Chapter 29

Hearing Liang Xing's words, Zhang Han hurriedly walked out. Seeing Liang Xing's excited face, Zhang Han smiled and said, "It's just a few days before the New Year. At this time, there are still transactions. What kind of business is it, and where are you going?"

"All hard goods."

Liang Xing looked around and whispered, "Oriental pearls, ginseng, and black fox skins. Together, they are worth over ten thousand silver taels. They are heading to Datong, probably to sell to the royal relatives in the city."

Datong has the Prince of Dai, and many other princes in the Dai lineage. The Prince of Dai, starting from the ancestor Zhu Gui, was not a good person, cruel and inhumane, causing great harm. The good farmland around Datong was all divided among the Prince of Dai's family and the people in the palace, leaving only a small portion to the generals and gentry. The common people were extremely poor, with no land to stand on. Later, when Li Zicheng captured Datong, he slaughtered the entire family of the Prince of Dai because of their bad reputation, which they deserved.

Liang Xing continued, "The cargo owner is a scholar named Du Shenming. He has significant businesses in Datong and Taiyuan, running money shops and pawnshops. I suspect he is running errands for a larger boss. This time, he left late because he was looking for good goods in our fort. His cargo is specifically used for New Year gifts, which is very important. That's why, upon hearing that our group can provide escort services, he is willing to pay a high price to hire us. However, this person is not very good at bargaining, but he seems hesitant and says he needs to meet the young master before making a decision."

Zhang Han listened and had a plan in mind. He knew this was a good customer, and winning him over would be very beneficial for future business.

He then asked Liang Xing to lead him to the mule and horse inn.

The yard was still full of piles of donkey, horse, and mule droppings. Zhang Han frowned but said nothing.

From the back yard came the sound of metal clanging. The craftsmen were busy repairing and making horseshoes and saddles. In recent days, they had been well-fed, with vegetables to supplement their diet and meat every few days. The originally pale craftsmen and their families now had some color in their faces, and the children's sallow complexions had turned rosy. With better treatment, these people were very dedicated, working from morning till night, not only quickly but also with high quality.

A man wearing a square hat and a silk robe, looking like a scholar, was sitting in the middle of the yard. He was about thirty years old, with a clean-shaven chin and a fair complexion. His eyes moved quickly, radiating a sharp intelligence. Zhang Han knew at first glance that he was not an easy person to deal with.

"Lao Li, this is the young master of Heyu Sheng, Zhang Han."

Hearing Liang Xing's introduction, Zhang Han felt somewhat helpless. Whether it was the managers, the clerks, or the lathus, they all respected him and were very polite. However, his young age made it difficult to change the title from "young master" to "master," which could only be resolved with time.

Du Shenming looked at Zhang Han's young age and immediately showed a hint of doubt in his eyes. However, he was a man of deep calculation and still smiled, saying, "I have heard a lot about the young master in this Xinping Fort. They all say you are a young talent, and I didn't expect you to be so young."

Zhang Han smiled and changed the subject, saying, "I heard that Lao Li has a batch of goods heading to Datong. I plan to gather my people and personally escort this shipment for you."

Du Shenming's eyes showed a hint of surprise. His main hesitation was that he did not fully trust Liang Xing and his group. These lathus clearly were not good people. Although he had a few companions with him for the journey, if they had ill intentions during the escort, Du Shenming was not sure he could handle it. If this young master, who has considerable wealth in Xinping Fort, also joined the escort, this concern would be resolved. This young master had proactively offered, showing that he was a clear-sighted and very shrewd person.

"Since the young master says so, the matter can be settled."

After much consideration, Du Shenming finally agreed with Zhang Han on the cargo transport.

"Fourteen two-wheeled carts will be used, each with two mules or donkeys. Seventeen mule drivers and eleven escort guards will accompany, including the young master and one companion. The total cost for the mules, horses, and transportation will be 317 taels of silver. I will round it up to 320 taels, to be paid in full before departure."

Du Shenming was very cautious in business but very straightforward after making a decision. In half a day, Zhang Han selected the vehicles and escort personnel, including himself and Liang Hong. The mule and horse inn was immediately busy, and the lathus were urgently assembled, standing in rows of eleven, each carrying short weapons like waist knives. A few tall and strong ones carried long weapons like long knives and iron spears, showing that they preferred longer weapons in group fights.

