In Qin Lu, there is a kind of "punishment of the sikou", that is, the exile of later generations.

Generally speaking, if the law is broken in Daqin, the prisoners in Guanzhong will be exiled to Shuofang, or the newly opened Western Desert, and those south of Huaihan will most likely go to the land of Lingnan Poison Barrier, and the people of Hebei will correspond to the bitter cold land of Liaodong.

But for the people of Qidi, there are two places to go: Haidong, or a small island in the sea that cannot be named.

Shamen Island (Changdao County, Shandong) is a natural penal colony, it is located between Liaodong and Jiaodong, in the middle of the Shaohai Sea, dozens of miles northwest of the Jiaodong coast, there is fresh water and some wild beasts, even a little crops can be planted, and there are several natural harbors suitable for mooring.

In the past, the goods of Qi Guotong Jiuyi, from Jiaodong to Liaodong, North Korea's sea boat, must anchor here to shelter from the wind, over time, it formed a small fishing port, some people who evaded taxes lived here, the number was only more than 100, to the destruction of Qi State, Tian Heng and others occupied here, and the court confronted for seven or eight years.

During his time as a county guard in Jiaodong, Heifu quelled the rebellion in Zhutian and cleared the bandits on the island. The island was not deserted, but a trading post was built as a transit point for Qidi merchant ships to Liaodong and Haidong, and at Chen Ping's suggestion, they began to accept mainland criminals and let them work as coolies here.

However, since May, Shamen Island has completely cut off contact with Jiaodong County due to the "prisoner riot", because the imperial court envoys are more prone to the government of the black man, and it is strictly forbidden for merchants to enter the sea, and the ships from the mainland do not come......

But on the first day of the seventh month, the east wind blew, and a merchant ship deliberately sailing in the open sea, but in defiance of the government's ban, openly sailed on the blue sponge, and gradually approached Shamen Island from the east, pulling the hard sail, skillfully bypassing the reef, sailing into the bay, and slowly raising a flag.

"Tube!"

But he is the largest businessman in Langya County, a descendant of Qi Xiang Guan Zhong, the Guan family.

"Just let the son come to this matter, and the father doesn't have to be in person."

Guan Tong is the eldest son of the family, in his thirties, after running at sea for a few years, he is a lot more capable, he came to his father's family, Guan Yan, who is over fifty years old, is standing on the side of the ship worriedly.

Guan Tong put on a seawater guard for Guan Yan, and Guan Yan sighed:

"It's about the survival of the Guan family, how can I not come in person?"

Guan Yan knew very well that the merchants of the Qin Dynasty were the cheapest, and they were ranked alongside their sons-in-law, and once there was conscription and war, the merchants were always the first to be requisitioned. The army of the Qin State even made it clear that there was no need to pity the lives of merchants and their descendants, and that they should be sent to do any dirty, tiring, or dangerous work!

When Qin Shi Huang toured the east, he even engraved the "Upper Peasants to Eliminate the End" on the Lang Evil Platform as a national policy and announced it in the world!

Hundreds of years of prosperity were interrupted, and in the first decade of Qin rule, their social status plummeted: merchants were forbidden to ride in cars, merchants and their descendants were not allowed to serve as officials, they had to pay double property taxes, and many industries were forcibly annexed by the government.

Not only that, but you also have to be afraid, for fear that you will be arrested and moved to a distant place if you are casually charged with a crime.

Fortunately, with the protection of Heifu County, he held up a piece of heaven in Jiaodong, persuaded Qin Shi Huangdi, liberalized the policy, allowed local conditions, resumed the trade of goods in Qidi, and also found thirteen big families in Qidi to establish Haidong Trading Company.

In this way, the Guan family was able to regain a lot of wealth by selling brown sugar, contracting salt farms, assisting in mining, and conserving Haidong.

Guan Yan cherished it very much, as the elected head of Haidong Trading Company, he often taught his son: "There are forty-eight counties in the world, and Dujiaodong treats businessmen so well, even Langya and Linzi are still a little worse." ”

Although Heifu left Jiaodong three years ago, he left Chen Ping as the county commander and persuaded the new county guard to continue Heifu's policy.

