Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 142 Maritime Trade Network

Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Dengzhou Port.

A large merchant ship slowly entered the port.

This ship came from Japan, and it was loaded with cargo: Japanese swords, lacquerware, bronzeware, and sulfur.

"Master," Shen Qing reported to Lu Yan from the dock, "the Japanese ship has arrived."

"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Where are the goods?"

"Five hundred Japanese swords, two hundred pieces of lacquerware, three hundred pieces of bronzeware, and one thousand catties of sulfur," Shen Qing said. "The total value is approximately eight thousand taels."

"Eight thousand taels?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a bit more than last time."

"Yes," Shen Qing said. "The Japanese businessmen said they are willing to cooperate with us long-term. As long as we can provide a stable supply of goods, they can increase their purchases."

Lu Yan's lips curled up slightly.

"Okay, that's exactly what I want."

He walked deeper into the dock, with Shen Qing following behind.

"Master," Shen Qing said, "the Japanese businessman has made another request."

"What are your requirements?"

"They want raw silk and porcelain," Shen Qing said. "Japan has a huge demand for Chinese raw silk and porcelain, and the prices are high. If we can supply these goods, the profits will be even greater."

Lu Yan pondered for a moment.

Raw silk and porcelain —

Both of these items are specialties of the Ming Dynasty and are in high demand in overseas markets.

The problem is that raw silk is mainly produced in the Jiangnan region, while porcelain is mainly produced in Jingdezhen.

Dengzhou is far from both of these places, making it difficult to secure a source of goods.

"Let me think about it," Lu Yan said.

Noon.

The magistrate's office, the study.

Lu Yan sat behind the desk, with a nautical chart in front of him.

This nautical chart was drawn by him, marking the sea areas, islands, and shipping routes around Dengzhou.

"Master," Hu Jingshui said, standing to the side, "I have already found out the details."

Tell me about it.

"There are two main channels for the supply of raw silk and porcelain," Hu Jingshui said. "One is to purchase them from Jiangnan and transport them to Dengzhou by sea; the other is to re-export them from Korea, where there are some Chinese merchants who specialize in this business."

"North Korea?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Hu Jingshui said. "Korea is separated from Japan by the sea, and many Chinese merchants have established trading posts in Korea, specializing in Sino-Japanese trade. If we can establish contact with these merchants, we can obtain raw silk and porcelain from them."

Lu Yan nodded.

"Good idea."

He looked at the nautical chart and pondered for a moment.

"Send people to North Korea to contact businessmen there," he said. "Tell them we are willing to cooperate long-term and offer preferential prices."

"Yes."

"Also," Lu Yan said, "any news from Dongjiang Town?"

"Yes," Hu Jingshui said. "I've inquired, and Dongjiang Town urgently needs supplies: grain, cloth, gunpowder..."

Ironware and everything else were in short supply. General Mao Wenlong repeatedly requested increased supplies from the imperial court, but the court never responded.

A glint flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.

"Dongjiang Town is short of supplies —"

Dongjiang Town was the Ming Dynasty's outpost in Liaodong, stationed on Pi Island, facing off against the Later Jin across the sea.

Mao Wenlong was the general of Dongjiang Town, with tens of thousands of troops under his command.

However, Dongjiang Town is located in a remote area and has difficulty in supplying supplies, which has always been a major concern for Mao Wenlong.

If Lu Yan can establish a material transportation connection with Dongjiang Town, he can not only make money, but also get in touch with Mao Wenlong.

"Send someone to Dongjiang Town," Lu Yan said, "to contact Mao Wenlong. Tell him we can provide supplies at a fair price."

"yes.

half a month later.

March 25th.

Dengzhou Port.

A ship has returned from North Korea.

Good news came back from the ship: the North Korean merchants were willing to cooperate with Lu Yan.

"Master," Shen Qing reported to Lu Yan, "the merchant from North Korea is named Kim Dae-seong, and he is the manager of 'Yongchang,' the largest Chinese trading company in North Korea. He said that as long as we can provide a stable supply of goods, he is willing to cooperate in the long term."

"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "What goods can he provide?"

"We can provide raw silk, porcelain, and tea," Shen Qing said. "The prices are slightly higher than in Jiangnan, but the convenience is a major advantage."

"As long as it's convenient," Lu Yan said. "Let's sign a contract with him and try cooperating for a few months to see how it goes."

"Yes."

"What about Dongjiang Town?"

