Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 377 Steel
Gao Yu reluctantly put down the book in his hand.

Then he looked at Liu Taozi standing aside.

"Your Majesty, I think these manuscripts can be copied down and promoted throughout the country."

"Let officials from all regions read and learn. They don't need to master the skills of farming, but at least they should have some understanding of farming and mulberry, so as not to be unable to distinguish between the five grains."

"And I think many of the contents and ideas can be gradually implemented."

"I heard that in the pre-Qin period, the Qin State attached great importance to agriculture and sericulture, so craftsmen who made new agricultural tools or farmers who made new methods could be awarded titles. Jia Gong also said in his book that the key to agriculture and sericulture lies in innovation. Only by constantly innovating techniques and tools can agriculture and sericulture be revitalized. This can be promoted."

Gao Yu slowly talked about his many ideas, the most important of which was the management of agriculture.

Jia Sixie's agricultural thoughts encompass a lot of content, but the most important point is that he believed that agriculture and sericulture were not farmers' business and required government intervention and governance.

Jia Sixie proposed three major factors of agriculture and sericulture: favorable time, favorable location and harmonious people.

Ordinary self-cultivating farmers simply cannot accomplish these three factors; only the government has the power to do so.

The "time" here refers to the climate. He believes that the government needs to investigate the climate of various places and determine the content of farming according to different seasons, climates of different regions, and the habits of different crops. Then there is the "land advantage". He believes that the government should examine the quality of the land and promote corresponding crops according to the actual conditions of different regions. The last "people" is, of course, to encourage people to produce, provide corresponding tools, and control the price of grain, which cannot be too high or too low.

A large-scale farming system was formed with the government as the core. The government took the lead, organized the people, and took care of the farmers.
This is what Gao Yin was doing originally.

Gao Yun interfered a lot in agricultural and sericulture affairs, and this was the reason.

Jia Sixie's manuscripts contain a lot of agricultural technology and agricultural knowledge, even including content on animal husbandry, but this is not just a book in the technical field, it is not a book that teaches farmers how to farm, it is a book that teaches the government how to help farmers farm better.

Of course, this is not to disrespect farmers. It is mainly because in today's era, farmers do not have much autonomy.

It doesn’t mean that farmers can plant whatever they want, or whenever they want. Even whether they can plant on their own land is not up to them.

Under the Equal Field System, the land did not belong to the farmers. Farmers only had temporary rights to cultivate the land, and the ownership was in the hands of the government. Therefore, farmers were strictly controlled by the government in farming and other aspects.

Gao Yu originally only relied on conversations with Jia Sixie and some documents he left behind to explore, but now that he has these complete things, he wants to do more.

Zu Ting listened carefully to Gao Yin's words, and suddenly looked at Liu Taozi standing beside him.

"Your Majesty, I think it's feasible."

"We were only able to get rid of those merchants this year and barely be able to support ourselves. For example, the Pseudo-Zhou, due to insufficient food and grass and the people's livelihood, had hundreds of thousands of troops but could not go out to fight and could not cope with our attack."

"The State of Chen had stored up food and fodder for decades before daring to march out to seize Lianghuai."

"Our army has just completed training, but if we want to send out a large army, we still don't have enough food, especially for an expedition to the Pseudo-Zhou. The cost along the way alone is difficult to estimate."

"Gao Lingjun is right to devote himself to agriculture. With food, we can do other things."

"This book truly brings together the essence of all the agricultural and sericulture knowledge of the past."

"It is feasible to promote this book among officials, and even let the township officials master its contents, and further promote it to farmers. In the early Han Dynasty, the government promoted Fan Shengzhi's book to farmers twice, and it was very effective."

"In addition, the policies for promoting agriculture recorded in the book can also be tried."

"Your Majesty, leave the iron smelting to me."

Gao Yu's face darkened and he looked at Liu Taozi, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself.

Zu Ting seemed not to see it at all.

