Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 399: Important Military Information from Liaodong

After hearing about Lu Jin's request for patent rights, Shen Rong was very tempted by the proposal that if he found craftsmen to successfully trial-produce the product, he would have exclusive operating rights for five years. This was mainly because he did not think there were any technical difficulties.

Persian enamelware has been flowing into China since the Song Dynasty. By the Yuan Dynasty, the enamel firing technique had spread in China because the Mongols brought a large number of Seljuq craftsmen. By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, this technology had become relatively mature in China. Not only copper bases were developed, but also gold and silver bases. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for an artwork like cloisonné to be born in the early Ming Dynasty.

It’s just that people in the past really only regarded enamel as a work of art, and no one thought of using it to make cheap daily necessities. It is no exaggeration to say that Lu Jin’s idea of ​​making daily necessities alone is very valuable.

Well, since gold, silver and bronze wares can all be made into enamel, changing to iron wares should not be a problem. If one can get a five-year patent by trial production, then of course one should do it oneself. However, Lu Jin only came up with an idea, but in exchange for 200,000 taels, Shen Rong felt that he was at a disadvantage.

So he bargained again, "General, I am a businessman. If I can get five years of exclusive operating rights, I am willing to find craftsmen to make them myself. But if I do that, this ironworks doesn't seem to be worth two hundred thousand taels, right?"

"No." Lu Jin retorted, "What do you think is the selling point of the enameled iron basin? What is so attractive about it as a commodity?"

"Is this light, strong, durable, and beautiful?"

"No, it's cheap and mass-produced!" Lu Jin explained immediately, "With the copper-based enamel in the past, it is not difficult to try to make iron-based enamel, but the difficulty lies in mass production. Now the price of an iron pot is about 200 to 300 coins, and the copper basin is even more expensive. If your enamel basin is more expensive than the copper basin and iron pot, who will buy your enamel iron basin?

"And what technique do you plan to use to make the iron base? Casting? How heavy is the cast iron basin? How to make it lighter than a copper basin? If you use forging, how many blacksmiths do you need to recruit? How many basins can you make in a day? Have you ever thought about these questions? If you don't lower the price and increase the output, how many can you sell?"

"This..." Shen Rong thought about it and it seemed to be true, so he asked again, "If I give you 200,000 taels, can you make this iron tire light and fast?"

Lu Jin immediately said, "You can produce at least 20 to pieces a day, and the price is only a few dozen coins. With your enamel firing, the finished product will cost less than coins. In this way, you can produce at least pieces a year."

"Deal!" Shen Rong agreed without hesitation. The output of 200,000 iron basins a year, but the price is only 20% to 30% of that of an iron pot. It will definitely sell well at such a low price.

Lu Jin is not at a disadvantage either. The ironworks is now equipped with hydraulic rolling mills that can mass-produce thin steel plates. After all three ironworks are put into production, the armor produced can equip one army every month. Within a year at most, he will be able to equip all five armies with standard armor.

But this would mean that the ironworks would be out of work after a year and would have to stop production. The steel plates produced would have nowhere to go, and the workers in the ironworks would also be unemployed.

Of course, Lu Jin couldn't just watch the iron factory go bankrupt. Now that he already had the steel plates, he only needed to make a stamping machine to stamp these steel plates into iron basins in batches. Now that he had Shen Rong set up this enamel factory, it was actually just to find a market for the iron factory's products in advance.
Seeing Shen Rong agreed, Lu Jin said again, "I will sell you another building ceramics factory for the same 200,000 taels. Do you want it?"

Shen Rong frowned and asked in confusion, "What is architectural ceramics?"

"It's building materials, such as glazed tiles. To put it nicely, it's called glaze, but to put it bluntly, isn't it just a layer of colorful porcelain glaze covered on bricks and tiles? You can also think of it as Liulichang." Lu Jin explained immediately.

Shen Rong was worried when he heard this, "Marshal, even if these glazed tiles are made, ordinary people would not dare to use them at home. At most, they would be used to build some palaces and temples. Who else can we sell them to except the government? If they are only used to build palaces, you might as well let the Ministry of Works make them."

