Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 242 Guancheng Post Station

Guancheng Post Station, located within Zhengzhou, was the largest post station between Zhengzhou and Bianzhou. Situated within the city of Guancheng in Zhengzhou, the post station occupied almost half of the city's space.

The post station buildings themselves weren't particularly large, but in addition to receiving officials, the post stations in the Tang Dynasty also served as a conduit for taxes and rents from various prefectures to the capital, which led to a surge in the number of associated inns and lodgings.

Meanwhile, private trade activities often spread and developed through the post station system. As a result, Guancheng Post Station, located along the Bian Canal, became a center for people to gather. Guancheng, where it is located, is also known as a half-city post station and half-city. In addition to the post station, there is a market in the city.

Zhang Dai and his party stayed in the city for three days, and then, despite his father Zhang Jun's attempts to persuade them to stay, they continued their journey to Guancheng Post Station.

"We have been waiting here for you for a long time. Will you stay in the city or stay outside the city?"

Wei Lin, a servant recruited by Zhang Dai after meeting him in the South Market of Luoyang, was in charge of affairs in Guancheng. He led more than ten servants to wait on the post road outside the city early in the morning.

Upon meeting Zhang Dai and his party, Wei Lin warmly greeted them and explained, "Although the city is prosperous, it is also quite noisy, and accommodation is not very cheap. There are inns and hotels built by local families outside the city along the Bian Canal, where you can rest comfortably."

Zhang Dai turned to look at his companions, who all said, "Since we are on a tour, we should go among the people. What can we see if we live apart from the crowd?"

"Then let's enter the city!"

Zhang Dai could understand everyone's desire to improve; previously, they may have lacked the means or direction to strive for.

However, their mentor Yan Tingzhi is now serving as the chief official of the selection department. As long as they carefully investigate and understand the local conditions in Henan and Hebei, and can put forward certain insights and strategies, they will have a very high chance of being granted an official position in this year's winter selection. So naturally, they must work hard!

The commercial atmosphere in Guancheng was indeed very strong. As soon as they approached the city, they could see flag pavilions and restaurants everywhere outside the city, as well as stalls set up with carts and straw mats, selling a wide variety of goods.

Such grass market stalls were strictly prohibited in the two capitals, but they were allowed to develop freely in the towns along the canal. The people were used to it, and no soldiers came forward to drive them away or stop them.

Upon entering the city, the entire city was permeated with an even stronger sense of money. Tang law did not require houses to have doors facing the street, and Guancheng was no exception. Although the houses on both sides of the street did not dare to open their doors to the street, they each had windows. Under the window openings, which were a few feet wide, hung cloth banners or wooden boards, on which were written the goods and prices of each business.

Beneath these signs stood numerous brokers, loudly hawking their wares to attract customers. Some businesses even transformed their street-facing walls into openwork bamboo walls, inside which were depicted as alluring female dancers performing seductive dances, drawing passersby to stop and gaze upwards, reluctant to leave.

Looking at the rows of vertical street signs and the various shouts, Zhang Dai felt as if he had returned to a comprehensive wholesale market in later times. The lively and bustling commercial atmosphere was really unlike a city in the Middle Ages.

The others in the group were also astonished by the lively scene. Some even frowned and said, "Who exactly is the official in charge of this area? With such poor education, the residents have abandoned their livelihoods and production, chasing after the profits of commerce. How can this situation last?"

The Tang Dynasty had a vast territory, with different regions having different customs and landscapes. Apart from a few like Wang Changling who had traveled extensively and had broad knowledge, most of Zhang Dai's classmates were buried in their books and focused on their studies. Their experience and knowledge were relatively shallow, so seeing this scene was indeed a bit of a shock to their understanding.

"The wealth of a nation is like the five internal organs and four limbs of a person. They are different in form, function, region, and customs. If each organ performs its function and does its good, the nation will be rich and the people prosperous, and a thriving and prosperous age will be achieved."

Zhang Dai did not mock his fellow student's pedantry for making such a statement, but instead said with a smile: "For example, if you and I are the same age, who is skilled in farming and who is skilled in weaving? Are we just useless people? As long as we can make good use of our knowledge, we can help the ruler become like Yao and Shun, and bring prosperity to our region. Our achievements are no less than those of farmers and weavers."

This city is situated at a crucial waterway and transportation hub, where people and goods from all over the world gather and disperse, their abundance or scarcity directly impacting their lives. It is like the balance of essence and blood; if it is not flowing smoothly, it stagnates; stagnation leads to blockage; blockage leads to interruption; interruption leads to death. Grains enter through the mouth and teeth; although the stomach and intestines do not perform the function of chewing, they serve to connect the upper and lower parts of the body, and cannot be considered thieves who steal food!

When people saw this scene, they were generally displeased. After all, the traditional concept they accepted was that without farming there would be no food and without weaving there would be no clothes. They believed that trade was just speculation and profiting from the price difference, but there was no production involved.

However, Zhang Dai's remarks gave them considerable inspiration. In particular, Wang Changling, who was rich in experience, couldn't help but sigh: "In previous years, when I traveled to the border regions of Longxi, I saw many people who were eager to do business. At that time, I just sighed that the Hu people were inherently base and could live peacefully in one place and focus on farming and weaving. Why should they suffer from the wind and sand?"
Hearing Liu Lang's analogy of comparing the large to the small, I am deeply moved! Some say he has traveled thousands of miles and read extensively, yet without understanding a single principle, all his observations are empty! To observe things and understand their underlying principles—that is true wisdom!

