The end of the Ming Dynasty swept the world

Chapter 725

Most of the eight major Shanxi merchants were in Taiyuan, and the most famous Fan family was in Zhangjiakou, the territory of the Xuanfu general army. Zhangjiakou was garrisoned by Xuanfu soldiers and horses.

You can't rush to do this kind of thing, you have to spend the least cost and the least time to solve it.

Just like seizing the military power in Datong, if you come in, you will do it hard and fight everywhere, it will only waste time and manpower, and increase casualties.

Ding Yi was not in a hurry, he silently calculated for a while, preparing for the next move.

"Everyone sit down, sit down, today there is no chief soldier and shopkeeper, they are all brothers." Ding Yi greeted everyone politely.

At the same time, with a wave of hands, many girls brought some water, tea, and fruit.

It was the first time for the shopkeepers to see Ding Yi being so polite. Everyone looked at each other and made eye contact. After receiving the money, Ding Yi was indeed more polite to us.

What a corrupt official, all the generals of the Ming army are like this, and there is really no good thing.

Fan Yongheng took the lead in laughing and said: "Mr. Ding, I don't know what the so-called establishment of the Shanxi Chamber of Commerce means? Everyone, I want to know."

The shopkeepers nodded one after another.

Ding Yi thought about it seriously: "You are all businessmen, but the Ming Dynasty emphasized agriculture and neglected business, and you did not get the status you deserve."

After the first sentence was finished, the audience gradually fell silent, and everyone looked at him in disbelief.

Ding Yi continued: "Speak from the bottom of my heart, scholars, farmers, businessmen, and in my heart, the town respects and admires businessmen the most."

"The town itself is good at doing business in Lushun, and the money from business can be used to train elite soldiers and horses."

"Commercial activities drive commodity transportation, commodity exchange, and people get rich."

"If there is no commercial activity, all the necessities in our life, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, coal, iron, steel and firewood, everything will be extremely affected - even lose their source."

"In the world of Ming Dynasty, it is precisely because there are countless merchants who are willing to travel to various places. After going through hardships and moving around, they have brought all kinds of commodities and materials they need to the people of the world."

"Without merchants, what will the emperor and nobles in the capital eat and use?"

"Without merchants, the country's army eats and wears whatever it takes."

"There are no businessmen, those who are officials and literati, read what they see."

"Businessmen are the foundation of the country, and everything about the dynasty. I, Ding Yi, want to replace the people and officials of Shanxi. Thank you to all Shanxi merchants present today. Thank you for your hard work and efforts for the people of Shanxi."

Ding Yi's voice became louder and louder, and he almost shouted at the end, then bent down and saluted the merchants with fists in their hands.

The Jin merchants in the audience were stunned, and some people's eyes were moist, and I don't know how long it has been.

"Wow..." Suddenly someone in the crowd burst into tears: "Mr. Ding."

Then, as if a pot exploded on the spot, Shanxi merchants cried bitterly, or shouted excitedly.

"Mr. Ding understands us."

"Boss Ding is right."

"Mr. Ding understands businessmen best."

"Thank you, Mr. Ding, for cooling us down."

Fan Yongheng's expression was moved, he didn't expect Ding Yi to value the businessman so much.

Officials of the Ming Dynasty regard merchants as ants, and they can deprive merchants of everything with just a word.

I didn't expect Ding Yi to value them so much.

Even Fan Yongheng was in tears when he heard it, and was a little moved.

At this time, Ding Yi said loudly again: "The status of merchants is too low, and this town will give you a corresponding status."

"That's why the Shanxi Shanxi Chamber of Commerce is going to be established in this town, and all those whose assets reach a certain level can participate."

"The chamber of commerce has selected nine shopkeepers, plus me, Ding Yi, a total of ten people, to decide on the size of the chamber of commerce together."

"I, Ding Yi, will be the president of the chamber of commerce, and I will elect two vice presidents."

"In the future, all businesses in Shanxi will be under the control of our chamber of commerce."

"Including, item pricing and sales, business tax customization and submission."

