Chapter 819

The Prince of Chu’s fingers trembled slightly as he held the intelligence report sent back from Qingzhou Province by his spy.

The Great Yu Empire army’s occupation of Guandong was cause for celebration in Qingzhou Province, but for him, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

In the early stages of the Northern Expedition, he had maintained a detached attitude, hoping that Xiao Ming and the barbarians would fight to mutual destruction. This would give him more time to recuperate.

But after Pingzhou fell, he was extremely disappointed. Clearly, he had severely underestimated Xiao Ming’s strength. At this point, he had considered seizing the opportunity to attack Qingzhou Province from the north.

However, Xiao Ming was clearly prepared for him. Fifteen Great Yu Empire warships were docked at Jinling Province harbor, and Jinling City was also heavily guarded.

Although his army had improved somewhat under French training, it was far from enough for him. After the northern expedition began, he had once dispatched suicide squads disguised as Japanese pirates to attack Great Yu Empire soldiers in Tongzhou.

What angered him was that three hundred suicide squads armed with firearms were actually defeated by fifty musketeers guarding the Tongzhou pier.

According to the returning suicide squads, the Great Yu Empire soldiers’ firearms had a longer range and greater power than theirs. More importantly, Xiao Ming’s soldiers had extremely strict discipline, and their formation remained completely undisturbed when attacked by them.

“The Golden Tent Khanate is finished. Who will be next?” The Prince of Chu’s eyes held a hint of despair. He knew that he was absolutely no match for Xiao Ming now.

Moreover, it was rumored that two bizarre weapons had appeared during the conflict with the barbarians.

Cao Kun accompanied the Prince of Chu. Unlike his previously humble status, the Cao family now held a significant position in the State of Chu.

To resist Xiao Ming, the Prince of Chu launched extensive reforms in the State of Chu. On one hand, he emulated Xiao Ming, and on the other, he followed the French’s advice and prepared to emulate Europe.

Regardless, their Cao family now profited handsomely. And compared to Xiao Ming, who strictly prohibited merchants from participating in politics, the Prince of Chu was now more tolerant towards merchants.

Many major merchants involved in maritime trade had now joined the Prince of Chu’s advisory staff.

“Your Highness need not worry too much. Although Xiao Ming defeated the barbarians, he himself suffered some losses. Many people died just in the Battle of Pingzhou. Now that he is returning to the capital, he will surely need to recuperate,” Cao Kun said thoughtfully.

“So what? Even after recuperating, he’ll still attack. The intention to reduce feudal lords’ power surfaced a while ago. Although he rejected the memorial, in my opinion, it’s just a delaying tactic,” the Prince of Chu sighed.

Cao Kun used to despise the Prince of Chu because the Prince of Chu tried to destroy the Cao family and seize its wealth. But now it was different. Compared to Xiao Ming, he preferred the Prince of Chu, because here he saw the Cao family’s future.

If the State of Chu continued to develop, he firmly believed that the Cao family would possess extremely high power in the State of Chu. Once they controlled power, the Cao family could use that power to earn even more money.

Like him, many merchants harboring similar hopes had come to the Prince of Chu. They were all deeply influenced by Western merchants.

“Your Highness, I, your humble servant, do have a plan,” Cao Kun suddenly said.

The Prince of Chu was startled, showing an eager expression. “Quick, tell me.”

“At this perilous juncture, for Your Highness’s sake, I, your humble servant Cao, can only risk taking action. Does Your Highness remember the Cao Family Bank in Qingzhou Province?” Cao Kun narrowed his eyes.

“Of course I remember.” The Prince of Chu snorted lightly. The Cao family was certainly hedging its bets; the Cao Family Bank was precisely a gift of submission to Xiao Ming.

Cao Kun looked embarrassed. “Actually, it’s not just Qingzhou Province. The Cao Family Bank has now spread throughout various northern prefectures. And because of the Cao family’s reputation, many merchants have deposited their silver into my bank. Now, with just one order from me, the Cao Family Bank can immediately abscond with the silver to the State of Chu. Without silver, merchants, common people, and powerful families in various prefectures will surely fall into chaos. That would be enough to keep Xiao Ming busy.”

The Prince of Chu looked excited. “Excellent, excellent! But if that happens, won’t the Cao family become a thorn in Xiao Ming’s side? And your Cao family’s business?”

“Your Highness need not worry. Before that, I will have Zhengyang liquidate the Cao family’s businesses. Then we will say that the Cao family suffered huge losses overseas, and our expenses exceeded our income. Now the Cao family is too poor to redeem silver. Perhaps then, Xiao Ming will not only not punish the Cao family, but will also try to save the Cao family. Otherwise, this will be a huge blow to the Great Yu Empire’s industry and commerce.” Cao Kun looked confident.

After a pause, Cao Kun continued, “Of course, this is just one aspect. Although the barbarians have just suffered a defeat, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Your Highness might as well dispatch merchants to the Golden Tent Khanate and Japan. These two countries are now eyeing Xiao Ming covetously. As long as they can hold Xiao Ming back, we can continue to expand our army.”

The Prince of Chu nodded continuously. It must be said that this Cao Kun had learned a lot from Western merchants. At least, he had never thought of this before.

He said, “If this plan succeeds, I will make Cao Zhengtong my Chief Clerk. How about it?”

Cao Kun was overjoyed. He bowed and said, “Thank you, Your Highness. I will send someone to Qingzhou Province when I return.”

The Prince of Chu nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

Having settled this matter, Cao Kun left the Prince of Chu’s residence.

Watching Cao Kun depart, the Prince of Chu sighed deeply. If it weren’t for survival, why would he cooperate with the French, and with these crude merchants…

At the same time, Cao Kun did not return to the Cao Mansion but took a carriage to Lin’an pier.

He had the carriage stop in front of a restaurant at the pier. After looking left and right, he entered the restaurant.

This restaurant was somewhat well-known in Lin’an because Western merchants often frequented it. Upon entering the restaurant, Cao Kun went directly to the third floor. He knocked on the innermost room door. The door opened, revealing a Western face.

“Mr. Manster.” Cao Kun was very respectful to the fair-haired, blue-eyed Westerner.

The middle-aged man, referred to as Manster, nodded, a slight smile on his face. He said, “Mr. Cao Kun, welcome.”

Entering the room, Cao Kun said seriously, “Mr. Manster, having come this time, what orders have you brought?”

Manster also put away his smile at this point. He picked up a teacup and poured a cup of tea for Cao Kun, saying calmly, “The society is now very uneasy and confused about the development of the Great Yu Empire’s technology. This time, I was sent here to ascertain the source of these technologies.”

Hearing this, Cao Kun said, “So that’s it. But you needn’t worry, sir. Both the Prince of Chu and our Cao family have sent people to infiltrate Bowen Academy, and we are also trying to bribe students who come out of Bowen Academy. As long as the benefits are sufficient, I believe this won’t be difficult.”

Manster said, “Indeed. Ever since the Dutch bought back steam engines from Qingzhou Province, their Parliament is even willing to exchange an earldom for a student from the Great Yu Empire.”