Taiheiki

Chapter 302 Insights
Duan Jiong didn't answer. He frowned, staring at the shipyards, docks, and workers' sheds stretching for miles along the shore, speechless for a long time. Just then, the sound of drums echoed across the water, and two single-masted, fast boats approached like dragonflies gliding on the surface. Their white oars danced up and down. Duan Jiong saw an officer standing at the bow, shouting loudly in his direction. The captain of the "Changjie" replied loudly, but Duan Jiong couldn't hear what they said. With a horn blast, the two fast boats parted to either side, then turned back to sail alongside the "Changjie." The distance between them was so close that Duan Jiong could even make out the dragon images on either side of the fast boats' bows.

"This is a patrol boat from the Maritime Trade Office!" the captain laughed. "They're responsible for searching the waters to prevent foreign merchant ships from sneaking into the country to trade privately and evade taxes! They knew it was you who came, so they escorted us ashore!"

"Oh?" Duan Jiong looked at the patrol boats on both sides: "So, there are a lot of foreign merchant ships in Panyu?"

"A lot!" the captain replied. "Especially in the last two years, the growth has been extremely rapid. If we calculate it, there are at least a hundred official shipments a year, not to mention the private ones. As a result, the prices of spices, tortoiseshell, coral, and other Southeast Asian delicacies have fallen considerably, while the prices of silk and ironware, goods favored by Southeast Asian merchants, have risen significantly. The government makes a huge profit from the silk it collects every year. Right now, anyone with a bit of sense in Jiaozhou is starting to cultivate mulberry orchards, preparing for a major boom!"

"Hundreds?" Duan Jiong frowned. "What about in previous years?"

"Lord Wei, no, I should say before the General came to Jiaozhou, there were only about ten such ships a year. This was mainly because the sea routes were treacherous, and the local officials only demanded bribes and did nothing. Now it's different. First, he built lighthouses, cleared the waterways, and constructed new docks, which greatly reduced the number of ships running aground, getting lost, and encountering danger. Second, he dismissed all the previous officials. Although the current officials also want money, at least they get things done. Foreign merchants now have their own residences and trading posts, and if they encounter fraud in their business, there are legal recourse. So, the number of such ships has increased!"

The Duan brothers exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes. Could Wei Cong really have gone to such lengths just for the trade of these hundred-odd foreign merchant ships? Well, overseas trade is indeed very profitable, but compared to a shipbuilding industry of this scale, it seems like a case of penny-wise and pound-foolish.
Footsteps came from the deck behind him. Duan Jiong turned around and saw Yu Wen and his soldiers. They were wearing hooded coarse silk overcoats and had swords at their waists. Yu Wen smiled and said, "Chief Secretary Duan, the voyage is almost over. We can prepare to go ashore!"

"Hmm!" Duan Jiong nodded, gesturing for his younger brother to prepare for disembarking. Yu Wen and Shi Wu walked to his side but remained silent. Duan Jiong had already noticed that although these two men appeared respectful to him on the surface, there was actually an insurmountable gap between them, especially Shi Wu. Throughout the entire journey, he had basically stayed in his cabin and hardly said a word to him. This was hardly the attitude of a subordinate towards a superior!

Before long, before Duan Jiong's entourage had even had time to pack their belongings, the "Changjie" docked. Not far away, there were many different kinds of ships: whaling ships with large bellies, palm-sailed longships from Southeast Asia, salt transport ships from Hepu County, and many local fishing boats and inland river cargo ships, which Duan Jiong could not distinguish at all.

The sound of drums and trumpets coming from the pier interrupted Duan Jiong's thoughts. He saw the crowd welcoming him on the pier, and judging from their attire, the elderly man at the head should be Kong Gui, the governor of Jiaozhou. He coughed, straightened his robes, and stepped down from the gangplank. Kong Gui raised his right hand, and the drumming and music stopped.

"Governor of Jiaozhou, Kong Gui, Prefect of Panyu, pays his respects to Chief Secretary Duan!"

"I dare not, Lord Kong, please rise!" Duan Jiong quickly bowed in return, and said with a smile, "There's no need for such formalities!"

"The Chief Clerk has come on the orders of the Grand General to oversee the military affairs of Jiaozhou. We are all his subordinates, so how dare we be disrespectful? Please!" Kong Gui extended his right hand and made a "please" gesture.

