granaries."

"The local prefect of Haiwanzhou was afraid of trouble, and the garrison commander was also afraid of trouble, which boosted the enemy's arrogance."

Fortunately, Yangzhou is quite far from Haiwanzhou, otherwise their lives would not be so peaceful.

But everyone knows that.

Those rebels are used to looting and will inevitably continue.

So after giving the Qi-Boosting and Spirit-Nourishing Pill to his grandfather, Ye Shanming packed his belongings and moved a portion of the Ye family's assets to Nanjiang County.

Upon hearing this, Su Qing also said, "Your family is in the fabric business, why don't you go to Nanjiang County and see if you can revive your business?"

Su Qing had been eyeing other people's fabric business for quite some time.

However, due to numerous matters concerning the Guangyuefu, the project was never completed.

Ye Shanming nodded: "However, Nanjiang County is prosperous, and land prices are higher than in other places. I plan to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms in other places, since it's within Guangle Prefecture anyway."

That's fine, Su Qing smiled: "Then I'll wait for your good news."

Ye Shanming smiled, a rare moment of relaxation.

But no one could have predicted it.

In the past, everyone avoided Guangyuefu, fearing that the war would affect them.

When something happened in the capital, people would also rush to Jiangnan.

The situation in the capital is now barely under control, while the situation in Guangyuefu is much better.

On the contrary, the prosperous Jiangnan region is plagued by constant troubles.

In the future, he and other members of the Ye family will come here often, and may even stay here for a long time.

It is said that if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.

When turmoil strikes, it will inevitably sweep across the entire country, and no one can escape it.

At this point, Ye Shanming asked Su Qing for more information: "The banditry along the coast is not a solution. The imperial court should send people over there, right?"

Ye Shanming spoke uncertainly, but he added, "It's possible to have wealthy coastal households contribute money to resist the bandits, but I don't know what the imperial court is thinking."

Su Qing was well-informed; she knew more accurate information than Ye Shanming.

Su Qing replied truthfully, "The imperial court said that border instability is the norm and that they will strengthen defenses. Moreover, since you are all willing to contribute money, you will definitely be able to organize it."

Which general should be sent to mobilize the troops?

Su Qing knew what he wanted to ask, and said bluntly, "Anyway, it's not Prince Zheng."

No further explanation is needed.

Prince Zheng is renowned, and the God of War is known to all.

How could the Emperor possibly allow him to make a name for himself in the Jiangnan region again?

You'll embarrass yourself if you go there.

Yan Zhengzhou would certainly not allow it if he went there to win a battle.

Ye Shanming cursed under his breath, clearly furious.

Only when the war reached their doorstep did they realize how fortunate the locals were to have officials like Su Qing and military generals like Prince Zheng.

In the following period of time, Ye Shanming and his family actually built a workshop in a county adjacent to Nanjiang County, and also sent a group of embroiderers to spin thread and weave cloth there.

The local magistrate wholeheartedly supported the project, arranging for the embroiderers to settle down while encouraging local women to go back to work.

They also wrote directly to the government, requesting that the road from Nanjiang County to their county be repaired to facilitate the entry and exit of various materials and goods.

This reaction startled the rest of the Ye family.

The officials of Shunchang Kingdom not only took initiative in their work, but also served the people and merchants.

Is this reasonable?

I haven't seen anything like this in years.

When Prefect Su nodded in approval, he also instructed the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to approve the funds and supervise the construction.

The Ye family members were almost in tears.

Is this the normal speed of processing?

It was an ordinary thing in Guangyuefu.

After the news reached Yangzhou, some merchants who were still hesitant were clearly tempted.

The Yangzhou merchants were merely tempted.

Merchants from Haiwanzhou set off directly; they are good at business, have skills, and can make a living anywhere.

Seeing that the number of thieves was increasing and the imperial court was not doing anything about it, it would be better to go and see other places.

Guangyuefu was renowned, so it's no wonder they wanted to go there.

The name of Su Qing from Guangyuefu is even more renowned.

As long as she is there, that place is the most suitable place to live in the entire Shunchang Kingdom.

Even the surrounding areas, including Shanyang Prefecture and Gaoqing Prefecture, as well as her hometown, were the same.

As the coastal areas become more turbulent, the number of people wanting to leave naturally increases.

However, not everyone wants to leave their hometown.

After taking the Qi-Boosting and Spirit-Nourishing Pills, Grandfather Ye's health improved considerably.

Ye Shanming then took the opportunity to suggest that he move to Nanjiang County, where he had purchased a house and would live out his remaining years in peace and safety.

