This can be described as a happy trouble. Even Zhu Han did not expect that the effect of dividing the land from local tyrants would be so good, attracting hundreds of thousands of refugees in a short period of time.
"What, hundreds of thousands of refugees?" When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he was surprised and happy.
"Yes, at least there must be 200,000 people. The government has to help the refugees, and just drinking porridge is not enough. Li Shanchang is so worried that his hair has turned all white." Ma Xiuying said.
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he immediately panicked.
He had just promised Liu Futong to support the Northern Red Turban Army with hundreds of thousands of stones of food and cloth.
Little did he know that when he came back, he would have hundreds of thousands more mouths to eat!
If the promised hundreds of thousands of grain, grass and cloth were given to Liu Futong, the whole army would be starved.
"This is a big deal, sister, let's discuss it first!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a frown.
This kind of thing is a matter of life and death. Breaking a promise to Liu Futong will ruin his prestige and reputation. If there is no food and grass, the refugees who have finally been recruited will be disappointed, and the army will be delayed in training.
"I'm fine. You're fine. Go quickly." Ma Xiuying said quickly.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even have time to change his clothes, so he came to the front hall and sent someone to invite Tang He and Li Shanchang.
Soon, Tang He and Li Shanchang came together.
"Commander, what's the matter?" Tang He asked as soon as he entered the door.
"My sister told us just now. I heard that there is a serious shortage of money and food, right?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked directly.
"The commander is right, there is indeed a big gap now." Li Shanchang said quickly.
"Mr. Li, please tell us carefully what is going on." Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand and asked the two of them to sit down first.
Tang He and Li Shanchang sat on opposite sides of the hall, and then began to come one by one.
The cause of everything is Zhu Han's plan to divide the land among local tyrants, which is really great.
Far more refugees than expected poured into their territory. Even if they obtained a lot of food from the local tyrants, it was still not enough to fill the bellies of these new refugees.
"It's good to have more people, but it's also troublesome to have so many people come all at once," Li Shanchang said.
"If that's the case, then why don't we fight more bullies and local tyrants and share more food?" Zhu Yuanzhang pondered and said.
Li Shanchang immediately shook his head, "Commander, you can't go too far with this kind of thing. Many gentry families don't have many bad deeds, and they all support our rebels. If they fight together regardless of the indiscriminate consequences, there will be Damaging the commander-in-chief’s reputation is not conducive to recruiting scholars to serve.”
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't believe that gentry families rarely had bad deeds. It was just that some families were better decorated and more strict.
Li Shanchang himself is a member of the gentry, so he naturally has some good words to say for himself.
However, Li Shanchang's words also make sense.
If all the gentry were beaten to death with a stick, all the scholars would be scared away.
In this day and age, if there are no scholars, how can we organize households and integrate the people, how can we teach and educate people, how can we collect grain and grass, and how can we pay taxes? It is absolutely impossible for the homeless people who farm the land to accomplish these things.
"That being said, we really can't touch them." Zhu Yuanzhang was also a little helpless.
He thought for a moment and then said, "What if we buy food from them?"
Li Shanchang shook his head again, "Commander, we don't have that much money!"
It turns out that the Red Scarf Army has already implemented a military pay system, and the money in the treasury has to be reserved to pay the sergeants.
If the military pay system, which has just been implemented not long ago, is stopped, it will be a huge blow to the morale of the military.
"This won't work either. We don't have any money or food." Zhu Yuanzhang became a little depressed.
"Commander, I have an idea, I don't know if it will work." Tang He suddenly said from the side.
"Tell me, what can I do?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.
Tang He straightened up and said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Don't we have a lot of fields in our hands? If we can use the fields to exchange for grain from those gentry, can they still exchange it?"
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he immediately looked like he was looking at a fool.
Li Shanchang next to him couldn't help it anymore.
"Tang He, your idea is really bad. You want to snatch the land from one group of landowners and sell it to another group of landowners. What are we trying to do?" Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless.
"Oh, that's right." Tang He suddenly blushed.
"Commander, we have another way now, maybe we can try it." Li Shanchang said.
"What can I do? Tell me quickly!" Zhu Yuanzhang said quickly.
"Commander, we still have some grain in storage now. If we wait until the autumn harvest, we can increase some taxes. If we collect an additional 20% of the autumn tax, we should be able to cope with this winter." Li Shanchang said.
