If the gentry in Jiangnan came to ask for a meeting before, the Regent would usually put down his work and check it out.

This time, everyone ran over, but didn't even enter the door, which sent a very bad signal.

The Regent is alienating them.

In an official society, if there is no political protection umbrella, the minor officials in the county who are not in the right position can bully and extort businessmen at will.

Wang Duo hurriedly returned to the Jiangdong Chamber of Commerce and informed Cheng Bi of the Qingqun.

This made Cheng Bi feel a little nervous. Before, Jianghuai Cotton Industry asked them to ask them, but now Lianghuai Coal Industry and Lianghuai Salt Industry are going to go on, but he actually confiscated some news.

Is the Regent abandoning our gentry and businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang?

"Did you hear it clearly?" Cheng Bi's forehead sweated, "The Regent is really preparing for the coal and salt industry?"

Wang Duo nodded and said, "It's true. It's what the guards in front of the palace gate said."

Even the guards know, but I don’t!

Cheng Bi was shocked!

He was an old man who had been following the Regent since Jiangyin and thought he was quite close to the Regent.

The Regent's situation has improved in recent years and he has not relied so much on merchants. He is also busy with business, so his relationship is a little distant.

I didn't expect that it was actually far away.

"Now, you have caused me and the Jiangdong Chamber of Commerce to suffer a lot!" Cheng Bi's sweat was like a slurry, and he stood up, "No, I have to go and admit my mistake to the Regent in person."

At this time, Cheng Bi realized that Zhao Ming is no longer the General Zhao who needs help from all parties, but the Regent of the Ming Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is Emperor Zhao.

The emperor was furious and buried a million corpses!

The Regent held great power, not Tianqi, Chongzhen, nor Hongguang, Jianwu, or Longwu, the Emperor who could be like Emperor Yongle, arbitrary and decisive in the universe and kill and decisive in the universe.

Although the Regent is kind on the face, his majesty cannot be violated since he ascended the throne of the Regent. I actually support Wang Duo. Zhao Zhilong is really ignorant of his life and death.

Although the Regent is not the emperor, he is still a trial.

Since Taizu, merchants who dared to confront the court have almost never had a good ending.

From Shen Wansan in the early Ming Dynasty to Huishang during the Jiajing period, they suffered heavy losses.

Cheng Bi knew that he could not compare with Shen Wansan at all, let alone Huizhou pirate merchants like Wang Zhi and Xu Hai, the Huishang Group, which had close relationships with Huizhou pirate merchants.

If he continued to go against the regent's wishes and caused the regent to withdraw from the gentry and merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the cotton textile industry in Jiangnan would definitely be taken away by other merchants.

Yangzhou was richest in the world at that time, but the owner of Yangzhou was the Qin Shang in Guanzhong, the Shanxi Shang in Shanxi, and the Huizhou Shang in Huizhou. It has had nothing to do with the locals for more than two hundred years.

When Cheng Bi thought of the support of the Regent, the major merchant gangs conquered cities and land in Jiangnan, he immediately became shocked.

At that moment, Cheng Bi quickly walked and led Wang Duo and others to outside the palace again.

"Why are you here again?" The guard who was on duty couldn't help but frown.

At this time, Cheng Bi didn't care about his identity and said straight to the point: "The President of the Jiangdong Chamber of Commerce, the honest Bo Cheng Bi, I would like to see His Royal Highness the Regent, and I would like to pass on my post on my behalf!"

A stack of silver notes was sent, but the guards did not dare to accept this time. Unlike Wang Duo, who had no official status, Cheng Bi was a serious earl and a king and Shang of the Han Dynasty.

"I will go and tell me later!" The guard held his fists and bowed, and hurried into the palace.

Soon after, the guards came out and saluted, "Brother, the Regent summoned you all to see you."

Cheng Bi and others were led to an outer hall to sit, while Zhao Ming was summoning Xia Wanchun and several businessmen in the inner hall.

There is a hollowed-out partition between the inner hall and the outer hall, and you can see it when sitting in the outer hall.

But generally speaking, those who sit in the outer hall waiting to be summoned are sitting on a chair with half of their butts, waiting for the summons without looking sideways, and they dare not look around.

However, the sound in the inner hall made Wang Duo unable to help but glance, and when he saw it, he was shocked.

"President, the old Huier Wu Chongde, and Qin Shang people are also inside!" Wang Duo whispered.

Cheng Bi's heart was shocked, and suddenly he felt a sense of crisis that he would be abandoned, marginalized, and excluded from the core.

