Chapter 441: Entering the city again will eventually be rewarded

Goldman Sachs and these three words are regarded as a person's name in many places in the world. Even in the well-informed Jiangnan area, Shangqiu, the great-grandfather who does cotton trading in Songjiang Prefecture, once sighed:

"This old Gao from Shanxi buys so many cloths from me every year. I'm afraid that people from the five northern provinces have clothes to wear."

This incident was later said to be a joke. Shandong is an emerging place in the world. In terms of its heritage, there is a big gap with the rest. Jiangnan was rich for generations, while Shanxi initially relied on the silk from Lu'an Prefecture and the iron ore from Zezhou. In the middle, it was salt goods and trade.

In the late Ming Dynasty, except for Shandong Lingshan Commercial Bank, Zhengjia Group, which had a lot of military and political colors, could not be included. Goldman Sachs and the world's number one Chamber of Commerce.

The Shanxi business names have only been around for more than a hundred years, and they have only developed during the Jiajing period. Now they have caught up with the long-standing Jiangnan area. This is indeed amazing.

Moreover, Shanxi's commercial development is not just Goldman Sachs and other alternatives, but the overall prosperity of Taiyuan Prefecture, Fenzhou and Datong businesses, and all large and small businesses are full of vitality. Originally, Shanxi's mountains and rivers are relatively closed, and it is behind Datong's border town. Whenever there are border disasters and wars, they will often be affected.

It was not a good place to be an official, but in recent years, some prefectures and counties in Shanxi were rated as the first-class in the first place by people familiar with the officialdom. The reason was that they had served in one term. The filial piety of these businessmen below was that they could not eat and use them all, which was a great benefit.

But such business prosperity and vitality are not the kind of business acumen of Jiangnan’s wealthy merchants, but the kind of policy speculation and unprincipled adventure.

In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, in order to supply military supplies to border towns, the "Kaizhong French" was adopted, the so-called "Salt grain in the middle of the earth and transported the grain to border towns. The border town was opened to attract salt and sold salt goods.

This policy was initially considered a moral policy, but in fact there were a lot of loopholes to take advantage of. The salt merchants in Shanxi and Nanzhili made great efforts here and made a fortune. However, the border towns had never gained any benefits here except in the early stages, and the supply of military supplies was getting increasingly difficult.

In the later period, the monopoly of salt merchants in Lianghuai became stronger and stronger in the trading of salt goods. The salt in Shaanxi and Shanxi was not easy to obtain because of the fierce border troubles. Shanxi merchants began to think about other ways to make a fortune. Facts proved that their adventurous spirit was far superior to their peers in Jiangnan.

Whether it is Mongolia on the grassland or Jurchens outside the pass, they had military advantages over the Ming Dynasty and would obtain a large amount of spoils in each war. Among them, there were quite a lot of gold and silver treasures, but they had a lot of supplies, even very simple supplies, and they could not buy them with these gold and silver.

The Shanxi merchants saw this and began to be an intermediary in it. An iron tool was cheap in the Central Plains and could be sold on the grassland. The price suddenly increased several times or even dozens of times. These iron tools were actually the raw materials for weapons, and they were of course urgently needed by Mongolians or Jurchens.

The looted gold and silver were replaced with weapons, equipment, medicinal materials, and more powerful armies were armed, and then more gold and silver were plundered, and it continued.

The Tartars became stronger and stronger, and the Shanxi merchants were also becoming richer. Nowadays, their business was getting bigger and bigger. The goods they supply were no longer just strategic materials, but also luxury goods needed by barbarians and powerful people, even girls and boys. Shanxi merchants could handle them.

Of course, during this transaction, there may be some things that the Shanxi merchants saw and heard, what they saw and heard along the way, or something more profound.

Even if the maritime merchants in Jiangnan and Fujian and Guangdong do not follow the king's laws and wander in the gray area between merchants and pirates, they sold all kinds of handicraft products that could not be consumed by the Ming people to foreign countries, and then brought back the entire ship of gold and silver and urgently needed materials. Regardless of whether this behavior is legal or not, it will be beneficial to the Ming Dynasty and the country and nation.

But the Shanxi merchants are different. Their wealth is based on the losses of China. The barbarians are like hungry wolves, biting the flesh and blood of China to strengthen themselves. The wealth of the Shanxi merchants is also the flesh and blood of China. They stole the nutrients of China to tigers and wolves to make the tigers and wolves stronger. Then they bit off the ground, and the more flesh and blood of the Shanxi merchants get, and the more they get, and it continues until the Huaxia falls, and the barbarians become the owner of this land.

The so-called accomplice for a tiger is the barbarians, and the Shanxi merchants are the accomplice...

