The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 280: Dividing into Two Portions
They spent a long time with the Taijis in the Shanyu region.

It wasn't until many merchants heard the news and rushed over that the situation began.

Once the construction of Yunchuan City was confirmed, many merchants were overjoyed. They also invited the Taiji (princes) to the dinner table to discuss the trade of cattle, sheep, and horses with various tribes. Originally, the matter was to be discussed in Zhenlu City, but since they were already there, they decided to finalize the deal.

Business dealings with various departments are minor.

How to divide up the territory of the Xiongnu is a major issue.

Zhou Shiming came in person, not daring to miss the opportunity, for fear of making a mistake.

Some people were very sensible and even brought supplies to reward the army along the way. They produced and sold their own goods, collected cattle and sheep in the Tu Mao Chuan area, and traveled along the grassland to the Shanyu region, which reduced costs considerably.

Of the three thousand soldiers, five hundred were newly recruited.

There are even more militiamen now, a full two thousand new recruits, and several thousand more new recruits in the rear, whom we dare not bring to the grasslands.

It wasn't that he was worried about not being able to control the Shanyu region. With just three thousand battalions and several thousand militiamen from before, Wang Xin wasn't worried about the Shanyu region. If the Shanyu were still alive, the Shanyu region at that time would not be underestimated.

Nowadays...

Having already crippled its own henchmen, those remaining are all cowardly and wicked individuals who cling to life.

They set up camp on the site of the former Shanyu City.

There were also a large number of chariots surrounding the camp, so there was no need to worry about the camp's safety. When Wang Xin learned that Zhou Shiming had arrived, he knew that he could not delay any longer, so he directly invited Zhou Shiming, Zhang Hui, and Li Dexing, the three most influential merchants.

Zhou Shiming is Tang Ping's father-in-law.

He treated himself as one of their own, and was very enthusiastic when he met Wang Xin. However, in front of Zhang Hui and Li Dexing, he seemed to have a special relationship with Wang Xin.

Wang Xin saw this but didn't say anything.

This is inevitable, and it will only increase in the future.

Once everyone was seated, Zhou Shiming couldn't help but ask, "How does the general plan to allocate the funds for the construction of Yunchuan City?"

The merchants borne all the costs, manpower, and resources for Zhenlu City.

Apart from matters related to military affairs such as city defense, the rest of the city was left to the merchants to manage.

In Zhou Shiming's and others' minds, Yunchuan City was naturally the same.

“The various taijis will send manpower, probably five or six hundred people,” Wang Xin said with a smile.

Everyone looked relaxed.

With 560 people available to work first, their workload will be much lighter.

"I heard that Tiancheng City is secretly learning from us. I'm afraid that soon, Datong will be the one short of people," Zhang Hui warned.

"The world is strange. In the past, people complained about having too many people, but now they complain about having too few."

Li Dexing couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The crowd couldn't hide their joy. Although they knew that Tiancheng was learning from them, and that rivals are enemies, their territory was the best and their strength the strongest. The Datong Western Army had just been formed, but its past performance was far superior to that of the Tiancheng Army.

They were superior to their opponents in every aspect, so Zhou Shiming and the others were not worried.

Wang Xin understood perfectly.

Developing agriculture and animal husbandry, as well as industry and commerce, can create jobs.

It created a large number of new jobs, which naturally absorbed many disaster victims.

But has the problem of the Great Zhou been solved?

Wang Xin disagreed.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was too large, and its population was also too large.

Because of its advanced civilization and advanced agricultural technology, it reached its peak in agricultural society.

in short.

Going too far makes turning back too difficult.

For example, the atmosphere of new learning in Jiangnan, such a social atmosphere, is unique in the world. But so what? In such a huge country as the Great Zhou, it cannot remain unaffected. On the contrary, it is easily influenced by the surroundings and even extinguished.

same.

Today, Datong's development in the Hetao region, as well as the factories it has promoted, are just starting out, but the expansion speed is very fast. The Tu Mao Chuan area has absorbed several thousand people, and several factories have recruited nearly a thousand people.

In addition, there was the expansion of the army and the expansion of trading companies.

Such a situation would be considered a sign of prosperity and a change in the landscape of a small Western country, but for the Great Zhou, it was merely a ripple on the water, having no effect compared to the entire lake.

The long years of peace in the Great Zhou Dynasty meant that, before the arrival of the chaotic end times, the jobs it created were less than a fraction of the number of people who came of age each year.

Seeing that Wang Xin remained silent, Zhou Shiming's heart stirred, and he asked in a low voice, "General, do you have other plans?"

Zhang Hui and Li Dexing were stunned.

"Indeed."

Wang Xin did not hide it.

In business, change is not a problem; the problem is the lack of rules.

Many things at Juzhongchang are agreed upon in advance. Even if changes are made, they are made in accordance with the original intention, so everyone can accept them and will not be resentful.

But Yunchuan City is different.

“The army and the merchants are both indispensable. Without the support of the merchants, the army cannot fight a war,” Wang Xin said. “However, the army has performed outstandingly, and the soldiers should receive the rewards they deserve.”

Zhou Shiming and the others remained silent.

award?

