Chapter 114 Negotiate the deal, go to Guanglu Island
"This is new tea, General Guo's timing is really good." Lin Tiansheng immediately turned around and ordered the waiter to pack a pound of new tea for Guo Dajing.
Guo Dajing raised his hand to express his thanks without any pretense, and said: "Last time we met, we talked about purchasing grain from the southeast. Now that Guo is going to Guanglu Island to garrison, the matter can be finalized."
"Congratulations." Lin Tianyou congratulated him again and said, "Now that we have a clear dock, the matter of purchasing grain will be easy. I wonder how much grain General Guo will purchase in the first batch?"
Guo Dajing has already inquired that the Lin family has two sea-going ships with a load of about 10,000 stones, which is equivalent to 500 tons in later generations.
If it were fully loaded, according to the price of two silver and four shi of rice at that time, buying 10,000 shi of rice would cost about 2,500 taels of silver, not counting shipping costs.
"Buy 10,000 shi this year." Guo Dajing said simply: "A deposit of 1,000 taels will be delivered within three days."
Before Lin Tianyou spoke, Lin Tiansheng agreed with a smile and said, "No problem, it will definitely be delivered in the second half of the year."
Guo Dajing was stunned for a moment, but then he laughed. He was a cheerful person, and he seemed to want to make friends with him.
"I didn't expect Brother Lin to be so generous." Guo Dajing pondered for a moment and said, "A certain person also has a treasure. Please take a look at it and estimate its price."
Guo Dajing noticed that Lin Tiansheng glanced at the silk-wrapped mirror several times, but without giving in, he reached out and opened the silk cloth for the two of them to look at.
"This -" Lin Tianyou took a closer look and was startled by the extremely clear image in the mirror. He quickly pulled back and took a closer look.
Lin Tiansheng was stunned at first, but he quickly adjusted and said with a look of amazement on his face: "This is a precious mirror. I don't know what it was made of. It is actually every detail. It's amazing."
Guo Dajing revealed the treasure and then discussed sending Fujinomasa to Macau on a Lin family ship to buy guns. As long as the Lin family brothers coveted the mirror, it would not be detrimental to Fujinomasa. After all, Fujinomasa would have money with him.
With a faint smile, Guo Dajing proudly introduced: "Not only in the Ming Dynasty, but in the whole world, this thing is just this one. It was passed down from Guo's ancestors, and the method of making it has been lost long ago."
"It's not an exaggeration to say it's unique." Lin Tiansheng pondered and said, "A certain person claims to be well-informed, but he has never seen or even heard of it."
Lin Tianyou was convinced, and with an eager look in his eyes, he said, "General Guo has this treasure, how much is it worth?"
The rarer the item, the higher its value and the harder it is to sell.
Guo Dajing knew this very well, hesitated for a moment, and said: "Guo is not easy to set a price either. But I want to entrust you two to take him to the prosperous place in the southeast to bid for the sale. Of course, the commission is very generous, and it will be deducted directly if I sell it to you.
yes."
Lin Tiansheng and Lin Tianyou looked at each other, but neither answered immediately.
There are many merchants in the southeast region, and there are also many wealthy families. In Yangzhou, there are mostly wealthy salt merchants; in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, there are also maritime merchants who spend a lot of money.
It would not be surprising if such treasures were sold for eye-popping prices if merchants gathered together and put them up for public bidding.
But Guo Dajing must have had other reasons why he was willing to hand over this treasure to them. They hesitated because they didn't know Guo Dajing's intention.
If you don't want to give up your children, you won't be able to trap the wolf. If you don't trust others, you will have to look forward and backward, and try again and again, which wastes precious time.
Guo Dajing still had three pieces in his hand, which were all removed from the large bathroom mirror. Although he also knew that these items might be sold for sky-high prices in ancient times, he was in Dongjiang and had no time to go into business and make a lot of money.
If the purpose was to make money, Guo Dajing would not continue to fight on the battlefield. With his current net worth, he would be a rich man in the southeast or overseas.
"This item will be placed on Guanglu Island for the time being. As long as your company does something for Guo, it can be taken away for auction without any mortgage." Guo Dajing looked at the Lin brothers and said: "Mr. Lin Er said last time that with
There is some business dealings with the Western Yi people in Haojing."
Lin Tiansheng nodded and said: "The Xiyi people in Haojing often buy the raw silk purchased by the Lin family. Lin has also been to Haojing and knows a few Xiyi merchants."
At that time, the Ming Dynasty's tacit approval of trade with Western barbarians was the Portuguese in the trenches, but like the Spaniards and the Dutch, they did not have this privilege.
For this reason, the Dutch also attacked the trenches several times, hoping to break the Portuguese monopoly and replace the Portuguese's business contacts with the Ming Dynasty.
