Chapter 493

After the banquet began, everyone started toasting Su Qiao individually.

The speeches basically repeated thanks on behalf of the common people and expressed joy at Su Qiao's return to Quanzhou.

It made Su Qiao feel as though they had been drinking fake wine.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, the toasting finally slowed to a stop.

Zhou Xun also began tentatively asking Su Qiao about the purpose of his visit to Quanzhou this time.

"My Lord Su, previously this humble official heard that Your Majesty intends to take action against the Dutch on the imperial court; is that true?"

"What, does Lord Zhou have some thoughts on this?" Su Qiao's mind was very clear.

Hearing this, Zhou Xun was startled and quickly waved his hands, saying, "My Lord Su is joking; this humble official is merely curious, and besides, this news seems impossible to keep hidden."

"Hmm, Lord Zhou speaks truth; after so much time, the news must have spread long ago. Indeed, the Dutch are restless and have targeted our Great Ming merchant ships multiple times in Fujian and other places. Your Majesty is furious and will not allow these barbarians who dare to brush the tiger's whiskers to continue their insolence!"

Su Qiao confirmed everyone's speculation and stated the main mission of this visit.

Hearing Su Qiao's words, everyone present couldn't help but let their eyes gleam.

They coveted merit!

Under what circumstances does one get promoted fastest?

Naturally, during wartime!

If following the Great Ming's normal promotion system, it basically takes several years to rise half a rank or one full rank.

What about now?

The Great Ming is about to engage the Dutch in battle!

As long as there is a great victory, there will certainly be merit; at that time, wouldn't promotion be easy?

Perhaps some might say, who can guarantee absolute victory in war?

Previously, if someone said the Great Ming fighting the Dutch would not easily achieve victory, that was understandable.

Now, everyone in Quanzhou Prefecture knows about the navy's newly replaced naval warships and the advanced cannons mounted on them.

They are far superior to the Dutch!

Not to mention how many Great Ming soldiers there are.

If victory cannot be achieved under such circumstances, one might as well be a pig that crashes itself to death on a block of tofu!

All officials in Fujian believe that if the Great Ming fights the Dutch now, victory is certain!

153

Since victory is certain, wouldn't scrambling for merit be extremely active?

Now that Su Qiao has confirmed a battle with the Dutch, the officials of Quanzhou Prefecture are each secretly calculating in their hearts.

They want to harvest their own political fruits from this victory.

They all want to get close to Su Qiao and see if they can get involved.

At first, Su Qiao did not understand everyone's enthusiasm.

However, a short while later, he understood these people's hidden motives.

Eating alone is certainly not feasible.

War cannot rely solely on soldiers and generals; logistics and other matters are also very important.

Su Qiao cannot handle everything alone; naturally, he also needs the help of Quanzhou Prefecture's officials.

As for who will gain more, that must be decided by Su Qiao.

Therefore, regarding these people's enthusiastic friendliness, Su Qiao accepted everyone without refusal!

Even though Su Qiao was prepared, he still felt dizzy and disoriented when he returned.

Fortunately, his constitution was young; after drinking the hangover cure prepared by Liu Rushi and resting for one night, he was lively and energetic again the next day.

Not long after Su Qiao and Liu Rushi finished breakfast.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard came to report.

The Zheng family, who had not shown their faces all day yesterday, came to pay a visit.

Zheng Zhilong brought his three younger brothers, plus his son Zheng Sen, and arrived at the door carrying gifts.

447, all kinds of traps!

To be honest, Su Qiao was quite interested in Zheng Sen.

Although he had known Zheng Zhilong before, he had never met Zheng Sen.

It was said that Zheng Sen was studying and serving as a translator on shipping routes between Japan and the Great Ming.

He had not been at home all along.

Now it seems he has returned.

Although he was somewhat curious about him, it was only somewhat.

Su Qiao has seen many living Emperors; why would he care about one Zheng Sen?

So, in the main hall, when Su Qiao smiled and guided Zheng Zhilong and the others to sit down.

Su Qiao's gaze merely circled Zheng Sen's face once before withdrawing.

"General Zheng was not seen all day yesterday; this humble one thought he had offended General Zheng, but I did not expect General Zheng to arrive this morning."

Su Qiao spoke with a smile.

Zheng Zhilong quickly stood up and bowed his hands to apologize to Su Qiao, "My Lord Su, this general was wrong. When My Lord Su returned yesterday, the dock was simply too crowded; even if we wanted to push to the front, we couldn't squeeze in. Furthermore, as you know, those pedantic scholars look down on this general, so I did not push forward. I came specifically this morning to apologize."

This reason looked quite sufficient, so Su Qiao believed three-tenths of it; the remaining seven-tenths, Su Qiao did not believe at all!

What crowd was too big to push through?

Pure nonsense!

The Great Ming is about to go to war with the Dutch.

As long as the officials of Quanzhou Prefecture are not fools, they will understand that the Great Ming Fujian Naval Fleet and the Quanzhou Naval Fleet under Zheng Zhilong are the main forces.

During wartime, the status of capable military generals will instantly rise.

Once the war is over.

Only then will the status of those military generals be demoted again.

Even in the past, those civil officials would have squeezed out Zheng Sen, the former pirate chief.

Now they will not continue to squeeze him out.

So Zheng Zhilong's excuse is completely invalid.

Furthermore, what is this nonsense about too many people and not being able to squeeze in?

That is even more absurd!

Yesterday, most of those at the dock were civil officials, while Zheng Zhilong and the others are military generals!

Military generals cannot squeeze past civil officials?

Burning newspapers at a grave—trying to fool ghosts?

As for what came after, about not being willing to push forward, Su Qiao actually believed that part a little.

However, everyone sees through it but does not say it; to say it out loud makes one a fool.

Su Qiao naturally had no interest in exposing him, so he just pretended to believe it.

"No need for this, General Zheng, we need not be so formal. Last time I arrived, General Zheng was very straightforward; how come you are so hesitant this time? Stay for lunch today noon; it has been a long time since I saw General Zheng. Let us not part until we are drunk."

Seeing that Zheng Zhilong was about to open his mouth to refuse, Su Qiao continued, "Just so, I also have matters to ask General Zheng. General Zheng will not refuse, will he?"

"Uh..."

The corners of Zheng Zhilong's mouth twitched twice, and the words in his throat were all choked back.

I damn well wanted to refuse!

But you have blocked my mouth; how can I still say words of refusal?

Furthermore!

Why was I straightforward last time? It was only because I saw you were young and thought you were easy to fool.

Just wanted to build some connections.

Who knew you were playing the pig to eat the tiger, and were not at all as simple as you appeared on the surface? In a short time, officials of Quanzhou Prefecture, big and small, were all made completely submissive.

When treating the Quanzhou plague, which official in Quanzhou Prefecture, from top to bottom, was not scolded?

With this situation, who dares to be straightforward with you?!

Zheng Zhilong shook his head helplessly and dryly, saying, "Everything will follow Lord Su's orders!"