Thinking of this, Tian Chunlai sighed again. Since Zheng lost his troops and generals in the Battle of Huoqiu, the balance of the entire Shouzhou has been broken.

In the eyes of the Umeda family, Zheng, who had lost his military support, became a big fat piece of meat that could be taken by Ren Yu.

Umeda and the two have long been salivating about the iron smelting industry in which Zheng's monopoly on Shouzhou, but the grain merchants don't care much about the business.

After all, although Huoqiu is a major grain-producing county, it is much worse than Anfeng and Shouchun, which are more profitable from Shaobi irrigation.

Umeda's two families also own a lot of land, so they don't care much about Zheng's dominance in the grain business, but the iron smelting industry is different.

The iron smelting industry is not only profitable, but also related to strategy.

The weapons of the three Shouzhou companies are basically provided by Zheng's iron smelting forging shops, and agricultural tools are also monopolized by Zheng's iron smelting forging shops, and they are even sold to Huaibei and Huainan, which has long attracted the covetment of Umeda's two families.

Now that we have finally had this opportunity, the Umeda family has already discussed it and wanted to divide the Zheng family's iron smelting forging business.

If Zheng knew the truth, he would leave Shouchun and go back to Huoqiu, and they could also let Zheng have a way out of life, but if Zheng was no longer aware of the current affairs, it would be impossible to confiscate the family and exterminate the clan.

Before Tian Chunlai went to Jiangning, the Umeda family had already conducted multiple rounds of discussions on dividing Zheng's smelting and forging and grain business, and basically reached an agreement.

The Mei family will fully take over Zheng's grain business, and then account for 30% of the future smelting and forging business, while the Tian family will take over the Zheng family's smelting and forging business.

In this way, the Mei family will replace Zheng family and become the largest grain merchant in Shouzhou. In addition, it owns more than 50% of the transportation business, and its voice in grain prices will be greatly enhanced. The Tian family can obtain rich profits in smelting and forging, becoming the richest businessman in Shouchun City, including tea, wine, cloth and iron.

Although Tian Chunlai also understood that this was the case. Since your Zheng family has lost its foundation, it is natural to remove the ranking from the three major clans of Shouzhou. No one will sympathize with you. This is reality.

But Tian Chunlai realized that when the situation around Shouzhou was facing drastic changes, it was actually an unwise move to rashly break the balance and even cause internal turmoil. Will the Zheng family watch the Umeda family share their family business?

With Zheng Hong's viciousness, would he be so reluctant to die?

A fight is inevitable. Even the Zheng family will definitely fight with beasts. What will this bring to Shouzhou?

Although the Umeda family reached a division agreement, once the Zheng family disappeared, the conflict between the two sides would rise rapidly. It is hard to say that dividing the Zheng family is a disaster or a blessing. Especially now that the Shi family in Huaibei has declined very much and Huainan is facing unstable situations, places like Shouzhou are more likely to attract the covetousness of external forces.

Tian Chunlai was particularly afraid of Caizhou.

In his opinion, although Caizhou suffered losses in the war last year and suffered vitality, the aggressive momentum shown by Caizhou was shocking.

He dared to compete with the overlord of the Central Plains Daliang, and each had his own victory or defeat. Even if he was supported by Huaibei, Dajin and Taining, his courage and momentum to face Daliang head-on are not possessed by other vassals, and his subordinates also produced many talents, and all the surnames were united. Even old vassals such as Huaibei and Taining were much inferior.

He even felt that if Huaibei continued to be dragged down by an ant thief, Caizhou might be backfired in Huaibei in the future. If Huaibei is the backer of the Mei family, Tian Chunlai felt that once the Yuan family swallowed Huaibei, Shouzhou would be the food of Yuan's mouth.

"Brother, you didn't invite the Zheng family today?"

"I sent a post to the Zheng family, but it was probably because Zheng Ju was in poor health and could not come." Tian Chunrong shook his head indifferently, and his eyes still fell on Luzhu who was playing the guzheng.

Zheng Ju, the leader of the Zheng clan, has been in poor health in recent years and has no more than appearing. More matters are still the responsibility of Zheng's second son, Zheng Hong, the third son, and the fifth son, Zheng Hui. The second son, Zheng Hong, is the leading role.

"What about Zheng Hong?"

"Zheng Hong has only been back for two days. I heard that he was overworked and was sick when he came back. He has been at home and has not gone out. Maybe he was injured by Huoqiu's white slightest?" Tian Chunrong's smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "Huoqiu is not one hundred now, and the Zheng family probably feels a little desperate. I heard that they plan to borrow some money from us and recruit refugees to Huoqiu to restore farming."

"Just come back? Zheng Hong went to Huoqiu?" Tian Chunlai was a little uneasy and asked in a deep voice: "When did you go, how long did you go? Who went? Have you only been to Huoqiu?"

"When you first went out to Jiangning, Zheng Hong went out. He went out with Zheng Hui, the fifth brother of the Zheng family. It's almost ten or twenty days. It seems that he only went to Huoqiu, so where else could he go?" Tian Chunrong didn't understand why his cousin was so nervous.

