Chapter 2008
This musketry team, which has invested a lot of effort and money from Shanxi salt merchants, has been regarded as a secret weapon by the council before and will be used at a suitable time in the future to deal with competitors headed by Huizhou salt merchants. .
And Lu Kangtai also has his own goal, which is to take this opportunity to regain the top spot in the Yangzhou salt business world for the Lu family.
If Ningbo refined salt had not had such a huge impact on the market, this musketeer team with a limited staff might have remained secretive for a long time and would not have been known to the outside world.
However, the strong appearance of foreign competitors forced the Shanxi-Shaanxi salt merchants to use this secret weapon in advance to attack their transportation channels and block the Ningbo salt merchants' intention to expand their trade scope northward.
The advantage of using force is that it is very effective. In the early stage, several groups of salt transport caravans were successfully defeated, causing Ningbo to temporarily stop transporting salt to the Jianghuai direction.
These results also made the Shanshan-Shaanxi Salt Consulting Council a little inflated, thinking that just dispatching the musketeers would be enough to solve various thorny problems. Little did they know that this team had only been dispatched a few times and it had already attracted the attention of the outside world. Its existence was already This made the Haihan people as far away as Ningbo and Zhoushan fearful.
If only a few muskets were equipped in the militia, Haihan might not be so concerned. After all, it is not unusual for sporadic muskets to flow into the civilian population in this era.
However, at this time, gun-related cases also appeared in several other places related to Haihan, and they were linked to the attacks in Jiangsu and Zhejiang through certain evidence.
After the linkage of cases appeared in many places, the Haihan Executive Committee was alerted and asked the two intelligence agencies of the Ministry of Security and the Military Intelligence Bureau to jointly conduct a thorough investigation. This immediately turned the Yangzhou salt merchant who was the most suspected into a suspect. object of attention.
The purpose of Gong Shiqi's coming to Yangzhou was to knock on the mountain to stern the tiger and lure the snake out of its cave. If the Shanshan salt merchants could keep calm after Gong Shiqi's fleet arrived in Yangzhou and delayed no response for ten days and a half, then Gong Shiqi would not be able to investigate in Yangzhou. No matter what proof you get, you will definitely have to leave sadly in the end.
But they chose the wrong way to deal with it and tried to use force to solve the problem again. However, they never expected that this time they would kick the iron plate solidly.
Not only were these "salt merchants" from Ningbo not defeated by Lu Kangtai's musketeers, but they actually taught Lu Kangtai's team a lesson on what real musketry combat was.
After this battle, only seven of the attacking musketeers successfully escaped from the battlefield intact, which shows that the opponent's true strength is far beyond our own knowledge.
Can the salt merchant's private armed forces have such strong combat effectiveness? Lu Kangtai certainly doesn’t think so. If the Ningbo salt merchants' private armed forces had such strength, the Musketeers' first few attacks would not have been so successful.
Thinking of the possibility of the true identity of these "salt merchants", Lu Kangtai couldn't help but feel a chill down his back, so he had to encourage the council to use all means immediately and intercept the group in Yangzhou at all costs. Otherwise, it is very likely to cause endless troubles.
But not everyone can understand Lu Kangtai's anxiety. At that moment, someone retorted: "The Musketeers are not fighting well. Is it because the opponent is too powerful or because the front-line personnel made a command error? It is not yet known, right? At this time, we are asked to Isn’t it a bit alarmist to copy guys together?”
Lu Kangtai said angrily: "How long has it been and you still think Lu is shirking responsibility! They destroyed my musketeers in just one encounter. Do you understand what this means? That is an army!" An army disguised as a salt merchant team! It takes me a few times to understand that they are not here to do business! And you, everyone here, don’t want to stay out of it!”
Lu Kangtai knew that many people in Shanshan Salt Merchant were actually jealous of the armed force in his hands. If something happened, there would definitely be people who wanted to see his joke, but they seemed to have forgotten one thing, this musket The team is not only a weapon used by Shanshan and Shaanxi salt merchants to attack competitors, but also a protective umbrella over their heads.
This armed team is now gone, but there are still many people who are unaware of the current risks.
