Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 294 The prince is born, and the adopted son bets his life!
As the prospective father-in-law of King Wu, Zhao Lixia, the president of the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce, will naturally not lag behind.

He opened a garment factory with 300 female workers outside Hangzhou. At the same time, he also obtained the qualification to be the first third-level liquor dealer in Hangzhou. The storefront in the downtown area was decorated very lavishly.

The logic of high-end consumption is top-down!

The market for Yujiu soon opened up.

Ordinary style, 2 taels per bottle, packaged in white porcelain bottles.

The most expensive one costs 88 taels!
The box is made of rosewood, with brass accessories and low-key patterns.

After opening, there is a layer of bright yellow satin lining. There is a line of numbers in the lower right corner of the lining to prevent counterfeiting!

The wine is packaged in a sky-blue porcelain bottle, imitating the aesthetics of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, but the quality is far from it, and it is just similar in appearance.

The process flow is also very sophisticated.

Shaoxing glutinous rice, high-quality wheat koji, and Taihu water are all selected.

The host opened the box reservedly, and the dazzling bright yellow satin made all the guests' pupils tremble. Is this a color accessible to ordinary people?

Under the stimulation of reality and Zhao Lixia's personal statement, an impression was strengthened in the minds of the entire Jiangnan businessmen group:
King Wu, we really talk about contracts!

This year's harvest was bumper, and there were no middlemen to eat the price difference, so we successfully collected 300 million stones of grain.

A businessman with a keen sense of smell dares to take a gamble when faced with opportunities.

The letter expressed one of his worries:
"As a result, business has prospered and people's income has increased, but it has buried a layer of hidden worries. The proportion of grain planting in Jiangnan will definitely decrease again. It should be noted that since the Ming Dynasty, the grain planting area of ​​Jiangnan cultivated land has been declining. Take Songjiang Prefecture as an example , it was less than 50% during the Yongzheng period. The prince needs to consider the risk of further expansion of cotton planting area in the future, and grain production will decrease and food prices will soar~"

……

Li Yu: At the government level, the government organized dredging of rivers, digging irrigation canals, building warehouses, and recruiting labor from nearby areas. The price was 50 Wen a day, paid every day! At the private level, encourage these businessmen to use their money to open factories and absorb labor!

We need to find something for them to do!
At this point, Qianlong and Li Yu collided again.

Minister of Economic Affairs Fan Jing's father-in-law and the head of the Fan family secretly sent a letter to Li Yu through his son-in-law.

The government will accuse you of "gathering a crowd with intent to rebel", confiscate your home and exterminate your clan, and kill chickens to scare the monkeys.

How could this blessing be so small?

When the first large-scale cotton spinning factory covering an area of ​​more than 3000 acres opened in Zhujiajiao Town, Songjiang Prefecture,

Although there is a lot of cultivated land in Jiangnan, there are too many people after all.

They actually encouraged businessmen to expand their scale, allowing scattered workshops to be merged into one place, and hundreds or even thousands of hired workers to gather without any fear.

Just imagine, a wealthy businessman is having a banquet, and the house is full of guests.

In principle, the retail price is no less than 88 taels. In fact, the price is determined by the dealers themselves. Depending on their ability, they can ask for high prices or outrageous prices!

Soon, cotton spinning factories were opened in Songjiang, Suzhou, Huzhou, Hangzhou, and Jiaxing.

But, you can’t buy it!

Is it 88 taels to legally experience royal treatment?
Of course not expensive.

I have to say, ginger is still spicy.

The rest, all dealers are safe.

Not only is it true, it is a reality that will soon be seen.

When Li Yu saw this letter at the Hukou-Pengze front line, he realized that what he said was true.

The front focuses on war, while the rear develops commerce.

King Wu is very different.

He will take what is his duty and will not take less than one tael. He shouldn't have taken it. He was really not greedy at all.

