Arthur Fortress.

The fortress is in the form of a fortress, and although it is strong in defense, there is no doubt that the space here is small. Lee Siu-kee's bedroom is located in the largest space, but the window is not as big as Mr. Lee's face, and is more like a vent, or rather, a shooting hole.

Here, Dashun's representative Li Laiheng and Li Zhaoji constantly engaged in various quarrels and debates, and the two sides were arguing with each other and revising the terms one by one.

Assisting Dashun in fighting the famine was what Li Zhaoji was willing to do, and he was even willing to make some concessions. As for Li Zicheng's hope, the Oriental Trading Company did not intercept grain ships from the south, and so on, Li Zhaoji agreed to all of them, but it is obvious that as a politician, even if it is a good thing that is in line with the hearts of the people of heaven and the people, Li Zhaoji has to exchange interests.

He had many requirements, in addition to the joint defense of Liaonan by both sides, that is, commercial and trade contacts.

Not to mention the grain ship, even a merchant ship transporting gunpowder, Li Zhaoji will not intercept it. Because these merchant ships will enhance the strength of Dashun, for now, this is good news for the trading company and Li Zhaoji's strategy.

Originally, Li Zhaoji was worried that after Dashun drove the Manchus out of the border wall, he would dispatch the elite to clean up the Ming Dynasty, which was constantly infighting. But now, Shanhaiguan is lost, even if the main force of the Dashun army recovers Jizhou and Yongping Prefectures in the pass, as long as they can't take Shanhaiguan, they will gather soldiers and horses in Jizhen to provide defense for the capital, and naturally they will not be able to draw the strength to go south to conquer the Ming Dynasty.

But for Dashun's foreign trade, Li Zhaoji must intervene well. Obviously, Dashun is now in full swing, and he is definitely unwilling to give up his sovereignty. As for the authority of customs and taxation, Dashun will definitely not let go.

And tax collection is precisely the most profitable business, don't dare to do anything, sit on the ground to make money. Without this way to make money, Li Zhaoji could only retreat to the next best thing and seek another high-profit way to make money - monopoly.

There were two important trading ports in Dashun's maritime trade, one being the newly rising Tianjin Wei. In the case of the interruption of the canal, shipping will inevitably rise, and Tianjin Wei will inevitably form a huge port because of maritime trade.

The other was Dengzhou, the main port that supported the defense of southern Liaoning.

In fact, not only the maritime trade of Dashun, but also the foreign communication channels of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, were also controlled by Li Zhaoji.

Li Zhaoji, who has a navy, can naturally monopolize Dashun's foreign trade. Of course, Li Zhaoji is still a conscientious person, and he doesn't make all kinds of money, for example, when the price of grain is high, he facilitates all grain transportation, just to let fewer people starve to death in the Guannai.

But for the rest, Li Zhaoji is not so polite.

Cotton, silk, and porcelain, as well as high-profit goods imported from the South to the North, were to be controlled by the Oriental trading companies. In particular, luxury goods such as silk were either directly monopolized by Li Zhaoji or only allowed licensed merchants to trade, in order to funnels profits to the Oriental Trading Company.

But the monopoly will inevitably push up the prices of these commodities in the north, which is not good for Dashun, but Li Zhaoji doesn't care about these.

Although Li Zhaoji can't go to Dengzhou and Tianjin Wei to collect tariffs, he can collect them in Lushun Port, and it's a big deal to change his name, such as the Zheng family's water order flag, which is a good name.

"Ah Shui, I'm busy." Just when Zhao Changshui walked into the door with freshly brewed tea, he was startled by Liu Li who suddenly came out.

"Oh, second master, you scared me." Zhao Changshui said with a smile, one bite and one second master, Liu Li, who was called, was overjoyed.

Liu Li said: "You send the tea in and out first, come out, and our brothers will say a few words." For a long time, I haven't seen each other, and everyone is busy, and if they don't get together again, they will be unfamiliar. ”

Zhao Changshui brought the tea in, and after coming out, he said: "Second master, it's not that I refute your face, I really don't have time, you also heard it, it's noisy inside." Although Li Laiheng is young, he has iron teeth and copper teeth, and he talks one by one.