"The nine shopkeepers are selected once every five years, and the merchants who enter will receive a [-]% tax reduction."

"This town will distribute tokens to the members of the Chamber of Commerce, and they can travel unimpeded in Shanxi. If there are bandits in Shanxi, the town will send troops to crusade."

Ding Yi said a lot in one breath, and the expressions of all the shops were excited, surprised and happy.

To put it simply, Ding Yi set up a company, he was the boss, and nine other companies were selected as directors.

What are the benefits of being a merchant?First of all, I will walk casually in Shanxi in the future, with the support of Ding Yi's soldiers and horses, and even escort.

Then the sales of goods in Shanxi must be approved by their chamber of commerce, including pricing rights.

There are also loans. Whoever does not have enough money for business can borrow from the chamber of commerce with extremely low interest.

Ding Yi's chamber of commerce already includes the combination of banks and companies in later generations.

The immature shape of the Bank of Shanxi in the future has also been formed.

After he finished speaking, he asked the girls to hand over the chamber of commerce contract and rules and regulations, and took out a copy for each of them.

It's more detailed than what he said.

After reading it, all the shopkeepers felt that they must join this chamber of commerce, which would be of great benefit to their business.

At least if you walk here in the future, you don't need to pay, and you can be escorted out of the customs.

The eight Shanxi merchants were overjoyed. Ding Yi was so greedy that he would escort them out of customs just to make money.

It is acceptable to give him [-]% of the shares.

Ding Yi wants to own shares without investing any money. After reading the terms and conditions, everyone still finds it acceptable.

Among them, collective pricing is enough for everyone to make a lot of money.

Assuming the price of salt, if there is a regulation in Shanxi in the future, it will be two taels per load.

All the prices within the chamber of commerce were raised, and those outside the chamber of commerce were lower than [-] taels. Ding Yi would check and force them to raise their prices too.

In this way, everyone's profit will be higher.

The same is true for other commodities, the Chamber of Commerce can control the fixed price, and a lot of profits will follow.

Ding Yi also said: "For this matter, I will also recruit Xie Zhiliang, the commander-in-chief of Shanxi, and Wang Chengyin, the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, to work together to ensure that you will have unimpeded access in Shanxi in the future and make a lot of money together."

Of course, Xie Zhiliang and Wang Chengyin are not on the board of directors, and the other directors are all businessmen.

The eight major Shanxi merchants immediately turned their eyes and wanted to be directors. Of course, only a few of us have relatively large businesses.

Fan Yongheng quickly said that this matter is very important, and we will definitely support it vigorously. We have to go back and report to the Patriarch for the decision on how to do it.

Of course, Ding Yi smiled and waved. After you go back, think about it carefully. If there is anything you need to make up, you can discuss it together and make it up.

After the Shanxi merchants left happily, and after waiting for about three days, Ding Yi first sent Fang Duotai to Taiyuan to look for Xie Zhiliang. He himself led a thousand cavalry to the Xuanfu, and there were a hundred horses and no cavalry with him. All carrying packages.
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Taiyuan City in early July.

Xie Zhiliang was standing at the top of the city, watching the carriages and cattle leaving Taiyuan City and heading for Datong Town.

Xie Zhiliang is a Cantonese, also from a general background. His grandfather was the general secretary of Pingyuan County in Guangdong (a military position). When he was young, he first studied and then joined the army. The commander-in-chief of the main battalion was transferred to Zhelin, Chaozhou for defense, and then he was effective in defense against the sea.

Xie Zhiliang is an all-rounder in civil and military affairs, proficient in both land and sea defense, and he is considered a rare good general in the late Ming Dynasty.

In the original history, he and his son supported Emperor Longwu in the end, and the whole family was martyred, and they were loyal to Ming Dynasty.

As mentioned earlier, because the Jiang family was very powerful in Shanxi, Emperor Chongzhen transferred Xie Zhiliang to Shanxi last year as Taiyuan General Army. At this time in history, Xie Zhiliang was already Taiyuan General Army and Jing Yuebo.

