Chapter 436 Trade Route
Chapter 436 Trade Route
After the twelfth lunar month, the government office worked seriously for a few days, and then began to slack off.
Yang Chen, the right Sima of the Xuchang Shogunate, simply took leave and returned to Chen County, where he rested for more than 40 days and returned to duty after the New Year.
After returning to his newly purchased house in Chen County, he keenly sensed that something was wrong: a guest had been there and had stayed for more than a day.
He was too lazy to ask the servants anymore.
He only came to this house for a few days a year, and most of the time he lent it to Empress Hui Yang, who was studying calligraphy there.
Some things are hard to be clear about.
"Uncle." After hearing the servant's report, Yang Xianrong went out to greet him.
"Greetings, Queen Hui." Yang Chen pretended to salute.
"Uncle!" Yang Xianrong said angrily.
Yang Chen stood up halfway through his action, stroked his beard, and said, "How is my niece these days? Alas, the New Year is coming, and there are a lot of things to do in the shogunate, so I came back late."
As he said this, he observed his niece.
His niece had obviously put on some makeup before going out, but her face was still blushing, which startled him. Chen - that person wouldn't be still there, right?
But I didn't see any of his personal soldiers, so they must have left.
Thinking of this, I felt unhappy. You two should stop doing that! That's too much.
"What did uncle say?" Yang Xianrong covered her mouth and chuckled, obviously in a very good mood.
"What are these..." Yang Chen pointed to the large amount of goods piled in the yard and asked.
"I sent people to collect these medicinal herbs." Yang Xianrong said, "I will send people to sell them to Jiangdong after the New Year."
"How do we sell it?" Yang Chen asked.
"Borrow the return boat."
"We still need our own boats." Yang Chen shook his head and said, "The canal transportation will stop sooner or later. We can't rely on it for long."
"Uncle is right." Yang Xianrong said.
"Has Jiangdong found a good person?" Yang Chen asked again.
Yang Xianrong nodded.
The Yang family is a large clan. Although they were hesitant about moving south, some of their descendants have already made the move and two of them have even climbed to the position of prefect.
The network of relationships exists and it has considerable power.
These are just the descendants of the Yang family, and there are many more who are related to the Yang family by marriage.
Yang Jian and Yang Jingqi, who were about to be appointed as the prefect of Ruyin for their contributions in resettling refugees, were Wang Dun's uncles, and their relationship could not be closer.
The network woven by the aristocratic families is impenetrable. Even though Shao Xun has been thinking hard about good strategies and slowly accumulating strength since ten years ago, he still controls only three or four counties, while more than twenty counties are in the hands of the aristocratic families.
Just like Gao Huan was not feeling well but still stayed with the Rouran princess, what right did Shao Huangmao have to not coax these women?
The world is dominated by aristocratic families. Do you still want to abandon them and start a new business? If you really do this, it is highly likely that you will not succeed. Even if you succeed, you will be much slower than your opponents and will eventually be defeated. This is the characteristic of the times and it is unavoidable.
"What medicinal herbs are there?" Yang Chen said as he walked to the corridor and looked at the goods that were about to be stored in the warehouse.
The first thing that catches your eye is Qin pepper.
Shu pepper comes from Wudu, and Qin pepper comes from Tianshui. In fact, they are Guanzhong peppers, which have been introduced to the Guandong region at this time. The ones produced in Henan County are the best. This batch of Qin peppers came from Henan and Hongnong counties, which were on the front line of the war, and the quantity was relatively small.
The second largest category is pine nuts, which are also produced in the mountains of Henan and Hongnong counties, and are also produced in large areas in the Guangchengze area.
This is a medicinal material, and those produced in the north are considered to be of the best quality. It can be sold at a high price in Jiangdong and Jingzhou.
In addition, there are dozens of species such as wolfberry, polygonatum, mulberry bark, platycodon, scrophularia, salvia miltiorrhiza, ephedra, and pinellia.
Or it could be medicinal herbs that are not available in Jiangnan.
Either one is available in the south of the Yangtze River, but the quality is better in the north.
