Everyone laughed when they heard Li Ming's words. Zhou Billy also nodded and said, "Commander, before the company launches the third phase of the northbound plan, will we first take down the Ningxia Xitao Plain in the next few years?" We can ask the Mongol cavalry corps to sweep it over, and it's also a good place to raise troops in the tuntian. ”

Li Ming waved his hand, and then said in a deep voice: "No, although the Mongolian Legion is also the army of our Far East Company, whether it is now or in the future, whether it is the Mongols, the natives of the Outer Northeast, or the Japanese daredevils, they are not allowed to step into the Central Plains for half a step. We will collect the displaced people's tuntian fields on a large scale and develop and build the Hetao base area.

After studying, the Standing Committee of the Old Higher Military Commission and I will form the Northwest Field Army on the basis of strengthening the regiments in the base areas. The field division in Liaodong will also be renamed the Northeast Field Army. As the main field corps of the Far Eastern Company in the Central Plains in the future. In the future, the two field armies will be fully mounted infantry units. ”

After listening to Li Ming's words, Song Tao said excitedly: "After that, the low position of our Hetao base area is amazing. When the company entered the Central Plains, our Northwest Field Army relied on the unique geographical location of Hetao to go south to Guanzhong and chase the Central Plains. ”

Hu Wei smiled bitterly and said, "But we must build the Hetao base area well in order to achieve this idea." Our task is still quite arduous, and the time is too short. ”

Li Ming said with a smile: "In fact, you don't have to worry, as long as we bury our heads for two years and lay a good foundation for the base area, we will definitely get the attention of all the standing committee members and members of the board of directors of the company." However, the initial work in the Hetao base area will inevitably be rather arduous, and everyone should still be mentally prepared. And before that, we have to complete the second and third phases of the northward plan, completely solve Mobei and Moxi Mongolia, and turn all the northern steppes into pastures in our Far East. ”

Ding Weiguo said with a smile: "The plan to rob the Jin merchants of Shanxi." It's even more important to look at it now. The materials needed for the initial construction of our Hetao base area all depended on the family background of these traitors. ”

Song Tao also coaxed: "Old Zhou, we will entrust you to the Hetao base area, give full play to all your conspiracies." ”

Everyone laughed when they heard what they said.

Zhou Billy also smiled bitterly, and then said: "The development of Jin merchants began at the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. After the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The focus of defense was in the north, mainly to prevent the Mongols from returning. The Zhu dynasty deployed millions of troops on the northern border, which required a large amount of military supplies. In order to solve the material needs of the army, the imperial court rewarded merchants with "salt introduction" and encouraged merchants to transport grain and forage to Biansai, which was the "open middle system" of the Ming Dynasty. The so-called "salt introduction" is to obtain the quota voucher for the purchase and sale of salt under the condition that the government exclusively controls the salt industry.

The Jin merchants were keenly aware of this business opportunity, transporting grain from Henan, Shandong, and the Jiangnan region to the northern border towns. In exchange for "salt introduction", and then turn around and travel to Lianghuai, Hedong, Sichuan and other places where salt is produced, buy salt with "salt introduction", and finally sell salt in other parts of the country to make a profit.

Zezhou, which is rich in ironware, and Luzhou, which is the center of silk in the north, as well as merchants who buy and sell grain and salt to border towns, send a large number of iron and salt goods to the grassland for sale. Bringing back cattle, horses, skins and various specialties, iron and salt goods were already profitable to sell in Mongolia and the Jurchens. The trafficking of foreign specialties into the Ming Dynasty is also amazingly profitable.

Late Ming Dynasty. After the old slaves occupied Liaodong, they set the entry into the Central Plains as the basic national policy of the Later Jin. But after years of conquest, the Houjin treasury was empty and could not afford the huge military expenditures. The old slave asked the Jin merchants, who often traded with Houjin, to lend a huge amount of money, and the interest he offered was relatively high. Therefore, these Jin merchants promised to provide a huge loan to Houjin.

It is precisely because of this great favor of providing military supplies that in real history. Since the Manchu Qing Dynasty took over the world, the Jin merchants have acquired various operating privileges and exclusive industries, earned a lot of wealth, established a huge business empire, and become the leading merchant group. ”

Everyone listened to him. I also have to sigh, aside from other things, Jin Shang's business sense alone is very unusual.

Zhou Billy picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then continued: "We control the vast and boundless grasslands in the north, and the circulation of goods on the grasslands is what we say in the Far East. We not only want to destroy those traitors and Jin merchants, but also to control their trade routes, before the company enters the Central Plains, we can find a few Jin merchants to help us take care of this trade route, so that they will provide all kinds of materials needed for the Hetao base area. ”

Ma Qing nodded and said: "Lao Zhou's method is good, robbing those traitors and Jin merchants, no matter how rich they are, it is just a hammer deal after all." If you control the trade routes in the north, it will be a good deal. In this way, the Hetao base area does not have to worry about all kinds of materials, and it can also reduce the company's supply pressure. ”

Hu Wei frowned and said: "If you want to formulate such a huge business plan, you must find a professional person to manage it. Those Jin merchants are all very shrewd people, and if you want to control them, you must be knowledgeable people. And I feel like there's a lot of business opportunities to be developed. The nine sides of the Ming Dynasty are actually a huge interest group, and the local officials, gentry and military leaders of various ministries are in collusion, and the interests in it cannot be underestimated. But this requires very professional business talents to get started, we are all laymen, and if we want to make this business bigger, I'm afraid it's impossible. ”

Li Ming nodded and said: "Yes, we really don't have such talents in the Hetao base area, even if the company can find a few talents in this field in the Ministry of Commerce." But how could these elites of the Ministry of Commerce go to the barren land of Hetao. ”

Ding Weiguo thought for a while and said: "Then before we go to the Hetao, can't we find professionals from the company's business department to help us formulate a business plan?" ”

Hu Wei shook his head and said: "If you don't understand the local situation and don't conduct an in-depth investigation, no matter how good the business plan is, it can only be on paper." And the implementation of this plan must be managed by professional personnel. ”

Lu Yongren, who had not spoken, suddenly interjected: "If you want to say that there are really business talents who can come to the Hetao base area." ”

Everyone was stunned by his words, but they all reacted immediately. Isn't there just one, but everyone doesn't dare to use this person. Everyone looked at Li Ming and wanted to hear what he had to say. (To be continued......)

PS: Thanks to lminiy, bluff, sunroad for their monthly pass support.