Chapter 120

As soon as General Zhennan opened his mouth, Ji Yuan knew exactly what the other party was planning.

In other words, everyone can see what General Zhennan means.

He even made it very obvious and didn't hide it at all.

The people of Jiyuan had not even sat down when they were asked this tricky question.

Say you don’t make money?

How is this possible.

Zhennan Pass is the only way to go. How could the people here not know how much goods have passed through Ning'an Prefecture?

You will know it if you pay a little attention.

Say it's about making money?

He also wanted to show off. Since those goods passed through Zhennan Pass, shouldn't he give his brothers some hard work reward?

Ji Yuan smiled and said, "I've been too busy lately and haven't paid much attention to it."

"I have just been promoted to prefecture governor and have no specific affairs to deal with."

Doesn’t Jiyuan take care of specific affairs?

This is impossible.

Ji Yuan is not the type of person who doesn't care about things.

But there is no problem in saying this.

Because as the prefect, he could just push the matter down to the lower levels, and this was something everyone was used to.

General Zhennan didn't find it strange at all and completely accepted this statement.

After all, that's who he is.

Wu Renhao, who followed Ji Zhizhou, was already used to it. Ji Yuan's brain worked so fast that ordinary people could not keep up at all.

This was the first time that Chai Feng discovered this side of Lord Ji.

Lord Ji was always sincere when he was with them, right?

No, it cannot be said to be sincere, it is real.

It is rare to have such an attitude towards other officials.

But such a clever response can indeed resolve the opponent's tactics.

Seeing that Ji Yuan was young and spoke politely, General Zhennan couldn't help but look at him with a hint of contempt.

Could it be said that he could see that Ji Yuan was making excuses?

It doesn’t matter whether you can see it or not. In the face of absolute strength, some things are not important at all.

When the banquet started in the evening, many important figures in Zhennan Pass were present, and they all looked at Ji Yuan curiously.

There are so many legends about the era.

At such a young age, he won six prizes in a row.

Now he has been promoted out of turn. All these things have really attracted the attention of many people.

The rest is fine.

Who would have thought that the poor Ning'an Prefecture could make so much money?

This story begins last year.

Originally, there were not many merchants going through Zhennan Pass to Ning'an Prefecture. But starting from last year, a large number of merchants began to go there one after another.

Now there is a caravan passing through here almost every day.

The purpose is to do business with Ning'anzhou.

Either the fabric or the rubber soles are pulled away.

Just forget it at the beginning.

Seeing that there are more and more goods nowadays, the people in Zhennan Pass are naturally jealous.

Zhennan Pass has a different geographical location and there are troops stationed there.

Therefore, the local government did not take much charge, and almost everyone followed the lead of General Zhennan.

In this place, having soldiers is equivalent to having power.

Wu Renhao and Chai Feng were both sweating.

The two of them sat behind Ji Yuan, looking at a group of people staring at Lord Ji covetously, feeling as if they were surrounded by a pack of wolves.

General Zhennan, who was sitting at the highest seat, didn't greet Ji Yuan much. Instead, others kept urging him to drink.

Ji Yuan smiled and said, "I am still young, so I shouldn't drink too much."

Still young?

Lord Ji, how can you say that!

Can't you see that others surround you and bully you just because you are young?

No one else expected Ji Yuan to speak so bluntly.

Wait, Master Ji did this on purpose?

It wouldn't be easy for ordinary people to bully a sixteen-year-old boy, right?

Even this young man was already the governor of a place.

Seeing that everyone subconsciously stopped coming forward, General Zhennan said: "You are already officials, why do you still care about these things? This is a banquet, what's the point of not drinking?"

"When I was fifteen, I could drink five bowls of wine. With your ability as the top scholar, you must be no worse than this rough man, right?"

Seeing General Zhennan nod, the others gathered around again, obviously planning to get Ji Yuan drunk.

Ji Yuan held his forehead and sighed: "General Zhennan is really amazing, but it's a pity that the imperial examination only teaches reading, and doesn't teach drinking, which is really useless."

Seeing the two people in a stalemate, the atmosphere at the banquet became strange.

Ji Yuan looked at him and said, "They say that General Zhennan invited me here to get me drunk on purpose so that I can give up the interests of Ning'an Prefecture."

"I think it's just a rumor, but if I was really drunk, I might have signed something I shouldn't have signed."

"I'm afraid it will damage the reputation of General Zhennan."

