My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 371 Who is in favor and who is against?
The unity of Jiangnan no longer exists.

By November 15th, after the Zhiwu Railway had completed its fundraising, each county in Jiangnan formed its own merchant groups.

After Jiangnan's investment was dispersed, the largest investment came from the Japanese Silver Company.

During this period, Gu Xiancheng also struggled.

He traveled among various merchant groups, attempting to reunite the Jiangnan region as a unified entity to counter Li Wenquan's Japanese silver company.

But the result was, of course, failure.

The gentry from other prefectures said in one sentence:

"Your Changzhou Prefecture should integrate first!"

Gu Xiancheng's silence was the right answer.

Things have escalated to this point, and he can't even consolidate Changzhou Prefecture.

The counties under Changzhou Prefecture could not accept him, a man from Wuxi, leading them.

Gu Xiancheng was extremely frustrated. Only now did he realize how difficult it was to accomplish something.

Gu Xiancheng also began to understand how valuable Su Ze's "two memorials a month, both of which were approved" was since he entered officialdom!

The Zhili-Wujiang Railway was actually a minor matter for the imperial court, but even this minor matter was so difficult to accomplish.

However, Gu Xiancheng was also the kind of person who became more courageous with each battle, and he quickly rallied again.
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On November 17th, all statistical work was finally completed.

The Zhiwu Railway raised a total of 260,000 silver dollars.

The seven prefectures in Jiangnan contributed a total of 180,000 silver dollars, but the funds were scattered across various counties.

The Japanese Silver Company invested 50,000 silver dollars, becoming the largest single shareholder representative in the entire Zhili-Wu Railway.

The remaining 30,000 silver dollars were funded by some wealthy merchants and gentry in the capital and Zhigu, who naturally sided with Li Wenquan.

After confirmation, Li Wenquan, representing the Woyin Company, became the chairman of the preparatory committee for the entire Zhiwu Railway, and was responsible for the preparation of the Zhiwu Railway.

Despite the dissatisfaction of scholars like Gu Xiancheng with this outcome, the gentry of Jiangnan were already fiercely competing. They preferred that Li Wenquan, an "outsider," serve as the chairman of the railway preparatory committee rather than allow other counties to represent the entire Jiangnan region.

In response, Gu Xiancheng came up with a new strategy.

This time, the people from Jiangnan were unwilling to gather at the Wuxi Guild Hall, so Gu Xiancheng had no choice but to visit each household individually.

Gao Panlong followed Gu Xiancheng to visit the residences of representatives from all the counties in the seven prefectures of Jiangnan, and he was exhausted.

However, Gu Xiancheng did not feel tired at all.

"Brother Shushi (Gu Xiancheng's courtesy name), is this really a good idea?"

Gu Xiancheng said with certainty:

"Of course! In the current situation, it's difficult to persuade the gentry of Jiangnan to support one thing, but it's quite easy to get them to oppose one thing!"

Gu Xiancheng's plan was quite simple: at tomorrow's preparatory meeting for the Zhili-Wu Railway, representatives from various counties in Jiangnan would unite to oppose all of Li Wenquan's proposals.

Gu Xiancheng said:
"The heir of the Marquis of Wuqing is the chairman of the Woyin Company. He is very busy and has no energy to argue with the Zhiwu Railway."

"As long as everyone unites to oppose him and prevents him from getting things done, the control of the Zhiwu Railway will ultimately fall into the hands of us, the gentry of Jiangnan!"

This was Gu Xiancheng's strategy.

After all, most of the shares of the Zhiwu Railway were still in the hands of the gentry in Jiangnan. Since they could not unite to accomplish anything, they could still unite to oppose it.

If everyone unites to oppose him and wears down Li Wenquan's patience, he will naturally relinquish his leadership of the Zhili-Wuhan Railway.

Gao Panlong said with some worry:

“Brother Shushi, why go to such lengths? I have also heard that this son of the Marquis of Wuqing is very capable. He oversaw the Penghu colonization and the Japanese silver company, both of which yielded substantial profits. He was also entrusted with the preparation of the Zhiwu Railway. As long as the railway can be completed as soon as possible, it will be more beneficial than harmful to Jiangnan.”

"Why must we compete with the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing?"

Gao Panlong had another thought in his mind: Why must we go against the imperial court?
Gu Xiancheng looked at his friend and asked:
"Brother Yuncong (Gao Panlong's courtesy name), do you think that I, Gu, am determined to challenge the imperial court and vie for control of the Zhili-Wu Railway?"

Gao Panlong nodded again, and Gu Xiancheng said:
"Brother Yuncong, the railway is a matter of utmost importance; we must fight for it!"

"Brother Yuncong, what do you think is the easiest tax to collect in this world?"

Gao Panlong immediately replied, "Naturally, it's land tax."

Gu Xiancheng shook his head and said:
"wrong!"

Gao Panlong objected, saying, "The land is already on the register, so we can just collect taxes according to the register. Besides, land tax has been the official tax of all dynasties since ancient times, so it is naturally the easiest to collect."

