In the age of cold weapons, steel was needed to make swords and armor. Therefore, out of a sense of caution, the Ming Dynasty issued repeated orders to strictly prohibit iron products and weapons from leaving the country.
This resulted in the Mongolians with backward productivity being extremely short of iron pots, needles and other iron supplies. In the Ming Dynasty, wars with the Mongols over iron pots were not uncommon.
An iron pot can be exchanged for a cow, and sometimes even a pack of needles and thread can be exchanged for a sheep. The ironware smuggled out of the border areas is such a huge profit. It is no wonder that foreign merchants can still make a lot of money even if they bribe the border generals.
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When the Mongols invaded and plundered, the iron pots were also ranked after gold and silver treasures. "The iron pots were used by the prisoners for cooking. They attacked the castle for the first time and plundered them first, so that the pots were a rare commodity."
If you don't have an iron pot, you can't make a clay pot or a clay pot, and the lamb will be full of flavor.
Don't blame Guo Dajing for being full of questions. The Mongolians at that time really didn't know how to make clay pots and casseroles. When there was no pot, they even used leather bags to hold water to cook meat.
Just when He Guizhong and others rushed to Qinhuangdao, Meng Hao's report was also sent to Gaizhou Guard by speedboat and presented to Guo Dajing.
"The chain of interests has long been established, from businessmen to generals, which damages national interests and prevents others from interfering in it and dividing the interests."
Guo Dajing read the report and thought of the Shanxi merchants and the eight imperial merchants. He shook his head slightly and was not prepared to invest too much in opening up the joints and competing with the merchants from outside the country.
Dongjiang Town can afford the price of cattle and horses at fifteen or six taels, or even less than twenty taels. Let the merchants make a half profit, saving effort and worry.
However, when he saw the huge profits from smuggling iron to the Mongols, he couldn't help but feel excited. As his thoughts were wandering, he suddenly had an idea.
It is not necessary to use force to solve the Mongolian tribes that are herding in Guangning. Starting trade with them should be a profitable and long-term plan.
Ping Liao and exterminating the captives was only one of Guo Dajing's strategic goals. Looking at the current situation, a decisive victory would be achieved within two or three years.
Then the next enemy is obvious, Lin Dan Khan, known as the Mongolian leader.
If he wanted to start a war with Hu Duntu, Guo Dajing was not prepared to use only the men of the Dongjiang Army. Those Mongolian tribes that opposed Hu Duntu were all targets for alliance.
The Mongolian tribes that fled to the Guangning area are the enemies of Hu Duntu. Retaining them or destroying them will have little impact on the Dongjiang Army. But in the long run, it seems that staying is a good strategy.
After the Jin Dynasty declined, the Mongolian tribes that had taken refuge and relied on them would definitely not hang themselves on this tree. When the victory or defeat became clear, it was not impossible for the Mongolian tribes to turn back and show their favor to the Dongjiang Army.
Those who rely on power are destined to have both sides. The tragic defeat of Huang Taiji has already affected the situation on the grassland.
Lin Dan Khan regained his strength through this, and had the potential to unify the left and right Mongolia, but he did not dare to confront Hou Jin. In Guo Dajing's view, this was not a good thing.
To put it bluntly, Lin Dan Khan's return eastward only made up for the four-party blockade, but it was far from enough to put military pressure on Hou Jin.
The big tree of Jianlu was crumbling, and Guo Dajing did not believe that the Mongolian tribes that had surrendered could still be loyal and would not have other plans.
But except for Hu Duntu, who would rather die than surrender, once the Jianlu were defeated, the Dongjiang Army or the Ming Court became the only way out for these Mongolian traitors.
As for whether the Mongolian tribes would come to the aid of Jianlu when they were attacked by the Dongjiang Army.
Guo Dajing sneered lightly. He only did this if his brain was flooded. With the combat power of the Mongolian tribes, even the Ming army could not defeat them. How could they be the opponents of the Dongjiang Army?
"Be prepared with both hands. If you obey, I will let you go. If you don't, I will kill you." Guo Dajing took out a pen and paper and wrote a report to Mao Wenlong.
If there is a horse market, it will be in Panjin and Dongjiang Town, where you can use clay pots, needlework, peppercorns, tea, wine and other daily necessities to buy cattle, horses and sheep.
Since you are worried about the Mongols using iron pots to make weapons, everything will be fine if you replace it with a casserole. Could it be that you dropped the casserole and hit me with the pieces?
Sichuan peppercorns, aniseed, and chili peppers are also good things. Whether boiled or grilled, they immediately improve the taste of beef and mutton by several levels.
Dongjiang Town needs cattle, horses, sheep, and even wool. Taking this into account, the Mongolians really have some good things.
