Zhenhaiwei is not an ordinary garrison.

Compared with ordinary garrisons, Zhenhaiwei has now become a city due to its special nature.

Even compared with a real county town, it is not inferior at all.

It is both a mountain city and a sea city.

There are Houshan, Gushan, Zhaoshan, Yaoshan and Cangshan in the city, collectively known as the "Five Star Mountains". Together with the two mountains "Jiutongtou" and "Tudigongshan" outside the city, they are collectively called the "Seven Stars Landing".

There is Elephant Trunk Hill in the south of the city, which is connected to Qiwei Hill and surrounds Hongjiang Port.

This port is calm and peaceful, and is a natural shelter. During stormy weather, hundreds of passing ships gather here, creating a spectacular sight.

In the distance, the sea and sky are vast, and the Dongding and Nanding Islands dot the sea surface, which is very beautiful.

There are wells everywhere in the city, a total of ninety-nine, which were dug by Zhou Dexing, Marquis of Jiangxia.

These wells are located beside stone paths, next to banyan trees, and in courtyards.

Zhenhaiwei not only has beautiful mountains and seas, but also has many shops and many chamber of commerce members gather here.

At this time, in the lobby of Zhenhaiwei City.

Seven burly men were drinking and eating meat with big gulps.

The leader was Chai Bai, the commander of Zhenhai Guard.

Although Chai Bai’s name contains the word “Bai” (white), he is actually not white at all. He has a full beard and dark skin, just like Zhang Fei in the novel.

He has a sturdy and strong figure, half a head taller than ordinary people, and he wields a big sword that has been stained with blood countless times and has made great achievements.

"Brother, I heard from the brothers that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is visiting incognito."

"First he went to Dantu, and a few days ago he went to Suzhou Prefecture. I wonder if he will come to our place soon."

A man at the bottom bit off a large piece of pig head, swallowed it in a few mouthfuls, and then asked Chai Bai above him.

Although Chai Bai also looked reckless, the meat on the plate in front of him was chopped up, and he didn't use his hands to eat it, but used chopsticks to pick it up.

What doesn't match his body shape is his eyes, which are a little small. When he squints, they become a slit, making it difficult to see what's real.

Hearing this, he did not answer directly, but turned his gaze to the other side, where there was a man wearing brocade clothes. Although his physique was also strong, he was not as exaggerated as the others.

The man felt Chai Bai's gaze, put down his wine glass and said:

"Of course he will come, but I have also sent my brothers to investigate. His Highness the Crown Prince's targets are all civil servants, businessmen and the like."

"We are different. We are warriors who have been wounded and shed blood for the Ming Dynasty."

"The establishment of the Ming Dynasty was fought for by our brothers with swords and guns. Even the current emperor has never seen a single garrison attacked."

"Not to mention that we are now following the Duke of Liang. We are the direct descendants of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Normally, even the Heroes Chamber of Commerce has never interfered."

"So there is nothing to worry about. According to my guess, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's trip must be mainly to Shanghai County."

"It seems that the civil servants and merchants in Shanghai County have been offended."

After the man finished speaking, the other four also put down their wine and meat.

Everyone understood that the eldest brother was about to speak.

Chai Bai was quite satisfied when he saw that his brothers were so well-behaved.

He took the silk cloth beside him and wiped the oil stains on his mouth, then said, "Captain Sha is right. We are His Royal Highness's men, so don't worry too much and disrupt the morale of the brothers."

"But since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has come to our side, we can't say we've gone too far. We should be restrained in some things. If we really cause trouble, don't blame me, your big brother, for being ruthless."

"We are all brothers who have shed blood on the battlefield. Now is the time for us to enjoy our lives. You have made a lot of money over the years, and it is time to stop and relax."

As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Chai Bai actually spoke with ease, but he was actually very wary in his heart.

One could even say that I'm a little scared.

The first general that Chai Bai followed was Jiangxia Hou, and most of the thousand households leading the Zhenhai Guard were also like him.

Jiang Xiahou died tragically.

A dignified marquis disappeared quietly in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

At the beginning, many warriors thought that this might be a signal from His Majesty to take action against the guards. During that period, many people began to become cautious.

Chai Bai, in particular, was so frightened that he could hardly sleep the entire night, fearing that when he woke up one day, an imperial edict would come and directly take his life.