In other words, they wanted a share of their money. Although Wang Xin's argument made sense, Zhou Shiming and the others were unwilling to agree.

“The more merits the army makes, the more money the business earns, and the higher the annual military expenditure for the army. Isn’t that enough?” Li Dexing asked softly.

Zhou Shiming and Zhang Hui also looked at Wang Xin.

Wang Xin laughed and said, "Military pay alone is not enough. In order to stabilize morale, we also need to find a way out for the soldiers."

"What's your backup plan?" Zhou Shiming asked with concern.

He thought of his son-in-law, Tang Ping.

Tang Ping was promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief, and was stationed at Weiyuan Pass.

He originally thought that by relying on his family connections, he could get his son-in-law an official position and become a commander, the highest-ranking military officer under Wang Xin. The next step would be to become a guerrilla general, on par with Wang Xin.

He was one rank higher than Zhao Yong, who was originally the second-highest in the army.

As a result, Wang Xin returned to the capital, and not only was he promoted to the rank of adjutant, but all his subordinates were also promoted.

Zhao Yong was promoted to guerrilla commander, and Zhang Can was promoted to commander.
Others may not know, but I know very well.

Li Yuan, the Vice Minister of War, made it clear in his letter to himself.

Wang Xin still holds the status of the Beijing Garrison, which means that he will be transferred back to the capital in the future and will not stay in Datong forever. Zhou Shiming is extremely envious of such a large piece of meat as the Western Army in Datong.

If there was no opportunity, Wang Xin, leading the Western Army of Datong, would certainly not dare to rob.

But what if Wang Xin is transferred back to the capital garrison?

Therefore, the Western Army of Datong absolutely cannot fall into the hands of another family. Moreover, his son-in-law is Tang Ping, who is also Wang Xin's confidant. Both in terms of sentiment and reason, and with his own family's help, if Wang Xin really leaves Datong, there is no reason not to push his son-in-law to the position.

Wang Xin was unaware of Zhou Shiming's thoughts.

He laughed and said, "The camp remains but the soldiers come and go. No soldier can fight for a lifetime. Those veterans who have made meritorious contributions and retired should be given a piece of land so they can make a living."

"Does the general mean that the trading company should allocate pastureland to them?" Zhang Hui asked.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Hui shook his head again.

The merchant firm wasn't a benevolent philanthropist by distributing land to herders; they collected interest alone for twenty years.

In fact, Wang Xin didn't think the interest over twenty years was that harsh.

I've seen interest rates over thirty years.

However, it wasn't enough for the soldiers. Soldiers were essentially paying a blood tax by fighting. Although the disaster victims were willing to join the army and risk their lives just to have enough to eat, we couldn't turn a blind eye to it.

My goal is to win the battle, not to make the disaster victims accept my current situation.

The two are not the same thing.

In order to win the battle, the best way is to motivate the newly arrived militia members, integrate them as quickly as possible, and give them hope.

"Of the newly acquired land by the business, 20% belongs to the military. It is managed by the business on a regular basis, and the profits are considered the business's management fees. However, a certain amount must be allocated by the military to retired soldiers every year."

It does indeed start from the interests of merchants, but it also reduces the burden on merchants to the greatest extent possible.

This also ensures the combat effectiveness of the army.

As long as you make meritorious contributions, you will not only receive military pay, but you will also be allocated pastureland after you retire from the army.

The army expands the land, merchants manage it, and soldiers receive land upon retirement.

This continued until the army ceased its expansion efforts.

Merchants had no new land, and soldiers had no place to earn merit. Since combat power was no longer needed, there was naturally no place to earn merit, and land could no longer be distributed.

The shortcomings and loopholes are indeed significant.

I don't really care.

Throughout history, people have sought a governance strategy that remains unchanged in all things.

This is what only men want.

Always be the master.

The truth is that there is never a static world, and each generation has its own problems. For example, at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the north was sparsely populated. In order to gain a foothold, it was necessary to establish a large number of garrisons and vassal states to rapidly expand the population. Only with a sufficient population could the dynasty gain a foothold.

By the time of Yongle, the garrison had already multiplied for two generations, with several sons in each family. After the fifty mu of land was divided among the family, each son received ten mu, and then the garrison soldiers began to desert.

Even if you cultivate ten acres of land, you still need to pay taxes.

It was too much of a burden for the soldiers.

The problems in society have changed.

Similarly, the method we come up with now, even if it's not the best, is definitely advantageous. As for what will happen in the future, we'll change it based on facts.

"Is 20% of the land too much?"

Zhou Shiming knew he had to speak.

Wang Xin shook his head.

They had already calculated that it would still be very profitable for the merchants, but compared to the approach taken in Tu Mao Chuan, the new approach in the Shan Yu region would undoubtedly result in the merchants earning less.

Earning less is equivalent to losing money.

The merchants all looked troubled, and seeing their expressions, Wang Xin was speechless.

People who don't know the situation might think something bad has happened to them.

Otherwise, the businessmen would have the initiative.

People will take initiative for what they own; that's human nature.

As for other people's things.

No one will feel bad using it.

Why not take advantage of it? We should even pack it up and make it our own.

