Chapter 584 – A Hundred Times a Thousand Times the Reward

Xie Jin looked at Zhang Anshi who was eager to try.

Yet it seemed rather cautious.

After all, this was a secret report, if His Majesty knew that Zhang Anshi had extracted words from his own mouth, Zhang Anshi would certainly be innocent, but he himself would be different.

But Zhang Anshi had put his words to this point, and it was impossible not to admit it.

So he just nodded.

Zhang Anshi immediately rubbed his hands together in excitement and laughed, “I’m afraid that Duke Xie has his own thoughts on this move.”

Xie Jin smiled and said nothing.

Don’t you understand this mind?

Isn’t the so-called clan chief tailor-made for Java?

His Royal Highness King Zhao, is the emperor’s son, now in Java, is also considered to be prosperous, this clan chief is obviously the ambition, this Xie Jin can be said to be in the capital heart in Java, said he is the king of Zhao dispatched in the capital of the spies are not too much.

Zhang Anshi then continued, “Xie Gong this kind of good intentions, is not …… for His Highness the King of Zhao?”

Xie Jin busy said: “Your Highness the King of Song, old man, this is a piece of public interest, not to mention this proposal, on the surface is to choose the wise Prince, constraints on the Kings. But in fact, your highness,…… overseas is not compared to GuanNei, this overseas kings are all thorny, entrepreneurial hardship, is not ordinary people can be compared. Because of this ……”

Xie Jin paused, continued: “So even if the court appointed a wise Prince to restrain the kings, I’m afraid that their authority is also limited, the kings are all grass-roots kings, where will listen to your call? No matter how the order, I’m afraid that the other party has a reason to refuse, I’ve been living overseas for a long time, and I deeply believe this!”

“For example, if you call him to Java, if he claims to be sick and does not come, what can you do? You if you teach him to take out some money and food, he will cry and complain of suffering, said he how difficult, where the feudal land how difficult, a cry and three hangings, you can do anything about him? In the end …… the kings in the overseas township, this is to have no constraints, solely based on the court a register, and how can it be constrained?”

In fact, this …… Xie Jin said is not wrong.

Xie Jin bitter words, but is a Zhang Anshi aggrieved him like appearance, if it were anyone else, may have been born of shame, feel that they have a misunderstanding of Xie Jin, this Xie Jin, indeed no selfishness.

But who is Zhang Anshi, he and Xie Jin, counted as peers, both officials in the same dynasty, are the Wen Yuan Pavilion, at the same time, their interests are also overseas, how can be easily fooled by Xie Jin?

So Zhang Anshi stared meaningfully at Xie Jin and smiled, “As I see it, Duke Xie’s intention is not here.”

Xie Jin’s face is calm, only gently said, “Oh?”

Zhang Anshi said, “For the King of Zhao, the essence of it is not to govern the kings of the world, but rather, to move the people.”

Xie Jin’s face trembled.

Zhang Anshi then said: “Let’s say that today’s Jiangxi Buzhengzhi Division, Jiujiang Province and Nanchang Province each have a thousand years, but now, Nanchang Province is better. This is why? Jiujiang Province can say, their own waterways, according to Lushan and by the Yangtze River, is a thoroughfare. Nanchang is the provincial capital. Jiujiang Province can say that they can take advantage of the location of the right, merchants gathered, the dock on the flow of people like weaving, its taxes and money, are not in the Jiangxi Provincial Government Department of the county under the prefecture. But Nanchang Province is not as favorable as Jiujiang, transportation is not as good as Jiujiang Province, the Ganjiang River, also not as good as the Yangtze River in Jiujiang is far away!”

“But for the city of Nanchang, it is enough that it is the seat of the Prefecture of Jiangxi, and thus, in the eyes of the world, is it now known that there is Nanchang, or is it known that there is Jiujiang?”

Xie Jin’s face changed slightly, as if he had been poked in the heart all of a sudden.

Zhang Anshi smiled and continued: “I’m afraid that Java is also playing this idea, the people as long as the sea, it is bound to choose a place to live, Java is not as good as Annan as the land connection to my Ming, not as good as Malacca, which is the hub of the sea. Not as vast as Sumatra, not as rich in resources as Siam. On the face of it, Java does have a lot of inferiority, even worse than neighboring, across the sea from Luzon. But if this Java with the so-called ‘feudal chief’ identity, became a ‘provincial city’, for the military and civilian people aspiring to migrate, but became the first good place, there are people, there is money and food, there is everything. Xie Gong ……… don’t know if I’m right or not.”