Gu Xiancheng said:
“Brother Yuncong, we are both gentry from Jiangnan. Don’t you know the methods of tax evasion?”

"The land tax is the most difficult to collect in the world. Although the land tax is fixed, whether it is the gentry and the wealthy or the poor farmers who cultivate the land, they will try every means to resist the tax collection."

"Moreover, land ownership is complicated, land surveying requires manpower, and tax collection requires the appointment of officials. There are too many intricacies involved."

"Collecting land tax is actually a time-consuming and laborious task that we have to do out of necessity."

Gu Xiancheng said:
"The easiest tax to collect in the world is actually commercial tax."

"Merchants acquire wealth through trade, and the tax revenue comes from floating profits, rather than being deducted from the people's hands like land tax. Therefore, merchants have the least resistance to taxation."

"The most important aspect of trade growth is the trade stage, so as long as we control the key points of trade, it is easy to collect taxes."

"For example, how many people have you seen resisting the maritime tax levied by the Ming Dynasty at its ports?"

"In addition, several provinces that have already levied commercial taxes are collecting customs duties at checkpoints, which are the most effective way to tax merchants."

"Having said so much, Brother Yuncong, if the imperial court were to impose commercial taxes on Jiangnan, what would be the easiest way?"

"Naturally, taxes are levied on goods transported on railways!"

"Moreover, if such a vital resource falls into the hands of the imperial court, the profits from the trade in Jiangnan will be known to the court, and the court will then be even more inclined to levy taxes on Jiangnan!"

Hearing this, Gao Panlong finally understood Gu Xiancheng's plan.

However, Gao Panlong still asked, somewhat puzzled:
“Brother Shushi, Hanlin Su also advocated equality among the four classes of people. Merchants profit from trade, so it is only natural for them to pay commercial taxes. Why do you oppose this so much, Brother Shushi?”

Gu Xiancheng said:
"If all the commercial taxes from Jiangnan are used in Jiangnan, then there will naturally be no problem."

"But what do you think, Brother Yuncong, if the commercial taxes from Jiangnan were used to subsidize education in Shaanxi and Gansu?"

"The problem in this world is not poverty, but inequality!"

Gao Panlong was persuaded by Gu Xiancheng that since things had come to this, they had no choice but to go all the way and continue to fight the imperial court for control of the Zhili-Wu Railway.
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East Palace.

"Master Su, these gentry from Jiangnan are utterly despicable!"

Xiao Pangjun looked grim; Donggong also held a share in Zhiwu Company.

Gu Xiancheng's network of connections was quite large. After receiving word of this, Li Wenquan immediately went to the East Palace to ask his fat nephew for help.

In reality, they were asking Su Ze for help.

Su Ze, who was invited by Xiao Pangjun, guessed Gu Xiancheng's plan after hearing the news that Li Wenquan had received.

It can only be said that this "Mr. Donglin" truly lives up to his reputation as the founder of the Donglin Party in the original timeline; he is indeed most adept at being an opposition figure. And in fact, being an opposition figure in the opposition is the easiest thing to do.

They only need to talk the talk, but those in power have to consider many things.

If Gu Xiancheng successfully makes connections, Li Wenquan really won't have time to waste on them.

The Japanese Silver Company was going to organize a second trade, and Li Wenquan also had to return to Penghu to take care of the Penghu Colonization Corps.

This brother-in-law of the Ming Dynasty controlled six figures in silver dollars.

Li Wenquan also looked at Su Ze with concern.

Su Ze thought for a moment and said:

"This matter is actually easy to handle."

"The world is bustling for profit, and the world is bustling for profit."

"The gentry of Jiangnan can separate because of profit, and they can also come together because of profit."

"To divide them, we can use incentives."

Little Fatty Jun frowned and said:
"Master Su, do you expect me to turn around and try to win over these gentry from Jiangnan?"

Su Ze said to Little Fatty Jun:
“Your Highness, politics is actually quite similar to doing business; it’s all about compromise. This is the Jiangnan gentry bargaining with us.”

Little Fatty Jun thought for a moment and said:
"But Uncle doesn't have time to waste on these Jiangnan gentry. We can't keep doing this every time. When will the Zhili-Wu Railway start construction?"

Su Ze said to Li Wenquan:
"Your Highness, do you know how to build railways?"

Li Wenquan quickly shook his head.

"In the entire preparatory committee for the Zhili-Wuhan Railway, did anyone know how to build or operate a railway?"

Li Wenquan shook his head again.

Railways were a novelty throughout the Ming Dynasty, so it would be strange if they understood them.

So Su Ze said:

"In that case, the Zhiwu Railway is not suitable for the board of directors to operate. Professional matters should be left to professionals."

"Your Highness may suggest that the board of directors of Zhiwu Railway should not be responsible for day-to-day operations."

Li Wenquan asked, "Then who will be in charge of the daily work?"