His Majesty is not someone who is easy to talk to. Killing people is as easy as eating and drinking.

Chai Bai once listened to the news from the capital, this person was killed, that person was slaughtered, or a certain family was wiped out, a certain clan was exterminated.

When he heard the news, he didn't have any extra thoughts and was no different from the crowd watching the show.

But when it comes to myself alone, it’s completely different.

During that period, few leaders in the entire Zhenhaiwei could sleep well.

It's impossible to run.

Maybe no one cares about ordinary sergeants, but almost none of these officers can escape.

Besides, before the imperial edict comes, who would be willing to give up the wealth and glory in front of them?

All we can do is keep sending people to investigate.

Fortunately, news came from the capital that it turned out that it was because of the chaos in the palace caused by Jiang Xiahou's son, Zhou Ji, that led to the death of many people.

It may sound unbelievable, but it is a result after all. It means the matter is over and everyone can rest assured.

It was not until later that there was a rumor that it was because the son of Marquis Jiang Xia had offended His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, which made His Majesty furious and he killed Marquis Jiang Xia as well.

Chai Bai intuitively felt that the latter gossip was the most reliable.

Marquis Jiangxia is a fellow townsman of Your Majesty, and Zhou Ji can be considered Your Majesty's nephew. Besides, Marquis Jiangxia is the only child of his kind.

Zhou Ji and Chai Bai are also familiar with each other. They are a bit of a jerk on weekdays, but they also know their limits.

He seems domineering, but in fact he is a very cowardly son of a tiger father. How could he dare to act wildly in the palace?

Especially when Chai Bai found out that the boss behind the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce was actually the current Crown Prince, he became even more afraid.

Chai Bai is no stranger to the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce. Not only is he no stranger, he is also particularly familiar with it.

Today, Zhenhaiwei has been able to achieve such a leapfrog development in recent years, which can be said to be inextricably linked to the Snowflake Salt of the Qunying Chamber of Commerce.

As soon as snowflake salt appeared on the market, Chai Bai keenly sensed the high profits it brought.

Then he brought people and, almost in a semi-forced manner, directly seized the sales rights of Snowflake Salt in Shanghai County and its surrounding areas.

In other words, anyone who wants to buy or sell snowflake salt will have to take a share from Zhenhaiwei.

Relying on the convenience of water transport and the advantages of Zhenhaiwei, even the salt officials could not compete with it.

The other brothers of Zhenhaiwei also ate with their mouths full of oil.

However, before the enthronement ceremony of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, after learning that he was the owner of the Heroes Chamber of Commerce, Chai Bai did not hesitate and immediately cut off all ties with Snowflake Salt.

Afterwards, they gave way to the Qun Ying Merchants in many ways, and the same was true for the Cao Gang, which they controlled, and they did not dare to fight at all.

The owner of the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce is a mysterious person.

The rumor has always been about the Western Regions, how could it suddenly reach the capital? Who knows?

Coupled with the later rumors about the Xiaoling Mausoleum, such as resurrection from the dead, Chai Bai was even more shocked.

At that time, Chai Bai sighed: "He is indeed a natural emperor. Even if he lives in the imperial court, he is not comparable to ordinary people."

All these news had already planted a shadow of fear in Chai Bai's heart towards His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

The purpose of summoning all the thousand households this time is to ask everyone to be quiet for the near future and not let His Royal Highness the Crown Prince find any handle.

There was one thing he didn't say: His Majesty might not touch these meritorious soldiers who had sacrificed their lives and shed their blood for the Ming Dynasty.

But that is not necessarily the case for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Chai Bai didn't have much education, but he was familiar with the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were to be serious about this, and according to the law, none of the brothers present here, including him, would be able to escape, and being skinned and stuffed with straw would be considered the lightest punishment.

"Brother, our Cao Gang has a batch of goods coming over. I don't know when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will come. Why don't we go first?"

"I estimate it will only take two or three days, so it shouldn't be a problem."

A captain at the bottom listened to his eldest brother's words, hesitated for a few seconds, and finally asked.

The goods of the Cao Gang that he was talking about were naturally nothing else but smuggled goods.

You can make some money from legitimate business, but only from smuggling can you make money quickly.

The establishment of Caobang was based on snowflake salt.

Snowflake salt is now a legitimate commodity, but for several years before that, it was all smuggled goods. Once discovered, it would be confiscated directly.

