Chapter 108 The outrageous Bolu, arms tycoon Zhu Han
When Li Zhen, Shi Naian and others saw this, their eyes widened, wondering what Zhu Han would do next.
"good, very good!"
Zhu Han smiled and distributed the fruit wine in the wine jar to everyone.
After several people took a bite out of curiosity, they all showed expressions of surprise.
“Good wine!”
“A treasure of fine wine!”
"My dear mother, I don't feel miserable at all!"
"The fine wine in Jinling City is not as smooth as this."
All of a sudden, several people were impressed by this jar of wine.
They all asked Zhu Han what kind of magic was used to turn the originally bitter cheap fruit wine into such a delicious wine.
Zhu Han smiled slightly and raised the glycerin bottle in his hand.
"Didn't you see that it depends on this thing?"
The tannins in fruit wine will be quickly absorbed and transformed when encountering glycerin, so that they will no longer produce a bitter taste.
Moreover, glycerin itself has a slightly sweet taste and can also give the wine a good wall-hanging effect.
If you add some flavors, it will be the way of later industrial brewing methods.
Shi Naian, Li Zhen and other old drinkers were full of praise for this fine wine.
"Qiwu, if it were that simple, we would definitely make a fortune!" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen suddenly said.
Then, he calculated an account for Zhu Han. Nowadays, a jar of inferior fruit wine in Jiangnan costs only fifty or sixty cents, while the same fine wine in a restaurant costs at least five or six hundred cents.
"Five or six hundred taels of silver is still the cheapest thing, and fine wine worth several taels of silver is still a lot." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
As the general trade representative of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army, second brother-in-law Li Zhen served her with the finest delicacies every time she went to the south of the Yangtze River. She had already developed great skills in taste.
"A few drops of glycerin can turn this boatman's low-quality wine into fine wine worth dozens of times his net worth. This is more profitable than selling salt." Shi Naian couldn't help but exclaimed.
Regarding the various ways of making money that Zhu Han came up with, Shi Naian always felt that they were almost the same and could not come up with any new tricks. However, Zhu Han could always come up with more powerful tricks.
For example, now it's just chatting and drinking, and you can easily create a big killer that turns bad wine into good wine.
"Haha, sir, what you said makes sense. We can purchase wine from Jiangnan and then process it and transport it over. We can always make a profit of ten times the price difference every time." Zhu Han said.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Fortunately, he had experienced drinking before, which gave him some knowledge, otherwise he would never have thought of this idea.
Naturally, this matter must be left to the second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
The second brother-in-law Li Zhen took the glycerin white porcelain bottle in his hand, but his face was more serious than usual, which even made Zhu Han feel a trace of murderous intent.
"What happened to the second brother-in-law?" Zhu Han couldn't help but ask.
"Qiwu, with such a secret technique, do you know there are too many people?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said, and licked his lips at the boatman's boys beside him.
Zhu Han was immediately startled by his second brother-in-law's idea.
He could see that the second brother-in-law actually wanted to get rid of these subordinates in order to keep it secret.
"Just a little business knowledge will not lead to murder." Zhu Han said.
At this time, several boatmen and boys nearby turned pale with fright, and they all knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy.
"Sir, please forgive me, I don't understand anything."
"Excuse me, I didn't see anything."
In response to their begging for mercy, Zhu Han waved his hand to reassure them.
The second brother-in-law, Li Zhen, changed into his original honest look at this time. He scratched his scalp and said with some embarrassment: "Qiwu, it's not that I'm cruel, I'm really afraid that you will suffer a loss."
Zhu Han smiled slightly, obviously knowing what the second brother-in-law was thinking.
The second brother-in-law basically thinks about his elder brother Zhu Yuanzhang and himself in everything he does. Of course Zhu Han can understand some of his excessive methods and ideas.
The mighty Chuzhou merchant fleet entered the vicinity of Jiqing soon after entering the Yangtze River.
Some of the ships separated and went straight to Jiqing City.
The other part followed Zhu Han, Li Zhen and others to continue sailing eastward, then continued into the canal, and entered Suzhou after several sailings.
"People say that there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below. The market in Suzhou is indeed much more prosperous."
Early in the morning, Zhu Han stood on the bow of the boat and began to admire the Jiangnan scenery in front of him.
The so-called most prosperous place in the south of the Yangtze River, Suzhou's population and housing are absolutely incomparable to Chuzhou.
In fact, Suzhou in this era can surpass Jiqing Jinling City.
Hearing Zhu Han's emotion, Shi Naian also walked out of the cabin.
"Deputy Commander, the scenes along the river you see are the best of Suzhou. In fact, the people's livelihood behind them cannot be compared with Chuzhou today," Shi Naian said.
His words were definitely not flattery, but he truly spoke from his heart.
Sure enough, Zhu Han and the others soon saw the poverty behind the prosperous market.
Not long after their fleet entered the canal, a headwind blew up in the sky.
If there is a slight headwind on the smooth water, it will be impossible to sail forward immediately. Even if it is sailing, it will not be much faster than a turtle crawling.
The water surface on the canal is narrow, so it is impossible to walk in a zigzag pattern and take advantage of the wind to travel against the direction.
