64. Chapter 64
"none"
Fuquan saw that the situation was not right and immediately stood up to take his leave. Kangxi looked at him and saw that he was weathered and frosted, so he agreed.
After he left, Kangxi was no longer polite. He glared at Qi You and said angrily, "If you have anything else to say, just say it. It's really hard to be bothered even during the New Year."
Qi You wanted to take advantage of the Chinese New Year to talk about this matter. The Chinese New Year is a time for happiness and good luck, and the powerful and wealthy buy New Year's goods and gifts, which is a good opportunity to make money.
The local environment for this land reclamation is harsh, and we will definitely need strong support from the court in the early stages.
How to support it? Of course, it is with money, food, plows, oxen, seeds, etc.
First of all, there is really not much money in the national treasury, and the money and grain in the national treasury must be used for other so-called big pictures.
Again, in the eyes of Kangxi as the emperor, and all the powerful officials, the lives of these lowly people were really not a big deal.
They had only read about the profound and real suffering of the lower-class people in memorials, and the brief descriptions could not cause a direct impact.
No matter how hard the people suffered, they could not bear the consequences. They continued to drink wine, eat meat, wear fine clothes, and enjoy peace and prosperity.
Of course, these things cannot be said openly. After all, they must love the people like their own children. As officials who are the parents of the people, they must maintain their dignity.
Qi You had learned this lesson the hard way the last time he let Galdan go. If it weren't for the follow-up actions, he probably wouldn't be here anymore.
The reason why Kangxi was able to provide money for Shunyi School was not only because it was a reward from Qi You, but also because this school was called Jueluo Brothers School.
It is just like some powerful people who often donate large sums of money to temples, appearing to be compassionate.
They may sit in luxurious carriages or travel on tall horses, but they never lower their heads to look at the homeless beggars and refugees on the roadside.
Furthermore, the land that was reclaimed was the dragon vein of the Jueluo family.
The higher their official positions, the more they believe in these things privately. This has been the case since ancient times and has never changed.
Qi You had already thought of how Kangxi would find excuses to refuse.
In order to prevent Kangxi from refusing, Qi You considerately found money and food for him, and also buried the needle to pierce the abscess.
Qi Youzai explained the plan of reclamation in detail. Kangxi was quite happy to hear it at first, but later he began to hesitate.
Especially when Kangxi heard that Qi You wanted to open up land along the Heilongjiang and Hebei rivers and also needed money and grain support, his brows furrowed into a shape of a "川" (river character) and he said, "This piece of land is where my ancestors started their fortune. If it damages their foundation, how can I face them in the future?"
Qi You almost laughed when he heard this, thinking that there would be more prodigal descendants who would ruin the country in the future. With them around, Kangxi would be nothing.
But of course he couldn't say these words. He lowered his head and listened very carefully. He immediately gave Kangxi a way out and retreated to a place he had originally favored. He said, "Khan Ama, what you said makes a lot of sense. Why don't we reclaim this piece of land in Wuchang? What do you think?"
The present-day Wuchang region is quite different from what it was in later times. To the east, it borders Ningguta, a largely uninhabited, bitterly cold place.
After hearing this, Kangxi walked to the bookshelf, took out a simple local feng shui map, looked at it, and after thinking about it for a while, he reluctantly agreed.
But regarding the money and grain, he still refused to give in, saying in a high-sounding manner: "The national treasury is empty now, and we have to prepare for the war with Galdan, river works, and disaster relief in various places. The court simply cannot come up with so much money."
Qi You pretended to nod, frowned and thought for a while, then his eyes lit up and he said, "Khan Ama, I have an idea for raising money and food."
Kangxi raised his eyebrows and said, "Tell me about it."
Qi You said, "The Ministry of Internal Affairs has a lot of tributes from various countries, such as cloth, which are almost going moldy in the warehouse. Why not sell the tributes that have been stored for too long and use the money to raise money for grain. Khan Ama, do you think this is feasible?"
Kangxi was almost laughing with anger. He knocked Qi You on the head with his hand and cursed, "You bastard, all you do all day is think about how to take your father's money away."
The National Treasury belonged to the country, and the Imperial Household Department was Kangxi's private treasury. However, this private treasury was so huge that Qi You estimated that Kangxi had no idea how much wealth he actually had.
Qi You said sincerely, "Khan Ama, those tributes have been sitting in the warehouse for too long, and they're useless except for getting moldy. It's Chinese New Year, and many families will definitely buy some for gifts or for personal use. Besides, they're tributes, so it's prestigious. The price they sell for is about the same as in the shops, so I believe many people will rush to buy them."