"Brother Lu, please speak slowly and don't get too excited! In your opinion, what measures should we take now?" Wang Yu was the one who smoothed things over for Lu Kangtai. He had previously sent his men to the pier to find the Ningbo gang. The salt merchant's trouble was easily solved. At that time, Lu Kangtai spoke kind words for him in the council meeting and relieved his responsibilities. Now that something happened to Lu Kangtai, he finally had the opportunity to reciprocate.
Lu Kangtai did not respond immediately, but looked at He Huan who was sitting at the top.
Although he was somewhat interested in the seat under He Huan's buttocks, he also knew that in this situation, He Huan's authority still had to be taken into consideration. If he didn't express his position, even if he said it dry, others still wouldn't. Immediately agree with your proposal.
In fact, He Huan was a little confused after hearing the news brought back by Lu Kangtai, but he controlled his expression well, so he still looked calm and steady.
He really didn't quite understand how the musketeers team, which Lu Kangtai called "the invincible opponent in Jianghuai", could be inexplicably defeated by an out-of-town caravan.
It wasn't until Lu Kangtai pointed out that the other party was most likely a professional army disguised as a caravan that he realized that he might have caused big trouble this time.
If compared with the army, the strength of the musketeers in their hands is naturally far from enough, but this is no longer just a question of the strength comparison between the two warring parties, but why there are troops disguised as caravans and came to Yangzhou to torment This one.
Lu Kangtai believes that the other party is coming for the Musketeers, which means that the matter will probably not end here. The main messengers behind them must also be within the scope of the other party's investigation. Once the other party decides to pursue the victory, including It would be difficult for everyone, including He Huan, to fight back when facing such an opponent.
Of course, what is more likely to happen is that the opponent leaves Yangzhou quickly at night after the battle. After all, those two ships are just cargo ships, and they can only have so many people on board. If the local salt merchants think of a way, they will still There are many ways to make it difficult for the other party to come or go.
Lu Kangtai wanted to keep the other party in Yangzhou, naturally to avoid future troubles. Otherwise, the next time the other party appeared outside Yangzhou City, there might be more than just two cargo ships and dozens of people. He Huan was able to secure the top spot as a Shanshan-Shaanxi salt merchant. After all, his vision was better than that of most people present. He quickly understood the stakes and said in a deep voice: "The current situation is no longer just There is competition and conflict among fellow salt merchants, and this battle tonight has hurt so many of our men. How can we let them leave Yangzhou so easily! Kangtai, tell me, what should we do now?"
When Lu Kangtai saw that He Huan had expressed his support for him, he said frankly: "Everyone gathered their manpower and ships as soon as possible and rushed to the dock beside the canal in the south of the city. I don't want you to sacrifice your manpower to fight to the death with the other party. I just want to block the canal." The waterway is enough to prevent their ships from leaving Yangzhou. In addition, Mr. He is asked to contact the government in the city as soon as possible. No matter what the cost, the government troops must be sent to encircle and suppress this group of murderers who massacred innocent people along the canal!"
In fact, Lu Kangtai had already thought about how to take remedial measures on the way to Hejia Manor. He knew that it was unrealistic to rely on the armed forces of other salt merchants to change the situation. Since the other party could easily defeat his musketeers, It is natural to deal with other civilian armed forces with lower strength. No matter how many times more people go, it will only increase the casualties.
So his idea was to try to block the other party's way, and then let the government come forward to resolve the matter. No matter what the other party's background is or which country's army he is, Yangzhou is the territory of the Ming Dynasty after all, and there are sufficient crimes for the government to take coercive measures against him.
If the other party uses force to resist the Yangzhou government's pursuit and arrest, then the matter will rise to a higher level, and their responsibility as the instigator will be greatly reduced.
In other words, as long as this matter can be resolved within Yangzhou Prefecture, the salt merchants may still use their own power to cover the lid and minimize subsequent troubles.
But if the other party is allowed to leave Yangzhou and return to Ningbo, bringing back all kinds of evidence and live prisoners, something big will happen later.
As for whether He Huan can ask the government to come forward, Lu Kangtai is still very confident about this. Although the official relationship between Huizhou salt merchants has gradually become stronger in recent years, at any rate, Shanshan salt merchants have been established in Yangzhou for several generations, and they still have many reliable connections in the upper echelons of the officialdom.
