I was living at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and I dealt a brutal blow to the Eight Banners!

March of the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign.

After Zhang Jingchuan led his army to capture Jinzhouwei, Jinzhouwei has now become a huge military camp and a large construction site.

Efficiency has always been Zhang Jingchuan's guiding principle in development.

It's a major issue that others might consider carefully, ponder slowly, and think about thoroughly.

But with Zhang Jingchuan, the decision on the plan can be made directly.

If too many things are involved,

It was nothing more than privately inviting Xu Fuzou, Li Daniu, Wu Guozhong, Shi Lang, and Tian Dahai over for a small meeting, allowing everyone to express their opinions.

Then Zhang Jingchuan will set the tone, make a summary, and propose a direction.

Everyone identify the problems and solve them.

Finally, let's roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Unlike the tiny place of Donghai Fort, Jinzhou Guard was far removed from the emperor's reach, giving Zhang Jingchuan virtually complete control over life and death within the guard.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Zhang Jingchuan was the local tyrant of Jinzhou Guard.

If Donghai Fort was Zhang Jingchuan's initial foothold, then Jinzhou Guard was where he made his home and settled down.

So after the start of spring

In stark contrast to the occasional windy and snowy weather, the construction site was bustling with activity.

The expansion and renovation of Jinzhou City was naturally urgent and was the first construction plan to be finalized.

Because you don't know when the Qing army will appear or how many troops they will bring, only the impregnable defense of Jinzhou City can give everyone a sense of security.

……

"The big bridal sedan chair, hey-ho-ho!"

"Brother, lift it up, hey-ho-ho!"

"Marry into a rich family, hey hey!"

"Nobody's warming my bed anymore, hey hey!"

On the tower,

Zhang Jingchuan, dressed in brocade robes, rested his hands on the battlements, basking in the sun while watching the bustling construction work taking place in the city.

Wu Guozhong led his troops to garrison Xiaoheishan; Shi Lang was to be in charge of the expansion of the naval port and the training of 6,000 naval troops.

Xu Fuzou remained in Jinzhou City to continue serving as the chief steward, in charge of building the "Foundry Bureau," where the captured Qing army weapons and armor were melted down and reforged according to the Ming army's standard steel swords and armor.

At the same time, the demand for farm tools is also extremely high after the start of spring, making the task both heavy and time-sensitive.

Meanwhile, Zheng Zhilong brought in Van Persie, an artillery expert from the Dutch East India Company, to be in charge of the construction of the "Firearms Bureau" and the research and development of artillery and muskets.

sometimes,

You have to admire the "profit-driven" nature of some Westerners.

As long as you pay them enough, they will travel thousands of miles to work for you, regardless of whether there is war or hardship in the area.

Of course,

If we're talking about being solely driven by profit, then businessmen are the ones who truly embody it.

Businessmen have always had a keen sense of smell, especially when it comes to the smell of money.

After learning that Zhang Jingchuan had captured Jinzhouwei, representatives from various merchant groups in Jiangnan, represented by the Su and Zhou families, sent their representatives with silver and people to sail north.

They had only one goal: to set up a branch in Jinzhouwei so that they could obtain high-value goods from Liaodong.

At the same time, it also made it easier for them to sell Ming Dynasty goods to Liaodong, Goryeo, and Japan.

Even Zhang Jingchuan had to admire their spirit of doing anything to get rich.

After understanding...

The reason these businesses were willing to go north with the ship was that they saw the Su and Zhou families making a fortune from this business, and after inquiring, they learned that they were doing business with Zhang Jingchuan.

So, these businesses went to great lengths to finally find Li Daniu. After explaining the situation, Li Daniu naturally welcomed them all.

After all, they came to us with people and money, taking the initiative to do business. There was no reason to refuse.

The wars the Ming Dynasty waged over the years, both internally and externally, have taught them one thing.

The easiest way to make money in this world is... profiting from national disasters.

When the cannons roar, gold flows in.

"My lord, all the representatives of the Jiangnan Merchants have arrived," Li Daniu said respectfully.

Zhang Jingchuan turned around, looked at the person who had been following him since early morning, smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You've had a hard journey."

“You flatter me, sir,” Li Daniu grinned and said, “It is my honor to follow you, sir.”

Zhang Jingchuan summoned these representatives of merchants heading north to the city gate tower to discuss matters in order to resolve many trivial issues related to maritime trade in one go.

After all, Zhang Jingchuan's energy is limited, and he can no longer do everything personally as before.

Since these businesses are willing to open branches in Jinzhouwei, many things will be easier, at least the goods looted from Qing territory can be directly distributed to these businesses.

Merchants from Goryeo and Japan could also travel by ship to Jinzhouwei to purchase the goods they needed in their countries. As for maritime transport, it was all entrusted to Zheng Zhilong's fleet.

As for himself, he earned money from two sources: one was the huge profits from plundering Qing territory, and the other was the tariffs he collected on goods entering Jinzhouwei.

After entering the council hall, Zhang Jingchuan first exchanged pleasantries with the representatives of the various businesses, and then expressed his thoughts.

Su Mingyu and Zhou Wencai didn't react much, after all, their cooperation with Zhang Jingchuan was extremely pleasant, and they had earned quite a bit of money thanks to Zhang Jingchuan.

Although the tariff issue was suspected of being exploitative, the two shrewd individuals could naturally calculate that the overall profit was still on an upward trend. Moreover, out of consideration for their relationship, they still had to give them face.

Su Mingyu and Zhou Wencai have this vision, but that doesn't mean other business representatives will respect Zhang Jingchuan's authority.

After all, their employers were all prominent figures, even a provincial governor would have to give them some face.

Who are you, Zhang Jingchuan?

How dare a mere Liaodong General impose customs duties on them? Does he really think he's the local tyrant of Jinzhouwei?

"General, you are a general of the Ming Dynasty. The recaptured Jinzhou Guard is part of our Ming territory. Does the court know about this customs matter?"

"Since we're going north to do business in the General's territory, we naturally have to offer him some silver as a tribute, and this tribute will continue every year."

"..."

Su Mingyu and Zhou Wencai did not speak up to smooth things over regarding the attitude of these business representatives. They simply exchanged a glance before turning their gaze to Zhang Jingchuan, who was seated at the head of the table.

They also wanted to see what methods Zhang Jingchuan had.

After the representatives of the various businesses in the hall had finished speaking, Zhang Jingchuan smiled slightly and said calmly, "Have you all finished?"

Everyone turned their attention to Zhang Jingchuan, who was seated at the head of the table.

“Now that you’ve finished speaking, let me say a few words,” Zhang Jingchuan said with a smile. “Since you feel that the tariffs are an overreach, I will establish a chamber of commerce in Jinzhouwei. All goods entering Jinzhouwei will have to pay a service fee to the chamber of commerce. Everyone is welcome to join the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce.”

"What if we don't join?" a merchant representative asked.

Zhang Jingchuan smiled slightly and said:

"Then get out of Jinzhouwei!"

……