Chapter 686: Liu Zheng's Trump Card

"Kill!"

Beside a main road in Jingchu, a fierce battle was underway.

In the pouring rain, a group of men in black, wielding refined weapons, hacked at the caravan guards.

The guards resisted with all their might, but they were, after all, outnumbered.

They used their lives to protect the goods and wealth on the Horse Carriage.

But this heavy rain bestowed upon them only bloodshed and death.

"Kill!"

"For Liangzhou!"

"Liangzhou Chamber of Commerce!"

Yet these guards remained unafraid.

Facing the repeated charges of these bandits, and watching their comrades fall one by one, they still wore expressions of those who viewed death as a return home. Because they knew that if they died, their wives and children would be cared for! If they died, someone would help them take revenge!

If they died, the Young Master would stand up for them!

Kill!

Wave after wave of charges.

Wave after wave of fresh blood.

Wave after wave of death.

These guards of the Liangzhou Chamber of Commerce only truly lost their position when the last man died.

Amidst the heavy rain.

Those masked "bandits" in black watched all of this happen in silence.

Judging by their posture, they must have been soldiers who had undergone strict military training.

Facing such "enemies" full of mettle, even they could not help but dismount and bow in respect.

"Collect the wealth and go!"

"Yes!"

With a single order.

This team responsible for transporting gold, silver, and supplies to Liaodong thus vanished along the road.

At the same time.

Similar scenes were being played out in different parts of Longyan.

The grand plan for Liaodong had not yet begun.

These teams transporting gold and silver from all directions were already being plundered by various forces.

People had started out with the attitude of watching a joke.

By the end, they also began to feel sorry for Liu Zheng.

Because those cartloads of gold and silver were truly no small amount. That was real gold and silver.

It was clear that he was sincere in wanting to develop the Great Northern Wilderness, and he was sincere in wanting to carry out this beneficial project well. Many people from various places even spontaneously organized "Silver Protection Teams" to protect the transport teams of the Liangzhou Chamber of Commerce so they could safely leave their territory.

However, how could they withstand those who had ulterior motives for robbery?

"Outrageous, simply outrageous!"

"What is going on, what is going on? Someone tell Me!"

Yangxin Hall.

Xie Tianyao was furious, shouting angrily: "When did our Longyan become so infested with thieves and plagued by bandits! Hmm? Who will give Me an explanation!"

A group of ministers stood in terrified silence.

"Emperor, in recent days, the weather has changed suddenly, and grain storage has become a major issue. It is normal for these bandits to move at the first sign of wind..."

Xie Tianyao picked up an incense burner and smashed it at the minister who had spoken: "Normal?"

"My world is hiding so many bandits, and you tell Me it is normal?"

"Hmm?"

"Where have the annual anti-bandit funds gone? What am I paying you all for!"

"Tell those useless fools to find them for Me, to catch them for Me! If this matter is not explained to Me, they can all come to the Capital to receive their punishment!"

"Yes!"

The sky cleared.

The weather turned cold.

The people of Jinzhou put on thick clothes, either rushing to harvest the crops that had not yet matured or heading into the mountains to chop firewood in preparation for winter.

The Prince of Jin was also busy negotiating the purchase of charcoal everywhere.

On the other hand.

He had also heard that Liu Zheng's grand plan for Liaodong had already encountered its first setback.

That was, having no money.

So for whatever reason, he had not come to see his "Master Liu" for several days.

The Prince of Yong and the Prince of Wei were anxious to the point of desperation.

They were like ants on a hot pan every day.

This was having one's lifeline held by someone else!

Yet Liu Zheng remained unhurried.

Others think he is in a rush, but he himself actually thinks everything happening right now is a good thing. Those lost sums of money mean nothing to him. Yes. It is merely tens of millions of taels of silver, just a few months of profit for Yintan City. But the loss of this gold and silver will undoubtedly tell the world that the current monetary system has reached a stage where reform is urgently needed.

Ancient methods of transport and trade can no longer keep up with the development needs of Longyan Commerce.

The popularization of the Bank has reached a very necessary moment.

As mentioned before, there is the method of using bills of exchange to pay rent. So, why can't bills of exchange be used to pay other debts all over the country? And then those Chambers of Commerce could transport the supplies they need to Liaodong in batches? Why must all the gold and silver be transported to Liaodong, and only then conduct trade activities there?

This is unscientific.

He believes that the more he loses this time, the more other wealthy merchants and financiers will pay attention to this issue.

This is directly proportional.

The creation of the Bank and the issuance of currency will then have theoretical and practical support.

Liu Zheng is not stupid.

He had anticipated that such things would happen beforehand. So he had long ago let Qingyang Shuo dispatch some people to use Yinzhou Coin to purchase some supplies, and these supplies would be transported to Liaodong by those Chambers of Commerce. At the very least, this portion of supplies is safe.

Furthermore.

Paying with Yinzhou Coin will form a sharp contrast with that most ancient method of payment.

Therefore.

This time, the concept of the Bank.

He intends to legitimize Yinzhou Coin.

To establish it as a true currency.

This time, the ones providing credit endorsement for Yinzhou Coin will be the two princely estates of Liangzhou and Jinzhou.

That is enough.

He waited another two days.

Wei Tiezhu finally arrived with a team.

Amidst another autumn rain, Liu Zheng welcomed this brother of his and excitedly gave him a fierce hug.

The final move had finally arrived.

He told the Prince of Yong that he could go and invite the Prince of Jin.

"Hahahaha, Brother Wei has had a hard journey! Did you encounter any danger on the way?"

Ignoring the fact that Wei Tiezhu was covered in mud, Liu Zheng grabbed him and pulled him into the room affectionately.

Wei Tiezhu hurriedly shook his head: "What is the Young Master saying? It is only right and proper! Hahahaha, there was danger, but when they saw we were hauling nothing but lumps of iron, they quickly lost interest!"

Everyone laughed.

"Quick, quick, quick, bring in the things the Young Master wants!"

Wei Tiezhu said excitedly.

Only then did a few brothers behind him carry a stove inside.

Following that, Wei Tiezhu said excitedly: "Young Master, you don't say, this Coal Ball Stove is truly easy to use! Young Master, this time, we hauled quite a few over!"

Liu Zheng took a look and said with a smile: "No need for so many. It's not like Jinzhou and Liaodong lack iron; if there is no iron, we will just build a factory."

That's right!

This is Liu Zheng's final move!

The Coal Ball Stove!

This thing looks simple, but in reality, its uses are immense. First, let's talk about the coal ball; in reality, it is the Honeycomb Coal of later generations. A cylindrical object with a honeycomb-like appearance, distributed with circular holes.

Now look at the Coal Ball Stove.

It is actually just a cylinder made of sheet iron, separated into two parts by an iron grate; the top is the firebox, and the bottom is the air vent. There is also a damper to adjust the size of the fire.

At first glance.

This thing is not much different from the charcoal braziers used in ancient times.

However, when you use it for a long time, you will discover.

The advantages of this Coal Ball Stove are simply beyond words.

It can boil water, cook food, and provide warmth. Moreover, it can avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. It burns durably and lasts a long time.

Most importantly.

It is the cost of these coal balls.

It is very low.

The manufacture of Honeycomb Coal is essentially made by mixing the lowest quality coal dust with clay, and furthermore, the proportion of clay is very high.

With such a thing.

Liaodong is cold and bitter, but what is there to fear?

At this moment.

The Prince of Jin arrived.