"Deputy Marshal, why don't you go tell the Marshal and raise the tax by 30% for the time being?" Shi Naian frowned and said.

"If we don't increase it, the 30% tax is a lot. If we increase these taxes, the people will have to work hard for a year and they may not even be able to have a full meal. It will not be conducive to the general's popular support, so we cannot increase it." Zhu Han

We are still opposed to increasing taxes on the people.

"What should I do?"

Shi Naian also did not want to increase the burden on the people, but if he did not establish a safe warehouse of grain and grass supplies, he could not guarantee the response to emergencies.

"Sir, there is actually nothing to worry about. The so-called scholars, farmers, industry and commerce, we are short of money, we can't just stare at a 'farmer' and try to pluck the wool. I am a farmer. If I piss off the farmer, that's a big deal.

The boat will capsize." Zhu Han said with a smile.

"What the deputy commander said makes sense, but the scholars have already been honest because they divided the land among the local tycoons. Most of them have already joined the deputy commander's service, so why don't we add more taxes to them?" Shi Naian said.

"In addition to these two, there is also industry and commerce!" Zhu Han said.

"Agriculture is the foundation. If agriculture is not flourishing now, how can we talk about industry and commerce?" Shi Naian still thinks in the same old way. He only thinks that the world's interests are certain, but if agriculture is not good, then industry and commerce are useless.

"Sir, you are wrong. I have heard that the world is rich, but we can't make much profit just by relying on salt. If we make some other products and sell them to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, it will be equivalent to

In addition, several salt trade lines have been opened!" Zhu Han said with confidence.

"What does the deputy commander mean?"

"I plan to set up the Department of Industry and the Department of Commerce in Chuzhou, supervise a number of workshops and shops, and strengthen the bureau's armaments for our army." Zhu Han said.

When he heard that the Department of Industry and the Department of Commerce were to be established, Shi Naian did not show any surprise. He knew that the deputy commander always valued industry and commerce.

However, these two industries are different from agriculture. Even in the initial stage, they require a lot of manpower and material resources, and they cannot be effective just by working hard in the farmland.

"Deputy Commander, whether it's the Department of Commerce or the Department of Industry, I'm afraid they need a lot of money to prepare, right?" Shi Naian asked.

"Well, you're right. I've done a rough calculation. It requires at least three hundred thousand silver, as well as a large number of craftsmen and supplies."

In Zhu Han's plan, the workshops established in the first step are mainly for glass, sugar, printing and other high-profit industries that have already been successfully tested, and can quickly recover costs and make profits.

It is almost impossible to build so many workshops just relying on local craftsmen in Chuzhou.

really.

When Shi Naian heard Zhu Han's plan, he immediately took a breath of cold air.

"Deputy Commander, what a generous act!"

He was so poor but he dared to think of such a big plan. Shi Naian really admired Zhu Han.

With a start-up capital of 300,000 silver coins and at least thousands of craftsmen, Shi Naian felt that he could not come up with a solution no matter what.

You must know that the taxes collected by the Mongolian Yuan in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces were only about two million silver coins.

Shi Naian felt that if he wanted to obtain this start-up capital, he might have to send more soldiers to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to gather Qi Mansion to threaten and extort.

"That won't work. Bolu and others in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces have already claimed to be 'mutual protection between the two rivers' and have shown their neutrality in front of the people of the world. If we attack Jiangsu and Zhejiang again, I am afraid it will affect the victory of the people everywhere, and it will also

It affects the salt trade." Zhu Han objected.

Today, the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties are already caught in a fight between two factions.

Both Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Aiyou faced a huge identity crisis, and many Mongolian and Yuan princes and generals doubted the legitimacy of Emperor Aiyou's identity.

Hama, Temur and others from the opposition supported Wei King Polo Timur, and they were very likely to enter the capital to "Jingnan".

In Bolu, Ji and others in the south of the Yangtze River, they even jointly issued a notice, declaring that the Jiangxi Province and the Zhejiang Province would not interfere in the struggle between Dadu and Bianliang.

, neither to Dadu nor to the King of Wei in Bianliang.

Many people feel that the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang and Jiangxi have made a bad move and are sitting on the fence with no favors from both ends.

No matter which side gets the advantage in the future, they will definitely not be spared.

but.

Zhu Han knew that was not the case.

Ever since the Red Scarf Army, under the command of Zhu Han, killed Emperor Yuan and annihilated an army of one million, the Mongolian and Yuan officials in Liangjiang had thoroughly experienced the feeling of "their vitality has been exhausted."

Even the emperor was killed by rebels, but he was still busy fighting among himself. If the Yuan Dynasty did not fall, there would be no justice.

Therefore, Pingzhang Bolu of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces has already begun to plan for the possibility of completely surrendering to the Red Turban Army Zhu Yuanzhang brothers in the future.

After all, the troops in the north of the Yangtze River are powerful. Once they cross the river and go south, let alone Bolu's Jiangsu and Zhejiang troops, even if they join forces with the troops in Jiangxi Province, they may not be able to stop the attack.

Therefore, this "mutual protection of the two rivers" seems to be an attempt to help the Mongolian and Yuan court, but it is actually an ambiguous statement to express anger with Zhu Hantong.

How could Zhu Han threaten Bolu and others at this time?

"The handsome man has another idea?" Shi Naian asked.

"Well, yes, I heard that there is a very rich man in the south of the Yangtze River. It can be said that he is as rich as anyone in the country?" Zhu Han asked.

Shi Naian's eyes suddenly lit up. "Shen Fu and Shen Wansan?"

