You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 293: Shanxi Merchants and Chahar Clash!
The negotiations between Shanxi merchants and Abunai, the Khan of the Chahar tribe, did not yield ideal results.
At first~
The two sides were able to discuss things calmly, but gradually their tempers flared up.

"Your Majesty, the claim that the Qing Emperor paid off your debts is a complete fabrication."

"Master Manager, how could an imperial edict stamped with the imperial seal be fake? Come here, show him the edict."

The shopkeeper in charge of the negotiations glanced through the imperial edict, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Your Majesty, our master hasn't received a single tael of silver."

"Manager, but it's still the Qing Dynasty's domain. If I don't trust the court, who else can I trust?"

"Your Majesty, it is only right to pay back debts."

"Then produce evidence to prove that the Qing emperor did not repay the money on behalf of the Chahar tribe."

"Great Khan, can you believe that the Emperor himself is paying off the debts of the common people?"

"I believe it."

"Your Majesty, you can't speak against your conscience!"

"Manager, please watch your words. You are just a lowly merchant, while I am a descendant of the noble Golden Family."

"Sweat!"

"Get him out."

……

The first negotiation failed!
During the second negotiation, the royal merchant Wang Dengku came in person, and Abu Nai ordered a banquet to be held in his honor.

"Your Majesty, the Shanxi merchants and the Chahar tribe have maintained friendly relations for a century, exchanging goods and services. We are friends. This matter is a misunderstanding. It was Grand Secretary Jiang Qingyun who deliberately sowed discord between us."

"Old Wang, do you have solid evidence?"

Wang Dengku was speechless.

"The Chahar tribe has always been friendly to you Shanxi merchants. We'll investigate the truth of this matter gradually, and we can't let it affect the trade between our two countries."

"Great Khan, if you insist on renegeing on this debt, our trade will be severed."

Are you threatening me?

"Great Khan, you cannot be greedy for such short-term gains! You must consider this matter from the perspective of the overall cooperation between the Mongol and Jin dynasties. When your army marches south in the future, the gold and silver treasures of the Central Plains will be countless."

Abu Nai couldn't hold back any longer.

"Wang Dengku, if that's the case, why are you Shanxi merchants so greedy for such short-term gains? Why don't you Shanxi merchants consider this matter from the perspective of the overall cooperation between Shanxi and Inner Mongolia?"

The atmosphere was very awkward for a while.

Abu Nai sneered twice and turned to leave.

"Great Khan, please wait."

"Ok?"

"The Qing Emperor paid for you? Do you really believe that? I can't believe it."

“I firmly believe that the Qing Emperor allocated 5000 million taels of silver to repay all the debts of the Chahar tribe.” Abunai walked up to Wang Dengku and glared at him. “Whether you believe it or not, I believe it.”

……

Fan Yongdou was furious upon learning that the negotiations had completely broken down.

"That damned Jiang Qingyun! He stole 100 billion yuan from us with just a few words! I've decided to immediately cut off all trade with the grasslands and deploy 5000 new troops to Zhangjiakou to forcefully collect the debt."

"Good~"

The crowd cheered in unison.

What Wang Dengku calls "the immediate benefits" is not just a small amount, but an extremely large fortune!

Shanxi merchants have a long history of lending money to Mongolians. Mongolian herders were generally poor, and once they borrowed money at high interest rates, they could never repay it.

Of course, the Shanxi merchants didn't intend for them to pay it off.

You only need to pay interest each year.

As time flows on, according to the compounding interest calculation method of Shanxi merchants, the Chahar tribe's debt, including principal and interest, has now exceeded 600 million taels.

If it rolls on for another 100 years, it'll be 1000 million taels!

Roll it for another 500 years, and you'll have 10 billion!

Moreover, the grasslands are not limited to Chahar. If all of them are included, the estimated value is at least 100 billion!

The end of science is metaphysics! The end of commerce is lending!
Shanxi merchants were well aware of this.
Now, a business that could have been profitable for 500 years has been wiped out out of thin air.

100 million!
Gone.

Seven days later, the well-equipped Jin army and the Chahar tribe went to war.

