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For small businessmen, as long as they immigrate with their families, they can buy shops first, without having to compete with big businessmen for auction.

Moreover, such small businessmen are protected by the government and can set off with the officials on official ships.

In a blink of an eye, he came to Shanghai to change ships. Hou Fangyu hadn't seen him for several years, and he found that Shanghai was surprisingly prosperous.It is backed by the Yangtze River waterway, and the population is booming. Sichuan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu...the provinces along the Yangtze River have merchants who come to do business.

"Hey, hey!"

The dock workers were chanting labor chants, and the human-animal hybrid crane was slowly pulling up more than 20 bundled sacks.

Pulled to a certain height, the buffalo was stopped by the envoy.

Workers collectively pull the rope, and under the action of pulleys and gears, the long arm of the log begins to turn and move.After stopping to the sky above the deck of the ship, the workers slowly lowered the rope, and the more than 20 sacks fell steadily on the deck.

Such cargo cranes have appeared in several ports.

Most of the goods are still handled manually, especially fragile items such as porcelain.But for bulky and heavy cargo like grain, especially when you are in a hurry, you will choose to rent a crane at the dock-except that the loading speed is faster, there is not much difference in cost, after all, cranes also need to be built and maintained.

The real advantage comes when handling things like heavy siege guns, which is the proper way to use a crane.

Hou Fangyu got off the official ship on the inland river, paced all the way at the pier, and went to board the big navy ship with other officials.What he saw along the way made him feel quite fresh. There is a big difference between here and Nanjing.

On the pier, you can occasionally see Japanese people, all of whom are ronin who sneaked to China.

Tokugawa Iemitsu's policy changed again, and the previously opened ports were once again closed by the shogunate.There was only one port of Nagasaki left for trade between China and the Netherlands, and it was only allowed to do business with the shogunate.

After Japan opened up for a short period of time, it chose to close the country again, so the so-called Japanese pirates appeared again.

These Japanese pirates didn't have the guts to come to China's waters, and they only robbed around Ryukyu.

They are the private armed forces of certain feudal lords. Ieyasu Tokugawa has repeatedly requested the establishment of diplomatic relations with China. Every time there is a little progress, they will be destroyed by Japanese pirates. These feudal lords must be behind it.

There is another situation, which seems to be unexpected, and it is still being cleaned up.

When Zhao Han first opened the port, there were European merchant ships in various ports.But until now, European merchant ships have almost disappeared, and there is also a French trading station in Guangzhou.

The reason is that China's maritime merchants have collectively exerted their efforts, and commerce has monopolized the import and export trade along China's coast.

Chinese shipping companies have lower prices and local advantages, which beat European shipping companies in terms of price.Merchant ships from various European countries are now simply waiting in Vietnam and Java, and the cost of buying Chinese goods from those places is lower than the cost of sailing to China to buy goods by themselves.

So France, which was provoking trouble everywhere, was expelled by various forces in Southeast Asia, and was forced to go to Guangzhou to buy goods at high prices.

Hou Fangyu successfully boarded the warship, stood on the deck to observe, and then came up with two European ghosts.

"Mr. Wei is going to Liaoning too?" Hou Fangyu took the initiative to say hello.

Wei Kuanguo said: "A Jesuit member was sent to Nanjing, but was not received by His Majesty. But His Majesty allowed him to observe around. Hearing that Liaodong is going to carry out large-scale immigration, I will accompany this member of the church. "

Hou Fangyu looked at another ghost.

Wei Kuanguo said: "This church member's Chinese name is Nan Huairen, south of Nanjing, Huairen who keeps the way."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Hou Fangyu cupped his hands.

Nan Huairen said in broken Chinese: "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

When Nan Huairen came to China this time, he first went to Macau, and a total of more than ten missionaries came.

The churches in Macau, due to the lack of financial support from the Netherlands, are all supported by Portuguese believers in Macau, and they are almost unable to open.I heard that other places are even worse, and missionaries have to work to make a living. These new missionaries have left China one after another.

Only Nan Huairen chose to stay. After all, the stupid son of the landlord's family had enough money to spend a few years in China—his father was a hereditary judge and tax collector in the Netherlands.

The three left the deck and went into the cabin to chat.

Wei Kuanguo did not hold a position in the Imperial Academy because he came to China for a short time, but he worshiped Ai Julian and Tang Ruowang as teachers.

Guard, defend.

Kuang Guo, Kuang Fu country.

With this name, it is Daming who must defend Kuangfu...

"What is Mr. Wei currently studying?" Hou Fangyu asked.