He continued, "Iron involves a lot of things. Among the many officials in Taichung, I'm afraid it would be difficult for me to complete this task."

Liu Taozi frowned and stared at Zu Ting in front of him.

"Grandfather, have you been studying the law recently?"

“Read often in your spare time.”

"it is good."

"Then let Grandpa do it."

When Zu Ting left here triumphantly, Gao Yu just whispered: "Your Majesty, I am not trying to alienate the emperor and his subjects, but since ancient times, salt and iron have been making huge profits, so let Zu Ting do this."

If you want to engage in agriculture, you have to develop corresponding supporting industries. In fact, iron and commerce will all be driven together.

In an agricultural country and an agricultural society, agriculture is the core force driving all other industries, just like the status of industry in an industrial society.

Mining and iron smelting also play a huge role in this.

However, the profits from iron are so huge that it is hard to trust Zu Ting given his character.
Liu Taozi said, "Zu Ting hasn't taken anything from others for a long time. He is such a smart person, he won't ruin his ambitions because of such a small matter."

Zu Ting quickly organized his team and headed to the Pingcheng Iron and Steel Plant.

The iron smelting plants of Qi State were still very famous. In the past, Qi State had a total of 39 large-scale national iron smelting plants, which were basically distributed in the counties from Shuozhou to Yanzhou.

Among them, eight factories can produce one ton of iron per day. Theoretically, the factories across Qi State can produce about 2,000 to 3,000 tons of iron a year.

Qi State has the largest iron mine and the best factory. However, the annual iron output is only a theoretical number. In the end, it is just a theory.

There is a large iron smelting plant in Pingcheng with a theoretical daily output of one ton of iron.

This ironworks is a product of the previous dynasty and is located in Hunshui Township, north of Pingcheng. Originally, the Wei State diverted the Hunshui River to the north of the city and built a canal. After moving the capital, the ironworks was set up near the canal, close to the water source and with a flat terrain, which was conducive to transportation.

During the Qi State period, the large factory here still played an extremely important role. It occupied a huge area, and an entire township was the area of ​​the smelter.

It is operated by a special railway official.

As Zu Ting's carriage approached, he saw the billowing black smoke rising into the sky.

The countryside was separated by fences to prevent thieves from sneaking in, and soldiers were stationed on each road to maintain the safety and order of the factory.

When Zu Ting arrived, Tie Guan had already known about it and came to greet him with many officials and even soldiers.

This iron official was wearing military uniform, and most of the officials behind him were wearing the same uniform, all of them demeaning like soldiers.

When he saw Zu Ting, the iron official's face was full of smiles, but his trembling hands betrayed his inner uneasiness.

The iron official's surname was Hulu, Hulu of Huluguang, and he was probably over 40 years old. He looked like a typical northern general.

"I didn't know that my ancestor was coming, and I didn't prepare for him. It's really rude, rude!"

"Someone, prepare the banquet quickly!"

Tieguan shouted and nodded and bowed to Zu Ting.

Times are different now. If it had been ten years earlier, no, five years earlier, the iron officials would have thrown a Han Chinese like Zu Ting into the iron furnace and refined him.
Zu Ting pretended to stare at the black smoke in the distance and said, "Your work is really hard."

"There's no rush for the banquet. I came here on orders. Why don't you take me to see the different places first?"

"it is good!"

"Grandpa, please!"

This person took the lead and brought Zu Ting to visit the factory.

After passing the fence, you can see many houses. These houses are connected to each other and are also surrounded by fences. These are where the workers sleep, and there are soldiers around to watch them.

At this time, the workers were still mainly prisoners, captives, sons-in-law, etc. The State of Qi even captured people through corvée and forced them to mine and smelt iron.

The sky was a little gray and there was a choking smell.

After passing these houses, you can see open-air blast furnaces. These blast furnaces are neatly arranged in the distance, one after another, as far as the eye can see, and many craftsmen are busy at work.

