The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 533: Harvesting Shanxi Merchants
Mantianxing claimed to be a descendant of Man Chong, a famous general in the Three Kingdoms period, but he couldn't tell exactly which generation of mites he was.

It is said that the Manchu family genealogy was kept in Jinyang, Shanxi. When Li Xianzhong of the former Ming Dynasty rebelled, the Manchu family genealogy was destroyed along with Mantianxing's three-story mansion.

As an outlier among Shanxi merchants, Mantianxing had already focused its main energy on Korea as early as the Wanli period of the early Ming Dynasty, instead of joining the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants in getting involved in the business of the Nine Frontier Military Towns. Compared with the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants, the Man family's business was not that big, but it was also for this reason that Mantianxing was not affected during the process of the Great Qi replacing the Ming Dynasty, and most of the Man family's business in Korea was also retained.

In the first year of Wuding, Li Zong betrayed the Great Qi and invaded Liaodong. The Joseon army was in great need of food and supplies. Mantianxing bribed Li Shunyi with a large sum of money and obtained the right to purchase supplies for the Joseon army. Li Zong's rebellion ultimately ended in failure, but this Shanxi merchant made a fortune and became the number one merchant in the Joseon Kingdom.

When Emperor Wu Ding was on the eastern expedition, Mantianxing, who was in Gyeonggi Province negotiating trade with Japan, quickly realized the business opportunities that the Qi army's eastern expedition might bring with his unique political acumen. He took money and servants and rushed to Pyongyang Prefecture in Pyeongan Province overnight, frantically purchasing grain and cloth, preparing to make a fortune after the war.

Unfortunately, before Manager Man had the chance to realize his ambitions, he and several Hui merchants with the same idea were surrounded in Pyongyang. Tens of thousands of stones of grain and cloth were also trapped in Korea.

After the fall of Pyongyang, the goods of the Shanxi and Anhui merchants were immediately regarded as counter-revolutionary property by the pacification troops, and were sealed and registered. Fortunately, Mantianxing's main business was in Gyeonggi Province and Ganghwa Province, so the losses were not great.

"It's not that I don't trust Da Qi. We have heard about what your country did in Shandong and Huguang. What if you don't admit it? Besides, we have never done such a big business worth millions or tens of millions before. Otherwise, we should..."

Mantianxing has been struggling in the business world for many years, relying on the art of deceiving the public by passing off fake things as genuine. He is smart and knows very well that whenever a pie falls from the sky and someone asks you to pick it up, it is basically a trap.

He would give up a business worth millions of taels to help a stranger who has nothing to do with him. How could such a good thing happen in the world?
"Thank you, sir. I think we should wait a little longer until the emperor returns to Korea. I will then unite the Shanxi and Anhui merchants from the eight provinces of Korea to confirm this with the emperor."

Xie Yang patted his chest and said:
"Hahaha, Shopkeeper Man is worrying too much! Worrying too much! Shandong is Shandong, Huguang is Huguang, and Korea is Korea. They are not the same thing! Korea is not comparable to the interior of China. The Emperor is wise and powerful. How could he kill everyone? If he really killed everyone, how could we do business in the future? Besides, the army will soon attack Japan again. If the Japanese pirates knew that the Qi army was like this, who would dare to do business with us? The Emperor knows the principle of buying bones for a thousand gold coins. Isn't Shopkeeper Man also aware of it?"

"I'm just asking all the shopkeepers to help Da Qi collect money. I don't want your money, nor do I need your guarantees. Are you worried about the 200,000 taels of deposit? My friend, you're overthinking it!"

Xie Guangkun spat at Xing, and a few drops of saliva landed on Mantianxing's face.

Manager Man could only smile bitterly. He was in Pyongyang and had just left the city. Apart from the money, he had no other choice.

He was about to explain further when Liu Xingzuo, who was standing next to him, became furious. The spy chief slammed the table and pointed at his nose, cursing:

"Lord Xie is the Minister of Revenue, in charge of the military, finances, and food supplies of more than a dozen provinces. He's second only to the emperor in the Great Qi. When such a good thing happened, Lord Xie first thought of you. You're ungrateful and don't know how to appreciate a good person. You're afraid of everything! To tell you the truth, the retired emperor returned to Liaodong a few days ago and handed over all Korean affairs to Lord Xie. Minister Xie is now the emperor of Korea. If he can't make the decision, who can?!"

