Geographically, Haizhou's location is very unique, far beyond the northern border of Qi State, and even deep into the core range of the Rongdi grassland. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info However, if there was no barrier from the sea, Haizhou would have been occupied by Rong Di long ago. Speaking of which, it is also because the steppe barbarians do not have a naval army and do not know the skills of shipbuilding. Otherwise, it would be impossible for Qi to own the land of Haizhou.

Regarding the existence of Haizhou, there are also different opinions within the Qi State. Most Qi officials felt that the land of Haizhou was insignificant. After all, it is far away from the Central Plains, and there is no production, so to put it bluntly, it is a worthless enclave. Although 160,000 people sounds like a lot, it is less than the population of an ordinary county town in the country. The immigration strategy set by Emperor Qi Huan for thousands of years has long been ignored by now. Wanting to feed the people of Haizhou is also a big problem that is difficult to implement in the court of Qi State. After all, there are only so many ships along the coast, and without the support of powerful businessmen behind them, it is impossible for Haizhou to get the opportunity to develop.

Although the court's attitude towards Haizhou was extremely indifferent, and it could even be said that he ignored it, Lu Song, the guard general of Haizhou, really regarded himself as a member of Qi State. He organized and trained troops in Haizhou, and successively crossed the strait to attack and harass Rongdi. Speaking of which, this harassment tactic is very similar to that of the Marines in another world. As a result, Lu Song also received a small amount of cattle and sheep supplies from Rong Di. After a long time, Rong Di hated Haizhou and Lu Song to the core. Dadan Yu Tuyuhun even offered a heavy reward of 50,000 cattle and sheep, just to get the head of Haizhou guard Lu Song.

Yang Bai didn't understand why his father-in-law arranged for him to go to Haizhou to trade. After staying in the Mengjia firm for a long time, Yang Bai inevitably became contaminated with the customs of businessmen when he looked at things, and he had to pay attention to the word "profit" in everything. Yang Bai couldn't figure out why an overseas enclave with no output had such a strong attraction in the eyes of his grandfather? However, ideas are ideas, and Yang Bai did not go against Yang Tianhong's intentions in the slightest. A fleet of five seagoing ships sailed north along the coastline and sailed to Haizhou.

The area of this island is not small. Speaking of which, it is actually far larger than many prefectures and cities in the interior. From the boat, you can see the scattered camped houses from a distance. Surprisingly, despite Haizhou's solitary position outside the sea, not far from the border of the steppe controlled by Rong Di, there were no fortifications on the berths of Haizhou port. It is said to be a palace city, but it does not even have the most basic city walls.

For the big ship that appeared on the sea, the people of Haizhou were also surprised. Quite a few people ran out of the house, waving and cheering. It seems that I am very excited.

It's no wonder that too few people come to Haizhou. I can't see a few unfamiliar faces all year round. Not to mention what a businessman is. If there is a big ship, it means that there must be merchant goods on board. There is a shortage of everything in a place like Haizhou, and with goods for sale, it is natural that everyone wants it.

The Meng family firm had sent someone to Haizhou to contact him before, and Yang Bai arranged for a director to give him a few words of advice, and then asked him to take two shipwrights from the firm to put down the sampan. While doing this, the entire fleet remained on alert at any moment.

This is not the state of Chu after all. Even within the scope of the Chu State, indispensable vigilance is still needed.

Yang Bai stood on the boat and set up a pergola, and he could see that after the boat docked at the berth of the dock in Shanghai, the principal went ashore, while the rest of the people on the boat were coerced by the Haizhou soldiers to escort them to the inland camp. Everyone on the boat was extremely nervous after seeing this scene, but Yang Bai still held his breath and let everyone wait with peace of mind.

The best thing in the world is to do business. As long as there is a demand for goods in one place, it will never embarrass the merchants who come to trade. Acts such as seizure or snatching of goods, which may seem to be beneficial, are actually the most stupid acts. As long as Lu Song, the Haizhou guard, is not the kind of idiot whose head has been caught in the door, he will definitely be able to understand the great significance of the Anzhou fleet coming here. After all, as long as this deal is successful, it means that there will be a second, third, and fourth ...... In contrast, a mere robbery and forcible occupation is simply a small profit.

Yang Bai is very confident in this.

After about half an hour, the men who had been carried into the camp were escorted out again, accompanied by the principal and another person, who again boarded the sampan and rowed towards the boat on the sea.

