Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 188 0183 [Daming Village engaged in smuggling]

In mid-June, Zhu Ming was still waiting for the official ship, and Fatty Zheng left Beijing first.

The Daming Village security team that escorted Dean Zhu back then were all taken away by Fatty Zheng and sent back to the village to develop with peace of mind.

They didn't know that Daming Village and the Zheng family were engaged in smuggling.

Several merchant ships sailed from the Han River into the Golden Water, and Zhang Guangdao personally took charge of the escort.

The merchant ships and boatmen all came from the Zheng family.

As for the cargo on board, half came from the Zheng family and half from Daming Village.

Looking at the mountains on both sides of the river, Zhang Guangdao asked, "Hasn't Zheng Liulang been here before?"

"I've never been here before. I usually take the reward ramp. It's too dangerous here." Zheng Liulang's name is Zheng Sui, and he is Fatty Zheng's uncle.

Zhang Guangdao said with a smile: "The more dangerous, the greater the profit!"

The Zheng family and Daming Village teamed up to smuggle out of no choice but to be forced out by the court.

First, the Northwest War has been protracted for a long time. In order to raise money and food, the imperial court ordered the inspectors to strengthen anti-smuggling.Since Baoxie Road and Chencang Road are the main commercial roads in Ichugawa, the smuggling inspections are now very strict, and the Zheng family's smuggling network was instantly strangled.

Second, the Zheng family's tea workers were bribed, and the green tea roasting method has been leaked, and more and more green tea are being produced.The local fried tea market is becoming saturated, and it is difficult to export legally, so it can only be sold through smuggling.Otherwise, you have to go to the tea horse department and suffer from layers of tea tax and taxation.

"stop!"

The fleet was stopped by a group of officers and soldiers.

Zheng Sui was not afraid at all, and angrily scolded: "Dong Yuanzhang and Zhu Tanhua's boat, do you dare to stop it?"

The officers and soldiers looked at each other in blank dismay, and they didn't even dare to ask carefully, so they quickly let them go.

In fact, these are mine supervisor soldiers.

Since the gold mines were exhausted, they set up private cards to illegally collect taxes from passing business travelers, and they had no right to collect taxes at all.

One side is engaged in smuggling trade, and the other side is illegally collecting taxes. It is better not to have conflicts.

Who in Yangzhou doesn't know that the Zhu family's father and son, the holy family, are the most popular people in front of the emperor.

The fleet swaggered through private cards, and after a day of driving, they could no longer move forward.

They also hired a smuggler as a guide. The guide said: "There is a village in front, with only twenty or thirty households, which can barely supplement some food."

The villagers of Daming and Mr. Zheng planned to disembark one after another with tea and grain on their backs.

Zhang Guangdao carried a long spear in his hand, and a sub-standard bow and arrow on his back.

Zheng Sui also had a knife hanging from his waist, ready to fight at any time.

They each brought more than a dozen fighters to deal with the bandits in the mountains.

Ordinary personnel, each carrying nearly a hundred catties of goods.Combatants also have to carry forty or fifty catties.

The further north you go, the harder the road becomes.

Moreover, there are deep valleys and dense forests, and there are countless thieves in the mountains. If you don't pay attention, you will be attacked.

Small merchants and peddlers walk the Tangluo Road, at least 50 people must gather together before they dare to hug each other and accompany them on the road.

In this continuous mountain, there are not even officials to collect agricultural taxes, presenting a primitive state of anarchy.

After traveling through mountains and rivers for two days, Zhang Guangdao looked ahead and suddenly said: "Everyone stop and rest, and continue after eating."

The guide flattered: "Brother Zhang has good eyesight. A few miles ahead, there is a big village called Anjiaping. The people in the village, half people and half bandits, often come to set up ambushes. One or two miles ahead, the valleys are narrow, but the mountains are not. Steep. Villagers often lie in ambush on the mountain, rushing down to block the caravan from front to back.”

Zheng Sui asked, "Can I enter the village?"

