Chapter 35: Li Zhen's Bait Martial law at Pier No. 3 was soon completed, and under Li Zhen's order, thousands of slaves temporarily mobilized from the slave camp began to walk onto the merchant ships and slowly carry down the ore packed into boxes.
Cen Wenwen approached Li Zhen and asked, "Your Highness, hasn't Pier 11 been built?"
With such an important material, why don't we put it at Pier 11 to unload?
” According to the plan, there are four or five wharves built in total, of which piers from one to ten are civilian wharves, where both merchant ships and fishing boats can dock.
The eleventh to fifteenth pier is a military wharf, but because the quality requirements of the military wharf are much higher than that of the civilian wharf, it has been until the ten civilian wharves have been completely completed, and the military wharf has only been successfully built one No. 11, according to this speed, the remaining wharf will be completely completed, at least it will take more than a year.
Of course, the problem is not this, the real problem is - since the things carried on board are precious, why not put the ship at Pier 11 to unload?
There is the territory of the navy, and there is a military camp guarding outside, both the security and confidentiality are far greater than that of Pier 3, why didn't Li Zhen put the fleet at Pier 11 to unload?
This is also where Cen Wenwen is most confused.
"It's okay, it's not too important, it's best for outsiders not to know, and it's not a big deal if you know."
Li Zhen didn't care, he naturally couldn't tell others that he did it on purpose, in order to leak the news of the silver mine, to provoke the family, and at the same time began to implement his own divisive plan, and to divide the relationship between the family - in the face of such a large silver mine, Li Zhen didn't believe that they would sincerely cooperate and develop together.
Originally, Li Zhen's plan was to use spices on Spice Island (Banda Islands) as bait, after all, spices are not strategic materials, and the imperial court is not good at interfering in the open.
However, the value of spices is extremely high, and the spices of an entire archipelago can completely arouse the greed among the families and make them beat their brains out.
But now it seems that there is no need to use it, the temptation of spices is great, but no matter how big it is, can it be more virtuous than the silver of white flowers?
After the spices are picked, they have to be processed and sold, which requires a lot of cost and effort.
It only needs to be smelted, and the cast is directly white silver.
Although silver ore is a strategic material and a state-controlled item, private mining is generally not allowed except in special circumstances.
But......
As mentioned above, it is generally not allowed, but first of all, now the silver mine is isolated overseas, and then, the reserves of the silver mine are too large, if it can really be mined out, it is really not a problem to buy the entire Datang, and finally, in the face of such interests, no one can have any reason to refuse, even if it is against the imperial court.
There is a good saying in Capital that capital is evil, and as soon as there is a proper profit, capital is emboldened, and if there is a 10% profit, it is guaranteed to be used everywhere; With a 20% profit, it becomes active; With a 50% profit, it takes risks; With 100% profits, it dares to trample on all human laws; With a 300% profit, it dares to commit any crime, even risking hanging its head.
And the silver mine on Silver Island is not only 300% profitable?
With just a little investment in smelting equipment, you can get enough wealth for the enemy, who can refuse such a temptation?
Not to mention trampling on all the laws of the world, as long as they can get the silver island, they can even sell their ancestors.
Even if they know that Li Zhen is using a conspiracy to drive a wedge between them, they still have to compete when they should compete - without him, the interests are too big, big enough to make most people lose their minds, even if they know that Datang is sitting behind to reap the benefits of the fisherman, they will not hesitate.
Not only the family, but also some big forces will also be tempted, I am afraid that even the Buddhism, which is known as pure heart and few desires, will probably not be an exception, when the major forces kill the head on the front line, but they can sit firmly in the back of the Diaoyutai and be a fisherman comfortably, just need to clean up the mess at the end.
The only thing I am worried about is whether the family will unite with other forces and join forces to clear the Tang Dynasty before fighting for the silver mine.
But if you think about it carefully, it shouldn't be, not to mention that even if they really join forces, Li Zhen may not be afraid of them.
After all, Datang's strength is there, and if they want to destroy Datang, then they must also be prepared to be disabled by Datang.
And the major forces are only temporarily united, each with a ghost, each has its own plans, how can it be possible to cooperate sincerely, and how can it be possible to die when Datang is fighting - they are not fools, it is impossible for them to do their best to die with Datang, not only did they make wedding clothes for others, but they also had to be eaten alive by others, and there was not even a single bone stubble left.
"It doesn't matter, does it?"
Cen Wenwen is also drunk, this is a silver mine, a big silver mine, is it really good for you to be so calm?
Li Zhen said lightly: "What does it matter?
Anyway, I have the charts myself, and I think that as long as the charts are not lost, even if others know that the ocean-going fleet has found an island rich in silver overseas, what can they do?
Will they still be able to find that place?
The sea is vast, where do they go to find it?
” When Cen Wenwen heard it, he felt that it made a lot of sense, and nodded again and again: "Yes, it is still His Highness who thinks thoughtfully, and the old minister thinks too much." ” Fortunately, he didn't know Li Zhen's plan, otherwise he would definitely exercise the rights of the Taifu and put Li Zhen in the palace, and he would handle this matter by himself - a ruined son of peat, such a big silver mine, you don't mine it well, and you actually use it as bait, it's too loser, right?
Three thousand tons of silver ore looks like a lot, but the density of silver (10.53 grams per cubic centimeter) is much higher than that of iron, in fact, there is not much, under the transportation of thousands of slaves, just a few trips back and forth, the silver ore has been unloaded, loaded on a horse-drawn cart, and transported to Li Zhen's base, that is, in the March Mountains.
After Xue Rengui led the young army to exterminate Feng Gai, Li Zhen fell in love with the topography of March Mountain, and I have to say that Feng Gai will indeed choose a place, first of all, March Mountain is a karst landform, and the entire mountain belly is hollow, which is an excellent place to hide soldiers.
Secondly, the place of March Mountain is not far from Yuezhou City, guarding the official road leading to Yuezhou City, and relying on the water vein of the tributary of the Pearl River behind it, so it can be attacked and retreated, and the terrain is dangerous and easy to defend and difficult to attack, which can be described as an excellent strategic place.