The journey to Guandong had already begun, and to cross the Western Pass, one needed to first occupy the Hetao area, or to be more precise, the Qiantao area.
Due to the early accumulation of reserves and the mandatory promotion of drought-resistant and high-yield crops such as potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, the impact of the major disaster on the Ming Empire is not serious yet.
This is just the beginning of a major disaster. We have preparations and plans. From the imperial court to local governments, whether it is coordination or organization, there is a process of adaptation and streamlining of work.
Likewise, this is also an examination and test of the abilities of officials. The capable are promoted and the incompetent are demoted, in preparation for future disasters that spread across multiple provinces and last for more than a decade.
After all, the administration of officials is the most important issue. No matter how good the emperor's plan is, there will be no good results if the people below do not implement it effectively.
At this time, we can see the emperor's foresight.
The rectification of official administration began in the second year of the Tianqi reign, and spread from the court to the local areas. The Inspectorate, the East Factory, and the Pacification Office took a three-pronged approach, with punishments ranging from execution to exile. Over the years, countless officials were dismissed and severely punished.
The system and procedures for deterring officials and supervising and punishing them were tightened, and the administration of officials in the Ming Dynasty improved greatly amid the continuous reduction of deaths.
With the fall of a large number of officials, not only the country and the people benefited, but also the class of people with no prospects of promotion, known as clerks.
A large number of officials were able to be appointed as officials because they had grassroots work experience and had a path to promotion. Most of them had excellent work enthusiasm and performance.
The effect was transmitted from top to bottom, and the court, local officials, and the people showed good signs.
Especially in Shaanxi, despite the disasters that hit the entire province this year, there was no large number of refugees, and social order remained stable on the whole.
However, various reform measures did not stagnate because of the disaster, but continued to advance, changing the fate of the people of the Ming Dynasty.
The sound of hooves came from afar, and Li Hongji drove the post carriage to the gate of the post station.
A postman opened the gate and the carriage entered the yard and stopped. Li Hongji greeted the postman with a smile, jumped off the carriage, and rushed to the office to hand over official documents and mail.
After the handover, the mission was successfully completed. Li Hongji couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He sat down at the table in the corridor, picked up the teapot and gulped down the tea.
This is Yinchuan Posthouse, located in Xifanzhuang in the middle of the Yinchuan River Valley. The Yinchuan River flows from the west of the posthouse to the Yellow River. It is the first posthouse from Hezhou to Qinghai, Hexi and other places, and its location is very important.
During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, Yinchuanli was established as a post station, and it had long been a transportation hub. The nearby Fenglin Pass, Fenglin Ferry, and Lianhua Ferry were famous passes and ferry crossings on the Silk Road.
Since Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty adopted the national policy of recuperation and carried out a comprehensive strategic contraction, the northern border shrank to the Great Wall area, the northeastern region shrank to Liaodong, and the northwestern region retreated to Jiayuguan. The Qinghai-Tibet region could no longer be effectively controlled.
However, after the pacification of Liao, the imperial court increased its investment in the northwest. The military strength of the three guards of Taozhou, Hezhou and Xining increased and their equipment was updated, showing the emperor's ambition to revitalize the northwest military.
Northwestern post stations such as Yinchuan Post Station also received financial support, and were either newly built or renovated, and the number of postmen also increased.
Since the Yuan Dynasty established post stations and post roads from the mainland to Tibet, after more than a hundred years of frequent exchanges, during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, the original transportation organization was adjusted and repaired, and transportation between the mainland and important areas of Tibet became more unimpeded.
At that time, monks, lay officials, merchants, and pilgrims came in an endless stream, and the "roads were all open", allowing envoys to travel tens of thousands of miles.
Now, the emperor showed his ambition to re-establish post stations to connect envoys from the Western Regions and restore transportation between the mainland and important areas of Tibet.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce tried its best to contribute, investing funds and manpower, and striving to extend the trade route based on the post station to connect the Western Regions and Qinghai-Tibet.
Driven by the imperial court's policies, Gansu and Shaanxi did not stop expanding despite the disaster. On the contrary, through work-for-relief and military expansion, the people had more options instead of fleeing famine or starving to death.
Thanks to favorable policies, the situation at Yinchuan Post Station improved significantly. Besides delivering official documents, it also began delivering mail and parcels, which naturally led to a rise in revenue.
"Yellow boy, someone is looking for you!" The gatekeeper called out Li Hongji's nickname loudly, pushed the door open a crack, and let two people in.
One was a middle-aged man, tall and strong, who looked powerful when he walked; the other was still a teenager, but also very strong.
Li Hongji stood up and took a few steps forward. Recognizing the newcomer, he hurried over to greet him, bowing and saying, "Greetings, uncle."
Gao Yingxiang smiled and nodded, saying, "Hongji, you seem to be doing well." He gestured to the young man and said, "It's been years since we last met. Do you recognize me?"
Li Hongji looked at him carefully and said uncertainly, "Is it Guo'er? Has he grown this big?"
Li Guo chuckled and bowed, saying, "Gu'er greets uncle."
"Okay, okay." Li Hongji nodded repeatedly and patted Li Guo's shoulder. He was very satisfied with his strong physique.
Then, Li Hongji asked his uncle and nephew to sit down, poured them tea, and started chatting.
Gao Yingxiang made his living as a horse trader, but now he wasn't happy with it. He sighed and said, "The imperial court and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce have collaborated to monopolize the tea-horse trade. This business of horse trading is becoming increasingly difficult."
In the fourth year of Emperor Chengzu's Yongle reign, the Gansu Yuanma Temple was established in Nianbo, which governed six prefectures, of which Ganquan, Qilian, Linchuan and Zongshui were located in Qinghai, and raised more than 60,000 horses.
In the early Ming Dynasty, Qinghai's animal husbandry economy was relatively developed. After the gold medal system was implemented in the late Hongwu period, horses from Qinghai accounted for about 78% of the total number of gold medal horses at that time.
However, since the mid-Ming Dynasty, Eastern Mongolians came to live in Qinghai, wars became frequent, and animal husbandry production suffered great damage.
The imperial court has now re-established the Xining Tea and Horse Office, implemented a tea monopoly, and opened a tea and horse market. The purpose is obvious: to use the form of officially controlled trade to strengthen control over the economy of ethnic minorities.
Li Hongji understood this somewhat and nodded, saying, "With Liaodong pacified and the Mongol tribes naturalized, the imperial court should have no shortage of war horses. This is also a means of controlling the Mongols."
After a pause, Li Hongji suggested, "Trading horses isn't easy, but transporting goods is a good business. A carriage transporting goods for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce would make a lot of money. I've been thinking about borrowing some money to do this business."
The "Tea-Horse Trade" is just a traditional name, but it involved more than just tea and horses. It also included cattle, horses, sheep, furs, and medicinal herbs from ethnic minorities, and iron pots, silk, and cloth from Ming merchants.
The development of commerce naturally boosted the transportation industry. The improvement of infrastructure such as roads and post stations led to the rapid spread of four-wheeled carriages with steel axles.
Gao Yingxiang smiled and nodded, saying, "This is indeed a good livelihood, but I don't want to earn this hard-earned money anymore. I want to join the army and get rich."
"Join the army?" Li Hongji was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Which garrison is recruiting again? Serving in the military is a dangerous thing."
……………….
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