Chapter 1991

Although what Ji Yuanqing said was a bit flattering, it was indeed the truth. The knowledge Gong Shiqi studied was all related to fighting and killing, so no matter how many books he read, it would not change his temperament.

Peaceful. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing for the profession that Gong Shiqi is engaged in. His job must focus on decisive killing. If his temper is too gentle, he is not suitable for this industry.

Gong Shiqi said: "I am a rough man. He likes to go straight like a knife when doing things, which makes Brother Ji laugh!"

Ji Yuanqing waved his hand and said: "Brother Gong is a man of good temperament. I have heard a little bit about Brother Gong's past deeds, and I admire him very much. Why should I joke about it?"

Many of the various special tasks Gong Shiqi completed for the Ministry of Security in the past have become teaching examples used by the Haihan Intelligence Agency to train new recruits. Although Ji Yuanqing is not from the Ministry of Security, he still has the opportunity to share some information. Especially

After he came to Zhejiang as a duty officer, he naturally learned about the glorious deeds that the Ministry of Security and the military had jointly accomplished in Hangzhou City, and incidentally he also learned about Gong Shiqi's abilities.

In comparison, Gong Qi Qi obviously knew much less about this colleague. The limited information he had was almost all from what Wan Fa had said. However, after getting in touch with him in the past few days, Gong Qi Qi also knew that this man was not a simple man.

, is not only thoughtful, experienced, but also good at observation. These are the qualities that an excellent intelligence officer must possess. Gong Qiyi's concerns about his partner at the beginning are now gradually disappearing with his increasing understanding.

It faded slowly. He was looking forward to whether this calm-looking man would also show his sharp claws after arriving in Yangzhou.

On the two ships that set off from Ningbo to Yangzhou this time, in addition to the team of people brought by Gong Shiqi from Shandong, the Military Intelligence Bureau also sent a team of people commanded by Ji Yuanqing. Gong Shiqi was not satisfied with such an arrangement.

Disgusting, because although his troops are all good at performing field tasks, they are not that familiar with the environment in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and they do need local support. Ji Yuanqing's troops are all based in Zhoushan, and they are even originally from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

With his background, he can provide such assistance.

In addition to the two cargo ships transporting salt, the military dispatched four warships from Zhoushan to cover the response just in case. However, in order to avoid attracting attention, these four warships did not follow the salt transport.

The ships set off at the same time, but there will be a time difference of about half a day. Because the appearance of the Haihan warship is too unique, it cannot directly dock at the port of Yangzhou Prefecture, and can only patrol the outer sea and stand by. The salt transport ship and the warship are separated

The communication between the two is achieved through two radios. This is one of the few field missions in which the intelligence department uses radio as a means of communication.

Sanya's technical department has been able to manufacture relatively primitive wired transmitters in small batches, and has begun to promote the establishment of wired telegraph networks in various places and implement more advanced and convenient contact methods. However, there is still a relatively large amount of technology required to manufacture radio transmitters.

threshold, so only major cities and major overseas ruling areas will be equipped with radio stations brought during time travel. In addition, radio stations can only be used in large-scale military operations, and intelligence agencies rarely have the opportunity to enjoy them.

Such treatment.

This is of course also because the Military Intelligence Bureau was directly involved in this operation. Otherwise, just by Gong Qiqi leading the team out, he would still not be qualified to apply for the use of the radio. For this reason, the military specially sent two full-time radio operators to accompany him to ensure that the salt transportation

The team can maintain contact with the warships cruising in the open sea, and can provide assistance as soon as possible if necessary. The safety of the two operators and the radio station is what Gong Shiqi must protect.

However, the time when the radio station can help them is actually limited to the period of offshore activities. Once the operation needs to go deep into the inland areas, the role of bringing the radio station will diminish. Shi Diwen had already expressed his attitude before they set off.

The navy can only provide them with certain assistance near the coast, but if Gong Shiqi and his party cause big trouble in Yangzhou City, it would be unrealistic to expect the military to send out a large number of troops to rescue them. What the Executive Committee hopes to see

The result is that the existing problems can be solved, instead of causing greater trouble in the process of solving the problems - for example, it triggers a war with the Ming Dynasty.

This means that Gong Shiqi and his party cannot rely too much on the power of the military in the next operations, and must try their best to solve the problems they encounter on their own. But Gong Shiqi seems to be confident in this, which is why Ji Yuanqing believes in him

One of the reasons why I feel admirable is that even though I have to enter an unfamiliar area to perform such a difficult task, I still maintain an excellent mentality. This indeed requires going through many difficult situations and possessing sufficient operational experience to achieve this.

