Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 366 Apportionment

In the face of danger, the government acted swiftly.

On August 16th, many gentry and merchants were pulled out of their holiday mood and gradually gathered at the side hall of Tianfei Palace in Liujiagang to discuss matters.

This matter was fully handled by Ni Guangye, the Assistant Magistrate of Kunshan Prefecture.

His choice of this location for the meeting was actually well-considered. Tianfei Palace was a place of worship for the Grand Canal transport, with flourishing incense offerings and a constant flow of people. Gathering gentry and wealthy merchants here was neither as formal as a government office nor would it seem too hasty to the merchants and commoners.

Just past noon, more than thirty people were already seated in the side hall, filling several long tables to the brim.

Some wore silk shirts, some wore straight robes, some had jade pendants around their waists, and some had beads on their wrists.

Some people looked solemn, some lowered their heads to drink tea, some whispered to each other, and some closed their eyes to rest.

Dozens of people stood under the eaves outside the hall; they were nephews or stewards from various families, waiting to relay messages at any time.

Ni Guangye didn't personally come forward, as that wouldn't be appropriate. He chose a salt merchant named Qin Guangting, with whom he supposedly had an ambiguous relationship and frequent interactions.

At this moment, Qin Guangting sat in the main seat, a blank account book laid out in front of him, with a pen, an inkstone, and a cup of tea beside him. He did not speak immediately, but first quieted everyone down, then slowly looked around, as if recognizing people, or perhaps putting pressure on them.

This is the demeanor of a business leader. Ni Guangye, who was secretly listening from behind the curtain, nodded in approval.

"Gentlemen, I have invited you here today to discuss a matter." Qin Guangting picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then put it down. His movements were unhurried and his demeanor was dignified.

"You've all heard about the defeat of the royal army at Wuhu Gate the other day. After Fang Guozhen's great victory, he will surely return to eastern Zhejiang, and the Wenzhou and Taizhou routes will inevitably be ravaged. If he's not satisfied after defeating Wenzhou and Taizhou..." Qin Guangting paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and continued, "Liujiagang isn't far from Taizhou."

The hall fell silent, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

Someone coughed, and someone's hand trembled as they put down their teacup, causing the lid to rattle softly.

After a moment, an elderly man dressed in a dark brown silk robe spoke up: "Master Qin, we all know what you're talking about. But what can we do even if we know? Even the imperial navy couldn't defeat Fang Guozhen. What can we, mere merchants, do to take up arms and fight?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Qin Guangting smiled calmly.

"Uncle Liu, don't be anxious. We invited you here today not to send you to war. There are others who will take care of the fighting for you."

Old Liu frowned and asked, "Who?"

"Shao Shuyi".

Upon hearing this, a low murmur immediately arose within the hall.

Some people looked at each other, clearly having heard of this person before.

Some people looked blank, clearly having never met him before.

Manager Mo sat calmly among the crowd, remaining silent as he represented Madam Shen.

After a brief pause in their discussion, Qin Guangting continued, "Shao Shuyi is currently outside the harbor with over a hundred ships and a thousand soldiers under his command. He has agreed to help defend Liujiagang and resist Fang Guozhen's plundering ashore. However, as you all know, the daily expenses for over a thousand soldiers are considerable—food, water, equipment, ship materials, and rewards all cost money. The canal administration cannot afford this, nor can the prefecture. I have invited you all here today so that we can pool our resources."

The room suddenly became lively, filled with whispers.

Those who can attend this meeting are all prominent figures in the state. They have all heard some rumors and know what this meeting is about.

It's not the first time they've done this.

Qin Guangting glanced at the bamboo curtain on the right out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that Ni Guangye didn't give any instructions, he felt relieved and let the merchants and wealthy people exchange their opinions.

After an unknown amount of time, a middle-aged scholar stood up and said, "May I ask, Master Qin, how much do you need to raise? The imperial court has been suppressing rebellions on various fronts for the past few years, and this isn't the first time we've done it. Just tell us a number, and consider it as throwing money into the water."

There was a hint of resentment in his words.

Ni Guangye quietly parted a crack in the curtain and peeked out.

He knew this man; his name was Qu Xiaozhen. He had built a garden in Tuanxi, Taicang, named "Leyin Garden." He did not hold an official position and spent his days reading and playing the zither in the garden. He was somewhat famous in literary circles, and his main source of income was land rent. His family did not engage in business.

Upon hearing the question, Qin Guangting immediately held up five fingers and said, "Five thousand ingots per month. Payment will be made monthly, with the first two months (August and September) paid in advance, totaling ten thousand ingots. An additional three thousand shi of grain is required each month, also to be paid in advance for two months."

Another commotion erupted inside the hall.

"Gentlemen," Qin Guangting coughed, "Fang Guozhen's treacherous nature remains unchanged. If he attacks Liujiagang, the consequences will be far more than just these. Moreover—"

Qin Guangting glanced around, and seeing everyone looking at him, he sighed, his expression becoming worried. He said, "I've heard that Fang Guozhen's men are mostly impoverished bandits who rarely see much money. And Fang Guozhen doesn't pay their wages. What do you think will happen once they arrive at Liujiagang? Forget about getting any money; they might not even give you a chance to pay. They'll just take it all." Not only will their money and supplies be lost, but their lives will also be in danger.

