My life skills in Daming Liver

The prince's father, Li Wei, made a lot of money in the last winter clothes trade.

As grain prices rose in the capital, Li Wei was elected as the leader of grain merchants. His reputation among grain merchants greatly increased by greeting his son-in-law King Yu.

Just when Li Wei went out to buy food urgently, hoping to make another big fortune.

When the new southeastern army landed in Dagu, Li Wei had no choice but to abandon his warehouse full of grain and follow King Yu in hastily fleeing north.

As a result, all the family property Li Wei earned before was thrown into it, and not a penny of money could be taken out of the capital.

Although Li Wei was a relative, King Yu also allocated him Lumi along the way, but how could Li Wei, who once lived a luxurious life, be willing to live with this little money.

As the situation in Xuanfu gradually stabilized and all the generals in Datong of Xuanfu swore allegiance, Hou Ping, a businessman under Li Wei, found Li Wei.

"Zhang Guozhang, this wonderful deal is placed in front of you, but you are guarding the golden mountain and crying for poverty!"

Hou Ping is Li Wei's client. He contracted a share of 3,000 winter clothes in the last winter clothes sale and made a lot of money.

Later, he followed Li Wei to speculate in grain. He originally made money, but because the Southeast New Army entered Beijing, all the money was lost.

Hou Ping's life was much more difficult than that of Li Wei. He was not from the imperial court, so he naturally did not have Lumi to collect it, and it was impossible for Li Wei to share food with him. So after arriving at Xuanfu, Hou Ping has been in the city. Look for opportunities to make a fortune.

Li Wei quickly asked: "Where is Jinshan?"

Hou Ping knew that Li Wei was a rough man, so he didn't beat around the bush with him and said directly: "Datong Gongshi Border Trade!"

Hou Ping said: "Mongolian I answer, does the father-in-law know?"

Li Wei nodded quickly: "I know, I know, a few years ago, I almost hit the capital city, and the Governor of Ji Liao and so on were killed because of this, wasn't it? I even went to see him on the day he was beheaded."

Hou Ping said: "In order to start a war with the southeastern rebels, His Majesty made a truce with Mongolia. According to Mongolia's request, he opened a tribute market in Datong and allowed Mongolia to pay tribute and trade near Datong."

"Master, this is a golden mountain!"

Hou Ping reported the information he had learned: "Tea, silk, these things can be sold at high prices in the Datong border market!"

"Nowadays, the war horses and furs that the imperial court urgently needs can be bought at the border market. If you sell them to the imperial court, you can make a lot of money!"

Hearing what Hou Ping said, Li Wei was naturally moved.

He quickly asked: "Since you are making so much money, aren't all the businessmen from Jiubian going to Datong? Then how can it be my turn to get rich?"

After all, Li Wei had been the head of the state for a while, and he had gained some brains. Of course he knew that businessmen pursue profit, so how could such a good thing be done casually?

As expected, Hou Ping said:

"Not everyone can do border trade in Datong. The imperial court has restricted the qualifications for border trade. Only thirteen firms can do business in the border market of Datong."

Hearing this, Li Wei naturally understood.

The sale is similar to the auction of official qualifications. Only big businessmen have the financial resources to buy border trade qualifications.

But who is Li Wei? He is the father of the Crown Princess and the grandfather of the Imperial Grandson!

When he thought of this, Li Wei immediately went to see his son-in-law King Yu.

After meeting King Yu, Li Wei first said a few words about his family, and then said:

"Your Highness, after I came to Xuan Mansion, I had nothing to do all day long. I also want to contribute some energy to the court."

Hearing what his father-in-law said, King Yu nodded slightly, feeling in his heart that his family was indeed reliable!

Li Wei took the initiative to ask to come out to do some work. King Yu asked happily: "What are you planning to do?"

Li Wei immediately said: "I heard that the border trade in Datong is booming and that I can help the court purchase war horses, so I want to go to Datong to do business and help His Highness develop financial resources!"

Hearing what Li Wei said, King Yu was stunned.

Before Gao Gong went south, Gao Gong mentioned the Datong border trade and asked King Yu not to interfere easily. He only needed to collect taxes seriously and not affect the stability of Datong border trade.

But just after Gao Gong set out, his father-in-law came to visit him and wanted to participate in Datong's business.

Li Wei was a small businessman and knew how to watch people's emotions. When he saw King Yu's expression, he immediately said:

"Your Highness, I also want to do something for you and the emperor's grandson!"

After saying this, King Yu's heart softened again.

Isn't it just that my father-in-law is doing some business?