Once something becomes yours, it immediately becomes valuable.

Therefore, Wang Xin was prepared for the merchants' attitude, which is why he met with the Taijis first.

He even managed to take care of the Taijis.

The roads in the Shanyu region were paved smooth by the merchants themselves; if you're so capable, then don't come here.

Seeing Wang Xin's resolute attitude, Zhou Shiming took a step back and said, "The business will prepare 10%, 10% is enough."

Fearing that Wang Xin would refuse, Zhou Shiming added, "A trading company has also been established in Tiancheng. Not an inch of land there has been given away, and the people recruited are only for herding livestock for them."

"They are bound to lose."

Wang Xin answered without hesitation.

Everyone was stunned.

It's nothing more than a serf system.

Compete on cost.

Although the herders on their side had borne the interest for twenty years, after twenty years of hard work, the wealth of the land and livestock still belonged to the herders. The trading company was left with only the right to purchase, and only the right to purchase under the same conditions.

Wang Xin, of course, did not overlook the trading companies in Tiancheng.

"You all need to understand one thing."

Wang Xin said solemnly, "Everything we have is built on the army winning battles, not on making money. Without the army winning battles, everything is just a castle in the air."

They established their own business model for the Datong Western Army and even beyond the Great Wall.

The goal is to win the battle.

Everyone at Tiancheng, from top to bottom, is only interested in making money.

Both sides have the wrong fundamental goal.

Wang Xin didn't take him seriously.

The more reactionary they are, the weaker they become.

How could the serfs they recruited, or even the soldiers they exploited, be willing to fight and die for them?

They wouldn't even have time to welcome the enemy if they came.

As for how they were implicated.

Nobody cares.

Anyway, they were the losers from the start, so at worst they'll still lose.

Preserve the principles of Heaven and extinguish human desires.

This brings us back to the theory that the ruling class must control its own desires.

The ancients saw this through long ago.

Having a clear understanding doesn't mean you can actually do it.

If the officials and soldiers of Datong Military Town had been less corrupt and treated the soldiers better, ensuring they had enough to eat and wear, Datong, with its size and the Great Zhou Dynasty behind it, would never have been tormented by the Hu threat.

Zhou Shiming glanced at Wang Xin.

Zhang Hui and Li Dexing exchanged a glance privately.

Why were they willing to follow Wang Xin's arrangements?

Because of Wang Xin.

People can respect someone like that.

He is not greedy.

He can make meritorious contributions.

They are fair and meticulous in their work.

They were invincible and unconquerable.

Since that's the case, it's not a bad idea to follow this person and earn less money for the long term.

"Let's do 20% for now. It's not going to be given out all at once. By the time we've distributed 20% of the land, who knows when the business will have made enough money?" Zhang Hui laughed.

He was a veteran who had made meritorious contributions and was assigned land after retiring.

Before this.

The profits from the land that was not distributed still belonged to the merchant guild, not the army. General Wang's arrangement was indeed based on public interest, without favoritism or personal gain.

Zhou Shiming nodded.

Li Dexing nodded in agreement, and the three of them agreed.

Wang Xin smiled.

As long as we can communicate, there shouldn't be any problems.

The Tu Mao Chuan area could support over 10,000 people, so the Shanyu region could support 30,000 to 50,000 people.

If they were to divide up the entire Shanyu territory.

It won't take more than three years.

The annual trade volume in the Shanyu region and the Tu Mao Chuan area can exceed one million taels, a continuous flow of wealth.

However, the Osaka district is larger.

The Daban Sheng could support over 100,000 people, three to four times the number in the Shanyu region.

In the past, merchants worried about the Hu people, and Datong was concerned about the Hu people. Both the upper and lower classes were threatened by the Hu people. Now, it all feels like a different world.

Zhou Shiming and the others looked at Wang Xin with great interest.

"May I ask, General, when will you be able to take action against Osaka?"

Wang Xin was stumped by the question.

I didn't say I wanted to raise the price to 100.

This person easily resolved the issues in Tu Mao Chuan and Shan Yu regions. Seeing his recruitment drive, the next step will inevitably be to target Da Ban Sheng. Who would turn down money?

Considering the enormous profits involved in the large-scale IPO.

Zhou Shiming and the others wished Wang Xin would make a move right now.

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Wang Xin understood what they were thinking and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

“The Western Army of Datong are not heavenly soldiers and generals; they are also mortal beings of flesh and blood. How can we act rashly?” Wang Xin refused without a word.

Most of the militia members were new recruits.

The troops have not yet fully recovered their combat effectiveness.

Now we need to proceed gradually.

Fighting a protracted war.

By gradually compressing the strategic space of the various departments under the Great Board, they are forced to come out and fight a decisive battle.

It would be best to inflict a heavy blow on the Osaka clan before Ou Yanhu returns, thus significantly weakening their strength.

Otherwise, once Ou Yanhu returns and leads the various tribes of Dabansheng, if there are at least 100,000 cavalrymen, I will have to think twice about how to defend against the Chanyu, instead of foolishly hoping to take down Dabansheng.

However, there's no need to tell the businessmen, as it would affect their confidence.

(End of this chapter)