Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 176: She is so loyal?

Pei Yuan asked questions and visited various places, and roughly understood the several markets outside Shanyang County.

Among them are Chaheji, Jianheji, Tantouji, Nandianji, Beidianji, Yangjiamiaoji, Lujiaji, Huangjiaji and Danchengji.

Among these markets, Chahe Market is the largest one.

However, what you hear is not as good as what you see. To be safe, Pei Yuan had to go there in person.

Perhaps it was the relaxed atmosphere in Huai'an Prefecture, or perhaps it was because Pei Yuan hadn't encountered any stalkers in the past few days, which made him feel that he was fine again.

And look around at Cheng Leixiang, Chen Toutie and Song Chunniang, three pieces of trash.

If you really encounter danger, you may not be able to be trusted.

Pei Yuan considered the confidentiality of the roasted goods and said to his brothers after careful consideration, "I have nothing to do today, so you don't have to follow me. I will go for a walk by myself. We are all new to Huai'an, so we can walk around and gain some knowledge."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Leixiang tried his best to persuade him, "Sir, it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm afraid those people are still harboring evil intentions. If you rashly get left alone, you'll easily fall into their trap."

Chen Toutie seemed to have misunderstood Pei Yuan's purpose of visiting the street market these days, and simply hinted, "Those places are all in the city. The more prosperous the market, the more there are."

After hearing this, Song Chunniang looked at Pei Yuan with a half-smile.

Pei Yuan was furious when he heard this, "Do I need you to teach me how to do things?"

The three of them remained silent.

Seeing Pei Yuan was about to leave, Cheng Leixiang asked, "Where is the captain going? If there is anything, we can stay tuned and help him."

Pei Yuan waved his hands randomly and said nothing more.

He walked a few steps, looked at the sun, and then said, "It's getting late. If we can't make it in time, we may not be back until tomorrow. Let's all go."

Are we going to stay out overnight?

Cheng Leixiang remembered what Chen Toutie had said just now, and suddenly felt that he understood, so he stopped persuading him.

Chen Toutie confirmed what he was thinking and made eyes at his two colleagues.

Song Chunniang still had a half-smile on her face, and watched Pei Yuan's back as he walked away with her arms folded.

Pei Yuan went back to his residence to get his horse, circled the city first, and then headed out of the city.

He now has plenty of time and plans to visit several markets.

In addition to observing the cash flow of several markets to see whether they can withstand Han Qianhu's low-buying and high-selling, we also need to observe whether the goods are easy to transport and store.

If the location is suitable, you will also have to secretly rent a few large enough warehouses and storage yards.

Pei Yuan first went to several smaller markets. Although he didn't find a place he liked, he still gained a lot.

It turned out that in this era, the largest commodity trade between the North and the South was not cotton, tea, porcelain, fur, etc. as he had expected, but the most common soybeans.

The trade volume of soybeans alone is almost equal to the total of all other categories.

In addition to making sauce, fermented black beans, and tofu, soybeans can also be used to extract oil.

It can be said that for most people, various types of soy products alone almost meet the basic needs for condiments in life.

What a huge volume this must be.

And don’t underestimate soy products because they contain huge profits.

For example, in the early years of the Zhengde reign, soybean oil could be sold for fifty coins per catty in the Jiangnan area, while at the same time, beef was only worth five coins per catty.

Many people may find this incredible.

They use ordinary beans to squeeze out oil and dare to sell it for ten times the price of beef.

Does this person have any shame? Is this person still a human being?
The reason is very simple.

The main soybean producing area is in the north.

If the goods are transported back and forth, if the transportation volume is small, the total value of the goods will be too low, causing the merchants to lose all their money; if the transportation volume is too large, it will be beyond the ability of ordinary merchants to afford it.

As a result, the circulation of soybeans was monopolized by some merchants who had their say on the canal.

So as long as ordinary people still need oil in their lives, they are the big guys.

Therefore, I believe some students can already answer the official conclusion about the high oil prices.

——Because buckets are expensive.

Pei Yuan also took this opportunity to quickly sort out his plans.

Originally, he was planning to speculate on the goods shipped to the north and use the rising prices in the north to offset the losses of the merchants. But now it seems that the soybean market is so large that he can invest a certain proportion of his funds.

In this way, we can not only disperse the risks, but also take more initiative.

If the goods cannot be sold when the Bazhou rebels retreat, or if they join forces to lower the price, they can simply buy all the goods.

Near Huai'an is the world-famous Lianghuai Salt Field. With the strength of the Qianhu Suo, it is not a problem to get batches of cheap salt.

