Zhou Peigong on the opposite side looked haggard. Of course, Zhang Changgeng knew why this capable subordinate was like this. Governor Huguang also heard about the farce of transporting grain to Chengdu. Before talking about the serious matter, Zhang Changgeng felt it was necessary to talk about this matter first. Although the Governor's Office ignored the Wuchang Commercial Bank's acquisition of smuggled goods and made money and collected benefits from it, this did not mean that Zhang Changgeng would ignore it when encountering the possible threat to the Governor's interests.

"It is not feasible to transport grain to Chengdu." Zhang Changgeng ordered Zhou Peigong to hold on and never surrender under the pressure of the hawks: "As for those smuggled goods, are there no other ways to imagine?"

All goods transactions can be collected by the Governor's Office, so it is not something Zhang Changgeng is willing to see that a large amount of goods accumulates in the warehouse without trading.

"This is indeed not easy. Admiral Deng is a very good person. As long as he does things under the rules he has discussed with him, he will not be angry if he can make money. Instead, he will praise us for being smart. But if we give a thousand first, Admiral Deng may have to turn the chessboard off." Zhou Peigong shook his head. The compensation plan is running very well at the moment. Although it is a bit insufficient, it can indeed make the hawkish group, Zhou Peigong himself and the governor of Huguang. If the rules are broken, it may be worth the loss.

"And we have too many handles in the hands of Admiral Deng, and he is so powerful." Zhou Peigong sighed repeatedly, revealing his obvious fear of Deng Ming.

"The fox is pretending to be a tiger's power. Deng Ming is actually using this strategy so purely." Zhang Changgeng observed his words and expressions, and knew that Zhou Peigong was very afraid of Deng Ming, so he couldn't help but sigh.

"The fox pretends to be a tiger's power?" Zhou Peigong couldn't react a little.

"Yes, Deng Ming said that if he had broken the sky, he would have only one place. His official was the dignified Governor of Huguang, Governor Zhang of Nanchang, Governor Jiangning, and Governor of Cao Transport. Which one is not a rank of officials? If Deng Ming had not borrowed the power of the imperial court, who would have been afraid of him?" Zhang Changgeng asked himself, if it were not for fear of the loss of Wuchang and the destruction of his family, he would have definitely been able to deal with Deng Ming with the power of Huguang. Even with the large area of ​​land and many cities, Deng Ming could not move the shallow foundation. The two rivers in the downstream were far from being able to conquer Deng Ming with the little force. What was really terrible was Beijing. It was precisely because of the terror of the Qing court that these local officials in Qing Dynasty could not have the idea of ​​fighting with Deng Ming.

After Zhou Peigong understood Zhang Changgeng's words, he nodded in agreement and said, "Governor General is very clear, this is a plan to pretend to be a tiger."

"Anyway, it is absolutely impossible to transport grain to Chengdu." Zhang Changgeng emphasized again.

"I understand, the lower officials will never be so confused." Zhou Peigong agreed: "Although Deng Ming is very tricky, his subordinates are not decent. He can't always stare at Wuchang. When the lower officials respond seriously, there will always be flaws. At that time, as long as we do not break his rules, Deng Ming will have nothing to say."

"Well." Zhang Changgeng no longer discussed this matter, but took out Jiang Guozhu's letter and handed it to Zhou Peigong: "He wants to borrow you from me for this letter from Governor Jiangning."

Zhou Peigong hurriedly took the letter handed over by Zhang Changgeng, read it carefully, and shouted in surprise: "How did he know about Huguang? Could it be that Deng Ming told me?"

"He doesn't know that Governor Jiang is completely guessing and trying to cheat me." Zhang Changgeng sneered. After receiving Jiang Guozhu's letter, the Governor of Huguang was also a little surprised. The first thought was that Deng Ming leaked his words. However, after carefully reading Jiang Guozhu's private message, Zhang Changgen found that the other party was vague and did not clearly point out that Huguang was in communication with Deng from beginning to end. If Zhang Changgeng was not a ghost in his heart, he could fully understand Jiang Guozhu's letter as the feasibility of vain and slandering. If he wanted to borrow Zhou Peigong, it could also be considered as force and plan to prepare both strategies.

After listening to Zhang Changgeng's careful explanation of his analysis, Zhou Peigong spoke out loud: "The Governor General is right. Governor Jiangning is just suspicious, but there is no real evidence. We can ignore it."

