civilwarnovels Chapter 1479 There are plenty of channels
Chapter 1479 There are plenty of channels
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the emaciated villagers around him and said, "Liujia Village suffered a severe drought this year, resulting in a complete crop failure, and the people are starving. If you were the village head, what would you do?"
He Wenchang thought for a moment and said, “First, open the granaries and distribute grain. Whether it’s the county government’s granary or a wealthy family’s granary, lend out the grain first so the people can survive. Second, organize the villagers to dig wells. Liujia Village is next to a small river; although the river is almost dry, there must be water underground. Once wells are dug, they can irrigate the land. Third, report the disaster and request tax exemption. The people can’t even afford to eat; collecting taxes on them would be forcing them to their deaths.”
After listening, Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time.
Then he laughed.
"Okay. Let's do it that way."
He turned to Zhu Qiwu and said, "Qiwu, go and handle the matter of opening the granaries and distributing grain with Brother Shanchang. As for digging the well, have Sun Tiezhu handle it; he's a blacksmith, he can make the tools. Regarding the tax exemption, I'll issue the order as soon as I get back."
Zhu Qiwu nodded: "Understood."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the sky again. The sun was already setting in the west, and the sky above Liujia Village was dyed blood red by the sunset.
"Let's go back."
He turned and walked out of the village. After a few steps, he stopped and looked back at the villagers standing at the village entrance.
They were still standing there, looking at them as if they were a group of people who had fallen from the sky.
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were a little red, but he quickly turned his head and strode forward.
On the way back to Tianfu, no one spoke.
After traveling about halfway, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly spoke.
"75."
"exist."
"You need to add one more thing to your Enko."
"What is that?"
Zhu Yuanzhang stopped and turned around to look at Zhu Qiwu. The setting sun cast a soft glow on his face, and there was something in his eyes that Zhu Qiwu had never seen before.
"Add a practical exam," Zhu Yuanzhang said. "It won't test your understanding of the classics or your political strategies; it will test how you govern a county. How you ensure the people have enough to eat, how you make the fields grow crops, and how you deter corrupt officials from taking bribes. Those are the questions."
He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and suddenly understood something.
Today's incognito visit was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by Zhu Yuanzhang, but rather something he had planned long ago. He wanted to use people selected through the special imperial examination not just bookworms who could only recite texts, but people who could truly get things done.
“Fourth Brother, I understand,” Zhu Qiwu said.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and continued walking forward.
After walking a few steps, he added, "Also, that He Wenchang is a talent. Have Jinglian keep an eye on him, don't let anyone bury his talent."
“I’ve already sent Jinglian,” Zhu Qiwu said. “I told him to stay behind when we were in Liujia Village.”
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced back at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"You little rascal, you were one step ahead of me."
Zhu Qiwu smiled but didn't reply.
By the time the four of them reached Yingtianfu, it was completely dark. The torches at the city gate cast long shadows of them.
As soon as he entered the city gate, a guard ran up to him and knelt on one knee: "Reporting! Your Highness, Prince Wu, Master Liu Bowen has sent me with a message, saying there is urgent business."
Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment: "What urgent matter is it?"
"Zhang Shicheng's men opened a recruitment hall in Suzhou this afternoon. They not only recruited talent, but also distributed grain. Every scholar who went to Suzhou received ten catties of rice."
Zhu Yuanzhang's face immediately darkened.
Zhu Qiwu also frowned.
Ten catties of rice. For those scholars who couldn't afford to eat, ten catties of rice was more useful than anything else. Zhang Shicheng's move was far more ruthless than Chen Liang's spreading of rumors.
"Fourth Brother," Zhu Qiwu said, "Zhang Shicheng is trying to steal our people."
"I know." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was cold.
“But we have a way,” Zhu Qiwu said. “If he gives out ten catties of rice, we’ll give out a hundred catties. Not only rice, but also seeds and farm tools. We’ll let the people know that following the Zhu family means not only getting an official position, but also having enough to eat.”
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"One hundred pounds? How are you going to distribute that?"
“I have a way,” Zhu Qiwu said. “Fourth Brother, those people you saw in Liujia Village today, what they need isn’t ten catties of rice, it’s a way to survive. What we should give them isn’t just a bowl of rice, but an opportunity to grow their own food.”
Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time.
Then he said one word: "Okay."
That evening, Zhu Qiwu returned to his residence, opened the system panel, and checked the sign-in rewards for the day.
Ding! Check-in successful. Reward: Agricultural Technology Manual (Beginner Level), containing all feasible agricultural techniques from the Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, including irrigation, fertilization, and seed selection. Bonus: A high-yield rice seed formula.
