Chapter 221 Back to the Salt Farm

While Zhang Yang was enjoying the gentle countryside, a man was running with a few guards in this cold winter.

He is not afraid to run away. If he can get things done, he will have completed a task. However, he knows very well that the province will definitely not agree to this request.

Li Qi is worried. What's going on in the past few years? Why are there thieves everywhere? It suppressed the east, the west, the south, and the north. The imperial army was tired of responding to orders, but the rebels fought more and more.

Although he has a lot of complaints about some measures of the court, such as dividing people into four categories. However, since the prime minister got out of politics, he has still implemented a lot of easing measures. However, in the dark, there is his own will, and God always plays tricks on people. First, there is a drought, then the Yellow River flood, countless people are displaced, and there are unstable factors. Who is to blame for all this?

Now, even the situation of Gaoyou Mansion has been devastated. Now, even if the 20,000 defenders sent out are transferred back, I'm afraid it will be difficult to respond to Gaoyou Mansion. Taizhou is a military town with heavy military guards, and it is unbearable in front of the rebels. It's also because of Taizhou that Xingsheng made up his mind to recruit anti-thieves, right? If you recruit them and use them to deal with the Red Turban Army in Haozhou, it is a good strategy to kill two birds with one stone. It's just that the cost is too high. Zhang Shicheng is really a private salt dealer. He actually opened the lion's mouth. Did the provincial capital agree?

Entering Yangzhou City, Li Qi went straight to the provincial government to find Lord Zhao Lian, who was in charge of this matter. Naturally, he had to ask him for instructions.

At this moment, Zhao Lian is lying on the desk, handling all kinds of official documents. He was also unlucky. As soon as he arrived in Taizhou, Taizhou City was lost. In order to win the favor of Zuo Chengqi again, in addition to giving gifts, he had to work hard. He dealt with all the official documents accumulated in Taizhou in the past few days.

"Your Excellency, Gaoyoufu Yin Liqi asked to see you." The government official reported. .

Is Li Qi here? I don't know if the matter of recruitment can be negotiated? Zhao Lian hurriedly said, "Please!" If this matter is settled and the loss of Taizhou will come to an end, he really wants to know how Li Qi is doing this time.

"Lord Zhao, I went to Xinghua and hurried to report to Lord Zhao." Li Qi said. If you only write an official document, it is not clear at all. If you go back and forth several times, I'm afraid it will delay the war situation. Therefore, Li Qi came directly.

"Well, how did the other party react when I met Zhang Shicheng this time?" Zhao Lian asked. Yesterday, I just got the news that the anti-thieves had taken down Xinghua a few days ago. The anti-thieves' action was really fast. Zhao Lian was also very anxious about recruiting the other party. God knows what these anti-thieves want to do. If they come to attack Yangzhou, even if they can't take it down, they have to let the trip look bad and make the court angry.

"Lord Zhao, the other party has made too many requests. I can't make my own decisions, so I came to discuss with Lord Zhao." Li Qi sat on the chair, took a deep breath and said.

"Are there too many requests? What are your requirements? Zhao Lian had an ominous foreboding. He pretended to be calm and picked up the tea and took a sip.

"Your excellency, let me say it carefully." Li Qi sorted out his thoughts, looked at Zhao Lian's face, and said, "The other party wants the whole Gaoyou Mansion and the eastern half of Yangzhou Road."

"Poo!" Zhao Lian spit a mouthful of water on the table in front of him and wet a large part of the official document. "What does he want?"

"Report to the adults, in addition to the anti-thieves who have obtained Taizhou and Xinghua, the other party also wants Gaoyou and Baoying in Gaoyoufu, as well as Hai'an, Tongzhou, and..."

"And what?" Zhao Lian's face was ugly.

"And Yangzhou, the other party also wants it, but under the argument of the subordinate, the other party has to give up."

