After the ship entered the port, it was naturally busy again.
This time we went to sea in a bit of a hurry. Many ships were still being renovated, so we went out to sea in a big way.
There are also some ships that were originally covered with fishing nets and booms. They have all been removed and replaced with crossbows and gun carts - which is a bit shameful. Ping Navy officers are very good at fishing, but they are not good at operating crossbows and gun carts. The methods are quite unfamiliar.
Fortunately, the people of Silla were frightened by them and did not see their nature of being "strong on the outside but hard on the inside".
After the fleet returned to port, like a huge stone thrown into a calm lake, the entire dock area quickly started to move.
"Zhang Da, bring out fifty sheep quickly." A civil servant came to a smelly sheep pen and said loudly.
"Master Liu, but the navy is back?" Zhang Dazhao, who was killing a sheep, immediately handed the sharp knife to his apprentice's hand and hurried over and asked.
"Exactly." Chief Liu said, "Hurry up. This time they went out to perform meritorious service, and the military envoy gave the order. Not only did I come out, there were also several people who went out to buy pigs and sheep."
"Got it, wait a minute." Zhang shouted, and two teenagers rushed over immediately, one was busy boiling water, and the other was preparing a tea set.
Master Liu took a look and saw that it was not the common Fuliang loose tea. He smiled and said, "Zhang Da, your business is getting more and more prosperous."
Zhang Dagan laughed twice and said: "It's not a blessing to level the navy."
Master Liu smiled and said nothing.
The origin of Zhang Da is not simple. He is not a local, his native place should be Qingzhou or Mizhou, I can’t remember clearly. He suddenly settled in Chishanpu two years ago, started a cattle and sheep business, and made a lot of money.
In his ranch, in addition to his nephew Xiangdang, there were also several outsiders, about forty years old, with fierce faces, and they did not look like kind people.
Chief Liu probably knows something about the situation, pirates!
As I got older, I couldn't work hard anymore, and I guessed that I had made a lot of ill-gotten wealth, so I quit my job and lived a peaceful life.
The government also turns a blind eye to such people.
Firstly, there is no conclusive evidence that he is a pirate; secondly, he has never harmed his hometown; thirdly, these people may have some unclear relationship with Tingwangsi, so why bother?
If he is willing to be a good citizen, pay taxes normally, engage in cattle and sheep trading sincerely, and not cause trouble, then don't bother.
In fact, there are quite a few people like Zhang Da.
Let's just say that Zhao Zongjie, the military commander of the Ping Dynasty, was actually a pirate. At least his father was definitely a pirate.
I think back in those days, there were countless Silla people along the coast of the densely populated Tengrai Sea. It was fucking nonsense to say they were doing maritime trade. Well, there were indeed people doing business, but there was no contradiction between doing business and being a pirate. Which Silla sailor who goes to sea dares to promise that he has never committed any piracy in his life? I'm afraid there are only a few of them.
Some things are not so clear. It’s boring. It’s rare to be confused. It’s rare to be confused.
After drinking a few sips of tea, Zhang Da had picked fifty sheep. Chief Liu put down the tea bowl and walked over to check.
"It's not bad. I didn't take the thin sheep. The sick sheep fooled me." Chief Liu scanned the area carefully and said.
"When doing business, honesty is the basis, and that's not the case." Zhang laughed and said.
Master Liu nodded, and then called a few followers to take down the copper coins from the horse for delivery.
Zhang Da also called a few servants and asked them to drive the sheep to Ping Haijun's barracks.
A logistics and non-staple food purchase transaction was completed.
******
Elsewhere on the pier, more than a dozen carriages parked at the entrance of the village.
There is a large work shed in front, with the sound of machines roaring incessantly.
Qian Lushi stood firmly at a high place and admired it carefully.
The fields are endless and stretch into the invisible distance.
The fields were crowded with people, it was the annual flax planting season again. Farmers had prepared seeds early and were busy in the fields.
Linen is a good thing.
Qian Lushi had a relative who was an official in Yingzhou. From the exchange of letters, he knew that the Khitan people had planted flax extensively in Yingzhou for weaving.
Of course, flax has other uses, such as making canvas.
The small village in front of you is actually one of the important sources of canvas for Pinghai Navy. The villagers have almost given up on growing food crops and focus on growing flax, weaving canvas, and selling to Pinghai Navy and canvas shops.
Just like the guilds such as the Silian Hang that monopolize the silk trade, the Canvas Shop has almost a monopoly on all canvas sales in the big port of Chishanpo. All ships with soft sails have to come to them to purchase - some buy directly, some buy directly.
Bought through shipbuilding and ship repair workshops.
Only behemoths such as Ping Haijun can break this rule and purchase directly from the place of origin.
"Qian Lu Shi." An old man with a gray beard walked out of the work shed and bowed in salute.
Qian Lushi returned the gift and then said, "Is the canvas ready?"
"It's completed. Please come here to check." The old man stretched out his hand and led the way.
Qian Lushi nodded and followed the old man to the warehouse behind the work shed.
The shelves were filled with brown linens, pile after pile, which looked quite spectacular.
Qian Lushi reached out and touched it, it was a little rough.
