Chapter 31

"Scoundrel, does it hurt that much?" Liang Xing had been slashed by a few knives, and his calf had been pierced by an iron spear, creating a wound as big as a child's mouth, bleeding profusely. Seeing that the porter's arm wound was not serious, yet he was screaming so pitifully, Liang Xing couldn't help but look down on him.

"You don't know," the tall porter who had almost sliced open Liang Xing's belly squatted on the ground, looking at his screaming companion with sympathy. He raised his head and said to Liang Xing, "Lead bullets are soft; they shatter inside the body. The wound on the outside looks small, but inside, it's already shattered. If you cut open the skin, there's a hole as big as a small bowl inside. This arm is already useless. To save his life, you have to cut off this arm with a knife."

Liang Xing kicked him and cursed, "You're talking nonsense... You almost cut me just now, and I'll cut off your arm first."

The tall porter's eyes flashed with a fierce look, but seeing that Zhang Han had already reloaded, he squatted down and didn't dare to speak again.

After firing, Zhang Han immediately reloaded. This musket was made by the craftsmen in the mule and horse business. These craftsmen had previously made many firearms in the Jizhen area, which was a benefit at the time. When a town produced a large number of firearms, if there weren't enough craftsmen, they would be drafted from various places. The craftsmen in the mule and horse business had not only worked in Jizhen but had also been sent to the Ministry of Works in the capital for a year before being released. With such skills, a musket was nothing.

The musket in his hand was about five feet long, weighing around six to seven pounds. It used four qian of gunpowder and three qian of lead bullets. The lead bullet had to be loaded first, then the matchlock was ignited, and the powder was tightly packed, but not too tightly. When firing, the trigger opened the flash pan, igniting the matchlock, which then ignited the primer, which in turn ignited the main charge. The gunpowder's kinetic energy propelled the lead bullet out of the barrel.

After firing, Zhang Han quickly reloaded. The Tartars were no match for him, and his musket had become a powerful weapon. If he held an empty gun, it would be like a useless stick.

The reloading process was very complicated, requiring over a dozen steps. Zhang Han had previously used a flintlock musket to hunt rabbits, which was much more advanced than the current matchlock. Fortunately, he had excellent mental fortitude, and in the midst of the chaos, he finally finished reloading the second shot. The black muzzle of the musket aimed at the group of porters, stopping all their movements. This fight was won.

Hearing the porter's words, Zhang Han stopped Liang Xing and asked the man, "What's your name? Have you ever been a soldier?"

The porter looked up at Zhang Han and replied, "I am Wang Changfu, and I used to be a soldier in the western part of Xuangfu."

"Why did you become a porter?"

"I have a bad temper and offended the captain, so I couldn't continue. I had no choice but to..."

"Alright, I understand."

Zhang Han stopped the man's words. The man was tall and strong, with a fierce look in his eyes, clearly not a good person. His words were obviously lies, and he was likely a deserter, possibly with a murder on his hands.

Of course, before becoming a soldier, he might have been a murderer or a fugitive. The quality of the Ming army was like this, and Zhang Han wasn't surprised.

At this moment, Yang Qiu and others rushed into the store and dragged out the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper had already been slapped dozens of times by Yang Qiu and his men, his face swollen and bruised, looking like a pig's head, with blood and saliva dripping from his lips, looking extremely pitiful.

Zhang Han looked at the shopkeeper and ordered, "Throw him into the well."

"Alright."

Yang Qiu was surprised but more excited.

Liang Hong's lips moved, wanting to persuade, but he didn't dare.

The other Tartars all showed cruel smiles. Yang Qiu and his men dragged the shopkeeper to the well, and the shopkeeper screamed like a pig being slaughtered. The porters were restless, but seeing the Tartars' knives and guns and Zhang Han's musket, no one dared to move.

With a splash, the shopkeeper was thrown into the well, flailing and begging for mercy, his voice becoming muffled.

Zhang Han's face was calm as he looked at Wang Changfu and said, "Your knife skills are good, and you have a fierce spirit. My mule and horse business is just starting, and I need people. Will you work for me?"

Wang Changfu was surprised and said, "I just opposed you..."

"It's just a matter of serving different masters." Zhang Han ignored the shopkeeper's cries from the well. Wang Changfu shivered, feeling that this young man's calm face hid something that made him afraid. He immediately knelt down and said, "I am willing to serve you."

"Very good." Zhang Han nodded and looked at the other porters, asking, "Are there any others willing?"

Another five or six porters knelt down, saying, "I am willing to serve you."

Most of these porters were bachelors, made up of vagrants and bankrupt farmers, and some were deserters like Wang Changfu or even fugitives. Zhang Han didn't mind; after all, none of his original Tartars were good people.

As for the porters, they would naturally fight for their original boss, and if they lost, they would naturally serve the new boss, who was stronger.

Zhang Han shook his head, thinking that among his subordinates, only the regular business clerks were decent people, while the rest were all scoundrels...