Even Yangzhou wants it. Isn't it forcing the province to move? Zhao Lian's lungs were almost explosive. If he had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, he really wanted to say that such greedy anti-thieves were all on the spot! However, his men did not have soldiers, and there were not many soldiers in Yangzhou. The timid defeated soldiers were reorganized and put into the city defense work. He was afraid that the other party would come to attack the city. Now, there is no power to attack Zhang Shicheng at all. Maybe he also knew, so he opened his mouth and asked for so many territory.

"In addition to these requirements, he also wants the court to agree that after the salt farm in Gaoyou restarts, he will distribute the salt produced on his own." Anyway, I'm angry. Let's say all the surnames.

What? Does he distribute it himself? Can the Lianghuai Salt Transportation Company agree? Can the court agree? What's the joke about Zhang Shicheng? Who does he think he is? Zhao Lian laughed angrily.

"Your Excellency, how should we respond?" Li Qi asked.

There is nothing we can do to recruit surrender, but now, the conditions offered by the other party are too much, and these conditions cannot be agreed to in any case.

Zhao Lian calmed down, thought about it carefully, and said, "The conditions he opened are too much. The province is unacceptable. You go back and tell him that if you have the sincerity to us, you can be the Yin of Xinghua County and the Yin of Taizhou, let him rule Xinghua and Taizhou, and all the rights are decentralized. Give it to him and give it to the court a certain amount of tax every year.

If the other party beat it down, then give it to him for free. Anyway, he won't come back. And such a form gives him a legal identity, and the province also has a step down. Such a condition is already the province's biggest concession. Zhao Lian doesn't want to agree to all these conditions. Otherwise, there is no need to say anything else. It is Zuo Chengyi Zhe who can tear him to pieces.

Well, this headache has been handed over to Li Qi again. Can they agree to Xinghua with such a reply? Li Qi was not afraid to run away. He rode a horse for only two days, but he didn't want to return in no way.

"Your Excellency, in this case, I'm afraid it's difficult for the other party to agree." Li Qi said.

"What? Is it difficult to agree? It depends on your ability. The ancients can lobby the seven kingdoms, and you only need to persuade a small rebel leader. To put it bluntly, he is a green forest thief. Is it so difficult? Zhao Lianban said with his face down.

"Adult..."

"Good, then promise Gaoyoufu to Zhang Shicheng, and you can return to your hometown!" Zhao Lian saw that Li Qi was so stubborn, so he had to exert some more pressure.

Li Qi hurriedly got down from the chair and said, "Your Excellency, I will go back immediately and try my best to promote this matter!"

"Well, go down!"

Zhao Lian looked at Li Qiyuan's back and smiled. Whoever holds the initiative of the negotiation is in his hand, it depends on whose tone is tough. Even if he can't talk about it, he can kill a period of time and delay the action of the anti-thieves. When Youcheng brings the army back from Dingyuan, It can be wiped out the rebels.

However, the credit at that time will go to Youcheng. He can make a concession after a period of time, and at most, he will give the treasure to the other party. At that time, there will be both the threat of force that the army is about to go, and the sweetness for the other party to taste. It should be able to let the other party surrender.

The sincerity of the negotiations between the two sides is not very deep. The only thing that suffers is Yin Liqi, who is usually superior to the High Post Office. His identity at this moment is simply a microphone.

It's getting brighter, and it's a new day.

Liu Ruohan slept in Zhang Yang's arms and was having a sweet dream.

Zhang Yang opened his eyes and looked at Ruohan beside him. He quietly pulled his arm out from under Ruohan's head. The mandarin duck's quilt opened a corner.

"Brother Shicheng." Liu Ruohan also opened his eyes, and his long eyelashes blinked twice. Knowing that Brother Shicheng was going to get up, she took Zhang Yang's arm: "Sleep a little longer, don't get up."

Zhang Yang reached out and touched the cold and delicate skin. The woman who had been moistened by the man had already revealed the laziness of the young woman.

"You're not afraid of the craftsmen's jokes, saying that I'm here..."

"Okay, okay, get up." Liu Ruohan pouted and said.

"Even if you are not afraid of being laughed at by others, I'm hungry." Zhang Yang said that he was in ** yesterday afternoon and came again in the middle of the night. Even a strong man couldn't stand it, and his stomach had been cooing for a long time.