...In Shaanxi and Gansu, grain prices are soaring.

Although natural disasters were minor this year, the overall grain harvest was still not ideal, and the grain output from the Guanzhong Plain alone could not support the two provinces.

The hoarding and speculation by Shanxi merchants exacerbated the food shortage.

Xi'an, Governor's Mansion.

An uninvited group of guests arrived—imperial envoys from the capital.

"Greetings, Governor Meng."

"Imperial envoy, what urgent matter brings you here from afar? If it is to expedite the payment of taxes and grain, we are afraid we are powerless to do so. This year, grain prices have skyrocketed, and the people of Shaanxi and Gansu are suffering terribly, with corpses of the starving littering the ground."

"My name is Wu Yong. I once served as the Director of the Imperial Medical Academy and am now the Imperial Commissioner with full authority to provide disaster relief."

"Really? How much grain has the imperial court allocated?"

"50 taels of silver. Unfortunately, Shanxi blocked the roads, so I had to detour through Henan. The journey was difficult, so I brought 2 taels of gold first, and I will try to transport the rest later."

"On behalf of the people of Shaanxi and Gansu, I thank Imperial Envoy Wu."

"No need, disaster relief is the imperial court's duty."

"Yes, yes, but gold and silver can't be eaten as food, and the food shortage problem in Shaanxi and Gansu still can't be solved."

“Governor Meng, you can take Fenglingdu and use gold to buy grain from Henan.”

Meng Qiaofang stared at Wu Yong for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

"What a clever scheme."

"Your Excellency is wise. Sending troops to Fenglingdu will serve three purposes: first, to cooperate with the imperial court in attacking Shanxi from both sides; second, to relieve the financial and grain shortage in Shaanxi and Gansu; and third, to present the Meng family with a pledge of loyalty."

Please allow me a few days to consider it.

"it is good."

Just as he was about to step out the door, Wu Yong suddenly stopped.

"Does Governor Meng often experience dizziness, blurred vision, or splitting headaches?"

"how do you know?"

"I have been an imperial envoy for less than two months, but I have been a doctor for 20 years."

The slender Meng Qiaofang immediately got up from the bed and bowed deeply.

"Please take my pulse, sir."

……

One hour later~
Meng Qiaofang insisted on escorting Wu Yong to the gate of the Governor's Mansion, making sure he had all the face he needed, and then watched his carriage leave.

The son, Meng Xiongchen, whispered, "Father, have you decided to align yourself with Chief Minister Jiang?"

"Yes."

"Everyone says he is the Cao Cao of our time."

"No, we are not surrendering to Cao Cao, we are aligning ourselves with the imperial court. The imperial court has money and supplies, while Shaanxi and Gansu do not. The imperial court has righteousness, while Shaanxi and Gansu do not."

"Father, what do you think Chief Minister Chiang sees in us?"

"people!"

Meng Qiaofang knew perfectly well that Shaanxi and Gansu's most valuable resource was their "fierce soldiers," followed by their "geographical location."

From the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, the supply of soldiers from Shaanxi and Gansu never disappointed the emperors.

This barren and desolate land fostered the unique fierceness of the men in Northwest China. With few means of making a living, joining the army and risking one's life was a relatively easy path.

……

Meng Qiaofang chose to maintain the status quo, but the funds were insufficient, and there was widespread discontent among the troops.

If there is a large-scale reduction in the military, the soldiers who are forcibly dismissed will have no choice but to become bandits, which will cause just as much trouble.

Without a continuous influx of money and supplies from outside, Shaanxi and Gansu would not have been able to survive.

Therefore, it is Shaanxi and Gansu that need the central government, not the other way around.

Jiang Qingyun, a politician at the deputy section chief level, was shrewd and skillful. He first won over Chahar, then Shaanxi and Gansu, thus forming a three-way encirclement of Shanxi!

……

3 days later.

Fifteen thousand Shaanxi-Gansu Green Standard Army soldiers set off swiftly, heading east along the Wei River, heading straight for Fenglingdu, a military fortress located at the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan provinces.

(End of this chapter)