"I told him that I must come back before noon, and now I haven't come back in a quarter of an hour before noon. That's it, when he comes back, he will say that he will be beaten, now go and order the 'goods' in his hand first, but don't smash it in his hand. Zheng Pai said as he walked into the courtyard with Xiao Zhuo.

This is a three-hall courtyard with the same style as the Central Plains. The courtyard walls are made of bricks and tiles, which shows that the status of the owner of this house in Annan must not be low. However, because of its proximity to the city wall, the family was sacked after the Ming army entered the city, and the whole family was killed, and the house was taken over by He Rong and owned by the government. Because of the convenient transportation in this place, the Zheng faction leased it from the Ming army and used it as a place to store goods.

Zheng Pai did not stop at all when he passed through the first and second courtyards, and walked straight towards the third courtyard. Soon, he walked to the third backyard, pointed to a locked house and said, "Open the door, I want to see if the 'goods' are in good condition." ”

"The big shopkeeper, be careful of being hit." The janitor reminded.

Zheng Pai waved his hand, and the doorkeeper understood what he meant, took out the key, and stepped forward to open the door. Zheng Pai was tense, and when he walked to the door and looked inside, he saw dozens of young women with dull expressions and pale faces.

Yes, from just now, one of the goods he and Xiao Zhuo talked about refers to people, including adult men, adult women and children.

In order to reduce the population of Annam, Yunxi hinted that the generals should actively capture the surrendered soldiers and the local people before the war, and some of the surrendered soldiers would be reorganized into the army under Zhu Zanyi, and the rest of the surrendered troops and ordinary people, the lucky ones would be migrated to it by the Ming Dynasty to continue to serve the people, and the unlucky ones would be used as slave traders. The generals naturally understood Yun Xi's order.

Zheng Pai and Xiao Zhuo stood at the door and looked at it, then walked in to inspect it, and said to the gatekeeper: "They will be loaded and transported away tomorrow, this day and night are good, and there must be no suicide." I bought this one by one from the Ming army, and it can be sold for more than five taels when it changes hands, but you must be careful. ”

"Don't worry, the big shopkeeper, if there is a person who I don't watch and commits suicide, you will sell me to make up for the less money." The janitor laughed.

Zheng Pai also smiled: "This is what you said, if one dies, I will sell you to India to a family of Aqiu who has no son as an adopted son." ”

"Big treasurer, this is too poisonous, you just sell me to Siam as a slave is better than going to India to be an Achu. Being a slave in Siam still has a chance to turn over, but being an Achud in India can't turn over for generations. The gatekeeper said in an exaggerated tone.

"Then you just watch carefully, and don't let anyone kill themselves." Xiao Zhuo smiled: "Besides, Aqiu may not have a chance to turn over. Isn't there a way to live as a pirate? ”

After examining the woman, they went to the backyard to examine the man. These men are treated much worse than women. Compared with women, men who had no skills and could only work as coolies were the lowest among all slaves, and they naturally did not pay much attention to these people, as long as they could not die.

Later, the Zheng faction inspected the real goods purchased from Annam, which were similar to ivory and horns, and occasionally mixed with some precious wood and spices, Xiao Zhuo planned to transport the wood and spices to Shanghai to sell, while the Zheng faction transported ivory and horns to sell in the Malay Peninsula and other places.

After inspecting all the goods, Zheng Pai returned to the courtyard first, glanced at the leak, and was about to say something to Xiao Zhuo, when he heard a voice from the door: "Lao Fu is back." ”

Immediately, a bald man walked in from the door, caught a glimpse of the two of them, and hurriedly walked over and said, "Brother Zheng, Brother Xiao." ”

Although the Zheng faction had many Han Chinese under its command, it was still difficult for them to accept their habit of being called brothers. Besides, Fu Shun didn't come back until this o'clock, and he scolded him: "I told you that I came back before noon, why did I come back at two o'clock in the afternoon!" ”

"Brother Zheng, it's not that I'm disobedient, it's really that the generals of the Ming army are too grinding. Obviously, the few people who bought it from them the day before yesterday were still ten taels of silver, but today it has risen to fifteen taels, and it took me and them half a day to negotiate the price of fifty taels of silver and four taels. It's too late. Fu Shun shouted.

Zheng Pai's gaze looked behind him, staring at the four women who were only casually wrapped in a piece of clothing. Although these women were in a state of mind and unkempt at this time, they could still see that they were quite beautiful.

Zheng Pai glanced at it a few times and then withdrew his gaze, and said to Fu Shun: "That's it, this time you didn't do anything privately, so I won't scold you, hurry up and send these four to the backyard, and pick them up first." ”

"Yes, Brother Zheng." Fu Shun agreed, and walked to the backyard with his brothers.

