Chapter 728: Everyone works together to raise money, so everyone works together!
Throughout China's past dynasties, at the peak of its national power, its foreign wars were basically crushing results.
The strong Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty at its peak were all like this!
There are basically no enemies in the surrounding small countries!
So why didn’t China have large-scale external expansion in ancient times?
First, because our ancestors were so awesome that they acquired all the surrounding land that was more suitable for agricultural development, leaving future generations with no direction for expansion.
To the north is grassland, to the south is rainforest, to the east is the sea, to the west is desert and plateau...
The part in the middle that is most suitable for human survival and civilization development is called China!
Why expand externally?
Do you want to put aside your wealth and wealth to rob a poor man of his shabby thatched house?
As long as you can cultivate land on the grassland, it will be a land of plenty like Jiangnan and Huguang. Can you try it?
No matter who is on the opposite side, even if it is Mongolia at its peak, the Central Plains Dynasty can still raise their ashes!
It is precisely because I am too rich and prosperous that I see all the poor in the world.
Even with Bala's efforts in overseas expansion, grabbing three melons and two jujubes is not enough for military expenses!
Therefore, after the Central Plains dynasties of the past dynasties conquered the eighteen provinces of the Han Dynasty, that is, unified the world, they have never been very motivated to expand externally.
It basically belongs to the kind that, at the peak of the dynasty, the emperor expanded externally and attacked the surrounding enemies in order to satisfy his own civil and military skills.
Once the dynasty declines, it will shrink its defense lines and abandon large areas of land outside the Han Dynasty.
Playing the trick of only reducing expenditure without increasing revenue!
To put it bluntly, it is because there is a serious mismatch between the costs of governance and the benefits of governance!
In order to save the court's expenses, the only option is to abandon the land!
Just like Xuande's shrinking of borders, wasn't it because the imperial court had financial difficulties and had to cut back on military spending in order to fill holes?
If you want to solve the problem of the Central Plains dynasty’s inability to expand externally, to put it bluntly, it’s all about profit!
It is necessary to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, find the profit growth points of external expansion, and minimize the cost of governance. This is the correct path for external expansion.
Needless to say, it is necessary to find points of interest growth. Commodity dumping and human trade are currently the biggest points of growth for Ming Dynasty's external interests.
It is also the most important factor driving Ming Dynasty’s external expansion!
Telegraphs and trains can reduce governance costs to the greatest extent.
As long as these two points can be guaranteed, Zhu Hongyu can be sure that even if he dies in the future.
The territory of Ming Dynasty will not be reduced!
No unscrupulous descendant will come to shrink the border, and the territory that the ancestors worked hard to conquer will be abandoned.
…
North Korea!
Pyongyang City!
Jin Yuanzhe stood at the top of Pyongyang City, looking at the mighty Qing troops withdrawing outside the city, and let out a heavy breath.
My heart immediately felt relieved!
A total of four million silver dollars worth of gold and silver goods, food for the population, and even weapons and iron tools were delivered to the Qing army camp.
Finally, a rare peace was obtained!
Jin Yuanzhe didn't know whether he should be happy or ashamed.
Using money, food and women to exchange for peace, he felt like his bones were being poked and scolded.
However, no matter what, it is a good thing that the Qing army has withdrawn!
At the very least... his life, Jin Yuanzhe's, has been saved!
"Go down with the order and report victory to Seoul!"
“Let’s just say that the entire Pyongyang community was united as one, and the army and the people worked together. After several days of hard work, we successfully repelled the Jiannu slaves and saved the city of Pyongyang!”
"My Korea is mighty, your king is mighty!"
"..."
Although Pyongyang was able to survive the disaster, it was because the city of Pyongyang spent money.
However, if everyone works together to raise money, doesn’t it mean that everyone is working together as one?
When Pyongyang was relieved of the siege, it was relieved of the siege, and when the Qing troops withdrew, they were withdrawn. This cannot be said falsely.
Therefore, as long as Jin Yuanzhe is thick-skinned, no one can fault this good news!
