The most reckless man in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 315 East China Sea Trade and Assassination
The relationship between Ming Dynasty and Korea can be traced back to before the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

The Sui and Tang dynasties were a heyday for exchanges between the two countries. During the Ming Dynasty, exchanges between China and North Korea reached another climax.

According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty court, Korea should pay tribute every three years.

But the fact is, at that time, Korean tribute envoys landed in China from the Shandong coast more than once a year, either because of fame or profit!
According to statistics from the third and fourth years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty alone, Goryeo envoys came to China by sea twice a year. Most of them landed in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas and arrived in Nanjing by boat via the canal.

Because during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, the capital was still in Nanjing and had not yet been moved.

The main reason they chose this route was transportation convenience, because the cost of transporting a large amount of tribute trade goods and smuggled private property by water and land was the most convenient.

So after the Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing, Korean tribute envoys still traveled to Beijing by boat via the Grand Canal, but the landing point was changed to the coast of Shandong, which made it more convenient to enter Beijing.

The main feature of Korea's tribute to the Ming Dynasty was war horses.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the army needed horses to defend against the Mongol attack. A large number of war horses were purchased from the Korean Peninsula, and Jeju horses were the most popular among these war horses.

Between the 17th and 28th years of Hongwu alone, more than 35,000 war horses were imported from Korea to the Ming Dynasty!

Although Korea was rich in war horses, no matter how good its relationship with the Ming Dynasty was, it could not give away so many war horses for free. At that time, the trade price between the two countries was at least two pieces of silk and eight pieces of silk cloth.

In other words, every time the Korean envoys came to the Ming Dynasty as tribute ships, they came with ships loaded with war horses, and returned with ships loaded with large amounts of silk and cloth. The waterway they traveled through was still the Grand Canal, which was then transported back to Korea by sea.

But now there is a problem. The Jeju Horse Farm, on which Korea depends for its survival, has been directly occupied by the Ming army!
So, apart from the excellent war horses, what else does the Ming Dynasty appreciate from Korea?
This is also what Li Yi, Cui Tan and others are worried about.

To be honest, there is no comparison between Korea and Ming Dynasty.

Now even the war horses, which were most in demand by the Ming Dynasty, have become the Ming Dynasty's. Then what can North Korea use to trade with the Ming Dynasty?

Cloth?
The cloth from the Ming Dynasty is first-rate!

Once shipped to North Korea, it will become a hot commodity that the powerful and wealthy will fight over!
The Ming Dynasty no longer needs war horses, and it doesn't value cloth. The only thing left in Korea is... food!

After Li Yi discussed with Cui Dam and his ministers, Cui Dam immediately rushed to Jeju Island to meet Tang Mu.

However, Tang Mu could not make a decision easily, so he simply took Cui Tan back to the country. After arriving in Shandong, he immediately rushed to the capital.

After all, Tang Mu was awarded a hereditary earl title, but he has not yet formally accepted the reward!

Tang Hao gave Cui Tan the due enthusiasm and respect for his arrival.

After all, he is now a powerful official in North Korea and the leader of the old noble forces.

In order to ensure that the East China Sea trade can proceed normally, there must be no chaos on the North Korean side, and Cui Dam's importance is reflected at this moment.

"Cui Tan, I haven't seen you for a while, but you seem to be more extraordinary!"

Looking at Cui Tan being led into the lobby, Tang Hao couldn't help but smile and joked.

This guy has a more unusual demeanor than before. This is the confidence and courage that comes with holding great power!
Cui Dam is indeed confident and has the confidence because he is now the most powerful official in North Korea.

Thanks to the fact that he personally led the imperial guards to massacre the Sillin faction that night, the old nobles all came to his side. As a result, Cui Dam surpassed Shen Zhen, Nan Gun, Hong Jingzhou and others, becoming the undisputed leader of the old nobles, and was deeply trusted and respected by the Joseon King Yi Gook.

In addition, the profits from the East China Sea trade were tempting. Because of a word from Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao, Li Yi had to rely on Cui Tan. After all, Li Yi had already massacred the Shilin faction. If he still could not conduct the East China Sea trade, then he would have lost both the wife and the army!
Cui Tan's position is unbreakable, but he is very clear about where his current position and power come from.

Before meeting Tang Hao, Marquis of Zhongshan, Cui Dam was just a governor of Jeju who suffered from exclusion and oppression. Because of his ancestor Cui Ying, the entire Cui family was not allowed to enter the power center of the Joseon Dynasty.