"Then I'll get up and make you something to eat." Liu Ruohan immediately came to his senses. He got up and had already burst into the spring.

Zhang Yang's restless little hand stretched out again.

"Brother Shicheng, don't play!" Liu Ruohan reached out and patted Zhang Yang's big hand. He quickly put on his clothes. Before he could freshen up, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

It's good to have a woman. Someone warms the quilt at night, and someone gets up to cook in the morning. Zhang Yang hummed a minor tune and got up slowly.

"Little girl, get up early, carry your trousers, and go to the hut..." This is Zhang Yang's favorite bedside song.

When he got up, Liu Ruohan had already beaten the face water in and put the towel aside.

Zhang Yang, who has lived in school since he was in junior high school, has always taken care of himself. Now, it's really comfortable to have such a person to serve himself.

After breakfast, Zhang Yang toured the island again and saw that the craftsmen had begun to jingle local work, loading the had been made for more than 200 days into the ship, and followed the waterway back to the salt farm.

Ruohan stood on the island and looked at the boat that gradually disappeared in the reeds. His heart was full of infinite expectations. Thinking about the promise made by Brother Shicheng, he would officially marry Brother Shicheng before the end of the year.

Finally, she couldn't see the mast. She walked back. In the past few days, she must complete the tasks assigned by Brother Shicheng and make samples of the army's clothes. In the future, she will organize a large number of female workers to make unified military uniforms for the team.

Zhang Yang looked at the whole box of Tianque on the ship, and his heart was full of joy. He equipped Tianque for the left-behind 100-person team in the murder port, and all the rest was equipped for the troops in the salt field. In a few days, there will be a new batch of Tianque, and then be equipped for the defenders of Taizhou and Xinghua. At the end of the year Before that, the army could exchange all the guns.

After a short stay in the murder port, he headed for the salt farm.

This waterway has been through many times. Only this time, it is the most eye-raising. The whole Xinghua County has been in Zhang Yang's hands. All the people have sincerely stood on Zhang Yang's side. Force can fight the world, especially with cross-era weapons. The Anti-Japanese War has been fought for eight years, and finally The two atomic bombs immediately surrendered unconditionally. However, he could not rule the world by force alone. The First Emperor of Qin thought that he was as solid as gold, and his descendants were the foundation of everything. As a result, when he arrived in Huhai, the world began to be in chaos. Water can carry a boat and overturn it. Only by putting the people first can the country be safe for a long time.

It is Zhang Yang's established policy to fight local tycoons and divide the fields. Only by distributing the land, the basic means of production to everyone, will he receive extensive support and have a steady stream of soldiers. With the big killer Tianque, Zhang Yang does not want the scale of the general team to expand very large, and the soldiers are not expensive, and Expensive. Now there are already five battalions. After all of them are equipped with Tianque, each battalion has 500 men, and their combat effectiveness can reach at least 3,000. On the front battlefield, they can also shake thousands of Tutar cavalry. That scene of bullet rain is the call of death.

For the gentry class, it has to be pulled over, but a constant requirement is that you can't own a large amount of land. If the land is concentrated in the hands of a few people, it is absolute corruption, and the society will definitely be turbulent. You can't be a local master and encourage you to be a businessman. In the Song Dynasty, commerce was already very developed. In modern times, many people became rich by doing business, such as Shen Wansan.

Salt production also has to be officially monopolized. Even if it is not monopolized, no one competes with it, because there are two killers of seawater salt and coarse salt purification, with low cost and high profit.

The place where the Chengchi River and the Chuanchang River meet is Dingxi Salt Farm.

Soon, the endless salt field appeared in sight. After the successful experiment of Baiju Salt Farm, Dingxi Salt Farm also began to use seawater to dry salt.

The one who stayed in Dingxi Salt Farm was a hundred-man team from the third battalion, and the captain was Liu Ergou, who had just been promoted. A few days ago, Li Shanchang went to Taizhou to preside over the field division work there.

"Big brother, it's the big brother!" Seeing the boat coming from afar and looking at the familiar Tianque, Liu Ergou was in high spirits.