"No, we have to agree to his request." Zhang Changgeng shook his head: "Deng Minghu pretended to be a tiger's power and used the power of the court to suppress us to breathe. Although he has not yet made any requests that we cannot meet, do you dare say that he will not be like this when we fall deeper and deeper? At that time, we will not agree to him that the court wants to kill our heads, and if he has exposed the court, he will still kill our heads."

"It turns out that the Governor General means," Zhou Peigong suddenly realized: "We will pick up Governor Jiang and ask him to do something that is even more excessive than us. In this way, if the court pursues the matter in the future, it will be the first to pursue Liangjiang."

"Have you said this?" Zhang Changgeng smiled sinisterly. Zhou Peigong's idea was essentially a hunter and a tiger race. In Zhang Changgeng's opinion, in addition to racing, this would also be a kind of bondage. Of course, the matter of Tong Deng should be concealed as much as possible. If Liangjiang participates in it, they have to help Huguang conceal it. From then on, the governor of Huguang will not fight alone. Moreover, if local officials in the Yangtze River Basin adopt this strategy, the court will not only not be furious to give the most severe treatment on a large scale, but may also reflect: "For example, this is the

The official heard that a county magistrate bribed the thief in order to save the city, and that official would definitely punish him severely. If a government does this, the official would probably be punished, but he would also consider whether there is any difficulties or whether the enemy is powerful. Although the prefect has bribed, he does not intend to sue the thief, and he has saved the city. How should the merits and demerits be weighed? If several governments do this, the official will never rush to pursue it, but will figure out what problems are going on, so that so many prefectures and counties are forced to surrender."

If the incident of Deng in Jiangnan cannot be hidden in the end, after it broke out, Zhang Changgeng believed that after the Qing court was shocked, he would realize that Deng Ming was actually using the power of Beijing to threaten local officials in the south: "When the court understands it, not only will the big things be turned into small things, but it may also modify the law of losing land, that is, death penalty. The original intention of formulating this law was to deal with Yongli. They focused on seizing land, and the court must also face tit-for-tat; while Deng Ming and Yongli were completely different and were good at taking tricks, so the method naturally needs to be changed."

If Beijing's policies become flexible, Zhang Changgeng feels that his hands and feet will no longer be tied tightly. If Wuchang is no longer Zhang Changgen's fatal point, then he thinks he will have more confidence in Deng Ming and can speak in another tone.

"The officials understand." Zhou Peigong said: "The officials will make preparations now and go to Jiangning to help the governor."

"Okay, but this matter will eventually come true. When the court orders Huguang to send reinforcements to fight, you should set off."

"Affect the order."

Zhou Peigong respectfully dismissed, but the Governor of Huguang did not leave the seat immediately, but sat there silently thinking about his own thoughts. Since he became an official in the Qing Dynasty, Zhang Changgeng has always served the court and worked for the emperor honestly. He never had any more inappropriate thoughts except the money he deserved. Until the day when his subordinates murdered Hu Quancai, Zhang Changgeng had never had the idea of ​​snatching power from the court. That day he had planned to continue to obey Hu Quancai's orders and left it to fate.

But after that day, Zhang Changgeng's career became completely different from before. The Qing court had no time to look west for a long time. This year, the governor's office in Huguang was able to cover up the sky. Zhang Chenggong could arrange his confidants and cultivate his followers as he pleased. Although he was often under the military pressure of Deng Ming, he enjoyed unprecedented rights.

Deng Ming's actions also made Zhang Changgeng feel his power. Even if he was as cunning as Deng Ming, he needed to bargain with him politely. The more restrained Deng Ming used force and threats, the more Zhang Changgeng could feel the other party's need and dependence on the rights he had in his possession. This feeling was increasing day by day, but he did not awaken before Jiang Guozhu sent a letter.

When Zhang Changgeng saw Jiang Guozhu's letter, he woke up suddenly. The rights of the Huguang Governor's Office were no longer entirely owned by the Qing court, but were becoming his private property. Not only Deng Ming relied on him, but Jiang Guozhu, who acted as the Governor of Liangjiang, also wanted this right. Even the Qing court in Beijing would need Zhang Changgeng's rights - he was no longer a simple agent of the Qing court's imperial power in Huguang.