At this time, he sat on a needle blanket and sat for nearly half an hour before the negotiations were finished.

Regent Zhao Ming, Wu Chongde, and several Qin merchants with dark and rough skin came everywhere and sent them to the outer hall before saying goodbye to the few people intimately, as if they had a very pleasant conversation.

At this time, as soon as the few people left, the smile on Zhao Ming's face disappeared immediately. He glanced at the few people coldly, and said, "Come in!"

Zhao Ming turned around and entered the inner hall, walked to the middle hall and sat down, picked up the tea cup, took a sip of tea, and said, "I have signed a supply contract for a year, so you can't hurry up and collect the cotton!"

This made everyone very embarrassed, and Cheng Bi was even more ashamed, because this idea was made by him. The first sentence of the Regent said, which means that the Regent knew everything.

"Your Highness, this time we are confused." Cheng Bi whispered for a while, not knowing what to say, so he could only kneel down and kowtow to Zhao Ming, trying his best to defend himself: "Everyone is targeting Hui merchants, not your highness. We all support your highness from the bottom of our hearts and really want to serve your Highness!"

"Targeting Hui merchants?" Zhao Ming sneered.

Cheng Bi hurriedly said, "Your Highness, those Hui merchants have criminal records. If they become bigger, it will not be a blessing for the court! How great a disaster did they collude with Japanese pirates back then bring to the southeast? In Jiangnan, it is more reliable to be the merchants of Jiangdong."

Cheng Bi mentioned that Hui merchants' record was that after Hui merchants grew up, they controlled 70% of the world's businesses and participated in the smuggling trade at Shuangyu Port.

Later, Shuangyu Port was pacified by the court. In order to let the court open seas for trade, Hui merchants colluded with Wang Zhi and led a fleet to approach Ningbo, forcing the court to open seas, which eventually triggered Japanese riots in several provinces in the southeast.

This matter is quite complicated, involving a dispute between the opening of the Shanghai faction and the ban on the Shanghai faction.

However, there is no doubt that this Japanese riot made the court even more afraid of the rise of the merchant power, and from then on, he did not dare to open a sea in Ningbo for hundreds of years until the national gates were opened by the great powers.

Zhao Ming smiled and said, "So, the Lone King has to thank you?"

Cheng Bi hurriedly led everyone to kowtow, "I don't dare, I just hope that your highness will forgive me for your poor merits in the past and let me continue to serve you."

Zhao Ming naturally could not do anything to these big families. With them, Jiangnan is the prosperous Jiangnan.

However, for merchants, whether they are merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Qin merchants, Hui merchants, or even Shanxi merchants, they all need to be managed and tamed.

"All get up!" Zhao Ming waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "It's just like this now! In the future, the lonely king encourages fair competition among various merchant gangs, but he cannot violate the Ming Dynasty's laws! Do you understand?"

"I am waiting for Your Highness to understand! I will definitely compete fairly in the future!" Cheng Bi was overjoyed and led everyone to kowtow again.

Zhao Ming waved his hand and signaled them to go back, but saw everyone kneeling on the ground and not leaving. He couldn't help but frown and asked, "What else do you have?"

Cheng Bi then smiled and said, "I want to compete fairly and serve your Highness!"

Zhao Ming pretended to be puzzled and pretended to be confused, "What's the effect?"

Seeing this, Cheng Bi could only point out, "I heard that Your Highness is raising shares for Lianghuai Coal Industry and Lianghuai Salt Industry. I happened to have some money in my hand and was willing to serve Your Highness!"

Zhao Ming suddenly realized, "Oh! This matter! The Gu Wang advised you to consider the qualifications of these two companies are far less than those of JAC Cotton Industry, and the Gu Wang cannot keep a stable profit and not lose money. You follow the Gu Wang for a long time, and the Gu Wang cannot bear to harm you!"

Cheng Bi was anxious when he heard the words and said with a sincere look: "Your Highness, it doesn't matter if you make a profit, but it's mainly because I want to serve your Highness!"

Zhao Ming took a deep breath, and after a while, he reluctantly agreed: "Since you are willing to take risks, then go back and prepare the silver dollars and participate in the call bidding in three days!"

"I'm waiting for your Highness!" Cheng Bi's face was full of joy.

Zhao Ming waved his hand, and Cheng Bi and others retreated happily.

Zhao Ming looked at the backs of everyone, shook his head, and looked helpless, "It's really a risk, why don't you believe in orphans?"
Chapter completed!