The guide explained: "You can enter the village. As long as you pass the ambush site, the villagers will no longer rob. Instead, they will barter with the merchants. The private salt I prepared in advance can be used here. One catty Salt can be exchanged for a lot of food. Vendors who often go this way will usually give more private salt or cloth, which can be regarded as leaving a sum of money to buy the road, so that they can be safe when they come back next time."

"Did they kill indiscriminately when they were stealing goods?" Zhang Guangdao asked.

The guide said: "As long as they don't resist, they won't kill people. After all, they rely on mountains to eat mountains, and they kill too hard. How can there be traders coming here? The bandit leader in the village is called Qu Fangping, who is called Qu Bodhisattva. It means that he has the heart of a Bodhisattva. Never kill them all, and leave some rations for the robbed traders."

Zhang Guangdao smiled: "But it's strange that someone who has robbed the Tao actually calls himself a Bodhisattva."

After eating, drinking and resting for a while, Zhang Guangdao gave the order to move forward.

He asked the Zheng family's fighters to protect the caravan before and after, and he led the security team of Daming Village to climb up the nearby mountains to search the mountains and open the way.

The security team had rattan badges, weapons or knives or guns, and they did not bring wolves or the like, because it was inconvenient to travel across mountains and rivers.

Someone stood guard on the mountain, and when they were resting, they called bandits from the village to ambush them.

The bandit leader Qu Fangping was lying between the grass and trees, looked at the rattan soldiers below, and muttered: "The idea is a bit tricky, there are shields, knives and guns, and it is not worthwhile to fight head-on. Go back to the village and treat me!"

The village bandits withdrew silently, and finally escaped danger.

Zhang Guangdao led people over the mountain depression, and suddenly saw a big flat valley in front of him, and there were fertile fields everywhere in the valley.

Bringing the caravan to the entrance of the village, Zhang Guangdao shouted loudly: "Zhang Guangdao, Xixiang, passing the precious treasure land with the goods, please ask Bodhisattva Qu to say something face to face!"

Qu Fangping has just turned [-] this year, but he has more than ten years of experience in robbery. Two or three generations of his ancestors have done this.This guy didn't carry a weapon in his hand, he was dressed as a farmer, he cupped his hands and said with a smile: "So he's a good guy from Xixiang, he just passed by once, or do he have to deal with him often?"

Zhang Guangdao said: "I pass by every year, and today I come to visit the pier."

"It's easy," Qu Fangping immediately promised, "The grain in my village is more expensive, so you don't have to buy it. Every time you pass by, you have to leave twenty catties of salt and twenty bolts of cloth."

Zhang Guangdao shook his head: "I'm just running errands, too much money to buy roads, and I can't control it. How about ten catties of salt and ten bolts of cloth? I will also buy some food, so you can make money."

Qu Fangping carefully looked at their rattan cards, knives and guns, thought for a moment, and asked, "Yes, but next time you come here, can you bring some fairy food seeds?"

"Fairy food?" Zhang Guangdao had a strange expression.

Qu Fangping said: "I heard from a passing merchant from Yangzhou that there was a Duke Yuanzhang in Xixiang County who got fairy food from overseas immortals, and even barren mountainous areas could harvest it. You are from Xixiang, so you should be able to Get the fairy grain seeds."

Corn and sweet potatoes have been popularized in Yangzhou and Xingyuanfu, but they have not been thoroughly popularized in every village.

Many homesteaders are looking forward to it, hoping to get some seeds.

The guide suddenly laughed: "So that Bodhisattva Qu will know that what we are betting on this trip is Duke Yuanzhang's tea."

Qu Fangping was surprised and said, "Duke Yuanzhang is a disciple of the Immortal, is he also in business?"

Zhang Guangdao said: "Next time I pass by, I promise to bring you fairy food."

Qu Fangping said: "If the celestial food is really so miraculous, from now on, you can come and go, I don't want half a penny to buy road money."

The two parties reached a verbal agreement on this, and Zhang Guangdao even went into the village alone and visited Qu Fangping's house, allowing the caravan to stay outside the village and rest on the spot.

