Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 337 The Fugitive

Actually, Shao Shuyi still had some things to take care of before leaving.

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, he met with Manager Mo, bringing him New Year's gifts and sincerely inviting him to work at the Wuyue Grain Guild as its assistant general manager. Old Mo thought it over and finally declined. However, he introduced his nephew, Feng Shao, saying that he had traveled extensively, buying dried seafood, grain, and even silk and timber, possessing rich experience. He added that his current job in Suzhou wasn't very promising, and it was unlikely he could advance further; the Wuyue Grain Guild would be a perfect fit.

"It's good that Mr. Feng is here." Shao Shuyi nodded in agreement.

Feng Shao was around forty years old, in the prime of his life, and could easily help him, the designated leader, handle all sorts of miscellaneous matters, so as not to distract him too much from the grain business.

After saying that, Shao Shuyi suddenly asked, "Mr. Mo, have you heard any rumors lately?"

Mo Bei was taken aback and asked in return, "What rumors?"

"About me."

No, not at all.

Shao Shuyi felt slightly relieved. It seemed the Shen family's connections at the top weren't strong enough, and their information network wasn't as efficient. Otherwise, Shao Shuyi suspected that Old Mo might have introduced his nephew to the Wuyue Grain Store.

"Actually," Mo Bei suddenly said, "it's not like there's none at all."

"Oh?" Shao Shuyi looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Tell me about it."

"Some people say that the Prince of Zhennan suffered a major setback in Changzhou, and perhaps it was your doing," Mo Bei said.

"Who is making fun of me?" Shao Shuyi asked in surprise.

"It's just a rumor, and it's even praising you." Mo Bei shook his head and said, "Boluo Buhua won't be coming to Suzhou this year. He'll be staying in Changzhou to suppress bandits. Someone came back from there and said they saw your men enter the city, and they said it was you who tripped up the Prince of Zhennan."

"It's just a rumor," Shao Shuyi laughed. "I was still clearing land in Ma Tuo Sha when the Prince of Zhennan had his accident."

Mo Bei smiled and said, "It is indeed too shocking."

"Master Mo, after the New Year, I plan to open two grain shops in Tongzhou (South), one in the city and one in Haimen County. I wonder if..." Shao Shuyi added.

"This is easy," Mo Bei said. "When the time comes, you can send someone over, and I'll help with the arrangements. There's no need for Madam to show up."

"Thank you, Lord Xie." Shao Shuyi bowed and said, "Could you help recruit the necessary manpower?"

"Okay," Mo Bei readily agreed.

Shao Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Recently, we've been setting up several shops, but we're facing a severe shortage of business talent. In the end, we had to recruit some people publicly in the market, have Madam Liu send some, and get some more through introductions from grain store members, which barely kept us afloat.

Given that he has been placed on the list of key targets of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, starting next year, the Huainan and Jiangbei areas will be the focus of Shengye Trading Company's expansion. The establishment of the three grain shops in Taixing, Tongzhou, and Haimen is just the beginning. He also wants to establish connections with the Tongzhou salt fields and even the officialdom.

There's no other way; we really can't cause any more trouble in Jiangnan. We have to be careful. We'll continue to operate the existing businesses using a light-asset model, and from now on, we'll focus solely on making money. "Mr. Mo, has Madam returned to Suzhou?" Shao Shuyi asked softly before parting.

"They left two days ago." Mo Bei nodded.

"So early? Aren't you afraid of going back..."

"The son-in-law was making a fuss, but recently the madam bought him a separate courtyard and gave him some money, so he hasn't been making such a fuss anymore," Mo Bei explained. "Therefore, there's really no problem with him going back early this time."

Shao Shuyi nodded slightly and said, "Master Mo, I'd like to open another workshop next year. Do you have any capable people you could recommend?"

"A workshop? What kind of workshop?"

"It encompasses everything from spinning and weaving to dyeing and tanning."

"Why do you do all this? To make money?"

"Exactly."

"Little Tiger, you're finally willing to do some legitimate business." Mo Bei said with a wry smile, "Go ahead. If you do it well, you'll probably be able to sell it when foreign merchants and seafarers come. If all else fails, I'll help you look in Suzhou; maybe we can sell it there."

"Thank you," Shao Shuyi said, bowing.

"I'll ask around for you in Suzhou during the New Year," Mo Bei said finally.

On the 13th, Shao Shuyi returned to his hometown of Zhangjing.

In the afternoon, Cheng Ji walked into the courtyard with three other people with him. According to him, they were all comrades he knew well in the army. Except for one man named Yao Shenggong, who was a rank officer, the other two were ordinary soldiers.

"It's been a long time," Shao Shuyi said with a smile as he sat on the threshold, eating from a bowl.

The brothers Fu Jian and Fu Yong brought stools for the four of them and asked them to sit down.

"Where's the Buddha's tooth?" Cheng Ji asked, startled.

"He made a mistake and is reflecting on it at home." Shao Shuyi handed the bowl and chopsticks to Tie Niu and said, "I thought you wouldn't come until tomorrow."

Cheng Ji shook his head, first introducing the three people who had come with him, and then said, "This year, in the campaign against the Huashan bandits, the Shizilu Army mobilized five thousand-household units. The number of those killed or deserted was probably around one-third. Before the New Year, Commander Hao inspected the camps and found that most soldiers didn't even have warm winter clothing, so he requested the Pingjiang Road General Administration to procure a batch of cotton-padded clothes. After they arrived, the units discovered that not only was the quantity far short, only a mere hundred pieces, but many were also moldy, causing great disappointment." At this point, Cheng Ji paused, as if sighing, and then continued, "With the New Year fast approaching, and no rewards in sight this year, many comrades are struggling to even have enough to eat, let alone buy wine and meat or make new clothes. They are living even worse than ordinary people."