Jin Yuanzhe turned around and walked down the city wall, returned to his mansion in the city, and ordered a celebration banquet to be held.
Since the Qing troops withdrew, the atmosphere in Pyongyang has become noticeably more relaxed.
Many people have lost the vigilance they should have!
With the celebration banquet held, it becomes even more so.
The officers gathered together to eat and drink, and the soldiers below also gathered together in twos and threes to drink and play, celebrating that they had survived the war.
However, that night, the Qing cavalry roared in and launched a surprise attack on Pyongyang City.
A group of elite cavalry took advantage of the darkness to fight their way outside Pyongyang City, and climbed up the city wall using suspension cables and flying claws.
"Quick, take over the city wall quickly, and then send a signal outside the city!"
The Qing general who was wearing black clothes and holding a steel sword gave instructions to the people around him.
As he spoke, he was already ready for battle.
Several Korean soldiers who were leaning against the city wall, drinking and playing, noticed the movement here, but they didn't wait for them to resist or warn.
His neck was instantly wiped by the whizzing sword light!
There was a pop and blood spurted out!
The arrow flew away and easily penetrated the throat of a Korean soldier.
The Korean soldier fell to the ground. He was still alive and let out a desperate scream.
A meaningless whooshing sound came from the throat!
More and more Qing soldiers climbed up the city wall and began to seize the city wall.
As more and more Qing troops boarded the city, the movement became louder and louder. The Korean soldiers on the city wall also reacted and prepared to counterattack the Qing troops who boarded the city.
However, the Koreans' combat literacy and combat effectiveness are already very poor. Coupled with their laxity tonight, they were unable to gather enough troops for a while.
How could he be a match for the Qing troops who had ascended the city?
In just a moment, the Korean soldiers who gathered to block the Qing army's landing were defeated.
In front of the Qing army, these Korean soldiers were really vulnerable!
"kill!"
Ding Shitou swung his knife forward, and the sharp long knife mercilessly penetrated the gap connecting the armor's stomach.
Then the long knife in his hand was lifted up hard, and the stomach and skin were cut open one after another. Blood spurted out as if it was free of money!
"kill!"
The Korean soldier screamed and fell to the ground, blood gushing out everywhere like a fountain.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Several other Korean soldiers around were obviously frightened by this scene, and even dropped their weapons, turned around and ran away.
Ding Shitou pulled out the long knife from the corpse, and then strode towards the fleeing Korean soldiers.
The eyes are cold and heartless!
As a battle-hardened veteran, he was really used to killing people.
It's hard to make him have any psychological fluctuations!
It is indeed a miracle that a Qing army without armor can chase and kill several Korean soldiers wearing armor.
However, in today's Pyongyang, such spectacles are constantly happening.
The unarmored Qing army chased the armored Korean soldiers, and it was almost a one-sided massacre.
As for the reason, it is because North Korea attaches great importance to culture over military force. Although the North Korean soldiers guarding Pyongyang have a certain armor rate, it is well known that North Korea's armament situation is worse than that of the Ming Dynasty.
Although these Korean soldiers were wearing armor, the protective effect was not much better than if they were not wearing it.
And, what’s more important is the difference in the quality of the soldiers on both sides!
The soldiers of the Qing Dynasty were basically experienced veterans, and many of them were elites who had fought through the decades of chaos between the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
However, since the Qing army invaded Korea in the late Ming Dynasty, North Korea has not heard of war for decades and has been peaceful for a long time.
How could such a Korean army be the opponent of the Qing army?
Not to mention, the current Qing army is not only composed of Eight Banners soldiers, but also has family members to rely on.
The current Qing army's combat effectiveness is still quite good!
In just the blink of an eye, the Qing army seized control of Pyongyang's city gate.
With a heartbreaking creaking sound, the suspension bridge of the city wall was lifted and the city gate was opened.
Originally, the gate of Pyongyang City was blocked with gravel and sand, making it difficult to open it easily.
However, in order to pay the city redemption fee to the Qing army, Jin Yuanzhe cleared the blockage in the city gate himself.
So now it is not very difficult for the Qing army to open the city gate.