Qu Fangping admired such courage.

Zhang Guangdao was focused on rebellion, and when Zhu Ming left Daming Village, he had a long talk with him for half a night.

Two guys with rebellious bones on the back of their heads were exchanging ideas about raising troops.

This Tangluo Road was their planned northbound route.The reason is simple, from Guanzhong to Yangzhou, not half a soldier was stationed.

It only needs to send more than a thousand elite soldiers to go directly from Yangzhou to Zhouzhi (Zhouzhi) and capture the county seat by surprise.Then come back and dig again, with the large army on the other side of the Baoxie Road, attack back and forth to attack the Guancheng in the Xiegu.

If you can successfully recruit soldiers in Yuu, you don't need to go back to Xiegu to meet the friendly army, you can go directly to Chang'an!

Wentong, the prefect of Yangzhou, once went to the imperial court and asked to station hundreds of troops in Ziwu Valley and Luogu.One is to strictly investigate smuggling, and the other is to exterminate bandits.

But the imperial court turned a deaf ear and had no plans to garrison troops.

Since he was going to take the Tangluo Road to kill Guanzhong, there was another hero on the way, Zhang Guangdao decided to make friends, and from now on he would drag Qu Fangping to rebel together.

Hearing that Zhang Guangdao was a member of Duke Yuanzhang and that he was quite courageous, Qu Fangping also felt like making friends with him.

The two drank in the village. At first they talked about Yuanzhang Gong and Xianliang, and then they talked about guns and sticks and martial arts.

After chatting into the alley, Qu Fangping reminded: "I'm easy to talk here, but you have to be careful when you go to Nanshan. There are many thieves there, some in small groups, some with dozens of thieves, and there are also soldiers who fled into the mountain. Farming, relying entirely on robbery for a living, each one is darker than the other."

"Thank you Brother Qu for reminding me." Zhang Guangdao clasped his fists and said.

Nanshan is on the other side of Luogu and is part of Zhongnanshan.

There are no ancient tomb sects there, only an infinite number of thieves, and as the government exploits more and more, the number of thieves in the mountains is increasing.

Merchants who dare to walk the Tangluo Road are all carrying their goods with their heads up.

If Chencang Road and Baoxie Road were not checked too strictly, the Zheng family would not change the trade route.

Cai Jing's tea introduction method has been reformed for the third time, which is called "Zhenghe Tea Method".It can bring 400 million yuan (foot hundred) income to the central government every year. In fact, it returns all the profits of the states and counties to the central government, and by the way, it makes consumers want to die.

Local officials are also contributing to the flames. The Tea Horse Division collects tea taxes, and the prefectures and counties levy tea classes (Since Chuanxia Fourth Road is banned, the tea class is not outrageous).

In some places, old tea leaves in late spring can only be sold for more than 20 yuan per catty, but the government’s tax on tea households can reach 80 yuan per catty.So the price was raised, which led to the fact that the people at the bottom of the tea-producing areas could not afford such ridiculously high-priced tea.

What is even more amazing is that most of the prefectures and counties in Shaanxi do not produce tea, but the common people are required to pay tea lessons.

The smuggling of tea in Shaanxi is extremely serious. Big businessmen hide behind the scenes for long-distance transportation, and local ruffians are responsible for terminal distribution.Once caught, they will randomly bite the big law-abiding households, making it impossible for the prefect and county to continue the investigation.

The Tangluo Road, which is hundreds of miles away, as long as the tea is smuggled there, there will be more than 100% profit in Shaanxi.

Leaving Anjiaping, Zhang Guangdao continued to escort the goods on his way.

There are also some small villages encountered on the way, which can be exchanged for food along the way.

The section over the mountain is the most difficult to walk, and it is impossible to advance along the river valley.It is also the place with the most thieves. Because there is no waterway, it is difficult for the government to send troops over.

Thieves in groups of three or four would generally not dare to attack a large caravan of hundreds of people.

Until he was about to enter the valley again, Zhang Guangdao finally encountered a hard stubble.

