Xiao Zhang was extremely lonely when he left. They, the capital's headquarters staff, were completely wiped out by a branch of Qingyuan. Even the passwords were known, and they had no value in existence.
Liang Chuan was in a good mood. He thought he had caused a huge disaster, but accidentally got acquainted with the Tibetan people. Now Karma Gongbu is riding in front of Brother Pu in order to smuggle tea into their Tibet. The people of the Liao Kingdom were also clearly arranged, and the relationship between the several forces was suddenly clear.
Smuggling is not easy in peacetime. Walking is no easier than traveling to the West. There are countless monsters and ghosts on the road, and there are countless official posts in Lika. There are kind-hearted people who collect some taxes and money, and cruel people who murder people and rob goods. Legal and reasonable! Without Tongtian's background and extraordinary means, only a few baskets of goods would be left before a batch of goods reached Tubo.
Business is like licking blood on the tip of a knife. Sun Hopu's ability to open up the trade route from Dali to Aba in Tubo was not as easy as it was for Liang Chuan to defeat Tie Yaozi, and it was even more difficult!
Why did Karma Gonpo dare to burn down the deputy prime minister’s house in the capital of the Song Dynasty because Sun Houpu was beaten, and even showed his knife! It's because cutting off Tibet's trade routes is tantamount to strangling them by the throat.
Since the rise of Tubo from the Tang Dynasty, the world has finally seen the terror of these snowy warriors. This plateau beast has finally fallen asleep again after more than a hundred years.
Xixia, Dali and Song Dynasty all hope that it will never wake up, so they will only sell some supplies to the Tubo people, not only to sell them at sky-high prices to make their money, but also not to let them starve to death!
Sun Houpu was much more kind. He cherished this hard-won business opportunity and made money carefully. The water flowed long and thin, which made the Tubo people fully feel his sincerity. Only then did the Tubo people realize that the Song people were also kind. Yes, this God of Wealth cannot be beaten to death!
Liang Chuanyi worked hard for several days and finally calmed down and told Sun Houpu about the affairs of the Zhao and Song families. He did not dare to talk about the good deeds he had done. If the matter between the two couples came to fruition in the future, he said Tell Xia Xue, if Xia Xue spreads the news, even if he has nine lives, it will not be enough for Xia Song to kill him.
Sun Houpu was 'worrying' about money because of Karma Gongbu's affairs. He was already 30% better from his injury. But when Liang Chuan told him about the attitude of the Xia family towards the Song and Zhao families, he was 80% better from his injury. It turned out that there was still such a thing waiting for him to come. happy event!
He was like a flashback, he immediately hit the ground and could run and jump. His mind was full of thoughts about how to go to Tubo to make some extra money. He was also thinking about that little fairy Xia Xue, thinking about preparing more 'betrothal gifts' when the time comes. It’s also a good idea to gain some good looks!
A few days later, the weather had completely warmed up, and there were occasional cold winds. However, the geese returning from the south flew back in waves. The spring breeze opened the river surface, and water transportation on the Bianhe River became prosperous again.
Xia Dehai's ship finally arrived.
If the southeast wind hadn't started late, Xia Dehai would have arrived at Kaifeng Mansion long ago.
The treasure ships built by Qingyuan Shipyard had the ability to cross oceans. Under the instructions of Yi Niang and Su Wei, Xia Dehai carried the entire ship's cargo to Southeast Asia for trade several times. Although Qingyuan Port is a money printing machine that can make money faster than minting copper coins, trade routes also need to be opened to attract more businessmen.
The treasure ship first took the sea route until it reached the mouth of the Yangtze River, then changed to the canal, turned directly to Yangzhou at Futianfu, followed the Huaihe River through Chuzhou and then entered Sizhou, where an emperor emerged hundreds of years later. Then it enters the Bianhe River Basin and passes through Suzhou Yingtian Chenliu to Kaifeng Prefecture.
