Chapter 2, cornered upon arrival

However, recently there have been reports of bandits in Shandong, prompting the emperor to consider the risk of the canal being cut off. He has therefore approved Shen Tingyang to return to his hometown for research and to organize small-scale pilot projects. If it can be confirmed next year that maritime transport is more effective and cost-efficient, it will be promoted on a larger scale.

In that year, Xiong Wencan was able to rise from the Governor of Fujian to the Commander of the Six Provinces, relying on his achievement of successfully pacifying Zheng Zhilong in Fujian. Unfortunately, his success was also his downfall; he sought to rely on a single strategy to dominate, ultimately falling into the hands of Zhang Xianzhong

Of course, it is merely a conjecture

Although Governor of the Transport Bureau Zhu Dadian did not personally engage in business, his family members were all involved in commerce, specifically in the contracting of transport services.

Shen Tingyang said this as he got up to lock the study door.

Why are you not resting so late?

With questions and speculations in mind, I approached the documents, and indeed, the efficiency was quite high. In just half a stick of incense's time, Shen Shuren had made some gains

Therefore, whether it is Yang Sichang's goodwill or grievances, they all have a "two-year shelf life"

Shen Tingyang's expression changed several times; the more he listened, the more captivating his expression became, and in the end, he couldn't help but exclaim

It appears that Shen Tingyang's return to his hometown is indeed related to normal official duties of the Ministry of Revenue and is not directly connected to the incident involving the Imperial Academy's correspondence; it is merely a coincidence that the timing coincided.

He saw two important national affairs from two recent court bulletins

Upon hearing this situation, Shen Shuren felt a secret joy in his heart: it was just right that the new subordinates were not familiar with the young master, and with his future change in conduct, they would not be able to detect any flaws.

Shen Tingyang was examining the historical accounts of the canal transportation under the light of a lamp when he was somewhat surprised to see his son requesting an audience.

Shen Shuren pondered for a moment and felt that this question could not be directly deduced solely based on the existing evidence

Indeed, it has only been four and a half years since Chongzhen hanged himself. One must seize every opportunity to rapidly establish power and plan for the future restoration of the Han people's dynasty.

After his father left, Shen Shuren did not rush to take action. This body had just recovered from a serious illness; haste makes waste

Shen Shuren can also be considered someone who knows how to correct his mistakes, and he immediately expressed: "In that case, I will go back and think of a way slowly. As long as it does not provoke the Zheng family and I can find an excuse to go to Nanjing, that should be fine, right?"

In the future, when there is ample time for decision-making, one must not blindly trust historical texts, but rather adopt a pragmatic approach that takes into account the changes in the situation for analysis and deduction

Therefore, Zheng Sen was able to become a disciple of Qian Qianyi, at least after the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen era.

Therefore, the court hoped that these warlords would send their sons and nephews to the capital as hostages, to prevent mutual suspicion and desperate actions. Zheng Zhilong also recognized this point; fearing that his son would be detained, he sought various ways to avoid this critical situation

... ...

If Shen Shuren had seen this letter at the very beginning, he might have been easily deceived

So, what is the true motivation

But now he has witnessed Zheng Hongkui obstructing him from going to Nanjing. If the matter were truly that simple, why would the Zheng family be so anxious?

He first finished his dinner under the service of the maid Qingzhi, washed up and tidied himself, and changed into a clean set of clothes from head to toe

Shen Fu is the son of the old steward Shen Xiang in the residence, and he was originally assigned to a position outside, serving as the manager of a shop that deals in Korean medicinal herbs

The matters mentioned in the letter should all be true

Moreover, historically, Yang Sichang would be framed by Zhang Xianzhong using the scheme of assassinating the vassal king two years later, leading to his death from fear. By that time, the little private accounts in his "notebook" would also vanish into thin air

Is it that Zheng Zhilong was afraid that his son would be taken hostage by the court? But why was he not afraid three years later?

