The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 410 Going south and north
"Yongxin Ticket Office".

The large signboard with gold lettering on a black background is even more impressive than a government office.

Wang Xin stood under the signboard and read aloud, then turned around with a smile, "Why not call it Hengxin?"

"There are too many businesses that have chosen the name Hengxin. Although the character 'Yong' is inferior, it is novel, so Miss has chosen this name." The young manager, Lan Huai, answered respectfully, exuding confidence.

It makes a good impression.

Having a flamboyant air about you can offend some people.

Unfortunately, these people are more trouble than they're worth.

If even one person expresses dissatisfaction, that young person will suffer a terrible fate. Therefore, you won't see any flamboyant young people in the officialdom of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Instead, they all pretend to be profound and explain it as composure, which is actually against human nature.

The young shopkeeper's demeanor suggests that he is not content with mediocrity.

Since they are unwilling to settle for mediocrity, they must have the drive to take risks.

Having a pioneering spirit leads to thinking, and thinking leads to new ideas.

"Go and have a look."

Wang Xin laughed.

Xue Baochai once had the idea of ​​establishing a ticket office, and she took the opportunity to introduce some theories she knew about later generations. Although the Yongxin Ticket Office in front of us was founded by Xue Baochai, it can also be said that it has her own influence.

But in the end, it still belongs to Xue Baochai.

She was indeed a bright female student.

Although Lan Huai is young, not yet thirty, he is already in charge of the entire Yongxin Ticket Office.

"The reason why the Ming Dynasty's paper money failed was because the government was more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything. Anything that falls into the hands of the government will eventually fail. That's why the military governor chose to support the private sector in creating the paper money, while the government was only responsible for supervision."

"If the people fail and cause great disaster, it will be due to the government's ineffective supervision. If they can't even manage supervision, let alone manage the banks. Therefore, the military governor's decision is correct."

As we passed a house, we heard arguing coming from inside.

Wang Xin stopped and looked at the young shopkeeper beside him with a half-smile. Lan Huai truthfully admitted, "We were overjoyed to learn that the governor was coming. We also want the governor to see how the ticket office operates."

Seeing that the general did not respond, the guards around him quietly took two steps back.

"The failure of the Ming and Zhou Treasure Notes was not acknowledged by the governments of both dynasties, and discussion among the people was forbidden. Anyone who did so was considered to be committing treason. However, the failure was a fact, and the consequence of not allowing discussion was that for over a hundred years, the Treasure Notes were completely despised. They not only lost their value but also became a tool for the court to exploit the people, causing not only huge losses to the country but also irreparable harm to the people."

The conversation inside the room was brief.

Another person said, "After discussing this for so long and inviting many people to explore it, we have come to the conclusion that silver notes are not suitable for being tied to silver now, but are more suitable for being tied to grain."

"Why?"

Someone inside asked a question, and Wang Xin became interested, listening attentively outside the window.

No one wants to see anyone.

Although they both pretended not to know of each other's existence, they did have the courage to speak out.

“The fact that silver notes were tied to silver did indeed establish their value, but once people obtained them, many would save them instead of spending them, thus losing their circulation value. As a result, the silver notes issued by Yongxing Bank failed.”

"Our banknotes can only make a profit when they circulate in the market and gain value."

Listening to the conversation inside, Wang Xin agreed with some of what was said, but remained skeptical of others.

But as the nervous shopkeeper said, matters only need to be discussed.

Everyone pooled their wisdom and ideas.

Making mistakes is not scary; what's scary is correcting them, learning from them, and doing better next time. What's truly frightening is making mistakes and then pretending they never happened, letting them fester and rot away.

"You're good."

Wang Xin understood that what the other party wanted was an attitude, and Wang Xin acknowledged that.

Upon hearing the governor's statement, Lan Huai and the other shopkeepers all breathed a sigh of relief.

The issuance of the silver notes caused a huge sensation and controversy. Without the strong support of the military governor's office, no one would dare to continue.

After leaving this place, we arrived at a courtyard behind it.

Some sweet potatoes were planted in the yard.

More than a dozen farmers from Fujian were invited by the Xue family business. "They are local experts who not only know how to grow sweet potatoes, but also understand some principles, so the business spent a lot of money to invite them to Datong."

Having seeds isn't enough; you also need people who know how to plant them.

Sweet potatoes have been grown in Fujian for two or three decades. These people have spent half their lives growing sweet potatoes and are also thoughtful people.

Datong and Fujian are ultimately on the same continental shelf.

While there are differences, it doesn't mean that the same crops can't be grown.

Rice is grown in Fujian, and rice is also grown in Datong.

Sweet potatoes can be grown in Fujian, so of course they can be grown in Datong as well.

These people were discussing it on the way here, and they took action on the first day they arrived in Datong.

