Han ride

Chapter 400 The Seven Great Families of Shanxi Merchants
"Your Majesty, what I'm worried about is Marquis Zheng Bei, no, Duke Liao has decided to go and will not come back." Wen Tiren said with some worry.

"Don't worry. I have my own coup." Chongzhen thought for a while, took out the rice paper from one side, took out the imperial pen, and wrote four large characters on the rice paper. Wen Tiren looked over, but saw "Chongzhen Tongbao" written on it The four large characters are written on the positive side when the silver coins were minted.This kind of handwriting is not written by Chongzhen himself, otherwise it is private money.Most private money among the people is like this, imitating Chongzhen's handwriting, but imitation is imitation after all, it doesn't count, only Chongzhen himself writes it.

"You send someone to give this to Li Xin. Li Xin will definitely come back." Emperor Chongzhen smiled and threw the rice paper with the words "Chongzhen Tongbao" to Wen Tiren.

"The emperor is brilliant." Wen Tiren took Chongzhen's handwriting and couldn't help but exclaim.What he marveled at was not Chongzhen's words, but Chongzhen's methods.The casting of coins requires not only Chongzhen's handwriting, but more importantly, templates and skilled workers. These are the most important. The right to mint coins is a secret unique to the imperial court. So it is called private money, and the quality is low. On the one hand, it is because it is cast privately, cutting corners, the ratio of copper to lead is different, and some are even mixed with iron, etc.; the other is fake, handwriting, templates, etc. , so the private money minted is completely different from the regular copper coins minted by the imperial court.Even if Li Xin has Chongzhen's handwriting, he still needs templates and workers. All these must let Li Xin return to the capital for a walk, and Chongzhen will send people to the cloud to help Li Xin make money.That's why Wen Tiren admired Chongzhen's methods.

The imperial decree was finally issued. In order to recall Li Xin as soon as possible, Emperor Chongzhen used the six-hundred-mile express to arrive from Beijing to Zunhua City in less than a day. Under Zunhua City, Hong Chengchou’s troops were stationed in Zunhua Fifty miles inside and outside the city.

"The emperor wants to recruit Li Xin back." Hong Chengchou looked at the eunuch flying over, with an inexplicable expression on his face. He believed even more that there must be a secret discussion between Yang Sichang and Emperor Chongzhen, otherwise, he would not have let him go. Li Xin returned to the capital at this time.

"Chongzhen Tongbao!" Zuo Liangyu looked at the Chongzhen Imperial Letters on several cases, and said with some surprise: "My lord, it seems that the emperor is going to let Zhengbei Army mint copper coins by itself."

"No, it's casting silver coins. The Northern Army is going to cast silver coins." Hong Chengchou shook his head, his brows were tightly frowned, but there was a hint of thought.He is different from Chongzhen. From Chongzhen's point of view, Li Xin made the decision out of desperation. The grassland is a land of barbarians, and there is nothing useful in it. Even if you find some money occasionally, it is of no great use.But Hong Chengchou is different. Although he has very little contact with Li Xin, Li Xin is not a person who is aimless. Since he wants to mint silver coins privately, it means that he has discovered a huge silver mine on the grassland, which is enough to support him. Silver coins were issued, and Li Xin was a man of great talent and boldness. At present, it seemed that Li Xin had nothing to gain, but in fact, he was the ultimate winner.It was a huge mistake for Emperor Chongzhen to allow Li Xin to mint private money and circulate it in the Central Plains.It's just that Hong Chengchou didn't study economics. He was good at fighting, but he didn't make any achievements in economics, let alone Li Xin.

"The Zhengbei army actually wants to mint silver coins privately?" Zuo Liangyu said in surprise.

"That's natural. Look at the Central Plains. Isn't there a lot of people who minted silver coins privately?" Hong Chengchou said disdainfully: "Those gentry can do it, why can't Li Xin do it? What's more, if there is an imperial edict from the emperor, then it is not called silver coins." I have minted money privately, but if Li Xin wants to obtain such power, I am afraid that he still needs to go to the capital for a while, such power is not so difficult."

