Maybe it's really an opportunity, maybe it's just a test.
Fan Yongdou had countless thoughts running through his mind in an instant, and then made a choice. This firearms transaction was definitely not something he and should not be able to touch.
However, this may be good news. Just like before Fan Yongdou wants to reuse a person, he must use something to test the character of the person he wants to use. If he cannot control the person or is not capable enough, he will naturally be eliminated.
He gave up without hesitation.
There may be no problem with his ability, but he has a criminal record, and his unclear dealings with the Houjin Tatars are what Jiang Wan uses to control him. If he gives himself a big killer like a firearm, if he surrenders to him again
In the arms of the Houjin Tatars, it was not as simple as selling some grain or ironware to the Houjin people.
"Whether it's saltpeter or firearms, as long as you go to sea, you can make huge profits, and I happen to know a few captains of merchant ships. If possible, I would be willing to help you match up..."
"Thank you Miss Catherine for your kindness!" Fan Yongdou pondered for a moment and said with a wry smile: "Fan still knows how profitable the sea trade business is, but Fan's roots are in Shanxi, and Fan's business is mainly grain.
He Yan, Miss Catherine really thinks highly of me, Mr. Fan, and Mr. Fan really can’t do this business!"
Catherine glanced at Jiang Wan and shrugged helplessly: "He doesn't want to do this business!"
"If you don't want to do it, just don't do it!" Jiang Wan smiled slightly: "That's the short-fire gun business in Haojing'ao. It's a pity to lose it. If he doesn't do it, I'll find someone else to take over. No matter how small the mosquito is,
It’s also meat!”
You were definitely testing me just now!
Fan Yongdou listened to the two people talking quietly, secretly glad that he had made the right choice. Jiang Wan's nonchalant expression confirmed his judgment that firearms and other things should not be touched!
"The food problem will probably be solved in the middle of next year. By then, not only will there be no shortage of food in Yan'an Prefecture, but there will also be no shortage of food in Shaanxi. This thing tells you, and it will also make you feel sad.
There is a number!”
Jiang Wan said: "Ironware is needed by Yan'an Prefecture. After all, there are no iron mines near Yan'an Prefecture. The armor and firearms of our Nanhai Guards require a large amount of iron. The Ministry of Industry is building workshops in Yan'an Prefecture, mainly for
In order to maintain the combat effectiveness of our Nanhai Guard!"
He thought for a while: "I can do the saltpeter business for you. Yan'an Prefecture has opened a saltpeter mine, and I may not be able to use it all. If I can exchange it for ironware and coal from Shanxi, it won't be a loss..."
Fan Yongdou didn't speak. He still didn't understand what Jiang Wan wanted to express. These were Nanhaiwei's affairs. Although he was very concerned about it, except for food, everything else seemed to have nothing to do with his Fan family!
"Nanhaiwei is short of money!"
Jiang Wan looked at Fan Yongdou and said slowly: "I need someone to manage Nanhaiwei. Since Catherine recommended you, I think you can use it. What do you think?"
This time, Fan Yongdou finally became excited: "Everyone in the Fan family is willing to do their best for you!"
"I have just told you about the situation in Yan'an Mansion. Now, I want to hear your opinion!" Jiang Wan said: "However, our Nanhai Guard, with nearly 10,000 people, has not seen military pay for several months, and a large number of weapons and armor have also been lost.
It needs equipment, and I’m afraid it will take some time for the imperial court to allocate it, which won’t solve my urgent need!”
"If you are in urgent need of military supplies, Mr. Fan is willing to donate some of your family property to serve as military supplies for you!"
Fan Yongdou did not hesitate and said immediately: "Fan is also willing to send a message to several other grain merchants for you to ask them to raise money to relieve your worries!"
"I want you to run Nanhaiwei for me, not just because of your property!" The smile on Jiang Wan's face softened: "If I really want your property, I will lead my troops to get it.
Don’t you still have the heart to resist?”
"I won't kill the goose to retrieve the eggs. Until the first batch of grain comes out next year, Yan'an Prefecture and the surrounding areas will need you to raise grain merchants and use your family property for military supplies. You may not say it, but you may not be resentful.
You will do this for me properly!"
"That's true!" Catherine also said with deep sympathy: "There is no business like robbing to make money quickly. I completely agree with Mr. Jiang's words!"
Where can you make money quickly by doing business through robbery?
Fan Yongdou was stunned for a moment, chewing these words carefully, and suddenly felt that these words made so much sense. This robbery might be profitable for a while, but if it is a business, it is just a trickle, and it will never stop.
