Chapter 16

"Big Brother Huang, the base I have chosen is here. Wu Commandery!" Zhang Hao sent for Huang Zhong and pointed at the map, saying.

"Currently, there are rebellions in the west and the northern borders, and the Central Plains are also unstable. In contrast, Jiangnan is a rare peaceful place. Although there have been rebellions in the past two years, they were quickly suppressed. Wu Commandery is very close to the densely populated provinces of Qing, Xu, and Yu. If the situation becomes chaotic, many displaced people will be willing and able to migrate there.

"Moreover, Jiangnan is seen by many as a remote and desolate place with dense miasma. In the early stages, we can develop in a stable environment. In the middle stage, due to its geographical location, even if we rise up, the court will not take us too seriously at first, giving us enough time to grow strong.

"Additionally, Wu Commandery is one of the locations of the official shipyards, with all the necessary conditions for shipbuilding. This will facilitate our development of shipping."

Zhang Hao's criteria for choosing a base were convenience for rebellion and development, and he ultimately selected Wu Commandery.

To be honest, Zhang Hao wasn't sure if his choice was perfect, but he felt that this starting place was not bad.

Perhaps places with chaotic order, like Youzhou, would be easier to gather people. However, not only would the attention due to rebellions and wars be significant in those areas, but the population would also be a major issue.

Choosing Jiangnan was not without its flaws. Not only is it difficult to unify the north from the south, but horses are also relatively scarce in the south. Moreover, the population in Jiangnan is not large.

The shortage of horses can be compensated for through shipping and commerce, and the population can be increased by attracting people from nearby areas due to the stable environment.

After considering all these factors, Zhang Hao was particularly focused on ships.

Huang Zhong nodded directly, "I'll send someone to inform my family to prepare. When the time comes, we can set out immediately."

"Right. We still have some things to do before we leave. First, we need to buy some ships from the shipyards near Luoyang to avoid the hardships of a long journey. We also need to send someone to Wu Commandery to prepare a base. Additionally, we need to purchase enough grain to avoid being caught off guard when we recruit displaced people," Zhang Hao said solemnly.

"The grain issue might be a problem. Luoyang has a large population, and grain has to be purchased from outside for a long time. Moreover, the price of grain is very high."

Zhang Hao suddenly realized he had overlooked this issue. It seemed that grain would need to be purchased from other places.

After discussing these matters, Zhang Hao and Huang Zhong selected two guards to send back to Xiangxiang. They were to take some people from Xiangxiang and go to Wu Commandery to prepare the base.

Zhang Hao and Huang Zhong, with Zhang Rang's letter of recommendation and the people Zhang Rang sent to help, went directly to several shipyards near Luoyang. After learning some information at the shipyards, Zhang Hao was dumbfounded.

He had misunderstood or overlooked some important things. First, the shipbuilding technology of this era was not as advanced as he had imagined. Although China had been developing shipbuilding technology for a long time, it was mainly used for inland rivers. Although there were seagoing ships at this time, the shipyards around Luoyang could not build them.

Second, the waterways of this era were not as convenient as in later times. The Grand Canal, which played a significant role in ancient times, was not yet fully developed. It was impossible to travel directly south from Luoyang via inland rivers to the Yangtze River.

Understanding these situations, they had to put the matter on hold for now, and Zhang Hao led the group back to the inn.

"Are ships very important to Zihao's plan?" Huang Zhong, curious, asked Zhang Hao, who was frowning in thought.

"Very important. With a strong navy, Jiangnan can defend itself. Additionally, shipping facilitates commercial circulation. Through seagoing ships, we can trade with the north to obtain horses and other items. During wartime, we can easily land on various coastal areas through maritime transport."

Zhang Hao nodded and explained to Huang Zhong why he valued shipping.

Perhaps shipping was not essential, but Zhang Hao believed it would greatly boost his plans.

"The manager of the shipyard mentioned that Donglai Commandery is the base for the Han Dynasty's seagoing shipbuilding. There must be some seagoing ships there. We can send people to buy them," Huang Zhong said.

