The task Feng Ziying gave Gu Dengfeng to go to Yangzhou was also very simple. There was no particularly excessive request. It was that the properties and mansions that had been confiscated in the capital city were about to be put on sale, and Yangzhou salt merchants were asked to help gather popularity as they did last time. .
However, the rules of this sale have also changed. You can bid anonymously for purchase, which means that salt merchants can completely entrust their white gloves to come forward.
This is also specifically to take into account the concerns of these Jiangnan merchants. This is obviously to raise military expenses for the court, but now the anonymous purchase only requires money, and the court does not ask who buys, does not check the origin, and does not care about the identity. This way, for the Jiangnan merchants It's much easier.
Ten thousand steps back, even if Prince Yitada conquers the world, he will definitely move the capital back to the capital in the future, and the value of these mansions will only increase.
As for the future when Prince Yohitada conquers the world, no one knows where the objects have gone, needless to say, but will the families who have lost their mansions come to take possession of them? This is also a problem.
But also simple.
If it is a family that has prospered in this change of throne, the investment will be considered worthwhile even if it serves these ministers from the dragon; if it is a family that cannot afford to lose in this battle, then naturally it cannot be taken. What can these people do?
In a sense, this is also a betting investment.
If the capital court does not make other demands on these salt merchants, it means that once the court wins in the future, all Jiangnan merchants will face the risk of being liquidated, because you are on the side of Prince Yitada.
And now Feng Ziying came forward to contact them. If the salt merchants buy these objects and houses, it can be regarded as a support for the imperial court in the capital. Regardless of the added value, they can also be said to have served the imperial court in the future.
No matter how you look at it, this business is worth it.
Therefore, after Gu Dengfeng negotiated with a group of Yangzhou salt merchants, they all agreed with Feng Ziying's suggestion and readily agreed to go to Beijing as soon as possible to cooperate with Feng Ziying's sales plan.
After things happened in Yangzhou, Gu Dengfeng came to Jinling and met Jia Zheng quietly first.
As expected, Jia Zheng came under coercion. From Nanchang to Jinling, he never thought about going to Nanjing to serve as an official in the Puppet Dynasty, but he didn't dare to let him escape quietly, and he didn't have much in the first place. He has no ability to do things, so he can only hide his head and hang around in Jinling.
Gu Dengfeng met with him and asked him to handwrite a confession letter, which he would take back and keep in the future as a basis for mitigating his future guilt.
Jia Zheng really can't play any role, but Jia Yucun is different.
As the governor of Jinling, he can not only get a lot of information, but also play other roles, especially if the imperial army really invades the southern Zhili area in the future, then he, the governor of Jinling, will be able to play a role at a critical moment. , this is much better than him going to the Puppet Dynasty to be a minister such as the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Punishments, and positions like the Minister of the Ministry of War or the Ministry of Households are not his turn.
Therefore, Feng Ziying's advice to him was to stay in the position of Jinling Prefect and work hard, to be useful and to contribute at critical moments.
From Jinling to Suzhou, Gu Dengfeng took the waterway.
After passing Zhenjiang, Changzhou, we arrived at Wuxian County.
This is the base camp of Suzhou merchants, known as the "Dongting in the Sky".
The Weng brothers had also been waiting here for Gu Dengfeng, who was Feng Ziying's special envoy.
The number of people who met this time was very small, because the relationship between the two parties was different from that of the salt merchants, so the Weng brothers came to receive them in person, as well as several leading figures from Dongting businessmen such as the Xu family.
They are not only shareholders of Haitong Bank, but they are also related to how the maritime trade plans of Suzhou and Songjiang will operate in the future.
In a sense, they can no longer be completely regarded as Jiangnan merchants. It is more appropriate to describe them as Dazhou merchants whose ancestral home is Suzhou.
Because they transported a large amount of goods from Jiangnan to the North, they also continuously imported grain from Huguang to Jiangnan, and also imported iron materials and cement from the North into Jiangnan.
Today, the south of the Yangtze River has become a commercial center that focuses on planting mulberry and raising silkworms, reeling and spinning silk, spinning and weaving, growing tea and making porcelain. It may be possible to be self-sufficient in food, but there is absolutely no room for import to the north. In terms of quantity, it serves more as a transit and exchange hub for Huguang grain.
"I met two old men, Mr. Xu, and other gentlemen when I climbed the peak." Gu Dengfeng was polite and courteous. He was only thirty-seven or eighty-year-old, but he had worked for ten years in the Yamen of the Lianghuai Capital Salt Transport Department in Yangzhou. I have traveled all over the north and south of the Yangtze River, Zhili, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Huguang, and I have a good understanding of the situation in the entire Huaihe River and even the south of the Yangtze River.
These few people in front of me can be regarded as the leading figures among Suzhou merchants, and they are also ranked high among the entire Jiangnan merchant group.
"Mr. Gu, you're too polite. Is Xiao Feng's writing okay?" Qiming, the eldest brother of the Weng brothers, has white hair and beard, but he is energetic and strong.
"Thanks to Duke Weng and other princes, your Excellency is well. However, I have been busy with state affairs during this period, so I often sigh." Gu Dengfeng responded with a smile.
