"I've met the Marshal." Shen Shikui entered the room and bowed to salute.
"No need to be polite." Mao Wenlong raised his hand and said with a smile, "Sit down and talk."
After Shen Shikui took his seat, the soldiers served tea and retreated. Mao Wenlong asked: "I heard that business has been pretty good recently. Liaodong specialties and whale meat have been taken over by relatively stable merchants."
"Spring is a good time for whaling. We caught more than a dozen whales this year. Some merchants have gradually accepted it and the sales are pretty good." Shen Shikui answered truthfully: "But in the end, fresh ones are better, and smoked ones are worse. The weather has changed.
If it’s hot, the sales volume is not ideal.”
After giving a wry smile, Shen Shikui continued: "As for Liaodong specialties, we are purchasing less and less."
Mao Wenlong lowered his eyes, feeling a little annoyed. It was enough to make money, but it was not enough. Why did he need so much money?
"I heard that the Lin family has accessed Japan's sea trade, and even briefly stopped at Pi Island." Shen Shikui got to the point.
Mao Wenlong raised his head and said slowly: "The Lin family is very generous. When Dongjiang Town was in difficulty, they borrowed hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to buy grain. As a thank you, I provide them with convenience."
Shen Shikui smiled sheepishly and said, "The commander-in-chief misunderstood. I'm not trying to compete with him for business. I just want to ask them to bring some merchandise. It's just a matter of convenience."
Mao Wenlong shook his head and said: "If you propose it to the Lin family, they will think it is the commander-in-chief's intention. No matter whether they are willing or not, how can they not agree? If you have a grudge in your heart, if there are difficulties in Dongjiang Town again in the future, you will still
Do you expect the Lin family to help generously?"
Shen Shikui murmured an explanation that he would discuss it carefully with the Lin family and would not rely on power to pressure others. It didn't matter whether he succeeded or failed.
Mao Wenlong knew that this was all nonsense. With his identity there, how could he be believed by others? If he wasn't the commander of Dongjiang Town, why would you, Shen Shikui, talk to others?
Since Shen Shikui was his father-in-law, Mao Wenlong endured and said: "You know that Guo Dajing also does business, but basically all the money he makes is invested in Dongjiang Town, no less than hundreds of thousands of taels."
Shen Shikui's eyes lit up. He really wasn't very clear about the detailed data.
If you invest so much, how much money will you earn? It seems that I made a mistake. I should hold on to Guo Dajing, the God of Wealth.
Knowing his father-in-law, Mao Wenlong looked at Shen Shikui's expression and knew that all his hard work was in vain. Not only that, he might also involve Guo Dajing.
Mao Wenlong stroked his forehead, feeling a little headache. After a while, he raised his head and said in a deep voice: "Don't go to the Lin family, and don't go to Guo Dajing. I will ask you about business matters."
Shen Shikui quickly expressed his thanks and guessed what Mao Wenlong was thinking, not wanting him to be embarrassed by running around asking questions.
Guo Dajing was Mao Wenlong's general, and it was Mao Wenlong who spoke. The relationship was different, so it was easier to handle. Regardless of success or failure, it was easy for Guo Dajing and Mao Wenlong to talk to each other.
Moreover, since Mao Wenlong was able to look down on him, Guo Dajing also knew that there would be other compensation in the future, which could be regarded as an exchange of interests.
Mao Wenlong sent Shen Shikui away and returned to the house, shaking his head repeatedly and sighing helplessly.
I can say this myself, it's better than Shen Shikui. At least, it won't let Guo Dajing have any other ideas, just to make some money.
Sitting in front of the desk, Mao Wenlong spread out paper and picked up a pen. He considered it again and again, sighed heavily, and then started to write a letter.
………………
In July, Beijing is hotter than Liaodong.
Governor Yuan, who had returned to power, was now on the platform, accepting the emperor's summons.
On the platform, the Jianji Hall is in the middle and backward, high above the Sanlin white jade railing. Opposite to the Qianqing Gate is the Yuntai Gate, facing the latter on both sides. It is called the rear left gate in the east and the rear right gate in the west, that is, the left and right sides of the Yuntai Gate. The door is also called the "platform".
In the Ming Dynasty, the platform was equivalent to the State of the Nation Consultation. It was a place where the emperor consulted the ministers on government affairs, especially the local feudal officials and the government affairs.
As for why Chongzhen re-appointed Yuan Chonghuan, of course it was due to the recommendation of the civil servant group, especially the first assistant Han Xu, who was Yuan Chonghuan's mentor.
The reasons were explained by civil servants in sophisticated language: "I am not afraid of death, I don't love money, and I have fought with slaves before."
