Liu Ruyi glanced at everyone with a smile, but her eyes focused on Ma Deqiang and stayed there for a few seconds.
After fighting all the way from the bottom to the current position, how could Liu Ruyi not understand Ma Deqiang's thoughts?
As the saying goes, 'Sail against the current, if you don't advance, you will retreat!'
Although Ma Deqiang currently has a large business, has a small fortune, and maintains a good relationship with Liu Ruyi's back house, after all, he comes from a humble background, and he has nothing to do with these wealthy businessmen who have been in business for decades or even hundreds of years.
Comparatively, he is still a little tender, just like the floating duckweed in the wind. He seems to be high up, but his foundation is not stable. A slight strong wind may knock him back to his original shape!
If he wants to move forward and gain a higher political status, he must receive strong support!
And Liu Ruyi is undoubtedly his best choice!
As for Liu Ruyi, at this time, he also needs someone among these wealthy businessmen to stand up and implement his will to the end!
At this time, Ma Deqiang is undoubtedly Liu Ruyi's best choice!
Hegel said, 'Existence is rationality!'
In fact, opportunities are equal in front of everyone, but whether you can seize it depends on whether you are fully prepared!
"Haha! Shopkeeper Ma, tell me, have you ever found any business opportunities along the way?" Liu Ruyi said to Ma Deqiang with a smile.
Ma Deqiang was flattered. He knew that his chance had finally come. He knelt down respectfully in front of Liu Ruyi. After thinking for a moment, he said: "What the young master said when I return home, according to what I saw with my own eyes, we will go west from Linqing City."
OK, people's livelihood is gradually declining, and the land is desolate. The further west you go, the more serious the situation becomes! Just like Dongming where we are camping today, there is not a village within dozens of miles. What a pity these lands!
"
Ma Deqiang paused, and then said: "Only now do you understand what the Duke of Guo meant! It would be such a pity if these lands were so barren! If so, our businessmen in Caishi Town, our Shandong businessmen,
If businessmen can use the funds in their hands to seize these lands and resume production, then~~ they can not only solve the current flow of refugees pouring into our Shandong Province, but also supply the military rations of our Colored Stone Army, and even help our Ming Dynasty.
The food shortage at that time was also very helpful! As for the money, the villain is doing business with the Duke of Guo. I believe that the Duke of Guo will definitely not treat the villain badly!"
After Ma Deqiang finished speaking, he looked at Liu Ruyi with a smile.
Liu Ruyi couldn't help laughing, "Haha! Shopkeeper Ma, you are trying to conquer my army! You are afraid that I will lose your money in advance!"
"The villain doesn't dare! The villain only knows what to say from the bottom of his heart, and follows behind the Duke to share his worries. The villain can also make some money to live on and fill his stomach!" Ma Deqiang said with a smile.
Liu Ruyi nodded, "Xiao Ma, although you are a little slippery, you understand this truth! Everyone, you are the pillars of Shandong, elite talents. What Xiao Ma said must be in your hearts.
You should be clear! Everything will be successful if you are prepared, and if you are not prepared, it will be ruined! At the moment, purchasing these lands seems to be a loss of some money! But in the long run, it will be a hundred benefits without any harm! When these lands produce,
You will be able to experience the benefits firsthand!”
Everyone couldn't help but talk in low voices.
If it is true that what the Duke said is true, then this transaction is really a profit without loss!
Although land sales and output are slower than overseas trade, they are stable!
With the guarantee from the Duke and the combat power of the Colored Stone Army, this is already a certainty!
"Master Guo, we have figured it out! I, the Wang family of Jinan, are willing to contribute five hundred thousand taels of silver to support Duke Guo's plan!"
"My lord, I, the Gao family in Jiaozhou, are willing to give you three hundred thousand taels of silver..."
"I, the Huang family in Tai'an, are willing to pay 600,000 taels of silver..."
With one person taking the lead, everyone immediately responded loudly, fearing that if they were a little slow, they would fall behind others, and the Duke of Guo would not be able to see their loyalty!
Liu Ruyi smiled and waved to everyone, "You are all heroes who know the general situation and understand the wrong! This matter will be left to Zhang Laocai to coordinate the planning and statistics. If you have any requirements, you can make it clear to him.
!”
Zhang Laocai had been prepared for a long time. He took out a ledger from his arms with a smile and said to everyone: "Masters, don't push us. Come one by one. We haven't entered Henan yet. When we enter Henan, you will have to
It depends on whether your pocket is enough!"
~~~~~~
After getting rid of these wealthy businessmen, Liu Ruyi couldn't help but let out a deep breath of relief!
Although even Li Zicheng chanted the slogan of "equal land and free grain", Liu Ruyi knew that this kind of thing was too formal and too idealistic and would not work in this land of China!
For five thousand years in China, the use of ‘scholars’ to rule the world has long been deeply ingrained. Even future generations will find it difficult to get rid of this shackles!
In the Ming Dynasty, 'scholars' accounted for almost 90% of the wealth and land. They received the best education, and their quality and ability were many times higher than ordinary people!
They have huge wealth, they have the largest population, and they have the appeal that can shock the world!
