The man in brown clothes looked pale and threw the knife to the ground, saying, "I am very proud of my martial arts. Today I realize that there is a heaven beyond heaven and there are people outside of us, and I can't beat you. I will admit defeat, and I will kill you and cut you as long as you want."

Hou Dayong said: "You are injured today and you won't be able to win. This time it doesn't count. I will fight you after you recover from your injury."

"If you lose, you will lose. Wu Erlang is not a scoundrel."

"Okay, dare to act and make a promise. Wu Erlang is a hero. Can you follow me to do things?"

"My life is a defensive envoy. From the time of order, I am willing to listen to the order. But there is a request that I will bury my brothers and will come to Zhengzhou. I wonder if I can do it?"

"Yes, I'm waiting for you in Zhengzhou. Your subordinates are willing to come and vote for me, so they can bring them together."

"Aren't the defense officer afraid of going back?"

"What's the use of a cow who is forced to press his head if he doesn't drink water? He is in Cao's camp and his heart is in Han."

When he returned to Zhengzhou, Hou Dayong asked Liang Shouheng to ask about private salt in detail.

After the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty government faced a financial crisis and implemented the "Salt Notice Law". The government monopolized the price of salt. In the vast areas where the salt monopoly system was implemented, salt profit should be collected into the central government through the salt administration organization, and salt profit income became the pillar of the government's fiscal revenue.

Under the Salt Measures, salt merchants are divided into salt merchants and private salt vendors. Salt merchants with salt registers are registered in the government, sell official salt, enjoy privileges, pay salt profits, and exempt from work. Private vendors are strictly prohibited, but due to the high profits, many private salt dealers organized their own armed forces and risked the beheading of salt. Tang Wei Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao were the leaders of private salt dealers.

After conquering Wu Erlang, Hou Dayong decided to let Wu Erlang give full play to the advantages of private salt dealers and help Hou Dayong open up the trade routes between the north and the south.

After discovering Liu San's secret room, Hou Dayong asked Fugong to sort out Liu San's business channels. Liu San and Liu Cunxiao have been operating for many years, and have built a formed trade route from selling horses, furs, medicinal materials, etc. in the north to selling tea, silk, etc. to selling silk in the south. After Liu San's death, Hou Dayong was unable to escape, and Fugong wanted to manage everything in Cangzhou, and there was no suitable person to continue these businesses. Hou Dayong was always looking for suitable candidates to open up the trade route.

Meng Shu served as a military officer in the Hei Diao Army. When Meng Shushu first arrived in the army, he was very angry. After half a year, Meng Shu actually did the complicated military affairs in an orderly manner. After Hou Dayong decided on business strategies, he was determined to let Meng Shu take over Liu San's business. However, considering that Meng Shu was young and lacked experience in the martial arts world, he was a little hesitant. After subduing Wu Erlang, Hou Dayong decided to let Meng Shu take over Liu San's business immediately and let Wu Erlang be Meng Shu's deputy.

Meng Shu was very surprised when he heard Hou Dayong's arrangement, but immediately said: "Defense has made me very kind. Meng Shu is willing to go through fire and water, but I have never done business and I don't know if I can do it well."

At that time, society valued agriculture and suppressed commerce. Although merchants were rich, they had low status and had bad image. Hou Dayong knew that Meng Shu was unwilling to do business as a scholar, so he agreed only to repay his kindness, and said, "I will retain the position of a military officer for you, and your identity as a Black Eagle Army officer will not change. In addition, I have a deputy named Wu Erlang. This man was once a private salt dealer, with a strong martial arts skill, and is familiar with the situation in the north and south. With him, there should be no problem with the safety of the journey. I have a list and address of major merchants in the north and south. You can contact them or open up new business paths by yourself. You have been a military officer and have some experience to do this."

"Wu Erlang just conquered him and was unruly. He should use it boldly and be wary of him. The number of caravans should be around forty people. You can choose people at the Hei Diao Army and Fu Gong."

Two days later, Wu Erlang really came to Zhengzhou and brought six subordinates with him. Hou Dayong's arrangement was completely beyond his expectations. He thought Hou Dayong was asking him to go to Zhengzhou army, but he wanted him to engage in his old career. Wu Erlang smiled and said, "I thought I was going to the army and fought with the government army for more than 20 years, but suddenly became an official army. I really haven't turned a corner."