Guo Dajing seemed to smell the aroma of mutton kebabs in his nose. Except for cumin, all the ingredients should be present. There is also hot pot, which tastes great.
After writing the letter, Guo Dajing sealed it and ordered it to be sent to Mao Wenlong in a hurry. Stretching his arms, he walked out of the room. The spring light was brighter, and it felt warm and comfortable on his body.
"Shuai Guo, the letter just arrived." A soldier ran in. After saluting, he presented the letter to Guo Dajing.
Guo Dajing only looked at the envelope and recognized Fujino Hide's handwriting. He couldn't help but smile, turned around and went back to the house, took it out and looked at it.
Chongzhen was abolishing post stations, so many messages were delayed or even blocked. However, the three states in southern Liaoning established an increasingly complete and fast post system.
On the one hand, inns provided a lot of convenience for immigrants to travel to various places for resettlement, becoming like hotels along the way; on the other hand, private letter delivery was gradually accepted by the common people because of its low price and ease of use.
With the unified and standardized naming of county, town and village names, the address can be determined. The letter will be sent to the village office, and the villagers will be notified to collect it themselves.
You must know that at that time, private correspondence was usually carried out by others. In terms of time, it would be delayed for a long time. By the time the reply came, sometimes you would not even know it was the year of the monkey or the month of the horse.
Of course, most of the correspondence now is sent home by the soldiers, and then the families also learn to write replies according to the address. Teachers in the village and clerks in the army have another job added - writing and reading letters on their behalf.
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This was set up and continuously improved by Guo Dajing according to what he had in mind.
At the same time, the military signal tower was also perfected and entered the practical stage. It only took half a day for emergency news to be transmitted from Gaizhou back to Lushun.
Hahahaha... Guo Dajing laughed heartily in the room, causing the soldiers at the door to turn their heads and look sideways.
First there was Axiu, and then there was Teng Nohide. It took two or three years in total. Finally, I was finally going to have a daughter, and my hard work was not in vain.
Guo Dajing was so happy and excited that he read the letter twice and felt the same feelings as Fujinohide's between the lines.
Although she married late and was just a concubine, she finally took the lead in giving birth to a baby and regained her face.
Guo Dajing took out his pen and paper and wanted to write several times, but stopped writing. Before his emotions calmed down, he couldn't write anything for a while.
Well done, it’s such a good piece of land, it’s so powerful, and it’s also the result of my hard work...
Guo Dajing smiled to himself, feeling that the words that just popped out of his mind were not suitable for writing in a letter.
And Axiu, she must be a little disappointed and embarrassed, right?
As a head wife, she lost her arm and became disabled; she was granted a royal title, but she had nothing to do... Even if she is kind and does not fight for it, it is not in line with the psychology of a normal person for her to be indifferent.
Guo Dajing put down his pen and touched the mustache on his chin. He couldn't help but fall into deep thought on how to write this letter.
Regarding Axiu, I actually cared less about her. She never got pregnant, or her body had owed too much in the past and needed to be adjusted slowly.
In the three states of southern Liaoning, there are a few good old Chinese medicine doctors. There is no need to come forward. In the letter, Fujino Hide was asked to come and see Axiu. Taking Chinese medicine to regulate it can also enhance the relationship between the two.
Guo Dajing had a plan in mind and thought about some words before picking up his pen and starting to write a reply.
………………
Qinhuangdao.
Meng Hao warmly entertained He Guizhong and his party who arrived here, and extended an invitation enthusiastically during the banquet, "Old He, why don't you stay here and help me? You should be the best at doing business."
He Guizhong shook his head with a smile and said: "You are overly rewarded. Commander Guo left you in Qinhuangdao because he must have known that you are capable of the job. Someone was transferred back to Lushun, so he probably has other assignments."
Meng Hao thought for a while and said, "You have heard the situation. Now can you give me an idea on how to buy cheap cattle and horses?"
He Guizhong smiled bitterly and said: "Buying in large quantities from merchants is already much cheaper. If you want to trade directly with the Mongols, wouldn't you be robbing the merchants of their interests? They are local snakes and are difficult to deal with."
menu
It can be opened up."
On the small table next to them, the Xiaocui siblings were slowly eating their food. The dishes were the same as those on the big table. There were not many variations, but the portions were sufficient.
"I didn't expect that Boss He had such a wide circle of friends and knew even the officers of the Dongjiang Army so well." Xiaolong murmured in a low voice.
Xiaocui was also very surprised, but she felt reassured. With such a relationship, she would naturally be taken care of in Liaodong.
Meng Hao had sharp ears and had his own guesses about the siblings He Guizhong brought. Hearing the sound, he smiled and said, "How did you know that Boss He can not only do business, but also go into battle to kill the enemy?"
