It was already the 19th day of the twelfth lunar month when Zhang Han and his team set off, and they traveled an average of 50 miles a day. On the way, they encountered a snowy day. They only walked less than ten miles that day and then took a break. After walking on the road for seven days, they finally arrived at Datong Town.

They fought four groups along the way, but fortunately, the number of people was comparable in these times. The Lahu and the others were invincible and fought the mule and horse shops very badly.

Datong Town is also the largest city in the Ming Dynasty that Zhang Han has seen so far. It was built by General Xu Da in the early Ming Dynasty. Later, after refining and repairing, it eventually became a city with a circumference of more than thirteen miles. The city was opened with four gates, three passes on the northeast and south, and the city wall was 14 meters high. It was the highest among the cities along the border at that time. There were moats and horse-blocking walls, arrow towers, and a large number of deer antlers and other defense facilities. When Zhang Han and others entered the city from the Qingyuan Gate of the West Gate, he saw many traces of arrow holes on the bricks and stones on the city wall. At the beginning of its establishment, Datong Town faced a serious threat from the Northern Territory and was also the most important military town before the mid-Ming Dynasty. The defense distance was thousands of miles long. From the northwest to Juyong Pass, the military town had the most armored soldiers on the nine sides, and the most horses were also the most important. Its importance was far above Ji Town and Liaodong.

As the times change, Datong is now less important than Xuanfu and Jizhen, and even less than Liaodong. However, this town is still towering, and Datong town still has 85,000 soldiers and 35,000 war horses. In terms of strength, it is still the best among the nine borders.

"Mr. Li, you are back."

An officer at the west gate was standing at the city gate waiting. A few personal soldiers were holding war horses beside him. After seeing Du Shenming from afar, he came up with him. Du Shenming also dismounted, with a smile on his face.

Du Shenming first greeted the officer, and then introduced to Zhang Han: "This is General Ma Qian, the clan of the general officer."

Ma Qian was about forty years old, wearing an official robe and a beef zi embroidered on his chest. When he saw Zhang Han young, he couldn't help but feel a little contemptuous.

Du Shenming was very thoughtful and said solemnly: "Mr. Ma Qian, this trip was successful and he really relied on Zhang Shaomao. Moreover, many things in the future also require the help of the young master and Yusheng Business Office."

"Since it was Mr. Li who said it, I naturally believed it."

General Ma Qian bowed to Zhang Han again, and after that, he really looked contemptuous on his face. Everyone rode into the west gate. The convoy and the guards brought by General Ma Qian followed. A general Qian was guarding the team. Neither the soldiers guarding the gate nor the tax authorities in the city dared to make things difficult, and they all let them go directly.

Du Shenming and Zhang Han rode side by side. Mr. Ma Qian paid a lot of attention to goods. After talking to the two for a while, he consciously rode his horse in front and behind the convoy, not raving and disgusting.

"I am working in the General Army Office. I have not explained it before, so I am really ashamed."

Zhang Han always felt that this scholar was not sour, and he was knowledgeable and decisive and generous. As expected, Du Shenming was not an ordinary person.

Generally speaking, officials from all over the world will have their own guru, from county magistrates, prefectures, to governors, and officials will hire guru masters to help them do their own work.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was very stingy. In the past, during the Qin and Han Dynasties, officials could recruit their subordinates and give them official positions and salaries. The center would also recognize that the local officials in the Tang and Song dynasties were sufficient and the funds were sufficient. By the Ming Dynasty, local funds were almost wiped out, and local finances were poor. Officials could only make money by abnormal means to work. If they wanted to retain their reputation of integrity, they could not enrich their finances. Of course, there was no way to do public welfare undertakings such as water conservancy, bridges and roads. Over time, the local government would simply not do anything and cause trouble. Instead, they had a good reputation. Therefore, the central government of the Ming Dynasty controlled the local area and the construction of local facilities was a mess. To be honest, the level of Ming Dynasty's cultivation and roads was the foundation laid by the country at the beginning. In the next two hundred years, it would be repaired.

Local finances are insufficient, officials' salaries are low, and the number of officials is very small. Officials have to use gray income to hire masters. This is the origin of the prevailing masters in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

However, Zhang Han was a little confused. Du Shenming was not a serious guest. Generally, guest was divided into money, food, punishment, book and other types, and each had its own uses. Very few literati were willing to serve as guest for military generals. Only those who were at the level of generals had this capital, and there were no guest at the level of juren. Most of them were scholars. Du Shenming was shrewd and bold, and was not like an ordinary master.

"There are some small businesses in the next family. When they go to the General Shogunate, they just help the General to handle some business matters."

As expected, Zhang Han nodded slightly.

Du Shenming made another ear-shaped look and whispered to Zhang Han: "The young master set up a store in Datong. If the general's mansion is strong and powerful, it will probably be much easier."

Zhang Han looked at him and smiled and said, "I'm just thinking about it."

"I'm afraid I'll impress the Lord in the dividend capital."

