Lower reaches of the Liao River. Quanyan ditch.

It is located more than 200 miles north of Shenyang, that is, the area of Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province in later generations, but it is still an extremely desolate place at present, with a population of only more than 1,000 households.

In the courtyard of a two-entry earthen house, there were more than a dozen people sitting on stools and hot kangs, all with hot wine and salted beans in front of them, but no one ate or drank a sip or talked to each other, as if they were waiting for someone.

After a while, a woman wearing a thick cotton jacket and a coarse cloth wrap came into the house, and everyone immediately got up and bowed their hands, "Qi is in charge." ”

"Shopkeeper Qi is here."

There are also people who call it differently, "I have seen the little patriarch." ”

The woman took off her headscarf, revealing her long braids, which was Arjuna, who had met Zhu Linmiao in Songshan more than half a month ago.

She returned the salute, first glanced at Jile Zhan behind her, and said in a low voice: "Far away from three miles to star." ”

Although it was already a periphery of Manchu rule, it was far from the sphere of influence of the East China Sea Ministry, and she could not but be extremely cautious.

"Huh."

Gil Zhan led the people away, Arjuna covered the door, and then turned around and greeted: "It is not easy for you to come here, so I will get straight to the point, and this time I invite everyone to come here to collect a batch of grain and pig iron on behalf of others." The plate is very large, which guarantees that everyone has a profit. ”

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, the look of anticipation on the faces of everyone in the room immediately disappeared, and some people even got up and prepared to leave.

A strong man with a black face said in a rough voice: "Little Patriarch, don't you know how many people who went to the gate a while ago have returned?" The southerners investigated very strictly, and it is said that if they are caught, they will confiscate things and send them to prison. How many veterans who have been running this line for decades have lost their hands, and now who dares to go to smugglers and contraband? ”

His words immediately aroused a chorus of echo.

Half a year ago, Haoge mobilized profiteers inside and outside the customs to smuggle military supplies such as grain, copper and iron, weapons and even gunpowder to Daming. But he didn't expect Daming to scatter tens of thousands of police patrols on the border line, and mobilized local people to crack smuggling, promising to catch smugglers and profiteers and reward them with 30% of the confiscated goods and money!

For a time, it was a crowd of passion, which could not only serve the country but also make a fortune, and the border people all enthusiastically participated, and hundreds of large and small profiteers were arrested before and after.

Hauge had a large amount of looted property from the Central Plains, but he was never able to exchange it for the materials he wanted.

Therefore, when Arjuna mentioned that she wanted to collect grain and pig iron, these profiteers all shook their heads.

"Don't go, the white shopkeeper." Arjuna grabbed an old man who was about to push the door, "I want to take these things, but I don't ask the source, how much I want." ”

The white shopkeeper turned around and laughed dryly, "Grain, copper and iron are only related to internal products, I don't have the ability to get them......

Arjuna said slowly: "Ten taels of brown rice, eight taels of coarse wheat and one stone, and two taels of iron." ”

The profiteers, who seemed absent-minded just now, instantly looked at her and said in unison: "Really?!" ”

Although Arjuna didn't know why the Great Tomorrow asked her to buy these things in Liaodong, she also gave such a high price - the price she just said was a full five times higher than the market price! It's still far from the upper limit given in the secret decree.

Everyone in the room immediately came up, "I have 400 stone of brown rice!" ”

"I have six hundred stone wheat and four hundred pounds of iron!"

"I still have 500 stone of coarse wheat in my storehouse, and I will give you all ......."

Arjuna shook her head and smiled, "It's too little, not enough for me to toss around." 5,000 stone of grain and 2,000 catties of pig iron. ”

The profiteers were stunned, and someone shouted: "Shopkeeper Qi, Liaodong Tun grain has long been requisitioned by the imperial court, and the trade routes in the customs are not passable, where can I get so much?" ”

Arjuna didn't answer him, but said, "Brown rice is thirteen taels and one stone, coarse wheat is eleven taels and one stone, and iron is three taels and one catty." "Even this offer is thirty percent lower than what Da Tianzi gave her.

The eyes of the profiteers were almost dripping blood, such a high price, it was simply a gift of silver!

"If the delivery is made within a month, the price can rise by another percent. It's the same price for a month and a half. In the future, it will be reduced by 20% every half month. Arjuna took a breath and raised her voice, "How much, how much!" ”

When even the two of them talked in a low voice, "Shopkeeper Wang, you have a deep friendship with Lord Sacha of the Ministry of Households, and I can go the way through the military department." Why don't we join forces. ”

"You mean?"

"I know that there are tens of thousands of stones of grain and grass in Yizhou City."

"Are you crazy?! The great sin of losing your head! ”

"Afraid of what? I see that this Qing Dynasty is almost dying, and it is not a matter for us to continue to stay here. After doing this ticket together, I took the silver to North Korea, or went south, anyway, we are all Han Chinese, and it shouldn't be a problem to attach it. ”

The light in the eyes of the shopkeeper Wang flashed, and after a while, he nodded slightly, "Okay, wealth and danger are sought, do it!" ”

Most of the profiteers on the side were of the same mind, and even if seven people reported the numbers to Arjuna, and asked her to prepare cash, the least of them was 8,000 stone of grain, and the most was even 20,000 or 30,000 stone.

Arjuna was also very extravagant, paying a few hundred taels per person and sending off the guests with a smile.

A few profiteers who had no way out were like cat's claws in their hearts, and they secretly decided to collect all the grain in the eight villages at a high price after they went back, and strive to make up the "starting point" of 5,000 stones!

When everyone dispersed, Arjuna left the two of them to connect here, and she immediately rushed to Phoenix, which is Dandong in the future.

In fact, she has held three similar secret meetings recently, mobilizing nearly 30 profiteers.

She met Ruan Jin, the general of the navy who had been waiting here for a long time, and reported the purchase of grain and pig iron, and the latter had the silver unloaded from the ship and loaded into the cart, and the Jinyi guard's men drove the cart into Liaodong.

There is the East China Sea Department operating from it, and these silver have passed all the way, and no one has checked it at all.

Ruan Jin rushed back to Phi Dao after handing over the "escort" task. As soon as he landed on the pier, a soldier stationed on the island reported to him, "General, the North Korean sailor Zheng Wancheng has asked to see you and is waiting for you in the camp." ”

Ruan Jinxian shook his head and muttered in a low voice, "Lord Admiral is partial, everyone else either goes to Europa to escort, or gallops in the South Seas, and at worst is also in the Wa Kingdom to supervise the war, but I can only fight a few fishing boats here......"

When he arrived at the camp, Zheng Wancheng stepped forward to salute with a smile on his face, and then took out a list and began to ask for credit, "General, in the past ten days, we have destroyed and captured more than 260 fishing boats along the coast of Liaodong, and captured more than 400 people who went to sea. ”

Ruan Jin took the list and glanced at it happily, "Well, the fishing boat was given to Renxingjun." By the way, how many Han Chinese and Korean slaves were among the captured fishermen? You have to count it as a prisoner for me, hum ......"

A cold sweat broke out on Zheng Wancheng's head, "The last general, the last general won't dare, the last general will carefully screen it, and then come to the general." ”

"Alright, go ahead. Inspect carefully, day and night, don't teach me to find you lazy. ”

"Don't dare, don't dare."

(End of chapter)