"I'll arrange for someone to find a tracker."
Second brother-in-law Li Zhen already has experience with this situation.
As the fleet docked at the canal, Zhu Han and others took the opportunity to go ashore. It was almost dark anyway, and it was much better to stay in an inn on the shore than in a narrow cabin.
Moreover, Mr. Shi Naian seemed to be very familiar with the local market, and he quickly directed a grand inn and restaurant, which was filled with guests.
Zhu Han looked at the artists singing songs below the restaurant and couldn't help but guess what Shi Naian was thinking.
"I didn't expect that sir is still a sweetheart." Zhu Han joked.
Ever since he entered this restaurant, Shi Naian's eyes have been staring at the women singing the music.
"Don't you know, proprietor, that the story of Xuan and Liangshan in the Song Dynasty sung by these strange women is a masterpiece."
Zhu Han listened to a few words and found that it was indeed a story similar to the Water Margin.
It seems that old Mr. Shi Naian is here to collect creative inspiration.
Zhu Han didn't quite understand these dialect tunes, and soon lost interest. He took Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others back to the canal to see what the trackers were looking for.
When Zhu Han came to the edge of the canal, he saw a very spectacular scene.
About hundreds of trackers in tattered clothes gathered on the edge of the canal. They dragged long ropes and began to tie the ropes on the edge of the canal.
"Qiwu, why are you here?" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen came to greet him.
"Second brother-in-law, are they all the trackers you found?" Zhu Han asked.
"Yes, I've already asked. It's been a headwind day lately, so we can't use trackers. We are a big ship, so we need so many trackers." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
Zhu Han's merchant fleet is all large ships, and each ship requires at least a dozen trackers to be able to head against the wind and reverse the direction.
"These people are so thin, can they really pull a big ship?" Zhu Han felt a little shocked.
Because the trackers in front of me, no matter their age, all looked lean and lean. Many of them were barefoot and upper body, with only a pair of tattered calf-nose pants on their legs, and the bones on their bodies were clearly visible.
Zhu Han always felt that a tracker must at least be strong, not to mention covered in tendons and flesh, and he couldn't look like this pitifully.
"Don't worry, they look thin and their strength is okay. Even if they are not strong enough, we can still hire more trackers. Anyway, these trackers are very cheap." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
"Oh, how much does it cost to hire a tracker?" Zhu Han asked.
"Looking at the itinerary and time, these people cost one hundred pennies," Li Zhen said.
"One hundred coins, so cheap? Food included?" Zhu Han asked.
"It's just one hundred cents, and you can eat and sleep and figure it out on your own," said the second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
Sure enough, after Zhu Han saw several trackers tying the ropes, they all took out a few straw mats and found a secluded place to sleep.
"The prices in Jiangnan are so high that one hundred pennies is probably not enough to eat." Zhu Han couldn't help but say.
For these trackers, Zhu Han is really not worth it for them.
Ordinary soldiers in Chuzhou, even the lowest-ranking gang leader soldiers, received a military salary of one hundred cents a day, three meals a day, monthly food allowance, quarterly cloth shoes and socks, etc.
After all, a soldier's salary is several times that of a tracker.
"How about such a good man going to serve as a soldier to get food?" Zhu Han asked his second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
Li Zhen shook her head and said: "Being a soldier and eating food is not that easy. I'm afraid they don't dare to work hard."
Zhu Han understood that these trackers always felt that there was a job to fool their stomachs, and no one was willing to work hard as a soldier.
However, Zhu Han was a kind-hearted man. Seeing how pitiful these trackers were, he said to his second brother-in-law Li Zhen.
"Second brother-in-law, send someone to buy some food and give them a full meal, otherwise I'm afraid they won't be able to bear it tomorrow," Zhu Han said.
The second brother-in-law, Li Zhen, was also a kind-hearted person and nodded quickly.
"Okay, then I'll send someone to buy some pickles and rice."
Then, not long after, the guys from some shops bought back a lot of food.
They called the trackers on the left and right to come to eat and arranged the order of queuing.
These trackers were all in good order, which surprised Zhu Han.
Because according to Zhu Han's knowledge, people at the bottom of today's era have many shortcomings, the biggest one of which is that the surname of order is not strong enough.
Not to mention ordinary queuing, even if someone is there to educate them about queuing, it will still take a long time.
Many farmers in Chuzhou had this shortcoming when they were working.
The trackers in front of him lined up very cooperatively, which surprised him.
"These trackers all have different backgrounds, and they need to work in unison when pulling fiber. Although their orderliness is not very good, they have already become accustomed to this simple queue," said Li Zhen, the second brother-in-law.
.
Zhu Han immediately understood that when stretching, one should pay attention to strength and height, height, fatness, and thinness, otherwise they would not be able to show their respective strengths.
"So, they are really good soldiers." Zhu Han said with emotion.
These hard-working trackers all swallowed hard when they saw free meals.
When they received the food, they all devoured it.
After eating, many trackers kowtowed in the direction of the second brother-in-law Li Zhen, expressing their gratitude to such a good and kind-hearted customer.