Goldman Sachs is the biggest accomplice. Gao Yuemin and Sheng Zhiquan are the two bosses of Goldman Sachs. The meaning of Goldman Sachs' name is actually the meaning of reconciliation between the Gao family and the Sheng family. It is said that in the Wanli period, the fathers of the two bosses are now rivals in Pingyao. Later, it was said that the peace of mind was considered a fight.

And for some reason, the two parties joined forces together, and the business became bigger and bigger. If you come to do business in Pingyao County, please go to Nancheng, where there are Goldman Sachs and warehouses. If you want to visit the Gao family or Sheng family, please go to Beicheng. Both residences are in Beicheng.

That's right, there are only the residences and industries of the Gao family and Sheng family in the city. The rest of the families have moved outside the city. Goldman Sachs and generously bought industries for them. Moreover, most of the people in Pingyao County work for Goldman Sachs and the workmanship. Even the officials at the county magistrates in Pingyao City are the same in a sense.

Gao Yuemin is a legend among Shanxi merchants. He is in his forties now, but even an older businessman in his seventies or eighties should be respectful in front of him.

At the end of the Wanli period, the remaining power of the three major expeditions was still there. The advantages of the Qing Dynasty outside the pass were not as absolute as it had shown in recent years. At that time, Goldman Sachs and only had the size of middle- and upper-middle merchants. Gao Yuemin, who was only sixteen years old, decided to start business with the Qing Tartars outside the pass, and the one who led the team to Shengzhiquan.

This is also a gamble. Nurhaci was still ridiculed by others during the day. Just a slave chief who is ignorant of the world. If he fails, all his property of Goldman Sachs and the others will be completely compensated. Of course, Goldman Sachs and the gambling won. In just over twenty years, he was known as the richest man in the world.

The Ming Dynasty and the Tartars were irreconcilable enemies. They wanted to transport all kinds of materials urgently needed by the Qing Tartars from Shanxi to the grassland, and then transport them from the grassland to outside the pass. Each trade route must pass through the defense zone of the Datong General.

If you don’t feed this Datong general, Goldman Sachs and the goods you prepare cannot be transported out. There is no official in the world who doesn’t like money, whether it is a civil or a military officer, for example, Jiang Xiang, the newly established general in Taiyuan, can be described as the word “loyalty” among the generals in Shanxi.

But he was not obedient by the Shanxi merchants who were fed with gold, silver and beauty. And he had to deal with him. Shanxi General Xu Dingguo followed the commander Hou Xun to pacify the thief, and Jiang Xiang took over as the general of Datong. Who would have thought that Chen Yongfu, who had a problem with his brain, would not surrender to Shandong, but would come to Shanxi to guard the border.

In today's chaotic times, a military general who can show his loyalty to the court is really of special significance. Since he is requested to guard the border in Shanxi, the court will definitely give him a position of Datong General, because in Shanxi, a higher position than the General, and the position that the court can praise and attach importance to is the only position that the Datong General, who is the general in front of the Western Expedition.

This appointment, in any aspect, is an unchangeable decision.

As soon as we entered Shanxi, the merchant who started preparing military wages, food and fodder for the nine thousand Henan soldiers led by Chen Yongfu in Wenxi County was the Goldman Sachs Hedi Alliance.

Seeing that General Chen Yongfu did not refuse the preparations for these food and fodder needs, it means that he is not a solid piece of cake and can proceed step by step. However, as he gradually approached Fenzhou, Goldman Sachs and his two bosses found it difficult to find that Chen Yongfu thought it was natural to solve the needs of the army.

But those private gifts from gold and silver women were rejected and refused, and this kind of rejection was not the kind of fake politeness. The people who gave them were beaten out by sticks.

The 50,000 taels of silver and three beautiful people in Lingshi County were the last heavy bet before entering Fenzhou. Goldman Sachs and the two bosses were very worried about Chen Yongfu's attitude, so they put in heavy bets. But the result was even more disappointing. Chen Yongfu, who had hesitated for a while, returned the gift.

If you say you don’t want it firmly, it may make these two bosses feel relieved. But hesitate for a while, which means that this person is not not greedy for money, but has some concerns or other ideas.

Fenzhou is the Taiyuan Prefecture further north. Gao Yuemin and Sheng Zhiquan do not want the late-coming merchants who are eyeing Taiyuan Prefecture to have any activities. Chen Yongfu's army is currently stationed outside the city. Goldman Sachs and Sheng Zhiquan still want to continue working hard again. They don't believe that Chen Yongfu is really not in the air.

Local governments should provide land, grain, fodder and supplies, and Pingyao County is oversupply. Local officials and fellow villagers all use 120% of enthusiasm to support it.

With Chen Yongfu and his generals of knowledge, he couldn't help but be surprised by the material and manpower of Pingyao County. Wei Hui, Zhangde, Huaiqing and other small mansions were difficult to prepare for such power. Pingyao County actually planned and transported it with ease, which shows how much wealth Goldman Sachs and other small mansions are.