This method can be said to be more operational.
As long as the most difficult winter is over, there will be fewer refugees migrating due to the cold weather, and the food crisis will be alleviated.
However, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't think so.
He thought about it carefully and shook his head.
"Sir, this method can only be a helpless move, not a long-term solution."
Li Shanchang was also a little helpless, because this was indeed true.
"It's just July, when autumn has just begun. It will take nearly two months to wait until the autumn harvest is completed before collecting the autumn taxes. If something unexpected happens midway, the food may run out, and it will be too late to collect the taxes by then. ah."
"Besides, our government office and the Marshal's Office have already said that today we are going to do less corvee and less tax, but at the end of the day we raise the tax by 20%. It is also a slap in the face."
"Also, if we wait until spring next year, when there is no harvest, and if a large number of refugees come again, there will definitely be insufficient food. No matter how you look at it, it is not a long-term solution."
Zhu Yuanzhang's words were analyzed thoroughly, and Li Shanchang was convinced and could not say anything to refute.
For a moment, the three people in the hall had no idea.
Seeing that the sky was completely dark, there was still no progress.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked someone to arrange a casual meal, and the three of them discussed it while eating.
Unexpectedly, after dinner, the three of them still had not come up with a solution.
Tang He put the tea cup on the table and suddenly laughed.
"Oh, we are really stupid!" Tang He said with a smile.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shanchang were both stunned, not knowing what it meant.
"Commander, sir, think about it, we don't have food here, but there is no shortage of food in another place." Tang He said.
"Where?"
"Where else could it be? Of course it's Jiangnan! They don't have famines or wars, so the food has gone to the sea!" Tang He said with a smile.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shanchang suddenly realized.
"Haha, yes, why did you forget them?"
"The last time we sent troops on a tour, we just brought back one million grains. If we go there again, even if we can't get one million grains, we can get through it with four to five million dan."
Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shanchang both breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that they had found a breakthrough.
If you want to send troops south of the Yangtze River to attack Caogu again, you have to go to Zhu Han to discuss the action.
Because the rebel navy is now all in the Liuhe area of Chuzhou, led by Zhu Han.
"Then let's go to Chuzhou tomorrow to discuss sending troops with Qiwu!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
Early the next morning, Zhu Yuanzhang said goodbye to Ma Xiuying and others, and led hundreds of personal guards to rush to Chuzhou.
As the sun set, Zhu Yuanzhang led his people into Chuzhou City.
Zhu Han was also overjoyed when he saw Zhu Yuanzhang coming.
"Brother, why are you here in such a hurry?" Zhu Han rushed to greet him.
Zhu Yuanzhang was in a good mood when he saw Zhu Han.
While looking up and down at Zhu Han's taller figure, he said with a smile.
"It's okay if you don't come. If you don't come, my brothers and I will be hungry."
When Zhu Yuanzhang said this, Zhu Han had already guessed it.
The situation in Chuzhou and Dingyuan was similar. They attacked local tyrants to divide their land, but the reputation of the rebels was lost.
At the beginning, tens of thousands of refugees poured into Chuzhou and were provided with food, agricultural tools and cloth.
Subsequently, more refugees poured into Chuzhou, which made it difficult for the wealthy Chuzhou government office.
Dingyuan is in the north and is close to the war-torn and famine-stricken Central Plains. The number of refugees will only increase, not decrease.
Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang told the whole story, and Zhu Han guessed it.
"Moreover, not only the refugees, we also promised Liu Futong to give them hundreds of thousands of grain, grass and cloth. We have said the words and we can't go back on it." Zhu Yuanzhang said.
Zhu Han nodded, obviously agreeing with his brother Zhu Yuanzhang's move.
"Liu Futong and his three-pronged Northern Expedition. After all, to defeat Bao Yuan, if we don't send troops, we can still get some food. If both of us don't get food, there will definitely be a lot of people behind our backs scolding us as freeloaders. By then, It’s not conducive to recruiting talents,” Zhu Han said.
It is obviously not a big-picture behavior to worry about the little food and money in front of you.
"So, we just want to discuss it with you and send troops south to get a wave of food and grass back!" Zhu Yuanzhang said.
Along the way, he had already thought about the plan.