This sentence is waiting for someone to ask, how can the Weng brothers and others not understand?
After sighing, Weng Qiming asked directly: "The current conflict between the north and the south is turbulent. It is said that Shandong was also captured by Nanjing. I wonder what the imperial court plans?"
"Perhaps you all also know that Feng Gong's northwest army has entered Henan and will soon march into Shandong. It is estimated that there should be a result by tomorrow summer at the latest." Gu Dengfeng also answered very calmly, without saying that we are strong and the enemy is weak. , didn’t say anything about the difficulty, and simply told the time.
"Ah?" Everyone present was surprised. Is it so clear? There will be results tomorrow summer. Nanjing has deployed nearly 100,000 troops in Shandong, and there is Huaiyang Town as a backing. This Mr. Gu actually dared to say "There will be results tomorrow summer." The implication is that Shandong will be there tomorrow The war is about to end? Isn't this a bit too much?
"Mr. Gu, is this what Xiao Feng Xiuzuan predicted?" Weng Qiyang, the second eldest son of the Weng family, couldn't help but ask.
If Feng Ziying said it, everyone would have to take it seriously. Feng Ziying's assertions in the past few years have become reality one by one, which has left a deep impression on these Dongting businessmen, especially her assertions about cement, saying that they will completely They didn't really believe in changing the model of the construction industry before, but now, they have to believe it.
The merchant ships heading south from Yongping Mansion were either made of iron or cement, and the proportion of cement was still growing. Rich families in Jiangnan also began to use a large amount of cement when building houses and forts, and it became popular all over the country.
"Of course, how can Dengfeng dare to make such a judgment?" Gu Dengfeng smiled, "This time Dengfeng came to Suzhou, he also came on Lord Feng's order, but there is no need to be nervous, Lord Feng has no other excessive expectations. The request is just to hope that everyone will do things according to what Mr. Feng and the princes said before,..."
The Weng brothers, Xu and others all nodded slightly. As long as the request was not excessive, they were willing to accept it. After all, it was still unclear whether the outcome of the conflict between the north and the south would be decided. It would be safest for both sides not to offend.
"My lord, I hope that Songjiang and Suzhou can continue to trade with the North. There is no difficulty in this matter at present. However, I have heard that Nanjing is asking various places to strengthen strict control and prohibit the northward transportation of grain and cloth. Suzhou and Songjiang , and all government offices in Yangzhou have received instructions, and it is estimated that they will soon convene various offices to implement this order..." Weng Qiming said calmly.
"Oh? Then what are you going to do?" Gu Dengfeng didn't care. If the Nanjing Puppet Dynasty didn't even do this, then it would really have to wait for its destruction.
Cutting off water transportation can certainly create a lot of trouble for the Northland, but this was the situation in the past two years, and it is completely different in the past two years.
Since last year, the shipping volume of Yuguan and Zhigu has increased almost exponentially. Later, Yuepo Port and even Dengzhou and Laizhou also joined in. Sea trade in the entire northern region has shown explosive growth.
Especially after the two roads Yuguan - Funing - Yuguan and Luanzhou - Lulong - Funing - Yuguan were built, the iron materials and ironware from Qian'an, Luanzhou and Lulong It is shipped through Yuguan, and cement from Funing is also shipped through Yuguan.
Since this year, the diversion of Yuepo Port has been going very smoothly. Many ships with smaller tonnage no longer go through Yuguan, but directly go up to Yuepo Port in Laoting via the mouth of the Hulu River, and then from Yuepo Port to Luanhe via Luan River. You can even go directly to Lulong and Qian'an from Zhouzhou, but the water depth of the Luanhe River is different along this line, so you can only use some small and medium-sized boats, and most of them can only go through Yuguan.
But in any case, the shipping and road conditions of the entire Yongping Prefecture have been greatly improved, making this first prefecture in Jingdong quickly become the cargo trade hub of the entire Jingdong and Liaoxi.
In addition, Feng Ziying arrived behind Shuntian Prefecture and began to expand the Dagu Port and funded the diversion of the Wei River, making Tianjin Wei another important port in the Gyeonggi region, which also achieved great results.
It can be said that as long as the ports in the south are not blocked, the impact of various supplies in the north due to the interruption of water transportation can at least be greatly reduced. It may be difficult to maintain the original 70%, but it should be possible to maintain half of the effort. If it can be done, if Shandong can be taken back, then the obstacle between Denglai and Shandong will also be cleared, which will really be smaller.
Therefore, the most important task of Gu Dengfeng's southward trip this time is to maintain the trade between the entire southern region and the north without being greatly affected. Songjiang and Suzhou are one, Ningbo is one, and Quanzhang is one.
The problem on the Quanzhang side is not big, because it has the advantage of Dongfan's salt production, and on the Fujian side, Nanjing has insufficient control. In addition, Fujian itself is not a grain-producing area, so it is not the focus. The focus is on Ningbo and Songsu.
Therefore, Gu Dengfeng must stabilize these businessmen in Songsu and Ningbo so that they cannot retreat due to Nanjing's blockade.