But Grandfather Ye refused outright: "This is my home. I was born here, and I will be buried here when I die."

However, he doesn't mind if his descendants move away: "I'm old, you're still young, go wherever you want."

There are quite a few people who think like him.

Therefore, officials from Haizhou, Wanzhou, and Yangzhou consistently submitted memorials to the imperial court.

They requested the Emperor to send troops to suppress the rebels and restore peace and stability to the people of both regions.

Not only in those two places, but also in many other places in Jiangnan, officials were of one mind and repeatedly petitioned the emperor to send troops.

Of course, most people recommended the same person.

"We hope that Prince Zheng will lead his troops into battle!"

“Prince Zheng is a war god. With him leading the troops, there will be absolutely no problem.”

Hearing these words only made the emperor angrier.

He knew that he did not have much prestige in Jiangnan, so the newly appointed officials were all extremely loyal to him.

I thought this situation would gradually turn around.

Unexpectedly, the rebels' uprising gave Yan Zhengzhou an opportunity.

This time, Yan Zhengzhou did not volunteer. He simply stayed in the Prince's mansion, drinking tea and playing chess, and rarely went out.

This attitude prompted officials from Jiangnan to write more and more memorials to the emperor.

The gist of the memorial is as follows.

Prince Zheng is utterly loyal; why should the Emperor worry?

From any perspective, the Prince is extremely loyal to you and the Empress Dowager.

Back then, he would fight when told to, and he would relinquish his military power when told to.

There's absolutely nothing to worry about!

Everyone in the court and among the people believed that Prince Zheng would never rebel.

Given his character and personality, is there even a need to say anything more?

The Emperor's concerns were completely unfounded.

Comparing the two, the emperor's pettiness seems more obvious.

The emperor, upon hearing the discussions, was so angry that he smashed many things, but he had to pretend not to care.

He even summoned Yan Zhengzhou, pretending to ask for his opinion.

In the past, Yan Zhengzhou would have certainly tried his best to win him over and expressed his loyalty.

This time, the previous steps were skipped, and he simply indicated that he would obey the emperor.

Sure enough, the emperor's expression improved considerably, and he said slowly, "Good to know, you may leave."

When this news spread, it became clear that Prince Zheng himself was unwilling to go to war, not that the Emperor was preventing him from doing so.

Fortunately, the emperor, mindful of the safety of the local people, dispatched a capable general.

This statement has caused many people to feel disappointed in Prince Zheng.

Fortunately, they finally sent soldiers.

Haiwanzhou will not be forced to passively endure attacks.

Before the end of the twelfth lunar month, the capital dispatched General Fu Guifu of the Ministry of War to muster troops for the expedition.

We must eliminate the rebels on the island and restore peace and stability to the people of Haiwanzhou and surrounding areas.

Fu Gui is forty-six years old this year. When he was in Jinling, he was by the emperor's side and was extremely loyal to the emperor.

Because of this experience, he was given important positions after returning to Beijing.

After much deliberation, the Emperor decided that Fu Gui was the most suitable person to handle the rebellion in Haiwan Prefecture.

This person's loyalty is what he values ​​most.

He could not tolerate any disloyalty or potential disloyalty among those in the court.

Of course, on the surface, they still had to put on an act, saying they trusted General Fu's abilities and that he might not be any worse than Prince Zheng.

Fu Gui was extremely excited and immediately said, "Your Majesty's trust is enough for me to die for you!"

In General Fu's view, although the matter was risky, there was a very high chance of success.

Putting aside these rebels, who were originally a group scattered by Prince Zheng, they actually had little fighting power.

Furthermore, the Jiangnan region is wealthy, so there is no need to worry about supplies.

When he returns victorious, he will surely be promoted and given a higher rank.

Besides, he wasn't a member of the royal family.

Even if one achieves military merit, one is still just a subject, unlike someone like Prince Zheng.

With this in mind, General Fu Gui set off for Haiwanzhou full of confidence.

As expected, Fu Gui was greeted by countless people lining the streets when he arrived in Jiangnan.

Everyone hoped that this General Fu could wipe out the bandits and restore peace and stability to the area.

No wonder the people had confidence in the general.

The imperial court was able to quell such a major battle in Guangyuefu back then.

Leaving aside distant examples, just consider Tongmin Prefecture, which was also rife with bandits, but those bandits have now been largely eradicated.

What does this tell us?

This shows that their Shunchang Kingdom still had the ability to quell the rebels.