Dividing the total amount of cultivated land in Jiangnan by the total population, one person (regardless of gender, old or young) can barely spread out one and a half acres of land.

King Wu only made 50 taels of cost!
Local governments only collect tax money based on commercial taxes!

Qianlong: Assign more corvée labor. They are idle anyway, so why not help me with my various projects for free?

Throughout the dynasties, the imperial court was vigilant and restricted merchants with strong capital. Don't even think about factories like today with thousands of employees.

……

One of the most amazing things is the fermentation process of wheat koji:
It must be stepped on barefoot by a group of pretty girls under the age of 16 who are from Jiangnan, have an innocent family background, and can skillfully recite the "Women's Code".

"Weaving in Songjiang".

When filling, a senior monk is required to hold a wooden fish at the side and chant sutras loudly.

……

This is a strong signal that enough is enough!

Limited supply, only 100 bottles per house per year.

This has brought about two impacts. First, the idle labor force has a place to go! Second, another fixed source of tax money has been added!
Li Yu once estimated,
There is a serious surplus of young and middle-aged labor force (regardless of men and women) throughout Jiangnan.

For the local area,

Everything is being implemented smoothly according to Li Yu's ideas.

Hu Xueyu, the Minister of Commerce, rode a rather luxurious four-wheeled carriage and arrived in person surrounded by guards. He drank a glass of water and wine, expressed his blessings in a programmed manner and left a picture signed by King Wu with the words "Yi Bei Tian Xia". Just left.

We got rid of the middlemen and gave a small part of their original share to the people. Most of it went into their own stomachs, and this year's great situation was achieved.

The launch of cotton spinning factories will definitely lead to an increase in the price of cotton raw materials. There will definitely be more people switching to cotton because they earn more than food.

This is a pair of invisible hands!

[Note: In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the cotton yield per mu was about 100 kilograms. 】

……

Li Yu recorded the food problem in his diary, and then continued to think about the war.

The Qing army was fortified at all levels, so it was not impossible to bypass them.

But in this way, the Qing army would have the opportunity to cut off its own logistics route. The Wu army relied heavily on logistics and could not take risks.

Then change the method and rush in with light troops!

The main force remained stationary for the time being, and Li Ergou's 3st Mixed Battalion of the 1rd Army bypassed the Qing army's defense lines and attacked Hukou County. When he stirs up the inner chaos of the Qing army, there may be a chance for a decisive battle.

Walk out of the big tent,

Looking at the shadowy mountains in the southeast, Li Yu thought silently in his heart: It's time for Li Xiaowu's troops in Huizhou Prefecture to leave at this time.

Suddenly, a man trotted over under the guidance of the soldiers.

"Congratulations to the prince, the princess has given birth to a son. Mother and son are healthy."

Everyone was excited, this was a happy event.

Having a prince means that the foundation is more stable.

The prince is still young and will have more heirs in the future. There will be successors to this great cause.

"The princess asks the prince to give the prince a name."

"well."

Li Yu was also immersed in happiness. He returned to the big account and wrote:
"Li Yuanzhen".

……

"Inform the three armies that each battalion will slaughter 2 pigs and 20 chickens tonight. All officers and soldiers will be rewarded with 2 taels of silver to celebrate with my king."

The mounted guards raised their flags and shouted orders.

Everywhere he went, there were cheers of "Long Live".

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, your military spirit is available." Miao Youlin came over happily, followed by Li Ergou and Huang Si.

"You came just in time to see if there are any flaws in my king's plan?"

In the big tent,
Li Yu was drawing on the map and explaining it at the same time.

"Li Ergou, your troops are carrying an excessive amount of ammunition and supplies, and the light troops are rushing straight into the lake entrance. This trip is very dangerous. Your combat goal is to force the main force of the Qing army to encircle you and disrupt their deployment, so you have to fight with me. The main force of the army fights decisively."

"I don't want to get entangled with these camps along the way. As long as the main force of the Qing army in Hukou can be defeated in one fell swoop, these scabies sufferers will disperse on their own."

