Beiyang new warlord

"Shen Baihu ran to Tieshan to Hamgyongdo in North Korea. He made a fortune here. He dumped silk and tea from Shandong to North Korea. He was also near Tieshan and sold cloth to the generals who built slaves. Li Baihu and Zhao Baihu ran to the Shandong side, and all the boats coming from there had to be given to them, so they were so rich. No matter where we are in the west of our Baihu, they are all crying haha. The grain from the real estate is not enough for half a year, and if it weren’t for doing a little business with these Tartars, everyone in the village would starve to death.”

Pagang Hai still didn't forget to put eye drops on Shen Baihu, and with a twist of his mouth, he sarcastically said indignantly: "If you want to say that Shen Baihu is worthless There are thousands of taels of silver, and there are always a few hundred taels, and he didn’t pay you a penny for this trip, how stingy he is!"

Pang Dahai was filled with righteous indignation, as if he was really worthless for Mao Jue, his fat goldfish eyes rolled up, but Mao Jue and Wen Meng were dazed from hearing it, and they looked at each other. I felt that I had caught some big case, but I didn't expect it to be such a convention.

After a while, Wen Meng suddenly flipped the playing cards under the bed and hummed angrily.

"These bastards have crooked intestines!"

"There's nothing we can do!"

After all, he is also a second-generation soldier, and Wenmeng's depression can be heard by Pang Pang Hai. No one wants to fight with the enemy of life and death while making deals. He sighed deeply, Pang Pang Hai is full of treachery. For the first time, some genuine nostalgia appeared on his face.

"At that time our family was near Shenyang, Zhongwei Office. Although we worked hard every day, our land was fertile. When autumn came, the red sorghum all over the ground was blown by the wind, and the beauty was lifted. At that time , our old Pang went to find the red plums in the neighboring village, and drilled the sorghum field together. At that time, even the air of his mother was fragrant, unlike now, it smelled fishy, ​​so why not do something with these Jian slaves People can't live with deeds."

This is the fate of Liaodong people in this era, and it was also aroused nostalgia. Wen Meng also sighed. For a while, the heavy atmosphere in the thatched cottage made Mao Jue feel depressed.

"Everything will be fine!"

Chapter 27. The first wave of big deals

Pang Panghai played the family card really well. A box of pearls, plus half a night of Yikusitian, he was considered to have successfully entered Mao Jue's command. At least two veterans, Wenmeng and Wenmeng, recalled the memory of Nurhachi before he raised his troops. The land of Liaodong became a mess, and the two of them got along as if they were wearing a pair of trousers.

But so far, nothing has changed. The Ming army should continue to degenerate and degenerate. Even this huge sea is just an extra offering to Mao Jue in the case of exchanging needs with Jiannu. Expenses are also an extra hope of being transferred to other places and changing to a fat job.

In fact, the deal with Jiannu was completed last night. Pang Dahai brought more than 200 pieces of cloth and two boxes of tea from Pidao, in exchange for a total of 300 mink furs. There are more than [-] other animal skins, three boxes of ginseng and deer antler, which are special products in Liaodong, one box of other medicinal materials, and finally the box of Dongzhu that bribed Mao Jue.

Such a round trip can earn three to four times the price difference, which is still the price in Pidao Town. If it is sold to Jiangnan, it is estimated that the profit will be at least ten times, although it is divided into three hundred and eight hundred people. Households, each household only shared one or two taels of silver, and this was the only income for half a year, but at least they could eat food for a few months without going hungry.

Not to mention whether it would be dangerous for the two dilapidated Cangshan boats to head towards Lushun Bay, the sailors have no desire to go on now just because people's hearts are returning.

Early in the morning, the sailors under Pang Dahai were busy on the coast, carrying large buckets of water to the beach, pouring them out, and then fetching water from the mountain spring in the south of Xiaolu Island, and transporting them back to the ship. , fresh water is the most perishable, and in just three days, all the poured water was stained with a layer of green.

It’s no wonder that the images of Western sailors are all drunk with ale glasses. Beer and the like can be stored at sea for a much longer time than fresh water. Later, the British Royal Navy established a large number of sugar cane in the wealthy Jamaica. After the garden, rum was brewed with the juice left over from the crushed cane sugar, which replaced beer and became an important drink for the navy at sea.

