Smuggling Daming

"Shut up, everyone. It's this time now. You guys are still arguing. If you don't work together to overcome this difficulty, then we might as well break up and let everyone go back to our hometown and eat our money!" Fan Yongdou didn't expect this At first, Wang Dengku and others quarreled regardless of the overall situation, which made him slap the table angrily and roar.

Seeing Fan Yongdou getting angry, the three of Wang Dengku shut their mouths tactfully. Although they were listed as the top eight Shanxi merchants, they were actually very different in strength. As the leader of the eight Shanxi merchants, the Fan family's strength was beyond their reach. In comparison, for example, Wang Dengku, who ranks second, may only have half the wealth of the Fan family, let alone the others, so they are very beautiful on the surface, but in fact it depends on Fan Yongdou's face.

"Master Fan, don't worry too much. Although the imperial court has released border transactions, most of the trading areas are still concentrated in some tribes that are relatively close to Ming Dynasty. The tribes far away are still controlled by us, and our financial resources He is rich, and he is more familiar with the roads and customs on the grassland than those newcomers, so the old man thinks that we can buy wool, cattle and sheep ahead of others. Judging from the current shortage of raw materials in those workshops, we will not be able to buy them in the future. Don't worry about sales!" The white-haired old man sitting at the end suddenly said.

The old man's name is Huang Yongfa. Although he ranks last in the eight major Jin merchants, he is the last family to enter the eight major Jin merchants, and he and his father have completed the efforts of others for several generations. It can be seen how outstanding this person's business ability is, so although he ranks last among the eight Shanxi merchants, his words carry a lot of weight.

However, Fan Yongdou shook his head irritably and said: "Brother Huang's words are wrong. The reason why our eight major Shanxi merchants have achieved their current status is to monopolize the transactions between Daming and the grassland. If we are like those ordinary merchants now, Going to buy wool and beef and mutton can maintain the family's operations in a short period of time, but after a long time, this income is not enough for the family's usual expenses. Could it be possible for us to sit back and eat?"

As soon as Fan Yongdou's words came out, he immediately attracted the approval of Wang Dengku and others. After several generations of reproduction, they all have a huge family behind them, and the life of Shanxi merchants has always been known for luxury, so don't look at the money they earn.But the money spent is also a lot. Thanks to the huge profits brought by monopoly transactions, they lived very well. If there was no monopoly, they would only rely on doing some wool and mutton business like ordinary businessmen. I am afraid that we will no longer be able to maintain the family's usual luxurious life.As the saying goes, it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. The eight Shanxi merchants are used to their original life, so they are naturally unwilling to give up this luxurious lifestyle, so they are absolutely unwilling to give up their interests on the grassland.

"Then what should we do now? The imperial court has already imposed a trading ban. Among other things, although Zhang Shoubei of our Wucheng has long belonged to us. But he dare not disobey the imperial court's order, and even if we can Blocking those merchants in Zhangjiakou, but others can still enter the grassland from other places, it is impossible for us to monopolize the business on the grassland like before, unless we can get the imperial court to withdraw its order and restore the ban on trading with the grassland.” Most The young Wang Dayu complained obviously a little impatiently.

"Actually, it's not impossible, but I don't know if you brothers have the courage to do it?" At this moment, a strong man in his 30s suddenly said.This person's surname is Jin Liangyu, and he was a very special figure in Shanxi merchants in Bazai.

"Oh, brother Jin, what's your opinion?" Hearing Jin Liangyu's sudden opening, Fan Yongdou asked in surprise.

Although this Jin Liangyu is also among the top eight Shanxi merchants, he is different from the other seven because Jin Liangyu specializes in black goods business, so-called black goods.It was the goods that the horse thieves robbed on the grassland. The horse thieves needed to turn these goods into money and supplies they needed, so the Jin family saw this business opportunity and began to specialize in the horse thieves business.Almost all the horse thieves on the grassland now have connections with the Jin family. Sometimes Fan Yongdou and his family's goods are robbed on the grassland, and they need to ask the Jin family to get the goods back.

"Hey, in fact, you brothers think things are too complicated. The grassland is not so easy to advance. Although the tribes on the grassland have a tradition of not attacking caravans, there are not only tribes on the grassland, but also a large number of them. However, if these horse thieves suddenly have better equipment and can unite, then slaughter a few larger caravans A large caravan will definitely scare away a large number of people, and with fewer merchants on the grassland, our interests will naturally be guaranteed!"

