choke element

At the beginning of the rise of a military and political group, it is the most difficult. When it continues to defeat powerful enemies, its power gradually expands, and it can hold more and more economic and political interests. Various originally irrelevant people go to sea like hundreds of rivers, or express bona fide.Once these people get rewards from it, they will have greater enthusiasm. Repeatedly, the overall interests will snowball, getting bigger and bigger, and becoming more and more attractive.

As the saying goes, heaven and earth are all in the same force, as long as there are no major setbacks in the military, after a force crosses this critical point, the road will actually become wider and wider, and the path will become easier.

It is difficult to directly reflect this situation in the results of government affairs or military affairs, but in the actual process, it can be felt everywhere.

For example, the Huaidong area, where the Dinghai Navy has the longest border with the southern land route.

The trade between the Ding Navy and the State of Song was initially carried out by sea.Three years ago, after the Red Coat Army was wiped out and the entire Shandong East Road was covered, Dinghailing's territory bordered on the Song Kingdom in the Southern Dynasty, but the trade between the two was still dominated by sea trade.

In the southernmost part of the area controlled by the Ding Navy, although there are salt marshes and lakes all over Haizhou, the traffic will not be cut off.The reason why land trade is not as prosperous as sea trade is due to two aspects.On the one hand, on the Song side, even several Huaidong appeasement envoys and local officials are capable, and the control is very strict, so even if there are loopholes in the defense along the Huaiguan, it can generally maintain its due role; After all, transportation in Shandong is not as convenient as sea transportation. Most of Huainan's private businessmen use Yangzhou as their base. Even if they participate in trade with the north, most of them choose to ship their goods and go to sea along the river.

Only sometimes, when the price of grain in the north is high, the local grain output in Huainan will pass through the canal, pass through the Chuzhou hub in the north, and then be delivered directly in the Lianshui area.

This route goes straight through the numerous military defense systems established by the Song Dynasty in Huainan. If you want to go through, you must take care of both civil and military affairs along the way, and you can't favor one over the other at all.In the past year, Jia She and Jia Jichuan, who used to be the magistrate of Baoying County, have become a middleman between merchants and officials by virtue of the means of dealing with each other.

Needless to say, the merchants made business, and the officials got benefits from him, and they were so happy; it is said that in the central capital, there are some big figures who use Jia She as an informant to understand the situation of the northern army.Of course, the most important, and the most enviable, is himself.

Jia She not only made a lot of money from it, but also won the favor of Shi Xiangye. He became the deputy envoy of Huaidong, who was fully responsible for the blending with the Ding Navy, and coordinated the money and food in Huaidong to prepare for the establishment of a new army. .

His official and financial fortunes are both prosperous, and the result of collaborating with the strong neighbors in the north is not bad. The Ding Navy not only cooperated closely with the Song Dynasty, but also fought fiercely on the battlefield, which really pushed the Kaifeng court to the ground.Of course, it's not that no one said sourly that the victory of the navy was too easy, but it seemed that Prime Minister Shi was earnestly making wedding dresses for others.

More than a month ago, another news came from Lin'an City, saying that Jia Sidao, the eldest son who suddenly appeared next to Jia She, was actually Li Yun, a well-known figure in the Ding Navy, in disguise.Then Li Yun is the plenipotentiary representative of Zhou Guogong in the north, and he made a special trip south to discuss cooperation with the Prime Minister to eliminate gold.

The person who made the special trip to send a message originally intended to imply that Jia She's background in Yangzhou was too complicated, and he must not be allowed to continue to play around like this.It's just that after all, Jia She was single-handedly promoted by Shi Xiang, if he speaks too clearly, it will hurt Shi Xiang's reputation.

Jia She naturally heard the wind.He was also sensible, and immediately entrusted him with official duties, and went home to close the door to avoid customers.