Aren’t there thirteen companies doing border trade? It’s not a big problem to add Li Wei’s family, right?

King Yu thought this, and felt that Li Wei was indeed one of his family members. He was careful when he was in the capital, but now he has arrived in Jiubian. It is not a big deal to do some business for his father-in-law, and it is not asking for an official position.

King Yu immediately helped Li Wei up and said:

"My father-in-law wants to do something for me, and I am happy, so I write a note asking the Li family to participate in Datong border trade."

Li Wei was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude to King Yu.

When Li Wei returned to the mansion, Hou Ping's disciples immediately gathered around him.

Li Wei said proudly: "Your Highness is right!"

Everyone smiled happily and went to Xuanfu Market to prepare goods.

When the sun set, Li Wei's son Li Changfeng returned to the house.

Like his father, Li Changfeng took an idle job in the Xuan Mansion. He had to go to the Yamen every day and his salary was very low.

Li Changfeng also felt a strong sense of loss when he thought about his life of dissipation and extravagance in the capital.

When he returned to his house, he heard that his father had obtained the qualification for border trade from the prince's brother-in-law, and Li Changfeng immediately rushed into his father's study.

"Dad! Is the prince really accurate?"

Li Wei nodded proudly and said to Li Changfeng: "I will go to Datong to live my life and earn another fortune for the Li family!"

Then Li Wei frowned again and said, "It's a pity that we don't have much capital, so we won't make much from this trip."

Li Changfeng immediately said: "Dad, you are confused!"

"Do you really want to transport goods to Datong for business? The road is full of chaos, and we are not familiar with the border markets of Datong. What if we lose the money?"

Li Wei immediately looked at his son and heard Li Changfeng say:

"Why do you have to go to Datong in person? As long as dad sells the border trade qualification, the merchants will naturally give money to our Li family."

Li Changfeng said: "The son of the Datong border trader has also heard that only thirteen families are qualified to do business with the Mongols. There are many powerful merchants in Shanxi, and many families just couldn't compete with those thirteen families at that time. Home."

"In addition, there are many small and medium-sized businessmen who risk crossing the border to do business with the Mongols. They also want to enter the tribute market to do business."

"Dad, as long as we sell the qualifications to participate in border trade in Xuanfu, we can make a lot of money!"

Li Changfeng's words made Li Wei moved again. The cycle of doing business in Datong was too long, and there were also risks in doing business.

According to his son, selling border trade qualifications is a profitable business!

Li Wei added: "But His Highness the Prince only asked the Li family to do business, how can he sell this qualification?"

Li Changfeng immediately said: "This is not simple. As long as a merchant has purchased the qualification, he is the shopkeeper of the Li family. People from the Li family can naturally enter the border market. Are those thirteen merchants doing business every time? Did the head of the family go there in person?"

Li Wei's eyes lit up and he said, "Then let's do it!"

On July 1st, when Ming Ting was still making tricks.

Capital.

Su Ze was taking his guards to the farmland outside the capital city.

"Grand Governor, this used to be the Zhuangzi of Dingguo Gong's family. Now these fields have been divided and the potatoes and beans brought by the Grand Governor have been planted."

Because the battle in the capital was almost at the time of spring plowing, this year's farming season was delayed and there was no way to plant wheat or rice.

So after dividing the fields, Su Ze encouraged people in the capital to plant the potato seedlings he brought.

The people who were allocated fields refused to plant potatoes, so they planted beans instead.

This is also a commonly used method in years of disaster. The harvest cycle of beans is short and can be planted at many times throughout the year. During times of war, people will plant beans to satisfy their hunger.

The same is true for potatoes. In later generations, potatoes also saved many lives during wartime and famine.

However, the yield per acre of emergency foods such as beans and potatoes is still not as good as that of rice and wheat. If this kind of food is grown during a long-term war, it will cause greater food shortages.

Looking at the potato seedlings growing lushly in the field, Su Ze asked Wang Xijue beside him: "How is this year's autumn tax?"

Wang Xijue immediately said:

"In more than half a month, these potatoes and beans will be ready for harvest."

"Officials have been trained. In accordance with the Governor's "Three Principles to the People", land tax will be levied at the early Ming tax rate and only in kind will be collected."

Su Ze nodded and said: "This batch of grain will be transported to Tianjin for shipment immediately after it is stored in the warehouse."

Su Ze then said to Wang Xijue: "The officials under you must be taken away. There is an urgent need for government talents in the southeast. These people have been training in the capital for several months and cannot be left to the Ming court!"