It's a pity that the East doesn't have such conditions now. During the ten days of cruising with Shen Baihu, Mao Jue just held his nose and drank the green water soaked in bugs and algae in the last few days.

Seeing these guys pouring dirty water out, Mao Jue felt a lot more relaxed. With pearls in his arms, he didn't go down to follow the work. He sat lazily on the beach and watched the excitement. At this time, the tide was also receding. Now, the sun is shining intensely on the beach, making the stones hot.

It should be Mao Jue's bad luck. After watching the excitement for a long time, he felt a sharp pain in his hand. With a sore throat, he threw out a crab that didn't like his eyes. Seeing that bastard waved two pincers, he moved Seeing the eight big feet sneering away, the outraged Mao Jue reached out to grab a handful of white sand, and before throwing it out, he screamed again.

"Damn it, this is salt?"

The tide has receded for more than four hours, and after being exposed to the sun, the water in many places has dried up, leaving a layer of white things on the sandy beach, but unlike the salt eaten by later generations, these things are still thick enough, Many impurities in it have not been refined and filtered out.

However, he covered the bleeding wound with his mouth and was killed by salt. Looking at this again, Mao Jue suddenly slapped his head excitedly, turned around and ran towards the busy boat.

"Old Pang!"

"Hey! Mr. Qian, you order!"

This end is still thinking about how much the goods on the ship can sell back home, and then how to find a way to buy more food from those southern goods merchants who should go to hell, so as to feed the hungry mouths in the hundred households. Listen to Mao Jue yelled, the guy immediately turned around with a smile on his face and bowed. However, Mao Jue's next words made his smile froze on his face.

"Ben Qianhu has decided not to leave yet!"

On the beach of Xiaolu Island, a busy scene was revealed. Under the scorching sun, more than 200 men, holding wooden shovels, dug the originally flat beach into pieces like square fields, and four or five people took With a millstone, the bottom of the beach field is pressed and compacted, just like road construction in this era.

This end is being repaired, and the other end has just been repaired. The strong men of the Thousand Households are holding large buckets of water, filling up the seawater trapped in the fields repaired a few days ago, and pouring them into these newly repaired fields. Instead, the entire hillside of Xiaolu Island was made like steps, and each pool was filled with seawater.

This busy work lasted for seven or eight days, and Mao Jue's first harvest came. In the topmost sea field of more than an acre, a thick layer of white sand had accumulated. Four big men Covered in sweat, he used a large wooden shovel to shovel those white things into the bag.

All fresh sea salt!

These days, the most common way to produce table salt is to boil the sea for salt. The salt administration of the imperial court allocates a number of kitchen households at the seaside, boils seawater in large pots, and refines table salt. It is the first time that Pang Dahai has seen such a sun-dried salt like a pool-by-pool relay.

However, compared to the excited Mao Jue who was looking at the piled up salt bags, he still couldn't cheer up. He ordered his men to store the salt bags to the temporary camp of the thatched huts built by the Ming army on the top of the mountain. He couldn't bear the bitterness in his stomach again, and trotted all the way to the beach, already tanned like Mr. Bao, but he was still clasping his fist beside Mao Jue, who was shouting and directing the digging.

"Master Qianhu, let's still dig!"

The side of the Xiaolu Island where the boat is parked has been dug into such a salt field. According to the output, it is not a problem to get [-] to [-] tons of salt a year. The salt consumption of six catties per person per year is enough for thousands of people. The amount of people is enough, but judging by Mao Jue's posture, he still dislikes that it is not enough. It seems that he will not stop until the whole Xiaolu Island is turned into salt fields.

In the Ming Dynasty, the price of salt was also the most expensive in all dynasties in the feudal era. A catty of salt cost three to four silver coins, or three hundred to six hundred copper coins. Two silver coins, but the problem here is Pidao!Military Town!

On the one hand, it is close to the sea, like Pang Dahai and their hundreds of households. They eat salt and cook some seawater secretly, so they are self-sufficient. Considering the intricate interest relationship between Shandong salt merchants and court officials, Pang Pang Hai knew that Mao Jue had a deep background, but he didn't think that Mao Jue had the ability to use private salt to drive out the official salt shipped from Shandong.

