Hongwu Survival Guide

Chapter 128
On June [-], the fourth batch of grain transport fleet set sail.

Dinghai City East Wharf was still approaching noon when the tide was flat. There were a total of 369 large and small ships in this batch, more than half of which were 500-piece sea-going ships built in succession recently.

Still 20 shi of grain and 10 tan of fish.

This time, Wu Zhen, the deputy governor of the navy, personally escorted and led 7000 elite soldiers from Zhenhaiwei and Dinghaiwei, as well as 9000 civilian husbands, a total of 16000 people.

Moreover, the destination of the fourth batch of grain transport fleets is no longer Jiaozhou, but Laizhou on the other side of Shandong.

After arriving in Laizhou, as usual, 1000 soldiers and 6000 civilians will return, and the remaining 6000 elite soldiers and 3000 civilians will stay and participate in the Northern Expedition.

For the sake of the secrecy of a certain raid plan, the second batch of Yinghaiwei Changduan Department that arrived in Jiaozhou and the third batch of Dinghaiwei Zhangcundao Department that arrived in Jiaozhou have been ordered to rush to Bohai Bay on the other side of Shandong to implement the blockade plan.

The two ministries will send water troops to intercept all ships entering and leaving the Bohai Bay, and block news from most directions as much as possible.

In short, Emperor Yuanshun cannot be scared away in advance.

After several consecutive communications with Jinling, Lao Zhu has become more and more clear that the primary strategic goal of the next stage of the Northern Expedition is to win Emperor Yuanshun and his son, and everything else is secondary.

At the same time, Lao Zhu has sent orders to several generals on the front line.

On the navy side, Hua Gao, Wu Zhen and Zhu Yuan were the only ones who clearly knew about a certain plan.

However, this time going north, the leader of the army is Wu Zhen. Hua Gao has no idea of ​​making further military achievements, but just wants to be safe and sound, so he stays in Dinghai to guard his home.Zhu Yuan wanted to go to sea, but it was a pity that Lao Zhu, Hua Gao, and the group around him were all determined not to allow him.

It's a pity, there's no way to really 'feather fan towel, mast and scull to ashes and smoke', you can only train soldiers in the barracks like this.

Everyone stood at the pier and watched the fleet go away. Hua Gao, who was beside him, spoke first, patted Zhu Yuan on the shoulder, and then glanced around: "Go back, there will be another batch in the future, so we have to hurry up and collect them."

The plan is to send out all [-] troops before mid-June.

The next batch, the last 5000 people, was led by Chen Su, an old subordinate of Huagao who returned from the front line in Guangdong some time ago. Because of the rush of time, this group of people would no longer be responsible for transporting food, and would only bring 2000 civilian husbands and some supplies.

The Battle of Dadu is not expected to start until July, and there are still 40 days to go before now.

It stands to reason that 40 days is more than enough with reference to the one-way time-consuming of the previous sea shipments. However, sailing is too unpredictable, and if you don’t give enough time, it will be bad if you don’t arrive.

Everyone left the pier one after another.

Zhu Yuan, who was sitting in the sedan chair, waited for the bearer for a while, then lifted the curtain, motioned for Zhao Xu, who was accompanying him, to come closer, and said, "You should also prepare, 500 people, and another 200 will be drawn out, and the day after tomorrow will follow Chen Ju." Let's go north together."

Zhao Xu immediately shook his head: "Young official, I can't do it under my post."

"Whether it is possible or not, it's decided," Zhu Yuan said: "You missed the best opportunity, and you may not have it in this life. I know you are good at martial arts, so you can't waste it by staying by my side."

Zhao Xu wanted to say more, but Zhu Yuan interrupted again: "Just take it as a trip to the front line for me, so you can feel better."

Put down the curtain after speaking.

I went back to the city, had lunch, didn't take a nap today, and went directly to the outer courtyard to get busy.

Fu Shou, Shen Mao and others brought a group of sea merchants who were already waiting in advance.

A meeting arranged in advance is still about various sea trade chores, and then, notify everyone that the company will pay the cost of going to sea according to the proportion of [-]% of the shares.

Since the 10 external maritime trade companies, Yinghai Division directly collected [-]% of the shares, if they can't afford it, maybe they can only play a trick. Since they have money, of course, it is basically the money handed in by the maritime merchants themselves, but What should be given, is still given.

The meeting lasted half an hour.

After notifying the payment of the fee, and discussing the plans of each company to go to sea, Zhu Yuan finally took out a list: "One more thing, I saw that there are books in the cargo list of several caravans. Books can promote enlightenment, I have no objection to this. However, I also asked them to make a list recently, roughly, Confucian classics, history books of various dynasties, you can carry them, but, such as counting, engineering and so on Books are prohibited from being exported from now on.”