As long as I make a move, I'm sure I'll win.

Moreover, if the Guangyuefu could cooperate between the military and civilians, they could too.

The Ye family was extremely enthusiastic about this, especially Grandpa Ye, who was on his sickbed.

These merchants spare no effort in protecting their hometown and home.

In a short time, countless righteous people gathered in Wanzhou and Yangzhou, some joining the army, others donating money and goods.

Su Qing watched, then fell silent.

Shunchang Kingdom, or rather, the Emperor, a member of the royal family.

How can we face such passionate people?

Indeed, this country does not belong to the emperor alone.

It clearly belongs to countless ordinary people, to countless people who have dedicated themselves to this land.

Su Qing also sent a message to the other side.

Her weapons workshop can start production at any time, and the weapons it produces are definitely of high quality and low price, with timely supply.

Other weapons workshops wouldn't dare make such a boast, but Guang Le Fu certainly did.

Because the farm tools they make have already gained some fame.

It was just a small workshop, yet it could supply utensils to four or five surrounding prefectures.

The quality is exceptionally good.

In the past few months, the reputation of Guang Le Fu farm tools has spread to many places.

At first, no one paid much attention.

But the continuous stream of farm tools being transported out left everyone puzzled.

The workshops of Guangyuefu were quite large.

But is it really possible to produce so many items in such a short time?

Hua Youling had the same question.

Her pig iron workshop is operating at full capacity, almost day and night.

Even so, the demand from the weapons workshops still couldn't be met.

She felt that the weapons workshop was a metal-devouring beast, consuming countless amounts of pig iron each time.

When Manager Jiang urged her again, Hua Youling couldn't help but ask, "We've been sending pig iron over every day, have you really used it all up?"

“My workshop is several times bigger than yours.”

Manager Jiang raised an eyebrow: "They must have run out, otherwise why would we be urging you?"

"Can't you hurry up with the work?! Do you know how popular our farm tools are right now?"

She knew it, but Hua Youling really didn't believe that all the pig iron she had transported had been used up.

The key, of course, lies in the function of the steam engine.

Since Su Qing returned to Guang Le Fu in May, the steam engine in the weapons workshop has been put into use, improving iron smelting technology and efficiency.

Over the next few months, Master Gong, Craftsman Dou, and Master Zhen, the head of the Construction Department, continued to make improvements.

Especially last month, in October, there was finally a major breakthrough.

Steel that originally took three days to smelt can now be made in a single day.

That means the speed increased threefold.

Such high efficiency inevitably leads to the rapid consumption of raw materials.

Manager Jiang was overjoyed upon seeing this.

Very good!

Since the advent of the steam engine, coupled with the switch to using ore from Gaoqing Prefecture, their weapons workshops have finally achieved real profitability.

The only drawback is that the profit growth rate is too slow.

After all, they are a conscientious workshop and would never inflate prices.

Now it's all right.

After production increased.

That way, we can operate on a low-profit, high-volume model!

Low profit, high volume!

Then make more farm tools!

This was the most exciting time for Manager Jiang, who urged Hua Youling to produce more pig iron.

Even people in Gaoqing Prefecture are asking why the demand for iron ore has suddenly increased.

On the other hand, they contacted more buyers.

"Who wanted to buy our Guang Le farm tools before? Now we're giving you a chance! Place your orders quickly, we've got production in hand!"

Upon hearing this, buyers who had previously been unable to secure the goods flocked to the store.

Whether it's true or not, they're all here to join in the fun.

If we can actually buy it and ship it to other places, we'll definitely make money.

In today's environment, making money is extremely difficult.

With this in mind, many people placed orders.

Upon seeing this, Manager Jiang accepted them all, saying directly, "Don't worry! They can all be delivered!"

Regardless of how surprised others were, he was very happy.

make money!

Let the weapons workshop make money!

Make back all the losses we made before!

By the time Su Qing heard about it, the production capacity of the weapons workshop in Guang Le Fu had already shocked countless people.

Therefore, no one was surprised when Su Qing said that his weapons were of high quality and low price, and could be supplied in a timely manner.

General Fu even wrote a letter to thank Su Qing in advance.

Because he really needs weapons.

Su Qing looked at the other party's letter.

After arriving in Haiwanzhou, Fu Gui first mustered his troops and then inspected the armory and warehouses.

"No wonder no soldiers dared to charge forward. With armor and weapons like these, they really can't fight a war."

Therefore, Fu Gui prepared to purchase weapons and equipment and then train the soldiers.

