Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

"Indeed, this method of making white salt is what I found in the salt fields of Shandong. It's just a pity that it can't be promoted throughout the country right now. This is what I need to focus on next."

Cen Lun stared at Yin Shaokang, then said, "Brother, tell me in detail how white salt is made?"

"Ah, we'll need wood ash, a sieve, and an iron pot..."

"The people of Shandong have been extracting and boiling salt for over a thousand years and have developed a complete method, but there aren't many salt fields with the conditions to do so. Salt fields exist in Qingzhou, Laizhou, Dengzhou, Mizhou, and Cangzhou in Hebei. I have a friend there who went to Shandong before the Lunar New Year to investigate salt fields. Besides Shandong, there are also salt fields in Jiangbei and even Lingnan. Lingnan also has a type of red salt that is quite sought after and has a very good flavor."

After listening to Yin Shaokang's explanation of the white salt production method, and considering the high price of white salt on the market, Cen Lun couldn't help but have many thoughts. He made up his mind and decisively said, "Brother, I'll also go to Shandong to make salt, and I'll follow you!"

"What, you're not going to keep your Chang'an money-catching warrant?"

"Hey, what's so great about this job? It's exhausting, and all the benefits go to the government. At most, you can only earn 30,000 to 40,000 strings of cash a year."

"Thanks to your Huinong Bank, my several business deals have finally turned around, and I'm now financially secure. It's finally time to get rid of this damn job of the money-collecting officer and let the government raise the money themselves!"

"Alright, then come with me to Shandong and I guarantee you'll make a fortune."

Upon hearing this, Cen Lun was greatly encouraged.

Yin Shaokang thought to himself: Although the salt business can be profitable, it is a tough job. I wonder if Cen Lun can stick with it.

However, it's a good thing that Cen Lun is willing to join.

The Cen family behind him has been in the tea business for over a century and is very famous in the Jiannan area of ​​Northwest China. Doing business with such a wealthy merchant means being able to utilize their extensive network of contacts and resources in other areas.

Cen Lun befriended Yin Shaokang with the same intentions.

To the wealthy in Chang'an, the Wei family in Luoyang was even more unfathomable.

……

Li You's first destination upon entering Shandong was Chengwu County in Caozhou.

He has been paying attention to this place for a long time.

Two years ago, after the Qi King's rebellion was "pacified," the situation in various states of Shandong did not immediately stabilize, and many small-scale disturbances occurred afterward.

These riots were not orchestrated by Li You, but rather were spontaneous actions by people from various parts of Shandong.

At that time, several hundred farmers in Chengwu County, Caozhou, gathered together and killed five tax collectors. Afterwards, they fled in fear of punishment, took the banner of the King of Qi, and became bandits.

The Caozhou government ordered the Chengwu County government to launch several sieges, but they failed to eliminate the enemy.

Through Dou Jun, Li You learned of the existence of this band of bandits.

The fact that they were able to hold out for so long without being defeated suggests either that these bandits possessed considerable fighting ability, or that the government of Chengwu County did not put in the effort to suppress them.

Li You's order to the more than two thousand soldiers from Shandong was to first go to Caozhou and assemble in Chengwu County to await further orders.

Caozhou is the area around present-day Heze.

Li You, Yin Hongzhi, Chao Yang, Yan Hongliang, Zan Junmo, Cao Boyan, Lin Pu, Tao Zhantian, and others led more than a hundred elite soldiers, disguised as merchants, rented more than twenty small boats, and sailed down the Grand Canal. They disembarked at Rencheng in Yanzhou and then proceeded on foot.

Because they were carrying a lot of goods, it took them another six days to travel before they arrived at Chengwu County.

Although it's called a county town, it's not very big. It's only about five miles in circumference, with about two thousand households inside the town and about three thousand households outside the town, for a total population of about twenty thousand.

After entering the city, a dozen soldiers were sent to sell goods in the market, and the outside personnel were ordered to split up and rent places inside and outside the city where people could live, in order to accommodate the soldiers who would arrive later.

