Liu Mengqian, the prefect of Hangzhou, was an elegant man. The most famous "deeds" he left in Hangzhou was the elegant gathering on Su Causeway one spring:
"In February, the victory meeting was held at Sudi. There were tens of thousands of ram's horn lanterns and gauze lanterns in the city, hanging on the peach and willow trees, with red carpets on the ground below. There were young girls and famous prostitutes, drinking and singing. At night, thousands of wax candles were burning together, and the light was bright. It's like daytime. Looking out from the lake, there are thousands of candles on the embankment, and the lake's shadow is doubled. Xiao Guan Sheng and Song are silent and ignorant."
This kind of scene, no matter in the past or now, is an extremely elegant scene. Zhao Yingong was quite envious when he read this paragraph in the past.
No matter how elegant a person is, once he becomes an official, he still has to solve the livelihood problems of the people under his rule. Liu Mengqian is very lucky. He works as a prefect in Hangzhou, which is known as "Paradise". Not to mention the various "prospects" of being an official, the most important thing is that he does not have to endure the nightmare environment like many of his colleagues. .
Therefore, Magistrate Liu was very satisfied with his current situation. However, last year's severe drought cast a shadow on his career.
As long as you are a local official, you will always encounter one or two famines during your tenure. In ancient Chinese society, there was a natural disaster about once every three years, and a major disaster every ten years. It has always been the responsibility of local officials to relieve famines and deal with the aftermath. One of the main jobs. Magistrate Liu has naturally experienced this.
Since the first year of Chongzhen in Zhejiang, natural disasters have occurred almost every year. The affected areas are all over the province. Even the Hangjiahu Plain, which has always been a land of plenty, has also suffered from floods and droughts many times. The people had little time to breathe. Coupled with the excessive levies imposed by the government over the years, the Jiangnan area, which was originally a heavily taxed area, has long been severely weakened.
The large number of refugees has given Prefect Liu a headache. In recent years, "civil uprisings" have continued. Disturbing the world. Even though Liu Mengqian was an elegant man, he still had some insights: Jiangnan was at peace for a long time, and the military preparedness was weakened. If Wen Tianwuxi really succeeds and triggers a large-scale popular uprising, it will not work to rely on the extremely exhausted officers and soldiers or the gang of horse-stepping warriors who usually only scare and blackmail the people. By then, he, the prefect, will probably have no choice but to He committed suicide by throwing himself into the lobby.
Therefore, when the famine struck, he summoned the local gentry and asked them to do their best to help the government maintain relief for the victims, and set up a famine relief bureau. Setting up porridge sheds, opening rice dumplings, applying pesticides, collecting road debris... After all, this Jiangnan is a land of plenty, and the people's savings are quite abundant, so they can barely maintain the situation.
However, the situation still has not improved. The drought has passed, but now the price of food on the market continues to rise with the coming of the "Five Years of Famine". The price of a bucket of rice on the market has exceeded three coins.
Based on Prefect Liu's experience, once the local price of rice exceeds four yuan, large-scale famine will occur among the people. The tragic situation of flood victims that had already calmed down will happen again. Then most of the hard work from last year to now will be in vain.
Moreover, if the spring sowing cannot be carried out in time, the harvest for the year will be finished, the grain tax will not be collected, and the refugees will riot, then he will not have to work as a prefect. Seeing that the situation was becoming more and more dangerous, Liu Mengqian could no longer sit still, and regardless of his "official authority", he went directly to the Famine Relief Bureau to convene a meeting of the Jin gentry.
The Famine Relief Bureau is located in Guanxiang in the center of the city. More than a dozen committee members and local gentry who have no positions but have contributed a lot have gathered in the lobby.
There were different opinions at the meeting. The measures to deal with famine and provide disaster relief are nothing more than clichés, and everyone here is familiar with this routine, but when it comes to specific management, no one is willing to say more - because it involves money issues.
From the beginning of the disaster last year to now, several rounds of "recruitment" have been carried out. Although the people here are all local people who are eager for public justice, after all, they have not reached the level of selfless destruction of homes to rescue famines - and in recent years, local famines have continued. , the government imposed excessive taxes, and their own economic situation was also greatly damaged.
The final result of the meeting was still unresolved. Just continue to do the few things you can do in front of you. As for the most important items of grain and rice, and lending seeds to the people to cultivate cattle, because they were very expensive and the source of the money and rice could not be confirmed, no one was willing to step forward for a while.
When the meeting was over and the committee members dispersed, Liu Mengqian took care of the young man and asked Zhao Yingong to meet him in casual clothes in the flower hall.
