However, Zhang Han and Ma Chengen were very popular with making money, but Li Shenming could only stay out of the matter and felt very uncomfortable. In addition, he knew that Zhang Han had settled the local snake and Fan family in Tianchengwei and began to collect grain on a large scale. This was also a profitable big business, and he was even more anxious. However, no matter how anxious Li Shenming would not place bets at will. After many years of business, he would never make rash decisions.

Zhang Han said: "Although Jin Iron has poor quality, it is better because it is sufficient coal, so it is still sold in the north. If you can't afford the price, the important thing is to use coal to make iron. There are too many impurities and the iron is too brittle. The cast items are very easy to damage and rust easily. Soon, it will be rusted. Therefore, because people are reluctant to buy them, the price will naturally not be able to sell them. More importantly, it is not easy to use to make weapons. In the Datong Ma City, we will also give some iron pots to the Tartars during the official market. That is not made by our Jin Iron. It was taken out by the court to reward the Northern Territory. They are all using Nan Iron... Brother, if we can change this situation, increase production and make the iron quality better, we may make a lot of profit, right?"

Li Shenming said suspiciously: "Brother Zhang is still proficient in iron smelting?"

Zhang Han did know a lot about this. After reading miscellaneous books for several years, he knew that the most important thing in the British industrialization process was definitely textile machines and steam engines, but coke ironmaking was definitely one of the most important thrusts of the early industrial development of Britain. At that time, the United Kingdom was also everywhere in blast furnaces, but the national strength and firewood resources were limited, so it was quickly limited to the embarrassing situation of insufficient fuel. Later, it was changed to coal ironmaking, which was the same as the current problem of Jin Iron. Later, the British noble Dudley solved the shortcomings of coal ironmaking, which promoted this technology and finally solved the bottleneck of insufficient steel production and added enough fuel to the British industrial revolution.

Later generations were amazed at the great advances in human science and technology during the development of British industry in the 17th century. In fact, Zhang Han believed that capital was profitable, as long as merchants urgently needed it and profitable, it would naturally lead to a considerable number of smart people in research and eventually produce good enough results.

"I don't know much, but I do know a little about how to build iron crafting furnaces and casting furnaces, how to reduce impurities in iron, and how to forge them. I just don't know much about it, and I still have to explore it slowly, but I am still very confident that at least in the future, our Jin Iron will not be too far below the Fujian Iron."

Zhang Han knew how to build an energy-storage blast furnace, try to increase the inlet, reduce the energy consumption of the air outlet, and how to use coke. He even knew that building a water storage pool next to the blast furnace can drive the blower. This was the invention of the British. In fact, China also has a water discharge blower method, but not many people know it now... I saw it in the book at that time as an interesting thing. After all, the British hydraulic blower was eliminated after the steam engine was put into use, including hydraulic forging.

In this era, Britain's progress was far above China, and of course it also included iron smelting. When the Eight Banners entered the pass, the British iron smelting industry was already very high-end. Cromwell's Iron Cavalry men had a new hydraulic forged sabre, and everyone wore hydraulic forged breastplate. In comparison, the so-called Eight Banners of the So-called Eight Banners were not much behind in equipment than the Iron Cavalry, so there was no need to mention the organizational structure. As for firearms, the Ming army's firearm casting was not much behind, but the production flow, equipment organization, training, and tactics were all too much behind. The level of the Ming army's firearms was really at the primitive level in Europe. With the same tens of thousands of firearms, the Spanish could teach the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty in minutes.

In Zhang Han's opinion, China in this era is an era of overall backwardness, but what can he do? He can only rely on what he has learned and try to make himself feel comfortable and happy with the people around him... Anyway, China has risen a few hundred years later, so Zhang Han can only think of comforting himself.

"Even if that's the case," Li Shenming had no doubt about Zhang Han's words. This was also the trust that had been dealt with for a long time. If another 16 or 17-year-old boy patted his chest and said that he could improve the iron smelting method, Li Shenming would definitely kick him and told him to go as far as he could. Zhang Han was different, but Li Shenming was not moved yet, but he just smiled and said, "The profit was still not much."

A blast furnace produces a lot of iron a year. According to Zhang Han, a profit can range from 20,000 to 40,000 or 60,000 per year, but compared with many troubles, there are also the benefits of sharing, and this profit is really unattractive.

Zhang Han said lightly: "If it is just sold in the north of our Ming Dynasty, it will definitely not make much profit."

Iron deficiency is actually national. The mining industry in the Ming Dynasty was not as developed as in the Song Dynasty, but its population increased compared with that in the Song Dynasty. Both copper and iron were insufficient. However, Jin iron could only be sold in the areas of Shanxi and Shaanxi and Xuanda. At most, it would be in Henan. If the distance was farther away, the freight was too high and it was not cost-effective. Even if the output increased, the purchasing power in the north was limited.

With cost control and quality increase, Zhang Han can build more blast furnaces to seize the northern market, but that is not a one-day effort. Protective forces and dentists in various places are local tyrants. Without strong strength, they will grab the market everywhere and will eventually collapse their own dentistry.