Many people still had tears in their eyes. It was obvious that they had not had such a hearty meal for a long time.
Zhu Han quietly walked around the trackers and started chatting intentionally or unintentionally.
After a conversation, Zhu Han was even more surprised by the news he received.
"One hundred pennies, but you only got sixty pennies?" Zhu Han was almost shocked and angry after hearing what the trackers said.
A tracker in his thirties sighed with a bitter look on his face and said: "Well, if you don't pay the forty cents, you won't be able to eat this bowl of rice again, and we won't have any."
What a way."
"With forty cents, you can feed two people, but you're feeding those bastards for nothing!"
"It's just a job given by the dental dealer, but they don't do anything but pump 40% of the water!"
After these trackers take over the business themselves, they must hand over 40% of their income to the local gangsters as money for the industry's regular members.
Zhu Han originally thought that the income of trackers was already low, but now there are still people who want to eat 40% of their wages, so he immediately started to feel unfair for them.
"With such hard work and people still drinking blood, why not do something else to make a living?" Zhu Han said.
The trackers all said helplessly: "We are all outsiders and we don't have any skills. Apart from our strength, we don't have much else to do."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "If you don't work as a tracker, you will really starve to death."
Zhu Han learned more about them and finally had some understanding of the survival of these trackers.
The work of trackers is extremely hard, and there is no guarantee. Once they get sick or injured, it will basically cut off the family's livelihood. Many trackers do not dare to rest after getting sick, and would rather die of illness than starve to death.
Zhu Han indeed saw a few people with sallow faces among the trackers. At first glance, they were obviously malnourished and suffering from diseases.
Even if Zhu Han wanted to take care of so many pitiful things, he couldn't.
"Qiwu, everyone has his or her own destiny, so don't take it too seriously. Even if you take care of food and drink today, they will continue to suffer when we leave." Li Zhen, the second brother-in-law, enlightened.
"If we win Jiangnan in the future, we must change the fate of thousands of poor people!" Zhu Han said.
"If you are so ambitious, I believe you can do it." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said sincerely.
When Zhu Han and the others were about to leave, they saw a tracker lying on the ground with a frown on his face and continuous sounds of pain in his mouth.
"What's wrong with him?" Zhu Han couldn't help but ask.
A tracker who looked like a leader quickly said: "Let me tell you, the sole of his foot was pricked two days ago. I don't know why it is not good, and the abscess has become hot."
Seeing Zhu Han's solemn expression, the leading tracker thought it was because his employer disliked the injured tracker for being paid for free, so he hurriedly bowed and said, "If the master doesn't like it, then I will find someone else. I will definitely not delay the master's weight-stretching schedule."
Zhu Han waved his hand and interrupted him.
Zhu Han stepped forward, ignoring the dirty clothes of the injured tracker, and carefully inspected the injured sole of his foot.
There was a wound about an inch wide on the sole of the foot, which was already extremely red and swollen. It was obvious that the infection had caused a high fever.
In normal times, such a severe bacterial infection basically depends on one's fate. Once one's own immune system cannot kill the bacterial infection, one is basically waiting to die.
Zhu Han was afraid that he would not be able to survive the life in front of him, so he took out the small medicine bottle he carried with him, which contained some sealed antibiotic tablets.
According to people's resistance to drugs today, a few tenths of the conventional drug dosage in future generations would be considered sufficient.
Zhu Han poured out a capsule, ordered someone to fetch a bowl of cold boiled water, dissolved it into a little powder, and then gave it to the injured tracker to drink.
Then, he called a clerk from the store and told him the dosage and time of taking the medicine, and he would take it again after a few hours.
When the trackers around him saw this, they were all very grateful to Zhu Han for saving a tracker regardless of the mess.
Zhu Han and others did not say any more to the trackers and left the dock directly back to the inn.
After the group ordered their meals, they each ate and went back to their rooms to sleep.
Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others took turns on guard duty until daybreak the next day, when Zhu Han got up comfortably.
Zhu Han is now at an age where he is growing rapidly, and he always feels like he doesn't get enough sleep every day.
After breakfast, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen urged us to set off.
When they arrived at the dock on the canal, they saw that the trackers had already pulled up the tow ropes and were ready to start at any time.
"Get on the boat." Second brother-in-law Li Zhen said.
At this moment, there was a commotion nearby.
Zhu Han turned around and saw a tall tracker trying to get closer, but was stopped by Chen Baodao's guards.
"What does he want to do?" Zhu Han asked.
Chen Baodao quickly ran over to ask, and soon ran back and replied: "Sir, he said that you saved his life yesterday, and he wanted to come and kowtow to you to thank you."
"oh?"
Zhu Han guessed that it was the tracker who was injured yesterday. Judging from his actions today, his fever should have subsided and improved.
"Go and tell him that there is no need to kowtow and just take medicine to recuperate." Zhu Han ordered.
Zhu Han didn't think it was shameful to accept kowtow from a man in public.
However, that man turned out to be very stubborn and still insisted on coming over and kowtow to say thank you.
When Zhu Han found out, he simply followed his wish.
"Okay then, let him come over."
