Chapter 728 We are going to garrison in Dagukou

"Sir, Tianjin Wei is ahead."

Lu Yidian whispered.

"Um."

Zhang Zhunle ceased his horse, held up a thousand-mile mirror, and carefully observed the city walls of Tianjin Wei.

Tianjin Wei is actually not an ordinary city, but a cabin, which is the same as Aoshan Wei, Lingshan Wei and other acropolis, but it is just a larger scale. Tianjin Wei has three guards on the left, center and right, and later the Tianjin Navy Office was also set up here. The total number of military households may exceed 100,000. Therefore, Tianjin Wei is a veritable strategic fortress.

Since it is a military fortress, the defense facilities in all aspects are naturally of high standards and strict requirements. The city walls of Tianjin Guard are much higher than ordinary towns. Some of the city walls are even more than twenty meters. The shortest places are also more than fifteen meters. Behind the battlements, you can see the vigilant Ming soldiers.

In fact, Tianjin Wei is another densely populated town. In addition to more than 100,000 military households, there may be more than 100,000 households, and with the business travelers, there may be 200,000 to 300,000 people. Such a population size is almost as large as Dengzhou City. After the arrival of the Tartars, many people near Tianjin Wei fled to Tianjin Wei for refuge, resulting in a surge in the population in the city. All problems are very prominent like those in the capital.

The main reason for the large population of Tianjin Wei is that the canal and sea transportation both pass here. Unlike the simple canal and sea transportation in Dezhou, Linqing and other places, Tianjin Wei not only has canal and sea transportation, but also has sea transportation. In the past, some sea transportation ships could sail directly from Dagukou to Tianjin Wei, but later the waterway was silted, so they had to unload goods at Dagukou.

During the Yuan Dynasty, the sea transportation of Tianjin Wei was very busy, with tens of millions of stones of food every year, and it was transported from sea to near the capital. The Yuan Dynasty had strong shipbuilding capabilities, with the highest record of writing. In three years, more than 1,000 ships were built, and all of them were large ships with transportation capacity of more than 3,000 stones.

In fact, the maritime transportation capacity in the early Ming Dynasty was also very strong. The largest sea ship could transport tens of thousands of stones of grain at a time, which was much faster than the canal transport and much more efficient. The transport volume of canal transport in a month was even less than ten large sea ships at a time. It was only later that the sea ban policy was implemented and the sea transport was completely abolished and the canal transport was used exclusively.

By the time Longqing later opened the sea ban, the navigation technology of the Ming Dynasty was quite backward, and the manufacturing technology of large ships was gradually lost. It was easy for ordinary small boats to transport by sea, so no one mentioned the shipping again. If there were shipping now, the capital would not be so embarrassed.

When Zhang Zhun observed the situation of Tianjin Wei, he naturally became interested in Tianjin Wei. The time spent in Dongjiabao was almost done, so it should be time to change the site. The first choice for this site is Tianjin Wei. The reason is very simple. If the Hu Ben Army controls Tianjin Wei, it will be like holding down the capital tightly and holding Liaodong, killing two birds with one stone.

In fact, from a military strategic perspective, the significance of the capital and Tianjin Wei is similar. Both places can effectively control the northern country. The difference between Tianjin and Beijing is that they are close to the Bohai Bay and are prone to attacks from the sea. If the capital of Tianjin is established, the enemy will not have enough buffer zones if they launch an attack from the sea.

The most tragic provincial capital in New China is Shijiazhuang. The original provincial capital of Hebei Province was in Tianjin. As a result, when preparing for war and famine for the people, the senior management felt that Tianjin was too far away from the sea and was prone to sea attacks, so they decided to relocate. In the end, they went to settle in the remote area of ​​Shijiazhuang. If the provincial capital of Hebei had been in Tianjin, there would be no need to be so miserable today.

However, this shortcoming of Tianjin is not only not a disadvantage for the Hu Ben Army, but an advantage. Because the strength of the Hu Ben Army's navy has always been strong enough to defend the Bohai Bay, and will not allow the enemy to directly attack Tianjin from the sea. Therefore, the Hu Ben Army's guards in Tianjin do not need to worry about attacks from the sea. On the contrary, using the powerful advantages of the navy can also effectively protect the security of Tianjin.