Zhao Yingong was very active in the activities of the Famine Relief Bureau. In particular, the refugee problem that the government felt was the most difficult was basically solved by Cihuitang. Although he had also heard many rumors that after the refugees were taken in by Cihui Hall, they would be transported away by boats from the Qiantang River every other month. I don’t know where it was shipped, except that it was sent to Guangdong to reclaim wasteland.
If this matter were in peacetime, the local officials would have to ask about it. However, at the moment, governments everywhere are trying to cure the problem. The gathering of large numbers of victims is a huge hidden danger. Now there are people willing to come forward to deal with it. It doesn't matter where you are sent in the end, whether the refugees are dead or alive. What's more, the yellow registration system has been abolished in recent years, and the number of registered households is completely fabricated. It has become unclear how many households are registered under the rule of local officials. Therefore, all the officials in Hangzhou Prefecture took an indifferent attitude towards this matter.
Liu Mengqian first exchanged a few polite words with Zhao Yingong, praising him for being "young and promising" and "impressed with justice". He also said that he was revising his watch and asked for credit for the local personnel in this disaster relief effort. At that time, the imperial court will naturally have a ceremony of honor. It is also unknown whether Zhao Yingong will "go further".
Zhao Yingong thought that the so-called further advancement was nothing more than the qualification of a student supervisor such as "Study in the Imperial College", which he really looked down upon. But on the outside, he still had to look flattered and thank him repeatedly.
After finishing the polite remarks, Magistrate Liu's conversation turned to the issue of famine relief.
Zhao Yingong already had a case in mind. However, he was unwilling to speak out at the meeting. Firstly, it was too high-profile and could easily lead to taboos. Secondly, once this matter was implemented, the subsequent economic benefits would be enough to make people jealous, so it was not appropriate for him to propose it himself. It would be best to propose the plan to Magistrate Liu privately, and then let him announce it.
This prefect Liu will not miss any opportunity now. Because of his ability to digest the refugees in the previous stage, he would definitely come to Yi Zun for advice.
Zhao Yingong's plan has been considered many times. On the one hand. It was originally his task to continue to attract the refugees from the south of the Yangtze River to go south, and he could fully undertake it. Secondly, he also relied on this to cover his affairs with the righteousness of "saving lives."
He briefly and concisely reported the management ideas. The purpose is to "relieve business and revitalize the market".
There are many victims. If you want to save money, you can rely on some porridge, pickles, and vegetables. Although it can calm people's hearts, it will not be able to resume production. It would be best if you lend cattle seeds, etc. to help the victims resume production, but this cost is too much. . The Relief Bureau cannot afford it. Even if we solicit money from Jingent merchants all over Hangzhou again, it may be difficult to raise much rice. Moreover, repeated solicitations will inevitably lead to a backlash - Zhao Yingong tactfully reminded Magistrate Liu that this would be detrimental to his official reputation.
The power of the gentry in the Ming Dynasty was very strong. If local officials want to serve in a peaceful manner, Jin gentry cannot be offended. Of course Magistrate Liu understood Zhao Yingong's reminder.
"'Use business to provide relief and revitalize the market'. These eight words are well said. But how to implement it? Please teach me, sir." Magistrate Liu pretended to be asking for advice humbly.
Using business as a source of relief and revitalizing the market are just goals, although they are novel. However, in actual implementation, the word "money and food" still cannot be avoided. What Magistrate Liu wanted to know was how Mr. Zhao conjured money and food out of thin air.
"Your Majesty, you are serious. I don't dare to use the word 'teach'. It's just a student's humble opinion, and there are many difficulties involved."
"But it doesn't matter. As long as students can do it, they will try their best."
"Of course there are many difficulties. I can't even put them into words, but I don't dare to bother you. Just do what I can. I will take care of them myself, please don't worry. The refugees will definitely not be in trouble."
Zhao Yingong's words first made his attitude clear: Cihuitang will continue to take in refugees sent abroad. As long as the local government does not interfere and the refugees form a refugee group, things that endanger order will not happen.
Liu Mengqian nodded slightly. With this premise, everything would be much easier to handle. As for where the refugees went, it's none of his business.
Zhao Yingong went on to say that although the refugee problem can be solved, restoring production is still a top priority. In order to not miss the farming season, it is imperative to lend seeds to the people to cultivate cattle. But now neither the government nor the Famine Relief Bureau can come up with the money.
"... After thinking about it, the student came up with a way, which can be said to be both public and private." It was only then that Zhao Yingong showed his trump card.
"What method?"
"Silk!"
Liu Mengqian's mind was very quick and he immediately realized that Mr. Zhao was planning to make raw silk. This is not surprising - raw silk is very profitable. However, it is difficult to quench thirst from far away water, and the time for transplanting rice seedlings has already passed when raw silk appears. The key depends on how he deals with this "public and private" plan?
