Chapter 14

Zhang Han, of course, could not completely forget about the Jurchens and the Qing Dynasty, but in his mind, the change of dynasties was still several decades away. Moreover, he remembered that there had been no fierce battles in Xinpingle Fort, and it had little to do with him and Yusheng.

As for the change of dynasties and the bloody conflicts between ethnic groups, Zhang Han was not too concerned.

In his view, during the power struggles among the Han people, was the slaughter any less? The Qing Dynasty was also a dynasty of China, and the Ming Dynasty's court and officials were indeed very poor, so the change of dynasties was inevitable.

Because of this attitude, Zhang Han was not very concerned about the matter. What troubled him more recently was the trouble with Yusheng.

It was only now that he suddenly realized that although the change of dynasties was more than twenty years away, the vast and bloody war at the end of the Ming Dynasty seemed to be about to begin next year.

In the 46th year of the Wanli era, the 5th year of the Tianming era of the Later Jin, Nurhaci issued the "Seven Grievances" and launched a surprise attack on Fushun. The Fushun garrison commander, Li Yongfang, surrendered. Nurhaci and the Later Jin's Eight Banners razed Fushun, massacred the resisters, and took away a large number of people and livestock. This event marked the beginning of the Ming-Qing war, which could be said to be the start of a series of major events that would influence China's destiny for the next five hundred years.

"I really have a pig's brain..."

Zhang Han wished he could beat himself up.

What was the greatest advantage of being a time traveler? Wasn't it like cheating in a game by lifting the fog of war? When others were still in a fog, you could see the trends of the next few hundred years clearly. Not using such a great advantage and instead focusing on petty schemes was as stupid as a pig.

By this point, Zhang Han still hadn't figured out Lai Tongxin's abnormal behavior, but the other abnormalities were very obvious.

The Jurchens had already subdued the Nenjiang科尔沁tribe and traded with other Mongol tribes through the科尔沁. The Jurchens had accumulated a large amount of wealth through trade with the Ming Dynasty. Their products were furs, pine nuts, and valuable ginseng and pearls, which were rare and valuable to the Ming Dynasty. However, once the war started, the horse market would definitely close. The Later Jin could not produce enough grain to sustain itself and had previously bought grain from the Ming Dynasty through the horse market. Now, they could only buy grain through the Mongols, who would transport it through the grasslands to Liaodong.

This route was winding and costly, with at least two dou of grain lost for every one dou transported to Liaodong, but it was still worth the cost.

Nurhaci, as a founding emperor, had a clear vision and a sharp mind. He knew that once the war started, everything was secondary to food, cloth, medicine, and other essential military supplies.

"Yinding Taiji," Zhang Han suddenly raised his head and said to Yinding, "I don't want the reward. I want something else."

Yinding looked suspicious, "Then what do you want?"

"I want to do business with Taiji."

"Hmm?" Yinding looked around, puzzled, "Where is your business? I can have my people buy all your goods."

"No." Zhang Han smiled, "I mean to cooperate with Taiji in the future. And not here."

"Oh..." Yinding was not a fool and immediately understood Zhang Han's meaning.

"What is your business called?"

"My business is called Yusheng."

"I know this business." Yinding shook his head, "You don't have enough strength."

"Not now, but maybe in the future." Zhang Han said, "If we don't have enough strength, Taiji can ignore us."

"Good, you are very straightforward and decisive for your age." Yinding nodded, "The Han merchants have already contacted us, and we are still discussing it. If you can show us your strength before we make a decision, I will speak on your behalf, but that's all."

When it came to serious matters, this vain and self-centered Taiji was quite serious. If he had promised right away, Zhang Han would have been hesitant to discuss cooperation with him.

By "cooperation," of course, he meant smuggling grain. Not trading in the market was smuggling.

Now the Jurchens were buying a lot of grain, and it was clearly just the beginning. In the future, the demand for various goods would increase several times. The small market would no longer meet the demand. Once the war started, the Ming Dynasty might withdraw from the horse market and cut off trade with the Later Jin. At that time, smuggling would become the main channel.

Zhang Han's request was like a reservation. With Yusheng's current strength, they were not qualified to negotiate, and they could only follow the big businesses and get a small share.

After finishing his words, Zhang Han bowed and left.

Yinding stroked his chin, watching Zhang Han leave.

He had a good impression of this young man from the Ming Dynasty. Although he was very young, he was decisive and had sharp eyes. It was clear that he was not an ordinary person. His actions and words had a sense of determination and decisiveness, without any hesitation.

Unfortunately, Yusheng's strength was too weak. Otherwise, Yinding would have made a decision to entrust the smuggling route to this young man.

Yinding had already met Fan Yongdou, and he had a very poor impression of him. He was a typical Ming merchant, all smiles when seeking profit, but with only profit in his eyes. Yinding knew that once the profit was there, Fan Yongdou would not care about his promises.

