The so-called eight imperial merchants of the later Qing Dynasty had already developed into a giant smuggling group.
In addition to Mao Wenlong's Dongjiang smuggling group, they were another armed group that smuggled slaves into Jiannuo. After more than a hundred years of marriage, the officers and soldiers of Xuanfu Town and Wanquan Guards and these merchants have become so intertwined that they can no longer be distinguished from each other.
If Yang Fan marched to Zhangjiakou at this speed, he would just run into the Mongolian horse thieves disguised by An Sanxi. Yang Fan simply used the excuse of avoiding the snowstorm to stop the army at Jiming Fort on the edge of Xuanfu Town. Let’s rest for a while first.
Zhang Shize was not happy to have such a good thing. He is used to being pampered, even though he is already relatively hard-working among the noble disciples. However, marching in the wind and snow these days still made him very tired.
Yang Fan invited Zhang Shize over to drink and watch a movie in the evening. The two of them sat cross-legged on the hot kang, drinking wine and eating local famous dishes that were constantly served on the kang table, while watching the most famous opera troupe in Xuanfu Town perform.
There are not many famous dishes here, but there are also several local specialties.
There is a large plate of Chaigoubao bacon platter on the Kang table. Inside is a plate of three kinds of meat: smoked chicken, smoked rabbit, and smoked lamb.
Zhang Shize took a bite and said with satisfaction: "The skin of this smoked meat is charred and soft, slightly chewy and flavorful, the floss is tender and less fat, and it is refreshing and not greasy. It is a masterpiece of cooking."
Yang Fan smiled and said: "I don't have many other hobbies, but I really like delicious food. It's rare for a large army to pass by Xuan Mansion on an expedition, so we brothers also took advantage of the public expense to travel and have a good time eating, drinking and sightseeing."
Zhang Shize raised his thumb and said with a smile: "You are a person who always has a straight face, as if someone owes you money. I can understand that you are not a womanizer, after all, there are two tigresses at home. But in this life, If you have to work hard all day long, what fun is there?"
Yang Fan said: "You think I don't want to enjoy it, but how can I compare with you? You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. The starting point of your life is the pinnacle that many people can't reach in their lifetime. How else can I say it? , human inequality comes from reincarnation."
Zhang Shize said: "How long are you going to stay here?"
Yang Fan said: "At least wait until the weather improves. We only need to arrive at Guihua City in spring, and we have plenty of time. I don't want the officers and soldiers to rush on the grassland in the wind and snow."
Zhang Shize said: "You finally figured it out. As an official, you have to know how to mess around. That's about it. Don't push the people below too hard. If you get too nervous and something happens, it will be a big deal."
Yang Fan took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "This makes sense. The way of civility and martial arts is to relax. This Jiming Station is so prosperous, so they can relax and relax."
Zhang Shize curled his lips and said, "How prosperous is this Jimingyi? You've never been to Zhangjiakou, that's what it's called prosperous. Even Datong can't compare."
At this time, the cook came to serve the dishes and announced the names of the dishes loudly.
"Burn a plate of north and south, please use it with caution."
Yang Fan lowered his head and saw that this dish was mainly made from Jiangnan bamboo shoots and Saibei mushrooms. This dish combines the "freshness" from the north and the south. The cooked dishes have the mellow aroma of mushrooms and the refreshing fragrance of bamboo shoots.
It is delicious and refreshing, with excellent flavor. It is known as "one plate of delicacies, two tastes from the south of the Yangtze River and the north of the Saipei."
Yang Fan pretended not to understand and asked curiously: "Zhangjiakou is just a small castle. How prosperous can it be."
In the nine-sided system, the city is divided into town city, road city, acropolis, pass city and fort city according to the level.
The castle where Jiubian Town is located is called "Zhencheng". For example, Datong and Xuanfu are both towns.
The castles divided into various roads below the town are called "road cities". Jizhou is Lucheng.
Guards were set up in key areas, and the castle where the guards were located was called the "Acropolis." For example, Tianjin Acropolis.
The Fort City is the castle on the ground floor, Zhangjiakou, its full name is Zhangjiakou Fort City.
Zhang Shize saw that he knew nothing about Zhangjiakou. I had no choice but to educate him about the awesomeness of Zhangjiakou.
During the Jiajing period, Anda Khan wrote to the Ming court many times, requesting that both sides communicate with each other. During the Longqing period, the "mutual market" was finally approved, and transactions began in some border areas.
"Mutual market" is divided into "official market" and "private market".
The former mainly involved the rulers of the Mongolian tribes donating horses to the Ming court in exchange for cloth, silk and other materials rewarded by the Ming court. The latter is mainly a transaction between the people of the Ming Dynasty and the Mongolian herdsmen.
It was precisely because of the opening of the mutual market that it became possible for Zhangjiakou to transform from a military town into a commercial town. By the Wanli period, Zhangjiakou was already highly prosperous.
"You may not know that Zhangjiakou, although it is not a big place, is a good place where gold and silver flow. It is the distribution center for our Ming Dynasty's foreign trade. It is the same as Yuegang in the south."
"There are eight giant merchants there who have been entrenched in Zhangjiakou for two hundred years. They do all kinds of business. Their camel caravans go as far as Kiev and Moscow."
Yang Fan said with a smile: "It's all smuggling business."
"You are just too serious. You see through many things but don't tell them. Don't underestimate these people. Shanxi Laoji can make money. They are very powerful." Zhang Shize took a sip of wine and said mysteriously.
"How powerful can a group of business people be?" Yang Fan said nonchalantly.
"That's because you don't know. Let me tell you, these wealthy locals are very scheming people. They secretly look for potential scholars, especially those from poor families who are unable to study or take imperial examinations. They secretly fund them."
"You want to say that these people will do things for them if they receive a favor. As the saying goes, most heartless people are scholars. When these people become successful, I am afraid they will change their appearance." Yang Fan sneered.
"These scholars do have the conduct you mentioned. But even if you pass the Jinshi examination, you still need to have connections and activities to get a good job. Even if you are an official, you still need funds to carry out activities, please the superiors and get promotions. These people use two hundred years of experience Time has woven a tight network of relationships, holding various handles, and at the same time adding chains of debt. Controlling a large number of civil servants," Zhang Shize said.
"Think about it, if you win the Jinshi, you must have a decent house, and you must have a few beautiful concubines to serve you. Favors require money. As long as these scholars accept their funding, they are like falling into a spider web. The more the fly struggles, the tighter it becomes and can no longer escape."
Yang Fan couldn't help but ask: "How many of their people are there in this court?"
Zhang Shize said: "Except for themselves, no one knows how many people there are."
Yang Fan couldn't help but ask: "In that case, if the Shanxi merchants are doing this, then the Hui merchants are about the same."
Zhang Shize said: "This kind of thing is just eating white meat, no one can criticize anyone. The eldest brother doesn't think the second brother is poor, and no one's butt is clean."