As Zhu Yuan said, he glanced around and said with a serious expression: "Don't think that I just said it casually. This is a very important matter. The Division of Yinghai will conduct strict investigations in the future. If anyone brings the corresponding books without permission , even if it’s unintentional, correspondingly, that boat, and everyone on board, depending on the situation, don’t even think about going to sea in one to three years. If you commit a crime knowingly and refuse to mend it after repeated admonitions..."

Zhu Yuan raised his finger and pointed to His Majesty's saber behind him: "...I don't mind chopping off a few heads to show my prestige."

When Zhu Yuan was speaking, a clerk had already handed out a proclamation.

After everyone picked it up with the same serious face and read it carefully, Zhu Yuan continued: "If you feel that the scale is difficult to grasp, I will teach you a stupid method. Anyway, you can't make a lot of money by exporting books, so just copy one Don’t bring any books with you. As for the reasoning behind it, I’m too lazy to explain it to you. Think about it for yourself. If you understand it, you’ll understand it. If you don’t understand it, just do it.”

Everyone in the hall responded.

At the end of the meeting, when all the sea merchants left, Wu Liang, who was sitting on Zhu Yuan's left, was still holding the proclamation in his hand, and asked doubtfully, "Hanlin, I don't understand why this is so?"

"follow me."

Zhu Yuan got up, came to his office, and gestured to Wu Liang and Hu Weiyong who followed him to a small globe on his desk: "Decades ago, the Mongolian cavalry marched westward and fought all the way to the horizon. What is the key to victory in battle?"

Both of them shook their heads for a while.

Zhu Yuan said: "Heavy cavalry."

The two of them still didn't react when they heard what Zhu Yuan said.

Zhu Yuandao: "There are various records, or [-]%, or [-]%, or even [-]%, but one thing is certain, the proportion of heavy cavalry in the Mongolian Expeditionary Army is far higher than that of previous dynasties. The heavy cavalry, the Mongols almost took down half of the earth."

Both Wu Liang and Hu Weiyong already knew the concept of the earth. Hearing what Zhu Yuan said, Hu Weiyong still didn't quite understand it, but Wu Liang was thoughtful.

Seeing that they probably haven't grasped the point, Zhu Yuan said directly: "The problem is that the Mongols are like many barbarians in the north. Let alone cavalry with heavy armor, they don't even know how to make iron pots. Where did they come from? Thousands of heavy cavalry armor?"

This time, without waiting for the two to say anything else, Zhu Yuan fiddled with the globe in front of him with a sighing expression, and said softly, "It's all made by us Han."

The two were silent for a moment.

Zhu Yuan said: "The two of you should have read my knowledge these days. What do you think will happen if these things are spread overseas?"

Still before the two could answer, Zhu Yuan said to himself: "So, today I will give you a new concept called 'technical blockade'. Overseas barbarians should be kept in a barbaric state forever. Such barbarians are good. Barbarians. In the future, when you go south to serve, remember, you must also firmly implement this item."

Hu Weiyong nodded in approval.

Wu Liang was still a little hesitant, but he couldn't utter any rebuttal words for a while.

While talking here, someone came to report, and Wen Zao, who had gone to Jinling before, walked in together.

After meeting with the three adults, Wen Zao started talking about serious business.

In addition to Lao Zhu's letter, Wen Zao also brought a batch of bearings and a group of craftsmen this time.

Since the appearance of small bearings, not only Mingzhou, but Lao Zhu in Jinling has also become more and more aware of the application of this thing in many places. Therefore, he has been urging the general to make more.

Wen Zao brought 2500 bearings this time.

Compared with the later industrial age, 2500 pieces are really not many, but in this era, whether it is balls or jackets, all are handmade or semi-handmade, and there can be 2500 pieces at a time, which is already quite impressive.

Then there are craftsmen.

All are coin miners.

Zhu Yuan had asked Wen Zao to send 100 million taels of silver back to Jinling. In this letter, Lao Zhu was very pleased to praise his precious 23rd generation grandson, and promised that all the money would be used as a reward. Military pay.

And then, another thing.

Xia Xun's sea fishing is coming to an end, Zhu Yuan intends to give Yinghai Division a reward. After all, in less than half a year, Yinghai Division not only perfectly completed the shipping task, but also opened the era of sea fishing.

Zhu Yuan believes that rewards are necessary.

However, although the Yinghai Division has enough silver, it is not easy to consume the silver directly for the low-level peasants, so Zhu Yuan hopes that Jinling can allocate a batch of copper coins to him.

Zhu Yuan didn't know until Wen Zao came and talked about it.

Or because of the bearings, Lao Zhu thought that casting money was too much copper a few days ago, and just ordered Hongwu Tongbao to be cast in March. This time, in order to avoid "waste", more copper materials were allocated to make bearings, and he simply ordered to stop casting money.

Zhu Yuan: "..."

no way.