Until now, thanks to the support of Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao, Cui Tan finally successfully entered the core of the imperial court at the age of over 60!

Thinking of this, Cui Tan bowed to Tang Hao.

"Thank you, Lord Tang!"

"I wish to be Lord Tang's running dog for the rest of my life!"

If we have to say, it has to be Korea. Their Confucian culture has been passed down to this day, and it has more charm than the orthodox Confucianism of China, and they value the character of scholars and benevolence, righteousness and kindness more.

Tang Hao nodded with a smile, then motioned for Cui Tan to sit down.

"Are you here for the East China Sea trade this time?"

"My Lord, you are wise!" Cui Tan hurriedly explained: "In the past, the main goods traded between our dynasty and the Ming Dynasty were war horses, especially Jeju horses."

"But now..."

Cui Tan stopped talking abruptly before he finished speaking.

Because some words really can't be said out loud.

Why is the Jeju Racecourse gone?

It’s all because of the Marquis of Zhongshan in front of him.

Not only did they rob my Jeju Horse Farm, but they also forced Korea to bow to the Ming Dynasty and voluntarily hand over the horse farm!
Only the Marquis of Zhongshan could do such banditry.

"In addition to war horses, North Korea has many other special products."

"For example, your Korean ginseng (Korean ginseng) has the effects of replenishing vital energy, promoting salivation and calming the mind. It is better than my Central Plains ginseng. You can definitely make it your signature product!"

"For example, you have rice, beans, grass bundles and other grains. We can trade cloth and handicrafts with you in Ming Dynasty. We can clearly mark the price or make purchases on a voluntary basis. Anyway, the purpose of the transaction is mutual benefit and mutual benefit. You don't have to worry about this."

"In addition to our two countries, there are also swords, lacquerware and screens from Japan, and Ryukyu lacquerware and sugar from Ryukyu. These are things that the people of the three countries need and can change everyone's lives. This is the true meaning of the East China Sea trade."

"After all, it is different from the tribute trade, which involves mineral resources and so on, and is more official and strict. You can think of the East China Sea trade we run as a three-party trading platform. No matter what it is, as long as someone is willing to buy it, it is a good thing, so there is no need to think too much, just bring out all your assets."

After hearing what Tang Hao said, Cui Tan finally felt relieved.

He had always been worried that the Ming Dynasty would not be able to even consider the small amount of money that North Korea had.

But now, the third-party trading platform, Donghai Trade, is not as harsh as the tribute trade.

The two continued chatting for a while, and Cui Tan made a request, hoping that Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao could take him around the capital of the Ming Dynasty to witness the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty with his own eyes.

It was difficult for Tang Hao to refuse. After all, the other person wanted to be your "running dog". Could you still take him shopping and buy local specialties?

So Tang Hao called Tang Mu and Chang Kuohai, and the four of them started strolling together.

It has to be admitted that even though the Ming Dynasty was corrupt, the capital of Beijing was still as prosperous and bustling as ever.

The carriages and horses are sparkling, and the crowds are flowing.

The street is lined with all kinds of shops, selling everything from jewelry and antiques, silks and furs, calligraphy and paintings, pens and inkstones, to clothes and fabrics, knives and scissors, ceramics, paper flowers and toys. It is a magnificent scene of prosperity!
This is in line with a certain idiom: "Golden outside, rotten inside," nothing more than this.

The group walked and stopped, feeling the atmosphere of fireworks.

When I was tired from walking, I just found a restaurant and filled my stomach.

There is generally no shortage of diners in the capital's restaurants, especially those with exquisite and somewhat grand decoration, which are always packed with guests.

Tang Hao and three others were eating and drinking to their heart's content. When it came to eating and drinking, Marquis Zhongshan was not at all arrogant. He just pulled Cui Tan and forced him to drink heavily, making Cui Tan, a good gentleman and scholar, so drunk that he was confused and could hardly speak clearly, but he was still humming and reciting poems.

Tang Hao, Tang Mu and Chang Kuohai couldn't stop laughing. These literati were just pretentious.

Just when they were eating and drinking happily, a voice came, which made their faces change slightly.

"Hey, have you heard? Marquis Zhongshan is colluding with Prince Ning to plot a rebellion!"

One person looked around cautiously, then spoke these words in a loud voice, immediately attracting the attention of all the diners in the restaurant.

The shopkeeper thought to himself that this was not good, it was obvious that they were trying to stir up trouble!

He immediately asked someone to stop them, but the diners saw this and tried to dissuade them.