Guo Dajing smiled slightly and said: "The Western Yi firearms are sharp. Guo wants to send someone to buy a batch of firearms from Haojing and wants to hire some Western Yi instructors. I wonder if you two can help match them?"
That's it? The Lin brothers looked at each other and showed relieved smiles.
Lin Tianyou smiled and said: "There are Western missionaries in Jiaxing. Please recommend them to make things easier. My brother will do his best to help General Guo."
Lin Tiansheng nodded vigorously and said: "Xi Yi is only interested in profit. As long as there is money to be made, it is not difficult to hire them."
Guo Dajing stood up, held his hands in his hands, and said, "Thank you both for your help. I don't know when we will return, so Guo will send someone to accompany us."
Lin Tiansheng saw Guo Dajing's anxious look and said, "Since Mr. Guo is anxious, we will set sail to sea in half a month."
"Can I go to Guanglu Island to pick someone up?" Guo Dajing asked.
Lin Tiansheng thought for a moment and said, "No problem. I just want to familiarize myself with the island under General Guo's rule. It will be convenient for us to dock in the future."
Guo Dajing was very satisfied. Accompanied by Lin Tianyou, he went to the store again and bought a lot of goods before turning around and leaving, promising to send him a deposit tomorrow.
"That mirror can be sold for tens of thousands of taels, right?" Lin Tianyou returned to the house and asked his brother anxiously.
Lin Tiansheng pondered for a moment and said: "It depends on which wealthy businessmen we can recruit. Even if we only sell 10,000 taels, the 20% commission is still a lot of money."
Lin Tianyou sat down, took a sip of water from his tea bowl, and said slowly: "Brother, this General Guo is a bit mysterious! He has to buy grain and firearms, how can he get so much money?"
Lin Tiansheng smiled lightly and said: "Dongjiang Army surrendered a lot of heads in this war to aid Korea. Besides, this is not what we have to consider. Making money is a good thing. If you can make friends with him, it may be of greater use in the future.
.”
"Brother, do you like him?" Lin Tianyou said: "As far as I know, he escaped from the Jianlu and joined the army in the first month. He was promoted to guerrilla in a few months and stationed on one side. He is indeed very powerful."
"The key is that he has a long-term view and is willing to spend money." Lin Tiansheng added: "Buying grain and buying muskets are all for development. Especially buying Western firearms and hiring Western instructors, not many people have that vision."
After a pause, Lin Tiansheng continued: "The imperial court can't do it either. Ningyuan's victory was all due to the cannons of the Western Yi, but after that, there was no further story."
Lin Tianyou nodded gently and asked, "If that's the case, then I'll keep it a secret for him. Anyway, we're not on Pi Island, so we can do business as usual, and Mr. Shen can't say anything."
"General Guo came alone because he didn't want to make any noise." Lin Tiansheng tapped the table gently and said thoughtfully, "Let's see if the deposit can be delivered within these three days."
………………..
In less than three days, Guo Dajing sent the deposit of one thousand taels to the Lin brothers on the next day. From then on, the two parties officially established a business cooperation relationship.
Guo Dajing did not waste any time, reorganized his troops and only appointed Liu Xingzuo as his deputy. On the third day, he bid farewell to Mao Wenlong and set sail for Guanglu Island.
The war to aid Korea has ended, and all the troops are returning to the island where they are stationed. Because of his military exploits, Zhang Pan was promoted from the garrison to the capital department, and led his troops back to the island, where he happened to be traveling with Guo Dajing.
"We don't judge each other based on official rank, let's compare each other based on age." Guo Dajing took the lead and said, "Brother Zhang, what do you think?"
Zhang Pan laughed and said: "Brother Dajing, you are not polite, are you still being pretentious?"
Guo Dajing smiled and invited him. They took the same boat, so they could go along for the ride.
"When we get to Ludao, Zhang will do his best to be a landlord. Brother Dajing will stay here for two days and then go back with his family!" Zhang Pan thought that Guo Dajing was going to Ludao to pick up someone, so he took the initiative to send an invitation.
Guo Dajing shook his head and said: "I won't be picking up my family for the time being. When I get to Guanglu Island, I will be busy with things. I'll send someone to pick them up after I'm settled."
After a pause, he bowed his hands to Zhang Pan and said, "I need to trouble Brother Zhang to take care of me."
"Why bother?" Zhang Pan waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of them."
After Guo Dajing thanked him, he brought up the matter of planting potatoes in Ludao, "It is said that they are from overseas. They have high yields and are cold-resistant. I think they have been planted now."
"It's rare that you are so considerate. Thank you here." Zhang Pan said, "Don't worry, I will send special personnel to take care of the fields. If the yield is really high after the autumn harvest, planting will be expanded next year."
Guo Dajing finally felt relieved. There were only these two things in Ludao.
Well, I still need to recruit a few helpers. Among the villagers who escaped from Jianlu's rule with me, there are a few suitable ones.