Even a trickle can become a big river. At that time, even if you do nothing, the money will come in a torrent like flowing water.
Isn't this the realm that Fan Yongdou has always longed for? Unexpectedly, he heard this from Jiang Wan, who is not a businessman.
"Think carefully first!" Jiang Wan said: "If you are not sure, you can come with me when I return to Yan'an this time and see what you can do in Yan'an and in our Nanhaiwei!
"
"Yes!" Fan Yongdou suppressed his secret joy: "I will follow your instructions in everything!"
One day later, Jiang Wan took Catherine back to Yan'an Mansion, and Fan Yongdou followed him with a group of Fan family children. When he arrived at Yan'an Mansion, Fan Yongdou realized that although he had thought highly of Catherine, a foreign woman,
, still underestimated the status of this woman in Jiang Wan's heart.
This woman came from the south, but as soon as she arrived in Yan'an Mansion, Jiang Wan handed over all Nanhaiwei's money and food matters to her. In other words, even outside, his Fan family ran the Nanhaiwei business.
, However, in Nanhaiwei, this woman named Catherine is still his boss, Fan Yongdou, and everything he does must be reported to him.
This thousand three hundred taels of silver is really worth spending!
After entering Yan'an Mansion, Fan Yongdou no longer cared about the admiring look in his youngest son Fan Nian's eyes. He directly led people to live in his dormitory in Yan'an Mansion. Then, following Jiang Wan's instructions, he began to learn about Nanhaiwei's presence.
Everything in Yan'an Prefecture, and find business opportunities from them, and earn the first military resources for Nanhaiwei in the shortest possible time.
The refugees outside the city of Yan'an Prefecture have begun to establish new settlements outside the city. Fan Yongdou can see that Nanhaiwei has its own method of taking in the refugees.
A large number of refugees came to Yan'an Prefecture from all directions, and were taken in by two large refugee camps on the left and right outside the city of Yan'an Prefecture. After a period of time, some refugees who were screened and selected by the government would be assigned by the government.
Next, we began to walk out of the refugee camp, with Yan'an Prefecture as the center, and slowly established settlements around it.
In his view, these so-called settlements are actually the prototype of villages. The original villages were either destroyed by war or abandoned due to natural disasters, while these newly established settlements were re-planned and established, regardless of their size.
The staffing and the area of land near the settlement that can be reclaimed into fields are more reasonable than those in the original villages.
There are already more than a dozen such settlements, large and small. The officers and soldiers of Nanhai Network stationed outside the city maintain the stability and security of these settlements. The food shipped from Shanxi has been effectively controlled by the force of Nanhai Guard.
This ensures that these settlements will not collapse before they even begin.
When he was in Taiyuan, Jiang Wan once told him that there would be no food shortage in Yan'an Prefecture by the middle of next year. He didn't take this sentence seriously, he just took it as a way to comfort him, but now he sees
With such a scale, he began to believe that it was really possible.
As long as God doesn't bring disaster next year, these villages surrounding Yan'an Prefecture will be able to cultivate fields and sow crop seeds. By autumn, Yan'an Prefecture will indeed not be short of food.
In addition to these, he also visited the salt fields outside the city. He didn't say anything about the salt boiled in the salt fields. The output of green salt was already large enough. Several salt fields of different sizes have been opened in Yan'an Prefecture, and they will be expanded.
Scale is meaningless. No matter how much green salt enters the market, it will not have much effect other than lowering the price. After all, things are rare and expensive, and green salt is not something that ordinary people can afford.
Compared with the expensive price, even the bitter sea salt is acceptable to the common people.
The potential of this salt farm is limited to this, and nothing much can be dug out.
As for the saltpeter mine, it was a bit far away from Yan'an Prefecture, and he wasn't very interested in it. He didn't even look at it. It was really not profitable, so he didn't bother with it.
In the city, a workshop with the Ministry of Works also opened. Hundreds of people were recruited into the workshops and were studying with the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works. As for what they were studying, Fan Yongdou asked a few questions casually and did not continue.
It was obviously a place to provide gunpowder and firearms to Nanhaiwei. As a businessman, he didn't need to know this. He only needed to know that this matter existed. Careful study would seem to have ulterior motives.
"Dad, it's hard for our Fan family to handle this errand!"
Fan Nian has been following his father, wandering around the city and outside the city. After walking around the city and outside the city, he returned to his shop. The three of him and his son looked at each other with big eyes. They all felt that the Fan family seemed to be in trouble.
