Haigucheng.
Liang Dahai had posted notices for recruiting artisans throughout the city, and at the same time, he hired Goryeo people to spread this news everywhere within Goryeo territory.
A month had passed since the signing of the “Haigucheng Treaty,” and in this month, he had been thriving in Goryeo. Now, Goryeo officials also treated him with utmost respect.
However, it was also because of this treaty that the number of merchants in Haigucheng suddenly increased. Now, the streets of Haigucheng were filled with Great Yu Empire merchants.
And some merchants even began to buy street-facing shops in Haigucheng for their own use and started to make contact with Goryeo merchants.
These unusual circumstances made him realize that the contents of the Haigucheng Treaty must have already spread in Qingzhou Province, otherwise these merchants wouldn’t have come sniffing around.
As he was watching these merchants with hostility, Ye Qingyun arrived beside him, protected by two soldiers.
“Liang Dahai, why are you wandering alone on the street? Don’t you know that Great Yu Empire merchants in Haigucheng are being attacked by Goryeo people?” Ye Qingyun frowned.
After the “Haigucheng Treaty” was signed, Haigucheng appeared calm, but in the shadows, some Goryeo people hostile to the Great Yu Empire were seeking opportunities for revenge.
During this period, some merchants had their property stolen, and some were even directly assassinated.
This situation naturally gave him, the de facto ruler of Haigucheng, a headache. Now he realized that occupying a foreign city was not easy.
“Who dares!” Liang Dahai grinned, the scar on his face exceptionally terrifying. “These Goryeo only dare to bully unarmed merchants. When they meet me, they’ll just piss their pants in fear.”
Ye Qingyun shook his head. “You’re right. If every merchant were like you, I wouldn’t have such a headache every day, alas.”
“Shouldn’t Li Cheng-jae be handling this matter?” Liang Dahai looked puzzled, seeing Ye Qingyun’s furrowed brow.
“That’s true, but Li Cheng-jae has no soldiers at his disposal, so I had to come. After all, I’m free anyway. Oh, by the way, how is your artisan recruitment going?” Ye Qingyun asked.
At the mention of this, Liang Dahai looked troubled. “Six thousand people have already been sent off. We still need to recruit twenty-four thousand more to finish.”
Ye Qingyun, hearing this, suddenly felt that his task was much easier than Liang Dahai’s.
As the two were speaking, a soldier walked towards them and said to Ye Qingyun, “General, the Qingzhou merchants have arrived.”
“They’ve finally come. If they didn’t, this place would be filled by other merchants,” Ye Qingyun said.
Liang Dahai then said, “I wonder who has arrived. Now I have a companion in Haigucheng.”
With that, the two went to the Haigucheng Official Residence, which was the temporary institution they had established in Haigucheng.
Upon arriving at the official residence, a slightly portly figure appeared beside the two. Ye Qingyun and Liang Dahai immediately smiled and said, “Chairman Li personally coming to Haigucheng shows how highly His Majesty values Goryeo.”
The newcomer was none other than Li Kaiyuan. With Goryeo officially opening trade ports and its market opening to the Great Yu Empire, there was no reason for the Chamber of Commerce not to participate.
“That’s natural. Merchants coming to Goryeo this time must have a travel permit from the Chamber of Commerce. So, General Ye, I hope you can expel any merchants without a permit from Haigucheng, lest it cause dissatisfaction among other merchants,” Li Kaiyuan said.
Merchants sought profit. Some merchants were already impatient even before the Goryeo situation was settled, and that was unacceptable to him.
The Emperor had personally told him before his departure that the actions of merchants must be restrained by the imperial court.
“Do you have an imperial edict?” Ye Qingyun would not mobilize troops based on Li Kaiyuan’s mere words. The army had its own rules.
“Of course I do. And this time, I’ve also brought you two a surprise.” With that, Li Kaiyuan handed a newspaper to Ye Qingyun.
Ye Qingyun and Liang Dahai exchanged glances. Their eyes immediately widened as they looked at the newspaper’s front page, exclaiming, “The steam locomotive is running!”
“That’s right. His Majesty specifically had me bring you this news,” Li Kaiyuan said. Currently, the hottest topic in Qingzhou Province was the steam locomotive, so much so that Xiao Ming’s promotion of chemical fertilizer among the common people had not caused any ripple.
Liang Dahai’s purpose in coming this time to conscript laborers was to build railways. He naturally understood steam locomotives. Holding the newspaper, he read it repeatedly, smiling broadly.
Then he slapped his thigh, “I must complete this labor recruitment as soon as possible, otherwise, it would be my fault if the railway laying is delayed.”
Ye Qingyun, on the other hand, read with great interest. As a military man, he naturally thought of war. “This thing runs faster than horses, and it can run day and night. This means it will only take a day or two from Qingzhou Province to Youzhou Province. More importantly, this thing can also transport grain and fodder, which will greatly reduce the number of commoners we need to conscript for logistics every time we fight a war.”
Li Kaiyuan nodded repeatedly. As discussed with Qingzhou officials and merchants, this steam locomotive was an omnipotent tool for the Great Yu Empire. Ordinary common people, merchants, and the army could all use it.
After excitedly talking about the steam locomotive for a while, Li Kaiyuan showed a mischievous smile. This time, His Majesty also had him bring a good money-making toy to Goryeo.
“What is it?” The two asked simultaneously. Their days in Haigucheng were truly boring, so they wanted to know everything.
Li Kaiyuan slowly said, “His Majesty wants me to open a large casino in Haigucheng and introduce some novel games there. I’ve brought all the necessary items this time. Once we find a location, we can open it to Goryeo’s merchants and nobles.”
Liang Dahai was a slave trafficker and naturally indulged in eating, drinking, and gambling. He had also looked for casinos when he arrived in Haigucheng. So he said, “What a coincidence! There’s a large gambling house in the middle of Haigucheng. Its owner fled during the Battle of Haigucheng. Now, this gambling house is empty; it’s perfect for a casino.”
Ye Qingyun also remembered. He said, “Indeed. This gambling house was formerly the private property of an official in Haigucheng. Now, it’s ours.”
Li Kaiyuan’s expression was excited. His purpose for coming this time was to plunder as much wealth as possible from Goryeo. Selling goods was one way, and lucrative industries like gambling naturally could not be neglected.
So he said, “If that’s the case, the Chamber of Commerce will requisition this gambling house. I’ve brought all the people needed to run the gambling house this time. We must make this gambling house the number one gambling house in Goryeo, bringing a continuous flow of silver to the Great Yu Empire. His Majesty said, ‘There’s no harm in trapping Goryeo’s silver.'”
Having settled this matter, Li Kaiyuan began to prepare for the large casino. In just four or five days, the games he had learned from Xiao Ming astonished Goryeo’s gamblers.