The New Year is approaching, and the streets of Xinpingbao are very lively.
Since Liu Heng took control of Xinping Fort as a guerrilla general on the East Route, Xinping Fort has become increasingly prosperous.
In the past, when Li Huaixin was the guard of Xinping Fort, although there were many shops in Xinping Fort and some merchants came and went, many merchants were not willing to come to Xinping Fort because the various taxes collected by Li Huaixin were too numerous.
After the Tiger Character Banner took over Xinpingbao, most of the taxes at various checkpoints were banned, and only a part of the reasonable taxes were collected.
Of course, this part of the reasonable tax is the tax amount set by the Tiger Banner, not the tax amount set by the Ming Dynasty. According to the Ming Dynasty's commercial tax, merchants do not even need to pay taxes.
The commercial tax collected by the Tiger Character Banner only belongs to the Tiger Character Banner itself and will not be handed over to the imperial court, let alone reported to the imperial court. It will be privately distributed to the governor of Datong and the general army.
Because of Fan Yongdou's death, the tiger-character flag blocking the trade route to the grassland, and the absence of the horse market, Zhangjiakou has gradually declined.
On the contrary, Xinpingbao in Datong Town began to replace Zhangjiakou and became the new northern economic center.
The trade route to the grassland is cut off by the Tiger Flag, but the Tiger Flag's own fleets can still enter and exit the grassland as usual. If you want to obtain various goods on the grassland, you can only cooperate with the Tiger Flag. Xinpingbao is where the Tiger Flag is used to provide goods. A place where merchants trade.
The border between the Ming Dynasty and the grassland was very long. After all, there were still some merchants who could go to the grassland through the border.
However, the Tiger Flag has many convoys on the grassland, and its force is strong. Once these caravans from the Ming Kingdom are loaded on the grassland, they will directly force away the goods of these caravans, leaving these caravans without goods to sell.
Of course, not all the Ming caravans that came to the grassland encountered the tiger-character flag convoys. As long as they did not encounter them, they could still trade smoothly with the Mongolians on the grassland. The premise was that the Mongolians would treat them honestly. trade.
When Han caravans come to the grasslands, they will only trade with familiar Mongolian tribes. When they arrive at unfamiliar tribes, there is a high probability that they will be robbed by Mongolian horse bandits. Not only will the goods not be saved, but even the people may not be able to return. Come.
The caravans of the Ming Dynasty went to the grasslands to do business with the Mongols. The profits were high, but the risks were equally high. Only large business houses like Tiger Character Banner had enough strength to open up the relationship between various ministries, Taiwan and Kyrgyzstan. The Mongols had the idea of carrying a tiger-shaped flag convoy.
The large tribes of Taiji are all connected by the Tiger Flag, and they can usually benefit from the Tiger Flag's goods. There is no need to plunder the Tiger Flag's convoys, and the small tribes of the Mongols are not Tigers. The opponents of the soldiers in the Ziqi convoy couldn't grab it even if they wanted to.
The Tiger Flag convoy has always been very safe on the grassland.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that when the Tiger Flag convoy first entered and exited the grassland, it killed many horse bandits and the Mongolians dressed as horse bandits. Many Mongolians were killed by the soldiers of the Tiger Flag. Knowing the Tiger Flag's The team is not easy to mess with.
What the Tiger Flag Team can do does not mean that other businessmen in China can also do it.
It is still very risky for ordinary Ming merchants to come to the grassland. Once the caravan going to the grassland is robbed, they will definitely be injured.
In the past, these Ming merchants only had to guard against horse bandits on the grasslands and some Mongolians dressed as horse bandits. But since the tiger-character flag was introduced, they also had to guard against the tiger-character flag.
Over time, such merchants realized that the smuggling business on the grassland was not easy to do. In addition, Xinpingbao not only had various goods on the grassland, but was also safe. This also made some smuggling merchants start sending caravans to Xinpingbao instead.
As Xinpingbao's business becomes bigger and more prosperous, Xinpingbao has become a source of wealth in the hands of Tiger Flag, which is no less than the profits from smuggling.
This gave Huzi Banner the financial resources to set up a supply camp and a combat division.
The shortage of soldiers is also due to the earth dragon's turnaround in the Shaanxi-Gansu area. In addition, the weather has become worse and worse in recent years, and the number of disaster victims has increased, giving Tiger Character Banner the opportunity to recruit enough soldiers.
One baggage camp after another was formed. After simple training, they were sent directly to the grassland for further training.
With money and soldiers, the strength of the Tiger Flag is as strong as a balloon.
"Sir, there is news from Lingqiu that another supply camp has been set up. Do you want to send them to the grassland?" Zhao Wu came to Liu Heng and said.
The content of his report was transferred to him through the team of attendants.
Liu Heng put down the account book in his hand and asked: "Has the supply battalion assigned to the Second War Division already gone to the grassland?"
"It's all here. The last supply battalion of the Second Battle Division has gone to the grassland half a month ago, but the two thousand-man teams of the Sixth Battle Battalion have returned to Xinping Fort." Zhao Wu replied.
Liu Heng nodded and said: "There are now two combat divisions, five combat camps, six supply camps, and nearly 40,000 troops on the grassland. The total number of soldiers and horses in Tumut is almost the same."
"Before the winter came, the army led by Bu Shitu was less than 40,000 people, and was defeated by 10,000 soldiers led by Master Chen." Zhao Wu added.
Liu Heng said: "The strength of the two combat divisions is enough to deal with Tumut's Mongolian army. Even if the entire right-wing Mongolian army comes, I believe our two combat divisions are enough to defeat them."
"What do you mean, sir, is that the newly established supply camp in Lingqiu will no longer provide grassland?" Zhao Wu said.
Liu Heng nodded and said: "If we don't send the grassland away, we will stay in Lingqiu and leave it to Jia Liu's Second Soldier Camp."
"Yes, then I'll tell the team of attendants to pass the order to Jia Yingzheng." After Zhao Wu finished speaking, he turned around and left.
At this moment, Liu Heng was heard shouting: "Don't rush to convey the order to Lingqiu. I have already prepared to set up a combat division in Jia Liu's second military camp."
"Your Excellency, are you talking about establishing a third combat division?" Zhao Wu said.
Liu Heng nodded and said: "Yes, there are already two combat divisions on the grassland. One is Chen Xunping's First Combat Division, and the main ones stationed in Dunpu are Zhang Hong's Second Combat Division. We Prepare to have the Second Soldier Battalion set up a personal division."
"Is the teacher still Jia Yingzheng?" Zhao Wu asked.
This personal soldier division sounds similar to the personal soldier, and the commander of the personal soldier division must be the person most trusted by your Excellency.
Liu Heng said: "There are currently two candidates for the division commander of this personal soldier division. One is Yingzheng Jia Liu of the Second Soldier Battalion, and the other is Wang Yuncheng of the Fourth Soldier Battalion. He was also in the camp at the time. elder."
"My subordinates feel that in terms of qualifications, Wang Yuncheng is older. He was already Deputy Director Li's deputy, and later went to the grassland to follow Master Chen to fight against Bu Shitu's Mongolian army." Zhao Wu said.
Wang Yuncheng was older than Jia Liu. When Jia Liu was still an ordinary bandit, Wang Yuncheng was already the small leader of the bandits.