"Ten to twenty days?" Tian Chunlai almost stood up, and a bad premonition surged in his heart.

From Shouchun to Huoqiu, you can arrive in just two or three days, at best, only three or five days, and seven or eight days are enough. Zheng Hong cannot inspect it in the countryside. It is nothing more than going to the county town to see how to restore the Zheng family's industry. How could it be for ten or twenty days?

Have they gone anywhere else during these twenty days?

Tian Chunlai's mind changed rapidly. Huoqiu was located at the eastmost point of Shouzhou, close to Xuzhou, and not far from Caizhou, and down to Huangzhou. Could it be that Zheng Hong went to one of these three places?

Seeing Tian Chunlai's face suddenly change, Tian Chunrong was also a little surprised. It was already this time, why did Chunlai still care about the Zheng family so much?

The army under the Zheng family was almost wiped out, and only two or three hundred people fled back to Shouchun, plus the soldiers of their family, there were only three or five hundred. Facing the Shouzhou army with more than 10,000, it was almost negligible. What other storms can the Zheng family cause?

"Brother Chunlai, what's wrong?" Mei Xun, who was still immersed in the wonderful guzheng sound of the green bead, noticed Tian Chunlai opposite him, and asked in surprise.

"Nothing." Tian Chunlai tried hard to restrain his emotions and shook his head.

Mei Xun didn't care. The situation was very good at the moment. In addition to the threats of the ant thieves in Huaibei, the Mei family made the most profit after the Zheng family fell, and the well-deserved first surname in Shouzhou. "But I think Miss Luzhu's guzheng skills are not inferior to Jiangdu?"

"Well, it's true, it's true." Tian Chunlai said perfunctorily, but his thoughts had already been put on Zheng Hong's Huoqiu and his party.

Where can I go on the 20th? Caizhou? Or Xuzhou? Or Ehuang?

Tian Chunlai never thought that Zheng would wait for death like this. According to his idea, if he was the leader of the Zheng clan, he would voluntarily withdraw from Shouchun to Huoqiu. Now the ant thief goes south by passing through the river, and the remaining small bandits are not afraid of the Zheng family's existing strength.

After taking a step back, he simply took the initiative to surrender to the dynasty. Although Jiang Feng of the dynasty was a little weaker, he could have defeated the ants thieves and the powerful people in Caizhou. If there are local wealthy families like Zheng who come to compete, they must be willing to win.

Thinking of this, Tian Chunlai felt a little nervous. Could it be that this trip to Zheng Hongxi go to Xizhou?

Not likely!

Tian Chunlai denied this possibility in his heart.

Xuzhou was first established, and it is said that it is still competing for the ownership of Guangzhou. The court wanted to intervene in Guangzhou. Liu Xuan of Nanyang and Yuan of Caizhou were still obsessed with Guangzhou. Jiang Feng was afraid that he would still focus on how to protect Guangzhou. How could he have spared his efforts to interfere in Shouzhou?

Could it be that I went to Caizhou?

It is unlikely. Tian Chunlai continued to deny that although the Yuan family in Caizhou was ambitious, the battle with Daliang and Nanyang greatly damaged his vitality. If it was given a year or two to recover, it would be very likely, but Caizhou still had to lick his wounds now.

As for the possibility of Ehuang, Tian Chunlai did not think that the Du family still had the intention to extend their hands to Shouzhou.

Logically speaking, these companies are unlikely, but Tian Chunlai still couldn't let go.

"Brother, is there anything else in the city during my stay?" Tian Chunlai asked in a deep voice.

"Nothing strange." Tian Chunrong's eyes had already returned to Luzhu's slender hands, and the strings of the guzheng danced under his fingertips.

"The egrets fly in front of Xisai Mountain, the peach blossoms flow in the water, the mandarin fish are fat. The green bamboo hat, the green straw raincoat, the slanting wind and drizzle are not required to return." Several drooping children sang in unison behind the green beads, and it really felt like they were in the mountains and rivers.

"Okay! OK! OK!"

"It's really great!"

"On Huainan Road, Miss Luzhu is among the top three!"

"Nothing strange?" Seeing that his cousin was intoxicated, Tian Chunlai felt annoyed for no reason. If it were normal, he would also like the sound of the guzheng of the green beads, but it was not the time at this time. "Brother, is there any strange thing in the Zheng clan?"

"Well, Chunlai, I said that there is nothing unusual, it's no different from before you left." Tian Chunrong also replied impatiently.

There is nothing unusual? There is nothing different? Tian Chunlai almost couldn't help but extinguish the anger and lifted the table. There is nothing unusual. There is nothing unusual. It is just an abnormal behavior!

How could the Zheng family not know that the Umeda family and the two families were planning to seize their clan and have a business?

I know, but I am still indifferent and express nothing. Is it possible? What does this mean?

Tian Chunlai felt a sense of dryness surged from his heart, which was particularly unsatisfactory. Zheng had a conspiracy, but definitely had a conspiracy!

What is the intention? But what can Zheng do with just a few hundred troops?

"Brother, have the scout sent out?"

Tian Chunrong was really annoyed. He kindly welcomed you, why did he have so many troubles?
Chapter completed!