The news of the sweet potatoes arriving in Datong was reported to the ticket office immediately. By the time Wang Xin returned to Datong from Daizhou, it was already the sixth day.

"Can it be planted?"

"can."

Everyone answered in unison.

As long as it can be planted, that's fine.

Wang Xin asked a few polite questions and then left shortly afterward.

"Is this the military governor?"

One farmer couldn't believe it. He felt that the man was like a scion of a wealthy and virtuous family in his hometown, not a military governor. Such a high-ranking official didn't have any official demeanor at all. They were very uncomfortable and wondered if they had misheard.

"Yes."

"He is the military governor of Datong. Don't underestimate him because he is young."

Lan Huai laughed happily.

Wang Xin was thirty-three years old, four or five years older than himself, but his achievements were nothing compared to Wang Xin's, so what was there to be proud of?

After so much trial and error, the scale of their banknote issuance grew larger and larger, and their influence became enormous. They were quite certain that their methods were correct, but being correct doesn't necessarily mean you can do it.

What everyone was most worried about was that the military governor's office would change its mind.

Although the Jiedushi government is very trustworthy, who dares to believe that it won't change its mind in the face of huge profits?

"We still need to prepare a few more." Lan Huai wasn't completely at ease.

The other shopkeeper nodded.

Return to the Datong Military Governor's Office.

Tao Sheng, dressed in his official robes, hesitated for a moment, "Are we really going to let this bank control the banknotes?"

"The banknotes they issued were recognized by others."

Wang Xin understood Tao Sheng's meaning and wanted to explain the reasoning to him.

Han Bin ran away.

Zhai Wen was pushed forward by himself to take the lead in Datong's affairs.

The imperial court is currently preoccupied with its own problems and no one has time to attend to Han Bin's affairs. However, Zhai Wen has few trusted confidants and even fewer capable people, so Tao Sheng has become a favorite of Zhai Wen.

"Their banknotes are not something that everyone in my Jiedushi Prefecture can use as stipulated. Rather, it is banknotes that they issue that have gained the recognition of other businesses, who are willing to use them because they believe they can bring them benefits."

"Why should I object?"

Wang Xin asked.

Tao Sheng was stunned. Was there even a need to ask that?

Wang Xin sighed, "If I were just jealous of how much money they're making and I banned them, then I would be wrong."

Before Tao Sheng could speak, Wang Xin continued, "If we believe that their harm will be great, then we must discuss where the harm lies and how to eliminate it. This is what makes the inspection by the military governor's office or the government necessary."

Simply ban it.

This is the greatest harm of feudal society.

Most of the people's suffering stems from this policy of simply banning things. They can't do it well themselves, and they won't let the people do it either.

Seeing that Tao Sheng was still somewhat unconvinced, Wang Xin said calmly, "The issuance and popularization of banknotes is the foundation of Datong's trade. Without the prosperity of this, Datong's trade could not break through. And the paper money issued by the government itself has failed since ancient times. Everyone can talk about the reasons, let's look at the facts."

Don't believe anyone's words.

Just look at the facts.

Later generations primarily adopted a regulatory approach.

The methods of regulation vary.

Some were state-owned enterprises, while others were government-supervised and privately-run.

Whether the military governor's office would invest or simply act as a supervisory body was still undecided at this point.

Wang Xin wanted to adopt a purely regulatory approach, not only encouraging the existence of Yongxin Ticketing Company, but also supporting the existence of more ticketing companies.

Each ticket agency relies entirely on its own credit to circulate in the market.

The Jiedushi government prevented and mitigated risks through oversight.

Otherwise, wouldn't the military governor's office be nothing more than a place where people just eat and do nothing? Enjoying power without bearing responsibility—how is that any different from a feudal government office?

But I don't dare to let go completely.

Since we didn't see it with our own eyes, what if we're wrong?

Let's first observe the momentum of Yongxin Tickets, get more people involved, and brainstorm a better solution.

night.

During mealtime, everyone gathered together.

Dinner was simple.

Sweet potato porridge.

This was the first time everyone had eaten sweet potatoes, so they were all quite curious.

"Everyone should try it." Wang Xin said with emotion as he looked at the familiar sweet potato porridge. "Now that you've seen it, you can put aside your doubts. Promoting this product is the most important task of the Marshal's Mansion."

One bowl per person.

There was also a dish of pickled vegetables on the table.

The porridge wasn't hot, it was lukewarm. Zeng Zhi took a spoonful and then ate a piece of sweet potato.

"This food can indeed fill your stomach."

"Although a few bowls of thin porridge will fill you up, you will get hungry again soon. This thing makes all the difference."

seeing is believing.

Although the production volume is still uncertain.

“Promoting sweet potatoes is not difficult,” Zeng Zhi said confidently. “Datong has many agricultural reclamation teams outside the Great Wall. They can plant sweet potatoes with just one order. The only thing lacking is seeds, and the fleet of ships has not yet arrived.”

