The aristocratic families who took advantage of the sea trade made a lot of money overseas.
And those families who deliberately delayed or even opposed Yang Fan naturally had no advantage.
Especially for the Zhu family, due to failure to pay on time, the development and management rights of Haiyan were also withdrawn, and the family industry was in trouble.
For a time, the sky was filled with dark clouds hanging over Zhu's head.
If things go on like this, Zhu's decline has already been doomed.
As the head of the family, Chu Lai would naturally not allow such a situation to happen.
In his opinion, as long as Yang Fan is driven out of Jiangnan, the glory of their Zhu family can be restored.
It can even take Zhu's reputation to a higher level.
So, when the governor and his superiors were celebrating Yang Fan's birth of an heir.
Chu Lai contacted many people secretly.
Especially the Jiangnan family whose interests were harmed this time and Duan Zhixuan, who had just come to Jiangnan to take office.
Although Duan Zhixuan's arrival in Jiangnan has been completely ignored, after all, it was a long history given by the emperor himself.
For the officials and people in Jiangnan, this name is justifiable.
But Zhu Lai was a little uneasy, wondering if Duan Zhixuan and those Jiangnan aristocrats were willing to deal with Yang Fan together.
But no matter what, Zhu Lai wanted to give it a try.
Ever since, Zhu Lai came to Huating County in the name of congratulating Yang Fan.
The purpose is of course to discuss and contact alliance matters.
In the middle of the night, the starry sky is bright.
The cold moonlight leaked from the sky, making the entire Huating County look even more deserted.
Under the moonlight, two figures flashed across an alley.
The two people were walking in a hurry. They were completely shrouded in dark gowns and had hats on their heads. Their faces could not be seen clearly.
Soon, the two of them hurried to a house at the end of the alley and knocked gently on the door.
Soon, footsteps were heard in the courtyard.
The courtyard door opened, revealing a servant dressed in blue cloth.
"Who are you two looking for?"
One of them said: "Is the Master of the Zhu family in the mansion? He is the eldest grandson. I have made an appointment with him to bring someone to visit."
The servant said "Oh" and quickly turned sideways and said: "It turns out to be Mr. Changsun. The master of the house has made an explanation. If you come, you can just go in without any notification."
The person who just spoke nodded and led the other person into the courtyard.
The servant looked outside and saw that no one was there, so he carefully closed the courtyard door.
The servant trotted to the front of the two to lead the way.
The route did not go towards the main hall, but around the side path and came to another courtyard.
The courtyard is not big, but it is very elegantly decorated and has rockeries and ponds.
They even built an exquisite pavilion and waterside pavilion beside a small lotus pond.
In the hot summer, it is definitely a good place to relax and enjoy the cool air.
The servant led the two people through an archway and went straight to the door of a room. He raised his hand and knocked on the door twice, and said softly: "Master, Mr. Changsun has brought someone here."
A strong voice came from the room.
"welcome!"
The servant opened the door and said respectfully: "Please!"
It was deserted outside, but inside the house it was warm as spring.
The yellowish light shines on the light-recognizable floor, which can reflect people's shadows.
Walking into the house, there is a carved tea table on it, and a complete set of tea sets on the tea tray.
Directly in front of the coffee table, a middle-aged man wearing Shu cotton color sat there.
Taking a closer look, it was Zhu Lai, the head of the Zhu family.
Seeing the two people coming in, Zhu Lai waved his hand and said hello casually: "You two, sit down wherever you want. This pot of tea will be ready soon, just right to ward off the cold!"
"Master, you're welcome!" The visitor took off the hat covering his head and said with a smile.
Only then did he realize that the two people who came in were Changsun Anye and Duan Zhixuan.
Although the eldest grandson Anye didn't mind, Zhu Lai
This casualness and arrogance made Duan Zhixuan faintly unhappy.
In any case, he is also the Duke of the dynasty, and this guy actually dares to show off in front of him. Do you really think he is easy to bully?
Although he said that he was ignored by Yang Fan and had nothing to do against Yang Fan, it did not mean that he was afraid of Zhu Lai, a local snake.
However, thinking that Changsun Anye said that he had brought him here to discuss important matters, he could only hold back his anger.
After sitting down, Duan Zhixuanpi smiled and said: "Agent Longjing Tea? That really cost the family owner a lot of money!"
"However, it is said that this special tribute Longjing tea is a gift from the royal family, and the others were given by Yang Fan to his friends, but I don't know where the Zhu family got it from?"
"Could it be that Yang Fan is also a good friend of the head of the family?"
As Duan Zhixuan spoke, he handed the coat he took off to the servant.
Zhu Lai's face couldn't help but froze, and then he said disapprovingly: "What about the tribute items? If the emperor can enjoy it, of course we can also enjoy it."
"Besides, when the emperor arrives in Jiangnan, you have to give us three points, so what if we only offer special tea?"
"As for saying that we are good friends with Yang Fan, that is simply nonsense."
