"Ladies and gentlemen." The arrogant Old Man Qiao dusted off his clothes and slowly stood up.

After watching the few people present focus their eyes on himself, Old Man Qiao pursed the corners of his mouth and smiled indifferently, and said slowly, "Da Ming has a royal law." The National Teacher said that we colluded with Jianyu to smuggle materials. What evidence does he have? Let's turn ourselves in? Didn't he take the initiative to put his head under the steel knife in his hand? ”

"Not bad." The middle-aged man in a fur coat replied casually, "We are all law-abiding businessmen. Not a penny was given to the merchant tax in the palace. The filial piety of the adults has never been broken. Can't the national teacher move his mouth and say that we are, so is it really? ”

Everyone in the room chuckled in response. What the specific situation is, the big guys know very well in their hearts. It's just that some things can be said on the surface, but they can only be done quietly in secret.

"It's okay to turn yourself in as if you haven't heard of it. The big guys all gave some money and sent them to Beijing to find someone to be accommodating. Even if the national teacher is high-spirited and bright, he will not accept our filial piety. But there are so many people under him, he always has to support his family and buy a house and land, right? Old Man Qiao's words made everyone's eyes light up.

That national teacher is ruthless and kills people without blinking. But he can't do everything himself, can he? Don't you have to do it with your subordinates? Can't so many of his subordinates turn a blind eye to the white flowers and silver like him?

What is Qianli an official for? The best fertile land that can not be seen at a glance. The first three and the last three are beautiful houses. The treasures of the South China Sea and the North of the Sea that day. The delicate women in the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, don't the thin horses in Yangzhou have to be exchanged for silver?

As long as the silver can be used to settle those who work under the national teacher, the national teacher will be helpless. He can't run over to the ledger by himself and go through the ledger one by one, and personally patrol the side wall with his people, right?

"That's a good plan." The middle-aged man clapped his hands and smiled in response.

"Since the Li Dong family also thinks it is good, then the Li Dong family should give more silver." Shopkeeper Wang said with a sneer.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows it. The plan to buy off the clerk is simple, but the amount of money to be spent is definitely not a small amount.

All of you here are smart people, and they all know in their hearts that there is a case like this to investigate businessmen. The person in charge must be the confidant of the national teacher. Moreover, the oil and water for handling this kind of case are absolutely oily. wants to buy the henchmen of the national teacher who can obviously make a lot of money. Easier said than done!

"You can't do it without silver. I don't need to say much, the big guys can understand it in their hearts. If you want to feed someone who is familiar with this kind of case, so that he can willingly do things for us at the risk of losing the trust of the national teacher, it will inevitably be a hard hit. Old Man Qiao took a sip of the teacup and said lightly.

"How do you think the big guy should pay for this part?" Li Dongjia frowned and asked out loud.

All of you here are ruthless people who make money, what are you taking such a big risk for, isn't it just for the silver? Now let these merchants take the money out of their pockets for nothing. It was no different from cutting their flesh with a knife.

"Of course, whoever earns more will pay more." Shopkeeper Wang glanced at Old Man Qiao, who had no waves, and said loudly.

"That's it, that's it." The rest of the businessmen, who did not have much business, hurriedly echoed them.

"Huh." Old Man Qiao raised his eyelids, and said softly without smiling, "You guys actually hit the idea on my head?" Is it easy to bully someone when I'm Joe? ”

After a pause, Old Man Qiao hooked the corners of his mouth and sneered, and looked around at everyone present with a cold gaze. His wrinkled face gradually became rosy, and he said coldly, "It doesn't matter if I Qiao has this silver out by himself." It's just that if we can really buy off the people who do things, let people raise their noble hands and let us go. It is also necessary to give some scapegoats so that the family can go on an errand with the national teacher. Everyone said, isn't that the truth? ”

"......" Old Man Qiao's words have all come to this. You are not fools, how can you not hear it? Don't want to give up the money? Yes, when people come, go to be a scapegoat!

"It's a big guy thing. It should be shared equally by everyone. How can you let Old Man Joe come out on top? The thoughtful Li Dongjia broke the embarrassing atmosphere in the private room with his words, and the rest of the people hurriedly echoed.

Old Man Qiao, who looked indifferent, looked around at everyone present arrogantly, and said in a cold voice, "Since the big guys all want to come up with silver, so be it." Each family here paid 50,000 taels of silver, and I personally went to Jingshi. The relationship in the palace should also be used. ”

The reason why Old Man Qiao was able to occupy the lion's share of the smuggling business in the north was that in addition to the care of the big people in the court, he also kept in touch with a certain nobleman in the palace. That's the fundamental reason.

"Wait for the people under the national teacher to come over. For those who didn't come today, let's report them for fornicating with the enemy. Old Man Qiao softly pushed the other smugglers who had not come to the fire pit with whom he had not dealt much in the past.

