“What method?”
Qing Mulan quickly pressed.
“Still that same saying, in war you should try to restrain the enemy’s strengths as much as possible, while maximising your own strengths to the utmost.”
Jin Feng countered with a question: “Think about it, what are the advantages and disadvantages between you and the bandits?”
“Our advantages are advanced weapons and combat power superior to the bandits, our disadvantage is unfamiliarity with the terrain.”
Qing Mulan showed a thoughtful expression: “And the bandits are exactly the opposite of us, they are extremely familiar with the local terrain, yet they cannot beat us.”
“Since you understand, why do you still want to use your own shortcomings to compete with the enemy’s strengths?”
Jin Feng said: “The bandits have all hidden in the mountains, why do you still bother with them? If blitzkrieg works, then change to another place and do it again!”
“Sir, do you mean to ignore them and go attack bandits in other counties?”
Qing Mulan asked: “But wouldn’t that be equivalent to bowing to the bandits?”
“What do you mean by bowing to the bandits?”
Jin Feng glanced at Qing Mulan: “Don’t forget what your original intention was, you led people to various places, not to seek revenge in the jianghu, nor to target a specific group of bandits and fight to the death, but to deter everywhere so that they no longer collect annual tribute!”
The person involved is confused, the bystander sees clearly, one sentence awakened the dreamer.
Qing Mulan was suddenly stunned.
Yes, why must she waste military funds and time to deadlock with a few groups of bandits, they have drilled into the mountains, just go find the next group of bandits.
“Besides, even if you really can’t stand these few bandit groups, you shouldn’t circle with them in the mountains.”
Jin Feng continued: “There aren’t many mountain tops suitable for bandits to use as lairs, after you leave, the bandits will very likely go back to continue occupying the mountain tops, you leave some informants, then find an opportunity to secretly kill a carbine, wouldn’t that be more effective?”
“I understand!”
Qing Mulan asked: “Then where does sir think I should attack next?”
“Go to the study, there is a topographic map there.”
Jin Feng stood up and took Qing Mulan to the study.
The two discussed in the study until dark, ending only when Guan Xiaorou came to call for dinner.
Jin Feng looked at the backs of Qing Mulan and Guan Xiaorou leaving, sighing slightly in his heart.
The supporters behind the bandits are basically local gentry, representing the interests of local gentry, like a tumour, now this tumour has grown, deeply rooted in the flesh and blood of Da Kang.
Even if the emperor is determined to dig out this tumour, it will have to go through severe pain, even brewing great disaster.
Qing Mulan has five thousand men under her, sounds like a lot, enough to guard a city or a place, but for the vast Xichuan, it seems inadequate.
But doing nothing, the tumour will only grow bigger.
Qing Mulan’s bandit suppression this time is like a chemotherapy, may not eradicate the tumour, but can delay the condition a bit, curb the development of the tumour from the local area.
And what Jin Feng can do is to enhance the efficacy as much as possible.
Busy all day, Jin Feng was already starving, front chest sticking to back.
As a result, just arriving at the dining room, Da Liu came again to say Zheng Fang had arrived.
In his previous life, after becoming familiar with the boss, he often heard him complain about being too tired.
At that time, Jin Feng cursed him in his heart for being pretentious, someone who accompanies clients to eat, drink and visit clubs every day, why complain about being tired?
But now he somewhat understood the boss’s mood.
There are really too many things, can’t even eat a meal in peace.
But Zheng Fang coming at this time must have something, Jin Feng couldn’t not see him.
“Let him come here.”
According to the rules, now that it’s dark, letting Zheng Fang into the inner courtyard is inappropriate.
But Jin Feng never cares about these, the several women in the family also have their own careers and are used to it.
Soon, Da Liu brought Zheng Fang in.
“Old Zheng, have you eaten?” Jin Feng pointed to an empty seat: “Eat some together.”
“No need, I came after eating.”
Zheng Fang waved his hand and said: “Sir, the rock salt you wanted has arrived at the dock, I came to ask how to handle it?”
Most of Da Kang’s edible salt is obtained by sun-drying seawater, not only low efficiency, but also from the seaside to inland provinces like Xichuan, the journey is very far.
So the price of salt has always been high.
But after Jin Feng obtained the salt production and sales qualification, he immediately thought of salt mines.
Many years ago, the Chuan Shu area was still an ocean, later through geological movements, it became land.
This process was slow, in the process of sea-land change, some huge amounts of seawater gathered in sea basins evaporated, then slowly formed salt mines.
Chuan Shu area has exceptionally rich mineral salt resources, Zigong and Wanxian are world-famous mineral salt production areas.
But Jinchuan is located in northern Chuan, far from both places, and Chuan Shu has many mountains, transporting mineral salt from both places is really not cost-effective.
In the backward transportation conditions of Da Kang, water transport is undoubtedly the lowest cost transportation method.
So after Jin Feng decided to use mineral salt, he immediately had Zheng Fang send people to search upwards along the Jialing River.
At the same time, send people to start building salt production workshops.
Chuan Shu is one of the terrains most prone to forming salt mines, not only Zigong and Wanxian have salt mines, other places also have.
The people sent by Zheng Fang only took less than half a month to find one more than a hundred li away.
Jin Feng specially went to see it, the salt mine met his requirements in all aspects, although the scale is not as good as Zigong and Wanxian, but enough for him to mine for many years.
The most important is that this salt mine is very close to the Jialing River, send the mineral salt to the ship, then downstream, less than half a day to reach Jinchuan dock.
This salt mine is still within Guangyuan County, Jin Feng went to the county city the next day, found the county guard and bought several mountain tops near the salt mine.
Then immediately had Guan Zhuzi take people to prepare preliminary work.
“So fast?”
Jin Feng put down his chopsticks.
Guan Zhuzi only took more than ten people, he originally thought it would be next month before sending mineral salt back.
“Money makes things easy, Brother Zhuzi was afraid you were anxious, spent money to hire many young strong workers locally.”
Zheng Fang explained: “If not for finding ships wasting some time, it would have arrived a few days ago.”
“Then send to Shuangtuofeng first.”
Jin Feng thought and said.
Now the several bandit lairs he occupied have all been put to use.
Maomao Mountain and Hutou Mountain are places to train new soldiers, Tieguan Mountain is responsible for producing soap, Heishuigou’s coal mine runs day and night, Shuangtuofeng is closest to the Jialing River, Jin Feng set the salt field there.
“Sir, you wouldn’t want to use mineral salt to produce salt yourself, right?”
After Zheng Fang left, Qing Mulan stared with wide eyes and asked.
She has been busy with bandit suppression outside recently, rarely comes back, still didn’t know Jin Feng was going to produce salt.
“Yes, is there any problem?” Jin Feng asked.
“Big problem!” Qing Mulan put down her chopsticks: “Do you know mineral salt is poisonous, it will kill people if eaten!”
