Lord: Start with a book of Water Margin

Chapter 74 Private Salt

On that day, Zhao Zhen hosted a banquet in honor of Shi Qian, Liu Tang, Guanghui, Han Bolong, Yun Ge, and Zhu Sha, both to welcome Shi Qian and to reward the four of them for their hard work.

After listening to the four people describing the situation at that time, Zhao Zhenben didn't pay much attention to the birthday card. With the mentality of "I am lucky to get it, but I will lose my life", the one hundred thousand birthday card is just the icing on the cake for himself.

Zhao Zhen's luck suddenly faded away. A famous magistrate of Nuo University and the son-in-law of Cai Taishi of the current dynasty could not be a fool. Two fake birth dates brought out many heroes. Zhao Zhen immediately gave up the idea of ​​calaming the birth plan and ran the Liangshan Township with peace of mind. Don't think about a windfall from the sky.

At the banquet, Zhao Zhen made three rounds first, and then Zhao Zhen said: "Brother Liu Tang, I'm afraid this birthday guide is a trap. Liang Taishu used the birthday guide as an excuse to eliminate unsafe factors in the green forest."

At the moment, Shi Qian said what he said before again. After hearing this, Liu Tang couldn't help but look embarrassed, and said with cupped hands: "Master, I have been wandering around the world since I was a child, and I am very poor. I asked about the birth chart for the second time, and hurried to the village, hoping to use the birth chart to make a fortune. I never expected that the money I donated would turn out to be a mistake."

Zhao Zhen comforted him: "No matter what, I still see my brother's feelings."

Just as he was talking, Zhao Yuanli led a boy up and brought two plates of sweet and sour four-tailed carp. They placed them in front of Liu Tang and Shi Qian one after another. Without saying a word, he bowed his body and left.

The two of them saw the fish with a plate in front of them, and couldn't help but look behind the boy, but saw that there was no boy following him.

Before Zhao Zhen could speak, Guang Hui said: "Brothers, you don't need to look at this fish. This fish is a spiritual fish. There are three fishing teams in Liangshan Township and many scattered fishermen. They can only catch one or two fish every day." . Eating this fish can strengthen your physique, but it’s a pity that it’s only useful for the first time. We’ve already used it.”

Zhao Zhen also said: "Brother Guanghui said it right. In the future, whenever a good man comes to surrender, he will offer this spiritual fish. This example starts with the two brothers."

Liu Tang and Shi Qian couldn't help but be moved, and Zhao Zhen urged them to eat it while it was hot.

After eating, Zhao Zhen said: "Brothers, there are more than a thousand households in my area now. If you have connections, you can be the county magistrate. Now you are just a township chief and also the battalion commander."

Then he pointed at Guang Hui and Han Bolong and said: "Brothers Guang Hui and Han Bolong came early. When they fought with the grass bandits in Liangshan, Shuibo, they all went into battle. Guang Hui even killed the bandits in fear. One of them rushed into the battle and beheaded them." The three heads of the thin monkey, the scarred face, and the mangy-headed turtle killed the three thieves and became known as the Blood-headed Turtle. All the brothers unanimously recommended him as the leader.

Although Brother Guanghui does not want to be an official, I have to show my intention and reward him with his position as deputy commander. It's just that he doesn't lead troops on weekdays. He only repairs at the Pagoda Temple and serves as the instructor of Zhuang Ding. He comes to the village every day to teach Zhuang Ding martial arts. Han Bolong was the head of the deputy capital, and he was also rewarded in the First Battle of Liangshan.

There are two deputy commanders in a battalion, two of them are captains, and all five deputy commanders are awarded rewards for meritorious service. The two brothers are also well-known heroes in the world. Now that they have come to join me, they cannot be inferior to others.

I now set up two additional teams. How about the two brothers acting as guards? "

Liu Tang and Shi Qian looked at each other, stood up and knelt down and said: "But according to the owner's instructions. We have not made any contribution, but we have been accepted and appreciated by the owner. From now on, we must die to repay the owner."

