Sun Qian led his subordinates to leave Cherry Valley satisfied, while the white shopkeeper ordered to camp on the spot, and pondered in front of the bonfire that night: "Liu Yan? How much benefit can a chief flag officer have to make Sun Qian, a scheming salt lord, so aggressive, that he wants to fight with Liu Yan to the end regardless of life and death! ”

Just as the shopkeeper Bai was thinking, a subordinate came over and reported: "General Bai, King Chuang has sent an order." ”

"Say."

"King Chuang ordered General Bai to go to Qingzhou and Jinan to spy on the deployment of the Ming army in northern Shandong."

"Huh?"

The white shopkeeper, that is, General Bai, glanced at his subordinates suspiciously, and then understood, and said with a smile: "It seems that King Chuang intends to enter Shandong from Henan, and kill from the northeast of the mountain to the north of Zhili?" ”

Then General Bai stood up and said to the subordinates around him: "Okay, let's go overnight tonight and go to Qingzhou Mansion." ”

It's October.

At this time, the autumn harvest has passed, and Dapan Fort ushered in the first harvest, and the military households in the fort were elated, and everyone was celebrating the harvest.

After Zhao Min and several of his subordinates counted, although this year's military tun in Dapanbao is not a bumper harvest, a total of more than 4,000 mu of military tun cultivated land has been harvested more or less with the blessing of the water conservancy under the construction of water conservancy, and basically all military households have grain in stock.

According to the policy formulated by Liu Yan, after the autumn harvest, Liu Yan did not collect tenant rent this year, but when it comes to next year, he will collect tenant rent from all military households in accordance with the regulations.

Although the harvest was not satisfactory this year due to the completion of the sowing, each family had food and felt a lot more at ease. However, Liu Yan was still tightening a string, and the food stored by many military households in the fort was definitely not enough for a year, and Liu Yan also had to store some grain in case of emergency.

Now there are salt drying farms and soap workshops in the business, and the military households in the fort have some money in their hands, not much, but they can also give the military households the ability to buy some grain from Liu Yan.

This matter was handed over by Liu Yan to Chen Xun to do.

A few days later, on October 11, the Dapanbao side was thriving, and the military households in the surrounding Huoludun and Tunbao were all red-eyed, and many people often ran to the Dapanbao side, trying to find some odd jobs to support their families.

Later, many military households fled from all over the place, and there were dozens of military households and more than 200 people.

Liu Yan took all the orders, settled more than 200 people in Dapanbao, and all the young and strong people were pulled to the military tun to open up the wasteland, and continued to expand the cultivation area of the military tun, the strong women and some of the older men were sent to work in the salt drying field, and the remaining old and weak men and women were arranged in the soap workshop.

The chiefs and guards of various places knew that Wang Weizhen was protecting Liu Yan, and they could only eat Coptis chinensis dumbly.

At this time, the monthly output of the soap workshop was more than 5,000 yuan, and the monthly income was more than 2,000 taels. There are now three salt drying ponds in the salt drying field, which can produce more than 6,000 catties of sea salt every month, and make a net profit of tens of thousands of taels of silver.

Together, Liu Yan's monthly income is more than 7,000 taels of silver, which is already a very large income.

Now that Liu Yan has enough money in his hands, he will start the next plan, which is to expand the Dun army.

So Liu Yan summoned Zhao Min, Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Wang Bo, Zhang Yi, Miao Shao, and Xu Ming, as well as Tan Xiaoda, the director of the Firearms Supervision Office, to the General Flag Office to hold a meeting with everyone to discuss the expansion.

"Director Zhao, let's talk about the financial situation of our Dapanbao now."

Zhao Min was responsible for the revenue and expenditure of Dapanbao, as well as the military household registration and other clerical affairs. But financial affairs are not what Zhao Min is good at, Zhao Min is best at doing academics, and it is most appropriate to do some literary things.

But now Liu Yan lacks this kind of literati, so he has to let Zhao Min take it first, and then make adjustments when there are more talents under him in the future.

