Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

Shangzhou, Qinghe Town.

This is a rather prosperous town in northern Jiangzhou, located at the intersection of several major waterways and land routes. Although it was also affected by floods, the damage was relatively small due to its higher elevation. In addition, the local gentry and wealthy households organized the town effectively, and it quickly restored order. It even became a temporary distribution center for supplies and an information hub for the surrounding disaster-stricken areas.

After clearing several severely affected areas, including Lijiawa, the Jingbei Prince's disaster relief team, led by Zhou Tong, temporarily set up its headquarters on a wide riverbank outside Qinghe Town. This was to facilitate receiving small amounts of supplies transported from the north and to make contact with various local forces.

As the reputation of "Prince Jingbei's benevolent disaster relief" gradually spread, Qinghe Town became more lively than ever before.

In addition to local disaster victims and merchants, there were also many people from surrounding prefectures who came after hearing the news—there were disaster victims who really couldn't survive and came to try their luck, there were merchants who wanted to take the opportunity to do some business, there were local bullies who wanted to gather information, and there were even some down-on-their-luck scholars who were well-dressed and had a scholarly air about them, but whose brows could not hide their sorrow.

On this day, in a private room by the window on the second floor of Juxianlou, the largest teahouse in Qinghe Town, Zhou Tong was enjoying tea and conversation with two influential local gentry.

One was the richest man in Qinghe Town, Mr. Lin, who owned thousands of acres of fertile land and more than ten shops. The other was the head of the local Lin clan, Mr. Lin, who was highly respected in the countryside.

Several exquisite Jiangnan-style pastries were laid out on the table, and the tea was the finest pre-rain Longjing tea, with steam rising and the aroma of tea filling the air.

"Mr. Zhou has come from afar to provide disaster relief and save countless lives. His merits are immeasurable. On behalf of the people of Qinghe Town, I raise a toast to you!"

Old Master Lin was over seventy years old, with white hair and beard, but he was in good spirits. He raised his teacup and spoke earnestly.

"Grandpa, you're exaggerating."

Zhou Tong quickly raised his cup in return, his attitude humble. "My lord often says that the people are the foundation of the state, and when the foundation is firm, the state is at peace. The people of the south have suffered such a great calamity. Although my northern border is not wealthy either, we are all citizens of the Great Xia, and it is our duty to do our part. My lord is in Zhenbei City, and he is also worried day and night, wishing he could come to see you in person."

Master Lin, a shrewd businessman, sighed upon hearing this, "The Prince of Jingbei is known throughout the land for his benevolence. But... alas, in this world, the imperial court... let's not even mention it."

As for Your Highness, I've heard the north is bitterly cold. Is this year's harvest any good? I have some merchant friends who recently returned from the north, and they said that Your Highness's rule has brought about quite a new atmosphere."

Zhou Tong's heart skipped a beat; he knew the real show was about to begin. He put down his teacup, stroked his short beard, and smiled, "I am grateful for Master Lin's inquiry. The north is indeed bitterly cold, barren, and the people are poor."

Fortunately, thanks to the prince's diligent efforts in governing the country, developing water conservancy projects, and promoting land reclamation, and also thanks to the blessings of heaven, we had several good snowfalls last year and this spring, and the soil moisture was good.

Furthermore, the prince, showing compassion for the common people, promoted some... well, simpler farming tools. This saved the people some effort in farming, and the harvest was indeed slightly better than in previous years, just enough to make ends meet.

"A tool for easy farming...?" Master Lin and Old Master Lin exchanged a glance, both seeing the curiosity in each other's eyes.

They were all people with large landholdings, and they knew the hardships of farming. Any "tools" that could save manpower and improve farming efficiency meant more food and more wealth.

"Exactly."

Zhou Tong said seemingly casually, "In the north, there is a shortage of animal power, so the prince ordered craftsmen to make slight improvements to the old-style curved plow from the previous dynasty, making it lighter and easier to plow and turn the soil. It can be pulled by one ox or two or three people, and it is especially good for dry land and sloping land."