The lathus had only been here for about ten days. Zhang Han came every day to teach them how to form ranks and the鸳鸯阵法 (Yuan Yang formation). The former he knew a bit about, while the latter he had learned from the "New Book of Military Efficiency." These days, the lathus practiced with weapons, but mostly not seriously. However, they knew they received their pay from Zhang Han, so they were more serious when he was around and tried to form ranks properly in front of him.

At this moment, a lathu in his thirties was sweeping the yard with a large broom, slowly gathering the dirt into a pile.

Seeing Zhang Han's gaze, the man bowed with the broom in hand.

"That's Old Cai. He is almost forty and can't fight well, so he does these unimportant tasks," Yang Qiu said with disdain. "If the young master doesn't like it, I can talk to him and ask him to go home."

"No need," Zhang Han shook his head and smiled. "This yard is very dirty, so it's good to sweep it."

Now everything was just starting, and Zhang Han did not have capable people. Li Hong and his nephew were somewhat reliable, but they still needed training. Zhang Chun was running back and forth between the house and the shop, learning a lot. Even Zhang Han himself was still adapting to this era, so he could not yet display much strategic talent. The current situation was already quite good.

At noon, Zhang Han returned home to say goodbye to his mother. Although she was reluctant to see him leave, she was happy that her son was doing business. She held Zhang Han and gave him many instructions, which he did not find annoying but rather felt a sense of warmth.

In the afternoon, after everyone had eaten, they set off with the mules and horses. It was rare to travel at this time, and many people on the street watched, whispering about Zhang Han in small groups.

Heyu Sheng had experienced many events in a short time, all closely related to the young master. Now, with the grand opening of the mule and horse inn, many managers and owners found the new business model fresh and unfamiliar. Many had not yet digested it, and the mule and horse inn had already taken on business, which was surprising.

There were many legitimate mule and horse inns and cart owners in the city, and several footmen's guilds. As they passed these places, Zhang Han felt a mix of envy and hatred in their gazes.

If it were not for Heyu Sheng, this big business would have been divided among these merchants. It was understandable that they were unhappy with Zhang Han and his group.

However, they could only watch and not act. Zhang Han felt their obvious hatred and knew they would not give up easily.

Taking someone's livelihood is like taking their parents' lives. Zhang Han understood this and had placed some guards at Heyu Sheng and his home. For now, he could only use the lathus, who were brave and willing to fight. He wanted to train more farmers and soldiers, but without an official position and a solid foundation, this would have to wait for the future.

During the heyday of the Shanxi escort service, large escort companies had hundreds of capable guards. Zhang Han hoped to do even better.

The lathus accompanying Zhang Han all carried weapons, which were very conspicuous. These lathus were carefully selected, mostly with military household status. They could carry not only knives and swords but also bows and arrows. The Ming law did not prohibit civilians from owning weapons, only armor and bows, which could be considered treason if found. Firelocks were also banned, and only the Ministry of War could issue them to the military. However, the manufacture of bird guns in the civilian sector was not strictly controlled, especially in the south, where bird guns were commonly used for hunting birds, which was more convenient than bows.

All the carts and horses left through the east gate, moving along the official road. Zhang Han ran a few laps around the convoy, silently calculating. Each two-wheeled cart could carry about a thousand pounds of goods. More would make the cart too heavy, making it difficult to turn and putting too much strain on the cart and wheels. This problem could not be solved by adding more mules or donkeys; the cart itself was the main issue.

The large four-wheeled carts were very expensive. Zhang Han had seen a few and found them extremely cumbersome. Although they could carry several thousand pounds of goods, they were best used for short distances of no more than a hundred miles, suitable for the government to transport grain over short distances. No wonder these carts were rare.

Each cart was pulled by two mules or donkeys, traveling at a steady speed of six miles per hour. At this rate, they would not reach Tiancheng Fort by nightfall and would have to camp in the wild.

In the evening, the footmen drove the carts to a mule and horse inn. This type of inn was the best choice for traveling merchants, with stables to care for the animals, feed them, and clean them. They also provided fire for cooking and a place to rest.

Liang Hong was responsible for the negotiations. Zhang Han and Du Shenming rode together, watching the sunset and chatting. Du Shenming became increasingly curious about Zhang Han. His speech and demeanor did not match those of a young man in his early twenties but rather that of an experienced businessman.

After a while, Liang Hong rushed over, exasperated, and shouted from a distance, "The innkeeper is crazy. He says the inn is full and cannot accommodate us. I offered him an additional thirty percent, but he still refused."