Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 672 Sneak into the night with the wind

In the early years of the Longxing era, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, the replanting of spring crops had basically been completed.

Meanwhile, the fates of some people quietly took a turn for the worse.

Haizhou.

"Brother Hao, are you really not coming with me to trade?" Liu Yunggu patted Hao Donglai on the shoulder and said, "I've been a merchant before, and let me tell you, there are huge tricks to it, especially once you get the sea route sorted out, it's incredibly profitable!"

Hao Donglai squatted at the edge of the field, smiling as he looked at the vast wheat field in front of him: "Old Liu, I know you're a well-traveled and knowledgeable person. But I'm not. I just want to know how to cultivate these crops. Look at this land, this soil moisture, isn't it great?"

I finally have a piece of land of my own, and I've even remarried; I really don't want to go through all that trouble again.

Liu Yung-gu was both amused and exasperated.

However, this was to be expected.

Hao Donglai once led a peasant uprising army in the Huai River region, commanding several thousand refugee soldiers. Although their fighting strength was negligible, they were still quite intimidating. He could easily be considered a regional warlord.

But when he heard that Shandong was a place where land could be distributed for farming, he immediately followed the Jingnan army to Shandong, not wanting any official position, only wanting to farm.

Liu Yung-ku never made fun of Hao Dong-lai.

Because essentially, the two are the same kind of people, each with their own firm goals; it's just that Hao Donglai's goal is farming, while Liu Yunggu's goal is trading.

"Then let Gou'er come with me." Liu Yunggu looked at Hao Donglai's son, Hao Gou'er, with pleading eyes and nodded knowingly: "Take advantage of your youth and go out with me to make your mark."

Hao Donglai shook his head vigorously: "That won't do. He's the only man in my family. This is such a big piece of land. If he leaves, won't I be exhausted?"

Hao Gou'er's expression immediately turned somewhat gloomy.

Liu Yung-gu finally became somewhat exasperated: "Your new wife has two half-grown sons and is pregnant with another one. You also have two oxen. I'll talk to the officials and give you my oxen too. Then you can rent them out and partner with others. I don't believe you can't manage to cultivate this little bit of land."

Hao Donglai finally looked up from the wheat field and turned to Hao Gou'er: "Erlang, do you really want to go?"

Hao Gou'er didn't try to hide anything, just nodded blankly: "Father, I really do want to go out and earn some money. Besides, our house is really too small, and I don't want to separate from the family, but the sounds you and Aunt Liu make while doing things are just... oh dear..."

Before Hao Gou'er could finish speaking, Hao Donglai, enraged and embarrassed, kicked him to the ground.

Liu Yunggu rolled his eyes and pulled Hao Donglai aside: "Ru, I really don't want to get involved in your family's mess, but what Gou'er said makes sense. Besides, your new wife is bringing two sons with her when she marries in. If you can't treat them equally, won't that cause chaos in your household?"

Hao Donglai sighed, reached out and pulled Hao Gou'er up, looked him up and down, and then clicked his tongue and said, "Gou'er, you've really grown up. Well then, go out with your Uncle Liu and have a look around, but be careful in everything you do."

"Old Liu, I'm entrusting my son Erlang to you."

Liu Yunggu quickly stopped Hao Donglai from bowing: "Brother, there's no need for such formalities between us. But there's something else to say. Erlang is all grown up now. When he goes out to make his way in the world, he can't just be called 'dog' anymore.' He needs to be given a proper name."

"Old Liu, you're very knowledgeable, you come and get it."

"Brother, you must be joking. How can someone do something like this for you?"

“That makes sense.” Hao Donglai lowered his head and pondered, but with his limited education, he was ultimately unable to cite classical texts. After a long pause, he finally said, “My father said that my family moved from Huainan East Road. To prevent me from forgetting my roots, my father named me Hao Donglai. Erlang, since you come from the south, then let’s call you Hao Nan.”

Liu Yung-gu finally couldn't take it anymore and said somewhat angrily, "Brother, don't joke around. Are you talking about father and son or brothers? How about this, I'll add a wood radical to Erlang's name, and from now on he'll be called Hao Nan, what do you say?"

As he spoke, Liu Yunggu used a wooden stick to write the two characters 'Hao Nan' on the ground.

"Exactly, exactly." Hao Donglai beamed.

The matter was settled.

Liu Yung-gu's business plan was simple: first, buy some salt at a low price from the Haizhou salt fields, and then ship it to Youzhou for sale.

They don't ask for money when they return; they only bring back the hides. With one shipment in and one shipment out, the profit is at least ten times.

Liu Yungu was originally a merchant from Youzhou, and this trip back to his old business meant he could use his past connections.

To ensure the success of this first deal, Liu Yunggu mobilized almost all his connections and even risked his reputation and spent a considerable amount of money to gather a group of people and rent a boat.

Just a few days before departure, an order came from the Maritime Trade Office, requiring Liu Yung-gu to handle it personally.

Knowing the power of the Maritime Trade Office, Liu Yung-gu dared not delay. As he hurried toward Qushan County, he carefully considered whether there was any tax evasion.

Even after arriving at the gate of the Maritime Trade Office in Haizhou, Liu Yung-gu still couldn't figure out why he had been summoned in such a hurry.

Is it possible that another filial offering is required?

