Copper!

These two words came into his ears, which immediately reminded Zhu Mingzhong of the famous "merchants of the Ministry of Internal Affairs" in the early Qing Dynasty, and it was under the direct support of the Manchu Qing Dynasty that they became a merchant group specializing in the business of Oriental copper catties - foreign copper merchants. At a given time, the status of these copper merchants was almost equal to that of the foreign merchants in Guangdong Province and the salt merchants in Jianghuai.

How did you forget this!

For a hundred years, these foreign copper merchants imported millions of catties of Japanese copper on a large scale every year. How could such an abundant source of copper be overlooked?

How much copper does it take to use a cannon? But more than a thousand catties! The copper imported from Japan can not only meet the needs of casting cannons, but also coinage!

"You mean you import copper from Japan?"

When he said this, Zhu Mingzhong suddenly found that it was very necessary for him to sort out the information in his memory, after all, he usually has no hobbies, so he likes to read some essays on the Internet, and there are too many historical materials in these chaotic historical documents.

But because it is too complicated, it will always be ignored, just like this time, if it were not for Shi Lei's "reminder", I am afraid that Zhu Mingzhong might not have thought of importing copper from Japan.

"Exactly, this Japan has a lot of copper since ancient times, and its domestic love to use my Chinese things, such as my Jiangnan raw silk, sugar goods, etc., are all needed by the Japanese, if you can open a route, you will be able to get huge profits, this Zheng family is in the trade with Japan, so, in the opinion of the following officials, if it is a strategy, in the name of copper, reopen the Qinghe trade with Japan......"

This was the second time, Zhu Mingzhong heard about Qinghe's trade with Japan, so he asked curiously.

"Sishi, do you know that this Qinghe used to have sea ships to Japan?"

"Jingluo, Xia Guan served with Jinyiwei in the old days, naturally I know some, this Qinghe also had maritime merchants in the old days, and the annual income from the sea is not less than one million taels, if the Jingluo can reopen the sea route, it will naturally make a lot of profits, and the income from the sea can naturally supplement military affairs like the Zheng family!"

Why Zheng Chenggong can rely on the financial resources of a place to support for decades depends on the profits of foreign trade, but he does not rely on taxes, but directly intervenes in it, the Zheng family's fleet is not only the army, but also the merchant fleet, it is through the monopoly of the mainland's trade with Japan, it is very profitable every year.

"Sishi, this is easier said than done, not to mention, let's take the liberty of meddling in trade with Japan, I don't know what reaction it will cause in Yanping, that is, if you want to open up a shipping route, someone must also understand the route from Qinghe to Japan, right? Also, how do you start trading when you arrive in Japan? These are the questions! ”

The reason why I mention these things is because Zhu Mingzhong knows that Japan is now under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate, and has been closed to the outside world for many years, and only Nagasaki is a port for trade, although trade with China and the Netherlands is maintained, but merchant ships need to obtain permission to enter, and ships without permission, even if they enter Nagasaki, cannot sell goods on board, let alone purchase goods.

It is precisely because he understands the problems that Zhu Mingzhong, who has always been interested in opening up trade with Japan, has already made up his mind to send an envoy to Japan in the name of the "Jianghuai Economic Envoy" to discuss trade with him when the time is right. In the future, if it really doesn't work, then there will be a "black ship attack" and knock directly on the door of Japan.

However, this idea can only be hidden in the heart, after all, now Japan is a "friend" of the Ming Dynasty, and even Yongli has high hopes for it, hoping to borrow Oriental soldiers, and even his own teacher has traveled east to Japan several times to ask for help. Moreover, the Zheng family also relies on Japanese trade, in this case, I am afraid that if the "black ship attacks" here, Zheng Chenggong will be blamed over there.

"Jingluo, although this Qinghe maritime merchant was hooked by the Qing Dynasty to steal a lot of homes, but it does not mean that there are no fish that have slipped through the net, if Jingluo intends to resume sea trade, Xia Guan will send people to visit near the Qinghe River tomorrow, I think you can definitely find some people who have been engaged in sea trade, if they are familiar with the route and Japanese affairs, they can naturally be used for the strategy!"

Shi Lei's suggestion is similar to Wu Pinya's suggestion, but compared to Wu Pinya's suggestion, Shi Lei is a man of action, which is why Zhu Mingzhong admires him, most of the time, he only needs to show his ideas a little, and Shi Lei will immediately implement it. Of course, this is also a necessary quality for an intelligence director.

"Well, this matter, Sishi, you try to do it, but be careful, don't frighten them, after all, these people are of great use to us......"

Although he has never been in contact with the maritime merchants of this era, Zhu Mingzhong knows very well that in this era of primitive and backward navigation technology, the courage of the merchants who dare to open up sea routes is by no means comparable to ordinary people, compared with the ordinary people who are forced to go overseas for their lives, maritime merchants are the real pioneers of the Age of Discovery, as for those poor people, they are just the "tools" of maritime merchants to open up overseas, but in history, people seem to only remember the former, and directly ignore the existence of the latter. It seems that in their opinion, those poor people went overseas and went to the South Seas.

"Xia Guan understands!"

Shi Lei nodded, and then continued.

"There is one more thing, Xia Guan originally wanted to report to you tomorrow, no, since you came to say it, just two hours ago, news came from the north!"

In the past month or so, Shi Lei has established a simple intelligence network with the help of the Cao Gang along the canal, and thus obtained a large amount of information, especially information about the Qing army led by Dasu.

"Oh? What's going on over there? ”

As soon as he heard that it was the movement in the north, Zhu Mingzhong immediately asked rhetorically.

"Exactly, although this Dasu has ordered the army to turn to land, the speed of the march is not slow, according to the current speed, at most about 20 days, you can reach Xuzhou!"

About twenty days!

Listening to this time, Zhu Mingzhong was stunned for a moment, then pondered for a moment, and then smiled casually.

"What is due will come! He has been gone for so long, and he is worthy of us! ”

Isn't that worthy?

If it weren't for Dasu's slow march, how would he have time to train new soldiers. If he hurried over, how could he stop them by relying on the stove?

If it's here, it's coming!

How's the training of the unit now?

Can you stop the Qing army?

"100,000, 100,000 ......"

muttered this word in his heart, and suddenly Zhu Mingzhong smiled again.

"Not to mention, it's not necessarily enough for us to kill!"