Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 465: Having enough food and clothing is what people want

The distance from Zhangjiakou to Guihua City is only 300 kilometers.

Today, the speed of railway construction in the Tang Dynasty has reached almost fifty kilometers per month.

Three hundred kilometers can be completed in about half a year.

Upon hearing this, Chechen Khan nodded slightly with satisfaction.

Then he walked towards the construction site. After Chechen Khan entered the site, the workers stopped what they were doing and greeted him.

"Meet the Khan!"

"Great Khan Jinan!"

"..."

These workers include some skilled workers from the interior.

Among the remaining workers, a considerable number were people from various tribes in northern Mobei, naturally including the Chechen Khanate.

When building the Zhangbei Railway, the construction plan set by the Tang Dynasty was that the imperial court would provide the technology, Shanxi merchants would provide the funds, and the various tribes in Mobei would provide the workers. The three parties would work together to build this railway connecting the interior of the country and Mobei.

The reason why manpower from the various tribes in northern Mobei was mobilized to build the railway was because the manpower from the various tribes in northern Mobei was relatively cheap.

The more important reason is actually to arrange work for the various tribes in Mobei.

Li Yi always understood that if one wanted to stabilize a place, relying solely on military suppression and political tactics would only be a temporary solution and not a fundamental solution.

Using religion for management is nothing but a temporary solution.

It may be effective in the short term, but it certainly won’t work in the long run.

If you want to completely stabilize a place and make it feel at home, the truly effective way is to develop the economy.

By developing the economy, we can provide more jobs and better living conditions for more people.

To give the most simple example, if everyone in a place has a wife, children and a warm bed, then no one in this place will rebel.

The same goes for the tribes in northern Mobei!
As long as the Tang Dynasty can provide them with stable jobs and better living conditions, Mobei will naturally be stable.

Under such circumstances, if a Khan wanted to rebel against the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty would not even need to send troops to quell the rebellion. These people with stable lives could tie up the rebellious Khan themselves and ask for surrender from the Tang Dynasty.

What is the aspiration of the people?
Having enough food and clothing and living a good life are what people want most!
Building railways was the first long-term and stable job that the Tang Dynasty provided to the tribes in northern Mobei.

Chechen Khan inspected the construction site and looked very satisfied as he saw the workers working hard.

Although the Chechen Khan knew that once the Tang Dynasty built the railway to the northern desert.

Then, Mobei will be completely controlled by the Tang Dynasty.

For him, the Khan, it is impossible to gain autonomy.

From now on, he can only be a loyal dog of the Tang Dynasty.

But that's not important!
Because Chechen Khan knew better that when the court paid wages to railway workers, the wages would first pass through him.

The benefits here are quite staggering.

The railway had just been under construction for a few months when Chechen Khan bought himself a new car and a large house in the capital.

You know, Datang's automobile industry is just starting out, the industry scale is not large, and the production capacity is not high.

At most, we can produce about a hundred vehicles a month!
If you want to get a car at this time, you either have strong connections or you have to pay more.

As for the Chechen Khan, it certainly has nothing to do with relationships.

To put it bluntly, he got the car by paying more money.

Moreover, with the development of the real estate industry, housing prices in the capital of the Tang Dynasty are also rising steadily.

The Chechen Khan also spent a lot of money to take over the mansion.

It is conceivable how much he made from building the railway.

Therefore, the Chechen Khan, who was fed with real money, no longer cared about the Tang Dynasty building a railway to the northern desert.

……

After a busy morning, the gongs and drums sounded, signaling that it was time for dinner.

The workers put down their tools and walked towards the canteen to line up for meals.

Batu stood in the queue with a bowl and chopsticks in his hands and stretched.

Many parts of his body were obviously sore due to the high-intensity labor, but his face was full of smiles.

Because, although the work on the railway construction site is tiring, it is long-term and stable, with a guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, and the pay is also pretty good.

Free food and accommodation, and one silver dollar a month, this treatment seemed quite good to Batu.

You know, when he was herding sheep for the nobles in the tribe, the nobles only provided him with food, but he did not receive any wages.

Even if a natural disaster or man-made calamity occurred and the cattle and sheep he herded fell sick and died, he would still be whipped.

Soon, the line for food reached Batu.

Batu walked forward with his bowl, and the chef scooped a large spoonful of potato and cabbage stew with shredded meat, as well as two multi-grain pancakes as big as half a head, into his bowl.

Holding the bowl, Batu squatted down in a random place and started to eat lunch.

Batu took a bite of pancake and a bite of vegetable and ate them with great relish.

Although these foods are not exquisite, they are large in quantity and filling.

Although there are a number of multi-grain cakes and vegetables, in addition to these, there are also cornmeal porridge and boiled potatoes.

If you don’t have enough to eat, you can get more of these things.

Eat until full!

Compared with the days on the grassland in the past when we were hungry one day and full the next, it was not bad now that we could occasionally eat meat when important people came to inspect.

At least, Batu is very satisfied with his current life.

Batu finished the food he had served in just a few bites, even licking the bottom of the bowl clean. He stood up and loosened his belt.

