Fan Yongdou replied: "Mr. Hong said, our fleet does have guards and artillery, but that is just to scare those ordinary thieves. One ship only has two artillery pieces on the left and right sides. The artillery is only four or five hundred kilograms. It is three or four miles away, and it is still a stone projectile. How can it compete with the pirate?"

Hong Chengchou was even more surprised, "What do you mean is that pirates are very large?"

Fan Yongdou smiled bitterly and said, "It's not just a big word? Then I'm about to catch up with the navy. Fortunately, they only rob property and ships, and as long as they don't resist, they won't hurt lives. After the robbery, they often drive people to a small boat and put them back... According to the people who came back, there are at least one or two thousand pirates, and there are hundreds of ships of all sizes. Two of them have twelve cannons on a single side, and they are all one or two thousand kilograms of cannons, which are still iron-fired. Lord Hong, tell me, can this be the ones that our guards and cannons compete with?"

Fan Wencheng and Hong Chengchou looked at each other in surprise. Hong Chengchou thought: "It is obviously a strange thing to suddenly appear such a large-scale pirate. If something is abnormal, it will be a monster. This matter must be related to the King of Kuaiji County, Wu Zheng, the Prince of Kuaiji, and it must be because he wants to take the opportunity to make money. This matter should be reported to the Emperor Ming and negotiate with the King of Yixing Dynasty."

Before Fan Wencheng could speak, Fan Yongdou smiled bitterly: "Mr. Hong said that this group of pirates is indeed related to Wu Zheng. According to the guy who came back, the pirate leader believed that he was the King of the Sea King, Wang Deren."

Hong Chengchou browed and said to himself, "Why is this name so familiar? It seems that I have heard it somewhere."

Fan Wencheng sighed lightly: "Wang Deren was originally under the command of Bai Wang, the former subordinate of Li Zicheng, and later surrendered to our dynasty from Bai Wang. He followed the Jiangxi general Jin Shenghuan to conquer Shaoxing Prefecture a few years ago. Unexpectedly, he was defeated and surrendered. However, after surrendering to the Ming Dynasty, he did not have much time to rebel. He took two thousand people from Shaoxing to rob the ships and went to sea. He was unknown. At that time, the Yixing Dynasty was still encircled and suppressed this unit for this matter. Unexpectedly, he was entrenched on the sea and became a thief."

Hong Chengchou then remembered this matter and was stunned.

How can I say this?

Wang Deren first came to Li Zicheng's troops, then surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and then surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. Now, it is a three-no dependency. Yixing Dynasty issued another imperial edict for this. If he wanted to negotiate with Yixing Dynasty, he was afraid that he could not argue.

Hong Chengchou was silent for a while and asked anxiously: "Has the Jiangnan businessman been robbed?"

This question was the last reason Hong Chengchou could think of. If the merchants in Jiangnan had not encountered a robbery, it would have to do with Wu Zheng or not, and it would have to do with it. The blame would be on Wu Zheng. Then someone would send an envoy to Yixingchao to seek justice.

But Hong Chengchou was immediately disappointed.

Because Fan Yong Dou said, "According to the people in Jiangnan, several families in the south were also robbed."

Hong Chengchou browsed, glanced at Fan Wencheng, and said, "Since that's the case, I really can't help you."

Fan Wencheng understood it and said, "You all know that the court has no navy at the moment, so how large the other party is, and the place is uncertain. If you just send some troops to encircle and suppress the enemy on a boat, it would probably be futile... You can only think of other ways yourself."

Fan Yongdou cursed in his heart and said in a slight way: "We also understand the difficulties of the court and the two adults, so we will ask the Yixing Dynasty navy to encircle and suppress this group of pirates on their behalf."

Hong Chengchou's eyes lit up, and the disaster moved south?

He nodded and said, "This method is feasible. But how could Yixingchao agree to the navy to suppress the bandits? As far as I know, the navy of the Duke Xingguo of Yixingchao had suffered heavy casualties in the previous battle, so I guess it was not capable of suppressing the bandits, right?"

Fan Yongdou said: "We are...I want to ask the Zhoushan Navy to suppress the bandits."

"Wu Zheng?"

"yes."

"Absurd, his relationship with Wang Deren has not been clarified. If you go and ask him, wouldn't you beg for a trick with the tiger?"

Fan Yongdou said: "Whether there is any connection or not, the so-called person who tied the bell must be untied. Besides, Lord Hong cannot be sure that he must be related to Wu Zheng because Wang Deren once surrendered to Wu Zheng, right? Wang Deren also surrendered to our dynasty. According to this logic, isn't it also related to our dynasty?"

"You..." Hong Chengchou was a little embarrassed.

Fan Wencheng quickly smoothed out and said, "Mr. Hong, what Shopkeeper Fan said is reasonable."

As he said that, he turned to Fan Yongdou and said, "But how can you do it? Wu Zheng will send a navy to suppress the bandits for you?"

Fan Yongdou looked back at his companions, then bowed and said, "We have already contacted the south..."

Hong Chengchou shouted: "You are so brave! You communicate with the enemy in private and almost have a conspiracy with the enemy!"

Fan Yongdou argued urgently: "Mr. Hong, please listen to me first... We did not contact Yixingchao or Wu Zheng, but just sent someone to contact the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce. The president of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce Mo Zhinian is Wu Zheng's Financial Secretary. With this relationship, we may be able to speak with Wu Zheng."

Fan Wencheng continued to be a peacemaker, and he said to Hong Chengchou: "Sir Hong, please calm down. They really have to say this. You think that these eight royal merchants are responsible for the responsibilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and how many things are needed to deliver every day... It is difficult for you, but you can't help but tell the court and talk to the south without authorization. Those who know you will not rebel. Those who don't know, they think you are going to repeat the Ming Dynasty."

This sounds like speaking for merchants, but the sharpness behind it is indeed sharp.

The secret contact between the Shanxi merchants and the Later Jin Dynasty can be traced back decades.

The demise of the Ming Dynasty was of great significance to these eight families.

They took advantage of the national war between the Ming and Qing dynasties to resell materials and make huge profits.

It also failed the Ming Dynasty's economic blockade against the Later Jin Dynasty.

They betrayed the Ming army's deployment and adjusted the defense information, causing countless losses to the Ming army and the people were slaughtered by the Later Jin Dynasty.

If capital has 50% profit, it will take risks. If it has 100% profit, it will dare to trample on all laws in the world. If it has 300% profit, it will dare to commit any crime and even risk being hanged.

The wealth of these eight families is almost all accumulated in the blood of the Han people. These people only have money in their hearts, nothing else, and they are betrayed the country and are unattainable.

Fan Wencheng's words meant directly to the disgusting things they had done before, saying that they wanted to repeat the previous dynasty, and that they were accusing them of secretly colluding with the south side and preparing to choose their master again.

How can eight people bear this crime?

If this is done, it would be that the eight families would be uprooted. Needless to mention property, I am afraid that even my own and my family's lives would not be able to save them.
Chapter completed!