"Brother Gong, I have a question. I hope you can answer me frankly."

After receiving an affirmative look from Gong Shiqi, Ji Yuanqing asked, "How sure is Brother Gong that this operation will succeed?"

Gong Shiqi responded in a deep voice: "I'm somewhat certain. I can't predict it now, but one thing I know very well is that if we don't dare to boldly try, there won't even be half a chance of anything happening!"

The determination reflected in Gong Shiqi's words made Ji Yuanqing feel his firm attitude again, and he secretly thought that this person can be ranked first among the many good people in the Security Department. It is not only his outstanding personal ability, but also his stable mentality.

Within the reach of ordinary people.

After passing through Hangzhou Bay from south to north, the fleet has sailed out of Zhejiang waters and entered the waters of Songjiang Prefecture, Jiangsu Province. However, the Jinshan Guards guarding this place have a good relationship with the Zhoushan authorities and Ningbo Prefecture officials, so there is no need to worry.

What will happen here?

To the north of Songjiang Prefecture is the Yangtze River Estuary. On the south bank from the lower reaches are Songjiang Prefecture, Suzhou Prefecture, Changzhou Fu, Zhenjiang Prefecture and Yingtian Prefecture. On the north bank, opposite to these state capitals across the river, this is where they are going.

The destination is Yangzhou Prefecture.

According to the administrative divisions set up by Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Yangzhou Prefecture is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River and at the southern end of the Jianghuai Plain. It has jurisdiction over three states and seven counties. It has many rivers and lakes and a plain terrain. It has been a land of fish and rice since ancient times, where rice, wheat and other food crops are grown.

The area is very large. Of course, the wealth created by agriculture pales in comparison to the salt industry here.

However, not many salt merchants in the Jianghuai area are locals, but mostly come from Shaanxi, Shanxi, Huizhou and other places in the interior. In the middle and early Ming Dynasty, merchants from Shaanxi and Shanxi were the main salt merchants, and after the middle period,

Huizhou merchants began to enter the Jianghuai area, especially the Yangzhou area, and intervened in the salt industry. During this period, the salt merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi and the latecomer Huizhou merchants gradually formed a confrontational situation due to conflicts of interest.

"Salt merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi came early and have deep roots, but Huizhou merchants are better at dealing with the government. Therefore, after Huizhou merchants established a foothold in Yangzhou, they have been crowding out the traditional market that originally belonged to Shanxi and Shaanxi merchants."

Regarding the situation of Yangzhou salt merchants, Ji Yuanqing obviously had much more information than Gong Shiqi, so he was still trying to provide Gong Shiqi with relevant information along the way.

"Whenever the Ming Dynasty met with major military needs, celebrations, relief services, or projects, Yangzhou salt merchants were the main donors. Especially in recent years, the war in the north has been tense, and the peasant army has been in chaos in the Central Plains, resulting in a huge gap in military expenditures for the Ministry of War. Yangzhou Salt

Businessmen donated money and food, which made a lot of contributions."

Gong Shiqi nodded and said: "Presumably the salt merchants' money was not in vain. The court should have given them a lot of rewards, right?"

"It is necessary for businessmen to pursue profits and rewards." Ji Yuanqing continued: "The rewards given by the imperial court to salt merchants are mainly divided into two categories. One is to grant honorary official titles. Although they are all false positions, they are still considered officials. The second is to

Provide preferential treatment to the salt industry, such as allowing them to increase prices when selling official salt, increasing the weight of salt corresponding to the salt, and even exempting them from the salt tax that they have accumulated in the past."

"With fame and profit, such a return must be a very cost-effective deal for the salt merchants." Gong Qiqi sighed: "Just doing this is essentially drinking poison to quench thirst, and it will only make the salt merchants' influence in the local area more and more.

After they monopolized the salt industry, it was easier for them to make huge profits, and part of the donated money was originally salt tax that should go into the national treasury."

Ji Yuanqing said: "These principles must be understood by the senior officials in the Ming Dynasty. But firstly, they really need a lot of funds to maintain the operation of the army. Secondly, too many officials have colluded with salt merchants. In order to maintain

For our own interests, we must continue to maintain this abnormal state. Does Brother Gong know what money is?"

Gong Shiqi shook his head and said: "I don't know, please ask Brother Ji to clarify my doubts."