Pingyao County is rich, with many merchants from the south and the north. The level of restaurants and brothels in the city is naturally extraordinary. It is said that even Taiyuan City cannot keep up with the level here.

On the day of the station, General Chen Yongfu stayed in the military camp and refused to see guests. Goldman Sachs' shopkeeper, boss, and officials at Pingyao County were all turned away. But along the way, General Chen Yongfu also realized that his soldiers were exhausted and needed to relax, so many camps took the opportunity to enter the city to have fun.

The so-called entertainment is naturally wine, sex, wealth and power. Goldman Sachs and the upper and lower levels were in the idea that they could not win over the generals, and the soldiers below also sent a lot of people to welcome them everywhere. It was also quite common for Henan officers and soldiers who were greedy and were welcomed by their favors and agreed to contact them later.

However, these soldiers agreed well, but they left the city according to the rules at night and returned to the military camp, which made Goldman Sachs and several people in charge always feel very worried.

I stayed until noon on the fifth day of the August 2018, Chen Yongfu ordered his thousands of troops to set off. With more than this day, no one found a chance to meet this general. I could only work hard to get some trouble in the future, but the business would definitely be affected.

Goldman Sachs and the senior management gates both received news that the shopkeepers of several Taiyuan Prefecture had arrived in Qi County, which was the next stop for this army. I don’t know if these Taiyuan shopkeepers will make any progress, and I hope they will be turned away.

The camp was drawn at noon, including the time to organize the baggage and restrain the army. When it was dark at night, it was estimated that it would be possible to walk on the road for an hour or two. Perhaps leaving like this was just a sign of an attitude.

On the evening of the fifth day of August, Goldman Sachs and his boss Gao Yuemin were very unhappy. His concubines and children knew this because Gao Yuemin did not have a banquet with the whole family as usual, but instead discussed business with Sheng Zhiquan and the shopkeepers in the main hall of the inner house center.

"The big boss, the Qing Dynasty is a bit unreliable. I heard from the guys who came back that they have begun to supply goods to the Tartars at the Jinzhou Harbour and North Korea, and our business has declined a bit."

A middle-aged shopkeeper sitting at the lower head said respectfully, Sheng Zhiquan's face was also gloomy, and he replied in a muffled voice:

"The Qing Dynasty wants our goods, but now it is estimated that we want us to continue to bring the news. This is how we continue to maintain it. These Tartars are simply unreliable!"

Listening to the two hatreds, especially the second boss said this, the shopkeepers below expressed their support, and the atmosphere in the room became lively for a moment.

Gao Yuemin reached out and patted the desktop. The room suddenly became quiet, and Gao Yuemin said in a deep voice:

"Don't lose our temper because of this little thing. We have been there for decades of relationships. Prince Li and Prince Zheng still have a share in our business. It's not that easy to throw us out. It's just that I lost a battle in Hejian Mansion some time ago and my money was tense for a while."

After saying this, it is obvious that Goldman Sachs and Zhong, Gao's status must be far higher than Sheng. Gao Yuemin glanced at Sheng Zhiquan next to him and said seriously:

"It's a long-term business plan, and we have to look at it further. We have to talk about this little thing, and whether there is still the temperament of the Shanxi business chief!"

Sheng Zhiquan next to him lowered his head a little ashamed, and Gao Yuemin turned to these shopkeepers and said:

"The first major event at the moment is not the Qing Dynasty, but Chen Yongfu, who is not in the oil and salt. Judging from his appearance, the roads in Datong will almost be strangled to death. If our goods cannot pass through, this is a big trouble!"

A shopkeeper sitting next to him thought for a while and then spoke:

"Our goods are shipped out. Even if the Qing Dynasty doesn't want them, Tumote and Duolati tribes will ask for them. But if they can't get out, they are a big trouble. Now the people in Zezhou are very arrogant. Even if they don't sell their subway ore to us, they will still make a profit."

Sheng Zhiquan, who had just lost the limelight, spoke at this time:

"No matter how bad Chen Yongfu doesn't enter, he is just a general of Datong. He blocked the road to the north, but it doesn't work in the north. We can think about the road to the south. Henan and Huguang's blind men must be short of weapons. We can sell the iron tools to them and use their strength to go out from Shaanxi."

Everyone in the room was lit when they heard Sheng Zhiquan's words. Gao Yuemin nodded there and said with a smile:

"The second brother said that this is the main business. When we do business, we need to find new buyers and open up new business paths. In this way, Goldman Sachs and other companies can continue to expand their markets. What is a little trouble?"

After this sentence, there was another confrontation and flattery towards Sheng Zhiquan. Of course, all of this was Gao Yuemin's affirmation. The atmosphere in the room finally rose a little, but another shopkeeper said:

"The two owners, our shop business in Beizhili and Henan, are not making much money now. Three of them have been closed in the past two months. The Lingshan Trading Company is too rude and we can't compete!"

