In the following time, Zhang Huangyan and others stayed in Tong'an Town, rented a house in the town, and prepared to collect grain. While collecting food openly, he secretly sent people to investigate the situation of the surrounding rebels.

Tong'an Town belongs to Xincheng County, and Xincheng County belongs to Jianchang Province, and after a few days, the results were obtained, and there were not many rebels in the entire Jianchang Province. Jianchang Mansion City should have thousands of troops, and as for Xincheng County, there are no troops at all. Well, it's not nothing, there is a patrol department between Xincheng County and Tong'an Town, and there are one hundred and ten archers in it, which may be the only armed in Xincheng County.

In fact, if you think about it, even in such a dangerous place as Shanguan, the rebels did not send troops to garrison it, how could they stay in such a remote place as Xincheng County? Perhaps in the eyes of the Jiangxi rebel court, it was impossible for Jianchangfu to be attacked by the imperial army at all.

"If I knew it, I wouldn't have to be so careful, just go straight to the army." Zhang Huangyan's subordinates said excitedly.

"It's better to be cautious when the army is dispatched. What if there are rebels here? Zhang Huangyan shook his head and said.

As for the reason why the rebels did not leave an army to guard here in Jianchang Mansion in Shanguan, Zhang Huangyan understood after a little thought. Shaowu Mansion on the other side of the mountain was controlled by the rebellious gentry, and these gentry must have sent people to contact the Jiangxi court, knowing that they were their own people on the other side of the mountain, and the Nanjing army was about to attack, so it was understandable that the Jiangxi rebel court did not deploy troops in Xincheng County.

In the following time, while continuing to send sentinels in the direction of Jianchang Mansion, Zhang Huangyan devoted his main energy to purchasing grain. The emperor's order to send troops was too urgent, and Fujian simply did not have enough grain and grass for tens of thousands of troops, so it could only collect it on the spot in Jiangxi. The army has not moved, the grain and grass go first, if you can receive enough food, when Li Yanzhi and the army arrive, it will save a lot of things.

Collecting grain may seem troublesome, but it is actually very simple, and there is no need to go door-to-door to buy it.

Since the imperial court implemented a whip law in the Wanli period, except for the four prefectures of Jiangdong and other prefectures and counties that were responsible for transporting grain to Beijing, the other places used silver to pay field taxes. After each receipt, the peasants had to sell their grain for silver money, and then pay the imperial taxes. Therefore, in every township and township, there are money shops dedicated to this kind of business, and most of the money shops are opened by local gentry, who buy grain from the people and then sell it to grain merchants to make a profit.

For example, the money shop in Tong'an Town was set up by Squire Lu, so Squire Lu readily agreed to sell 2,000 stone of grain to the "Wu Family Firm". Relying on the money shop, Squire Lu can earn 100 taels of silver every year, and although the profit is not high, it is quite stable. Another function of the money shop is to lend usury to the people. In every disaster year, there are always people who can't live their lives, so they have to borrow usury from money shops, and the mortgage is the family's land. In the following year, however, the money shop inevitably lowered the purchase price, so that the people could not repay the loan anyway, and the land went to the gentry. Relying on this means, Squire Lu annexed thousands of acres of land, and most of the fields in Tong'an Town belonged to his family.

As a local squire, Squire Lu also had contacts with the squires of other surrounding towns, and with his help, the grain collection work went smoothly, Zhang Huangyan personally went out, and Wu Fu was responsible for the actual negotiations, and in a few days they negotiated three deals, a total of 3,000 stone of wheat and 2,000 stone of rice. In addition, the total amount bought from Squire Lu was as high as seven thousand stones.

At this point, Zhang Huangyan finally breathed a sigh of relief, seven thousand stone of grain was enough for the army for half a month. In half a month, there will definitely be no problem in hitting Jianchang Mansion City. Jianchang Mansion is located in a large basin with fertile land and a thriving population, and it is easy to get the food needed by the army.

However, Zhang Huangyan did not know that the behavior of the "Wu family firm" in purchasing grain on a large scale had already hindered the interests of others.

In Xincheng County, in a luxurious house, grain merchant Zhou Kun was playing with his newly married concubine in his arms, and suddenly a grain manager hurriedly ran in and shouted: "Second master, it's not good." ”

Zhou Kun reluctantly put down the concubine in his arms, and looked at the guy dissatisfied: "Old Five, what are you doing in such a panic, the sky is falling?" ”

"The sky hasn't fallen, but our business has been robbed." Lao Wu said.

"What? You tell me clearly, what the hell is going on? Zhou Kun hurriedly asked.