In fact, the fact that Snowflake Salt can be distributed from Shanghai to all parts of the country is really due to the contribution of Zhenhaiwei. Without the protection of Zhenhaiwei, the smuggled Snowflake Salt might not be able to sell so well.

Although the snowflake salt business could no longer be made, everyone had tasted the sweetness of smuggling, especially the Cao Gang, which had many brothers who had retired from the Zhenhai Guard.

Of course, smuggling cannot be stopped. Even without snowflake salt, other things can be done. Although the profit is a little less, if the channels are familiar, a lot of money can still be made.

Chai Bai struggled for a moment after hearing this, and then he said with certainty: "No, let the brothers go directly to the shore to unload the goods and hide the things first."

"When it comes to money, it doesn't matter if you earn less, but there must be no trouble on His Royal Highness' side."

"We are His Royal Highness's direct descendants. If something goes wrong, it will bring shame to His Royal Highness."

"We have lost the face of His Royal Highness, what else do we want in our heads?"

"If you don't have a brain anymore, no matter how much money you have, it's useless."

Hearing the commander's reprimand, the captain who had just spoken shrank his neck, as if he was really going to be beheaded.

I was a little scared in my heart: "Just listen to my eldest brother. I will tell my brothers to stop doing anything and go to the brothel to play for a while first."

"Wait until His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is no longer with us, or has not come to our side, then we can take action."

Chai Bai praised: "You are quite understanding."

Then he said to everyone present: "Listen carefully, everyone. No matter what business you are in, all of you will be stopped. No one will be left. Behave yourself."

"Remember this, everyone. Watch each other. Whoever is not honest at this time will be killed by me and the brothers."

After hearing the reprimand, the burly man who had spoken earlier asked again, "Brother, the canal transport has stopped here, will the sea transport also stop?"

Chai Bai thought about it, and gritted his teeth and said, "Stop, the business on the sea is also stopped, no one is allowed to contact it."

The captain, who was of relatively normal size, said, "Some time ago, Japanese merchants wanted to order a batch of firearms from us."

Chai Bai frowned and said, "Didn't I refuse? Other things are fine, but firearms are not allowed now. Right now, the Duke of Song, as well as the King of Yan, the King of Jin, and the King of Qi are all fighting the Japanese in Waguo."

"If the Japanese suddenly have firearms, it will definitely shock the whole country. If they conduct a thorough investigation, I'm afraid none of the brothers will survive."

Although Chai Bai was also greedy for money, he also knew the importance of things.

This is a national war. Other things are easy to deal with, but firearms are absolutely not a good option.

By then, the entire Zhenhaiwei will be executed.

The man replied: "Brother, that's not what I meant. Of course I know about firearms."

"What I mean is, why don't we capture those Japanese merchants first, and then if we get any news about His Royal Highness, we can capture them and present them to His Royal Highness."

"Brother also knows that we have so many brothers now, and there might be some small mistakes. Although we may not punish them severely, it will leave a bad impression on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"The imperial court is now fighting Japan. If we capture someone like this and say he is a spy, we will at least leave a good impression on His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, regardless of the credit."

Upon hearing this, Chai Bai's eyes lit up: "Good for you, Sha Hongguang, you really have a smart brain. It seems that the private school really didn't ask you to go to it for nothing."

"At this juncture, you can still figure out these things. What a good idea, what a good idea!"

"If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince gives you any reward, the first reward will be yours."

Chai Bai laughed loudly and was extremely happy.

As for morality, it's just thieves eating thieves.

In the face of the future, it's just a chance.

Besides, they are Japanese merchants, so there is no need to talk about trust and loyalty.

After hearing this, the brothers below, who originally had gloomy looks on their faces, immediately laughed along with Chai Bai.

Other guards don’t know the details of the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce, but Zhenhai Guard, which has cooperated with them for many years, knows something about it.

Now that the disaster has turned into a blessing, I am so happy.

"Well, now that the plan has been decided, there is no need to say more. You have dealt with thousands of Japanese spies so you should know their approximate locations."

"You will lead the way. Take two thousand brothers with you and surround them all. Don't let any one escape."

"The future of the brothers will depend on this."

Chai Bai gave orders directly.

Cheng Qianhu, who was called out, also stood up and patted his chest and replied: "Please rest assured, brother, no one will escape."