76. Chapter 76
"none"
With the new population, in addition to food, there is also the pressure of education. However, Qi You has no time to think too much and can only rush forward.
It is easy to go up the mountain but difficult to go down. The road is slippery, and it is even more difficult because they brought fish.
With more than two hundred people added to the mix, the pace became even slower, taking a day longer than when they went up the mountain. The rations were insufficient, so everyone ate only half full.
It was the first time that Qi You experienced the feeling of being truly hungry, which was not a bad thing as it gave him a deeper understanding of suffering.
When going down the mountain, Qi You instructed Tu Gusu and others in advance to push the fish into the village.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, a group of them entered the village. When the villagers heard the noise, they all ran out to watch the excitement.
Changde had been instructed beforehand, so he shouted at the top of his voice, slapping the frozen fish loudly, and spared no effort to promote the Ewenki tribes, boasting that they could not only catch fish but also hunt.
When everyone saw the stranger coming, they looked like people fleeing famine. At first, they were wary and contemptuous. But after hearing Chang De's words, their expressions improved a little, and they curiously came forward to ask questions and talk to him.
The tribes could communicate with each other in Mongolian, with each one speaking at once. After all, they were all a group of people who had lost their homes in the war, so they were quite lively for a while.
It was bustling here, but on the roadside at the entrance of the village, a group of people who looked similar to the three tribes, or even worse off than them, were walking towards this side timidly.
Someone with sharp eyes recognized them and immediately shouted, "Isn't this Shaobu?"
Hearing his shout, the others looked closely and recognized the others. In addition to Shaobu, there were several other families that had been driven away.
Tu Gu Su and his friends were new here, and they didn't know what was going on, so they looked at everyone in confusion.
Someone with a quick tongue and a love for spreading rumors immediately described the reason in vivid detail, then curled his lips at the end: "Serves you right. You've never had a good life, but you've been causing trouble all day long. Now you know what's right for you, don't you?"
Qi You couldn't help but lower his head and smiled slightly.
These people came back at the perfect time, teaching the people of the three tribes a profound lesson, which was more useful than Qi You's threats.
Shao Bu walked forward pitifully, and with a "thump", his legs gave way and he knelt down in front of Qi You, crying bitterly: "Seventh Prince, we were wrong. We were ignorant before. Please forgive us, we are really desperate!"
Seeing this, the others followed suit, knelt down, kowtowed, and begged for mercy.
Qi You frowned, looked at Sabusu beside him, and said, "You take care of it and settle Tugusu and the others." Then he turned and left.
Sabusu was stunned for a moment, then quickly shouted, "Get up, everyone, get up, don't block the road!"
Shao Bu was still crying behind him: "Seventh Prince, please be kind and don't ignore us!"
Qi You walked towards the yard without stopping.
Kindness does not support an army, and his mercy has its limits. He had no intention of driving Shao Bu and the others away, nor would he let them stay just because they cried.
Even a large family has countless conflicts, let alone several tribes living together. If no rules are established, chaos will break out.
Back in the courtyard, Degao and Guihe followed back with two large buckets of fish. They asked, "Seventh Prince, what are you going to do with these fish?"
Qi You said, "Call the guards to clean up the fish. Steam two of them tonight and try it out. For the others, rub salt and ginger on them, add a little wine to remove the fishy smell, and then dry them on the stove."
When Qi You changed his clothes and came out, the air was filled with the smell of fish. He subconsciously held his breath, trying to comfort himself in the midst of hardship. After a while, he got used to it.
At night, Sabsu and Changde came, and they also smelled a strong fishy smell.
Sabusu bared his teeth, fanned his nose with his hand, and laughed dryly, "Seventh Prince's yard is really like a fish shop."
Qi You laughed heartily, asked them to sit down, and said, "Just wait for a while, this is all silver!"
Chang De smiled and said, "I didn't notice anything, it smelled pretty good."
Sabusu glanced at him, sat down on a chair, and said, "Seventh Prince, I didn't agree to let those families stay. I felt really sorry for them, so I didn't drive them away. It seems like they went to seek refuge with relatives and friends, and they took them in and stayed. I saw that they didn't dare to return to their original rooms, so I didn't bother to care about them."