Wei Kuangguo replied: "I am studying Chinese history. I plan to write a history book to introduce China's Three Emperors and Five Emperors to Qin and Han Dynasties to Europe. That is, the history of East Asia from the birth of mankind to the birth of Christ. Europeans don't know about it. , they should and must understand that China already had a splendid civilization before the advent of Christ Jesus."

Hou Fangyu nodded in approval: "This also has the merit of enlightenment, I wish you success in compiling the book."

Wei Kuangguo said: "This Nan Huairen Catholic, graduated from the University of Leuven. Astronomy, geography, mathematics, calendar, machinery, philosophy, all kinds of knowledge, he is also good at casting artillery. Although His Majesty did not summon him , but he admired his knowledge very much, so he was allowed to travel to Liaodong on a warship. After visiting Liaodong, he will travel to the north before going to Sichuan."

"It's actually a great Western Confucian, rude, rude!" Hou Fangyu said, clasping his hands.

Nan Huairen hurriedly cupped his hands: "I'm here...Chinese...learning...forgive me...please."

Hou Fangyu smiled and said, "It's not in the way."

The warship set sail two days later, accompanied by more than 20 merchant ships.One-third went to North Korea for trade, and two-thirds went to Liaodong.

North Korea has been lying flat to Chinese businessmen, and the monarchs are happy to trade.They exchanged ginseng and minerals, and even North Korean food, for various commodities from China, and made huge profits from it.As for ordinary North Korean citizens, it doesn't matter how much they starve to death, as long as they don't rebel.

A few days later, the fleet arrived at Lushunkou, where trade flourished after the war and a group of dock workers immigrated ahead of schedule.

The workers are also willing. Due to the lack of labor, the wages of working in Lushunkou are much higher than those in Shanghai.

Hou Fangyu took Fushun County officials all the way from Jinzhou to Shenyang.He introduced to two European guys along the way: "This is the territory of our Han family, which was stolen by barbarians. Now there are no Han people in ten. Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and has defeated the barbarians and rescued the living Han people. Even Mongolian and Jurchen civilians , and some were forgiven and were able to share the land with the Han people and settle down."

Nan Huairen has always been able to listen to Chinese, but not very good at speaking it.I have been communicating in Chinese these days, and I am already more fluent than when I was in Shanghai.

He observed the situation along the way, asked some more questions, and began to write in his diary when he arrived in Shenyang:

"I followed the Chinese officials and arrived at the old capital of Tatars. The mighty Tatars broke through the capital of China a few years ago. Even Shenyang, the old capital of Tatars, was snatched from the Chinese. Now It was taken back by the emperor of China..."

"China has a vast territory. This place designated as Liaoning is larger than many European countries, and its climate is also similar to northern Europe. The Chinese here have been killed by the Tatars too much. The Chinese emperor decided to emigrate. The number of immigrants next year will be determined. At 6. This is not a march of 6 troops, but a family of [-]. Land needs to be resettled, they need to be given seeds and oxen, and even the emperor of China provides winter clothing. I don’t think there is any monarch in Europe can do."

"What's even more frightening is that immigration on this scale has been carried out many times in other provinces. The 6 people who will emigrate next year will only arrive in Liaodong. At the same time, [-] people will emigrate to Shaanxi, and [-] people will emigrate to Hebei...unthinkable size of immigration."

"His Majesty the Pope forbids Chinese believers to worship ancestors and worship Confucius. I think it is ill-considered. China has its own traditions and they have their own beliefs. Christianity must follow this traditional custom, otherwise it will be difficult to carry out missionary activities..."

"Today, I watched the execution ceremony in Shenyang. A group of traitors were collectively beheaded. I heard that the benevolent Chinese emperor wanted to send these traitors to mines. But the emperor's teacher, an old wise man, still A large number of Liaoning military officers wrote letters requesting severe punishment for treason. The emperor allowed them to execute all the notorious traitors before the Tatars entered the customs..."

Shang Kexi was beheaded a long time ago, Kong Youde, Zu Dashou, Wu Sangui and others all beheaded outside Shenyang City to show the public.

Zu Dashou wept and complained at the execution ground: "I have defended Ningjin for 20 years, and even if I was besieged and ran out of food, I would not surrender even if I ate human flesh. In the end, I surrendered, but there was no reinforcements. My ancestor Dashou lived up to Daming!"

Wu Sangui just knelt on the execution ground and didn't speak, watching the traitor beside him being beheaded blankly, and the surrounding people burst into cheers.

"puff!"

The executioner sprayed strong wine on the blade, and pressed down on Wu Sangui's neck.

brush!

The knife flashed, and the head fell to the ground.

Chapter 579 [Li Zicheng's Journey to the Prairie]

The Qinghai envoy led by Chechen Daiqing had just entered the border of Henan, and Li Zicheng also received Zhao Han's reply.