It was nothing more than the rebel navy marching into the Yangtze River, putting on a massive offensive posture, and forcing officials in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Meng and Yuan Dynasties to send money and food.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhu Yuanzhang said what he said, Zhu Han shook his head and expressed his objection.
"Brother, no, we can't do this!" Zhu Han said.
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly looked surprised, "Why can't you do this?"
Zhu Han smiled slightly, "Brother, you forgot, we just went there not long ago and plundered Jiqing Mansion completely."
"Hmph, there must be a lot of food in such a big Jiqing Prefecture and such a big province of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Let's go grab it again. What's the problem?" Zhu Yuanzhang said.
"Haha, brother, this is different. What we got last time was a ransom, and we also promised not to attack Jiqing Mansion again for a period of time. If we go back on our words, it will damage our credibility." Zhu Han said.
"A bunch of Tartars, what credibility can you tell them!" Zhu Yuanzhang disagreed.
"No, even if you are with the Tartars, you still have to have credibility, but this credibility is not only seen by the Tartars, but also by the gentry and common people in the south of the Yangtze River." Zhu Han said.
"Then we are short of food. What should we do? We can't starve our own people to death just to maintain credibility." Zhu Yuanzhang was a little helpless.
Zhu Han has already had his own thoughts on this issue.
"Brother, since there is food in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, let's just go buy it!"
"Go and buy it?" When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he immediately became anxious.
"Yeah, go buy food."
"Qiwu, aren't you talking nonsense? How can we have so much money? We still have to keep it for military pay. Moreover, there are a bunch of profiteers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If we buy food on a large scale, they will definitely raise the price. Even if we have Gold and silver are not enough for them to drive up prices!" Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily.
The two brothers had been wandering for many years and were used to seeing the faces of those profiteers.
Food to survive is basically priceless in a critical moment.
The price of a pound of grain that normally costs five or six cents can easily rise to fifty or sixty cents. This is a sign of great compassion on the part of the grain merchants.
Zhu Yuanzhang has seen with his own eyes the price of grain that has skyrocketed hundreds of times.
If those gangs of profiteer merchants and gentry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang did not bring knives to rob and threaten, they would sell themselves and not be able to buy back much food.
"Haha, what you said is so right, brother. There is really a good way to deal with these profiteers." Zhu Han said with a smile.
Seeing Zhu Han so calm, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately realized that he must have an idea.
Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately overjoyed, "Qiwu, do you have an idea?"
Zhu Han smiled slightly, and then said: "Yes, brother, I also came up with a solution yesterday."
"What can I do? Tell me quickly." Zhu Yuanzhang urged.
Just listen to Zhu Han speak slowly.
"Brother, the food in Jiangsu and Zhejiang is basically in the hands of wealthy merchants and gentry. The Meng and Yuan officials in Bolu don't have much food in stock at all. Even if we go to rob it, it will still take a lot of effort. Those wealthy merchants and gentry are very capable of delaying."
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"So, the fastest and most convenient way is to buy it!"
"However, we are going to Jiangnan to buy food, but we cannot use gold and silver. In the years of war and chaos, gold and silver were not so valuable."
"We have to get something valuable, just like the grain. If they choke us with the grain, we will choke them with this."
Zhu Han's words were so confident that Zhu Yuanzhang felt itchy in his heart.
"Qiwu, don't worry about us, tell us what you can do quickly?" Zhu Yuanzhang urged.
Zhu Han smiled and said: "Salt!"
"What, salt?"
This answer was far beyond Zhu Yuanzhang's expectations.
"Yes, it's salt!"
"But apart from here in Zhouzhou and Dingyuan, we don't produce salt at all."
Salt is a good thing. Apart from eating and drinking, the most indispensable thing for people to live is salt.
Therefore, selling salt has become a sure-profit business.
There are actually not many famous salt producing areas in the world, but they are basically limited.
For example, there is Taizhou and Yangzhou in the east of Huaibei, Shandong and Cangzhou in the north, Fujian in the south, and in the inland areas there are well salt lake salts in Sichuan, Shanxi and the northwest.
Except for these places, there is basically no large-scale salt production in other places.
Therefore, salt has become the most in-demand hard currency, harder than gold and silver!
Especially now that wars are raging, the price of salt in various places has skyrocketed!