Make it clear again.

First, you bully younger people.

Second, did he want to get the official drunk so that he would sign something?

When others talk about things, they usually don't express their intentions, but Ji Yuan puts them out in the open.

If you really do this, you will confirm the rumor.

Only then did General Zhennan put down his wine glass.

Since this young prefect has seen through it.

It's really useless to say anything else.

He is indeed quite courageous and intelligent.

General Zhennan waved his hand and everyone stopped trying to persuade him.

The singing and dancing that had originally quieted down began again, but the singers and dancers on the stage also moved more cautiously.

It seems that everyone knows that this was just the first confrontation.

The era remains the same as before.

Everyone says this is a Hongmen Banquet, and it seems to be true.

The singing and dancing continued over there, and General Zhennan said again: "Speaking of which, the guards behind you are very good. They look like natural military talents. Why don't you stay at Zhennan Pass? Maybe you can really earn military merit in the future."

This is naturally referring to Wu Renhao.

But does the other party really want Wu Renhao?

Hard to say.

Ji Yuan asked Wu Renhao to calm down and said, "When I came to Dianzhou Prefecture, the Prime Minister specially asked Wu Shiwei to follow me. He is my personal bodyguard. If I want to transfer, I'm afraid I have to ask the Ministry of Personnel first."

What this means is that Wu Renhao's file is in the Ministry of Personnel, and it was transferred to him by the Minister of Personnel, Li Shoufu.

If you want Wu Renhao, no problem, ask the Ministry of Personnel.

Another nail that is neither soft nor hard.

No one present expected that Ji Zhuangyuan would be so difficult to deal with.

I thought that since he was young, even if he had some abilities, he would be helpless in dealing with these difficulties.

If our men had faced such an attack, they would have been scared out of their wits.

Unlike him, he responded politely without revealing a single flaw.

Just when everyone thought that General Zhennan was helpless, he simply slammed the wine glass on the table with an unhappy look on his face.

"Ji Zhizhou, don't be shameless."

Ji Yuan is very straightforward.

Isn’t General Zhennan straightforward?

No, it was revealed when they first met.

General Zhennan's anger was within Ji Yuan's calculations.

"You asked me to drink but you refused. You asked me to have a bodyguard but you refused."

"Is this how you trample on my reputation?!"

Ji Yuan looked at General Zhennan and thought, this is a bit of an act.

According to the script, he would soon offer compensation measures.

for example.

Give some dyed cloth and rubber a commission.

Therefore, this round of offense will not lead to any serious consequences, at most it will just scare him.

Ji Yuan stood up and said a few dry words in defense.

The other party really said: "You are quite sensible. If that's the case, then forget it."

"You are young after all, and you have come to such a remote place, so it is normal that you are not familiar with the situation."

"But with Zhennan Pass protecting you from now on, it will definitely not be difficult for you."

The banquet ended and the atmosphere was not awkward.

Ji Yuan looked at the prying eyes of the crowd and then looked at the prefect of Zhennan Pass who was also silent at the banquet.

The prefect didn't say a word the whole time, and didn't even have any expression.

Ji Yuan said to him, "Sir, I came here this time because I want to discuss something."

Discuss?

The prefect of Zhennan Pass subconsciously looked towards the general's mansion, thinking that if there was anything, he could find the general.

But Ji Yuan smiled, as if he could see what he was thinking.

The prefect understood and said, "Ji Zhuangyuan, the power of General Zhennan is beyond your understanding."

"I cannot be a force that checks and balances him."

Anyone who can become a prefect must not be particularly stupid.

He saw Ji Yuan's thoughts and wanted to support him, to check and balance General Zhennan, and to prevent the general from being so unscrupulous.

Everyone knows that General Zhennan is coveting Ning'an Prefecture's profits. Ning'an Prefecture may be willing to pay a toll, but is unwilling to give a share for free.

In that case, wouldn't Ning'an Prefecture be working for General Zhennan?

Ji Yuan did want to win over the prefect of Zhennan Pass. After all, local taxation should be the responsibility of civil servants.

But this person refused directly.

He also explained the reason.

Ji Yuan nodded slightly, knowing that this matter was not that simple.

It seems that the power of General Zhennan Pass is indeed beyond his imagination.

"Okay, thanks for letting me know."

Ji Yuan did not dwell on it too much, and just asked, "General Zhennan, have you been here for a long time?"