"Brother means, Tartars?"

Zhang Han smiled on his face, and it was comfortable to talk to smart people and didn't need to say too much nonsense.

If someone else listened to Zhang Han's words, he would inevitably think south. Only Li Shenming could hear the string song and knew the elegant meaning immediately. He immediately understood Zhang Han's meaning.

Li Shenming frowned and said, "Smuggling pig iron or iron tools to the Tatars is a serious crime."

Zhang Han's expression was still faint: "That's why I have more than 10,000 yuan in General Ma's side, and more than 10,000 yuan in Zheng Bingbei. There are still several thousand taels a year in General Lai Shen's hands, and then I will settle the forts, platforms and piers along the border. So what if I smuggle the iron?"

"It's a big deal, I'm afraid there will be more respect."

"certainly!"

Zhang Han said with a firm tone: "It should be more than doubled at least. Governor Xuanda and Governor Datong, Governor Xuanfu, Governor Shanxi, and their close friends must be responsible for the management of the gangs and guerrillas along the border, the ethics and defenses of each fort, and the team managers of each village must be responsible for the management of various places. Brother, millions of kilograms of pig iron a year, over tens of millions of kilograms of grain, and a large amount of medicinal materials and cloth. The profits of each year may exceed one million taels of taels of this money. I will take half of these silver!"

"Did you master the smuggling route with Beilu?"

Li Shenming finally showed a look of shock on his face, and he suddenly stood up.

"That's right." Zhang Han still sat down and said peacefully: "I plan to go out of the frontier when the autumn is coming, walk around the Mongolian tribes, and finally arrive in Liaodong. There are some things that we have to meet in person. Only after we have agreed can we continue to cooperate."

"You, you, you are really unexpected..."

Li Shenming's face was gloomy and it was difficult to digest the news in a short period of time.

Zhang Han sat still and drank tea with a cup, and he was not in a hurry.

He must bring in the person Li Shenming. The Li family is a family of merchants in Datong City, and they have a relationship with the Dai Prince's Mansion. Officials and gentry from all over the country are also very friendly. Zhang Han needs a capable person to help him open up the joints in various places. For example, if he does the things he just said, even if he does it himself, it may not be as effective as Li Shenming does.

He already has financial resources and fame, but friendship and connections are not accumulated in one or two days. For example, if Li Shenming can meet, he will go to drink wine together when he meets him. Zhang Han can't do it, so he can only speak and do things seriously. Even if the money is delivered, the friendship still cannot be built. It is much more laborious to get through the joints than Li Shenming.

Even without Li Shenming, Zhang Han would still find Zhang Shenming and Wang Shenming. This is a key role and cannot be lacked.

"Brother, can you tell me which line did Beilu build?"

"Shuokou Yi and the official Yinding Taiji of the city."

"Okay, okay!" Li Shenming's eyes shone and high-fives, "Brother, you are really amazing."

He said again: "On what day, we will change our post seriously, how about?"

At that time, it was common for sworn brothers to change their posts, which was to cut their heads and exchange their lives. Unlike later generations who regarded swornship and swearing as farts, people at that time still valued these things. At least no one would treat sworn brothers as chamber pots. They used brothers, and they would just stuff them under the bed without having to. Once the post was changed, it would be serious honor and disgrace.

Zhang Han smiled and said, "That's my eldest brother Gaopan."

"Don't say this." Li Shenming waved his hand and said, "Brothers are very good at making things happen. Yinding is laughing and not having any correct appearance, but they are quite cunning and have some methods. Otherwise, there are hundreds of Taiji on the Tartars, so how can he take him to be the official? Brothers can climb this line and establish a relationship with Yinding. We can do this business. I can guarantee that there is no trouble for General Ma, and Zheng Bingbei must be the brothers to explain it clearly by themselves. Fortunately, Deputy General Yanghe transferred the General of Shanxi, otherwise it would be a problem."

Li Shenming calculated that there was no feeling that hindered the country's justice. Instead, Zhang Han was worried beforehand. Zhang Han also discovered an interesting phenomenon. Whether it was the merchants or gentry at that time, at most, they had the defense of China and the barbarians, and it was not the opposition between the nations, but the pure contempt for backward nations. Just like the feeling that people in the city looked down on the country people, the real gap between the nations was the revenge killing of more than two hundred years. People in Datong hated the northern barbarians, rather than the eastern barbarians that later swept the world, that is, the Jurchens.

After all, the Jurchens have been in Liaodong and are almost beaten by the Ming Dynasty. The strong can't hate the weak. On the contrary, they have some sympathy. If these Tartars don't live a good life, why are they doing nonsense?

No one would have thought or believed that the Jurchens from Baishan and Hei River not only occupied Liaodong, but also all Liao. In the 17th year of Chongzhen, they entered the pass and seized the Chinese kingdom. In the process of seizing the world, they forced the Han people to hand over, modify, and change their clothes, and killed no less than tens of millions of people.
Chapter completed!