In the peaceful years, a pound of salt cost only ten or twenty cents, but now the salt in Zhuzhou has grown to thirty cents, and the salt in Jiangnan has risen to nearly forty cents.
Many poor people are increasingly unable to afford salt, and it takes them a long time to buy a little.
"Brother, we don't produce salt here, but we are close to Yangzhou, which produces salt." Zhu Han said with a smile.
When it comes to the most famous salt producing areas in history, the name of Yangzhou Salt Merchants must be at the forefront.
Yangzhou salt merchants do not produce salt locally in Yangzhou, but produce salt in Yancheng, Taizhou, east of Yangzhou and other places.
The local large saline-alkali tidal flats have very low food production, which is far less cost-effective than cultivating salt fields to boil salt.
"Yangzhou?" Zhu Yuanzhang immediately realized this problem.
"That's right, it's the salt from Yangzhou. Now there's a big chaos there. The local Zhang Shicheng and others raised troops, drove away the Mongolian soldiers and horses, and monopolized the salt output. There are no more Mongolian salt merchants to buy it." Zhu Han said.
Nonsense, one of the biggest reasons why Zhang Shicheng and others raised troops was because they were dissatisfied with the collusion between Mongolian and Yuan officials and salt merchants to exploit local salt households.
Now they stood up and took charge. The first thing they did was to behead all the officials and salt merchants of Meng Yuan.
This resulted in Yangzhou having sufficient salt, but no salt merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang dared to purchase it.
Moreover, they had no way to acquire it. Zhu Han's navy had already blocked the Yangtze River water transportation. The merchant ships in Jiangsu and Zhejiang didn't know how to negotiate and make peace, and they were all scared to death.
After all, life is much more important than money.
"In that case, is Zhang Shicheng really willing to sell salt to us? We have heard that Zhang Shicheng does not pay for the Red Turban Army!" Zhu Yuanzhang said.
Since Zhang Shicheng launched his army, he has never used the names of the Red Scarf Army or the White Lotus Sect. He has always used the names of his own salt dealers and salt households.
"Haha, this Zhang Shicheng is not a great weapon. He is already lucky to occupy Yangzhou and Taizhou. Now he is in a situation where he is being attacked from the north and the south. He cannot sell salt and will soon be short of food and clothing. We are willing to buy him. Salt, it's too late for him to be happy." Zhu Han said with a smile.
"However, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are closer to Yangzhou. What if Zhang Shicheng knows our plan and goes to Jiangsu and Zhejiang to sell salt and abandons us?" Zhu Yuanzhang was still a little worried.
Regarding this problem, Zhu Han already had a countermeasure.
"Brother, this matter is even simpler. We only need to send out naval troops to strictly inspect all smuggling on the Yangtze River and not allow even a single piece of wood to be put into the water without permission. Even if Zhang Shicheng has great abilities, he would never be able to sell it without us. A grain of salt from Jiangsu and Zhejiang!" Zhu Han said.
After defeating the Yuan army in two consecutive battles, Zhu Han's navy had already begun to take shape. Although it could not be said to have complete hegemony, it was still very simple to deal with some smugglers who dared to transport goods on board.
"Hahaha, that's great. Zhang Shicheng will starve to death without us!" Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.
"Yes, we will hold the salt from Yangzhou in our left hand and the grain from Jiangnan in our right hand, and let them go east and see who dares to go west!" Zhu Han said with a smile.
"However, after all, Zhang Shicheng has no friendship with us. I'm afraid it won't be very simple to send someone to talk about the salt matter." Zhu Yuanzhang said again.
It is said that everything is difficult at the beginning, especially when dealing with a rebel like Zhang Shicheng, it is even more difficult.
Letting Zhu Han and others sell salt on behalf of others was originally a win-win situation for both parties, but if Zhang Shicheng felt that he had suffered a loss, or that he didn't want to take advantage of Zhu Han, a second-rate dealer, it would be troublesome.
Sometimes once the face is thrown out, it is difficult to take it back.
"Brother, I have already chosen the people I will send here." Zhu Han said.
"Who?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked quickly.
"Me!" Zhu Han pointed at himself.
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his expression suddenly changed and he objected very strongly.
"No, absolutely not! It's too dangerous. That Zhang Shicheng is not a member of our Red Scarf Army. If he wants to recruit Meng Yuan and ties you up, what can you do?" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said.