Su Ze said:

“The board of directors will fund the construction and operation of the railway by hiring a professional team and appointing a full-time manager to oversee the construction and operation of the railway.”

"The board of directors is only responsible for overseeing and reviewing the specialists and their teams, and for monitoring the railway company's budget."

“Any resolutions made by the board of directors can be handed over to the manager for execution, and the daily operations of the railway company can be handled by the manager and his team. There is no need to report everything to the board of directors.”

"Don't these Jiangnan gentry like to quarrel? Then let them quarrel to their heart's content in the board of directors. As long as they don't interfere with the specific operations, the railway company won't have any problems."

Li Wenquan's eyes lit up. This method was very suitable for the current situation. He couldn't possibly devote all his energy to the Zhiwu Railway, so it would be better to hand over the railway to professionals to operate.

Little Fatty Jun said thoughtfully:

"Master Su's approach is so similar to the cabinet system of our Ming Dynasty!"

Su Ze was startled. Was Little Fatty Jun going to slack off again?
Su Ze said solemnly, "Your Highness is mistaken."

"There is a big difference between governing a country and managing a company."

"If a company can't continue operating, at worst it will go bankrupt, but if a country is not governed well, then chaos and disorder will ensue!"

"Your Highness will one day inherit the throne; you must not become complacent."

Hearing Su Ze's serious expression, Little Fatty Jun quickly added:
"I heed Master Su's advice."

However, Su Ze did not dwell on this issue, since at Xiao Pang Jun's age, he would always have the urge to slack off.

However, in the Ming Dynasty of this era, imperial power was a very important political force, far superior to the figurehead monarchs of the West.

It was precisely the inaction of the Wanli Emperor in the original timeline that led to the decline of the Ming Dynasty's national strength and laid many groundwork for the turmoil at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Su Ze's education of Xiao Pangjun has always been a gradual process, aiming to cultivate his interest in politics and help him understand his responsibilities as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

At the same time, it won't put too much pressure on him, so as not to make him rebel.
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After receiving guidance from Su Ze, Li Wenquan also began to connect with representatives of the gentry in Jiangnan.

On November 20th, at Li Wenquan's suggestion, a shareholders' consultation meeting for the Zhiwu Railway was held.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Works. In addition to the shareholders of the preparatory committee of Zhiwu Company, there were also officials from the Ministry of Works in charge of railway construction. Su Ze, the initiator of the railway, was naturally among those present.

The Minister of Railways and Water Conservancy, Lei Li, attached great importance to this matter. He not only had the Ministry of Works prepare the largest public hall, "Jie Shen Tang," for the consultation meeting, but also arranged for representatives of the Fangshan Railway to introduce various experiences in railway construction to the members of the preparatory committee for the Zhili-Wu Railway.

Inside the Hall of Filial Piety, Ministry of Works.

Su Ze met Gu Xiancheng again.

Compared to the last time, Mr. Donglin looked much more haggard.

To be fair, Gu Xiancheng's maneuvering was already quite difficult.

The current Gu Xiancheng is not the Donglin scholar from the original timeline. He is now just a mere scholar in Wuxi, yet he has managed to cause such a commotion, which speaks volumes about his abilities.

Unfortunately, he met himself.

If it were anyone else, the control of the Zhiwu Railway might really have been snatched away by these Jiangnan gentry.

This is something Su Ze would absolutely not allow.

Railways are the lifeline of the economy; they are not just a simple transportation route.

In the original timeline, modern countries used railway mileage to evaluate a nation's strength, and the volume of freight transported by railways was also a very important economic metric. This is the basis for the future commercial tax of the Ming Dynasty.

From the capital to Zhigu, and from Songjiang Prefecture to the Wusong estuary, this north-south route will inevitably become the most prosperous and profitable railway line in the Ming Dynasty.

Such a vital economic lifeline should not be placed in the hands of the Jiangnan gentry, who are most resistant to commercial taxes.

As expected, after everyone had arrived, Li Wenquan spoke first:
"As you all know, Mr. Li is the chairman of the Woyin Company. He is very busy with business and trade between Penghu and Japan. It is difficult for him to stay in the capital to supervise the construction and operation of this railway."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiancheng's face lit up with joy. He assumed that Li Wenquan was willing to back down, which was why he said those words.

Just as he was about to lead the applause, Li Wenquan said again:

"Li has been thinking about this repeatedly lately and feels that railway construction and operation are highly specialized matters, which are not something that we scholars or merchants are good at."

"Looking at everyone here, including myself, none of you are familiar with the practical aspects of railway operations such as track laying, dispatching, and management. If we were to do everything ourselves, we fear it would be counterproductive and lead to delays."

Li Wenquan took a breath and said:

"Our board of directors should invest in recruiting truly knowledgeable and capable professionals in railway construction and operation to form a specialized management team. We should appoint the most virtuous and capable among them as 'managers' to have full authority over the construction and daily operation of the Zhiwu Railway!"

"Of all of you, who agrees with Li's plan? Who opposes it?"

(End of this chapter)