When talking about this, everyone in the house looked gloomy. Behind the Lingshan Trading Company in Shandong was Li Meng, Duke of Qi. Whether it was this Trading Company or the soldiers in Shandong, they all oppressed Goldman Sachs and the business they rely on, and reduced their money to make them earn less and less.

Speaking of Lingshan Trading Company in Shandong, even Gao Yuemin sighed and leaned on the chair without saying a word. Goldman Sachs and his resignation to the enemy country in exchange for huge wealth and profits. Lingshan Trading Company was the largest warlord in the Ming Dynasty, and it was a huge wealth that coexisted with huge strength. It would be difficult to fight.

The sigh of the boss, who was the backbone, made everyone in the house collapse. It was because they had thought about ways to deal with Lingshan Commercial Bank, but they racked their brains but had no choice but to do anything.

"Just do what the second brother said just now. Send someone to contact the blind man. I hate the big farmers with land. We are all doing business here and have never had any trouble with them. We should be talking about it. Goldman Sachs and we contribute money and efforts to make the Shun Army stronger and we can go east to destroy Shandong. If we can't destroy it, we have to cause some trouble for Lingshan Trading Company."

For a moment, a saying came to everyone's mind, "The people do not fight with officials", but this is the way they can come up with.

After saying this, the two shopkeepers who were responsible for winning over Chen Yongfu's subordinates have begun to report on the progress. According to Goldman Sachs and many years of experience in winning over officials, these days are just laying a solid foundation. What progress really depends on how it will be in the future.

"We also know a few officials in the court. Shanxi also has old relationships. Get rid of the general from Henan quickly and don't get the eyes off here."

After Gao Yuemin said this weakly, the outside suddenly became noisy. Gao Yuemin, who was originally a bad temper, was immediately furious and shouted loudly:

"This family is becoming less and less polite. Gao Cai will show me who is making trouble and catch the experts!!"

The family outside agreed, but the noise and noise around him became louder and louder. There were rapid footsteps outside, and Gao Cai ran back in a panic and shouted anxiously outside:

"Master, thieves are coming into the city!!"

When they heard the thief entering, everyone in the house stood up in panic. Pingyao City was extremely rich, so it was naturally the fat meat coveted by the bandits. In this side of Shanxi, Mongolian Tartars on the grassland often rushed in. These small groups of Mongolian horse bandits or robbers did not have any major harm.

However, it is combined with the local horse bandits and robbers in Shanxi. These Mongols are desperate and cruel, and the local bandits are familiar with each other, so they are quite suitable for them to match each other. These people flee into the city, and the disasters are even more intense than those of officers and soldiers or even Tartars. Everyone is very wary of it.

Pingyao City knew that it was rich. It must be coveted by outsiders, and his defense was also very good. Anyway, Goldman Sachs and other rich walls were well repaired, and all kinds of fortifications were also neat. The recruited civilian soldiers were as the militias in the city.

Such defense has encountered all kinds of troubles over the years, and it is not that there are no small group of robbers who have mixed into the city, but they are all solved by chance.

But when the bandits enter the city, they always have to use their weapons to kill and kill people. The businessmen in the house will inevitably panic. As the big boss, Gao Yuemin seems to be superior. He calmly said:

"What a panic? I've experienced this. I've beaten the gong and gong, and greeted the men everywhere, took the guys and sent someone to light the beacon. In less than two hours, the officers and soldiers in Xiaoyi would come here."

Gao Yuemin's calmness calmness calmed everyone in the house. The Gao family and Sheng family both kept a large number of land guards proficient in martial arts. Both families even had thirty or forty bird guns and more than one hundred bows and arrows. They were all of the weapons of good quality. Many officers and soldiers may not have such equipment.

Moreover, the courtyard walls of the Gao family and Sheng family are high and thick, and there are some special designs. In terms of defense, they are no worse than those of Pingyao County.

If we can withstand the offensive of these robbers entering the city, when Xiaoyi's officers and soldiers rushed over, the robbers would withdraw, and then everything would become safe.

On the August night in Shanxi, there was already a hint of chill. Gao Yuemin, who was standing at the entrance of the main hall, did not notice at all. The shouts of killing in the city gradually became louder, but listening to the movements around, it should be that the shops that were easily attacked were in trouble, and there was no problem with the two heavily guarded courtyards.

The sound of the gong and the gong were all clattered rapidly, the footsteps in the yard, the cry of women, and the sound of the head of the yard guards being dispatched, and the chaos was mixed.

Goldman Sachs and his boss Gao Yuemin have seen a much more thrilling scene. On the grassland, the so-called wild Jurchen tribes are all like beasts. Gao Yuemin was thinking, who dared to come to Fenzhou, or maybe it was a thief from other prefectures.
To be continued...