Qing Yao

Chapter 157 The Canal Transport Strike (Bonus Chapter 2 for Monthly Tickets)

People need to be saved, but they won't be given money?

The members of the canal gang, including Zhang Baofa, were all stunned by Zhao An's arrogant words.

"Young Master, if it were that simple, why would we need to discuss this here?"

"The canal transport authorities have us by the throat. This time, Sun Laosi and his gang have caused a huge disaster. How could they possibly be so easy to talk to?"

"Young Master has only been with the gang for a short time and doesn't know many things. We boatmen have three fears, and the first one is the Grand Canal Transport Office."

"Young Master's idea is good, but the shipping company is in the official right and won't listen to reason with us. I think we should continue to discuss this matter together."

"."

Whether they supported the redemption or not, they all shared the same opinion on Zhao An's arrogant words—it was simply impossible!

A buzz of discussion filled the hall.

Zhang Baofa also shook his head slightly. The apprentice he had taken in had given such a bad idea last time, which resulted in Sun Laosi and the others being trapped in Huai'an. Now he was saying such arrogant things in public. No matter how you look at it, he was still too young.

"A young man with no experience is unreliable; we can't let him spout nonsense again."

Just as he was about to get up and try to steer Zhao An's message in a way that suggested good intentions but was actually quite different from others, his adopted apprentice walked straight to the center, looked around at everyone, and said, "Brothers, would you mind listening to what this young master Zhao has to say?"

Upon hearing this, everyone stopped discussing and turned to look at Zhao An, the gang's top "cultured person".

"master!"

Zhao Anxian turned around and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhang Baofa behind him, before turning back to the group and saying, "Brothers, is it really true that the canal transport company is demanding 100,000 taels of silver from our shipyard because of Sun Rui and the others?"

Before anyone could respond, he shook his head and said, "Even without Sun Rui and the others, the canal transport authorities would still ask us for money. They might ask for 80,000 taels, 60,000 taels, or 50,000 taels. But if we give them whatever they ask for, brothers, next time the canal transport authorities ask for money, should we give it or not?"
As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning. This time, the canal transport authorities extorted tens of thousands of taels of silver from us out of thin air. If we give it to them, it will be like giving their canal transport a good start. I, the young master, dare to say that they will ask for it again next time, and they will definitely ask for even more!
Because those corrupt officials have insatiable appetites. They might grit their teeth and give them money once or twice, but what about three or four times?

Does this mean our brothers will be ripped off by the canal transport office every day from now on?

Zhao An's words were based on the perspective of the Green Gang. Regardless of whether it was the first, second, or third gang, everyone was a member of the Green Gang. If the canal transport side continued to extort and blackmail, it would be an unbearable burden for everyone in the Yangzhou branch.

Therefore, it naturally resonated with the gang members in the hall. Even some of the gang leaders who supported giving money felt that this example should not be set, because it was a bottomless pit that could never be filled or satisfied.

“Young Master, we understand the reasoning you're giving us, but we can't refuse. The canal transport authorities are holding us by the throat.”

The speaker was Xu Lin, the manager of the Third Gang. Because he had been working on the canal with his boatmen for many years, his skin was tanned very dark, but he was strong and powerful, somewhat like the coolie who knew kung fu.

He looks like he can fight really well.

Someone from the second gang also said, "Young Master, if we don't pay, not only will Sun Laosi and the others not survive, but we will also completely offend the Grand Canal Administration, making it difficult for us to operate our branch in the future."

Zhao An shook his head and asked in return, "Why must it be difficult for us, and not for the Grand Canal Transport Office?"

"I don't understand what you mean, young master?"

Xu Lin coiled his braid around his neck, looking utterly bewildered. Zhao An didn't answer, but instead turned to Uncle Zhang Baofa, cupping his fists in a respectful gesture, and said, "Master, there are still more than twenty days until the New Year. I humbly request that you inform all the brothers on the ship to cease all cargo transport starting tomorrow, and also prohibit any cargo ships from the south from heading north!"

"what?!"

Screams erupted from inside the hall.

Zhang Baofa was terrified and trembled: "Zhi'an, have you lost your mind? This is the Grand Canal! If our gang cuts off the Grand Canal, the imperial court will have to uproot us!"

"Young lord, this is rebellion! We can't do it! We can't do it!"

The gang leader, a man who made his fortune running brothels, turned pale with fright.

"Young Master, you must be an official. Please don't make fun of us poor folks."

The branch leader, sitting in the third chair to Zhang Baofa's left, hurriedly wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.

"Master, brothers, what I mean is not to actually cut off the canal, but to have all the boats on the canal that deliver New Year's goods to the high-ranking officials in the capital stop in Yangzhou. In a few days, the high-ranking officials in the capital will question the canal transport department. At that time, will the canal transport department turn a small matter into a big one, or a big matter into a small one?"

Zhao An sneered, "The canal transport is the office in charge of supervising the canal transport, yet they can't even ensure the canal runs smoothly. We'll have to see if their canal transport office is utterly incompetent or if they're exploiting our canal transport gang too much. Otherwise, why would we strike and stop transporting goods? The bigger this matter gets, the more detrimental it will be to their canal transport office!"

"That's right, it's not like we're stopping the grain transport, what's there to be afraid of!"

Xu Lin was somewhat excited because he thought of something: "Last year, Boss Yang of the Dezhou Gang even dared to rob the military pay meant for the imperial court. We're just not doing any work or sailing, what's wrong with that!"

Boss Yang was referring to a group of people from the Dezhou Gang, a branch of the Green Gang in the north. These people were so audacious that they actually robbed a grain transport ship carrying military pay, and they succeeded in stealing a total of 180,000 taels of military pay.

The theft of military funds alarmed not only local officials, but also the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, the Governor-General, and the Admiral.

The Qing government mobilized a large army to search along the Dezhou line for the missing military funds and the whereabouts of the robbers, but after half a year of searching, they still couldn't find anything.

Finally, internal strife broke out within the Dezhou gang due to disputes over the distribution of spoils, which led to the exposure of their crimes. More than 300 members of the Dezhou Green Gang, led by Boss Yang, were executed by the Qing government.

But the Texas Green Gang still exists.

Because the Qing government could not completely eradicate the Dezhou canal gangs, as that would lead to the disruption of canal transport, which would be a matter of great importance that would shake the foundations of the country.

When Xu Lin talked about the situation in Dezhou, someone mentioned the situation in Jianghuai, saying that the brothers of the Fengzhong Second Gang, led by their uncle, had surrounded the grain route for five days, with the aim of getting the grain route to raise their wages.

Finally, the governor intervened and agreed to raise wages, thus ending the matter.

No members of the canal gang were arrested.

"Young Master is right, the government bullies the weak and fears the strong! If the three gangs of Yangzhou join forces, we'll cut off their freight transport for a few days. Then the ones who will suffer will be their canal transport office, not us!"

Ding Jiu, nicknamed "White Paper Fan," who had been standing silently behind Zhang Baofa, walked up to Zhao An and said, "A good horse is ridden, and a kind person is bullied. The Grand Canal Administration thinks we, the three gangs of Yangzhou, are pushovers. Well, let's stand up for ourselves and show them whether the Qing Dynasty can do without our Grand Canal Gang brothers!"

(End of this chapter)