"I wouldn't dare!" Duan Jiong cupped his hands in greeting, boarded the carriage, and then Kong Gui also boarded. With a sway, the carriage began to move.

"Master Kong!" Duan Jiong looked at the scenery outside the window and suddenly asked, "When I was in Luoyang, I never imagined that Panyu would be like this!"

"Is that so?" Kong Gui laughed. "It's not too late to see now. Chief Clerk Duan should understand why the General sent you to Jiaozhou, right?"

"Hmm!" Duan Jiong smiled. "I think I understand now. It would be a shame to use so many ships only for trade and fishing."

"Hehe!" Kong Gui laughed, "The Chief Secretary is right. In fact, if we didn't have to go north to quell the Moth Pirates, the General would probably have fought this battle himself. You've come at just the right time. The merchant fleet heading to Southeast Asia will set off early next month and won't return until next year. If successful, the sea route to Southeast Asia will be opened!"

"Oh? We're going to take the sea route this time?" Duan Jiong asked.

"The General has a private library containing a large collection of books and materials on this subject. You can take a look when you arrive, and we can discuss it further afterward!" Kong Gui said earnestly, glancing at Duan Jiong.

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bathroom.

"I have to admit, Wei Cong really knows how to enjoy life!" Duan Wei said with a contented smile as he stretched his limbs in the hot spring pool. "Look at this manor, the hot spring bath, the horse farm, the garden, the orchard, really, he lives a life of luxury in Jiaozhou that rivals that of royalty! No, he is the king of Jiaozhou! It's truly incomprehensible that he would risk his life to go to Luoyang!"

"Give me a back rub!" Duan Jiong rinsed the soap off his hair.

"Alright!" Duan Wei climbed out of the pool, walked behind his elder brother, and vigorously scrubbed Duan Jiong's back with a loofah sponge covered in soap scum: "Brother, Wei Cong is really generous. Coming to a place like this to fight barbarians, he gets 30,000 households and three dukes. How could you have made the wrong choice in the first place!"

"Do you think this is a simple matter?" Duan Jiong asked.

"What else could it be but simple?" Duan Wei asked, puzzled. "Panyu is so prosperous, it certainly doesn't lack money, food, or soldiers. What's so difficult about conquering a few barbarians?"

"If it were really that simple, why doesn't Wei Cong send his own men to do it? He has his own subordinates in Jiaozhou!" Duan Jiong sneered.

"Perhaps he lacks capable generals, so he can only use his elder brother!"

"Heh!" Duan Jiong sneered, "You've seen it all along the way. Do you really think that without me, the strength of Jiaozhou wouldn't be enough to deal with those barbarians?"

"This—" Duan Wei was speechless. Although they had just arrived in Panyu and hadn't checked the household registration and arsenal, at least a few things were certain: metallurgy, shipbuilding, and maritime trade were all quite prosperous, especially the latter two, which were probably much stronger than those in the Central Plains. If the metallurgical industry was good, the army's weapons and armor wouldn't be bad; if the shipbuilding industry was strong, logistics and naval power wouldn't be weak, and the level of bow and crossbow manufacturing and engineering machinery wouldn't be bad either; if maritime trade was strong, the treasury would be full, and the government would have enough cash to recruit soldiers and bribe officials, and intelligence and espionage would be excellent. As for manpower, once the above three conditions were met, the problem wouldn't be too big. After all, Jiaozhou had hundreds of thousands of households, and there were even more unregistered local barbarians and civic tribes. With three households contributing one soldier, they could raise nearly 100,000 soldiers. With some money spent to buy volunteer soldiers and recruit new soldiers, the manpower would be sufficient. At most, they wouldn't be able to use an endless swarm of soldiers to overwhelm the opponent like in the Central Plains. Wei Cong's men may not have eaten pork, but they've certainly seen pigs run around before. With that kind of skill, fighting barbarians shouldn't be a problem. "What does Brother think?" Duan Wei asked in a low voice, his hands unconsciously stopping their movements.

"I don't know yet!" Duan Jiong snorted coldly. "But one thing is certain: Wei Cong's ambitions are much bigger than we originally thought. Tomorrow we'll go to that private library and see just how much territory he wants me to expand!"

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It was dusk, and the library was dark and quiet. The last rays of the setting sun shone through the carefully polished mussel shells, casting an orange glow on the neatly arranged teak bookshelves. The whale oil candle beside the desk flickered, casting the shadows of the stacks of books and Duan Jiong onto the wall. After the last cleaner disappeared, his footsteps gradually subsided.

