Chapter 1018: Who Truly Cares for Them
Ding Qirui cursed inwardly but dared not disobey: "Understood. I will reflect thoroughly on this matter upon my return, draft a memorial, and help them gloss it over."
Wang Ji quickly added, "I will also write a memorial identical to Commissioner Ding's and submit it. With memorials from both of us as evidence, His Majesty will surely believe it."
Zhao Bazong and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They had truly feared a reckoning later, but with two high-ranking civilian officials speaking on their behalf, it would be foolproof.
The seven men quickly declared that they would henceforth be law-abiding and no longer cause trouble for the imperial court. They professed their loyalty with a few words.
Li Daoxuan, however, interrupted them with a laugh. "Don't be so quick to pledge loyalty. No matter how eloquently you speak now, what will you do if, upon your return, your military pay is delayed for several more years? Will you treat everything you've just said as mere hot air?"
The seven men: "..."
Both Ding Qirui and Wang Ji were equally embarrassed.
Li Daoxuan turned to Wang Ji. "You are the Governor of Yinchuan, and all administrative affairs in the Yinchuan region are under your purview. I discussed this with you last time: if the issue of frontier army pay isn't resolved, they will rebel sooner or later, and each uprising will be larger than the last. Eventually, it will descend into utter chaos, impossible to control."
Wang Ji replied, "Young Hero, what you discussed with me two days ago, I have kept firmly in mind."
Wang Ji cupped his hands in greeting. "Young Hero, rest assured. This time, I nearly lost my life. Even if only for my own survival, I must take a firm grip on this matter. However, I still have one doubt: if the Yinchuan region were to undertake large-scale livestock farming, how would these animals be sold?"
This time, Li Daoxuan remained silent. The caravan manager suddenly sprang out from the side and presented a calling card with both hands. "Governor, I am the manager of the Warm and Sleepy Textile Factory. I have come to Yinchuan this time to discuss business with the local herders. In the future, our textile factory is willing to purchase the herders' wool. However, the herders are constantly on the move, without fixed residences, and I am unable to contact them. I hope the imperial court can step in and organize them..."
Li Daoxuan chuckled. "Lord Wang, I'll teach you a way to make money. The government should step forward and establish an 'Official Wool Collection Station.' Herders would bring their wool here, and the government would purchase it at a standardized price. When the Warm and Sleepy caravan arrives, they can directly buy this wool from the government. The government can take a small, reasonable profit margin from this. Isn't that more reliable than collecting taxes? Not only will it avoid the infamy of tax collection, but it will also earn the herders' praise for benefiting the people."
Zhao Bazong's eyes lit up too. "Many of our frontier soldiers' families also raise livestock, but not in large numbers, so major merchants aren't interested in collecting from them. If the government opens a collection station, our small quantities of wool could also be sold there. This would also resolve the livelihoods of many frontier army families."
Wang Ji pondered carefully; indeed, it was an excellent strategy. Profiting from a small wool price difference, and as long as subordinates were strictly managed to prevent them from maliciously suppressing purchase prices, this could become a benevolent policy. Not only would it avoid a bad reputation, but it would also earn a good one.
As he was mulling this over, he heard Li Daoxuan chuckle, "Lord Wang, you're surely thinking of strictly managing your subordinates to prevent them from lowering prices and harming the people."
Wang Ji exclaimed, "Oh? Young Hero, it seems you understand this very well."
Li Daoxuan replied, "I truly do understand this. No matter how strictly you manage things, there will always be those who line their own pockets and maliciously suppress prices, harming the populace. To prevent the problem of official collection stations maliciously suppressing purchase prices, there is only one method."
Wang Ji humbly sought guidance. "What method? Please enlighten me, Young Hero."
Li Daoxuan answered, "Do not allow government-run stations to monopolize; grant the power of private wool collection stations to the common people."
Wang Ji heard these words and paused, slightly stunned. "Oh?"
Li Daoxuan explained, "Herders are not foolish! If the official collection stations suppress prices too aggressively, herders will naturally go to private collection stations to sell their goods, and the government-run stations will fail to acquire any. Those who seek to line their own pockets will naturally make no money and will be forced to raise their prices again. This is called the market's self-regulating ability... By the same token, if private stations maliciously manipulate prices, your government-run station only needs to raise its price, and the private stations will cease to profit."
Wang Ji suddenly saw the light. "That makes sense."
Li Daoxuan continued, "Of course, there's also the possibility of collusion between officials and private merchants to suppress prices together. As this initiative progresses, more and more issues will emerge, but I trust that a provincial governor is not an incompetent individual and will surely be able to resolve these problems effectively."
Wang Ji declared, "I have been enlightened! Young Hero, your insight is remarkable. I shall try this approach."
A few days later...
Upon his return to Guyuan, Ding Qirui reported the course of the Yinchuan uprising to Hong Chengchou, the Supreme Commander of Shaanxi's three border regions. He explained that the earlier reports were erroneous; the Yinchuan frontier army had not rebelled, but merely gathered beneath the city walls of Yinchuan Prefecture to demand their overdue pay. After leading his troops to Yinchuan, he had stepped forward to mediate fairly, inviting Wang Ji and the frontier army generals to sit down and negotiate.
Ultimately, Wang Ji, the Governor of Yinchuan, had borrowed provisions and pay from merchants, advancing the frontier army's wages. He adopted a series of domestic policy measures to raise funds and provisions, striving to, in the near future, no longer rely on external subsidies but rather close this massive deficit through local finances.
After listening, Hong Chengchou felt that something was amiss. Still... suppressing this matter was ultimately a good thing.
After some more time passed, the news reached the capital.
Emperor Zhu Youjian, the Chongzhen Emperor, read the memorial and felt greatly relieved. He issued an imperial rescript: "Ding Qirui handled the situation appropriately, easing the nation's concerns. Promote him to Right Administration Commissioner."
As for the Yinchuan frontier army...
They knew who truly cared for them. It wasn't Wang Ji, nor was it Ding Qirui. It was the mysterious Young Hero who had appeared, and the caravan he brought.
The frontier soldiers obtained the "Tales of Dao Xuan Tian Zun's Demonic Exorcisms" from the caravan. After reading it, they finally understood why the Young Hero was impervious to blades and spears, capable of single-handedly capturing Ding Qirui amidst a vast army.
Consequently, the Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect quickly gained popularity among the frontier troops.
The phrase "Heavenly Lord bless us" became a popular saying among the frontier army for a time, recited by more people than "Amitabha Buddha."
While Li Daoxuan was gaining a large number of followers in the northwestern regions...
Central Henan! Pingdingshan.
Lao Huihui, leading three thousand iron cavalry, was retreating deeper into Pingdingshan.
There was no other way; they had to retreat.
Great generals such as Zuo Liangyu, Zu Kuan, and Luo Dai, divided their forces into three columns, encircling Lao Huihui. Behind them, the armies of He Renlong, Cao Wenzhao, and Lu Xiangheng were also closing in.
The imperial forces were vast and powerful.
Although Lao Huihui commanded elite frontier iron cavalry, he could not withstand the combined encirclement of so many imperial columns and could only temporarily avoid their thrust.
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