Yes, it's that simple. No need to explain more about not being afraid of death and not loving money, it's just "having fought before". Could it be the reason to focus exclusively on Liaodong?
Soldiers are important matters of the country, the place of life and death, and the way of survival. Anyone who has read "The Art of War" knows that this is the first sentence at the beginning, which shows its importance and its unforgettable nature.
However, Governor Yuan, who was so proud of the spring breeze, immediately promised to successfully restore the Liao Dynasty in five years when Emperor Chongzhen summoned him. Liao can be restored."
As for the strategy of restoring the Liao Dynasty, Governor Yuan did as Guo Dajing expected, and said "the strategy of recovery is as follows: In the past, I used the Liao people to defend the Liao soil and used the Liao soil to support the Liao people. Defense was the rule, and war was the surprise." The law is gradual and not sudden, and it is real and not imaginary."
Chongzhen in the throne room raised his eyebrows unnoticeably, and slowly opened his mouth, asking: "To raise Liao people with Liao soil, does that mean we are farming in western Liaoning?"
Yuan Chonghuan didn't think much and immediately replied: "Long live the answer, it's right. The whole Liao army depends on it for food, Tianjin Jiecao'er... There is grass and food in the village, but the people and horses are not hungry and sleepy, and the soldiers can still have their grass." Monthly rations, repairing cottages, fresh clothes and angry horses will make a town prosperous and strong; after a long time in the camp, the army will have surplus reserves, and the monthly rations of hay can be gradually reduced to save pay..."
When Chongzhen heard so many benefits of farming, he smiled slightly, but then asked: "What kind of boundary management can be enough to limit the troops and horses? How can we protect the land without stealing food?"
This is the key to ensuring the harvest of the farmland. How to arrange it can restrict the captives from marching in and destroy the farmland; how to defend it can protect the gains from the farmland, so as not to benefit the enemy instead of benefiting the captives.
A trace of surprise flashed across Yuan Chonghuan's face, and he bowed and said: "The castle is connected, there are gates and ditches, there are seals and plants, water cuts and trees, heights and heights, barbarians can't drive for a long time... I'm going on this trip, slaves can't do it" If you surrender, you will be captured by me."
What kind of tactical arrangement is this? It sounds very mysterious and mysterious, a bit like Qimen Dunjia and Jiugong Bagua.
Is it possible that without sending out soldiers to block and block the land, by digging ditches, sealing and planting crops, it would be possible to make it difficult for the Jianqiu to move forward? To prevent the farmland from being destroyed, or to prevent the harvest from being robbed by the Jianqiuqiu?
If it's so powerful, then why build the city? Oh, didn't Governor Yuan say long ago, "If you don't defend by danger, you can't consolidate people's hearts"?
To put it bluntly, people still have to retreat into the city and cannot fight with the captives in the wild. But this comes back to the key point of the farming. Can the farming be defended just by relying on the terrain or digging trenches and planting trees?
If you have actual combat experience, generals who have fought against Jianlu will definitely tell you the nonsense in it. Don't make it concise and formal. It sounds very powerful but has no practical use.
But Governor Yuan was facing Chongzhen, a young man who was inexperienced in war, had no knowledge of people, and had no judgment. When he heard Yuan Chonghuan's Qimen Dunjia, he immediately became passionate.
Yuan Chonghuan added fire to the fire, "Be prepared for danger and prepare for everything. We have 60,000 men to defend four cities. There are millions of slaves. How dare you fly over? From now on, we will plow and build and move forward. If the barbarians come, I will win by sitting down. The barbarians will not come to the other side."
If you sit still and feel sleepy, you can win in five years."
At this time, Chongzhen was not only surging, but literally burning.
Okay, okay, I believe in you, go ahead and do it!
Therefore, Chongzhen immediately said: "If Liao is restored, I will not hesitate to grant you the title of Marquis and reward me. Your descendants will also be blessed by your efforts to solve the world's problems."
The emperor was very excited, but also very tired after listening to Governor Yuan's strategy for restoring Liao Dynasty, so he went to rest for a while.
When the emperor came back to discuss matters, Governor Yuan seemed to realize that he had exaggerated a bit and hurriedly made amends.
"The end of the matter is not easy. Your Majesty has entrusted his ministers, and I dare to resign. However, within five years, the Ministry of Household Affairs will transfer military pay, the Ministry of Industry will provide equipment, the Ministry of Personnel will employ people, and the Ministry of War will deploy troops and select generals. China and foreign affairs must be coordinated in order to overcome
It’s helpful.”
This is both putting forward conditions and paving the way forward.