Lu Jin was prepared and said, "You want to make glazed tiles. In the future, I will gradually relax some restrictions on the use of glazed tiles. Not only palaces and temples, but also academies and government offices can use them. Of course, the sales are still limited, so I want you to make one more thing."

"what?"

Lu Jin tapped the ground with his foot and said, "For the floor tiles in the room, you can make them according to the method of firing colored glaze, and call them ceramic tiles. I will lift all restrictions on them, and ordinary people can also use them in the future, and I will give them ten years of exclusive operating rights."

"Deal!" Shen Rong agreed without hesitation. Who doesn't like colored glaze? Many people want to use it, but in ancient times, the social class was strict and ordinary people were not allowed to use it. Now that Lu Jin has changed its name to ceramic tiles and all restrictions have been lifted, he won't have to worry about selling it. Add in the ten-year exclusive operating rights, and of course he can do this business.

Lu Jin was also doing this to save trouble and be lazy. He didn't like ancient traditional buildings. The lack of lighting made the house look very dark and closed, whether it was wooden floors or ordinary stone bricks. He wanted to use ceramic tiles, but they were unavailable. It was not worth it for the government to build a factory for this, so he decided to give it to the public so that he could use it conveniently.

"Besides Liulichang, does the Marshal have any other business to sell?" After completing the transaction, Shen Rong took the initiative to ask again. He now realized that Lu Jin was planning to squeeze out all the one million taels he mentioned, so at least there was still one business to do.

Seeing this, Lu Jin smiled and said, "Weren't you worried just now that you would lose all the money and have no capital to do business in the future? Why, now you think I don't give you enough?"

Shen Rong was suddenly embarrassed. Of course his family had more than one million taels. This was something that Lu Jin and he knew tacitly. However, since Lu Jin did not expose it, he took the initiative to make up for himself.

"I want to keep some money. It is indeed intended to be the capital for future business. However, now that I have bought the properties from the Marshal, I am afraid that I will not be able to make money in the future after these businesses are established. So I don't need to keep the one million taels."

Lu Jin nodded, "You are indeed smart. How about this? I will sell another brand for overseas business, also priced at 200,000 taels. Do you think it is worth it?"

"It's worth it, of course it's worth it!" Shen Rong did not hesitate at all this time. The Shen family made so much money through maritime trade. As long as he could keep the maritime trade business, he could make back not only 200,000 taels, but even one million taels. He was afraid that Lu Jin's government would not agree to continue maritime trade. Now that Lu Jin had personally agreed, of course he had to agree.

But this time Lu Jin took the initiative to put forward conditions, "I can give you the sea trade business, but you can only go to the South China Sea in the future. You are not allowed to go to the north of the Yangtze River estuary."

Shen Rong said quickly, "You don't need to tell me this. Shandong, Dadu, Liaodong, and Goryeo in the north are still in the hands of the Yuan Dynasty. Even if you don't tell me, how dare I go and collaborate with the enemy?"

Lu Jin nodded, "It's good that you know, but I'm a little curious. Shen's family used to engage in maritime trade, but they traveled along the northern route. I won't mention Dadu and Shandong, but have Shen's family been to Liaodong and Goryeo?"

As soon as Shen Rong heard it, he knew that Lu Jin was planning to ask about the military situation and people's sentiments in the north. Naturally, he did not dare to hide it and spoke quickly.

"Of course I've been to Liaodong and Goryeo."

"What kind of business will they be involved in when they get there? Also, what about the population, military and civilians, and customs there? Are there more Mongolians or northern Han people? Tell us whatever you know. The more detailed the better," Lu Jin asked.

"Yes, I will tell you everything I know." Shen Rong then gave a detailed introduction.

“The population of Liaodong now is probably several hundred thousand, maybe three or four hundred thousand, or maybe seven or eight hundred thousand. I don’t know the exact number, but it is definitely less than a million.