The reason why Xie Zhiliang has not been granted the title of uncle or earl at this time is probably because Ding Yi's arrival has affected part of history.

But after he arrived in Taiyuan, just like in history, he hoarded fields to train troops, refined border defense, and worked very seriously.

Xie Zhiliang wanted to train a group of elite soldiers, but when he arrived in Taiyuan, he found something was wrong.

Because he is a Cantonese, he is very excluded by the local generals.

When Xie Zhiliang arrived, he found that the Taiyuan Mansion had [-] soldiers on the list, but the actual number of soldiers was [-]. Excluding the old, weak, sick and disabled, there were less than [-] soldiers who were truly capable of fighting.

Based on his five hundred family members, he led more than 1 soldiers and horses to train seriously, but the people below were obedient and contradictory, and the factions were distinct, which gave him a headache.

At this moment, Ding Yi also airborne like him.

At that time, the governor Cai Maode took him to Datong to meet him, and he also wanted to make friends with this foreign general. Everyone was transferred from outside, so maybe there is a place where he can empathize.

But it is a pity that Ding Yi was assassinated that day, and they broke up unhappy, and the two had almost no chance to communicate.

At that time, Xie Zhiliang thought that Ding Yi might be worse than himself, and that he would be squeezed out by the local generals in Datong.

Unexpectedly, it didn't take long for him to hear the news that the general Zhang Chenghu intended to murder Ding Yi, but was killed after his failure.

Then, Jiang Guan, Jiang Xuan, and Wang Quan wrote letters one after another. One said that he was drinking and hurt his colleagues, and pleaded guilty to resign. Military power is locked in Datong.

At this time, Xie Zhiliang saw the strength of Ding Yi, and found that Ding Yi was really bold, and there was nothing he dared to do.

And when Ding Yi did this, the whole of Datong took on a new look. Disobedient, old bastards and old fritters were all cleaned up. He heard the news that Datong only had the total above, and Ding Yi killed dozens of them.

It must sound exaggerated, but Xie Zhiliang thought that if Ding Yi wanted to completely control Datong Town, beheading a dozen generals would be the least.

He was envious and admired at the same time, but unfortunately he didn't dare to do it himself.

Governor Cai Maode had nothing to do with Ding Yi at that time. You said that Ding Yi was arrogant and had no court. He promised Governor Cai Maode to pay an annual tax of 10 taels of silver and an additional [-] stone grain.

Now the grain in Shanxi is very expensive, it is equivalent to hundreds of thousands of silver.

You said that Ding Yi took the court seriously, the general Zhang Chenghu killed it when he said it, and the vice general Jiang brothers took it when he said it.

Cai Maode thought about it, and while organizing the supply of farm tools, cattle, mules and seeds to Datong, he asked Ding Yi to let the Jiang brothers go.

Because in Shaanxi next to Shanxi, there is Jiang Rang, the general soldier of Yulin.

After Ding Yi received the letter, he considered for a few days and decided to release the Jiang brothers first.

He mainly wanted to give the governor Cai Maode face. Cai Maode was a good official and could help Ding Yi in Taiyuan.

But he also wrote back to Cai Maode, I will let the Jiang brothers go, and you and Xie Zhiliang will support me in working in Taiyuan.

After Cai Maode read the letter, he called Xie Zhiliang over to discuss it in the middle of the night, and decided to support Ding Yi.

Two days before Ding Yi convened a meeting of Shanxi merchants, Ding Yi let the Jiang brothers go.

The Jiang brothers first ran to Taiyuan to file a complaint with the governor Cai Maode, but found that Cai Maode looked around and knew it was useless, so they immediately turned around and ran to Yulin to join their elder brother Jiang Rang, the general soldier of Yulin.

Cai Maode took advantage of the situation and said that he would report to the imperial court and transfer them to Yulin as deputy commander-in-chief.

The two brothers left bitterly.

Governor Cai Maode is a good official, a clean official, and an upright official, but by doing this, he undoubtedly helped Ding Yi, and he was also lawless.