They also created a device called a seed drill, which could simultaneously complete furrowing, sowing, and covering with soil during planting, making it both fast and even.

There were also some tippler carts and waterwheels used for lifting water for irrigation, which were much less labor-intensive than the old-fashioned ones. They were all rather crude, please excuse their crudeness.

He spoke casually, but Master Lin and Old Master Lin were deeply moved.

They were all experienced farmers and knew what Zhou Tong meant by these "crude things"!

The improvement of the curved plow meant increased land reclamation efficiency; the use of the seed drill meant more precise and faster sowing; and the improvement of the waterwheel meant enhanced resistance to drought and flood!

These are all real benefits that can increase production and save manpower!

Although Jiangnan is prosperous and its agricultural tools are relatively sophisticated, the improvements described by Zhou Tong seem to be more ingenious and are especially suitable for places with insufficient animal power or complex terrain.

"Mr. Zhou is too modest!"

Master Lin leaned forward slightly, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes. "Such a beneficial artifact for the people is hardly a crude thing! I wonder... I wonder if Your Highness would allow the common people to replicate it? If it could be promoted in Jiangnan, it would surely be a blessing for the people!"

He was thinking not only about the well-being of the people, but also about his own thousand acres of fertile land. If he could cultivate it with such a powerful tool, how much manpower could be saved and how much more grain could be produced!

Zhou Tong looked troubled and sighed, "Well... to be honest, the prince improved these farming tools so that the soldiers and civilians in the north would have more food to eat and to stabilize the border."

Some of the key techniques involved the culmination of the efforts of the master craftsmen in the workshop. Moreover, the northern lands were not rich in resources, and iron was particularly scarce, making the forging process difficult.

The prince has decreed that such items must not be circulated privately for the time being, lest... um, lest they fall into the wrong hands.

He deliberately spoke vaguely, adding to the mystery and preciousness.

Both Master Lin and Old Master Lin were shrewd people, and they immediately understood the implied meaning—it wasn't that they couldn't give it, but rather that it depended on the price and who it was given to.

Old Master Lin stroked his beard and pondered, "Your Highness's concerns are quite valid. Such an important artifact should certainly be handled with care. However, Heaven cherishes life, and if it can benefit more people, it will also be a meritorious deed. Although Jiangnan has suffered from floods, its products of mulberry, hemp, tea, silk, and porcelain are still superior to those of the North. Perhaps... we could exchange goods?"

Zhou Tong's eyes lit up slightly, but then quickly dimmed, and he said with a wry smile, "What the old man said is very true. To be honest, besides disaster relief, the Prince also has a matter to entrust to me on this trip south."

The north is bitterly cold, and the soldiers and civilians lack clothing and tea, especially tea. The prince, compassionate towards his soldiers and the people, often thought that if he could exchange what he had in the north for tea and cloth from the south, the soldiers and civilians would be greatly fortunate.

However… the trade routes are long and arduous, with numerous checkpoints and unscrupulous merchants who often profit tenfold, yet it's still difficult to find a sufficient quantity of good tea and cloth.”

The meaning couldn't be clearer at this point.

The northern regions possess the technology to improve agricultural tools, but they need to exchange these for products from the south, such as tea and silk.

Moreover, the desired outcome is stable, high-volume, direct transactions that bypass unscrupulous middlemen.

Master Lin quickly made a mental calculation.

Tea and silk are abundant in Jiangnan, especially for wealthy families like his who own tea gardens, mulberry fields, and have familiar channels.

If this can be exchanged for improved agricultural tools and technologies that can significantly increase farm yield, it would definitely be a profitable deal!

Moreover, the potential benefits of getting in touch with the Prince of Jingbei in the North are immeasurable.

"Mr. Zhou," Lin Yuanwai suppressed his excitement and said solemnly, "His Highness is benevolent, and his blessings extend to both the north and the south."

Although my Lin family is not wealthy, we have a small reputation in the tea and silk trade.

If you do not mind, I am willing to be the bridge connecting the North and the South.