The soldiers with spears lined up in two rows, standing on the dock of the salt farm, welcoming the arrival of the eldest brother.

Looking at the spear that pierced the sky and the soldiers standing neatly, Zhang Yang was full of joy.

"Brother, I'm looking forward to your return." Liu Ergou stood by the boat, watched Zhang Yang get off the boat, and said respectfully.

"Well, is the situation in the salt farm normal these days?" Zhang Yang asked.

"Yes, it's very normal. A few days ago, I received an alarm from my eldest brother that there was a tar attack. We have made a response in advance. Up to now, the tars have not seen it." Liu Ergou said.

If it hadn't been for the rapid response, I'm afraid that the salt farm would have fallen into the enemy's hands now. Zhang Yang remembered that the last attack on Taizhou was actually a dangerous move. However, the income was also huge. His territory was not only doubled, and his influence was even more like Zhongtian.

"The situation in the warning area is also relatively stable, isn't it?" Zhang Yang asked.

At the beginning, a part of the area was drawn in the salt farm and used for coarse salt purification. Shide and Uncle Liu have been busy in it.

"Yes, I sent someone to wait at night and defend myself strictly." Liu Ergou said that he didn't know what was inside. It was said that it was a very confidential thing that only an officer at the rank of commander could know.

"Well, I'll go in and have a look." Zhang Yang said, "There are a hundred days on the ship, all of which are equipped for your 100-person team. In addition, I will leave a ten-person team to serve as your instructor."

"Yes, thank you, big brother!" Liu Ergou was ecstatic. The acquisition of Tianque has to make great achievements. Every left-behind soldier is extremely regretful. If he stays here and can't fight the tar, he can't get Tianque. Now, every soldier is very enthusiastic about Tianque. It can be said that when they come to the team to be a soldier, they are for Tianque.

"Don't be happy too early. The salt field is our **. Your 100-person team must be proficient in using Tianque. If you can't meet my requirements, I will take it back." Zhang Yang said.

"Yes, brother, don't worry! I promise that my 100-man team will be proficient in using Tianque. Liu Ergou said.

Zhang Yang smiled. In fact, shooting requires a certain talent. He really can't master the essentials of shooting. Then it is also a good choice to use a spear. If a team is full of firemen, once it is close to the enemy and the bayonet is used, it is definitely not as good as a spear.

Zhang Yang entered the salt field and went straight to the warning area, where there was another familiar scenery.

More than a dozen cauldrons are lined up. Just like at the base, the workers are busy nervously. Sea salt has a sufficient source of coarse salt. After the last harvest in the salt field, all the coarse salt was shipped here. What they need to do is to evaporate, filter and crystallize every day, so that the coarse salt can be turned into refined salt.

"Old Uncle Liu!" As soon as he entered, Zhang Yang saw Uncle Liu, who was commanding the work.

"Is Shi Cheng coming?" Uncle Liu's face was full of joy.

Shide also put down his work and came over.

"Big brother! Why are you free to come back?" I often can't see the eldest brother, and I'm used to it. Now Shicheng is in front of me, but I feel a little unusual.

"Well, it's over outside, so come back and have a look." Zhang Yang said.

"Brother, since we arrived here, we are still as usual. These days, there have been hundreds of stones of purified refined salt." Shide said, "But how can we sell these refined salts?"

Shide and Uncle Liu are also secretly worried while seizing the production time: Now there is no problem with the purification of coarse salt, but the market of refined salt is gone. In the past, there was a He family in Yangzhou as a cover to replace coarse salt with refined salt to earn the price difference. Now, after laying down the salt farm, it is impossible to have salt introduction, just Without a legal sales status, although it can be sold quietly in nearby places, it is a drop in the bucket.

Uncle Liu is also looking at Zhang Yang. They are already worried about the sales of these refined salts. There are so many piles in the warehouse that they can't sell them, which is worthless. And Zhang Yang has organized so many troops, and the expenses are just like running water.

"Please don't worry about this. Our sales of refined salt is not a problem." Zhang Yang said.

(to be continued)