Can the Hu Ben Army be stationed in Tianjin Wei for a long time? Of course. With the ability of the Tartars, they can't even eat Dongjiabao, and they can still eat Tianjin Wei? As long as the Tartars cannot eat, the imperial army will of course not be able to eat. The Tianjin Wei wall is more than fifteen meters shorter. With such a strong city, even if the imperial army pounces on them, the Hu Ben Army will not be afraid.

Once the Hu Ben Army gains a foothold in the Tianjin Guard and enters the capital, it is just around the corner. The Tianjin Guard is indeed too close to the capital, and there are no obstacles in the middle. As long as the main force of the Ming Army is eliminated, the Hu Ben Army will enter the capital, which is easy.

"Sir, someone from Tianjin Wei came out!"

Suddenly, Liu Mang came to report in a hurry.

"Observe closely!"

Zhang Zhun said calmly.

"Sir! It's Wu Sangui!"

A moment later, Brother Wei came to report.

"Observe closely!"

Zhang Zhun still said calmly.

He held up a thousand-mile mirror and carefully searched the direction of the north gate of Tianjin Wei. Sure enough, he saw more than a dozen fast horses coming out of the city. Zhang Zhun could vaguely tell that it was Wu Sangui. Wu Sangui's news was very well-versed. When he learned that he was near Tianjin Wei, he immediately came out of the city. This guy was considerate.

In fact, Zhang Zhun was always wary of Wu Sangui. After all, this guy was a big traitor in history and was very slippery, and he was Gao Qiqian's godson. Hey? Why don't he say he is from the court? The main reason is that Zhang Zhun felt that Wu Sangui's allegiance to the court was not as good as his personal loyalty to him. For example, his allegiance to Gao Qiqian.

Wu Sangui has a very typical personality, whoever gives him benefits will be with him. Now Gao Qiqian is his adoptive father, so he will naturally die with Gao Qiqian. However, if Gao Qiqian cannot bring him benefits one day, he may have to change his family. Perhaps, Wu Sangui himself does not think there is anything wrong with doing this. In fact, Lu Bu never seemed to think that he had done anything wrong.

However, Zhang Zhun was not worried about Wu Sangui's trap at all. It was impossible for Wu Sangui to surround him. As long as he rushed to the beach, Wu Sangui would be stunned. In fact, Zhang Zhun believed that Wu Sangui would never do such a stupid thing. This guy's vision was cruel. Zhang Zhun could feel that on the one hand, Wu Sangui tried his best to be loyal to Gao Qiqian and gain benefits from this eunuch. On the other hand, he was to maintain his relationship with the Hu Ben Army as much as possible. If the situation was not good, he would probably take the initiative to surrender to the Hu Ben Army.

"Sir, Wu Sangui only brought thirteen people out of the city."

Lu Yidian came to report.

"Please come here."

Zhang Zhun nodded and said lightly.

Since Wu Sangui only brought more than a dozen followers out of the city, he obviously had no malice. However, Zhang Zhun believed that Wu Sangui's out of the city would definitely be more than just meeting him. Maybe he would have something to do if he needs to intervene.

"Da da da da!"

A moment later, a rapid sound of horse hooves came to Zhang Zhun.

The leader was Wu Sangui. He dressed up very often today, not wearing a uniform or armor. Obviously, he didn't know in advance that Zhang Zhun was outside the city. After learning about Zhang Zhun's news, he didn't have much time to prepare and went out of the city in casual clothes. From this point of view, Zhang Zhun really couldn't find any place to be picky.

"The Governor is above, and the lower-ranking official Wu Sangui is polite."

Wu Sangui said hello in a regular manner.

"Wu Sangui, we meet again."

Zhang Zhun said with a smile.

"The governor rarely comes to Tianjin Guards. The subordinates want to welcome the governors in Tianjin Guards. However, there are many refugees in the city, poor public security and lack of food. I really can't make any moves, so I have to be rude. In the future, the subordinates will make up for the governors."

Wu Sangui said sincerely.

"oh?"

Zhang Zhun smiled and gave a gentle oh.

Wu Sangui, however, could speak. He knew that he would not trust him completely and could not bring dozens of people into Tianjin Wei, so he found an excuse to cover up the matter. His words seemed to be his fault, not Zhang Zhun's cautiousness. If he said the same thing, it would feel different if he was told by different people.

Wu Sangui came out of the city to meet him, and his etiquette was very good. With this remark, Zhang Zhun had to admire him. This guy's skill in appearance was indeed very good. Even if he came from later generations, he knew that he was a big traitor and everyone could kill him. However, at this time, it was a bit difficult to deal with him with ruthlessness, so he would not hit the smiling person.

