Chapter 72

While Zhang Han and Ma Cheng'en were making a fortune, Li Shenming could only stand aside, feeling a burning discomfort in his heart. He knew that Zhang Han had smoothed things over with the local strongmen and the Fan family in Tianchengwei, and had started to buy grain on a large scale, which was a highly profitable business. This made Li Shenming even more anxious, but no matter how anxious he was, he would not make a rash decision. After years of doing business, he would never act impulsively.

Zhang Han said, "Although Jin iron is of poor quality, it has the advantage of abundant coal. Therefore, it still sells in the north. The price is low, but the key is to use coal to smelt iron. There are too many impurities, making the iron brittle and prone to rust. Objects made from it are easily damaged and quickly become rusty. Therefore, people are reluctant to buy it, and the price remains low. More importantly, it is not suitable for making weapons. In our Datong horse market, the official market also gives the Tartars some iron pots, but they are not made of Jin iron. They are provided by the court to appease the northern barbarians, using southern iron... Brother, if we can change this situation, increase production, and improve the quality of iron, wouldn't the profit increase significantly?"

Li Shenming asked suspiciously, "Is Young Brother Zhang also an expert in iron smelting?"

Zhang Han indeed knew a lot about this. He had read many books over the years and knew that the most important aspects of Britain's industrialization were the spinning jenny and the steam engine, but coke smelting was also a significant driving force in Britain's early industrial development. At that time, blast furnaces were widespread in Britain, but the country's wood resources were limited, quickly leading to a fuel shortage. Later, they switched to coal smelting, which had the same problem as Jin iron. It was the British noble Dudley who solved the shortcomings of coal smelting, making this technology widely adopted and ultimately breaking the bottleneck of steel production, providing enough fuel for the British Industrial Revolution.

Later generations were amazed by the great technological progress in Britain during the 17th century, but Zhang Han believed that capital seeks profit. As long as merchants urgently need it and there is profit to be made, many intelligent people will naturally devote themselves to research and eventually achieve good results.

"I don't know much, but I do know how to build blast furnaces and casting furnaces, how to reduce impurities in iron, and how to forge. I just don't know the details and need to explore further, but I am very confident. At least, in the future, the quality of our Jin iron will not be far behind Min iron."

Zhang Han knew how to build blast furnaces that store energy, how to increase the air intake and reduce the energy consumption of the exhaust ports, how to use coke, and even how to build water reservoirs next to blast furnaces to use water power to drive bellows, which was an invention by the British. China also had the water-powered bellows method, but few people knew about it at the time... When he read about it in books, he saw it as a curiosity, as the British water-powered bellows were phased out after the steam engine was put into use, and the same was true for water-powered forging.

In this era, Britain was far ahead of China, including in iron smelting. When the Eight Banners entered the pass, Britain's iron industry was already highly advanced. Cromwell's iron cavalry had new-style sabers and breastplates forged by water power, while the so-called elite Eight Banners were far behind in terms of equipment, not to mention organizational structure. In terms of firearms, the Ming army's casting was not far behind, but in production, organization, training, and tactics, it was far behind. The level of the Ming army's firearms was primitive compared to Europe. The same number of firearm soldiers, the Spanish could easily teach the Qing Eight Banners a lesson.

In Zhang Han's view, this era of China was comprehensively backward, but what could he do? He could only rely on his knowledge to make himself and those around him live comfortably... After all, a few hundred years later, China would rise again, and Zhang Han could only think this way to comfort himself.

"Even so," Li Shenming had no doubt about Zhang Han's words, which was a result of their long-term trust. If another 16- or 17-year-old boy had boasted about improving iron smelting, Li Shenming would have kicked him away. Zhang Han was different, but Li Shenming was not yet moved. He smiled and said, "The profit is still not much."

A blast furnace producing a million pounds of iron a year was not insignificant. According to Zhang Han, the annual profit could increase from 20,000 to 40,000 or 60,000 taels, but compared to the many troubles and the benefits to be shared, the profit was not very attractive.

Zhang Han said calmly, "If we only sell in the north of our Ming Dynasty, the profit is indeed not much."

The lack of iron was a nationwide issue. The mining industry in the Ming Dynasty was not as developed as in the Song Dynasty, but the population had increased. Copper and iron were both in short supply. However, Jin iron could only be sold in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Xuanwu, at most to Henan. Any further, the transportation costs would be too high and not cost-effective. Even if production increased and profits rose, the purchasing power in the north was limited.

With cost control and quality improvement, Zhang Han could build more blast furnaces to capture the northern market, but that would not happen overnight. The local protection forces and brokers were all local strongmen. Without strong power, trying to capture the market everywhere would ultimately lead to failure.