At this moment, the shopkeeper's cries from the well became quieter. Zhang Han told Yang Qiu, who was standing by the well, "Throw a rope down."

"Yes, Young Master."

Yang Qiu's tone was even more respectful, and he didn't dare to delay. He quickly untied the bucket and threw the rope down.

The shopkeeper, who had been soaking for a while, quickly grabbed the rope. Yang Qiu and his men pulled hard, dragging the shopkeeper, who looked like a dead pig, out of the well.

Zhang Han rode over but didn't dismount, coldly watching the shopkeeper without a word.

The shopkeeper, now kneeling at the horse's hooves, kept kowtowing. After he kowtowed a dozen times, Zhang Han said, "If this happens again, there will be no rope to pull you out, and your shop will be burned down. Do you understand?"

"I understand, I understand. I won't dare again. I was blinded by greed and followed others' advice..."

"I don't want to hear excuses. Just make sure you understand." Zhang Han smiled, and the more he smiled, the more afraid the shopkeeper became. Zhang Han's mule and horse business was close to Xinping Fort, and it was said that he had opened a mule and horse business and a porter business, both of which were competing with others. The shopkeeper's porters were from several different porter businesses, and the outcome was this. Although the shopkeeper was still不服 (unconvinced) in his heart, he didn't dare to show any expression on his face.

Liang Hong praised, "Young Master, you have excellent skills."

Zhang Han had the porters who had pledged allegiance taken back to Heyu Sheng to be trained and used. He kept only the most fierce and aggressive porters, who couldn't all be brought along at once and needed to be trained gradually.

Zhang Han also looked at the Tartars, and those who were seriously injured were sent back with the porters. Liang Xing refused to leave, and Zhang Han also relied heavily on him, so he let Liang Xing stay.

"Young Master, we are ashamed."

Liang Xing, while having his wounds bandaged, said with a guilty look, "We were supposed to protect the convoy, but we almost got driven away. It was only thanks to Young Master's intervention..."

"As long as everyone knows their place."

Zhang Han waved his hand and didn't say more. He wrapped up the musket and put it back in the saddlebag. Many Tartars stared at the musket, but Zhang Han had no intention of making more for them.

A group of ruffians, using their thuggish and rogue nature, giving them guns? No way.

Besides, he could handle one, but if everyone had one, it would be a rebellion.

Du Shenming rode over and looked at Zhang Han, smiling, "So the real expert is Young Master. I apologize for underestimating you."

Zhang Han smiled, "Mr. Li is joking. The situation was urgent, but fortunately, I was prepared."

Du Shenming whispered, "Young Master, if all your subordinates are like this, the convoy protection will be difficult. Going to Datong is one thing, but there are many bandits along the gaps between the forts along the Great Wall. To Daliang Mountain and Zhenlu Wei, the mountains are dangerous, and there are many bandits. Your subordinates' skills are not enough."

Zhang Han smiled faintly, "In the early stages, there are many forbidden things..."

"Oh, I understand."

Du Shenming was very perceptive and understood immediately.

He smiled and didn't say more, but his look at Zhang Han changed slightly.

At this moment, Zhang Han called Liang Hong over and whispered, "When we rest, you find the shopkeeper and negotiate to take over his mule and horse business as our branch. He will definitely refuse. Tomorrow morning, when we leave, he will definitely go to the city to complain. Take 100 taels of silver to the commandant's office and give it to him, saying that there will be monthly tributes in the future."

Liang Hong was somewhat reluctant and hesitated, "Monthly?"

"Yes, tell him there will be more in the future."

"Ah?"

"You can't catch a wolf without a lamb." Zhang Han smiled, patted Liang Hong's shoulder, and said, "Don't be stingy with the silver. The big profits will still be in our hands."

That night, they stayed at the mule and horse business, and Zhang Han was quite satisfied. He had originally planned to run around after the New Year with Liang Hong, buying some shops. After today's fight, he estimated that the money for buying shops would be saved. He wasn't worried that Lai Tongxin wouldn't give him face. The letter from Deputy Envoy Zheng had just arrived, and the face was still there. Plus, he promised to send money monthly, and Lai Tongxin and other big shots saw the mule and horse business and porter business as lowly and unprofitable. They would be happy with the silver, and 100 taels at once was a generous gift. With Lai Tongxin's protection in Xinping Fort, a fight was a small matter, and no one would care.

The next day, they set off as usual. In the morning, they walked about 20 li and determined another shop location. Zhang Han's initial plan was to establish a line from Xinping Fort to Datong Town, a secondary official road with many military forts along the way. Then, he would open routes from Datong to Taiyuan and to Zhangjiakou Fort, and then to Shahu Kou. These routes would be very profitable, covering the essence of the routes in Shanxi, Datong, and Xuangfu. As for further routes, it would take years to accumulate the necessary manpower, financial resources, and connections with the government.

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