"Who is Yang Fan? If he hadn't relied on some cleverness and flattering the emperor, how would he have been able to dominate the government at such a young age?"
"Let me tell you, Yang Fan has been in Jiangnan for a long time. From now on, Jiangnan will still belong to our Jiangnan family!"
Seeing Zhu Lai's awesome look, Duan Zhixuan was slightly stunned.
Who do you think you are?
Even if you want to deal with Yang Fan, you don't want to take a piss and look in the mirror.
I don’t know where this guy got his confidence.
You old boy didn't see that Yang Fan was so powerful.
I really want to deal with you aristocratic families and blow you to pieces with just a few shots.
However, Duan Zhixuan was too lazy to argue with Zhu Lai. He wanted to see what this guy had to say.
The eldest grandson Anye on the side interjected:
"Praise to the Duke, Brother Zhu is right, Yang Fan's position as Governor is no longer secure."
Duan Zhixuan couldn't help but was stunned, and raised his head to glance at Changsun Anye.
He really couldn't figure out why Changsun Anye was so sure.
Could it be that this guy got some rumors?
As the elder brother of Changsheng Wuji, Changsun Anye might have received some inside information.
After thinking about it, Duan Zhixuan asked, "How do you say this?"
Changsun Anye smiled and said: "Do you think it is good or bad for the Duke of the State to give Yang Fan tens of millions of money to the emperor?"
Duan Zhixuan frowned: "It is certainly a good thing for the court and the emperor."
As the Duke of the country, he certainly knows that the treasury is now empty.
Yang Fan sent tens of millions of dollars to His Majesty Li Er, so that Li Er had enough money to prepare armaments, which naturally gained Li Er's trust.
In this way, Yang Fan's position is more secure.
This is also the reason why Duan Zhixuan was willing to accept his fate during this period.
But now why does Changsun Anye say that Yang Fan's position as governor is not secure?
Duan Zhixuan looked confused.
The eldest grandson Anye and Zhu Lai looked at each other and smiled, looking quite proud.
For a moment, the room fell into silence.
The teapot on the small stove on the table "gurgled" and steamed.
The two did not immediately explain.
Zhu Lai lifted the kettle, washed, made tea, and divided the tea in one go. His movements were chic and elegant, and he was obviously a master of tea ceremony.
After signaling Duan Zhixuan to drink tea, Zhu Laicai said calmly: "Is it because Yang Fan gave so much money to the emperor that his position as governor is unstable?"
"My lord, think about it. Yang Fan has only been in Jiangnan for a few months, and he has already obtained such a large sum of money. This is the income of the national treasury for almost two years."
"Who wouldn't be jealous of such a huge fortune?"
"Especially the Guanzhong family, they all look for opportunities to interfere in Jiangnan affairs."
"If Zhu's prediction is correct, the reason why the Duke of Guo has the opportunity to come to Jiangnan to serve as the chief historian is also because of the help of the Guanzhong family, right?"
"Now that Yang Fan is ruling the sky in Jiangnan, he doesn't take you seriously at all. Are you so willing to be ignored by him?"
Seeing that the topic was getting to the point, Duan Zhixuan put down the tea cup in his hand and said seriously: "Master, there is no need to hide it, what do you want to say?"
Zhu Lai chuckled: "Since the Duke is so cheerful, then Zhu Mingming will not say anything secret."
"The purpose of inviting the Duke to come here this time is to unite everyone to drive Yang Fan out of Jiangnan."
"I have contacted many Jiangnan nobles to work together to deal with Yang Fan. This time, he will definitely be miserable."
Duan Zhixuan glanced at Zhu Lai and asked: "Since the head of the family is already sure, why do you want to drag me into trouble? Isn't this unnecessary?"
After seeing the power of the navy, Duan Zhixuan would never act rashly without a foolproof plan.
Of course, this does not mean that Duan Zhixuan has no hatred for Yang Fan.
It's just that he doesn't want to do anything he's not sure about.
Regarding Duan Xuan's question, Zhu Lai was not in a hurry. Instead, he smiled and said, "Although we have a strategy to deal with Yang Fan, we also believe that Yang Fan will definitely retreat under the siege of our family."
"But the enemy of our enemy is our friend, and Yang Fan is our common enemy, so we invite the public to make plans."
"Of course, people in the light don't tell secret stories. Although there are many people who oppose Yang Fan, these people are not firm in their stance, so there are some risks."
"If the Duke joins, everything will be guaranteed."
Foolproof?
Do you really think you are a fool?
If you want to become a gun user, how can such a good thing happen?
Do you really think that Yang Fan's navy is just a show-off?
No wonder Duan Zhixuan is so cautious.
Defeated again and again at the hands of Yang Fan, Duan Zhixuan had to be careful.
If it were in the past, Duan Zhixuan might not take Yang Fan seriously at all.
But Yang Fan's series of methods some time ago made Duan Zhixuan aware of Yang Fan's terror.
Even if he goes south with the emperor's will, so what?
