Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel
Chapter 108 Outrageous Bolu, arms tycoon Zhu Han
Chapter 108 Outrageous Bolu, arms tycoon Zhu Han
Seeing this, Li Zhen, Shi Naian and others all stared wide-eyed, not knowing what Zhu Han was going to do again.
"good, very good!"
Zhu Han smiled and distributed the fruit wine in the wine jar to everyone.
After a few people took a sip with curiosity, they all showed surprise expressions.
"Good wine!"
"Exquisite wine!"
"Mother, it's not bitter at all!"
"The fine wine in Jinling City is not as smooth as this."
All of a sudden, several people were overwhelmed by this jar of wine.
They asked Zhu Han one after another, what kind of magic was used to turn the originally bitter and cheap fruit wine into such a delicious wine.
Zhu Han smiled slightly and raised the glycerin bottle in his hand.
"Didn't you see it, it's just relying on this thing."
The tannins in fruit wine will be quickly absorbed and transformed when they encounter glycerin, so that the bitter taste will no longer be produced.
Moreover, glycerin itself has a slightly sweet taste, and it can also make the wine have a good hanging effect.
If some essence is added, it is completely the way of the industrial wine-making method of later generations.
Shi Naian, Li Zhen and other old drinkers are full of praise for this fine wine.
"Qiwu, if it's that simple, then we're not going to get rich!" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said suddenly.
Afterwards, he made a calculation for Zhu Han. Today, a jar of low-quality fruit wine in Jiangnan is only fifty or sixty yuan a jar, while the same fine wine from a restaurant costs at least five or six hundred yuan.
"Five or six hundred cash is the cheapest thing. It's a lot of fine wine that costs a few taels of silver." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
As the general commercial representative of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army, every time the second brother-in-law Li Zhen went to the south of the Yangtze River, he was served with the best delicacies, and he had already developed a great skill in taste.
"Just a few drops of glycerin can turn the boatman's bad wine into a wine worth dozens of times his net worth. This is more profitable than selling table salt." Shi Naian couldn't help but exclaimed.
Shi Naian always felt that Zhu Han's various means of making money were about the same, and he couldn't come up with any new tricks, but Zhu Han was always able to play more powerful tricks.
For example, it's just chatting and drinking now, and it's easy to come up with a big killer that turns bad wine into good wine.
"Haha, sir is right. We can purchase drinks from Jiangnan, and then process and transfer them over. We can always earn a difference of ten times the price." Zhu Han said.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Fortunately, he had a senior drinking experience before, which gave him some knowledge, otherwise he would never have thought of this idea.
This matter is naturally left to the second brother-in-law Li Zhen to handle it.
Second brother-in-law Li Zhen took the white porcelain bottle of glycerin in her hand, but her face was serious like never before, which even made Zhu Han feel a trace of murderous intent.
"What happened to the second brother-in-law?" Zhu Han couldn't help asking.
"Qiwu, with such a secret method, do you know that there are too many people?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said, and then pouted at the boatmen and boys beside him.
Zhu Han was immediately taken aback by the second brother-in-law's thoughts.
But he could see that the second brother-in-law actually wanted to get rid of these lowly people in order to keep it secret.
"A little bit of business experience won't kill people," Zhu Han said.
At this time, the faces of several boatmen and servants beside them were also pale with fright, and they all knelt down and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness.
"My lord, please forgive me, the villain doesn't understand anything."
"Forgive me, the villain didn't see anything."
Regarding their begging for mercy, Zhu Han waved his hand to reassure them.
At this time, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen changed into his original simple and honest appearance. He scratched his scalp and said with some embarrassment: "Qiwu, it's not that I'm cruel, I'm really afraid that you will suffer."
Zhu Han smiled slightly, naturally he knew what his second brother-in-law was thinking.
The second brother-in-law basically thinks about his elder brother Zhu Yuanzhang and himself in everything he does. Zhu Han can understand that he has some excessive methods and ideas.
The mighty Chuzhou merchant fleet entered the vicinity of Jiqing soon after entering the Yangtze River.
Some of the ships separated and went straight to Jiqing City.
The other part continued to sail eastward with Zhu Han and Li Zhen, then continued to enter the canal, and entered Suzhou after several sailings.
"People say that there is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. The market in Suzhou is indeed much more prosperous."
Early in the morning, Zhu Han stood at the bow of the boat and started admiring the Jiangnan scenery in front of him.
The so-called most affluent place in the south of the Yangtze River, the population and housing in Suzhou are definitely incomparable to Chuzhou.
Even, Suzhou in this era can be an existence beyond Jiqing Jinling City.
Hearing Zhu Han's emotion, Shi Naian also walked out of the cabin.
"Deputy Marshal, the scenery along the river you see is the best side of Suzhou. In fact, the people's livelihood in the city behind is completely incomparable with Chuzhou today." Shi Naian said.
What he said was definitely not flattery, but truly said from the bottom of his heart.
Sure enough, Zhu Han and the others soon saw the poverty behind the bustling market.
Not long after their fleet entered the canal, there was a headwind in the sky.
With a slight headwind on the smooth water, it was impossible to sail forward immediately, and even sailing was not much faster than a turtle crawling.
However, the water surface on the canal is narrow, and it is impossible to zigzag on it to take advantage of the wind and go retrograde.
"I'll arrange for someone to find the tracker."
Regarding this situation, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen already had experience.
As the fleet docked by the canal, Zhu Han and others also took this opportunity to go ashore. Anyway, it was almost dark, and staying in an inn on the shore was much better than staying in a narrow cabin.
Moreover, old Mr. Shi Naian seemed to be very familiar with the local market, and soon guided a magnificent inn and restaurant, which was full of guests.
Zhu Han looked at the artists singing the melody below the restaurant, and couldn't help guessing what Shi Naian was thinking.
"Unexpectedly, Mr. is still a man of temperament." Zhu Han joked.
Ever since entering this restaurant, Shi Naian's eyes have been fixed on the women who sang the melody.
"The proprietor doesn't know, but the stories of Da Song Xuan and Liangshan sung by these strange women are truly unique."
Zhu Han listened to a few words, and it was indeed a story similar to Water Margin.
From this point of view, Mr. Shi Naian is here to collect creative inspiration.
Zhu Han didn't understand these dialect tunes very well, and soon lost interest, so he took Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others back to the side of the canal to see how the trackers were doing.
When Zhu Han came to the edge of the canal, he saw a very spectacular scene.
About hundreds of trackers in ragged clothes gathered on the edge of the canal. They dragged long ropes and began to tie the ropes on the edge of the canal.
"Qiwu, why are you here?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen came up to meet her.
"Second brother-in-law, are they all the trackers you found?" Zhu Han asked.
"Yeah, I've already asked, it's been against the wind recently, so we can't do without trackers, and we are a big ship, so many trackers are indispensable." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
Zhu Han's merchant fleet is all large ships, and each ship needs at least a dozen trackers to withstand the wind and headwind.
"These people are so thin, can they really pull a big boat?" Zhu Han felt a little shocked.
Because the trackers in front of them, no matter their age or age, all looked lean and lean. Many of them were barefoot and naked, with only a pair of tattered trousers on their legs, and the bones on their bodies were clearly visible.
Zhu Han always felt that the tracker had to be strong at least, not to mention being covered in tendons, and he couldn't have such a pitiful appearance.
"Don't worry, they look thin, and their strength is not bad. Even if they are not strong enough, we can hire more trackers. Anyway, these trackers are very cheap." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
"Oh, how much does it cost to hire a tracker?" Zhu Han asked.
"Looking at the itinerary and time, these people are worth a hundred coins." Li Zhen said.
"One hundred Wen, so cheap? Meal included?" Zhu Han asked.
"It's just a hundred coins, eat and sleep and figure out what to do." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
Sure enough, after seeing several trackers tied up the ropes, Zhu Han took out some straw mats and found a secluded place to sleep.
"Prices in the south of the Yangtze River are so expensive, I'm afraid one hundred Wen is just enough to eat." Zhu Han couldn't help but said.
For these trackers, Zhu Han is really not worth it.
Ordinary soldiers in Chuzhou, even the lowest-ranking soldiers, are paid one hundred yuan a day, and they have three meals a day, as well as monthly vegetable money, and cloth shoes and socks every season.
Counting all the fights, the salary of a small soldier is several times that of a tracker.
"Such a good man, how about serving as a soldier?" Zhu Han asked his second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
Li Zhen shook her head and said: "It's not that easy to be a soldier and eat food. I'm afraid they won't dare to work hard."
Zhu Han understood that these trackers always felt that there was a job to fool their stomachs, and no one was willing to work hard as a soldier.
However, Zhu Han was a kind-hearted person. Seeing how pitiful these trackers were, he said to his second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
"Second brother-in-law, send someone to buy some food and give them a full meal, otherwise I'm afraid they won't be able to handle it tomorrow." Zhu Han said.
Second brother-in-law Li Zhen is also a kind-hearted person, so she nodded quickly and said.
"Okay, then I'll send someone to buy some rice with pickles."
Then, not long after, the guys from some shops bought back a lot of meals.
While calling the trackers on the left and right to eat, they arranged the order of queuing.
These trackers were all in order, which surprised Zhu Han.
Because according to Zhu Han's knowledge, people at the bottom of today's era have many shortcomings, the biggest of which is that the order is not strong enough.
Not to mention ordinary queuing, even if someone taught them to line up, it would take a long time to work.
Many farmers in Chuzhou had this shortcoming when they were migrant workers.
He couldn't help being surprised that the trackers in front of him lined up very cooperatively.
"These trackers all come from different backgrounds, and they pay attention to the same pace when pulling the track. Although their order is not very good, they have long been accustomed to this simple queue." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said .
Zhu Han immediately understood that when stretching, he should pay attention to his strength and line up tall, short, fat, and thin, otherwise he would not be able to display his respective strengths.
"So, they are really good candidates to serve as soldiers." Zhu Han said with emotion.
These hard-working trackers swallowed their saliva one by one when they saw that there was free food to eat.