In that case, wouldn't any amount of salt be a waste?

As for smuggling salt into the pass as private, don’t even think about it. Up to the high officials and nobles, eunuchs, down to the grassroots, green forest heroes, I don’t know how many people eat salt and discount their meals. They are lonely in Dongjiang Town. Overseas, people who are not familiar with the place where they live, dare to bring private salt there, it is estimated that even the salt brought by people will be swallowed by these local snakes, and the bones and dregs will not be left behind.

And it doesn't matter if Mao Jue wasted, he used the manpower in his own hundred households. Taking a step back, manpower is worthless these days. He turned a blind eye to the secret trade between himself and Jiannu, and gave him nothing The job is for nothing, but the problem is that if he loses money, he will still have to blame himself later, which is not good for both sides.

No wonder Pang Dahai hesitated.

However, facing his bitter face, Mao Jue waved his hand indifferently.

"Don't worry, I have my own plan. As long as you follow me and work hard, you will have money at that time! Who the hell, don't let me be lazy, this thousand households are in charge of the food! If you don't work any more, what the hell will you do today? Don't eat tonight!"

Seeing that Mao Jue didn't finish half a sentence, he jumped up and shouted again, with a look of great joy, Pang Pang Hai shook his head sadly, it seems that this master will not turn back until he hits the south wall .

I hope he doesn't hate himself in the future!

The sun is gradually moving towards the west, but even the setting sun is full of firepower. Coupled with the wild northern wind, the water vapor is visible to the naked eye and dissipates in the air. The salt pond on the top, crystallized white coarse salt little by little. White flowers are like snowdrifts.

"Left and right!"

The general flag and the small flag carried the flag. In the hoarse voice of the head of the hundred households, the small phalanxes moved forward against the scorching sun on the barracks drill ground. Following the orders of the officials, they were arranged in various formations. No.13 Qianhu Office is also impressively located in it, but it is not Mao Jue who is in charge of commanding the Qianhu General Banner, but Wen Meng.

Mao Jue had never participated in the training camp of five thousand soldiers and horses, and he didn't know how to cooperate with it. Even if Mao Youde hadn't sent someone to Xiaolu Island to upload the general order, Mao Jue didn't know that the Ming army would have trained.

Walking with irregular steps, the platoon spearmen are holding long guns and lined up behind the carts, while the bird gunmen are holding fire guns and lifting, releasing, lifting, releasing. It seems that there are so many people, and they are quite bluffing. However, he didn't let go of a single shot after so many shots, just walked around in a formation, and Mao Jue even yawned on the podium.

In particular, the vast majority of these nine thousand households are naval battalions, which sail boats. Mao Jue can't figure it out. Is it useful for them to practice this land battle formation?

The remaining ten days of this month are all training camps. On the first day, there will be intensive training, and then there will be small training sessions every three days in each of the hundreds of households. In these days, the soldiers on Phi Island are the most concentrated. However, the concentration It sounds like it's not just training, the distribution of military pay, rations and supplies is also going on for a while.

At night, with two jars of good wine, Mao Jue stood outside Mao Youde's tent in a nervous mood. In his previous life, he was too straight-tempered. After graduation, he could not stay in several units for a month or two. Yi’s family entrusted his relationship with him to send him to the shipyard, but he didn’t have the eyesight to know how to give gifts. Other workers became regular workers within half a month. With a salary of [-] yuan a month, he worked for more than half a year. The hardest and most tiring work, this is how I barely survived.

Unexpectedly, when he came to Daming, he had to go through the back door.

Fortunately, Mao Wenlong, the old leader, is much more face-saving than his father in his previous life, who was suddenly like a dream. After receiving the wine, Mao Youde cheerfully accepted the list of supplies he sent, and boasted at the same time.

"As expected of the generals, these [-] households are in the hands of my brother. They have made rapid progress. Last month, they were ranked second in the evaluation. This month, they have already passed the first rank. My brother has worked hard in training, and the old brother is very pleased. ! This month, you will pay [-]% of the salary for the thousand households!"

"but"

Glancing at the material list Mao Jue applied for, Mao Youde shook his head in confusion.