Hou Dayong said: "Follow me to do things, you won't suffer any loss. It would be a great achievement for you to help Meng Shu straighten out the trade routes between the north and the south. Meng Shu is the military chief of the Black Diao Army. As his deputy, you are also a member of the Black Diao Army. How about you enter your military citizenship?"

Wu Erlang said: "I have never been convinced, but I am impressed by the defensive commander. I held my head and traveled around the country for more than 20 years. Now I am doing the right thing."

Hou Dayong asked the two to meet and discussed the matters of the southbound trip with them. He made a general arrangement for the southbound trip, including the route, how many people to take, what goods to prepare, etc.

After more than 30 days of preparation, Meng Shu and Wu Erlang, with thirty-eight people, carrying twenty-six carriages, carrying silk, porcelain, northern frills and other items, were preparing to set off from Zhengzhou, first to Xuzhou, then go south along the Yingshui River, pass Yingzhou, Shouzhou and Chuzhou, and then enter the Tang territory. The ultimate goal is Hangzhou.

There were a total of forty people in the caravan. Meng Shu selected fifteen people from the Black Diao Army, five of whom were soldiers of the Lion Camp, and the other eighteen were Fu Gong's subordinates. Wu Erlang and the six subordinates he brought all participated in the caravan.

According to Wu Erlang's suggestion, all the forty-one caravans were Hetao horses, and all the horses were used to pull carts. Hetao horses were twenty stakes in Zhengzhou, and they could reach one hundred stakes in the south. After these horses arrived in the south, they would make a lot of profits. When they came back, the caravans could rent cargo ships in Hangzhou, go to sea from Hangzhou, and arrive at Qingzhou by sea. Wu Erlang's plan was approved by Hou Dayong, and Hou Dayong also sued the demolition of the two. There was Hou Dayong's farm and shop in Qingzhou, which could be used as a transit place for goods.

Meng Shu was always wary of Wu Erlang. He knew that these private salt dealers were cruel and ruthless people. Wu Erlang was just surrendered to the defensive commander and had no wildness. Who knew what would happen on the road?

When Wu Erlang saw that Meng Shu was only in his early twenties, he was a military officer, but he was always wrinkled in his words and affairs, and it was obvious that scholars joined the army. The caravan brought many valuables and had to pass countless risky places along the way. I wonder how this person responded.

The two of them went through Xuzhou and Yingzhou in a belly lawsuit, and they were safe and sound.

Meng Shu has been in the Black Diao Army for more than half a year. Although he is a military officer, the Black Diao Army has very strict military discipline. All the members of the Black Diao Army, no matter what their identities, have to practice every day. Meng Shu was exhausted when he first participated in training, especially the Ten Mile Armed Cross-country, which made Meng Shu suffer enough. However, Meng Shu was young and had a spirit of not giving up. Two months later, he could keep up with the rhythm of the Black Diao Army. After half a year, his physique gradually became stronger and muscles were bulging on his arms, chest, abdomen and thighs. After the war, Meng Shu was completely reborn and became a real soldier from a scholar.

Whenever the caravan went camping in the wild, Meng Shu General reconnaissed the terrain and arranged a post in accordance with the requirements of marching. Wu Erlang saw that Meng Shu was well-trained and his subordinates were well trained, and gradually put away his contempt, but the two really had no common language. Apart from discussing official matters along the way, they didn't say much.

When the caravan approached Shouzhou, they had to pass a mountain that was not big or small. After two soldiers from the Lion Camp explored the way, there was nothing unusual. Meng Shu ordered the caravan to continue moving forward. After walking for about a stick of incense, he was about to cross the mountain, and a sound arrow shot down from the mountain. More than a hundred bandits shouted and rushed down from the mountain, blocking the way. Forty or fifty people also poured out from behind the caravan, blocking the caravan.

A horse rushed out of the bandits and said, "We want money but not life. Keep the goods behind, and people can leave."

Meng Shu ordered everyone to take out the bow and arrow to prepare for the battle. Wu Erlang approached Meng Shu and said, "The leader of this bandit is aware of it. Leave some money for them to buy a way, otherwise it will not be easy to get out."