When they got the food, they all gobbled it up.
After eating, many trackers kowtowed and bowed in the direction of their second brother-in-law Li Zhen, thanking such a good and kind customer.
Many people still had tears in their eyes, it was obvious that they hadn't had such a hearty meal for a long time.
Zhu Han quietly walked around the trackers and began to chat intentionally or unintentionally.
After talking for a while, Zhu Han was even more surprised by the news he got.
"One hundred coins, but only sixty coins in hand?" Zhu Han was almost surprised and angry when he heard what the trackers said.
A tracker in his 30s sighed with a bitter expression on his face and said, "Oh, if you don't pay the [-] Wen, then you won't be able to eat this bowl of rice again. We have nothing to do." what."
"Forty Wen can feed two mouths, and it's just feeding those bastards for nothing!"
"It's fine if it's the job given by the dentist, but they don't do anything, they just take [-]% of the money!"
After these trackers have won the business themselves, they must hand over [-]% of the income to the local local snakes as the rules of the industry.
Zhu Han originally thought that the income of the trackers was not high, but now there are still some people who want to eat [-]% of their wages, and he immediately complained for them.
"It's such a hard job, and there are still people who want to drink blood, why not do something else?" Zhu Han said.
The trackers all said helplessly: "We are all foreigners, and we don't have any skills. Apart from our strength, we have nothing else to do."
"If you don't work as a tracker, you will really starve to death."
Zhu Han learned a little more about the existence of these trackers.
The work of the trackers is extremely hard, and there is no guarantee. Once they are sick or injured, they basically cut off the food and livelihood of the whole family. Many trackers dare not rest after suffering from illness, and would rather die of illness than starve to death.
Sure enough, Zhu Han saw a few people with sallow complexions among the trackers, who were obviously malnourished and suffering from diseases.
Even if Zhu Han wanted to take care of so many pitiful things, he still couldn't take care of them.
"Seventh Five-Year, everyone has their own destiny, so don't worry too much about it. Even if you take care of food and drink today, when we leave, they will continue to suffer haha." The second brother-in-law Li Zhen enlightened.
"If we win Jiangnan in the future, we must change the fate of thousands of poor people!" Zhu Han said.
"If you are so ambitious, I believe you can do it." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said sincerely.
When Zhu Han and the others were about to leave, they saw a tracker lying on the ground frowning and making pained noises.
"What happened to him?" Zhu Han couldn't help asking.
A leader-like tracker hurriedly said: "Returning to the master, the sole of his foot was pierced two days ago. I don't know why it's not good, and he has abscess and fever."
Seeing Zhu Han's solemn expression, the lead tracker thought it was because the employer disliked the injured tracker for eating rice and receiving money, so he hurriedly bowed and said, "If the master doesn't like it, then I will change someone else, and I will definitely not delay the master's towing schedule."
Zhu Han waved his hand and interrupted him.
I saw Zhu Han coming forward, ignoring the dirty clothes on the injured tracker, carefully inspecting the soles of his injured feet.
A wound about an inch wide was on the sole of the foot, and it was already very red and swollen. It was obvious that the infection had caused a high fever.
If it is normal, such a severe bacterial infection basically depends on one's destiny. Once one's immune system cannot kill the bacterial infection, it is basically waiting to die.
Zhu Han was afraid that the life in front of him would not survive him, so he took out the small medicine bottle that he carried with him, which contained some sealed antibiotic tablets.
According to people's drug resistance today, a few tenths of the conventional drug dosage in later generations is already enough.
Zhu Han poured out a capsule, ordered someone to bring a bowl of cold boiled water, dissolved a little powder, and then gave the injured tracker to drink it.
Afterwards, he called another clerk from the firm, instructed the dosage and time of the medicine, and took it again after a few hours.
Seeing this, the trackers around did not know the curative effect, but they were all very grateful for Zhu Han's behavior of helping a tracker regardless of the mess.
Zhu Han and the others didn't talk to the trackers any more, they left the pier and returned to the inn.
After the group ordered meals, they each ate and went back to their rooms to sleep.
Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others took turns to be on guard until the next day when Zhu Han got up comfortably.
Zhu Han is now at the age of rapid growth, and he always feels that he doesn't get enough sleep every day.
After breakfast, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen urged her to leave.
When they came to the pier on the canal, they saw that the trackers had already pulled up their ropes and were ready to start at any time.
"Get on board." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
At this moment, there was a commotion nearby.
Zhu Han turned his head and saw a tall tracker who wanted to approach, but was stopped by Chen Baodao's guards.
"What does he want to do?" Zhu Han asked.
Chen Baodao rushed over to inquire, and quickly came back and replied, "My lord, he said that you saved his life yesterday, so he wants to come over and kowtow to you."
"Oh?"
Zhu Han guessed that it should be the tracker who was injured yesterday. Looking at his actions today, he should have recovered from his fever.
"Go and tell him that you don't need to kowtow, just take medicine to heal your wounds." Zhu Han ordered.
Accepting a man's kowtow in public, Zhu Han didn't think there was any face.
However, that man was very stubborn and still insisted on coming over to kowtow to thank him.
After Zhu Han found out, he simply followed his wish.
"Okay then, let him come over."
Soon, the tall and thin man came in front of Zhu Han, knelt down on the ground without saying a word, and kowtowed three times to Zhu Han.
"Zhang Dingbian is very grateful to the nobleman for saving his life. In the future, he will be a cow and a horse, and he will repay the nobleman!"
Zhu Han didn't pay attention at first, but when he heard the name, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Wait, what did you say your name is?"
"The villain's name is Zhang Dingbian!"
As soon as Zhu Han heard the name, he was immediately surprised to see
"What? You call me Zhang Dingbian?"
"Yes, the villain is called Zhang Dingbian."
Li Zhen, the second brother-in-law next to her, asked, "You actually have a decent name, and you originally came from a good family?"
Zhang Ding smiled wryly, and then said: "The villain's family was originally a wealthy businessman from Jinghu, but he was added to Zhongluo later, and he had to offend his enemies, so he fell to the current situation."
Zhu Han is still not sure whether he is the fierce Zhang Dingbian in history.
Zhang Dingbian in history was the number one general under Chen Youliang. During the Battle of Poyang Lake, Zhang Dingbian swooped on Zhu Yuanzhang's base camp ship alone, almost scaring Zhu Yuanzhang into retreat on the spot.
Later, fortunately, Chang Yuchun shot Zhang Dingbian with an arrow, and Zhang Dingbian had to retreat, which saved Zhu Yuanzhang's life.
If the tracker Zhang Dingbian in front of him is really the fierce Zhang Dingbian in history, he will make a lot of money.
"Since this is the case, you should have learned writing, right? Why are you doing the job of a tracker and not looking for another serious job?" Zhu Han asked.
"To be honest, the villain's talent is really not a talent, it can barely be regarded as a rough writing. There are a lot of people in the south of the Yangtze River. With my little ability, I am not even qualified to write letters for others. Not long ago, the coils I had on my body were clean, so I had to work as a tracker." Zhang Dingbian said with a weeping laugh.
As the saying goes, a penny is not a hero.
"Haha, okay, it seems that you are still a free and easy guy! Why don't you follow me in the future? I think you are very strong, so you must have practiced some kung fu?" Zhu Han asked.
Zhang Dingbian nodded quickly and said: "The villain's family originally invited a martial artist to teach Kung Fu. It is true that there are some fists and feet of a triangular cat. As for guns and sticks, I know a little bit."
"Haha, that's right, don't be a tracker from now on, just follow me as a bodyguard." Zhu Han was already seventy-eight percent sure that the Zhang Dingbian in front of him should be the fierce general in history.
"Villain dare, sir, you should not be businessmen, right?" Zhang Dingbian said suddenly.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Zhu Han smiled and looked at Zhang Dingbian with great interest.
The second brother-in-law Li Zhen and the others next to her looked nervous for a while.
"There is no other reason. I just saw that these brothers walk with extraordinary vigor and have thick calluses on their hands. It can be seen that they have been holding knives and bows and arrows for many years." Zhang Dingbian pointed to Chen Baodao next to him. The others said.
"Where did the thief dare to spy on us!" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen was furious.
The red scarf army in Jiangbei colluded with the officials and merchants of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and the business of smuggling and selling salt has long been a secret known to everyone, but right now this is the territory of the Mongolian and Yuan courts. Get them in trouble.
So second brother-in-law, you really want Zhu Han to drive this Zhang Dingbian away, so naturally you have to try your best to deny his statement.
"Hahaha, it's okay, it's okay!" Zhu Han didn't care.
Along the way, I have basically never seen the officers and soldiers of the Mongolian and Yuan courts, patrol inspections, etc., so there is no need to worry about the Mongolian and Yuan officers and soldiers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces looking for trouble.
The guards accompanied by Zhu Han were extremely powerful. Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others alone were enough to protect Zhu Han from any danger safely.
What's more, Zhu Han also has a repeating pistol hidden with him, which is a one-shot kill for any elite soldier in this era.
They are currently in a hidden location, and the rest of the trackers can only see the conversation inside. They don't know what Zhu Han and Zhang Dingbian are talking about.
"My lord is really bold!" Zhang Dingbian said with a smile.
"Strong man, do you dare to board the boat with me?" Zhu Han asked.
"Why don't you dare, my lord please first." Zhang Dingbian said.
Zhu Han himself boarded the boat first, and the others followed.
After a while, Zhu Han revealed that he was from Chuzhou, and that his identity was an official of the Marshal's Mansion doing business for the Red Scarf Army. He thought that Zhang Dingbian would be surprised first.
But from Zhang Dingbian's face, Zhu Han was surprised that he didn't see it, but he was surprised to see a lot.
"What? You are from Chuzhou, so you must have met Commander Zhu Longxing, right?" Zhang Dingbian asked.
"Haha, there's no such thing as Zhu Longxing. The only commander in Jiangbei is Zhu Yuanzhang. What Zhu Longxing is, it's just something from an opera script." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Various operas and miscellaneous operas of the Jiangbei Red Army have already been spread to the Jiangnan area through various channels.