From new tea from Jiangnan and fine silk to medicinal herbs and porcelain, whatever the North needs, my Lin family can do our best to procure it at the best prices.

"I only beg... I only beg Your Highness to grant me permission to pass on some of this method of improving agricultural tools, or to sell it to the people of Jiangnan so that they too may benefit from Your Highness's grace."

Zhou Tong stroked his beard and smiled, neither confirming nor denying: "Master Lin is very generous, and I, on behalf of the Prince, appreciate it."

However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be handled by Zhou alone.

"Now that the relief efforts here have been somewhat settled, Zhou will return to the north and explain to the Prince in detail the kind intentions of the wealthy man and the old man. As for the matter of the farm tools..."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness is benevolent and cares deeply for the people. Perhaps we could first send some skilled craftsmen from the north, under the guise of 'trial use' and 'mutual assistance,' with a small number of improved farming tools, to be tested on the estate of the wealthy man and his grandfather. This would serve two purposes: firstly, to verify whether the tools are suitable for the soil and water conditions of Jiangnan; and secondly... to allow your family's craftsmen to observe and learn."

The required iron and labor costs will naturally be borne by your esteemed government. If it proves effective, we can discuss further details. How about that?

First, they sent someone over with a small number of samples for trial use, allowing the Lin family craftsmen to observe and learn. This was almost a semi-public technology transfer, only disguised under the gentle guise of "trial use" and "mutual assistance."

The Lin family covered the costs of iron materials and labor, and received the technology and potentially the physical goods; Han Yuan, on the other hand, gained a stable supply of tea and silk, as well as the friendship and potential support of local powerful families like the Lin family in Jiangnan.

Master Lin was overjoyed; this was even better than he had expected! He immediately raised his cup, saying, "Excellent! Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for your generosity! Everything is up to Your Highness and you, sir!"

Old Master Lin nodded with a smile, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

Establishing connections with the powerful Prince Jingbei in the north would be entirely beneficial to the Lin family, both in terms of immediate practical gains and long-term strategic planning.

As for the court's possible suspicions? In the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, with the court unable to take care of itself, survival and self-strengthening are the most important things.

A few days later, several relief convoys loaded with grain and cloth left Qinghe Town and continued south.

At the same time, an encrypted letter and a draft contract, initially agreed upon with the Lin family, in exchange for "500 dan of tea and 300 bolts of fine silk" in exchange for "30 iron plows, 10 seed drills, and the dispatch of three skilled craftsmen to provide guidance and trial use for three months," were sent to Zhenbei City at top speed through Night Owl's secret channels.

While Zhou Tong and Lin Yuanwai were "enjoying tea and discussing philosophy," at another inn in Qinghe Town, several "trading merchants" from Night Owl were also meeting with several well-known "machine owners" and "kiln owners" from Jiangnan. Their conversation revolved around how the fine coal and improved blower technology, specialties of the North, could be exchanged with cotton cloth and fine porcelain from Jiangnan. Naturally, they also "inadvertently" mentioned the "ingenious touches" of the Northern Craftsmen's Bureau in the manufacture of certain machinery...

The southward transmission of technology is not a simple export, but a carefully planned, limited, barter-based exchange that binds interests.

Xiao Chen knew that completely blocking the technology was neither possible nor necessary.

Providing appropriate exports of improved technologies that do not involve core military secrets but can significantly enhance productivity in exchange for strategic materials urgently needed by Han Yuan, and thereby supporting proxies in the prosperous Jiangnan region to establish invisible ties of interest, has a greater long-term strategic value than simple relief.

When improved iron plows bearing the marks of the North began to appear in the fields of Jiangnan;

When the tea gardens and silk workshops of Jiangnan established stable supply relationships with the warehouses of the North;

As more and more gentry and merchants from Jiangnan discovered that doing business with that "Prince from the North" was profitable.

Invisible threads have traversed mountains and rivers, quietly connecting the wealth, resources, and even some hearts of the South with the cold abyss of the North.

This may have a more profound impact on the future landscape than an army of 100,000.