The big shopkeeper's heart is not happy, I don't dare to skip work and touch his moldy head. ”

"Come on, it's okay left and right, let's find a place to talk." Liu Li is also an eight-sided exquisite, and pulled Liu Li into the room on the side.

Zhao Changshui knew that Liu Li had bad intentions, but he knew better that Liu Li was not familiar with him, and he thought that he was a foolish young man.

"Second master, is there something wrong with you?" Zhao Changshui said.

Liu Li said: "Ah Shui, you follow the big shopkeeper every day. You have handled all the negotiations with Dashun, and you will tell my brother a message, and you haven't mentioned me. ”

"You? What does this have to do with you? Zhao Changshui said deliberately.

Liu Li simply made it clear: "The battle of Liaodong is over, and the Qing army will no longer advance when it arrives in Fuzhou." Now the Eastern Brigade is preparing to retreat, didn't the big shopkeeper say when he went to the hospital to visit the wounded and sick a few days ago, let everyone go back to Tamsui for the New Year, and go back to Guangdong for the New Year.

The chief shopkeeper and Chief Chen are leaving, and Liaodong will also stay in charge. The military affairs of Lushun and Jinzhou were temporarily handed over to your father, assisted by Zhang Fo, and it is estimated that he will take over in the future.

But business, diplomatically? There must be someone after all, and among the first-level and second-level shopkeepers in the trading company, I am the only one in the Northland. Tell your brother, did the big shopkeeper mention that I should take over? ”

When Zhao Changshui heard this, he deliberately put on a look of sudden realization: "This is the matter of feelings." ”

"Oh, so did the big shopkeeper mention it?" Liu Li urgently asked who could take up this position, that is, to be in charge of trade and diplomacy with Dashun, which was an extremely important authority in the trading company.

Zhao Changshui shook his head slightly: "I didn't mention it." Seeing Liu Li's gloomy expression, he said: "Second master, do you still use the big shopkeeper to mention it, you also said it, among the shopkeepers who can be in charge, you are the only one in the north, and now the retreat of the army is imminent, if it weren't for you, someone would have been arranged to come."

Not you, or who? ”

Hearing this, Liu Li nodded slowly, he had always felt so, but he was not sure. The more uncertain he was, the more he scratched his ears and cheeks, and he couldn't stand it, so he asked Zhao Changshui to inquire.

"But, Ah Shui, I've heard that someone slandered in front of the big shopkeeper, saying that mine is not." Liu Li said.

Zhao Changshui lowered his voice and said, "Well, there is, and there are quite a few." But what's the matter, second master, the big shopkeeper has gotten more true and false news, Chief Chen, Chief Yang and my father, if you write these slanders, you can be higher than me.

This northern expedition has won a big victory, and the trading company has made a lot of money, up and down, who doesn't want to make more money. No one is exempt from vulgarity, let alone you........ ”

Zhao Changshui glanced at the people around Liu Li, and Liu Li said, "It's okay, it's all my own people." Zhao Changshui said in a low voice: "I heard that the big shopkeeper also did something in the accounts, otherwise escort some supplies back, and use my uncle?" ”

"Well, I see. Ah Shui, thank you for your explanation. In two days, there will be a boat back to Tamsui on my side, and if you have anything to piggyback on, send it to me. Rest assured, others won't know. We'll help you transport something, we're not too much. Liu Li said.

"Thank you Second Master, I'll go back and check it, if the things really can't be placed, I really have to trouble the Second Master." Zhao Changshui said with a smile.

Coming out of the fortress, Liu Li rode on his horse, thoughtful. The shopkeeper beside him said: "Second master, the relatives of the big shopkeeper have said so, why are you still depressed." ”

"He's talking too much." Liu Li said.

"What is too much?" The shopkeeper asked.