After the city gate opened, there was a loud bang!
A firework rose into the sky!
Extremely dazzling!
Send a message to the main force of the Qing army in the darkness in the distance, indicating that their side has captured the Pyongyang City Gate and the main force can be dispatched.
The next moment, there was a deafening sound of horse hooves outside Pyongyang!
Thousands of carefully selected elite cavalrymen without night blindness galloped towards Pyongyang City in the dark!
…
At this time, Jin Yuanzhe and others in the city also received news that the Qing army had raided Pyongyang City.
Jin Yuanzhe stood up from his chair, his face full of unconcealable fear.
"No...this is impossible!"
"Haven't the Qing troops already withdrawn?"
At this time, Jin Yuanzhe's face was full of alcohol, and the fine wine and delicacies on the table in front of him were thrown to the floor.
His voice was full of disbelief!
It was precisely because the Qing army had withdrawn that he dared to hold this celebration banquet.
Now, in the middle of the banquet, someone told him that the Qing army was back again!
This shit...isn’t it nonsense!
"Send the order, beat the drums and gather the troops!"
"Launch a counterattack immediately to drive the Qing rebels out of the city and ensure the safety of Pyongyang!"
After Jin Yuanzhe's order was issued, the dull sound of war drums sounded in Pyongyang City.
Winter! Winter winter! Winter winter winter!
However, the war drums have been sounded three times, but the number of troops gathered is less than a thousand.
The organization of the North Korean army is really poor, especially at night. They simply cannot react to a sudden surprise attack.
The entire city of Pyongyang is in chaos, with broken soldiers everywhere with broken hearts and running around...
Facing the Qing's surprise attack, the Koreans could not even gather their troops, let alone fight back.
When Jin Yuanzhe led the more than a thousand troops he had finally gathered and prepared to counterattack to retake the city gate, it was already too late.
What they will face is no longer the unarmored vanguard of the Qing army!
Instead, they came roaring with Qing military equipment and heavy cavalry.
Groups of heavy Qing troops passed through the city gate, roared into Pyongyang City, and collided head-on with the reinforcements led by Jin Yuanzhe.
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Suddenly, the reinforcements were overwhelmed by the roaring heavy cavalry!
That night, Pyongyang fell!
The huge city of Pyongyang was ablaze with flames.
The fire continued to burn for several days before stopping.
At the same time, another elite unit of the Qing army also completed its raid on Busan.
Successfully captured Busan and controlled a large number of large and small ships!
And began to prepare to cross the sea!
…
Incheon!
The King of Joseon, Yi Bi, only received the news that Pyongyang had repelled the invading Qing army, and then received the news that Pyongyang had fallen.
Immediately, he was confused!
By the way, did this change so quickly?
The two messages were only a few hours apart, but their contents were completely opposite.
I almost broke Li Xi’s defense!
Li Di was full of fear and worry, so he had to order an urgent call for troops to prepare for the battle in Inchon.
After the war in Pyongyang ended, the Qing army continued its march southward.
Tens of thousands of troops marched along the official road in a mighty manner. The war horses trampled the ground and trampled the roads wherever they passed.
The flag belonging to the Qing army was flying high, and wherever it passed, towns and villages were turned into ruins under the butcher knife of the Qing Dynasty.
…
After King Li Di of Korea withdrew from Seoul, Liao Zhou also evacuated to Incheon with Li Di.
Incheon City, inside Liao Zhou’s mansion!
Liao Zhou was meeting with several business representatives from the Ming Dynasty.
"Ambassador, what is the situation in North Korea? You have to give us an accurate message!"
"Yes, Ambassador, because of the war, our business has been unable to continue recently! This loss is not small!"
"Can Incheon be defended? Do we need to evacuate in advance?"
"..."
Facing everyone's inquiries, Liao Zhou did not appear impatient.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! It is not because of fear of the energy of these businessmen, just some businessmen. Although the status of Ming businessmen is higher than before, it is still difficult to change the overall discrimination in society.
Businessman's habits.
What Liao Zhou is really afraid of are the people behind these businessmen.