But just when Guan's business was booming, a drastic change occurred......

At first, no one knew what happened, only the court officials came to Jiaodong with the edict of Qin Shi Huang to arrest the county Cheng Chen Ping......

But before the envoy crossed Weishui, Chen Ping got the news, he didn't panic, after arranging all the government affairs, he quietly left, and when the envoy rushed into Jimo City, he had already disappeared.

Looking for Chen Ping's family again, I learned that as early as the spring, Chen Ping heard that something happened in Xianyang, the emperor was assassinated, and Fu Su ran away, so he sent his wife and son back under the pretext that his wife's Zhang family was in mourning.

This person's sensitivity to danger is unparalleled.

The emperor's envoy was so angry that he began to investigate the "black party" in Jiaodong, and some of the officials promoted by the black man were strengthened and all of them were removed.

As a result, most of the middle-level officials were dismissed, Jiaodong County was almost paralyzed, and the people were panicked......

A few years ago, Heifu knocked out the fields and distributed the land to the landless Lu Zuo, and now the Lu Zuo people are worried all day long that the government will not admit the account and take back the land that has been planted with great difficulty.

The life of the businessman is not easy, the Haidong trading company was established by Heifu, the envoy is the traditional Guanzhong Qin people, accustomed to the businessman wearing tattered clothes, low three or four, how have I seen Jiaodong businessman so generous. So he discussed with Jiaodong Shou, saying that this was the chaos of the black thieves, and from May, the Haidong Trading Company was dissolved! A total ban on commercial activities! And the implementation of the sea ban, the board is not allowed to go to the sea!

As for the salt works and mines that Heifu contracted to merchants in Jiaodong, the government no longer recognized them.

At first, he only thought that it was Heifu who offended the emperor and affected Jiaodong, but no matter whether the merchants handed over money or kowtowed to intercede, the government was indifferent.

It was at that time that the news of the collapse of the first emperor spread wildly in Qidi, not only that, but from June, rebellions broke out in Taishan, Yimeng and other places, and the robbers besieged the county seat......

The rich are most afraid of chaos, and when everyone in the thirteen merchants is in danger, the knife room, which is mainly engaged in the trade of subordinate ministers, secretly conveys news to them:

"It's not just the Qi land, it's the whole world!"

It was only at this time that the merchants learned that Heifu had raised troops in Wuchang, occupied Jiangling, and gathered 100,000 people to make a Northern Expedition......

The Chu thieves in Donghai County, Pengcheng Jingju in Surabaya County called the King of Chu and other things also came one after another, and the hearts of the merchants in Qidi were suddenly cold.

The back road is dead, the future is uncertain, just when the thirteen families were in a panic, the knife handed another message:

"Second and third sons, chaos is coming, we can't sit still, on the first day of the seventh month, everyone from Haidong Trading Company will discuss the plan on Shamen Island in Jiaodong!"

This is the reason why the banquet is close, Langya County is close to Donghai County, and there is only one Tancheng between the thieves of Chudi, how can you not be in a hurry? After getting the news, Guan Yan personally took his eldest son and hurried to Shamen Island - when he set off, he did not know that the commander of Donghai County had been defeated and Tancheng had fallen.

Thanks to the seafaring skills accumulated in Haidong a few years ago, the merchant ships of Qidi now dare to sail more than ten miles away from the ocean to avoid the eyes of the government.

While the father and son were talking, Salmon Island had arrived, and the mountains covered with wild grass could be seen in front of them, and the "Wangfu Reef" resembling a woman holding a baby in her arms and looking out at the sea was below, and the first ships were lined up on the pier.

Masts were lined up like spears, and flat-bottomed cargo ships were docked in the deep waters, and the servants brought by each family stood vigilantly by the side of the ships with blades and bows.

