choke element

Lu Wu took the porcelain cup and presented it to Zhou Keshan.

Zhou Keshan looked at the porcelain cup, but did not take it for a long time.

Lu Wu was also very patient, so he kept holding it.But he is a frail scholar, with very slender arms, he raised it out of thin air for a while, and slowly his hands trembled, and the wine was sloshing.

He frowned, showing dissatisfaction: "Mr. Zhou, you have money on hand, why bother?"

Zhou Keshan sighed deeply, and finally took the porcelain cup.

After drinking this glass of wine, the next step is to lose money greatly.

Because the channel for importing grain to Mizhou Quechang was blocked, a large number of grain ships were parked in the private ports of the islands of Daishan, Xiushan, Changtu, and Lanshan at this time, and they could not pass through the hands of the shipping department of Qingyuan Prefecture. It can't be shipped anywhere else.So these giant businessmen are also making trouble.

The turmoil of the giant businessmen is naturally driven by Zhou Keshan.And now Lu Wu asked Zhou Keshan to "stop making trouble", and Zhou Keshan was not the only one who said it.

Lu Wu leaned back a little, watching this gesture of submissiveness with satisfaction.

Shi Miyuan was in Lin'an, thinking that Lu Wu and others would fight to the death with the maritime merchant forces of Song State in various trading ports including Qingyuan Mansion.But he has been in a high position for too long, and he doesn't understand the methods of the people below him at all.

In a place like Qingyuan Mansion, shrimps have their way, and crabs have their way. All parties fight each other, each with their own goals, but it's not to the death.With so much money and interests on the table, what can't be said?Parties can change from enemies to collaborators at any time.Zhedong, who was behind Lu Wu, had promoted Zhang Liangpeng, and he had reached an agreement with the people behind those giant merchants in a higher position.

Lu Wu summoned Zhou Keshan today, and he came with many requests.

Zhou Keshan couldn't make a fuss anymore, he had to solve other people's fuss.Otherwise, the food business of people from the north will be completely useless, and everyone will fall apart.At that time, what the giant merchants will lose is money, and the local forces of the Kingdom of Jin behind Zhou Keshan will most likely face starvation and death.

Therefore, not only could Zhou Keshan's family stop lobbying everywhere, but he also had to spend money to smooth the losses of the giant businessmen.This is the "no fuss" that Lu Wu asked for.

"If I take over so much food, it must be shipped one after another, and it cannot rot on the island or on the ship. Can Mr. Boke..."

"After all, this is a major matter that Shi Xiang personally ordered. Brother Zhou, don't make things difficult for me."

Is it really going to rot on the island or on the boat?

Zhou Keshan's face was as ugly as if he had been run over by a wheel, but he tilted his neck, drank the wine, and left the table immediately.

"I promise, let's do it!"

"Come on slowly!" Lu Wu raised his hand to stop Zhou Keshan: "Mr. Zhou, sit here and eat and drink with peace of mind. I will accompany you. For those money transfers, let the people below run around, isn't that all right? Those big merchants have already arrived at your residence to wait, and the handover of the hatchback is very fast!"

This is because they are afraid that the golden cicada will escape its shell and take me as a hostage.

Zhou Keshan was furious.

But Lu Wu consciously took the initiative, and held up his chopsticks with a smile to persuade: "Come on, Mr. Zhou, let's eat vegetables. This oriole vinegar is a practice handed down in Bianjing Fengle Lou back then. Clean up the oriole After cleaning, wash it with hot water and dry it, then mix it with wheat yellow, red yeast rice, salt pepper, and shredded green onion. After that, spread a layer of yellow bird in the tank, put a layer of sauce on it, compact it, and marinate it It will be delicious if soaked in fine wine. Please try it!"

Zhou Keshan didn't want to pay attention to this kind of words anyway.

He took out a silver badge from his waist, summoned two of his subordinates, gave a few instructions in a low voice, then picked up the chopsticks, and ate.

This banquet lasted until dusk.

Many cronies of the great merchants arrived at the restaurant one after another, and told Lu Wu respectfully that they had received both the Huizi and the copper coins, the amount was not bad, and the business had been completed.

However, a large number of Zhou Keshan's subordinates rushed like a revolving lantern to request Zhou Keshan's seal to approve the relevant documents, and various guarantors and middlemen wanted to sign the security in person.

Then, these men have to go to the islands and ports to inspect the inventory with their own eyes and arrange escorts to receive the ships.Fortunately, there are special fast boats called "Water Pegasus" from Lanshan to other islands in Changguo, which can run like a white horse on the sea, so it can be completed in half a day.

Zhou Keshan didn't throw away the chopsticks until all the subordinates who had gone to various places came back.

This action was very disrespectful, but Lu Wu understood that he was stripped of a huge amount of profit within half a day, and he was about to leave Mingzhou empty-handed, so he smiled slightly, not surprised.

"Brother Zhou, don't be angry, there is no way to do this, I have to. This time everyone has kept their affection, and there may be a chance to grow together next time, it is unknown."

Zhou Keshan said coldly: "That will be next year, let's talk about it."

