From a son-in-law to a favorite of the empress

Chapter 934

This time, my father-in-law came here specifically, not just to chat and joke.

Zhao Cheng wanted to communicate with Zhou Yuan about the issue of opening the sea, especially the setting of customs rules and tariff ratios. Of course, it also included cooperation with the Fujian and Guangdong Navy, escort patrols, combating pirates, etc.

Li Zhaolu, on the other hand, had more important things to do.

"I volunteered to resign from the post of Governor of Liangjiang1 and planned to go to Dongfan Island to serve as the Governor of Taiwan."

"I will take my team to Dongfan Island to set up the Taiwan Provincial Government Office and its subordinate institutions, and spread the laws and rules of Dajin to the entire Dongfan Island."

"The people's situation there is complicated, there are many stubborn forces on all sides, and there are huge differences in customs and consciousness. There are many things to do, and the means must be both hard and soft. I am worried that others will not be able to do it well."

"Because the rules are new and imperfect in all aspects, it is easy to lead to corruption and I have to make something happen there before I can enter the capital and join the cabinet."

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan looked solemn and clasped his fists and said, "Uncle is righteous, I admire you."

Li Zhaolu waved his hand and smiled, "The rise of Dajin requires the efforts of countless people. We can't let you, a young man, do everything."

"Leave Dongfan Island to me. In two years, I will give you a brand new Taiwan!"

The two old men chatted with Zhou Yuan for a whole day, talking about the situation in all aspects. They became more and more excited as they talked, and they all imagined the bright future of Dajin.

After dinner, the three of them drank a little. Zhao Cheng held Zhou Yuan's hand and said, "Ziyi, have you forgotten something?"

Zhou Yuan asked in confusion, "Father-in-law, what is it?"

Zhao Cheng said, "You asked Zou Xueqing to borrow money from me, and said that he would return it to me after the Chaozhou merchants came back. My business department is also short of money now. You can't deny it, right?"

Zhou Yuan immediately covered his stomach and said with difficulty, "Oh, I have diarrhea from eating too much. I'm going to the toilet first..."

"No!"

Zhao Cheng said hurriedly, " Ziyi, I am not a stingy person. If it is tens of thousands of taels, I won't even mention it. That is hundreds of thousands of taels of silver!"

Zhou Yuan coughed twice and said, "Father-in-law, can I deny it? I am not that kind of person! I am just short of money at the moment..."

Zhao Cheng glared and said, "You are short of money? Don't be kidding, Chaozhou merchants took 5 million taels of silver, you still have at least 18 million taels!"

Zhou Yuan smiled bitterly and said, "Soldiers' pensions, warship repairs, people's livelihood restoration, and the establishment of the Taiwan Provincial Government Office, this has already cost the company a lot of money. Not much left. "

Zhao Cheng said: "Don't think I don't know how to count, at least there are 10 million taels left."

Zhou Yuan sighed and said: "It has been transported away. I have already mobilized the elite of the Fujian and Guangdong Navy and the Jinyiwei Tiqi to escort 10 million taels of silver back to Beijing."

Zhao Cheng was so anxious that he jumped up and down: "You spent all the money! Just to avoid paying me back!"

Zhou Yuan said: "Father-in-law, there is no way, I need to spend money too much. This 10 million taels must be transported to various places and distributed to the various Jiedushi for training and forging weapons. , actively prepare for war. "

"Wait for the Autumn Poem! I can make it up to you when the Autumn Poem comes up! It won't take more than a month at most!"

Zhao Cheng snorted and said, "Don't think I can't do anything. You only have me as your father-in-law? The Qu family is busy enjoying themselves and hasn't paid much."

"When I go to Jinling to meet the noble families in a while, I will ask Qu Shaoqing for money!"

Zhou Yuan's eyes lit up and he said immediately, "I totally agree! The Qu family is the largest family in Jinling and has plenty of money!"

The two looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

...

When I returned to the manor with Jianjia, it was already late at night. I was tired and did nothing. I slept quietly until dawn.

