Guizhou produces copper, lead and tea, but does not produce salt, and the military and civilians want to eat salt and completely rely on Sichuan. Coupled with the inconvenient transportation, Sichuan salt used to be very valuable, and many people could not afford to buy or eat salt, so that many people had yellow muscles, dizziness and weakness, and even suffered from big neck disease due to lack of salt.

Guizhou's fields are already scarce, there is no room to grow cotton and linen, because of the inconvenience of transportation, the cloth transported through Sichuan is both small and expensive, most people are usually ragged, and in many places the teenage boys and girls are naked, both in winter and summer.

Because of the banditry, the Chongqing-Guizhou trade road is blocked, and both salt and cloth are now more scarce than before, and it is conceivable that as long as the salt and cloth are transported over, they can make money!

As Han Xiufeng expected, as soon as he proposed to unite various businesses to prepare for the establishment of a big horse gang, arrange two or three hundred brave men to escort them all the way, so that the businessmen have business to do, so that the "Yanba Lao Er" (porter who carries salt) on the side of the hotel Ya, Songkan and Qijiang have salt backs, Wu Junxiang, Wu Kuixiang and other gentry and Jiang Zonghai, Guan Yunzhong businessmen all agreed, and even did not raise any objections to how to distribute the 160 tap fire guns.

"Since you all think it's possible, we need to hurry up and prepare." Han Xiufeng put down the teacup and looked around at everyone: "This big horse gang can't be without a leader, you have to hurry up and elect." How much salt, how much grain, how much cloth is transported at one time, who occupies how much, how to settle when the time comes, Xiufeng thinks that you should also discuss a charter. ”

"What Master Han said is extremely true, now it is not as good as before, and it is really impossible to do this business without holding a group!" A salt merchant couldn't help but get up and say.

Han Xiufeng nodded slightly, and then said: "Then there is where this trade route is opened, and how to sell this goods along the way." Xiufeng thought that he couldn't just look at the present, the nearby business had to be done, and the nearby money had to be earned, but the business in Guiyang had to be done, and the money in Guiyang had to be earned. ”

"It's nature!"

Jiang Zonghai couldn't help but arch his hand and said: "Master Han, I thought that I might as well set up a few more horse gangs, and when the goods were ready, we would set off together from Songkan, and say in advance which goods would be sold to Zunyi, which goods would be sold to Guiyang, which goods would be sold evenly, and which goods would be sold in Xingyi." Along the way, those who should go continue to move forward, and those who should stop stop trading. The farthest one may suffer a loss in foot money, but the owner of the goods cannot suffer a loss when settling. ”

"This is not just preparing to build a caravan, but to build a big business!" Wu Junxiang groaned.

"Yes, yes, as Master Wu said, if you want to open up a trade route and do this business, you have to build a big business, to be precise, you have to build a big business, to be precise, and run a big business!"

"I'll see it."

"I don't know much about business, how to build this big couplet, you have to worry a lot." Han Xiufeng smiled, and then changed his words: "What I want to do is to train the troops quickly, in view of the business opportunities like fighter planes, so I can no longer practice step by step, I plan to send 1,500 brave men to garrison Songkan early the day after tomorrow, first seize the land and water wharf in Songkan, and at the same time send 500 brave men to guard the hotel and Hongguan line, in case a small group of bandits copy our back road." ”

"Great, Master Han, the little one has a semicolon and a buddy in Songkan, what do you need, just ask!"

"There's no rush to do that." Han Xiufeng motioned for a short and fat salt merchant to sit down first, and then turned around and said: "Brother Wu, Xiufeng was ordered to help the Chongqing Prefecture group practice, not to help the Guizhou group practice, and you can't easily enter Guizhou without the emperor's will." I can only bother Brother Wu, you lead a thousand brave men to garrison Songkan. ”

"Me?" Wu Fuxiang asked with a bitter face.

How could Han Xiufeng not know what he was worried about, and explained with a smile: "Although the Songkan side is not peaceful, but only a small group of bandits are left in the chaos, Brother Wu led a thousand brave people to the past, and set up camp with great fanfare, those thieves who can't figure out the truth must not dare to act rashly." When those bandits react, the bravery on the side of the Sheep's Horn Camp is almost practiced, and I will arrange for them to go over to change the guard, and when the change of defense is over, there will be nothing to worry about. ”

"But...... But I really don't know how to lead troops. ”

"Who is born to lead the troops, and besides, I won't let Brother Wu go over so bravely, I will let the named Qianzong Ge Erxiao go with you, and bring more gongs and drums and regimental flags, first pull out the posture, and the momentum will be played, and the bluff can also bluff those thieves who have never seen much of the world."