Once we are ready, we can focus our defenses on several coastal ports and seize the opportunity to annihilate them in one fell swoop.

The method is good, but is it appropriate to say it out loud like this?

When Su Qing wrote to Yan Zhengzhou, she raised this question.

Yan Zhengzhou replied that there were generally no problems.

But General Fu seemed to underestimate his enemy.

The two appeared calm, but they couldn't help but feel somewhat worried.

Although seeing General Fu fail may not necessarily be a bad thing for the current situation.

But it wasn't in their nature to watch the people suffer.

Yan Zhengzhou sent his trusted confidants over.

This trusted confidant is a skilled strategist; by placing him among them, he can both stay informed of the situation and mitigate potential losses.

Su Qing was more meticulous about the weapons, giving Manager Jiang priority in choosing them.

It's already December, and there are still two months until next year's spring planting season, so there's not too much of a rush.

The quote given to General Fu was naturally not very high.

We will do our best to ensure that they buy more.

The letter was sent, but this time there was no reply.

I only received a reply before the New Year. General Fu was extremely grateful and thought Su Qing's price was excellent.

They also inquired about drug prices and how their medical staff are trained.

Upon seeing this, Su Qing explained everything in detail.

I just hope that the rebels in Jiangnan will be wiped out as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the surrounding areas included Gaoqing Prefecture, Shanyang Prefecture, and Tongmin Prefecture.

Even the governor of Shiwen Prefecture sent a letter.

They didn't talk about anything important, just exchanged New Year's gifts and tried to build a good relationship with Su Qing.

As the head of the Northwest region, Su Qing has become the de facto ruler of this area.

No matter what you think in your heart, you must discuss it with her.

Her prestige among the people and the number of people under her command made her virtually unchallenged in the area.

It's fine if you don't calculate it carefully.

If you calculate carefully, one-sixth of Shunchang Kingdom's territory now listens to Su Qing.

The weapons she produced were being continuously sent to the Jiangnan region.

Wealthy merchants from Jiangnan secretly transferred their businesses to this area.

Such a change is almost imperceptible to anyone.

Because all the civil and military officials were looking forward to a victory at Haiwanzhou.

Despite the many disasters and hardships Shunchang Kingdom has faced in recent years.

Overall, however, they did not suffer any major defeats, and in many places, such as Guangyue Prefecture and Tongmin Prefecture, land tax revenue increased.

The idea was to resolve the troubles of the rebels along the Jiangnan coast and then deal with the troubles of the rebels in Fujian.

Their Shunchang Kingdom truly enjoyed peace and prosperity!

Regardless of where this inexplicable confidence came from, Su Qing simply expressed her support and had nothing else to say.

But a letter from General Fu caught her off guard.

In the previous letter, he was still asking Su Qing about weapons, medicines, and medical care.

The contents of this letter left Su Qing somewhat incredulous.

This time, it's not a question, it's a demand.

They asked her directly for the weapons workshop, and specifically requested their new boiler.

The so-called new boiler is actually a steam engine.

Not only these things, but also Master Gong, who designed and built the steam engine, craftsman Dou, and Master Zhen.

General Fu's reasoning was as follows.

Transporting weapons from Guangyuefu also takes time and incurs shipping costs.

Why not move the boiler there, or send these three talents to Haiwanzhou?

This is naturally the best approach for the war effort.

While writing to Su Qing, Fu Gui also wrote to Manager Jiang and others at the weapons workshop, strongly inviting them to go to Wanzhou, Haikou.

Furthermore, it is said that the Jiangnan region is more prosperous, and there are better opportunities for development there.

After receiving the letter, Steward Jiang, Craftsman Dou, and Master Gong immediately went to find Lord Su.

Lord Zhen was a step behind, but he still made it over.

“Promise Manager Jiang that there will be more profitable workshops,” Su Qing said slowly.

"What they told me was that the weapons they produce are of better quality," said Craftsman Dou.

Master Gong said that there were even more novel ideas over there, waiting for him to bring them to fruition.

As for Lord Zhen...

To put it simply and directly, he was promised a higher official position.

Good, good, they've managed to poach her.

Su Qing was so angry she almost laughed.

This General Fu needs weapons, medicine, and even medical experience to fight battles.

What did I fail to provide?

But he still felt it wasn't enough.

We also need the technology and personnel for weapons workshops.

Su Qing glanced over.

Most other people are unlikely to go, but the ambitious Lord Zhen is clearly interested.

wrong.

He was already tempted.