"Keep talking!"

"Yeah, let him continue. We all want to hear it!"

"This is Marquis Zhongshan! A hero of our Ming Dynasty!"

The customer is God, and the shopkeeper is helpless.

The man said mysteriously, "It is said that the King of Ning brought more than 20 carts of gold, silver and jewelry to the capital, all of which were used to bribe court officials, and the Marquis of Zhongshan received the most bribes!"

"Marquis Zhongshan not only accepted bribes of money, but also accepted bribes of beauties from King Ning. King Ning kept a large number of stunning beauties, and Marquis Zhongshan took the most beautiful one among them as his concubine!"

Since ancient times, heroes have been paired with beauties, and this is the thing that everyone talks about most.

In particular, the protagonist here is Marquis Zhongshan, a Ming hero who had just led his army to conquer Japan.

The romantic scandal about him is truly earth-shattering!

Tang Mu and Chang Kuohai were a little stunned and subconsciously looked at their own master.

They never doubted the Marquis's loyalty to the Emperor, but this kind of romantic news was really rare!
Tang Hao glared at the two of them unhappily, then looked at the person who spread the rumor with a strange expression.

This is interesting.

Zhu Chenhao would not do that.

After all, Tang Hao had just fed him with a Biezi silver mine.

So who is behind this, plotting to put Tang Hao and Zhu Chenhao on the spot?
"what?"

"Prince Ning wants to rebel?"

Waves of exclamations rang out, instantly scaring all the diners in the restaurant so much that their faces changed drastically.

This is a serious crime of treason!

That is a capital crime punishable by the execution of all nine generations of the clan!
"It is said that the King of Ning has been raising assassins and making military equipment in his fiefdom for a long time!" "The reason why he is squeezing the people's money by any means necessary is to accumulate money and food in order to recruit soldiers..."

"hiss……"

Many people took a deep breath when they heard this.

Rebellion by royal family members and princes was not common in the Ming Dynasty, but it was not uncommon either.

After all, didn’t the current royal family, the descendants of the Yan clan, usurp the Ming dynasty through the Jingnan Campaign?

However, since then, even if there were rebellions by vassal kings in the Ming Dynasty, it would basically be self-destruction.

For example, not long ago, the Anhua King Zhu Zongqiang rebelled in his fiefdom Qingyang, which lasted for a total of eighteen days. It was completely suppressed by the current Xianning Marquis Qiu Yue on his own. It was simply a farce!
It is even more strange now, as there is another Prince of Ning, Zhu Chenhao.

Moreover, he is still serving as an official in the court, and is plotting a rebellion right under the nose of His Majesty the Emperor?

Surprising!
It's really strange!

"Then how could the Marquis of Zhongshan..."

"Zhongshan Hou has the soldiers of the capital army in his hands!"

"The reason why Prince Ning wanted to win him over was simply because he wanted military power!"

"Let's put it bluntly. Prince Ning's adopted daughter became Marquis Zhongshan's concubine. Marquis Zhongshan helped Prince Ning to successfully usurp the throne. Who will own the throne from now on..."

Before the man could finish his words, he simply shut his mouth, then got up and left in a hurry.

But before he finished speaking, the echo lingered in his mind!

Marquis Zhongshan took Prince Ning's adopted daughter as his concubine!

In a sense, Marquis Zhongshan is the son-in-law of Prince Ning!
If this father-in-law and son-in-law could really succeed in their conspiracy to usurp the throne, who would sit on the throne in the future?
As soon as this thought came to mind, everyone present suddenly changed their expressions.

Tang Mu looked at Tang Hao with a gloomy face and whispered: "My Lord, I will follow him and see..."

However, Tang Hao shook his head and sneered: "They are just some clowns."

"I would like to see what happens even if these rumors are flying everywhere."

"Do these clowns think that they can bring me down with just these ridiculous tricks?"

This is the most ridiculous thing.

Because at this moment, Zhongshan Hou Tang Hao is no longer the same as before.

In addition to the Beijing army's combat troops, the Ming navy was also under his control, and the entire Japanese profits were also under his control.

Driven by profit, no force will or dare to take action against him!
Unless they don't want Japan's profits anymore!

"Let them do whatever they want!"

"Anyway, there must be someone more anxious than us!"

Tang Hao spoke with a half-smile.

Tang Mu's eyes lit up when he heard this, as if he understood something.

Chang Kuohai remained silent because he was busy eating.