Liu Xingzuo slammed his sword on the table with a clang and pointed at the written contract on the table:

"Sign. No one can leave unless they sign!"

Mantianxing and the others looked at each other, muttered to each other, and said hesitantly:
"We just discussed it. We don't ask for more money. We just want to serve the emperor and help him get the job done. We also want to return the food and goods that were seized a few days ago to us."

Xie Yang waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "Of course, don't worry."

Seeing the Shanxi merchants reluctantly agree, Xie Guangkun struck while the iron was hot and said, "The Emperor has decreed that the wealthy families from Pyeongan Province and Hamgyong Province must enter the country in two months. During this time, you can send people back to Shanxi and ask your relatives and friends to join you to set up a temporary silver shop in Korea. We should make money together. If the business is successful, your grain and goods will be just a drop in the bucket. The Emperor will have a generous reward."

~~~~~
Emperor Zhenwu once said, if you are born as a human being and come to this world, it will be difficult for you to die without suffering enough pain.

Shanxi.

The Fan family of Baweitang in Jinyang Prefecture has been a wealthy family in Jinyang for hundreds of years. There are countless members of the family who have passed the imperial examinations, become officials, and govern counties.

The Fan family's ancestral teachings put filial piety and respect for elders first, loyalty and trustworthiness as the foundation, and only farming and studying will bring blessings to their descendants.

Our ancestors from all generations donated money to help countless unrelated poor children to attend school.

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the world was about to fall into chaos. The Fan family adjusted their strategy in time, gave up their official positions and went into business. Not only did they not suffer any losses, but they made a fortune from the national crisis and amassed huge wealth.

In the middle and late Wanli period, the Ming Dynasty was exhausted by the situation in Liaodong, and the demand for war necessities such as arms and horses increased sharply.

The Fan family set their sights on Liaodong. Although the Later Jin had a population of 700,000 at the time, the people of the Later Jin were almost forced to eat their own children because Emperor Wuding imposed an economic blockade on the Jin. The price of rice was as high as 80 taels per stone, and cloth cost 20 taels per piece.

The Shanxi merchants, led by the Fan family, noticed this and used Zhangjiakou as their base to collect goods from all over the country. They then traveled back and forth between the interior and exterior of the Great Wall to engage in trade, supplying large quantities of basic necessities such as food, clothing, and cooking utensils to the Later Jin regime.

The Later Jin Dynasty exchanged valuable items such as ginseng, deer antlers, and animal skins, and thus the two sides established a good win-win relationship.

After Nurhaci died in battle, Huang Taiji deliberately concealed his strength and secretly traded with Shanxi merchants. All the gunpowder, 80% of the grain and more than 60% of the metals needed by the Eight Banners of the Later Jin Dynasty came from the "honest" Shanxi merchants.

Under this win-win relationship, Hetuala was able to turn the looted property, antiques, gold and silver into food to feed hundreds of thousands of captured Mongols, Jurchens and Han people.

Within three years after the bloody Battle of Hunhe, grain prices in the Later Jin Dynasty plummeted, the population continued to expand, and the country entered a golden period of development.

The Shanxi merchant group with the Fan family as its core made a profit of 5 million silver dollars in the second year of the Tianqi reign alone. With the full support of the Later Jin Dynasty, the Shanxi merchants almost monopolized the Outer Northeast trade and even extended their tentacles to Siberia, Moscow, and St. Petersburg... From Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki, and Incheon in the east to Tarbagatai, Yili, and Kashgar in the west, there are traces of Shanxi merchants.

If this rate continues, it will not be a dream for the Fan family to enter the European market and fight a decisive battle with the Jewish market.

Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. Before Huang Taiji could enter the pass, Hetuala was conquered by Liu Zhaosun, the Eight Banners of Jianzhou were completely destroyed, and the commercial system developed by Shanxi merchants in Liaodong collapsed.

~~~~
On the third day of the first lunar month in the fourth year of Taichu, as Fan Yongdao proudly walked along the veranda, around Yingliu Lake, and down the stone steps flanked by seven ancient pines onto Caoxiangping, he suddenly heard a burst of girlish laughter from the tangled apricot grove on the lawn. "Ahem."

Fan Yongdao coughed loudly twice, and the two graceful young maids in the apricot forest immediately fled in panic. Seeing that it was the master here, they hurriedly ran away with blushing faces.