What General Fu promised to the group were exactly what these people valued most.

Without an inside traitor, how could anyone know so much?

"The steam engine in the weapons workshop was made by all of you together," Su Qing said. "Now that General Fu wants people, we can't refuse him."

Who is willing to go?

Lord Zhen immediately looked at the others, trying to signal them with his eyes.

But Manager Jiang and his men had all experienced hardship and knew that fighting was not so simple, so they refused to go.

Seeing that no one else spoke, Lord Zhen was quite conflicted.

But he still stepped forward: "Lord Su, thank you for your kindness. How about I go to Haiwanzhou to help?"

Su Qing looked at him and smiled, "Great, but I wonder what kind of official position they're appointing over there."

Lord Zhen was too embarrassed to say, and simply denied knowing.

But after he packed his bags and took his family to Haiwanzhou.

Su Qing had already received the news.

It turned out to be a promise to be promoted from the sixth rank to the fifth rank.

How could the ambitious Lord Zhen refuse?

Moreover, he believed he had real skills and was sure he could make a name for himself.

Manager Jiang hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

When I saw Lord Zhen off, I wanted to say a few words of advice to him.

But he was pulled away by the craftsman Dou.

Why try to persuade him? Let him go.

Once you've hit a brick wall and are bleeding, you'll come back on your own.

To betray Lord Su like that, they truly don't know what's good for them.

But when she looked at Prefect Su, she wasn't angry; her gaze was more of a scrutiny.

Su Qing thought to herself.

In terms of good quality, low price, and excellent value.

The weapons of Guangyuefu were far ahead of those of other places.

Why did General Fu go to such lengths to build his own weapons workshop?

Su Qing took a deep breath.

There was an answer she didn't want to believe.

This General Fu is not going to fight.

They went there to make money.

They're making money by manufacturing weapons.

There is no better pretext than this.

Su Qing hoped that she was wrong.

But the information Ye Shanming and Yan Zhengzhou gathered from their investigation was exactly the same as her guess.

General Fu did not recruit many soldiers in a short period of time.

But the weapons workshop in Haiwanzhou had already produced them.

We're just waiting for Lord Zhen to arrive so we can start manufacturing weapons.

Wealthy merchants from the Jiangnan region donated countless sums of money, most of which was used to buy weapons from this workshop to defend their enemies.

Not to mention that Su Qing noticed something was wrong.

The local wealthy businessmen, seasoned in the business world, also noticed something amiss.

Are these people here to fight a war, or to make money?!

However, they reported this matter to the local officials in Haiwanzhou and Yangzhou.

The local officials turned a blind eye.

It's obvious they had already colluded with General Fu, and their goal was to profit from donations from wealthy businessmen through this incident.

How could this be?!

The rebels are causing trouble, but all you're thinking about is embezzling money?!

Even someone as carefree as Ye Shanming was so angry he was practically fuming.

Grandfather Ye was so angry he almost vomited blood.

Other wealthy businessmen who donated huge sums of money even went so far as to smash their workshops.

Lord Zhen, who thought he had been promoted, was instead smashed on the head and left bleeding profusely.

Who wouldn't be angry about something like this!

Upon seeing this, local wealthy businessmen and ordinary citizens, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, jointly petitioned for action.

"Please, Your Majesty, send Prince Zheng and Prefect Su to oversee the battle!"

"We don't trust anyone but those two!"

"That's right! If we want to wipe out the rebels, we only trust these two!"

The crowd was so excited that words could not express it.

General Fu and his men were so frightened that they dared not leave the military camp.

The soldiers in the barracks were mostly locals.

Some of them enlisted during this period, all for the purpose of protecting their hometown.

Now tell them that the new general doesn't fight, he only makes money.

These righteous people have already shown restraint by not taking direct action.

"Pah, what are you anyway?"

"Coward."

Just like the dog emperor.

No wonder there are so many rebels; we want to rebel too.

The eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

The morning court session was completely silent.

Only the emperor was breathing heavily.

Some of the officials below dared not utter a sound, while others glared angrily.

The latter was a civil official from the Jiangnan region, and his family may have even donated money to General Fu.

What should have been a good thing turned into a farce.

Let's see how the Emperor handles this.

Anyway, the people of Haiwanzhou only care about Prince Zheng and Prefect Su.

He ignored everyone else.

What's wrong with saving the local people?

They just want to live their own lives, what's wrong with that?!

If Prefect Su is not sent to accompany Prince Zheng.

Then they, Haiwanzhou, will rebel too!