I founded a heavy industry group in the late Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 050 Wei Zhongxian Also Wanted to Smuggle

Chapter 050

Sitting in Chen Ying's four-wheeled carriage, Chen Ying looked at Lu Jiucheng, whose expression was solemn, and asked with a puzzled look, "Eunuch Lu, what happened?"

Although Chen Ying was also a member of the eunuch faction, the problem was that Chen Ying never got involved in Wei Zhongxian's political struggles. He was only focused on developing industry and using others to generate wealth.

Lu Jiugong lowered his voice and carefully led Fu Yingxing to Pi Island to find Mao Wenlong. They planned to import iron ore from Maoshan in North Korea according to Chen Ying's plan, transport it by sea to Tianjin, change ships, and then take it through the canal to Shahe. In Shahe, they would smelt the ore into steel to produce armor and various weapons.

However, at this moment, Fu Yingxing messed things up. It is unknown how Fu Yingxing talked to Mao Wenlong, but Mao Wenlong killed more than 30 of Fu Yingxing's followers and guards and imprisoned him.

If it weren't for the report from the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) agents planted on Pi Island, Wei Zhongxian would not have known about this matter.

Chen Ying looked puzzled: "How could this be?"

He simply couldn't understand it. Mao Wenlong no longer had any backing. As a general and commander of a town, without the support of the imperial court, he was now completely powerless.

What did Mao Wenlong gain by offending Wei Zhongxian? Even if Fu Yingxing was a good-for-nothing and said some unpleasant things, Mao Wenlong had been in the army for more than 20 years and had been suppressed for more than 20 years. Now he was over 50 years old. What was there for him to be upset about?

Although Chen Ying couldn't understand it, he didn't think about it too much. Instead, he wondered what Wei Zhongxian wanted from him.

The atmosphere was heavy in the study of Wei Zhongxian's outer residence in Chengqingfang.

When Chen Ying followed Lu Jiucheng into the room, he saw broken porcelain on the ground. It was a pity that the porcelain used by Wei Zhongxian would be worth millions in later generations. Everything here came from the imperial palace.

Chen Ying bowed and said, "This humble official, Chen Boying, greets Your Excellency."

Wei Zhongxian's originally gloomy face finally revealed a slight smile: "Boying has arrived. Please have a seat. Someone, bring tea."

Lu Jiucheng quietly retreated to the door and stood guard, not daring to utter a sound.

"Thank you for offering me a seat, Eunuch!"

"Have you heard about what happened on Pi Island?"

Chen Ying cautiously replied, "I've heard a little about it, but I don't know the details. I only heard that Young Master Fu is on Pi Island... and it seems he has some misunderstanding with Marshal Mao?"

Wei Zhongxian calmed down at this moment, and said in a calm tone: "That scoundrel Mao Wenlong is planning a rebellion."

Chen Ying was startled.

Although he knew Mao Wenlong was arrogant, he did not expect things to escalate to this point. Killing the imperial guards and detaining Wei Zhongxian's nephew was almost a complete breakdown in relations.

"We've treated him well all these years, haven't we? Of all the generals in Liaodong, which one has risen as fast as Mao Wenlong? Left Commander-in-Chief! General! Granted the Imperial Sword, and here he is, all wings have hardened, daring to bare his teeth at us!"

Wei Zhongxian waved his hand and immediately changed the subject: "Boying, I'm going to break my promise. I know you want to share the burdens of the court and the emperor, to forge agricultural tools and armor that are beneficial to the country... Although I can't get you iron from Maoshan, I can get it from other places. Our Ming Dynasty can produce more than 2 billion catties a year. I can easily get you some, which will be enough for your needs..."

Wei Zhongxian wasn't exaggerating. The metallurgical technology of the Ming Dynasty was very advanced, and there were a large number of private smelters. The country could produce 160,000 tons of steel a year, which was almost the total steel production of Europe in the 18th century.

The Ming Dynasty's steelmaking technology is now world-leading. The private steel mills in Foshan, Guangdong alone employ more than 30,000 workers, far exceeding the number of state-run iron mills at the time. Steel mills of this scale are unparalleled in the world.

"Father-in-law, there's no rush!"

"No, this governor's word is his bond, and he will never go back on his word!"