"Brother, actually I was worried about this too, but after thinking about it carefully, I'm not afraid anymore." Zhu Han said.
Zhu Yuanzhang was unmoved and still strongly opposed.
"No, I said no, but it just won't work. We would rather not earn the money for this salt than the food from Jiangnan, and we can't let you take risks!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's words made Zhu Han feel warm again.
However, Zhu Han's decision to go in person was also very firm.
"Brother, don't worry. The morale of the Red Scarf Army is now at a high level. They just announced the three-pronged Northern Expedition. Everyone in Meng Yuan was so scared that they peed their pants. What's more, if Zhang Shicheng dares to tie me up at this time, that's Falling out with millions of Red Turban troops! I don’t know how I will die by then," Zhu Han said.
"Having said that, it's still too dangerous." Zhu Yuanzhang still did not agree.
"Brother, don't worry, I have another person accompanying me. He has some old friendships with some of Zhang Shicheng's subordinates and can help me." Zhu Han said.
"Oh, who is it?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.
"Shi Naian!" Zhu Han said.
"Who is Shi Naian?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was confused. He had never heard of this person before.
"Shi Naian was a Jinshi of the Meng Yuan Dynasty. He once served as the chief official of the state government. He has many old acquaintances in Yangzhou, which is enough to ensure safety." Zhu Han said.
Later, Zhu Han told Shi Naian's origin in detail.
Zhu Yuanzhang slowly relaxed.
"That's fine. No matter what, you have to ensure your own safety." Zhu Yuanzhang reminded.
"Brother, don't worry. Apart from these, I have other means to save my life. It's not that easy to deal with me."
Zhu Han thought to himself that he had received a lot of good things as a reward for signing in to the system recently.
The pistol he originally carried also received a large number of bullets, enough to kill hundreds of armored men by himself.
Moreover, he also signed in and received a set of concealed stab-proof bullet-proof clothing, which can protect against half-power bullets, not to mention ordinary swords, guns and arrows.
Relying on these life-saving artifacts, if anyone wants to deal with him, he can use all his firepower to safely break out of the encirclement.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded silently and agreed.
Early the next morning.
Zhu Han introduced Shi Naian to Zhu Yuanzhang. After a conversation, Zhu Yuanzhang discovered that Shi Naian's talent and learning were not much worse than Li Shanchang.
"Sir, you are indeed a great talent. With you helping Ahan in Chuzhou, we can rest assured." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
"The commander-in-chief is powerful in all directions, and the soldiers under his command are dedicated to their lives. This is a great talent. Shi is just playing with pen and ink, don't you dare!" Shi Naian also had a good impression of the young Marshal Du in front of him.
Zhu Han watched the two chatting happily from the side, and he was very happy in his heart.
He secretly thought in his heart: Shi Naian in history, Shili Hutu, fell in love with Zhang Shicheng's petty ambitions. He repeatedly gave good advice and advice, but was not accepted. He had no talent, but ended up retiring from the world. Now Shi Naian An was recruited by me to serve under my brother. In the future when the Ming Dynasty is founded, she might also be able to obtain the title of duke or count! However, if this happens, will the ancient and wonderful book "Water Margin" die?
When he thought of this, Zhu Han began to feel a dull pain in his heart. If there were no heroic figures like Lu Zhishen and Wu Song in Chinese literature, it would be a big loss.
Subsequently.
Zhu Yuanzhang introduced to Zhu Han another strong man with a body as strong as a tiger and a bear.
"Ahan, this is the hero we just recruited. His name is Chang Yuchun. He has the courage that no man can match. This time he is going far away to be responsible for your safety!" Zhu Yuanzhang said.
Chang Yuchun's force is almost unrivaled among Zhu Yuanzhang's personal guards. Only by using it as a personal guard for Zhu Han can he be reassured.
"Chang Yuchun!?"
When Zhu Han heard this, his eyes widened.
Be good!
This is the most powerful general in the Ming Dynasty!
In terms of military ingenuity and combat command, Xu Da may be above Chang Yuchun.
However, when it comes to personal bravery, riding and shooting skills, Chang Yuchun is definitely at the top of the rankings.
"The last general, Chang Yuchun, has met the deputy commander!" Chang Yuchun said angrily.
It had only been two days since he had joined the Red Scarf Army Guards, and Chang Yuchun had already heard countless rumors about Deputy Commander Zhu Han.