Soon, the tall and thin man came to Zhu Han, knelt down on the ground without saying a word, and kowtowed to Zhu Han three times.
"Zhang Dingbian would like to thank you for saving your life. I will repay you in the future as a cow and a horse!"
Zhu Han didn't pay attention at first, but when he heard the name, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Wait, what did you say your name was?"
"The villain's name is Zhang Dingbian!"
When Zhu Han heard this name, he was immediately surprised.
"What? You called me Zhang Dingbian?"
"Yes, the villain's name is Zhang Dingbian."
Li Zhen, the second brother-in-law next to him, asked: "You actually have a decent name. You come from a good family?"
Zhang Dingbian smiled bitterly, and then said: "The villain was originally a wealthy businessman from Jinghu, but later joined Zhongluo, offended his enemies, and was reduced to where he is now."
Zhu Han is still not sure whether he is the fierce general Zhang Dingbian in history.
Zhang Dingbian in history was the number one general under Chen Youliang. During the Battle of Poyang Lake, Zhang Dingbian attacked Zhu Yuanzhang's base camp ship alone, almost frightening Zhu Yuanzhang into retreat on the spot.
Later, fortunately, Chang Yuchun shot Zhang Dingbian with an arrow, forcing Zhang Dingbian to retreat, thus saving Zhu Yuanzhang's life.
If the tracker Zhang Dingbian in front of him is really the fierce general Zhang Dingbian in history, he will make a lot of money.
"In that case, you must have learned writing, right? Why do you make a living as a tracker and don't you carefully look for another serious profession?" Zhu Han asked.
"To be honest, my little talent is not really much of a talent. He is just proficient in writing. There are so many people in the south of the Yangtze River, and my little ability is not enough to earn a living by writing letters for others.
Not long ago, I had eaten all the food I had brought with me, so I had to work as a tracker for a living." Zhang Ding said while crying and laughing.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! As the saying goes, a penny can't make a hero.
"Haha, okay, it seems that you are still a free and easy man! How about you follow me in the future? I see that you are very strong, and you must have practiced some kung fu, right?" Zhu Han asked.
Zhang Dingbian nodded quickly and said: "The little man's family originally hired a martial artist to teach kung fu. He does have some fists and kicks of the triangle cat. As for the gun and stick, he also knows a little bit."
"Haha, that's right. From now on, stop being a tracker and follow me as a guard." Zhu Han was already 70% certain that the Zhang Dingbian in front of him should be the fierce general in history.
"How dare you, my lord, you are not a businessman, right?" Zhang Dingbian said suddenly.
"Oh? Why did you say that?" Zhu Han smiled and looked at Zhang Dingbian with interest.
The second brother-in-law Li Zhen and others next to him looked nervous for a while.
"There is no other reason. I just saw that these brothers walked very vigorously and had thick calluses on their hands. It looked like they were caused by years of holding knives and bows and arrows." Zhang Ding pointed to Chen Baodao next to him.
Others said.
"What kind of thief dares to spy on us!" Second brother-in-law Li Zhen suddenly became furious.
The Red Scarf Army in Jiangbei colluded with the officials and merchants of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, and the business of smuggling and selling salt has long been a secret known to everyone, but now this is the territory of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasty, so it is very easy to say that here
Cause trouble for them.
So, second brother-in-law, you are really planning to ask Zhu Han to drive away Zhang Dingbian, so you will naturally try your best to deny his statement.
"Hahaha, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!" Zhu Han didn't care.
Along the way, we basically saw no officers and soldiers from the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasty or inspections. There was no need to worry about the Mongolian and Yuan officers and soldiers from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces causing trouble.
The military escort accompanying Zhu Han was extremely powerful. Chen Baodao, Lan Yu and others alone were enough to protect Zhu Han from any danger.
What's more, Zhu Han also carries a repeating pistol with him. For any elite soldier in this era, it is a one-shot kill.
Their current location was hidden, and the other trackers could only see the conversation inside. They had no idea what Zhu Han and Zhang Dingbian were talking about.
"Sir, you are indeed generous!" Zhang Ding said with a smile.
"Strong man, do you dare to get on the boat with me?" Zhu Han asked.
"Why don't you dare? Please come first, sir." Zhang Dingbian said.
Zhu Han himself got on the boat first, and others followed him.
After a while, Zhu Han revealed without any concealment that he was from Chuzhou and that he was an official of the Marshal's Mansion doing business for the Red Scarf Army. I originally thought that Zhang Dingbian would be surprised first.
But from Zhang Dingbian's face, Zhu Han didn't see any surprise, but he saw a lot of surprise.
"What? You are from Chuzhou, so you must have met Marshal Zhu Longxing, right?" Zhang Dingbian asked.
"Haha, there is no such thing as Zhu Longxing. The only commander-in-chief in Jiangbei is Zhu Yuanzhang. What about Zhu Longxing? That's just something in an opera script." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Various operas and operas by the Red Army troops in the north of the Yangtze River have already spread to the south of the Yangtze River through various channels. These operas and operas that blatantly praise the red scarf thieves in the north of the Yangtze River are extremely popular among the working people.