Zhao Zhen stepped forward to help the two of them up and said: "We are all brothers within the four seas. How can we repay you?"

Everyone sat down again and Zhao Zhen said: "Brother, do you have any ideas for these two teams?"

Liu Tang said: "Master, as long as he is strong enough to fight, it will be fine." Zhao Zhen nodded and looked at Shi Qian.

Shi Qian said: "Master, I'm not good at fighting head-on. I only practice light kung fu. I'm good at flying over eaves and walls to get information. Fighting head-on doesn't show my ability. If the owner wants to open up the fog, he shouldn't let me investigate in advance." Ichiban.

The villain's team of sergeants does not need to be strong, but only needs to be clever and agile. After some training, we can form a team that can sneak into the fog and behind enemy lines to detect military situations. Zhao Zhen said: "The two brothers have the best ideas. Brother Liu Tang's team is easy to choose. The grass bandits who were originally sent to Liangshan by me to do hard labor were all joined together to fight together."

After completing the three levels, pick one that performs well and choose one. Now the brothers are still the instructors of the village, training the villagers.

As for the Shi Qian brothers' team of sergeants, they had to recruit them themselves. Anyone in Liangshan Township who can be liked by brothers and who is willing to serve as a soldier can be recruited into the army.

But I'm afraid this matter can't be completed urgently. Brother, let's be a secret agent first, so that we can travel around Liangshan Township and select suitable sergeants.

After the waist medals are cast tomorrow, brother Shi Qian will be asked to secretly inform the deputy commanders, captains, and deputy captains of Liangshan that the birthday issue will be stopped here, and everyone will be responsible for their duties and guard the camp. "

Liu Tang and Shi Qian responded.

Everyone drank from noon to night. Not only did he talk about the heroic deeds in the arena, he also had sex, and he also competed with guns and sticks.

Shi Qian and Liu Tang have both been in the green forest for a long time. When everyone was sixty or seventy percent drunk, Liu Tang started chatting and said: "Brothers, this is not a bragging of a villain. Although a villain is down and out, he knows how to make money. business."

Seeing that everyone's interest was aroused, Liu Tang said: "This villain once teamed up with others to do private business and traveled all over Shandong and Hebei. Unfortunately, the government exploited him everywhere and he didn't earn a few cents.

The owner of the village can do this, although salt, tea, wine, vinegar, alum, spices, forest minerals, etc. are all owned by the state. For example, for salt, food is the most important thing for the people, and salt is the first of all tastes. "Guanzi Haiwang Chapter" records: "In a family of ten, ten people eat salt; in a family of one hundred, a hundred people eat salt." ’

Liangshan Township has a population of more than 16. Excluding food, pickles, and raising livestock, each person uses about kilograms of salt a year. The official salt is sold for fen, while private salt is purchased for only fen and sold for fen. Scramble. How's the deal? "

Zhao Zhen said: "This business is done on the contrary, brother, do you have any connections?"

Liu Tang said: "Master, salt can be divided into sea salt, pond salt, soil salt, cliff salt and other types. The Jingdong East Road where we are located does not produce salt, but the nearby Jingdong East Road does produce sea salt. There is a Taoluo farm in Mizhou with an annual output of There are more than 32,000 stones of salt, and there are four new salt fields in Dengzhou; the Binzhou field on Hebei Road has an annual output of more than 21,000 stones. I have been to these three salt fields.

I also know a few salt farmers. These middle- and lower-class kitchen households who "fry and sell each" and the small salt households on the seaside of Hebei Road will secretly intercept part of the salt and sell it privately to make money. "

Zhao Zhen said: "In that case, brother, would you like to make a trip and bring back some salt for sale?"

Liu Tang patted his chest and said, "Master, this matter is all mine."

Zhao Zhen was happy after hearing this.

In the past, Zhao Zhen only bought official salt, which cost a lot of money. If he could really do private salt business, he could earn thousands of dollars a year in Liangshan Township. You can also inquire about it in the main world. Maybe it is also an industry.

Without further ado, the two of them settled down in Zhaozhen Manor.

(End of this chapter)