Thinking that the news that the "Minister of Qincha" led five or six thousand brave men to camp on the side of the boundary monument has not only reached Tongzi, but even the new Tongzi Zhixian has sent his family to ask for help, Wu Fuxiang felt that those traitors near Songkan should not dare to act rashly, and then thought that he could be the first to lead the young and strong into Guizhou can also be regarded as the first to do so, so he simply gritted his teeth and got up and said: "Since Master Han trusts Fuxiang so much, then Fuxiang will go!" ”

"Then everything is please," Han Xiufeng beckoned him to sit down, and said to the merchants: "Everyone, Master Wu was ordered to serve as the commander of the Songkan camp, but the Songkan camp can't be without food. ”

"Master Han, Master Wu, let's go down, there are not only semicolons and buddies in Songkan, but also several relatives, who are very familiar with Songkan."

"Master Han, the younger in-laws are from Songkan, and they are considered small!"

Although it was not explicitly stated, everyone knew in their hearts who would contribute more and would be able to occupy more shares in the Dalian account being built in the future, not only to make more money, but also to mix up a half-official position in the future.

Seeing that the merchants in Qijiang were scrambling to go over, Han Xiufeng simply said with a decisive word: "Otherwise, you and Master Wu will go first, and after arriving in Songkan, the shopkeeper Wang and the shopkeeper Qian will handle the big camp grain table." Shopkeeper Gu, Shopkeeper Hu and Shopkeeper Ding are responsible for renting houses to set up warehouses, and summoning porters and grooms to prepare for the establishment of horse gangs. Wu Junxiang, Mr. Wu and Mr. Guan and other friends of Ba County were responsible for contacting the source of goods, and hurriedly went to Dongxi to set up a warehouse, hired boatmen and sailors, and together with Qijiang Zhixian County, summoned Qingzhuang to prepare to transfer the grain and salary of Songkan Daying and the commercial goods of Dalian along the waterway. ”

"It's best to arrange it this way, so that everyone has something to do!" Wu Junxiang said with a smile.

"Then it's decided, my side will also pay close attention to drills, and the day when the two battalions of Sheephorn and Songkan are brave and brave to change their defenses is the time for your horse gang to go out!"

"Master Han, haven't you said who led the brave to garrison Hongguan and the hotel?"

"Hongguan and the hotel are very close, so arrange a few regiments to take turns to garrison."

……

Obviously, he came to handle the blockage, but he turned into a business in a daze.

The businessmen of the eight provinces contributed the most money, and they didn't think there was anything wrong with it. The local gentry had the opportunity to make a small fortune, and naturally they would not object.

As for Tongzi Zhixian sending people to ask for help, Han Xiufeng asked Wu Fuxiang to find an excuse to send him away, "lips and teeth are cold" is not applicable here, if you really send Yongzhuang to help defend the city and even help clear the bandits in the countryside, it is likely to become "Sichuan people kill Guizhou people", it is difficult to say whether those bandits will bewitch the people of Tongzi to besiege Songkan.

It's different to send someone to help Ding Baozhen and Zhang Ying, first, it's far away, even if the bandits over there want to retaliate, it's impossible to travel hundreds of miles to the north of Qianbei; Second, Ding Baozhen is a promising scholar of the Hanlin Academy, and Zhang Ying is a prefect with a good official reputation, helping them not only form a good fate, but also if they can make military achievements, they will at least mention East Sichuan Province and Chongqing Mansion when they play the report, unlike the precarious Tongzi Zhixian County, which is also a white gang.

Anyway, everything was arranged, and everyone was busy again.

On the morning of the 18th of May, 60 commanders temporarily selected by the brave men waved the regimental flags of each regiment and led their men to beat gongs and drums, and under the leadership of Wu Fuxiang, they drove out of the unfinished sheep's horn camp in a mighty manner.

Ge Erxiao and more than 30 Shi Chang, led the remaining more than 300 brave gongs and drums, and the team was like a long dragon, going to the direction of Tongzi along the official road.