"These people mainly live in Jinzhou and Liaoyang Road (Liaodong Peninsula), as well as near Shenyang Road. The population is a mixture of Mongolian, Han, Korean and Jurchen. Many of these people can speak Chinese. In addition to the original northern Han people, some of them are southern Han troops left behind when the Yuan court invaded Japan. Some of them are old and some are still alive. Now, at most, they are only two or three generations old.

"But the area is not rich and is very cold. There are some arable lands, but most of them are cultivated by Han people. Some Han people do not make a living by farming. Instead, most people make a living by herding, hunting, and gathering mountain products.

"The customs in Liaodong are more inclined towards Han etiquette. After the husband dies, the wife remains a chaste and heroic woman, and is praised by the local people."

Lu Jin nodded. Although the custom of "chaste and heroic women" is a feudal dregs, it is indeed the culture of the Han people, or the Confucian culture. The Mongols and Jurchens, who have low productivity, don't follow those rules. If their men die, the orphans and widows left behind will be adopted by the deceased's brothers, and there are many cases where the younger brother marries the sister-in-law. But the people of Liaodong actually praise the words "chaste and heroic women", which shows that the degree of sinicization in Liaodong is not low.

This is very important information, which will facilitate the formulation of policies towards Liaodong in the future.

"Go on, besides these folk sentiments, what did the Shen family buy and sell in Liaodong?"

Shen Rong immediately continued, "In fact, most of them are sold to Liaodong. They can't make iron pots there, and they are short of cloth and cotton. It's cold there, and you can't survive the winter without cotton clothes. Therefore, Shen's company goes to Liaodong to sell ironware, cotton and cloth.

"And there is food. They have few crops grown there, so naturally there is not enough food." Shen Rong glanced at Lu Jin and said this.

"Now that the Marshal has driven away the Yuan invaders in eastern Zhejiang, cut off the grain supply to Dadu, and also cut off the sea trade in the north, I'm afraid Liaodong will find it even more difficult to survive this year. Liaodong should be very short of food now."

Lu Jin nodded again after hearing this. This was another important piece of information. Since Liaodong was short of food, Lu Jin could rely on the food trade to gain a foothold in Liaodong and set up an intelligence bureau.

Shen Rong continued, "The bulk cargo is ironware, cotton, cotton cloth, and grain, as well as alcohol, but not much. There is not much cargo to bring back. Most of them are medicinal herbs from the mountains, such as sea cucumbers, and leather and fur, all of which are things from hunting.

"Sometimes we would buy and sell cattle and horses, but it was inconvenient to transport cattle by sea. A ship could not carry many cattle and horses, and they were prone to seasickness and fright. Therefore, most of them were shipped by sea to Liaodong for sale. After buying cattle, they could only go by land to Dadu, and then sell them along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal to various places along the way."

Lu Jin's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this, and he quickly interrupted him and asked, "You went from Liaodong to Dadu by land to transport livestock? Which route did you take? Did you take the Yanshan River Valley or the coastal route?"

Because it was important military information, Lu Jin couldn't help but speak louder, which scared Shen Rong. After he reacted, he hurriedly said, "Reporting to the Marshal, we took the coastal route."

Lu Jin immediately asked, "Can livestock and caravans pass through the coastal road now? How wide is it at its widest point? Does it vary in different seasons? Can a large army pass through it?"

Hearing Lu Jin's series of questions, Shen Rong suddenly became serious and thought carefully before saying, "The narrowest part of the coastal road is about one mile wide, and the widest part is probably five or six miles wide. The caravan can pass through without any problem, but I don't know how to lead troops, and I don't know if a large army can pass through.

"As for the seasons, there is a lot of rain in the summer on the coastal road, and the road is very muddy. It gets much better after autumn, but the weather starts to get colder then."

Lu Jin was very surprised to hear this, and thought to himself that the Liaoxi Corridor was finally completed. The narrowest part was 500 meters wide, which was wide enough for a large army to march. No wonder Xu Da built Shanhaiguan here.

Before this, Lu Jin had no specific idea of ​​the time when the Liaoxi Corridor was formed, but he still knew some historical common sense.