"Are you talking about the Tartars?"

Zhang Han smiled, and it was comfortable to talk to smart people, without needing to say too much nonsense.

If it were someone else, they might think of the south, but Li Shenming immediately understood Zhang Han's meaning.

Li Shenming frowned and said, "Smuggling iron or iron products to the Tartars is a serious crime."

Zhang Han's expression was still calm, "That's why I have over 10,000 taels a year with General Ma, and over 10,000 taels a year with Commander Zheng. I also have several thousand taels a year with Colonel Lai, and I need to smooth things over with the various forts, platforms, and watchtowers along the border. What's the problem with smuggling iron?"

"The stakes are high, and the bribes will be more."

"Of course!"

Zhang Han said firmly, "At least double. The governor of Xuanwu and Datong, the inspector of Xuanwu, the inspector of Shanxi, and their close associates all need to be taken care of. The various colonels and commandants along the border, the commanders and defenders of the various forts, and the team leaders of the various villages all need to be taken care of. Brother, with millions of pounds of iron and tens of millions of pounds of grain, as well as large amounts of medicine and cloth, the annual profit could exceed a million taels. I will take half of that to share!"

"Do you control the smuggling route to the northern barbarians?"

Li Shenming's face finally showed shock, and he suddenly stood up.

"That's right." Zhang Han remained seated and said calmly, "I plan to leave the border in the fall, travel through the Mongol tribes, and ultimately reach Liaodong. Some things need to be discussed face-to-face to ensure continued cooperation."

"You, you, you really surprise me..."

Li Shenming's face was uncertain, and it was difficult to digest all the information in a short time.

Zhang Han sat still, holding a cup of tea, not in a hurry.

Li Shenming was someone he had to bring in. The Li family was a merchant family in Datong, with connections to the Dai王府 and many local officials. Zhang Han needed a capable person to help him smooth things over in various places, such as the matters he had just mentioned. If he did it himself, it might not be as effective as if Li Shenming did it.

He already had wealth and fame, but relationships and networks were not built in a day or two. For example, a local official, Li Shenming could meet and go drinking together, but Zhang Han could not. Even if he gave money, the relationship would not be established. It would take him much more effort to smooth things over than Li Shenming.

Even without Li Shenming, Zhang Han would find someone like Zhang Shenming or Wang Shenming, a key figure who could not be missing.

"Can you tell me which line you have with the northern barbarians?"

"Shoukou Yi and Jianshi Guan Yinding Taiji."

"Good, good!" Li Shenming's eyes sparkled, and he clapped his hands. "Young Brother, you are truly remarkable."

He added, "One day, we should formally exchange letters, what do you think?"

At that time, it was common for people to form brotherhoods. Exchanging letters meant a life-and-death bond. Unlike later generations who treated oaths and brotherhoods lightly, people at that time took these things seriously. They would not treat a sworn brother like a chamber pot, using them when needed and discarding them when not. Exchanging letters meant a genuine bond of honor and disgrace.

Zhang Han smiled, "That would be a great honor for me, Brother."

"Don't say that," Li Shenming waved his hand. "Brother, you have remarkable skills. Yinding is a joker, but he is very shrewd and capable. Otherwise, how could he be the Yi official among the hundreds of Taijis in the Tartar territory? If you can establish a relationship with Yinding, our business can indeed be done. I can guarantee there will be no trouble with General Ma. Commander Zheng, I believe, you can handle yourself. Fortunately, the vice-general of Yanghe has been transferred to Shanxi, or it would have been a problem."

Li Shenming calculated without any sense of national righteousness, which made Zhang Han worry in vain. Zhang Han also noticed an interesting phenomenon: at that time, merchants and gentry had a sense of Han and barbarian, but it was not a racial opposition, but rather a pure disdain for backward peoples, like city dwellers looking down on country folk. The real ethnic divide was the two hundred years of enmity, and the people of Datong hated the northern barbarians more than the later Jurchens, who swept across the land.

After all, the Jurchens had always been in Liaodong and were almost always suppressed by the Ming. The strong do not hate the weak; instead, they feel some pity. These Tartars do not live a good life, why do they cause trouble?

No one could have imagined or believed that the Jurchens from the White Mountains and Black Water would not only occupy Liaodong but also the entire Liaodong, and then enter the pass in the 17th year of Chongzhen, seizing the Chinese empire. In the process of seizing the empire, they forced the Han to cut their hair, change their clothes, and adopt new customs, killing no fewer than ten million people.

As for Li Shenming and others, they would not consider the Ming Dynasty in their actions. If Zhang Han had said so, Li Shenming would have taken it as a joke.