“Cough cough cough ……,” Xie Jin desperately coughed.

Zhang Anshi, on the other hand, said, “Lord Xie has really taken too much trouble with Java.”

Xie Jin slowed down his breath, before smiling bitterly: “This is called to make the best use of the situation, right now there are many clans, but also really need to have a relevant system, of course, if His Highness the King of Zhao is able to be among the chiefs of the clans, ranked one of them, it is true that there is a great benefit to Java. Your Highness the King of Song, I will not hide you, I thought, the clans can not go on forever without order, just like Guannai, there is the capital, there will be provincial cities, there will be prefectural cities, there will be county cities. Sooner or later, this four seas of the clans, too, at the moment so, in fact, is a rainy day.”

Zhang Anshi laughed, then said, “This is like, there is a group of people encountered a tiger chasing, you may not necessarily have to run faster than the tiger, but as long as you are one step ahead of the others, then …… you are the one who laughs last.”

Xie Jin said, “His Highness the King of Song …… has obtained certain promises from His Majesty?”

He looked at Zhang Anshi and was quite nervous.

He actually knew very well that to some extent, the King of Song was also a strong contender for the King of Zhao.

Zhang Anshi only said, “His Majesty told me to make an effort.”

Xie Jin nodded: “The four seas are too big to accommodate four feudal governors, and it seems that His Highness, the King of Song, is most likely already ranked as one of them.”

Zhang Anshi, however, did not respond.

Xie Jin said, “King Zhao also needs to work hard.”

After a while of small talk, Zhang Anshi took his own leave and went out.

Zhang Anshi was in the Wen Yuan Pavilion, with something on his mind, and he apparently became concerned about the fate of the Zhang family.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t made preparations over the years, and looking at it now, it seemed …… like everything was ripe for the picking.

When he was off duty, he immediately returned to the royal residence.

Calling Zhang San to him, he inquired, “What is Chang Sheng doing now, he hasn’t caused any trouble, has he?”

Zhang Changsheng is now sixteen years old, in the Ming Dynasty, this age has been considered an adult, will soon be married to a wife, in-laws have also found a good, is His Majesty personally set, is the daughter of the King of Zhou.

This guy has been in the palace for many years, was looked after by Zhu Di, to the age of twelve only out of the palace, and then was Zhang Anshi stuffed into the model battalion to sharpen, four years of time, gradually from an unusual lieutenant, metamorphosed into a team officer, thereafter, but was Zhang Anshi and called back, taught him to go to jiangxi, with the side of Zhu Zhanji’s office, it is rumored that, has been to the position of the deputy stationmaster.

But it does not seem to have caused any trouble, there will be letters back on weekdays, but the letters are all to his mother Xu, and not many letters with Zhang Anshi, his father.

This kid is a bit afraid of Zhang Anshi.

Zhang San, as the person who took care of the Zhang family’s affairs on weekdays, was aware of the many things at home that Zhang Anshi didn’t know, so he truthfully said, “Wang Shizi is still in the Jiangxi Provincial Government Department.”

Zhang Anshi said directly, “Summon him back.”

Zhang San was surprised and said, “But I heard that Wang Shizi is in Nanchang Station, doing quite well, like a fish in water.”

Zhang Anshi only glanced at Zhang San lightly and said, “Don’t nag, I’ll have great use for him when the time comes.”

Zhang San didn’t dare to talk too much and hurriedly said yes.

Immediately afterward, Zhang Anshi, however, summoned Zhu Jin.

He instructed Zhu Jin, the Qixia merchant bank, to level a piece of land in preparation for the camping of the mansion.

Zhu Jin, however, said with some difficulty, “Your Highness, right now in the capital, where are there any good places left? But wherever there is land, it has long been occupied.”

Without much thought, Zhang Anshi said, “Then look for some crooked places, don’t mind the distance or the terrain.”

“This ……” Zhu Jin even more do not understand, bitter face, “such a place, really want to build a mansion, still sell out?”

Zhang Anshi, on the other hand, hooked his lips in a smile and said, “You don’t have to care about that, the mountain man has his own wonderful uses.”

Zhu Jin was filled with disbelief, but he had no choice but to comply.

Another little over half a month passed.