The people of the Ming Dynasty had their own names for generals and governors. The governors were called Zhenye, the generals and the generals were called chiefs, and the governors were called chiefs. They were different. The current general officer of Datong was Ma Chengen, the nephew of the famous general officer of Ma Gui in Dongli Ximazhong. His father Ma Jin was the general general, and his grandfather Ma Lu was also the general general. Ma Jin's eldest son Ma Chengzhi was the deputy general general of Liaodong. Ma Gui's sons were either deputy generals or generals. More than ten people in the Ma family were important generals with real power. In other words, since the deaths of Li Chengliang and Li Rusong, the Li family of Dongli was no longer as powerful as the Ma family in terms of power.

"If Brother Du can introduce it on his behalf, there will be dividends for the stock market."

Du Shenming was extremely satisfied with Zhang Han's knowledge of doing this. Although the Ma family is a general, it is not the largest in Datong City. The largest is the Dai Wang family. The most fertile land and the most profitable business in Datong are owned by the Dai Wang family. Not only that, the Dai Wang also has business in the capital and Nanjing, and even has private tax cards on the canal. Almost all the relatives do this, and no one dares to take care of it. In addition, there are Governor Xuanda and Governor, as well as soldiers and pre-tracks. The big countrymen and gentry from all over the country, these wolves are ruthless characters who eat meat and don't spit bones. The Ma family is a general, and the money they make is not as good as these people, and they have to take out a lot to support the family mate. This is the case with the generals in various places. The family mate is the foundation for these families. Dong Li is now lost.

Po, because the servants of the Li family were killed and injured in the Bitiguan battle, and now twenty years have passed. The arrogant generals of the Li family raised by Li Chengliang back then have gradually weakened the strength of the Ma family. Recently, Ma Chengen has been very worried because of insufficient money, and the number of servants has decreased and the strength has continued to decline. If this continues, the famous Ma family generals fell into an unsustainable state. Du Shenming is good at dancing and is a foe who Ma Chengen relies on. The task is to increase wealth for the Ma family and also have the important task of managing connections from all parties. To be honest, Zhang Han and He Yusheng's strength is not enough to introduce Du Shenming. However, Zhang Han's insightful and demeanor along the way, coupled with his skills in doing things, Du Shenming admires his business very much, so he has the current attitude.

"Please look at Zhang Shaodong. These money shops were opened by the King of Dai and several other relatives. This one was the relatives of the governor who were the shopkeepers. This one was the business of several big merchants, and then the support of the nobles in the capital..."

Datong is not a developed commercial city. There are four streets and eight auxiliary streets in the city, and there are still many alleys. As the saying goes: four streets, eight alleys, and seventy-two Mianmian alleys.

The center of each main street is also built with bell towers, drum towers, Taiping Towers, and Kuixing Towers, commonly known as Sipailou. The Dai Wangfu is in the eastern corner of the city, with a large area and a large area. It has an imperial city, as well as the Donghuamen West Huamen and the main gate of Duanli Gate. The other princes' mansions are mostly located in the east of the city, and the west of the city is centered on the General Mansion. The city population has not had a definite number for many years. Judging from the density of the population and the size of the city, it is about 200,000 yuan, and it is considered a big city in the northwest. In the Jiangnan area, it is just an ordinary city.

Restaurants and business names are densely populated at the city gate. Du Shenming pointed out to all the big money houses with large sizes. These days, money houses are not something that ordinary people can open. There are still many money houses in the capital, especially outside Chongwenmen and Tianjin. Most of them are opened by nobles and relatives. The Ming Dynasty money system is chaotic. Money houses can buy copper to cast private coins by themselves. There is no certain standard. The more you cast private coins, the lighter the private coins, the higher the lead content, the less copper content, it is a good deal for a lot of money. In addition, some money houses also put stamped coins, that is, usury loans, making more profits.

This is a big piece of fat meat. When Du Shenming gave instructions, he implicitly reminded that Zhang Han would better not think about this business.

"There are all pawn shops over there, and most of them are run by the Wang family. That one is the business of the chief, and I will take care of it."

Money shops and pawn shops are all placed in money. In addition, big deals that make money include grain shops and salt shops, grain, salt, cloth, pawn shops, and money shops, which are all big deals closely related to the people. Almost 90% of these shops in Datong are all relatives and vassals, and generals and officials and gentry are opened. Ordinary people should not do such deals at all, and they are easily chewed without any residue.

"Okay, this is the General's Mansion." Du Shenming stopped the horse in front of a large mansion. After dismounting, someone tied the horse's reins to the horse tying stone. Several sedan chairs and dozens of horses were parked in the room. Many of them gathered together with the sedan chairmen and their personal soldiers to chat and talk. The entire convoy came over, and many people looked at it with curious eyes.

Because of Du Shenming, Ma Chengen met Zhang Han in a small living room. At the end of the year, there was no business. Datong has been peaceful in recent years and there were no police on the border. Ma Chengen, the general, was leisurely. He was wearing homely clothes, no official uniforms, and his face was very friendly.

After entering the house, Zhang Han knelt down and bowed, but Du Shenming did not kneel down and just smiled and bowed.

After the ceremony, Du Shenming said to Ma Chengen: "Master, this is Master Zhang. This time the goods are very expensive and it is troublesome to transport goods. Fortunately, Master Zhang's mule and horse business is also equipped with carriages and people to guard him. Only then did he come back safely. The capital and goods are intact, and he lives up to the Lord's entrusted."

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Chapter completed!