Governor Yuan also had excuses for not being able to defeat Liao in five years. For example, the Ministry of Household Affairs did not pay wages on time, the Ministry of Works had problems with the equipment, the Ministry of War did not listen to me on the deployment of troops and the selection of generals, etc.
Chongzhen immediately ordered his four ministers, namely, the households, workers, officials, and soldiers, to provide support in everything, including food and wages, equipment, personnel, and generals.
Governor Yuan felt that it was still not safe, so he continued: "With the power of my ministers, I can control the whole Liao Dynasty more than I can, but I can't control the public opinion. Once I go out of the country, I will be thousands of miles away. If jealousy can envy the power, how can I have no one? That is to say, do not use power.
He can restrain his officials and use his opinions to disrupt his plans."
What's the meaning?
Governor Yuan wants to silence everyone. Anyone who opposes him or puts forward different opinions is slander, slander and jealousy. Just listen to me.
Don't doubt the people you employ, and don't use the people you doubt. Chongzhen immediately assured: "You have no doubts, I will take charge of it myself."
To make an insulting metaphor, this platform chat was about two wrong people chatting about the wrong nonsense at the wrong time and in the wrong place.
Gusha
But the ppt was done beautifully, and it was really useful. Governor Yuan successfully attracted investment from Chongzhen, the chairman of the Ming Dynasty, and also received on-site rewards such as Shang Fang's sword, jade belt and other luxury goods.
As a result, Governor Yuan got what he wanted, but he didn't get rid of what he didn't want. His fate was already sealed, but he didn't know it yet.
………………
Guo Dajing, as a later time traveler, could not create any eight-door golden lock or nine-palace Bagua formation. He could only honestly and laboriously build the Nanguan defense line to protect the soldiers, civilians and fields of Jinzhou.
There are wide trenches, a Malu stronghold, muskets and artillery, and tens of thousands of troops holding on to the defense. Compared with Governor Yuan, they are really ashamed.
What a shame! If Guo Dajing knew that words alone could have such miraculous effects, he would have simply traveled through time with a copy of "Speech and Eloquence".
Fortunately, Guo Dajing did not have too much extravagant expectations. He could convince Chongzhen with just "Pingliao Strategy". He was still carrying out his plan step by step, working hard and preparing, and working hard to improve the strength of Dongjiang Town.
.
Guo Dajing is waiting for a reply from his headquarters as to whether he can take the initiative to launch an attack and prevent Jianlu from stopping.
Jinzhou is the most important. If we can join forces, Jinzhou can deploy less troops, and Jinzhou's security will be more guaranteed.
After all, Jianlu's maneuverability has to be guarded against, and the possibility of going straight from Liaoyang to Jinzhou cannot be ruled out.
Although Huang Taiji conquered the Chahar tribe, he had not yet returned to the army. However, the Jianlu still had troops from the four banners, so they should not take it lightly.
"According to the current progress, all the muskets will be modified in another two months."
"The speed of making guns has accelerated. It can reach thirty guns per day. If the manpower is increased, it can be improved."
"Ammunition production needs to be speeded up, and manpower must be selected from the thousands of Liao civilians sent from Pi Dao headquarters to staff the workshop."
"The manufacturing of iron shells for artillery shells and rockets can be outsourced to private workshops to increase production."
Guo Dajing looked at the data reports of each workshop and made corresponding adjustments to improve the efficiency of production and manufacturing.
Combat with hot weapons requires more logistical support than cold weapons. Once a battle begins, the consumption of ammunition alone is staggering.
According to the standards of the last Golden State Defense Battle, it took more than half a year to prepare, and the amount of ammunition currently accumulated is only enough for three to four battles of that scale.
As the number of firearms increases and their power increases, the consumption of ammunition will also increase exponentially.
Fortunately, there is still time. And the military production capacity is also constantly improving, which is even more reassuring.
Having stayed in the workshop area for almost two months, Guo Dajing counted the time, smiled, and leaned back into his chair.
Well, I feel really happy. I am working smoothly, producing and manufacturing smoothly, equipping the troops smoothly, and in the future I will also fight against the rebels smoothly.
In these two months, all the work planned by Guo Dajing was basically completed.
The rocket model was finally determined and mass production began; the mortar, named Hongtian Cannon, was also determined in two sizes and put into production together with ammunition.
The production of flintlock muskets has achieved a breakthrough in production due to the emergence of tool steel, and is gradually realizing Guo Dajing's goal of hot weaponization of the entire army.
From the expansion of the workshop area and the rapid increase in the number of craftsmen, we can see the strong momentum of military production.
If shipbuilding craftsmen are included, there are nearly 10,000 non-agricultural personnel manufacturing various weapons and equipment for Dongjiang Town. This is an absolutely shocking number.