Zheng Pai turned around and said to Xiao Zhuo, "Xiao Zhuo, how many of these four do you want?" ”

"I want it all." Xiao Zhuo said: "The law of the Ming Dynasty is strict, and it is strictly forbidden to force good people to become prostitutes, especially after His Majesty beat him hard in the second year of Jianye, a woman with good looks and no worries in the Qinglou business in the capital, Suzhou and Hangzhou and other places is enough to sell for hundreds of taels, which is dozens of times the profit." ”

"That's not going to work." Zheng Pai said: "There is a prince in Goa who has told me several times that he wants an oriental beauty, and he is willing to pay the equivalent of fifty taels of gold for the Han people; Besides, currying favor with him will make it easier for me to do business locally, so I'll give you up to three. ”

"Three is also possible." Xiao Zhuo agreed: "Three is enough to sell for more than a thousand taels, and you can also make a lot of money." ”

"It's a pity that there are not many such beauties, I'm afraid that the Ming army will have nothing but those who were plundered as concubines by the generals."

"Be content. I bought two the day before yesterday, I bought four today, a total of six, and you divided four of them, so how much do you have to earn? Zheng Pai said.

"There is no contentment in trading." Xiao Zhuo said with a smile.

The two of them had a few jokes and were about to go to lunch. But at this moment, there was a sound of "popping" footsteps from outside the hospital, which continued.

Xiao Zhuo climbed up the ladder and looked at it a few times, and waited for the footsteps to disappear before coming down from the ladder, and said to Zheng Pai with surprise on his face: "It's the army of the imperial court." I just clicked, and there were 50,000 people. ”

"Not long after the occupation of Yi'an City, there are still many troops stationed outside the city, and it should not be that they are stationed outside the city to echo the city. So this is General He who is going to lead his troops to the battle? Today is the first day of the first lunar month, and the army will not be allowed to rest for a few more days before going on the expedition? ”

Zheng Pai listened to Xiao Zhuo's words, was stunned for a moment, and then said: "This General He is quite capable. Today is the first day of the first month of the first month of the new year, and the army has just taken down the city of Yi'an, everyone thinks that he will lead the troops to repair for a few more days, and the defense will inevitably be loosened, so he can be taken by surprise. "He and I came and went.

Xiao Zhuo was also stunned and said with a smile: "What you said is quite reasonable. In the light of this, you should actually be in command of war, not a merchant. ”

But the Zheng faction did not listen to him, but meditated on his own; Xiao Zhuo was puzzled, patted his arm, Zheng Pai came back to his senses, but didn't say anything, and went to eat with him.

On the morning of the second day of the first lunar month of the next day, Zheng Pai and Xiao Zhuo counted all the 'goods' in their hands, and pulled their men to the dock rented by their own family in the port, carefully inspected the goods again, and sent them to the ship. Sailors put horns and ivory into special cabins, and drove male and female slaves onto ships.

Zheng Pai instructed Fu Shun: "This time, you will be the captain to transport goods, you must be careful not to make mistakes." ”

"On board, remember that ivory and other goods must be kept properly and not damaged in the slightest; Passing by the mainland islands, remember to buy vegetables and fruits. Somehow, it is easy to get beriberi if you don't eat vegetables on a ship all year round. ……”

"Be careful when you get there, and remember to have the buyers brush the skins of the slaves before examining them, and then put gunpowder into the wine made from sugar cane, and give each of them a sip, so that their dirty, dull skin will become shiny and firm, and look much more energetic than before; One by one, they will become alive and jumpy, and even those who are about to die will look like living monkeys. ……”

Fu Shun listened to his instructions silently, and waited for him to finish before he said: "Brother Zheng, I have done this kind of business before, and there are also first and second mates to mention points, so there will be nothing missing." ”

"Hey, I also know, it's just such a big deal, but I don't go with you, I always feel unsure. Alright, it's not too early, you get on the boat and go. Zheng Pai said.

Fu Shun said yes and boarded the ship with his brothers.

When the ship started, Zheng Pai looked at the ship that was gradually moving away, and watched for a long time, until the ship was no longer visible, and then turned back.

"What's the matter, I'm afraid that Fu Shun will run away with the boat, so staring at it?" Xiao Zhuo joked.

Zheng Pai smiled and didn't answer.

Xiao Zhuo asked again: "I haven't figured it out, why did you suddenly decide not to take the boat in person and stay in Yi'an City?" ”

"Of course, it's because Annan still has a place where he can make a lot of money." Zheng Pai said.

"But all the valuable goods in Yi'an City have been bought, and the rest is nothing more than a few slaves. Although the trade in ordinary slaves makes a lot of money, it can't be regarded as a lot of money. Xiao Zhuo said.

"I'm not talking about Yi'an, I'm talking about Thanh Hoa and the Western Capital, in two days, Thanh Hoa and the Western Capital must be places where you can make a lot of money."

"Why?" Xiao Zhuo was puzzled.

Zheng Pai didn't explain immediately, but said to his companions: "If there is still a Ming army going north tomorrow, let's set off with chariots and horses." Everybody bring their own guys. ”

He said to Xiao Zhuo again: "Xiao Zhuo, don't take the boat to Shanghai by yourself, let someone you trust lead the team, and let's go to Qinghua together to earn a lot of money." ”