The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 73 Zhenhai Camp

A few days later, Yangjinchuan Salt Factory.

Bi Zhenhai stood in a huge salt warehouse, looking at the mountains of sacks, and was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

He glanced at Zhu Xiu, who was smiling, and couldn't wait to step forward, reaching out and stroking the sacks one after another, selecting a sack at random, wiping it hard on the binding opening with his fingers, and licking his lips.

It is full of salty taste without any bitterness. It tastes different from Yanzhou white salt and Huaixi Lake salt. The pure salty taste has an earthy smell, like the smell of thawing land after a spring rain.

Bi Zhenhai climbed up the herringbone ladder and randomly searched for and inspected the sacks at several different heights among the tall piles of sacks. The taste when his fingers went into his mouth was exactly the same.

Bi Zhenhai was stunned and looked down. Zhu Xiu looked at him with a smile.

"Young Master" Bi Zhenhai muttered, his eyes were red, and he climbed down the ladder in a hurry, almost falling down.

"These... are all salt!?" Bi Zhenhai swallowed with a dry mouth.

"Yes. This warehouse can store [-] kilograms of salt." Zhu Xiu said with a smile.

Bi Zhenhai raised his head and looked around. Under hundreds of salt packets, he suddenly felt very small.

Entering the heavily guarded Yangjinchuan salt mining land, Bi Zhenhai was shocked to the point of being almost numb along the way.

Ding Ding Ding's excavation sound from morning to night, from time to time, the sound of the sky was shocked. One car braised salt stone was transported from the excavation workshop to the salt workshop, and the several workshops were set up. , after a series of unknown processes, what is finally delivered to the warehouse becomes bags of hot salt.

Bi Zhenhai did not have the opportunity to enter the workshop to see with his own eyes how the brine stone was turned into refined salt. The management of the several refined sub-workshops was even stricter and guarded by guards. Verification personnel must be present when handing over each other. The handover of batches, the amount of materials input and the amount of materials discharged must be recorded and signed by the three parties as a voucher.

If there is any problem, the corresponding link can be quickly found. The relevant personnel will be severely assessed and lose a generous monthly production bonus.

When Zhu Xiu introduced these complicated rules, Bi Zhenhai was confused and couldn't understand them at all.

He was amazed by the process of turning brine stone into refined salt in the mysterious salt workshop, and was full of fear of the strictly managed Yangjinchuan salt production area.

What an amazing place!

What Bi Zhenhai didn't know was that not only he couldn't understand Yang Jinchuan's management system, but no one in Jiedu Mansion, such as Shi Kuangwei and Guan Tieshi, could understand it.

This cumbersome system was designed by Zhu Xiu himself. 20 people were selected from the civil servants such as Jiedu Mansion Accountants, Cang Cao, Dao Pen Clerks, etc. It took nearly a month to basically set up the first session of the Yangjinchuan Salt Factory. management.

Shi Kuangwei was very interested in this efficient management system, so Zhu Xiu wrote him an organizational chart of the salt factory. Shi Kuangwei only took one look at it and complained that it was a headache and dizzy, and he never asked anything about the salt factory again. thing.

He only needs to know the monthly output, how much he can sell, and what the profit is.

Bi Zhenhai looked at the young man in front of him, whose head only reached his chest, and his calmness made him suddenly feel awe.

"Master Shao Lang holds millions of kilograms of salt in Yangjinchuan. How do you plan to implement the salt policy in the future?" Bi Zhenhai clasped his fists, bent over, and asked in a low voice.

Zhu Xiu knew what he meant by asking this question, and said with a smile: "Salt policy cannot be decided by a vassal town. It involves court policies and must be carefully considered. But I can assure you today that in the future, everything I do will be upheld." The people of the town will no longer have to worry about eating salt!

The Jiedu Prefecture will issue a notice. Starting from this month, people in the two prefectures of Jingyuan can receive free salt from their respective counties and towns with their registration accounts. According to the population, each household can receive a minimum of one pound per month and a maximum of no Over four pounds.

This free policy will last for one year.One year from now, the price of official salt in Changyi Town will remain within a reasonable range, so that everyone can have salt to eat and no longer suffer from poverty. "

Bi Zhenhai, a strong man over six feet tall, had tears in his eyes. He was so excited that his whole body was shaking, and muddy tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

With a pop, Bi Zhenhai bent his knees and fell to the ground, clasping his fists and choking with sobs: "A certain generation of people in Zhangyi, thank you Shaolangjun for your grace in living! Bi Zhenhai is willing to follow Shaolangjun in this life, leading his horse to fall from the bench, in order to die!"

"Please get up quickly!" Zhu Xiu bent down and helped him up. Bi Zhenhai kowtowed three times before getting up with a look of his eyes, bowing his head with a respectful look on his face.

Zhu Xiudao: "I am just a secretary in charge and have no authority to grant you a position. When you make great contributions in the future, I will ask Marshal Shi Jie to officially assign you military status."

Bi Zhenhai clasped his fists and said solemnly: "It all depends on Young Master."

"I will arrange fifty people for you. The task is to transport the salt from Yangjinchuan out of Jingzhou, sell it to other places, and bring it back in exchange for money. The minimum price of salt is sixty Wen per catty. You can negotiate a high price. I will reward you individually for your abilities, do you understand?"

Bi Zhenhai nodded heavily: "You will definitely live up to your expectations!"

