Even in modern times, water transportation is one of the most cost-effective. In this backward era, the advantages of water transportation over land transportation are even more incalculable.

When Yuan Shu vigorously developed the water army and water transportation, all the families understood this.

For example, among today's family groups, the strongest is still the Yangzhou family. Being able to fight their way out of the encirclement in the encirclement of the deep-rooted Yuzhou, Sili and other families, and take the lead as a rookie, the Yangzhou family not only relies on seizing the opportunity, but also their shipbuilding technology.

When it comes to shipbuilding, who in the thirteen states of the Han Dynasty can compare with the two states of Jingyang? Especially in Yangzhou, the developed water transportation is second to none, and there are countless excellent shipwrights. Although Yuan Shu had many regulations and restrictions on merchants, it also provided a lot of protection, which made countless caravans come and go.

From Yingzhou, Jingzhou, Jiaozhou, and Liaodong at the beginning, to Qingzhou and Jizhou now, Yangzhou merchant ships are everywhere.

The advantages of sea trade are enough to throw off the eight streets of ordinary trade, and even if the merchants of Yangzhou lose all their worth, they can easily earn back several times or even dozens of times the profits if they successfully go back to Yingzhou and the southwestern countries.

The Mi family and the Zhen family, who started with Yuan Shu at the beginning, are now the richest people in the world, and their status can no longer be positioned only by businessmen, which is enough to compete with ordinary third-rate families.

Don't underestimate this so-called third-rate family, you must know that the low status of merchants in the Han Dynasty is simply outrageous. is that the Mi brothers who have been saddled by Liu Bei all their lives in history almost lost their money, and finally received something? Being able to have this kind of treatment is already the result of Yuan Shu's concession.

No matter how weak the family is, it is also a family, and how can it be compared with a mere businessman.

Although Yuan Shuming was once supporting businessmen, there was still an insurmountable gap between the family and the merchants. Almost all the families were secretly guarding against and suppressing the merchants, who were still at the bottom, not much better than the peasants.

Of course, this is also the result of Yuan Shu's secret acquiescence.

Just because businessmen are now acting extremely weak and kind does not mean that they are kind and can be deceived. Yuan Shu knew this very well, if he blindly supported the merchants and put the merchants and the family side by side, the harm that these merchants could cause was far more terrifying than that of the family.

Once laissez-faire, the merchant's discipline is definitely much lower than that of the family. The fall of the Ming Dynasty is a case in point. The family still attaches great importance to its foundation and reputation, but many businessmen are alone, without family restrictions, and can do anything for the sake of profit.

Using the family to suppress the merchants, using the academy and the Hanmen to check and balance the family, and ensuring the interests of the workers and peasants, this is the fundamental policy that Yuan Shu has always pursued.

The farther he went, the more Yuan Shu felt how naïve his initial idea was. There is a reason why the Maison was chosen by this era. Although Yuan Shu had been restricting the family and supporting the academy, the Hanmen and the merchants, it still did not change the dominant position of the family in management. The liberation of land and knowledge from the hands of the family was already the limit of what Yuan Shu could do. It is still necessary for the family to be in charge of this era and launch the academy to fight in the ring.

Ultimately, balance is all about it.

……

Jinling, Longkou Port. A fleet of Mi families is preparing to go to sea, dozens of large ships are lined up in front and behind, mighty and spectacular.

On the largest cargo ship in the middle, Mi Ling, one of the descendants of the Mi family, was solemnly looking at the chart on the table, constantly sketching with a pen.

On the side, an old man with a kind face was watching this scene with a relieved face.

"Uncle De, what do you think of this sea route?" After a while, the young man suddenly pointed to a route he had drawn and asked the old man beside him.

"If the wind blows southwest when we pass through the southwest sea, the speed along this sea route will be faster, and it should save nearly two days." The eyes of the young people were full of confidence.

The old man smiled and nodded, pointing to a few points on the map, and said slowly: "Young master, what you said is right, it will indeed be faster to take this road." However, this sea route is a little far away from the garrison point of my Dachu, and the climate in this sea area has been relatively abnormal recently, so it is not suitable to choose this road this time. ”

"But young master, you can find that this road is already very powerful, and when the climate in this sea area stabilizes, the other merchant ships of the family can take this road."

When the young man heard this, the corners of his mouth were slightly deflated. Suddenly, his eyes rolled and he whispered, "Uncle De, what are the things we transported to the body poison this time?" ”

"Young Master, why do you ask so, aren't we just transporting some grain and grass, tea and cloth this time?" Uncle De's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, but his mouth was the truth.

"Less." Mi Ling rolled his eyes: "The head of the family asked you to follow the boat in person, and asked me to listen to you many times, how can it be just some grain, grass, cloth and silk, it must not be that simple." ”

If others don't know it, can he not know it? Don't look at the old man in front of him, he is nominally just a descendant of the Mi family, but he has served the Mi family for decades, and he has been serving Mi Zhu since he was a child, and his status is not much worse than that of his young master.

"The young master is really smart, and the head of the family really didn't see the wrong person." The old man was full of relief and said, "Young master, might as well guess again, what are we transporting?" ”

"Since it is so covered, it must be an ulterior thing, could it be a forbidden thing?" Mi Ling thought for a while, and suddenly said.

"Transporting poison to the body, and arranging so many ships, is it possible that a large number of ordnance is being transported on board?" Mi Ling said in surprise.

"It's really worthy of being a young master, and it's not in vain that the head of the family values it so much." The old man was not surprised and said with a smile.

"The head of the family is confused!" was praised like this, but Mi Ling didn't like it at all, with a panicked face, he lowered his voice and said: "Transporting ordnance to a foreign country without permission is a crime of treason, why is my Mi family like this?" ”

The old man didn't panic at all, and said indifferently: "Young master, don't worry, the head of the family has always been far-sighted, how could he make such a short-sighted move." This batch of goods was secretly transported on the orders of the government. ”

"The government asked me to secretly transport ordnance to the body? Why is that? Mi Ling was puzzled.

"Young master, as a businessman, the most important thing is to have foresight. You are the leader of the Mi family's generation, and you must also take a long-term view, not just focus on the corner of business. The old man pointed out.

"The head of the family was able to lead the Mi family to its current status as a businessman, but it was not just by virtue of benevolence and luck. Only by looking farther can we go the right way. War, not only for the army, but also for businessmen, is also the best stage. Whether the Mi family can completely gain a firm foothold depends on the next step. ”

Mi Ling seemed to understand something, looked thoughtfully in the direction of the poison, and muttered: "War?" ”