The seventh of the Eight Great Bandits, Fan Xiaoshan (Fan Yongdou)

Fan Xiaoshan remained indifferent, not looking at the person in front of him. He simply lowered his head, took a pipe from his waist, packed it with tobacco, extracted a piece of red coal from the stove, lit the pipe, and then began to smoke with a rhythmic "puff, puff".

Over the years, we have believed that we have not let the court down, as the grain we supplied has sustained the troops in the nine borders, but how much profit have we gained ourselves

Fan Xiaoshan remained silent, merely staring blankly at Wang Dengku.

Wang Dengku smiled lightly, carefully wrapped the sheep's trotter in a handkerchief, and followed Fan Xiaoshan out of the lamb restaurant

Wang Dengku shouted from the city wall: "Brother Changlu, whether it succeeds or not, give me a straightforward answer!"

The young man quickly leaned in, lowering his brows and casting his eyes down, saying: "Please teach me, sir."

Wang Dengku laughed and said: "Huang Taiji, Huang Taiji, the Jin dynasty emperor gave his son this name, intending for him to succeed to the throne"

The ancestors accumulated wealth with great difficulty

A tall camel let out a loud snort in front of him, leisurely chewing its food as it passed by the shop.

It is truly a great joke; one produces salt oneself yet still needs to exchange it for grain. Is there such reasoning in this world

Sometimes even I cannot understand why I would wrap a sheep's trotter in a handkerchief to save it for lunch

Fan Xiaoshan almost spoke with a sobbing tone: "So it has become this way, and no one has taken care of it from beginning to end..."

Fan Xiaoshan said: "Which line did you take?"

Fan Xiaoshan slowly descended the city wall and walked away without looking back

Do you think there is still hope for such a country

Why don't we go to your shop and discuss it slowly? It's really not a good place to talk about things here with the cold weather.

Come back, this time it was my lack of insight, no wonder they ignored me

Wang Dengku, listen to me. You must accompany this shipment, and also inform Huang Taiji that our goods can only be delivered to the Tumote Mongols. From now on, we will conduct transactions with the Tumote Mongols outside of Fugu Pass. As for how he deals with the Mongols, that is not our concern.

Fan Xiaoshan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Wang Dengku on the city wall, saying: "As long as everything is under your command, my Fan family will follow your lead."

Currently, there are widespread rumors outside regarding the struggle for power among the dragons. Do you not know where this originated? Do you actually believe such nonsense?

Two people walked out of the small north gate, one in front and the other behind. Fan Xiaoshan pondered for a moment and then climbed up the city wall at the gap in the dilapidated wall.

Fan Xiaoshan snapped his lips and said: "Everyone knows that cowhide is worth more than sheepskin, yet they do not realize that the money we earn from sheepskin far exceeds that from cowhide"

Fan Xiaoshan said: "The Ming Dynasty is truly rotten to the core..."

One can only earn a meager wage for hard labor

Everyone says that we merchants rise early only for profit, with no thoughts of home, country, or the world, solely seeking the gains within our grasp

Not worth much

There were no soldiers guarding the city wall, and Wang Dengku pointed to the watchman in the distant arrow tower who was eagerly watching the two of them, saying to Fan Xiaoshan: "These two are also people who eat from our few families."

Fan Xiaoshan, with a cheerful smile, pointed at Wang Dengku and asked, "Will you treat me to a drink?"

As the sun just rose above the horizon, the wooden boards on the gate of the Henglong were dismantled by the attendants

Are you aware of the salt merchants of Jiangnan? What kind of life do they lead? They have numerous servants, their meals are exquisite and delicately prepared, and they spend their days in a state of drunkenness and dreams

Fan Xiaoshan laughed heartily, pointing at the city wall of Zhangjiakou, and said to Wang Dengku: "This must be the responsibility of the Tian family, right?"

Fan Xiaoshan let out a sigh of relief, sitting on a large rock, and pointed towards Zhangjiakou, saying: "This place will soon be abandoned; taking the Tiger Mouth route is too dangerous, while the Fugu Pass, although farther, is much safer

Wang Dengku laughed and said: "The construction of the city guard was contracted by the Liang family, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yongfa, using a public fund of thirty thousand taels of silver, with an actual expenditure of three hundred thousand taels. The garrison commander here requested six hundred thousand taels from the emperor, leaving a surplus of three hundred thousand taels.