“I accept Wang Da’s praise. The barbarians are indeed base. We Chinese people cannot be compared to barbarians. These barbarians have no attachment to their homeland, only greed; they are difficult to reason with. They gather for profit, and will disperse for profit as well. To teach people reason, one must first have a sense of distinction, then propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame. Without groups, without distinctions, without friends, without factions, one cannot be reasoned with!” Zhang Dai said with a smile, his words prompting further contemplation and reflection among the crowd. It seemed somewhat unorthodox, yet somehow plausible. Without distinctions of groups and factions, how could one distinguish right from wrong?
Wei Lin, who was leading the way, didn't dwell on these interpersonal matters. As he led the way, he explained to Zhang Dai, "We have rented a house near the inn to serve as our storage facility. All our goods are traded and delivered through this place. It's just a pity that the house is still too small, making it difficult to conduct large-scale transactions of goods, especially since the demand for materials is high in various places..."

Currently, this disaster relief system is responsible for the food, clothing, and other expenses of more than 10,000 people. The only thing the weaving workshop can produce is cloth, and all other living supplies need to be purchased. The main places for purchasing are Guancheng and Bianzhou in Zhengzhou.

Zhang Dai didn't feel much when he heard Wei Lin's story, but when he arrived at the house they were renting, he found that it was indeed cramped.

This residence is located along the riverbank in the city, which is a good location. It leads directly to the Bian Canal outside the city. However, the riverbank is only a little over ten feet long, barely enough to dock a small sampan.

The entire mansion is a long, narrow trapezoid with a diagonal distribution. The narrowest part is only a little over 10 feet along the river, and the widest part extending inward is only a little over 20 feet. The layout is very bizarre. There isn't even a decent house inside. It looks just like the various strange house layouts created by the sub-landlords who are skilled at renovation in Shanghai in later years.

Why not put more effort into finding a suitable residence?

Zhang Dai felt a little dizzy after entering the house, unable to distinguish east from west, and immediately frowned and asked.

Wei Lin bowed with a bitter face and said, "This place was originally a residence allocated to me by the old lord, Prefect Zhang, through the management of the post station. Currently, I have businesses operating in various parts of the city, or long-term leases. However, the area outside the city is not safe, and there are occasional bandits and thieves. Those who travel here carry heavy goods, and if they are caught by thieves, they will lose both their people and their wealth..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai frowned. He had previously thought that land in Luoyang was incredibly valuable, and good properties were extremely rare. Even with his current vast wealth, he hadn't been able to purchase any prime real estate in Luoyang; he had instead colluded with Gao Chengxin to seize a temple's monastery.

Looking at Guancheng now, it truly is a place where every inch of land is incredibly valuable. It's a hub of wealth, with a density of riches even higher than Luoyang, but unlike Luoyang, it doesn't have a large garrison. Furthermore, passing merchants have higher security requirements, which exacerbates the overcrowding in the city.

Zhengzhou was not a major military stronghold, and for political reasons, the imperial court could not allow a large number of troops to be stationed there, lest it threaten the safety of Luoyang, the eastern capital. Even during the period of regional separatism in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, the Xuanwu Army, based in Henan, still had to be stationed in Bianzhou, which was much further away.

Currently, most of the houses in this residence are still used to store various miscellaneous items and cannot be used for living.

Zhang Dai and his fellow students each had several servants and attendants, totaling dozens of people, which was obviously not enough to accommodate them all. So, before it got dark, Zhang Dai had no choice but to ask Wei Lin to arrange for people to find inns and hotels in the city to accommodate everyone, while he himself stayed here to continue to investigate the situation.

"Inns and shops within the city cannot store large quantities of goods, and the area outside the city is not safe. Although we purchase a large quantity of goods, we can only rely on the fluctuations in prices. Since this spring, chartered ships from the Yangtze and Huai rivers have sent messengers to search for and buy grain and other goods, causing the price of spring grain to rise by several times."

Even if some grain flows out of the Ever-Normal Granary, it can only be purchased by local residents in limited quantities. From now on, grain prices will rise daily until the summer grain harvest arrives. If we can store grain as early as possible to cover the expenses of the weaving workshops, we can not only ensure sufficient funds but also save countless amounts of money and silk!

Wei Lin had been in Guancheng for several months and had a certain understanding of the local market changes, so he couldn't help but look worried when he talked about it.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He currently had enough money and enough goods on the market, but because he didn't have enough warehouse space, he couldn't make large-scale purchases before grain prices skyrocketed. He could only watch helplessly as grain prices rose every day, and then he would end up buying overpriced grain like a sucker.

"Since there is insufficient storage, can we buy and distribute the goods to various places immediately? Bianzhou is more convenient by water and land, so we can set up large warehouses there to store them."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Dai spoke again.

"This is also quite difficult. Previously, we relied on the prefectural government's transport laborers. However, this spring, with the dredging of the Biankou River and the large-scale conscription of laborers, there are no idle laborers available. The boatmen and polemen here are demanding exorbitant prices, so unless we form our own fleet of boats and pack animals, it is not convenient enough."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai couldn't help but ponder, inwardly sighing that it was truly difficult to do good deeds, and that this might really affect the livelihoods of millions of canal workers.

(End of this chapter)