In the morning, Zhao Jianjia leaned against Zhou Yuan and said softly: "Then I will take the girl away, raise her in the mansion first, and teach her to read and write."

Zhou Yuan nodded and said: "No problem, give her a name? When I asked her, she couldn't say her own name."

Zhao Jianjia smiled and said: "Just call her a girl, wait for the Virgin Mary to come back, and she will choose a name."

Speaking of this, she paused slightly, and then said: "Do you want Dai Si to follow you, or take her back to Shenjing?"

This question really stumped Zhou Yuan.

He frowned, thought for a moment, and said slowly: "This girl is very smart and ambitious. I want to give her a stage."

"Let her follow me. I will take her to Goryeo to try her luck and see if she can learn anything."

"If she exceeds expectations, she will be of great use in the future."

Zhao Jianjia said: "What if she doesn't meet your expectations? Keep her at home as a concubine?"

Zhou Yuan shook his head and smiled: "It's unlikely. She is too arrogant. If she doesn't meet my expectations, then her life will be in vain.Fate may teach her a great lesson. "

"Ambition and arrogance need to be matched with wisdom. She will usher in a stage and a crisis. "

"That's a later story. Let's talk about it later."

Zhao Jianjia nodded and whispered, "After going to Goryeo, you must return to Shenjing as soon as possible and stop running around."

"Your Majesty has been very busy recently. It is said that her body can't hold on any longer. You have to go see her."

Zhou Yuan glared and said, "When did you and the eldest sister become in the same faction?"

Zhao Jianjia pinched him and said, "What nonsense, there is no faction or no faction, husband, remember when we first went to Shenjing? The eldest sister came to visit us and gave us a lot of things. "

"You don't pay attention to the expenses of the family and don't know the specific situation. In the past three years, His Majesty has sent things from the palace to the family every now and then. This friendship is not fake. ”

“I often think that without your majesty’s care, we wouldn’t have come this far so smoothly.”

“How many people have you offended as you climbed up step by step? But nothing happened in the mansion. Didn’t the inner guards have any credit? Didn’t your majesty have any credit?”

“To be honest, your majesty is very good to our family.”

Zhou Yuan smiled and pinched her face, saying, “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

A moment later, there was a knock on the door outside.

Ningyue’s voice came: “Brother Zhou, Sister Jianjia, are you awake? Guan Lu is here, saying that there is a letter from the north, which is very urgent.”

Zhou Yuan immediately walked out the door and went to the main hall to meet Guan Lu.

Guan Lu didn’t waste any words, and handed the letter over directly, saying solemnly: “It was sent from Shenjing. A spy from the East Tartar found the Northern Pacification Division and handed it to Wang Ang.”

“Wang Ang didn’t dare to delay, and found our Shenque, and sent the letter all the way by carrier pigeon. "

Zhou Yuan held the small bamboo tube and asked in confusion: "Is this the original? Not a copy?"

Guan Lu said: "The original, it seems that the Dongluo also sent a pigeon to Shenjing."

Zhou Yuan's expression was a little strange. How many words can be written on such a small piece of paper?

He opened the note and saw that his figure was shocked and his brows frowned.

There were only two words written on the note-"Huaxia"!

The words were very hard-styled, without any calligraphy skills, but you can see the style and strength in the strokes.

This handwriting was something Zhou Yuan had never seen before, and it was definitely not Daichan's handwriting.

So who wrote the letter? It's obvious.

Huang Taiji.

Guan Lu was surprised and said: "Just these two words, what is he expressing?"

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, and suddenly exclaimed: "Not good! Huang Taiji is going to die!"

"Quick! Send pigeons to notify the post stations along the way to prepare horses! I want to rush back to Shenjing immediately! "

Zhou Yuan hurried to the study, and said as he walked: "I will write a letter immediately. You send a pigeon to Shenjing as quickly as possible, and let the divine bird contact the Donglu spy and send it to Shenzhou as quickly as possible."

"Huang Taiji cannot die! At least not now!"

"He thinks too far and too decisively. Damn, he caught me off guard."

Zhou Yuan picked up the pen and wrote, but he only wrote two words-"bow and arrow."