Jin Liangyu smiled very coldly and said, he is not so much a businessman as a robber. Not only does the Jin family do business with horse thieves, but sometimes when they meet fat sheep, they will also play horse thieves as a cameo. After all, this kind of business without money Everyone likes it, and it is precisely because of the particularity of their Jin family that Jin Liangyu is the happiest one for Daming to let go of the trade on the grassland. For those poor little tribes, the Jin family will definitely receive more and richer goods in the future.

However, Jin Liangyu also knew that the horse thieves on the grassland were not so easy to control, and with the increase of horse thieves, the number of black goods would definitely increase sharply in the future. It would be difficult for them to swallow them all at once, so It's better to bring Fan Yongdou and others in now, even if others want to move them in the future, I'm afraid they have to weigh it.

Regarding Jin Liangyu's suggestion, Fan Yongdou and the others looked at each other in surprise, and then no one spoke.Speaking of which, they used to bribe the generals of the frontier army, and then smuggled goods to the grassland. Although it was an illegal business, they still relied on their own brains and hard work to make a living, but people like Jin Liangyu were completely different. Collusion, earning black-hearted money, small tribes on the grassland are precarious, the biggest enemy is not natural disasters, but horse thieves, and horse thieves almost never keep alive. It can be said that the first money the Jin family earns is on the , all with the blood of the prairie people.

"Brother Jin, I don't know how you want us to participate, and in what form, do you have any plans for this?" Fan Yongdou saw that everyone was silent, so he could only cough and ask again road.

"Hehe, it's really nothing. Everyone has seen it. Now everyone wants to go to the grassland to make a fortune. Our Jin family has some connections with those horse thieves on the grassland. If you are willing to contribute money and weapons to support them, I think they will definitely They will be very willing to follow our command, and then find a few representative caravans to start, which will definitely scare off a large part of them. By then, our Jin family will get rich, and everyone will restore their original monopoly on the grassland, even if you are willing. , our Jin family is also willing to share some black goods with everyone, it can be described as a win-win situation!" Jin Liangyu whispered again.

Of course, what Jin Liangyu got was not only what he said, if Fan Yongdou and others gave him money to support the horse thieves, with the prestige of the Jin family and some of his small tricks, he would naturally be able to further bond those horse thieves and strengthen them. The control over the horse thieves, and the improvement of the equipment of the horse thieves, will definitely be able to grab more goods, which in turn will strengthen the strength of the Jin family. As for the distribution of part of the black goods to the other seven, it is even more of a joke. Horse thieves only recognize members of the Jin family, so the Jin family has the final say on how much they will grab?

All of you here are good people, so naturally they all understand Jin Liangyu's meaning. To put it bluntly, the other party wants them to pay, and then the Jin family will come forward to hire those horse thieves to rob. At that time, the Jin family will get the money from the robbery and the loyalty of a large number of horse thieves. , and they got the guarantee of doing business safely on the grassland, and at the same time reduced a large number of competitors.

"Non-toxic and not a husband, I think Brother Jin's proposal is good. The business on the grassland is the result of generations of us working hard to open up, and even sacrificed our lives. But now the imperial court has ordered that the efforts of our generations have been cheap. Others, how can there be such a cheap thing in this world?" The youngest Wang Dayu suddenly slapped the table, and said with a grim face, young people are most prone to impulsiveness, and he is also very dissatisfied with the court's decree to open transactions.

Seeing that Wang Dayu agreed, Liang Jiabin who was sitting next to him naturally also agreed. Fan Yongdou took a look at the Weng and son-in-law, and immediately said: "Our Fan family also paid countless prices in order to open up the trade routes on the grassland. Even one of my brothers died on the grassland, so naturally the interests of the grassland cannot be given to others, and I agree with this matter!"

Seeing that Fan Yongdou also expressed his agreement, Jin Liangyu was overjoyed. The Fan family is the most powerful Shanxi merchant. With their family's material and material support, their Jin family's power on the grassland can definitely take a leap forward. development of.

Fan Yongdou expressed his support. Although Wang Dengku and others were surprised for a moment, they finally agreed, but Huang Yongfa who sat at the end was still a little worried and said: "Master Fan, it is said that there is someone behind the opening of the transaction on the grassland by the imperial court. Big conspiracy, if we go against the trend, I'm afraid it will provoke the court to be furious, and if the court finds it out, it will be very difficult for us to get rid of the relationship!"

"I can't care so much. If this continues, we can only wait to die. If this is the case, we might as well fight to the death. Moreover, we are not easy to provoke. If the court wants to move us, I don't know if they will A good mouth?" Fan Yongdou said with a sneer, he was ready to die.