Some are transported, some are burned, and some are even forged.

This kind of factory is not just for smelting, sometimes they are also responsible for production and even sales.

Zu Ting covered his mouth and looked at the blast furnaces in the distance.

Tieguan proudly introduced the names and uses of these things to him. "Oh, that's how it is."

Zu Ting nodded, and then asked: "Are all these military officials here?"

"Yes, Wen Xuan, after Gao Yang came to power, he issued an edict that the iron mines and iron factories in various places would be under the charge of the army. The generals managed them individually, and they managed them very well! It's getting better and better!"

The iron official was very proud of himself.

From ancient times to the present, iron has always been an important resource for the country. During the Western Han Dynasty, a salt and iron monopoly was implemented, and only the state could buy and sell them. It was banned in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Taxes on iron continued to be levied until the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and it had been alternating between being banned and not being banned.

There was no iron monopoly in Qi State. Private iron smelting was allowed as long as the citizens paid taxes.

Of course, Qi State cannot be without its own characteristics, and the characteristic of Qi State is its military monopoly.

Iron officials appeared in the Western Han Dynasty and were then inherited all the way. By the time they reached the State of Qi, they had directly become military officers, and the armies and generals from all over the country controlled the local iron mines and iron factories.

In the Western Han Dynasty, if a general had armor at home, he would be beheaded. In the Qi Dynasty, the generals did not have armor at home, but they had iron mines and ironworks! !
There was a huge gap between Qi's theoretical iron production and its actual iron production, and the reason for this gap was its system.

Iron mines of all sizes in various places are completely controlled by the garrison troops, especially the iron factories. Corruption is rampant, and the living conditions of the workers are even worse. The technology is backward and they are unwilling to update it. Everyone treats the factory as their own.
Zu Ting had just stepped in, but he had already discovered more than ten drawbacks.

Tie Guan didn't even notice the change in Zu Ting's expression as he took him on a tour.

No problem if you want to visit, just look around!

As long as you don't look at the account books, everything is easy to talk about.

The blast furnaces were like a dense forest, and the zombie-like craftsmen were always busy and seemed to have little response to the outside world.

The car in the distance is responsible for transportation. To the west is a large warehouse where piles of iron are transported and stored.

They also have their own workshops, where many craftsmen are making tools, most of which are farm tools.

According to the iron official, this was an order from the imperial court, which gave factories in various places requirements on farm tools and asked them to complete the task before the New Year.

Zu Ting followed for a long time, and then followed Tieguan to the resting place.

The east side of the entire factory is where officials rest.

There are many luxurious restaurants built here, which is in stark contrast to the situation not far away.

Zu Ting sat in the upper seat, and officials sat on both sides. They even called dancers to please Zu Ting.

Zu Ting was not polite either. He just looked at the dancers with lustful eyes. Just looking at them was not enough for him, so he simply called them to his side and held one in each hand.

Seeing Zu Ting like this, the officers felt relieved and smiled.

Zu Ting asked, "You have been here for many years, right?"

"Yes, Grandfather, I have been here for seventeen years. After the establishment of the new dynasty, I was dismissed once, but the affairs of this factory are complicated. Nothing can be done without someone familiar. In the end, they had to let me continue to do it."

Tieguan said in a low voice.

Zu Ting cleared his throat and squeezed the two girls' hands, "For such a big banquet, there's no wine?"

Tieguan hesitated, "Grandfather, prohibition of alcohol."

"Oh, with me here, why are you afraid of the prohibition?"

"Bring it up to me quickly!!"

Zu Ting said this sternly, and Tieguan then stood up and hurriedly asked someone to bring some good wine.

The soldiers closed the door and the room was filled with fine wine. Everyone looked at Zu Ting with a smile. Zu Ting gulped down the wine and hugged the beauties on both sides tightly, enjoying himself very much.