According to the newly established treatment of craftsmen, the first-level craftsmen with better skills are already the same as soldiers, and the second-level craftsmen are equivalent to two-thirds of soldiers' wages. Together with a small number of special-level craftsmen, it is almost equal to an extra seven to eight thousand.
soldiers.
Of course, the effect was very obvious. The craftsmen's enthusiasm for production was aroused, and they all worked hard for fear of losing the livelihood that could support their families.
Fortunately, military stamps were issued, and fortunately there was money to buy grain. The court resumed the distribution of grain and wages, which to a certain extent also played a big role.
Judging from the current weather and the growth of crops, the autumn harvest is basically guaranteed. For Mao Wenlong and Chen Jisheng, this eliminates the worries after issuing military tickets.
Almost everyone thinks that the situation will get better and better. Only Guo Dajing knows that Dongjiang Town and Mao Wenlong will face a severe test.
As Governor Yuan took office, the first thing he did was to eliminate dissidents in western Liaoning and tie up interests with military leaders in western Liaoning;
The second step was peace negotiations and correspondence with Jianlu, which continued from the time Governor Yuan arrived in western Liaoning to the time when Jianlu plundered the capital.
The last thing is to cut off the food and salary of Dongjiang Town and ban the sea, even if thousands of soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town starve to death.
There are three things a new official should do when he takes office, but no matter how he excuses them, these three things are beneficial to the enemy, and they are more like internal strife.
Guo Dajing could not prevent Governor Yuan from ascending to the throne, nor could he control Chongzhen's passion, but he could make early preparations and maintain the strength of Dongjiang Town.
Therefore, as the most important food, Guo Dajing has told the Lin family to transport as much as they want from the south, and also asked him to try to establish long-term contacts with maritime merchants engaged in overseas grain sales.
There is food in hand and no panic in mind. No matter how you, Governor Yuan, plan, Dongjiang Town can stand firm and continue to contend with Jianlu.
It won't take long for Huang Taiji, who played you in the palm of his hand during the peace negotiations, to send you to the point of no return.
Of course, Guo Dajing was also holding back some dirty tricks, taking advantage of Chongzhen's suspicious and jealous personality and looking for opportunities to bring down Governor Yuan.
"General." The soldiers came in to report and handed over the letter, "Deputy Marshal Chen of Lushun sent someone to deliver it."
Guo Dajing nodded, reached out to take it, glanced at the envelope, and was slightly startled.
Opening the envelope, Guo Dajing frowned slightly as he read the contents of the letter.
In addition to asking about some normal military affairs, the letter written by Mao Wenlong also addressed Shen Shikui tactfully.
If it's convenient, give Shen Shikui some tips on how to make money, or let him make some money by partnering with him.
Can this be said to be inconvenient? Guo Dajing touched his chin and smiled bitterly.
I'm not short of money. I want to raise funds and issue shares. If I have money, it would be great to make it myself. Doesn't this mean you are reaching out to me to ask for money?
But helplessness can also be seen between the lines of Mao Wenlong's words. Guo Dajing also understood that it would be better for Mao Wenlong to speak. If Shen Shikui came directly to him, it would be difficult to decide the severity.
After pondering for a long time, Guo Dajing didn't want Shen Shikui to get involved in his business. Then he could only introduce the Japanese to him. Don't you want to do business? If you can buy whatever goods the Japanese need, you can naturally make money.
But if you don't have that ability, just look at it and blame others.
Having made up his mind, Guo Dajing thought that he would also say hello to the Lin family. After all, on the surface, this seemed like stealing business from the Lin family.
But in essence, the Lin family and Shen Shikui were doing their own thing. After all, no one could monopolize the maritime trade with Japan, just like they couldn't monopolize the domestic raw silk.
To purchase raw silk from China, connections are very important. At least in a short period of time, Shen Shikui may not have much supply.
You man, you are so greedy. I gave you the whale meat and basically control the Liaodong specialties. Isn’t this enough for you to earn?
Guo Dajing shook his head, thinking about Liaodong's specialties and then thinking about North Korea.
In addition to spending money to ask Lin Qingye to help build muskets, and purchasing cheap cattle, sheep and horses through the mutual trade between Jianlu and North Korea, Guo Dajing also designated Liaodong specialties such as ginseng and velvet antler.
After the Liaodong War, the prices of ginseng fur and other specialty products in the mainland skyrocketed, and the original business of Dongjiang Town was mainly based on these products.
However, most of the places that produce ginseng and velvet antler are already under the control of Jianlu, and the blank areas along the coast have been harvested for several years and are now difficult to find.