Especially since Zhu Yuanzhang killed Emperor Meng Yuan and annihilated a million troops of the Yuan Dynasty, the prestige of Marshal Zhu Longxing has been known to everyone in the south of the Yangtze River.
"Since you are from Hubei, do you know the local culture and customs of Hubei?" Zhu Han asked immediately.
"The villain naturally knows, not only does he know, but he is quite familiar with it. When the villain's family was well-off, he often went out to visit mountains and rivers, so he was well-informed." Zhang Dingbian said.
Afterwards, Zhang Dingbian talked to Zhu Han about the humanities and customs of Hubei, the characteristics of each state or county, how many dangerous mountains and rivers there are, what kind of troops are stationed, and where are the fortresses. dictation came out.
Zhu Han felt in his heart that he really found a treasure.
Many scholars may not have the experience of traveling in mountains and rivers like Zhang Dingbian's.
In ancient times, all kinds of mountain and river geography and maps were important military and political secrets. Ordinary scholars would not study these things at all, and for ordinary people, even if they wanted to study local customs and mountain and river geography, It is also impossible to start.
No matter how big or small a bookstore or Zangshuge is, there are no accurate atlases at all. If you can get a geography talent like Zhang Dingbian, it will naturally be of great help to Zhu Han when he explores the Hubei area in the future.
However, after all, Zhang Dingbian had just been recruited by him, and many things such as loyalty and reliability still needed to be tested.
Moreover, Zhang Dingbian's body had just been injured, although the high fever had subsided, but he was still a little weak, Zhu Han took out some pills from his bosom again.
"These are my magic pills from Chuzhou. You only need to take two days for the wounds on your body to heal completely," Zhu Han said.
"Thank you for the miraculous medicine that my lord rewarded."
Zhu Han ordered someone to take Zhang Dingbian down to rest, change him into suitable clothes, prepare some delicious meals for him, and let him recuperate on another ship.
As for how to use this talent specifically, Zhu Han decided to make a decision after returning to Chuzhou.
After more than a day of dragging by the trackers, the Zhu Han merchant fleet quickly entered the canal commercial port in Suzhou.
The trade between Jiangbei Red Turban Army and Jiangnan is not limited to Jiqing Jinling Mansion. There are also fixed shops in Suzhou, which are specially used to sell Jiangbei special products such as salt and sugar.
The group of people had just arrived on the shore of the commercial port, and someone immediately greeted them.
"The villain pays homage to Master Shi." A businessman who looked like he was in charge.
"This person is a shopkeeper of the Shen family in Suzhou." Shi Naian said to Zhu Han.
"So that's the case, then let him lead the way, let's go directly to visit that Boss Shen!"
Soon, Zhu Han and his party came to a manor from a carriage.
Just from the outside, this manor has a simple temperament, but when all kinds of simple elements are matched together, it looks full of extravagance.
"Sure enough, Suzhou gardens are the best in the world." Zhu Han saw the subtlety of this garden at a glance.
"Boss, you really have extraordinary vision." Shi Naian said in admiration.
This kind of garden design that emphasizes wealth and nobility in simplicity, ordinary rural rich people can't appreciate the subtlety of it. Zhu Han was born in a poor beggar, and Shi Naian is surprised that he can have such a high taste now. .
A group of people entered the gate of the manor through the middle gate.
A middle-aged man in his 40s was already waiting with a few people.
"Mr. Shi is here, and Shen Fu has not come out to meet him. It is really a crime, a crime!" The person who spoke was naturally Shen Wansan.
Zhu Han took a closer look, and found that the three sons of Shen Wan generally looked a bit simple and honest, not the kind of profiteer who exuded the temperament of a philistine.
Shen Wansan regarded Shi Naian as the leader, so Shi Naian naturally retreated to the back row quickly, showing Zhu Han's position.
"Who is this?" Shen Wansan asked hastily.
"This is our deputy commander!"
Shi Naian said.
"Deputy Commander?" Shen Wansan was surprised.
Shen Wansan already knew the prestige of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army, and the reputation of their commander-in-chief Zhu Yuanzhang and deputy commander Zhu Han was naturally familiar.
Seeing that the young man in front of him turned out to be the deputy commander of the Red Scarf Army who shocked Jiangbei, Shen Wansan couldn't help being horrified.
"I'm Zhu Han here, and I'm here to visit Shopkeeper Shen!" Zhu Han smiled slightly.
Only then did Shen Wansan come back to his senses, and quickly invited Zhu Han and others inside.
After some politeness, Shen Wansan finally confirmed the purpose of Zhu Han's visit.
"Shopkeeper Shen, we have a lot of products that are very profitable. If we can operate as a joint venture in Chuzhou, you will definitely make a lot of money. At least one million taels of silver a year should not be a problem," Zhu Han said.
In what he said just now, he has clearly stated that he needs silver and craftsmen.
For a veteran in shopping malls like Shen Wansan, there is no need to beat around the bush, the best way is to directly state the benefits.
"To be honest, I also want to make money, but, but,,,." Shen Wansan showed a embarrassed expression.
Zhu Han thought he was afraid of being accused by the Mengyuan government, and said with a smile: "The Mongolian officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are already paper tigers. As long as they cooperate with us, Bolu and others dare not say a word."
"No, no, I'm not worried about this." Shen Wansan waved his hand and said.
"Then what is Shopkeeper Shen worried about?" Zhu Han asked suspiciously.
Shen Wansan glanced at Shi Naian, and then said helplessly.
"To be honest, Suzhou is no longer the Suzhou it used to be!"
Zhu Yao was puzzled when he heard this, and he glanced at Shi Naian, who also looked puzzled.
Shi Naian asked, "Why did you say that?"
Shen Wansan sighed and said: "Nowadays, Bolu and the others have exhausted all their means. Not only have they monopolized the business of salt, iron, tea and wine, but they have also imposed heavy taxes on us businessmen!"
Zhu Han had also heard about this situation.
Bolu and other Meng Yuan officials knew that Meng Yuan Qi would not last long, and in order to ensure a happy life in the future, they all tried their best to collect money.
Moreover, some of the food, grass and taxes of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army also came from the filial piety and tribute of Bolu and others.
Where the money came from, you don't even have to think about it.
"What kind of heavy taxation is it?" Zhu Han asked curiously.
"It's just a commercial tax, and it has been collected for three years. I heard that because of the extermination of the pirate Fang Guozhen in eastern Zhejiang, it is planned to collect the tax for the next three years. It's the 13th year, but the tax has been collected for the 23rd year!" Shen Wansan said with a sigh.
"What, tax collection in advance?" Shi Naian showed a shocked expression.
Zhu Han also felt that this situation was very magical.
Now that the Dayuan is dying, even the emperor is belching farts, and the Zhizheng reign is over, but the tax has been collected for the 23rd year of Zhizheng.
"This Bolu is really fucking talented." Zhu Han couldn't help complaining.
"So, someone in Suzhou has already suggested that we want to contact the surrounding state capitals and raise troops to fight against Yuan together!" Shen Wansan said suddenly in a low voice.
As soon as these words came out, Zhu Han, Shi Naian and others were taken aback.
"What, you plan to raise your own troops against Yuan?" Shi Naian was surprised.
He never imagined that these businessmen in the Susong area would have such courage.
"Is it because you want to rebel because you don't pay taxes?" Zhu Han was also speechless.
It is really a tradition since ancient times that the gentry and merchants in the south of the Yangtze River resisted taxes.
Once Shen Wansan and the others rebelled against the Yuan and the tax, the manpower they relied on would naturally be their servant craftsmen.
In this way, no matter how profitable Chuzhou's business is, it is impossible to invest in shares.
"Then what are your chances of winning?" Shi Naian asked curiously.
Merchants lead troops to fight, but this has never been heard of since ancient times.
"If you have money and someone, you have a five-point chance. In addition, the Mengyuan government's military strength is weak, so it should be possible to add another [-]%. Besides, our requirements are not high, just to maintain peace in Suzhou." Shen Wansan said.
It turned out that the businessmen in the Suzhou area had seen through the weakness of the Mengyuan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang government, and they had no choice but to send people to collect taxes.
"Jiangnan's taxes are actually not that high, even if it is taxed for ten years, it is not unbearable." Shen Wansan continued.
"Then why did you rebel?" Shi Naian asked.
"It's really because the various tax officials in the south of the Yangtze River are really greedy. After increasing the tax, the original tax of one tael has become five taels of silver when it is actually collected!"
Most of the officials in the Mongolian and Yuan courts who collected taxes in various places were second-class people.
These outsiders from the Western Regions are all loyal lackeys of Mongolia, and they are also from various Central Asian ethnic groups with business traditions. Various dirty means of making money emerge in endlessly.
It is already a great conscience discovery for the Semu tax collector to increase the tax from one tael of silver to five taels of silver.
For the taxation of ordinary people, it can be more than ten times higher.
Before the poor in Huaixi went bankrupt, they were basically exploited by the Semu tax officials.
Zhu Han's father was forced to death back then, which was the masterpiece of the Semu tax official.
"Everyone should kill these perverts." Zhu Han nodded.
"Yes, this time we plan to fight against taxes, the first thing is to get rid of these perverts, burn their black accounts, and get back the money they have accumulated through corruption." Shen Wansan said.
In fact, this is also a half-truth.
The Suzhou businessmen are too powerful, and they are already dissatisfied with the Semuren riding on their heads and dominating them.
Now that the Mongols are dying, they naturally want revenge.
"Shopkeeper Shen, if you tell me about such an important matter, aren't you afraid of leaking the secret?"
Zhu Han suddenly asked.
Shen Wansan laughed and said: "Deputy Commander, to tell the truth, we raise our troops this time, but we intend to attack your banner, please don't refuse the Deputy Commander."
When Zhu Han heard this, he was a little surprised.
These business groups in Suzhou are really bold enough.
If it is a general anti-tax rebellion, once the Mongolian Yuan counterattacks in the future, a few scapegoats can be thrown out.