It can be said to be really thunderous.
When I saw him today, I felt that there was nothing unusual about him. He was just an ordinary young man, at most he was taller.
"Okay, now that Brother Chang is protecting me, I can really sit back and relax!" Zhu Han praised sincerely.
When Chang Yuchun heard this, he couldn't help feeling proud.
At the very least, Deputy Commander Zhu Han's eye for recognizing people is quite accurate!
We, Chang Yuchun, have nothing else to do but protect the safety of several people. That’s not a piece of cake!
After two days of preparation, Zhu Han was ready to leave for Taizhou.
After Zhang Shicheng defeated the Mongolian and Yuan troops, he took Taizhou as his base, and all the people in nearby Yanhu gathered under his command.
However, before Zhu Han had time to set off, the trip plan was unexpectedly canceled.
Because Zhang Shicheng, the salt household leader, sent his own people.
"Is Zhang Shide here?"
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han were both very surprised when they heard the news.
The person who brought this news was Shi Naian.
"Yes, Marshal, Zhang Shide and I came together with an old acquaintance named Cui Changxing. He quietly found my house and came here to report." Shi Naian said.
It turned out that this person named Cui Changxing was Shi Naian's subordinate when he was an official in Qiantang. He was later promoted to Gaoyou, Huaidong. Zhang Shicheng occupied Gaoyou, and Cui Changxing surrendered to Zhang Shicheng as his adviser.
"Zhang Shicheng sent someone to come to the door. What does he want to do?" Zhu Yuanzhang was quite surprised.
Zhu Han thought for a moment and felt that it was just two things.
"I guess, in addition to contacting us to sell salt to Jiangnan, I'm afraid they need to use the name of our Red Turban Army." Zhu Han said.
"No matter what it is, since Zhang Shicheng sent his brother here, he still wants to meet him. But it makes me feel more at ease than asking you to go there." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy to be able to let Zhu Hanshao set foot in a dangerous place. He actually had an inexplicable affection for the Zhang Shicheng brothers who had not yet met.
"Okay, then let's meet Zhang Shide and listen to what he has to say." Zhu Han also smiled.
After a while, Shi Naian led two men to Chuzhoufu Yamen.
One of the scribes was dressed as Shi Naian's old acquaintance Cui Changxing.
The other person was dressed as a businessman, but his dark face did not show any pampering and wealth. Instead, he looked like an honest and honest farmer. This person was undoubtedly Zhang Shicheng's younger brother Zhang Shide.
After some introductions, brothers Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han invited Zhang Shide to take a seat.
After a conversation between Shi Naian and Cui Changxing, the two parties finally got down to business.
"Marshuai Zhu, although our brothers are in Huaidong, we have no choice but to admire him for his performance in conquering Haozhou Kedingyuan. We only wish we could fight side by side with him." Zhang Shide said with admiration. .
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he understood that he was really planning to use the name of the Red Scarf Army.
It turned out that because of Zhu Han, the Red Scarf Army's methods of conquering fortified cities had been greatly improved. For Meng Yuan, it was simply a disaster.
The Red Turban Army, which did not have superior equipment, was able to repeatedly break through the protection of the city wall, capture the city along the way, and build up the momentum of the millions of Red Turban Army.
Zhang Shicheng, who was far away in Huaidong, was also envious of the reputation of the Red Scarf Army.
In particular, Prime Minister Tuotuo of the Yuan Army in the northeast of Huaihe was eager to make up for his mistakes due to repeated defeats at the hands of the Red Scarf Army. He actually wanted to go south to Huaidong to pinch Zhang Shicheng's soft persimmon.
Zhang Shicheng, who was isolated and helpless, occupied most of the land in Huaidong.
But after natural disasters and man-made disasters, except for mouths that want to eat, there are no tricks at all.
Once Tuotuo led the Yuan army south, Zhang Shicheng felt that he might have to consolidate his family.
Therefore, in this situation, counselor Cui Changxing came up with suggestions. Hearing that his old boss Shi Naian had joined the Red Turban Army in Chuzhou, he wanted to use his connections to join the Red Turban Army.
In this way, if the war gets serious, you can still ask for help from the Red Turban Army in Chuzhou.
After Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han found out the details, they couldn't help but smile at each other.
