On the issue of Zheng Zhilong, Chongzhen did not want to resolve it using traditional force.

He was not afraid of war, but he didn't want to.

Once the war breaks out, the three provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Guangdong adjacent to Fujian will be affected.

If the commotion gets out of hand, Southern Zhili will also be affected.

These places are important tax collection areas for the imperial court.

According to the tax data of the sixth year of Wanli.

Zhejiang's taxes account for 9.4 percent of the country's total taxes.

Jiangxi’s tax revenue accounts for 10.4 percent.

Taxes in Southern Zhili accounted for 22 percent.

Guangdong also accounts for nearly 3 percent.

The combined taxes from the four places accounted for half of the Ming Dynasty, so Chongzhen had to pay attention to it.

Since we cannot use force, economic warfare is the first choice.

There are many methods of economic warfare, and Chongzhen believes that trade war is the most feasible.

If you want to start a trade war, you not only need strong capital, but also enough businessmen to participate in it.

He used soap to win over some powerful businessmen, and now he used the flying shuttle loom to tie down some of the businessmen.

With their help, Chongzhen's chances of winning will be greatly increased.

But that’s not enough.

While Zhang Tongchang was recruiting merchants in Southern Zhili, Chongzhen also asked Li Banghua to recruit merchants in Jiangxi.

Historically, Jiangxi merchants were also known as the Jiangyou Merchants Gang.

Jiangxi is rich in resources, not only in grain and tea, but also in developed handicraft industries such as ceramics, papermaking, cloth, and wood.

With the material foundation and convenient transportation, Jiangxi merchants have emerged on a large scale since the Song Dynasty, and the Jiangyou merchant group has prospered.

But they are facing new challenges.

Jishui County, Jiangxi Province.

In the residence of former Prime Minister Li Banghua, a group of wealthy businessmen are confessing their experiences to Li Banghua.

"It should be a happy event for the minister to retire and return home, but it is a disaster for us."

"Yes, Lord, after you retired and returned to your hometown, there were no people from Jiangxi among the six ministers in the court. The Jiangyou business group was repeatedly restricted in doing business in various places. It's so unfair!"

Li Banghua was in a bad mood.

He originally wanted to take this opportunity to enjoy his old age, but not long after he returned to his hometown, he was visited by businessmen from Jiangxi.

Li Banghua half-lay on the rattan chair and frowned: "Is it as serious as you say?"

"Yes!" A businessman stood up. "Take ceramics as an example. Jiangxi is rich in ceramics in Raozhou, Fuzhou, Nankang, Nanchang, Ji'an and other places. Before, they were all controlled by Jiangxi businessmen. Now, Nanzhili businessmen, Jiangsu and Zhejiang businessmen, and Huguang businessmen have begun to get involved."

"There is also tea. Previously, all tea produced in Jiangxi was controlled by our Jiangxi merchants. However, since the early years of my dynasty, Fuliang tea has been controlled by Nanzhili merchants, and Wuyishan tea has been jointly controlled by Nanzhili and Shanxi merchants."

"We own two famous tea producing areas for nothing, but we can't make any money."

"Industries such as papermaking, medicinal materials, and grain are also being eroded bit by bit. In another fifty years, I'm afraid our Jiangyou business group will disappear under the wheel of history."

Li Banghua raised his head in confusion: "Are you not good enough at learning? You are all businessmen, and you have the advantage of the location, so how can you not be able to compete with businessmen from other provinces?"

Merchant Li Xue bowed and said, "Your Excellency may not know that the Jiangyou Merchants have the advantage of having a large number of members, a wide range of activities, and a wide range of commodities involved. However, they are small in scale and capital, so they cannot do large-scale business."

"Especially for commodities like tea, salt, and cloth, which require a lot of capital turnover, the Jiangyou merchants can't handle it."

Li Banghua was even more confused: "Merchants from other provinces will do?"

"Okay." Li Xue cupped his hands again. "Take the merchants in Nanzhili as an example. Most of their business groups are formed by people of the same clan. Their capital and manpower are stronger than our Jiangyou business group."

"You can also raise funds from your clan!" Li Banghua said unhappily.

"This..." Li Xue was a little embarrassed.

A businessman nearby explained: "We Jiangxi businessmen have a characteristic: many of them die after leaving Jiangxi and never return."

This sentence means that after Jiangxi merchants leave their hometown, they rarely contact their fellow townsmen, and the corresponding relationship will become alienated. Without the connection of clan ties, the partnership business will neither last long nor be successful.

Li Xue took over the conversation and continued, "The most important point is that business cannot avoid government and officials. Maintaining relationships with officials requires a lot of money. There are many small and medium-sized businessmen in Jiangxi, but only a few big and powerful businessmen, so there are not many relationships that can be maintained."

Li Banghua nodded.

Since he became the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, Jiangxi businessmen have given him many gifts.

Except for a few big businessmen who gave expensive gifts, the gifts given by other businessmen were more shabby than each other.

"How do you want me to help you?" Li Banghua asked, half lying on a rattan chair.

Li Xue said softly, "As the saying goes, it's easier to get things done with someone in the court. What we want is to ask the elder to help introduce one or two important officials in the court to us as our backers. We don't ask for anything else. If there are good things, please think of us, the Jiangyou Merchants. If there are bad things, just let us know in advance."

Li Banghua raised his eyelids and said, "Is this all your ambitions?"

Li Xue looked around and smiled bitterly: "Jiangxi is a land of fish and rice. It is not difficult to have enough food. Many merchants who left their hometowns just wanted to get a little rich, but they don't have the ambition to be rich."

"This..." Li Banghua began to hesitate.

Chongzhen asked him to find businessmen to go to Fujian to compete. Do these people meet the requirements?

"What's wrong with the Lord?" Li Xue noticed something unusual.

Li Banghua did not hide anything and said directly: "An acquaintance came to me the day before yesterday. He had money but no one, so he asked me to introduce a few caravans to go to Fujian to do business together in three months."

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