He paused, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable emotion. "Bu Rigude and the other injured people are all gone. Shaobu and the others said they were injured and then caught a cold. They didn't have any medicine, so they died two days ago."
If Burigude and his men had held out until the last two days, they wouldn't have died. But Shaobu and his men simply couldn't survive any longer, so they ruthlessly killed a few of them and rushed back.
Qi You had already anticipated this outcome, and he hummed without commenting.
Sabusu looked at Qi You's expression and knew he had done the right thing. He felt a little relieved and continued, "I've let Tugusu and other leaders each live in one of the empty houses. The rest of the houses are for those who are less healthy. The stronger ones live in tents. As for food, I asked around, and they only have about ten pounds of black flour left. They're really at the end of their rope. Seventh Prince, do you think we should send them some food?"
Qi You sighed and said, "Give them the same rations as the rest of the villagers, and give them some salt. There's no other way, we can only keep them alive for now. When spring comes and the wild vegetables in the fields grow, they can fill their stomachs and save some food."
Sabusu agreed and asked Changde and Zhaodegao to go and divide the grain together. He said with deep sorrow, "There are more and more people here. Seeing that the land is not producing food, I am really worried."
Qi You couldn't give Sabsu too much hope at this time, nor could he say anything discouraging to dampen his enthusiasm. He carefully said, "The land here is fertile and can definitely produce food. You don't have to worry too much. After the New Year, you should focus on the navy. You know more about military camp affairs than I do. I'm going to trouble you with everything."
Sabusu, of course, regarded the navy as important as the apple of his eye. When he heard Qi You praising him, he was secretly delighted and grinned, "Don't worry, Seventh Prince. After returning from your visit, I will go to the dock. Master Shi Shilun should be here by now."
Qi You nodded and said, "After the people from the capital come back, there is still one thing to do, which is to distribute the silver to them. The furs and dried fruits we received earlier, and the silver we earned from selling them, must be handed over to them in full."
Sabusu slapped his forehead and said happily, "I actually forgot about this. Sharing the money, it's a happy event, a huge happy event! It's the first time in our place, there has never been such a good thing!"
Seeing Sabsu was so excited that he was talking incoherently, Qi You laughed and said, "Don't tell anyone yet. Wait until they come back."
Sabusu said yes, but he couldn't help thinking about the situation when the silver was divided, and his eyes were hot.
In this deserted place, there are only garrison troops, prisoners, and tribes such as Mongolia.
The garrison troops were better off; the court would give them money and food to guard the border. As for the others, the court never really cared about them.
After Qi You came, even though life was still hard, this bitter and cold land truly became popular and full of vitality.
Just like him and Chang De, they always like to run to Qi You's place when they have nothing to do. It's as if there is an inexplicable attraction here that makes them yearn for it.
At dinner time, steamed fish was served on the table. Qi You picked up a piece and tasted it carefully.
Perhaps because it was frozen, it wasn't as fresh as live fish. The fish was quite tender and had no fishy smell. To be honest, he couldn't tell the difference from other steamed fish.
Sabsu never liked fish, so he took one bite and didn't take any more. Remembering that he was going to sell the fish, he sensibly refrained from commenting.
Changde ate the most happily, but he always liked to eat food with strong flavors. He said, "It's better to stew fish soup with soybean paste. It's also good to eat it grilled."
Qi You smiled and said, "The purpose of steaming is to enjoy the flavor of the fish itself. If you add soybean paste, it will cover up the flavor of the fish itself. As for this fish, as long as the water is clear and there is not too strong a muddy smell, the fish meat will taste pretty much the same."
Chang De nodded repeatedly and said, "Seventh Prince is right. I will ask the kitchen to make it this way in the future. I want to eat fresh food."
Sabusu glanced at him and couldn't help asking, "Seventh Prince, do you think... this fish can really be sold in the capital?"
Qi You smiled and said, "It can be sold."