"A guy in our business is from Tong'an Town, he went back to his hometown to visit relatives a few days ago, and he came back today to report an incident to his subordinates, saying that someone was collecting grain in Tong'an Town, and the grain in the money shop in Tong'an Town was taken away. And I heard that not only Tong'an Town, but also the neighboring Jigao Town Changgang Town grain was also collected. The fifth steward said.

"Fuck, who the hell did that?" Zhou Kun was really angry.

He has always regarded Xincheng County as his own territory, and buys tens of thousands of stone of grain from Xincheng County every year, and then transports it to Nanchang to resell it to large grain merchants, earning nearly 1,000 taels of silver every year. Now there are people rushing to harvest food with themselves, which is equivalent to grabbing food in their own bowls!

"That guy has already inquired clearly, it was the Wu family of Shaowu on the other side of the mountain who robbed the grain, and the Lu family in Tong'an Town colluded to do this." The old five said.

"The Lu family, damn Lu Shouben, isn't it just that last year's grain prices were lowered, and he teamed up with outsiders to rob Lao Tzu's business, I can't spare him!" Zhou Kun scolded.

However, having said that, he knew that he had no way to take the Lu family. Although Squire Lu is only a lifter, and no one in his family is an official in the court, there are quite a few in the same year, and even the county government does not dare to do anything to him.

"Owner, why don't we find a horse to inspect?" Lao Wu suggested.

"Looking for Mahou? Will this make too much trouble, I heard that the Shao Wu family is also quite powerful. Zhou Kun hesitated.

"No matter how powerful the Wu family is, it is also in Shaowu, Fujian, and we are separated from the mountains here, and they are just crossing the river here. Owner, if we don't do anything, the business will be robbed. The fifth man encouraged.

"Let's also immediately send people to grab the grain and raise the price of the grain." Zhou Kun said. Doing business is all about making money, paying attention to harmony and making money, if it is not a last resort, Zhou Kun is not willing to tear his face with other businesses, because no one knows what background the other party has, and if he makes people anxious, he may spoil his own affairs at some point.

"If you can't grab it, their current purchase price is two percent higher than last year!" Lao Wu shook his head and said.

Zhou Kun gasped and said incredulously: "Two percent higher, can they make money?" ”

The profit of the grain business is already low, and the gross profit may be 20% profit, but with the addition of dots and expenses along the way, the profit will be 10%. The other party suddenly raised the purchase price by two percent, which is something that only a madman can do!

"Go find Mahou!" Zhou Kun was finally angry, the other party didn't make money and had to grab business, and he was not muddy, he could let the other party bully!

Between Xincheng County and Tong'an Town, there is a Lantian Inspection Division, and the inspection of Ma Hou is a distant relative of Zhou Kun, but even so, if it is not necessary, Zhou Kun does not want to trouble Ma Hou, because it costs money.

"Oh, second cousin, you haven't come to me for a long time, why, after making a lot of money, you forgot about your brother?" Seeing Zhou Kun's arrival, Lantian inspected Ma Hou and immediately smiled.

"You are an official master, the threshold here is too high, how dare I trouble you if I have nothing to do." Zhou Kun didn't have a good airway.

"Alas, brother, didn't you slap me in the face when you said this, how did I come to this inspection, don't you know if others don't know?" Ma Hou was not angry at all, and said with a smile.

"Someone robbed me of my business, I want you to take someone to teach the other party a hard lesson." Zhou Kun didn't talk nonsense, and directly said the requirements.

"Brother, you can come, you can afford me, my brother has nothing to say!" Ma Hou patted his chest and said, "By the way, who is the other party, don't have a big background, brother, you also know that my small temple can't provoke the great god." ”

"The business name on the other side of the mountain is not a big background." Zhou Kun understated.

"Don't worry, it's all on me. Where is the other party? Hearing that it was not local, Ma Hou was immediately relieved. He was afraid of provoking the local squire, and it was not cost-effective to provoke people who should not be provoked and lose his office. As for outsiders, it doesn't matter, he Mahou is not a person without a background.

"They are in Tong'an Town, Mahou, the grain harvest season is just such a time, you have to go quickly." Zhou Kun urged.

"Brother, you always need a name to send troops, what if the county lord asks afterwards?" Ma Hou said with a look of embarrassment.

"Isn't it easy to find one casually, just say that after receiving a secret report, Fujian bandits have fled to the territory of Xincheng, and as the inspection department, it is indispensable to send troops." Zhou Kun pouted.

"But ......" Ma Hou still looked embarrassed.

