Win the Ding 1617

After a few glasses of wine, a servant girl brought the peeled mangosteen to everyone, young and old, to sober up and clear their mouths.

"Ah! I'm old! Now I get drunk after a few glasses of wine. When I was young, I traveled all over the world, only thinking about drinking in big bowls and eating meat in big bowls. Now, I have wine, and the meat is also in front of me. I can only watch , but I can't bear it!"

Following Wang Dengku's emotion, there was a echo in the hall.Several Patriarchs also lamented that time is fleeting and life is short.

But soon it became quiet, everyone was very clear about their identities, the several Patriarchs arrived so complete, there must be a big event to happen, otherwise, instead of enjoying blessings in their respective houses, they would gather together in one place against the wind and snow In order to eat a few fruits from the South Road?

"How are the younger generations eating? If you are interested, you might as well go to the flower hall to continue drinking a few cups. Let us old guys have a chat together." Fan Yongdou's words were very polite, but his tone was intolerable Beaked.

The second generation of the ".s. family" in the eighth ".s. family who lacked status immediately got up and left with self-knowledge, and went to the flower hall to drink tea and wait.

Looking around, besides the seven patriarchs, the ones staying here are the eldest son and powerful shopkeeper of each family.Fan Yongdou's old eyes, which were still dim and muddy just now, swept away the blurred light and emitted a cold light like a sharp sword. He said in a calm tone, "I don't know what new rumors have you heard about this Liaodong war?" "Young Master Zu Fu was once again besieged in Jinzhou by Prince Zheng Jierhalang of the Eight Banners!"

"The two generals Wu who made a big splash a while ago, one retreated to Ningyuan, and the other hid in Songshan!"

"I heard that Uncle Ningyuan's favorite princess, Princess Hejing, has led troops to Ningyuan, and is about to open the grain roads with Songshan and Jinzhou!"

"The shopkeeper of the trumpet in Jinan sent someone to deliver a letter yesterday, claiming that Uncle Ning Yuan has landed in Weihaiwei, and the army is marching towards Jinan. In this way, Shandong will be calmed down soon, and the day when the canal will be reopened is not far away! "

Everyone gathered here the situation they got from different sources.

Fan Yongdou is getting old, and he rarely goes to the front of the screen. Most of the business in the clan is managed by his son Fan Sanba, not to mention Fan Yongdou's age.It is the number of his goods.Among all the businessmen, it is also the first class.

He also has a wide range of contacts, has supporters in the DPRK, China and the local area, and has served as the head of various commercial guilds for many years.Prestige has always been.This is also the reason why he lived in seclusion at the head of Shanxi merchants.What he said can be said to be full of promises, and few people dare to refute.

These Shanxi merchants have business names and acquaintances everywhere.No matter where there is any disturbance in the economic, political, or military aspects, they will get the most detailed and reliable information at the first time.Then after a comprehensive analysis, we will seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.Although Fan Yongdou laughed, but there was no hint of joy in his tone, instead there was some worry and sadness.

yes!Governor Hong's headquarters was divided and surrounded, and Ning Yuanbo's army reached the Qing army's waist and abdomen. He might hit Huang Taiji hard in the back at any time, and he was afraid that Huang Taiji's life would be killed by this blow!

"It's a good thing for the official army to win. We are all subjects of the Celestial Dynasty. If we are defeated, it will be good for us. If the imperial army needs to be rectified and replenished, this is our chance."

Huang Yunfa, who looks like a typical rich man, is dressed in commoner clothes, but the sea dragon skin under the cloth fully shows his identity and strength, and the two Hanyu rings around his waist show his self-cultivation. and hobbies.

He speaks very cryptically, but everyone understands.With Shanxi merchants placing bets on both sides, if the official army wins, they will naturally have their war dividends. If the official army is defeated, then the Liaodong army and horses will inevitably suffer heavy losses and need a lot of supplies.And whether Huang Taiji wins or loses, it is necessary to purchase a large amount of supplies from them.

This is like a fat pig's arch.

"What Lao Huang said makes sense! Let's just eat the food, rice, cloth, salt, medicinal materials, etc., and wait for the news from ahead!"