Zhang Zhun nodded and said slowly: "You are intent."

Wu Sangui hurriedly said, "This is what it should be, it should be."

Zhang Zhun waved his hand and asked everyone around to retreat, then said meaningfully: "You have some serious things to come to see me."

Wu Sangui shook his head and said, "No, no."

Zhang Zhun looked at him with bright eyes and said slowly: "Isn't there really?"

Wu Sanguitu's eyes flashed and he said hesitantly: "Someone... wants to do some business with adults...... do some business..."

Zhang Zhun stared at Wu Sangui deeply.

The people mentioned by this guy should have no one except Gao Qiqian. Within the Liaodong Army, the only one who can instruct Wu Sangui to help with private affairs was Gao Qiqian. It was just doing some business, which had a wide range of meanings. What kind of business is it? As a Liaodong military supervisor, Gao has a high position and a wealth of property. He doesn't take ordinary business seriously.

Wu Sangui felt Zhang Zhun's hot gaze, and could not bear it. His eyes became more and more unrestrained, so he could only whisper: "...it's just... some small businesses..."

Zhang Zhun asked calmly: "What kind of business is it?"

Wu Sangui said slowly: "You may as well transport some supplies from Jiangnan, pass through Tianjin Wei, and then transfer to Beijing City."

Zhang Zhun understood.

Gao Qiqian is going to make money from the national crisis.

Because the canal transportation was cut off, the current city of Beijing has shortage of materials, which has led to soaring prices and panic. To put it in a popular saying in later generations, the people in the capital are now living in dire straits. According to information, the current prices in the capital are at least five times that of the previous one. Food and other materials have risen more than ten times. If there is not enough material supplement, the prices of food and other materials will continue to soar.

However, there are many wealthy families in Beijing, and their money will not be less. Even if prices rise, they can bear it for a while. Gao Qiqian is to make the idea of ​​these wealthy families. As long as Chongzhen does not move the capital, as long as Chongzhen does not flee, as long as Chongzhen is still in the capital, these wealthy families have to bite the bullet and persevere. Even if a pound of rice is sold for 100 cents, they must persist.

As for the people who cannot persist, they will naturally choose to escape and flee to Jiangnan or other places. The current policy implemented by the capital is to not allow outsiders to come in, only those inside are allowed to go out. If you can't stand it in the capital, you can only escape. Therefore, as prices soar, more people will flee from the capital and flee from all directions.

However, all the royal relatives, ministers, powerful officials, and senior officials must not be able to escape. They can only take out all the money they have accumulated, buy food and other supplies to maintain their lives. In this way, the gold, silver and wealth in their hands will be transferred. Gao Qiqian wanted to get all the gold, silver and wealth of these people into their hands through legal means.

This dead eunuch is very flexible in doing business. He actually discovered the place where he made money so quickly. Why didn’t he do business and wanted to lead troops? With this, he could indeed get a huge sum of money and greatly enrich his warehouse. The wealthy families in the capital still have a lot of money. As long as there is a way to let them spit out their wealth, the wealth will definitely be very considerable.

In real history, when Li Zicheng entered Beijing, he used various means to extort a large amount of silver. However, the exact number of silver Li Zicheng found in Beijing was always a mystery. Some said it was 70 million taels, some said it was 50 million taels, some said it was 30 million taels, and some said it was 10 million taels.

Zhang Zhun estimated that it was almost impossible to have 70 million taels, and this number was too terrifying. The possibility of 50 million taels and 30 million taels was not great. At that time, it was impossible for Beijing to store so much silver. About 10 million taels were about the same. However, even 10 million taels, this number was quite amazing. If one tenth of the money could be transferred to Zhang Zhun's hands, it would be more than one million taels, and he could do a lot of things again.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Zhun said slowly: "What are the benefits of me?"

Wu Sangui said without hesitation: "Three times the price in Jiangnan!"

It is indeed good to transport materials from Jiangnan to the capital and sell them for three times the price. Of course, the price of Gaoqian is also considered to be the huge advantage of the Hu Ben Army. Because the Bohai Bay has been completely controlled by the Hu Ben Army and the grain transportation has also been cut off by the Hu Ben Army. This business is impossible for others to participate in except the Hu Ben Army. Since it is a monopoly business, the profit is naturally high.

