Moma Liangshan

Chapter 67 Jiaozhou Wu and Yue, each getting what they need

Inside a thatched hut at the Laoshan camp, Wang Hao, Di Chunqiu, Di Gongkao, Qin Guanhai, and others sat on wooden chairs. Wang Hao said, “Laoshan County is newly established, with no urban area, no market, no school, no county government office, and no treasury. Ports, shipyards, workshops, and schools are all still in the planning stages; the people are scattered in the mountains and fields, their household registrations are unfilled; although it is situated by the mountains and the sea, and its jurisdiction is vast, the roads are poor, and communication is difficult. This is our current situation!” Di Chunqiu said, “What you say, sir, is entirely true. However, the most important task at present is not large-scale construction, but winning over the hearts of the people and establishing the authority of the government.” Wang Hao agreed and said, “Please enlighten me, teacher!” Di Chunqiu said, “The soul of a city lies in its people, not its things. A hundred people gather to form a village, a thousand to form a town, ten thousand to form a county seat, and a hundred thousand to form a prefectural city. The future structure of Laoshan County depends entirely on how many people you can rally to its cause.” "The instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm is inherent in all things. Therefore, the most important task at present is to issue policies that benefit the people and attract their attention." Wang Hao nodded and said, "The establishment of the county government office can be postponed for now; the port construction must begin as soon as possible." Qin Guanhai said, "The port plan will be fully finalized in ten days. At that time, as long as there is sufficient manpower, construction can begin." Di Chunqiu said, "Fishermen are poor, with no surplus food, and their lives are in danger during famine years. However, the government is immoral, suppressing more than providing relief, so the resentment of the fishermen is far deeper than that of ordinary people. The manpower and resources required for port construction are enormous. If we use the government to conscript labor without compensation, although it can save a lot of money, it will probably further alienate the people. Therefore, in my opinion, we should recruit people with compensation!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "That's the way to go!"

Di Chunqiu was very satisfied with Wang Hao's reaction and continued, "Recently, I sent people to survey Hongdao. There are over a hundred fishing villages of various sizes, with a population of over 40,000. After consulting local county records, it is known that the population of Qingdao and Huangdao is no less than that of Hongdao. Therefore, it can be inferred that the population of Jiaozhou is over 100,000. Coastal fishermen and inland farmers have been at odds since ancient times, making it difficult for aquatic products and seafood to enter the inland areas, and rice, millet, and silk to enter the coastal areas. When recruiting laborers, we should compensate them with grain, cloth, and other goods." Di Chunqiu's suggestion was in line with Wang Hao's previous assumptions, and he said, "Summon Chen Song and Zhang Sangou to come and discuss matters!" A moment later, the two arrived. Wang Hao asked, "If I were to ask you two to join forces and handle a situation on your own, would you have the courage?" Chen Song replied confidently, "As long as you give me the reins, I, Chen Song, will certainly not fail in my mission!" Zhang Sangou added, "I will obey your orders, Young Master!" Wang Hao said, "I want to establish a trading company specializing in essential goods such as grain, cloth, and other necessities. Chen Song will be the head manager, fully responsible for daily operations; Zhang Sangou will be the chief accountant, specifically responsible for financial oversight." Chen Song looked at Zhang Sangou and said, "I have no objections!" Zhang Sangou looked at Wang Hao and said, "Your subordinate obeys!" Wang Hao continued, "Select ten key personnel from within the camp, and then draft a development plan for the next year, submitting it to me for approval within ten days." At this point, Zhang Sangou said, "I have a question that I don't understand!" Wang Hao said, "Please speak freely!" Zhang Sangou asked, "Why does Young Master want to establish this trading company?" Wang Hao replied, "To safeguard the people's livelihood!" Zhang Sangou only vaguely understood, looking confused. Chen Song said, "Merchants are cunning, and many are speculators who drive up prices, causing immense suffering for the people! If a merchant guild were directly controlled by you, young master, it would prevent farmers from being hurt by cheap grain in good years and prevent grain prices from skyrocketing in famine years. Isn't that right?" Wang Hao nodded and said, "You hit the nail on the head!" Chen Song looked smug and said, "If you want to rely on a merchant guild to regulate prices, that guild must be large enough!" He then looked at Wang Hao, who agreed and said, "As long as you can demonstrate sufficient ability, I will give you my full support!" Chen Song said, "I will certainly not disappoint you, young master!"

Ten days later, Chen Song presented Wang Hao with the business plan. After carefully reading it, Wang Hao was quite surprised and said, "You want me to reclaim the right to purchase raw materials from the Eight Immortals Winery, and entrust all the necessary grain and fodder to the business?" Chen Song nodded and said, "The people pay taxes in copper coins and silver, not grain. Every harvest season, grain prices are always at their lowest. Therefore, whether it's a bumper harvest or a famine, the people's lives have never truly been good. Eight Immortals Wine is famous throughout the world, and wealthy merchants are willing to spend fortunes to buy it. Right now, for the newly established business to gain a foothold, obtaining the exclusive supply rights to the Eight Immortals Winery is the simplest solution." "The method," Wang Hao said, "Both the trading company and the winery are my businesses. Giving the exclusive supply rights for Baxian Wine to the trading company might temporarily help it gain a foothold, but for me, wouldn't that be like handing over wealth from my left hand to my right?" Chen Song shook his head and said, "Not at all! Forty percent of the shares in Baxian Winery are about to be auctioned off by you, young master. Adding to the ten percent shares previously bought by the Li family, only half of Baxian Winery's shares remain in your hands. By giving the exclusive supply rights to Baxian Winery to the trading company, you will exercise one hundred percent of the power with only half the shares."