Most of the businessmen who can go to North Korea to do business now have some background.
The people standing behind them were either nobles of the imperial court, powerful officials in the court, or simply royal businessmen working for the royal family...
For these people, Liao Zhou could still avoid offending them, so he would not offend them!
After all, Liao Zhou is not in the court now. If he offends someone now and someone speaks ill of him in front of His Majesty later, he will not even have a chance to argue.
Looking around, Liao Zhou finally said.
"The current situation in North Korea is really out of control. The North Korean king is preparing to fight the southern Qing army in Incheon, but the possibility of victory is slim."
"Once the war is defeated, the collapse of North Korea's situation is imminent!"
"For the sake of safety, my opinion is to evacuate as soon as possible!"
"No one can be sure about the situation in North Korea now!"
Mainly because the Qing army's offensive was so powerful. How long did it take? Most of Korea was gone.
Even Pyongyang, which is second only to Seoul in North Korea, fell!
Now in North Korea, it is clear that seriously ill patients are in the ICU and will be cold at any time!
After hearing Liao Zhou's words, several businessmen also sighed sadly.
"Is the situation in North Korea really irreversible?"
A fat-bellied businessman couldn't help but ask.
He was a little reluctant, secretly regretting how much he would suffer if he evacuated North Korea now!
When Liao Zhou heard this, he just shook his head and said.
"It's hard to say, the North Korean military is too weak!"
"The Qing army launched its troops in early March at the beginning of spring, crossed the Yalu River at the end of March, and entered North Korea. Now it is only the beginning of May, and most of North Korea is already gone."
"What will happen next for the situation in North Korea is really not optimistic!"
All the businessmen sighed, but there was nothing they could do about it. The situation North Korea was facing now was beyond their control.
In other words, at this point, apart from the fate of the Ming Dynasty, the situation in North Korea is already irreversible!
But will Ming Dynasty end?
No one can give an accurate answer as to whether the Ming Dynasty would send troops to North Korea before the war in the Ming Dynasty was completely over, Guanzhong was initially decided, and Liaodong was not restored.
In other words, no one can judge the emperor’s attitude!
If the emperor wanted to send troops to aid the DPRK, the above-mentioned problems would be just minor problems!
The Ming Dynasty said: I can overcome it!
But if the emperor does not want to send troops, the above-mentioned issues will be a major issue for the world!
The people of the Ming Dynasty expressed that sending troops at this time is related to the overall situation of the world. I would like to ask Your Majesty to think twice!
Of course, that’s why we can’t be sure whether Daming will end.
In addition to the uncertainty about the emperor's attitude, it was also related to the fact that the North Korean army was too stretched out, and the news of North Korea's request for help had not been sent to the Ming Dynasty. As a result, the Qing army almost reached Seoul.
That’s such a complete piece of shit!
After receiving Liao Zhou's reply, many businessmen resigned and left.
They also made the decision to prepare to evacuate North Korea.
When these Ming merchants were preparing to evacuate North Korea, many North Korean dignitaries also set out with their fleet.
The situation facing North Korea today is extremely dangerous and may even lead to the country's collapse!
For the sake of safety, many North Korean dignitaries chose to send their families to Ming Dynasty for refuge.
At least one or two sons should be sent to Daming!
…
In Incheon Port, a tall building stands, which is very eye-catching!
On the plaque at the door of the building are six large gilded characters - Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty!
At this time, outside the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty, there were countless people and traffic.
Countless North Korean dignitaries crowded outside the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank carrying boxes of gold, silver and jewelry, vying to deposit money.
The reason is very simple. The situation in North Korea is now critical, and many North Korean dignitaries are preparing to flee to the Ming Dynasty.
And if you want to run away, you have to take the travel expenses with you, right?
But the boxes of gold and silver jewelry were too conspicuous, took up too much space, and were too disadvantageous for running away.
Then, someone thought of the branch of Daeming Royal Bank in Incheon!
Isn't it easier to deposit money in a bank and then run away with the passbook than to run away carrying a large box of gold and silver?