"The emperor has made a decree, will he go back on his word?" Zuo Liangyu asked curiously.

"The emperor will not go back on his word. But Li Xin still has to go to the Ministry of Households, and he needs to make templates for casting silver coins, as well as craftsmen. These are all provided by the court. If Li Xin does not go to the capital, these things will not be available." Hong Chengchou The rice paper in Yang Yang's hand said: "If that's the case, the silver coin minted by Li Xin is still private money, and the emperor can decree to abolish it."

"This is too complicated." Zuo Liangyu finally learned something.

"If not so, how can the emperor delay the time?" Hong Chengchou sneered secretly in his heart, and he said to the eunuch who delivered the decree: "Go, you can go to Zunhua to deliver the decree."

The little eunuch didn't dare to be negligent, so he hurried to the Xuanfu to preach the decree without mentioning it.

Inside the Xuan Mansion, Li Xin was holding Chongzhen's handwriting in his hands, and laughed loudly: "With this in hand, the silver coins from my conquest of the Northern Army can travel freely in the Central Plains, and Emperor Chongzhen will do nothing to us."

"My lord, I'm afraid it won't work without mother money templates and skilled craftsmen." Shi Yuanzhi persuaded from the side: "That's why the emperor let you go to the capital."

"What are you going to do in the capital? So that Yang Sichang can dig the foundation?" Li Xin sneered and said, "If he doesn't give it to me, I'll go get it myself and order Cao Sanxi to do everything I can to get my mother's money and craftsmen, and quickly The craftsmen in the imperial court have nothing to do and their status is low, so if these people come to the cloud, they will definitely agree."

"My lord's words are very true." Shi Yuan thought for a while, then nodded.In the Ming Dynasty, craftsmen really had no status at all.Especially now, life is even more impoverished, it is not difficult for Cao Sanxi to get some money and find a few people.

"The matter has been settled, sir, you can go home." Li Xin put away Chongzhen's handwriting, and said to Shi Yuanzhi: "Let's go to Xifengkou first, pay homage to General Jutu and his dead brother, and then return to Yun In the middle, send another order to let the seven great families rush to Yunzhong. I, Li Xin, want to see them."

"Yes." Shi Yuanzhi hurriedly responded, ordering not to mention it.

At the mouth of Xifeng, Hong Chengchou looked at the black smoke going away, with a complex look on his face, he said softly: "He is really a hero! It is not unreasonable for tens of thousands of soldiers of the Northern Army to sacrifice their lives for them Beside him, Zhang Fengyi, Minister of the Ministry of War, had a look of embarrassment, and there was a hint of resentment in his eyes, while Zuo Liangyu on the left was full of curiosity.

"My lord, I didn't find anything left by the Zhengbei Army. Outside the pass, the tomb of Jutu, the general of the Zhengbei Army, was dug up, and the body was gone." Hong Chengchou's personal soldiers came over at this time and whispered.

"Don't worry about it, Li Xin must have cremated the bones of these people and took them away." Hong Chengchou waved his hand, and the northern army, unless they were defeated, would burn their own bodies and bring them back to the cloud for burial.

"My lord, since Li Xin didn't go to the capital, does that mean that Li Xin's coin minting can come to an end?" Zuo Liangyu asked softly.

"I don't know." Hong Chengchou shook his head. He knew in his heart that even if Emperor Chongzhen really agreed to this matter, Li Xin would soon be able to get his mother's money template and skilled workers when he returned to the capital. I'm afraid he would not stay in the capital. .After all, in the cloud, I am afraid there are more important things waiting for him to solve.

"No matter what, Li Xin is finally gone." Zhang Fengyi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he is the Minister of the Ministry of War of the imperial court, and fortunately Li Xin is still the Duke of Liao. Otherwise, his name as the Minister of the Ministry of War I can't keep it.

"Congratulations, Mr. Zhang." Although Hong Chengchou despises this person, he has always been cunning and cunning, and never speaks out his thoughts, even with his own subordinates.