But if you play the banner of the Red Scarf Army, you will have to go all the way to the dark.
Shen Wansan and the others are well-known businessmen all over the world, and they are well-informed. They have already judged that the Red Scarf Army can overthrow Meng Yuan, so they have such calculations.
"Then what else do you need?" Zhu Han asked.
His purpose is to want Shen Wansan's money and manpower, as long as Shen Wansan needs something, it can be used for trading.
Sure enough, Shen Wansan's subsequent words fell right into Zhu Han's arms.
"Deputy Commander, to be honest, we Suzhou children rarely see swordsmen. If it is really a normal battle, it is difficult to practice. I heard that the Deputy Commander has a kind of big fire gun in his hand, which can destroy hundreds of steps in one shot. Emperor Meng Yuan also Died under this kind of fire?" Shen Wansan said.
When Zhu Han heard this, he immediately became happy.
"Cannon, so you want cannon!"
"That's right, it's artillery. We use it to defend the city. With this sharp weapon, we can have no fear of the Mongolian and Yuan officers and soldiers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces." Shen Wansan said.
The current military strength of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces is actually very pitiful, with a total strength of only seven or eight thousand troops.
But these soldiers and horses are already a terrible force for Suzhou.
Zhu Han was thinking in his heart, anyway, he had made a big plan to enter the south of the Yangtze River soon, and letting Shen Wansan and the others make a fuss in the Suzhou area was also a signal to the whole Jiangsu and Zhejiang that Meng Yuanqi was exhausted.
"Yes! I can sell the artillery to you!" Zhu Han said with a smile.
Shen Wansan was immediately surprised.
"Deputy commander, really!?"
Zhu Han nodded, and then said, "I can sell the artillery to you, but I have two conditions, which I need you to agree to!"
"No matter what the conditions are, the deputy commander-in-chief just speak up!" Shen Wansan said.
"The first condition is to give me [-] craftsmen, mainly engraving, printing, blacksmithing, etc., and I will make a list for you when the time comes," Zhu Han said.
"Yes, yes!" Shen Wansan nodded happily and agreed.
The craftsmen of the Suzhou merchants are in their hands, and they want to serve as a strong army. If they have powerful artillery, a thousand craftsmen are nothing.
"Oh, these craftsmen are not paid for cannons. You need to pay for the cannons separately." Zhu Han reminded again.
"Understood, understood!" Shen Wansan agreed without hesitation.
"The price of a cannon is actually not expensive, at most it is ten thousand taels of silver, and a smaller cannon may be only a few thousand taels of silver." Zhu Han immediately threw out an approximate price.
Shen Wansan frowned when he heard the price.
The price is really expensive, but it is still within an acceptable range.
After all, as long as the Semu tax officials in Suzhou and Changzhou were eaten up, the money obtained would definitely be enough.
"Not expensive, not expensive." Shen Wansan nodded quickly.
Zhu Han was very satisfied with Shen Wansan's attitude.
This is simply great, there is no need for such troublesome cooperation and shareholding, all you need to do is sell arms!
What kind of craftsman, what kind of silver, didn't they come here in a hurry.
"As for the second condition, it's actually simpler." Zhu Han smiled again.
Shen Wansan hurriedly asked: "Deputy Marshal, please tell me."
"When you raise troops in Suzhou, don't use my Red Scarf Army, oh no, you probably can't use the names of our brothers." Zhu Han said.
"What? The deputy commander is serious?" Shen Wansan didn't quite understand.
If the Suzhou merchant group raises troops and uses the banner of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han brothers, it will strengthen the prestige of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han brothers.
It is the most cost-effective thing to gain another reputation without spending a penny.
Why did Zhu Han refuse to agree?
Regarding Shen Wansan's doubts, Zhu Han smiled and said: "To be honest, we have reached an agreement with Pingzhang Bolu of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. He pays the redemption fee and monthly filial money. It has been less than a year since you invaded Jiangnan, if you use our banner to raise troops in Suzhou, you will break the contract, and you will stand without trust." Zhu Han looked serious.
Shen Wansan was shocked immediately.
He didn't expect that Zhu Han, a general of the Red Turban Army, would be so trusting with the enemy.
For businessmen, letter is simply the number one advantage.
Shen Wansan immediately burst into flattery and praise from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, the real reason for Zhu Han's lack of preparation was that he could not guarantee the smooth acceptance of the powers of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
After this conversation, although Zhu Han refused to join the Suzhou Rebels, he provided extremely considerable military assistance.
Overjoyed, Shen Wan sent someone to notify several other big businessmen Hao Qiang overnight, and asked them to come to his home to pay a visit to Zhu Han, the leader of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army.
Everyone was bragging and flattering the young Zhu Han as much as possible, lest Zhu Han would renege on his promise and refuse to sell the artillery to them.
Zhu Han and the others simply lived in Shen Wansan's home, and after the banquet was over, they just went back to prepare to rest.
The second brother-in-law Li Zhen and Shi Naian approached him worriedly.
"Qiwu, artillery, do you really want to sell Shen Wansan and the others?"
"Deputy Marshal, how can you easily sell a military weapon to someone else?"
For the two of them, the artillery of the Red Turban Army was more effective than the [-] troops.
Not to mention that it was for a few hundred thousand taels of silver, even if it was a million taels of silver, they couldn't sell it.
Who knows if those Suzhou businessmen will fight against the Red Scarf Army in the future.
"Haha, I have already thought of the worries of you two."
Zhu Han calmly invited his second brother-in-law Li Zhen and Shi Naian to sit down.
Then, Zhu Hancai continued slowly.
"Our artillery, whether it is made or the gunpowder used, is unparalleled in the world. Even if they want to imitate it, they can't make it. Why not sell it to them?"
Hearing this, although the second brother-in-law Li Zhen felt that it made sense, she was a little bit reluctant.
"Qiwu, even if this is the case, then we sell the cannons too cheaply, so we have to buy them for tens of thousands of taels of silver. Your most expensive cannon is only [-] taels of silver. " Li Zhen said.
"Master Li is right. Shen Wansan, the richest man in Suzhou, has a fortune of tens of millions. What's more, if more than a dozen rich men join forces, they must be able to afford such money." Shi Naian said.
Zhu Han immediately showed a treacherous smile when he heard the words.
"Hey, you think I'm selling it cheap, that's because you only see our cannons are cheap, and the real expensive thing is not this cannon." Zhu Han said.
"Oh, what is that?" Li Zhen hurriedly asked.
"Ammunition! Whether it's our new gunpowder or the matching gun mounts, they are all consumables. As long as they want to use the artillery, they must buy these things. Otherwise, the artillery is just a bunch of decorations in their hands. It looks fancy but not useful, and even if they use their homemade gunpowder, the power is far inferior." Zhu Han laughed.
Li Zhen and Shi Naian finally understood that Zhu Han is a complete profiteer.
The one-shot deal made Zhu Han a long-term business.
Afterwards, Zhu Han talked about his plan, that each cannon would give away ten rounds of ammunition, and the next cannon ammunition would be sold to Shen Wansan and the others at fifty times the cost price.
"Tsk tsk, isn't that the ammunition for a cannon, which costs ten taels of silver for a cannon?" Li Zhen was speechless for a while.
"What is ten taels of silver for a cannon? Anyway, everyone in the world knows that the emperor of the Mongol Tartars was killed by our artillery. Such a powerful artillery costs ten taels of silver. Whether you like it or not," Zhu Han said.
Calculated in this way, all the cannons that Shen Wansan and the others bought have turned into money-burning gold-swallowing beasts.
If these giant gold-swallowing beasts were to exert their power, they would have to continuously send money to Zhu Han.
In order to guarantee his business reputation, Zhu Han sent someone to take a fast boat to deliver a letter to Longhaiwei not far away, and he dispatched ten small three-pound guns by virtue of military orders.
This kind of small artillery has a small and compact structure, and it is very effective in killing infantry when it is placed on the city wall of the manor.
Shen Wansan and the others immediately became ecstatic when they saw these cannons.
These seemingly small cannons are much easier to use than the various bulky cannons that are common today.
And in terms of power, it is not weaker than those big guys who can easily weigh a thousand catties.
After some testing, ten three-pound guns were bought by Shen Wansan and others at a price of 5 taels of silver.
They also kept their promise, and dispatched [-] craftsmen from various workshops to Zhu Han on the spot.
The remaining craftsmen will naturally have to be selected slowly, but Zhu Han pays more attention to the quality of craftsmen.
After getting along for a while, Zhu Han immediately became friends with Shen Wansan and other wealthy people in Suzhou.
Shen Wansan and the others all felt that when the Red Scarf Army took over the world, the Zhu Han brothers must be protected by high-ranking officials such as the prime minister and marshal.
this day.
After Zhu Han wandered around the city of Suzhou and collected a lot of local customs and culture, he had just returned to his residence when someone came to visit him immediately.
The person who came was Zhou Gushan, the head of the Zhou family, a big family in Suzhou.
As a wealthy family in Suzhou, although Zhou Gushan is not as famous as Shen Wansan, he is not weaker than Shen Wansan in terms of property strength.
"Deputy Commander, Mr. Zhou came here to make a request!" Zhou Gushan said politely.
"Brother Zhou, you are being polite. If you have anything to say, feel free to say it." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Zhu Han still had a very good impression of Zhou Gushan.
Shopkeeper Zhou Da is generous and has never been stingy. He came to visit today not only brought hundreds of expensive silks and satins, but also a golden Buddha, and four beautiful and stunning singers.
"Deputy Marshal, to be honest, Zhou's family has some maritime business, and they often encounter pirates and water bandits, and they often suffer heavy losses." Zhou Gushan said with a sigh.
"Oh, brother Zhou thought, what can I do to help?" Zhu Han said.
In fact, Zhou Gushan is almost 50 years old, and his grandsons are all in their teens and are as old as Zhu Han, but they can only be compared with Zhu Han's peers.
"Deputy Marshal, I know you have a new type of ship, the one that defeated the Koreans on the Yangtze River last time!"
