The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 382 Humiliation
The land in Datong itself was insufficient to support the population, especially the 160,000 military personnel.

"The arable land is no more than 700,000 mu, and my subordinates estimate it to be around 650,000 mu. In a year with good weather, it can yield around 960,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), which is just enough to feed 300,000 people and maintain normal grain prices."

After hearing Zhang Yuncheng's concerns, Zeng Zhi quickly did the math and let the facts speak for themselves.

Wang Xin nodded.

Using data to speak for himself was his guiding principle, and Zeng Zhi and others quickly learned to do so.

Datong Prefecture had only 700,000 mu of arable land, while Yangzhou Prefecture in Jiangnan, also a prefecture, had at least 4 million mu of arable land, and its yield per mu was far higher than that of Datong.

As for the so-called normal grain price, it has already been exploited twice by large farmers: first by taking money from the people, and then by charging a high price on the market.

A review of history reveals this.

No matter how the yield per acre changes, the people will always struggle to make ends meet.

Just like the advancements in new energy vehicle technology, which lead to reduced operating costs and various changes in settlement methods, in the end, drivers' incomes will eventually return to the same level.

Your income was the same as before, and it remains the same now.

Or perhaps they were already just getting by, and they will continue to be just getting by in the future.

The exploitation of the common people by the wealthy was never about how much labor value the common people created resulted in more benefits for them. Rather, it was a calculated scheme where the wealthy took all the benefits, leaving the common people with only enough to eat.

Therefore, Zeng Zhi's words are both right and wrong.

Indeed, in years with favorable weather, the harvest remained stable.

The grain produced in Datong, when returned to the hands of the people, did indeed allow them to survive, or at least a small number of them could not.

Seeing that the commander did not speak, Zeng Zhi continued, "There are nearly 270,000 to 280,000 people in the Guanzhong region, who need 860,000 shi of grain. Not considering the area outside the Guanzhong region, the soldiers and their families need 510,000 shi. Therefore, 410,000 shi of grain need to be supplied from other places every year."

Zeng Zhi said with admiration: "The General used trade outside the pass to promote the restoration of the Ming Dynasty's open market system. The year before last was the best year. He spent 200,000 taels of silver to purchase 410,000 shi of grain. He also purchased grain from farmland outside Guihua City. Xue Tang Grain Shop also obtained 30,000 shi of grain the year before last."

The 440,000 shi of grain were under the control of the military governor's office, making it the year when the military governor's office had the strongest financial resources.

Wang Xin already understood Zeng Zhi's attitude.

really.

"The autumn harvest is over this year, and I can now inform the commander of the news reported from various places." Zeng Zhi said bluntly, "It's difficult."

"Due to natural disasters, trade outside the pass has greatly decreased. This year, only 290,000 shi of grain were transported between China and France. Xue Tang Grain Company only purchased 20,000 shi outside the pass this year. The most frightening thing is inside the pass."

Zeng Zhi worriedly said, "Datong's harvest this year is at least half less than in previous years."

The reason why grain merchants dare to take such a big risk by not selling grain is not only because they are blinded by profit, but also because of the influence of the overall environment. Everyone knows that there will definitely not be enough grain to eat this year, so how could grain merchants possibly release their grain?

"I believe there is only one way at the moment: to ask the imperial court for help and request the allocation of grain." Zeng Zhi was worried. At this critical juncture, the imperial court was the only hope. The military governor's office was too busy to ask for help, so how could they offend the imperial court?

Wang Xin shook his head.

It would be great if we could get grain from the imperial court, but the key question is whether the imperial court has any grain at all?
Wang Xin was rather skeptical.

"Give it a try." Making a final effort, Wang Xin agreed to Zeng Zhi's suggestion and requested grain from the imperial court in the name of the military governor's office.

Wang Xin couldn't afford the market price of grain, nor could he buy large quantities of it.

"Go ask the prefect."

"Are the grain merchants refusing to release grain in an attempt to force the people to rebel? If the people of Datong revolt, will the prefect be able to bear the responsibility?" Wang Xin made two preparations: he needed to supply grain, and he also needed to deal with the grain merchants.

Since it's inconvenient for me, there's still the prefect.

Originally, he was only in charge of the army, while the prefect was responsible for the people's livelihood within the pass.