Although Liu Ruyi's Caishi Army can almost dominate the Ming Dynasty in terms of military strength, when it comes to economic construction, we still have to count on this group of people!
The current era is at the beginning of the 17th century. The Renaissance craze has just faded, the Age of Discovery has just begun, and the Industrial Revolution is brewing. This can be said to be the best era!
If the Chinese nation wants to catch up with the tide of this era, it must need the greatest concentration of wealth and the strongest military guarantee!
Only when wealth and strength are gathered to a certain extent can Liu Ruyi have enough financial resources and time to change people's livelihood again!
After all, the ideal is very full, but the reality is very skinny!
If you want to achieve your goal, the first and most important thing is to let yourself live and have enough strength to speak and change!
The army rested for the night and soon set off on the journey again, heading towards Luoyang City quickly!
However, the closer he got to Luoyang, the more Liu Ruyi deliberately slowed down the advance of his army!
After all, the new Caishi Army has too many people and has not experienced the test of real war. Liu Ruyi must give them enough time to adapt to and accept the pressure and tension during war!
Just like this, they stopped and walked slowly and slowly. Ten days later, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, Liu Ruyi's colorful stone army arrived ten miles northeast of Luoyang!
Here, you can clearly see the towering city walls of Luoyang City, and to the north is the Yellow River flowing eastward!
The refugee army responded quickly. As if facing a formidable enemy, tens of thousands of elites rushed to the eastern front of Luoyang City and were ready!
Liu Ruyi was not in a hurry, and was not in a hurry to enter the city immediately and join the defenders in Luoyang City. Instead, he ordered the soldiers to set up camp on the spot and strictly defend!
The two sides are in a standoff, who dares to take the lead in taking action!
But at this time, the Ming army in Luoyang City was cheering. Although the reinforcements could not enter the city immediately, Liu Ruyi's colorful stone army was famous all over the world. Even Huang Taiji was no match for him, let alone Li Zicheng's mud-legged troops.
Woolen cloth?
For a time, the military morale in Luoyang City was greatly boosted!
~~~~~
At this time, the weather was extremely cold. Affected by the dry season, the water level of the Yellow River was less than half, and the ice was three feet high. The snowflakes that had been falling became more and more rustling as they got closer to the Central Plains, and reached the outside of Luoyang City.
, has completely disappeared!
In the Caishi Army camp, Liu Ruyi climbed up to a high observation tower and looked down at the scene outside Luoyang City!
The city of Luoyang is open and majestic, with high walls and thick walls. From a distance, it looks like a huge blue-gray castle. Apart from the capital, this can be said to be the second giant city Liu Ruyi saw in the Ming Dynasty!
However, at this time, the outside of Luoyang City was in ruins. Outside the east gate, the city gate was closed tightly. Some of the buildings, houses and trees outside the city had been completely demolished!
The refugee army built dozens of huge ladders outside the east gate, eyeing the direction of Luoyang City with eager eyes!
But with the arrival of Liu Ruyi's Colored Stone Army, the refugee army's original attack on the city had stopped, and they quickly turned around and nervously faced off against the Colored Stone Army's camp!
Liu Ruyi held a telescope in her hand and quietly scanned the camp of the refugee army!
Unlike the Caishi Army, the refugee army camped very casually and did not have so many large military tents. Many people just stayed together in small groups, relying on the remains of some buildings outside the city to keep warm by each other's body heat!
It is difficult to find even a decent piece of clothing on them, let alone armor!
Most of the weapons are broadswords and spears, which Liu Ruyi is very familiar with. This is the orthodox configuration of the Ming Dynasty army!
Presumably, this is the result of these refugee armies in the past year!
However, if you look carefully, except for a very few of them who are tall and strong, they can have machetes and spears, which seem to be extremely luxurious equipment. Most of the refugee soldiers, many of them, have no weapons at all, or in other words, hoes and shovels.
If it can be considered a weapon!
Liu Ruyi couldn't help but shook her head slightly and sighed deeply!
"Brother, these refugee soldiers are afraid that they are worse than offering sacrifices to thieves, right?" Huo Lang smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Liu Ruyi glanced at Huo Lang and said, "Haha, it's these people who have made it impossible for me, the Ming Dynasty, to be stable for three hundred years!"
Huo Lang nodded with deep understanding, "To deal with these people, it is particularly important to kill the leader of the thieves! Otherwise, as long as there is wind, they can take advantage of the situation and rise up!"
On one side, Chun Wa was a little unimpressed, "General, Chun Wa, you are overestimating the combat power of these refugee armies, right? General, as long as you give me an hour, our Suzaku Camp will be able to control the outside of the east gate."
Clean it up!”
Although Liu Ruyi has been promoted to Duke of Qi, among the military generals, Liu Ruyi is still called "general"!
Liu Ruyi glanced at Chunwa and said sternly: "You must not be proud! A arrogant soldier will be defeated! These people you see in front of you are probably just cannon fodder for Li Zicheng. The real elites are inside!"
"
After Liu Ruyi finished speaking, he pointed to the large tents of the refugee army camp!