Kangxi thought so too. Most of the tributes from foreign vassal states were given as rewards to his ministers. But he thought again that if the rewards were too many, the emperor's grace would be worthless.
The main reason is that there is almost no arable land within the Great Wall, and there are disasters everywhere, especially the Yellow River, which bursts its banks every year. Disaster relief is required every year, and the victims are displaced every year.
Kangxi frequently issued decrees exempting the people from taxes. Without sufficient tax revenue, the treasury became depleted. Over time, this became a vicious cycle, and the treasury remained impoverished.
If farming could be started outside the Great Wall, it would not only solve part of the food problem, but would also help strengthen the rule and supervision of the tribes outside the Great Wall.
Qi You struck while the iron was hot and told them about his plan to build ships and establish a navy on the Heilongjiang River: "Khan Ama, the Luosha Kingdom cannot be trusted. They often go back on their words. If we go along the Heilongjiang River, we will reach the sea."
He dipped his hand in the tea and drew a line on the imperial desk, from the Heilongjiang River to its estuary. "Once they establish a military base along this line and attack us directly, we won't be able to fight back without our coastal defenses."
Kangxi was shocked and said, "I know their ambitions. They feel they have suffered a loss this time, so they will definitely not give up their evil intentions."
Qi You said yes, "I think the local garrison must be strengthened. There are two types of soldiers. One is the farming army, who train in their spare time and work in the fields when farming is busy. The other part is the fully committed soldiers, who only train and fight. The grain obtained from the local reclamation can fill part of the military needs and reduce some of the burden on the court."
The issue of strengthening the military touched the heart of Kangxi.
When fighting Zheng Jing, the Qing Dynasty had no experience in naval warfare and had to use the naval commanders of the former Ming Dynasty.
Kangxi was worried and could not sleep well at night, fearing that they would collude with Zheng Jing or rebel.
How to cultivate the rear areas, with the military and civilians as one, is basically to establish military farms, so the court does not need to add too much burden.
Kangxi thought for a moment and then agreed: "This matter must be properly arranged. Whether it is shipbuilding or naval commanders, the selection must be made carefully. They must be capable and knowledgeable in naval warfare and loyal to the Qing Dynasty."
Loyalty to the Qing Dynasty was paramount for Kangxi. Qi You didn't point it out, but added, "Khan Ama, the ships the court has now are too far away to be transferred there. It would be better to build them directly there."
Starting in the second year of the Kangxi reign, large "bird boats" were launched. By the last few years, the Qing dynasty had fifty or sixty of these large boats, dominating the seas surrounding the Qing dynasty and forcing Ryukyu and Siam to pay tribute.
The "bird ship" is too big. To sail into the Sea of Okhotsk is not only a long journey, but also not cost-effective.
Kangxi hummed, "That's a problem."
Qi You pondered for a moment and said, "I know that shipbuilding requires not only skilled craftsmen but also a large amount of silver. The imperial court is really short of money and cannot afford it. Why not find one of the merchants who came to buy goods this time and let them build it? If they can build a warship for the imperial court free of charge, they will be allowed to obtain permission to sail ten ships to sea for trade. What do you think?"
Kangxi fell silent.
When fighting against Zheng Jing, Kangxi was afraid that local fishermen would collude with him, so he issued an order to move people away from the sea. People living within 50 miles of the coast had to move away, and those who violated the order would be beheaded.
Today's maritime trade only allows Western ships to come to the Qing Dynasty to trade.
There were strict restrictions on the size of civilian ships, and only single-masted boats could be built. Such ships could not withstand the wind and waves of the sea and could only sail on rivers, not go out to sea.
Later, the specifications for ships were relaxed. For example, they could be built as two-masted ships. However, there were still restrictions on size and number of people. It was not allowed to privately build private ships that could accommodate more than 24 people.
This decree not only dealt a heavy blow to the fishing and salt industries in the south, but also caused shipbuilding technology to fall behind rapidly.
Qi You looked down upon the corruption in the government-run shipbuilding industry. Of course, he also wanted to find a way to restart maritime trade.
The benefits of restarting maritime trade are self-evident, not only in revitalizing the stagnant business controlled by the powerful.
The imperial court has closed its doors, so Qi You is going to break a crack to allow people to see more of the outside world.
After a while, Kangxi weighed the pros and cons and said reluctantly, "If there are merchants willing to pay for the shipbuilding, that's fine."