Zhang Hao nodded, "That's the only option now. I hope Zhang Rang's name is still influential in Donglai. If not, we'll have to consider building ships ourselves. Actually, I planned to develop shipbuilding technology after establishing our base. With more advanced technology, it would be a waste not to use it. Buying some ships initially would save time, as shipbuilding also takes time."

Huang Zhong's suggestion was something Zhang Hao had already considered. At this point, he was actually reconsidering whether his chosen base was appropriate.

If the base were in Donglai Commandery, they could take advantage of the mature shipbuilding environment and talent there. Additionally, Qingzhou has been unstable in recent years, so there would be many people to recruit.

However, Qingzhou is a key area of the Han Dynasty, and any incidents would attract attention from the court, making it unsuitable for his plans. Despite the support of modern resources, Zhang Hao believed he would ultimately win, but the difficulties and potential time wastage were unclear.

The more he thought about it, the more Zhang Hao's head ached. This was the disadvantage of not having a clear-minded advisor. Zhang Hao didn't think he was foolish, but he also didn't overestimate his intelligence. Even with knowledge spanning over two thousand years, modern education didn't cover such matters.

He had already sent people back to Xiangxiang to inform Lady Huang and prepare the base in Wu Commandery. It would be a waste if all this effort went to nothing.

Forget it, let's just do it this way for now. We'll see when we get to Donglai.

Ultimately, Zhang Hao believed he had a significant advantage. Even if there were issues with choosing the base, he would still achieve his goals.

Zhang Hao finally gave up on overthinking and the various theories swirling in his mind, such as the idea of the world as a chessboard and the advantages of different regions.

"Seems like we came to Luoyang and didn't accomplish much," Zhang Hao said to Huang Zhong with a bitter smile.

Huang Zhong was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. Although he felt the same, he couldn't mock Zhang Hao.

"We can't come here for nothing. Luoyang is the capital, with many nobles and wealthy people. We can sell some 'treasures' here to raise funds."

Zhang Hao pondered. Perhaps Zhang Rang could help introduce some wealthy households. Additionally, Zhang Hao needed to inform Zhang Rang about the treasures he was selling, giving him the best items to show respect and avoid any unpleasantness.

Zhang Rang was very accommodating to Zhang Hao. Whenever Zhang Hao visited, he would see him if he was at home. He naturally wouldn't refuse Zhang Hao's requests and would personally inspect the goods, taking some to help Zhang Hao test them.

Regardless of how greedy this eunuch was, with his help, Zhang Hao's sale of treasures went smoothly. In recent days, many nobles and wealthy people in Luoyang have been discussing these overseas treasures, such as glass mirrors, perfumes, and shampoos.

Such treasures were clearly not suitable for payment in small amounts, so a large amount of gold, silver, and precious stones and ginseng concentrated in Zhang Hao's hands.

Due to the issue of manpower, such wealth could not be left here casually. Zhang Hao directly used the time portal to have the guards send the gold, silver, precious stones, and ginseng to his modern villa, which had a basement for storage.

Huang Zhong and the guards personally went through the time portal to another world, and seeing the various incredible things, they were all shocked, inevitably increasing their respect for Zhang Hao.

As these overseas treasures became popular in Luoyang, something unexpected happened. Zhang Hao, the 'overseas loyalist,' gained some fame, and some merchants even approached him seeking cooperation, guessing that he possessed unique technology.

Zhang Hao naturally didn't refuse. Although it meant sharing profits, it would quickly establish his business and spread his goods throughout the Han Dynasty. If he developed on his own, it would take much longer. With the mature experience and channels of these merchants, it would be much easier.

As for sharing profits, it was not a big deal for Zhang Hao. Time was more important, and once he controlled this world, what would a little money matter?

To save time, Zhang Hao again dispatched guards to Donglai to prepare the base. With the help of people sent by Zhang Rang, they would not suffer any losses.

Xie Yang led the group, traveling directly down the Yellow River to Donglai, saving a lot of time.

After sending Xie Yang and the others off, Zhang Hao received an unexpected visitor, a famous person who came to visit him!