Zhu Qiwu looked at the reward and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
Zhang Shicheng, you're giving me ten jin of rice, right?
Then I'll show the world what it truly means to ensure ordinary people have enough to eat.
He carefully put away the agricultural technology manual, then took out paper and pen and began writing down what he would need for tomorrow.
Outside the window, the night breeze from Yingtian Prefecture blew in, carrying the moisture from the Qinhuai River. In the distance, the sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard—once, twice, three times.
Zhu Qiwu wrote all night.
At daybreak, he folded what he had written, tucked it into his pocket, and went out.
Tang He was standing at the door, holding two sesame seed cakes in his hand. When he saw him come out, he grinned.
"Seven-five, Fourth Brother sent me to pick you up. He said there's something important to take care of today."
"What important matter?"
Tang He took a bite of his sesame seed cake and mumbled, "Fourth Brother said that starting today, every disaster victim in Yingtian Prefecture will receive 100 jin of grain. In addition, wells will be dug outside the city so that those without land will have work to do."
Zhu Qiwu laughed.
He took the soup and the sesame seed cake from his hand, took a bite, and strode towards the Wu King's residence. A new day had begun.
This contest with Zhang Shicheng has only just begun.
Zhu Qiwu followed Tang He toward the Wu Prince's residence, and Tang He kept talking the whole way.
"Seventh Five, you didn't see it, but when Fourth Brother came back from Liujia Village this morning, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He summoned Li Shanchang as soon as he entered, and the two of them locked themselves in the house for an hour. When they came out, Li Shanchang's face was even blacker than Fourth Brother's."
"Brother Shanchang's face darkened?" Zhu Qiwu was somewhat surprised. Li Shanchang was always smiling; when had he ever looked angry?
“That’s right.” Tang He stuffed a sesame seed cake into his mouth and mumbled, “I overheard something at the door, and Fourth Brother said something—there’s less than 30,000 shi of grain left in the granaries of Yingtian Prefecture. How long will 30,000 shi last? Fourth Brother said, at most two months.”
Zhu Qiwu paused for a moment.
Thirty thousand shi of grain sounds like a lot, but how many people are there in Yingtian Prefecture right now? The city alone has over ten thousand residents, plus the disaster victims who have poured in from the surrounding counties, bringing the total to at least two hundred thousand. If thirty thousand shi of grain are distributed among two hundred thousand people, how much would each person get?
"What does Fourth Brother plan to do?"
"Fourth Brother said to prioritize distributing grain to the disaster victims. One hundred catties per person, to save their lives first. Then, we'll take some from our own military rations and try to get grain from outside." Tang He lowered his voice, "But Seventh Five, as you know, the grain routes outside are blocked by Zhang Shicheng and Chen Youliang's old troops. Getting grain is difficult."
Zhu Qiwu didn't speak, his mind racing.
On the system panel, the rewards from yesterday's check-in were still there—an agricultural technology manual and a high-yield rice seed formula. These two items would come in handy.
The two arrived at the gate of the Wu Prince's residence. Upon seeing Zhu Qiwu, the guards immediately saluted: "Young Master Qiwu, His Highness the Wu Prince is in the council hall and requests that you enter directly."
Zhu Qiwu nodded and stepped inside.
The council hall was already full. Zhu Yuanzhang sat in the main seat, with a map of Yingtian Prefecture in front of him, several places circled in red. Li Shanchang sat to his left, a stack of account books piled in front of him, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly. Xu Da and Zhou Dexing sat on either side, with Liu Bowen and Song Lian also present.
There was another person whom Zhu Qiwu had never met.
He was a fat man in his fifties, wearing a long silk robe, his belly as round as a watermelon, a smile plastered on his face, and twirling two walnuts in his hands. He sat at the very back, looking completely out of place in the atmosphere.
As Zhu Qiwu walked in, everyone's eyes turned to him.
"Seven Five, here he comes." Zhu Yuanzhang beckoned. "Come and take a look."
Zhu Qiwu walked up to the map and looked down. The red circles marked several counties around Yingtian Prefecture: Shangyuan County, Jiangning County, Lishui County, and Jurong County.
"These counties have all suffered from disasters this year," Zhu Yuanzhang said, pointing to the map. "Shangyuan County is the worst affected; you've already been to Liujia Village, where the harvest was completely lost. Jiangning County is slightly better off, but only about 30% of the harvest remains. Lishui and Jurong are a little better off, but they won't last much longer."
Li Shanchang spoke up from the side: "Seventh Young Master, I just did some calculations. Yingtian Prefecture currently has 32,000 shi of grain in storage. At one jin of grain per person per day, that's only enough for 45 days. After 45 days, if no new grain arrives, Yingtian Prefecture will run out of food."
