Thinking about the topic of maritime trade that Zhao Hao had just mentioned, Wang Mengxiang suddenly understood his true thoughts.

"Sir, what you mean is to lift the ban on sea trade and do business legally?"

"Not bad." Zhao Hao nodded.

"But you don't know, sir. During the dispute, the court only opened up one port in Fujian, Yuegang. Fujian's own merchants can't even be fed. For us in Jiangnan, it's the same as nothing."

"I also said another thing to the Hua family." Zhao Hao smiled and said, "If the current law is wrong, we must try to amend it and make it a good law."

"The key is what do you think?" He paused and asked in a deep voice, "Do you plan to continue to be sneaky and not pay taxes, or do you plan to fulfill your obligations and make money openly?"

"This..." The two princes looked at each other, and Wang Shimao smiled bitterly and said, "My lord, we are also a family of nobles for generations. If there is any possibility, how could we do something that would humiliate our ancestors? We really have no choice but to take the risk."

"Yes, sir. We are not afraid of paying taxes. We are afraid that the court will not give us the opportunity to pay taxes." Wang Mengxiang also echoed: "Yes, last year we had a fierce dispute with Gao Xinzheng and his gang, but it was not about whether to pay taxes or not."

"In fact, we are similar in that neither of us wants to have a share of the maritime trade. The only difference is that Gao Gong wants to reopen the Maritime Customs Office and let the court monopolize the trade. We don't want the court to interfere." Wang Shimao also echoed:

"My lord, you don't know that once the imperial court intervenes, no grass will grow. Take the Guangdong Maritime Customs for example. They have always been conducting trade, but from the officials to the common people, who can get any benefit?"

"Okay, I understand your idea." Zhao Hao nodded and asked with a smile: "If I can get the exclusive authorization for overseas trade from the court, are you willing to change your ways with me?"

"Of course I am willing!" The two said in unison without hesitation: "But how can we do it?"

Contrary to popular belief, the Ming Dynasty's ancestral rule of "no one is allowed to go to sea" was not an absolute maritime ban.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty was officially able to engage in overseas trade. Since its founding, it had been conducting trade with vassal states through the three customs offices in Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong.

It was not until the Jiajing period that the Japanese invasion became serious that the two customs offices in Zhejiang and Fujian were temporarily closed, leaving only the one in Guangdong to continue trading with the Southeast Asian vassal states.

Although the Kanhe trade had a strong tribute color and the Ming Dynasty often played the role of a sucker, it was still a piece of fat meat for the court. How could it be given up?

"Believe me?" Zhao Hao put on a yellow straw hat.

"I believe it, of course I believe it!" The Second Prince quickly responded, "If you have confidence, we have confidence too!"

"Then listen to me. For now, everything will remain the same." Zhao Hao said in a calm but firm tone: "I can't wade into this muddy water right now, otherwise it will be difficult to operate when the time comes."

"I understand." The two understood that Zhao Hao wanted to let the bullet fly for a while and wait for the right time to cut in.

And they have to serve as Zhao Hao's insider...

"Communicate promptly if there is any situation." Young Master Zhao smiled, waved to the two of them, and went off the boat.

"Young master, take care." The two of them kept watching Zhao Hao's boat disappear into the Xiaozhan River, and then they looked away.

"Uncle, do you think the young master can succeed?" Wang Shimao asked in a low voice.

"Normally speaking, since he said that, he should be somewhat confident." Wang Mengxiang said solemnly, "But the variable is when Gao Xinzheng will come back. If he comes out too early, it will be even more difficult to accomplish it."

"Gao Gong..." Wang Shimao felt a headache. This was also the unanimous feeling of the gentry in Jiangnan about this man. They always felt that once this Henan guy came to power, everyone would have a hard time.

"Didn't they say that the two cabinet ministers, Li and Chen, were trying every means to stop Your Majesty from reinstating him?" His words showed a clear tendency: "Almost all the officials in the court, especially the censors, attacked Gao Huzi during the cabinet movement last year. They will not watch Gao Gong being reinstated, right?"

"I hope so..." Wang Mengxiang sighed, "But who could have thought that Lord Xu would retire so soon? How can you guarantee that no one will stir up trouble for him if Gao Huzi is unable to move?"

~~

Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan Province is located in the southwest of Xinzheng County, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with fields connected to each other.

At the end of the farmland there is a small manor with green willows planted all over the manor and a stream flowing, just like a paradise.

An old man wearing a bamboo hat and a hemp Taoist robe was sitting cross-legged under a willow tree fishing.

The old man looked at the water, but his gaze was distracted somewhere else, as if he was thinking about something.

Even when the reed float began to shake violently, he remained indifferent.

It was not until the guard behind him reminded him that he suddenly came to his senses. When he hurriedly picked up the rod, he found that the fish had already escaped from the hook.

"What are you doing, you bastard?" The old man was furious. He threw the fishing rod into the water and scolded the guard, "Why didn't you say something earlier? You let the fish escape again!"

The guards were all feeling very aggrieved. They thought to themselves, I am a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but not only was I banished to this remote place, but I also have to endure the bullying of a dead old man like you all the time.

But he had to smile carefully and said, "The elder is thinking about national affairs, how dare I disturb him?"

"Then just shut up!" The old man scolded people with a lot of tricks. "No one thinks you are dumb!"

"Oh, yes, shut up next time." Fortunately, the guard was used to it and just cursed him a few times in his heart.

"Hmph, don't disturb me fishing anymore..." The old man said as he turned around and found something was missing. He looked down and found that the fishing rod was gone.

"Where's my rod?"

The guard didn't dare to speak and pointed to the stream in the distance.

The old man stood up, put his hands on the pergola and looked, only to see that his fishing rod had floated away along the stream.

He roared angrily, "Why didn't you fart earlier?!"

The guard pointed at his mouth and waved his hand. What he meant was that you didn't allow me to say it...

"What a waste of time!" The old man stood up angrily. Only then did we see that he was about fifty or sixty years old, with a broad mouth, a bulbous nose, and two deep nasolabial lines surrounding the corners of his mouth. He looked intimidating without even getting angry.

What is particularly eye-catching is his steel-needle-like beard and copper-bell-like eyes, which make him look like the ghost-catching Zhong Kui, which is chilling.

You can tell at first glance that this old man is no ordinary person.

He was none other than Gao Gong, Gao Suqing, who had frightened all the officials of the Ming Dynasty and who had caused the great Zhao Liben to risk defilement to escape!

Since he retired in May last year and returned to his hometown in June, Gao Gong has been staying at Gao Laozhuang for more than a year.

It was like a year in a day, and I was extremely irritated.

He had a bad temper to begin with, and now he was even more aggressive towards everyone he met, becoming a problematic old man that everyone avoided.

Just as he was about to teach the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was ordered to protect him a lesson, he saw the old butler Gao Fu coming over and reported softly:.

"Master, there is someone named Shao Fang who wants to see you."

ps. First of three consecutive updates. Thank you for your concern. I feel much better today. I think it might be the glasses. I went to have my eyes rechecked and found that my left eye was 70 degrees too much, my right eye was 170 degrees too much, and I didn’t have 50 degrees of astigmatism. So my eyes are easily tired, and then I get sick from overwork… I used to have my glasses checked and fitted at a state-owned old brand. I don’t know what to say. This is a rip-off!