Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 296 Pioneering and Joining

On the sixth day of the ninth month, Shao Shuyi met Liu Xing, the former clerk of the Shipai Patrol Office in Jiangyin Prefecture, who had been ordered to go south, at Huangbudun, and lingered with him for half a day. "You were the one who put me in the patrol office before, and now you're the one making me resign from this post," Liu Xing said somewhat dissatisfied. "Even Ma Yuanchong was shocked and sent Meng Chaodong from the criminal investigation department to ask me what happened."

Upon hearing this, Shao Shuyi burst into laughter and said, "Why bother with them? What did your sister say?"

"She entrusted all twenty-odd men from her household to me, saying they all had some skills to their name and were brave and daring, but their habits were quite strong. Now, after more than a year of training, some of their pirate habits have been worn away, and they're ready to be used. She told me to take them all to Yixing," Liu Xing said. "Your sister has excellent insight," Shao Shuyi praised, "but that's your sister's idea. What do you think?"

"They're quite to my liking," Liu Xing said with some delight. "Much better than those scoundrels at the Shipai Patrol Station."

"What makes it strong?"

"You're brave and determined!" Liu Xing blinked and said.

"Alright, it's just selling some smuggled salt, these people are enough." Shao Shuyi smiled helplessly, then instructed, "Mo Tianyou will send a man named Dai Ping with you. He has a dozen or so debt collectors under his command, who usually collect debts for Mo Tianyou. His skills are just so-so. He'll be waiting for you at the entrance of Yiai Lane (formerly Xijia Lane). He has three small boats. Just go with him; someone in Yixing will meet you."

"Only a dozen or so people?" Liu Xing asked in surprise. "Mo Laohu has such a great reputation, and you only have this many?"

Shao Shuyi slapped him across the neck and said unhappily, "If you keep acting so recklessly, don't blame me for beating you up."

Liu Xing dodged for a moment and said, "I just find it strange."

Yu Yuan, who was tidying up the registers and ledgers of the Wu-Yue grain merchants, was slightly surprised when he saw this.

Before he even realized it, Liu Xing, this hot-headed and unruly fellow, had been so naturally taught a lesson by Brother Shao, who even physically assaulted him. Is this what the "brother-in-law" status is like...?

"There are still more than ten people in the urination alley and brothel. The leader is named Liu Kai, a notorious 'dung tyrant' in Wuxi. He has been subdued by Mo Tianyou and will be going with you," Shao Shuyi said. "But you have to be careful. The urination alley and brothel are not far from the prefectural government office, so don't be too conspicuous."

"Okay." Liu Xing's expression shifted, but after meeting Shao Shuyi's stern gaze, he smiled awkwardly and lowered his head.

"Go," Shao Shuyi waved his hand and said, "When you get to Yixing, don't act rashly. Get to know the area first. Once you've established yourself, find a good place with a dock for me. I want to open a grain shop. If your sister wants to open one, find one for her too."

"My sister wants to open a shop in Taicang or Liujiagang," Liu Xing suddenly said.

Shao Shuyi was slightly taken aback and asked, "Why do you have this idea?"

"Our family already has a shop in Kunshan Prefecture," Liu Xing said. "My sister said that the Sun Chuan incident happened a long time ago, so it seems we can send someone back to try and open a shop to see how things go. If it doesn't work out, we can just close it down."

"What if the people we send get arrested?" Shao Shuyi asked.

"Just pay someone to get them out of jail; we've done it more than once before."

Shao Shuyi hummed in agreement, then asked, "What are you planning to sell?"

"First, sell some local tribute from Wenzhou, Jiangyin Prefecture, and Jiqing Road. Once your ships return from overseas trade, try selling foreign goods."

"How many boats do you own? Where are they located?"

"There used to be five, now there are only four left. Two are in Jiangning, given to my nephew, and the other two are in our hometown of Wenzhou. What are you planning to do with them?" Shao Shuyi smiled slightly awkwardly and said, "Just a reminder, don't end up with a bunch of banknotes that you can't spend."