Of course, what's more important is that the Ming Royal Bank now carries the royal brand and is endorsed by the Ming court, so its credibility is guaranteed.
Even if they deposit money, they don’t have to worry about being hacked!
Therefore, in the past few days, the branch of Daming Royal Bank in Incheon has been filled with North Korean dignitaries flocking to deposit money.
Even the North Korean royal family sent people to deposit money in the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank!
From morning to night, there was almost no interruption!
Boxes of gold and silver jewelry were transported into the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank's vault and replaced with a line of numbers on a thin passbook.
In this process, Daming Royal Bank made huge profits.
Because there are handling fees when these gold and silver jewelry are deposited in the bank.
For large ingots of gold and silver, it's okay. The handling fee is at most a certain conversion based on the purity of the gold and silver, which is not high.
Although the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty also makes money, it is just a "hard work fee"!
After all, it takes a lot of effort to refine gold and silver of varying purity!
However, when calculating the value of those jewelry cultural relics, there is a lot of room for manipulation.
For those jewelry and cultural relics, they are often discounted by 10%, 20%, 200% or 30%. This is normal operation.
Who calls jewelry cultural relics? Their value fluctuates greatly in the first place?
For Daming Royal Bank, the profits here are astonishing!
In a tea room, a very rich Korean man was holding a teacup, frowning, and asked.
"Mr. Li, can the discount-to-exchange ratio of this jewelry be lowered?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "The discount is more than 20%, which is really too high!"
Sitting opposite the North Korean was a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed eyes on his face, who looked gentle but also had the air of a shrewd businessman.
His name is Li Wei, and he is the head of the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank in North Korea.
Li Wei picked up the tea cup, took a sip of tea, and said.
"No, no, no, Manager Jin, this ratio is not high!"
"You have to know that the prices of these jewelry cultural relics are inflated, and their market prices fluctuate greatly. If the Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty eats so many jewelry cultural relics in one go, it bears a huge risk of depreciation."
"Also, during the transportation process, Daming Royal Bank also has to bear certain transportation risks!"
"But for you, as long as you deposit the discounted items in the bank, take your passbook, and go to any Royal Bank branch, you can redeem the equivalent amount of Ming Dynasty silver dollars."
"Even if the ship sinks during transportation and all the gold, silver and jewelry are buried in the sea, it has nothing to do with you."
"Because this risk was borne by Daming Royal Bank!"
"So, this discount ratio is really not high!"
When Manager Jin heard this, he still looked embarrassed.
Li Wei opened his mouth and said.
"If Manager Jin doesn't want to pay this discount fee, why not buy an insurance policy?"
After hearing this, Manager Jin asked with curiosity on his face.
“What is insurance?”
Li Wei opened his mouth to explain.
"Insurance is a new financial service launched by Daming Royal Bank."
“You can be sure of the safety of your property!”
"As long as you purchase insurance based on the estimated value of the jewelry you need to transport, if there is an accident during transportation, Royal Bank can also pay a certain percentage of the compensation."
“Come and secure your property!”
After Li Wei explained the meaning of insurance, he waited for Manager Jin to make a decision with a smile on his face.
Anyway, no matter what, I will earn this money tomorrow!
Even when Jesus comes, he cannot be stopped, I, Li Wei, said it!
In the end, Manager Jin couldn't make up his mind and said.
"This matter is of great importance. I need to go back and ask the master for instructions. I will give Mr. Li a detailed reply later!"
When Li Wei heard this, he just smiled and nodded.
"Manager Jin must hurry up. The Royal Bank of Ming Dynasty does not have many silver ships in North Korea. When the silver ships are full, the bank will no longer accept business."
Manager Jin's eyes twitched when he heard this, but he still spoke.
"I'll do it as soon as possible!"
After that, he said goodbye and left.
Not long after, just in the afternoon, Manager Jin left and returned.
The family behind him has made a choice and decided to convert the jewelry and cultural relics on hand into Ming Dynasty silver dollars.
Because the Qing army was about to kill them, and they had no choice!
…
ps: 6.2k big chapters.
My symptoms are better today, so I tried my best to code these...