"That's it, that's it." The crowd hurriedly agreed. This kind of thing that a friend of the dead Dao does not die and a poor Dao. They liked to do it the most. The heart that ached because of the large sum of money was also a little better.

After the big heart suffered from the coping method, several people in the audience began to talk and laugh again. Talk about the recent changes in the imperial court. Talk about those border troops who have a cold face all day long, talk about the wind and snow in Jiangnan or something. Until the king's shopkeeper threw out another topic.

"This business from the north. Do we still do it? The king's words made the room suddenly quiet.

Because of the blockade of Gaoyang, there was a large-scale shortage of daily necessities in the Manchu Dynasty. Although it is nothing compared to the Ming Dynasty, the Manchu Qing Dynasty has a huge population base after all, and the daily consumption is extremely amazing.

At the same time, a major defeat outside the city of Ningyuan also woke up all the Manchu magnates. Firearms, which were abandoned after Huang Taiji's death, have regained great attention.

The battered Celestial Blessing Army was rebuilt again, with almost overwhelming support. In the past, all the people who shouted that the Manchu Qing Dynasty had won the world with bows and horses were all shut up, but now everything is based on the reconstruction of the Heavenly Blessing Army, and all resources are tilted towards this side.

Shang Kexi, Geng Zhongming, Kong Youde and others were either killed in battle or captured outside Ningyuan City. The new Tianyou Army was changed to be led by the Han Army, which was inlaid with red flags, Meler, and Zhen Meng Qiaofang.

It's not that the Manchu elites don't want to take this army into their own hands, it's that they really don't know firearms!

These Manchu magnates with muscles in their heads can draw bows and shoot arrows, and it is too embarrassing for them to play with muskets and artillery, calculate the angle of fire or something.

Dorgon was heavily populated with the new Heavenly Blessing Army, and the remaining elite of the Eight Banners was almost completely drained. Only a group of old, weak, sick and disabled remained, as well as those Mongols and Han Chinese who came to fill the number. The Han army was mainly a professor, and its main strength had been changed to the Manchus.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty, which was still in its infancy, was far from being able to accept new things than its descendants could match more than 200 years later.

Under the pressure of life and death, the Manchu magnates quickly unified their pace, and it took less than a month to rebuild the more powerful Tianyou army.

The army has been built, but new problems have arisen. Meng Qiaofang, who also participated in the Battle of Ningyuan and escaped after the war, told Dolgon that the firearms used by the Tianyou Army could not be compared with the Ming army at all. Whether it is in terms of range or power, there is a difference between cloud and mud. He hoped to get some of the firearms used by the Ming army as samples to imitate.

In addition, there were many artisans who had been captured by the Manchus here, and there was no problem in producing things. However, they lacked the iron to build muskets and the copper to cast artillery!

Now it's all coming together. Living materials, samples of firearms used by the Ming army, materials used in the construction of firearms, etc. There were even those luxuries produced in Jingshilifang, which were urgently needed by the Manchu magnates.

The only way to get these things now is to rely on these smugglers. Dolgon gritted his teeth and raised a huge sum of money from the flags and palaces, placing a sky-high order for these smugglers. The price offered is very, very tempting, so tempting that one can risk being hanged to do something!

"It's up to you to do this or not. I have no opinion. Old Man Qiao lowered his eyelids and whispered.

"Do! Why not! Who doesn't want silver from the sky?! The red-faced shopkeeper almost roared.

The price offered by the Manchus made it impossible for these people to refuse. However, correspondingly, this matter also has huge risks!

It's good to say that there are such things. But where are the new military firearms? I had spent a huge amount of money to tempt the sergeants of the new army to buy a few rods before, but they were taken down before they could leave the city, and now their heads are still hanging on the city walls!

As for copper and iron, there are too many of them, and the weight is also large. The path can't go out at all, and the only way out is to take the city pass. But now all the gates on the edge of the Great Wall have been taken over by the new army, not to mention these mighty transport teams, they can't get through alone!

"It's done!" Li Dongjia's eyes turned red. Thinking of the price offered by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, his heart was burning. No matter how big the risk is, it's worth it!

"Looking at the appearance of the imperial court, it is estimated that after the spring, there will be a northern expedition. Our business is going to be cut off. Old Man Qiao's words made everyone present frown.

They also knew the crazy results of the battle of Ningyuan. With the strong military strength of the imperial court at this time, as long as it goes north to attack Jianyu after the beginning of spring. The Manchus had almost no chance of winning.

After the defeat of the Manchus, who else could these smuggling people do business with? The Mongolian herders who are so poor that they can't afford to wear clothes?

The people in this room are all human spirits. They all heard the subtext of Old Man Joe. This business has to be done, and it has to be done the biggest one. (To be continued)