The Huaihe River, the Yellow River, the Huimin River and the Guangji River are collectively called the Four Water Canals. The food from the south, Shaanxi, Huguang and Qilu rely on these four rivers to be continuously transported in.
Water transportation is the foundation of the country, and this was true until the Qing Dynasty and even the Republic of China!
During the Jingkang Incident, the Jin army went south and surrounded Kaifeng Prefecture, which cut off the water transportation of Kaifeng Prefecture. Food from outside could not come in. There were more than one million people in the city, and the daily food consumption was an astronomical figure. The price of grain during the Jin army's encirclement changed from a maximum of one hundred cents per dou to one thousand fourteen to five thousand cents. The price increased by nearly thousands of times, and the Northern Song Dynasty was either going to die or not.
Taizu was a mature military strategist but not a mature politician. He had already seen that Kaifeng Mansion was not a place for long-term battles, but because of Taizong's words to defend the country without relying on city fortresses, the water transportation was cut off and the country perished. Of course, there are too many factors involved in discussing the subjugation of the country. Taizong also planted the evil consequences himself and let his descendants eat it. What a shame!
The water transport of the Song Dynasty supported countless people. The canal was pulled by trackers, which was extremely inefficient. It only covered twenty miles in one day. The time it took to travel from Qingyuan to Bianjing by sea was less than half a month. But the canal walk took nearly three times as long. There were countless tax cards on the road, and the trackers also spent a lot of money. Fortunately, Yi Niang told Xia Dehai before setting off that it didn't matter how much the trip cost, as long as it arrived safely, all that could be carried on the boat was gold and silver! There are more than two million strings!
The people on both sides of the canal have naturally seen such treasure ships, but they only appeared when Zhenzong went to patrol Mount Tai. Occasionally, there were sea ships coming from the south in the Bianhe River, and the number was not large.
The transportation efficiency of the canal is too low. Otherwise, such a mature and dense river network would not be able to attract overseas Tibetan people and foreigners to do business. Profits and convenience would be problems!
Water transport was official transport, and the imperial court hauled grain, gold, silver, copper, iron, cotton, silk, porcelain, and tea regardless of the cost. Only a few people could afford it privately.
Water transportation also has an extremely complicated system. There are escort officials on the ship, audit officials along the way, and approval officials at the beginning and end points. There are hundreds of thousands of escorts, regimental leaders, sailors and trackers at all levels!
Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, vassal towns have been divided because the local economy is in their own hands. When they have money, they can recruit troops and buy horses. When they grow stronger, they dare to challenge the central government. Now it is better. The wealth of the world is transported to the capital by several rivers. The locals have no money. Without soldiers, there would be no separatist regime except civil uprisings.
The current canal is due to the attention of the Song Dynasty and huge financial expenditures in recent years. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians are maintaining this lifeline. In order to prevent the river from being blocked, techniques such as water beams and sand flushing are also used quite skillfully.
After the Jingkang Incident, the canal almost lost its function.
Xia Dehai's treasure ship was too big to enter the city, so he asked the intelligence team to go into the city to report to Liang Chuan. As soon as Liang Chuan heard that the money was in place, he immediately rode a fast horse to the east of the city to the Dongshui Gate Shunchengcang Bridge. Xia Dehai's treasure ship was too big. If it is too big, the city gate of Dongshui Gate will not be able to enter. If you want to enter, you will have to break the mast, and you will not be able to return to Qingyuan.
Xia Dehai was born a water thief. He had been doing some thief business at Wan'an Ferry. Before his father died, his father's expectation for him was that he would be successful if he could catch two fish in the river every day and have a full meal. He never thought that one day he would be successful. The skill of being in the sea allows him to control a ship thousands of miles away, to and from the Black Sea and the deep ocean. Now he has arrived at the capital of the Song Dynasty, and there is endless excitement everywhere!
There were people everywhere as far as the eye could see, and the crew members on the ship were eager to stop the ship and have a good time. There were several wild warblers at the entrance of the water, which were really tempting!
"Masters, come here and have a good time!" "My bed is so fragrant and crispy!"