"The world will be united for a long time, and it will be united for a long time. I am familiar with history books. It is said that the Emperor Ming has been in a state of three hundred years, and there should be a separatist rule of the princes after more than two hundred years and at least a hundred years. The Qing Dynasty was unified in the country so soon, which is obviously unreasonable." Zhang Changgen could see the solemn soldiers in front of the yamen. In the era of Hu Quancai, if the inspector asked for a meeting, the governor could not refuse to meet. Needless to say, a high-ranking official like the governor, even the appointment and removal of the governor was not Hu Quancai, but the imperial court's instruction. But in the past six months, the inspector has never been able to speak out in front of Zhang Changgeng again. The appointment of the governor of Huguang was endorsed. Zhou Peigong was the best example. The appointment of the governor of Wuchang was agreed without saying a word. Now Zhang Changgeng wanted to recommend him as the governor of Hubei, and the court would not object.

However, the six months of arbitrary action were still too short. Zhang Changgeng was awakened by the thought he had just had: "What am I thinking about? The court could not control it because Zheng Chenggong made a big fuss in Jiangning. Now Dasu has brought heavy troops to wipe out the Fujian thieves. The general has tens of thousands of elite green camps under his command, and the Eight Banners of the Near Brigade. If I am restless, he will be able to pacify me in one go."

Reluctantly put away his fantasy, Zhang Changgeng began to consider countermeasures to the court again. The entire strategy did not change. He still joined forces with the Governor's Office of Liangjiang and the Governor's Office of the Grain Transportation. If he could hide it, he would hide it. If he could not hide it, he would not blame the public. Anyway, he did not turn against the Ming army, and there was no loss in the big ritual, and he would compromise.

...

As soon as he returned to the prefect's office, the guards reported that a person from Sichuan asked for a visit.

"Yu Youming, President of Chengdu Industrial Bank." Zhou Peigong recited the name of the sect. He heard that this man had a letter of recommendation from the person in charge who was left in Wuchang, so he asked the guards to take the visitor to the flower hall for tea. After sorting out the official uniforms, Zhou Peigong came to the flower hall to meet guests.

"Governor Yu." Zhou Peigong was very polite. He had no idea what the bank meant, nor did he know what the official title of the president was.

"I have met the prefect Zhou." Yu Youming also saluted meticulously. When Deng Ming formed the Standing Army last time, Yu Youming was not selected. For these Zhejiang Army leaders who did not meet the requirements of the Standing Army, Deng Ming gave retired generals and subsidies to the same juren. In addition, there is also the identity of a reserve officer, which will be of great use in the future, according to Deng Ming.

However, when the recruitment troops were sent to Jiangnan this time, Yu Youming and other reserve officers were no longer recruited, and they were all officers from the standing army. Yu Youming and others still had no specific work. He was doing nothing with the allowance, except for exercising and chatting with Xiong Lan after get off work. The previous conflict with Liu Jinge made Yu Youming and Xiong Lan form some fighting friendships.

Sichuan-Salt business is like a shot of stimulant for Chengdu's economy, which has driven the development of tool manufacturing and banking. Yu Youming is a young man in his twenties. He was bored and saw that the banking industry was booming, so he partnered with other people who were equally idle.

"I followed the Admiral in Anqing. Admiral Meng was ordered to take charge of the first army. After arriving in Chengdu, I stepped down and became the president." Yu Youming took a picky remark to Zhou Peigong about his experience.

"Well." Zhou Peigong had a rough outline of the identity of the visitor: Deng Ming's confidant general was probably to hide his military position. It was probably because Deng Ming's instructed him to come to Wuchang this time.

"We must deal with it seriously and don't be deceived by Admiral Deng anymore." Zhou Peigong immediately cheered up and waited for Yu Youming's following.

"I heard that the business bank here in Wuchang needs an IOU, and I came for this matter this time." Although Yu Youming bought a bank operating license, he was unable to carry out any business in Chengdu.

However, during a chat with Xiong Lan and Qin Xiucai, Yu Youming heard a very important information, that is, Deng Ming intentionally stuck Wuchang's neck, allocated a batch of salt that was only allowed to be purchased with IOUs, and used this batch of goods to arouse Wuchang's appetite, and then purchased some supplies needed by Chengdu.