As he spoke, he asked He Guizhong with some uncertainty: "Old He, you and Guo Shuai fought side by side in North Korea, right?"
He Guizhong nodded and said: "At that time, Guo Shuai was still a small flag officer. He stayed with us for several nights and lurked by the Yalu River, responsible for providing alarm. In the first battle, Guo Shuai killed five or six Jianlu.
Among them was Tulushi, the most powerful Jianlu prisoner."
It was also the first time that Meng Hao heard that there were Chen Zhong and another spy. They stopped their chopsticks and widened their eyes.
He Guizhong chuckled, with a look of reminiscence in his eyes, and said: "Guo Shuai and the Jianlu had a deep hatred, and they fought with their lives at all costs. In North Korea alone, he killed fifty or sixty Jianlu, as well as the slave chiefs.
He also killed Yue Tuo and Shuo Tuo."
"Both of them?" Meng Hao said with emotion: "Only one was reported. Guo Shuai must have been wronged."
"Shuai Guo doesn't really care about this." He Guizhong sipped his wine gently and said, "If he didn't have so many contributions, how could he be promoted to the garrison of Guanglu Island all of a sudden?"
Xiaocui and Xiaohu were both dumbfounded. They didn't expect that Boss He had such a glorious past and actually fought alongside the world-famous General Guo, forming a close friendship.
General Guo is particularly well-known in the Gyeonggi region. In the battle of Zunhua, it was a bloody battle. In the end, he defeated the fierce Jianlu who could not be ignored, killed several slave chiefs, and even captured the Jianlu Khan King alive.
In teahouses and wine shops, there are endless rumors about Guo Dajing, with various descriptions and speculations.
Someone who is over ten feet tall, with broad shoulders and a round waist, someone who is strategizing and commanding with determination, something who rushes and kills with blood staining his robes...
Some quick-witted storytellers have kept pace with the times and compiled various versions of short stories to attract audiences and earn a few extra taels of money through their enthusiasm.
Therefore, Guo Dajing sometimes used Li Yuanba's sledgehammer, sometimes used Lu Bu's Fang Tianhua halberd, and sometimes used Brother Guan's sword... Anyway, the storyteller can adapt and recreate what he is familiar with.
"General Guo, are you using the Liquan Spear?" Xiaohu finally couldn't hold himself back and asked boldly and expectantly.
There were also storytellers who came to set up tables in the tavern, and He Guizhong didn't take any commission, just to promote Dongjiang Army and Guo Dajing. What Xiaolong liked to listen to most was an adaptation of "The Complete Story of Yue Shuo".
Everyone burst into laughter, Xiao Cui blushed in embarrassment, and Xiao Long felt that he had said the wrong thing.
He Guizhong said with a smile: "Shuai Guo knows how to use a spear, but what he is best at is a crossbow. He can fire an arrow within a hundred steps without missing a beat. Tulu Xi and Yue Tuan were killed by one of his arrows."
"In close combat, what he used most was a strange-shaped sword, which cut through iron as if it were mud. He slashed with all his strength, making it difficult for Jianlu to parry."
Xiaolong's eyes flashed again. It turned out that Guo Dajing was similar to Huang Zhong. He used a knife and could shoot arrows with a hundred steps.
"The sword was later given to General Liu, Guo Shuai's sworn brother." He Guizhong said, "You should all have seen General Liu Qishi from Feiqi Camp."
Meng Hao nodded and said, "General Liu has a bold temperament and a good drinking capacity."
A few people continued to eat, drink and chat, and He Guizhong asked Meng Hao about the battle in Zunhua.
As a person who has experienced it, Meng Hao knows it in quite detail, but it is more true than what He Guizhong and others heard.
"The Jianlu troops mobilized in full force early in the morning and launched a fierce attack on the positions outside Zunhua City. As long as they could break through our army's positions, they would be able to flee, taking with them tens of thousands of plundered people and livestock, as well as a large amount of money and silk.
,Exit the wall..."
"...We fought from morning to afternoon. Our army fought and retreated, making the Jianlu believe that they could break through if they pressed harder. The Eight Banners and the Mongols took turns to go into battle and attacked non-stop. The fighting was extremely fierce. I
It is estimated that the enemy has more than 10,000 casualties, and our army must have between 5,000 and 6,000..."
"Thinking about it now, Guo Shuai's strategy was still clever. When the Jianlu were exhausted, our army fired thousands of artillery, and the overwhelming shells hit the Jianlu troops. The explosions came one after another, and they were denser than firecrackers...
…”
Xiaolong opened his mouth and had forgotten to eat and drink. Listening to this description of a fierce battle that was completely different from storytelling completely overturned the impression he had already had.