With the help of the compass and nautical charts, Yang Fan and his party arrived at Ezo Land on the ninth day.
After receiving the message, Mauriano led a group of tribesmen to the dock to greet him ceremoniously.
Seeing this boy shouting and cheering, Yang Fan couldn't help but nodded secretly.
It seems that this guy is doing well now, so he deserves his secret support during this time.
However, Mauriano's eyes turned green when he saw Yang Fan's four huge warships.
If I could own one, I would definitely be able to dominate the Fuso Kingdom.
Of course, it was because of Yang Fan that Maoliannu had the opportunity to return to his homeland, so naturally he did not dare to speak loudly.
"It's Anu's honor to welcome you to Ezo Land." Pipit
As soon as he saw Yang Fan, Maolian Nu and all the clansmen knelt down with cheers.
Seeing this scene, Xue Rengui and his party were dumbfounded.
Yang Fan has been in Chang'an and Jiangnan, how could he have such a reputation in this remote Ezo land?
Looking at the confused looks in everyone's eyes, Yang Fan explained: "Mao Liannu once lived in Chang'an City for a while, and he and I are old friends."
After saying that, he waved his hand to Maurian Nu and said, "Get up and find some people to move the things off the boat."
"Thank you, sir!"
Mauriano was so excited that he kowtowed a few more times before slowly standing up.
He couldn't help but be like this. He was able to return to Ezo and regain his footing because of Yang Fan's support behind him.
Now of course he knew Yang Fan's identity and status in the Tang Dynasty.
As long as a little bit of it is exposed from Yang Fan's hand, he will definitely be able to make him invincible in Ezo.
Seeing the tribesmen constantly unloading piles of various commodities from the warships, including at least a thousand sets of crossbows, horizontal knives and other old weapons, Maoliannu's eyes almost dropped.
Although these weapons are very backward in Yang Fan's eyes, they are the most advanced weapons in Maoliannu's eyes.
After all, Ezo was too backward at this time and had no mature smelting technology at all.
As long as he has weapons to arm his people, he is confident that he can control the entire Fusang Kingdom step by step.
At this time, he was very glad that he had decided to join Yang Fan. This thigh was so delicious.
For a moment, Maori Annu was full of pride, patting his chest and promising: "In the future, if your nobles have instructions, Annu will not give up until his death. If he violates this oath, both humans and gods will be angry."
People in ancient times were in awe of heaven, earth, ghosts and gods, and would not swear casually.
Mauriano's move obviously expressed his loyalty.
Yang Fan nodded with satisfaction.
He is not a philanthropist. Since he gives benefits to others, of course he has a purpose.
Otherwise, why would you be crazy enough to support Mauriano?
Since we do not intend to include the island country into the territory of the Tang Dynasty, we will cultivate a group of our own people to control it.
In Yang Fan's view, as long as he is around, the island country will never be given a chance to rise.
Only when he came to Mauriano's territory did Yang Fan see what it meant to be backward.
Even as the leader of the Ezo Territory, Mauryano only had a simple wooden building, while the other tribesmen all lived in houses made of mud.
After finishing the meal, Yang Fan asked: "How did the thing I asked you to do last time go?"
"To the Governor, I have already asked someone to buy the mine you mentioned. However, after the nobles there knew that we were mining copper mines, they have been eyeing the copper mines for a while." Mauriano quickly wiped his mouth. , answer quickly.
Yang Fan said with a smile: "You have known for a long time that someone will attack the mine. This time I sent so many weapons, you won't be able to defend even one mine, right?"
Maoliannu quickly promised: "Please rest assured, Governor, as long as those people dare to reach out, I will definitely lead people to kill them all."
Yang Fan asked again: "Have you found the silver mine?"
"Please forgive me for being angry. Annu is incompetent. The place you mentioned is under the rule of Emperor Fuso. Annu has no ability to intervene yet, but don't worry, I will take it down as soon as possible." Maoliannu looked a little bit. Nervous, afraid that Yang Fan would blame him for not doing things well.
Yang Fan waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "It's okay. I brought good craftsmen and enough guards this time. I will personally talk to the Emperor of Fuso Kingdom. You just need to find enough mining personnel for me." "
Yang Fan's biggest goal during this trip is to secure the largest mine in Fuso Country - the Iwami Silver Mine.
As a world-famous open-pit silver mine, the Iwami Silver Mine provided nearly half of the world's silver mine production during the Shogunate era, and its reserves are absolutely astonishing.
According to Yang Fan's estimation, the Iwami Silver Mine should not have been discovered at this time. If you buy it first, it will definitely be worth your money.
For the poor and backward Fusang Kingdom, various commodities of the Tang Dynasty were definitely sought after by the nobles of the Fusang Kingdom.