Before he landed, Guan Tong's eyes were sharp, and he began to count the familiar flags:

"Dao, Pan, Wu, Lu, Ye, Pang, Fan...... Father, almost all the other families of the trading company came. ”

The main direction of each family is different, such as the Guan family, relying on the contract of the salt field, Haidong leather goods as a supplement, the Dao family, relying on the sale of Koreans to Jiaodong as subordinate concubines, and the opening of female Lu to Haidong, Liaodong soldiers to provide special services, the rest such as fishing, medicine traffickers have, under the support of the policy, the rich have accumulated thousands of gold, the poorest also have hundreds of gold.

"I see that there are still soldiers on this island, and they are in good order, why is it rumored that it is a riot of torturers?"

When the ship docked, Guan Tong saw the rest of the merchants waiting on the shore, and the knife room was in the center, like the head of everyone, so he lowered his voice: "Could it be the ghost between the knives?" I heard that he secretly raised thousands of Yi subordinates in Haidong, gave them weapons, and taught them to attack and fight day and night. ”

"Do you have the courage to gather a crowd to rebel?"

Guan Yan glanced at his son, and said in his heart that he was right, his son, he still hasn't figured out who is the "big man" who gave the gold between the knives, instructed him to train Yiren, and secretly provided forbidden items such as blades and crossbow machines!

I'm afraid this meeting on Salmon Island was also arranged by that person.

After that, he didn't explain much to his son, but said:

"Put a boat, the old man will go ashore."

After the boat docked, he had a thick beard, but he still couldn't hide his roe head and rat eyes, and he personally came to help.

"Guan Jun, why is it too late?"

Guan Yan said with a smile: "I am different from the gentlemen, but I came from Langya, I had to avoid the eyes of the government, and I encountered wind and waves on the way, and I almost lost my life." ”

Behind the knife room, a Ponzi merchant who started by fishing muttered: "Dying in the sea is better than being grounded and waiting on land to be robbed by thieves." ”

Pan, who was doing a leather business in Haidong, also shouted: "I heard that Chudi is getting more and more chaotic, and Qidi is not much better, Linzi, Langya, and Jibei all have huge thieves in chaos, and the government is in a mess, and my family's trading stations over there are all closed, if it weren't for the invitation of the knife room, I was still thinking about whether to take the whole family and flee to Haidong or Liaodong to avoid chaos......

Everyone nodded their heads, which is why they are willing to come here to discuss together.

The oppression of the government is hateful, but what these people are most afraid of is the chaos of order, and the robbers who are fighting in the open fire will break into their homes and take away everything that they have worked hard for generations......

They all looked at the knife room: "Dao Jun, if you have any ideas, just say it!" ”

Daojian shook his head: "I'm a slave trader, how can I have any ideas." ”

Fan, a pharmacist who was digging ginseng in Liaodong, was anxious: "You don't have an idea, don't you want everyone to come here, isn't it a pastime for us?" ”

Without waiting for the knife to answer, Guan Yan, who guessed everything, laughed: "Don't worry, the second and third sons, the main lord is here!" ”

The people looked in the direction of Guan Yan's fingers, but they saw that three new ships were approaching Salmon Island, and unlike the flat-bottomed and broad-bellied merchant ships, they were well-protected ships with a freshly pulled flag hanging from the mast.

"It's a warship......

The sharp-eyed ones could also see clearly the flags hoisted on the three ships.

"Wu ...... Wu Zhong? ”

As the people could not understand, the ship had come to the shore, and a group of soldiers came down from it, lined up, armed with spears, apparently well-trained county soldiers, and some of the people on the ship slowly climbed down the rope ladder, and they were actually dressed as scribes......

"Meet Chen Juncheng!"

The knife room was the first to shout and bow down, Guan Yan followed, and the other eleven merchants looked at each other, with doubt in their eyes, but they still bowed down on the beach one after another, and looked up again, with a thin but handsome face, a drooping beard, and a pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts......

Isn't it Chen Ping, who is rumored to be "dead"!

"It's me."

Chen Ping stopped, glanced at everyone, and smiled: "Gentlemen, it's been a long time!" ”

……

PS: The second chapter is in the evening