The sailors' eyes widened when they saw it. The wild things in the country were really incomparable to those in the city!
The reward given by the young mistress for this trip is quite a lot. People who go to sea earn a lot but have no chance to spend it. Once they land, they have to light their pockets to feel comfortable!
There is an official office on the river called the Shipping Department, which is responsible for the dispatch of water transportation. There are ten ships in one line, and there are nearly 200 official ships. The river has just been opened, and goods have begun to be loaded and shipped. Those are transported back and those are hauled to the city. , an endless stream.
The river is nearly a mile wide. The trackers are pulling the treasure boat slowly to the shore. The sailors who have been holding back the evil fire can't wait to reach the shore, so they jump into the water first to vent their fire. Others don't dare to jump. The river water in this season But it can make people suffer from fever.
The sailors were pushing and trying to get off the boat, and Xia Dehai said angrily: "You all are fucking off. If the things on our boat are robbed, even if you are sold to that rotten brothel and become a tortoise, it won't be enough to compensate you." !”
"Master Hai, aren't there still Master Luo and others on this ship? If we really encounter Jie Dao, won't you just shoot him with that big flower and it'll be over?"
Mr. Luo is Luo Xian. Yi Niang asked people from the management team to escort him on the road to ensure safety. Luo Xian recommended himself to Bianjing.
Luo Xian smiled and said: "Brother Xia, just let them have some fun. Brothers have suffered a lot these past few months. Leave the rest to us. If you don't need that big flower, it's in our hands." The steel knife also means that those who have been robbed will never come back!"
Liang Chuan came galloping towards the warehouse. There was a huge crowd at the warehouse, and the horse couldn't move fast. Liang Chuan dismounted, bypassed the crowd, and squeezed towards the river. The treasure ships shipped from the Qingyuan factory were large in scale and could be seen as soon as they left the Dongshui Gate. Many people also saw them. However, in the Song Dynasty, everything was strange, and treasure ships came in from time to time.
Legend has it that the dragon boat owned by Emperor Sui Yang hundreds of years ago was even bigger. There is also a poem that goes: Even after the death of the Sui Dynasty, this river has been connected to the river for thousands of miles. If there is no dragon boat incident in the water palace, there will not be many people with Yu.
Shitou followed Liang Chuan and was shocked when he saw the treasure ship. Compared with Liang Chuan's treasure ship, the shipping department's ship was as different as a little finger and an arm.
"Third brother, was this the kind of boat you took when you went to sea?"
Shitou asked curiously.
"I floated out to sea and was rescued on a boat. That boat was not as good as our treasure ship!"
"With a ship like this, wouldn't it be possible to go anywhere in the world?"
All Liang Chuan saw in Qingyuan were similar big ships. Naturally, he didn't think his own treasure ship was that big. Now when he stood on the bank of the Bian River and compared it, he was shocked. There were very few river ships. Entering Bian, there are fewer sea ships!
"Although such a ship is big, you have never seen the storms and huge waves in the depths of the ocean. A giant ship of 10,000 tons can barely withstand the impact. A ship made of wood can only sail along the coastal sea. Once in danger, there is a chance to escape. !”
Shi Guang's eyes were bright and he said: "Tsk tsk tsk, a man should travel all over the world. Third brother, you have done it. One day I will do the same as you and go out and take a look!"
Liang Chuan smiled and said: "You have to go out and take a look to understand how big the world is, and your vision will not be so narrow!"
The two boarded the treasure ship under the gaze of countless people in Bianhe River. On the side of the ship, the members of the management team, led by Luo Xian, lined up to salute: "Hello, captain!"
In the face of the majestic momentum, the Chengguan Brigade, under the temporary agency of Yi Niang, switched from shotguns to cannons. Now the steel knives equipped with them are all made of fine steel bought from Nanyang by the Fang family iron shop. The sharp blades and armor cannot be made, but a suit of leather armor can still be used. Coupled with a suit of powerful clothing, everyone is a mighty warrior.