This is also the reason why Yang Fan brought so many products with him this time.
Just to bribe these nobles to achieve the purpose of taking over the mine.
In the next few days, through various efforts, Yang Fan finally took over the land marked as Shijian Silver Mine on the map, and even bought tens of thousands more acres.
"Grand Governor, I have taken a careful look at the nearby hills and found no silver mines at all. Now we are waiting for Xue Rengui and the others."
Standing on the top of a mountain, Xi Junmai was reporting to Yang Fan.
In order to find the specific mine site of Shijian Silver Mine, Yang Fan asked Xue Rengui and others to bring several experienced craftsmen to search for the pipit.
It's a pity that the mine has not been found yet. Looking at the rolling mountains, they are all low shrubs. Logically speaking, it should be easy to find.
When Du He, Fang Yiai and others came back one after another, they still found nothing.
Yang Fan couldn't help but wonder, is the geography of this world different from the original history?
Maoliannu also had some doubts in his heart. Yang Fan said that there were huge reserves of silver mines here.
Is this news accurate?
After all, Yang Fan has never been here before. From what he heard, he might have been deceived.
However, Xi Jun can't think so when buying a few people.
In their hearts, Yang Fan never made a mistake.
When everyone was puzzled, a craftsman stood up and spoke hesitantly.
"Grand Governor, in my opinion, this method of searching for silver mines is not right at all?"
Yang Fan knew that the craftsman who spoke was named Wang Tieshan.
The family has been blacksmithing for generations, and naturally has experience in searching for ores. The plague two years ago made him become a member of Junyangfang.
Because Wang Tieshan is very good at finding iron ore, Yang Fan specially brought him with him when he came to look for silver ore this time.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Pipit
Yang Fan did not doubt the other party just because he was a craftsman.
There are specialties in the field, and many times the practical experience of these people is definitely more useful than theory.
Seeing that Yang Fan was not angry, Wang Tieshan organized his thoughts and said:
"Grand Governor, although I have never seen what an open-pit silver mine looks like, based on my many years of experience in searching for iron mines, even open-pit iron mines have to be dug to find them. Now we are just walking around. If you walk aimlessly, it’s natural that you won’t find any silver mines, so I thought you should dig mines one by one at the top of the mountain…”
Hearing this, Yang Fan suddenly realized.
He always thought that open-pit silver mines meant picking up silver from the ground.
After Wang Tieshan reminded him, he realized that he had made a mistake.
yes!
Open-pit minerals only mean that they can be discovered without digging deeply, not that they are directly exposed to the outside.
Theory really kills people.
Thinking of this, Yang Fan patted Wang Tieshan on the shoulder and said, "Well done. As long as we can find the silver mine, you can be considered the first to succeed."
After speaking, Yang Fan asked Mauriannu to recruit some Fuso people to dig mines at suitable locations.
A few days later, Yang Fan stood on the hillside, looking at the dark mine and said, "Let's go to the cave entrance over there and have a look."
"Okay, Grand Governor, you wait outside, I'll go in and see if I find anything."
No silver mine was found for several days. At this time, Wang Tiesheng felt a little uneasy, fearing that he would not live up to Yang Fan's expectations.
Therefore, Wang Tieshan has been wandering around various mines these days, which is considered the hardest among them.
Besides, ordinary mines are very dangerous, so of course Wang Tieshan cannot let Yang Fan take risks in them.
Yang Fan also went in for the first day or two.
These mines were only one person tall, and it was very uncomfortable to crawl in, so Yang Fan didn't try to be brave.
These Fuso people are short in stature, and the mine is not very high for a person.
However, these Fuso people are very good at digging mines, and they are constantly attracting people.
After all, if you come here to dig a mine, you will not only have a full salary, but you will also get paid. For the poor and backward Fuso Country, it is definitely a job with good benefits.
Seeing Wang Tieshan holding an oil lamp and preparing to lower his head to go in, Yang Fan quickly shouted: "Wait a minute, take this and go in."
After saying that, he took out a flashlight from his waist.
These mines do not have any ventilation measures, so Yang Fan was afraid that something would happen if he went in with an oil lamp lit like this.
Holding the flashlight handed over by Yang Fan, Wang Tieshan was a little confused.
He had never thought that there could be such a bright thing in the world. It was like a fairy creature, and he admired Yang Fan endlessly in his heart.
With the illumination of a flashlight, Wang Tieshan quickly reached the end of the mine.
However, his attention was quickly attracted by a "bang" sound.
This is obviously the sound of metal colliding with hard objects.
Looking for the sound, Wang Tieshan shouted at the top of his lungs: "Stop!"
There was no way, the clanging sound of digging resounded through the mine, and if it wasn't louder, it would be impossible to hear clearly.
Although these Fuso people cannot speak Chinese, they can still understand simple Chinese meanings.