.
"If it doesn't work, let's put money in it!" Fan Nian said: "In the green salt business, we have an income of several thousand silver a month. We don't want it anymore. We can find a reason to put it in, and then we can find someone else."
The income..."
"This won't work!" Fan Jing is Fan Yongdou's eldest son. He was sent to Yan'an Mansion as a hostage by Fan Yongdou. His understanding of Yan'an Mansion and Nanhaiwei is much deeper than these two father and son.
"The soldiers and generals of Nanhaiwei are all paid according to the standards of Jingwei. According to their current troops, they can't fight with twenty thousand taels of silver a month. Moreover, this does not include expenses such as swords and armor.
, it will not be less than this number. Thousands of taels of silver are thrown in, and we can't hear a sound. Besides, even if dad plans to put money in now, what if Nanhaiwei continues to recruit troops in the future? How much does our Fan family have?
The family fortune is not enough to support such a force!"
"So, what Jiang Wan means is to ask me to run Nanhaiwei, not to raise Nanhaiwei!" Fan Yongdou frowned: "I don't feel bad about the money, and I can take it out, but this is not a long-term solution, and, Even if we did this, the other party would not appreciate it if they knew about it, and would even be suspicious of my Fan family. How did Shen Wansan die during the reign of Taizu? Have you forgotten? Don’t ever think that we are businessmen. With just a small amount of money, you can do whatever you want. Compared with officials like the imperial court, we are just a bunch of cattle and sheep waiting to be slaughtered!"
"Then how can there be any way to make money in this poor place!" Fan Nian couldn't help shouting: "Dad, you have recruited a good job for our Fan family!"
"Think about it again, think about it again..." Fan Yongdou shook his head: "If my Fan family really becomes an indispensable part of Jiang Wan, then Jiang Wan will not pursue the things we did before, even if they are taken by others. Jiang Wan will also cover up this matter for us in every possible way. No matter how difficult this matter is, we must find a way to handle it!"
"Think about it, what is the most popular thing in Yan'an Mansion right now and can be exchanged for money?"
Fan Jing and Fan Nian both thought hard.
"There are the most refugees? But they can't be exchanged for money. They are all a bunch of poor people!"
"Officers and soldiers! The most officers and soldiers!"
Fan Yongdou's eyes suddenly lit up: "Yes, there are the most officers and soldiers. Now Yan'an Mansion is full of officers and soldiers of Nanhai Guard, and the same is true outside the city. Yan'an Mansion is now like a military town!"
"But, dad, these officers and soldiers can't get any money, unless they go out to rob!" Fan Nian said, and then curled his lips: "Even if they rob, they won't get anything good. Shaanxi is like this now. Outside They are either bandits or refugees, so Yan'an Prefecture is slightly better!"
"Yes, they are homeless thieves!" Fan Yongdou slapped his thigh hard: "I know what kind of business can be done in Yan'an Prefecture. Now there are refugees and thieves everywhere in Shaanxi. Who do you think is the most troublesome?"
"Master Jiang?" The two sons shook their heads together: "Either he is a local official in Shaanxi, or he is someone who came from Beijing to get qualifications. He doesn't bother. He is just trying to do something in Yan'an Mansion. Show your achievements to the imperial court and use them as a stepping stone to your career!"
"That's right, the most troublesome thing is not Jiang Wan, but the governors of the three sides in Guyuan!" Fan Yongdou felt that his thinking was much clearer: "The Nanhai Guard is not weak in combat power. With such a strong army in place, Here, we really wasted a lot, but other places are full of bandits, big and small, and the governor of the three sides caress them softly. These bandits will rebel today and tomorrow, but they have defrauded the court of a lot of money and food!"
He smiled slightly: "However, there are always some guys who don't buy it. Nanhaiwei can go out and eliminate them for them. Not only will the money and food for the court be obtained immediately, but by the way, you can also make a fortune from the bandits. In my opinion, Come on, this should be the most suitable management method for Nanhaiwei now!"
"But is Mr. Jiang willing to do this kind of thing?" Fan Nian said hesitantly: "In war, people will die..."
"Don't ask how we know he is not willing. In Yan'an Mansion, we will continue to do business. We will not let go of the current salt, grain, saltpeter or other products in the future, but the results will not be immediate. However, for the South China Sea If the guards run around to contact each other, they can get a lot of money and food, but it is an immediate thing. Once the troops and horses are mobilized and the money and food are obtained, won't the Nanhai Guard's urgent need be solved?"