However, Wang Xin also knew that local taxes were not being paid, the prefectural government was severely in debt, and the imperial court was not allocating funds. The Datong prefectural government had long been shut down, so he had no hope. But the grain merchants were becoming more and more rampant.

"Okay." Zhang Yuncheng breathed a sigh of relief and took the initiative: "I'll handle this."

Even after the others left, Wang Xin couldn't put it down.

Although he was unwilling to admit it, and even hoped that his guess was wrong, he had to remind himself of the seven-year nationwide drought.

The imperial court probably has no way to deal with it.

Hoping the imperial court will provide grain will only waste time in the end.

Wang Xin stood up and went to the huge map hanging in the hall, which covered half of northern China and then the boundless desert.

The best land outside the Great Wall is of course the Hetao region and places like Daning.

The population in later generations was twenty to thirty million.

As for places like Karakorum, thousands of miles away, they were only considered relatively good compared to the vast desert, and in later generations, they had a population of only three million.

It is indeed the worst drought ever.

But there are always places where life exists, and we need to find these places where life still exists.

I remember seeing a set of data.

During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the total population of the Hetao region, Daning Doyan, and the Gobi Desert was approximately two million, with Han Chinese accounting for the largest proportion, around 700,000.

The front unit, being the more livable part, may have a certain proportion of the population, followed by the remaining areas.

He had fought for many years outside the Great Wall and had finally quelled the threat of the barbarians.

Helin is too far away; we can't afford to take care of it ourselves, nor can we supply the agricultural reclamation teams to Helin. The cost-effectiveness is too low. Let's wait until the merchants are fiercely competing in the future, not even letting go of scraps, and then let them go.

The drought is indeed severe, but it should be enough to feed 300,000 to 400,000 people.

What about other places?
Wang Xin looked at the map again and again.

The front and rear covers are separated by Yinshan Mountain.

The one on the west is called the back set, and the one on the east is called the front set.

The area where the front and rear sets connect is mostly part of the Yinshan Mountains, with only a small opening at the southernmost point, near the edge of the Kubuqi Desert.

As for the western region, there is currently absolutely nothing I can do about it.

The Xitao region is located in the Helan Mountains area, with the Tengger Desert to the left, the Mu Us Desert to the right, and the Ulan Buh Desert and Kubuqi Desert to the north. Given the current conditions of the agricultural reclamation team, it is impossible to reach the area, and forcibly pushing forward would only lead to a near-certain death.

He was trying to save people, not to exhaust the disaster victims.

Given the current drought situation, the Qiantao region cannot accommodate new population. The Daning region can relocate about 100,000 people, and the Xiaohuanghe area is more suitable for pasture teams. Combined with the agricultural reclamation teams, it should not be a problem to support tens of thousands of people.

The rest is the Houtao region.

It can accommodate at least 100,000 to 200,000 people. As for whether it will cause dissatisfaction among military towns in Ganzhou and other places in northern Shaanxi, it should not be a big problem.

Wang Xin surveyed the terrain and gradually formed an idea in his mind.

Why did people migrate westward from the interior during the late Qing Dynasty?
Because the northern part of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia is a vast desert, people had to travel from Tuanshankou in Datong and Zhangjiakou in Xuanfu into the Qiantao region, and then move from the Qiantao region to the Houtao region.

The slightly flatter areas in northern Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia are already close to Hami.

Hami and Houtao are separated by one or two thousand miles.

Therefore, the Prince of Xining over there wouldn't care too much.

But it has to be fed to people.

They also need to provide tools, seeds, and livestock.
Start-up capital is always needed.

They also need military escort.

"Take my calling card to the Zhou residence and invite Master Zhou." Although Wang Xin disliked Zhou Shiming's eldest son, he believed that if he could gain the understanding and support of wealthy families and they would willingly relinquish most of their profits, he would have far fewer worries.

An hour or so passed.

The person who went returned with Wang Xin's calling card. "I didn't see Master Zhou, I only saw the young master of the Zhou family. He said that Master Zhou was ill and he could come in his place."

After listening.

Wang Xin remained silent for a long time.

Does this person consider himself to be Yan Shifan?

So, is he Hu Zongxian?

Wang Xin opened his eyes in confusion, wondering why he felt like he was easy to bully.

