Chapter 306: Layout of the North
"Hahahaha! An iron certificate of immunity from death? Let Nanjing give him a golden medal of immunity from death, and then give him an imperial edict of pardon, to forgive all his past sins." Zhao Xiaofei said with a smile.
Xiao Si said, "It's the prince!"
"I really don't know what to say about him? Hasn't he read the history books of our dynasty? How did Emperor Hongwu treat those who had made contributions, and especially those who had iron certificates of exemption from death?" said Zhao Xiaofei.
Didn't Wu Sangui know what Taizu had done? No! He knew, but now he had to think about his own future. He originally thought Zhao Xiaofei was dead and the world was in chaos.
But who would have thought that Zhao Xiaofei had escaped and was now in charge of Sichuan. It looked like the Northern Expedition was imminent. He had to think about the future, and besides, his sister was Zhao Xiaofei's sister-in-law, so they were all relatives.
Furthermore, rumors circulated that the Empress Dowager in Nanjing had eliminated the Donglin Party and was now returning power to the Emperor. The southern part of the country was now united, preparing for a northern expedition. Meanwhile, the Jianlu were preparing to retreat to the interior of the country, and Dorgon seemed unable to suppress the other leaders. Time was running out for him.
In Datong City, Jiang Xiang met with Zhao Xiaofei's secret envoy at his residence. Jiang Xiang said, "Please ask the secret envoy to go back and report to the prince. Last time, it wasn't that I didn't want to get rid of Wu Sangui, but the orders were issued by multiple parties. I don't know who to obey now."
"The prince has no intention of blaming you. If he did, why would he ask me to send you medicine? It would be better to just watch you die!" said the secret envoy.
"The secret envoy is right. Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness!" Jiang Xiang said.
When Zhao Xiaofei's life was in danger, the Imperial Guards stopped giving Jiang Xiang medicine. However, the medicine had worked well before, so he was fine after stopping for a few months. But recently, his condition worsened, and no matter how many doctors he consulted, nothing worked.
Just when he felt that he was about to fall into pain again, Zhao Xiaofei's secret envoy arrived. However, this time it was not the Jinyiwei, but the inner guard.
"Before coming here, the prince said that you had performed well before and the prince still recognized you," said the secret envoy.
"Thank you for your approval, Your Highness!" Jiang Xiang said.
"This time, the prince means that Wu Sangui's strength must be consumed. You can contact those pseudo-kings in the south and inform them of the situation. Let Wu Sangui lose the battle. His strength is too strong and it will be difficult for you to win over the people." said the secret envoy.
"I understand!" Jiang Xiang said.
"The prince also heard that you often suffer from insomnia, so he asked me to bring another dose of medicine. Put a little in your nose and inhale it. It will definitely relax you. However, the prince said not to use this medicine unless you are feeling the most uncomfortable. Otherwise, you will become addicted. The prince doesn't have much." The secret messenger took out a small packet of white powdered medicine. He also scooped a little with a tool about the size of an ear pick and told Jiang Xiang the dosage.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Jiang Xiang thanked him, holding the medicine. Previously, she'd asked the housekeeper to try it, but now she's taken it so many times without a single problem. Furthermore, the medicine Your Highness gave her was more effective than any other doctor in the Ming Dynasty, so Jiang Xiang had a deep trust in the medicine Zhao Xiaofei gave her.
Seeing Jiang Xiang accept it, the secret envoy said, "At the critical moment, if Wu Sangui discovers something, he can take his troops south to cooperate with those fake kings."
"Yes, please ask the secret envoy to go back and say a few good words to the prince. I want to return to Ming Dynasty as soon as possible!" Jiang Xiang said.
"Okay! Then I'll take my leave! Lord Jiang, please don't see me off." The secret envoy said and was about to stand up.
Jiang Xiang then took out a box and pushed it to the secret envoy. He said, "It's just a small gift. Please accept it!"
The envoy didn't even look at it, simply pocketing it. He didn't dare accept the bribe privately, as he would have to hand it in when he returned. He wouldn't accept it unless someone above him said it was a reward. They weren't afraid of death now, but they were afraid of the suffering of their souls after death.
Miao Xiang died tragically at the Tusi meeting. Her soul will be tortured even after death.
In Taiyuan, those pseudo-kings had also secretly sent envoys to Nanjing and Zhao Xiaofei. Unfortunately, the conditions were harsh: surrender was allowed, but they could not lead troops or hold official positions. They could only return home and become ordinary citizens.
Kong Youde, Shang Zhixin, and Geng Jingzhong were worried. They couldn't return to the Qing Dynasty; Li Zicheng wouldn't tolerate them. Wu Sangui and his men were even more unconvinced; it would be better for them to deal with him.
They were busy building cannons, seeing how powerful the Ming army's artillery was. They were busy building them to defend their territory. With Taiyuan as the center, all the cities in southern Shanxi were protected by cannons. They believed that without a few victories, they would have no leverage to negotiate. They had to show the Ming how powerful they were.
Zhao Xiaofei already had a solution. A large amount of so-called medicine flowed into their army. If you have a headache or a fever, give me a spoonful of white powder. It's guaranteed to cure you.
Zhao Xiaokun recently sent Shi Lang to Burma to bring back poppies so he could extract the essence and make medicine. These medicines were sent by secret envoys to officials who had surrendered and sold to the armies of Li Zicheng, Wu Sangui, and Kong Youde.
Zhao Xiaofei returned to the modern era and closed the company run by Qin Baobao and Qin Xiaomi. He then called Jiang Xiaomei back to be the company's executive director, but Liu Aiping was firmly opposed.
"Mom! Why don't you let Jiang Xiaomei be the executive director of the company?" Zhao Xiaofei asked.
"If I had known that Qin Baobao would end up like this, I might as well have let you marry Xiaomei! But I didn't let you two be together, and she suffered a lot. Women are narrow-minded and will hold grudges. If you let her come back to take charge of the situation now, I'm afraid she will have some thoughts in her mind. What if she does something behind your back?" Liu Aiping said.
"Mom! You have to believe Xiaomei, she is not that kind of person! If she held a grudge against me and wanted to retaliate against me, I would have been finished long ago. But she didn't. It was she who stopped those problematic investments made by Qin Baobao. Although she didn't tell me directly, she told me through other people. So Jiang Xiaomei is the most trustworthy person now." Zhao Xiaofei said.
"Son! Just listen to your mother! It's better to hire someone outside than for her to be in power in the company. Let's spend money to buy a stable life!" Liu Aiping said.
"I've already issued the documents. Jiang Xiaomei is the best candidate. There's no room for negotiation!" Zhao Xiaofei said firmly. Liu Aiping was also helpless.
In the company's meeting room, all the senior executives were present. Zhao Xiaofei hadn't worn a suit in a long time. Today, he wore a suit and tie. His hair was tied up in a bun.
As soon as he walked in, all the employees stood up and applauded. Zhao Xiaofei pressed his hands down, and everyone immediately quieted down.
Zhao Xiaofei glanced at Jiang Xiaomei, who was sitting next to him, and said, "I'm here today to make an important announcement. Ms. Jiang Xiaomei, the company's financial director, will become the executive director of our company! My eldest brother and I are away from the company all year round, so President Jiang will be fully responsible for handling all the company's affairs."
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