Especially since Zhu Yuanzhang killed Emperor Meng Yuan and annihilated one million troops of the Yuan Dynasty, the reputation of General Zhu Longxing has been known to everyone in Jiangnan.
"Since you are from Hubei, do you know the local culture and customs of Hubei?" Zhu Han asked immediately.
"The villain naturally knows. Not only does he know it, but he is quite familiar with it. When the villain was well off, he often went out to visit mountains and rivers, so he was well-informed." Zhang Dingbian said.
Later, Zhang Dingbian told Zhu Han about Hubei's cultural customs, the characteristics of each state or county, how many dangerous mountains and rivers there are, what military garrison there are, and what local fortresses there are. Zhang Dingbian certainly did not miss the point.
was spoken orally.
Zhu Han felt in his heart that he had really found a treasure.
Many scholars may not have the experience that Zhang Dingbian gained from traveling.
In ancient times, various mountains, rivers, geography and maps were important military and political secrets. Ordinary scholars would not study these things at all. And for ordinary people, even if they wanted to study the customs and mountains and rivers geography,
There is no way to start either.
Because no matter how big or small the bookstore or library is, there are no accurate atlases at all. Being able to obtain a geographical talent like Zhang Dingbian will naturally be of great help to Zhu Han when he plans to explore the Hubei area in the future.
However, after all, Zhang Dingbian had just been recruited by him, and his loyalty and reliability still needed to be tested.
Moreover, Zhang Dingbian had just been injured. Although his high fever had gone away, he was still a little weak. Zhu Han took out some more pills from his arms.
"These are my Chuzhou's magical elixirs. You only need to take them for two days and they will be completely healed," Zhu Han said.
"Thank you for the wonderful elixir, sir."
Zhu Han ordered people to take Zhang Dingbian down to rest, put him into some fitting clothes, prepare some delicious meals for him, and let him recuperate on another ship.
As for how to use this talent specifically, Zhu Han decided to make a decision after returning to Chuzhou.
After more than a day of hauling by trackers, Zhu Han's merchant fleet soon entered the canal commercial port of Suzhou.
The trade between the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army and Jiangnan is not only limited to the Jinling Prefecture in Jiqing, but also has fixed shops in Suzhou, which are dedicated to selling salt, sugar and other Jiangbei specialties.
As soon as the group of people arrived on the shore of the commercial port, someone immediately came to greet them.
"The villain pays homage to Mr. Shi." A businessman who looked like a manager.
"This person is a shopkeeper of the Shen family in Suzhou." Shi Naian said to Zhu Han.
"I see, then let him lead the way. Let's go directly to visit that Boss Shen!"
Soon, Zhu Han and his party arrived at a manor by carriage.
From the appearance alone, this manor has a simple temperament, but when combined with various simple elements, it looks full of nobility.
"Sure enough, Suzhou gardens are the best in the world." Zhu Han saw the exquisiteness of this garden at a glance.
"My boss, you really have extraordinary vision." Shi Naian said with admiration.
This kind of garden design that emphasizes wealth and nobility in simplicity is something that ordinary rich people in the countryside cannot appreciate. Zhu Han, who was born as a poor beggar, can now have such high taste, which greatly surprised Shi Naian. .
A group of people entered the manor gate from the middle gate.
A middle-aged man in his forties and a few people were already waiting for him.
"Mr. Shi came here, and Shen Fu didn't come out to greet him. It's really a sin, it's a sin!" The person who spoke was naturally Shen Wansan.
Zhu Han looked carefully and found that Shen Wan's three sons generally looked a bit honest, not the kind of profiteers who exuded a philistine temperament.
Shen Wansan regarded Shi Naian as the leader, so Shi Naian naturally quickly retreated to the back row, revealing Zhu Han's position.
"Who is this?" Shen Wansan asked quickly.
"This is our deputy commander!"
Shi Naian said.
"Deputy Commander?" Shen Wansan looked surprised.
Shen Wansan already knew the reputation of the Jiangbei Red Scarf Army, and the reputations of their commander-in-chief Zhu Yuanzhang and deputy commander Zhu Han were naturally familiar.
Now seeing that the young man in front of him turned out to be the powerful deputy commander of the Red Scarf Army in Jiangbei, Shen Wansan couldn't help but be horrified.
"I am Zhu Han, and I am here to pay a visit to Shopkeeper Shen!" Zhu Han smiled slightly.
Shen Wansan finally came to his senses and quickly invited Zhu Han and others inside.
After some courtesy, Shen Wansan finally confirmed Zhu Han's purpose of coming.
"Shop Manager Shen, we have a lot of products with huge profits. If Chuzhou can jointly operate it, you will definitely make a lot of money. At least one million taels of silver a year. It shouldn't be a problem." Zhu Han said.
In his words just now, he had clearly stated that he needed money and craftsmen.
For a veteran in shopping malls like Shen Wansan, there is no need to beat around the bush and directly stating the interests is the best way.
"To be honest, I also want to make money, but, but..." Shen Wansan looked embarrassed.
Zhu Han thought he was afraid of being accused by the Meng Yuan officials, and said with a smile: "The Meng Yuan officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are already paper tigers. As long as they cooperate with us, Bolu and others will not dare to say a word."