Fan Xiaoshan was taken aback. He looked around and saw that apart from the busy shopkeeper, there was no one else in the store. Only then did he stand up and say to Wang Dengku: "Let's talk elsewhere"

Brother Xiaoshan, what about us? Riding camels through the snowy desert, we toil all year round only to gain a meager profit, isn't it because we brothers have no one in the court?

It was originally thought that Nurhaci, with the might of his great victory, could easily conquer Ningyuan, but little did he know that Ningyuan would become his place of demise.

Wang Dengku saw that Fan Xiaoshan was in a bad mood, so he stepped forward to support him and slowly walked ahead. As they walked, he said: "As long as we make money, that's all that matters. Today is a rare day without wind and sand; how about we indulge in a few drinks?"

Wang Dengku frowned and said: "I actually do not understand why, despite the fact that you and I have long been wealthy, we still live so frugally"

Wang Dengku hurriedly slid down from the earthen city wall, took a few quick steps, and grasped Fan Changlu's sleeve, saying: "You are the backbone of us all."

Fan Xiaoshan said softly: "The victory at Ningyuan has dealt a heavy blow to the Jin Emperor, who has now returned to the heavens. Gentlemen, all the princes and nobles are staring at the throne with red eyes, and it is likely that we will not be needed for some time.

The man, seeing his employer humiliated, felt a surge of anger and was about to confront that filthy Mongolian for an explanation when he was stopped by Fan Xiaoshan

You, Fan Xiaoshan, have been guarding the ancestral Longlu Salt Field, producing sixty thousand dan of salt each year. How much do you have in your hands now?

A middle-aged man with a short beard approached, scooped a sheep's trotter from his own bowl, and placed it into Fan Xiaoshan's empty bowl. He then sat down opposite him and said with a cheerful smile, "Join me for another meal!"

During the construction of the city, these four families offered generous wages to the craftsmen, allowing the common people to earn money as well, resulting in a situation where everyone was pleased.

They do not care about this country, so do not blame me, Fan Xiaoshan, for not benefiting the nation even a little, yet valuing the trust of one individual highly!

Our Majesty has issued a decree prohibiting us from engaging in trade with the Jin people. If this continues, it will be exceedingly difficult for you and me to even have a bowl of lamb soup.

Having said that, he clasped his hands behind his back and stepped into the mutton soup restaurant across the street

Have you changed to the Yungui route

Not concerned with the survival of the Han people, only focused on the interests of one family

Fan Xiaoshan shot a glance at the attendant and said: "It is your master and your shopkeeper who can help you gain skills; why are you asking me about these matters?"

Wang Dengku carried a hand on his back, while with the other hand he pointed towards the southeastern direction of Beijing, saying: "The emperor enjoys carpentry; having been emperor for seven years, he also practiced carpentry for seven years, entrusting all political affairs to the eunuchs. As a result, divine retribution ensued, and tens of thousands turned to ashes in a single loud explosion.

We, as merchants, rise early for profit; if we are to be loyal to our monarch and love our country, who will love us in return

Wang Dengku was engrossed in his meal, listening to Fan Changlu's ominous tone without offering any explanation. It was only after he finished a bowl of mutton soup with bread, leaving it completely clean, that he wiped his mouth and smiled, saying: "Even under Changbai Mountain, yellow tobacco is produced"

The caravan has already disappeared over the horizon. Before long, this five thousand pounds of fine iron will be smelted by the blacksmith into the finest long swords or arrowheads, all of which are lethal weapons!

What great righteousness can compare to the security of having silver in one's pocket

Moreover, let alone that I am one who seeks small gains while forgetting greater principles, in this day and age, those who repeatedly speak of great principles, are they truly embodying those principles

Wang Dengku saw Fan Xiaoshan remaining indifferent, and then he took a brocade pouch from his waist and tossed it onto the table, saying: "Try it, the finest yellow tobacco"

The situation in the world is difficult to clarify

Over the years, I have come to see clearly that those top scholars and successful candidates in the court are the traitors to the nation

All along, it has been this person who has been dealing with us. This person is capable and open-minded; has he ever shortchanged us by even one or two silver coins

Wang Dengku let out a dry laugh and continued: "Since the implementation of the self-opening Sino-French agreement, you and I, as brothers, have been cultivating grain in this borderland to supply military provisions to the court, exchanging it for salt vouchers to go to the salt fields to produce salt for profit

Wang Dengku opened his mouth and said: "How could I dare..." As he spoke halfway, seeing the anger on Fan Changlu's face intensify, he quickly added: "There are only 5,000 jin of fine iron."