"The passage to the capital region still needs the Jia family's help to maintain."

The affairs of the Jia family depend on the military commander.

There was nothing anyone could do.

Wang Xin, however, did not relax. He said seriously, "Promoting sweet potatoes is not difficult, but the matter of silver notes is very complicated. The Jiedushi Prefecture cannot avoid or even try to prohibit this matter just because it is of great importance and involves a lot of trouble."

Everyone fell silent.

Everyone knows that banknotes are a big problem, and one wrong move could lead to serious consequences.

The key is that it's a new thing.

Thankless.

Wang Xin said bluntly, "We must rise to the challenge. The military governor's office will not keep anyone who does not work."

Officials actually think the same way as workers.

There are jobs that workers don't want to do.

Officials also have unrelated jobs.

The difference is that workers have no way to refuse, while officials can find ways to deal with it.

Why can't workers refuse, but officials can?

Face the problem squarely and solve it.

"General, please rest assured." Zeng Zhi held a bowl in his hand and said solemnly, "I will personally handle the matter of the silver notes and come up with a plan as soon as possible."

Wang Xin nodded.

"The imperial court doesn't know when it will get back on track. The local areas are in chaos, and the court doesn't have the energy to investigate. But we are also hesitant to act rashly. The situation is unclear. Although we want to take Taiyuan, we are worried about causing a backlash."

"The root cause is that Datong is not strong enough and has too many shortcomings, so it needs time to develop."

"Now that the emperor has taken personal control of the government, the court should return to stability soon, right?"

Zeng Zhi asked curiously.

Zhang Yuncheng shook his head. “It’s not that simple. The biggest problem is how to collect taxes this year. All the provinces have suffered severe disasters. We in Datong have been trying to save ourselves in the past two years, but other places haven’t. Even if the court suddenly unites and organizes various places to start self-rescue, it will not be able to be reversed overnight.”

Jia Huan silently wrote it down behind the desk in the corner.

His writing was beautiful and neat, and he quickly earned Zheng Ang's praise.

Their clerks were to write down the matters discussed by the leaders and compile them into a register, which could be retrieved and checked at any time.

"We in Datong have encountered many difficulties in doing things together. Moreover, we in Datong have savings, which have helped us recover a lot of losses. The imperial court has been in deficit for many years, and now there has been a huge change. I'm afraid it will be even more difficult."

Just as the peasant uprising in Shandong was being quelled, the peasant rebellion in Shaanxi intensified.

There was also the threat of barbarian invasions in Liaodong and instability in the northwest.

Even in Jiangnan, people have heard of the slave rebellion.

One problem after another arises; these are troubled times indeed.

"We can't control what the court does, but we can do our own job well and remain calm in the face of any changes. Zhou Wen can stay in Taiyuan for a few more months. With him there, the risks in the south are reduced. Taking advantage of this opportunity, we plan to lead our troops out of the pass."

"There are still risks."

Yan Zhongzheng was taken aback, then hesitated and said, "If the court tries to win over Zhou Wen, Zhou Wen might change his mind."

This may not be impossible.

South and north.

Going south is risky, the timing is delicate, the benefits are great, but the consequences are also great.

Going north carries less risk, the timing is right, the benefits are small, but the long-term consequences are significant.

From a purely economic standpoint, Wang Xin should have chosen to head south.

But as I said before, Datong's strength is insufficient. If they force themselves to do it, they will only pay a huge price in the end, which Wang Xin is unwilling to bear.

"For sweet potatoes to be widely promoted outside the Great Wall, a stable environment is even more necessary."

"Many Hu people fear power but not morality. We cannot always maintain a strong stance, or they will harbor evil intentions at any moment. As long as the court is on our side, we have the Jia family acting as our eyes and ears in the court. Although it is not perfect, as far as we expect, Zhou Wen will not get through so easily."

If the emperor could tolerate even Zhou Wen, why would he have confiscated the Jia family mansion in the original timeline?

Although the Jia family's sons had many ideas, none of them had the ability to achieve them.

Lin Ruhai died, Wang Ziteng died, the Xue family's business declined, and even the most self-disciplined Jia Zheng became completely disheartened, realizing his own inadequacy and deciding to give up. There was no need to confiscate the Jia family's property.

It was similar to Zhu Yunwen's policy of weakening the power of the regional military governors.

The last person who should have been used as a warning to others was King Zhou.

When the nobles saw that even the Jia family had fallen to such a state, they would all feel insecure.

They confiscated the property, then returned it a few days later?
The emperor was made.

Such a contradictory decision explains why it later caused quite a bit of controversy.

Otherwise, it would cause trouble. Even if the emperor made a wrong decision, he would not easily change it, so as not to damage his prestige.

(End of this chapter)