Wang Xijue said with a smile: "Don't worry, Governor. If the Governor doesn't take them away, they will make trouble. With the intensity of the party struggle in the Ming court, they also helped the Governor to divide the land of the powerful. If they stay in the capital, they will die." Woolen cloth."

Su Ze added: "It's the same over in Xu State. All the capable craftsmen are transferred in batches. The new ships over in Tianjin have been built. How many people can take them away!"

Looking at the crops in the fields, Su Ze was a little reluctant to part with them. Unfortunately, in the current capital, it was not worth the gain to hold on to them.

Not to mention relatively weak things like people's hearts, Su Ze's gun and artillery troops are extremely dependent on logistical supplies.

Powder, shells, and replacement parts all need to be shipped from Fujian and Zhejiang.

There were many Ming court troops around the capital, and these soldiers were the wealth that Southeast had managed to accumulate with great difficulty. Su Ze also did not dare to take risks.

Now that the goal of attacking the prestige of the Ming court and splitting the Ming court has been achieved, Su Ze is ready to retreat.

However, although Su Ze was ready to withdraw from the capital, he was not ready to completely give up on the north.

Returning to the military camp in the capital, Su Ze summoned his generals.

"How's the project going in Dagu?"

Lin Liangjun said immediately: "It's almost completed!"

The nail that Su Ze left in the north was the bastion he built in Dagu City.

The walls of the bastion are different from ordinary walls. They are staggered and zigzag, so that no matter if any point of the castle is attacked, the attacker will be exposed to more than one bastion face, and the defender can use crossfire to carry out multiple strikes.

The bastion at Dagukou was rebuilt on the basis of the Dagu Fort. In addition to the defense on land, it also included the port's fort.

This bastion was built on a mountain and by the sea. The latest artillery of the Southeast New Army was installed on the bastion, and the entire port of Dagukou was included in the bastion defense.

Su Ze has stocked up a large amount of food in the bastion, and also stocked up clean water in the bastion. In addition, there is a mountain spring leading into the bastion.

The bastion can garrison a thousand people. According to the calculations of the staff, even if the Ming Dynasty completely surrounded the bastion, the food and fresh water would be enough for the defenders for half a year.

In fact, this situation is difficult to happen. The Daku Fort is connected to the port, and the Ming court's naval power cannot block the port at all.

With this bastion, Su Ze could ensure that he would still maintain influence over the north after withdrawing from the capital.

Don't underestimate such a small castle. In the historical timeline before Su Ze traveled through time, when Zheng Chenggong regained the treasure island, the most difficult battle was to attack the city of Relanja.

The city of Geranje was later called Ping An City. The Dutch built a bastion here, and there were only a thousand soldiers in the bastion.

And Zheng Chenggong mobilized an army of 20,000 people, which was an army that had introduced red cannons and other Western firearms in the late Ming Dynasty. They fought for more than 20 days and suffered considerable casualties before finally recapturing it. The city of Relanja.

With the current level of Ming Ting's firearms, coupled with Southeast's dominant position in firearms technology, Su Ze believed that Ming Ting would not be able to capture the Daku Fort no matter what.

Moreover, the Daku Bastion also has a sea supply line, and messages can be quickly transmitted through clipper ships. Su Ze can also use sea reinforcements, which makes it more difficult to capture this bastion.

"Has the personnel been decided?"

Lin Mojun nodded and said: "They are all the backbones selected from various armies. They have also been publicized this time. The officers and soldiers staying in the Dagon Bastion will all be counted once and used as a reference for meritorious service when they are promoted in the future."

"The duration of a garrison is six months. After half a year, the defense is changed and returned to the southeast."

"In addition, family members of soldiers in the southeast can receive tax exemptions and exemptions for military dependents, allowing them to station here with peace of mind."

Su Ze nodded and said: "In addition, we should maintain contact with the rear and let the soldiers communicate with their families once a month."

"Military medical officers and military judges will still be left in the Daku Bastion, and the navy will also have ships and gunboats to garrison."

Lin Mojun nodded, and Su Ze turned around and said:

"Lu Tianshou, the intelligence station in the capital will be the front line of the battle after the withdrawal from the capital in the future. What else do you want?"

Lu Tianshou is an honest-looking man. Back then, he followed Lu Er and sold pork at the entrance of Hubu Street. He looked like a waiter.

However, after Lu Er left office, Lu Tianshou took over the responsibility, and the capital's intelligence work has been doing well.

Lu Tianshou rubbed the back of his head and said, "Grand Governor, can you give me a few more pens? After the army withdraws from the capital, I want to publish an underground newspaper in the capital, but our brothers are all rough people and can't write articles."