Wang Dengku whispered: "Go to the western pass"

I have had enough of these days, this great Ming dynasty is about to perish, it is time for a change of dynasty.

Today is different; Fan Xiaoshan had a bowl of lamb soup and two flatbreads, yet his heart remains cold, unable to warm up no matter what.

One must approach tasks with stability and composure

Fan Xiaoshan shook his head and said: "You only see the ease with which Lü Buwei treated the emperor as a commodity for trade back then, yet you do not know that Lü Buwei, despite holding immense power, ultimately could not escape the fate of having a knife at his neck."

Wang Dengku smiled and said: "It is Fugu Pass!"

Brother Xiaoshan, one should seize the opportunity to cling to the powerful early on. While the golden man still has use for us, let us put in more effort and earn more money. When the golden man eventually takes control of the Central Plains, we too can become as wealthy as the salt merchants of Jiangnan

Wang Dengku became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and by the end, he was actually raising his arms and waving them, displaying extraordinary excitement

Fan Xiaoshan glanced at the pipe, exhaling a puff of smoke and said: "What, is the dry tobacco outside not to your taste?"

The man took a careful look at the goods carried by the camel and scoffed, "Master, the camel is loaded with sheepskins!"

Fan Xiaoshan angrily exclaimed: "Are we taking the Shanxi Shakou or the Guanzhong Fugu Pass?"

Fan Xiaoshan sighed and said: "Speaking here, no matter what is said, it will be blown away by the wind. Speaking inside the house, I fear there may be a catastrophe that could lead to the extinction of our clan"

After saying these words, Fan Xiaoshan seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He staggered into the small north gate, struck the city wall forcefully, and a brick was knocked loose by his hand. He crushed the green brick with a squeeze.

Wang Dengku smiled wryly and said, "What qualifications do I have to meet with Emperor Taiji, Brother Fan? You have once received praise from Nurhaci, so it can only be you who takes the lead. Only in this way will there be a chance to meet Emperor Taiji.

On a cold winter day, a bowl of steaming lamb soup, paired with freshly baked hot flatbreads, restores one's vitality and spirit with just one bowl

Looking at the Mongolian sitting between the humps and then glancing at the caravan of camels, Fan Xiaoshan's pupils constricted slightly as he forced a smile and clasped his hands, saying: "Are you about to head out, esteemed guest?"

As for the common people, it is merely a change of emperor; even if Hong Taiji were to come to the Central Plains as emperor, it would be better than a Zhu family emperor

Fan Xiaoshan looked deeply at Wang Dengku and said in a low voice: "Who has given you such ample confidence"

In the present Ming Dynasty, the emperor's governance is negligent, being overly lenient with the scholars and excessively strict with the common people. The farmers, unable to endure the tyranny, rise in rebellion one after another, creating a tumultuous situation akin to boiling water. When the east is suppressed, the west rises; when the west is suppressed, the east rises again. It is only a matter of time before this lid can no longer be held down.

Fan Xiaoshan let out a cold laugh and said: "You dare to trade with the camel driver I rejected; I think it is best for you to be the backbone of this operation!"

Wang Dengku said: "We are merchants!"

The sun has unknowingly risen higher, and the sunlight selflessly shines upon everyone, even Wang Dengku and Fan Xiaoshan are joyfully basking in the sunlight.

Wang Dengku laughed and said: "Nowadays, my eyes can only hold silver; as for the Emperor of the Zhu family, he cannot fit into my gaze."

The Mongolian man snorted, offering no response, and did not halt his caravan, swaying gently as he continued toward the direction of the rising sun

Having not closed his eyes for an entire night, Fan Xiaoshan stepped over the threshold and exhaled a long breath of turbid air while gazing at the winter morning sun