The border market became even more popular because of a type of refined salt, but they only wanted herbs, cattle, and horses from the grasslands, which left the merchants of the Tang Dynasty helpless. They had no choice but to engage in some resale business.
Qin Mu was quite surprised that the wolf clan wouldn't do business with him, so he returned to the pass to avoid seeing them and getting annoyed.
“Huai Dao! Now that Shuofang has added the major industry of refined salt, we must give Shengzhou a helping hand!” Zhang Gongjin looked at Qin Mu with a smile and said earnestly.
"You know how poor Shuofang is, Governor! I've borrowed so much money to send out, and now that I've finally found a way to subsidize it, where am I going to get the money to support other places?" Qin Mu complained.
"What kind of subsidy?" Zhang Gongjin asked curiously. He knew very well how much Qin Mu had lent out; in fact, he had personally signed most of the IOUs.
Qin Mu explained the matter of vegetables and fruits to Zhang Gongjin.
“Excellent! This is a good idea! Although the people are reclaiming wasteland, it's ultimately for themselves, and they'll have an extra source of income in a few years.” Zhang Gongjin praised, then hesitated slightly before asking, “Huaidao, do you think we could get the people of Shengzhou and Fengzhou to plant some as well? We can sell it all to you! Let the people here have an extra source of income.”
"Since you've already asked, how can I say no?" Qin Mu replied with a hint of reluctance on his face, pretending to have struggled with the decision internally.
"Great! It's settled then. I'll have people collect seeds and clear the land for planting," Zhang Gongjin said with a satisfied smile.
"Yes, I'll arrange for someone to come and provide guidance then." Qin Mu was secretly delighted, but said with a smile. The book he had read most completely was the Essential Techniques of Qiming, which did indeed record methods for planting fruits and vegetables. Moreover, he remembered that fruit trees needed to be grafted, which was a very simple and practical method. It didn't require special cultivation; all he needed to do was find a batch of fruit trees with good flavor as seeds.
After staying at Changsheng Pass for two days, Pei Xingjian left a batch of salt and headed to Juyong Pass. Qin Mu had initially thought that the Wolf Clan had reached an agreement and wouldn't trade with him, but to his surprise, the very next day, two tribes came to negotiate. The Xueyantuo and the Uyghurs, two large tribes, were willing to trade salt on a long-term basis.
This is normal. The wolves aren't mindless; they won't reject a profitable deal just because they've been defeated. The wolves aren't too concerned about herbs. They know humans like them, so they collect them. In the past, they traded with humans through smugglers for what they needed, and those trades were very cheap. Now that they can trade openly, why would anyone with a brain miss out?
From the border town onwards, wolf tribes arrived in droves, averaging more than ten a day. Every day, many merchants from the Central Plains also returned laden with their spoils.
The refined salt was exchanged for a large quantity of medicinal herbs, as well as thousands of cattle and hundreds of warhorses. Qin Mu was satisfied, at least in that the increased number of cattle and horses would make the labor force in Shuofang much easier. Although undomesticated cattle and horses could not plow fields, they were still capable of hauling goods.
Back in Shuofang, they immediately began the busy spring planting season. As the prefect, although he didn't need to farm, he still had plenty to do. The most important was the Heaven-worshiping ceremony, praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest. The prefect was like the head of a household; without his presence, the people would feel uneasy. This was something Baili Bing had told him; originally, Qin Mu had suggested that anyone could preside over the ceremony.
Food is the paramount necessity of the people! This is especially evident at this time, with everyone showing great enthusiasm for spring plowing. Having assumed the post of governor of a prefecture, Qin Mu naturally hoped to lead the people of his region to a better life. After the New Year, he devoted himself to studying the *Qimin Yaoshu* (Essential Techniques for the Common People). The book alone covers over 80 varieties of grains, analyzing and comparing them according to their maturity period, plant height, yield, quality, and resistance to adverse conditions. It also explains how to maintain seed purity and prevent mixing, and what pre-sowing preparations should be made to ensure the seeds develop fully and the seedlings grow strong and healthy.
The book also describes methods for raising cattle, horses, chickens, geese, and so on, in six chapters. Combining this with some knowledge from Qin Mu's memory, the planting practices in Shuofang gradually improved, and if compared with other places, it can be seen that they were already decades ahead.
Busy times always fly by, and before Qin Mu knew it, more than three years had passed since he arrived in Shuofang. In these three years, Shuofang had developed very rapidly, and the people all knew that there was a very good prefect who led the four counties of Shuofang to a good life.
News of Shuofang's production of refined salt gradually spread, attracting many merchants. Coupled with the border market of Shengzhou ahead, many passing merchants would detour through Shuofang to buy some refined salt. Actually, they weren't buying it to sell; they were mainly giving it away as gifts. Because Shuofang's refined salt was now considered almost equivalent to spices in the market.