But when the news spread to the outside world, it caused some confusion at first, but in the end it caused a completely opposite effect in Yangzhou City.Countless local officials and powerful families turned their heads, and they all thought that the plenipotentiary representatives sent by the Ding Navy to Lin'an, who were all popular dignitaries in Zhongdu City, recognized Jia Jichuan as his father!What does this mean?
On behalf of Jia Jichuan is not only a confidant of Shi Xiang, but also really enjoys it in Dinghai in the north!

Such a thick thigh that couldn't be thicker, if you don't hold it tight now, when will you wait?If you miss the opportunity in front of you, you will never see such a thigh in your next life!

There are also cautious people secretly persuading them, thinking that the situation in the north is now turning upside down, many things are clouded and foggy, and they are completely uncertain. If we are on the wrong team, I am afraid that not only will it hinder the subsequent business, but it may also provoke the court and endanger our lives. .

But this kind of persuasion was almost all met with sneers.

What?Jia Jichuan thanking guests behind closed doors?I heard that the superior suspects that his relationship with Bei Mian is not clear?Let's wait and see what happens?

You are confused!Jia Jichuan is so modest!It's hiding!But he... ahem, he is not really a broad-minded person, maybe he is writing at home right now, remembering who is not flattering!
Besides, the relationship with Bei Mian is not clear, what's the problem?
no problem!This is a good thing!Whether it's the Kingdom of Jin or the Kingdom of Zhou to the north, I think it's more vicious than the Song Dynasty.Ever since the Great Song Dynasty went to the south, the relationship with the north is unclear, it is the best amulet, the best step to advance!

What's more, the one who is closely related to Jia Jichuan is not the dying Da Jin, but the newborn Da Zhou!Originally, Jia She's official luck was three points, but now I think it's already on fire, and it's going up to nine points and ten points!
What?The Great Zhou Dynasty was founded by the son of the Han Dynasty, and its leader was surnamed Guo, so it is obviously an obstacle to the Great Song Dynasty?
I think you are not confused, but stupid, stupid!You must have forgotten who invaded Tokyo Bianliang back then!Could it be that the Jurchens of the Great Jin Kingdom have nothing to do with the Great Song Dynasty?No matter how the northern city banner changes, it will always be in the way of Song Dynasty.Don't forget that the Taizu of this dynasty said back then, how could others be allowed to snore on the side of the couch!
That being the case, why should you worry about this vicious neighbor in the north, whether his surname is Wanyan or Guo?I don't know your surname is Zhao?Not necessarily, your ancestors were from the official family of the Song Dynasty?Not sure, Dinghai defaulted on our payment?

"But, we are the people of Song Dynasty after all... smuggling to make money is nothing more than that, if we really go to hook up with this..."

"Boom!"

Those who dissuaded him continued to say more, and finally offended the head of the family, and a dragon's head stick hit the top of his head.

The owner's name is Xie Guoming, and he is a powerful self-made businessman. His business covers Huainan and the sea. Last year, relying on the grain trade, his income reached more than [-] guan, and his family property can be ranked among the top ten in Yangzhou.

He sternly said, "It's nothing more than making money by smuggling! Think about it for me, it's nothing more than making money by smuggling!"

Since the failure of the Kaixi Northern Expedition, the bones of the people on the frontier have been on each other's shoulders, and the country has no blood left, and the Song Dynasty's finances have been stretched from then on.However, since the north has provoked a strong enemy, the military expenditure cannot be reduced, but must continue to increase, so that nine out of ten of the imperial court's annual revenue of 800 million yuan is invested in the bottomless pit of military expenditure.

On the other hand, Da Song's domestic financial resources have long been exhausted.In recent years, in addition to the official tax, the imperial court and local governments have also established various additional collections under various names.

Such as consumption increase, branch transfer, foot money, change, boss money, cowhide tax, righteous warehouse tax, international tax, seal tax, and buying silk, folding silk money, cash making, general making money, monthly pile money, board Account money, personal money, etc., there are no less than [-] names, and the total amount falls on ordinary people. The burden is more than ten times that of the regular tax.This does not include the huge collection of bulk goods such as salt, wine, and tea.The money is really tight, and the government still has two trump cards: pre-recruitment and peace purchase.