I haven't talked to Lao Zhu carefully about the currency.

However, when he heard that Zhu Yuan was asking for money, Lao Zhu was unambiguous, asking for money, but no, there were a lot of people, and they were just unemployed.So, originally the craftsmen of Jinling Baoquan Bureau sent 500 people here directly, meaning, if you want money, build it yourself.

Zhu Yuan: "..."

Hold back, hold back, after all, my ancestors were born a little lower, and didn't know the importance of currency. How could such a thing be said to be done casually?
I can't do it casually!

The issue is……

Forget it, let's make a guest appearance as the governor of the Daming Central Bank.

Really.

Zhu Yuan found out that Lao Zhu ordered to stop making money and sent people here, which means that the only one with the right to make money in the entire Ming Dynasty is Ying Haisi.

After Wen Zao finished talking about it in Zhu Yuan's office, Wu Liang and Hu Weiyong's expressions became weird again.

Mainly, envy.

Both of them are very clear that although they are appointed as Deputy Envoys of Yinghai, they are only one level lower than Zhu Yuan's envoys of Yinghai, but their authority is much worse than that of the Young Master Yinghai. too much.

After all, Zhu Yuan's series of titles are not decorations.

Now, Lianzhu Qian has become Daming's only one.

Or make it casually!
Even if they didn't understand Zhu Yuan's later numismatics-related knowledge, they still felt that His Majesty the Emperor trusted him too much.

However, it is also understandable.

In just a few months, the young boy who called out to 'send 500 years of Guozuo' to His Majesty the Emperor has indeed made enough achievements. It is just two things of sea transportation and sea capture. No one can doubt the series of titles.

But, is this too good to be too good?

Just like my own child.

My... children...

Ok.

Can't compare can't compare.

The following June seventeenth.

Chen Su, the deputy commander of Dinghaiwei, set off again with 5000 elite soldiers, including 200 personal guards of Zhu Yuan led by Zhao Xu.

When Zhu Yuan was assassinated, Zhao Xu was demoted from a thousand households to a hundred households by Lao Zhu. This time, Zhao Xu was considered guilty and meritorious. With the position of a hundred households, he is expected to lead a team of a thousand people.

Speaking of which, the 5000 people in Dinghaiwei could have gone to sea with Wu Liang two days ago.

The dispatching in batches is mainly to avoid risks.

After sending away Chen Su's 5000 people, Dinghai's fifth batch of grain transport fleet also started preparations.

Don't be so anxious this time.

As long as all the previous four batches are delivered, in fact, three batches have already arrived, that is to say, as long as the fourth batch is delivered, it will be enough to support the army in front for four months. Moreover, the grain transportation channel going north is not just the one at sea. , At present, the central and western regions are transporting grain to the north. Even if Lao Zhu continues to increase his troops, grain and grass are no longer a problem.

Next, just play with confidence.

June twenty.

The Haiying Division announced that the Xiaxun sea fishing has officially ended.

According to statistics, from late April to mid-June, in two months, Yinghai Division led the official and private fishing fleets, and a total of about 43 tons of fish were caught, which is 4300 million catties, which is equivalent to the amount of fish under the rule of the Yuan court. During this period, the annual fishing volume of normal sea fishing was more than ten times.

Among them, 23 dan were arrested by officials and 20 dan by civilians.

A total of 41 tons of fish were collected by the Ying Hai Division.Most of the private fishing is directly purchased by Yinghai Division.

The result this time is that along the coast of Zhejiang, many boatmen and fishermen have made a fortune.

According to the statistics of the Yinghai Division, private fishermen who participated in sea fishing with the government, only for two months in this season, can get an average of about 13 taels of silver for each strong laborer.

This amount is enough to feed a family for a year.

Not to mention only two months.

The fishing season is over, and for the remaining ten months, labor will not be idle, and will definitely be looking for various jobs.Therefore, the living standards of the entire coastal area, especially fishermen, will be greatly improved in the next year because of these two months.

Some officials of the Yinghai Division even worried that with such good treatment, fishermen in other states would no longer be willing to be recruited by the Yinghai Division.

Zhu Yuan was not worried.

Because, in comparison, the fishermen under the Mingzhou Fishery Production Company are actually treated better.

It's just that the basic treatment of one stone of rice per household per month is already equivalent to the harvest of private labor from sea fishing this time.What's more, Zhu Yuan also plans to give large-scale rewards, and also allocate real estate.

More importantly, it is stable.

After the sea capture was over, the Ying Hai Division issued a notice directly.

This year, the volume of sea fishing is not large, and the government just happens to have demand. The Yinghai Division can cover the bottom line for private sea fishing, but next year, everyone needs to prepare in advance and control risks by themselves.In other words, such a good thing as a tael of silver and a load of fish will not happen again next year.

(End of this chapter)