Wei Zhongxian was well aware that whether one was a person or an official, whether one was corrupt or honest, one must be trustworthy. Now that his trustworthiness was gone, who would dare to bribe him in the future?

It can be said that Chen Boying is his most valued customer so far. In addition to the four-wheeled carriage that can show his status, he has also given him various other things, including 60,000 taels of silver.

The problem is that what Chen Boying asked for was far less valuable than what he gave. As such a high-quality customer, Wei Zhongxian had to maintain him. Otherwise, if word got out, who would dare to give him money in the future?

"Please calm down, Master."

Lu Jiucheng offered a cup of ginseng tea and whispered, "Mao Wenlong is far overseas and a general with a large army. This matter needs to be considered carefully..."

"Should we take a longer-term view?"

Wei Zhongxian sneered, "Tomorrow I will request an imperial decree to strip him of his official position and have the Dengzhou and Laizhou navies blockade Pi Island. Let's see how long he can remain so arrogant!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ying felt a sense of foreboding. Despite Mao Wenlong's unruly nature, he had a blood feud with Nurhaci, and all 130-plus of his family members had been killed on Nurhaci's orders.

Mao Wenlong was the general least likely to surrender to the Jurchens. The Dongjiang Army under Mao Wenlong's command was a strong army. When Mao Wenlong was alive, Nurhaci only sent more than 10,000 troops to fight against Ligdan, the last Khan of the Mongols. Did he look down on Ligdan Khan and think he could easily eliminate him?

The answer is no. In this battle, the two sides were locked in a stalemate for more than ten months. Although Ligdan Khan was defeated, he still fled to Qinghai with his remaining troops. The question is, if Huang Taiji had led 20,000 or more soldiers, could he have annihilated Ligdan Khan in one battle?

The key issue is that Huang Taiji dared not act because of the presence of the Dongjiang Army. Mao Wenlong was like a shark that would strike at the mere smell of blood. His Dongjiang Army had no defense zone; along the more than 1,600 kilometers of coastline in Liaodong and Liaonan, there were countless places where Mao Wenlong could launch attacks.

Even Huang Taiji couldn't defend against it. If Yuan Chonghuan hadn't later killed Mao Wenlong, Huang Taiji wouldn't have dared to lead an army of 50,000 to 60,000 to attack the Great Wall.

In later generations, many people have spoken out in defense of Yuan Chonghuan, and the famous novelist Jin Yong even wrote a biography of him. In Chen Ying's opinion, based on this point alone, Yuan Chonghuan's death was not at all unjust.

The problem is, if Wei Zhongxian were to deal with Mao Wenlong now, wouldn't that be helping the Jurchens? Historically, when Wei Zhongxian attacked Sun Chengzong during the Battle of Liuhe, he was actually not considering the overall situation. Sun Chengzong's ability and reputation far surpassed those of his successor, Gao Di, whom Wei Zhongxian recommended.

The first thing Gao Di did upon taking office was to abandon the entire Liaodong defense line, handing over the more than 400 li of territory that Sun Chengzong had advanced over three years.

If Yuan Chonghuan hadn't insisted on defending Ningyuan, he would have abandoned even the city. This truly demonstrates the incompetence of a general, leading to the death of his entire army.

Chen Ying stood up and bowed, saying, "Sir, this matter must not be rushed."

"Oh?"

Wei Zhongxian glanced sideways at Chen Ying and said coldly, "Boying, what brilliant idea do you have?"

This statement, though seemingly polite, actually implies that Chen Boying shouldn't be so ungrateful; he has no right to speak here.

"This humble servant dares not!"

Chen Ying understood Wei Zhongxian's underlying meaning, but still said, "Your Excellency, I'm afraid there's a misunderstanding!"

"Oh?"

Wei Zhongxian's smile grew even colder. He said with a forced grin, "I'd like to hear Boying's opinion!"

"Father-in-law!"

Chen Ying quickly gathered his thoughts. Instead of explaining Mao Wenlong's usefulness to the court and the country, he slowly asked, "Your Excellency, now that Mao Wenlong has been dismissed, who is the most likely successor to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Dongjiang Army?"

"this……"

At this point, Wei Zhongxian hadn't really thought about who should take over Dongjiang Town; that was the real problem.

