Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 110 Dadu

As soon as the heavy rain stopped, a large procession appeared on the plains.

Leading the way were over a hundred knights, all dressed in fine clothes but not armor. They were now walking on the muddy road, leading their horses and full of complaints.

Then came a series of cars, stretching all the way to the distant horizon.

The cart, laden with wine jars, grain, and roughly processed game, struggled through the muddy water.

Mud and water splashed everywhere, staining the robes of the driver and drawing curses.

On either side of the carriages, the infantrymen, their trousers caked in mud, walked with blank expressions, their steps unsteady, causing the banners to sway precariously—a truly unsightly sight. Hundreds of carts, laden with grain, game, wine jars, and other miscellaneous goods, followed by a dozen or so ornate carriages, clearly belonging to nobles—though even the nobles found them too dirty to disembark.

Bringing up the rear was a large group of ragged people, numbering no less than a thousand.

Under the scorching sun, some people had chapped lips and, disregarding their filth, lay down on the ground to drink water until they were beaten with sword sheaths by the soldiers who rushed over. Others were so hungry that they were dizzy and begged for some food.

The soldiers sneered repeatedly, saying that those who were not physically strong were not worthy of serving as servants for the Imperial Censor's household.

The procession moved slowly and inching forward until it reached the official road.

In fact, the official roads were in very poor condition, with grain trucks densely packed together, blocking the roads.

After the grain transported from Jiangnan arrived at Zhigu, it was transferred to Dadu via the Grand Canal Transport Office (located in Zhigu Hexiwu).

These grain carts were clearly heading to Dadu (Beijing), and there were many boats on the nearby Imperial River, also fully loaded with grain, clearly indicating a combined land and water transport operation.

"The carts and boats of the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's Office," Hu Han, a traveler visiting Dadu, explained at a roadside restaurant. "This office manages the transport of grain along the Imperial Canal to places like Zhigu, Hexiwu, Tongzhou, and Li'er Temple. Once in Dadu, the grain is handed over to the Capital Region Grand Canal Transport Commissioner's Office. Under the Capital Region Commissioner's Office is a New Grain Transport Supervisor's Office, which is responsible for transferring the grain to twenty-one granaries in the capital."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fan asked, "When will Zhong Shen return south?"

Hu Han was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Let's stay with Master Wu a little longer."

Hu Han was a native of Jinhua. He studied classical Chinese under Wu Lai, a renowned scholar from the prefecture. Wu Lai was the eldest son of Wu Zhifang, a scholar of the Jixian Hall. Wu Lai had passed away four years ago at the age of forty-four.

Hu Han's main purpose in coming to Dadu was to broaden his horizons and, incidentally, visit his mentor's father.

Before his departure, he invited Song Lian, who was also a student of Wu Lai, to go north with him, but the latter had to give lectures at Dongming Academy and could not get away, so he had to embark on the journey alone.

He's been staying at Wu Zhifang's residence recently, reading books, observing the local customs, and sometimes running errands and delivering messages—that's what happened today. After hearing that Hu Han wasn't planning to go home yet, Zheng Fan stopped talking about it and instead asked, "Whose convoy is that in the distance?"

"See the banner? It belongs to the Berkebuqa family. Last year, this man was the Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat, and now he is the Grand Censor. I wonder which of his sons this is. Perhaps he went hunting and was caught in the downpour, only returning today." Hu Han said, "Berkebuqa comes from the Hongjila tribe, a tribe that has been a powerful clan for generations."

Zheng Fan nodded slightly.

When he first came to Dadu (Beijing), he heard that the Hongjila clan held a prestigious position, with daughters becoming empresses and sons marrying princesses, a tradition that continued unbroken for generations. Successive emperors often chose empresses from the Hongjila clan, partly due to ancestral tradition, and partly because the women of this tribe were indeed among the most beautiful of the Mongol tribes—or perhaps for political alliances, as people naturally desire attractive women.

"The Imperial Censor and Arutu are at odds and have a long-standing feud. What you seek will likely have to be addressed through him," Hu Han added.

"How so?" Zheng Fan perked up.