If things really come to that, wouldn't it be great to let Han Qianhu open a factory here, directly squeeze soybean oil, make soy sauce, and become a private entrepreneur?

The error tolerance rate of my plan is amazing.

Pei Yuan couldn't help but put his hands on his hips.

However, because of the change in the plan, Pei Yuan asked people from various directions for information about the storage of soybeans.

This question is a bit painful.

Because soybeans are a real bulk commodity, loading and unloading requires a lot of manpower, and merchants generally buy and sell by ship.

Many merchants keep their soybeans directly on the cargo ships. When buying and selling, the buyer directly renews the lease of the ship rented by the seller.

In this way, when the Bazhou rebels approach Huai'an, won't all these cargo ships transporting soybeans flee in all directions?
Then how can I speculate on the goods myself?

Captain Pei was depressed for a while.

Do I have to provide a fleet to the Bazhou rebels so that they can block the surrounding river mouths in advance?
Not really. Not really.

It was getting late, so Pei Yuan stayed directly at Lujiaji.

In a bustling market like this, there are many places for debauchery.

Businessmen make money easily and spend it freely.

Half of the market is shops and cargo yards, and the other half is various consumption places.

Moreover, because these markets outside the city have no city walls, after nightfall, foreign merchants will choose to stay in reliable restaurants.

Pei Yuan was full of worries, but he remained vigilant. He had no intention of enjoying this rich life, so he just found an inn to stay in that night.

After nightfall, Captain Pei couldn't fall asleep.

He looked at the rooftops, thinking about his happy subordinates in Shanyang City and his leisurely superiors in Yangzhou Prefecture, and always felt that something was wrong.

Early the next morning, Pei Yuan got up again in high spirits and continued to inspect the remaining markets.

Unfortunately, most of them did not satisfy him.

These markets were built along rivers to facilitate the distribution of goods.

Moreover, the water in several rivers is relatively deep and there is no sign of freezing over.

If goods cannot be stranded, there is no possibility of prices plummeting due to rebel attacks.

Pei Yuan had no choice but to rush to the last and largest Chahe Market.

Chaheji is very close to Huangjiaji. It is the junction of Shanyang, Qinghe, Baoying and Xuyi counties. It has a long history.

Business here is booming, with shops everywhere, blue brick and black tile houses, and temples with strong incense. Not only is it comparable to an ordinary town in terms of scale, but it is also not much worse than an ordinary city because it is densely populated and full of merchants.

However, the name suggests a place where many waterways converge, so Pei Yuan did not have very high hopes.

This market, like other places, is completely open and has no walls at all.

The shops on the outside are all small food businesses, while further inside there are various shops, cargo yards, and restaurants that provide lodging.

There were some young monks with shaved foreheads, standing guard with sticks, maintaining order in the market. There were also some older monks with solemn looks and kind eyes.

However, these monks did not participate in maintaining order. Instead, they went from house to house with their bags full of smiles on their faces begging for alms.

Pei Yuan didn't feel anything about it.

There must always be someone in charge of areas like this that are outside the rules.

Orderly harvesting is better than disorderly plundering.

Pei Yuan was looking at the street, thinking about how to investigate, when he saw someone waving his hands vigorously in a teahouse near the market entrance.

Pei Yuan glanced at her unhappily, and it was Song Chunniang.

He stopped his horse in front of the teahouse, threw the reins to the waiter who came out to greet him, and strode towards Song Chunniang.

Song Chunniang pulled aside a bench with a smile and said to him, "Would you like to eat something?"

Pei Yuan glared at her fiercely, "I told you not to follow me."

Song Chunniang said as if it was a matter of course, "Why, you can come here, but I can't?"

Pei Yuan thought of a possibility and was speechless, "You don't really think I'm here to shop, do you?"

Song Chunniang looked at Pei Yuan with disdain, "Am I such a superficial person now?"

Right.

Song Chunniang's aesthetic taste has now improved, and she no longer cares about the pleasure brought by bullying beautiful women.

"So you're still here to follow me?"

As Pei Yuan spoke, he reached out and pinched a few pieces of dessert and ate them.

He patted the table again and shouted, "Bring another cup."

The shopkeeper quickly came forward, got a clean cup for Pei Yuan, and filled his cup with tea.

Pei Yuan felt that it was not hot, so he drank it all in one gulp and praised, "Good tea."

After the shopkeeper refilled the teapot, put it down and left, Song Chunniang looked into the distance and said softly, "Captain Han asked me to keep an eye on you."

"What?" Pei Yuan was surprised.

Before he could think more, Song Chunniang said, "She told me that if you are chased like a dog again like before, she will take you to escape to the Fengleiyunyushanchuantan in the capital of each prefecture. There are important backup forces there, which can save your life."