Li Zicheng convened an imperial meeting and said directly: "This year's war, there is not much food left in Shanxi... People's hearts are not stable. If Zhao calls again next year, Shanxi will definitely not be able to keep it. I don't know how many civil and military surrenders. Let's talk to Zhao After discussing with him, he agreed to release the captured brother back, and gave us a handout of Yin Shanhou."

"We are going to go out to fight and occupy the grassland to be the king. If you are willing to follow, I will take you to the grassland. If you don't want to follow, you can stay and surrender. We are all old brothers. Let's talk openly today. I don't want to go to the grassland. Shepherding sheep, we don't force it, who the hell is willing to herd sheep?"

"Don't lose face, you don't have to express your opinion today. Those who want to go with us, and those who want to stay and surrender, go back and prepare secretly."

"If you want to go, just take the cavalry. Even if you don't have a horse, you must at least have a mule. If you don't have a wife, hurry up and ask for a wife. We are going to the grassland to settle down. Don't go to the grassland, and the mother is homesick and wants to come back. Don't search too hard, before you leave, just go to the local gentry and merchants to copy the salary, don't embarrass the poor people."

"After the beginning of spring next year, we will meet in Taiyuan on the second day of February, the day when the dragon raises its head. If you come to Taiyuan before the second day of February, I will take you to the grassland. If you don't come, we will treat you as staying and surrendering. Today is our farewell. banquet……"

After Li Zicheng finished speaking, no one in the audience made a sound. The news was too sudden.

Finally someone wanted to express his opinion, Li Zicheng raised his hand to interrupt: "Today, just drink and eat meat, don't talk about anything else. If you want to leave, bring soldiers over at the beginning of spring; if you don't leave, don't show up again at the beginning of spring. If you talk bluntly today, you can drink too much." It's not a good time. Come, let's serve wine and food!"

Good wine and good food were served. Li Zicheng hadn't been so extravagant for a long time.

A group of old camp brothers seem to go back ten years ago.They exchanged cups and glasses, and talked dirty jokes freely. Li Zicheng also let go of the emperor's airs and ran to hang shoulders with his old brothers.

After drinking for three rounds, and when he was emotional, Liu Zongmin said with tears in his eyes: "Our family is for planting land. If we couldn't pay the rent, my father hanged himself. Mother took us to beg for food. It's good to be a beggar. Ah, I heard that Zhu Yuanzhang was a beggar, and Emperor Zhao was also a beggar. My mother gave us clothes to wear, and my mother gave us what I begged for to eat, but my mother froze to death and starved to death..."

Li Zicheng threw his glass and cursed: "They are all corrupt officials who are like dogs. Which one of us is not a good citizen? We are forced to beg for food, we are forced to kill people, we are forced to be rogues!"

"Isn't it? We used to just want to farm well, and we didn't want to eat meat. We were satisfied if we could fill our stomachs..." Liu Fangliang also began to recall the hard times.

Zhang Nai said: "Our parents are both dead, but luckily our adoptive father (Li Zicheng) took in us. We will follow wherever our adoptive father goes in this life. Isn't it the grassland? Let's occupy the grassland and recommend our adoptive father to be The Han people in the grassland are sweating profusely!"

After a meal of wine and meat, the dna of these guys' rogues was activated, and they returned to the state of being trapped in Shangluo Mountain back then.

They fled from Tongguanyuan into the mountains, and there were only one or two thousand people left, and many of them were frozen to death in winter.But after the beginning of spring, it came out of the mountains and quickly swept across Henan.

The current situation is better than that of the past. One winter, he came to collect money and food, and then left with his soldiers swaggeringly.

After the banquet was over, they each returned to the station, and began to arrest the gentry and merchants intensively.

Regardless of the charges, he will be tortured first.

When they are beaten half to death, they will hand over the money and food.

A bunch of Shanxi merchants who betrayed their country and made profits did not need Zhao Han to deal with them at all, but they were tossed to death by Li Zicheng's generals.Some Shanxi merchants hoarded millions of taels of silver in various cellars. This was the result of being tortured once a few years ago.

After the Spring Festival, these Dashun generals, including a few generals who took refuge halfway, brought their soldiers and their families together towards Taiyuan.

There were soldiers fleeing along the way, but it didn't matter. Ordinary soldiers ran at will, as long as they watched those who could ride horses and didn't run away.

After Zhao Han released Li Guo, Gao Yigong and other captives, Li Zicheng led the army to march towards the grassland.When crossing the Great Wall, there were more than 2 cavalry under his command, more than [-] soldiers' families and a few civilians, nearly [-] million taels of silver, and more than [-] livestock of various types to carry goods.

