A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 587

When Liu Benshen faced Wang Dou, although he was respectful, he still had no expression on his face. He slowly reported the intelligence department's spying results: "This time, for the rumors about the general, the supporters in the capital will use Li Rixuan, Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and Li Rixuan, Minister of the Household Department, to treat Wang Dou. Question: Li Banghua, Zuodu Censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Meng Zhaoxiang, Minister of Criminal Affairs, Shi Bangyao, Zuodu Yushi of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, Ling Yiqu, Minister of Dali Temple, and Wu Linzheng, Minister of Taichang Temple, all took the lead, and the rest of the cabinet ministers all acquiesced! "

"And the rise of these rumors may not be without the help of thieves and slaves..."

"In terms of business affairs, Xuanda, Jindi and other big merchants, such as Fan, Wang, Kang, Zhai, Liang, Huang, Qu, etc., are the main ones, and cooperate with various commercial firms, many officials and generals, etc., first They boycotted and burned my imported goods, blocked and destroyed many merchants close to our East Road, and even assassinated and beat people from the other clan.

"...This is the first step of the thieves' plan, intending to block the future development of my business!"

Liu Benshen said: "Their second step is to print fake food stamps."

He took out a few food stamps with denominations of one liter, one dou and one hege, and handed them to Wang Dou: "These are counterfeit tickets printed by profiteers."

Wang Dou took it and looked at it, tossed it over and over again, and finally sighed: "It's really confusing the real one, the common people see it, how can they tell the difference?"

In fact, the merchants of Ming Dynasty did a good job in anti-counterfeiting of various bills, watermarking technology, handwriting, micro-engraving of seals, and secret Chinese characters. Let people see it in admiration.

However, Donglu is a small place after all, and the anti-counterfeiting measures that various merchants have come up with are far from being comparable to the huge Shanxi Merchants Group. It is quite easy to imitate and crack. Moreover, these counterfeiting bases are not located in Donglu, and are under the jurisdiction. Outside the district, inspection is more difficult.

The power of those Shanxi merchants is astonishing. When they start, in time, the flood of fake food stamps will overwhelm the real grain stamps issued by Donglu.

These fake food stamps were passed around in the hands of the generals. Gao Shiyin took out a few real food stamps from his pocket, referring to these fake food stamps, but found that they were really hard to distinguish. It looks like, I have to say, these profiteers are still capable."

Shen Shiqi said: "It does look like it. I didn't say anything about it, I thought these were real tickets."

Xie Yike said angrily: "What looks like an elephant is a fake. These profiteers don't follow the right path, but take crooked ways. They are all first-class masters."

Wen Fangliang pondered for a while, then said: "Although that is the case, the supervision on our East Road is very strict, even if a small amount of counterfeit tickets flow in, it has nothing to do with the overall situation, right?"

Qin Yi, who praised the painting, said: "Otherwise, now our food stamps on the East Road are famous far and wide, and many places outside the road are using them. If there are a large number of fake tickets in circulation, the treacherous people will make rumors again, causing the food stamps outside the road to be abandoned, and even food points everywhere will be sold." run on..."

He said: "Everyone knows that the general is now the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town. However, our military ambitions in Jingbian are not in the same place, and we must always develop. Everyone has seen the benefits of food stamps. This is a weapon for the family and the country. , if you lose credit..."

He looked at Wang Dou and said solemnly: "General, if this is the case, the pace of our Jingbian army's outward expansion will be greatly delayed."

When everyone thinks of this, they are all shocked. Indeed, credit is an elusive thing. When it is credited, there is no food reserve, no gold and silver reserves, and the big guys can use it with confidence. It is a lesson for the past.

It is not easy to develop food stamps on the East Road, because the military and civilians have great confidence and respect for Wang Dou, and they have gone through several years of tortuous roads. If they lose credibility with the outside world, how many years will it take to promote food stamps ?
Not to mention anything else, after Wang Dou entered the town, the promotion of food stamps on the remaining roads in the town may fall into an unsatisfactory situation.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn't sit still anymore, Gao Shiyin and Shen Shiqi jumped up again, one said kill kill kill, the other said hack chop hack, all yelling.