(End of this chapter)
Seeing this, Li Zhen, Shi Naian and others all stared wide-eyed, not knowing what Zhu Han was going to do again.
"good, very good!"
Zhu Han smiled and distributed the fruit wine in the wine jar to everyone.
After a few people took a sip with curiosity, they all showed surprise expressions.
"Good wine!"
"Exquisite wine!"
"Mother, it's not bitter at all!"
"The fine wine in Jinling City is not as smooth as this."
All of a sudden, several people were overwhelmed by this jar of wine.
They asked Zhu Han one after another, what kind of magic was used to turn the originally bitter and cheap fruit wine into such a delicious wine.
Zhu Han smiled slightly and raised the glycerin bottle in his hand.
"Didn't you see it, it's just relying on this thing."
The tannins in fruit wine will be quickly absorbed and transformed when they encounter glycerin, so that the bitter taste will no longer be produced.
Moreover, glycerin itself has a slightly sweet taste, and it can also make the wine have a good hanging effect.
If some essence is added, it is completely the way of the industrial wine-making method of later generations.
Shi Naian, Li Zhen and other old drinkers are full of praise for this fine wine.
"Qiwu, if it's that simple, then we're not going to get rich!" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said suddenly.
Afterwards, he made a calculation for Zhu Han. Today, a jar of low-quality fruit wine in Jiangnan is only fifty or sixty yuan a jar, while the same fine wine from a restaurant costs at least five or six hundred yuan.
"Five or six hundred cash is the cheapest thing. It's a lot of fine wine that costs a few taels of silver." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
As the general commercial representative of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army, every time the second brother-in-law Li Zhen went to the south of the Yangtze River, he was served with the best delicacies, and he had already developed a great skill in taste.
"Just a few drops of glycerin can turn the boatman's bad wine into a wine worth dozens of times his net worth. This is more profitable than selling table salt." Shi Naian couldn't help but exclaimed.
Shi Naian always felt that Zhu Han's various means of making money were about the same, and he couldn't come up with any new tricks, but Zhu Han was always able to play more powerful tricks.
For example, it's just chatting and drinking now, and it's easy to come up with a big killer that turns bad wine into good wine.
"Haha, sir is right. We can purchase drinks from Jiangnan, and then process and transfer them over. We can always earn a difference of ten times the price." Zhu Han said.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Fortunately, he had a senior drinking experience before, which gave him some knowledge, otherwise he would never have thought of this idea.
This matter is naturally left to the second brother-in-law Li Zhen to handle it.
Second brother-in-law Li Zhen took the white porcelain bottle of glycerin in her hand, but her face was serious like never before, which even made Zhu Han feel a trace of murderous intent.
"What happened to the second brother-in-law?" Zhu Han couldn't help asking.
"Qiwu, with such a secret method, do you know that there are too many people?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said, and then pouted at the boatmen and boys beside him.
Zhu Han was immediately taken aback by the second brother-in-law's thoughts.
But he could see that the second brother-in-law actually wanted to get rid of these lowly people in order to keep it secret.
"A little bit of business experience won't kill people," Zhu Han said.
At this time, the faces of several boatmen and servants beside them were also pale with fright, and they all knelt down and kowtowed to beg for forgiveness.
"My lord, please forgive me, the villain doesn't understand anything."
"Forgive me, the villain didn't see anything."
Regarding their begging for mercy, Zhu Han waved his hand to reassure them.
At this time, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen changed into his original simple and honest appearance. He scratched his scalp and said with some embarrassment: "Qiwu, it's not that I'm cruel, I'm really afraid that you will suffer."
Zhu Han smiled slightly, naturally he knew what his second brother-in-law was thinking.
The second brother-in-law basically thinks about his elder brother Zhu Yuanzhang and himself in everything he does. Zhu Han can understand that he has some excessive methods and ideas.
The mighty Chuzhou merchant fleet entered the vicinity of Jiqing soon after entering the Yangtze River.
Some of the ships separated and went straight to Jiqing City.
The other part continued to sail eastward with Zhu Han and Li Zhen, then continued to enter the canal, and entered Suzhou after several sailings.
"People say that there is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. The market in Suzhou is indeed much more prosperous."
Early in the morning, Zhu Han stood at the bow of the boat and started admiring the Jiangnan scenery in front of him.
The so-called most affluent place in the south of the Yangtze River, the population and housing in Suzhou are definitely incomparable to Chuzhou.
Even, Suzhou in this era can be an existence beyond Jiqing Jinling City.
Hearing Zhu Han's emotion, Shi Naian also walked out of the cabin.
"Deputy Marshal, the scenery along the river you see is the best side of Suzhou. In fact, the people's livelihood in the city behind is completely incomparable with Chuzhou today." Shi Naian said.
What he said was definitely not flattery, but truly said from the bottom of his heart.
Sure enough, Zhu Han and the others soon saw the poverty behind the bustling market.
Not long after their fleet entered the canal, there was a headwind in the sky.
With a slight headwind on the smooth water, it was impossible to sail forward immediately, and even sailing was not much faster than a turtle crawling.
However, the water surface on the canal is narrow, and it is impossible to zigzag on it to take advantage of the wind and go retrograde.
"I'll arrange for someone to find the tracker."
Regarding this situation, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen already had experience.
As the fleet docked by the canal, Zhu Han and others also took this opportunity to go ashore. Anyway, it was almost dark, and staying in an inn on the shore was much better than staying in a narrow cabin.
Moreover, old Mr. Shi Naian seemed to be very familiar with the local market, and soon guided a magnificent inn and restaurant, which was full of guests.
Zhu Han looked at the artists singing the melody below the restaurant, and couldn't help guessing what Shi Naian was thinking.
"Unexpectedly, Mr. is still a man of temperament." Zhu Han joked.
Ever since entering this restaurant, Shi Naian's eyes have been fixed on the women who sang the melody.
"The proprietor doesn't know, but the stories of Da Song Xuan and Liangshan sung by these strange women are truly unique."
Zhu Han listened to a few words, and it was indeed a story similar to Water Margin.
From this point of view, Mr. Shi Naian is here to collect creative inspiration.
Zhu Han didn't understand these dialect tunes very well, and soon lost interest, so he took Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others back to the side of the canal to see how the trackers were doing.
When Zhu Han came to the edge of the canal, he saw a very spectacular scene.
About hundreds of trackers in ragged clothes gathered on the edge of the canal. They dragged long ropes and began to tie the ropes on the edge of the canal.
"Qiwu, why are you here?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen came up to meet her.
"Second brother-in-law, are they all the trackers you found?" Zhu Han asked.
"Yeah, I've already asked, it's been against the wind recently, so we can't do without trackers, and we are a big ship, so many trackers are indispensable." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
Zhu Han's merchant fleet is all large ships, and each ship needs at least a dozen trackers to withstand the wind and headwind.
"These people are so thin, can they really pull a big boat?" Zhu Han felt a little shocked.
Because the trackers in front of them, no matter their age or age, all looked lean and lean. Many of them were barefoot and naked, with only a pair of tattered trousers on their legs, and the bones on their bodies were clearly visible.
Zhu Han always felt that the tracker had to be strong at least, not to mention being covered in tendons, and he couldn't have such a pitiful appearance.
"Don't worry, they look thin, and their strength is not bad. Even if they are not strong enough, we can hire more trackers. Anyway, these trackers are very cheap." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
"Oh, how much does it cost to hire a tracker?" Zhu Han asked.
"Looking at the itinerary and time, these people are worth a hundred coins." Li Zhen said.
"One hundred Wen, so cheap? Meal included?" Zhu Han asked.
"It's just a hundred coins, eat and sleep and figure out what to do." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
Sure enough, after seeing several trackers tied up the ropes, Zhu Han took out some straw mats and found a secluded place to sleep.
"Prices in the south of the Yangtze River are so expensive, I'm afraid one hundred Wen is just enough to eat." Zhu Han couldn't help but said.
For these trackers, Zhu Han is really not worth it.
Ordinary soldiers in Chuzhou, even the lowest-ranking soldiers, are paid one hundred yuan a day, and they have three meals a day, as well as monthly vegetable money, and cloth shoes and socks every season.
Counting all the fights, the salary of a small soldier is several times that of a tracker.
"Such a good man, how about serving as a soldier?" Zhu Han asked his second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
Li Zhen shook her head and said: "It's not that easy to be a soldier and eat food. I'm afraid they won't dare to work hard."
Zhu Han understood that these trackers always felt that there was a job to fool their stomachs, and no one was willing to work hard as a soldier.
However, Zhu Han was a kind-hearted person. Seeing how pitiful these trackers were, he said to his second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
"Second brother-in-law, send someone to buy some food and give them a full meal, otherwise I'm afraid they won't be able to handle it tomorrow." Zhu Han said.
Second brother-in-law Li Zhen is also a kind-hearted person, so she nodded quickly and said.
"Okay, then I'll send someone to buy some rice with pickles."
Then, not long after, the guys from some shops bought back a lot of meals.
While calling the trackers on the left and right to eat, they arranged the order of queuing.
These trackers were all in order, which surprised Zhu Han.
Because according to Zhu Han's knowledge, people at the bottom of today's era have many shortcomings, the biggest of which is that the order is not strong enough.
Not to mention ordinary queuing, even if someone taught them to line up, it would take a long time to work.
Many farmers in Chuzhou had this shortcoming when they were migrant workers.
He couldn't help being surprised that the trackers in front of him lined up very cooperatively.
"These trackers all come from different backgrounds, and they pay attention to the same pace when pulling the track. Although their order is not very good, they have long been accustomed to this simple queue." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said .
Zhu Han immediately understood that when stretching, he should pay attention to his strength and line up tall, short, fat, and thin, otherwise he would not be able to display his respective strengths.
"So, they are really good candidates to serve as soldiers." Zhu Han said with emotion.
These hard-working trackers swallowed their saliva one by one when they saw that there was free food to eat.
When they got the food, they all gobbled it up.