General Zhennan has naturally been here for a long time.

Otherwise the power would not be so stable.

But this question is easy to answer, and it is not a secret. The prefect of Zhennan Pass said: "It has been more than 30 years."

More than thirty years.

Long enough indeed.

No wonder.

Ji Yuan nodded.

The next morning, Ji Yuan was called to the general's mansion again.

After yesterday’s “show of force”.

It’s time to talk about serious things.

General Zhennan's request was also very simple: "The coming and going of Ning'an Prefecture and the outside convoys has greatly affected the training of the soldiers in Zhennan Pass. In order to let them train with peace of mind, they should be given some compensation. What do you think?"

"Although you are disrespectful to this general and you won't give him to me when I ask you for him, it is still possible for us to cooperate with each other."

"From now on, your Ning'anzhou caravan will be safe when passing through here."

To put it bluntly, you have to pay a toll.

You should also listen to that statement in reverse.

If you don't pay the toll, you will definitely not be safe when passing through this place.

General Zhennan didn't care what Ji Yuan thought, and even said with a smile: "The local prefect doesn't care much about this matter. If you have any problems in the future, just come to me directly."

Ji Yuan looked at the fat-bellied General Zhennan and wondered why he was so arrogant.

Everyone knows the answer.

Because of those 30,000 troops.

Because Ning Anzhou wanted to sell something, after all, he passed by here.

So no matter how he responded, how he answered, or how he tried to win over the other party, the other party didn't care.

Because they have soldiers and they are on the road that must be taken.

As long as you have soldiers, you can act recklessly.

Blocking this road is a way to make money.

General Zhennan didn't care about the other party's scrutiny, and even said kindly: "Ning'an Prefecture is different after all. If you want to transport supplies out, there is only one way to go. Think it through yourself."

After Ji Yuan and the others left the general's mansion, Wu Renhao said in disbelief: "This general is too arrogant."

Chai Feng had never dealt with this person before. He only knew that he had a bad temper, but he didn't expect that he would directly ask for a toll.

Ji Yuan did not give an answer, but on the third day, he took everyone away from Zhennan Pass.

In the eyes of everyone in Zhennan Pass, Ji Yuan has no choice.

His greatest achievement in becoming a prefect was helping the local people make money. Otherwise, how could he, a person from another place, hold on to the position of prefect?

He must give this money.

After returning all the way to Ning'an Prefecture, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Ji Yuan.

How to solve this problem.

Ji Yuan looked at Zhennan Pass and said directly: "No solution."

Not solved?

Why?

Ji Yuan said directly: "Let's go, we need to prepare for spring ploughing."

ah?

This, what happened?

What if Zhennan Pass doesn’t let them pass?

Ji Yuan said: "Don't worry, we are not the ones who are panicking."

If you talk to him about cooperation, that's fine. You can also give up some of the profits, and everyone along the way can benefit.

But this guy was too arrogant and launched a series of threats, as if he had him sure of victory.

But, Ning Anzhou, is he really so eager to make money?

He might not think so.

On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, Ji Yuan and his companions returned one day earlier than expected.

As soon as he returned to the yamen, his subordinates surrounded him.

Ji Yuan naturally would not hide the matter of Zhennan Pass from them, and directly told them the request of General Zhennan.

"In other words, either we pay them, or our goods will be in danger when passing through here?"

Liu Tongzhi was angry: "This is simply too much."

This attitude seems to be certain that they will compromise.

It's because there is only one way to go.

Ji Yuan said, "That's not our product."

What is not our product?

"Whoever buys it owns it."

Ji Yuan directly ordered: "Tell the merchants who come to buy goods to tell them about the risks."

"Whether they want to buy it or not is up to them."

If you say this, I definitely won’t buy it.

If you knew that General Zhennan was going to play tricks, wouldn't it be like losing money if you bought the goods?

Ji Yuan added: "Spring ploughing will start soon. Rubber and cloth dyeing can be put aside and all energy should be focused on the construction of the final canal."

"Spring ploughing starts late here. Everything will become clear after the ploughing is finished in April or May."

In other words, they do nothing?

Is this ok?

But seeing the look in Lord Ji's eyes, everyone had no choice but to nod.

The news spread quickly as if it had wings to the ears of merchants who were still buying rubber soles and high-quality dyed cloth.

The news came like a bolt from the blue.

"What?! What are you doing?"