Hu Han sighed and said, "This isn't the first time the Yellow River has breached its banks. After years of devastation, Henan and the Huai River basins have suffered terribly. The problem isn't just poor harvests; the increased death toll has led to the spread of plague, drastically reducing the local population and further abandoning farmland. Now, the Grand Canal is temporarily impassable, cutting off north-south transportation. And with Henan in this state, what do you think most people will eat?"

"Grain transported by sea," Zheng Fan replied without hesitation.

"The stomach can also supply some millet and wheat, but it's not enough. The main source of supply still has to be rice from Jiangnan." Hu Han said with a wry smile, "Therefore, the court attaches great importance to maritime transport, and princes and ministers have submitted memorials offering suggestions and strategies."

According to what Wu Gong said, some people suggested that next spring, when the harvest season might be short, to avoid a famine in most areas, it would be best to start transporting grain across the sea to Zhigu in early March. The Emperor agreed and ordered the Secretariat to select the maritime transport supervisor for next year as soon as possible.

Someone else brought up the matter of pirates robbing grain transport ships, and the emperor ordered the Secretariat to deal with it immediately.

The Secretariat quickly made arrangements.

Troops were stationed at places such as Laizhou Ocean to guard the area and prohibit ships from stopping.

Coastal residents are prohibited from associating with those traveling by boat.

Those who are determined to capture pirates will be provided with ships by the imperial court, and those who can capture the leaders will be given official positions.

Soldiers from Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Henan provinces were dispatched to guard the port. Whenever a ship returned to port, they would board it for questioning and only allow it to enter and berth after verifying its identity. The Navy's Hai Xianhe Sentinel Ship was supposed to patrol the sea, but it had been stationary in port for many years and its discipline had deteriorated. Now it was no longer allowed to do so. It was to leave port immediately, strictly check suspicious persons, and ensure the safety of the sea route.

Furthermore, an imperial edict was issued to the Grain Transport Office, forbidding the use of mid- to low-ranking officials such as deputy commanders, commanders, magistrates, and clerks as grain transport supervisors to merely fulfill their duties. Starting from the autumn transport season, at least one official of the rank of deputy commander of ten thousand households was required to supervise the transport.

Such a grand display shows how much importance is attached to it. The Grand Canal Administration is now under the close watch of the entire court, with no room for error. This presents an opportunity.

Hu Han spoke at length, but most of it was actually a paraphrase of Wu Zhifang's words, with a small amount of his own interpretation added.

"If Ye Shijian wants to become a deputy commander of ten thousand, it's unlikely he can get promoted by offering gifts now, at least not in the next year or two," Hu Han concluded. "Let him donate some grain. Five thousand shi wouldn't be too little, ten thousand shi wouldn't be too much. He's a commander of a thousand, so it's unlikely someone will claim credit for him. If that's the case, the court might promote him several ranks for the sake of his livelihood."

Zheng Fan remained silent for a moment, then asked, "From now on, won't it be that as long as you donate more grain, you can get promoted?"

"If one day Henan and the interior fall into chaos, and sea transport is interrupted, most people will have no food to eat. As long as you are willing to transport grain here, even if it is not donated by yourself, as long as you successfully deliver it to Zhigu, you can be rewarded with the Three Dukes." Hu Han shook his head and smiled, "However, it is unlikely at present. The court is too proud to do so." Zheng Fan's eyes rolled, as if he was thinking.

The two chatted for a while longer, and seeing that the traffic jam had eased slightly, they went downstairs to settle the account and left by car.

The car moved very slowly, stopping and starting intermittently.

Zheng Fan lifted the carriage curtain and quietly observed the roadside.

It was quite close to the city gate, making it difficult for carriages to travel, but there were many pedestrians. There were also many shops and restaurants on both sides of the road, and the closer to the city wall, the more there were. "Last month, some people were still wearing fur coats, but this month they have disappeared. Women are now wearing silk gauze. Hmm, I'll buy a few later to give as gifts when I get back." Zheng Fan looked around and compared what he saw and heard with what he had seen and heard when he traveled to Dadu fifteen or sixteen years ago.