Zhao Min took out a form prepared in advance and said: "Qi Qi Jiachang, last month, my Dapan Fort had 9,735 taels of income and 4,352 taels of expenditure, of which 898 taels were spent on labor, materials and other expenses for building the fort wall, 613 taels for labor, materials and usage for soap workshops and salt drying fields, 1,259 taels for various expenditures of the Firearms Supervision and Manufacturing Office, 309 taels for the purchase of grain, cloth, ploughing cattle and farm tools, and 309 taels for the construction of water conservancy in the military tun. A total of 1,273 taels were spent on the reclamation of wasteland. ”

Zhao Min turned the page, and then continued: "At present, I have a total of 31,000 and 9 taels of silver in Dapanbao! ”

"More than 30,000 taels!"

As soon as the words fell, Chen Xun and the other six small flag officials, as well as Tan Xiao, all widened their eyes, although everyone knew that the soap workshop and the salt drying field were very profitable, but Dapan Fort had to build a fort again, and Juntun was a huge burden, everyone never imagined that Liu Yan could accumulate so much silver!

Liu Yan looked at everyone's surprised expressions, and said with a smile: "Don't be surprised, everyone, it's just more than 30,000 taels of silver, it's not a big deal." ”

Everyone looked at Liu Yan with strange expressions, as if they were all saying: You said easily, just a few days later, more than 30,000 taels of silver are not in your eyes?

Liu Yan said: "I will bring you here today, not only to show you your wealth, but to discuss the expansion of the Dun Army. ”

Chen Xun, Wang Yue and the other six people suddenly came to their senses, which was great news for several people.

"Now that the output of the Firearms Supervision Office has risen, there are a lot of blades and bird guns stored in the arsenal of our Dapan Fort, so now let's talk about the specific matters of expansion."

Dapanbao originally had Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Wang Bo, Zhang Yi, these four teams, each team of eighteen dun soldiers, and Miao Shao, Xu Ming led the night team of ten people, a total of eighty-two dun soldiers.

Now, according to Liu Yan's idea, each small flag officer has jurisdiction over one banner of men, and one banner of men and horses has jurisdiction over three teams of dun troops, each team of twelve dun soldiers, including one captain and eleven soldiers.

Among these twelve people, there are two sword and shield men, five bird guns, five pikemen, and the captain is the pikeman, who commands in the center of the small formation.

In this way, Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Wang Bo, and Zhang Yi each have thirty-six people, and counting the little flag officer himself, there are thirty-seven people.

As for not closing the team at night, Liu Yan also carried out some reforms, and Miao Shao proposed it from the night not closing the team and formed a separate flag as Liu Yan's personal guard.

Xu Ming is in charge of the team at night, and it has also been expanded to a banner of people.

According to Liu Yan's plan, after the expansion of the Dun army in Dapanbao, the number of troops reached 222, including 90 bird-gunners, and the firepower was strengthened a lot.

After listening to Liu Yan's expansion plan, everyone immediately agreed, and then Liu Yan looked at Tan Xiaoda and asked, "With the current reserves of Dapanbao, can you equip the expanded people at one time?" ”

Tan Xiaoda said: "Don't worry, Chief A, there is no problem at all. Not only is the number of knives, guns, and bird guns stored sufficient, but the subordinates can also ensure that all soldiers are equipped with armor. ”

"Good!"

Liu Yan said with a smile: "Since this is the case, then from tomorrow, you six small flag officers will begin to select and select young military households, and the selection will be completed within ten days, and then the training will begin." ”

Now Liu Yan has sorted out all the drill methods of the Dun army, called it the "Infantry Drill Code", and distributed it to Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Wang Bo, Zhang Yi, Miao Shao, Xu Ming Six small flag officers, let the six of them train in accordance with the "Infantry Drill Code".

The six small flag officials didn't know how to read before, and Liu Yan also specially ordered Zhao Min to teach six people to read and write.

