Chapter 172 What a surprise
"Master Marquis, it seems that the Japanese army has given up the idea of pursuing us."
Chen Cao looked at the treasures and women being loaded onto the boat, and he was immediately satisfied. He had made a lot of money during his trip to Japan, and the most important thing was to transport these treasures back. Reason, and the focus is to do some transactions with the Dutch East India Company in Taiwan, such as arms transactions.
"What are you chasing after? Tokugawa Tadanagi is our general, and now Edo Port is in our hands, and their warships have gone to Kyushu. Where do you think they have the strength to fight us?"
Chen Cao shook his hand and asked Xin Zhao to continue counting his belongings at the dock. Then he walked into the cabin where he was resting. As soon as he entered the cabin, Chen Cao hugged Zhang Chunyao into his arms. In the summer of Japan, even on the sea, it was hot. Incomparably, Zhang Chunyao, wearing only a tulle piece, fell into Chen Cao's arms with a look of intoxication on her face.
"Chun Yao, maybe we have to go back."
"I also want to go back. The bed at home is at least safer than on the boat."
Chen Cao walked out of the cabin and glanced at him: "So fast?"
Zhao Xin also knew that Chen Cao must be doing business inside, so he didn't dare to disturb him too much: "I have to report that after everyone has boarded the ship, I have to hand over the account book to the Marquis for inspection."
There were five thick account books, which looked like a lot of things. Chen Cao flipped through them casually, then sat on the chair in the aisle of the cabin: "Tell me."
"Yes..." Xin Zhao said, putting the account book on the table, and then took out a summary book: "This time the silver is estimated to be more than 10 million taels, the gold is 3 million taels, all kinds of gold, jade, silver, coral There are countless other utensils, packed in more than one hundred boxes, with a total value of not less than 40 million taels. In addition to the nearly 30,000 women under the age of 40 who were taken away according to the order of the Marquis, all After boarding the ship, many other soldiers followed the instructions and searched for the dead Japanese soldiers and the wealthy people in the city. If the general, sergeants and soldiers collected all their income, it is conservatively estimated that they would have earned five million taels."
Also, Chen Cao looked at the large and small bundles tied to his body, making the new soldiers smile from ear to ear, and shook his head: "Send an order to all divisions. The soldiers must hand over all the property they collect. Who dares to do so?" Privately kept in the military department."
If the New Army had not had instructors specifically explain the precedent of handing over the proceeds captured during training, otherwise these New Army members would definitely not be willing to take out their gains when they received such benefits.
"Zhao Xin, all the gold, silver, or jade jewelry captured by the soldiers will be valued according to the market price of our Ming Dynasty, and then each soldier will be given a separate reward, twelve taels per person..."
Chen Cao said with a serious face.
Under the system of raising soldiers with high salaries, these refugees and untouchables are deeply subject to the military laws of the new army. For an ordinary soldier, ten taels of silver is half a year's salary. Who doesn't like money?
Moreover, the New Army has strict military discipline. After Chen Cao's order was issued, the gendarmerie units organized in each battalion and company began their own work, supervising the soldiers and turning over all their seizures.
The progress seems orderly...
Four days later, Chen Cao's fleet arrived at Fangjin Village after a smooth sailing. What Chen Cao didn't expect was that a fleet from Daming was already waiting at the port.
"Master Marquis, the troops left behind said that the people here were sent by the imperial court to convey the order. Because they wanted to see Master Marquis, they stayed in Fangjin Village. The Jinyi guards who followed them were from Fusi, Beizhen. I heard that they had other matters to attend to. Inform the Marquis."
After Xin Zhao finished speaking, he stood aside and adjusted his robe: "Let's go ashore to meet the angel."
"The emperor is destined to be transported by heaven, and the edict says:...
Now that the war with Japan is over, I feel deeply uneasy in the world and cannot bear to fight again. I order Chen Cao to lead his troops to return to the Hajj as soon as possible. All the affairs of the Japanese country will be handed over to the Marquis of Xianning, the concubine. I express my gratitude..."
"Your Majesty Chen Cao accepts the decree, long live my emperor, long live long live..."
Chen Cao stood up and looked very calm. He didn't recognize the little eunuch who announced the decree. He should be a newcomer to the palace. As for Qiu Yue, the Marquis of Xianning, Chen Cao only had a relationship with him once when he was in the capital. The fair-skinned Marquis he saw in the procession of nobles when he left.
"Marquis Xianning, I will return to the court according to the imperial decree, and everything here will be left to Marquis Xianning."
Chen Cao politely raised his hand to Qiu Yue, and Qiu Yue also raised his hand and said with a smile: "Wherever, Marquis Dingwu is tired, so I will leave this place to you. I will have to ask Marquis Dingwu to help me in the future."
After exchanging pleasantries with Qiu Yue, Chen Cao took the people from Beizhen Fusi on board the boat. The accompanying Qianhu official saluted Chen Cao very respectfully: "I'm going to be the official of Beisi Qianhu Chenglin. I have met Mr. Hou..."