Not long ago, the news was upgraded. Xiong Lan and Liu Jinge both received a notice from the envoy sent back by Deng Ming, saying that in addition to salt, Wuchang also had a batch of other goods that needed to be purchased with IOUs. Deng Ming's plan was to let Wuchang trade IOUs with ships and pig iron, and then exchange the IOUs for these goods he deliberately hoarded. In addition to helping Chengdu obtain the materials he needed, Deng Ming also wanted to take the opportunity to support Chengdu's water transportation traders, and the high profits reserved for the merchants in the price of goods were included.

Deng Ming did not explain the specific operational issues in detail, so that Chengdu could act according to the situation. His vision was to form some commercial banks to allow them to enrich this kind of trade. However, after Deng Ming's plan arrived in Chengdu, it was immediately modified by the officials he left behind according to their respective ideas.

Liu Jinge always kept in mind the instructions that Deng Ming asked him to develop Chengdu industry, so he set a down-to-earth order. Anything that can be produced by Chengdu itself cannot be imported, so as not to destroy the production enthusiasm of Chengdu commercial banks. According to this guiding ideology, Liu Jinge believed that agricultural tools and grain were no longer purchased, and even imported oxen and horses needed detailed demonstrations to avoid impacting the breeding enthusiasm of Chengdu horse markets. In order to ensure the local industry, Liu Jinge also issued a ban, which did not allow imported goods to be sold on the market.

Xiong Lan was unwilling to issue more IOUs. Although Deng Ming said that the restrictions were relaxed, he kept in mind the threat of "Cao Cao's grain official". In Xiong Lan's opinion, the account-keeping transactions performed in Wuchang are very good now. If you don't plan to send Wuchang to the real IOUs, it is best not to even one yuan to the Du Mansion, so as not to be difficult for him to master. In Xiong Lan's idea, it is best to transport a batch of goods from Wuchang, and after selling them in Chengdu, the IOUs obtained are paid to the government, and then sent to Wuchang for collection.

As for Qin Xiucai, the most concerned thing is how much tax his tax bureau can draw, and he insists that the tax bureau monopolizes the import trade. Qin Xiucai fully supports Xiong Lan's plan, claiming that his tax bureau can be responsible for issuing the certificate Xiong Lan mentioned.

However, Qin Xiucai's plan was not completely in line with Xiong Lan's interests. He hoped that private banks could make profits from it to improve their political achievements. Similarly, this plan did not conform to Liu Jinge's idea. He was worried that the bank would infringe on his plan to support industry in order to make profits, which made Deng Ming dissatisfied with his work.

Due to the dispute between the three parties, Wuchang's goods piled up more and more, but Chengdu's side did not have any interest and ability to start import trade.

Taking advantage of their personal relationship with Xiong Lan and Qin Xiucai, Yu Youming persuaded them to let Chengdu Industrial Bank engage in this transaction with Liu Jinge on his back. The whole process was that Yu Youming purchased goods in Wuchang, but did not pay the IOU, but the accompanying Deputy Director of the Taxation Bureau Pu Fan issued a certificate to the Wuchang Goods General Manager to record the accounts. After the sale of these goods was exchanged for the IOU, part of them paid taxes to the Taxation Bureau, and part of them became the profits of the Industrial Bank. Deng Ming reserved the profits for the private commercial banks in the pricing were very obvious, and the Chengdu Central Bank and the Taxation Bureau were eager to get a share of it.

After obtaining the guarantee that no farm tools or animals would be imported, Liu Jinge also agreed to Yu Youming's plan. He also wanted to repair some relationships with Zhejiang people. He also suggested that Yu Youming give priority to purchasing pig iron and forage to help the local manufacturing and breeding industries.

"I don't know what goods President Yu wants." After hearing Yu Youming introduce the IOU voucher plan, Zhou Peigong had already fully understood the other party's identity: this must be Deng Ming's confidant, who was ordered to engage in smuggling activities and purchase urgently needed materials for Chengdu.

"Farm tools, plowing ox." Yu Youming replied without thinking that the most scarce thing in Chengdu is industrial products and livestock, and the profit will be very high. If you buy pig iron and forage, due to the limited production capacity of Chengdu, Yu Youming felt that it would not be possible to sell it. As for Liu Jinge's request, huh, Yu Youming did not forget to be beaten by him.
Chapter completed!