Jiang Xuqing had held meetings with several people before, but his focus was on making money and he didn't care about anything else.
As a result, Muhe County's overall performance was uneven, and next year's performance was definitely not good enough. Jiang Xuqing could just bribe the prefect and get away with it, while the county magistrate and others could only sit and wait for death.
Like the Ming Dynasty, Dayan implemented a system of itinerant officials. A county magistrate could serve for a maximum of three years. If his performance was poor, he would be transferred to another county.
If one's performance is outstanding, he can be promoted to prefect, magistrate, or associate prefect. On the contrary, it is extremely difficult for county magistrates and others to be promoted to county magistrates. If they want to be promoted, they must first be recommended by the county magistrate, and after being assessed by relevant departments, they must spend a lot of money before they have a chance of promotion.
Everyone was angry but dared not say anything about the young Jiang Xuqing's proposal. The best way was to obey the boss's opinion. Whether they could do it or not was another matter.
Xu Jing spoke to the three of them. "Since I took office, Muhe County has failed to meet expectations in all areas. I deeply regret this. After much deliberation yesterday, I finally identified the problem: lack of funds."
Here it comes again, here it comes again, talking about money all the time, it makes people feel overwhelmed when they hear it.
County Magistrate Lin said, "Sir Jiang, it's not that we can't collect all the taxes, it's just that Muhe County is poor, and we are powerless."
County Magistrate Lin had been in Muhe County for nearly six years, and he had even met the previous county magistrate. Basically, he didn't do anything practical, just made a fortune and left.
By the time Jiang Xuqing's turn came around, Muhe County was already struggling. Yet, Jiang Xuqing persisted in his pursuit of wealth, refusing to reflect on his actions. Today, ordinary people are left with no means of survival.
Of course, this does not include county officials like them. Their families can still have enough food to eat, but they have no money if they want to do other jobs.
Xu Jing didn't mind Lin Xiancheng's interruption and said with a smile, "After much deliberation, I have decided to help the common people and let them have enough food first."
County Magistrate Lin hesitated and asked, "What's your plan, sir?"
"Shi Nian." Xu Jing glanced at Bai Shinian, who said, "Yesterday, I was ordered by the master to go to the streets to check. I concluded that the best-selling items on West Street are furs and charcoal. The best-selling items on East Street are dry food and cabbage. As for rouge and silk, basically no one is interested in them. And tea..."
Bai Shinian paused and said, "The Jiannu people bought a lot of tea, but it was all coarse tea that wasn't worth much."
County Magistrate Lin asked in confusion, "Why did you collect all this, sir?"
"Of course, we're looking for ways to make money," Xu Jing said with a smile. "In my opinion, our people are still struggling to make ends meet, so we're all focused on livelihood issues. Furthermore, since we haven't leveraged our local strengths, it's understandable that we can't make money."
What is local advantage?
Xu Jing patiently explained, "We simply haven't utilized the local advantages. The Jiannu live on the grasslands, feeding on cattle and sheep, so they don't lack furs. However, the grasslands are short on grain, especially dry grains like corn, and there aren't suitable conditions for growing them. We can trade dry grain with the Jiannu for furs."
"No," County Magistrate Lin waved his hand. "Food is the foundation of your people. If it's changed, it will cause chaos. Besides, why would you collect the skins?"
The people of Muhe also raise livestock, and local hunters go up the mountain to hunt. They have an output every year, so how can they use foreign products?
"Of course, it's for money. Ordinary cow and sheep hides can be processed into leather garments and sold to Kanto. We can give the fine hides to the prefects and other officials. These hides are very valuable in the capital."
This is a good idea. If you buy low and sell high, you can free up a lot of money. But no one does it.
Xu Jing looked at Jin Zhubu. This was a natural advantage for locals. "Didn't I say before that we should ensure that the people have enough to eat? I'm going to set up a garment workshop and hire local women who are skilled in garment making. With just a small salary, we can ensure that the local people have enough to eat, and I can also make a lot of money by leveraging the resources. Why not?"
"Not right," said Jin Zhubu. "Don't blame me, sir. I'm not saying your way of making money is wrong, but as officials, we shouldn't touch that kind of stuff."
Shi Dianli sneered and said, "We are almost starving. Isn't it ridiculous for Jin Zhubu to say this? I think what you said is right. This will not only allow the locals to have enough food, but also bring income to the county.
Don't forget that Chinese New Year is just two months away. Many people freeze to death every year during the festival. If people had money, they could at least fill their stomachs and not have to struggle for a single grain of rice. They could also spend more time heating their homes and not starve to death in the streets.
Seeing the two men about to quarrel, County Magistrate Lin quickly called a halt. "Alright, listen to what your Excellency has to say. Your Excellency, I have a question. What if we feed the Jiannu and they attack Muhe?"
This is an age-old question. Ambitious people will seek ways to expand their territory; this is inevitable.
"That's something for the generals to think about. What we need to do now is to revive Muhe County. You don't want to accomplish nothing in your life, do you?"
Xu Jing began to paint a rosy picture. "Lin County Magistrate, you're still young. Don't you want to be a county magistrate for life? Don't you want to sit in this chair right here?"
Xu Jing hit the nail on the head of County Magistrate Lin. After all, he was a scholar, and he was still young. Who wouldn't want to climb the ladder?
"As for Jin Zhubu, I know that his greatest wish is to retire peacefully. However, Muhe County has always been poor. Can Jin Zhubu guarantee that he won't have to worry about money after retirement?"
Jin Zhubu shook his head. "This humble official is not interested in this thing."
"What about your descendants?" Xu Jing smiled instead of getting angry. "It would cost a lot of money to raise them. Can you really support a whole family with your meager income?"
Jin Zhubu was speechless. The magistrate's words hit the mark and hurt his chest.
"Shi Dianli, don't you want to see the outside world?"
Shi Dianli's eyes lit up and he asked, "What do you mean, Lord Jiang?"
"The leather must not pass through your hands when it is escorted to Guandong. The scenery on the road will be..."
By then, he could earn as much as he wanted, and he could even show his face to the master in Guandong. If he met a noble person who appreciated him, wouldn't his happy days be just around the corner?
Shi Dianli stood up and saluted. "Sir Jiang, I am happy to follow you."
County Magistrate Lin was still a little hesitant, fearing that Jiang Xuqing was unreliable and would bring him into trouble.
Xu Jing saw through County Magistrate Lin's schemes with a single glance. "Even if the sky falls, I'll hold it up. What's there for County Magistrate Lin to fear? We're all in this together. We rise and fall together. How could I possibly do something that would harm others and benefit myself?"
That's true. Jiang Xuqing always does things that maximize his own interests. It would be nice if I could follow Jiang Xuqing and get a share of the spoils.
"I am willing to serve as a vanguard for Lord Jiang, devoting myself to his service until my death."
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