Fenghou

Chapter 1571
After listening to Zhong Huan's report, Chen Qing's brows were also frowned. How could there be Japanese, it was unexpected.

"Have people been sent to clear the two strongholds in Pingzhou, Penglai County?" Chen Qing is still concerned about the intelligence point of Korea for the time being.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the internal guards have branch points on Shandong Road and Yanshan Road. The ministers have sent a letter to order them to request the assistance of the local garrison to clear these two intelligence stations. They are all using their identities as businessmen as a cover. Very few, there are only three people in Penglai, and only two people in Pingzhou."

"Li Zhen explained?"

Zhong Huan bowed and said: "He explained part of it, which was beyond my expectation. He actually worked for Korea and Japan at the same time."

Chen Qing thought for a while, then asked: "Is he from Baekje?"

"Exactly, he is a descendant of the Xie family among the nine major families in Baekje, but he concealed his true identity in Korea."

Chen Qing nodded. Baekje people are not surprising. Since the Tang Dynasty, the Baekje people living in the southeast of the peninsula have been pro-Japanese. The king has always been a puppet manipulated by Japan.

Although Baekje has been destroyed for hundreds of years, as long as Japan's ambition to spy on the peninsula remains, the pro-Japanese legacy left by Baekje will always exist. This Li Zhen is obviously one of them.

As for Japan's collection of information about the Yong Dynasty, Chen Qing is not surprised. It began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but at that time Japan was more for learning, but it was not a disguised form of intelligence collection.

At this time, Chen Qing suddenly became vigilant, Japan has been a poisonous snake for thousands of years, the Yong Dynasty bought Japanese silver, and Japan was eyeing Yong State's advanced military technology.

Although Japan did not have any ambitions for the mainland at this time, since the Tang Dynasty, Japan has been eyeing the Koryo Peninsula. Now Koryo has few soldiers and its national power is extremely weak. Japan has the old Baekje noble forces as internal support. Are you also peeping at this opportunity?
Thinking of this, Chen Qing said to Zhong Huan: "The key point is to interrogate the three Japanese students and Li Zhen. I want to know Japan's intentions and see if I can find some clues from them."

"Wei Chen understands, Wei Chen continues to interrogate."

After Zhong Huan resigned, Chen Qing took up a pen and wrote the word "Japan" on the white paper. In the past two years, he rebuilt Anxi and opened up Nanyang, but he just forgot about Japan.

Japan will soon enter the era of the shogunate. This is the root of the birth of Japanese pirates and Japanese militarism in the future. This poisonous snake has to be vigilant!

Zhong Huan returned to the official office, but heard someone calling him, "General Zhong!"

Zhong Huan turned around, but it was Kong Yuan who had provided him with a lot of information before, and he immediately ordered his subordinates, "Bring him to my official room!"

Zhong Huan returned to his official room, and after a while, Kong Yuan was brought up, "See you, General!"

"Has your son's poison been cured?" Zhong Huan asked with a smile.

When the inner guard caught Pei Qiushan, he found the poison and antidote in his room and gave a copy to Kong Yuan.

"My son's poison has been cured, thank you General!"

"Then why are you here looking for me?"

Kong Yuan violated the criminal law of the Yong Dynasty because of raising another housewife, and had already been dismissed. However, he exposed Goryeo for his meritorious service, and the emperor made an exception and gave him the honorary officer of Xiaoqiwei, so that he could marry a concubine and bring his son home. up.

Moreover, the 1000 taels of silver that Pei Qiushan gave Kong Yuan was not confiscated by the inner guards. It was regarded as a reward for him. Even if he was dismissed, his life would be guaranteed.

"The villain wants to start a wine business, but he doesn't have a brand. Can you please ask the inner guard to say hello to the Yantie Supervisor?"

The brand is the license to operate liquor. Every year, the Yantiejian and local governments will bid for it. It is regarded as a fiscal revenue for the government and the court. It started in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Only after obtaining a license can you buy wine koji cakes from the government to make wine, and then sell wine publicly. If you do not have a license to brew and sell wine, it is illegal. Once you are caught, the consequences will be disastrous, ranging from fines to jail. , will be beheaded.