"Don't dare to do it, don't dare to do it." Zhang Fengyi quickly shook his head and said, "If Mr. Hong hadn't come here, I, Zhang Fengyi, really don't know what I would be like." This guy is a bit self-aware, and knows the role of Hong Chengchou.

"They are all ministers of the same dynasty, Mr. Zhang doesn't have to be like this." Hong Chengchou also politely said, "It's getting late, and I'm going back to Beijing to return to my order, so I'll take my leave first."

"Master Hong, please." Zhang Fengyi naturally did not dare to stop him, and personally sent Hong Chengchou out of the Zunhua realm before returning to the army to wait for Chongzhen's imperial edict.

"Everyone is here, so let's talk about it!" In Zhangjiakou, Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Tian Lansheng and other seven great families gathered together in the Fan family compound.Since these people took refuge under Li Xin's command, with Li Xin's support, not only did the strength of the seven major families of Jin merchants not suffer any loss, but they increased a lot. Similarly, the private filth also increased a lot. There are also fewer opportunities to be together.

"What else is there to say, we can go wherever Duke Liao asks us to go." Tian Lansheng said without thinking: "With the support of the Duke all these years, our buttocks are full of money. If we don't listen to the father-in-law, who else are we going to listen to?" Tian Lansheng rolled his eyes and glanced at everyone's faces with a smile.

"You can't say that! Yang Sichang came here this time because he was not kind! I think it was aimed at the lord." Wang Dengku sighed and said, "We are just businessmen. Compared with such a favorite of the emperor, I am afraid that he is much worse. He is really going to get angry, and we really have nothing to do. Naturally, this person has nothing to do, but don't forget, our family has a great cause, and I am afraid it is not possible to leave. It's that simple!"

"Yes! I am more worried about the people behind Yang Sichang." It was Wang Dayu who spoke, and he sighed softly: "A single Yang Sichang is of course nothing, but if this Yang Sichang is holding Shangfang's sword, then the matter I have to say something else, just in the place of Xuanfu, is it necessary to come to a magistrate with a sword of Shangfang? I think it’s a bit of a big deal, unless his purpose is not the officialdom of Xuanfu at all, but other things .”

"In this way, the emperor came for the father-in-law?" Wang Dengku said coldly.

"No, he came for the Lord, but he also came for us." Fan Yongdou stood up and said lightly: "Over the years, we have provided the Lord with a lot of food, grass and money, which contributed to Zhengbei The army is growing day by day, with 10,000+ elites, the imperial court may not be able to resist it. So the imperial court is preparing to deal with us to eradicate the foundation of the father-in-law."

"Actually, the father-in-law needed us before, but now, our influence on the North Army is not too much." Tian Lansheng was silent for a while before he said: "On the contrary, we have made a lot of money from the father-in-law." not enough."

Everyone nodded after hearing this. Ever since Li Xin had the Xiao family, a small part of the military salary of the Northern Army has been relied on by the seven families. On the contrary, the Xiao family is the real giant, but this giant is hiding in the seven families. Under the big family.Of course, in addition to resisting other pressures, Shanxi merchants have also made a lot of money, which is not much less than before.

"Now it's time for us to make a choice, whether to follow the Northern Army or the imperial court. This matter is related to the future of our Shanxi merchants, so we must be careful." Fan Yongdou said lightly. The decisive person is also in confusion at this moment. Once a choice is made on this matter, it will not be easy to change.

"When did I, a Shanxi merchant, hear about the imperial court?" Tian Lansheng sneered.

Everyone's heart was moved. Since Shanxi merchants appeared until now, when they think about it carefully, they have really never served the court. They only want to make money. Helping those officials is also to make money.They have no lower limit in order to make money, and even help build slaves and sell information about the Ming Dynasty.As long as they can make money, they have no scruples at all.

"At the moment, we can infer the news from the Duke of Liao. The imperial court is going to take action against Shanxi merchants. Or, they will not do anything to us, but to the Duke of Liao? Then maybe, we are now The most important thing is whether to be tied to the Duke of Liao’s boat or to find another way out.” Fan Yongdou glanced at the crowd and said, “If we follow the Duke, the grassland is still ours. You can see that the Lord is a businessman. You only need to pay the tax once in the territory of the Lord. But in the court, there will be no such good things. But with the Lord, in a short time, We will lose a lot, and how long the father-in-law can last, this also needs to be discussed."