Shen Shuren bowed and took his leave, then turned to return to the room, internally comforting himself

In simple terms, the three companies mentioned in the letter were the "shipping and logistics giants" of that time, and the court relied on them to exert more effort

Shen Shuren completed this line of reasoning in one breath

Therefore, this letter can only be trusted halfway

At this point, Shen Shuren could only remain silent for the time being

It is now the twelfth year of the Chongzhen era, and the last straw of the three levies at the end of the Ming Dynasty, known as the "Lian Xiang," was indeed imposed starting from this year, amounting to seven to eight million taels of silver each year

Inspired by this, Shen Shuren suddenly realized the butterfly effect he had brought about

Upon thinking of this, Shen Shuren naturally felt some concern, and thus could not help but riskily suggest to his father, utilizing the foresight of a time traveler:

After listening to Shen Shuren, he confirmed it with the limited knowledge of the "Ming History" in his mind, and thus felt relieved—indeed, there was an event of "changing the grain transport from river to sea" during the late Ming Dynasty

It turns out that Shen Tingyang submitted another memorial to the emperor last month, the content of which still suggested "changing the grain transport to the sea"

If it were a usual day, he would only hope that his son studies well and does not get involved in these schemes and petty matters

For instance, ever since he recalled his father's identity, a question arose in his mind: since his father was an official in the Ministry of Revenue, which should classify him as a court official, how could he be in their hometown of Suzhou?

Fortunately, Qingzhi was quite clear about her family's matters and recounted everything in detail

However, Shen Tingyang frowned, strongly disapproving of his son's perspective

Father, since this matter is being urged by Elder Yang, why don't we take a gamble? Regardless of the persuasion from the Zheng family, let us continue to insist on sending me to Nanjing. I have heard that Zheng Zhilong only wishes to dominate the seas and does not have the ambition to seize a territory for himself, so he is unlikely to dare to rebel.

At such a critical juncture, two years are extremely valuable. Therefore, as long as there is a glimmer of opportunity, one must do everything possible to achieve it

This type of memorial has already been submitted several times by Shen Tingyang, but it was previously obstructed by the Grand Governor of the Transport Bureau, Zhu Dadian, who claimed that the high winds and rough seas at sea were uncontrollable and that the livelihoods of a million transport workers were at stake. The Emperor also found it inappropriate to force the issue.

However, it is possible to deduce some joints in reverse

After eliminating this distracting option, Shen Shuren had rested sufficiently, so he allowed Qing Zhi to lead him to the study

The procrastination of the Shen family also bears a certain responsibility—Yang Sichang initially intended to exploit the information asymmetry and create a time lag, taking advantage of the fact that the Zheng family was still unaware of Xiong Wencan's impending downfall, to deceive Zheng Sen into taking action and solidifying the situation.

Shen Shuren did not explain, but directly got to the point and made a bluff

However, he has recently been feeling overwhelmed and is afraid that he will not be able to complete his mission, leaving him unable to report to Elder Yang, which has led him to seek help from various sources in a somewhat desperate manner

Shen Shuren, seeing that he had guessed correctly, spoke with even greater confidence and eloquence

Certainly, it may not have been that early—"The History of Ming" does not directly state the year Zheng Sen went to Nanjing, but Qian Qianyi only met and married Liu Rushi in the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen era. At that time, Qian Qianyi's criminal record had not yet been expunged, and he was still in the wilderness.

After a long while, he finally sighed and said: "I have underestimated you all along; you actually possess such insight. Well then, go ahead and tell me, how did you see through it?"

Alas, His Majesty cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes; he cannot possibly foresee the issue of whether such a 'harsh inquiry into the crimes of Xiong Wencan will lead to public anxiety'

Soon, he captured an important piece of information from that invitation letter from the Imperial Academy:

Even if this matter cannot be accomplished, as long as Zheng Zhilong is willing to behave himself in the future and does not send hostages, it is not a big deal. It merely means that I will be reproached by Elder Yang and will have no chance for promotion in the future. But if it benefits the Ming dynasty, what does my career matter!

Therefore, it is indeed not advisable to gamble

Relying on having read the "History of Ming," one tends to approach issues with a somewhat rigid and dogmatic perspective in a hurried manner

Indeed, as long as he cannot directly say "I know history," Shen Tingyang's cautious attitude will be difficult to change

However, historically, there has been no intervention from him, Shen Shuren

If this matter is not handled well, although Yang Sichang will complain, there will not be any formal blame attached.