After all, the nobility and upper-class people of Fusang Kingdom are proud of being able to speak Chinese.
Although these people are ordinary Fusang people, they can also understand some simple words.
Arriving at the place where the noise had just come from, Wang Tieshan asked the Fuso man who was digging the mine to turn aside. He impatiently raised his flashlight and leaned it against the side of the mine, but he found nothing.
Wang Tieshan sighed in his heart, feeling a little disappointed.
As the flashlight's light shifted, a reflected light came into Wang Tieshan's eyes.
Huh?
What is this thing that seems to reflect light?
Wang Tieshan's heart skipped a beat.
It is a very simple truth that silver can reflect light.
Although silver ore exists in the form of compounds in most cases, it still has a certain degree of reflectivity.
Even if Wang Tieshan doesn't know much about chemistry, he still knows the most basic knowledge about silver mining.
The silvery and gray stone in front of you is exactly the coveted silver ore.
This is a kind of mineral deposit that is extremely rich in silver. Wang Tieshan, who has enriched his knowledge of silver mines, quickly made his own judgment.
"Wow!"
Wang Tieshan picked up the steel drill, knocked down the stone in front of him, and continued to confirm the silver ore reserves inside.
Is this an isolated case or has it reached a real vein?
Looking at the silver ore that was being knocked out, Wang Tieshan was so excited that he knelt down and shouted: "The Emperor has paid off. After struggling for several days, I finally found it."
"You continue to dig inside and pack all the ore. There must be no mistakes!"
"Here!"
The supervisor on the side responded quickly.
Holding the silver ore on the ground in his arms, Wang Tieshan ran towards the outside of the cave with great joy.
"Grand Governor, look quickly!"
Xi Junmai was standing by the cave to guard against unpredictable dangers, and was startled by Wang Tieshan's yelling.
"Why are you so anxious? Your head will be gone as soon as I draw the sword next time."
Xi Jun is so angry that he doesn't get angry at all.
However, he reacted quickly.
"Could it be that a silver mine was discovered?"
Wang Tieshan ignored Xi Junmai at all and ran directly to Yang Fan and shouted: "Grand Governor, we have found a vein, it is definitely a rich silver mine! This is really an open-pit silver mine that is easy to mine!"
The people who followed Yang Fan were dumbfounded as they stared at the silver mine in Wang Tieshan's arms.
Although Yang Fan swore that there was a huge silver mine here, after these few days of searching, to be honest, everyone had given up any hope.
It's just that it's hard to say it out because of Yang Fan's face.
Now we have actually discovered a vein, and we have only been digging for a few days. It is definitely a silver mine that is easy to mine.
"Let's go! Take me in and take a look!"
Yang Fan was so happy that he no longer cared about the danger and immediately went into the mine to see what was going on.
As long as huge silver ore reserves are discovered, it means that the geographical location has not changed and he can implement his plan.
"Grand Governor, please be patient. The top priority is to block the news. We didn't bring many guards this time. We need to send someone to notify General Xue quickly. Otherwise, something may happen."
Although Quan Wanji was also very excited, he was a scheming guy.
Moreover, if there really is a rich silver mine here, the nobles of Fuso Kingdom will never give up.
Even if Yang Fan buys this place, others will still miss him.
Judging from the silver ore that Wang Tieshan brought out, it definitely had greater reserves than any silver mine he had seen in Datang.
"Chief Quan Shi was right to remind you. Junmai, immediately arrange a few guards to inform Xue Rengui. Except for the guards stationed on the ship, all others will be arranged to come over and be on alert from now on."
Yang Fan reacted quickly and made arrangements immediately.
Indeed, money is charming!
Only by ensuring that nothing goes wrong can you smelt silver with peace of mind.
Yang Fan does not intend to transport the ore here to Datang. It is best to smelt it here and then transport it there.
Although this mine is not very far from the seaside, it is not necessary to transport the ore to Datang for thousands of miles.
Besides, the reason Yang Fan decided to build this silver mine was because he planned to use the silver as a reserve because he wanted to promote paper currency in Huating County.
If you want to implement paper currency, you must have reserves of precious metals.
In this era, silver is the most suitable.
If there are not enough precious metal reserves, issuing banknotes will only lead to a proliferation of coins, just like the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes during the Zhu Yuanzhang period.
Although Yang Fan doesn't understand economics, he still understands the basic principles.
After these silver ores are purified, it is definitely the most suitable choice to directly use them as reserves in Huating County.
Yang Fan made full preparations before coming.
In addition to purchasing this mine, they also brought in craftsmen to refine the silver, just in case of emergencies.
By the time Xue Rengui led his troops, Yang Fan had already entered the cave again to determine the silver reserves.