Wang Dou waved his hand, signaling to everyone not to be impatient. He looked at Liu Benshen and said, "If there is one or two, then there are three. Let me tell you how profiteers take the third step."

Liu Benshen saluted and said, "Yes."

He said: "The third step of the profiteers is to sell my food coupons on the East Road. According to the intelligence department's detection, they also split up and roughly cut off the external supply of grain, grass, salt, tea, cloth, etc., and then snapped up a large number of East Road merchants. goods, or snapped up a large number of food stamps on the East Road, so that there are few tickets and goods on the road, and then there are plans, which may involve some insiders on the East Road..."

Speaking of this, Liu Benshen lowered his eyelids and did not say who the insider was on the spot. Wang Dou's eyes flashed coldly. The news of the insider made him sad, and it was within his expectation that his subordinates were not saints , When various situations arise, there is also the possibility of being bribed.

Only by cleaning up these scum, can the East Road be more united and united as one.

But Wang Dou can accept it, but it doesn't mean his subordinates can accept it. Zhenfu Chi Dacheng's face turned black, Wen Fangliang and Han Chao stood up abruptly, Gao Shiyin and Shen Shiqi took a few steps back, Gao Shiyin murmured: "Who is it? So shameless?"

Wang Dou took a deep breath and asked Liu Benshen to continue reporting. Under Liu Benshen's detailed report, the schemes of the Shanxi merchants were revealed step by step before his eyes. It can be said that their intelligence department is still capable. The representative figures of the conspiracy, their action steps, Everything is under control, which makes Wang Dou quite satisfied.

Intelligence is an army, the eyes and ears of a group, without intelligence, it is just blind.

After Liu Benshen finished reporting, all the generals looked at Wang Dou. They are not good at this kind of business warfare. Except for praising Qin Yi, who knows a little bit, and Sun Sanjie who knows something, the rest are laymen. , will only grind Wang Dou, asking for money and food.

Wang Dou sneered in his heart. He never expected to play a financial war when he returned to the Ming Dynasty. It is not surprising to think about it. This kind of economic war was left in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period. One type of war will be more common in later generations.

He paced around in the tent for a while, and issued a series of orders: "The first step in dealing with the traitors is to order the intelligence department to send people to protect the damaged merchants, and even take their clansmen to the east road. How many people are there?" For the loss, I will double the compensation in the future, let them know that those who cooperate with me will never suffer!"

"The second step is to severely crack down on those dens of counterfeiting and counterfeiting. All the anti-traitor teams will be sent out, and the soldiers from the sharp sentry battalion will cooperate with them. No matter where they are in Ming Dynasty, they will be killed within the capital. Kill them all!"

"I will ask Zhong Rong's Financial Secretary to allocate 1 taels of silver and [-] stone denomination food stamps as the operating expenses of the Intelligence Division. They need people to give people, and they want food to be given. They must completely destroy their counterfeit ticket manufacturing dens. Block the source and distribution channels of counterfeit bills.”

"Order Zhang Gui to quickly assemble the team and send special personnel to study the anti-counterfeiting of food stamps. All the commercial firms will cooperate vigorously. If anyone can invent a special and effective anti-counterfeiting technology, they will be rewarded with [-] points of merit and [-] shi of food stamps!"

"The third step is easy to say. Those profiteers may not have imagined that I have a lot of gold, silver, grain and grass reserves on the East Road. Especially in this two-front battle, we will see who has more money and who has more food. Of course, At the same time, order the Department of Civil Affairs to strictly investigate the market, and if there are more than ten stones of unidentified traders, all of them will be recorded, and depending on their intentions in the future, they can be punished for destroying the East Road economy, cooperating with traitors, and disrupting the financial market. "

Seeing the general come down with a series of orders, like a thunderstorm and orderly at the same time, all the generals felt relieved, Zhong Xian looked at Wang Dou, his eyes sparkling again.

Sun Sanjie is in charge of the supply camp, and has a certain understanding of money and food. After the battle at Changling Mountain, he was injured in many places. Fortunately, none of them were critical. After careful treatment, he can still sit and talk at this time.