Even so, the situation of insufficient expenditure by the imperial court is still serious every year, so it has to rely on the printing meeting to meet the urgent needs.

For example, walking in Huizi, now the three realms are parallel, and one realm has as many as 700 million guan.The year before last, the local Yiguanhuizi was no longer worth two hundred copper coins.Recently, I heard that the imperial court is going to build the Lianghuai Jiaozi again, and one world will be counted as two or three million.

Shi Xiang sent out meetings so indiscriminately, these meetings should have become waste paper long ago, and the complete collapse of the currency and finances of the entire Song Dynasty is also a matter of care.

But since last year, the value of the club has actually rebounded.Walking there, now the consistent meeting is worth 350 Wen, and the place is also worth [-] to [-] Wen.Now that the value of the currency has stabilized, everyone from the imperial court to the common people is dragged out of the water like a drowning person, breathing life-saving fresh air.

The most important thing that the soldiers and civilians of the Song Dynasty have been thinking about in the past few years is that the value of the club cannot be devalued, and the property that has been accumulated so hard cannot be wiped out.Now Huizi has not only not depreciated, but has also appreciated in value. The grievances of the people immediately dissipated, and the pressure on those in power has also eased a lot.

Why is there such a good thing?Could it be because Shi Xiang was dictating in Lin'an and Cheng Ti was calm?of course not.

This situation occurred entirely because the amount of smuggling trade between the Song Dynasty, the Northern Ding Navy, and even the Koryo State had suddenly swelled to astronomical figures in the past two years.Huge amounts of supplies, including precious medicinal materials such as horses and ginseng that were in short supply in the Song Dynasty, were continuously imported into the Song Dynasty, and the many transactions involved naturally accumulated a huge amount of money, thus saving the financial crisis of the Song Dynasty in one fell swoop!
"So, the more prosperous our business is, the more beneficial it will be to Da Song! We are the loyal ministers of Da Song! Everything we do is for Da Song!"

Xie Guoming screamed loudly, loudly:

"And Jia Shechuan is the beacon that guides us to be loyal to our country! Jia Shechuan can't fall! Jia Shechuan won't fall either! We have to stand with him! Come on, hurry up and prepare generous gifts... No, no, how about just gold, silver and silk? You are too small! Open the secret storehouse in the backyard immediately, and take out my treasured ambergris! Take the largest piece! And the one handed down by Dongpo Layman Chen Xiang Shanzi, take it too!"

Now Xie Guoming personally led the team, and several trusted sons and nephews rushed to Jia She's residence.

It's not easy to talk about Jia She. When he first arrived in Yangzhou years ago, he heard that he gave his son Jia Sidao all the money he had saved for half his life, and asked him to spend it in Lin'an.So in the first two months in Yangzhou, because of tight money, I could only live in the official house.

But after two or three months, he started to shake up, turned over a huge amount of money, and bought a big house in the city.

His life has returned to a good life, but his style has not improved, and he is still happy to hang out with various people all day long.After Xie Guoming submitted the name post, he was immediately ushered in by the servants. He didn't walk through the side courtyard, but passed through the main courtyard three times before entering the garden at the back.

The scale of the garden is naturally grand, and the zigzagging roads pass through first the Nongshui Pavilion, then the Tanchun Pavilion, the Four Views Hall, and then Tongjin Bridge, Fangliu Garden, Diaoyu Nunnery, Planting Bamboo House, Herbal Garden, and Watering Flowers. pavilion.

After this piece of building, the road meanders for hundreds of steps among the trees and flowers, before arriving at the Paiyun Hall where Jia She lives in daily life.The word "Paiyun" was written by Jia She himself. For some reason, it seems to be written with murderous intent and full of resentment.

After Paiyun Hall, pass Zhongboxuan and Tianguang Terrace, and then arrive at Jianshan Terrace where Jia She received close friends.What you pass and see along the way is certainly full of the elegance of mountains and rivers and the charm of forests; climbing to the top of the mountain platform, it is even more beautiful, and you can get a glimpse of it.