The two deputy generals of the Jiang brothers did not have documents from the Ministry of War, nor were they convicted by the third division, so they were arrested by Ding Yi first, and then rushed directly to Yulin like a dog. From a legal point of view, Ding Yi was a rebel, no different from a rebellion .

Not to mention the other things Ding Yi did in Datong.

This matter will be released a few years ago, and Cai Maode will definitely fight Ding Yi to death.

But it can't be done now.

Cai Maode is a good and honest official, so he knows what Daming is like now.

In the Battle of Songjin, one hundred thousand elites of the Ming Dynasty were completely lost.

There are only three soldiers and horses that can fight the most in the Ming Dynasty, one is Wu Sangui's troops who retreated to Shanhaiguan, the other is against the peasant army at Sun Chuanting's side, and the third is Ding Yi.

If he dared to push Ding Yi back, Daming would really be doomed.

And when Ding Yi sent the Jiang brothers over, he also sent someone to explain clearly to Cai Maode.

The Jiang brothers' military discipline was corrupt, and they encouraged the generals below to fight against him, the foreign general, and they had to be cleaned up.

Of course Cai Maode understood the virtues of Daming's officialdom, and it was the same in Liaodong. None of the foreign generals could survive.

Xie Zhiliang from Taiyuan also complained every day, so he could understand Ding Yi's mood.

Then Ding Yi said again, I will clean them up now, hoard fields and train troops seriously, and train [-] elites for Daming.

Pay one hundred thousand tax silver to the imperial court every year, and another fifty thousand tax silver to the governor's office, and don't need the imperial court military salary and food, Mr. Duxian, is this good?
Cai Maode was so excited that he wanted to cry.

Ding Yi doesn't want to pay money, but feeds back to the imperial court and the chief secretary. The whole Ming Dynasty has been in existence for more than 200 years. How can there be such a general?

If it was always like this in all walks of life in Ming Dynasty, then there would still be the matter of building slaves and bandits.

So after Cai Maode heard this, he made up his mind to support Ding Yi in hoarding fields for military training, and to insist on Ding Yi's other things.

Without further ado, Ding Yi sent someone to send [-] silver, [-] to the imperial court, and [-] to the chief secretary. Ding Yi's only request was for the chief secretary to support cattle, farm tools and other items.

Chongzhen had long ordered the towns to hoard land, and also asked the chief secretaries to cooperate. This is a matter of course.

Therefore, Cai Maode strongly supported and tried every means to mobilize materials from the whole province to support Ding Yi.

Ding Yi also recommended crops such as sweet potatoes and potatoes to him. Cai Maode had eaten them, seen them, and strongly agreed that they were good. The whole Taiyuan also started to promote them under his promotion, and he ordered the whole province of Shanxi to promote them.

But at this time, other local officials in Shanxi are not doing their job well, and they are focusing on corruption and bribery, so they have the time to seriously promote this stuff.

Cai Maode also made a contribution to the imperial court, and Chongzhen responded lightly: "I know."

When Chongzhen heard that it was offered by Ding Yi, he subconsciously realized that it must not be a good thing.

At this time, Daming is precarious, internal and external difficulties, who is in the mood to promote the cultivation of crops.

How to face the Manchu Qing Dynasty and how to suppress the bandits is the top priority.

Dan Ding Yi not only donated food to the court, but also paid taxes and silver, hoarded land and trained soldiers.

After Cai Maode's repeated requests, or Chongzhen knew that all the elite pine and brocade were lost, and it would cost some money, the Ming court would always try to win over the army.

In the 15th year of Chongzhen (1642), in August, the imperial court finally decreed that Xie Zhiliang and Ding Yi were stationed at the border, hoarding land and training troops for meritorious service. One was named Jingyuebo and the other was named Zhenbeibo.

Ding Yi also laughed when he heard the news. He was born and died for the Ming Dynasty and defeated the Manchus many times.

At this time, it also kicked off the beginning of Bohou's worthlessness after the end of Ming Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)