Chapter 156: Blocking Position

The "Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism" trio had a clear division of labor. Lu Cheng, the Hangzhou Station Chief, was responsible for remotely controlling the Beggar Sect, managing Moyun Temple, maintaining the refugee collection channels, and establishing an underground intelligence network — his tasks were the most burdensome.

Xiong Dao the merchant was the only one of the three whose role stood in the sunlight. At the moment he still seemed unremarkable, just an out-of-town Sea Merchant buying grain and rice, but soon his identity would become known to more people.

As for Master Huang... let's not mention him. He was just a laoye, and all along, his main job had been to be a good laoye.

The file sent over by the Great Office was very long, containing analysis and suggestions, requirements, and some appendices on historical background.

By the time Huang Zhicheng had carefully finished reading the file, Xiong Dao and Lu Cheng beside him had already downed two cups of tea. After this, Master Huang thought for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide: "Damn, so this means I might have to make a trip to Fujian?"

"What, can't bear to leave the girls at home?" Monk Lu said with a grin, rubbing his bald head as he teased: "No worries, just buy new ones locally once you're there. I've been to Fuzhou — the girls all have nice skin."

"I think this damn station is doomed!" Before Huang Zhicheng could explain anything, Xiong Dao beside him was already laughing and cursing: "There's not even the first stroke of the character eight yet, and you're already eyeing the girls of Fuzhou! None of you are thinking about how to complete the mission, just filling your heads with this nonsense!"

"Alright, alright, then let's analyze the mission. Who goes first?" After the three laughed and clinked their tea cups, Lu Cheng spoke up.

The Great Office's file was aimed at Xiong Wencan.

Xiong Wencan, a native of Sichuan, a Presented Scholar of the Wanli Era.

Historically, Xiong Wencan would begin his tour of inspection as Grand Coordinator of Fujian this month. Next, he would offer Summon Pacification to Zheng Zhilong, support Zheng Zhilong, provide vast official resources to Zheng Zhilong, and become the solid backing for Zheng Zhilong to sweep away the other pirates of Fujian and Guangdong. It is no exaggeration to say that the Zheng Clan's future dominance over the southeastern seas was entirely thanks to Xiong Wencan.

And for the Crossing Faction, which had already begun gradually expanding outward, the most important external matter in 1628 was to deal with the Road Blocking Tiger lying across their path — the ultimate victor of history: Zheng Zhilong.

To deal with Zheng Zhilong, they first had to deal with Xiong Wencan. It was now 1628, and Zheng Zhilong was still far from being the later King of Pirates with overwhelming power. At present, he was merely one group among the many great Pirate Gangs of Fujian and Guangdong, temporarily relying on his tactics to ally with factions rife with internal conflict like Zhong Bin and Li Kuiqi — plundering the Fujian Coast on one side, while striking various poses seeking Summon Pacification on the other.

Therefore, once Xiong Wencan's support was removed, the Zheng Zhilong Gang would have its ultimate move of infinite revival sealed off. For simply exterminating this wretch, the Transmigrators had plenty of methods.

Ultimately, after Discussion within the Great Office, the plan proposed to target the sweet duo of Xiong Wencan and Zheng Zhilong was named "Blocking Position" — blocking position the way a green tea bitch blocks position on her bestie.

The three Blocking Position men sitting in Xigaotang tasting tea today were the plan's preliminary executors.

First was Huang Zhicheng. According to historical records, Xiong Wencan would soon be Passing By Hangzhou on his way to assume office in Fuzhou. The Great Office's suggestion was: Huang Zhicheng should be the first to make contact with Xiong Wencan.

In this process, Huang the Provincial Graduate needed to play the solo-transmigrator Routine: whether it was the "Longzhong Plan" or the "Pacification Frontier Strategy," in short, it would be best to shock Master Xiong, striving to establish in Xiong Wencan's eyes the persona of a "Fujian-Guangdong Maritime Affairs expert."

After This, Huang Zhicheng could then naturally enter Xiong Wencan's staff, becoming an important chess piece influencing Master Xiong's Summon Pacification decisions. The entire plan's duration was estimated within one year. After dealing with Zheng Zhilong, Master Huang could, depending on the situation, retire after achieving his goal and return to Hangzhou to lie low once more.

Next was Xiong Dao.

The Great Office explicitly required that Xiong Dao, in the role of spokesperson for the Crossing Faction, make contact with Xiong Wencan after Huang Zhicheng — at the very least, he had to let Master Xiong know that across the sea there was a group of Smurfs... friendly people, willing to lend a hand to help Governor Xiong exterminate Zheng Zhilong and sweep away the great bandit gangs of the Fujian-Guangdong Coast.

Xiong Dao could not stay hidden. In this era, it was already common practice for large bands of Pirates to set up semi-open "Communication" offices in cities, selling Flags of Command, selling stolen goods, and arranging Supply. Later, as novel industrial goods from Dayuan were continuously produced, Xiong the Merchant, stationed at Tangzhuang, would no longer be able to hide. Rather than that, it was better to make his identity Open, directly contact Xiong Wencan, and make his stance clear.

The progress of the above two steps of the Blocking Position plan was to be reported to Dayuan at any time. The Great Office would adjust deployment based on the information fed back from Hangzhou and coordinate in a timely manner.

"In One Sentence, we can replace him." After the three had carefully discussed the plan in detail, Huang Zhicheng finally summarized.

Xiong Dao shook his head with a sly grin: "Heh heh, why do I feel that this way, the hats on certain people's heads are going to get a few more piled on?"

"Not 'going to get,' they've already been piled on." The well-informed Great Master Lu then extended his chubby fingers, his face full of amusement as he began counting on them: "Three-Surname Slave Lü Xianze, Xia the Cloth, Xia Hongzhang, hmm, the Transmigration Nation's first Traitor to the Nation, quite a few, there are many more."