In this three-acre area of Jiangnan, you have to lie down if it is a tiger, and you have to coil up if it is a dragon.
Yang Fan doesn't even pay attention to the emperor's imperial edict. Is he still afraid that you aristocratic families will rebel?
That guy really dares to take action!
Duan Zhixuan is sure.
If he lets the other party get a handle on him, Yang Fan will not hold back anymore.
Thinking of this, Duan Zhixuan couldn't help but ask: "How can you guarantee that Yang Fan will not fight to the death with us? That guy's navy is not a vegetarian!"
"Besides, how can I believe that none of you leaked the news?"
"If Yang Fan gets the news, wouldn't I die without a burial place?"
Seeing Duan Zhixuan being so cautious, Zhu Lai said, "The Duke is so cautious. Could it be that he can't trust Zhu?"
"Forget it, people's hearts are separated from each other, so who can see clearly?"
"Today, the Duke of Guangdong has not visited the house. I have not invited the Duke of Guogu, nor have I said anything!"
"However, it is such a good opportunity to deal with an enemy. If the Duke does not participate, don't regret it afterwards."
After saying this, Zhu Lai was ready to get up and see him off.
This move uses retreat to advance, which is indeed high!
As expected, Duan Zhixuan hesitated.
I couldn't help but wonder, maybe I was being a little too cautious.
But if you let yourself deal with Yang Fan together, the risk is very high. There can't be no benefits, right?
So Duan Zhixuan gritted his teeth and asked: "You, the Jiangnan nobles, will get a lot of benefits from driving Yang Fan out of Jiangnan, but what will I gain?"
Hearing Duan Zhixuan's conditions, Zhu Lai sneered in his heart.
I’m not afraid that you’ll raise conditions, but I’m afraid that you won’t mention anything at all!
Taking a deep breath, Zhu Lai asked with a solemn expression: "As long as the Duke agrees to jointly deal with Yang Fan, feel free to raise any conditions."
After pondering for a moment, Duan Zhixuan said: "If you want my full help, I want 500,000 yuan, and it must be cash."
The flesh on Zhu Lai's face trembled slightly, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll pay you 100,000 guan in advance. As for the remaining 400,000 guan, I'll give it to you when you drive Yang Fan out of Jiangnan. How about that?"
"It's a deal!"
"It's hard to chase a horse!"
Then the two discussed some details before Duan Zhixuan turned around and left.
Seeing Duan Zhixuan's retreating figure, Changsun Anye wondered: "Why did Brother Zhu give so much money to Duan Zhixuan?"
"The grievances between the Duan family and Yang Fan are well known. Even if we don't give money, Duan Zhixuan will definitely agree if there is such a good opportunity to deal with Yang Fan."
Zhu Lai smiled and said: "That's because Duan Zhixuan still has some uses. His trip to Jiangnan this time is the trick of the Guanzhong family."
"Only by bringing him in, the Guanzhong family will do their best to deal with Yang Fan."
"Besides, if a person's life is lost, what's the use of giving more money?"
Changsun Anye looked surprised: "Are we going to deal with Duan Zhixuan..."
He didn't say the next words, he just made a gesture of killing a chicken.
Zhu Lai smiled proudly: "Brother Zhangsun, I didn't say anything."
"However, once Yang Fan is kicked out of Jiangnan, someone will have to take the blame, right?"
Changsun Anye couldn't help being surprised.
These wealthy families really wanted to make Duan Zhixuan a scapegoat.
It's really poisonous!
Once a prince of the dynasty dies in Jiangnan, will the court be shaken?
As the chief official of Jiangnan, Yang Fan could not escape suspicion.
In this way, it became logical for Yang Fan to leave Jiangnan.
Changsun Anye's eyes changed slightly when he looked at Zhu Lai.
I originally thought that these aristocratic families were just tools for my own use.
It seems that these people really have some tricks up their sleeves.
Don't try to take advantage of these people in the future.
However, Changsun Anye is not very worried now.
After all, these people still need the support from behind.
It's just that Changsun Anye didn't expect these Jiangnan nobles to be so bold.
Once people become greedy, they can do anything.
…
Duan Zhixuan, who returned to his residence, no longer looked like the money obsessed person he had just been.
He came to the coffee table and poured a cup of tea, but he hesitated to drink it, his mind racing rapidly.
He really couldn't figure out why Zhu Lai had to ask him to join?
It stands to reason that if I ask for 500,000 pounds of money, the other party should not agree.
But Zhu Lai agreed without hesitation, there must be something weird in it.
Five hundred thousand dollars!
Even if the Zhu family is rich in Southeast Asia, it is obviously unrealistic to come up with so much cash.
Besides, trying to drive Yang Fan out of Jiangnan is not a matter for the Zhu family.
Why does Chu Lai take over everything?
Although money and silk are very attractive!
But the more Duan Zhixuan thought about it, the more uneasy he became!
He suddenly couldn't sit still
He immediately called his servants to prepare the carriage and decided to go to Dadu Mansion.
(End of chapter)
