This is a name that Fan Zhen knows. This name really does not sound like a port. In fact, this place is not a port at all.
But Mei Xiaofei told him that Marshal Jiang had an agreement with those North Korean officials to trade grain or other things here. Those North Korean officials even moved all the villagers near this small mountain village.
It was replaced by their own people, and they have tried their best to build this place as a port.
However, this still doesn't look like a port.
A big ship like the Luochuan can be approached without even thinking about it. If you are not careful, you will be in danger of running aground. You can only park far away on the sea and watch the sampans around you going one after another.
Bring up the things from the shore.
This process is extremely inefficient and extremely wasteful of manpower.
Now that the three boats from Chenjiacun have joined the fleet, the situation is a little better, but they can still only move a little closer than the Luochuan, and they still need to be transported back and forth by sampans.
There are simply no innate conditions for becoming a port here.
The only advantage is that here are all members of the official family of the opposite country, North Korea, so it is relatively private.
Shen Juncen is still the main person to communicate with the Ming fleet. It's not that apart from him, the Shen family and the Li family can no longer find talents who are proficient in the Ming dialect, but Shen Juncen insists on holding this right in his hands and cannot allow it.
If anyone gets involved, perhaps, in his heart, this is a deal he has risked his own future to get, and he must have the right to speak in the family.
Shen Juncen is not surprised that the Ming Dynasty has changed to a person in charge. After all, it is a bit embarrassing for him as a governor to do such a thing. If he didn't want the right to speak, he would want to leave it to his subordinates.
People should do it. General Jiang Wanjiang has many people and many things to do, so naturally he won't spend too much energy on this kind of thing.
Because the ship could not reach the shore, Shen Juncen had to take a sampan to the big ship. This time, the big ship brought a dazzling array of shops, which made him widen his eyes and open his mouth, and he did not react for a long time.
"so much……?"
"Is it a lot?" Fan Zhen couldn't help but feel contempt for the North Korean official in front of him. This is only a lot of money. If this is a lot, then this guy looks at the scale of the Fan family's business. I'm afraid he doesn't want it.
Scared to death directly.
"For the first time, I don't know which goods are easy to sell and which are not easy to sell here!" Fan Zhen said: "Anyway, silk, porcelain, tea, books, paper, and all kinds of things are all sold, and the prices are not the same.
It’s expensive, take a look first, and if you want somewhere, just check it on this list and send someone to deliver it!”
A list was delivered to Shen Juncen. Shen Juncen swallowed hard: It's cheap, it's simply too cheap!
According to the price given by Mr. Fan, these goods can be taken to Pyongyang and resold for three to five times. If the family is willing to work hard, they can be shipped directly to Seoul. Even if they are sold for ten times, they will only cost
Being robbed by someone.
North Korea is not rich, but those who are not so rich are ordinary people. Those big families with a long history and the new rich in the court are all fat and oily.
What he didn't know was that the price Fan Zhen gave him was five times the FOB price of the goods. Fan Zhen had been observing his face. Once he showed a troubled look, he would look at him slightly.
After bargaining, Fan Zhen is not incapable of making concessions.
It is a pity that although Fan Zhen has been in business for many years under the guidance of Fan Yongdou, this is his first time exposed to maritime trade. Even though he already feels that he is greedy for huge profits, in fact, he still has a smaller appetite.
"this……"
"What, are you not satisfied with the price?" Fan Zhen asked expressionlessly: "These are the goods that our Lord Jiang entrusted with purchasing directly from the capital. Some of the goods are even directly supplied to the imperial palace as tributes.
The quality of the goods is definitely worthy of the price!"
"No, no, no, I'm very satisfied with the price!" Shen Juncen said in embarrassment: "I just didn't expect that Marshal Jiang would deliver the goods we wanted so quickly. We want all of these goods, all of them."
want!"
"That's good. All the money earned from these goods will be used to purchase food. The excess will be settled in gold!"
Shen Juncen silently calculated it and nodded fiercely. Although the amount was a bit large, this amount of gold should be able to be collected by the Shen family alone, let alone the Shen family and the Li family now joining forces.
It was even said that when the other party asked to buy grain, the price he gave him was twice the price of grain in North Korea. He could make a huge profit from this grain.
