Of course, Chen Zhilin was not alone, and there were a group of gentry and businessmen behind him. In fact, he was also responsible for the important task given to him by his friend Chen Mingxia. Last time, Zhang Fengxiang from Shandong stopped Chongzhen from going south in the canal, even if Chen Mingxia made a fuss behind the scenes. The Jinyiwei failed to catch Chen Mingxia and was run away by him. After Chen Mingxia escaped, he turned around and went to the capital, defected to Dashun, and became a traitor. Now that the Qing army has entered the pass, Chen Mingxia has defected to the Qing Dynasty and become a shameless three ministers.

Three ministers like Chen Mingxia were also able to escape, but monks could not escape. He was secretly monitored by the Jinyiwei in Liyang, Jiangnan. After Chongzhen arrived in Nanjing and sat on the dragon throne, he issued an order to confiscate the three ministers' homes. Of course, Chen Mingxia also knew this, so he hoped that his friend Chen Zhilin could eradicate Chongzhen so that his property would be safe.

"Everyone, don't look at Li Lao Er's majesty now. This treacherous slander relies on the support of the foolish monarch! If the foolish monarch dies, Li Lao Er will become a rebel! The court can legitimately dispatch the army to encircle him! As long as the foolish monarch is eradicated, Emperor Hongguang will give you all wealth and honor!" Chen Zhilin said.

"How to eliminate the foolish monarch? The foolish monarch has hundreds of Jinyiwei and Dongchang Fanzi's guards, and there are thousands of Huai troops from the treacherous minister Li Laoer on the outside. We don't even have the chance to get close to him." A salt merchant asked.

Chen Zhilin smiled and said, "Isn't the prefect Ren wants to invite a banquet to the foolish lord? You salt merchants will also go to the banquet, right? You can take the opportunity to send assassins to sneak in and eliminate the foolish lord!"

After hearing what Chen Zhilin said, the salt merchants bowed their heads one after another, and no one dared to take the blame. Although there is a high possibility of success in the prefect's office, the person who took action can escape? Even if Chongzhen is eradicated, Li Laoer and Wang Chengen will definitely kill all their nine clans. That is the family's life, who dares to gamble?

"But someone has to do this. Please consider it. If you don't make a decision as soon as possible, you may be in trouble! Sacrifice one can bring safety to everyone. If anyone is willing to do this, we can protect his family. At worst, you can go to the north to invest in the Qing Dynasty." Chen Zhilin said.

Finally, a salt merchant stood up: "I was from the northern world, and Mr. Chen is right. My family is all in the north. I hope that after my death, you can help me take care of my family."

This salt merchant is a Shanxi merchant. His family is in Shanxi. No matter whether the assassination of Chongzhen was successful or not, Li Guodong and Wang Cheng'en could not destroy his nine clans. Anyway, he was willing to sacrifice his life and he should also take it as avenge for his fellow villagers. The Shanxi merchants all knew about the eight great masters of Shanxi merchants that Fan Yongdou and others were all harmed by Li Laoer. What's more, their northerners first surrendered to the thief and then surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, which was already unwilling to Chongzhen and Li Laoer. Sooner or later, the knife would be placed on their necks. Since that's the case, it would be better to sacrifice.

As long as Chongzhen dies, Li Laoer will become a rebel, and the Ming Dynasty will fall into endless civil strife. Maybe the Qing Dynasty will take over the world by then.

"Okay! Since there is a hero willing to come forward, let's discuss how to start a plan." Chen Zhilin smiled.

The final result of the negotiation was that these salt merchants paid for money and found a dead soldier.

But someone suggested: "It is definitely too late to start today. If you missed today, is there still a chance?"

Chen Zhilin smiled and said, "There is still an opportunity! As long as the tyrant king comes out today, we will be able to come out again next time. Do you know about the Zheng family in Yangzhou? You can ask the Zheng family to come out for a banquet for the tyrant king. If you come out tomorrow or the next day, we will start to eliminate the tyrant king!"

The Zheng family in Yangzhou is the home of Zheng Yuanxun, the leader of the salt merchants. Zheng Yuanxun is not only a salt merchant, but also a Jinshi last year. Now he serves as the head of the Qing Lishu Department in Nanjing. It can be said that he is a family of officials and businessmen, a real comprador of salt merchants. Moreover, the Zheng family is not only a comprador of officials and businessmen. His father Zheng Ziyan is also a salt merchant sacrificial wine, which is equivalent to the later president of the Salt Merchants Chamber of Commerce. Since he has so many titles, the Zheng family has a very good relationship with Yang Xianming, the salt supervisor sent by the court.

Yang Xianming was a salt law eunuch sent by Chongzhen to Yangzhou. He was a fat man and also belonged to the palace. In the 11th year of Chongzhen, Yang Xianming was sent to Yangzhou because of his good relationship with Wang Cheng'en and obtained this fat man.