No way! Didn't the inspectors just clean up the Maritime Trade Office? They killed a lot of corrupt officials, and the Maritime Trade Office even got three heads, which are still hanging at the entrance of the government office as a warning to others!

Surely the officials of the Maritime Trade Office wouldn't be that bold?

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Yung-gu announced his name, and soon a minor official came out. Without saying a word, he simply dismissed Liu Yung-gu's entourage and then pulled him toward a side gate. Liu Yung-gu followed the official through two streets and alleys in a daze, only to suddenly discover that more than a dozen warriors had appeared around him.

Although these warriors were not wearing armor, their upright posture and fierce expressions revealed that they were all seasoned soldiers who had fought many battles.

This...this might be blocking some important person's path to wealth.

Thinking of this, Liu Yunggu broke out in a cold sweat.

"Sir Liu, please." The junior official led Liu Yung-gu to a house, then bowed to a soldier who looked like an officer, and turned to leave.

The officer's tone was still relatively polite: "My lord has been waiting for Master Liu for a long time."

Liu Yunggu reflexively pulled out a few pieces of silver from his pocket, grabbed the officer's hand, and stuffed them inside: "I hope you can give me some pointers, sir, on who exactly the young man inside is?"

The officer weighed the loose silver in his hand a couple of times, then stuffed it back into Liu Yung-gu's hand: "Not bad, not bad. As for who my young master is, Mr. Liu will find out when he meets him."

With a heavy heart, Liu Yungu arrived at a courtyard with weak legs, only to find two burly warriors.

Upon recognizing the face of the leader, Liu Yunggu's legs went weak, and he knelt down, kowtowing heavily: "Greetings, Young Master!"

The one sitting in the first seat naturally belonged to Liu Huai.

"Get up and speak. Do you know me?"

"Reporting to the eldest son, we met once before from afar."

"You have a good memory; you remembered it after just one meeting."

"That's all I'm good at."

After exchanging a few questions and answers, Liu Yunggu finally calmed down and carefully sat down on the chair.

Liu Huai picked up several documents from the table: "Chief Clerk He once mentioned your name and gave you a 'capable' evaluation. He even said that you have traveled all over the country and have extensive experience. Did you see any profit on your trip to Youzhou to do business?"

Liu Yunggu was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this.

He was originally from Youyan, but later fled to Lianghuai in the Song Dynasty. After finally accumulating some wealth, he encountered the peasant uprising and the Song court no longer trusted him. Under the persuasion of He Boqiu, he came to Shandong.

He's quite knowledgeable and has seen a lot; he's definitely someone who's traveled all over the country.

Although this was not what Liu Yung-gu wanted.

"Reporting to the eldest son, Youzhou is not very rich in local products. It is basically lacking in everything, but we can still make a living." Liu Yunggu did not hide anything and obediently said, "But their area is adjacent to the grasslands. Beyond Juyong Pass is the territory of the Mongols and Khitans. There are livestock and furs there, but there is an even greater shortage of things. A bag of salt and an iron pot can be exchanged for a few good hides. As long as we can transport them back, we can make a fortune."

Liu Huai nodded and then said, "I know a little about the business of traveling merchants. The most troublesome key is not buying low and selling high, but maintaining good relations with local bigwigs and officials. Otherwise, you might be intercepted and killed along with your goods after traveling ten miles."

"Mr. Liu, are you prepared?"

Liu Yunggu knew that Liu Huai was inquiring about his connections in Youyan, and he also understood that Liu Huai might use some methods, but he still dared not hide it.

"No one is more wise than the eldest son. I do have some connections in Youyan, but after so many years, they are just people I can talk to."

"To be honest, my purpose in going to Youyan is to find those relatives and friends who sell their goods. This time, I'm going to give them the lion's share of the profits."

Liu Huai exchanged a glance with Shen Longzi beside him, then steered the conversation to the main point: "Boss Liu, I have some advantages here. First, I have connections with the Han family of Youyan, and second, I have several years of tax reductions and monopoly policies. Do you want them?"

The connection that the Han family of Youyan had was naturally provided by Han Wenguang, the former top general of the Wurui Army. After a year of labor reform and in-depth involvement in grassroots affairs in Shandong, Han Wenguang had become completely devoted to Liu Huai and naturally wanted to act as a bridge between Shandong and Youyan.

The Han family can be considered local tyrants in Youzhou and other places.

There are several branches, including figures like Han Qixian, who is at the level of a prime minister, and generals like Han Chang who command troops.

Although Han Tang died in Chao County and the Han people of Youzhou suffered heavy losses, they were still a force to be reckoned with in Youzhou.

If we can establish a connection with the Han family, even shipping goods to areas outside the Great Wall won't be a problem.

As for tax cuts and franchises, needless to say, they are very likely the foundation of the family business.

But Liu Yung-gu knew all too well that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and certainly no such thing as a pie falling from the sky.

Since the opening of maritime trade routes, the smuggling industry has flourished, attracting countless merchants eager to profit from it. Why would the Commander-in-Chief give up this opportunity to him? Was it merely because He Boqiu praised him a few times?

Liu Yunggu's lips moved a few times, and he bowed and said, "What can I do for you, young master?"

Liu Huai said with a smile, "It's alright, it's your old trade."

(End of this chapter)