Nowadays, the seasonings are just some spices, such as pepper, Sichuan peppercorn, etc., which are very expensive. Haijiao is only eaten in the mountainous areas of Guizhou and has not yet become popular in Beijing.
Chicken, duck, and fish are all raised naturally, without additives. Most people eat the original flavor of the food, and those who can add rich seasonings are the rich.
Qi You's fish were to be sold to Kangxi, who could not eat so many. Apart from the fish given to the imperial harem, the rest were given to the ministers.
They had no shortage of seasonings. The emperor's grace was immense, and the fish gifted by Kangxi, brought from the north, was extremely valuable. The chefs would spare no effort, finding ways to add seasonings to make the dish delicious.
Redtail fish grows in alpine lakes and has good meat quality. Even if it is frozen fish, it will definitely not be bad after being skillfully cooked.
The nobility were supposed to be different and enjoy things that ordinary people couldn't. The redtail fish sent from afar to the capital would surely become famous among the nobility.
This fame is still due to Kangxi.
As time passed, when the second spring snow fell, the Langtan Army that had gone to the capital finally returned exhausted.
When Qi You saw the bulging money bags they handed over, he smiled for the first time because of the money and held it tightly in his hands, refusing to let go.
The weather remained bitterly cold, but Qi You's courtyard was bustling with activity, the jubilation nearly blowing away the dark clouds in the sky. Even the snow hadn't dared to fall. The sun peeked out at some point, radiating rays of light as it peeked at what was happening on earth.
Several ingots of silver and large strings of copper coins were neatly stacked on the table, along with scissors, a silver scale, an abacus, writing brushes, inkstones, and other utensils.
Qi You looked at the people in front of him whose smiles had frozen, and said to De Gao, "Tell them the prices of the various goods. As for the travel expenses, deduct 10% for the time being."
The Langtan Army originally had a salary, and their travel back and forth was considered to be their duty. This ten percent of the silver was their additional reward, not too much, but not too little either.
As for the common people, even if 10% of the fees are deducted, what they get will definitely far exceed their usual income.
After Degao finished speaking, the people who had been listening quietly in front of him almost jumped up and cheered loudly.
Qi You was so overwhelmed by their joy that his nose blocked up. He then laughed, raised his hand to suppress his laughter, and said loudly: "Everyone, listen to me first. The silver you got this time may not be there next time. So, you can't spend all day thinking about how to make money and run into the woods to hunt and kill all the prey."
Someone boldly shouted, "Don't worry, Seventh Prince. We have rules when hunting and we won't do anything reckless. Anyone who kills without mercy will be exterminated!"
The others echoed the assurance, and Qi You smiled and said, "Okay, I believe you. Don't worry, just line up and come one by one. The receipts I left for you are all here, remember to prepare them and come to collect the silver according to the amount."
Someone took the lead and shouted, "Seventh Prince is a great Bodhisattva!"
The others shouted along, sincerely and passionately.
The smile on Qi You's face gradually faded, and he said solemnly: "I am not a Bodhisattva, please don't yell at me. This money is earned by your hard work and should belong to you. I just did a little favor and helped you."
Sabusu stood aside, his face stern as he shouted, "Stop yelling! The Seventh Prince is only doing this for your own good. Don't harm him!"
Everyone realized they had said something wrong, and they immediately shrank their necks, apologized profusely, and dared not say another word.
Qi You knew exactly what Sabusu meant. He was worried that if these people called him Bodhisattva, people in the capital would know about it and think he was trying to win over the people.
Qi You didn't have such an idea. The people's hearts could not be bought. For those in power, the people's hearts were just icing on the cake and could not play a decisive role.
The ones who really played a decisive role were not the literati or scholars who jointly governed the country, but the powerful and influential people with real power, such as the officials in the Southern Study.
In Qi You's view, the silver that the people exchanged for the things they worked hard for should belong to them.
They were exploited before and didn’t get any benefits, but now they just get what they deserve and they should be grateful.
This matter itself is absurd.
Qi You frowned slightly. There was no point in saying too much. Once they got used to it, they would understand.