"Tell me, but the Governor has something confidential to tell me?"
Cheng Lin nodded and handed a secret letter to Chen Cao: "This is what the governor ordered his subordinates to deliver to the Marquis. In addition, the governor asked his subordinates to deliver a message to the Marquis. This time, the Japanese delegation arrived in the capital and the court Zhongdong Lin Qingliu took this opportunity to criticize the Governor and the Marquis, but please rest assured, the Marquis, although His Majesty ordered the Marquis to return to the army, he also asked the Marquis to finish this matter before going back."
"I know this, is there anything else?"
Chen Cao opened the letter and read it. The things mentioned in the letter were similar to what Qianhu said, but it also included the confrontation between Donglin and the eunuchs during the Great Dynasty. Wei Zhongxian also told Chen Cao in the letter not to give up what he had come to. The result was not easy, which made Chen Cao feel very pleased and at the same time felt that this old eunuch was not ordinary cunning.
Cheng Lin clasped his fists: "Yes, there is one more thing. The Governor is planning to attack the Donglin Party, but he has already tired the former Minister of Civil Affairs Zhang Wenda. Mr. Zhang died of illness at the beginning of the month. Tian Zhenfu asked his subordinates to inform the Marquis. Just tell the Marquis in advance..."
Zhang Wenda is dead?
Chen Cao trembled all over, then became a little distracted, and then asked: "Did it affect Mr. Zhang?"
Cheng Lin nodded: "There is no way. Tian Zhenfu knows that Mr. Zhang has an old relationship with the Marquis, so he asked his subordinates to try to avoid involving Mr. Zhang when doing things. However, the things behind him are getting bigger and bigger, and Tian Zhenfu has reached a point where he can no longer do it. To the point of control..."
The matter is very complicated. This is the same as the Donglin Party catastrophe in the fifth year of Tianqi in the original history. The dead Zhang Wenda was also held accountable, and Zhang Wenda asked Chen Cao to protect Zhang Wen when he was drinking with Chen Cao. Zhang Wenda's family, now in the Japanese country, must go back as soon as possible to help, otherwise Zhang Wenda's family will suffer. As a nephew, he really has no face to see people.
"I know, please go down first."
"yes..."
After Cheng Lin left, Zhao Xin said: "Master Hou, things are not simple..."
"Qiu Yue must have many interests involved, so they think being in the Japanese country is a good thing. There are silver mountains here..." Chen Cao sighed: "It seems that Wei Zhongxian doesn't trust me either. There is a traitor within us... ."
As soon as Chen Cao's words came out, Zhao Xin immediately became alert and walked out of the cabin and looked around: "Is it one of the Jinyi guards?"
"It's hard to say..." Chen Cao shook his head: "Last time, all the money in Zhejiang was taken away by Wei Zhongxian, and his nephew was given the title of Ning Guogong. I lost a marquis, but this The Marquis should have expected me a long time ago..."
"Master Marquis, do you want to check from below?" Zhao Xin said and gestured.
Chen Cao shook his head: "I have already taken care of this matter. You just need to secretly send people to monitor the generals at all levels in the army, especially the people like Ke Guangxian."
Xin Zhao nodded: "When necessary?"
"If necessary, these people will have to 'die on the battlefield'..."
Xin Zhao nodded coldly: "I understand..."
"Be prepared. It is necessary for the Japanese country to stay behind. The candidates are to let Shixiu and the people from the third division stay, stationed at Fangjin Village. Also, you will personally lead the team and take all the ships with property to Chongming Island. He left his belongings there and returned to Nanjing with only ten million taels worth of things. After selling them, he gave them all to the emperor and Wei Zhongxian."
Xin Zhao nodded in thought and asked in a low voice: "Master Hou, the Biwa Qianhu on Chongming Island is under the jurisdiction of the Zhenhai Guards, and our infiltration has not yet reached the end."
Xin Zhao's meaning is very clear. Once people in Suzhou Prefecture learn that there is so much money on Chongming Island, they will definitely try their best to get Zhenhaiwei to come forward. However, once this matter is exposed, the money will be wasted again. .
"The loss of money is not terrible..." Chen Cao shook his head coldly: "The terrible thing is that I lost so much money but was still kept in the dark by the traitor. That is the most terrible thing."
Xin Zhao was startled, and then suddenly realized: "Could it be that the Marquis wants to use these properties to lure the traitor into taking the bait?"
Chen Cao turned to look at Xin Zhao and smiled evilly: "Money is something external to the body. I don't care about it. Besides, if you show it here sometimes, you will have plenty of money in the future. The key is the traitor lurking within us. That is the most hateful thing. So, even if I scatter all the money this time, I have to catch this person who eats everything, otherwise it will be difficult to relieve the hatred in my heart."
"Master Marquis' clever plan, my subordinates will follow it. What about Marquis Xianning?" Zhao Xin frowned.
"Let the spy act as a monitor. I want to know every move of Qiu Yue. The most important thing is to know when he sent the letter to the court and what the content is."
"My subordinate understands..."