At this moment, there were 30 to [-] people surrounding Jia She on the Jianshan platform, Xie Guoming took a closer look and recognized them all.They are all extremely powerful wealthy businessmen in Huainan, with unfathomable backgrounds.

They all showed flattering smiles.Looking behind them again, a case is decorated with jewels and precious jewels, which can scare people to death.The ambergris and agarwood with excellent quality alone cost no less than seven or eight yuan!

"Old Xie, have you heard the news? It's not too late." A familiar merchant asked with a smile.

what news?I didn't hear the wind at all!
Xie Guoming was puzzled in his heart, but immediately showed a look of concern on his face, and then sat down.

Jia She, who was in Gaixin, stared at Xie Guoming, nodded to him, looked around the crowd and said, "In short, the situation in the north is as simple as that. Zhou Guogong's martial power is unmatched in the world, and Dajin's old territory will soon be destroyed. It will all fall under Zhou Guogong's control. Since the number of people and territories under Zhou Guogong's rule have doubled, the scale of business exchanges between the Northern and Southern Dynasties will soon be doubled or even more than before. The specific figures I estimated have just been confirmed. I’ve said it, just remember it in your heart, and don’t spread it lightly, so as not to cause surprise.”

Many merchants said: "Master Jia, don't worry, this kind of secret will not be passed on to us even if we are killed."

Jia She walked back and forth twice with his hands behind his back, and continued: "For trade at sea, there is a Shanghai firm, which is a large firm with Zhou Guogong, Shi Xiangye, and many important people from the north and the south. The income here is like gold and silver. But our hands are short, we can't hook up, and we don't have the qualifications to hook up."

Seeing the resentful expressions on everyone's faces, he chuckled and said, "But you don't have to be too sorry..."

"Master Jia, what do you say? What do you want to say?" Several people asked eagerly.

"The trade at sea has already grown. But the land trade between the north and the south has just begun. As usual, the rules of the government in the Song Dynasty remain the same, and the rules of doing business under us have to be reinvented. However, we must follow Zhou Guogong's rules. In other words, referring to the rules of the sea, we also set up a special firm to be responsible for exchanging gold and silver currencies, paying for calculations, paying bills, and then managing and dispatching the entire trade.”

Speaking of this, Jia She looked at the merchants around him and lowered his voice: "This new firm will still have Zhou Guogong and Shi Xiangye participating, but in order to thank the powerful people from the north and the south, we have reserved enough share out."

The merchants were agitated for a while, fearing to interrupt Jia She's speech, they forced themselves to suppress their emotions, and listened to Jia She:
"About this new firm, just five days ago, Shi Xian... hey, Li Yun was in Lin'an, and he had another decision with Mr. Shi Xiangye. As you all know, the origin of the Shanghai line was in Ming Dynasty in the Song Dynasty. State Qingyuan Mansion, with branches in Tianjin Mansion of Dajin and Fuzhou of Song Dynasty. For the sake of equality, the foundation of this new firm will be located in Tianjin Mansion. In addition, it will be in Kaifeng Mansion of Dajin and Fuzhou of Song Dynasty Branches have been opened in Yangzhou. Today I want to ask, are you willing to participate in the fundraising of the new commercial bank and hold a certain position in the Yangzhou branch?"

Speaking of this, there was a sudden clatter in the crowd of merchants sitting around.It turned out that it was Xie Guoming who pushed away the table and chairs, and knelt down directly on the ground: "The villain is willing! I am willing! The villain is offering forty, fifty, no, 100 million yuan to raise funds!"

Shouting like this, he moved forward with both hands and feet, and threw himself on Jia She's thigh: "The villain is loyal to Zhou Guogong, and the sun can learn from it! Please, Master Jia, understand my sincerity and give me a chance!"

No one expected that Xie Guoming, who arrived last, was the most active, and his reaction was so fast.At that moment, the rest of the merchants jumped up and rushed forward again, asking prices around Jia She.

After all, what merchants think is just to make money.Zhou Guogong can make them make money, and make unprecedented money, Zhou Guogong is their loyal king!