Approaching twenty, Qin Mu now possessed a remarkably composed demeanor, exuding an even stronger scholarly air. What puzzled Baili Bing and the others most was Qin Mu's habit of meticulously shaving his mustache. Few people go their entire lives without grooming, but it requires careful attention, especially hair, which must be styled on chosen days. As for beards, they were equally valued; a dignified and imposing beard was a symbol of a handsome man. Some even cultivated such a magnificent sideburn that they would use a special bag to store it while sleeping.
Baili Bing got married and grew a mustache, which is a circle around the upper lip. He gently waved a folding fan in his hand and handed a booklet to Qin Mu.
"Just give me a brief introduction, I'm too lazy to read it," Qin Mu said, tossing the booklet onto his desk.
"The imperial court is about to open up the sale of refined salt. When will we open up to it?" Baili Bing asked.
"The imperial court has opened up the sale of refined salt, so there's no need for us to follow suit. We can just adjust the price and sell it to the local people," Qin Mu said, shaking his head.
"How should the price be determined?" Baili Bing asked.
"For the local people, just use the same price as for Qingyan salt. By the way, the price you pay for your goods will also be reduced by 30%," Qin Mu said calmly. Shuofang had already implemented a system of rewards and wage deductions for the local people, distributing refined salt; this was simply a matter of opening it up completely.
"Thanks!" Baili Bing said with a grateful smile. In the past three years, the Baili family has made a lot of money from refined salt, and is second to none among the four major families, overshadowing the other three families. Therefore, Baili Bing is very grateful to Qin Mu. The main reason is that the trip to the grasslands three years ago brought more than twenty mid-level generals to the Baili family, who are now serving in various places.
Han Chen married Baili Rou, and the two worked together to support the Six Doors. The Baili family was very satisfied with this marriage, after all, Baili Rou was Sun Simiao's apprentice and the local chief constable of the Six Doors, a promising young man.
"The taxes for this year's summer harvest have already been collected. Are the people still planting separately and living their own lives as originally agreed?" Baili Bing asked again.
"Just send out the announcement; as for how to arrange things, that's up to each village to decide."
"That's fine too," Baili Bing agreed.
"Governor Zhang of Shengzhou sent word that the Wolf Clan delegation has gone to Chang'an," Baili Bing continued.
"The wolf's nature is hard to change, and going to Chang'an won't bring any good things," Qin Mu said, frowning.
"They probably saw the benefits from the border markets in recent years and want to ask for more," Baili Bing speculated.
"Yes, that's possible. When they see benefits, they all want more. But as long as they don't cause trouble, it doesn't matter. In a few years, when the country's strength increases, His Majesty will not tolerate these guys guarding the vicinity forever."
“How can I allow others to sleep soundly beside my bed? Your Majesty is ambitious and will surely emulate Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, sweeping across the land.” Baili Bing agreed. In the past few years, he had served as an official and had a good understanding of the court’s policies, so he greatly admired Li Shimin.
"The fruit will be ripe in two months. We'll save this year's for winter and sell it in Chang'an."
"That's good. Last year there were too few fruits, so they were very popular in Chang'an. However, this year there are plenty of vegetables, and transporting so many pickled vegetables will be a big problem."
"Let the people from the Anbei Governor's Office transport it, and give them a 30% cut of the profits," Qin Mu said, rubbing his forehead.
“This is a good idea, so that Governor Zhang won’t say we’ve forgotten about him again,” Baili Bing said with a smile.
Mentioning Zhang Gongjin gave Qin Mu a headache. This guy, seeing the salted vegetables and refined salt selling in large quantities, kept clamoring for Shuofang to increase the amount sent to him, even coming in person to ask for it, right at the vegetable harvest season—he practically robbed him. Qin Mu understood him; after all, he controlled three prefectures and had to support over 200,000 troops, and the government's allocations alone left him with a rather meager existence.
Asking for benefits from his subordinates is a habit every commander has, but Zhang Gongjin didn't ask the court; he asked Qin Mu for them instead. There was no other way; the amount of goods transported through Shengzhou each year was quite large. It wasn't that he was envious and wanted more for himself; he just wanted to secure more perks. Unfortunately, getting vegetables at the border wasn't easy. Fortunately, the border market had opened, providing a significant increase in meat.
By having Zhang Gongjin's men transport the goods themselves, not only was the time spent selling the goods saved, but the transportation itself was also eliminated, effectively hiring labor—a win-win situation. That's why Baili Bing thought it was a good idea.