When the Han Dynasty attacked Gojoseon, Cao Cao attacked Wuhuan, and the Sui and Tang dynasties conquered Goguryeo, they all went from Hebei through the river valley in Yanshan Mountain to Liaodong. At that time, the Liaoxi Corridor was still submerged in the sea, and Cao Cao had even viewed the vast ocean from Jieshi Mountain. You can imagine what it was like.

The Liaoxi Corridor truly became a passage during the Song, Jin and Liao dynasties, but it was still called Banghai Road at that time and could not be regarded as a commonly used passage.

At that time, the width of the Banghai Road was only one or two meters, and could only allow one person to pass through. When it rained a lot in the summer or when the tide was high, the sea water would even flood the Banghai Road. At that time, the main road from Jin Liao to Hebei was still through the Yanshan River Valley, and they would only risk taking this road in an emergency.

Now, after more than 200 years of accumulation of Liaohe River silt, the coastline from western Liaoning to Hebei has finally been widened to the point where large armies can pass through all year round. After confirming this information, Lu Jin was very surprised, and then nodded, "Go on."

"General, there is not much to say about Liaodong other than these. I am only there for business and rarely go there in person. I have no idea about the situation further inland."

Lu Jin nodded when he heard this, and did not blame him too much. After all, Shen's was just a merchant, so he asked again, "Then Shen's must have ship captains and sailors who often sailed on the Liaodong route, and there are also shopkeepers who are responsible for the Liaodong business. Can these people still be found now?"

"We can find it." Shen Rong affirmed immediately. He already knew what Lu Jin wanted to do. Now was a good opportunity to make a contribution, so of course he had to take the initiative to cooperate.

"If the Marshal needs sailors and ship captains, as well as shopkeepers and clerks who understand the customs of the northern people, I am willing to recommend all of them to the Marshal. Some of them have been to Shandong, some have been to Dadu, some have been to Liaodong and Goryeo, and they can speak Mongolian, Jurchen and Goryeo, so they can even serve as interpreters."

At this point, Shen Rong pointed to his eldest son Shen Sen and recommended him on the spot, "This is my son Shen Sen. He has also learned Korean and Jurchen. If the Marshal can use him, feel free to bring him with you. He is absolutely safe and reliable. Why don't you come and pay your respects to the Marshal?"

Shen Sen quickly stood up and stepped forward to bow, saying, "I am Shen Sen, the humble servant, and I pay my respects to the Marshal. I am willing to serve you and share your worries."

Lu Jin looked at the father and son and immediately smiled, "Oh, you are smart. You know that I need this kind of talents. I certainly need these people, but I also want to find some locals from Liaodong and Goryeo, preferably those who can speak Chinese and have resentment towards the Yuan invaders. Can Shen help me find such people?"

"Well." Shen Rong frowned and told the truth, "Whether there is resentment or not, I dare not say, but it is not difficult to find some locals who can speak Chinese. When Shen's family did business there before, they also found some local merchants to help raise goods. Then we can directly find these people."

Lu Jin nodded and asked, "Can Gaoli also find such merchants?"

"can."

"What about Japan? That is, Wa. Can you find someone who can speak Japanese and knows the details of Japan?" Lu Jin asked.

"This." Shen Rong hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"To be honest, Marshal, since Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty launched two expeditions to Japan, Japan and China have been at odds. The two countries no longer have trade. Instead, Japanese pirates often harass our coastal areas. The Shen family has never done business in Japan, so naturally there is no one who can speak Japanese and understand the Japanese people's customs.

"But if the Marshal really needs it, it's not impossible to find it."

"What method?" Lu Jin asked immediately.

Shen Rong then explained, "Although the Shen family has never traded with Japan, it does not mean that the Koreans have not. Korea and Japan are neighbors across the sea, and they have traded with each other in the past. Naturally, we can find some people from Korea who understand the Japanese language and the national conditions of Japan."

"Very good, then can you help me find a few such people?"

"As long as the Marshal has given the order, I will do my best to find her for you. But I'm not sure how long it will take. It may take one or two years." Shen Rong immediately stood up and clasped his fists in agreement.

(End of this chapter)