"That's right, it's Shen Wansan!" Zhu Han said with a slight smile.

Shen Wansan's name can be said to be a household name in Jiangnan, known to all ages. Because Shen Wansan had so much wealth, many people believed that Shen Wansan had a cornucopia of treasures given by gods hidden in his home, which was why he had so much wealth.

Zhu Han knew that Shen Wansan was actually a good businessman. Based on the fields in the south of the Yangtze River, he expanded various workshops and shops and supported thousands of craftsmen. He also engaged in maritime trade and exported large quantities of porcelain, silk, tea, etc.

specialty.

"I remember that my husband was an official in Suzhou, and he must have some connections. Can you go to Suzhou and find out Shen Wansan's background for me? If possible, I want to go to Suzhou in person and meet Shen Wansan for a while.

Let’s discuss a plan to make a fortune." Zhu Han then said.

"What, the deputy commander is going to Suzhou?"

"We will definitely rule the south of the Yangtze River soon. If we don't meet Shen Wansan for a while first, we are afraid that it will be difficult to deal with the gentry and wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River in the future, so we will just practice our skills first." Zhu Han said with a smile.

"The deputy commander-in-chief's body is worth millions of dollars and is related to the great cause of liberation. He cannot risk going to the south of the Yangtze River. After all, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are still nominally Mongolian!" Shi Naian was very worried.

Today, Shi Naian has the ambition to help Zhu Yuanzhang and his brothers strive for world hegemony.

As the deputy commander, Zhu Han can't have any surprises.

After Zhu Han heard this, he burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, sir. Liu Bowen has written to me several times and told me that Bolu, Fan Yao and others are in fear every day, lest we find a reason to invade Jiangnan. If I go to Jiangnan, it would be abnormal for them not to serve as ancestors. How could anyone dare to

It’s not good for me.” Zhu Han said with a smile.

Bo Lu, Fan Yao and others are now very scared, lest Zhu Han and others do not respect martial ethics and march to Jiangnan alone, not even leaving them a chance to be fat sheep.

"That makes me feel relieved. I don't know when you plan to let me go to Suzhou. I had some contacts with Shen Wansan back then," Shi Naian said.

Shi Naian's ancestral home was in Suzhou, and he later moved to Xinghua. After becoming a scholar at Mengyuan High School, he was first awarded an official position in Suzhou Prefecture, and was later promoted to the magistrate of Qiantang County.

During those two years in Suzhou, I naturally interacted with Suzhou celebrity Shen Wansan.

"Just wait a few more days. I'm going to Suzhou now. After all, I want to get Shen Wansan to do business. I plan to ask you to bring some samples to Shen Wansan to see, so that he won't be willing to pay for it." Zhu Han said.

"Then I will be on standby at any time!" Shi Naian said quickly.

Zhu Han planned to ask Shi Naian to bring three samples in total, namely transparent glass, white sugar and soap.

The workshops in Chuzhou can now produce these three products, but due to the shortage of raw materials and the shortage of craftsmen, they cannot expand production on a larger scale.

Making transparent glass and soap requires a large amount of soda ash. This natural mineral requires large business channels to have sufficient supply and reserves.

Making white sugar is relatively simple, just decolorizing brown sugar with yellow mud water, but a large amount of brown sugar raw materials also requires the support of a large company.

Zhu Han spent the next few days in the Yamen backyard doing whatever he had to do.

He set up several commodity workshops for testing directly in the backyard of the Yamen. They were not big anyway, with a total of dozens of people.

After another three days of preparation, the number of samples required by Zhu Han was finally prepared.

"Seventy-five, five hundred pieces of glass bowls, one thousand catties of white sugar, five hundred catties of rock sugar, and one thousand soaps."

Second brother-in-law Li Zhen saw Zhu Han coming and hurriedly came up to report with a smile.

Since being appointed to take charge of the rebel salt business, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen has become more and more skilled. Not only does he manage the salt business in an orderly manner, but he also helps Zhu Han supervise the establishment of three workshops: glass, sugar and soap. .

"Very good! Second brother-in-law, please quickly send someone to prepare for shipment. All glass bowls are protected with straw so as not to be broken. Sugar and soap are also wrapped in good oil paper to prevent them from getting wet. Let's In the future, you will have to rely on these things to make a lot of money." Zhu Han said with a smile.

Second brother-in-law Li Zhen nodded quickly and arranged for a few capable men to prepare and pack the carriages, horses and boats.

"Qiwu, I heard that these goods are all going to Shen Wansan?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen asked in a low voice.

His face was full of reluctance. Such a large amount of goods was priceless.

Zhu Han laughed when he heard this. "Send it off? How is that possible? Although I want to win over Shen Wansan, I am definitely not trying to please him. It can even be said that Shen Wansan should try his best to please us. Where is the use? Give it to him. "

Recently, the news that the Red Scarf Army killed Emperor Yuan and annihilated millions of troops in Huaidong has set off a storm of public opinion among the people in Jiangnan.

Many people in the south of the Yangtze River have spread rumors that the Red Scarf Army will march south to Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the near future, which will inevitably lead to a major reshuffle of power and wealth.

Rich people like Shen Wansan were all horrified, fearing that the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasty would fall, and that the Red Turban Army would confiscate their homes and steal their wealth.

"That's good, that's good!"

When the second brother-in-law Li Zhen heard this, he immediately smiled like a flower. As long as his family does not suffer a loss, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen will feel comfortable.

"I plan to put this batch of goods on consignment with Shen Wansan. I also want to show Shen Wansan our new goods and let him know that future cooperation will be profitable," Zhu Han said.
To be continued...