The drought is getting worse and worse. Wu Shigong is now joining a group with gentry such as Yao Yuanwai and others. Yao Yuanwai and others have had water sources disputes with the adjacent land several times. Whenever that time, Wu Shigong always dispatched troops to intimidate the other party.

However, Wu Shigong's deterrence seemed to be getting worse and worse. Seeing that the soldiers just stopped fighting every time, they didn't take action, as if they were scarecrows. Some people in the neighboring world became bolder and kept inspiring the people in the local world to make trouble.

When he saw the situation, he seemed to be out of control. One day, Wu Shigong led the horse team and soldiers, led by people sent by Yao Yuanwai and others, who were familiar with the local situation, took action in a unified manner, arrested the dozen people who instigated and made trouble, and beheaded together to show their heads.

Now the situation was immediately calm. Wu Shigong also sent a horse team to patrol and deter nearby every day in the next few days. In this way, the order was restored under Wu Shigong's high pressure. This area has become the best place for drought resistance and self-rescue work in the entire county.

Of course, the lives of these people were reported by Yao Yuanwai to the Qi County Magistrate. He said this to the Qi County Magistrate: "These dozen scums were killed by the righteous people in the countryside, and I don't know who the righteous people who killed them were?"

However, it is the same thing that the Qi County Magistrate opened his eyes and closed his eyes. Of course, he also had a channel to know that the soldiers who killed these dozen people were Wu Shigong's soldiers. So, this made him very upset.

The magistrate of Qi County did not think that Wu Shigong's approach was wrong. Although the magistrate of Qi may not be able to do such decisive decisiveness as Wu Shigong, he also understood that in this extraordinary period, thunder means were still needed.

The Qi County Magistrate was dissatisfied with Wu Shigong: In this county, only the only one who can control the power of life and death among ordinary people is the Qi County Magistrate. Now it’s okay for Wu Shigong to kill people, but before he killed people, he didn’t know that the Qi County Magistrate had a voice. This is clearly that Wu Shigong, a thousand households, did not take the Qi County Magistrate seriously at all!

Of course, Wu Shigong didn't know how unhappy County Magistrate Qi was. He was also worried about one thing now. That is: the cash around Wu Shigong will be the end.

When Wu Shigong was in modern times, he deposited cash in the bank and took it from the bank when he needed money. This behavior has become a habit. But now, Wu Shigong only has more than 30,000 taels of silver notes, and it is particularly inconvenient to withdraw cash in Jining to get it.

Next, Wu Shigong needed to use silver. At least next month, the military pay for these soldiers would be paid. So Wu Shigong decided to go to Jining in person. This time he arrived in Jining, he simply brought out all the silver.

Also, there is not much iron material in Yang Goudan’s blacksmith’s workshop. Wu Shigong just thought about buying it together this time.

When he knew that Wu Shigong was going to Jining, Yuan Xingshan also proposed to go together. He told Wu Shigong: "Sir, the river is about to freeze now. The ships can also be opened. The younger ones and the older ones go to Jining together, purchase more commercial goods and transport them here by ship. This is also the official opening of our store."

After hearing Yuan Xingshan's words, Wu Shigong thought it was right. Wu Shigong could not leave Qianhuyuan often, so he could only ride a horse and go quickly. However, if Yuan Xingshan used a boat to transport commercial goods, Wu Shigong could purchase some urgently needed goods from Qianhuyuan and transport them to Qianhuyuan together.

The most urgent thing now is gunpowder. After all, Jining is a transportation hub that travels from south to north, with enough goods there and cheap prices there.

After the decision was made, Wu Shigong set out immediately. Because the amount of silver was withdrawn this time, Wu Shigong brought with him, 150 horse team guards led by Xue Yongli. Zhang Biao and Li Sanhe were also brought with him because of their experience in the martial arts world.

Wu Shigong and his group dressed as merchants. In addition to the short weapons and hand guns they carried, the muskets, spears and armor were equipped with several large carts. Yuan Xingshan purchased six or seven carts from Guide in the town and took them to Jining together.

After four days of travel, Wu Shigong and his group arrived in Jining. Wu Shigong first went to the money shop to get the silver, and Yuan Xingshan first sold these specialties from Guide.

Both sides were handled very smoothly. Although Wu Shigong had too much money and delayed a day, Wu Shigong still successfully obtained the money. Yuan Xingshan found a large Jining business and sold all the Guide specialties to them. This time, he earned more than 200 taels of silver.

This money is easy to make. Wu Shigong asked Yuan Xingshan curiously why. Yuan Xingshan told Wu Shigong: "The person from the big business shop told the young man that he would not have made so much money. But recently, the number of caravans from Guide to Jining seems to have been much smaller. Therefore, the prices of specialties in Guide have also been higher."

"Why?" Wu Shigong continued to ask Yuan Xingshan.

Yuan Xingshan also replied in confusion: "I don't know this little one."

I didn't think about it anymore. Wu Shigong then hired ships and bought goods with Yuan Xingshan. The other goods were purchased very smoothly, but gunpowder was military supplies, and there was basically no on the market. Wu Shigong had to buy a lot of sulfur and saltpeter and then mix it into gunpowder.

However, in the Ming Dynasty, sulfur and saltpeter were basically used as medicinal materials. Therefore, Wu Shigong had to go to each pharmacy to buy it.

After purchasing this for two days, someone came to the inn where Wu Shigong was staying. After the man sneakedly tested Wu Shigong for a few words, Wu Shigong immediately knew that this person was a middle-aged man who was in contact with gunpowder trading.

Wu Shigong was also very happy and took out his Thousand House Official Seals for the middleman to show them. The middleman immediately felt relieved. After the price was negotiated, the middleman quickly transported a ship of gunpowder from the military barracks that protected the canal transportation. Wu Shigong was overjoyed and in addition to paying the gunpowder silver, he also gave the middleman a ten tael of silver introduction fee.

Wu Shigong also introduced the middleman to Yuan Xingshan and asked Yuan Xingshan to buy gunpowder in Jining in the future and find this middleman. In the future, Wu Shigong no longer has to worry about gunpowder.

When purchasing iron materials, Yuan Xingshan also told Wu Shigong: If Wu Shigong only purchases iron materials in small batches, in fact, it is enough to buy them in a few nearby prefectures. If Wu Shigong wants to buy iron materials in large quantities, he has to go to Nanyang Prefecture or Xuzhou to buy them. Because this is the place closest to Qianhushou for iron ore.

The goods purchased by Wu Shigong, plus some commercial goods purchased by Yuan Xingshan, were loaded with five ships in total. Yuan Xingshan and Wu Shigong said: "Sir, this ship must enter the Yellow River before it can reach the river where the town is located. Therefore, the entire itinerary of the ship takes a month to take."

Wu Shigong nodded and said he knew. However, Wu Shigong's sixth feeling made Wu Shigong always feel a little uncomfortable. Wu Shigong always felt that the reduction of Guide's caravan in Jining was always a bit abnormal.

Therefore, before the fleet set off, Wu Shigong made a temporary decision: Wu Shigong himself left only one hundred guards, and brought five thousand taels of silver to place them on the empty horses. Wu Shigong and his friends brought those empty horses back to the Qianhu House. The rest of the guards protected the remaining silver and were transported back to the Qianhu House by ship.
Chapter completed!