After eating, many trackers kowtowed and bowed in the direction of their second brother-in-law Li Zhen, thanking such a good and kind customer.
Many people still had tears in their eyes, it was obvious that they hadn't had such a hearty meal for a long time.
Zhu Han quietly walked around the trackers and began to chat intentionally or unintentionally.
After talking for a while, Zhu Han was even more surprised by the news he got.
"One hundred coins, but only sixty coins in hand?" Zhu Han was almost surprised and angry when he heard what the trackers said.
A tracker in his 30s sighed with a bitter expression on his face and said, "Oh, if you don't pay the [-] Wen, then you won't be able to eat this bowl of rice again. We have nothing to do." what."
"Forty Wen can feed two mouths, and it's just feeding those bastards for nothing!"
"It's fine if it's the job given by the dentist, but they don't do anything, they just take [-]% of the money!"
After these trackers have won the business themselves, they must hand over [-]% of the income to the local local snakes as the rules of the industry.
Zhu Han originally thought that the income of the trackers was not high, but now there are still some people who want to eat [-]% of their wages, and he immediately complained for them.
"It's such a hard job, and there are still people who want to drink blood, why not do something else?" Zhu Han said.
The trackers all said helplessly: "We are all foreigners, and we don't have any skills. Apart from our strength, we have nothing else to do."
"If you don't work as a tracker, you will really starve to death."
Zhu Han learned a little more about the existence of these trackers.
The work of the trackers is extremely hard, and there is no guarantee. Once they are sick or injured, they basically cut off the food and livelihood of the whole family. Many trackers dare not rest after suffering from illness, and would rather die of illness than starve to death.
Sure enough, Zhu Han saw a few people with sallow complexions among the trackers, who were obviously malnourished and suffering from diseases.
Even if Zhu Han wanted to take care of so many pitiful things, he still couldn't take care of them.
"Seventh Five-Year, everyone has their own destiny, so don't worry too much about it. Even if you take care of food and drink today, when we leave, they will continue to suffer haha." The second brother-in-law Li Zhen enlightened.
"If we win Jiangnan in the future, we must change the fate of thousands of poor people!" Zhu Han said.
"If you are so ambitious, I believe you can do it." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said sincerely.
When Zhu Han and the others were about to leave, they saw a tracker lying on the ground frowning and making pained noises.
"What happened to him?" Zhu Han couldn't help asking.
A leader-like tracker hurriedly said: "Returning to the master, the sole of his foot was pierced two days ago. I don't know why it's not good, and he has abscess and fever."
Seeing Zhu Han's solemn expression, the lead tracker thought it was because the employer disliked the injured tracker for eating rice and receiving money, so he hurriedly bowed and said, "If the master doesn't like it, then I will change someone else, and I will definitely not delay the master's towing schedule."
Zhu Han waved his hand and interrupted him.
I saw Zhu Han coming forward, ignoring the dirty clothes on the injured tracker, carefully inspecting the soles of his injured feet.
A wound about an inch wide was on the sole of the foot, and it was already very red and swollen. It was obvious that the infection had caused a high fever.
If it is normal, such a severe bacterial infection basically depends on one's destiny. Once one's immune system cannot kill the bacterial infection, it is basically waiting to die.
Zhu Han was afraid that the life in front of him would not survive him, so he took out the small medicine bottle that he carried with him, which contained some sealed antibiotic tablets.
According to people's drug resistance today, a few tenths of the conventional drug dosage in later generations is already enough.
Zhu Han poured out a capsule, ordered someone to bring a bowl of cold boiled water, dissolved a little powder, and then gave the injured tracker to drink it.
Afterwards, he called another clerk from the firm, instructed the dosage and time of the medicine, and took it again after a few hours.
Seeing this, the trackers around did not know the curative effect, but they were all very grateful for Zhu Han's behavior of helping a tracker regardless of the mess.
Zhu Han and the others didn't talk to the trackers any more, they left the pier and returned to the inn.
After the group ordered meals, they each ate and went back to their rooms to sleep.
Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others took turns to be on guard until the next day when Zhu Han got up comfortably.
Zhu Han is now at the age of rapid growth, and he always feels that he doesn't get enough sleep every day.
After breakfast, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen urged her to leave.
When they came to the pier on the canal, they saw that the trackers had already pulled up their ropes and were ready to start at any time.
"Get on board." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
At this moment, there was a commotion nearby.
Zhu Han turned his head and saw a tall tracker who wanted to approach, but was stopped by Chen Baodao's guards.
"What does he want to do?" Zhu Han asked.
Chen Baodao rushed over to inquire, and quickly came back and replied, "My lord, he said that you saved his life yesterday, so he wants to come over and kowtow to you."
"Oh?"
Zhu Han guessed that it should be the tracker who was injured yesterday. Looking at his actions today, he should have recovered from his fever.
"Go and tell him that you don't need to kowtow, just take medicine to heal your wounds." Zhu Han ordered.
Accepting a man's kowtow in public, Zhu Han didn't think there was any face.
However, that man was very stubborn and still insisted on coming over to kowtow to thank him.
After Zhu Han found out, he simply followed his wish.
"Okay then, let him come over."
Soon, the tall and thin man came in front of Zhu Han, knelt down on the ground without saying a word, and kowtowed three times to Zhu Han.
"Zhang Dingbian is very grateful to the nobleman for saving his life. In the future, he will be a cow and a horse, and he will repay the nobleman!"
Zhu Han didn't pay attention at first, but when he heard the name, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Wait, what did you say your name is?"
"The villain's name is Zhang Dingbian!"
As soon as Zhu Han heard the name, he was immediately surprised to see
"What? You call me Zhang Dingbian?"
"Yes, the villain is called Zhang Dingbian."
Li Zhen, the second brother-in-law next to her, asked, "You actually have a decent name, and you originally came from a good family?"
Zhang Ding smiled wryly, and then said: "The villain's family was originally a wealthy businessman from Jinghu, but he was added to Zhongluo later, and he had to offend his enemies, so he fell to the current situation."
Zhu Han is still not sure whether he is the fierce Zhang Dingbian in history.
Zhang Dingbian in history was the number one general under Chen Youliang. During the Battle of Poyang Lake, Zhang Dingbian swooped on Zhu Yuanzhang's base camp ship alone, almost scaring Zhu Yuanzhang into retreat on the spot.
Later, fortunately, Chang Yuchun shot Zhang Dingbian with an arrow, and Zhang Dingbian had to retreat, which saved Zhu Yuanzhang's life.
If the tracker Zhang Dingbian in front of him is really the fierce Zhang Dingbian in history, he will make a lot of money.
"Since this is the case, you should have learned writing, right? Why are you doing the job of a tracker and not looking for another serious job?" Zhu Han asked.
"To be honest, the villain's talent is really not a talent, it can barely be regarded as a rough writing. There are a lot of people in the south of the Yangtze River. With my little ability, I am not even qualified to write letters for others. Not long ago, the coils I had on my body were clean, so I had to work as a tracker." Zhang Dingbian said with a weeping laugh.
As the saying goes, a penny is not a hero.
"Haha, okay, it seems that you are still a free and easy guy! Why don't you follow me in the future? I think you are very strong, so you must have practiced some kung fu?" Zhu Han asked.
Zhang Dingbian nodded quickly and said: "The villain's family originally invited a martial artist to teach Kung Fu. It is true that there are some fists and feet of a triangular cat. As for guns and sticks, I know a little bit."
"Haha, that's right, don't be a tracker from now on, just follow me as a bodyguard." Zhu Han was already seventy-eight percent sure that the Zhang Dingbian in front of him should be the fierce general in history.
"Villain dare, sir, you should not be businessmen, right?" Zhang Dingbian said suddenly.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Zhu Han smiled and looked at Zhang Dingbian with great interest.
The second brother-in-law Li Zhen and the others next to her looked nervous for a while.
"There is no other reason. I just saw that these brothers walk with extraordinary vigor and have thick calluses on their hands. It can be seen that they have been holding knives and bows and arrows for many years." Zhang Dingbian pointed to Chen Baodao next to him. The others said.
"Where did the thief dare to spy on us!" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen was furious.
The red scarf army in Jiangbei colluded with the officials and merchants of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and the business of smuggling and selling salt has long been a secret known to everyone, but right now this is the territory of the Mongolian and Yuan courts. Get them in trouble.
So second brother-in-law, you really want Zhu Han to drive this Zhang Dingbian away, so naturally you have to try your best to deny his statement.
"Hahaha, it's okay, it's okay!" Zhu Han didn't care.
Along the way, I have basically never seen the officers and soldiers of the Mongolian and Yuan courts, patrol inspections, etc., so there is no need to worry about the Mongolian and Yuan officers and soldiers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces looking for trouble.
The guards accompanied by Zhu Han were extremely powerful. Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others alone were enough to protect Zhu Han from any danger safely.
What's more, Zhu Han also has a repeating pistol hidden with him, which is a one-shot kill for any elite soldier in this era.
They are currently in a hidden location, and the rest of the trackers can only see the conversation inside. They don't know what Zhu Han and Zhang Dingbian are talking about.
"My lord is really bold!" Zhang Dingbian said with a smile.
"Strong man, do you dare to board the boat with me?" Zhu Han asked.
"Why don't you dare, my lord please first." Zhang Dingbian said.
Zhu Han himself boarded the boat first, and the others followed.
After a while, Zhu Han revealed that he was from Chuzhou, and that his identity was an official of the Marshal's Mansion doing business for the Red Scarf Army. He thought that Zhang Dingbian would be surprised first.
But from Zhang Dingbian's face, Zhu Han was surprised that he didn't see it, but he was surprised to see a lot.
"What? You are from Chuzhou, so you must have met Commander Zhu Longxing, right?" Zhang Dingbian asked.
"Haha, there's no such thing as Zhu Longxing. The only commander in Jiangbei is Zhu Yuanzhang. What Zhu Longxing is, it's just something from an opera script." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Various operas and miscellaneous operas of the Jiangbei Red Army have already been spread to the Jiangnan area through various channels.