"Okay!" Fan Zhen was also very satisfied: "At the current speed of our fleet, we can come three times a month, basically with these goods. If you have any other needs, you can explain it in advance, and we will
I’ll send someone to do the shopping for you individually!”
"Ah!" Shen Juncen was shocked. He made three trips a month. How much goods would be needed? No matter how much the Shen family and the Li family made from food, they would not have enough gold to pay for these goods.
Even if the money from the goods sold is turned over, it will take time. The two of them will definitely not be able to bear three trips a month.
"There is a little problem, but I will solve it!" Shen Juncen replied with some difficulty: "Please rest assured, Mr. Fan, everything is fine!"
Before the fleet arrived, Shen Juncen and Li Qingxuan had already transferred some money from their respective families to pay for the goods. When the fleet left with a full load of food, leaving only mountains of goods in the small mountain village, Li Qingxuan's eyes glowed green.
, but Shen Juncen fell into the trouble of happiness.
"It's all money!" Li Qingxuan was not worried at all, "Master Shen still has great vision. Now we in Suwon and Ping'an Province no longer have to look at the faces of those guys in Busan, and we can compete with them.
!”
"Even if your family and I try our best to sell these things, it will still take a lot of time!" Shen Juncen said with a bitter face: "We are still incomparable with those big families. Those big families have enough foundation.
, we can pay for these goods, but our two families are afraid that we will no longer be able to pay for the gold for these goods as long as the goods are still on the way to Seoul!"
"Then let them wait and wait until we have sold enough gold before moving on to the next shipment!" Li Qingxuan said nonchalantly.
"Do you think they can wait for us as they bring back grains one by one?" Shen Juncen shook his head: "If we can't eat these goods, Marshal Jiang's fleet will definitely go to Seoul or Busan without hesitation.
Guys, and in addition to enough food, those guys also have enough gold!"
"Such cheap goods, when the time comes, all those guys will be cheaper!" Shen Juncen felt as if he was being cut with a knife.
One month, in his calculations, the gold that the two companies can pay can last up to one month at most. If it goes any further, the transaction may end automatically.
This also sent someone in the family who objected to using all the gold to purchase all these goods from the Ming Dynasty.
"In addition to food, don't they want anything else?" Li Qingxuan's face also became serious. This transaction is not only related to Shen Juncen's status in the family and the future of the court, but also to him.
"Think about it, think about it carefully!" Shen Juncen nodded slowly: "In our country of Korea, who else can make Marshal Jiang like him? Moreover, they are in urgent need of them. If there are these people
If something replaces gold, then we don’t have to worry about this deal slipping away from our hands!”
The two of them faced each other and began to think deeply.
"They want food to be transported back to Pi Island to make military rations. Is there a shortage of military rations on Pi Island?"
"No, the Ming Dynasty is rich in products. Even if there is a shortage of military rations, it won't last long. I think they are making reserves for this winter. The Hou Jin people attacked the Ming Dynasty last year. The Ming Emperor should have been more vigilant. The purpose of storing food is to prepare for the possibility of this year.
attack!"
"They obviously have no shortage of gold. At least, from the fact that they filled the fleet with food before paying for the remaining goods with gold, it seems that this is just a incidental thing. Their main purpose is not gold!"
"That's right, if it's just for gold, they can go directly to Busan. People in the Ming Dynasty will not know the prosperity of Busan!"
The two people's eyes suddenly froze. If money is not needed, then the only things North Korea can offer are food and people.
"No!" Shen Juncen categorically rejected the two people's ideas: "Others don't know what our Wang Ting's army is, but we ourselves don't know it. The Ming Dynasty's elite troops are stationed on Pi Island, even if we secretly sell some to them
Soldiers, I’m afraid they don’t look down on our soldiers’ combat prowess! It’s better not to humiliate yourself!”
"Do we have nothing but food and people?" Li Qingxuan raised his eyebrows: "We still have land, we have land. The Hou Jin people don't allow us to take in people from the Ming Dynasty, and they don't allow us to give food to the people of the Ming Dynasty.
These supports, but we have given them food, so why not just take in a few of them?"