The Duan brothers hadn't left yet. "It's getting late!" Duan Wei said softly, "Let's go back, we'll come again tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow!" Duan Jiong looked up. In front of him was a book about epidemics in Southeast Asia, which he had already read about a third of. "Never mind, I'll take another look. There are too many books to read. If you want to go back, you can go back first!"

"Brother, why are you doing this? How can you possibly finish reading so many books in such a short time?" Duan Wei said with a wry smile, "Besides, people still need to eat, right? You've only eaten one meal today!"

"Yes, that's right, I almost forgot!" Duan Jiong looked up: "Go tell the servant on duty to bring those cakes!"

"Brother—" Duan Wei exclaimed anxiously, "What are you doing? You are the Chief Secretary of the General's Mansion. You came to Jiaozhou to oversee the garrison and quell the barbarians, not to become a scholar of the Five Classics!"

"A scholar of the Five Classics?" Duan Jiong laughed. "The books here are more useful than the classics themselves. Look, this book explains how to quench iron. I think it makes a lot of sense. No wonder everyone says that the armor and weapons of the Jiaozhou soldiers are incomparably superior to those of other armies. It turns out that's where it is. Also, it explains in detail how to mine and how to smelt, and there are even diagrams. You can't see this anywhere else!"

“Brother, this kind of thing can be left to the craftsmen. Why do you have to learn it yourself?”

“This isn’t just about craftsmanship. Look, there are books on how to build cities, how to ship ships, how to sew sails, how to make machinery, and even how to cook…” Duan Jiong pointed to the stacks of books on his desk and sighed, “If the General has really read all these books, then he truly deserves the title of a learned scholar. No wonder he was able to govern Jiaozhou so well!”

“Brother, I have no problem with you wanting to be a scholar, but the General sent you here to conquer the barbarians. You’ve come here but spend all your time in his private library. How are you going to explain this to him in the end?”

"A skilled craftsman must first have the right tools; the General surely knows this principle!" Duan Jiong laughed. "Go quickly and get me some cakes and pastries, and have the servants get me a blanket. I'm not going home tonight! Go now!"

"Alright, brother, I think you've been blinded by these books!" Duan Wei shook his head helplessly and walked outside.

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State pastoral office.

Although he became the governor of Jiaozhou, Kong Gui did not change his old habits. He rarely interfered in government affairs, leaving them to his subordinates to handle according to the laws established by Wei Cong. He devoted most of his energy to the local young scholars. The young elites of Jiaozhou also saw this as a rare path to advancement, and many flocked to his tutelage. If there was any difference from the past, it was that Kong Gui no longer only taught the Five Classics, but encouraged the young people to focus their energy on broader and more practical knowledge—and at this time, Panyu was a thriving and rapidly developing city. These young people would hold lively discussions and exchange various kinds of knowledge in the back garden of the governor's mansion, and some even practiced martial arts such as spearmanship, archery, and horsemanship. After all, everyone knew that the true master of Jiaozhou was a person who favored martial arts, and he had many people of humble origins who had obtained high ranks and riches through bravery.

"Senior, you've arrived!"

"Senior Shi, it's been a long time!"

"Senior, I heard you went to welcome the Chief Secretary of the General's Mansion. What kind of person is he?"

Shi Wu hurried through the corridor, and the scholars who were talking on both sides stood up to greet him and ask him questions. In terms of family background and official position, he was a central figure among these young people. However, he was not in the mood to communicate with others at the moment, and just nodded perfunctorily and walked forward quickly.

Passing through the corridor, Shiwu came to a low wall made of thorny bushes. From the other side of the wall came the neighing of horses and powerful shouts. Shiwu walked several dozen paces to the right and saw a gap. He passed through the gap and saw a circular field about a hundred paces square. Several young men were riding horses and practicing archery around a target in the center.

"Senior, what brings you here today!" A young man who was applying wax to a bowstring quickly stood up when he saw Shi Wu: "Doesn't the governor need you anymore?"

"There's something more important!" Shiwu glanced around and lowered his voice: "Do you know what? War is about to break out!"

"A war?" The young man's eyes lit up. He quickly put down his bow and asked, "Who is the enemy?"

"It's not entirely certain yet, but it should be the southern barbarians!" Shi Wu said in a low voice. "This will be a large-scale operation. If successful, it should expand our territory by thousands of miles!"

(End of this chapter)