Zhang Changsheng only came late and returned to the Song Wangfu, first went to greet his mother Xu, and then obediently came to the study to wait for Zhang Anshi.

Zhang Anshi got off duty and arrived at the bookstore, not meaning to look at Zhang Changsheng and said with his hands behind his back, “Back?”

“Father ……”

Zhang Anshi, on the other hand, grimaced and said, “There in Jiangxi, how is it?”

Zhang Changsheng said, “At the end of this year, the railroad in Jizhoufu should be able to pass through, cousin he ……”

Zhang Anshi said with a stern face, “Be called the royal grandson.”

“Yes, the royal grandson now, personally to Ganzhou Province to explore the terrain, that section, is the most difficult to repair, I’m afraid the cost is not small, the manpower and material resources to be used, is also the most, but can not be regardless of, this is an important channel to Lingnan ……”

Zhang Anshi said, “As long as there is major money and food, and enough manpower and material resources, all these …… are just a matter of time, and many difficulties, sooner or later, should be solved.”

“Yes.”

Zhang Anshi gave him a serious look, then added, “What about you, how are you doing there?”

“Me? I’m doing okay.”

“What’s the catch.”

“Harvest ……” Zhang Changsheng thought for a moment and said: “There are some harvests, once upon a time in the palace, his majesty told me a lot of reasoning, but at that time, although I could remember, but did not quite understand. After that, I went to the model battalion, daily beat up the body, ate a lot of hard work, but many things, still do not understand. Went to the Jiangxi Provincial Government Department, with all kinds of people to deal with, only gradually can appreciate the original teachings of His Majesty.”

Zhang Anshi listened attentively, and at this time finally revealed a smile, saying, “People are sharpened in this way, some time ago, the imperial grandson also fixed the book to come, and praised you properly, it seems that you really learned in a lot of things.”

Zhang Changsheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his brows couldn’t help but feel a bit of joy, then he said, “This time, Father has summoned me back, what is it about?”

Zhang Anshi then converge smile, said: “these days, I may have some changes, of course, how this change, I can not say now. But Xinzhou side, Yang Shiqi repair to the letter, but the conditions are beginning to mature, we Zhang family …… is the time to do a big thing out la.”

“Ah ……,” Zhang Changsheng was a bit surprised.

Zhang Anshi said, “Xinzhou side, built so many shipyards, this shipbuilding industry can be developed, on the one hand, there is indeed a great demand for maritime transportation, on the other hand, it is also the side of the Song royal family, has been placing orders, do you know, Xinzhou over the years, the royal family ordered ships of all colors, how many?”

Zhang Changsheng said, “My son did hear that a lot of silver was spent.”

Zhang Anshi said quietly, “More than forty million taels, this is the expenditure over the years, one after another.”

Zhang Changsheng couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cool air.

Zhang Anshi couldn’t help but feel a bit of flesh, saying, “This is silver, ah, is my father’s hard work, a text or two to save out, you think so much silver, just to support the shipbuilding industry in Xinzhou such a simple?”

Zhang Changsheng’s face couldn’t help but be solemn for a few moments as he said, “I still ask Father to show me.”

“Nowadays, Xinzhou has more than four hundred searches of large and small ships, of which the expensive iron armor ships, there are as many as seventy …… so many ships, it is time to let them have some use, the imperial court all these years, has been going down to the Western Ocean, we Xinzhou, on the other hand, to prepare for going down to the Eastern Ocean.”

Zhang Changsheng froze, “Father means …… to go down to the Japanese country?”

Zhang Anshi laughed contemptuously, then said, “The Japanese country counts for nothing, I mean …… the great ocean in the east, do you still remember your Uncle Deng? He didn’t travel thousands of miles, from the land of the end of the world, to bring back those crops?”

Zhang Changsheng nodded and said, “When this …… was a child, I heard father and mother consort say it.”