It is completely different from Huang Yunfa's Hanyu ring, but Wang Dengku is wearing an ice finger wrench with excellent water head, which is crystal clear and green, and it seems that the surroundings of the photo are dyed with a faint green halo.

Their Wang family is engaged in raw silk, silk, cotton, grain, sugar, tea, medicinal materials and other industries, and their family assets are in the millions. Without their full support, the commander-in-chief of the town would have been impossible. Wang Pu played in Liaodong this time.They also provided large amounts of money and food.

Since the ninth year of Chongzhen, the Wang family has quickly established close contacts with Long Shengxing, who was strong and went northward. A large amount of grain, rice, cloth, salt, sugar, wine, meat, etc., have not been unloaded on the sea ship. The business is purchased, or transshipped to various places, or distributed to those small businesses.

Over the past few years, wealth has also accumulated rapidly, and there is a faint tendency to stand shoulder to shoulder with Fan Yongdou.Several other merchants privately said that the Wang family was not only engaged in the above-mentioned business, but also sold gunpowder weapons and other items purchased from Nanzhong merchants to various Mongolian ministries and Central Plains thieves.Although everyone does this kind of thing in private, businessmen are always jealous that others have more market share than themselves.

"Fan Dadong's family, to tell you the truth, from the day Hong Hengjiu entered Jinzhou, I ordered my shopkeepers to quietly eat Nanzhong Liang's rice products everywhere, and hoarded half of them, waiting for the news of Liaodong to spread. Come!"

"Me too! In my warehouse, there are almost 20 stone grains of rice in my farm!"

"Ha! The grain piled up in Beixincang's granary now belongs to my Jin family!"

Having said this, everyone tore off their masks and reported their numbers.Calculated in a random manner, the Wang family, Tian family, Jin family, Liang family, Fan family, and Huang family add up to nearly 200 million shi for grain and rice alone, millions of catties of salt, and even more for cotton cloth of various colors. As many as 30 million horses.

"Big bosses. If you keep these things in your hands, you can hoard them and wait for a good price. However, from the old man's point of view, it's better to give charcoal in a timely manner than to sell them for a price."

Fan Yongdou expressed his opinion in a dark way.

"I received a secret letter from Mr. Fan, the subordinate of the Eighth Prince of Liaodong. Now the Eighth Prince's army is short of food and wages. In order to feed the soldiers, the Eighth Prince only eats one meal a day. He asked us to transport the food to the former enemy immediately. You say, We are transporting food there at this time, is it considered as a gift in the snow?"

"At this time, the Liaodong army and horses are gathering. Although there are ships from Ning Yuanbo's brigade to mobilize grain and grass to the north. However, the water in the distance can not quench the thirst. We sell grain, grass and supplies to the court and to the generals of Liaodong. Is it considered a thousand miles to help? It can be a military merit ?”

After listening to Fan Yongdou's words.Everyone couldn't help but chuckle.Provide food and grass supplies to the warring parties.It is naturally excellent to have a favor on both sides.

Now everyone is planning.

It is a very aboveboard thing to transport grain to the Liaodong government and army, and you only need to go to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Households.Invite those gentlemen to have a drink, find a few young husbands to accompany them, and then put in some money to invite the next document.

The trouble is how to transport the rice to Huang Taiji.

After thinking about it, I still have to exit from the old places, Zhangjiakou and Jimen.

After exporting, it was handed over to Wu Keshan, who had a relationship with Huang Taiji, uncle, aunt and nephew, and asked him to send more cattle, horses and camels to the west of Guangning and hand them over to Huang Taiji.This area is the territory of the Mongolian tribes. The various Mongolian tribes have already proclaimed their vassals before Huang Taiji's driving. Their chief leader, Wu Keshan, is already Huang Taiji's nephew and brother-in-law. It's too late to strictly escort.Therefore, as long as the grain and rice go out of customs this trip, it can be declared safe.

The Eight Great Families are mainly engaged in food and various military supplies. Many industries are located in Zhangjiakou. They started by smuggling to Mongolia. Later, Nurhachi launched a rebellion. From Jianzhou Dragon and Tiger General to the current Qing Dynasty, they used Zhangjiakou as their base. First, trade and smuggling continued in an endless stream.

