Chapter 855: Advancing on All Fronts
Gu Yanwu stayed at Gao Family Village's inn for three days, spending the entire time wandering around, intently observing this peculiar village.
He quickly discovered a stark difference between this village and others in the Great Ming.
The common folk of Gao Family Village possessed a vibrant, optimistic outlook on life. They weren't merely surviving; they were actively striving for a better existence. Their perspectives were broad, informed daily by "Gaojia News" as they passionately discussed current affairs.
When they witnessed injustice, they would collectively voice their complaints and criticisms. They would deliberate on how to improve the nation.
Elsewhere, such matters were typically discussed only by "officials" or "scholars."
But in Gao Family Village, *everyone* participated in these discussions!
This brought Gu Yanwu immense satisfaction.
Unable to resist, he pulled out his brush and inscribed a line of poetry on the wall of Gao Family Village's main fortress: "Every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation."
Half an hour later, Fang Wushang, the military inspector of Gao Family Village, appeared before Gu Yanwu and arrested him on charges of "vandalism and destruction of public property."
However, Gu Yanwu had no experience as a whitewasher. He struggled immensely with the task, ending up covered in colorful splatters. After finally finishing the wall, he then had to wield a broom and relentlessly sweep the train station.
Coming from a family with eight hundred *mu* of ancestral land, he was not short on money. He hastily offered a sum of silver to Fang Wushang, hoping to bribe his way out of trouble.
To his surprise, Fang Wushang was incorruptible. Not only did he refuse the money, but he grew furious and extended Gu Yanwu's community service by another half-day.
Early the next morning, Gu Yanwu rubbed his aching muscles and boarded the train to Puzhou.
——
Taiyuan, Shanxi.
Taiyuan was cradled between two great mountain ranges, one to its east, one to its west.
This location commanded rivers and mountains, acting as the very backbone of the empire. Its strategic importance was paramount, valued by every dynasty throughout history.
During the Ming Dynasty's zenith, Taiyuan's total population had once soared to over 4.2 million.
However, by the Chongzhen era, years of severe drought, foreign invasions, and rampant banditry had seen Taiyuan's registered population plummet to below two million.
Witnessing this devastating loss of life, Wu Shen couldn't help but shed tears.
Two million souls!
What tragic fates had those vanished two million endured?
"San Shier," Wu Shen said somberly, looking at the document in his hand. "Taiyuan still has nearly two million people. Although I possess a million taels of silver from the Heavenly Lord, if divided among two million people, each would only receive five *qian*. What am I to do?"
San Shier chuckled, "Lord Wu, you're not here merely for disaster relief. Not all two million people are on the brink of starvation, begging for food. There's no need for such calculations. You're simply worrying needlessly."
Wu Shen's spirits lifted. "Ah, you're right!"
San Shier continued, "Following the Heavenly Lord's consistent approach, the first step in developing any region is to provide employment for the common folk. As long as people have work and earn wages, they'll have money to buy things, and all industries will immediately flourish. This is a classic example of how even a small lever can move mountains."
Wu Shen, now accustomed to San Shier's habit of summarizing every statement, merely nodded. "Logical!"
He, too, was an official with practical experience, not a mere pontificating bureaucrat. His renewed spirits immediately sparked an idea: "With the Manchus having just retreated, and Taiyuan being a northern border city, the common people must still feel the terror of their invasion. If I propose rebuilding the border fortifications now and offer wages, many will surely come forward eagerly."
San Shier nodded. "Agreed!"
Wu Shen added, "Building roads is also a top priority."
San Shier nodded. "To get rich, build roads first."
He then shifted his tone. "Lord Wu, don't overthink it by tackling one item at a time. You have two million people at your disposal right now—a full two million! That's enough to get every single industry and every type of work
progressing simultaneously. Don't worry about what comes first or last, or which industries are more important than others. Let all two million people get to work! My Blue Hat specialists can each take charge of an industry, and we can advance on all fronts."
Wu Shen slapped his thigh. "You're right! With so many people, what is there to fear? Let's just get it done!"
Taiyuan Prefecture immediately launched a massive recruitment drive!
Road construction, factory building, city repairs, militia recruitment...
From the moment Wu Shen arrived, he plunged into action with immense vigor.
Initially, the common folk of Taiyuan Prefecture, seeing the long list of government projects, were hesitant to participate, fearing the officials wouldn't pay wages.
But soon, a rumor began to spread throughout Taiyuan's city and surrounding towns.
"The new governor's nickname is 'Wu Million,' and he brought a million taels of silver with him!"
"That guy is super rich! Have you ever seen a million taels? It piles up as high as a mountain!"
"They say Wu Million possesses divine powers, and his money is inexhaustible. He used to be called 'Wu Hundred-Thousand,' but the more he spent, the more his money grew, until he became 'Wu Million.'"
"Someone that rich couldn't possibly fail to pay us our three catties of flour a day!"
"I'm going to try working for him as a day laborer."
In those times, an inexplicable rumor often proved more effective than official government announcements.
The common folk were quickly drawn by Wu Million's formidable reputation.
Wu Shen was a shrewd man. He quickly realized that his nickname, "Wu Million," was incredibly helpful for attracting investment, recruiting workers, and winning popular support. He simply had his men move the million taels of silver onto the city wall, piling them up in a shimmering heap that could blind anyone who looked.
Then, he arranged for a special operations soldier from the Gao Family Village Militia to pose as a worker, claiming this 'worker' had performed a great service for him.
In front of the assembled crowd, Wu Shen took a piece of broken silver from the pile and awarded it to the fake worker.
"He really *is* going to pay!"
"He's not like those other officials!"
"As long as the wages are real, I'll do any work!"
"Me too!"
The news spread rapidly. The legend of Wu Million's generosity, his honesty, and his genuine payment of wages, exploded throughout Taiyuan Prefecture.
Two million people were no joke. Within just a few days, the road-building brigades boasted tens of thousands of workers, while tens of thousands of common laborers headed north to rebuild the border city and various border forts.
Below the mountain slopes on the east and west sides of Taiyuan city, cement factories, coal mines, steel mills, and other establishments welcomed tens of thousands of workers, who began construction simultaneously.
A frenzy of activity erupted, a massive undertaking of fervent work.
Their desperate efforts to push forward quickly sent word into the mountains.
The refugees in the mountains also learned of it.
These refugees, in fact, were part of those vanished two million people who, though no longer on the household registry, were still alive and living in the world.
As they debated whether they could get involved, they heard the message San Shier had hunters convey into the mountains: "Any refugee who comes down from the mountains to work will immediately have their household registration reinstated, restoring their status as commoners. This, as they say, is turning over a new leaf."
Upon hearing this news, the refugees surged from the mountains with a roar.
Taiyuan Prefecture's population instantly surged by two hundred thousand.
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