"That's it?" Pei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Why didn't she tell me herself?"

Song Chunniang drank her tea and analyzed rationally, "Maybe he wanted to show you his strength at a critical moment. After all, I feel that you have been a little arrogant recently."

Pei Yuan was speechless. What a mess.

Pei Yuan asked Song Chunniang again in confusion, "So that's what you told me?"

How could she be so loyal?

Song Chunniang immediately abandoned her previous calmness and shook Pei Yuan's arm pitifully, "Help me."

Damn it.

Pei Yuan was stunned for a moment and could hardly hold it anymore.

This guy hasn't given up on Han Qianhu yet.

Captain Han is really blind. He assigned such an important task to Song Chunniang, a traitor.

Last time, I didn't have the courage to point out this woman in front of Han Qianhu. I didn't expect that even a person as well-connected as Han Qianhu would suffer a backlash.

Pei Yuan threw two more pieces of dessert into his mouth and shook off Song Chunniang's hand.

He drank the tea on the table and shouted to the shopkeeper, "Put it on her account."

Then he left the teahouse, got on his horse and planned to inspect the market carefully.

If Chanheji cannot meet his conditions, then all the previous plans will probably fail.

After a while, Song Chunniang also caught up with them on horseback, and asked curiously from behind, "What are you looking for?"

Pei Yuan ignored her.

How can I tell you, a traitor, such a confidential matter?

Song Chunniang was not in a hurry either, she just followed Pei Yuan slowly.

Pei Yuan walked around the street like a headless fly for a few rounds, but couldn't see any clues.

He looked at the monks with a stir in his heart, half talking to Song Chunniang and half talking to himself, "I wonder if there is a Taoist priest in charge of this place in our Qianhu Office?"

"No." Song Chunniang answered casually.

Pei Yuan looked at her in confusion. "How do you know this news when I, the deputy commander of the Qianhu Division, don't even know it?"

Could it be that Han Qianhu had told her something in private again?

Song Chunniang rolled her eyes at Pei Yuan. "My family is a escort. How can we make mistakes in who is on whose territory and who we should worship? Huai'an is an important city in the world. I don't know how many goods are shipped out from these markets. If I don't have any connections here, how can I get business?"

I rely on!

I actually lost sight of the light.

That's right.

Isn't the most common job for these bodyguards to escort all kinds of business travelers to and from major economic hubs?
When it comes to these places, the people who are most familiar with them must be the common people.

Pei Yuan couldn't help but reflect on himself.

I didn't expect that I, who came from the market, would be so ungrateful.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Pei Yuan asked Song Chunniang, "Then you are also familiar with the market in Huai'an?"

Song Chunniang replied, "Of course. In the past, my father would take me with him when he went to visit the mountain. Fighting and killing, life and death, are common in the martial arts world. We can't just cut off the path that we have finally opened up."

Song Chunniang spoke calmly, but Pei Yuan could hear the meaning behind her words.

Song Chunniang pointed around and said, "This side is the territory of the River God Temple, and that side is where the Baizi Hall has the final say. There are also a few small nunneries doing business, and they don't get involved in other things. Sanyuan Palace and Chenghuang Temple are being supported by someone, and I don't know where they come from, and they don't get involved in the disputes under their noses."

Pei Yuan saw that Song Chunniang's words made sense and felt that he had been working in vain for the past two days.

He couldn't hold back any longer and wanted to go directly to Song Chunniang to inquire about the relevant matters.

However, the interests involved in this matter are too great, and Pei Yuan cannot take it lightly.

Pei Yuan decided to take a roundabout approach and calmly asked Song Chunniang, "Then what do you think is a good business for our Qianhu to expand its financial resources?"

Pei Yuan's question also has a profound meaning.

Song Chunniang has deep connections with the underworld. If she has enough vision, Pei Yuan would not mind letting her take charge of these shameful matters for him.

Pei Yuan's words really stumped Song Chunniang.

"What? Can't you think of it?" Pei Yuan looked at Song Chunniang, a little disappointed.

Right.

The courier girl, that's all she knows.

Song Chunniang hesitated for a long time before she said to Pei Yuan, "But, but I am already a seventh-rank rank rank ..."

Pei Yuan chuckled.

Finally you have been promoted to the seventh rank, look how proud you are.

Captain Pei immediately scolded him, "Don't forget your true nature just because you are an official. Besides, you look down on businessmen, do you also look down on money?"

"No." Song Chunniang quickly shook her head, and then asked with her simple martial arts experience, "We can obviously just rob them, why do we have to give them things?"

(End of this chapter)