Chen Ying laughed and said, "Then let me put it another way: if Dongjiang Town is gone, who will be the happiest? The Jurchens, or the Donglin Party?"

Wei Zhongxian realized what was going on: "Boying, you mean there's something fishy going on here?"

"Who was the most uneasy person in Dongjiang Town when Mao Wendong was there?"

Before Wei Zhongxian could speak, Lu Jiucheng cautiously asked, "Is it the Donglin Party?"

"Indeed!"

Chen Ying explained, "Does Your Excellency know who is behind the Donglin Party?"

"Ye Xianggao?"

Chen Ying shook his head and said, "The Donglin Party is backed by the entire Jiangnan Group. This Jiangnan Group is not a single person, but a group of people, composed of Jiangnan gentry, landlords, mine owners, and large merchants. They are deeply intertwined and have extensive connections."

"Since the Shanxi merchants smuggled goods to the Jurchens and made huge profits, the Donglin Party also wanted to get a share of the pie. However, it was a great pity that the Donglin Party did not have the geographical advantage of the Shanxi merchants, and their hands could not reach Liaodong."

"The problem is that, although Korea is nominally still a vassal state of our Great Ming, it is a fence-sitter, paying tribute to the Jurchens. They are eager to open up the sea trade route from Dengzhou to Korea."

"In Jiangnan, a shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice costs seven or eight qian (a unit of weight) of silver. In the Jurchens, a shi of rice can be sold for seven or eight taels of silver, a tenfold increase. In our Ming Dynasty, a suit of armor costs twelve taels of silver, but in Mongolia, it can be sold for ninety sheep, which is equivalent to more than ten times the price. This is outrageous profit!"

Chen Ying laughed and said, "If Mao Wenlong were to be dismissed, who would be the happiest?"

Lu Jiucheng asked incredulously, "The Donglin Party?"

"That's right!"

Chen Ying continued, "If Your Excellency requests permission to dismiss Mao Wenlong from his post, who would want to take over the position of Commander-in-Chief of Dongjiang Town?"

"It's the Donglin Party!"

"They will definitely stop at nothing to push their trusted generals into Mao Wenlong's position. Even if they can't, they'll try to bribe and win them over. Not everyone is like Mao Wenlong, with such a bad temper and stubbornness!"

Chen Ying then chuckled and said, "Father-in-law, please think about it. Does Mao Wenlong not know about the relationship between Young Master Fu and you?"

"Yes, we know. We even had her write a letter!"

"So here's the question!"

Chen Ying nodded slightly and said, "Mao Wenlong knows that Young Master Fu is the eunuch's man, so why is he detaining him? Doesn't he know that the eunuch could easily crush him with a single finger?"

Wei Zhongxian nodded and said, "This is indeed somewhat unusual!"

"Then let me give you another example!"

Chen Ying pondered for a moment and said, "The Dongjiang Army has tens of thousands of troops. Are all of them loyal to Mao Wenlong? Are there any who don't support him?"

"That's for sure. When Dongjiang Town was first established, the imperial court transferred 3,000 soldiers from Fujian, then 8,000 from Huai River, and 3,100 from Zhejiang. Mao Wenlong used these 15,000 men as the backbone, and absorbed people from Liaodong and forces from various coastal islands, expanding the force to over 100,000!"

Wei Zhongxian seemed to realize that although he was now the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Eastern Depot, the problem was that although almost all the eunuchs had pledged allegiance to him on the surface, not all of them were of one mind with him. Even the heads of the Twenty-Four Directorates did not have the ambition to take his position.

Even if there is only the slightest possibility, some people will risk their lives to take the risk. For some people, isn't that an opportunity?

Chen Ying continued, "To give an inappropriate example, if Young Master Fu really died on Pi Island, and you, my lord, easily dealt with Mao Wenlong, Mao Wenlong, in order to protect himself, might raise an army in rebellion. In that case, the Emperor would be shaken, and who would benefit?"

Wei Zhongxian narrowed his eyes. He now almost believed Chen Boying's story. Of course, he thought more highly of Chen Boying. If Chen Boying were a eunuch, he might be able to climb over him.

"So, according to you, we have to put up with him?"