"No, no, I'm not worried about this." Shen Wansan waved his hand and said.
"Then what is Shopkeeper Shen worried about?" Zhu Han asked doubtfully.
Shen Wansan glanced at Shi Naian, and then said helplessly.
"To be honest, Suzhou is no longer the Suzhou it was before!"
Zhu Ming was confused when he heard this. He glanced at Shi Naian, who also looked confused.
Shi Naian then asked: "Why do you say this?"
Shen Wansan sighed and said: "Now that Bolu and others are imposing excessive taxes, they have exhausted all their means. Not only have they monopolized the salt, iron, tea, wine and other businesses, they have also imposed heavy taxes on us merchants!"
Zhu Han also heard about this situation.
Bolu and other Meng Yuan officials all knew that Meng Yuan's energy would not last long, so in order to ensure a happy life in the future, they all tried their best to make money.
Moreover, part of the grain and grass taxes paid by Jiangbei Red Turban Army came from the filial tribute paid by Bolu and others.
Where the money comes from, you can figure it out without even thinking about it.
"What kind of heavy tax is this?" Zhu Han asked curiously.
"It's just a commercial tax, which has been collected for three years. I heard that recently, because of the annihilation of the pirate Fang Guozhen in eastern Zhejiang, there are plans to collect taxes for the next three years. In addition, additional troops were sent to pacify the Fujian thieves. Last year It is the thirteenth year of Zhizheng, but the taxes have been collected for the twenty-third year of Zhizheng!" Shen Wansan said with a sigh.
"What, collect taxes in advance?" Shi Naian looked shocked.
Zhu Han also felt that this situation was very magical.
Nowadays, the great Yuan dynasty is running out of energy, even the emperor is dead, and the reign of Zhizheng ends here, but taxes were collected until the 23rd year of Zhizheng.
"This Bolu is really a fucking talent." Zhu Han couldn't help but complain.
"So, someone in our Suzhou has already proposed that we want to contact the surrounding state capitals to raise troops to fight against the Yuan Dynasty together!" Shen Wansan suddenly said in a low voice.
As soon as these words came out, Zhu Han, Shi Naian and others were stunned.
"What, you plan to raise your own troops to rebel against the Yuan Dynasty?" Shi Naian looked surprised.
He could not have imagined that these businessmen from Susong would be so bold.
"Just because you don't pay taxes, you have to rebel?" Zhu Han was also speechless.
The gentry and merchants in Jiangnan have resisted taxes, which has been a tradition since ancient times.
Once Shen Wansan and others rebelled against the Yuan Dynasty and resisted taxes, the manpower they would rely on would naturally be their respective servants and craftsmen.
As a result, no matter how profitable Chuzhou's business is, it is impossible to invest in shares.
"Then how sure are you? Are there any chances of winning?" Shi Naian asked curiously.
It has been unheard of since ancient times for merchants to lead troops in battle.
"If we have money and people, we are 50% sure. In addition, the Meng Yuan government is weak in military strength, so we should be able to add another 20%. Furthermore, our requirements are not high, we just want to maintain peace in Suzhou." Shen Wansan. said.
It turned out that the businessmen in Suzhou saw through the weakness of the Mongolian and Yuan government in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and they had no other option except sending people to collect taxes.
"Logically speaking, the taxes in Jiangnan are not that high. Even if the taxes are increased for ten years, it is not unbearable." Shen Wansan continued.
"Then why do you want to rebel?" Shi Naian asked.
"It's really because the various tax officials in Jiangnan are really greedy. After increasing the amount, the original tax of one tael of silver has turned into five taels of silver when it was actually collected!"
Most of the officials of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasty who collected taxes in various places were second-class people.
These outsiders from the Western Regions are all loyal lackeys of Mongolia, and they are from various Central Asian ethnic groups with business traditions. There are endless dirty ways to make money.
To increase the tax from one tael of silver to five taels of silver was a great discovery for the tax collector.
For ordinary people, the tax can be increased ten times or more.
Before the poor people in Huaixi went bankrupt, they were basically exploited by the tax collectors.
Zhu Han's father was forced to death that year, which was the work of this lustful tax collector.
"Everyone deserves to kill these lustful barbarians." Zhu Han nodded and said.
"Yes, we plan to raise troops to resist taxes this time. The first thing we need to do is to get rid of these lustful people, burn their black accounts, and take back the money they have amassed through corruption." Shen Wansan said.
In fact, this is also half true and half false.
The merchants in Suzhou were so powerful that they were already dissatisfied with the tyrannical people riding on their heads.
Now that the Mongols saw that they were in despair, they naturally wanted revenge.
"Shop Manager Shen, if you tell me such an important thing, aren't you afraid of leaking the secret?"
Zhu Han suddenly asked.
Shen Wansan laughed and said: "Deputy Commander, to be honest, we are raising troops this time, but we intend to fight under your banner. Please don't refuse, Deputy Commander."
When Zhu Han heard this, he was a little surprised.
These business groups in Suzhou are really bold.