Unlike Xuyi and Sizhou, which rely on river transportation, sea trade cannot always maintain a huge amount of transportation.It's nothing more than a small amount of supplies. Use a small boat with five hundred or one thousand supplies, add a few more wild fox sails, and take the Liyang sea route, and you can set off at any time.

However, bulky goods such as grain and horses can only be transported by large ships with boats like huge houses and sails like clouds hanging from the sky.Such a big ship must rely on the monsoon.The southwest monsoon starts in May and June, and the northeast monsoon starts in September, October, and November. Big ships only go back and forth once a year.

When Zhou Keshan said this, he obviously hated this sad place very much, and planned to go back to the north to recuperate for a year or so.Maybe, he would have to explain to the Marshal of the Kingdom of Jin behind him why the business suffered such a heavy loss.

Lu Wu laughed and raised his glass to signal, "Then see you next year. Let's have another drink."

After finishing the last glass of wine, Zhou Keshan turned around and left.

His subordinates also followed him out.

When he was about to reach the entrance of the restaurant, Zhou Keshan suddenly stopped and asked, "Why did the Dinghai Navy choose today for the drill? Is it just to scare me?"

Now that Zhou Keshan had left the table, Lu Wu had also got up.At this moment, he was standing by the window, looking at the huge fleet moored in the waters between Lanshan Island and Changtushan Island not far away.

At this time, the sky will be dark, and the boats will be illuminated by more pine torches. Looking at it from two or three miles away, the boats are hazy and the lamps and shadows are reflected on the sea like stars, making people dazzled and happy.

Lu Wu stared at the fleet with satisfaction, and casually said: "That's not the case. The reason why the fleet gathered here was because a few days ago, the express ship reported that there would be a sea merchant from Korea arriving, which is said to be rare in the past years." The large fleet is accompanied by nobles from Goryeo. Since the Xuanhe years, Lingxu and Lingfei two Shenzhous traveled between Qingyuan Mansion and Goryeo, and our dynasty has a custom. If Goryeo sends out a large fleet, the navy of the Song Dynasty We should also line up to greet each other, so as to show the sincerity of the Shang Kingdom in treating people."

"I see."

Zhou Keshan nodded and stepped out.

The people of the Goryeo Kingdom always liked to brag. They claimed that the founder of the Goryeo Kingdom, Wang Jian, was the father of Wang Jian, and that he was the son of Tang Suzong and Princess Goryeo.And this Emperor Zuojian himself, through maritime trade, has made a fortune and prospered, and only then has he accumulated the strength to unify the three Koreas.

Over the years, Licheng Port in Korea has always been as famous as Jiaoxi in Mizhou and Penglai in Dengzhou in the Kingdom of Jin, and it is a famous big port in the north.There are three to five thousand Song merchants doing business there every day, and hundreds of ships; the size of the Koryo merchants and fleet is roughly the same as that of the Song people.

Therefore, the Song court has always looked highly at the Koryo Kingdom.Although the two countries have broken off diplomatic relations in recent years and there is no official contact, whenever there is a major commercial cooperation, the Dinghai navy will definitely be dispatched, firstly to show a welcoming gesture, secondly to show the strength of the Shangguo navy, In order to avoid any unnecessary thoughts from the Korean people.

The Dinghai navy gathered to meet the Goryeo fleet, scaring Zhou Keshan was just a small incidental task.

Zhou Keshan is very clear about this.He just couldn't help asking, in order to make Lu Wu feel a little sick in the future.

He knew about the arrival of the Koryo fleet earlier than Lu Wu, and he also knew that the so-called large-scale Korean caravan was basically a merchant fleet of the Ding Navy.It's just that all the ships of the Navy have changed their flags, and they have enough official documents and guides issued by the Koryo Kingdom, and they have enough Korean interpreters and sailors to deceive people.

Song people are good at sea trade, so it is impossible to hide many things from them all the time.Even if Lu Wu is an idiot, if he comes back by himself this time next year, he should understand the collusion between Dinghai and the Koreans.At that time, how will he face himself?

Zhou Keshan thought curiously, maybe I can say to him: Mr. Birch, you forcibly sold such cheap grain to me. I really have no choice but to!
Lu Wu must be able to hold back the violent jump, right?
That is inevitable, because if everyone stays sympathetic, there will be a chance to grow together next time.This is all business, all for money!
As he thought about it, he gradually couldn't hold back his laughter.

Because the muscles on his face had been tensed all afternoon, his cheeks felt like they were twisting and cramping right now.So he rubbed his face and quickened his pace, stepped on the wet and slippery cobblestone road winding along the terrain of the island, trying to stay away from the restaurant as much as possible.

Several of Zhou Keshan's confidants came closer and said in a low voice: "Prosecution, this is a really big business. We must quickly mobilize people to carry the grain, the sooner the better. Don't give those grain merchants a chance to react! "

"Work harder today and tomorrow, arrange three times the number of people, and keep an eye on all the warehouses. As soon as the fleet arrives, immediately cooperate with the waterman to move and set off, and tell the brothers not to be lazy. This time I will send three times... no, five times reward!"

Lanshan Island is today's Dachangtushan Island.