Wei Zheng's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart...

"The merchant is indeed a merchant. Just one glance can tell the difference between the Foreign Trade Department and find out the huge benefits that may have brought to the Shanxi and Shaanxi Governor's Office..."

After showing a full of admiration to Mr. Zhou in front of him, Wei Zheng asked directly: "Mr. Zhou, don't worry, say whatever you have. Tell me what you think first."

His own idea was recognized by the Governor of Shanxi and Shaanxi in front of him. For a businessman with a low status, it was like a pie falling from the sky. Therefore, after Wei Zheng finished speaking, even the weather-beaten Mr. Zhou showed a heartfelt excitement on his face...

After taking a deep breath, calming the excitement in his heart as much as possible, he replied in a calm tone: "Sir, in my opinion, just a while ago, I distributed hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep in the two provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi. At the latest one year, I can also earn a large amount of money from the Governor's Office through the Foreign Trade Department..."

"After a year, hundreds of thousands of cattle and sheep will become more than one million. Once these more than one million cattle and sheep enter the market and these cattle and sheep are prohibited from flowing into other provinces... The prices of cattle and sheep in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces will definitely drop to a certain extent. At that time, we can purchase them from the people at a very low price, and then send them to other provinces and sell them at a very high price... At that time, based on the price difference between the two places, our Governor's Office can obtain very high profits..."

After hearing this, Wei Zheng was sure: Mr. Zhou had already deeply realized the true meaning of establishing the Foreign Trade Department by himself. He could make a lot of money for the Governor's Office through the Foreign Trade Department.

Since that's the case, Wei Zheng from later generations doesn't matter what Mr. Zhou is from. As long as the other party has the ability, he will use him...

So, a decision had been made in his heart, and Wei Zheng shouted and ordered: "Since that's the case, I will appoint Mr. Zhou as the director of the fourth-rank Foreign Trade Department of the Shanxi Governor's Office... A group of officials from the Foreign Trade Department will be discussed by Mr. Zhou and his military advisors themselves."

After the establishment of the Foreign Trade Department, Wei Zheng not only handed over the grain and all livestock of Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces to the Foreign Trade Department. The two industries that are no longer secret, salt and glass, but also all handed over to the Foreign Trade Department...

It’s true that under the organization of Mr. Zhou, the businessman, the output of fine salt and glass has not changed. However, the amount of silver earned from various places every month has increased by about 100,000 taels...

More than 100,000 taels of silver a month, and in a year, it is 1.5 million taels, which is enough to be worthy of the salary subsidy of all civil and military officials in Shandong and Shaanxi provinces...

Faced with this achievement, Wei Zheng saw it and enjoyed it. He took the risk to report to the court himself and claimed the title of the fourth rank of Zhou Lao Zheng.

In this way, half a year passed in a blink of an eye...

With the first batch of martial arts students officially graduated from martial arts under the order of Wei Zheng... the large number of low-level officers in the 50,000 Tiger and Leopard Army and 100,000 local garrisons were also filled...

With military officers and sufficient soldiers... the more than 100,000 soldiers under Wei Zheng finally started regular training.

In the past three months, even 100,000 local garrisons have become well-known soldiers under the training of hundreds of martial arts officers...

Not only that, with the efforts of the Foreign Trade Department, millions of residents in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces no longer need to worry about food shortage.

As for the millions of garrisons who were highly anticipated by Wei Zheng, because more than 10,000 oxen were added, a total of 12 million mu of garrisons were cultivated in just a few months. In addition, the 100,000 deep wells dug out by the Governor's Office and more than 12 million mu of garrisons were all completed. All spring plowing was waiting for the arrival of autumn harvest...

Faced with these gratifying news, Wei Zheng believed that the results would be harvested in three months at the latest. At that time, he would have the capital to challenge the court and would no longer need to develop tremblingly under the eyes of the court...

Thinking of this, Wei Zheng's face unknowingly showed a smile from the bottom of his heart.

However, things went against my wishes. Perhaps God just didn't want Wei Zheng to grow and grow so smoothly.

Just as Wei Zheng was sitting in the study of the Governor's Mansion looking forward to the future, a burst of rapid footsteps suddenly reached Wei Zheng's ears.

He raised his head and rushed directly into the study and rushed to Wei Zheng.

In Wei Zheng's eyes, this situation was something he had never seen before after taking office as governor. Therefore, Wei Zheng realized without thinking that something must have happened. Otherwise, these personal guards who had been through the battlefield would not have performed like this.

Before the personal guards spoke in front of him, Wei Zheng had already asked in advance: "What happened..."

"Governor General.... The border reports.... The rebels who retreated to Shaanxi began to attack us again..."