With Yang Xianming and Zheng Yuanxun coming to a banquet for Emperor Chongzhen, and with the relationship between Wang Chengen and Yang Xianming, Chongzhen wouldn't be embarrassed, right?

Chen Zhilin took out an exquisite Taixi flintlock double-barrel short gun from his arms: "This thing is a self-produced musket made by Taixi. It can fire two guns in a row! As long as you give this thing to the dead soldiers, you can kill the foolish lord two guns at that time!"

At this time, Chongzhen was still unaware that someone was plotting to assassinate him, and he had already arrived at the prefect of Yangzhou to serve as the Minyu Mansion.

Not only Shi Kefa, but also a group of court officials such as Qian Qianyi, Zhang Guowei, Zhang Shenyan and Huang Degong, but also the salt supervisor Yang Xianming, the comprador Zheng Yuanxun and others.

"Welcome to Your Majesty! Long live my emperor!" A group of people greeted me at the door of the mansion.

Emperor Chongzhen, surrounded by Zhang Shuheng, Wang Chengen, Li Guodong and others, strode into the Yangzhou Prefect's Office.

When Wang Chengen saw Yang Xianming, he looked at him with a smile: "Eunuch Yang, you haven't seen each other for six years. You are so fat in Yangzhou. It seems that you are greedy for a lot of money."

Yang Xianming knelt down quickly: "It's not my blessing to our ancestors. If we don't have our ancestors, we will not be the eunuch of the Yangzhou Salt Law."

"Get up!" Wang Chengen said coldly, "You were once a member of our family. You were deeply trapped in this colorful land. How many people can get out of the mud without being stained? Our family doesn't blame you."

"Thank you for your ancestors! Thank you for your ancestors!" Yang Xianming kowtowed repeatedly. He knew that Chongzhen and Wang Chengen hated corrupt officials in particular. Wang Chengen said sternly that his life would be temporarily saved. If Wang Chengen really wanted to kill him and directly let a group of Dongchang men take him down, he would be dead.

Four tables of banquets had already been set up in the back garden of the prefect's yamen. Chongzhen, Wang Chengen, Li Guodong, Zhang Shuheng, Shi Kefa, Qian Qianyi, Zhang Guowei, Zhang Shenyan and others were one table, and the rest sat on the other three tables. The surrounding Jinyiwei, the Han general, the Dongchang Fanzi and the armed eunuch were responsible for the guard work. There were Jinyiwei, the Dongchang Fanzi and the Huai Army elite around the prefect's yamen, which surrounded the government office like an iron barrel.

After a while of greetings between the two sides, let Minyu have someone to serve the food.

The servants and maids served plates of delicious food on the table like butterflies.

"Your Majesty, the staple food of our northerners is dumplings, and they are fried rice cakes in the south. This is fried rice cakes with seafood, made with bacon, dried shrimp, scallops, mustard greens, etc. Your Majesty may have not eaten this southern dish yet, right?" Li Guodong said, pointing to the first fried rice cake served on the table. He was a southerner in his previous life and would eat fried rice cakes during the Chinese New Year. After coming to the Ming Dynasty, he almost never ate it.

"I didn't expect that Wu Weibo is well-informed and knows delicious food very well." Qian Qianyi complimented.

"Muzhai has been rewarded, and food is the most important thing for the people. Li grew up in a bitter and cold place outside the border. After entering the pass by the court, he learned some research on food to compensate for the hardships he suffered at a young age." Li Guodong smiled and picked up the wine glass and replied.

Chongzhen was about to move the chopsticks, but Wang Chengen took out a silver needle and inserted it into the dish. Then he tasted it himself, and then saw that everyone moved the chopsticks and took a bite before letting Chongzhen move the chopsticks.

The second dish that came next was a braised elbow with mushrooms, dried shrimps, scallops, chestnuts and other items; the third dish came next was squirrel mandarin fish; followed by eight treasure duck, three fresh Yangtze River, rotten bear paws with sauce, steamed river crabs, wolfberry stewed eels and other delicious dishes, as well as mountain and sea delicacies.

Of course, every dish must be tasted by Wang Chengen's silver needles. Chongzhen could only taste it after everyone touched the chopsticks.

After the banquet, Yang Xianming and Zheng Yuanxun stepped forward to offer an invitation: "Your Majesty, we and the two of us will represent the people of Yangzhou. We will have a banquet the evening of the following day. I hope your Majesty will not let down the hearts of the people of Yangzhou."

Chongzhen hesitated whether to refuse, but Li Guodong said, "Your Majesty, don't let the hearts of the people of Yangzhou be cold." "Okay, I will definitely go to the banquet as scheduled the day after tomorrow!" Chongzhen nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Yang Xianming and Zheng Yuanxun kowtowed and thanked him repeatedly.
Chapter completed!