Wu Erlang rode his horse to the bandits and said, "Liu Scarface, can you recognize Wu Erlang. If you are not in Suizhou, why are you here?"

The bandit was stunned when he heard this, and then recognized Wu Erlang and said, "Wu Erlang, you have not been killed yet. Your life is long enough. The Suizhou official army chased each other tightly, and the brothers arrived here yesterday. How did you start this business?"

Wu Erlang said: "My head wants to grow two years. Now I'm doing a regular business. According to the rules, I will leave 500 jin of money for my brothers' wine. How about it?"

"We brothers fight, I don't want your money, but today we are brothers from two villages. Judging from the caravan's posture, we can give you a little more, so I'll give you an explanation."

"Okay, add one thousand guan, how about it?"

"It's good to go, I'll invite you to Hangzhou next time to have a drink of flower wine."

The caravan climbed over the mountain and walked onto the flat road. Seeing that there was no danger, Meng Shu's tense heart relaxed and came to Wu Erlang's horse and said, "Thanks to Wu Erlang, otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to cross this mountain." Wu Erlang said, "Liu Scarface and someone sold salt together. They are the most loyal. They are three points of ability and seven points of popularity. Otherwise, they will be difficult to do everything."

After dark, Meng Shu chose a place that was easy to defend and difficult to attack to set up camp, and arranged two open and two secret whistles. After rushing continuously, the caravans were very tired. After eating and drinking, the snoring quickly rose and fell. When everyone was asleep, the sentry called the alarm. The caravans were very alert. When they heard the alarm, they all jumped up and picked up their weapons. According to the arrangement, they came to their respective positions.

There were not many enemies that came this time, only more than fifty people, which was a group of people who broke the caravan's back road during the day. The bandits who blocked the road during the day were indeed two groups, one group of Liu Chai-faced people, more than one hundred people blocking the road ahead, and the other group of more than fifty people who broke the road. Liu Chai-faced received 1,500 stalemates and divided 500 stalemates to another group of bandits. The bandits had few people and dared not compete with Liu Chai-faced. They saw that the caravan was very fat and were unwilling to have only five hundred stalemates. They followed them secretly, but they didn't expect that they were discovered by the caravan just as soon as they approached the caravan camp. The caravan had 40 people, all of whom had bows and arrows, waiting for their work, and shot arrows outwards. There were not many bandits. They wanted to attack, but they didn't want to have a very strict defense on the other side. They were shot and injured more than a dozen people. The leader saw that they could not take advantage of the caravan, so they quickly took their people away.

After this battle, Meng Shu and Wu Erlang looked at each other more and more liked each other. After passing Chuzhou, they were already talking and laughing.

After the caravan set out from Zhengzhou, Hou Dayong began to prepare for the construction of "Songshan Academy". Songshan Academy is based on the Whampoa Military Academy as its model, with the purpose of cultivating military talents, and at the same time set up a research institute to recruit personnel to study new technologies and make them practical.

The first problem of building a college is the site selection. Hou Dayong is most optimistic about the land of Kaiyuan Temple, but when he thought of occupying Kaiyuan Temple, the impact was too great, he gave up this idea. He chose the left and then, and finally chose a piece of land in Nancheng. The most rare thing here is that there is a pool about four acres of land, and only three private houses have to be demolished.

Land acquisition and demolition have always been a difficult problem. In modern society, Hou Dayong often sees conflicts caused by land acquisition and demolition. Hou Dayong ordered Liang Shouheng to do his work. Liang Shouheng listened for a long time but didn't understand, "Defense officers don't need to be so hard, just let them move away."

Hou Dayong said: "Don't you need compensation?"

"At least you can give me a few dollars. When will I let them move, I will ask the police to tell them."

Hou Dayong said: "There is still a constitution for such a matter. If someone else's house is demolished, compensation must be made at the market price. They should also notify them in advance so that they can have time to prepare for specific matters. In short, there is a principle that cannot compete with the people for profit."

After dealing with the issue of choosing a place in Songshan Academy, Hou Dayong returned home and saw Chunlan Qiuju. He felt that the atmosphere was a little wrong, and the two women had strange expressions. While Qiuju was out, Chunlan quietly said to Hou Dayong: "There is Qiuju."
Chapter completed!