"That's what my sister said too," Liu Xing said. "Recently, she sent a large sum of money back to Wenzhou and gave some to the widowed, orphaned, and lonely. She also repaired the old bridges and roads in the village and helped pay off some debts owed by relatives and fellow villagers. Now she has a good reputation in the village; everyone says she married into a good family. I've taken more than twenty people with me, and soon more than thirty more people will come over, all of them relatives and fellow villagers."

"That's really good," Shao Shuyi praised.

The wife of a former pirate leader was different from ordinary women; she had her own unique style of doing things.

"Alright, I won't say any more. We still need to recruit more grain merchants. You can go now." Shao Shuyi said, clapping his hands.

Several workers carried over two boxes.

Shao Shuyi opened the box himself, pointed to the first one, and said, "This is a suit of iron armor from the Changzhou Miscellaneous Workshop. It has been polished and repaired to a new shine, and the size is just right. It's yours."

After saying that, he pointed to the second box and said, "Don't show the iron armor to anyone easily. Keep it in your room and use it only when necessary. Here's a leather armor, made to fit your build. No one has worn it yet. Take it with you. Unlike the iron armor, the leather armor is just as conspicuous, but it's not as important. Most of the time, this is enough, and it's more comfortable than the iron armor. Go and get someone to move it. Don't lose it. By the way, when you get to Yixing Prefecture, if you see any craftsmen, you can help recruit them. Remember, don't use force, just lure them with benefits. We're not at the point of becoming bandits yet." Liu Xing ignored him, his eyes fixed on the two sets of armor, his mouth practically stretched to his neck in a grin.

Men, how can they resist these "big toys"?

At that moment, Liu Xing had forgotten about the woman. He gently squatted down and tenderly stroked the armor plates of his iron armor, smiling like a landlord's foolish son. At noon, Dong Xinfeng, a clerk in the criminal department, had just left the brothel and was preparing to return to the prefectural government office when he saw a group of men in tight-fitting clothes sneakily boarding a boat and quietly leaving.

"Rushing to their deaths," he cursed under his breath, glanced around, and waved to someone he spotted.

Grain merchant Dong Xinhe approached and bowed, saying, "Brother."

"What do you want?"

Dong Xinhe pointed north and said, "That Cao Luo from Jiangyin is still at Huangbudun Wharf, and these past few days he's been recruiting grain merchants everywhere. Yesterday, Zhou Danchi came to me and tried to persuade me to join some 'Wu-Yue Grain Guild,' but I didn't agree. This morning, Qian Dayong came again and told me about the many benefits of joining. I was a little hesitant, but when I heard that I had to pay membership fees and some unheard-of mutual aid fee, I refused. Qian Dayong was very unhappy and said that if I sail on the canal in the future, I'm afraid I'll be robbed. I panicked when I heard that and didn't even have time to eat lunch. Brother, are they saying they're going to rob me? Can you help me put in a good word? The grain and oil business really can't withstand robbery; if you're robbed, you'll have to starve for years."

Dong Xinfeng frowned and said, "Tell me the situation in detail."

Dong Xinhe then recounted in detail the events of the past two days when Zhou Danchi and Qian Dayong had come to persuade him, without omitting any details.

Dong Xinfeng listened silently, then snorted coldly and said, "Cao Luo wants to make money, can't you see that?"

"What do you mean?" Dong Xinhe asked.

Dong Xinfeng thought for a moment and said, "Before Bi Si was wiped out, Cao Luo collected a large sum of money from the merchants. After the annihilation, there were rumors that he would charge for river patrols to ensure the smooth flow of trade routes. Recently, this news has disappeared, and I thought Cao Luo had stopped collecting money. I didn't expect it to come down to this. He's ruthless enough. He's treating grain merchants like fat pigs to be slaughtered, collecting money year after year, a steady stream of income."

Dong Xinhe suddenly realized and said, "Then I can't pay this money."

Dong Xinfeng waved his hand and said, "If anyone else comes looking for you, don't rush to refuse. Don't make any definitive statements; wait for my news." Dong Xinhe was somewhat surprised: "Brother, this is...?"