In an instant, Batu, who was originally full, felt that he could eat a little more.

He walked towards the place where food was served, and got himself a bowl of cornmeal porridge and a boiled potato.

Just as he was slurping the cornmeal porridge, his old friend Su Ke ran over and said.

"Batu, do you have any money?"

Suke came to Batu with a flattering smile on his face and said with a hint of expectation in his tone.

Upon hearing this, Batu stopped eating and looked at Suke with obvious wariness.

"This month's salary hasn't been paid yet, and I don't have any money."

"What are you going to do?"

Su Ke rubbed his hands and then spoke.

"Stop lying, Batu, you must be rich."

"I've heard from people that when they get paid, they go out to eat something good, improve their food, or take care of the business of prostitutes."

"You are the only one who saves your wages, eats and drinks at the construction site, never leaves the house, and never spends anything."

"You must be rich!"

"Lend me some!"

Batu's face looked obviously unhappy when he heard this.

"I have money, but it's my money. What does it have to do with you?"

"I also need to save money to buy some lambs for the Chinese New Year so that my family can have a stable livelihood in the future."

Batu used to be a shepherd for a noble lord. Although he now works on a construction site, he still remembers his old job.

I plan to save some money and buy a few lambs when I go home for the New Year to prepare for the future.

Batu has a good skill in herding sheep. As long as he is given a few lambs, he can have a flock of sheep in a few years.

By then, wouldn't Batu's life be prosperous?
Also, the reason why Batu refused to lend money to Suke was not because he was stingy.

It was because he knew that Su Ke had developed a bad habit and had started to gamble like others.

If you lend money to a gambler, what's the difference between that and throwing a meat bun at a dog?
It's worse than hitting a dog with a meat bun. At least the dog will wag its tail at you after eating your meat bun.

And what about gamblers?

He will only blame the fact that you didn't lend him enough money for his inability to turn the situation around.

Even, they won’t stop until they’ve squeezed you dry.

Therefore, Batu was unwilling to lend money to Suke.

Su Ke heard this and continued.

"Batu, lend me the money. When I win at the casino, I will return the money to you with interest."

"Ok?"

Batu just shook his head when he heard this.

"no!"

"No borrowing!"

"Suke, stop gambling. Work hard and save some money to buy some lambs and calves for your family, or buy some flowered cloth to make some new clothes for your wife and children. Isn't that good?"

"The goods in Zhangjiakou are much cheaper than what we bought in Mobei before. Wouldn't it be nice to buy some things to bring back to your family while you're working here?"

Zhangjiakou is an important port connecting the interior and the exterior of the country. A large amount of commercial goods gather here, with an extremely rich variety of commodities and prices that are not too high.

Well, at least it is much cheaper than what Shanxi merchants used to sell in Mobei.

Facing Batu's admonition, Suke showed a disdainful expression.

"How much money can you save just by working for others?"

"You can't live a good life even if you work yourself to death!"

"How can I make money faster than gambling?"

"When you shake the dice, guess what, your money will double!"

“Only by gambling can you make money and change your destiny!”

Suk has become accustomed to the easy money of gambling.

I don't want to work hard anymore!

As he said this, his eyes were full of fanaticism.

Upon hearing this, Batu asked back directly.

"So, where's your money?"

"Where is your doubled money?"

Su Ke's expression froze when he heard this, but he still tried to argue. "I...wasn't that just bad luck?"

"I accidentally lost the money I won before."

"But don't worry, I've just gone to the Lama Temple to ask the master to pray for my fortune."

"If you lend me the money, I can definitely turn the tables this time. I can definitely win back all the money I lost before, including the principal and interest."

Upon hearing this, Batu couldn't help but complain in his heart that Suke was beyond saving.

So I ignored him and turned around to rest.

When Su Ke saw this, he looked visibly annoyed.

"Batu, why don't you lend me money?"

"Are you jealous of my luck and don't want me to turn things around and make money, so you don't lend me the money?!"

"I didn't expect that after knowing each other for such a long time, you, Batu, would be such a person."

"I see right through you!"

Batu's face twitched noticeably when he heard that, and he shouted coldly.

"roll!"

"disappear as far as you can!"

"It's fine that you lost all your money in gambling, but you also want to harm me. What are your intentions?!"

Upon hearing this, Su Ke instantly became furious, his face turned pale and blue, and he stepped forward to beat Batu.

He punched Batu in the face.

Batu was not the type to act recklessly and was not one to suffer a loss. He immediately threw the bowl and chopsticks in his hands at Suke.

Then, the two of them started fighting.

The dull thud of fists hitting flesh continued to be heard as the fists hit each other.

This caught the attention of Chechen Khan, who was inspecting the construction site.

Chechen Khan, along with the construction site manager who was accompanying him on the inspection, rushed to the place where Batu and Suke were fighting.

"doing what?"

"What are you doing? Stop it, don't hit me anymore!"

"Quick, pull him away immediately!"

When the person in charge saw this scene, his face immediately turned dark.

My goodness, fighting on the construction site he was in charge of, and fighting when there were people inspecting.

Isn't this a slap in his face?