"Goods from Ning'an Prefecture are not allowed to pass through Zhennan Pass? Why?"

"I have to pay after I pass? What kind of rule is this?"

"Is it the toll for entering the city? It's never been mentioned before."

The originally harmonious Ning'an Prefecture suddenly fell into chaos.

The locals are better off, as they are used to being poor. Besides, Mr. Ji has said that spring ploughing is important.

Even if Lord Ji didn't mention it, they would have stopped these side businesses.

No matter what happens, it is not as important as farming.

This is also the custom of the local people in Ning'an Prefecture.

To be honest, it is outsiders who want Ning'anzhou's goods now.

And everyone has already bought the things that Ning'anzhou wanted, such as the most needed ducklings.

It doesn't make much difference to them whether they do a deal or not.

Just going back to last year.

To put it bluntly, the locals are used to hardship.

It really doesn't make much difference to them if they don't make a deal.

They had hardly any communication with the outside world before, and now they are just back to square one.

They can get used to it, but those vendors who make money by selling rubber soles and dyed cloth are not willing to do so.

These things sell very well outside and are almost sold out as soon as they are delivered to the place.

Rubber-soled shoes are indeed very useful, especially those with thick soles, which are not only practical but also easy to wash and dry. These characteristics have made them essential shoes for many households when working.

The good properties of dyed cloth make people love it very much.

Tell them now that Zhennan Pass does not allow goods from Ning'an Prefecture to pass through?

Isn’t Zhennan Pass too overbearing?

Some people also suggested that Ning'an Prefecture should just give some travel expenses.

Anyway, this is between you two.

The officials of Ning'an Prefecture smiled and said, "Spring ploughing is about to start in Ning'an Prefecture. We really don't have time to take care of too much."

What I mean is, buy it if you like.

Just don’t buy it.

Some merchants who did not believe in the evil actually brought a new batch of rubber-soled shoes through Zhennan Pass to sell inside the pass.

But they did encounter "robbers" along the way.

The goods were looted.

The loss after this trip was terrible.

For a time, merchants traveling back and forth were in a panic and stopped buying goods from Ning'an Prefecture.

This loss is not something that ordinary people can afford.

The two commodities that were once popular in Dianzhou Prefecture disappeared without a trace in an instant.

This naturally aroused everyone's doubts.

When he knew what happened, he subconsciously said, "Zhennan Pass, isn't it too overbearing?"

Is it too overbearing?

Yes.

Forcing Ning Anzhou to give a share, and then robbing him if he refuses?

Is this appropriate?

Just when Ning'an Prefecture was about to develop, it seemed that it was about to end.

How should Ji Zhuangyuan respond?

Won’t the locals feel uncomfortable?

The people in the dyeing workshop felt a little uncomfortable.

They have just expanded production and added more staff.

The people who cut down trees and work with rubber are fine; they have already returned to their fields and started spring plowing.

Spring ploughing is one of the most important things in the whole year.

Before the spring plowing this year, the locals were extremely busy. They had to clean the canals, catch fish fry, and buy duck fry.

Compared to the speculations outside, the locals are the calmest ones.

To put it bluntly, these industries are just getting started.

Most of the people in Ning'an Prefecture do not make a living from this.

In addition, Ji Yuan emphasized early on that while engaging in the rubber industry and the dyeing industry, one must have a relative proportion of arable land, otherwise one cannot participate in these two jobs.

After all, everything comes down to eating.

How could Ji Yuan allow Ning Anzhou's life and property to be invested in these two businesses?

Today, Ning'an Prefecture's productivity is far from being able to survive solely on business.

If the people of Zhennan Pass forcibly cut off this trade route three or four years later, the people of Ning'an Prefecture might be very dissatisfied and even express dissatisfaction with the prefect because of the huge losses.

But before their lives could really improve, some people wanted to get a piece of the pie.

Even if you are cutting leeks, it is too early.

On February 25, under Ji Yuan's order, the 48 villages in Ning'an Prefecture must dig all the unrepaired canals, prepare ponds for water storage, and prepare fertilizers before the spring plowing in April.

In addition, they started to cultivate a piece of excellent paddy field near Ning'an City.

Ji Yuan asked the people in Husi to hire skilled local farmers and purchase excellent rice seeds from below.

This paddy field is the local experimental field.

From now on, the best seeds should be kept here for cultivation every year, and the highest quality, strongest and fullest seeds should be selected.