This selection is really thoughtful.
The wealthy families like to "close their doors to do business", and it is very difficult to do business with them. If you want them to pay, you can only give them things that are urgently needed in the south.
On the return trip, he would bring some goods from the south to Henan to sell, making double profit.
"Changqiu is thoughtful." Yang Chen praised.
This niece is really rich. A considerable portion of Sun Xiu's family property fell into her hands. After years of business, she should have been rich enough to rival a country. However, the reality seems to be not right. A lot of money was spent by her.
But it doesn’t matter anymore.
Now that the business is open, I can always make money.
Chen Gong could not do this deal, because the King of Langya and the brothers Wang Dun and Wang Dao would probably not give him face, but Yang Shi could do it reluctantly. If Jing Qi was involved, Wang Dun would not give his uncle face.
"When will my niece set out for the west?" Yang Chen asked after the two of them entered the central hall.
"Just for these few days." Yang Xianrong sighed, his face changing from gloomy to bright, and he seemed to be hesitating.
I have been studying calligraphy for half a year, and I will definitely go back to Guangcheng Palace to live for a few months during the Chinese New Year.
But in the past few days, Shao Xun trained soldiers and handled government affairs during the day, and sneaked into this house after dark.
The north wind was howling outside and snow was everywhere. The two of them were sleeping in each other's arms in the bedroom, which made Yang Xianrong feel particularly at ease and particularly infatuated with this kind of life.
She wanted to tie that man to her side. She was so angry that she was about to explode when she thought about him joking with the Wang sisters during the day.
After returning to Guangcheng Palace, she planned to invite Princess Xiangcheng to come over. The two lonely people could celebrate the New Year together and ask her for advice.
After moving to Chenjun, her situation has improved greatly this year. Last night, she couldn't sleep in Shao Xun's arms and thought for a long time. Next year, Shao Xun may stay in Chenjun and Runan for a long time, and this is an opportunity.
Shao Xun likes to have a woman accompany him to sleep at night. Who will sleep with you in Runan? Thinking of this, Yang Xianrong wanted to smile secretly.
You are all finished!
"Go back early." Yang Chen certainly didn't know what was in Yang Xianrong's mind, so he just advised: "The business matters will be taken care of by the subordinates, you just need to take charge of the overall situation."
"Uncle is right." Yang Xianrong replied.
Wait a few more days and leave on the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month. By then Shao Xun will also be back to Xuchang.
After inspecting Luonan, Xiangcheng, Runan, Nandun and Chenjun, it’s almost enough. It’s time to go home to be with my parents and wife.
******
Contrary to what Yang Xianrong thought, Shao Xun was about to leave.
After listening to the reports from Yuzhou Governor Yang Jiongzhi and Chen State Prime Minister Cui Gong, this inspection was coming to an end.
Time is really tight!
After returning home, it will be inconvenient to go out again, so you must plan the precious time period before returning home and make full use of it.
After leaving Chen County, he would ride quickly north to Kaocheng to see his son, summon his shogunate officials as a military commander, listen to their reports, and then make arrangements for next year's work.
Work was the main purpose, and visiting Concubine Pei and her son was just a side job.
"My Lord," he said, "each household should plant fifty mulberry trees, five jujube trees, and three elm trees. Is that the minimum?" Cai Cheng had already arrived at the small hut in the woods, ready to report that the carriage and horses were ready and they could set off. But when he heard a conversation in the study, he stopped - the person who had just spoken seemed to be Wang Huifeng.
"This is the minimum." Shao Xun said, "One acre of land can plant eight mulberry trees, and two acres of mulberry forest can produce one bolt of silk. Well, that may be a little less, perhaps one and a half acres can produce one bolt of silk. If there are ten acres of mulberry forest, six bolts of silk can be produced in a year. You can calculate for me, if half an acre of the five-acre garden is used to build a house, how many jujubes and elms can be planted on the remaining four acres, and how many fruits and vegetables can be planted."
Wang Huifeng lowered his head and started to write and calculate.
