latelenovela Chapter 290 Attacking the Heart
Chapter 290 Attacking the Heart
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Normally, if a mere accountant dared to be so rude to him, Zheng Hongkui would have kicked him out long ago and told him to pack his bags and leave. If he was in a bad mood, he would first have someone beat him until he couldn't take care of himself before kicking him out.
However, after being demoted and sent back to the old mansion, Zheng Hongkui's mentality underwent a significant change. Gone was his former arrogance; he became cautious in everything he did. Instead of immediately becoming angry, he carefully observed the accountant, seemingly trying to discern his true nature. Besides, something unusual was bound to happen; an accountant with no status daring to break into the study at night must be suspicious.
He looked at Wang Qinian, and Wang Qinian looked back at him without fear, his face showing no panic, tension, or fear, as calm as still water.
After a long silence, Zheng Hongkui sat back down in his chair and said in a low voice, "I've long noticed that you're different from the other accountants, but I never imagined you were a spy. Tell me, who sent you? What are your intentions in infiltrating the Zheng family? And can you offer me some guidance?"
Wang Qinian replied expressionlessly, "The Qiongzhou garrison is pressing in, and will soon launch a major attack by land and water. Zhongzuo Fortress and Anping Town will not escape this calamity. If Fourth Master wants to find a way out, abandoning the darkness and joining the light is the only way..."
Zheng Hongkui laughed as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing in the world: "Let's not even talk about whether the Qiongzhou Camp has the guts. Even if they dare to come to Fujian to provoke us, the Zheng family is at the height of its power now. Hongmao and Liu Xiang have been wiped out. Why would we be afraid of the small Qiongzhou Camp? Those dozen or so ships are not even enough to fill my brother's teeth. How dare they try to turn me against them?"
Wang Qinian sneered: "Let me remind you first, Fourth Master, the Zheng family is at the height of its power. What does that have to do with you today?"
"..." Zheng Hongkui was speechless for a moment. Although the other party's words were somewhat unreasonable, it was a fact that he had been excluded from the core circle of the Zheng family, so he could not say that the other party was wrong.
"Furthermore, Fourth Master's understanding of the Qiongzhou Camp might be flawed. Although I'm not often in the army, I know the general situation: in the Battle of Liaoluo Bay, the Qiongzhou Camp only sent its smallest ships to participate in the battle, in order not to arouse Zheng Zhilong's suspicion. Yet, even such small boats turned the tide of the naval battle and prevented the Zheng family from being defeated..."
Zheng Hongkui wanted to refute, but couldn't utter a word. He was present during this battle, and the death of his second brother, Zheng Zhihu, was the turning point of the entire war. If the Qiongzhou camp hadn't joined the battle, the demoralized Zheng family fleet would likely have been defeated.
"...And these small boats that can defeat the Red Hairs are just minor characters in the Qiongzhou Camp Navy. The real main force is the large deck ships that are similar to the Red Hairs' main warships..." Wang Qinian revealed a strange smile, "Fourth Master has also seen this ship. It is the deck ship that attacked Zhongzuosuo Port!"
With a loud bang, Zheng Hongkui slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at the other party in shock and anger: "So this is really the work of your Qiongzhou Camp, and you're even framing the Red Hairs?"
The thought that this was one of the reasons he was being neglected by his elder brother filled Zheng Hongkui with rage. He shouted towards the door, "Someone, drag this bastard out..."
"Fourth Master, please calm down. It's not too late to call for help after I've finished speaking."
Zheng Hongkui laughed in anger, glaring at him and gritting his teeth, "Fine, I'll wait until you finish speaking, then I'll chop you up and feed you to the fish to vent my anger." Knowing who his adversary was, he couldn't contain his rage. Even though he knew that the person standing in front of him wasn't the culprit, but just an insignificant pawn, he still couldn't help but vent his anger.
Wang Qinian continued unhurriedly, "Fourth Master has also witnessed the fighting power of these large deck ships, which is only superior to that of the Red Hairs. The Red Hairs had less than 10 deck ships, and the Zheng family surrounded them with ten or a hundred times the number of troops, yet they still could not win the battle. How much more so would the Qiongzhou Camp have more and better sturdy ships and cannons?"
Hearing this, Zheng Hongkui calmed down a little; what Wang Qinian said made sense. The Zheng family was struggling so much against the Hongmao, they might not be able to win against the Qiongzhou camp.
"Now the Qiongzhou naval force has gained another powerful weapon: a large ship with a capacity of 2,000 liang (approximately 1,000 tons) that can fire 50-jin (approximately 25 catties) high-explosive shells. No matter how many ships the Zheng family has, they are nothing more than suicide missions."
Zheng Hongkui was shocked. A ship weighing two thousand liang and a bomb weighing 50 jin? What kind of behemoth was this?
Wang Qinian finally revealed his purpose: "The Qiongzhou Camp's navy and land forces are already in Fujian, determined to achieve their goal in one fell swoop and wipe out the Zheng family. The die is cast, and we have no choice. My general believes that Fourth Master is an invaluable talent, and Zheng Zhilong's neglect and exclusion of Fourth Master is utterly foolish. As long as Fourth Master is willing to cooperate with the Qiongzhou Camp's actions, the general promises not only to spare Fourth Master's life but also to bestow upon you great wealth and honor."
Zheng Hongkui suppressed the urge to hack the other man to death and said in a deep voice, "No matter what wrong my elder brother has done, the Zheng family has come to where it is today step by step under his leadership. No matter how wronged I feel, I am still a member of the Zheng family. How could I be a traitor to my own family just to survive?" He himself did not realize that after listening to Wang Qinian's introduction, his confidence in the Zheng family's victory over the Qiongzhou Camp had been shaken.
Wang Qinian seemed to have been prepared for his words, and was not surprised at all. He simply stepped aside silently. At this moment, the door was pushed open, and several men dressed in flying fish robes with embroidered spring knives at their waists walked in. They greeted one of the men with a smile and bowed, saying, "Fourth Master Zheng, I am Zhou Guoxin, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I have come uninvited late at night. Please do not take offense."
Zheng Hongkui narrowed his eyes, clenching his fists tightly behind his back, his heart filled with vigilance. How did the Embroidered Uniform Guard get involved? They seem to be in cahoots with Wang Qinian. Could the Qiongzhou Camp be so powerful that they can even command the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
He said coldly, "The Zheng family and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have always kept to themselves. What brings you to my humble abode today?"
Zhou Guoxin laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare to offer any advice. I just happened to learn a few interesting stories about Master Zheng, so I came to share them with you. Sharing happiness is worse than keeping it to yourself!"
Zheng Hongkui had a bad feeling and remained silent.
Zhou Guoxin pulled out a small slip of paper, coughed a few times, and read aloud from the script: "From the first year of Chongzhen's reign to the present, Zheng's fourth son, Hongkui, entrusted by his eldest son, Zhilong, has been traveling to Japan to smuggle goods such as raw silk, cotton cloth, and ironware, obtaining countless amounts of silver. He has embezzled and enriched himself, hiding the silver in his private accounts, totaling over several hundred thousand taels..."
Zheng Hongkui was stunned, as if struck by lightning. Such a confidential matter was known to no one except himself and a few close confidants. How did the Embroidered Uniform Guard find out? Although several hundred thousand taels of silver was just a drop in the ocean for the wealthy Zheng Zhilong, if his elder brother found out about this act of embezzlement, he would definitely suffer the consequences. The money was a small matter; what his elder brother hated most was deceiving superiors and engaging in underhanded dealings.