Wang Hao agreed with Chen Song's view, saying, "The people's suffering lies in the fact that grain prices are controlled by wealthy merchants, leaving them at the mercy of others. The supply of Baxian wine is insufficient, and the pricing power is entirely in our hands. If we could link grain prices to wine prices, it would indeed help maintain grain price stability." Chen Song said, "Qingzhou City is the capital of Jingdong East Circuit, and Jinan Prefecture is the largest grain-producing area in Jingdong East Circuit. The combined population of the two places is a hundred times that of Laoshan County. Jiaozhou faces Wu and Yue across the sea. Once the sea route is open, silk and veils from Suzhou and Hangzhou can directly enter Jiaozhou. Therefore, Jiaozhou, though seemingly remote, is actually well-connected. However, Jiaozhou's disadvantage lies in its scarce arable land and lack of workshops. The coastal people have no other way out but to risk their lives at sea to catch fish and shrimp. In my opinion, Young Master..." "We should emulate the Wu and Yue regions and repair the seawalls. Within a few years, the entire coastline will become fertile land. At the same time, we should establish workshops, both to meet the daily needs of the people and to balance the economy of Laoshan." Wang Hao smiled and said, "What you say is excellent, but it's not the most pressing matter. It will take three to five years to implement. I will grant you the exclusive supply rights to the Eight Immortals Winery. In addition, every township within Laoshan County should have a branch of the trading company. The trading company's current priority is in the countryside, not in the city. The reason I've decided to establish a trading company is because I need it to serve as a bridge of communication and a guarantee of credibility between the county government and the people." Chen Song agreed, bowed, and turned to leave.

Liu Hong was extremely efficient; news of the auction of the Baxian Winery's shares reached Wuyue twenty days later. Lü Shinang met Fang La with a notice in hand. After reading the notice, Fang La said, "In your opinion, is this Baxian Winery just bluffing?" Lü Shinang shook his head and said, "Wang Hao likes to ask for exorbitant prices; bluffing isn't his style." Fang La was surprised and said, "You know him well?" Lü Shinang shook his head again and said, "We were strangers before, and haven't been in contact since our last parting, but Wang Hao hasn't broken his promise to us, and the cooperation has been very pleasant." Fang La nodded and said, "Is he a man of his word?" Lü Shinang replied, "Exactly!" At this moment, Wang Yin spoke up, "Jiangnan is prosperous, and Baxian wine is refreshing and perfectly suited to the tastes of wealthy families. Moreover, our spies in Dongjing have sent word that the Emperor's new establishment of Laoshan..." The county rebuilt the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office with the aim of establishing sea routes to communicate with the Jurchens and launch a pincer attack on the Liao Dynasty. If Wang Hao successfully establishes communication with the Jurchens, the imperial army will surely march north to attack the Liao, leaving the heartland of the Central Plains and Jiangnan vulnerable. At that time, the Holy Duke can raise his arm and start an uprising in the Wu and Yue regions; who can stop him? Lü Shinang also chimed in, "Once the Song and Liao Dynasties go to war, the imperial army of a million will be tied down in the Youyun region and unable to move. And negotiating peace will not be something that can be accomplished overnight. At that time, the Holy Duke can personally lead his army like a tiger descending the mountain and sweep across the Jiangdong region. He can either change the dynasty or establish a separatist regime." Fang La was in high spirits and said, "In that case, helping Wang Hao ascend to the throne would be of great benefit to us?" Wang Yin and Lü Shinang both nodded in agreement.

After a moment, Wang Yin continued, "The reason Wang Hao is auctioning off the shares of the Eight Immortals Winery again is because the imperial court hasn't allocated a single copper coin or grain to Jiaozhou." Fang La frowned and said, "Is Wang Hao truly so loyal to the country, willing to exhaust his wealth?" Lü Shinang replied, "Although I haven't known Wang Hao well, he is by no means blindly loyal, and he has poor relations with all the ministers in the court." Fang La looked at Wang Yin and asked, "Is that so?" Wang Yin nodded and said, Wang Hao seemed to obey only the emperor. Even in Laoshan County, the emperor had specially decreed that the Three Departments and Six Ministries were not allowed to interfere, and all matters had to be reported directly to the palace. There was a saying in the Dongjing (Kaifeng) official circles that Wang Hao was the lowest-ranking powerful minister. Fang La repeated, "The lowest-ranking powerful minister?" Wang Yin nodded and said, "Exactly! Wang Hao held three positions: Imperial Diarist, Magistrate of Laoshan County, and Commander of the Palace Guards. Of these three positions, the highest-ranking Imperial Diarist was only a sixth-rank official, and a largely honorary one at that." The position of magistrate of Laoshan County is substantive, but it's only a seventh-rank official position. Moreover, Laoshan County has no county seat or government office; it's essentially a collection of over a hundred fishing villages, utterly desolate. Even so, Grand Tutor Cai Jing and Grand Commandant Gao Qiu, despite their repeated alliances, have been completely helpless! Fang La coldly laughed and said, "Wang Hao is the emperor's vanguard in expanding the territory. He is neither from a prestigious family nor affiliated with any faction. If the court successfully recovers Youyun, it will be Zhao Ji who goes down in history. If the court's million-strong army suffers a crushing defeat, they can simply kill him..." "Let Wang Hao be the scapegoat," Wang Yin agreed, saying, "Wang Hao's fate is none of our concern, but whether the imperial army of a million men marches north to attack Liao is crucial to us. Therefore, I formally suggest that Your Majesty support Wang Hao." Fang La nodded, saying, "We have people in Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Mingzhou; we'll take all the shares in these three places. We don't need to be stingy with money; we can raise the price as much as we want. This matter will be handled entirely by Lü Shinang, with the main altar allocating two million strings of cash for his allocation."