The trade with Manchuria and Mongolia is very profitable, it can be called huge profits. Those Manchurians and Mongolians have nothing, so they will not be without money. This kind of smuggling is very safe, and it is less risky than sea trade. After all, there is no storm on land. , Frontier smuggling involves a huge interest group, and under the cover of all parties, it is difficult to have an accident.

"Fan Dadong's family, my old Wang has a business plan to start, but the family can't afford it. The eight of us have to come forward together, and then get Shanxi Prime Minister to do it with you, so that we can barely support it. However, my old Wang dare Guaranteed, if this business is established, the profit in a year may not be less than the profit made through the mouth!"

Hearing what Wang Dengku said so solemnly, the other seven masters couldn't help but sit upright and listen carefully.The hall suddenly fell silent, only Wang Dengku's Jinzhong accent echoed in everyone's ears.

"A few days ago, Russia went to the Household Minister's house to deliver charcoal. I saw an official document in his study about the minting of coins by Ning Yuanbo on behalf of the Ming court. The shells can no longer be used, and the circulation can only be Tongbao and Yongle Tongbao cast in the first year of Chongzhen. The treasury silver, official silver, military pay, and public expenses are all settled in Nanzhong silver dollars."

"Everyone is a big expert, so it's not difficult to figure out how much oil and water there is!"

"Fatty Wang, since you've been thinking about it for a few days, you've already made up your mind. Then don't play tricks on us. Just pour out whatever medicine is in the gourd!"

"Every family used to have an accounting room to manage their own current accounts. The most troublesome thing for us to do business is the exchange of money. The silver in Sichuan is not the same in Hubei, and the fine silk library silver in Zhejiang is not the same. It is much better than Shandong's fineness. Not to mention that you have to add 1 cautions, don't accept fake ingots wrapped in lead ingots. Now Ning Yuanbo's move is tantamount to greatly benefiting us and other merchants. .Then why don't we go one step further?"

"Wang Dadong's family, what do you mean?" Fan Yongdou seemed to hear something from Wang Dengku's mouth, but it was a little vague, so he simply asked directly.

"Everyone, each of our families has a pawn shop, a tea shop, a grain shop, and a silk shop. Over the years, for the convenience of position operations, each of these businesses has started to do some exchange business. It is convenient for your own business, and at the same time you can Collect some water from Xiangyu. Now that Uncle Ningyuan manufactures silver coins in a unified way, we don’t have to worry about receiving fake money when we exchange money. A certain family plans to open a business and spread it all over the place to facilitate the business transactions of merchants. Silver dollars Deposit it in this company, and you can travel around the world with a single certificate. It’s like the flying money in Tang Xizong’s time, where you pay silver dollars when you see the ticket everywhere.”

"Everyone, please think about it. We also have our own shops that have done exchange business. The water collected in different places is collected according to different places. Bigger towns and safer places will charge less. Because the big local money Loose. Small places and places full of thieves can charge more, because these places are not flat and money is tight. But after all the calculations, it is also based on the system of taking one out of every hundred. Everyone, you can think about it. Don’t Let’s not talk about the place. How many business contacts are there in the two Beijings alone? After a year, everyone can sit in the shop safely and securely, and they will be able to collect huge profits!”…

What Wang Dengku said was full of yearning for silver dollars in the eyes of everyone.His eyes were filled with greedy eyes.

"Come on, come on slowly. Wang Dadong's family, your method is good as long as it is good, but it is missing a key point." After listening for a while, Fan Yongdou opened his mouth slowly.

"We business people have traveled all over the world, and we have seen a lot of treasury taxes everywhere. Officials, how much are their salaries? A second-rank official's salary is only 150 taels, and a seventh-rank official's salary is only 45 taels. It’s only [-] taels! Officials in the capital have to collect charcoal and ice to make a living if they want to make a living. When others come to Beijing to do official business, they have to pay some public fees to get the job done well. What kind of tricks do they use to embellish pens and print money? These local officials want to put on a show, have someone to serve them, and pay salaries to the book offices and masters in the yamen, so they can only make decisions on the heads of the common people. , That’s fire consumption. Wang Dadong’s family, your method is undoubtedly going to cut off the jobs of officials, servants, and book offices everywhere, and it’s no wonder they agree to it!”

What Fan Yongdou said was true.