In the blink of an eye while Tang Hao and Tang Mu were chatting, all the meat on the table was eaten by Chang Kuohai.

"Chang Erlangzi, are you a pig?"

"Boss, bring another table!"

The four of them ate and drank to their heart's content and finally felt full.

At this moment, Cui Tan was still slumped in the chair. Tang Hao threw him directly to Chang Kuohai to carry him, and then walked towards Huitong Hall.

After all, Cui Tan was an envoy from Japan, so when he came to Ming Dynasty, he had to stay in Huitong Hall.

There is a quiet street between the bustling city and Huitong Hall. It is late at night and there is no one in sight.

Tang Hao and Tang Mu were still chatting and exchanging information with each other.

Chang Kuohai carried Cui Tan and followed the two of them silently.

At this moment, Tang Hao's ears moved, and then his face changed drastically.

"Squat down!"

"There are crossbows!"

As soon as he finished speaking, three arrows suddenly shot out from the directions of the houses on both sides, clearly intending to kill them on the spot!

This was a premeditated ambush!

In a flash, Tang Hao suddenly reached out and grabbed the stone mill next to him that weighed hundreds of pounds. He actually lifted it up and swung it up and down to knock down the arrows on the left side. Then he stood in front of the three people in a dangerous manner. The arrow on the right side hit the stone mill and fell to the ground instantly.

This sudden scene seemed to have caught even the killer in the night by surprise.

That stone mill must weigh at least three to five hundred kilograms, right?
Are you gonna use it as a weapon?
What kind of monster is this?

For a moment, the atmosphere was very solemn.

The night was dark and no one was seen, and there was an endless atmosphere of murderous intent in the air.

As time passed, the atmosphere became more and more depressing.

Finally, the killer in the darkness couldn't help it anymore.

"Kill them!"

"Otherwise I won't be able to explain to the prince!"

As soon as these words were spoken, dozens of men in black suddenly appeared and rushed over frantically.

"Kuhai, protect Cui Tan!"

"Tang Mu, save yourself first!"

After making some quick arrangements, Tang Hao rushed towards these black-clad killers, with the millstone in his hand flying. Before the black-clad killers could get close, he fell from the roof and hung in the air, where he was smashed into meat paste by the huge millstone!

Sharp screams echoed through the night, and the pungent smell of blood filled the entire place!

Tang Hao stretched out his hand and grabbed a killer by the neck, and asked coldly: "Who sent you here?"

A hint of fear flashed across the killer's eyes, but he still didn't answer. The next second, Tang Hao broke his neck.

Tang Hao took the long knife from the killer's hand, carried his body and smashed it directly at Mu who was being besieged.

Caught off guard, several assassins who besieged Tang Mu were hit and their bones broke. However, Tang Mu was a veteran who had fought for many years. He took the opportunity to snatch the weapon of one of the assassins and started to fight back.

As for Chang Kuohai, although he had no weapon in his hands, he still relied on his brute force to make the killer dare not get close to him. In addition, he had his back against the wall, so at least Cui Tan on his body was safe.

"Be careful with those bastard weapons!"

Tang Hao clearly saw a killer being hit by his sword, spitting out black blood and falling to the ground and dying on the spot!

This means that the weapon in his hand is poisoned, and it is the kind of poison that kills instantly upon contact with blood!
"Tang Mu, retreat!"

The two of them slowly retreated to Chang Kuohai's side, leaning against the wall and looking at the black-clad killers.

Tang Hao asked again in annoyance: "I will ask you again, who sent you here?"

"What good will it do you if you kill me?"

However, there was no answer.

The killers approached in silence.

Then the sound of bows and crossbows rang out again, and three arrows shot out, heading straight for Tang Muchang Kuohai!

Seeing this, Tang Hao had no choice but to step forward and directly block the deadly poison arrow for the three people behind him!
Three arrows instantly pierced into Tang Hao's body, and one of them happened to hit his chest!

Almost instantly, Tang Hao’s eyes went dark and he fainted.

"Master Hou?"

"Master Hou!"

Seeing the target person dead, the killer in black was about to wipe out the root of the problem, but he heard an angry shout behind him.

"The Royal Guards are here, who dares to commit a crime at midnight?"

"Kill me!"

Mou Bin rushed over, only to see Marquis Zhongshan who was poisoned and unconscious!
At that moment, Mou Bin felt cold all over, his scalp was numb, and even his voice was trembling.

"Go and report to His Majesty!"

"Lord Tang... was assassinated!"

(End of this chapter)