But linen is just that. Can you make canvas? Do you want to use silk? Is it affordable?
"The old rule is still five hundred horses." Qian Lushi said: "Load it on the car, hurry up."
"Did you encounter a bad wind while out at sea?" the old man asked.
He knew about Ping Haijun's return to Hong Kong.
If you go out to sea and encounter bad weather, the canvas may be damaged a lot.
To put it bluntly, this is a consumable product. Normal people will wear clothes when they wear them. Can you expect that a canvas that is blown by the sea breeze all day long will not be damaged? And this is the business they are in.
In fact, thirty years ago, there were no canvas shops in Chishanpu.
In those days, there were very few ships going to sea, so few that they were even a fraction of what they are now. In addition, the ships back then were small and liked to use hard sails, so there was no market for linen canvas.
But the Sage vigorously promoted soft sails. As more and more ships went to sea, the demand for consumables such as canvas increased. Gradually, this became a big business, enough to support a large canvas business.
.
"No." Qian Lushi said, "Some sail surfaces need to be repaired. The canvas inventory in the camp is low, so I came here to buy a batch."
"That's it." The old man nodded and said, "The canvas will be ready soon. Please take it easy while recording."
Qian Lushi nodded, sat down with the old man, and chatted together.
"Is it possible that the Silla Kingdom will fail?" the old man asked.
"Why do you ask that?" Qian Lushi asked in surprise.
The old man smiled and said: "In recent years, there have been fewer Silla merchants coming to do business. There are a few who have a sad face, and they are not as generous as before when they do business. When I asked, they all shook their heads and talked about the war.
Frequently, the king of Silla imposed exorbitant taxes and expropriated goods, making it difficult to sell the goods."
"It's really not going to work." Qian Lushi said, "If we fight together, the people will suffer."
The old man agreed.
In fact, was this not the case in the Central Plains thirty years ago?
Ziqing Town, where Dengzhou is located, was considered a good place, a rare pure land in troubled times. But when the King of Daxia came over, life was equally difficult.
I still remember that Zhu Quanzhong fled to Denglai Prefecture, and the Feilong Army went deep into the hinterland, burning, killing and looting. At that time, the people of Dengzhou did not even have enough to eat, let alone buying seafood.
Fortunately, it's all over.
After the king conquered Dengzhou, he vigorously expanded the port and developed maritime trade. Because of its unique advantages, Chishanpu became one of the few good ports in the north. Not only did the Ping navy stationed here, but merchant ships from all walks of life also liked to come here.
Subsequently, the popularity of the marine fishing industry accelerated the development of Chishanpu. Today, a complete marine industry chain has been formed here, including shipbuilding, ship repairing, canvas making, barrel hooping, wood processing, etc.
Leather tanners...and so on, even farmers have made a fortune by growing grain, fruits and vegetables, and raising livestock.
The population has been growing year after year, and the entire Chishanpo population now has no less than 80,000 people, almost all of whom rely on the marine industry for their livelihood.
This is a vibrant emerging town, this is a commercial port flowing with money, this is a production base for the marine industry, all of which were built by Jin Shang.
"Let's just defeat Silla as soon as possible." The old man sighed and said.
Qian Lu was very surprised and said: "I remember that Zhang Weng is from Silla, right?"
"Don't talk nonsense when recording things." The old man shook his head and said, "Grandpa Laowan or Laowan from Silla are citizens of Daxia."
Qian Lushi laughed and said, "Indeed."
"There is a rumor on the pier that the Holy Emperor will be patrolling the east. Will he come to Chishanpu?" the old man asked again.
Qian Lushi hesitated for a moment and said: "It's hard to say, but it should come. Penglai Town or Chishanpu, the Holy Master will definitely come to one of them."
"Penglai Town is lively, no less than us." the old man said.
"They took advantage of Liaodong Road," Qian Lushi said.
Penglai Town is also one of the important bases of the Pinghai Navy, facing the Liaohai Sea. Ships traveling between Andong Prefecture and Liaodong Road must berth at that port.
There are also hundreds of workshops there, and the scale is no smaller than here, or even larger. A considerable part of the goods of the Bohai Trading Company are transported out through the Yalu River, and then transported across the sea to Penglai Town and other places, and then distributed everywhere.
Qian Lushi has never been to Penglai Town, but he heard from his colleagues that the Liaohai Sea is very busy now. Ship after ship of Central Plains goods are being transported there, and ship after ship of wild goods, medicinal materials, leather, and preserved meat.
, livestock, copper blocks and other commodities were transported back.
Personnel exchanges are also very frequent.
Starting from Lushun Port in Andong Prefecture, it takes almost three days to land in Penglai Town, which is faster than taking the land route. Moreover, as this route becomes increasingly mature, there are very few shipwrecks, and people are more willing to travel by boat.
—Last autumn, dozens of students from Liaodong Province took a boat from the Bohai Trading Company in Lushun, landed in Penglai Town, and then went to Luoyang to report to the Ministry of Rites and participate in this spring’s scientific examination.
People no longer have any fear of the ocean and even make great use of it.
All of this is actually the work of the saint. I really hope that this old man can come and take a look.