As for these merchants betraying the Ming Dynasty and China, no one had thought about it. At that time, the concept of the nation and ethnicity was very shallow for everyone, regardless of which side they were on.

"Master, today was a great harvest."

Zhang Han had spent a long time with Yinding. When he returned to Yusheng's stall, Zhou Fengji and Liang Hong came to greet him.

Both managers had joyful expressions. Liang Hong said, "All our goods have been sold, and we made a profit of about two thousand taels. This was a great harvest."

Zhang Han just smiled. Two thousand taels of silver, and he had just received a similar amount for a drawing he made with charcoal.

"This is good." As the owner, Zhang Han would not say anything to dampen the mood. He decided, "Tonight, we will slaughter a sheep, buy a few barrels of wine, and reward everyone."

After each small market, the businesses would take a day off to rest the managers and clerks, and also reward them. Zhang Han's decision was within the norm, but Yusheng had not done this for a long time.

Hearing Zhang Han's words, Zhou Fengji smiled and nodded in approval. Everyone was in high spirits, and the pace of handling the goods was faster.

They were busy until the afternoon, and the goods, silver, and livestock were all settled. The businesses began to leave the market, and many Mongols also dispersed. Most of them had many horses and camels, carrying the grain and goods they had bought, slowly returning to their pastures. The thousands of people, with tens of thousands of camels and horses, carried goods that, if piled together, would form a mountain. This was the significance of the small market. With such a transaction, many Mongol tribes could obtain essential items like grain and tea, and they would not need to raid the south.

Of course, there were those who were not satisfied. Along the long border of the Ming Dynasty, medium-scale wars occurred every few years, and small-scale conflicts almost every day. If they could easily raid, why would they trade their livestock? The peaceful days of trade between the Mongols and the Ming Dynasty lasted only a few decades. During the transactions, the Ming army's general would come to supervise, which was not just for show.

Every clerk of Yusheng had a smile on their face. This trade was rare in the small market, and the profit was considerable. It was not just Yusheng; other businesses were also similar. In the evening, dozens of taverns and hundreds of restaurants in the fort were busy. After making a good profit, the owners and managers of the businesses were generous. Many businesses booked rooms in taverns or ordered food to be delivered to their offices for the clerks to enjoy. For a while, the whole fort was filled with the aroma of food and wine, and the military fort was full of vitality and joy. Xinpingle Fort relied on the businesses to reach its current scale, and almost everyone in the fort, except for the garrison officers and officials, was involved in the businesses. The profit of the businesses meant that everyone in the fort could benefit, and everyone was happy.

Before dark, the clerks put the silver in the treasury, stored the furs, and led the livestock to the back yard, where they were taken care of by specialists.

These goods would be bought by the northern merchants in a few days, and the fort would be busy for the next ten days.

The sheep was quickly slaughtered, skinned, and boiled in a large pot. The aroma slowly spread, and people passing by the kitchen would smile and look in, and the young clerks would swallow their saliva and quickly leave.

The wine and other dishes were also prepared. After the lamps were lit, everyone finally sat down. Although Zhang Han was the owner and sat in the main seat, everyone's eyes were still on Zhou Fengji.

Zhou Fengji raised his cup, looked at Zhang Han, and said sincerely, "Everyone, since the young master came to the store, everything has been well-organized and thriving. This time, the store made a good profit. Let's all raise a cup to the young master."

Liang Hong quickly stood up and raised his cup, "Everyone, raise a cup to the young master!"

Both managers showed such respect to the young master, and everyone stood up and raised their cups, "To the young master."

Zhang Han felt a bit ashamed. Zhou Fengji, Liang Hong, and Li Yuchun, who had left, were the ones who had contributed the most to Yusheng. He was just reaping the benefits. Liang Hong and Li Yuchun had failed to force him, and Zhou Fengji appreciated his big picture thinking. All these factors combined to create the current situation.

If everyone in Yusheng was to truly respect him as the young master, Zhang Han would need to show his true worth.

"Everyone has worked hard. Let's drink together."

Zhang Han stood up, raised his cup gracefully, and drank first.

"Thank you, Master."

Everyone raised their cups and drank together.

After the first drink, they started to take turns toasting Zhang Han.

By the late Ming Dynasty, distilled liquor was already widespread. In Xinpingle Fort, a cold and harsh place, everyone liked strong liquor. Zhang Han, a seasoned drinker, felt a bit overwhelmed after a few rounds. He found an excuse and went to the door, where he saw Zhang Chun running in from outside.

---

The protagonist is a modern person who is not very interested in history. He is more influenced by orthodox historical views and the propaganda of ethnic integration than history enthusiasts.

But the protagonist will change, so please rest assured. The protagonist's current thoughts are only temporary.

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