Dong Xinfeng ignored him, gave him a few casual instructions, and then returned to the prefectural government office.

After sitting for a short while and catching his breath, he got up and went to Judge Zhao Liangchen's office, handed him an official letter, and said: "Sir, the Prince of Zhennan has sent a document to the state requesting that more archers be dispatched to patrol the four directions and guard against bandits running rampant."

Zhao Liangchen took it and looked at it, his face lighting up with joy.

After all this turmoil, the Huashan bandits were finally wiped out, and one of their leaders, Zhu Mantun, died under a hail of arrows.

The only drawback was that a few people sneaked across the mountains at night and fled in different directions. Therefore, a document was sent to all the prefectures and counties in Jiangnan, ordering them to investigate thoroughly and to pursue and arrest them immediately if they were found.

"It wasn't easy." Zhao Liangchen put down the document, filled with emotion. "After several months of siege, we suffered thousands of casualties, including two county supervisors (Darughachi), five centurions, two deputy centurions, and one centurion. Finally, we wiped out these seventy or eighty bandits."

"The number of dead and wounded is probably an exaggeration; the various bureaus are taking this opportunity to settle accounts," Dong Xinfeng said with a smile.

Zhao Liangchen smiled as well, and then said, "After this incident, I wonder if the gentlemen of Jiangnan have been moved at all. By making up for the arrears, strictly investigating the vacancies, and diligently training, the military appearance will surely be greatly improved in less than two years. As the saying goes, it's never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. If the garrison troops rise up, we will also stand tall. Otherwise, we will still have to smile and talk to those scoundrels, which is truly outrageous."

"What you say is quite right, sir," Dong Xinfeng echoed. "You, sir, have studied diligently for ten years and passed the provincial examination with flying colors to achieve your current position. Those smugglers who sell contraband salt are nothing short of bandits, yet they've become honored guests at the yamen. It makes me uncomfortable. Ten years ago, these kinds of people were as obedient as dogs in front of the government. Now, they've actually turned the tables and are baring their teeth. I think they've forgotten their roots."

Zhao Liangchen smiled slightly and said, "Zhu Chen had a great reputation in Jiangnan, but in the end, he didn't even leave behind a complete corpse. I'd like to see what his final fate will be. The Prince of Zhennan has quelled the Huashan bandits and still needs to inspect all the routes. He won't return to Yangzhou until after the New Year. At that time..."

He smiled but remained silent at this point.

Dong Xinfeng chuckled for a while, then took the opportunity to recount the story of the Wu-Yue Grain Guild.

"A bully who monopolizes the market!" Zhao Liangchen immediately labeled him after hearing the description.

These days, there are supposedly "three hundred trades" in business, but that's just a figure of speech; there are probably more than three hundred trades.

There is a trade in silk and brocade, which was called "silk and brocade trade" in ancient times because it sold silk, brocade, and other silk fabrics. Nowadays it is called "silk and satin trade". In some places, silk and brocade are two separate trades.

Those who sold livestock were collectively called "sheep and horse merchants," which included not only sheep and horses, but also large animals such as pigs, cattle, donkeys, and mules. Grain sellers also naturally had their own trades.

Each trade basically clustered together to open shops. For example, most grain shops in Wuxi were located around the North Gate, and they were closely connected. But these so-called "trades" were actually very loose. Perhaps one or two highly respected merchants had influence and could affect or even direct others to act according to their wishes, but in the end, no formal and strict guilds were established. At most, they would get together from time to time to have tea and meals and talk about business matters.

This Cao Luo actually wants to recruit people to join the association and register them. What is he planning to do?

Zhao Liangchen pondered the matter for a long time but could not find a solution, so he waved his hand.

Dong Xinfeng came over.

"Have your younger brother join that Wu-Yue Grain Guild. Don't make a fuss about it yet; just secretly gather information," Zhao Liangchen said in a low voice. "Yes," Dong Xinfeng replied.

"That's all." Zhao Liangchen waved his hand and said, "Tell him to be quick-witted and not let anyone see through it."

"Okay." Dong Xinfeng bowed and took his leave.