Zhang Anshi said, “The purpose is in this one ocean, so on the Xinzhou side, we have to prepare our men, recruit a large number of sailors and soldiers, hundreds of ships, and set out with supplies, weapons, medicines, and food, the size of which should be above ten thousand people, and after finding a place, we will first build a city along the coast to establish a firm foothold, and after that, we will …… ”

The latter words, Zhang Anshi did not continue to say, but looked deeply at Zhang Changsheng, meaningfully said: “I Zhang Anshi has two sons, but the real Zhang family’s feudal land, but only one, if the Oceania, divided into two, not inevitably inappropriate, you’re the eldest son, the future will be able to inherit the family business, but your brother, may not have such a blessing. ”

Zhang Changsheng wanted to open his mouth to say something, but then heard Zhang Anshi continue: “But if you look at you, only inherited a family business, in fact, there is no meaning, you are already a man, when your father was so big, but it is a thorny, from scratch, to save this family business. If you are ambitious, the sky is high and the sea is wide, there is your place! You think about it yourself, if you want to eat and wait for death, since also by you, but if you want to follow the example of my father, might as well …… create a family business on their own, ships, personnel, weapons, how much they need, how much I give, in addition to your uncle Teng, as well as many warriors across the ocean at the time, you can also ask them to provide you with some help, and even recruit some people to help you. You can even recruit some people to be guides for you.”

When Zhang Changsheng heard this, he immediately understood what Zhang Anshi meant, this was His Majesty throwing the kings overseas to start their own business. He himself, on the other hand, was also thrown overseas by his own father, overseas, so that he could start his own business.

He bowed his head slightly, frowning lightly for a moment.

Zhang Anshi said, “What, chickened out?”

Zhang Changsheng shook his head, “It’s not that I’m timid, there’s just one thing I can’t figure out.”

Zhang Anshi said, “Go ahead.”

Zhang Changsheng first pursed his lips, seemingly brewing something again, and then gazed at Zhang Anshi and said, “Father, tell the truth, is …… it that you don’t like me since you were a child, so that’s why you’re so harsh on me?”

Zhang Anshi heard, a moment of dumbfounded, in fact, he could not say, did not have a family, he subconsciously thought that his future if there is a child, will certainly be close to the child, never like other fathers and sons in general, each other raw.

But until he started his own family, but somehow, but as long as in front of Changsheng, will certainly subconsciously will put out the unsmiling style, as if invisible, built an invisible wall.

Zhang Anshi was silent for a long time, he actually did not know how to respond.

So after a long silence, Zhang Anshi seemed to be annoyed and scolded, “Into your mother, what kind of words are these, is it possible that my father is just as good to your second brother? I treat you two brothers, when have I ever treated you more favorably than others, not all treated the same?”

Zhang Changsheng: “……”

Zhang Changsheng pondered carefully, and was actually convinced that his father was right, as if he was treating both of his brothers the same, no one was a little better, and in that way, it didn’t seem like he was disgusted with himself alone.

Thus, Zhang Changsheng’s heart was slightly comforted, and his stifled heart seemed to feel better.

So he boarded his mind, face serious, said: “There are so many ships, our Zhang family and have silver, as long as willing to make the effort to recruit manpower, there are enough supplies, where can not go? Just …… that place …… is not said to be very far away? I don’t know …… if it’s a barren land, spent so much energy, crossed the ocean, if in the end, it may just be a barren land, or …… only Luzon general size, will not suffer?”

Although Zhang Changsheng is not very old, nowadays he is also considered to be a person with insight, so what he thinks of is also a very practical problem.

Zhang Anshi then said: “This you rest assured, this place who first took advantage of the first opportunity, there must be a hundred times a thousand times the return! This little ship and money is nothing, these days, you better return to Nanchang station, continue to sharpen it. Xinzhou side, will continue to make preparations, when the time is ripe, you will select some manpower to set off.”

When Zhang Changsheng heard Zhang Anshi’s words, he didn’t question them anymore and said, “Father don’t worry that’s all, when I was in the Model Camp, I also had quite a number of robes, all of them were brothers who had passed through life, and in the future if I really want to go, when they are discharged from the army, I’ll teach them to be my right-hand man!”

“And in Nanchang station there, the son also know a lot of civil officials, which people have the courage, which people are meticulous, which can be unique, although the son does not dare to say that there is what unique vision, but to see a seven or eight of the ability is there.”

Zhang Anshi smiled and said, “Don’t brag first, since you’re back, stay at home for two more days and keep your mother company, she’s been missing you. Also, don’t tell her about what you said today yet.”

Zhang Changsheng was as if he had been pardoned and hurriedly went off.

……

I forgot to ask for a vacation yesterday, I’m very sorry for the delay in coding due to special circumstances, so I coded in the wee hours of the morning, and then rushed to update, so I’ve kept you waiting.