Sabusu and his son, along with De Gaogui, helped them check the amounts, count and distribute the money, and they were very busy.
Those who received the money were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling. The newly arrived tribes, who hadn't received any of the prizes this time, were filled with envy and excitement.
When they arrived here, their lives were much better than before. They had food to fill their bellies and shelter from the cold. At night, they didn't have to worry about being attacked by wild animals or falling asleep and never waking up again.
Seeing others living well, they have more hope for the future.
Among the families that had been driven away earlier, Shao Bu had also handed over a few pieces of fur and a bag of hazelnuts. At this moment, he huddled aside, staring at Qi You eagerly, hesitant and not daring to move forward.
Qi You saw him early, and after everyone had received theirs, he shouted, "Is there anyone else who hasn't come to receive it? If everyone has received it, this matter will be cleared up!"
Shao Bu was anxious and took a step forward. Qi You looked up and hesitated, stopping there and not daring to move.
Sabusu observed Qi You's expression and shouted to Shao Bu, "What are you doing there?"
Shaobu took out a small piece of crumpled paper and stammered, "I have more here."
Sabusu didn't quite understand and turned to look at Qi You.
Qi You would never covet this little advantage of his, and said calmly: "Since you have it, come and get it quickly."
Shaobu's expression lit up with joy, he sighed, and hurried forward. Without saying anything, he knelt down, kowtowed heavily, and respectfully handed the paper to Guihe with both hands.
Gui He put the paper away, checked it, and said something to De Gao. De Gao counted the copper coins, strung them together with a hemp rope, and handed them to him: "You count them. We won't recognize them after you leave."
Shaobu took the copper coin, nodded and said, "It must be correct, I don't need to count it." When his hand touched the cold copper coin, he almost burst into tears, his legs softened and he was about to kneel down again.
Qi You raised his voice and said, "Don't kneel anymore. Go back and be a good person and do your work well in the future."
Shaobu raised his hand to wipe away his tears, agreed immediately, knelt down without saying anything, kowtowed heavily, and turned to leave.
Qi You looked at the people who were still refusing to leave and waved at them, "Go back. It's cold outside. Don't get sick."
When everyone heard this, they all turned around and left, saying with a smile, "Let's go, let's go back quickly. We can't get sick and miss the time to plant crops in the spring."
Qi You laughed. He was also freezing cold, so he hurried back to the house and said to Sabusu who was following him, "The dried fish is almost done. Tomorrow we'll go up the mountain to catch some fresh fish and have them send them to the capital while the weather is still cold."
Sabusu thought for a moment and said, "Seventh Prince, I'm thinking that now that they have some money, they should buy some needlework and fabric. Usually, merchants come here to sell their goods, but it's troublesome to enter the customs, and the goods are very expensive outside the customs. Why not let them bring some needlework and fabric back from the capital, so that they can sell them at a lower price."
Merchants who can do business outside the Great Wall are definitely not ordinary merchants. They are almost all owned by dignitaries.
Otherwise, the money they paid for customs clearance along the way would have to be sold at exorbitant prices to recoup their costs. What they sold were also goods worth paper money, such as brocade materials, jewelry, and head ornaments.
The people outside the Great Wall were extremely poor. The only things they could afford were the necessities of life, such as needles and thread and other small items.
Qi You thought for a moment and said, "The court has regulations that prohibit bannermen from engaging in trade, and officials are limited to the amount of goods they can carry with them. We collect the people's belongings and exchange them for silver. This is not called trading, but a collective market. Asking them to bring goods back from the capital to sell is trading, which violates the court's regulations."
Sabusu stood there in a daze, unable to understand Qi You's thoughts for a moment.
Although the court had such regulations, among the nobles of the Eight Banners, every family had a business. Qi You was a prince, and he was not doing it to make money, but to facilitate the people. Why couldn't he do it?
Qi You only needed to look at Sabusu's expression to guess what he was thinking. He explained seriously, "If you think the court's regulations are wrong, you should submit a memorial to express your own opinions and suggestions, and urge changes. Instead of trying to exploit loopholes or relying on your status to openly violate the law."