Liu Li said: "You don't know, the first captain of the big shopkeeper is my brother. Therefore, I am clear about the rules of the big shopkeeper, one of which is that the mouth must be tight. When my eldest brother was a parent, there were some things that he would tell me, even if they were related to me.

The brothers are still like this, not to mention Zhao Changshui. He doesn't have any friendship with me on weekdays, and he doesn't have any dealings, so why don't you even talk about the privacy of the big shopkeeper? ”

"That's a yellow-haired boy, he doesn't have any sense of proportion."

Liu Li still shook his head: "He didn't, Tang Mu wouldn't have not." That kid is weirder than anyone else, he can hand over his personal retinue to Zhao Changshui, he must trust him....... Alas, forget it, maybe I'm thinking too much. Dacheng, you pay attention, if Zhao Changshui sends his own things to us on the ship in the past two days, it will be fine, if not. I'm afraid it's really greasy inside.

In addition, prepare two hundred taels of silver, and you will send it to Ah Shui in a while, and say that I will ask him for help to buy some local specialties. ”

Bullhorn Fort.

"Big shopkeeper, dissipate your anger and eat some fruit. If you are bored, why don't you invite Miss Li and Miss Bian here? These two girls want you to continue to tell them the unfinished story. Zhao Changshui said gently.

Li Zhaoji waved his hand: "This Li Laiheng is really difficult, you reason with him, he talks to you about strength, you talk to him about strength, he plays brute force with you." His grandmother's, Lao Tzu was messed up by a stinky boy.

Forget it, don't mention him, is there any news? ”

"Liu Li came just now and said ........" Zhao Changshui explained Liu Li's intentions.

Li Zhaoji smiled: "This kid is still worried about this, this is the position for Tang Mu, among the people who can move now, there is only Tang Mu who is trustworthy and can fight." ”

"Oh, then my uncle is going to be sad, he wants to be majestic on the battlefield." Zhao Changshui said.

"Just how to do it on the battlefield, he, and you, are all my personal followers, and if you want to assist me in achieving great things in the future, it is not enough to just know how to fight. Civil affairs and strategy must be handled, and in the future, the bigger the plate of the trading company will be, the more necessary it will be to be in charge. Li Zhaoji said seriously.

At this time, a person knocked on the door and handed Zhao Changshui a secret letter, Zhao Changshui read it and said, "The big shopkeeper, the secret letter from Juehua Island." There was movement on Wu Sangui's side....... ”

Li Zhaoji immediately opened it and found that it was a hidden stake developed by Zhao Changshui when the Oriental Brigade was stationed on Juehua Island. He was a member of Wu Guogui's family, but quit the army due to injuries and opened a tavern.

This person provided two pieces of information, one was that he had seen Wu Sangui enter and leave the port twice in the last two times. The second is that there is movement in the Wu family's fleet on Juehua Island, and the dark pile found that there are four ships loaded with supplies and a large number of cargo boxes, and the official hall of one of the ships has been renovated, and there are maids in and out, and it is Wu Sangui's concubine Chen Yuanyuan who has moved in.

"How did he know so well?" Li Zhaoji squinted and asked, because there was only one source, so he had to be cautious: "Is this person reliable?" ”

Zhao Changshui said: "It should be reliable, this tavern owner is just a daughter, and during the period when our Oriental Brigade was stationed on Juehua Island, his daughter got along with our navigation chief." Now that his daughter's belly is bigger, he sued Chief Chen, and Chief Chen helped him get married.

And this guy used our boat to transfer part of the family property to Tamsui, and also bought a house and land in Tamsui for his pregnant daughter.

As for why he knows so much, it's because he buys and sells alcohol. The rum from the freshwater is all in his hands, and it is said that Wu Guogui takes care of his business, and you know that the fleet has been sailing south for a long time, and there is no shortage of wine on the ship. ”

Li Zhaoji nodded slightly, and said in his heart that Zhao Changshui had indeed found the right person.

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