Especially since Zhu Yuanzhang killed Emperor Meng Yuan and annihilated a million troops of the Yuan Dynasty, the prestige of Marshal Zhu Longxing has been known to everyone in the south of the Yangtze River.
"Since you are from Hubei, do you know the local culture and customs of Hubei?" Zhu Han asked immediately.
"The villain naturally knows, not only does he know, but he is quite familiar with it. When the villain's family was well-off, he often went out to visit mountains and rivers, so he was well-informed." Zhang Dingbian said.
Afterwards, Zhang Dingbian talked to Zhu Han about the humanities and customs of Hubei, the characteristics of each state or county, how many dangerous mountains and rivers there are, what kind of troops are stationed, and where are the fortresses. dictation came out.
Zhu Han felt in his heart that he really found a treasure.
Many scholars may not have the experience of traveling in mountains and rivers like Zhang Dingbian's.
In ancient times, all kinds of mountain and river geography and maps were important military and political secrets. Ordinary scholars would not study these things at all, and for ordinary people, even if they wanted to study local customs and mountain and river geography, It is also impossible to start.
No matter how big or small a bookstore or Zangshuge is, there are no accurate atlases at all. If you can get a geography talent like Zhang Dingbian, it will naturally be of great help to Zhu Han when he explores the Hubei area in the future.
However, after all, Zhang Dingbian had just been recruited by him, and many things such as loyalty and reliability still needed to be tested.
Moreover, Zhang Dingbian's body had just been injured, although the high fever had subsided, but he was still a little weak, Zhu Han took out some pills from his bosom again.
"These are my magic pills from Chuzhou. You only need to take two days for the wounds on your body to heal completely," Zhu Han said.
"Thank you for the miraculous medicine that my lord rewarded."
Zhu Han ordered someone to take Zhang Dingbian down to rest, change him into suitable clothes, prepare some delicious meals for him, and let him recuperate on another ship.
As for how to use this talent specifically, Zhu Han decided to make a decision after returning to Chuzhou.
After more than a day of dragging by the trackers, the Zhu Han merchant fleet quickly entered the canal commercial port in Suzhou.
The trade between Jiangbei Red Turban Army and Jiangnan is not limited to Jiqing Jinling Mansion. There are also fixed shops in Suzhou, which are specially used to sell Jiangbei special products such as salt and sugar.
The group of people had just arrived on the shore of the commercial port, and someone immediately greeted them.
"The villain pays homage to Master Shi." A businessman who looked like he was in charge.
"This person is a shopkeeper of the Shen family in Suzhou." Shi Naian said to Zhu Han.
"So that's the case, then let him lead the way, let's go directly to visit that Boss Shen!"
Soon, Zhu Han and his party came to a manor from a carriage.
Just from the outside, this manor has a simple temperament, but when all kinds of simple elements are matched together, it looks full of extravagance.
"Sure enough, Suzhou gardens are the best in the world." Zhu Han saw the subtlety of this garden at a glance.
"Boss, you really have extraordinary vision." Shi Naian said in admiration.
This kind of garden design that emphasizes wealth and nobility in simplicity, ordinary rural rich people can't appreciate the subtlety of it. Zhu Han was born in a poor beggar, and Shi Naian is surprised that he can have such a high taste now. .
A group of people entered the gate of the manor through the middle gate.
A middle-aged man in his 40s was already waiting with a few people.
"Mr. Shi is here, and Shen Fu has not come out to meet him. It is really a crime, a crime!" The person who spoke was naturally Shen Wansan.
Zhu Han took a closer look, and found that the three sons of Shen Wan generally looked a bit simple and honest, not the kind of profiteer who exuded the temperament of a philistine.
Shen Wansan regarded Shi Naian as the leader, so Shi Naian naturally retreated to the back row quickly, showing Zhu Han's position.
"Who is this?" Shen Wansan asked hastily.
"This is our deputy commander!"
Shi Naian said.
"Deputy Commander?" Shen Wansan was surprised.
Shen Wansan already knew the prestige of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army, and the reputation of their commander-in-chief Zhu Yuanzhang and deputy commander Zhu Han was naturally familiar.
Seeing that the young man in front of him turned out to be the deputy commander of the Red Scarf Army who shocked Jiangbei, Shen Wansan couldn't help being horrified.
"I'm Zhu Han here, and I'm here to visit Shopkeeper Shen!" Zhu Han smiled slightly.
Only then did Shen Wansan come back to his senses, and quickly invited Zhu Han and others inside.
After some politeness, Shen Wansan finally confirmed the purpose of Zhu Han's visit.
"Shopkeeper Shen, we have a lot of products that are very profitable. If we can operate as a joint venture in Chuzhou, you will definitely make a lot of money. At least one million taels of silver a year should not be a problem," Zhu Han said.
In what he said just now, he has clearly stated that he needs silver and craftsmen.
For a veteran in shopping malls like Shen Wansan, there is no need to beat around the bush, the best way is to directly state the benefits.
"To be honest, I also want to make money, but, but,,,." Shen Wansan showed a embarrassed expression.
Zhu Han thought he was afraid of being accused by the Mengyuan government, and said with a smile: "The Mongolian officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are already paper tigers. As long as they cooperate with us, Bolu and others dare not say a word."
"No, no, I'm not worried about this." Shen Wansan waved his hand and said.
"Then what is Shopkeeper Shen worried about?" Zhu Han asked suspiciously.
Shen Wansan glanced at Shi Naian, and then said helplessly.
"To be honest, Suzhou is no longer the Suzhou it used to be!"
Zhu Yao was puzzled when he heard this, and he glanced at Shi Naian, who also looked puzzled.
Shi Naian asked, "Why did you say that?"
Shen Wansan sighed and said: "Nowadays, Bolu and the others have exhausted all their means. Not only have they monopolized the business of salt, iron, tea and wine, but they have also imposed heavy taxes on us businessmen!"
Zhu Han had also heard about this situation.
Bolu and other Meng Yuan officials knew that Meng Yuan Qi would not last long, and in order to ensure a happy life in the future, they all tried their best to collect money.
Moreover, some of the food, grass and taxes of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army also came from the filial piety and tribute of Bolu and others.
Where the money came from, you don't even have to think about it.
"What kind of heavy taxation is it?" Zhu Han asked curiously.
"It's just a commercial tax, and it has been collected for three years. I heard that because of the extermination of the pirate Fang Guozhen in eastern Zhejiang, it is planned to collect the tax for the next three years. It's the 13th year, but the tax has been collected for the 23rd year!" Shen Wansan said with a sigh.
"What, tax collection in advance?" Shi Naian showed a shocked expression.
Zhu Han also felt that this situation was very magical.
Now that the Dayuan is dying, even the emperor is belching farts, and the Zhizheng reign is over, but the tax has been collected for the 23rd year of Zhizheng.
"This Bolu is really fucking talented." Zhu Han couldn't help complaining.
"So, someone in Suzhou has already suggested that we want to contact the surrounding state capitals and raise troops to fight against Yuan together!" Shen Wansan said suddenly in a low voice.
As soon as these words came out, Zhu Han, Shi Naian and others were taken aback.
"What, you plan to raise your own troops against Yuan?" Shi Naian was surprised.
He never imagined that these businessmen in the Susong area would have such courage.
"Is it because you want to rebel because you don't pay taxes?" Zhu Han was also speechless.
It is really a tradition since ancient times that the gentry and merchants in the south of the Yangtze River resisted taxes.
Once Shen Wansan and the others rebelled against the Yuan and the tax, the manpower they relied on would naturally be their servant craftsmen.
In this way, no matter how profitable Chuzhou's business is, it is impossible to invest in shares.
"Then what are your chances of winning?" Shi Naian asked curiously.
Merchants lead troops to fight, but this has never been heard of since ancient times.
"If you have money and someone, you have a five-point chance. In addition, the Mengyuan government's military strength is weak, so it should be possible to add another [-]%. Besides, our requirements are not high, just to maintain peace in Suzhou." Shen Wansan said.
It turned out that the businessmen in the Suzhou area had seen through the weakness of the Mengyuan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang government, and they had no choice but to send people to collect taxes.
"Jiangnan's taxes are actually not that high, even if it is taxed for ten years, it is not unbearable." Shen Wansan continued.
"Then why did you rebel?" Shi Naian asked.
"It's really because the various tax officials in the south of the Yangtze River are really greedy. After increasing the tax, the original tax of one tael has become five taels of silver when it is actually collected!"
Most of the officials in the Mongolian and Yuan courts who collected taxes in various places were second-class people.
These outsiders from the Western Regions are all loyal lackeys of Mongolia, and they are also from various Central Asian ethnic groups with business traditions. Various dirty means of making money emerge in endlessly.
It is already a great conscience discovery for the Semu tax collector to increase the tax from one tael of silver to five taels of silver.
For the taxation of ordinary people, it can be more than ten times higher.
Before the poor in Huaixi went bankrupt, they were basically exploited by the Semu tax officials.
Zhu Han's father was forced to death back then, which was the masterpiece of the Semu tax official.
"Everyone should kill these perverts." Zhu Han nodded.
"Yes, this time we plan to fight against taxes, the first thing is to get rid of these perverts, burn their black accounts, and get back the money they have accumulated through corruption." Shen Wansan said.
In fact, this is also a half-truth.
The Suzhou businessmen are too powerful, and they are already dissatisfied with the Semuren riding on their heads and dominating them.
Now that the Mongols are dying, they naturally want revenge.
"Shopkeeper Shen, if you tell me about such an important matter, aren't you afraid of leaking the secret?"
Zhu Han suddenly asked.
Shen Wansan laughed and said: "Deputy Commander, to tell the truth, we raise our troops this time, but we intend to attack your banner, please don't refuse the Deputy Commander."
When Zhu Han heard this, he was a little surprised.
These business groups in Suzhou are really bold enough.
If it is a general anti-tax rebellion, once the Mongolian Yuan counterattacks in the future, a few scapegoats can be thrown out.