The person in charge immediately ordered the workers who were watching the fight to step forward and separate Batu and Sukla who were fighting.

Only then did the Chechen Khan step forward and ask what had happened.

Wearing sunglasses and holding a cigar, the Chechen Khan acted like a great Khan and asked Batu and Sukdao in front of him.

"Why are you fighting?"

"But have you been treated unfairly on the construction site? If so, please tell me."

"Whether you are members of my Chechen Khanate or not, I, the Great Khan, will make the decision for you."

In Chechen Khan's opinion, the fight between the two men was most likely due to the poor food on the construction site, and they fought over food.

In order to win people's hearts, he immediately stepped forward and took the responsibility to seek justice for the two.

Although Batu and Suke had just fought in a fit of passion, they both calmed down when the Chechen Khan appeared in front of them.

The reason is simple. Although he is not a member of the Chechen Khanate, he grew up in the northern desert and the majesty of the Khan has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

When the Khan appeared in front of them, the two men began to tremble involuntarily.

"Report...Report to the Khan..."

Batu, who felt that he was not in the wrong, spoke first and explained what had just happened.

Then, Chechen Khan's face suddenly changed and became a little unnatural.

Because the casino on this construction site is closely related to Chechen Khan.

The reason why Chechen Khan was able to buy a car and a house in just a few months was not just because he relied on being a black intermediary and the wages of black workers.

He also opened a casino and a brothel on the construction site to make a profit.

So, after hearing that the two people in front of him were fighting because of gambling, he instantly felt ashamed and his face turned gloomy.

Upon seeing this, the person in charge immediately came to the rescue of the Chechen Khan.

"No matter what you're fighting about, fighting is wrong."

"Just wait for your punishment!"

As he spoke, the person in charge turned around and instructed a worker.

"Go to the police station right away and ask for a policeman."

"Push the man away!"

After saying this, the person in charge turned around and glared at Batu and Suke, with a strong warning look in his eyes.

Although he knew that Batu was innocent in this incident.

If we want to send them to the police station, we shouldn't send both of them. I think it's enough to send Su Ke alone.

However, he planned to send both of them to the police station for punishment.

The reason for this is that the person in charge intends to make an example of someone.

In the eyes of the person in charge, it doesn’t matter whether the matter is right or wrong.

What’s more important is that he needs to make an example of someone to scare the monkeys so as to prevent further fights from happening on the construction site.

You know, almost all the people on this railway construction site are young and strong laborers. If there was a fight like this, he would not deal with it seriously.

I’m afraid that more people will follow suit in the future.

By then, this construction site will be impossible to manage.

Therefore, this time, he must make an example of someone and deal seriously with both people involved in the fight.

As for whether Batu was wronged?
Well, let’s put it this way, in the eyes of those in power, stability always comes first.

In the face of overall stability, it doesn’t matter whether an individual is wronged or not.

Because what the person in power needs is overall stability to facilitate management, rather than the so-called justice.

In the eyes of those in power, so-called justice is the least valuable thing.

For the sake of overall stability, it is not a big deal to let someone down.

Therefore, many times, when those in higher positions deal with things, they actually allocate them according to the level of noise.

……

Batu and Suke were taken away by patrolmen from the police station.

Put him in the detention room.

It’s the same detention room!

The two men sat on either side of the detention room, looking at each other from time to time, and the air was filled with solemnity.

It was obvious that both of them disliked each other.

However, the person had already been locked up in the detention room and did not dare to cause any trouble.

Otherwise, the two of them would probably continue to fight.

Time passed, the sun rose and the moon set, and the two were locked in the detention room for several days.

Originally, the two thought that their case was not a big deal and they would be released soon.

But unexpectedly, they were locked up for such a long time!
Although I feel unhappy, there is nothing I can do.

Gradually, both of them lost the will to continue fighting, and the atmosphere in the detention room began to ease.

One day dawns.

The two were still sleeping against the wall.

At this moment, accompanied by the creaking sound of door hinges, the door of the detention room was opened from the outside.

A man in an official robe walked in from outside, came in front of the two of them, looked at them for a while and then said.

"Aren't there two people missing from the list?"

"That's them, take them away!"

Batu's face changed immediately when he heard this.

"You...what are you going to do?!"

However, the policemen who came in ignored Batu. They just came forward from the left and right, restrained Batu, and took him out.

Batu's face was full of distortion and fear.

The situation before him made him feel that something was wrong, and he couldn't help but curse in his heart.

He was just having a fight, there was no need to make such a big fuss, right?

Su Ke on the side couldn't help but struggle, but it was of no use.

The two were taken outside the detention room.

Then they put a hood on the man, handcuffed him and shackled him, and dragged him into a carriage.

Then there was a turbulence.

Batu asked with fear in his voice.

"You...what are you going to do?"

"What are you going to do to us?!"

"Help!"

The patrolman in charge of escorting the car couldn't help but speak when he heard this.

"Don't shout, don't shout."

"I'm just taking you to immigrate, not taking your lives. What are you crying about?"

"If you don't know, you might think we're going to chop you off!"

(End of this chapter)