If it is a general anti-tax rebellion, once the Mongolian Yuan counterattacks in the future, a few scapegoats can be thrown out.
But if we use the banner of the Red Scarf Army, we will have to go all the way to the dark side.
Shen Wansan and others were all world-famous big businessmen. They were very well-informed and had already judged that the Red Scarf Army could overthrow Meng Yuan, so they came up with such a plan.
"Then what else do you need?" Zhu Han asked.
His purpose is to get Shen Wansan's money and manpower. As long as Shen Wansan has what he needs, he can use it for trading.
Sure enough, Shen Wansan's subsequent words played into Zhu Han's hands.
"Deputy Marshal, to be honest, we Suzhou students rarely have weapons. If we fight in a normal battle formation, it is difficult to practice. I heard that the Vice Marshal has a big fire blunderbuss in his hand, which can destroy hundreds of steps with one shot. Emperor Meng Yuan also did the same Died by such a big fire?" Shen Wansan said.
When Zhu Han heard this, he immediately became happy.
"Artillery, it turns out you want artillery!"
"Yes, yes, it's artillery. We use it to defend the city. With this weapon, we can have no fear of the Mongolian and Yuan officers and soldiers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces." Shen Wansan said.
Today's military strength in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces is actually very pitiful, with a total strength of only seven to eight thousand troops.
But these soldiers and horses are already a terrifying force for Suzhou.
Zhu Han was thinking in his mind that he had already planned to march into Jiangnan soon. Letting Shen Wansan and the others cause trouble in Suzhou would also be a signal to the whole of Jiangsu and Zhejiang that Meng's energy was exhausted. The invasion would be smoother in the future.
"Yes! I can sell the artillery to you!" Zhu Han said with a smile.
Shen Wansan immediately looked surprised.
"Deputy Commander, really!?"
Zhu Han nodded, and then said, "I can sell the artillery to you, but I have two conditions that you need to agree to!"
"No matter what the conditions are, just speak up, Deputy Commander!" Shen Wansan said.
"The first condition is that you must give me a thousand craftsmen, mainly engravers, printers, blacksmiths, etc. I will make a list for you when the time comes." Zhu Han said.
"Okay, okay!" Shen Wansan nodded happily and agreed.
These Suzhou merchants and craftsmen covered their hands, that is, they wanted to serve as strong soldiers. If they had extremely powerful artillery, a mere thousand craftsmen would be nothing.
"Oh, these craftsmen don't pay for the artillery. The money for the artillery needs to be paid separately." Zhu Han reminded again.
"I understand, I understand!" Shen Wansan agreed without hesitation.
"The price of an artillery piece is actually not expensive. It's only eighty thousand taels of silver at most. A smaller cannon might only cost a few thousand taels of silver." Zhu Han immediately gave an approximate price.
When Shen Wansan heard the price, he immediately frowned.
The price is really expensive, but it is still within the acceptable range.
After all, as long as the tax collectors in Suzhou and Changzhou are eaten, the money gained will definitely be enough.
"Not expensive, not expensive." Shen Wansan nodded quickly.
Zhu Han was very satisfied with Shen Wansan's attitude.
This is simply great. There is no need for any troubles such as cooperation and stock ownership. All you need to do is sell arms!
What kind of craftsmen and what kind of money are coming in a hurry?
"As for the second condition, it's actually simpler." Zhu Han smiled again.
"When you raise troops in Suzhou, don't use my Red Scarf Army. Oh no, you shouldn't use our brothers' names." Zhu Han said.
"What? Are you serious about what the deputy commander said?" Shen Wansan didn't quite understand.
If the Suzhou merchant group raises its troops and uses the banners of brothers Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han, it will strengthen the reputation of brothers Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han.
It adds to your prestige without spending a penny. This is simply the most cost-effective thing.
Why didn't Zhu Han agree?
Regarding Shen Wansan's doubts, Zhu Han smiled slightly and said: "To be honest, we have reached an agreement with Pingzhang Bolu of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. He paid the city redemption fee and monthly filial piety money, and we promised that within one year We have not invaded the south of the Yangtze River for less than a year. If you raise your troops in Suzhou and use our banner, wouldn’t it be a breach of contract, and people will not stand up without faith." Zhu Han looked serious.
Shen Wansan was immediately shocked.
He did not expect that Zhu Han, a general of the Red Scarf Army, would be so trusting with his enemies.
For businessmen, trustworthiness is simply the number one advantage.
Shen Wansan immediately burst into compliments and compliments from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, Zhu Han's real reason was that he was not prepared enough to ensure that he could successfully take over the power of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After this conversation, although Zhu Han refused the Suzhou Rebel Army to join the group, he provided extremely considerable military assistance.
Shen Wansan was overjoyed and sent people overnight to notify several other big businessmen and powerful men, asking them to come to his home to pay a visit to Zhu Han, the leader of the Jiangbei Red Turban Army.
Everyone tried their best to flatter and flatter young Zhu Han, fearing that Zhu Han would break his promise and refuse to sell the artillery to them.
Zhu Han and others simply stayed at Shen Wansan's home. After the banquet was over, they just went back to prepare for a rest.