Han Xiufeng stood on the gate tower of Daying and watched the team see off the team, and turned back and said: "Pan Changsheng, Yang Dacheng and others listened to the order, and led the White Tiger, Shilong, Dizang, Longyin, Shizhu, Ciyun, Zouma and other regiments to bring five days of dry food to drive, and after arriving at the hotel Ya and Hongguan, they set up camp and practiced on the spot, and there must be no mistake. ”

"Yes!"

Pan Changsheng, who was guarding the gatehouse, had already prepared, bowed and saluted, then turned over and got on his horse, waved the command flag on the school field, and together with Yang Dacheng and the two family members brought back from Hai'an, led the five hundred brave feat of the White Tiger, Shilong, Dizang and other regiments to carry the regimental flag, beat gongs and drums and open the camp.

Although more than 1,500 people left at once, there were still nearly 3,000 people in the camp.

Chen Hu, Chen Buyi, and others gathered 350 young men selected from various regiments to the center of the school field, and several book offices took the roll call with a roster, organized them into five firearms regiments, distributed foreign guns, and began to practice.

There are only 250 guns in total, and it is impossible to do one shot per person, but the drill is not a war, first teach them how to make it, and those who are timid and dare not let go of the gun or clumsy will be eliminated slowly, if they can do it all, they will stay in the regiment as a man, and in case the gunner is sick or dies in battle, he can be replaced at any time.

As soon as the firearms regiment began to practice, the sound of gunfire was deafening, and the pungent smoke of gunpowder filled the air over the camp, so that those young men who were not selected had no intention of working.

The reason why Zhang Zhidong set off more than half a year in advance was that he was worried that the road from Xingyi to Sichuan would not be easy, but now he had arrived in Sichuan, and he heard that several people from Chongqing Prefecture were also going to participate in next year's examination, so he simply decided to stay in the Sheep Horn Camp for a few months, and wait until the second half of the year to go to the capital with a few people from Chongqing Prefecture.

Seeing that the remaining brave men were still building the camp, and the more than 100 regiment leaders were either working as supervisors in the camp or interrogating passers-by at the bayonet, Zhang Zhidong couldn't help asking: "Master Han, you neither let those civil and military supervisors lead the troops, nor do you call them to practice, will they have complaints?" ”

"Settling down is also a science."

Han Xiufeng held on to the fence on the gatehouse, looked at the prisoners below and said, "I heard that you have also led soldiers, so you should know very well that you can't win this battle with a lot of people." What's more, whether it is the official army or the regimental training, this person is not as many thieves and bandits after all, so whether it is the military attache of the Green Battalion and the Eight Banners or the head of the regimental training, they must first learn to set up camp and use the camp to intercept the bandits. ”

Thinking that the city of Xingyi Mansion could be defended years ago, and it was also a city with high walls, Zhang Zhidong drew inferences from each other and asked: "Let them interrogate the people and merchants in the past, is it for them to learn to investigate the situation of thieves, and let them understand the truth that only by knowing themselves and knowing their opponents can they not be defeated in a hundred battles?" ”

"Brother Xiaoda, you are really both civil and military, if you are not worried about your future, I really want to ask the court to let you work for me."

"Master Xie Han raised his love, in fact, Zhidong didn't plan to go to Beijing to take the exam, because my father and father-in-law were at the time of employment, and entering Beijing to take the exam at this time was tantamount to escaping, but my father and father-in-law not only let Zhidong go to ......"

thought that the young man next to him was not only the son of Zhang Ying, the prefect of Xingyi, but even married the daughter of Shi Xu, the prefect of Duyun, and the teacher was Han Chao, who was brave and good at fighting and accumulating merits to become the prefect of Shiqian.

It is said that his father Zhang Ying and his teacher Han Chao are also friends with Hu Linyi, the acting governor of Hubei, who is now in the limelight, and he is also very competitive, and he returned to his hometown of Nanpi to take the county exam before the age of 14 and won the first place in the show. At the age of sixteen, he won the first place in the Shuntianfu Township Examination, Han Xiufeng felt that his future was limitless, and he couldn't help but sigh: "The so-called pity for the hearts of parents in the world, so my brother must not let them down." Not only do you have to go, but you have to take the test well, and only the title of the gold list will not disappoint their good intentions. ”