Qi You wasn't worried at all. Someone who could become an official wasn't necessarily good at business. A true businessman had a flexible mind and a long-term vision. If it weren't for the special privileges they held, the powerful officials in the court would be completely defeated if compared to them from the same starting point.
Kangxi's expression softened considerably, and he asked with a smile, "Since you want to sell the things in the Imperial Household Department's treasury for silver, have you figured out how to do it? Let me be frank, you can't force me to buy or sell. It'll only embarrass me! Hey, you said you'd sell them during the New Year, but you don't want to sell them all in the palace, do you?"
Qi You smiled and said, "Don't worry, Khan Ama, I won't lose face for you. This is my plan. Khan Ama, please help me check and see if I think my idea is appropriate."
Kangxi said cautiously, "Don't mention inappropriate ideas."
Qi You smiled and said, "Khan Ama hasn't heard it yet, so listen first. Khan Ama, you can keep the new ones. I plan to have the Ministry of Internal Affairs take inventory of the overstocked goods and sell them together by category. For example, cloth is one category, so if you want to buy it, buy it all together. Notify the merchants in the capital to come and see the goods. They will privately offer a total price, and the highest bidder will win. How they sell it, whether it makes a profit or a loss, is their business, and we will not interfere."
If the Imperial Household Department was involved, they would definitely take a cut of the profits. As for whether the items in the warehouse were correct and how much they were missing, that would be a headache for Kangxi.
Qi You let merchants in the capital city contract and sell the goods. He used a simplified bidding process and let them consider the profit and loss issues themselves.
These goods are not necessities such as food, and the money earned is from the pockets of the powerful and wealthy. They will not disrupt the market or affect the livelihoods of the people.
Seeing that this would save trouble, Kangxi agreed immediately, "I'll do as you say. But don't spend the money you get from the sale lavishly. Remember, kindness doesn't support an army."
Qi You thought to himself, as expected, Kangxi really didn't take them seriously. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't worry, Khan Ama, I won't waste a lot of money. Khan Ama, I'm afraid buying too much grain directly from the capital will affect the price. Buying grain and then transporting it to the border is a long journey, and the travel expenses are very high. It's really not cost-effective. It's better to buy it from the Changping Warehouse in Zhangjiakou. The price of the court grain is low, and it's old grain, so it doesn't leave the land to outsiders. It's the best of both worlds."
The Changping Granary, originally built during the Han Dynasty, has become a well-established system. In good years, the imperial court would purchase grain to prevent farmers from suffering losses due to low grain prices.
In years of famine, the grain is sold outside to prevent grain merchants from raising the price arbitrarily, thus stabilizing the grain price and ensuring that the people have food to eat.
In addition, the Changping Warehouse also had a rule of "storing 70% of the grain and selling 30% of the old grain." If 70% of the grain was new, 30% of the old grain had to be sold to ensure that the grain in the warehouse would not rot if stored for too long.
The court would sell grain to Qi You regardless of who it was sold to, so as to avoid being taken advantage of by grain merchants and officials.
Kangxi agreed without hesitation: "I will personally issue an order to have Zhangjiakou hand over to you."
Qi You said, "Don't worry, Khan Ama. Let's wait until I get the silver. When the time comes, Khan Ama will hand over the imperial edict to me. I won't take the silver with me. I will hand it directly to the Ministry of Revenue. Then I can go to Zhangjiakou to collect grain."
Kangxi laughed heartily and said, "You are a straightforward businessman!"
Qi You laughed too. As for whether it would be fun or not, it depended on how the people in charge of Changping Warehouse in Zhangjiakou acted.
Next, Kangxi assigned the task of cleaning the warehouse in the Imperial Household Department to Liang Jiugong, and asked him to lead people to the warehouse to organize the tribute.
Qi You left the palace and went to the guild halls of various places in the capital, summoned the heads of local chambers of commerce, and discussed in detail the sale of tribute, as well as the shipbuilding and issuance of sea-going vessel licenses.
They were given two days to discuss the matter on their own. Those who were willing to participate were to register at the Ministry of Revenue of the Six Ministries on the third day.
When the Chamber of Commerce got the news, those who were bold and far-sighted quickly made a decision and rushed to find Qi You to register.
The government office had already closed down, so Qi You borrowed their house and took charge of it. Seeing that most of the merchants who came to register were from the south, and there were very few from the north, he felt relieved.
Merchants in the south live close to the river and the sea, know how to build ships, and have the means and experience to engage in overseas trade.