Bootleggers, like salt dealers, have always been the focus of internal guards' crackdowns.

The imperial court is recuperating now, the business tax and household tax have been suspended, the shelf tax and other exorbitant taxes have also been abolished, and the land tax is also extremely low. Now it basically relies on salt tax, wine tax and other official revenue to maintain the operation of the court and the army.

Therefore, salt, wine, and sugar belong to the monopoly of the government, and they are all under the jurisdiction of the salt and iron supervision. The inspection is extremely strict, not only the salt and iron supervision, but also the internal guards.

Zhong Huan remembered this, took out a document and a sign from the drawer, and handed it to Kong Yuan with a smile, "We knocked down a private salt dealer before, and he used wine as a cover. He has a wine license and a wine deed. Prove it, and go to the Yantie Supervisor to change it."

Kong Yuan was overjoyed, with the certificate from the inner guard, the liquor license is legal, as long as he spends ten guan in Yantiejian to change it, the liquor license will belong to him, and he can renew it next year with only [-] guan.

It is very expensive to get a liquor license. It costs thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. You may not be able to get it. You need to draw lots. Once you get it, it can last for five years. Renewing the license every year is not expensive. After five years, you need to reapply. Of course Old liquor licenses have priority.

"Thank you! The villain is grateful."

"Go! I don't owe you anything."

Because of Kong Yuan's report, the inner guards caught Yao Kaishan and Pei Qiushan, and finally wiped out the Koryo intelligence network. However, Kong Yuan was dismissed from office, which made Zhong Huan feel guilty and gave him a liquor license to deal with him. Regarding the livelihood issue, Zhong Huan also settled a concern.

Having settled Kong Yuan's matter, Zhong Huan was in a good mood, and he immediately ordered: "Open the court and interrogate the three Japanese."

In the afternoon, Chen Qing met Liu Dajiang, and after nearly five months of rest, Liu Dajiang will lead the team to sail again.

"Are you ready?" Chen Qing asked with a smile.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, everything is ready. This time there will be 800 people sailing with me, and the other 200 people can no longer follow due to various reasons. I understand and will not force them."

Chen Qing nodded, and said to him again: "This time you are not trading, but experimenting and exploring. It will take about one to two years. You have three large ships, all of which are [-] shi. The steam engine, Taixue spent a winter to renovate, and there will be craftsmen accompanying you. The power of the new ship is mainly coal and fresh water. You will test it in Nanyang for about half a year, and then start your expedition.”

Speaking of which, Chen Qing took out a roll of maps from the cabinet, which he drew by himself ten years ago, but he did not expect to finally use them.

He opened the map and said: "In the far south of the Three Buddhas Qi Kingdom, there are two continents, one big and one small, the big one is about the size of our Dayong Dynasty, and there are very few land people living there.

What Chen Qing was referring to was the later Australia. He drew this map ten years ago with a little vague memory of his previous life. If he was asked to draw it now, he might not be able to draw it.

"Then about thousands of miles to the east of this continent, there is another small continent here. It is actually two islands, the South Island and the North Island. This time you need to find these two continents and route them Established, and then two years later, from the north of Japan, along the coastline, you will see a more vast land in a few months, several times larger than our Yong Dynasty, a branch of our ancestors live there."

Liu Dajiang was puzzled and said: "The branch of our ancestors? I don't quite understand the humble job."

"It's a branch of Yin Shang that has been around for more than 2000 years. They went to a distant continent and established a new dynasty there. They are completely isolated from us. I hope you will go there in two years and establish contact with them."

Speaking of this, Chen Qing said with a smile: "Step by step, go to the south first, find two continents, I will send troops to emigrate there gradually, and then go to the other side of the ocean, complete these tasks, and your name will go down in history."

Liu Dajiang excitedly said: "This minister must live up to His Majesty's expectations and complete all tasks."

(End of this chapter)