But if you play the banner of the Red Scarf Army, you will have to go all the way to the dark.
Shen Wansan and the others are well-known businessmen all over the world, and they are well-informed. They have already judged that the Red Scarf Army can overthrow Meng Yuan, so they have such calculations.
"Then what else do you need?" Zhu Han asked.
His purpose is to want Shen Wansan's money and manpower, as long as Shen Wansan needs something, it can be used for trading.
Sure enough, Shen Wansan's subsequent words fell right into Zhu Han's arms.
"Deputy Commander, to be honest, we Suzhou children rarely see swordsmen. If it is really a normal battle, it is difficult to practice. I heard that the Deputy Commander has a kind of big fire gun in his hand, which can destroy hundreds of steps in one shot. Emperor Meng Yuan also Died under this kind of fire?" Shen Wansan said.
When Zhu Han heard this, he immediately became happy.
"Cannon, so you want cannon!"
"That's right, it's artillery. We use it to defend the city. With this sharp weapon, we can have no fear of the Mongolian and Yuan officers and soldiers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces." Shen Wansan said.
The current military strength of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces is actually very pitiful, with a total strength of only seven or eight thousand troops.
But these soldiers and horses are already a terrible force for Suzhou.
Zhu Han was thinking in his heart, anyway, he had made a big plan to enter the south of the Yangtze River soon, and letting Shen Wansan and the others make a fuss in the Suzhou area was also a signal to the whole Jiangsu and Zhejiang that Meng Yuanqi was exhausted.
"Yes! I can sell the artillery to you!" Zhu Han said with a smile.
Shen Wansan was immediately surprised.
"Deputy commander, really!?"
Zhu Han nodded, and then said, "I can sell the artillery to you, but I have two conditions, which I need you to agree to!"
"No matter what the conditions are, the deputy commander-in-chief just speak up!" Shen Wansan said.
"The first condition is to give me [-] craftsmen, mainly engraving, printing, blacksmithing, etc., and I will make a list for you when the time comes," Zhu Han said.
"Yes, yes!" Shen Wansan nodded happily and agreed.
The craftsmen of the Suzhou merchants are in their hands, and they want to serve as a strong army. If they have powerful artillery, a thousand craftsmen are nothing.
"Oh, these craftsmen are not paid for cannons. You need to pay for the cannons separately." Zhu Han reminded again.
"Understood, understood!" Shen Wansan agreed without hesitation.
"The price of a cannon is actually not expensive, at most it is ten thousand taels of silver, and a smaller cannon may be only a few thousand taels of silver." Zhu Han immediately threw out an approximate price.
Shen Wansan frowned when he heard the price.
The price is really expensive, but it is still within an acceptable range.
After all, as long as the Semu tax officials in Suzhou and Changzhou were eaten up, the money obtained would definitely be enough.
"Not expensive, not expensive." Shen Wansan nodded quickly.
Zhu Han was very satisfied with Shen Wansan's attitude.
This is simply great, there is no need for such troublesome cooperation and shareholding, all you need to do is sell arms!
What kind of craftsman, what kind of silver, didn't they come here in a hurry.
"As for the second condition, it's actually simpler." Zhu Han smiled again.
Shen Wansan hurriedly asked: "Deputy Marshal, please tell me."
"When you raise troops in Suzhou, don't use my Red Scarf Army, oh no, you probably can't use the names of our brothers." Zhu Han said.
"What? The deputy commander is serious?" Shen Wansan didn't quite understand.
If the Suzhou merchant group raises troops and uses the banner of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han brothers, it will strengthen the prestige of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han brothers.
It is the most cost-effective thing to gain another reputation without spending a penny.
Why did Zhu Han refuse to agree?
Regarding Shen Wansan's doubts, Zhu Han smiled and said: "To be honest, we have reached an agreement with Pingzhang Bolu of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. He pays the redemption fee and monthly filial money. It has been less than a year since you invaded Jiangnan, if you use our banner to raise troops in Suzhou, you will break the contract, and you will stand without trust." Zhu Han looked serious.
Shen Wansan was shocked immediately.
He didn't expect that Zhu Han, a general of the Red Turban Army, would be so trusting with the enemy.
For businessmen, letter is simply the number one advantage.
Shen Wansan immediately burst into flattery and praise from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, the real reason for Zhu Han's lack of preparation was that he could not guarantee the smooth acceptance of the powers of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
After this conversation, although Zhu Han refused to join the Suzhou Rebels, he provided extremely considerable military assistance.
Overjoyed, Shen Wan sent someone to notify several other big businessmen Hao Qiang overnight, and asked them to come to his home to pay a visit to Zhu Han, the leader of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army.
Everyone was bragging and flattering the young Zhu Han as much as possible, lest Zhu Han would renege on his promise and refuse to sell the artillery to them.
Zhu Han and the others simply lived in Shen Wansan's home, and after the banquet was over, they just went back to prepare to rest.
The second brother-in-law Li Zhen and Shi Naian approached him worriedly.
"Qiwu, artillery, do you really want to sell Shen Wansan and the others?"
"Deputy Marshal, how can you easily sell a military weapon to someone else?"
For the two of them, the artillery of the Red Turban Army was more effective than the [-] troops.
Not to mention that it was for a few hundred thousand taels of silver, even if it was a million taels of silver, they couldn't sell it.
Who knows if those Suzhou businessmen will fight against the Red Scarf Army in the future.
"Haha, I have already thought of the worries of you two."
Zhu Han calmly invited his second brother-in-law Li Zhen and Shi Naian to sit down.
Then, Zhu Hancai continued slowly.
"Our artillery, whether it is made or the gunpowder used, is unparalleled in the world. Even if they want to imitate it, they can't make it. Why not sell it to them?"
Hearing this, although the second brother-in-law Li Zhen felt that it made sense, she was a little bit reluctant.
"Qiwu, even if this is the case, then we sell the cannons too cheaply, so we have to buy them for tens of thousands of taels of silver. Your most expensive cannon is only [-] taels of silver. " Li Zhen said.
"Master Li is right. Shen Wansan, the richest man in Suzhou, has a fortune of tens of millions. What's more, if more than a dozen rich men join forces, they must be able to afford such money." Shi Naian said.
Zhu Han immediately showed a treacherous smile when he heard the words.
"Hey, you think I'm selling it cheap, that's because you only see our cannons are cheap, and the real expensive thing is not this cannon." Zhu Han said.
"Oh, what is that?" Li Zhen hurriedly asked.
"Ammunition! Whether it's our new gunpowder or the matching gun mounts, they are all consumables. As long as they want to use the artillery, they must buy these things. Otherwise, the artillery is just a bunch of decorations in their hands. It looks fancy but not useful, and even if they use their homemade gunpowder, the power is far inferior." Zhu Han laughed.
Li Zhen and Shi Naian finally understood that Zhu Han is a complete profiteer.
The one-shot deal made Zhu Han a long-term business.
Afterwards, Zhu Han talked about his plan, that each cannon would give away ten rounds of ammunition, and the next cannon ammunition would be sold to Shen Wansan and the others at fifty times the cost price.
"Tsk tsk, isn't that the ammunition for a cannon, which costs ten taels of silver for a cannon?" Li Zhen was speechless for a while.
"What is ten taels of silver for a cannon? Anyway, everyone in the world knows that the emperor of the Mongol Tartars was killed by our artillery. Such a powerful artillery costs ten taels of silver. Whether you like it or not," Zhu Han said.
Calculated in this way, all the cannons that Shen Wansan and the others bought have turned into money-burning gold-swallowing beasts.
If these giant gold-swallowing beasts were to exert their power, they would have to continuously send money to Zhu Han.
In order to guarantee his business reputation, Zhu Han sent someone to take a fast boat to deliver a letter to Longhaiwei not far away, and he dispatched ten small three-pound guns by virtue of military orders.
This kind of small artillery has a small and compact structure, and it is very effective in killing infantry when it is placed on the city wall of the manor.
Shen Wansan and the others immediately became ecstatic when they saw these cannons.
These seemingly small cannons are much easier to use than the various bulky cannons that are common today.
And in terms of power, it is not weaker than those big guys who can easily weigh a thousand catties.
After some testing, ten three-pound guns were bought by Shen Wansan and others at a price of 5 taels of silver.
They also kept their promise, and dispatched [-] craftsmen from various workshops to Zhu Han on the spot.
The remaining craftsmen will naturally have to be selected slowly, but Zhu Han pays more attention to the quality of craftsmen.
After getting along for a while, Zhu Han immediately became friends with Shen Wansan and other wealthy people in Suzhou.
Shen Wansan and the others all felt that when the Red Scarf Army took over the world, the Zhu Han brothers must be protected by high-ranking officials such as the prime minister and marshal.
this day.
After Zhu Han wandered around the city of Suzhou and collected a lot of local customs and culture, he had just returned to his residence when someone came to visit him immediately.
The person who came was Zhou Gushan, the head of the Zhou family, a big family in Suzhou.
As a wealthy family in Suzhou, although Zhou Gushan is not as famous as Shen Wansan, he is not weaker than Shen Wansan in terms of property strength.
"Deputy Commander, Mr. Zhou came here to make a request!" Zhou Gushan said politely.
"Brother Zhou, you are being polite. If you have anything to say, feel free to say it." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Zhu Han still had a very good impression of Zhou Gushan.
Shopkeeper Zhou Da is generous and has never been stingy. He came to visit today not only brought hundreds of expensive silks and satins, but also a golden Buddha, and four beautiful and stunning singers.
"Deputy Marshal, to be honest, Zhou's family has some maritime business, and they often encounter pirates and water bandits, and they often suffer heavy losses." Zhou Gushan said with a sigh.
"Oh, brother Zhou thought, what can I do to help?" Zhu Han said.
In fact, Zhou Gushan is almost 50 years old, and his grandsons are all in their teens and are as old as Zhu Han, but they can only be compared with Zhu Han's peers.
"Deputy Marshal, I know you have a new type of ship, the one that defeated the Koreans on the Yangtze River last time!"
(End of this chapter)
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