After a long while, Zu Ting finally said slowly, "You should know why I came here this time, right?"

"Grandfather made it clear!"

"Explicitly? Do I need to explicitly state it? What, have you forgotten the past rules?"

Tieguan said hurriedly: "Grandfather, I have prepared ten cars of gifts."

"Fuck you!"

Zu Ting pushed away the beauties on both sides, his face becoming ferocious and terrifying, "Who do you think I am? I came here just for those ten carts of gifts?!"

Tieguan looked embarrassed. He looked at the other officials. They all looked at each other in deep thought.

Zu Ting put away his anger and said with a smile: "Don't think I don't know that what you earn every year is more than even ten three officials can earn. In the past, we had the support of the generals, but now it's different. Now it's our world. The generals' words don't count. I want 90%!"

Tieguan's eyes widened, "Grandfather!! This..."

"how?"

Zu Ting narrowed his eyes, "Or do you want me to check the account book, or check something else?"

Tieguan smiled bitterly and said, "Grandfather, 90% is really too much. It used to be 70%. Now it is not as good as before. There are many people under supervision. We can't eat it casually anymore. Besides, there are also nobles in the court who want to eat. If you take away 90% at once, how can we feed so many people?"

"Many places require money, and those who come to monitor also have to bribe a little. Moreover, many people are stubborn and it is easy to get yourself into jail if you bribe them!"

"In the past, it was indeed as our grandfather said, with huge profits, but it is not the case now. I'll tell you the truth, for such a big factory, we only made less than 50 million last year."

Zu Ting's hand holding the wine cup trembled.

Then he glanced at Tieguan.

"You think I'll believe it? Only 50 million?"

Tieguan was speechless and looked at his other colleagues, who all started to complain.

"Grandfather, many officials nowadays do not accept bribes, and those generals dare not make decisions for us. Who can we rely on?"

"Who do you rely on? Oh, Taichung has to record your income and expenditure. Don't you have anyone to rely on?"

Tieguan whispered, "Grandfather, we are not deceiving you. It is because no one is willing to step forward. Only Li Wenshi, the official of the Central Secretariat, is willing to help us. Every time we check the income and expenditure and return the documents to the government, he can make some minor changes to prevent the leak. If you are willing to take us with you, it would be our honor. Not only us, but also several other large factories. I can help you contact them. They are also worried because no one helps them."

"But, 90% is too high."

"Even if it's 90%, who else can you rely on besides me? The Secretary of the Central Secretariat? Oh, in my eyes, he is just a clerk!"

"Help me contact the various factories. I want 90% of them, but I can make sure they won't be thoroughly investigated, won't be subject to any supervision, and can return to their previous state!"

"If he doesn't want to, I will raid his factory and make sure he doesn't make a penny!!"

Zu Ting once again embraced the beauties on his left and right and raised his head, "Send someone to tell them now. If there are those who are unwilling to bow their heads, do not alarm them. Just write down their names and I will deal with them myself."

Tieguan hesitated for a long time, and finally lowered his head helplessly, "Wei!!"

Zu Ting then burst into laughter and kissed everyone on both sides several times.

Royal palace, main hall.

Liu Taozi stared at the drunk Zu Ting in front of her.

"So the grandfather had to drink and attend the banquet in order to obtain relevant evidence."

"Your Majesty, for the sake of national affairs, I can only sacrifice my own reputation! I have no choice but to violate the law!!"

"But all of this is for the greater good. I will never regret it and I am willing to be punished!!"

"However, most of these factories and mines in the country are run by officials from the past. These officials do not know how to govern and only think about their own interests! Your Majesty, please do not punish me first. Wait until I catch all the participants and the nobles who support them, then you can punish me for drinking! "

Zu Ting knelt in front of Liu Taozi, looking righteous and awe-inspiring.

He has sacrificed too much for national affairs!

I did so many things I was unwilling to do!
(End of this chapter)