Dominate the Country

In November, the whole Jiangnan was shrouded in winter.

Chen Ming, who had returned to Nanjing, was not used to this cold and damp feeling. He asked the guards of the Grand Governor's Mansion to burn charcoal in each room all day to drive away the damp and cold that made him uncomfortable.

Thinking back, he had spent winter in Jiangnan in his previous life, but there was air conditioning in his previous life. In the 18th century, there were only coal and dry firewood on Earth.

Chen Ming knew very early that the two words "cold and damp" were used by many people to describe the winter in Jiangnan. They said that winter was the most difficult season in Jiangnan. In the 21st century, he did not feel much about it. Instead, he felt that the winter in Jiangnan was much warmer than his hometown, and he did not even need to wear a duck down jacket.

It was only now that he really felt what cold and damp meant. The temperature here is indeed much higher than the cold winter in the north, but winter is not any easier to endure than in the north. Because Jiangnan is humid, when the weather turns cold, the tide is like a thousand cold needles, whizzing straight into people's bones. Compared with the coldness of the northern winter, the winter in Jiangnan is even less pleasing to Chen Ming.

Zhang, who was sent to Nanjing in late October, fell ill as soon as she arrived. The climate in Fujian is very different from that in Jiangnan. Lin and Yao, who were sent to Taiwan at the end of October, also suffered from the cold. However, the two daughters Zheng and Shi, who were sent by the Zheng brothers from Guangdong, are very healthy.

In November, after Chen Ming had taken in all five women one after another, he also liked the two daughters Zheng and Shi, who were healthier. One of them is a member of the Zheng family, and the other is the descendant of Zheng Lianchang's wife's family (Shi). Both of them were born on the sea. As a woman, although she does not need to board a ship to plunder, how can a person with a poor body endure life on the sea?

Among the five girls, Yao, who was sent from Taiwan, had the best appearance, with white and smooth skin. The ancients said, "Hands like soft catkins, skin like solidified fat," which described beauties like Yao. Unfortunately, she had bound feet. Yao had a good family background. Her family was a well-known family in Hsinchu, and she was the most standard lady in China at that time. However, Hsinchu has been taken over by the Tiandihui rebels. If the Tiandihui did not need Yao, their family would have a tragic end, and her own end would have been even more miserable.

Among the six girls in the backyard of the Nanjing Grand Commander, Yao's appearance was only comparable to Liu Wanyun. If it weren't for her deformed feet, Chen Ming would have treated her very well, but Yao's feet were more deformed than Liu Wanyun's. After seeing her feet, Chen Ming, who had a certain psychological shadow, could not favor her no matter what - after all, they were all employed, so there was no need to talk about feelings - so he just left her there in a lukewarm way. Even though Yao's face and skin were frost- and snow-covered, they were very hot.

Shi had the darkest skin among the five girls, and she also had the best body among the five girls. In other words, Shi did the most labor. Shi's appearance was not as good as Yao's, or even better than Zhang's, but she had a good figure. She was only a little over sixteen years old, and the feeling of being held in Chen Ming's arms could only be described in two words - meat, elastic! At the same time, her family status and background were the worst among the five girls, and the highest-ranking one among her direct relatives was the middle-level leader in the Zheng family fleet.

From the time he traveled through time to win the battle in northern Jiangsu, Chen Ming had only had two women, but in the half month since he returned to Nanjing from Yangzhou, he had taken in five women in succession, and with the arrival of the beauties sent by the Fujian Land Tiandihui (before the New Year), the number of Chen Ming's followers would increase again. This made him feel that he was not doing justice to his first wife. Taking advantage of his son's second birthday, he personally picked up countless treasures in the warehouse, selected four boxes, and asked the secret camp to transfer them back to the general's mansion. Of course, there was also a handwritten letter from him. As for Liu Wanyun, Chen Ming gave her the status of the second wife.

Chen Ming, who has reached his current status, does not need to pay too much attention to the inner court. If viewed from the perspective of the rules of the Qing Dynasty, the five women sent here this time are all slaves. Chen Ming only needs to give them the dignity they deserve, and the families and forces behind them will feel at ease. As for other struggles, how old is Chen Ming now? The world of the Chen family is so far away. There will definitely be competition for favor among the women in the inner room, but the drama of seizing the throne is still far away.

Chen Ming does not need to be as "favored" as the legendary Yong Lao Si to Nian.

"One thousand catties of sulfur for a small cannon, three thousand catties of sulfur for a medium-sized cannon, and five thousand catties of sulfur for a large eight-catty cannon. One hand for the goods, the other for the cannon, a fair trade. The location is in Hangzhou Bay. In addition, we will select a batch of usable muskets from those we seized and trade them to them as well."

In front of a large map of Jiangnan, Chen Ming's eyes have already passed Suzhou and looked towards Hangzhou.

"Give the Zhang family an extra twenty cannons, and the Zheng family and Taiwan ten cannons each. Five-catty cannons and eight-catty cannons are half each." The Fu Han Army now has ten-catty cannons, but Chen Ming is holding back.

Chen Ming even gave instructions to let the secret camp send a message to the Fujian Navy and Army, and the Hangzhou Bay transaction can be prepared carefully. The Fu Han Army's Jiangbei army has slowly transferred back from Huai'an to Nanjing and Zhenjiang. Chen Ming has decided to march south and send troops to attack Suzhou in a few days. This time, this nail must be pulled out. Before the New Year, northern Zhejiang will be swept into pieces.