Compared with when he left just now, the merchant who had disembarked before had a relaxed expression at this time, while the Haizhou person who came with him was calm and vigilant. This man is tall and thin, with dark skin, because he has been blown by the cold wind all year round, his skin has cracked a lot, his left hand is missing two fingers, and the steel knife handle wrapped around his waist is black and purple, which is obviously soaked in blood, and it has been for a long time. , but this Haizhou native was also nervous and vigilant after getting on the boat. After all, there is also a group of not weak fighters on the big ship, and it is still a situation of more fighting and less.

Mengjia Commercial Bank and Anzhou are a whole. Although Yang Tong's navy had not yet been trained, he also arranged for hundreds of people to follow the Meng family firm north and south. Speaking of which, the Meng family firm is actually Yang Tianhong's private property. It's just that the father and son of the Meng family are very good, and they have made the division of interests very clear early on. Now, his family has money to make, and he can also get a lot of real power in front of Yang Tianhong.

"Under Li Kongming, he is the commander of the pro-soldiers beside General Lu. ”

The Haizhou man who got on the boat coughed twice, cleared his throat, and clasped his fist at Yang Baizuo and said, "This must be Master Yang." I just don't know, why did the Yang family come to Haizhou this time?"

Yang Bai had an extremely sweet smile on his face, this kind of ability was also one of the special skills he learned in the Meng family's trading house. Yang Bai seemed very affectionate: "It is said that Haizhou is in difficulty in trade, and I also wanted to come over on a whim." As long as it is profitable, business can always be done. ”

"Oh?"

Li Kongming's face was calm, and he subconsciously glanced at the other big ships on the sea, with a bit of greed in his eyes: "The person who just came ashore said that you are from Anzhou, that is, the merchants of Chu State. Speaking of which, our Haizhou is not closed to news. Rong Di marched south a few months ago and invaded the border of Youzhou in the Chu State. I don't know how the fight is going over there. The master of the Yang family came here this time, presumably for this matter?"

Li Kongming is not a fool. Haizhou has a unique location and is able to send troops to harass Rong Di from behind. For the country of Qi, it is also a place of great strategic significance. Speaking of which, it is also because of this special geographical environment that the Qi State has held the defensive line in the wars of Rong Di's previous southward raids. Generally speaking, as long as Haizhou sends troops to cross the sea to attack, Rong Di will more or less divide his troops back. As a result, the pressure on the frontal battlefield is suddenly reduced. Because of this, Haizhou's capital city system has been preserved to this day, and it can also receive a little material assistance from the mainland.

However, this kind of assistance is pitifully small. Normally, it is just a ship, with only a few hundred stones of rice grain on it, or more than a hundred cloths. These things are not enough for hundreds of thousands of Haizhou people to stuff their teeth. But no matter what, it's better than nothing.

Li Kongming felt that the reason why these Chu merchants came to Haizhou was to beg their generals to send troops to attack the rear of Rong Di. There should be nothing wrong with the idea, and unconsciously, his attitude became arrogant, and his tone was tougher than before, and he was much colder: "Whether to send troops or not, my general can only decide according to the situation." However, you do know each other, and when these supplies are sent to Haizhou on the ship, my general will definitely be able to consider one or two things for the sake of things. ”

As soon as the words came out, Li Kongming suddenly felt that the atmosphere around him had become very strange. Especially on the face of Yang Bai, who was standing opposite, he was not embarrassed at all by himself to see through the inside story, but showed a bit of sarcasm.

"Hahahaha! Do you think that all these things on the ship are given away for free?"

Yang Bai laughed breathlessly, and the shipwrights and sailors around him also kept shaking their heads. Li Kongming was a little at a loss, and just when he felt extremely annoyed, Yang Bai finally stopped laughing, "brushed" and shook off the white paper fan in his hand, shook it slowly, and said with disdain: "I see that you Haizhou people really eat too much for nothing, and I also think that everything in the world is like this." That's right, we are indeed Chu people. But fighting is a matter for generals, and it has a relationship with a businessman like Lao Tzu who travels south and north?"

Suddenly, there was a burst of laughter on the deck.

Yang Baiqing clearly remembered what his grandfather said: For the poor, you can have mercy, you can give him a winter coat, and give him a steamed bun that will not let him starve to death for the time being. But this should never be too much. If it goes beyond the psychological boundaries of the poor, then a good thing like charity becomes a bad thing. The poor will not be grateful for your kindness, but will resent why you give him more when you have too much wealth in your hands. When the time comes, maybe the poor will be vicious, kill the rich who should be their benefactors, and rob everything.