However, there is no rush. Once you have settled down in Guanglu Island, it will not be too late to send someone to pick him up.
"The first half of the year is mainly about rest and training." Zhang Pan said with his fingers: "Make more crossbows, mines, wooden cannons, and trebuchets. We may take action in the second half of the year."
In the war to aid Korea, the Dongjiang Army suffered considerable losses.
Fortunately, the imperial court has made up for all the arrears in food and salary arrears, and the garrisons on each island have been allocated some. Replenishment of troops is certain, and the soldiers and people of Liao Town can also make it through this year.
The so-called Jiangba means that the cultivation, fishery and other output of Liao Town are also added to it, and it is barely enough.
However, the first silver reward from the imperial court has not yet arrived, which means that this year will be much more generous than in previous years. Moreover, Mao Wenlong and the generals are confident that they will increase the number of troops by another five or six thousand troops after requesting the imperial court for nuclear weapons again.
With the addition of landmines, wooden cannons and other weapons, it is certain that the situation of the Dongjiang Army will be greatly improved. Zhang Pan also has plans and ideas, and he told Guo Dajing to get his opinions.
In fact, Guo Dajing had the same idea. Replenish troops, intensify training, manufacture weapons, etc., and then launch again after regaining strength.
But there is one thing, the time when Guo Dajing wants to start is slightly different from Zhang Pan.
Zhang Pan planned to have more food to feed the rescued Liao people after the autumn harvest. Guo Dajing, on the other hand, wanted to take advantage of the hot weather to launch an attack on Jianlu.
But Guo Dajing didn't say anything. Instead, he nodded in agreement with Zhang Pan's choice of time.
He had space, stored a lot of grain, and purchased thousands of stones through the Lin brothers. Naturally, he was not worried that the Liao people who had finally been rescued would starve to death.
Everyone has their own considerations and plans based on their own circumstances. Guo Dajing cannot force others to be the same as him.
Moreover, his is just a plan. Who knows what unexpected circumstances may arise that may cause the plan to be temporarily changed?
"We can make some strong crossbows with foot-operated strings. They may be able to compete with Jianlu's strong bows in terms of range." Guo Dajing also told Zhang Pan his thoughts, "It is not necessary to form a formation to shoot at each other. After all, the rate of fire is
, the crossbow is not as good as the bow. But with the help of fortifications, it can still make up for a lot of shortcomings."
A truly powerful crossbow has a range that exceeds that of a bow and arrow. In ancient times, it was called Chu Zhang, and in the West, it was called Tread. The Qin army that swept through the six kingdoms had a very powerful crossbow army and defeated nomadic peoples.
Zhang Pan nodded and said: "I also have the same idea, but I don't know what the difficulties are in manufacturing it."
Metal crossbow arms should be the best, but for the Dongjiang Army, they may be difficult to manufacture in large quantities.
Transforming the captured Jianlu strong bows may be a feasible method, but Guo Dajing has not tried it. But since there is no problem with short bows, it should not be too difficult to transform strong bows.
"That's right." Guo Dajing remembered another thing and said: "Get more kerosene and mud bombs, throw them with a trebuchet, and explode and burn in the enemy's formation. It will burn both the carts and people. It is very powerful."
Zhang Pan thought for a moment and said with a smile: "This is probably the weapon used in the Dragon King Tuozi defense battle. It can beat Jianlu very hard."
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "Defensive operations should be the main tactic for a long time. After all, in terms of equipment and combat power, our army is not as good as Jianlu. Through the victory of defensive operations, we can gradually cultivate soldiers with outstanding skills."
Fear of the enemy and the courage to fight."
If you want to fight against Jianlu in the field, there must be a transitional stage. The most important thing is the psychology of the soldiers. To be inspired by continuous victories is Guo Dajing's idea and what he will do.
To pacify Liao and exterminate the slaves, it is impossible to succeed without a field battle. Many people do not understand such a simple truth, especially the important officials of the imperial court, who still cling to the strategy of advancing through fortresses that wastes people and money.
Although Guo Dajing attaches great importance to defense, he does not know how to build forts and fortifications. It is too time-consuming and labor-intensive. He has to work on field defenses.
It is practically feasible to build fortifications as quickly as possible with the help of mountains, rivers, and even flat fields to resist or block the invaders.
“Trench blocks the carts and cavalry, mines, pointed wooden stakes or deer villages block horses to delay the enemy’s charge, and then use the trench parapets as cover to injure the enemy with crossbows or muskets. At long range, trebuchets are used as weapons and used as artillery...
"
While talking and drawing, Guo Dajing expressed his ideas without reservation.
Zhang Pan nodded repeatedly, especially to Guo Dajing to limit the enemy's attack surface and use long-range weapons to cut off the enemy, making it difficult to sustain the attack. Even if the forward was fierce, he would be trapped in a siege without backup.