His face turned stern: "Anyway, we have already done this. If something happens in the future, you will be held accountable for one thing and two things. If you don't do one, you won't stop doing the other, so let's do them all!"
"What are you going to do?" Shen Juncen was also a little moved.
"I recruit soldiers in the name of defense. As for where these soldiers come from, that is beyond my control!" Li Qingxuan said: "Tieshan City has set aside a place for them to train here, and one from the Pi Island
How much do soldiers cost? Calculate it with them. Anyway, they are fighting with the Houjin people. Even if they send people from Phi Island, it is not a strange thing. Even if King Injo knew that the Ming army came ashore from Tieshan City, he would
You won’t blame us!”
"We also contributed to the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Hou Jin Dynasty, but we can't stop the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Hou Jin Dynasty!"
"If the Hou Jin people find out and force King Injo to deal with us, then we will be dead. In order not to drag down the family, the two of us will have no choice but to commit suicide and apologize!"
"If they really want to deal with us, then we will give Tieshan City to them!" Li Qingxuan gritted his teeth and said: "Whether it was the Ming people who occupied Tieshan City or not, in the eyes of our court, it was the rebels who occupied Tieshan City, and we resisted with all our strength.
, even though defeated, still glorious!”
"Should this be done like this?" he asked.
Shen Juncen thought for a while and nodded slowly: "If we do it, it seems we can do it, but there is only one question now. Is Mr. Jiang willing to do this method we proposed?"
…
"A port, there must be a port!" Fan Zhen said to Jiang Wan seriously: "If the commander-in-chief really plans to train troops in North Korea, whether it is the transportation of personnel or the replenishment of grain, grass and ordnance, he needs a sufficient
No matter how simple the port our ships dock at, this is a prerequisite!"
"That's right!" Jiang Wan nodded: "You make this a prerequisite to talk to them, and you have to talk to them as soon as possible. I don't have much time to wait for them to discuss it slowly!"
"If it is due to port issues that affect the incoming and outgoing goods of the trading company, the fleet can go directly to Busan!"
Fan Zhen didn't feel strange at all when a Fan who spoke fluently in Ming Dynasty appeared next to Jiang Wan again. It would be strange if there was no such Fan beside Jiang Wan!
"I just came back from the Busan port. Although I haven't completed Marshal Jiang's commission and found the two captains who are willing to cooperate with us, the prosperity of Busan still exceeds my imagination!"
Tang Ruowang's eyes were a little tired: "Although compared with Nagasaki, Busan is not the best choice for many fleets, but if we only do trade between the Ming Dynasty and North Korea, for us, going to Busan is even more convenient than going to Nagasaki.
powerful!"
"Our fleet currently does not have the ability to protect itself at sea!" Jiang Wan shook his head: "I don't want to become someone else's competitor, so I won't consider it for the time being, whether it's Busan or Nagasaki!"
"But!" Jiang Wan paused: "I am very interested in what you said about the large number of mercenaries, adventurers, and exiled warriors in Busan!"
"No, no, no, I don't want to go to Busan anymore!" Tang Ruowang shook his head repeatedly: "I think it is better to stay with the commander to realize my ideals. This Mr. Fan Zhen is better at doing these things than me.
Much more, you should send him!"
Jiang Wan laughed dumbly: "I haven't said anything yet?"
"The commander-in-chief means to recruit these rabble-rousers!" Tang Ruowang said with a wry smile: "Believe me, although these rabble-rousers have a certain amount of personal force, compared with the commander-in-chief's army, they will definitely not be the opponent of the commander-in-chief's army.
of!"
He said sincerely: "The commander-in-chief already has thousands of elite troops, why are you still interested in these scum?"
"Because the Koreans gave me a place to train my troops!" Jiang Wan said with a smile: "No matter how weak these people are, they are still stronger than the Korean army. Besides, I am not using them to fight the enemy's army head-on.
They do some sneaky things, they should be considered relatively professional!"
He looked at the stunned two people in front of him: "Even if these people are just a puddle of mud, I can throw them in the enemy's face and disgust the enemy. Anyway, I will use North Korean money and North Korean food to feed these people, even if
If I can gather dozens of people, it’s all earned by me, isn’t it?”