This is really good luck!
Just when I was about to doze off, someone brought me a pillow, and it was a velvet pillow.
"Haha, we have heard a lot about Brother Zhang's reputation. Now everyone in the world is fighting against Bao Yuan. In this case, why not join us and carry the banner of the Red Scarf Army?" Zhu Yuanzhang said loudly.
When Zhang Shide heard this, he immediately laughed happily.
He sneaked all the way here, and he was also in a nervous mood.
When the Red Turban Army was at its peak, I went to join them. I wonder if they would make things difficult for me.
Moreover, anyone with a discerning eye already knows that Tuotuo of Xuzhou is preparing to go south to attack Huaidong. It is obviously a helpless move for him to take refuge at this time, which will make people feel a little unhappy.
However, Zhang Shide did not expect that Zhu Yuanzhang would be so generous and did not embarrass himself. Instead, he happily invited him.
"Commander, he is indeed a true hero. Zhang Shide admires him! From now on, our Huaidong brothers will also be part of the Red Turban Army!" Zhang Shide immediately climbed up the pole.
"Haha, okay, Brother Zhang is also a happy person, we like him!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
For a moment, Zhu Han, Shi Naian and Cui Changxing also started laughing.
It's just such a harmonious atmosphere.
Zhu Han looked at his brother Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shide holding hands and talking happily, and couldn't help but think in his heart: Damn, Zhang Shicheng, the famous Chao Qin Mu Chu in history, is really good!
He sent his younger brother Zhang Shide to seek refuge with him, and his vision was really good.
After some true and false friendship, Zhang Shide came up with another purpose of his trip.
"Commander, Huaidong has been suffering from famine for many years. It is also a land of poor salt and brine. There is a shortage of food. I heard that Marshal has plenty of food here. I wonder if we can provide some support. No more. It only needs 300,000 shi." Zhang Shide was a little confused. He said sheepishly.
Three hundred thousand stones is not a small amount.
With Zhang Shicheng's soldiers and horses and 300,000 shi of food, they could feed their horses for more than half a year.
Brother Zhang Shicheng planned to hoard food to prepare for the siege of the city by Yuan soldiers in the future.
"Three hundred thousand stones?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and looked at Zhu Han with a troubled look.
In fact, he was ecstatic in his heart. Now that the request came to his door, it would be much easier.
Zhu Han was also happy in his heart. He pretended to think about it and said, "General Zhang, three hundred thousand stones is not a small amount."
Zhang Shide had also heard of Zhu Han's name for a long time.
I know that the words of this young deputy commander have the weight to influence Zhu Yuanzhang's decision.
"Deputy Commander, we don't dare to take these 300,000 shi of grain for free. We can use the salt produced in Huaidong to offset the price!" Zhang Shide said quickly.
"salt?"
When Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han heard this, they were so happy that they took the bait themselves.
"Salt is a good thing, but we can't eat that much salt." Zhu Yuanzhang showed the potential of a profiteer and did not agree immediately.
"Commander, salt is a good thing. Even if you can't eat it, you can still resell it. In Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang, and Henan, all the salt is eaten by Huaidong salt!" Zhang Shide said quickly.
Later, he talked in detail about the sales of Huaidong salt, but he was afraid that Zhu Yuanzhang would not agree.
"Hey, Brother Zhang, it's so difficult for you to see. We are all brothers of the Red Scarf Army. How can I bear to embarrass you!"
Zhu Han saw that the fire was almost done, so he opened his mouth and said.
When Zhang Shide heard this, he was so happy that his back teeth showed.
"Deputy Commander, did you agree?"
Zhu Han looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, and then said slowly.
"The brothers in Huaidong are having a hard time making a living. Even if we give them these 300,000 shi of food, it won't be a long-term solution."
When Zhang Shide heard this, he nodded helplessly, "Yes, the deputy commander is right. Huaidong killed too hard before and lost many people. This year we suffered another flood and drought. Alas!"
"So, in order to help the brothers in Huaidong, I think we should launch a win-win cooperation!" Zhu Han said.
"Win-win? What is this?"
Zhang Shide was a little confused. He had never heard this statement before.
"A win-win situation means that you get food and we get salt. This means that each of us gets what we need. It is mutually beneficial to both parties. It is a win-win situation!" Zhu Han said.