"This is not right." Shao Xun pointed and accidentally touched Wang Huifeng's white and tender hand.
Wang Huifeng glanced at Shao Xun out of the corner of his eye and saw that he was staring at the words on the paper with a frown on his face, his mind focused. It seemed that it was an unintentional mistake.
She blushed suddenly, not because she was shy, but because she was ashamed of herself for judging others by her own mean mind.
In her opinion, what kind of woman is unattainable to Shao Xun? Why bother with her? Well, she obviously forgot what her father Wang Yan once said - perhaps it was selective forgetfulness.
"A common family can harvest 80 hu of grain and 6 pieces of silk per year. If they can harvest three crops in two years, they can harvest even more. In this way, they can have a year's surplus grain after two and a half years of farming. Jujubes, elms, fruits and vegetables can also be sold for money. If they raise some poultry and livestock, their lives will be much better." Wang Huifeng was delighted as he looked at the densely packed handwriting on the paper.
On the white paper, according to Shao Xun's habit, he listed the family income of a farmer under ideal circumstances horizontally and vertically.
Food: at least 80 hu, up to hu.
Cloth: about six pieces.
Mulberry wood: If mulberry trees are planted for ten years, based on the minimum standard of fifty trees, fifty mulberry trees can be sold for four to five thousand coins, which is evenly divided into ten years, which is more than four hundred coins per year.
Income from the house and garden: of a five-mu house and garden, half an acre is enough to build a house, and the rest can be fully utilized, that is, "the whole garden is planted with sunflowers and mulberry trees around the house."
The pods and leaves of the elm tree can be sold after three years, they can be used to make rafters after five years, bowls, bottles and other utensils after ten years, and vehicles after fifteen years.
As the most important economic tree species besides mulberry trees, elm planting is very common. During the fifteen-year economic cycle, the economic benefits generated by each elm tree are around three hundred coins.
If you plant ten jujube trees and ten elm trees in your garden, the average annual income will be around four hundred coins.
Income from vegetable plots: It depends on what you grow, the income varies greatly.
Income from livestock: Two pigs and five chickens, quite a bit by Han Dynasty standards.
Income from selling labor: This item is not available at the moment, because the slack season in farming requires training or military service.
"Do you feel that you are doing something great?" Shao Xun asked, looking at Wang Huifeng's happy face.
Wang Huifeng nodded and asked, "Can you really do it?"
"Just try your best." Shao Xun said, "You have also made great contributions in this matter. When it is successful in the future, you will definitely be mentioned in the history books."
"Whether it is recorded in history books or not is not important." Wang Huifeng shook his head and said, "As long as the world is peaceful and the people are happy, I will be satisfied. This is--"
This is out of sympathy for the prince, she thought to herself.
Shao Xun wrote a few lines of poetry on the paper: "In summer, there is rice with wild fowl, in autumn, there is chrysanthemum wine... Several jars have not been opened yet, will we be able to drink tomorrow?"
Wang Huifeng looked at it intently, as if it was the same poem as the one he had written before, "Planting More Than a Hundred Mulberry Trees".
Is this Mr. Chen’s ideal pastoral life?
It is impossible for the farmhands in the aristocratic fortress manor to live like this...
She looked at Shao Xun with bright eyes and said, "If you can do this, it will be a great achievement for generations to come."
"You helped me." Shao Xun said with a smile, "So you have to stay with me until that day."
Wang Huifeng couldn't bear his gaze, so he turned his head away and looked at the poem on the paper quietly.
My heart is a little confused.
"I'm leaving." Shao Xun suddenly stood up and said.
Wang Huifeng didn't react for a moment. After he understood what Shao Xun said, he subconsciously wanted to keep him.
Shao Xun bowed and turned to leave.
Wang Huifeng hurriedly returned the gift, behaving a little awkwardly.
After Shao Xun left surrounded by his personal soldiers, Wang Huifeng sat back at his desk. After picking up the pen, he found himself feeling lazy all over and didn't want to do anything.
After a while, she shook her head, dispelled the distracting thoughts in her mind, and continued reading.
(End of this chapter)