Liang Chuan stood on the deck, and Luo Xian led the people to line up. He glanced at it and said loudly: "Stand at attention, take a rest, and report the count!"
The commands passed one by one, and the team members quickly performed each action in a neat and orderly manner. Shitou was shocked when he saw it. He was also from Xinghua, but he didn't know that those poor mountain people in Xinghua could actually do this under the training. Wait for the results to be so impressive!
"How is Captain?" Luo Xian also followed Liang Chuan to the northwest. After the baptism of blood and fire, his childishness faded away and he became more determined and mature!
"Disbanded! It's rare for everyone to come to Bianjing once, to see how big the palace is where the officials live, to see the wealth of Bianjing, and then go back and try to build Xinghua like this!"
The team members were very excited after hearing this! Can this not be exciting? In the past, their goals were as low as possible. It would be good to have three full meals a day. Even if they crossed Nanxi River, they had to check whether the money in their pockets was enough. Now they even come to the capital. Well, people say that Bianjing is the most prosperous in the world. I thought Qingyuan was already great, but after another comparison, it’s really amazing!
Liang Chuan dismissed the adult team members, and Luo Xian worriedly said: "Captain, the money is still in the boat..."
Liang Chuan waved his hand and told the team members to go ahead and play. Before leaving, he said, "Play as you like, and the amount spent will be recorded in his account!" This excited a group of young people who were not very young and still had a lot of fun, and they rushed to the city.
"Don't worry, remember the high-ranking officer who saved our Fengshan Mountain? The general who fought with us to repel the mountain people, he has now sneaked into the position of the Inspection Department, this is his territory ,do not be afraid!"
Luo Xian felt honored when he heard that, but the captain was different. In the past, he was a brother-in-law with the county lords in Xinghua. When he arrived in the prefecture, he was treated with great courtesy by the magistrates. Now he is still so comfortable at the feet of the emperor in the imperial city. Who has such ability?
"Brothers all miss the captain very much. When will you go back, captain?"
Liang Chuan said thoughtfully: "It's almost time. Although this place is good, it is not our territory after all, and the court cannot let us grow big under its nose. I will go back after I finish the things here! By the way !How was it on the road?"
Luo Xian said: "It's not peaceful!"
Liang Chuan had already foreseen it, but hearing it from Luo Xian's mouth still made his heart tremble, and he asked: "Is there someone who will rob the water?"
Luo Xian led Liang Chuan into the cabin. The second deck was neatly arranged, with five cannons placed on the left and right. The barrels were thick, and the hole at the muzzle was a ship window that could be closed. There were pins on the barrels of these cannons. There are traces of smoke, and there are even moving scratches on the deck, which are very obvious!
"Why did you bring the cannon to the ship!"
"This is Mr. Su's intention. He saw that this journey must be uneven, so he asked Brother Zhao to cast a few cannons for us. There were also movable gun mounts underneath. They were installed on the ship and the windows were closed when nothing happened. , if something happens, just open up and fire a few shots and that’s it!”
Su Wei? This old guy followed him to the northwest, and he probably saw the tyranny of Shenji Camp!
"You know, you can't let this thing flow outside?"
Luo Xian put away his smile and said: "The cannons are there and the people are there, but no one is killed by the cannons! Su had explained it before we came out. Even if all the money on the ship is lost, these cannons cannot be lost. Let's fire a few rounds." , Darling, this thing is too powerful!"
"Where did you encounter the robbery?"
Luo Xian said: "We met as soon as we entered the river. The area in Sizhou is the most noisy, but they are also some shabby people. They are far worse than the Dangxiang people in the northwest. I can't even look down on them. We met in the river If you are not smart, ordinary small boats can do anything to us. Once the small sampan is next to our boat, it will turn into rubbish. If there are people blocking the road, the cannons will be set up and fired to scare their courage!"
"Okay, you are tired enough, go and call Xia Dehai over!"
"Yes! Captain!" Luo Xian saluted Liang Chuan and exited the cabin.