I was just trying it out.

Actually, I didn't have many expectations.

No one is willing to give up most of their interests, but if it's only a small portion, many people are willing to compromise.

We still have to rely on the Xue family. Their interests are deeply intertwined, and their ambitions are far-reaching.

Wang Xin remained calm, unsure of how to repay the debt or even if he could.

Beijing.

Xue Mansion,

The Xue family owned several residences in the capital, but the eldest branch of the Xue family came to the capital to seek refuge with the Jia family, as living in the Jia family was the best option.

Since Xue Pan got married, there has been discord in his family.

With the matter of taking over a large-scale project and the trade outside the pass, the family moved out at Xue Baochai's urging.

The Xue family mansion is a large three-courtyard house, which is not bad even in the capital and is a sought-after property.

However, it cannot compare to the Duke's mansion of the Jia family.

As the saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." The business of the eldest son's family was getting better and better. Xue Pan spent his days eating, drinking, gambling and whoring with his cronies, and he rarely went home. Many people knew that Xue Pan had a shrew in his family and often mocked him.

Xue Pan was extremely concerned with his image and spent lavishly. In order to show off, he would often stay in the most luxurious brothels for extended periods, booking entire floors every day to entertain the sons of various families.

As a result, Xue the Fool's nickname has not diminished in the capital over the years, but has become even more prominent.

Many families know that there is such a wealthy scion.

Meanwhile, Xia Jingui was left alone in her empty room, neglected by Xue Pan. Moreover, Xue Pan was impatient with managing the affairs of the shop, so most of them fell into Xue Baochai's hands. As a result, her own family's business could not benefit, which made her increasingly dissatisfied.

All his anger was ultimately directed at his unmarried sister-in-law.

How much silver is left in the account?

Xue Baochai inquired carefully.

The head manager was in poor health and could no longer run around. The new managers each took on a set of tasks. Xue Baochai kept an eye on the accounts while also keeping track of the managers' work, and surprisingly, she made no mistakes.

Everyone respected the young lady of the house and gradually developed a tacit understanding, making many things easier and more convenient for them to do themselves.

"Business is tough this year, far worse than in previous years. The bulk of our profits still come from Datong." The older shopkeeper explained skillfully, "One part is transporting goods from within the pass to sell outside the pass, another part is transporting goods from within the pass to sell in Jiangnan, and finally, there's the original business at the shop. The wages for all these places are over 22,000 taels, and the management fees for crossing the border along the way are nearly 200,000 taels, including over 27,300 taels from the Datong Military Governor's Office. We also sent 120,000 taels to the palace, so there's probably still 220,000 taels coming in. The exact amount will depend on the receipts from each place."

Twenty-two thousand taels of silver.

The silver ingots, each weighing five hundred taels, are too heavy for an ordinary person to carry away. There are four hundred and forty of them, and with the stock from previous years, the silver vault may not be able to hold them all.

"All 220,000 taels of silver must be sealed up and no one is allowed to touch it," Xue Baochai said decisively.

"Why?"

Xue Baochai sat by the window, her hands on her knees, sitting upright. From the shadow cast by the window, she looked like a lady from a noble family. "I'm going to Datong with my second uncle. General Wang Xin specially invited me. I guess it must be something important."

A soft voice came from the window; though she was a frail woman, her voice carried undeniable authority.

Who would be convinced by a young lady from a wealthy family who is still unmarried?

However, in the past year or two, the shopkeepers have come to accept and admire the young lady's performance and decisiveness.

"Could there be other business opportunities?"

One shopkeeper couldn't contain his excitement; of course, the bigger the business, the better.

“I’m afraid not,” Xue Baochai said calmly from the window.

I'm afraid it will cost money.

Xue Baochai did not continue. Some things should not be revealed to others except the parties involved until the very end, especially important matters concerning the Jiedushi Mansion. She should take the initiative to keep them secret.

"Why hasn't Second Uncle arrived in the capital yet?" Xue Baochai stopped discussing this matter and asked Xue Yan.

Everyone was puzzled.

They should have arrived by now, but for some reason they are several days late and there has been no news.

Xue Baochai had a vague idea of ​​what was going on, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

My second uncle has too many businessman habits.