"Haha, the nation hasn't even been founded yet and it's already been sold... these days you can even pre-order treason?" Huang Zhicheng, hearing this, could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

Even the Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism trio, far away in Hangzhou, could feel the faint pressure emanating from Dayuan upon seeing this Blocking Position plan. It was clear just how much storm that group in the Great Office, especially Xia Xianze himself, had weathered to push this plan through.

Once the "Blocking Position" plan began operation, the Crossing Faction would certainly have to put on a posture of accepting "Summon Pacification" in the open. Even if they only split off One Part of their strength to become a so-called "Five Tigers Guerilla General," it was still Summon Pacification... representing a bowing of the head.

The benefits of doing this were visible to anyone: historically, just this year, Zheng Zhilong, with Xiong Wencan's support, moved tens of thousands of famine refugees created by the great drought across to Taiwan in one wave. Meanwhile, the Transmigrators, busy up to now, working secretly and half-dead with exhaustion, had only transported a few thousand people to Dayuan.

This was the enormous effectiveness of utilizing official administrative power — a lone operator could never compare.

As for the rolling benefits that followed, they were too numerous to count — monopolizing the Raw Silk trade of Japan, Fujian, and Zhejiang were all trivial matters. Historically, Zheng Zhilong did not go to Guangdong and Zhejiang to gather refugees. Historically, Zheng Zhilong did not go north to resist the foreign tribes, nor did he garrison heavy troops in Jingji under the banner of "King's Rescue"...

All the things Zheng Zhilong never did, the transmigration version of the "Five Tigers Guerilla General" could do. There was too much room for maneuver here, so much that the benefits would not be exhausted even by the time the Great Ming Dynasty was completely overturned by the Crossing Faction that had burrowed into its belly.

So, enormous dividends lay right before them. Before that, all a certain faction needed to do was bend the knee just a little...

To bend the knee or not? A matter of great right and wrong, east wind versus west wind, political line.

No matter who was sent to be the Five Tigers Guerilla, the golden body of the Crossing Faction would be broken. The New Empire's founding Routine could only then align with figures like Brother Li the Usurper and Chancellor Cao. To put it in lowbrow terms, it would be like Zhao of the Yellow Robe. In short, the hat of a subject Usurping the Throne would be firmly placed on their heads. The phrase "Founding of the Nation with Utmost Righteousness" would from then on drift further and further away from the Crossing Faction...

The Hangzhou Station trio could now imagine with their feet how the Imperial Han were seizing this opportunity to condemn the current ruling lords.

"A righteous and honorable Industrial Empire actually going to accept Summon Pacification from Natives — this is pushing Chairman Cao into injustice! Shameless! Exile all the national traitors to Madou Society for hard labor!" This was the roar of the Imperial Han.

"Development is the absolute principle. If we want to dominate the globe in our lifetime, we can't waste time on has-beens. Whether the founding is righteous or not, a cat that saves time is a good cat!" This was the rebuttal from the current ruling lords.

Of course, since the three seated here today could see this "Blocking Position" plan, it meant the Great Office had already pacified the Imperial Han, and moreover, Cao Chuan had No Opposition — this was necessary, because in this plan, the one who suffered the greatest loss was actually Chairman Cao himself. The blame pot of "Founding of the Nation without Righteousness, Usurpation of the Throne" — naturally, whoever becomes Emperor carries it.

By the time Huang the Filial and Incorrupt and his retinue of arrogant household servants emerged from Xigaotang, it was already past noon. Today, the laoye's tea tasting had gone on a bit long.

After Master Huang left, Master Xiong also went out the door with the several attendants who had been drinking tea downstairs, one after the other.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the inconspicuous Great Master Lu finally strolled out alone. As the Great Master advanced, idler-looking men along the roadside continuously rose to accompany him, subtly protecting the Great Master in their midst.

After Master Huang returned to his residence, he did not take his meal right away but first summoned Steward Wu over.

"From today onward, send a few clever ones to wait at the Official Courier Station, on duty day and night in shifts. If there is any word of Xiong Wencan, Xiong the Grand Coordinator, coming from Beijing, report it to me immediately."

"Yes, I will arrange it at once."

... Xiong Wencan would certainly have left the capital after his Imperial Audience Departure, then traveled by Official Boat all the way south along the Jing-Hang Grand Canal. After reaching Hangzhou, the Canal's terminal station, Master Xiong would disembark and Rest and Reorganize at the Official Courier Station for a few days, then proceed by land, entering Fujian through Xianxia Pass. This was the standard route for Ming officials assuming office in Fujian.

Because Hangzhou was the Canal Transport Hub, officials from several southern provinces, from governors down to county magistrates, whether assuming or leaving office, generally always had to pass through this place.

This resulted in the Official Courier Station outside Desheng Bridge being vast in scale and bustling with activity. Moreover, there was more than one Courier Station — there was another outside Qingchun Gate. Huang Zhicheng now needed to dispatch at least four Household Retainers to keep watch on the two Courier Stations in shifts.

As a Grand Coordinator of a province, there would inevitably be Yamen Runners sent ahead for Xiong Wencan, carrying Brand Tokens to book rooms at the Official Courier Station. This was the information Huang Zhicheng needed to scout for.

After arranging this pressing matter, Master Huang could finally sit down and have his meal.

After the meal, the laoye took a nap. Rising at the hour of Wei, after rinsing his mouth and washing up, and changing into a Husi Thin Robe, Master Huang then proceeded to the Flower Hall — the three matchmakers, Yan, Ma, and Jin, had long been waiting in the Flower Hall, Sitting In wait for far more than One Hour.

Master Huang was going to pick a wife for himself...