Chapter 456

He had previously thought that since he had been so ruthless, many would oppose him and cause trouble.

There were also those manipulating from the shadows, whose goal was to facilitate the import of opium into the Great Ming to earn vast amounts of money while simultaneously letting opium corrode the bodies of the Great Ming people.

Preferably spreading it into the army.

By the time the Great Ming Emperor, court officials, and others realized something was wrong, it would be too late.

At that time, their schemes would have succeeded.

This powerful and mysterious ancient Eastern nation would become a fat piece of meat for them to take as they pleased!

Su Qiao banning opium now was equivalent to completely cutting off their schemes.

Given the nature of this group, they certainly would not just quietly agree.

However, the current situation was that everyone was silent, seemingly agreeing.

Not a single one rose up to make a fuss.

Yet, it seemed there was no one left for him to use as a scapegoat to warn the others!

What to do?

Su Qiao coughed lightly, saw that the assembled merchants still had no reaction, and could not help but ask, "Do you not oppose it?"

"Uh, we do not oppose. Just as my lord Su said, the Great Ming laws are naturally for you to decide; we are merely merchants here to do business, not politicians."

"You can oppose it," Su Qiao said, somewhat encouragingly.

"No, no need!"

The assembled merchants in the hall were not fools; Su Qiao's obvious attitude and situation were off.

It seemed as if he was truly encouraging them to jump out.

But everyone sensed danger.

Whoever jumped out might become the most dangerous one.

Sometimes they were rash and brave, but more often they sought profit and avoided harm...

"Alright, why is no one jumping out! It is so disappointing!"

Su Qiao's muttering voice was not much quieter in the quiet hall.

Hearing it, the assembled merchants all breathed a sigh of relief, secretly terrified; fortunately, they had held back, otherwise they did not know how Su Qiao would deal with them.

Although they did not say it on the surface, they cursed in their hearts, and none dared to linger, quickly taking their leave.

Su Qiao had initially planned to detain them.

But their excuses were all quite bizarre, and they were simply unwilling to stay.

Su Qiao could only let them leave.

The officials of Quanzhou and Zhao Lun had not expected that the foreign merchants, who had previously been noisy and relentless, were so different when facing the Imperial Envoy!

Could they also be bullies who fear the strong?

Because this time Su Qiao met the merchants from various nations who had been making a fuss and immediately suppressed them all.

The previously noisy disturbances were successfully suppressed this time.

The entire Maritime Trade Office seemed to have restored its original order.

Whether those foreign merchants or the officials and clerks of the Maritime Trade Office, they all informed other merchants that opium had become contraband.

And they issued a warning!

Ma Kui and other Embroidered Uniform Guards interrogated those caught selling opium.

They screened out those among them who had other ulterior motives.

The rest were heavily fined and released; only those with evil intentions who deliberately transported opium into the Ming territory would be kept in the great prison, after which they would face endless road building and mining, and if they dared to escape, they would be beheaded!

In the blink of an eye, Su Qiao had arrived in Quanzhou for no more than ten days and had briefly sorted out the affairs of the Maritime Trade Office.

Not only that, Su Qiao also specifically checked the pricing of goods at the Maritime Trade Office.

He had Zhao Lun renovate the location of the Maritime Trade Office.

Counters were specifically set up, dividing different areas; some were prepared for Great Ming merchants.

Some were for price assessment, some served as official guarantees, and others were for providing assistance to foreign merchants.

The efficiency of the Maritime Trade Office improved greatly at once; while the foreign and domestic merchants felt surprised, they also felt very comfortable, as efficiency had increased!

311, Zheng Zhilong!

After roughly handling the situation at the Maritime Trade Office, Su Qiao was slightly free for a short time.

Taking Liu Rushi with him, he rarely went out to stroll the streets.

Unknowingly, Su Qiao and the others walked to the north of Anping Bridge and saw a group of extraordinary-looking people carrying an aura of blood and killing intent walking out of a large mansion.

Ma Kui and other Embroidered Uniform Guards, although wearing civilian clothes, also carried weapons, which were simply wrapped in cloth bundles and held by others.

Now suddenly encountering such a fierce group, they immediately became alert.

Even a carefree Su Qiao was similarly attracted by them.

Looking up, the two huge characters on the plaque of this courtyard were clearly—Zheng Fu!

Su Qiao was slightly stunned.

Quanzhou, Zheng Fu?

Zheng Zhilong's family?

Su Qiao stopped a passerby and curiously asked, "Sir, I am a traveling merchant passing through Quanzhou, and I am currently a bit lost; please tell me, where is this?"

"Ah, this is Zheng Fu, the mansion of the Zheng family from Shijing, Nan'an, in Quanzhou; everyone knows it!"

The passerby very politely told Su Qiao.

Su Qiao immediately verified his guess.

This truly is the Zheng family of Zheng Zhilong!

To speak of it, the Zheng family themselves originated as pirates, but over the past two years, under the Great Ming court's appeasement, they have been granted amnesty.

They transformed overnight into the main force of the Great Ming Fujian Navy.

That's right!

The reason the Zheng family could be granted amnesty is that their maritime strength was formidable; not only did they possess numerous warships, but they also had several thousand men under their command.

One could say that in Taiwan, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, and Chaozhou, they were infamous as great pirates.

It's just that they were not so cruel to the people of Great Ming.

Before Su Qiao arrived at Quanzhou Prefecture, he had already anticipated that he would likely meet members of the Zheng family, though he did not expect it to happen in such a manner.

While Ma Kui and the other Embroidered Uniform Guards were on guard against Zheng Zhilong's men, they also discovered Su Qiao, who was not far away.

Zheng Zhilong and his crew, being former pirates, carried the fierce aura of murderous bandits.

Su Qiao, having long held high office, carried the noble demeanor of a government official.

Meanwhile, Ma Kui and the others, dressed in plain clothes, displayed a capable and sharp appearance.

Zheng Zhilong and the others easily judged the identities of Su Qiao and his party.

Su Qiao is an official.

The people beside him are guards!

Su Qiao is a high-ranking official!

Zheng Zhilong had seen officials of Quanzhou Prefecture, big and small, but there was one official who had arrived recently whom he had not seen.

With a slight stirring in his heart, Zheng Zhilong brought his two younger brothers, Zheng Zhihu and Zheng Zhibao, to stand before Su Qiao.

Wearing a kind smile on his face, he clasped his hands and asked, "May I ask if you are the Imperial Envoy sent by the court, my lord Su?"

Hearing this, a smile blossomed on Su Qiao's face as well. "I did not expect to be recognized even while dressed like this. Who might you be..."

He pretended to be unfamiliar.

In truth, his heart had already more or less confirmed Zheng Zhilong's identity.

As expected!

Seeing that Su Qiao had acknowledged his status as the Imperial Envoy, Zheng Zhilong's face immediately became somewhat more serious and respectful.

"This humble official is Zheng Zhilong, honored to serve as the Mobile Corps Commander of the Five Tigers General!"

The Mobile Corps Commander is actually a miscellaneous general title, a nominal rank of Fifth Rank, Junior Grade, lower even than the rank of Vice General.

It is completely unworthy of Zheng Zhilong, who commands over seven hundred warships at sea.

Su Qiao could not help but internally criticize the person who proposed granting Zheng Zhilong such an office; truly, they had no brain.

It was only because the Zheng family of Zheng Zhilong held no rebellious intent; rather, their patriotic sentiments were somewhat heavier.