Fire consumption and miscellaneous expenses have always been the small coffers and gray income of officials and servants in various places in Ming Dynasty. tax multiples.

You, a businessman, jumped out at this time and wanted to do the exchange business on your behalf. Those officials can't afford to offend Uncle Ningyuan Li Shouhan, who is sitting on a strong army and founded a mansion. Do they still care about you, a Shanxi businessman?Even if you usually have a wide range of friends and deep friendships, but in the face of interests and public anger, even the court elders dare not touch this bad luck.

"It is! It is!"

"Old Wang, business is good business, but now is not the time!"

"Wang Dadong's family, you are a little too aggressive!"

Wang Dengku's small eyes showed a little contempt, but also a little bit of pride and cunning. He smiled and bowed to his friends for many years, and the finger on his hand left a faint trace on people's retinas. green halo.

"Everyone, who am I, Wang Dengku? If I don't have a good idea in my heart, can I show my shame here in the same position as this?"

He gave a wink, and the big shopkeepers of the Wang family business who were with him in the hall immediately understood, took out dozens of silver coins from their waists, and handed them to several big bosses and the eldest sons and big shopkeepers who were with them.

"I got this from the Hubu Langzhong. The sample that Uncle Ning Yuan sent to the Baoquan Bureau, the mother's coin. This is how the coins that circulate in the Ming Dynasty will look like this in the future."

In front of these big merchants who don't know how much money they pass every day, they only need to weigh it with their hands and glance with their eyes to discover the benefits of the money.It's nothing more than silver coins. Those copper coins are copper-purple, and the patterns and characters are similar in size and size to silver coins.It's just that at the bottom of the front, there are several big characters "Each coin should be made of ten coins" and two big characters "One Fen" are written on the back, which are also beautifully cast and high-quality.

In the Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was only in charge of the Baoyuan Bureau of the Ministry of Industry, at that time, there were not many coins minted every year, and the policy of treasure banknotes was vigorously pursued, and the control of copper coins was strictly controlled. Therefore, although private casting was rampant at that time, generally speaking, copper coins were very valuable.

However, during the Wanli period of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, the household department, which had obtained the right to cast money due to the war to aid Korea, vigorously set up money casting furnaces and followed suit throughout the country. In the end, it was impossible to count how much money the furnace had in the entire Ming Dynasty, especially a large amount of private money, mixed with light and bad money The official money was used as a top-up, so many official furnaces closed down.

During the reign of Tianqi and Chongzhen, there was a flood of private money, and the money-saving bureaus abused money and bad money to make profits. In the first year of Chongzhen, Chongzhen Tongbao was cast.Each article weighs one coin, two cents and five cents, and is well-cast. However, due to the near collapse of the imperial court's finances, it did not last long.

The official money minted later was all small and frivolous, so it was nicknamed horse racing money. At that time, the money system was the most complicated. The money bureaus in various places minted wantonly, and there was a flood of private money all over the country.There are more than one hundred species.

Same as ever.Chongzhen Tongbao mainly uses Xiaoping coins, which are small coins with a face value of one penny. Of course, there are also big coins such as two coins, three coins, five coins, and ten coins.It is used as two, five, ten, etc. money.

In Daming.Earn huge profits by minting money.It is a common phenomenon. At this time, copper is used for casting coins, and copper is used for every hundred catties.After the sale, at least more than [-] cash can be obtained. However, the cost of a hundred catties of copper materials is less than half, and the profit rate is almost three times. higher.

Therefore, since Ming Taizu, there have been more and more people who minted coins privately among the people. Although capital crimes cannot be stopped, until now, they have become more and more rampant. The power is growing.

It is these big businessmen, which of them has not stored a large amount of copper at home, ready to cast money at any time?

In the current Ming Dynasty, it can be said that there is a flood of private money. Not only the central government, but also the local provinces have all kinds of silver and copper coins, and all of them are of unsightly quality, and the people are miserable.

In this regard, although the imperial court made repeated orders and repeated requests, let alone private money merchants, the provincial money bureaus also made special coins, making Chongzhen Tongbao the coin with the most diverse categories and most complicated versions in the history of Chinese currency. Only the interests of the imperial court and the common people.

"This money is really minted according to the regulations of the top ten money!"