The Shen family also comes from a wealthy merchant background, owning over one hundred large sand vessels in the Yellow Sea. Shen Tingyang only purchased an official position and switched careers in the early years of the Chongzhen era, which is why he has consistently advocated for the "conversion of river transport to maritime transport"

On the sixth day after your illness, Zheng Hongkui hurried to our residence to investigate the situation, as they had also received an invitation from the Imperial Academy and suspected that it was merely a pretext—indeed, they were not mistaken in their suspicion

While contemplating these matters, Shen Shuren also kept his hands busy, opening the documents and reading them carefully

Perhaps this physical body originally died of heatstroke in the twelfth year of the Chongzhen era. Then, it was all over, and Yang Sichang did not pursue the matter further, letting it pass without concern.

Shen Tingyang was taken aback, staring intently at his son, and the room was terrifyingly quiet

However, Shen Shuren's illness has wasted the information gap of these past few days

Not bad, you were able to guess about seventy to eighty percent accurately. However, it is not the 'court' public opinion that demands the surrendering general to provide hostages—this was a private instruction from Elder Yang.

At the same time, discreetly gather more information about Qingzhi without leaving any traces.

After all, Zheng Zhilong has no enmity with the Shen family, and there is no need to deal with a junior like him. Such painstaking efforts are most likely for the sake of his own son

Therefore, Shen Shuren did not intend to personally verify the matter rigorously, as that would be too time-consuming

Shen Tingyang nodded with relief and said, "That is true, but it is difficult to find. Your intention is enough; focus on recovering from your illness first."

At the beginning of the month, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, and others rebelled again, and these traitors were precisely those who supported the amnesty proposed by Xiong Wencan in the past. Now the court has appointed Yang Sichang to replace Xiong Wencan in overseeing the military affairs of six provinces. Although it has not yet been explicitly stated how Xiong Wencan will be dealt with, given Your Majesty's 'hatred of evil as if it were personal,' it is highly likely that he will be imprisoned and executed.

I, Shen Tingyang, am wholeheartedly loyal to the Ming Dynasty. I do not fear the Zheng family's retaliation against the Shen family; what I worry about is harming the Ming Dynasty's realm. Although the Zheng family is not to be feared, there are now so many rebels rising up simultaneously. The southeastern region, being a place of heavy taxation and resources, must not be thrown into chaos

And his new attendant, Shen Fu, had already delivered the letter from the Imperial Academy to the young master's desk as instructed by the master

If the remedy is executed beautifully, then later on, when reporting the twists and turns involved, if the completion exceeds expectations, one will be able to gain a significant favor from the esteemed official

However

To put it plainly, using "Let the Bullets Fly" as an analogy, Yang Sichang exploited the equal reputation of the Shen family and the Zheng family, concocting an excuse to deceive, using the Shen family as a cover for "Huang Silang" and the Zheng family as the "two prominent families in the south of the city".

... ...

At the beginning of the month, Zhang Xianzhong rebelled again in Yunyang and captured Luo Rucai in Xiangyang, leading to a widespread uprising among the nine camps, causing chaos in Huguang. Zuo Liangyu urgently dispatched troops to encircle and block him, but was defeated by Zhang Xianzhong

Currently, in the Ming Dynasty maritime trade, to the south is the Zheng family and to the north is the Shen family. With both families extending invitations, the Zheng family may not be easily vigilant. However, my Shen family is loyal to the Ming Dynasty and has never employed mercenaries, so your journey to Nanjing will not be regarded as being held as a hostage. The only true hostage is Zheng Sen. Of course, in the future, there may be other descendants of surrendered generals.

Shen Shuren understood completely the situation of Yang Sichang at this point

For example, he easily thought that since this letter invited both him and Zheng Sen, it indicated that Zheng Zhilong was very likely not trying to "hinder him, Shen Shuren, from going to Nanjing," but rather wanted "to let the Shen family take the lead in feigning illness to refuse orders, and then allow Zheng Sen to follow suit and not go to Nanjing either"

The court ordered the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Minister of War Yang Sichang to head south to oversee the troops and swiftly take over the military operations against bandits in the six provinces of the Central Plains, replacing Xiong Wencan.

Today, after waking up, my son surprised me twice in a row. He finally decided to give it a chance and closed the door to engage in an open conversation.

The more skilled a person is in intelligence analysis, the more they understand that thorough investigation is more important than hasty inference

Historically, Zheng Zhilong did not rebel, and it indeed took him three years to send his son to serve as a hostage

Moreover, this caution is not entirely without reason

Now, it is merely a matter of having brought this matter forward by two or three years

There are also some recent court reports, which were just instructed by Shen Shuren, all prepared and placed together

However, why did Zheng Zhilong fear sending his son to school? Shen Shuren was increasingly perplexed.