Therefore, for Li Kongming, a poor ghost in Haizhou, Yang Bai naturally had to laugh and ridicule from the root. Let him honestly recognize his identity and position.

It's a big deal, Lao Tzu drove the fleet away, leaving you poor Haizhou ghosts with red eyes and drooling but getting nothing.

Speaking of which, it is already very hurtful. Li Kongming's face suddenly became embarrassed, and then he glared at Yang Bai viciously, but he didn't dare to fight back. Anger is anger, and he is still very clear about the stakes.

Yang Bai is not the kind of temper that is unforgiving. He smiled and put away his fan, got up from his seat and said, "Well, you can go with me to the cabin first, and then I'll tell you what I want?"

This request made Li Kongming feel very confused when he heard it, but on someone else's ship, Haizhou couldn't take care of it for the time being, so he could only obey what Yang Bai said, and he could only obey honestly.

As soon as he stepped off the deck, Li Kongming's eyes were already shining, and his face was full of excited expressions. The cabin below was full of supplies, including food, cloth, and even iron tools, and all kinds of important supplies for the people's livelihood and military affairs, and the ship was almost complete, and there was not the slightest kind missing.

After walking around like this, Li Kongming's face was already full of joy. Yang Bai led him to the side of the ship again, pointed to several other big ships around him, and said very proudly: "You should be very familiar with the ships at sea, look at the waterline of these ships, you should understand that these ships contain more materials than the ship we are on now." Hehe! With so many supplies, the Qi country will not transport them. Well, I'm not talking nonsense, am I?"

Although the facts were in front of him, Li Kongming still clenched his hands and tried to look around on the side of the ship, trying to see clearly, and when he stood up straight, his face was already full of a mixture of fanaticism and panic.

That's right, Yang Bai did not lie. The waterlines of the five big ships were all crushed to death. Since they said they were coming from Anju, there must be no need to lie. It can't be that five big ships are loaded with stones, right? The merchant is very profitable, but he doesn't know what this guy surnamed Yang wants?

"I want to do business with you with these supplies. Your status and position are too low, and you don't have the right to call the shots. In this case, let your general come and talk to me!" Yang Bai smiled and said indifferently.

As soon as he said this, Li Kongming's face immediately changed, his face and voice became cold, and he said: "General Lu's is the first person in Haizhou, and it is related to the survival of the entire Haizhou. You are just a mere businessman, how can you let General Lu deign to come to your ship? In case, you Chu people have any evil intentions, wouldn't it ......?"

"That's what I said, it's up to you whether you do it or not. ”

Yang Bai shrugged his shoulders, crossed his waist with his left hand, and spat on the thick phlegm in the seawater, with the arrogance unique to businessmen, and said sarcastically: "Don't think I don't have news from your Haizhou side." Actually, you don't have a choice at all, the last winter was unusually cold, and too many people in Haizhou froze to death and starved to death. Even now, how many full meals can you eat now? Have you ever had all the weapons? Nima, Lao Tzu came from thousands of miles away, originally thinking that you Haizhou people should beat gongs and drums to welcome Lao Tzu, but I met such an unreasonable fool as you. If Lao Tzu has any evil intentions, does he need to come over with the goods? Even if he had, he didn't need to tell you so clearly and directly. Get out, now hurry up and get out of the way. Go back to shore and inform your general. Let's just say that Lao Tzu meant, if you want these goods, only Lu Song himself is allowed to bring two guards and a sampan over. ”

This statement is simply unreasonable, Li Kongming was not very good-tempered, and he was suddenly angered by Yang Bai's vulgar words, and roared violently: "You, you dare?"

"Why don't you dare?"

Yang Bai laughed "hahahaha", shook off the fan again, walked back to the chair and sat down, and sneered with disdain: "Lao Tzu will put the words here today." As long as Lu Song is not a fool, he naturally understands how to choose. Qi doesn't care about Haizhou at all, and it is Lao Tzu's kindness that will bring the goods to this kind of ghost place where birds don't. Why should I be so angry with a bastard like you? If I see a second ship on the sea, Lao Tzu will immediately order the bow of the ship to turn around and leave immediately. If you don't believe me, you can try!"

Yang Bai spoke in a loud voice, with a lot of momentum, and his arrogant and domineering face was unobstructed. Speaking of which, this is also the credit of Meng Qi's long-term training. Meng Qi said: As a qualified businessman, it is necessary to perform differently according to the cards held by the opponent. You can grovel, you can be arrogant, or you can be cold and indifferent. In short, in different situations, attitudes and words can determine many things. Others will also make the most beneficial moves for you based on your performance.