"We'll wear more next month," Hu Han said with a smile.

As the two were talking, someone outside heard them and several people rushed over in a flash.

"Sir, would you like some money?"

"Sir, are you new to Dadu as an official? Do you need to pay a visit fee?"

"My lord, come to my house and make peace."

"My lord..."

Zheng Fan lowered the curtain to block out the noise and laughed, "It's not much different from fifteen or sixteen years ago."

Hu Han also smiled.

Don't underestimate these people; they are mostly servants of wealthy families in the capital, and their backgrounds are not necessarily insignificant.

They specifically sought out officials from poor families and with meager purses, invited them to meals, helped them cover various expenses in the capital, and then brazenly took charge of their affairs, calling them "seedling heads".

If officials from other regions came to the capital to take up their posts and were short of money, they could be lent money. Then, the authorities would gradually find ways to control these officials and extract benefits from them. In fact, this practice wasn't unique to the capital. Sometimes, when officials from the capital were transferred to other regions, they would spend a lot of money, emptying their savings over the years. After arriving in the provinces, prominent local families would come and offer them a sum of money called "paying respects money." If the official accepted it, he would be given leverage, a situation known as "piercing the nose," meaning he would be controlled by them like a cow with its nose pierced. Over the years, there have been quite a few officials killed for accepting paying respects money. In short, there was a great risk involved, but some people still took the risk and accepted it.

Zheng Fan and Hu Han both spoke with a Jiangnan accent, so it was perfectly normal for them to be targeted by these people.

"Sometimes I feel quite disheartened," Hu Han said with a bitter smile, glancing at Zheng Fan. "With the country in such a state, there's absolutely no hope in sight, which is truly disheartening. I might as well go home and enjoy the scenery, or buy land and become a wealthy man."

Zheng Fan thought to himself, "That's because you still hold onto hope for the Yuan Dynasty, hence your unbearable suffering. Someone like me, who has no expectations, feels much better." "Zhong Shen," Zheng Fan advised, "why don't you return south soon and do business with me, becoming a wealthy man?"

"I have no business sense," Hu Han shook his head and said, "Besides, the roads are not safe, it's difficult."

"Just a trip on the Yangtze River," Zheng Fan said. "I know a remarkable man, full of energy and daring. He leads a fleet on the river and even dares to provoke river pirates. Just let him transport the goods; you only need to send one or two managers to handle the business once you arrive at the destination." Hu Han remained silent.

"You've seen the Dadu court yourself; it's nothing but a beggar's den," Zheng Fan said.

Hu Han hummed in agreement, but didn't say anything else.

The carriage slowly entered Chongren Gate, passed Chongren Treasury and Yi Treasury, and stopped in front of the Imperial College.

"Yifang, if you're really willing, you should go back as soon as possible and discuss things with the Zheng and Ye families." Hu Han got off the carriage and said, "Now, starving people are flooding into the capital, and the officials in the court are having a headache. If we can find a way to go back as soon as possible, there might still be a chance."

After saying this, he bowed and headed towards the Imperial College.

Zheng Fan stood quietly for a while.

With a southerly wind blowing now, it's not that we can't go back. However, the journey here took ten days from Liujiagang to Zhigu, and the return trip won't be with favorable winds, so it will probably take more than forty days.

If we wait until August or September when the winds blow south, it will be much faster, taking only ten days or so.

"I can't wait any longer." After thinking for a while, he made up his mind, quickly boarded the carriage, and left the city.

In the vast wilderness, the number of refugees was endless.

Sometimes news would come of plagues, locust plagues, or torrential rains in a certain place, but in the end it would always come down to the words "cannibalism".

Local security began to deteriorate rapidly, with the number of bandits increasing year by year.

Their audacity grew, and they began to travel across prefectures and counties, committing acts of arson, murder, and looting from time to time, which alarmed the government.

When the wealthy and powerful locals realized that the government could not protect them, their hearts began to change.

Zheng Fan often heard Shao Shuyi say that the world would soon be in chaos. He didn't quite believe the situation in Jiangnan, but seeing the situation in the north, he had already vaguely sensed something.