Lao Huang went on to explain, "In the beginning, we just let Neiying, who was lurking in the Houjin and Joseon Kingdoms, infiltrate some local real power figures, and secretly carry out smuggling business.

The real power faction we chose was not the top one in the central government.

Our target is those officials, gentry, and local tyrants who seem to be in a very high position, but in fact do not have much money.

These people, at the local level, have absolute connections and power, and can use a large number of people to do the work. Mining, growing cash crops, and so on, you can let them do it.

Originally, no one did it, because their own country could not digest so many materials, but now, we are developing greatly, and the more raw materials the better.

They can work hard and get the primary raw materials that they get can be smuggled and sold to us.

Of course, when we received the goods, we also approached as smugglers, after all, the theory is not perfect, the kingdom is inconvenient to come forward, and besides, we are at war with each other, and we need a fig leaf to block it.

However, I don't know what's going on, this smuggling team has gradually grown, and the number of people participating in the enemy country has become more and more, and slowly, the smuggling team has been out of our control. ”

The first mate asked with some puzzlement, "Since you are out of control, why do you keep cutting off this line and starting over?" ”

Lao Huang shook his head, "This is a typical military thinking, in the business field and some special places, it is not a good thing to have too strong a desire to control." You don't know how much of a stake is here, do you? ”

The first mate looked at Lao Huang blankly, "How much benefit can a little smuggling have?" ”

Rhubarb said with a wicked smile, "Now, the kingdom spends millions of silver dollars every year to buy the primary raw materials sent by these smugglers at a price far lower than the domestic price.

At the same time, we took advantage of the developed industry and sold industrial goods to the smugglers at prices well above the normal prices in the country, in lieu of spending on silver dollars.

Although I don't know the specific trade volume, I can shear the wool twice back and forth, which is a huge profit. ”

The first mate was surprised, "Millions of silver dollars?" Annually? How can this poor and remote place be so rich that it can make the scale of minerals and cultivation so large? ”

Lao Huang said mysteriously, "Of course, they don't have much money to expand their production capacity, but their cost is low, and they basically don't need to spend money to hire workers, so they have saved the biggest expense."

Don't talk about Houjin, it is still a slavery system, and if there are not enough people, just go to the countryside to arrest people, and you don't even need to worry too much about food, and you only need to let the slaves go to the mountains to cut down a few trees and build a shed.

The local forces of the Joseon Kingdom are also about the same virtues, but what is good is that they still have the government and the public opinion in the countryside above them, and it is not good to do too much, and they need to cover up their face, but it doesn't cost much money. ”

The first mate remembered the tragic days when he was in Houjin, and sighed with a little sympathy, "That's really not a human life, we can be regarded as stepping on the flesh and blood of the enemy country." ”

Lao Huang is engaged in intelligence work, and after reading too much information sent back from abroad, he has immunity to these tragic things, and casually said, "It's better than letting us Chinese people bleed." ”

The first mate's mood was also a little heavy, so he didn't answer the words again, and changed his words, "So, most of these smugglers on the river now are not our people?" ”

"That's right, before we came, we expected to meet our own people, so we issued a list of tigers who boarded the ship for inspection.

And gave a secret order to let us go as soon as we met our own people, or [semi-friendly forces], and the ship was loaded with the goods we needed.

Therefore, the ships that are now being detained by us are basically enemy ships that do not comply with the procedures.

In order to minimize the supply of the Shangjing area during the campaign, it was necessary to keep a close watch on these ships. ”

The first mate nodded, indicating that he understood, "However, now that more and more ships are being seized, our manpower is almost insufficient." When I made the plan, I didn't expect that there would be so many ships. Your intelligence services have not sent any information on this. ”

Lao Huang was also helpless, "We didn't expect it, originally, this season, before the peak of smuggling, there shouldn't be so many more merchant ships." It seems that this year's smuggling trade has expanded again.

I'm really sorry, this is the failure of our intelligence department to do its job, and it is our responsibility. ”

"Now is not the time to hold us accountable, and I don't blame you, I need a sound solution to secure the safe detention of these merchant ships so that they don't cause harm to us at a given time."

Lao Huang looked left and right and asked, "What about your captain?" He's the commander-in-chief of the fleet, how can you let this first mate solve this kind of thing? ”

"There's no way, the next step is to enter the second phase of the operation, ready to bombard the Shangjing area.

This is a general rehearsal related to the third phase of the operation, and the captain is doing the final inspection to make sure that he will not lose in this operation.

So, now the tedious affairs of the fleet are in my hands. Lao Huang, you are in the intelligence department, do you have any way, if you can't, then I will have to convene a military meeting. ”

"Again, don't worry, take your time, there will always be a way. Let me think about it. ”

Lao Huang slowly paced up and fell into thought, and the first mate did not disturb him, and looked at the river quietly.

At this time, a terrible cat bark suddenly came, and the excited first mate and Lao Huang, as well as the surrounding officers and sailors, had a burst of tooth soreness.

The first mate could hear that it was the voice of the "ship cat" on their Kokang.

The ship-cat system was established by Chen Xin a few years ago when the navy was first built. At that time, there were always rats on the ship, and from time to time some snakes, insects, rats and ants and other "evil guests" came to the door, which would cause great hidden dangers and harm to the wooden warship.

The Boat Cat is a good helper for a battleship, and its importance is comparable to that of a damage management team. Therefore, when the first mate heard the screaming of the boat cat, he couldn't help but run in a hurry.

Coming to the bridge position, the first mate crouched down in front of a very beautiful big cat and checked the cat's body.

The cat doesn't have any wounds, just keeps covering its little nose with its cute little paws.

He called out to the handler of the boat cat: "Little one, what's the matter?" ”

The trainer kept trying to communicate with the cat, but to no avail.

At this time, there was a strange stench faintly in the air, which made the first mate and the people who came around instinctively cover their noses.

"What does it smell like? It stinks! ”

"Vomit" Some people can't help but vomit.

On the ground, there was a mess, and the fishy smell was mixed with the strange smell just now, which stimulated everyone's olfactory organs.

Then, as if it was contagious, the people around me began to vomit.