"Uh..." Hearing this news, Wei Zheng frowned, quickly took over the battle report, and began to browse.

"Forty thousand Shaanxi rebels, two days ago, suddenly crossed the Yellow River and invaded Baode County... Two thousand garrisons in Baode County, who were defended for one day and were captured..."

"Two thousand garrisons, all killed in the battlefield..."

"Forty thousand Shaanxi rebels are burning, killing and looting in Baode County... Ten thousand treasury residents scattered in Baode County were also robbed by Shaanxi rebels... Thousands of young and strong treasury residents who swear to death were also robbed by Shaanxi rebels..."

Seeing this, Wei Zheng's face turned red due to anger.

After slamming his clenched fists hard on the desk in front of him, he shouted with anger, "These traitors... I didn't touch them, they dared to come and provoke my patience... Now it seems that these traitors don't want to live..."

After saying that, Wei Zheng made the decision to send troops to rebel...

And just as he was about to issue military orders, another burst of rapid footsteps reached Wei Zheng's ears.

At this time, it was not the personal guards who came in, but the messengers sent by the border garrisons.

After hurriedly walking to Wei Zheng, the panting messenger knelt on one leg before he could breathe, and brought the sealed urgent report to Wei Zheng, and reported it loudly.

"Sir... Zuo Yun's garrison reported urgently..."

"Thirty thousand Mongolian cavalry, under the command of Dorgon of the Later Jin Dynasty, attacked Zuo Yun a day ago.... The five thousand garrisons of Zuo Yun were fighting to the death under General Wang..."

"However, because the Mongolian cavalry equipped with a certain number of muskets and artillery, the five thousand garrisons who defended Zuo Yun had lost more than 1,500 men in a one-day bloody battle..."

"General Wang asked the general to send troops to reinforce Zuo Yun immediately. Otherwise, with Zuo Yun's existing garrison, he could last for up to two days..."

Wei Zheng's already gloomy facial expression was now red as if blood could drip out.

He clenched his fists and said to himself: "I really didn't expect that Dorgon would come to join in the fun... The two troops launched an attack on Shanxi together, which is absolutely impossible..."

After saying that, he ordered the guard in front of him: "You should notify the military advisor to come here immediately, hurry up..."

In less than a cup of tea, Zhou Shuyuan, who had already received news from his personal guards on the road, walked into the study with anxiety on his face. As a result, the two military newspapers handed over by Wei Zheng began to browse carefully.

Before he finished reading it, the anxious expression on Zhou Shuyuan's face was replaced by worry.

After putting down the military newspaper, he said with a certain expression: "Sir, I am sure that this attack was planned by our old opponent Dorgon... If nothing unexpected happens, the 40,000 Shaanxi rebels who attacked Baode County must have attacked us at the instigation of Dorgon...."

"The purpose is to distract us from the army, to command the army again, to capture Zuoyun, and to avenge the last time we attacked Mongolia, burned, killed and looted the country in Mongolia..."

"Otherwise, with the strength of the Shaanxi rebels, it would never be possible to form so many firearms and cavalry units. Also, with the nature of the nomadic people, they would not become one mind and attack us at all costs..."

Wei Zheng nodded and agreed, "I also know that this must be an attack planned by Dorgon... But what I didn't expect was that Dorgon, who had just lost 5,000 musketeers, actually trained another firearm unit in just half a year, and was equipped with a certain number of artillery..."

"Can the Later Jin Tartars themselves be able to build muskets or even artillery?"

Zhou Shuyuan replied thoughtfully: "I wonder if you still remember the plunder of craftsmen in Zunhua and before the Later Jin Tartars evacuated from the pass..."

"The Tartars must have suffered a great loss in front of our firearms. After returning to the Later Jin Dynasty, they reused the craftsmen who had plundered back. You must know that the craftsmen in Zunhua built firearms for the soldiers of the border. However, the soldiers of the border treated those craftsmen, even pigs and dogs were worse than pigs and dogs..."

"In this case, as long as the Later Jin Tartars reuse and treat the craftsmen with kindness, they will willingly build firearms for the Tartars..."

A sudden enlightenment expression just appeared on Wei Zheng's face and was covered by a bitter smile from the bottom of his heart.

Under Zhou Shuyuan's gaze, he spoke: "I really didn't expect that we Han people would willingly work for the Later Jin Tartars... From this we can see how corrupt our court has become, even the people under our rule no longer trust him and help him. It's ridiculous and ridiculous..."

After saying that, Wei Zheng's face had returned to seriousness without realizing it. He continued to say to Zhou Shuyuan: "Military advisor, let's get back to the point... How should we solve this attack planned by Dorgon of the Later Jin Dynasty for us..."
Chapter completed!