He laughed and said: "It is indeed as the general said, from outsiders' point of view, the general must have emptied the warehouse to raise troops and horses, but he didn't think that I have a lot of money and food reserves on the East Road. Although those profiteers are rich, they can mobilize money and food It’s still limited, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they die.”

Gao Shiyin laughed wildly and said: "That's right, that's it, smashing them to death with silver, crushing them with gold mountains, just think about it, hahaha."

Shen Shiqi was also beaming, and shouted: "Just one word, refreshing!"

Qin Yi, who praised the painting, smiled and said: "My Jingbian army has always given people the impression that they are outstanding in military strength, but their military rule is not good. When the business war is over, it will definitely make people look at it with admiration, and it will increase the wave of defecting to the general."

The rest of them also chatted loudly, and they all had a feeling of novelty. They had been in the army for many years, but only fought and killed on the battlefield. This business war also gave everyone a refreshing feeling, as if they had stepped into a new world.

Seeing the smiles of everyone in the account, Wang Dou also smiled, and said to Liu Benshen, who was still dead-faced: "The fourth step, the Propaganda Section under the Intelligence Department must take action, use force to cover, and go to the capital. Tianjin, Tongzhou, Xuanzhen, Taiyuan, Datong, and Baoding are everywhere, distributing leaflets and exposing the true colors of those profiteers, hum, colluding with the Tartars, smuggling outside the Great Wall, lurking spies, selling information, buying scorpions, and having a face Justification merchants? We must attack them in public opinion!"

Speaking of this, Wang Dou thought of the newspapers of later generations. Although there were mansion newspapers and tabloids at this time, the scale was still a bit small and could not form a standardized industry. It seems that in the future, Donglu and Xuanzhen must run newspapers. Even if you lose money, you have to deal with it. This is manipulating people's hearts, and it is a sharp weapon in public opinion.

"the fifth step……"

Wang Dou continued to issue orders, seeing the admiration of the people around him. Looking at one, two, three, four, five, the generals have many skills. If it were them, it would be good if they could think of one or two ways to deal with it. .

"The old rule is to divide and buy, and see if there are people who are willing to abandon the dark and turn to the bright. If there are, they will benefit from them. If they are stubborn, they will die without a place to die. Regarding this matter, I will Talk to Wang Pu about it."

Wen Fangliang asked suspiciously: "General, after counting the measures above, did they finally let them go? I'm afraid they won't die, but they will be harmed instead. These profiteers are holding grudges, and they will definitely make a comeback."

Wang Dou shook his head and said: "Of course not. After their reputation is rotten and they are defeated in the business war, it is finally time to deal with them! Let Zhang Gui and the others stand up first, and when the army returns home, they will be dealt with."

Gao Shiyin said excitedly: "Smash them down with money, and finally hack them to death with a knife. It's a pleasure! I didn't say a word, kill, kill him, blood will flow like a river."

"but……"

Gao Shiyin looked at Wang Dou with concern, and said again: "The reputation of the general is important now, should we change the banner, for example, pretend to be a thief?"

Shen Shiqi said: "Let's pretend to be a Mongol from outside the Great Wall. This time, many Mongolian tribes have surrendered. Let them take the blame."

Looking at the discussion among the people in the account, it would be better to pretend to be some kind of soldier and horse to hack and kill, Wang Dou just shook his head: "After the end, how can those profiteers have any reputation?"

He proudly said: "I, Wang Douxing, will not change my name or surname. Whatever I want to do, I will do it openly. There is no need to be sneaky. I just want to come to Shanxi in a dignified manner, and raid the families of those profiteers one by one!"

"I will also convene a public trial meeting for all people, and announce in front of the world the crimes of these thieves colluding with the Tartars and fornicating outside the Great Wall, and punish them! Let those clowns know that they dare to provoke me, Wang Dou, and Jingbian The army is the biggest mistake!"

Everyone in the tent was full of enthusiasm, clasped their fists together and shouted: "I am willing to die for the great general!"

(End of this chapter)