In fact, the first thing Zhang Zhun thought of was corn and sweet potatoes. When there was nothing to eat, corn and sweet potatoes were foods to fill their stomachs. When the people in the capital were hungry, corn and sweet potatoes were also delicious foods! Zhang Zhun planned that if he sold corn and sweet potatoes to the capital, the profits would be much greater than the transfer of grain from Jiangnan.

If you want to sell rice for four or five taels of silver per stone, I only sell one or two taels of silver per stone. That is also a good choice! Now Zhou Yiming and others have millions of stones of corn, sweet potatoes and other miscellaneous grains. If you only sell one or two taels of silver per stone, that is also millions of taels! If you can sell two taels, you will be even more developed!

With Qingzhou Prefecture and Jinan Prefecture, there is no problem in planting corn, sweet potatoes and the self-sufficiency of the Hu Ben Army itself, and there will be a lot of surplus. Using these miscellaneous grains to earn a lot of money can just allow the Hu Ben Army to get extra money. If the Hu Ben Army buys these miscellaneous grains by themselves, they can collect 1,000 or 1,000 kilograms of silver and sell them in a few times the profit. Only such a business will the madman refuse.

Zhang Zhu does need money now. Well, this is nonsense. Are there people in this world who don’t need money? There may be, but Zhang Zhu must not be included. Now Zhang Zhu needs a lot of money to develop the navy, build more warships, train more cavalry, expand more infantry, produce more cannons, build schools, build hospitals, cultivate more land, and absorb more people...

Zhang Zhun currently has the two most expensive places in military affairs, one is the navy and the other is the cavalry. The navy is made of money, let alone the time being. The consumption of cavalry is actually very large. Wang Shide has calculated that the cost of a cavalry is basically equivalent to five infantry. The consumption of war horses is actually much larger than that of a man. Other cavalry equipment also requires a lot of money. The training time is also very long.

The problem is, in this era, if there are not enough cavalry, what qualifications do you have to dominate the continent? Therefore, even though you know that the cavalry is expensive, Zhang Zhun still needs to vigorously increase the number of cavalry, strengthen the mobility of the troops, and establish a larger cavalry legion. To do this, it is absolutely impossible to have no money.

At the same time, through trading, people can also be encouraged to grow corn, sweet potatoes and other enthusiasm. After all, corn and sweet potatoes have very low requirements for sowing, and they can grow as long as they have soil. I believe farmers are willing to accept it by earning some extra money through corn and sweet potatoes. This is very beneficial to Song Yingxing and their technical promotion.

Of course, the disadvantages are also obvious. That is, it will allow the court to continue to support the capital for a period of time. With the help of the Hu Ben Army, Chongzhen could continue to maintain it in the capital. However, after comprehensive consideration, Zhang Zhun decided to do business with Gao Qiqian and let Chongzhen survive for a while before talking about it.

The current Hu Ben Army has no ability to take over the capital or the nine sides. Once Chongzhen withdraws immediately, the Hu Ben Army can only control the vicinity of the capital at most, and it is probably a bit difficult to control Shanhaiguan and other places. If the army is expanded in a hurry, it will inevitably lead to a variety of disadvantages. It is better not to expand without quality.

First, squeeze out some of the money from the rich people in the capital. When Li Zicheng entered the capital, he adopted violent means. The Hu Ben Army now adopted gentle economic means, with the same purpose, and all of them were to transfer the money from others' pockets to their own pockets. As for the money that fell into Gaoqian's pockets... there will always be a chance to get it back in the future.

Zhang Zhun looked at Wu Sangui and nodded and said, "It is rare that Eunuch Gao has such a vision and discovers such a good business opportunity. OK, I will participate."

Wu Sangui said happily: "The Governor is indeed a quick talk."

Zhang Zhun said lightly: "In order to ensure the safety of the goods, our army will garrison troops in Dagukou."

Wu Sangui hesitated for a moment.

This is a secret transaction, the purpose is just to make money. Zhang Zhun's request is obviously beyond this range. Gao Qiqian only wants to make money, but does not want to take too much risk. The Hu Ben Army is garrisoning at Dagukou, of course, it is not just a simple garrison. Dagukou is so close to Tianjin Wei, and once the Hu Ben Army garrisoning at Dagukou, the threat to Tianjin Wei will be direct.

Wu Sangui said slowly: "Dagukou is safe..."

Zhang Zhun said intentionally or unintentionally: "I don't think so. What if the Tartars directly attack Dagukou? My family business is too small to withstand such losses."
To be continued...