The commotion inside the hall immediately subsided.

Qin Guangting's words are true.

Fang Guozhen's subordinates came from diverse backgrounds. There were vicious pirates, salt farmers who made salt for him, fishermen, farmers, and even defeated soldiers who surrendered. Were these people wealthy?

I heard that there are thousands of bandits. Does Fang Guozhen pay them all?

If soldiers don't receive their pay, there's no point in talking about military discipline, because officers have no reason to enforce it. They mainly rely on condoning soldiers' burning, killing, and looting to "pay" for their pay.

Liujiagang is famous for its wealth. Do you think they might try to rob it?

When it comes to matters of life and death, no amount of caution is excessive. But now there's another problem. A middle-aged man stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "Master Qin, it's not that we're stingy. It's just that everyone knows what kind of person Shao Shuyi is. What if he turns around and rebels after we give him the money? Furthermore, what if the imperial court settles accounts later and accuses us of colluding with bandits?"

"Don't worry about that." Qin Guangting waved his hand and said, "Shao Shuyi is a righteous man. Who said he's a bandit? Would you dare say that to his face? As for official matters, there's nothing to worry about, don't panic."

He left the last two sentences ambiguous; those who understand will understand.

Soon, another person stood up and said, "Master Qin, we are willing to pay. But there is one condition: Shao Shuyi's men cannot enter the city; they can only camp near the water fortress and the docks. Can this be done?"

Qin Guangting nodded and said, "This is negotiable."

The atmosphere inside the hall relaxed somewhat.

Some people began to whisper among themselves, some were calculating how much they should contribute, and some beckoned their nephews and nieces under the eaves to come in and whisper a few words to each other.

Qin Guangting observed this, picked up a pen and wrote a few lines in the ledger, then looked up and said, "In that case, I have drawn up the shares for each family. Please take a look, and if there are any issues, please raise them now."

He handed the written paper to the servant beside him, who then stood in the hall and read it aloud.

The amount each family contributed was clearly listed.

Manager Mo sat below, listening silently.

Madam Shen asked for 300 ingots of paper money and 300 shi of grain, which wasn't the most, but it was still quite high.

The remaining households were allocated according to the size of their land holdings and businesses, ranging from dozens to hundreds of ingots.

After the reading was finished, the hall was quiet for a moment.

An old man dressed in a silk robe stood up shakily and asked, "Master Qin, my business has been bad this year. Could you perhaps reduce the amount I'm paying?"

Qin Guangting glanced at him but didn't say anything.

A plump merchant standing nearby chuckled, "Old Zhang, you say business is bad, but I saw you sell an entire shipload of goods to maritime merchants last month. If you can't afford it, my family will cover it for you, and you can pay me back later. Three percent profit, how about that?"

The old man was speechless and awkwardly offered to sit down.

Someone inside the hall chuckled twice, then quickly suppressed it.

Ultimately, the quota system did not encounter any real resistance. No one dared to stand up to it at this critical juncture, after all, Qin Guangting's words made it very clear that Shao Shuyi's men were already in the water fortress.

With the funds and supplies in place, he remained steadfast.

Even if the money and supplies are insufficient, he will still hold his post, but at that time he may have to accept the reward himself.

When the meeting ended, it was already dark.

Shopkeeper Mo was the last to leave.

He stood under the eaves for a while, watching the gentry and wealthy merchants leave in twos and threes, and sighed slightly.

He didn't know how he felt right now.

Ever since Song Tong, the eldest son-in-law of the Shen family and commander of the Guangping Garrison of the Shizilu Army, returned to his old residence in Suzhou and mentioned that the imperial court might take action against Shao Shuyi, the Shen family has backed down again.

Mo Bei found it all laughable.

Over the past few years, my relationship with Xiaohu has gone up and down several times.

Last year, when things were just starting to get going, Xiao Hu helped the Shen family transport goods along the Yangtze River, and he did a pretty good job, making the Shen family a lot of money. But as Song Tong revealed information from the government, the Shen family felt uneasy again, so they stopped many of their freight businesses and handed them over to Wang Lin—this man who used to run a martial arts school is now increasingly relied upon by the Shen family.

Only Madam was still giving Xiaohu some freight business, barely maintaining the relationship with the Shen family.

Having experienced today's events, one wonders if those people in the old house have been moved? Times have changed.

Mo Bei shook his head and slowly walked towards Pixiang Pavilion. When he reached the alley entrance, he suddenly saw a group of more than ten people heading towards the dock. They seemed to be high-ranking officials, so he hurriedly moved aside.

After the group of people had passed, he quietly raised his head to look around.

This is Fei Xiong, the deputy commander of the grain transport office. What is he doing at the dock? Could it be to see Xiao Hu?

Don't be preoccupied with your own thoughts, don't keep looking back.