As for the families in the north, Qi You knew who the masters behind them were at a glance. They were nothing more than a few powerful and wealthy families, and the families of the concubines in the harem, who just wanted to get a piece of the pie.
Qi You didn't care much, and they could participate if they wanted. Once they were out at sea, their power would be out of reach, and the wind and waves on the sea would not be able to recognize them.
On the side of the Imperial Household Department, Kangxi was almost vomiting blood in anger.
The records in the account book were far from the actual items. I don't know when they were stolen. There was even a warehouse that was flooded for no apparent reason.
Fortunately, it was discovered in time and no damage was caused. No one knows where the fire started.
The New Year celebrations were about peace and harmony, and Kangxi was afraid of losing face after a thorough investigation, so he temporarily suppressed the pressure and only punished the manager and the clerks.
Qi You only cared about selling things and getting paid. He didn't get involved after making a small move. He ordered the guards to take all the counted goods to the Ministry of Revenue and stack them neatly together.
All registered merchants come in to view the goods together. After viewing, they are allowed an hour to consider and then make their bids.
Apart from the imperial guards, no one else was allowed to approach. Qi You was on duty personally, while others, such as the new head of the Imperial Household Department, Fuquan, the Crown Prince, and the eldest prince, were sent by Emperor Kangxi to oversee the operation.
The merchant's bid is sealed with wax and placed in a box. After all bids are completed, Qi You opens the box, and the others watch as the wax seal is removed and the merchant's bid is read out.
The steps from start to finish are simple, there is no minimum price, and merchants do not need to pay a deposit.
Qi You set a very tight time limit to avoid the possibility of collusion in bidding. Overall, it can be considered transparent, fair and reasonable.
In the end, all the goods were sold for a total of 9,358 taels of silver.
Kangxi really didn't care about this money, so he gave it all to Qi You with a wave of his hand.
The current market price of a liter of rice is about seven wen. If it comes from the imperial granary, without any price difference, the price of old grain is about three to four wen.
This amount of money, which Kangxi looked down upon, was enough to make Qi You very happy. It was enough to feed the people who were reclaiming the land.
What really bothered Kangxi was the corruption and deficit in his Imperial Household Department.
But he could not have imagined that something even more shocking would happen next.
After the Chinese New Year, Qi You and Fu Quan took nearly a hundred orphans from the orphanage and rushed to Shunyi.
While settling them down and waiting for the start of school, Lin Daniu arranged for good farmers to go and reclaim the land.
About half a month later, Shunyi was back on track, and when the spring breeze grew warmer, Qi You set off for Zhangjiakou.
Zhang Cheng stayed in Shunyi and continued teaching a group of children. Xu Risheng, Zhang Song, Zhang Bai, He Ye, Lin Xiuxiu and their friends followed Qi You out of the border to survey and map.
About a dozen families in the village, such as Lin Daniu, followed him away wholeheartedly.
Together with the guards, the oxen, various farm tools and seeds obtained from Shangsiyuan, the group set out on the journey north.
Seeing that they were about to reach Zhangjiakou, Qi You carefully explained and instructed Guihe and Degao. They were escorted by guards and took the imperial edict from Kangxi and rushed to Changping Warehouse at full speed.
Qi You and the main force followed behind, moving forward slowly and at a leisurely pace.
On the morning of the third day, Qi You and his companions had just set out when De Gao and Gui He, along with two guards, rushed back overnight.
Degao stepped forward, his face filled with panic, and said hurriedly, "Seventh Master, Changping Warehouse... Changping Warehouse is really flooded!"
Gui He added, "Chen Lao Er and Li Da, who were in charge of the warehouse, were both burned all over, along with the account books. It's unknown whether they are alive or dead."
Degao breathed a sigh of relief, then wiped his face with lingering fear. "Seventh Master, thankfully you had foresight. The fire was temporarily extinguished, and the food wasn't lost much. However, we have too few guards, and I'm afraid we can't keep an eye on it! Seventh Master, what should we do next?"
Qi You's eyes flashed with chills. Changping Warehouse had long been a major abscess in the Qing Dynasty. He planted this needle and poked it at random, and it hit the target.
what to do!
The grain must not be lost, and Qi You also wants to poke this needle at Kangxi, who is sitting high on the dragon throne and using all his imperial scheming!
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2022-11-03 21:31:10 and 2022-11-04 21:41:51~
Thanks to the little angels who cast mines: Shiyue Nianhua 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of Changle Weiyang;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