Ji Yuanqing said: "The so-called money capital is money lent by the government to salt merchants for business turnover, and the salt merchants pay interest to the government every year, which is called money profit. Brother Gong is well-informed, so he must be able to understand

Is there a secret behind this?"

Gong Shiqi suddenly said: "Isn't this just another way to convey benefits to the government?"

Ji Yuanqing responded with a smile: "Salt merchants are short of money, just like the bottom of the Yangtze River. This is only a theoretical possibility, but every big salt merchant in Yangzhou will borrow money from the government for a long time, even if they only donate money every year

The money they got out was tens of thousands of taels, or hundreds of thousands taels. They would still borrow money from the government in various names, and then send the wasted money to the government in the name of interest. Among them, Huizhou merchants were particularly good at this.

The most skilled."

Gong Shiqi sneered: "No wonder Brother Ji mentioned just now that Huizhou merchants came from behind and had a closer relationship with the government. Money can make the world go round. If Huizhou merchants are willing to spend money, they will naturally get more.

Take care of it.”

Ji Yuanqing nodded and said: "Yes, the actual situation is exactly the same. Huizhou merchants currently have some advantages in their business operations in Yangzhou."

In actual history, after Huizhou merchants intervened in the Jianghuai salt industry in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, they gradually eroded the salt industry originally controlled by Shanxi and Shaanxi salt merchants, and finally succeeded in squeezing these two competitors out of Jianghuai and Shaanxi salt merchants.

Later, he moved to Sichuan, intervened in the well salt production in central Sichuan, and took control of the inland salt industry centered on the Zigong Salt Field. Shanxi merchants failed to recover, and gradually withdrew from the salt industry in the early Qing Dynasty.

However, at this time, the Ming court's attitude towards salt merchants was still mainly based on voluntary donations. After the change of dynasties, the Qing court was not so polite. Since the salt merchants were rich and the money was easy to come by, they would slaughter them ruthlessly.

That's right, they were almost squeezing money from the salt merchants in a way of fishing, which indirectly led to the continuous increase in the price of official salt, and the proliferation of private salt. The court could not collect salt lessons, and the entire salt industry was in a mess. During the Qianlong period

One of the three major cases was the 22-year-long deficit in Lianghuai Salt Tax, involving a total amount of more than 10 million taels of silver.

At this time, the operating situation of the salt industry is far from being so embarrassing. Basically, it is still an industry that is making money every day. However, local salt merchants are already very sensitive to competition from the outside, especially when quality products of better quality begin to appear in the market.

Well, other salts with lower prices have already touched upon the fundamental interests of the salt merchants. Haihan has already seen some of the radical countermeasures that the salt merchants will adopt.

Gong Shiqi said: "Actually, I heard Wan Fa talk about the situation of Jianghuai salt merchants after arriving in Zhoushan. Although it was not as detailed as Brother Ji's explanation, it also gave me some ideas. I would like to ask Brother Ji

, given the conflict between Shanshan-Shaanxi salt merchants and Huizhou merchants, is it possible that they would choose to join forces to fight against external competition because of the emergence of Ningbo salt?"

Ji Yuanqing understood what Gong Shiqi meant, shook his head slightly and said: "This possibility is unlikely. Compared with Ningbo Salt's current influence, it would be more practical for them to kill the opponent first. Ningbo Salt is actually a threat in a short time

They cannot survive, but the struggle for interests between these two groups of salt merchants has lasted for nearly a hundred years, and this hatred is not so easy to resolve."

Gong Shiqi said: "In this case, should we think that the commanders behind the previous attacks were just one of them."

Ji Yuanqing said: "To be honest with Brother Gong, I actually have the same view. But to understand which group of salt merchants is so radical, we still lack more practical evidence."

Gong Shiqi said: "The Ministry of Security does have some information about the armed militia organized by Jianghuai salt merchants, and is willing to share it with Brother Ji."

Ji Yuanqing actually felt that Gong Shiqi was not completely ignorant of the situation of Yangzhou salt merchants. It is estimated that the Ministry of Security had also provided him with a lot of relevant information collected over the years in the past few days, and his introduction to the situation of the salt merchants

, it seemed to allow Gong Shiqi to use the topic to lead the conversation in a direction led by him.

Ji Yuanqing said: "Thank you very much, Brother Gong. I would also like to ask first, is Brother Gong's real plan to take advantage of the inherent contradiction between these two groups of salt merchants?"

Gong Shiqi smiled and said: "Partnering with a smart person like Brother Ji will save you worry and effort!"
Chapter completed!