Forty-five days.
"Brother Shanchang, what about the granaries in the surrounding counties? Can't they be supplied?"
Li Shanchang shook his head: "The granaries in each county are even emptier than those in Yingtian Prefecture. Shangyuan County's granary has less than two thousand shi left. Jiangning County is in a slightly better position, with five thousand shi, but that's reserved for the city's garrison and cannot be touched. Lishui and Jurong combined have just over ten thousand shi, which also needs to be reserved for emergencies."
"And what about outside?" Zhu Qiwu asked. "How much grain can be transferred from Jiangxi and Huguang?"
Xu Da picked up the thread: "We can't get them to cooperate. Zhang Shicheng's men have completely blocked the grain supply route on the Yangtze River; our ships are seized as soon as they try to leave. We tried three times last month, and all three times we were turned back. Chen Youliang's former troops are also active around Poyang Lake, so grain from Huguang can't get through either."
The room fell silent.
Zhu Yuanzhang tapped his finger on the map a few times, then looked at the fat man.
"Manager Chen, please tell us."
The fat man stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Zhu Yuanzhang, and smiled broadly, his face crinkling with wrinkles: "Your Highness, I am Chen Fengnian, the largest grain merchant in Yingtian Prefecture. I am deeply honored that Your Highness has summoned me. May I ask what Your Highness's orders are?"
Zhu Qiwu used his talent appraisal technique to take a look—Name: Chen Fengnian. Occupation: Grain merchant. Literary talent: Average. Martial arts: Inferior. Loyalty: Inferior. Greed: Superior.
He really is a shrewd businessman.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "Chen Fengnian, how much grain do you have?"
Chen Fengnian's eyes darted around, then he said, "Your Highness, I don't have much grain on hand, only... fifty or sixty thousand shi."
Fifty to sixty thousand shi (a unit of dry measure).
Zhu Qiwu sneered inwardly. Yingtian Prefecture only had 32,000 shi of grain in storage, but this grain merchant had 50,000 to 60,000 shi, more than the government had.
“Fifty or sixty thousand shi,” Zhu Yuanzhang repeated, his tone flat. “Chen Fengnian, I ask you, how much do you plan to sell each shi of these fifty or sixty thousand shi of grain for?”
Chen Fengnian's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered: "Your Highness, well... the price of grain fluctuates with the market. With war raging outside, grain prices are naturally higher. I'm planning to... offer five taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure)."
Five taels of silver per stone.
Zhu Qiwu almost burst out laughing. The usual price of grain was only seven or eight qian of silver per shi, but Chen Fengnian had directly increased it by six or seven times. He was really ruthless.
Xu Da was the first to lose his temper, slamming his fist on the table: "Five taels? Why don't you just rob me?"
Chen Fengnian was intimidated by Xu Da's imposing manner and took a step back, but he still stubbornly insisted, "General Xu, I'm also a businessman, I have to make money, don't I? Besides, I paid a high price for this grain, five taels is already a fair price."
"A fair price?" Zhou Dexing sneered. "Have you lost your conscience?"
Chen Fengnian's face flushed red and then turned pale, but he dared not argue with Zhou Dexing, so he turned his gaze to Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Your Highness, if I may be so bold, I don't mind not selling the grain. But so many people in Yingtian Prefecture are waiting to be fed; we can't let them starve, can we? If Your Highness has another solution, I'll listen to you. But if not…"
He paused, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Then we'll have to go with the market price."
Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.
Zhu Qiwu spoke up.
“Manager Chen.” Zhu Qiwu walked up to Chen Fengnian, smiled, and said, “I believe you when you say you have fifty or sixty thousand shi of grain. But I have a question—where did you get all this grain?”
Chen Fengnian's eyes flickered: "Of course, it's from all over the country. I've been in the grain business for twenty years; I have plenty of channels."
“There are plenty of channels,” Zhu Qiwu repeated. “Then let me ask you again, last month, Zhang Shicheng’s men opened a recruitment center in Suzhou and also distributed grain. Did you get a share of it?”
Chen Fengnian's expression changed.
"Young Master Qi, what do you mean by that? I am a legitimate businessman and have absolutely no connection with Zhang Shicheng!"
"No connection whatsoever?" Zhu Qiwu pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and waved it in front of Chen Fengnian. "This is what I had someone find. On the third day of last month, your three grain ships departed from Suzhou, traveling along the Taihu Lake waterway, bound for Yingtian Prefecture. But these three ships didn't enter the Yingtian Prefecture dock; instead, they changed direction halfway and went to Pingjiang, which is controlled by Zhang Shicheng. Manager Chen, can you explain this?" (End of Chapter)