The two newcomers were completely confused.
What is comfort? Even prison cells require comfort.
"Old Jin, how are things going with your academy?"
Jin Zhubu said respectfully, "We're already investigating a location. There's a vacant lot next to the He family, a merchant family to the west. I've already negotiated with the locals. Once the wood and other materials arrive, we'll get to work."
"Very good." Xu Jing continued with a smile, "First, I'll grant you one thousand taels of silver. Gather some people and work hard to complete the academy before the New Year. Next year, we'll hire a few teachers, and then we can start recruiting students."
Jin Zhubu was so excited that he stood up and was about to bow to Xu Jing, but Xu Jing stopped him. "Shi Nian, have you found the two accountants I asked you to find?"
Bai Shinian had already made preparations. Upon hearing the adults' request, he immediately called in two accountants. One was Wang Wu, and the other was Ding Si. They had previously worked in various major stores and were very experienced.
Xu Jing casually asked a few questions, and both of them answered them fluently, truly rare talents. "From now on, one of you will be the cashier, responsible for external accounts, only outgoing accounts, not incoming accounts. The incoming accounts will be handed over to Ding Si."
Zhang Zhiwei, the magistrate of Chishui County, couldn't help but ask, "Sir, don't they participate in the salary exchange?"
The mere question about this matter revealed Zhang Zhiwei's lack of expertise. "Aren't the imperial salaries verified by the Ministry of Revenue and then handled by local governments? Why is your county magistrate's office shorthanded?"
Zhang Zhiwei laughed dryly and asked, "So what are they responsible for?"
"Jianzhou's overall economy." Seeing the two men's hairs standing on end in fear, they were probably going to find an excuse to slip away. Xu Jing said, "Don't worry. You are only responsible to me now. I will assign more people when the business expands in the future."
That's about right. Wang Wu breathed a sigh of relief and said boldly, "I wonder what business Master Jiang wants me to be responsible for?"
Xu Jing had already prepared it. He gave one booklet to each of them, and Bai Shinian then passed it to them.
"I've opened a clothing workshop in the west. From now on, the outgoing bills will be handed over to Wang Wu, and the incoming bills will be handed over to Ding Si. You guys will get familiar with it later and take over as soon as possible."
Song Yao, the magistrate of Baiji County, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up. "Sir Jiang, you are abusing your power for personal gain. If the higher-ups find out, I and the others will be hard-pressed to explain myself."
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements with the prefect. Even in the capital, I have people protecting me."
Song Yao had heard from his servants that Jiang Xuqing had bribed him after hearing the angels arrive. He had thought Jiang Xuqing would be more restrained. Unexpectedly, he spoke openly about it.
Song Yao had been in office longer than Zhang Zhiwei and was quite resourceful and intelligent. He saw through the situation immediately. "Did Lord Jiang use all the money from the garment workshop to build Jianzhou?"
"Lord Song is truly my confidant. He saw through the underlying situation immediately. Indeed, I was hoping to exploit this opportunity to lay eggs."
Xu Jing not only had this thought in mind, he also planned to expand it. "Once Li He arrives, we'll hand the sweater shop over to him. Then, I'll take some of the profits. I'll put the money I take into the public account, and then I'll have a better idea of what we want to develop."
"I see," Zhang Zhiming suddenly realized. "Your Excellency is truly resourceful and knows how to make money. But wouldn't it be ridiculed if you openly engaged in business?"
You can't even eat enough, and you still have time to care about face?
Xu Jing said calmly, "How much tax did you pay this year?"
Zhang Zhiming was ashamed. "We only raised 5,000, which is not even up to our expectations from previous years."
The county's annual tax revenue was only 5,000 yuan, which shows how poor it was. Even if the people were squeezed dry, the merchants couldn't earn an extra two taels of silver. Even so, Zhang Zhiming was still fed and became extremely wealthy. It's truly a pity.
Xu Jing looked at County Magistrate Lin, who understood and said, "Master Jiang recently raised four thousand taels of silver through the garment workshop."
"How much?" Zhang Zhiming's eyes widened and his voice became much louder when he spoke.
After County Magistrate Lin repeated his words, Zhang Zhiming asked unwillingly, "Just a few days?"
"Yes," Xu Jing said, "In just a few days, it will cover your annual tax revenue. Do you think I should do this business?"
"Sir," Song Yao objected. "Among the three classes of scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, merchants have the lowest status. If officials and merchants protect each other, it will cause chaos."
Xu Jing slammed the table and said coldly:
"absurd.
When I was the magistrate of Muhe County, I saw with my own eyes that farmers who tightened their belts to save a mouthful of food were starved to death on the streets.
Food is the foundation of a nation, and money is the backbone of a state. If I don't find ways to make money, how can Jianzhou survive?
I'm afraid that before the Qing army arrives, the peasants will be so hungry they'll revolt. What will I do then? Should I run for my life?
Song Yao sighed. He was a familiar figure in history, and he knew there were countless examples of people rebelling because they couldn't survive. As the saying goes, distant water can't quench immediate thirst. If he waited for the imperial court to provide relief, he'd probably wait until the opportunity was gone. It would be better to try his best to save himself, just like Jiang Xuqing did.
"Please continue, my lord. I will obey you."
Song Yao has been an official for more than ten years and his mind is very active.
Knowing that it is difficult to change the situation on one's own, he chose to rely on Jiang Xuqing and be obedient, which could reduce a lot of unexpected losses.
Xu Jing didn't bother to talk about righteousness with them and said directly: "After you two go back, have the county magistrate, chief clerk, and registrar of the county government take turns to come to the prefectural government office to hold a meeting and exchange experiences. When Jianzhou becomes prosperous, I will also spread the influence to the whole village and promote common prosperity for you all."
"Are you serious, sir?" Zhang Zhiwei was still skeptical, fearing that Jiang Xuqing was pushing him out as a scapegoat to trick him.
Xu Jing glanced at him and said, "What good is there in fooling you? Jianzhou is more than just this area; it also covers Baiji and Chishui. If anyone is to be held accountable, I cannot escape the blame. How can I leave such a vast area unattended?"
That's true. But there are too many people who just talk the talk and too few who follow through on their promises.
Xu Jing didn't care whether he believed it or not. After holding a brief meeting with a few people, he explained what to do in the next stage.
"Shi Dianli, in addition to being responsible for urban security, you will also be responsible for the repair of the city wall. Starting tomorrow, we will begin repairing the city wall. I will worry about the financial matters, and you just need to complete the city wall. If it fails the inspection, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Shi Dianli had seen Jiang Xuqing's methods before, so he quickly agreed. "Who should I ask for the money?"
"Contact Wang Wu for outgoing payments and Ding Si for incoming payments. Requests for payment must be made in detail for easier reconciliation. Got it?"
The stone clerk nodded rapidly. "I understand. Who should I contact for the stone materials?"
"Is this your first time as an official?" Xu Jing rolled his eyes at him and said, "Don't you know how to bid?"
“What is bidding?”
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