"Hmph, to say something disrespectful, how long can the court last?" Tian Lansheng undoubtedly looked down on the court, so he sneered and said, "Is it a good thing for a dynasty to use the army of King Qin many times? The banditry in the Central Plains is so Many, how many years have been suppressed, not only have not wiped out all these bandit troubles, but there are still signs of growth. The soldiers and horses of the court have been corrupted to such a degree, can such a court be saved? On the other hand, the soldiers and horses of the prince , The soldiers and horses are strong, sweeping the grasslands, and have countless strong generals, such talents are likely to take over the world. Even if we suffer a little loss in a short period of time, in the long run, we can still gain greater benefits." The first thing a businessman thinks of is to gain benefits, even if Tian Lansheng's heart is for Li Xin, because Li Xin can bring him benefits.

"Yes, we may lose in a short period of time, but in the long run, we can still make a lot of money. But as merchants, we can't put all our eggs in one basket." Fan Yongdou nodded and finally sighed Said: "No matter what, the line of the father-in-law cannot be broken. The old man heard that the father-in-law's soldiers and horses are about to enter the pass to suppress the bandits. Hehe, this is good news!"

"You mean the Lord's soldiers and horses will enter the Xuanfu?" After Tian Lansheng and the others heard this, their faces were filled with joy, if Li Xin could enter the Xuanfu.Then what are the people afraid of the court!

"Confused, the Xuan Mansion is only a few miles away from the capital. If the Lord's soldiers and horses enter the Xuan Mansion, the court will worry day and night. At that time, even if they don't turn against the Lord, they will eventually turn against the Lord. "Fan Yongdou said coldly: "Although Xuanfu is very good, it is an important town of the imperial court, but this important town is also called the important town of Xuanfu because it is located in the frontier and is very close to the imperial court. Without Wang Qi, how could the Lord settle down here? Although the army is very powerful, but the power is in the grasslands, which is not conducive to going south to the Central Plains."

"Fan Dongzhu, what are you?" Tian Lansheng looked at Fan Yongdou with horrified eyes, never expecting Fan Yongdou to say such words.

"This old man is just a guess. Of course, who knows what will happen in the future! No matter what, we are still the courtiers of Daming. If Mr. Yang is coming, we have to see him!" Fan Yongdou said with a smile: " However, the people and money in the family must be transferred as soon as possible. The people in the court are different from the father-in-law, they are not as easy to talk to as the father-in-law."

"Hmph, does Yang Sichang dare to steal our money?" Liang Jiabin said loudly.

"The county magistrate who broke the family, and the Ling Yin who destroyed the family, there is nothing strange." Fan Yongdou said coldly: "Isn't the people in the imperial court always like this?"

"Master, Chief Hou is here." At this moment, the head of the Fan family came over and said cautiously.

"What is he doing here at this time?" Fan Yongdou and the other seven people looked at each other, obviously not thinking what Hou Shilu was doing at this time, but Hou Shilugui, as the commander-in-chief of a town, naturally did not dare to neglect, and everyone rushed to meet him.

"Why did the commander-in-chief come here? It's better to inform first, and let the villain wait to go out to meet him." Fan Yongdou greeted him with a smile, and saw Hou Shilu and his son standing outside the gate.

"Don't dare to take it." Hou Shilu waved his hand and said, "I took the liberty of disturbing you today. Don't blame everyone."

"Master Chief Soldier, please." What kind of person is Fan Yongdou? The father and son greeted them in.

In the hall, after everyone divided the guests and sat down, Fan Yongdou tentatively said: "The general is not in the government office, why are you here? Could it be that the villain and others have neglected something?"

"It's not your problem. Hey, I don't know when I will be the commander-in-chief." Hou Shilu waved his hand and said, "Maybe it's just a few days."

(End of this chapter)