If one returns home for official reasons, what specific official matter is it for

It is too impulsive! Before the Zheng family spoke up, there was nothing wrong with this approach. Now that the Zheng family has made their stance known, if we do not show them respect, will the Zheng family not worry? Could it be that the court truly intends to deal with us, prompting the Shen family to get wind of it and distance themselves, unwilling to even lend this small assistance? Wouldn't that just add fuel to the fire?

This is the most straightforward and obvious solution—Shen Shuren knew that Zheng Zhilong did not rebel in history, so he dared to take the gamble

Upon recalling this important message, Shen Shuren immediately racked his brains, attempting to connect it with Zheng Zhilong's unusual circumstances, and indeed discovered a certain speculation.

Shen Shuren paused here for a moment to ponder.

If the Shen family does not take remedial action, they may face difficulties caused by Elder Yang

At this thought, Shen Shuren also felt a slight chill of cold sweat.

After all, this is a task assigned in secret, not an official duty of the court

The factual part can be trusted, but the motivational part cannot be trusted

Father, the Zheng family is advising the child to feign illness and not go to Nanjing, intending for our Shen family to take the lead in defying orders, so that the Zheng family can avoid punishment by the law for the masses, right? This way, they can avoid openly breaking ties with the court while also preventing their son from being taken as a hostage; it is truly a clever scheme

Indeed, the "transition from river transport to maritime transport" can save the court a significant amount of money, but it simultaneously competes for orders for their own fleet of ships. Therefore, the conflict between the Zhu family and the Shen family is irreconcilable, as it involves mutually cutting off each other's sources of income, which constitutes a profound and deep-seated enmity.

He took the official report and the letter, and headed straight to Shen Tingyang's study

Yang Ge Lao finds himself in a difficult position, as the military affairs of suppressing bandits across six provinces rest heavily upon him. He fears the emergence of new banditry, thus he prefers to err on the side of caution rather than leniency. He strives to capture as many warlords as possible to secure the surrender of hostages.

After the young master encountered an incident, the old master became uneasy about the sycophants around his son who indulged in drinking and gambling. He conducted a thorough investigation and dismissed some of them, replacing them with reliable and mature family members to attend to his son.

Shen Shuren meticulously examined the evidence, feeling that the solitary proof was insufficient to reach a conclusion. Thus, he set the letter aside and prepared to skim through other documents in search of further insights.

In the twelfth year of the Chongzhen era, in the fifth month, Zhang Xianzhong and other bandits surrendered but then rebelled again

According to the customs of the jianghu, "Whatever Huang Silang contributes, the two prominent families in the southern part of the city must contribute the same amount. The more they contribute, the more they earn"

Unfortunately, although Yang Sichang's schemes were cunning and seasoned, Zheng Zhilong was not to be underestimated. With his innate suspicion and vigilance, he still sensed the whiff of danger

After the matter was accomplished, the hostages from the Shen family were returned in full, and the court distributed the few hostages from the Zheng family.

It turns out that in addition to myself, the students invited to the prison this time include Zhu Guangshi, the nephew of the Grand Governor of the Canal, Zhu Dadian, and Zheng Sen, the eldest son of Zheng Zhilong

Because he was well-versed in the "History of the Ming Dynasty," he knew that historically, Zheng Sen went to the Nanjing Imperial Academy to study during the late years of the Chongzhen reign and also became a disciple of Qian Qianyi.

The reason is that the 'military tax' will be imposed this year, making the financial transfers in various regions even more difficult. The court grants preferential treatment to officials and gentry who contribute significantly to the 'national military tax', hoping that all parties will unite for the country

However, now that Shen Shuren is still alive, after the Shen family has had a confrontation with the Zheng family, forcibly sending him to Nanjing would take on a different nature, and it might truly become the last straw that forces Zheng Zhilong to rebel

As for Zheng Zhilong, it is well known among people on Earth that the East Asian waters south of the Yangtze River estuary belong entirely to him, and there is no need for further elaboration

Once Xiong Wencan is imprisoned, the other warlords and bandit leaders he has recruited will inevitably feel anxious, fearing they will be identified as his accomplices