"Send a message to Jiujiang. Before the end of the year, the Second Marine Battalion must be ready for me."

"Let the secret camp work hard against the Qing army and militia in Hubei. We must also work hard against Shandong. The Shandong soldiers were used as cannon fodder by the Qing army this time, and they must be angry. Since this is the case, there is work to be done in the meantime.

In addition, Liu Yong is dead, so Kong Zhaohuan doesn't need to kill him..."

Chen Ming stroked a white jade lion in his hand, squinting his eyes, thinking for a long time, and said to Liu Dezhao: "Do you think the Qing Dynasty will give the position of Shandong militia minister to the Kong family now?"

"This..., it's unlikely "Liu Dezhao said: "The Shandong militiamen have already had second thoughts (the surrendered militiamen can testify to this), and the Qufu Kong family has deep roots in Shandong and a full warehouse of money and grain. If the position of Shandong militia minister is handed over to the Kong family, without Liu Yong's checks and balances, I'm afraid that in a few days, the Shandong militiamen will become the Kong family's private army. With the ability of Emperor Qianlong and the ability of the ministers of the Military Affairs Office, they will not fail to see this. "

The only sound in the room was the occasional crackling of the fire basin, and Chen Ming closed his eyes and pondered again.

"What about the picture? Does it have no effect on the Kong family at all?"

"Of course it has an effect. But most of the initiators of the militia are local clans, and the connection between these people and the Kong family cannot be cut off by a picture. "It's already November, and Confucius's photoshopped pictures have spread throughout the three provinces of Zhili. The scholars in Henan and Hebei are in an uproar, and every day and every moment, there is no way to know how many insults are directed at the Hunyuan Sect. After the Qing army returned to the south of the Yellow River, Liu Song and others retreated back to the mountains of western Shandong. No matter how many people hate them, the Qing Dynasty can't do anything to them for a while.

During the spread of this incident, countless white-haired old men lay in the Confucius Temple and Confucius Temple in various places and cried bitterly. Those who didn't know thought that their parents had died one by one. The scene was more lively than the annual examination of scholars and juren. There were also many discussions among the common people. During this period, many jokes about Confucius were secretly released by the dark camp. During this process, it was not that no one suspected that Hunyuan Sect was instructed by the Fu Han Army, but countless scholars still pointed their spearheads at Hunyuan Sect. Who made them the first to show the map?

Chen Ming was a little anxious. To be honest, the brewing time of this matter was still too short. The backlash and anger of scholars from all over the country could be seen. The impact and blow to Confucianism still needed time to brew, and there would be obvious manifestations immediately.

"Let the secret camp in Shandong send two famous doctors to Yang Ji." Among the three giants of Hunyuan Sect, Yang Ji's health was the worst. "Find someone to write a piece of writing, hold the distinction between Chinese and barbarians, and use the Kong family as a raft. These people will kneel to the Five Barbarians first, then to the Jurchens, then to the Mongols, and finally to the Qing Dynasty. They are not sons of man."

...

The atmosphere in the room became low again. Chen Ming was angry, and a strong momentum naturally burst out from him. Living in a place changes the spirit, and nourishing changes the body. Even an ordinary person who has commanded thousands of troops and repeatedly won battles in the battlefield for a year or two will be as strong as he is now. Chen Ming was very unhappy with the Kong family in his heart. If the Kong family only had the treatment of the Meng family, it would be fine. But the honors given to the Kong family by successive dynasties were too high, and the Kong family was too soft.

"Recently, a group of scholars from Jiangnan have joined our army. There are no Jinshi among them, but there are quite a few who are Juren and Xiucai, and they have worked as legal advisors in the government offices in the past. Such people are more capable than simple scholars.

You go and meet them. If they are suitable, submit a list to the military police camp and let them check it first. If there is no problem, bring it to the attendant room." Chen Ming did not want Liu Dezhao to be the "chief examiner", but Liu Dezhao's position can also be regarded as an interviewer, with great power.

This is a sign that Chen Ming wants to reuse Liu Dezhao, and it can be regarded as another test.

Since the battle of northern Jiangsu was won, the views of the people in Jiangnan on the Fu Han Army have quietly changed, a big change.

At the recruitment offices in Yangzhou, Nanjing, Zhenjiang and other places, there are scholars, Juren and Tongsheng arriving every day. These people have various identities, including poor scholars, lawyers, legal advisors, private school teachers or Western teachers, and even accountants.

These people have different professions, but after joining the big collective of Fu Han Army, they can find their own positions. The recruitment office of Fu Han Army was set up early. Why didn't these people participate before, but now they are in one after another? Isn't it because the situation of Fu Han Army was bad before and it was not optimistic.

The influence of the battle in northern Jiangsu is so huge. Not only the Shouyuan Sect and local medicine merchants far away in Yuzhou, Henan, but also the people in Jiangnan, which is only separated from Taizhou by a river, have been shocked more and more violently.

In less than a month, Fu Han Army has gathered hundreds of literate and calculating people who have surrendered. Among them, those who are most favored by Chen Ming are the scholars and candidates with the experience of being a teacher. These people are educated and skilled. If they are released to serve as officials, Chen Ming does not think they are worse than those Jinshi.

The attendant room will become Chen Ming's future storage warehouse. Among the dozen people interviewed by Liu Dezhao this time, as long as half of them enter the attendant room and the other half can meet Chen Ming's wishes, it will be precious.

"Tell Jigong to take advantage of the war and use the unstable situation as an excuse to move the cabin to Zhoushan..."