This is Li Kongming's current situation. Yang Bai's arrogance and ruthlessness made Li Kongming's face change for a while, but he didn't dare to open his mouth to say anything anymore. After all, if he provoked Yang Bai to leave, he couldn't afford this kind of sin himself. After thinking about it, Li Kongming could only hold back his anger and slowly hold back a sentence: "You, you Chu people, what do you want to do when you come to Haizhou?"

"I've already said it. We're from Anzhou and want to do business with you. Yang Bai replied with a smile, and the smile on his face returned to his previous sweetness.

Li Kongming is a person who understands, and when he said this, he didn't ask again, but just sat on the sampan again.

I didn't have to wait too long this time. Half an hour later, a large crowd came out of the densest part of the houses on the shore. Quite a few of them were carrying sampans, which made everyone in the fleet tense. But in the end, only three of them got on the sampan, and the others stood on the shore with the sampan on their feet. Yang Bai also sneered in his heart, silently watching the big boat with the three-person sampan facing his side slowly rowing.

After reaching the front, he climbed up the deck along the rope ladder lowered on the side of the ship, and was followed by an armored guard. He turned over the side of the ship and did not go inside, but stood there with his knife drawn, and his face was full of wariness. This man seems to be very skilled, with many scars on his face and hands, which shows that he has experienced a lot of battles. However, the armor on his body was tattered, not so much armor, but a protective gear that was connected to each other with broken leather and iron sheets, barely having a little protective effect. However, this person explained his vigilance: "Don't get me wrong, it's General Lu's personal entourage." The general's safety is at stake. ”

This explanation can only be said to be better than nothing. In fact, both Lu Song and Li Kongming, who went down before, knew very well that it was Yang Bai who had the final say on the big boat. The five seagoing vessels are all large ships with a very large carrying capacity. As far as the eye can see, there are at least a hundred sailors on the five ships. Even if Lu Song was extremely brave and martial arts, he would never be the opponent of these people.

What's more, Yang Tianhong will never let his subordinates take the initiative to take risks. No matter which country or place the Meng family firm went to, there would always be one or two Guiyuan Sect monks in the team who had the ability to build a foundation and cultivate. In fact, hiring monks is as simple as that, to put it bluntly, it is nothing more than a truth between the world and the world. As long as they can afford the price, monks are no different from ordinary people.

The second person to get on the boat was Li Kongming, who went down before, he and the previous person stood side by side, forming a very narrow human wall, if Yang Bai wanted to make a move on Lu Song, the two of them would block the front.

"Mr. Yang, since you are here to do business in Haizhou, it is best to abide by the rules of businessmen. I don't know any etiquette, but I'm going to keep the ugly things in front of me: if there's anything wrong here, a boat will come from the shore at once. I think you have also seen Mr. Yang, although these are all big boats, there is no wind at the moment, and you may not be able to outrun our rowing boats!"

Li Kongming's face was gloomy, first threatening, and seeing that the guards around Yang Bai had already retreated, he turned his head and greeted the back.

Lu Song is a general in the end, and his skills are not bad, and the support of his subordinates is just a superficial appearance. He is also a saber armor-piercing, if he really wants to make a move, presumably Lu Song's kung fu will not be weak.

Lu Song is tall and thin, but the flesh on his face is a little loose, it is conceivable that Lu Song should have been a fat man. It's just that the rich body is slimmed down like this. He wore a blue cloth towel tied around his head, his exposed sideburns were gray, and he looked haggard and tired.

Since Lu Song got on the boat, Yang Bai has been staring at Lu Song. With the secret intelligence agency "Cell", which transcends the times, Yang Tianhong's side is very well-informed in all kinds of information. For Haizhou, which is lonely overseas on the side of Qi State, and Lu Song, the general of the town guard who is alone supporting an extremely important link in the northern defense line of Qi State, he has actually heard of it for a long time. Speaking of which, Lu Song can be regarded as a legend. Haizhou is barren and the people are poor, but with this kind of place where there are neither soldiers nor food and grass, and there is sea water all around, Lu Songgang has harassed and fought in the rear of Rongdi for decades. Qi had also sent officials in Haizhou before, but none of them could be like Lu Song, who was in charge of the military and civilians at the same time, and had to stick a knife in the rear of Rong Di. According to the location of the Rongdi tribe, the north of Qi is the sphere of influence of the Liwang of Yougu. Over the years, Rong Di has gone south to Qi much less than Chu because of the unstable factor of Haizhou Lu Song in the rear. (To be continued.) )