He was successful in Jiangnan, but now that he's not limited to Jiangnan, he seems a bit petty.

Xue Baochai asked softly, "I remember there are still more than 170,000 taels of silver in the treasury, is that right?"

"Yes."

"In addition to the 70,000 taels, the 100,000 taels were also sealed up."

The words spoken through the window only confused the shopkeepers more.

In fact, the Xue family's second branch didn't have many good days. Before they participated in the Datong trade, their business declined every year, from a peak of over 100,000 taels a year to less than 30,000 taels.

With most shops closing down and business failing, he could only hold onto a few shops when he encountered the opportunity in Datong.

Xue Baochai's delicate palms felt the smooth silk fabric covering her knees.

She liked the silky feel.

This feeling of being in control of everything and making all sorts of responses excited her, yet she remained unusually calm.

Sunlight is being injected.

A blush appeared on her fair face.

The shopkeepers said no more and went back to prepare. Before going to Datong, they had to take care of the affairs at their counters. Import and export business in Datong now accounted for 70 to 80% of the business, so it was no exaggeration to attach great importance to it.

Over in Datong.

Prefect's Yamen.

After listening to Zhang Yuncheng's words, Han Bin sneered, "If the grain merchants have no grain on hand, are we going to force them to produce some?"

Zhang Yuncheng was both surprised and not surprised.

The prefect personally went to the military governor to borrow money and grain, but was turned away and lost face. Later, the Zhou family and several other families provided money and grain, and all the officials in the prefect's office were grateful.

“Your Excellency,” Zhang Yuncheng said, forcing a smile, “the number of people affected by the disaster in Datong is probably no less than 100,000, and there are also many disaster victims from other places. If the grain merchants do not release the grain, it may provoke the anger of the people. When dry wood meets raging fire, it will be too late to regret it.”

"Humph."

Han Bin snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Tens of thousands of soldiers in the Datong army can't even protect the peace of Datong? Are you supporting a bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Zhang Yuncheng suddenly stood up, his face flushed red.

Zhang Yuncheng had never suffered such a humiliating insult before, especially since the other party was the prefect of Datong, whose status and rank far surpassed his own.

"Your Excellency, please reconsider."

Thinking of the heavy responsibility on his shoulders, Zhang Yuncheng suppressed his humiliation and offered words of comfort.

"No need, see them out."

After Zhang Yuncheng left, Zhou Gui entered through the back door of the hall.

Zhou Gui smiled broadly, but his eyes were full of disdain.

"I heard this person is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Spending too much time with military men will make your head turn into a block of wood?" Zhou Gui sneered. "There is not enough grain everywhere, so of course we need to stockpile it. Only when we have grain in hand can we feel at ease. It is only when even grain merchants have no grain that we are truly in despair."

Han Bin wholeheartedly agreed.

Han Bin had investigated the major households and grain merchants in the city, and they were indeed running out of food.

If everyone eats, in the end everyone will starve to death.

Only a portion of the population can survive.

Although Zhou Gui despised Zhang Yuncheng, he was still somewhat uneasy about Wang Xin. He came to visit the prefect today specifically to confirm, "Prefect, are you sure Wang Xin won't do anything reckless?"

"What can he do to cause trouble?" Han Bin shook his head and said, "Datong's food supply is already insufficient. His usual slogans for leading troops are good, but today they have hampered his actions. He can only appeal to the imperial court."

Han Bin thought for a moment and then laughed, "Just wait and see, he'll end up begging you for help in the end."

"What if he really does something reckless?"

Zhou Gui was cautious, as if confirming something.

Han Bin thought for a moment, still wondering how Wang Xin dared to act recklessly. "Xuanfu has 30,000 elite troops, the capital city's garrison has over 100,000 elite troops, and there are tens of thousands of elite troops in various parts of the capital region. The court is currently relying on Wang Xin because it is too busy dealing with the chaos in various places, hoping that he will not cause trouble for the court. If he acts recklessly and becomes a disaster for the court, how could Grand Secretary Zhang tolerate him? He would not have used him in the first place. Grand Secretary Zhang has a good eye for people."

"That's good."

Zhou Gui breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking of when Wang Xin begged him, he suddenly felt a surge of satisfaction. He wanted to show the old man what real skill was.

(End of this chapter)