The entire Ning'an Prefecture was so busy with spring ploughing that it seemed like they had completely forgotten about the interruption of trade routes.

Ning'anzhou, or Jiyuan's calmness, made General Zhennan confused.

General Zhennan has always been domineering in the local area, but this is the first time he has encountered such a person.

You are straightforward, and he is also straightforward.

If you say something harsh, people will just ignore you, so just go and have fun.

Is Ning'anzhou really no longer doing business?

Are they really not in a hurry?

There's no rush. People in Ning'an Prefecture dig canals in March, prepare the fields in April, and plant fish fry in May.

When the fish fry grow to two or three fingers long, the ducklings can finally be put in.

Rice-duck-fish symbiotic system.

That is to say, the original proposal of Jiyuan was finally realized.

Many mountain farmers go to observe when they have nothing to do.

It’s exactly the same as what their prefect said.

Not only do fish and ducks not destroy crops, they also make them grow better.

Not only that, they can also find duck eggs in the water! Directly add food to the family!

The locals were amazed at this method.

In my spare time, I still cut trees, make rubber and glue.

Anyway, it only takes some effort and it doesn't cost them much.

The prefect said that doing these things is equivalent to saving money.

Of course.

Each family also has its own requirements. They cannot ignore the fields and must work in a balanced way.

In addition, the village chiefs of each village should lead the villagers to plant water melon trees.

We can’t just cut down trees without planting anything, what will happen to our future generations if we do that?

Those who live off the land have this awareness.

There was no need to remind them at all, as the children took the initiative to dig up the saplings of the water melon tree, one was planted in the field, and the other was planted in front of and behind the house.

This tree grows fast and will bear fruit in three to five years. The fruit can also be used to refine oil.

Ning'an Prefecture is really just like its name.

This made the spies at Zhennan Pass frown.

Why?

They really can't understand.

Don’t the people of Ning’an Prefecture know how attractive their things are?

Don’t they know that there will be a lot of scramble for rubber shoes out there?

Don’t they know that making money can lead to a better life?

Do they know?

Don’t know.

Because they didn't enjoy it from the beginning.

A person who has never enjoyed a good life will never know what convenient life and abundant materials are like.

Take the era for example.

Ji Yuan will yearn for the high-speed rail, express railways, and bridges connecting the two places in the future.

Do local people have the same yearning as him?

No.

Because they have never seen it, naturally they will not yearn for it.

Is life good outside the mountains?

Very good.

But since the locals haven’t gone out to see it, how could they feel a desire for it?

And this door was just about to open.

General Zhennan just closed it.

The calmer the era, the more thoughts one has in his mind, or the angrier he becomes.

The messenger from the capital brought letters from the capital and also letters from good friends.

At the same time, it also brought news from other places in Dianzhou Prefecture.

When the messenger saw Ji Yuan again, he saluted subconsciously.

The last time I saw Ji Yuan, he was just a sixth-rank official, but now he is the governor of a place.

But what the messenger wanted to say was: "Master Ji, people are almost breaking their heads over rubber outside, how can you remain so calm?"

"But rubber is not only used to make shoes, did you know?"

Ji Yuan calmly drinks tea.

I know.

Adding a piece of rubber between the wheel and the bearing of a carriage can reduce shock, increase speed and reduce wear.

He was the one who spread the news.

He said it all, rubber-soled shoes are just one of the items.

He originally wanted to use rubber-soled shoes to let everyone slowly understand the role of rubber, but who knew he would encounter the obstacle of Zhennan Pass, so he had to reveal some of its other functions first.

Shoes are something that cannot be replaced.

The parts on the carriage are no less important than the shoes people wear. If there are no rubber-soled shoes, cloth shoes can be worn. It's just a return to the past.

But this tiny part is enough to change the horse-drawn carriage and ox-cart industry, and even all walks of life.

Anyone who is looking for the comfort of a vehicle or the speed of transporting goods will want rubber.

Can you imagine it?

Then come and buy it.

ah?

You can't buy it?

Because there are obstacles.

There is nothing we can do about it.

Every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor.

Whoever is in charge of the business has the final say.

The people of Ning'an Prefecture have no say in the matter. They are just the only rubber producer in the ordinary Tianqi State.

I want to buy rubber.

Please help us solve the trouble we are facing.

Again, good products are in hand.

What are you afraid of?

Who should be anxious?

Anyway, they are not the people of Ning'an Prefecture.