Sabusu understood and looked at Qi You with a complicated expression, saying, "That being said, it's easier said than done. If you submit this memorial, it will either fall on deaf ears or you'll be criticized and accused of having ulterior motives. It's clearly a good thing, but in the end, it won't end well."
Qi You smiled and said, "You are right. Everything is difficult. But no matter how difficult it is, you have to take the right path. I know that the rich and powerful in the banners all have businesses. In the beginning, they must have done it secretly, but later they became bolder because everyone did it. Anyone who didn't would be a fool."
Sabusu nodded in agreement, "Money is a great asset to people's hearts. Who doesn't like a little silver?"
Qi You glanced at him sideways, without asking how many businesses his family had, and said, "They just think that the law doesn't punish everyone, or maybe they've become accustomed to it. It's the same with other things, like corruption. At the beginning, people are definitely afraid, but once they start, they can't stop. When they see others being corrupt, their fear disappears and becomes taken for granted. Do you think corruption is right?"
Sabusu's cheek twitched. There were many corrupt officials in the imperial court. He said dryly, "Corruption should lead to dismissal from office, beheading, and exile to the frontier. Of course, that's wrong."
"Please sit down and let's discuss it." Qi You didn't continue the topic and asked Sabsu to sit down.
After a pause, Qi You said, "Your previous suggestion was very good, but I overlooked it. The people's livelihood is difficult, and essential goods should be guaranteed to be priced fairly, just like food. I will write a letter back to the capital, explaining the situation here, and strive to get the court to issue a decree. For example, for items like needles and thread, they will be exempted from toll silver and commercial taxes. Or the court can directly go to the Huimin Bureau and sell needles, thread, coarse cloth and other items to the people at a low price as a form of relief."
Sabsu stood there in a daze, his heart pounding with emotion, filled with indescribable admiration and emotion.
He actually had some complaints about the gentlemen recorded in the book, thinking that they were so righteous and pedantic that they did not know how to adapt.
Qi You was a rare gentleman, but he was different, always acting with integrity. He would never try to circumvent unreasonable regulations, which he called "taking advantage of loopholes."
He will try his best to change the regulations to make them reasonable and legal.
Qi You ignored Sabusu's thoughts and, as he had done before, wrote a long letter, explaining the situation of the people here and how he had taken in several tribes. He also sent the frozen fish and baked dried fish to the capital again with the Langtan Army.
Kangxi received Qi You's letter and was delighted at first. But when he saw the end and the frozen fish and dried fish Liang Jiugong presented, he almost vomited blood and cursed, "That bastard, he wants to make money from me again!"
Liang Jiugong bowed his waist, a smile on his face, and said, "Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince said that these fish were caught by him personally. This is a gift to you as a filial gift, and it is not counted with the others."
Kangxi clattered the letter in his hand and said angrily, "He wrote it clearly. He dared not deceive the emperor. The fish jumped onto the ice on their own, and he helped scoop it into the bucket. He doesn't know how to kill fish or dry it. He just took these dried fish off the beam with his own hands! Look, look, he hung the fish in the room, and he doesn't mind the fishy smell!"
Liang Jiugong smiled apologetically and dared not say anything else.
Kangxi stared at the fish, its red fins looked bright and eye-catching. Qi You said that it was caught from a lake in the mountains, and its nose was almost frozen off.
After selling these fish, he planned to set up a school to educate the three new tribes that had come to him.
More and more tribes are submitting to the Qing Dynasty, which is a sign of prosperity.
These fish are not worth much money, so just buy them.
Kangxi would not have been troubled by such a small trouble. What was a headache for him was that he had to provide the poor with needlework and other goods at low prices to help them.
Qi You also emphasized that he was not doing business and did not violate court regulations.
The business of the Eight Banners nobles became bigger and bigger. From south to north, minerals and other things were almost monopolized by them.
The descendants of the Eight Banners had nothing to do, and they had more and more children, and they relied on money and food provided by the court to support them.
How many more years can it last if this continues?
Qi You's point, in a roundabout way, hit Kangxi hard in the heart.
The author has something to say:
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