Shao Shuyi listened quietly without offering any opinion.

It's definitely problematic that those who wield violence live worse than ordinary people, a problem that's difficult to solve under the current system. At best, a capable minister who can raise funds might slightly improve the soldiers' treatment, but this isn't a long-term solution; once the minister leaves, the regime collapses. Hao Tianlin's ability to procure cotton-padded clothes shows he has some skill, but that's about it.

"They—" Cheng Ji pointed to the three people who came with him and said, "They don't want to work anymore and are preparing to flee with their families.

"Cheng Dalang, what are you saying? What do you mean by desertion?" Yao Shenggong, the leader of the guards, said unhappily, "In the campaign to suppress the Huashan bandits, so many brothers died without any compensation. What's the point of staying in this damned camp? My cousin fought bravely to cover the rear, was wounded more than ten times, and when he returned, he didn't even have money for medicine. In the end, he wasn't killed by the Huashan bandits, but was angered to death by his superiors. Anyway, I don't want to work here anymore. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can enjoy life. If I leave too late, I'm afraid I'll have to sell my children to fight for the court. I'm not that cheap."

The other two chimed in, "Yes, Cheng Dalang, don't just think about enjoying yourself all by yourself. We also want to work with Shao She." Cheng Ji looked at Shao Shuyi, smiled helplessly, and said, "That's all I wanted to say. They have a good foundation and have all received proper training, but they're always hungry and cold, and they're constantly being driven and beaten by their superiors. They don't want to risk their lives. If you..."

"Hey." Shao Shuyi waved his hand and said, "You guys came from the station, you probably haven't eaten yet. Whatever it is, let's talk after we eat. We can't let people go hungry."

After saying that, he called over Yu Yuan and Wang Xing, who were keeping accounts in the house, and asked them to go to the street and buy some wine and meat.

Upon hearing this, Yao Shenggong and the others immediately stood up to express their gratitude, secretly thinking that they had made the right decision to come this time.

Damn it, Cheng Ji is really tight-lipped; he's only telling them the way to get rich now.

Shao Shuyi then asked the Fu brothers, Fu Jian and Fu Yong, to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat so that the brothers could have something to eat first. Then he pulled Cheng Ji to the dirt road outside the door and questioned him alone.

"What rumors have you heard?" Shao Shuyi asked.

Cheng Ji was taken aback, then said, "Indeed. The Crossroads Army may be transferred to Zhenzhou and Chuzhou for defense next year."

Shao Shuyi was slightly taken aback. Damn, I thought I was hearing rumors about me.

Damn it, my mindset hasn't been right lately. So what if I'm being investigated? Even if others find out and distance themselves from me, it's not a big deal. It's a good opportunity to see everyone clearly and purify the ranks.

"What are you going to Zhenchu ​​for?" he asked.

"You don't know, bandits have sprung up all over Henan and Jiangbei. Each group is small, only a few dozen or a hundred people, but they are everywhere, and it has come to the point that we have to send out the garrison troops to suppress them. After they are dispatched, the local areas need troops to suppress them to prevent trouble in their own backyard, so troops are transferred from Jiangnan."

"I see." Shao Shuyi couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Cheng Ji asked, puzzled.

"I think Xiaoduo'er is just lacking in wisdom, and Han Yuanshan is without strategy. The Great Yuan Dynasty is engulfed in war, yet he still thinks about this and that," Shao Shuyi said.

Cheng Ji didn't understand, but that didn't matter. He continued, "Many people in Dadu want to escape, but they worry that they won't have a livelihood after they leave, and they won't even be able to barely survive. So they hesitate. These three people today are considered bold. They are willing to flee with their whole families. If they live well, others will see this and gradually follow suit."

Shao Shuyi glanced at Cheng Ji in surprise.

Cheng Ji avoided his gaze and said, "There are some things I misunderstood before."

Shao Shuyi patted him on the shoulder happily and said, "You've finally figured it out."

Cheng Ji forced a smile and said, "But the soldiers in Dadu are of varying quality, so you shouldn't just hire anyone."

Why?

"Nothing more than that, their habits are too deeply ingrained," Cheng Ji said earnestly. "It's understandable that they shirk their duties and cheat in battle, given how harshly the superiors treat them. But over time, they've become accustomed to this. If the vanguard suffers even the slightest setback, they turn tail and run, causing the entire army to collapse. Furthermore, due to prolonged hunger, they've become accustomed to petty theft and even robbing civilians, or stealing and selling military equipment. All of these are what I mean by their deeply ingrained habits. In fact, it would be better to recruit new recruits and train them from scratch; a blank canvas is easier to paint on."

Shao Shuyi understood.

It takes a lot of effort to reform people who have spent a long time in the old army.

For example, as Cheng Ji just mentioned, if the vanguard encounters the enemy and suffers a slight disadvantage, they retreat. What will happen to the central and rear armies at this time?

If it were newly trained soldiers, accustomed to obeying orders, they might not necessarily break down. But these seasoned veterans, who are already used to deserting, are even more likely to run away than new recruits, which could be deadly.

"Help me screen them first," Shao Shuyi said. "After the horses bring the sand, I'll check them again. We really shouldn't accept just anyone." "How many people do you want?" Cheng Ji asked.

"Let's start with thirty or fifty. I'm afraid that if we have too many, they'll corrupt the others," Shao Shuyi said.

Cheng Ji nodded, already pondering which people would be suitable.