Cheng Yue said while eating: "Brother Zhou, you have been outside the territory for a long time, and you don't seem to know anything about the major events in the Central Plains, and now the Ming Dynasty seems to be over, you and I don't take advantage of the chaos in the world to make a fortune, what time are you waiting." Li Zicheng has broken through Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen hanged, and now the remnants of the Ming court in Nanjing still want to die and struggle, I think the world is Li Zicheng's in the end. We people, no matter who he belongs to in the world, who is not a dang, when Emperor Taizu was able to go from a beggar to the ninety-five, although Li Zicheng was born in a reckless manner, as long as he has the mandate of heaven, he can also be added to the dragon robe. You and I don't take advantage of this occasion to make a big profit, and then defect to Li Zicheng, I can't say what kind of Hou Ye will be a pawn in the future, and when the world is settled in a few years, then the daylily will be cold. ”

Zhou Hao was secretly funny, Li Zicheng could sit firmly in Beijing for a few days, and the Manchu Dynasty outside the Guanxi was the most terrifying, how did he know that the Manchu Dynasty outside the Guanwai was eyeing the Central Plains, but at this time, Zhou Hao would definitely not say it, so he said: "Brother Cheng said that he made a fortune, I don't know how to get rich?" ”

Cheng Yue said: "Now that Li Zicheng's army has swept through the Central Plains, the property of the nobles and rich people in the Central Plains is not guaranteed, and they are ready to go south and transfer their property to the south. We can also take advantage of the chaos in the north, send troops to plunder everywhere, and then we want women to have women, the land has land, and we want money and wealth, while the world is certain, we will go to Li Zicheng, just get a lord, and then you can enjoy a lifetime of glory and wealth. ”

Zhou Hao was silent, in fact, his ambition was not only to take advantage of the chaos to make a fortune, and said after a while: "Brother Cheng doesn't know what position he holds under Huang Zongbing?" ”

Cheng Yue said: "In the lower rank, there are thousands of generals, and there are 560 brothers under him, most of whom are people from various gangs on the black and white road. A few years ago, the rebellion of the people was surging, and the imperial court in order to suppress the peasant uprisings of all walks of life, so it wantonly expanded the army and no longer restricted the source of the army. ”

Zhou Hao said: "It turns out that Brother Cheng is also a good man from the green forest. ”

Cheng Yue said: "We were originally from the Huaiyan Gang, doing some small business in the Jianghuai area, and we were also the thorn in the eye and the thorn in the flesh of the imperial court, coupled with the exclusion of the gangs in the same way, we put ourselves under the command of Huang Zongbing, and fortunately we have a backer, and the brothers also have something to eat." ”

Zhou Hao said: "The Huai Salt Gang is selling smuggled salt in the Jianghuai area. ”

Cheng Yue said: "Brother Zhou may not know that after Emperor Taizu conquered the world, in order to prevent the invasion of the Mongols in the northern grasslands, he strengthened the defense of the north. ”

Cheng Yue was about to go on, when Zhou Hao asked, "What is the salt lead?" ”

Cheng Yue said: "The salt guide is a salt ticket to make it clear, and the two stones of grain can be exchanged for a salt guide, take this salt lead to the designated place to exchange for salt, and then go to the designated place to sell it." As a result of this order, a large number of salt merchants transported grain to the north, which can be said to have greatly solved the dilemma of grain shortage in the northern border passes. Brother Zhou also knew that salt was a necessity for the people's livelihood, so these salt merchants made huge profits from it, and they later simply paid to hire farmers to grow grain in the fields around the border pass, and directly exchanged it for salt on the spot. As a result, the nobles who held the salt in their hands had a huge amount of wealth, and later the major nobles in the court vied for control of the salt introduction. These salt merchants colluded with the dignitaries of the DPRK and China to seek personal gain. ”

In fact, in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the world was peaceful, the society was stable, and the business was extremely prosperous, because of the huge profits of the salt industry, some people in the rivers and lakes also formed various gangs to sell illegal salt, and obtained profits from it. Of course, this seriously affected the sale of official salt in the imperial court, so the imperial court ordered the extermination of these gangs, but due to the huge profits of the salt industry, it was repeatedly banned.

Three years ago, the Haiyan Gang colluded with the Xiangma Gang in Shandong to attack the Huaiyan Gang in the Jianghuai area, and the general commander Cheng Yue had no choice but to lead the brothers of the Huaiyan Gang into Huang Degong's command in order to survive.

At this time, when the northern turmoil and the chaebols were transporting goods to the south, Cheng Yue also kept a salt rope from Cangzhou to Nanjing, and was targeted by bandits in Jianghuai, Cheng Yue had no choice but to stop the salt in Yangliu Town, and sent a request for help to other military departments.

Zhou Hao basically understood the various situations at the end of the Ming Dynasty from Cheng Yue's words, and said, "How did Brother Cheng know that the Ming Dynasty would not be able to return to the sky? ”

Cheng Yue said: "Under Fang today, there are three main forces, the Manchu Qing in the north, Li Zicheng in the north, the remnants of the Southern Ming in the south, and of course Zhang Xianzhong in Sichuan, but Zhang Xianzhong's forces are far from being able to compete with the previous three forces. Judging from the current situation, it is difficult for the Southern Ming to go on a northern expedition with its own strength, unless it is attacked from the north and south by the power of the Manchus outside the Guan, at first, the imperial court really wanted to use the power of the Manchus outside the Guanqing to deal with Li Zicheng, but the Manchus just sat on the mountain and watched the tiger fight, and did not send troops. ”

Zhou Hao said in his heart, the Manchus outside the Guanxi are eyeing the Central Plains, if the Manchus are allowed to go south, it is tantamount to drinking to quench their thirst and lure wolves into the room.

Zhou Hao said: "Today we don't talk about the situation, only about Fengyue, does Brother Cheng know Qin Huai Bayan?" ”

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, "Qin Huai Bayan" was very famous in history, and the famous Chen Yuanyuan was one of them. "If you can see the legendary "Qin Huai Bayan", it will not be in vain to come to this world.

Cheng Yue was stunned for a moment, and then said: "Brother Zhou also knows Qin Huai Bayan, these are eight stunning women, but you and I have no chance." ”

Zhou Hao said: "Why is this? ”

Cheng Yue said: "This Qin Huai Bayan is Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Ruyi, Gu Hengbo, Dong Xiaowan, Bian Yujing, Li Xiangjun, Kou Baimen, Ma Xianglan, among them, Chen Yuanyuan is the woman of Liaodong General Wu Sangui, and Liu Rushi is the woman of Qian Yiqian, the leader of the Donglin Party in Nanjing today......"

Zhou Hao was suddenly startled and said, "Liu Ru is a woman who makes money?" ”

Cheng Yue said: "What, Brother Zhou knows about Qian Yiqian? ”