Li Ergou nodded solemnly and accepted this very dangerous task.

Sure enough, not a morsel of food during this period was free.

"Father, I'm afraid we don't have enough baggage carts in the camp, and we don't have enough mules either."

Li Yu stared at him:
"Take whatever you like. Except for the war horse, I can give you everything else."

Li Ergou took a deep breath, performed a military salute and left the camp.

……

Huang Si looked at his leaving back and asked in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, please give him a team of elite soldiers, all of whom have seen blood."

"can."

Miao Youlin didn't say anything. This scene was very familiar.

Didn't he earn his position as commander-in-chief by risking his life? The prince is so cruel, and his adopted son is not worthy of being used as a human being.

The light soldiers came forward, sounding enthusiastic. To use a more down-to-earth word, it is called "lureing the enemy with scented bait", which means taking the initiative to let the enemy surround you.

This tactic,

There was once a man named Zhang Lingfu who played with it. It bloomed in the center and was surrounded on all sides. Non-strong generals would not dare to try, and non-strong soldiers would not be so courageous.

Anyway,

After the order was conveyed, the soldiers of the 3st Battalion of the 1rd Army Corps were not afraid. Instead, they harbor a blind fanaticism.

This has something to do with the source of the soldiers. The 3rd Army Corps came from all over the world. They were all poor in their hometowns and could not survive, so they were willing to slip out and become soldiers.

If the family has assets, who would be willing to leave their hometown and risk their lives?

……

"Second Master, the meat provided by the army is too little, not enough to fill the gap between the teeth."

The mixed battalion has a strength of 1000 people, double that of an ordinary battalion. So 4 pigs and 40 chickens were given.

Li Ergou looked at these soldiers who wanted to eat meat and waved his hand:
"Go, let the friendly forces evenly distribute them to us."

Lin Youtai, the captain from Fujian, laughed and said:
"Isn't it bad to steal the chicken leaks from friendly forces?"

"We are going to be the vanguard for the whole army tomorrow. What's wrong with eating more meat? Don't touch the guy. This is a taboo, you know?"

"Don't worry, Second Master."

Li Ergou usually likes to call himself "grandpa".

It would seem taboo if a subordinate calls him Mr. Li. Calling him Lord Gou is like swearing. I can only call him Second Master.

In short, the atmosphere in the mixed camp is quite domineering from top to bottom.

……

A group of soldiers from all over the world dispersed with smiles.

A dozen or so people wandered to the 4th Battalion of the 4th Army Corps while humming an indecent ditty. They saw boiling water boiling in a pot and chickens with their hair removed and bled on the ground.

They secretly hid the two chickens in their clothes and glared at the cook.

He threatened:
"Don't scream, or I'll stop you."

"I'm going to fight as a vanguard tomorrow and have a narrow escape from death. Do you know that?"

Then, he wandered to the 6th Battalion next door and dragged a pig in a grand manner.

"What are you doing?"

A large group of soldiers from the 6th Battalion surrounded us. This was intolerable.

Killing a pig can yield 200 kilograms of meat, which is equivalent to less than half a kilogram of braised pork for each person, which is not bad.

The conflict between the two sides is about to break out.
"I'm from the mixed camp next door. Tomorrow we will be the death squads of the entire army. What's wrong with you? If you don't accept it, come on. I'll switch camps with you and let you eat double portions of meat."

This rogue style of soldiering, which seemed to be standing on the moral high ground, stunned the surrounding soldiers of the 4th Army.

……

However, this pig must not be let out.

It's about the good fortune of the whole camp. If you let this go, don't mess around in the future.

After all, the 6th Battalion had also attacked Qing army fortresses and had seen blood.

Everyone in the mixed camp saw that someone on the other side had picked up a musket from the side, opened the hammer, and realized that they needed to take a step back.