"This shady salt-selling team of yours does not belong to the Changyi Army system. For the time being, it only takes orders from me. Outside, you are not allowed to admit that you are related to the Changyi Army! In terms of management, you still follow the methods of the army. However, no matter what, it should be It’s only right to have a name.”

Zhu Xiu rubbed her chin, looking a bit like Lao Shi in thinking.

It's just that Lao Shimo has a big beard, while Zhu Xiu only has a bare chin with a few green stubbles occasionally popping out.

"Yes! From now on, your team will be called the 'Zhenhai Battalion'! You will be the first commander of the Zhenhai Battalion, and your military position is equivalent to the head of the capital!"

Zhu Xiu slapped his hands, his face flushed with excitement, this was the first team he had formed with his own hands. "Zhenhai Camp!"

Bi Zhenhai clenched his fists and breathed heavily.

Zhu Xiu smiled and said, "Bi Dutou, where do you plan to start your first business?"

Bi Zhenhai thought for a while and said: "When I was in Pizhou, I met a few salt dealers. They often hang out in Pizhou, Ningzhou, and Qingzhou. This time I want to deposit a thousand kilograms first and go to Changwu. We enter Pizhou on the Chenggu Road, and after we get on the line with them, we can try their appetite."

Zhu Xiudao: "I'm afraid the salt dealers won't be able to swallow too much. If we want to get rid of our salt as soon as possible, we still need to find big customers."

Bi Zhenhai smiled and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Young Master. I have thought about this. There are several big businessmen in Qizhou who are secretly engaged in the salt business. They seem to have deep connections in the south. I will try to contact them. If I can By opening this line to the south, it will be easy to sell 10,000+ kilograms of salt per month.”

Zhu Xiudao: "The Tang State in the south has been stable and prosperous in the past two years. The price of salt in the market is good and the people can afford it. It would be best if we can establish a stable salt transportation relationship with these big merchants."

"Please rest assured, Young Master, my subordinates will do their best to facilitate it!"

Bi Zhenhai confidently patted his chest and promised.

He joined Zhu Xiu as the first mission of the commander of the Zhenhai Battalion, and he must do it beautifully.

After discussing some details, Bi Zhenhai smiled again and said: "Young Master, do you really not intend to keep Lao Shi by your side? She is good at kicking and kicking, and is not afraid of death. She usually takes care of Young Master's daily life, and can also act as a guard in times of danger. Lao Shi." Shi lost his parents when he was young and grew up begging. He doesn’t even know his own surname. It’s so pitiful~~”

Zhu Xiu rolled her eyes and said, "Even if I take her in, she won't! If you ask me, you might as well marry her!"

Bi Zhenhai smiled bitterly and said: "To be honest, Young Master, I told Lao Shi that I wanted to ask her to be my mother-in-law, but she was not willing and I had nothing to do. She said she only regarded me as a brother!"

Zhu Xiu sighed sympathetically and raised her hand to pat his shoulder.

"Forget it, let her follow you and work in Zhenhai Camp first."

~~~
Two days later, in the southeast direction of Yangjinchuan, there was an ancient river channel that was rarely visited by people.

The first batch of 52 people from the Zhenhai Battalion has assembled and is about to escort a thousand catties of salt to Binzhou.

This was the beginning of the salt transportation business in Changyi Town. Zhu Xiu paid great attention to it and came to see him off in person.

Lao Shi still has short hair, wears a thick coat, leggings and leather boots, and carries a knife at his waist. He is dressed like other men.

It's just that her hair and face have been washed clean, and the lines on her face are much softer. If you look carefully, you can see that she looks a little girly.

Zhu Xiu took out a silk handkerchief with a red jade bracelet wrapped in it, and beckoned to Old Ten who was standing alone beside a mule.

"Old Ten! Come here!" Bi Zhenhai shouted loudly.

Lao Shi hesitated for a moment, walked over, knelt down, clasped his fists, and called out in a low voice: "Young Master."

Zhu Xiu looked at it and said with a smile: "Bi Zhenhai wanted to marry you as his wife. If you don't agree, I won't force you. You are alone and have no relatives and friends in Jingzhou. I thought, why not marry you and Bi Zhenhai?" Brother and sister, you can take care of each other in the future, would you like it?"

Old Ten was stunned, and raised his head to reveal a dark yellow face with some freckles on both sides of the bridge of his nose.

Bi Zhenhai said softly: "Old Shi, you used to be alone, but from now on, Zhenhai Camp will be our home! You called me big brother for three years, and from now on, I will be your big brother, and you will be my biological sister!"

Old Ten's chapped lips murmured, he lowered his head, and said "um" imperceptibly.

Zhu Xiu handed the bracelet over: "I will give you a gift to celebrate. When you come back safely, we will set up a few tables and invite the brothers from Zhenhai Camp to have wine. I gave you a name, Bi Hongyu, which is engraved on the bracelet. superior."

Bi Zhenhai sighed: "Old Shi, you will have a name in the future, and it will be given by Young Master."

Lao Shi held the bracelet tightly with both hands and touched the three small words engraved on the inside of the bracelet.

She couldn't read, but she knew that was her name.

"Bi Hongyu," the old ten muttered, and through the drooping hair, Zhu Xiu saw that her face was covered with tears.

The old ten wiped away his tears, and regardless of Zhu Xiu's obstruction, he knelt down on the icy ground and kowtowed.

"Let's go!" Bi Zhenhai finished inspecting the mules and horses, raised his hands and shouted, leading the team towards the southeast.

Zhu Xiu looked at each other from a distance and watched them disappear on the snowy field.

(End of this chapter)