And although many officials gradually began to choose neutrality, they did not draw a clear line between them and their Shanxi salt merchants. As long as the money was in place, many things could be discussed.
He Huan also knew that he should not argue with Lu Kangtai about the division of labor at this time, so he nodded decisively and said: "Then follow what Kangtai said, everyone set off as soon as possible. When the manpower is gathered to intercept the opponent's cargo ship, Kangtai Continue to command. I will try to get in touch with the city later, but it will probably have to wait until after dawn for the government to send troops.”
It is true that He Huan did not shirk the matter of dispatching troops. Although he had some friendship with the military attachés stationed in the city, no military attache could make a decision alone on dispatching troops, let alone opening the city gates in the middle of the night for civil disputes. Troops were sent out.
Being able to dispatch troops from the city when the city gates open at dawn is probably the best that can be achieved at the moment.
Everyone took the order and left. When Lu Kangtai was about to leave, He Huan stopped him alone: "Kangtai, how serious the consequences of this will be. Tell me the truth."
Lu Kangtai slowly turned his fat body, raised his hand to wipe his sweat and said to He Huan: "Master He, there were so many people just now that I didn't dare to say it clearly. In fact, I suspect that these Ningbo salt merchants are Haihan people pretending to be Haihan people. If this time it is really Haihan. If the Han intervene, not only will we be in trouble, but the people who help us organize and train the musketeers will also suffer. "
Lu Kangtai didn't fully understand the situation at this time. In fact, the opponent's real target was the partners who provided them with military help, and their Yangzhou salt merchants were the ones who were implicated and suffered. But let alone him, no one in the entire Yangzhou City knew the secret.
Lu Kangtai's words made it very clear to He Huan how serious this matter was. Although the people who helped them form the Musketeers were very powerful, they were still very afraid of Haihan. What role did it play in this matter?
"About this speculation, don't tell others yet... You and I should do our best and try to get through this difficulty first before talking about it!" Although He Huan was shocked, he still tried to control his emotions and cheer up Lu Kangtai.
Lu Kangtai cupped his hands and said, "You should do your best."
While the Shanshan and Shaanxi salt merchants north of the canal were in a hurry, the Anhui salt merchants south of the canal were watching the excitement. The battle that took place by the canal was naturally hidden from the eyes of those who were interested. In fact, the Anhui salt merchant camp had noticed the anomalies here since the evening when the area was cleared, and sent several small boats to monitor the area after nightfall.
After the battle, the news was also received quickly. This time, the heads of the seven major surnames, including Yang Chengye, rushed to Daijiazhuang to meet up after receiving the notice.
However, the anxiety of their colleagues on the other side of the river was different. Most of the Huizhou salt merchants were overjoyed after hearing about the war situation. After all, they have been wary of the armed force in the hands of the Shanshan and Shaanxi salt merchants for a long time, and they hope that someone will take action to eliminate this hidden danger for them.
As for whether the person who takes action will pose a threat to themselves if they have such powerful force, they are relatively optimistic.
"The ones who are against the Ningbo salt merchants are Shanxi and Shaanxi salt merchants. They have nothing to do with us. Every grievance has its owner and its debtor has its owner. Even if they want to avenge their previous revenge, they will not find trouble to find us." Ma Zhengping I am very relieved about this and believe that my own camp will not be directly affected by this incident.
Ji Qing also responded: "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. It's no harm to us if they break our heads. Let's see how those people on the other side of the river deal with it!"
Yang Chengye did not express his position. He was really surprised when he heard the news. Previously, Lu Kangtai asked him to inquire about the information about this group of Ningbo salt merchants in the circle of Huizhou salt merchants. However, when his side had not made any progress, Lu Kangtai took action directly first, and even lost. A complete failure.
Of course he was now sure that the Ningbo salt merchant's fleet had nothing to do with him, but unfortunately it was too late to inform Lu Kangtai of the news.
Dai Yingda said: "They have suffered such a big loss, I'm afraid they won't stop there. We might as well wait and see what interesting things will happen next."
(End of chapter)