"There's news too," Shen Qing said. "General Mao Wenlong has sent someone to say he's willing to cooperate with us. He needs grain, cloth, gunpowder, and ironware; he'll take whatever we can provide."

Lu Yan's lips curled up slightly.

"Okay, that's exactly what I want."

He stood up and walked to the window.

"Shen Qing," he said, "from today onwards, our maritime trade network is officially established."

"HaiMao Network?"

"Yes," Lu Yan said. "Japan, Korea, and Dongjiang Town—three routes. In Japan, we sell raw silk and porcelain, and buy Japanese swords and sulfur. In Korea, we buy raw silk and porcelain and sell them to Japan. In Dongjiang Town, we sell grain, cloth, gunpowder, and ironware to earn military funds."

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Shen Qing's eyes.

"The boss is wise."

"These three lines work together to form a closed loop," Lu Yan said. "We buy goods from Korea and sell them to Japan; we buy sulfur from Japan and transport it to Dengzhou to make gunpowder; we sell the gunpowder to Dongjiang Town and exchange it for silver. The silver is then used to buy more goods, and the cycle repeats itself."

"Boss," Shen Qing said, "in this way, our profits—"

"Profit?" Lu Yan's lips curled up slightly. "Conservatively speaking, it's several thousand taels a month."

Shen Qing gasped.

Earning thousands of taels a month!

This is a huge sum of money!

"Master," he said, "I will make the arrangements immediately."

"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Remember, keep the maritime trade a secret. Just tell outsiders that it's ordinary merchant shipping. Don't let anyone know the scale of our operations."

"Understood."

Shen Qing turned and left.

Lu Yan stood by the window, looking at the distant sea.

A maritime trade network has been established.

Japan, North Korea, and Dongjiang Town – three routes, three markets.

With monthly profits of several thousand taels, he could make a big splash in Dengzhou.

More importantly, through maritime trade, he established a relationship with Mao Wenlong.

Mao Wenlong was the commander-in-chief of Dongjiang Town, commanding tens of thousands of troops, and was a local warlord in Liaodong.

Get along well with him; he'll be very useful in the future.

"Master."

Zhao Changying walked in from outside.

"What is it?"

Zhao Changying said, "Master, news has come from Changshan Island. The firearms workshop has recruited another batch of craftsmen, and production has increased. This month, they produced eighty flintlock muskets and three breech-loading cannons, which is 60% more than last month."

"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Have Zhao Tie continue to ramp up production. Within three months, I want to see five hundred flintlock muskets and twenty breech-loading cannons."

"Yes."

Lu Yan turned around and looked at the nautical chart hanging on the wall.

Dengzhou, Changshan Island, Japan, Korea, Dongjiang Town —

These points are being connected by flight routes.

And Lu Yan is at the center of this network.

"Zhao Changying," Lu Yan said, "what do you think of our current strength?"

Zhao Changying thought for a moment and said, "Master, we now have a navy of 300 men, an armed merchant fleet of 150 men, and personal guards of 200 men, totaling 650 men. We also have eight warships, five armed merchant ships, more than 30 cannons, and more than 300 flintlock muskets."

"Six hundred and fifty people, thirteen ships," Lu Yan said. "In Dengzhou, that's already second to none."

"Yes," Zhao Changying said, "but compared to the imperial court's regular army, they are still far inferior."

"It doesn't matter if we're far behind," Lu Yan said. "What we need is not to fight against the imperial court, but to protect ourselves in this chaotic world."

He walked to the window and looked at the distant sky.

"Chaos is coming," he said. "What we need to do is accumulate enough strength before chaos arrives."

"A chaotic world?" Zhao Changying was taken aback. "Does the master mean—"

"Kong Youde," Lu Yan said, "and the Later Jin in Liaodong. These two hidden dangers will erupt sooner or later. When that happens, Dengzhou will be engulfed in war."

Zhao Changying's expression changed.

"Boss, what should we do?"

"Be prepared," Lu Yan said. "Continue to expand our strength, continue to accumulate resources, and continue to develop maritime trade. When chaos comes, we will have enough capital to stand firm in the chaos."

He turned around and looked at Zhao Changying.

"Remember, our goal is not to be heroes, but to survive."

"Understood."

Lu Yan nodded.

"Go, and do what you're supposed to do."

"Yes."

Zhao Changying turned and left.

Lu Yan stood by the window, watching the sky gradually darken.

A maritime trade network has been established, the Changshan Island base has been built, and our strength is constantly increasing.

But this is not enough.

With chaos looming, he needed to make more preparations.

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