After settling into their lodgings, they began to inquire about the bandits in the surrounding area.

These bandits who dared to fly the banner of the King of Qi, though few in number, were natural allies of Huang Chao's army.

The problem is that this band of outlaws seems to have disappeared.

When inquiries were made to the local people and merchants, none of them knew anything about them.

However, Li You discovered a phenomenon that was related to himself.

The people of Chengwu County built a temple to King Qi, and incense is still burning outside.

Li You went there specifically to take a look, and the clay sculpture of King Qi in the temple looked remarkably like his own appearance.

According to local residents, this is a new temple built two years ago by people who joined the rebellion of the King of Qi. Such temples exist throughout Shandong, especially in Qizhou, Langya, and Gaoping.

At first, the government would send people to demolish it, but it was always rebuilt after demolition. Later, the higher-ups got annoyed and stopped paying attention to it.

"My lord, you may not know this, but the Qi King Temple is very efficacious, and many people come to worship there praying for children."

"Praying for a child? Does it really work?"

"That's right, many women have come to pray, and they all became pregnant afterward."

Upon hearing this, Li You burst into laughter: he had actually stolen the job from Guanyin Bodhisattva.

As for the claim that it was miraculous, Li You wouldn't believe it; he figured it was just a coincidence.

It's springtime, the weather is getting warmer, and people are busy in the fields.

Chengwu County is a plain with endless fields all around. The farmers mainly grow two kinds of crops: millet and sorghum.

Millet has a shorter growth cycle and a higher yield than sorghum, making it the staple food at the time, and people also used millet to pay taxes.

Millet, on the other hand, is planted on relatively barren land for replanting.

Looking at the surrounding plains, Li You began to think.

Logically speaking, bandits usually rule the mountains, but after asking around, there weren't any decent mountains nearby.

Besides mountains, where else can people hide?

Li You summoned Yin Hongzhi, Chao Yang, Yan Hongliang, and others to discuss the matter.

"Besides mountains and forests, there are only marshes. Especially in Shandong, the marshes are full of reeds, and the bandits live on boats and travel through the marshes, making it difficult for the government to detect them." Yin Hongzhi's knowledge was indeed more extensive.

"Uncle, now that you mention it, I do recall, isn't there a place in Shandong called Liangshanbo?"

"Liangshan Marsh? Never heard of it."

"Hmm... What about Yuncheng County? Are there any wetlands or marshes near Yuncheng County?"

Of all the place names in the Water Margin stories, Li You was most familiar with Yuncheng County.

Chao Gai, Wu Yong, Song Jiang, Song Qing, Zhu Tong, Lei Heng, and Bai Sheng—these seven heroes all hail from Yuncheng.

"Near Yuncheng County...that's Juye Marsh. Its surface is vast, comparable to Poyang Lake, which we visited before."

"It's so big... Is it possible that these bandits are hiding there?"

"It's hard to say. Juye Marsh is 300 li away from Chengwu County. Could they have traveled that far?"

Li You thought for a moment, then sighed, "We originally wanted to take advantage of this group, but we didn't even see a shadow of them. It seems we'll have to do it ourselves. Fine, Hongliang, order the soldiers to go deep into the nearby villages to gather information and see if they can find anything."

"promise!"

To regain momentum in Shandong, we must first win the support of the local people.

To gain the support of the people, it is necessary to solve the practical problems they face.

……

Huang Chao's army soldiers in the Tongbai Mountains set off in batches and arrived in Chengwu County by waterway.

Li You gave half of them a special order: to return to their hometowns to visit relatives.

"When you go back, besides visiting your parents, wives, and children, you should also use your eyes and ears to observe and listen, and chat with the villagers about everyday matters. Ask them about any unusual things that have happened in your village or countryside, any local bullies or tyrants, which families are suffering so much they can't survive, which powerful families have done bad things, and which officials are corrupt. Ask them everything you can, understand?"

"clear!"

"Bring any young men from your family who are willing to join us."

"My lord, can I bring my elderly mother with me? I want her to join Huang Chao's army and enjoy a few days of peace and comfort."