Now Yang Fan is very sure that this is the Shijian Silver Mine that will be famous for future generations.
With the reserves of this mine, it can definitely support his mining for hundreds of years.
But seeing such huge silver reserves, Xue Rengui didn't seem so optimistic.
There are only about 2,000 escorts brought this time, and at least 1,000 people need to stay on the ship to prevent them from being cut off.
There were only a few hundred guards brought to guard the mine.
Once the reserves of this silver mountain are exposed, it will inevitably be coveted by various forces in the Fusang Kingdom.
How to safely protect the mineral deposit in front of us is the most important thing to consider now.
Fortunately, this news will not spread out in a short time. As long as we send support back to Jiangnan, we can ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Of course, Xue Rengui also has his own self-confidence.
Even if there are only a few hundred guards, Xue Rengui is confident to resist the attack of tens of thousands of people, but this is not a long-term solution.
****
"Grand Governor, how did you discover this silver mine? The content of these silver ores is really high. It only needs simple smelting to turn into white silver."
Mauriano looked at the tall stove in front of him with surprise on his face.
He really couldn't figure out why Yang Fanyuan in Datang could know that there was a rich silver mine here.
This is simply a magical method.
At this moment, he was not tempted by the neat boxes of silver in the workshop, but instead admired Yang Fan even more.
What's more, Yang Fan has always been generous, and if he finds such a large silver mine, as long as the service is good, he will never be treated badly.
This is also the reason why Maoriannu brought almost all the tribesmen over to help build the workshop.
Thinking that he would have enough money to expand his team in the future, Mauriano was full of energy.
"Haha, you don't need to know this. As long as you work hard, I won't treat you badly. In addition, you need to recruit more people to come and mine, so that you can supply the demand here."
"promise!"
Hearing Yang Fan's assurance, Maoliannu became even more passionate and hurriedly turned around and left.
Quan Wanji, on the other hand, was shocked by the neat boxes of silver.
Although the total amount of silver here is only a few hundred thousand guan, this is naked cash!
Although I made more than 5 million yuan from selling a house a few days ago, it is just a number after all, and it is definitely not as impactful as this free money.
After swallowing his saliva, Quan Wanji asked, "Grand Governor, what should I do with the money?"
In just a few days of work, hundreds of thousands of taels have been smelted.
Once the mining of ore gets on track, wouldn't it be possible to bring back hundreds of millions of taels of silver from Fuso Country in a year?
Such a huge wealth is higher than the annual taxes of the Tang Dynasty.
This is a fortune, but it is also a risk.
If everything was handed over to the court, who would be willing to give it up?
But if he didn't hand it over, not to mention that he was the emperor, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty might spray Yang Fan to death.
Of course, Yang Fan could see Quan Wanji's worries, but he already had a plan in mind, so there was nothing to worry about.
"In two days, we may be able to refine millions of taels of silver. Let's take this batch of silver back and hand it over to the court. The rest will be temporarily placed here, waiting for my order."
Yang Fan wanted to use the money to test Li Er's thoughts.
If that guy agrees to his idea of opening a bank, then things will be easier to handle.
If Li Er only wanted to maintain his rule, then don't blame yourself for going it alone!
Hearing that Yang Fan casually gave away 1 million taels, everyone couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
It turns out that we have started to send money in units of millions, and our chief governor is a bull!
"Grand Governor, you cannot leave Jiangnan for a long time. The general is willing to lead the guards to stay here. I ask for your permission."
Since arriving in Fusang, Cheng Minting knew that his bet was lost.
Originally, there was still some resentment in becoming Xue Rengui's deputy, but now he feels so lucky.
As everyone thought, Yang Fan would never treat his subordinates badly.
If Yang Fan can keep this place safe, it will definitely be a great achievement.
Seeing how naughty Cheng Mingting was, everyone felt regretful.
Yes, this is an excellent opportunity, and many people have requested to stay.
Seeing how shameless everyone was, Cheng Minting opened his eyes wide and warned.
If he wasn't afraid that he couldn't defeat so many people, he might have rolled up his sleeves and started fighting.
Seeing everyone acting like fighting cocks, Yang Fan smiled and stopped him: "Let's stop fighting. Since General Cheng proposed it first, let him be the one to garrison here first."
"This time I leave 1,500 soldiers to protect you. After I return, I will send another 2,000 soldiers over as soon as possible. With these soldiers, if we join forces with the Maoriannu tribe to garrison, there shouldn't be any big problems. I hope you won't Live up to my expectations.”
Cheng Mingting was overjoyed: "Thank you for your trust, Commander-in-Chief. If anything goes wrong, I'm willing to come and see you."
"The Governor only needs you to guard this place, but I don't want your head. Do it well!" Pipit
Yang Fan chuckled, turned around and left with everyone.