"You little girl is dishonest! You spent a lot of money on it!"

Fan Yongdao cursed twice, remembering that he had spent fifty taels on a Huaiyang merchant last year. Looking at the frivolous look of the two girls, he suddenly felt that the money was not worth it.

"The courtyard is filled with music and singing on a moonlit night, and the garden is filled with peach and plum blossoms."

In the eight-courtyard garden mansion of Baweitang, inscriptions, plaques, and couplets are everywhere. Among them, Fan Yongdao’s favorite couplet is the one in front of him.

This couplet was written by him personally a few years ago. At that time, the Fan family's business was at its peak. It was flourishing and prosperous. Fan Yongdao lived a life of luxury and debauchery. During festivals, there was an endless stream of troupes performing Kunqu opera at the Fan residence. When the master of the Fan family celebrated his birthday, the surrounding streets were jam-packed with carriages. Even the governor of Jinyang came to congratulate him in person...

Unfortunately, everything is over.

Fan Yongdao lifted the blue satin cotton curtain and walked into the side room, where a burst of warm air hit him in the face.

In the corner of the wing room, a refreshing sandalwood scent was wafting from the bronze Boshan incense burner with cloud patterns on the ebony table.

Mr. Fan picked up a cup of hot Biluochun tea from the table and just as he was about to put it to his lips, he heard someone outside shout:

"Dream Dragon."

Menglong is Fan Yongdao's pen name.

It was Zhao the Accountant from the voice. Zhao the Accountant was a Juren in the former Ming Dynasty. Because he supported Zhang Chun's rebellion, he was stripped of his title. Out of hatred for the Great Qi, he changed his status and became the accountant of the Fan family, also serving as the legal advisor.

Fan Yongdao thought highly of this down-and-out scholar. They had similar interests. Master Zhao was older than him, and although Fan Yongdao was the boss, he respected him as his brother. As a result, Master Zhao worked more diligently and meticulously.

"Come in."

Accountant Zhao stood at the door holding an abacus.

"Menglong, Manager Man sent someone to deliver a letter."

"Which shopkeeper is this?"

"Mantianxing, the one who fled to North Korea with her sister-in-law after her fur business went bankrupt a few years ago."

"He was comfortable as a shopkeeper, accumulating debts, and then he just left for Korea, taking his sister-in-law with him. I heard she's a beauty, so why is he writing to me?"

"Menglong, I don't think he has good intentions."

Fan Yongdao opened the envelope and read it hastily under the west window.

"What? Going to Korea to deposit silver for the people, only making money, no losses, a huge profit? Deposit one thousand taels and give ten taels, what a profiteer!"

"Menglong, I told you not to get angry with that profiteer. He must have paid compensation in Korea, or Liu Zhaosun's men must have withheld it, and he's trying to trick us into coming over."

"You bastard! He actually treats me like a fool!"

"Dream Dragon,"

Master Zhao said cautiously, "I'm not sure if I should say this, but we at Baweitang used to rely on the Later Jin Dynasty. With Huang Taiji and Nurhaci as our backers, we had a very good life. But now, the world is so chaotic, black and white are reversed, and the flags on the city walls are changing. Even a servant like Liu Zhaosun can become emperor. Can't you see clearly these days? Whoever has the knife is the boss. Right now, Shaanxi and Shanxi are controlled by the Daxi bandits. Although Zhang Zicheng hasn't touched our Fan family yet, he might just be treating us like fat pigs and cutting us off at any time."

"In the final analysis, we still have to deal with Qi."

Manager Fan knew what Master Zhao said.

Shanxi has been in turmoil in recent years. First, Li Xianzhong attacked, then Deng Changxiong fought back, and now Zhang Zicheng has come.

Every time there was a war, the Fan family would provide money and food to the soldiers.

The world is deteriorating, and people’s hearts are not as old as they used to be!
The Fan family engaged in smuggling trade in an orderly manner, occasionally leaking some military intelligence to the Mongols and Jianzhou people. They did not kill or burn people, but just wanted to make more money. What could be wrong with such a businessman?
"That's it!"

Although he knew that Liu Zhaosun was behind the plot, Manager Fan decided to deal with the emperor to avoid getting into trouble.

"Let the second shopkeeper take 30,000 silver coins to Korea and see how things turn out."

(End of this chapter)