"Say no more!" Zhou Kun directly interrupted the guy's words, "I'll pay a hundred taels of silver, and you will arrest that group of people for me." ”

"One hundred taels......" Ma Hou touched his chin and blinked his eyes, "Brother, I took such a big risk to send troops, and this little bit of silver is not enough for the brothers' hard money." ”

"Add another fifty taels, that's all! You also know that I have a small business and don't make much money at all. If I still don't, I'll find another way. Zhou Kun said categorically. This Mahou was too greedy, which was why he was reluctant to come to him in the first place.

"It's not that my brother is greedy for money, if I really don't have any money, my little cubs can't be called at all, I'm not afraid of delaying my brother's business. Okay, it's one hundred and fifty taels. Ma Hou said with a grin.

Zhou Kun pouted, everyone is so familiar, who doesn't know who, what kind of big-tailed wolf is pretending. This one hundred and fifty taels of silver, being able to give fifty taels to his subordinates is already Ma Hou's generosity.

"Brother, when will the troops be dispatched, you can say it directly." Ma Hou accepted the silver and said excitedly.

Zhou Kun said: "Then the sooner the better." ”

"Okay, I'll gather my men today, and I'll send troops early tomorrow morning!" Ma Hou said categorically.

......

"Shaodong, a large group of people is coming towards Tong'an Town."

In the morning, Zhang Huangyan was counting the purchased grain, when suddenly a sentry rushed in.

"Brigade of people, doesn't it mean that there is no army in Xincheng County?" Zhang Huangyan was taken aback. His subordinates brought 100 people, most of whom went to the towns to be responsible for transporting food, and only more than 20 people remained in Tong'an Town.

"Looking at the clothes, it seems to be the people of the Inspection Department, there are about 100 people, and it is only ten miles away from Tong'an Town." The sentinel said.

Inspection Division? Zhang Huangyan relaxed a little, what kind of combat effectiveness the archers of the Inspection Division Zhang Huangyan naturally knew. These people caught thieves and did not dare to fight the army.

"Maybe I want to knock on it." Zhang Huangyan thought for a while and ordered, "Go and invite Master Lu over." Then gather all the brothers and get ready with firearms, knives and guns! ”

For the inspection department that came over, Zhang Huangyan decided to make preparations with both hands, if the other party was just to knock some silver, for a big event, he would give them silver, and with Squire Lu playing a round on the side, I believe that the other party would not go too far. On the contrary, if the other party is aware of his identity and is here to encircle and suppress himself, Zhang Huangyan is not afraid of a hard battle with the other party. That is, the number one hundred and tenth archer, although there are only twenty people under him, Zhang Huangyan is not afraid at all.

"Nephew, what's going on?" Squire Lu hurried over and asked.

"I reported that there are many archers from the Inspection Division who are coming to Tong'an Town, I don't know if it is aimed at us, if so, I want to ask my uncle to come over and help say a few words." Zhang Huang said.

"It must be the inspection department that Zhou Kun was looking for!" Squire Lu understood as soon as he heard it.

"Zhou Kun?"

"The virtuous nephew doesn't know, the grain in our Tong'an Town and the surrounding towns was purchased by Zhou Kun in previous years, and now the virtuous nephew is here, and the grain is collected at a higher price than the market, everyone is naturally willing to sell the grain to the virtuous nephew, but this is undoubtedly robbing Zhou Kun's business. The county inspection Sima Inspector is a distant relative of Zhou Kun, and it must be Zhou Kun who is looking for the inspection department to deal with the virtuous nephew. Squire Lu explained.

"I see." Zhang Huangyan said suddenly. Since you are not aware of your identity, then everything is easy to say, isn't the Inspection Division just trying to get some silver, give it to them, and wait until the army arrives, and then take the Inspection Division to open the knife!

However, Zhang Huangyan never expected that he wanted to calm things down, but some people wanted to do things desperately.

After the archers of the inspection department arrived in Tong'an Town, they went straight to Zhang Huangyan's mansion, and the No. 100 archers took bows and arrows with knives and surrounded the gate of the house.

"Dare to ask what you are doing?" Zhang Huangyan asked with a smile on his face.

"You're from the other side of the mountain?" Ma Hou came out of the crowd and asked condescendingly.

"Exactly, we are here to do the grain business...... Zhang Huangyan explained.

"Come on, take down all these officials and soldiers from Fujian!"

Without waiting for Zhang Huangyan to finish speaking, Ma Hou turned his face directly and ordered, and his archers rushed up and pounced on Zhang Huangyan.

Zhang Huangyan was a little stunned, damn it, what kind of rhythm is this, why don't you let people finish speaking?

However, after joining the Praetorian Guard for many years and being born and dying on the battlefield many times, Zhang Huangyan's vigilance is still very high. Seeing that the situation was not right, he immediately quickly withdrew back to the gate of the courtyard and avoided the capture of the archers.