"It's not about tolerating things, but about not doing anything that hurts your loved ones and pleases your enemies!"

Chen Ying carefully observed Wei Zhongxian's expression. This old eunuch was very shrewd and could not be read by his emotions.

"My lord, in my humble opinion, the most urgent task at present is to ensure the safety of Young Master Fu. Secondly, we need to find out exactly what happened on Pi Island. If you trust Bo Ying, I am willing to go to Pi Island in person to meet Mao Wenlong!"

Wei Zhongxian remained silent for a long time. How could he not know that Chen Boying was right?

But it was hard to swallow this insult. No matter how disappointing Fu Yingxing was, he was still Wei Zhongxian's nephew and represented his reputation.

With Mao Wenlong making such a fuss, who knows how the Donglin Party members in the court will laugh at him behind his back.

"That's enough."

Wei Zhongxian sighed, looking somewhat tired: "Boying, since you are willing to go, I will allow you to go. I will give you half a month to bring Yingxing back safely and have Mao Wenlong give me an explanation. We can promise you the benefits we want, but we must stick to the bottom line. We want 50% of the profits from the Maoshan Iron Mine; and from now on, the Dongjiang Army must prioritize purchasing weapons and armor from Shahe."

Chen Ying felt relieved and bowed, saying, "This humble servant obeys the order and will certainly not fail in your trust, sir."

"Wait, you just said that Korea covets items from our Ming Dynasty?"

Wei Zhongxian initially had no idea that smuggling goods to North Korea could be so profitable.

This is because Korea has now become a transit point. Since the destruction of the Spanish Armada, the Spanish Empire has begun to decline. The Netherlands and Portugal, which were under the Spanish Empire, are thinking about independence and have begun to form an anti-Spanish alliance. However, the problem is that Spain still controls the Philippines and has a strong influence in Southeast Asia.

The Dutch wanted to do business with the Ming Dynasty, but were refused. They then occupied Penghu. As a result, the Fujian governor, Nan Juyi, mobilized more than 10,000 troops to attack the Dutch East India Company fleet for the first time. The attack failed, and the Dutch suffered heavy losses. He then recruited the pirate Zheng Zhilong to surrender and drove the Dutch out of Penghu.

Seeing that the Ming Dynasty was not to be trifled with, and wanting to bypass Luzon and open a new trading hub, the Dutch East India Company chose Korea.

Now, Korea has become a hot commodity. Any item from the Ming Dynasty can be worth more than ten times its original price. However, the problem is that Mao Wenlong of the Dongjiang Army is poor. When he saw these fleets from Dengzhou, which were ships belonging to the Donglin Party, Wei Zhongxian's mortal enemies, he directly seized the ships and looted the goods, causing the Donglin Party to suffer heavy losses.

The killing of Mao Wenlong by Yuan Chonghuan was not only a warning to others, but also brought about substantial benefits. Although both armies numbered in the hundreds of thousands, the imperial court paid the Guan Ning Army five to six million taels of silver annually. Even if a small portion of that was lost, there would still be four to five million taels of silver.

At most, Mao Wenlong only received 500,000 taels of silver, and later only 200,000 to 300,000 taels, less than one-tenth of the Guan Ning Army's. Although his troops were poorly equipped, he relied entirely on the Donglin Party to provide him with financial support. No wonder the Donglin Party hated the Dongjiang Army so much.

This is Mao Wenlong taking away someone else's cheese.

"What does Father-in-law want to do?"

"That's right, the imperial court is short of money. Since the Donglin Party can make this money, so can we!"

Wei Zhongxian said earnestly, "However, you can only sell what we allow to sell. You cannot sell them swords, spears, or armor, or dare to secretly collude with the Jurchens... Boying, we have treated you well, so don't ruin your life."

This is a blatant warning.

Chen Ying remained expressionless and solemnly said, "I will never forget your kindness in helping me, sir. My journey to Pi Island is solely for your sake, and I have no other intentions. If anything goes wrong, I am willing to offer my head in retribution."

"Ha, there's no need to risk your life."

Wei Zhongxian waved his hand, his tone finally softening, "You're a smart man, I trust you. Go ahead, and if you need anything, just tell Jiucheng. Come back soon."