At first, the resistance of the six people was very great, but under Liu Yan's strong pressure, he took care of the six people to go to Zhao Min's residence for classes almost every night.

In Liu Yan's words: "If there is a big war in the future, I will send you a letter of order, what should you do if your eyes are black, do you still have to find Mr. to study and sell now?" ”

Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Wang Bo, Zhang Yi, Miao Shao, and Xu Ming were dumbfounded, so they had to obediently learn to read and write.

After a period of study, the six of them were able to read the "Infantry Drill Code" smoothly, and there was no problem in training their subordinates independently according to the drill code.

Early the next morning, Dapan Fort was boiling, almost all military households actively cooperated, and the Dun army was a good place to go in Dapan Fort, which was paid by the military.

And Liu Yan is not like the rest of the officials, who will eat empty salaries and deduct military salaries, and the monthly military salaries will be paid in full, coupled with the high military salaries in Dapanbao, Liu Yan has increased the amount again, and the military salaries of ordinary dun soldiers are one or two silver per month, and the small flag officers have three taels of silver. Now the captain level has been added to the dun army, and the monthly salary is one or two five.

Because of this, Chen Xun, Wang Yue, Wang Bo, Zhang Yi, Miao Shao, and Xu Ming went smoothly in recruiting the dun army, and it only took two days to recruit all the personnel in place.

Then the six of them practiced the expanded Zhongdun army, and the shouts in the simple school field outside Dapan Fort shook the sky, and all the banners were in full swing.

Liu Yan stood on the wall of the fort under construction, looking at the training scene on the school field outside, and a pleased smile appeared on his face: "Although there are only more than 200 people, it is enough to dominate in Wangjiazhuang, this is my army!" ”

"Captain A!"

Just when Liu Yan's heart was stirring, Zhao Min walked quickly, and after saluting, he said: "Chief A, there is a businessman who calls himself Chu Yunfei who is coming to visit, and he is waiting outside the General Flag Office. ”

Liu Yan was a little surprised, it was not yet time to deliver the sea salt, what was Chu Yunfei doing here now?

With doubts in his heart, Liu Yan returned to the General Flag Office, saw Chu Yunfei at the door, and greeted with a smile: "Shopkeeper Chu, let's go in and have tea." ”

Chu Yunfei said with a bitter face: "Mr. Liu, please find a quiet place, I have something important to discuss with Mr. Liu." ”

Liu Yan frowned slightly and said, "That's good." ”

The two entered the General Flag Official Hall and came directly to Liu Yan's room. After the two of them sat down, Liu Yan said: "It's quiet enough here, what's the matter, can the shopkeeper Chu say?" ”

Chu Yunfei sighed and said, "That's the case, I saw Sun Qian two days ago. ”

"Go on."

"Sun Qian told me to take care of myself and prepare to give up the sea salt distribution business of the salt drying field, otherwise I will definitely be in trouble."

Liu Yan said: "With me, there will be no problems in your distribution business, don't worry." ”

Chu Yunfei said worriedly: "I think so too, and there are also twenty or thirty good players in the lower hands, so I didn't take Sun Qian's threat in my eyes." But the next day, more than a dozen of my subordinates were besieged and killed, and it was Sun Qian who did it! ”

Liu Yan frowned and said, "Is Sun Qian so powerful?" ”

"Not before, but the feeling below is that Sun Qian's power suddenly became stronger, I really can't figure it out."

Chu Yunfei sighed, got up and said: "I came here today to remind Liu Zongqi, and in addition, the distribution business of sea salt can't be undertaken in the next place, so please forgive Liu Zongqi." ”

Liu Yan thought for a while, then walked to Chu Yunfei's side, patted Chu Yunfei's shoulder and said, "In this way, the shopkeeper Chu will go back and rest for a while first, and I will figure out Sun Qian's affairs, and I will solve Sun Qian as soon as possible." The distribution business of Haiyan is still handed over to the shopkeeper Chu, so don't worry. ”