Over the past two years, Qin Mu has also been busy. In his spare time from official duties, he selected fifty children aged twelve to sixteen to teach them to read. This time, he didn't think about how to cultivate these children; he simply taught them knowledge according to the normal learning pace. He only taught them the basics of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and would only consider further instruction if they showed exceptional talent.
Speaking of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, this is Qin Mu's pain. He can play musical instruments and has mastered calligraphy and painting, but he cannot use the supernatural powers within them.
In the fifth year of the Zhenguan era, after several years of stable development, the Tang Dynasty had greatly increased its strength. As far as Qin Mu knew, the Twelve Guards had expanded to 1.2 million men. Such a large-scale army made all those with ulterior motives in the world back down.
After three years of cultivation, Qin Mu has now firmly secured his position at the peak of the Grand Scholar realm. Of course! This is also largely thanks to Han Chen and Baili Bing. Han Chen refined the pills, while the Baili family helped collect jade. With the aid of the pills and the Moon Pearl, even though his cultivation level cannot be improved, his righteous aura and spiritual energy have steadily increased.
"You're probably going to be transferred soon, right?" Baili Bing asked.
"Transferred?" Han Chen, holding his son, looked up at the two of them with some confusion.
“Officials are evaluated every three years, and the results can range from demotion to promotion, or even just a commendation. Except for those in remote areas or small counties, most others will be transferred,” Baili Bingjie explained.
Han Chen understood; this was to prevent local officials from becoming too powerful. So he asked, "What about us? Should we also be transferred?"
“Generally speaking, only the chief officer is transferred, since some of the other officials are locals, which makes it easier for them to assist the next chief officer. The transfer of military officers falls under the Ministry of War, which is different from the transfer of civil officials! As for the Six Doors, I’m not sure, since they’ve only been established in ten prefectures so far.” Baili Bing shook his head slightly.
"I don't know if I'll be transferred! I doubt it will be in the short term, since Shuofang is a remote place. With my current rank, if I were to be transferred, I would definitely be promoted by half a rank. At such a young age, I'm afraid many people would object." Qin Mu didn't know there was such a saying. After thinking for a moment, he raised an eyebrow and said.
“Yes, you’re right. Your father is a Duke, a Grand General, a first-rank official, second only to a Prince. If we give you a third-rank official position, how will you be able to bestow titles in a few years?” Baili Bing agreed.
"The key is still the wolf clan. The Bull Demon King's reputation is not just for show; he has a deterrent effect on the wolf clan! They probably won't be mobilized." Han Chen also agreed, but for a different reason.
Qin Mu disliked this nickname, but he was still quite proud that it made the wolf clan fear him.
"That's because we didn't encounter the wolf clan's priests, and we didn't know we had many experts at the time, so we were caught off guard. If it happened again, I'm afraid it would be difficult to escape unscathed," Qin Mu said, shaking his head. He wasn't blindly confident; he had seen the difference in strength when he was breaking through the barrier. A third-rank general-level Golden Wolf General was no match for several people attacking him together. If it weren't for Huang Sanjian's sneak attack, several people would probably have died.
"I don't understand why I'm stuck at the peak of the Grand Scholar level, with no progress for more than half a year, while you can still improve. Is this the benefit of cultivating both Confucianism and Taoism?" Baili Bing said in distress.
"I don't know either!" Qin Mu shook his head. This was also one of the reasons he was so calm, because his strength could still continue to grow. He had also spent time learning most of what was in the manual. The rest he could only wait until he became a great Confucian scholar.
"Your subordinate greets the Prefect!" Just then, a guard rushed into the hall, clasped his hands in greeting.
"When did things get so rushed?" Qin Mu asked, getting up.
"News has just arrived that His Majesty has gone on an inspection tour and is already two hundred miles away," the guard replied.
"His Majesty is on an inspection tour!"
Are you coming to Shuofang?
"Why would His Majesty suddenly go on an inspection tour? How come we didn't receive any advance notice?" the three asked in surprise.
The group found it very strange. The emperor's tour was such a momentous event; news should have spread throughout the land by now. Yet, it had arrived nearby without a trace. Of course, the emperor's route was to be kept secret, but news of his departure from Chang'an couldn't be concealed. Moreover, the emperor was traveling with his imperial entourage, so his movements were slow; rumors should have spread quickly.
"The message was delivered by the Black Armor Army. They are now entering the city," the guard replied.
"Bring it here!" Qin Mu ordered, frowning.
"Here you go!"
The guards quickly left, and Han Chen asked in surprise, "Why did His Majesty come to Shuofang? Is there anything here that made him come in person?"
All three were completely bewildered. If this was Li Shimin's first tour of the north, he should have visited places like Yanmen, Yunzhong, and Shengzhou.
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