Zhang Shide was Zhang Shicheng's right-hand man. He was not only brave in battle, but also quick in thinking. He immediately guessed what Zhu Han meant.
They want to monopolize the salt in Huaidong!
"Deputy Marshal, do you mean to treat the exchange of salt for grain as a long-term business?" Zhang Shide asked.
"Yes, if we treat it as a long-term business, your Huaidong will not be short of food. As long as you have salt, you will have food." Zhu Han said.
When Zhang Shide heard this, he fell into deep thought.
They wanted to ask for food, but it was just a temporary ploy. If the situation improved in the future, Zhang Shicheng brothers would also like to become big salt merchants and sell salt themselves.
If the relationship with brother Zhu Yuanzhang becomes a long-term relationship, it would be bad if he wants to break the contract.
In particular, the Zhu Yuanzhang brothers seemed to be very capable of fighting, claiming that no fortified city could withstand their three-day attack.
Zhang Shide was a little afraid that if he fell out in the future, his brothers would be blamed.
"This is a long-term solution. Otherwise, if our naval forces cross the Yangtze River and accidentally damage a friendly merchant ship during inspection, that would be bad." Zhu Han said with a smile.
When Zhang Shide heard this, he immediately had a plan in his mind.
"Damn it, this brother Zhu Yuanzhang turns out to be a smiling tiger too! Aren't these words just a naked threat? You are the strongest on the Yangtze River. If we want to ship salt, will we be sunk?"
It has to be said that the situation is stronger than the people.
No amount of brotherhood can compare to coercion and inducement.
Zhang Shide quickly made a decision and expressed his agreement with Zhu Han's plan.
There is nothing you can do if you don't agree. You are the one who burns your butt, and you are the one who can't be beaten.
If you don't agree, you will have to hold the pile of salt and starve to resist the Yuan army.
"Okay, then we will set the price of salt. No matter what price we sell, we will give you the same price. Even if we make a loss, we will still give you this price!" Zhu Han said loudly.
When Zhang Shide heard this, his nose almost turned crooked with anger, and he thought to himself: "Damn it, I've never heard of a salt merchant losing money selling salt, and you have the nerve to tell me!"
Since it was time to set a price for business, Zhang Shide became rude.
"The quality of our Huaidong salt is the best in the world, and the price on board a pound of salt is fifteen cents!" Zhang Shide said.
"Fifteen Wen?"
This time, it was Zhu Han's turn to twist his nose in anger.
Zhang Shide also dared to ask for a price. When salt was cheap, the selling price was also low.
It's only fifteen cents, but now it's better, the price of boarding the ship is only fifteen cents.
If you add in the cost of shipping and distribution, the price will rise to more than 20 cents per pound.
"No, it's too expensive. I can accept ten cents." Zhu Han gave a high price.
"No, deputy commander, if it were normal times, I could sell it for even five cents, not to mention ten cents. But now that the war is in chaos, there are already fewer salt households to cook salt, and they have to cut grass and fire to cook brine. The labor cost is so expensive, it’s not feasible at less than fifteen cents.” Zhang Shide complained repeatedly.
His words made Zhu Yuanzhang unable to help but nod.
In fact, salt is basically a seller's market. As long as there is salt in hand, someone will buy it for any price.
The worst thing is that when salt is too expensive, ordinary people will eat less and salt merchants will make less money.
However, Zhu Han was greatly surprised when he heard the information in these words.
"General Zhang, you just said boiling salt? Are you still boiling salt in Huaidong?" Zhu Han asked doubtfully.
"Yeah, boil the salt!"
"The kind of salt you use to cut grass and make a fire?" Zhu Han asked.
"That's right, what else?"
"Aren't you using the wind-driven brine and salt-drying methods?" Zhu Han asked doubtfully.
Since ancient times, seawater has been boiled with plants and trees to obtain salt. This not only greatly increases labor costs, but also requires a large amount of firewood, which has also become a bottleneck limiting salt production capacity.
"What kind of windmill leaching brine, what kind of salt-drying method? I've never heard of it." Zhang Shide shook his head and said.
He is an old salt farmer. He has grown up by the sea since he was a child. Every day he cuts firewood, cuts grass, and cooks salt.
"No wonder! No wonder!"
Zhu Han couldn't help laughing when he heard this, as if he had discovered a huge loophole.