Second brother-in-law Li Zhen and Shi Naian came over worriedly.
"Qiwu, artillery, do you really want to sell it to Shen Wansan and the others?"
"Deputy Commander, how can you sell an important military weapon to others so easily?"
For the two of them, the artillery of the Red Turban Army was simply more effective than an army of 100,000 people.
Let alone hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, you can't sell it even for one million taels of silver.
Who knows whether those Suzhou businessmen will go against the Red Turban Army in the future.
"Haha, I have already thought of your worries."
Zhu Han calmly invited his second brother-in-law, Li Zhen, and Shi Naian to sit down.
Then, Zhu Han continued slowly.
"Our artillery, both in terms of production and the gunpowder used, is unparalleled. Even if they want to imitate it, they can't make it. So why not sell it to them?"
After hearing this, the second brother-in-law Li Zhen felt that it was reasonable, but he was a little unwilling to do so.
"Qiwu, even if this is the case, then the artillery we sell is a bit too cheap. It costs tens of thousands of taels of silver each. Your most expensive artillery is only ten thousand taels of silver." ." Li Zhen said.
"Master Li is right. Suzhou rich people like Shen Wansan have tens of millions of dollars in wealth. What's more, if more than a dozen rich people join forces, they will definitely be able to get such money." Shi Naian said.
When Zhu Han heard this, he immediately showed a treacherous smile.
"Hey, you think I sell it cheaply, that's because you only see the cheap price of our artillery. The really expensive thing is not this artillery." Zhu Han said.
"Oh, what is that?" Li Zhen asked quickly.
"Ammunition! Whether it is our new gunpowder or the supporting gun mounts and other items, they are all consumables. As long as they want to use the artillery, they must buy these things. Otherwise, the artillery is just a bunch of ornaments in their hands. It looks good but is useless, and even if they use their home-made gunpowder, the power is far inferior." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Li Zhen and Shi Naian finally understood that Zhu Han was a complete profiteer.
This one-time deal turned Zhu Han into a long-lasting business.
Later, Zhu Han explained his plan. Each artillery piece would be given ten rounds of ammunition, and the remaining artillery ammunition would be sold to Shen Wansan and the others at fifty times the cost price.
"Tsk, tsk, doesn't that mean that the ammunition for a cannon costs ten taels of silver per shot?" Li Zhen was speechless for a while.
"Ten taels of silver per gun is nothing. Everyone in the world knows that the emperor of the Mongolian Tatars was killed by our artillery. Such a powerful artillery costs ten taels of silver per shot, so use it as you like." Zhu Han said.
Calculated in this way, all the artillery purchased by Shen Wansan and others have turned into gold-eating beasts that burn money.
If you want these gold-swallowing behemoths to exert their power, you must continuously send money to Zhu Han.
In order to ensure his business reputation, Zhu Han asked people to take a fast boat to Longhaiwei not far away to deliver the message, and transferred ten small three-pound cannons with military orders.
This small artillery has a small and compact structure, and is very effective when placed on manor walls to kill infantry.
After Shen Wansan and others saw these artillery pieces, they were immediately overjoyed.
These seemingly small artillery pieces are much easier to use than the various bulky artillery pieces that are common today.
And in terms of power, it is not weaker than those big guys that can easily weigh thousands of kilograms.
After a trial run, ten three-pound cannons were bought by Shen Wansan and others for 50,000 taels of silver.
They also kept their promise and assigned 500 craftsmen from various workshops to Zhu Han on the spot.
Naturally, the remaining craftsmen have to be selected slowly, and Zhu Han pays more attention to the quality of the craftsmen.
After getting along for a while, Zhu Han immediately became friends with Shen Wansan and other wealthy people in Suzhou.
Shen Wansan and others all felt that when the Red Scarf Army took over the world, the Zhu Han brothers would definitely want high-ranking officials such as prime ministers and marshals to protect them.
This day.
Zhu Han wandered around Suzhou City and collected a lot of local customs and culture. As soon as he returned to his residence, someone came to visit him.
The visitor is Zhou Gushan, the head of the Zhou family in Suzhou.
As a wealthy man in Suzhou, although Zhou Gushan is not as famous as Shen Wansan, his financial strength is no less than that of Shen Wansan.
"Deputy Commander, Zhou came here to ask for something!" Zhou Gushan said after being polite.
"Brother Zhou, you're welcome. If you have anything to say, just say it." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Zhu Han still had a very good impression of Zhou Gushan.
Shopkeeper Zhou is generous and has never been stingy. When he came to visit today, he not only brought hundreds of precious silks and satins, but also a golden Buddha, as well as four beautiful and stunning singers.
"Deputy Commander, to be honest, Zhou's family has some maritime business. They often encounter pirates and bandits, and they often suffer heavy losses." Zhou Gushan sighed and said.
"Oh, brother Zhou, do you think there is anything I can do to help you?" Zhu Han said.
In fact, Zhou Gushan is almost fifty years old, and his grandson is in his teens and is as old as Zhu Han, but he can only be compared to Zhu Han's equal.
"Deputy Commander, I know you have a new type of ship, the one that defeated the Koreans on the Yangtze River last time!"