Zhao Yingong said: Although Hangzhou suffered from drought last year, the impact on sericulture farmers was not great. In particular, the mulberry gardens were not greatly affected by the drought. There have been no further disasters since autumn last year. The mulberry trees are growing very well. This year The mulberry leaf harvest should not be a problem. So the cocoon harvest is guaranteed.
His plan was to use the 50,000 taels of silver raised by the China Merchants Bureau as advance payment to the Famine Relief Bureau, which would then purchase the cocoons. Zhao Yingong would not interfere with the purchase price of the Famine Relief Bureau, but the purchase price of the China Merchants Bureau from the Famine Relief Bureau was fixed. The premium generated during each entry and exit is the profit of the Famine Relief Bureau. This profit was used as a loan for famine relief. Seeds, cattle and grain purchased to survive the famine were distributed to the victims in the form of loans. I won't pay it back until autumn.
The Famine Relief Bureau is run by the government, and it has the title of famine relief. It is easy to create dual political and moral pressure, and there is no fear that the sericulture households will not comply. And judging from the usual behavior of the Jin gentry in the late Ming Dynasty, they would never stop unless they took this opportunity to severely squeeze the small households.
As for how much profit they could squeeze out of the sericulture account, and what limitless things the silk cocoon guild could do, that was not his concern. The more severe the losses suffered by the sericulture households, the more beneficial it would be to Zhao Yiggong.
Zhao Yingong continued to say that in terms of specific operations, the advance payment can be used first so as not to miss the farming season, as long as enough purchase money is set aside. As for how much of the acquisition money was left, Zhao Yingong was vague. In short, in the end, Zhao Yingong will get cocoons or raw silk equivalent to 50,000 taels of silver according to the purchase price of the China Merchants Bureau.
"What if the sericulture farmers refuse to sell to the Famine Relief Bureau?" Magistrate Liu asked.
"What's so difficult about this?" Zhao Yingong said with a smile, "Of course, I have to ask you to make a notice in advance and understand it. I think the common people also understand the key. If it doesn't work, I have to ask the masters of the silk cocoon trade for help. "
The Famine Relief Bureau is not a cocoon shop, and the specific business operations must be left to them. Zhao Yingong estimated that having the Famine Relief Bureau as the general contractor would mean taking away a layer of profits. The silk cocoon shops in Hangzhou must be at odds over the acquisition of silk cocoons. I am afraid that the sericulture households will be exploited this year. It will be unprecedentedly heavy.
Magistrate Liu twisted his beard and nodded without saying anything. Zhao Yingong lowered his head with a smile on his face and just drank tea.
He is not worried that the Famine Relief Bureau or Magistrate Liu will trick him - if it is Zhao Yiggong's personal move, then he is very likely to be tricked - the officials and gentry of the Ming Dynasty are all cannibals, but they don't spit out bones. The China Merchants Bureau is lending money now. Not to mention the righteous cause of famine relief, if he wants to trick thirty-six gentry gentlemen from Jiangnan in one go, Governor Liu is too bold.
Magistrate Liu understood clearly and thought that Mr. Zhao was indeed a traitor and a businessman. But this solved his urgent need. He estimated that this acquisition would be a 50-50 profit. Not only has the cost of seed farming and cattle been reduced, but the gentlemen of the Famine Relief Bureau have also made small contributions. It is indeed a "public and private matter".
A smile suddenly appeared on his face and he was called "Mr. Talent". Zhao Yingong took the opportunity to make a second suggestion.
Although the losses of sericulture households were relatively small, they were still affected by the disaster. This time, the money for famine relief has to be spent on the silkworms they raise. With the current shortage of supply, the life of silkworm farmers is also very difficult. So there should be some support. He mentioned that he was willing to help the silkworm farmers by providing them with "cut leaves" and at the same time, he would open a charity workshop in Cihui Hall to reel silk for customers.
“The purpose of setting up this workshop is to accommodate the refugees so that they can have a place to support themselves.”
Magistrate Liu was an official in Hangzhou and knew the meaning of "shaoye". Hearing Zhao Yingong mention this matter, he understood what he meant after a moment's thought. He has contributed a lot to famine relief this time, so it is natural that he would not object to these benefits. As for the factory that reels silk for customers, he doesn't see any special need. After all, most sericulture households reel silk themselves. But he thought it was okay - it was nothing illegal.
"It's easy. You just do it yourself." Magistrate Liu said, "I know it well." He picked up the tea cup and said, "I'm sorry." (To be continued...)
ps: It is doubtful whether the prefect of Hangzhou in 1634 was Liu Mengqian.