The gentry and merchants in Shanxi had almost all their money and food looted.There were only a few who wanted money but did not want to die, and they were beaten to death without telling where the money was hidden.

Today, the north and south of Yinshan Mountain, including the vast Hetao area, are all the territories of the Xitumote tribe.

Although the population of Situmot is only 15, their territory is too large.The Manchu Qing was not at ease at all, so they did not grant autonomy. After the division of the banners, they were sent to take control, so they were also called the Guihua Tumote Department, and they did not even have a nominal chief.

Since the Manchu Qing Dynasty declined, the Xitu Mote Department became a mess.Some tribes are at war with each other, and some tribes are trying to form an alliance. How can they resist Li Zicheng's army?

Li Zicheng led his army north out of the Great Wall and immediately divided it into two.

He personally led a group to go west, and Liu Zongmin led his troops to go east, and when they saw Xitu Mote's tribe, they fought.

"kill!"

Outside Tuotuo City (Toketuo County), Li Zicheng led cavalry to attack long distances.

Although it is not one person and two horses, it is one horse and one mule.

The horses are used for riding, and the mules are used to carry the armor. They ran three hundred miles and killed here directly.

The Mongols near Tuotuo City were completely stunned by Li Zicheng.

Hearing that the Manchus were defeated and fled, the Dalate tribe in the northwest had just come to Tuotuo City to fight a battle.After suffering heavy losses, the Mongols here chose to surrender to the Dalat tribe.Unexpectedly, as soon as Dalat's troops left, Li Zicheng led his troops to kill him again.

The well-armored Dashun cavalry beat the Mongols to pieces like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

"Your Majesty, what about the prisoners?" Zhang Nai asked.

Li Zicheng said: "All the Mongolian leaders were killed, as were their children and grandchildren, leaving only the children who didn't remember anything. The Mongolian civilians stayed and let them help herd. This pasture belongs to us! Rest for two days, and then kill Dalat Department. After the Dalat Department is destroyed, we will attack Guihua City."

Guihua City is near Hohhot, which used to be the Mongolian Khan Court.Like Tuotuo City, Guihua City is also in disrepair for a long time, and there is no way to retreat into the city and stick to it.

It is worth mentioning that from Tuotuo City to Guihua City, farming can be done along the river.At that time, Altan Khan recruited a large number of Han people, and the military households in the border towns could still divide the land when they fled. Therefore, a large number of frontier soldiers could not bear the abuse and ran to join the Mongols. Several leaders of the White Lotus Sect also fled to become landlords.

It is a pity that after the death of Altan Khan, the policy of treating the Han people well was overturned.The [-] Han people at the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain are now very few. They were either killed, fled, or used as shepherds.

Li Zicheng took a short rest in Tuotuo City, and soon killed Dalat's troops.

In a bloody battle, Li Zicheng lost hundreds of cavalry, and Dalat's troops were killed and fled north.

When Li Zicheng led his troops to Yinshan and Liu Zongmin led his troops to Daqingshan, they captured more than 3 Mongolian herdsmen and rescued more than [-] Han slaves in the grassland.They also abducted more than [-] livestock and grabbed a large amount of grain. Hohhot and other places can grow grain. There are many Han people and slaves there, and the nearby tribes have almost become resident herdsmen.

They not only attacked the Xitu Mote department, but also plundered the Chahar department along the way, because the Chahar department was also in a state of disunity, and the infighting among each other had already played out the dog's brains.

Then, Li Zicheng broke his promise and did not lead his troops across Yinshan Mountain.

Li Zicheng led his troops to Guihua City (near Hohhot), Li Guo led his troops to Heishan (near Baotou), and Liu Zongmin led his troops to Jining (near Ulanqab).

They intend to accumulate strength here, capture more Mongolian slaves, rob more Mongolian war horses and livestock, grow more grain in farming areas, and train the rescued Han slaves into cavalry.

At that time, if the Datong army comes, they will go to the north of Yinshan; if the Datong army does not come, Li Zicheng will be the king here.

The Chahar tribe, who had surrendered to the Nanjing court, sent envoys crying for help, asking the Datong army to drive away Li Zicheng.

It can only be said that the Mongolian ministries in Inner Mongolia have been abolished by the Qing Dynasty, otherwise Li Zicheng would not have gone so smoothly.

Of course, the right wing of Chahar and the Situmot Department were forced by Li Zicheng to seek an alliance.Only by uniting can they fight against Li Zicheng, and if they continue to fight among themselves, they will die.

If Li Zicheng wanted to gain a firm foothold at the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain, he had to repel the joint attack of the Mongols.

No matter who wins or loses, the population of this large grassland will drop sharply!

"Da da da da!"