Swish, brush,

The pig suddenly let out a miserable cry and fell to the ground bloody, with its hind legs chopped off.

The soldier who drew the sword from the mixed battalion carried two bleeding pig hind legs, bumped the crowd with his shoulder boldly, and walked away.

There's too much movement,

It's not so easy to grab further forward.

The soldiers of the 7th Battalion directly lined up and blocked the road ahead with bayonets in hand to defend the evening's meat.

No choice, take a detour.

……

Sleepiness meets pillow.

Everyone in the mixed camp was shamelessly wandering around looking for meat.

Suddenly a pig rushed forward.

I don’t know which camp slaughtered the pigs, but the craftsmanship was so fashionable that the pigs that were stabbed escaped.

"Quick, quick, meat delivered to your door."

The crowd surrounded the pig and kicked it hard. They quickly subdued the black pig and carried it back to the camp.

Behind him, there was a roar:

"Stop and put the pig down."

"You dare to rob the pigs of our second legion, you are impatient to work hard."

A group of Huaixi soldiers followed the blood trail.

The atmosphere instantly became tense. There were ruthless people on both sides, and more and more people were watching.

"Your pig!"

"Correct."

"Is there writing on the pig? Does it answer when you call it?" The people in the mixed camp started to mess around.

A group of Huaixi soldiers were furious and drew their weapons.

Everyone in the mixed camp did not show weakness and also drew their weapons:

"Do you want to give it a try? We are tomorrow's death squads. Are you sure you want to fight us?"

……

The Huaixi soldiers were filled with hatred, and the leading officer shouted:
"Damn it, threw the weapon. Fight."

There are still points on both sides, so just fight with your bare hands. The fight was filled with smoke and dust, and for a while it was impossible to tell the winner.

Although the mixed battalion is a new recruit, it has rich experience in group fighting.

The sources of soldiers mainly come from miners in southern Zhejiang, Hakkas in Guangxi, and farmers in southern Fujian. They have been fighting since they were young. It can be as small as a field ridge being tilted an inch, or as big as robbing water and forest of mountains.

Although it is not a war, it is better than a war.

……

The clans in the south are powerful, and they respond to each other in a fight. The more resources are scarce in an area, the easier it is to fight.

There are only so many resources.

No one dares to give in and can only use force to solve the problem.

Even the local government was unwilling to intervene.

There is no oil or water, and it is easy to catch fire.

It's better to pretend not to know and let them beat you hard. Hatred requires enough blood to release.

Any sane local official knows that don't expect mediation to resolve conflicts. The fundamental conflict is insufficient survival resources!
No solution!

Therefore, as long as it does not affect the county town or the gentry. Control the scope of the fighting to a certain extent and let you fight.

The green hills are big enough to bury as many dead people as they want.

With fewer people, there will be fewer conflicts.

In this age without media, there is no need to worry about the incident becoming a big deal. Even if there is a fight involving thousands of people, the people in the county 50 miles away may not know about it! Not to mention the emperor who was thousands of miles away.

……

boom,
A gunshot stopped the melee between the two sides.

When the patrol team arrived, the duty officer briefly asked about the reason and made a judgment on the spot:

"Soldiers of the 2nd Legion involved in the brawl, 20 military sticks."

"The soldiers of the 3st Mixed Battalion of the 1rd Army Corps are recorded in the record. They will refill their military sticks after completing their tasks and returning to the army."

Very reasonable and very clear!
The soldiers in the mixed battalion were wailing as they were beaten with military sticks, but the soldiers involved looked like they were watching a show.

After the duty officer left,
The Huaixi soldiers stood up with difficulty with the help of their companions and said:
"The feud between us is finally settled. Sooner or later I will settle the score with you!"

The soldiers in the mixed battalion were nonchalant and went to nearby battalions to collect meat. This time they successfully brought back dozens of chickens.

The friendly forces were wary and maintained restraint.

Broken window effect!

(End of this chapter)