Fan Yongdou's eldest son, Fan Sanba, realized the benefits of this money after a little while. Compared with the Chongzhen, which is flooded with racing horses in the market, this money is simply a model of conscience.

The Ming Dynasty stipulated that to be a tenth-class big coin, the weight of the coin should be at least one or two, and the copper content should be as high as it should be. However, it was rarely done. It was cast, and the silver was issued by the imperial court, and it was recovered as ten coins.

"This kind of money is only worth ten coins, and this money can be exchanged for at least twenty coins in the market! Is it true that there are mountains of gold, silver, and copper in Uncle Ning Yuan's family, as rumored outside?"

Everyone has to admit that the copper rounds in their hands are of good color, beautiful appearance, high copper content, and sufficient weight. If they are cast in large quantities and put on the market, those private money and horse racing Chongzhen will definitely be beaten to pieces.

"My old king has discussed with several doctors in the household department. In the future, I will write the papers in various provinces, and then pay taxes, money and grain, and then only charge this kind of money for the warehouse. However, where can those farmers who need to pay money and grain find it for a while?" These silver coins? We just need to collect as much as Ning Yuanbo issued these silver coins, and not let it flow into the market."

"In this way, farmers have to pay the same amount of fire consumption as the floating harvest, and the officials from all over the country can also say that the money you pay is not worth the money, but the quality is not good, so you have to pay more fire consumption. In this way, officials from all over the country not only did not suffer any loss, on the contrary, they also gained some income, so why not do it?"

Wang Dengku's eyebrows were beaming, and everyone felt their index fingers move, but no one cared about it. Once this method was implemented tacitly by the officials from all over the river, the Yellow River, I'm afraid that many poor people would have their families destroyed.

"Then, there is only one thing right now. How can we get Ning Yuanbo and his old man to agree to let us do this business? If the old man wants to make money and let his own business do this, we are not making wedding dresses for others. ?”

Everyone immediately lowered their heads and silently calculated.

"Someone needs to go to Jinan to meet the old man face to face!"…

Li Shouhan had been stationed in Jinan a few days ago, such news naturally cannot be hidden from the big merchants with business all over the place.

"However, if we meet the old man and discuss such a big business, and ask him to allow us to do this exclusive business, how can we come to see him empty-handed?"

Next is to discuss the issue of sharing the common shares.

Within a breath, tens of thousands of stones, grain and grass, thousands of pigs and sheep, and hundreds of war horses were assembled.

"Uncle Ningyuan led the army to fight in Qilu, so there must be a lack of people around him to serve food, daily life, tea and clothes, Lao Huang," Tian Shenglan smiled and looked at Huang Yunfa who was shaking his head, "Your daughter in that outer house in Jinan, can you offer her a gift?" For Uncle Ning Yuan?"

"Lao Huang's baby is the head of two families, Datong's wife and Taishan girl, and she was born to a princess who lived in a tribe of Tatar outside the Great Wall. It is also a golden branch and a jade leaf. Lao Huang has devoted all these years to invite people to spend A lot of money to train and teach, but his ambition is not small! Lao Huang, are you willing?".

"What a shame! At the beginning, I invited the two most famous bustards in Datong and Taishan to teach her, so that one day she would be useful! As long as the business that Lao Wang said can be done, let alone a daughter of a foreign house , that is, to give him all the women in the foreign houses in Shandong and Nanzhili, do you think the Russian old man will frown?!"

A group of people in the hall were laughing and laughing, a deacon of Fan's residence hurried in and whispered something in Fan Sanba's ear.

After hearing this, Fan Sanba couldn't help but change his color.

"Father, you are the big masters. Someone just sent the latest military information from Ningyuan by boat. Uncle Ningyuan's princess Li Huamei led an army to attack Tashan. Wu Sangui, the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan, and Wu Biao, the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp, took the opportunity to head towards Jinzhou We have already joined forces with the Jinzhou garrison at the Xiaoling River to deliver food and supplies!"

The hall, which was full of laughter just now, immediately became silent.

"Sanba, take care of the things at hand, and go to Tianjin with your Uncle Huang, and sail to Shandong. The military situation in the front is like a fire, we must establish friendship with Uncle Ning Yuan as soon as possible!"

"Yes! Old Fan, my son is going with Sanba too!"