"Whoosh whoosh!"

Four arrows were shot from the forest, all of which were military standard bows and arrows.

Needless to say, there must be deserters who fall into bandits.

The security team members of Daming Village advanced cautiously holding their rattan badges, and only one of them was shot in the calf.

But the escort of the Zheng family was shot in the abdomen by an arrow.

The other two arrows were shot crookedly.

Before the thieves could shoot arrows again, Zhang Guangdao shouted: "Fix the formation!"

The combatants don't carry many things, mainly food, and they have almost finished eating here.When they heard the order, they moved closer together like a conditioned reflex, forming a formation of mandarin ducks and slowly moving forward.

The person carrying the tea leaves hurriedly fell over, quickly put down the goods, and pulled out the spears on the shelf.

"Throw darts!"

Zhang Guangdao gave an order, and the spears with long and short arms were randomly thrown into the forest.

This kind of throwing has a very low hit rate, because the target cannot be seen at all.

There was a scream, probably some unlucky guy got hit by a dart.

Although no damage was done, Zhang Guangdao took the opportunity to rush into the forest.

He draws his bow and sets his arrows, and advances in coordination with the mandarin duck formation.

"kill!"

The thieves no longer hid, but actually showed up on their own initiative, and even used the terrain to double-team.

Whether it was the villagers of Daming or the men of the Zheng family, although they were all trembling with fright, no one ran away.

Because before setting off, he had been warned repeatedly, and only the brave ones were selected.

The only way to escape in the mountains is to die, either to be killed by bandits, or to be eaten by wild animals, or to starve to death due to lack of food.

Relying on the cargo sacks, they picked up various weapons to prepare to resist, and some people simply picked up stones and smashed them out.

Zhang Guangdao looked at the guy who looked like the leader of the thief, and quickly drew his bow and shot.

An arrow hit, but unfortunately it didn't kill him, it just hit the shoulder.

Zhang Guangdao let the mandarin ducks rush to one side, and rushed to the other side by himself.

The thief was hit by an arrow in the head and fell down. Just as he was protected by his subordinates and got up, the mandarin duck formation had already rushed close.

Although there was no wolf, the sword and shield were in front of him, and the spear behind him stabbed repeatedly.But the thieves are in a mess and have no rules. Not everyone is a deserter, and most of them belong to the peasants who cannot be exploited.

With just one charge, the thieves on this side were defeated, and the leader of the thieves was stabbed to death by random gunshots.

Zhang Guangdao, who rushed to the other side, raised his gun and dropped it, knocking the three of them down in an instant.He has better food this year, and he doesn't have to worry about trivial matters, so he can concentrate on practicing martial arts every day, and his ability to kill has improved a lot.

The more than 20 thieves here, seeing Zhang Guangdao's bravery, turned around and ran away in fright because he was alone.

"Kill the thief!"

Zheng Sui, who had been guarding the goods all the time, became courageous in an instant, and he raised his knife and led his men to chase after Zhang Guangdao.

Seven thieves were killed on the spot and 13 were captured.

Zhang Guangdao didn't bother to interrogate, so he directly ordered: "All the survivors will be killed, and their heads will be cut off and piled together. Brother Zheng, I can't read well. If you carve words on the tree, just engrave 'Xixiang Zhang Guangdao killed the thief here'. Don't dare to do it next time." If you come to grab it, you have to weigh whether your neck is stiff or not!"

Zhu's father and son lived happily in the capital, but Zhang Guangdao was working hard in Zhongnanshan.

Zhu Guoxiang laid the foundation for Daming Village. Zhang Guangdao did not develop step by step, but chose to smuggle with the Zheng family on his own initiative.

Along the Tangluo Road, if you smuggle back and forth, there will be a net profit of more than 1000 guan. On the return journey, you can transport back to Guanzhong to smuggle salt, and tea and salt are both profitable commodities.

But it needs to be desperate. Just now when he was ambushed by thieves, he suffered one serious injury and four minor injuries.

(End of this chapter)