Chapter 397 – Relocation to Chenzhou (Part 4)
“Ah, our future Lord is so impressive, does she really need that idle Strategist?”
As someone referred to as a “normal person” by Jiang Pengji, Feng Jin felt he had suffered thousands of points of damage.
The muscles in his mouth twitched uncontrollably; if it weren’t for the good upbringing he’d received, he’d probably have lost his composure by now.
“So you see, based on my preliminary estimate, Xiangyang isn’t entirely without merit; it just depends on how we develop it,” Jiang Pengji said. “However, these are ultimately my personal estimates; to understand the actual situation, we’ll need to personally visit Xiangyang.”
After hearing this, Feng Jin looked at the map and then at Jiang Pengji, suddenly realizing that no matter where she ended up, trouble would always follow.
“From my experience, there should be iron ore deposits in Xiangyang, with moderate reserves. If we exploit this…”
Swords, guns, and armor are essential for a well-equipped army and also the largest expense. Jiang Pengji was currently quite poor, barely able to feed her troops, let alone provide one or two hundred sets of quality weapons for the entire army.
“But… even if there is iron ore, how do we extract it?”
Feng Jin wasn’t one to argue for the sake of arguing, but his companion was being particularly annoying today, making it hard for him to resist.
If she’s so capable, why not just ascend to the heavens?
“I’ve heard some people say that if you want to get rich, you need to build roads, and um, plant more trees and less babies… cough, forget the second part.”
Jiang Pengji casually blurted out the audience’s teasing, but then became serious, “The key is in the first part—no region can thrive without accessible roads. The soil in Xiangyang isn’t particularly soft, so if we build a road out to the outside world, it would save a lot of inconvenience. As for the money, grain, and manpower needed for road construction, we shouldn’t worry too much.”
“Forced labor?”
Feng Jin frowned. Since ancient times, common people have detested forced labor, but they had no choice but to obey the imperial edict.
Forced labor, to put it simply, is unpaid physical work; do it well, and there’s no reward, do it poorly, and your whole family might face dire consequences.
If Jiang Pengji were to implement this right after taking office, it could easily provoke local resentment and resistance.
“That’s why I say Huaiyu is too much of a gentleman; some matters need flexibility. Rigid adherence to rules can be counterproductive,” Jiang Pengji noted. “Common forced labor is something common people dread. Why is that? It’s not because it’s unpaid and wastes their time, it also disrupts their farming. But if we provide a certain incentive—ensure their three meals are taken care of, and once the road is completed, reduce their agricultural taxes accordingly, or offer low rent for tools and oxen, who wouldn’t want to join?”
“And the money?”
Feng Jin couldn’t help but get down to brass tacks, hitting the nail on the head.
Jiang Pengji had made a good point, but the execution returned to the essence—money.
Where does the money come from?
She let out a small “ah” and shouted outside, “Xiaoyu, are you there? Come here.”
Before long, Xu Ke, who was busily overwhelmed, came in; the warmth and aroma inside the room were much better than outside.
“Young Master, is there something you need?”
Jiang Pengji asked, “Have the troops we dispatched to search the ruins of the various estates returned, and what were the results?”
Suddenly, Feng Jin understood, and his face turned somewhat green.
Where would the money come from?
Just “borrowed” right from the ruins!
Write an IOU, and when she eventually has money and the creditor comes knocking, she would pay it back.
However, this idea was his own suggestion, and Feng Jin could only bite the bullet and swallow his bitterness.
Before the earthquake, many nobles were summering outside the city, so most of the casualties were young servants.
When the quake struck and the Emperor intended to relocate the capital, some families hurriedly sent young servants back to gather jewelry, bags, and belongings.
In the rush, there wasn’t much they could take, and most of what was left ended up in Jiang Pengji’s hands.
Hearing this, Xu Ke’s complexion brightened significantly as he pulled out a list from his sleeve, detailing an impressive array of treasures.
Those high-ranking officials didn’t have time to collect their belongings, but Jiang Pengji’s troops certainly did; they could take everything they wanted, effectively sweeping the place clean.
When they came here, the troops had empty hands, but when they left, they were loaded down with goods.
Jiang Pengji said, “Look at that, we’ve got money now.”
Feng Jin: “…”
Right now, he just wanted some peace and quiet, not to engage in conversation.
Jiang Pengji decided not to tease the poor Feng Jin any longer, recognizing when to stop.
“First, let’s tally how many common people are willing to follow us. Time waits for no one.” Just as Jiang Pengji had finished speaking, she suddenly remembered something. “Oh right, let’s find someone to disguise as an ordinary villager and spread the word about the occurrences with the Green Garment Army and Red Lotus Sect.”
The audience in the live stream didn’t understand why Jiang Pengji was doing this, but Feng Jin and Xu Ke immediately got it.
Most of the common people today had a strong attachment to their homeland; even if they lost their homes now, with the court neglecting them, many would still prefer to stay put rather than follow an unfamiliar force to a new and even stranger place.
Jiang Pengji couldn’t be sure how many of the ten thousand or so would want to follow her, so she decided to employ a little trickery.
Following her meant not promising them meat at every meal, but at least they’d get warm porridge three times a day and their lives would be safe.
If they stayed behind or sought refuge with relatives, the bandits on the road could end their lives in a heartbeat.
Though it took a moment for them to process, the live stream audience was quick on the uptake, and many called out “666” for Jiang Pengji’s shamelessness.
【Cao Boss Loves Your Wife】: This little one won’t even let Second Brother help when going to the bathroom, and yet I’m impressed with you.
【Big Brother Selling Straw Sandals】: Seeing the host be so brazen, I suddenly feel relieved. Thinking back to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Liu Bei had to flee and couldn’t bear to part with the hundred thousand common people of Xinye, saying they voluntarily followed him. After watching the host, I suddenly started to theorize…
【Second Brother Dancing with a Big Knife】: Never have I seen someone so shameless, and so brazenly defiant about it, yet I just like it.
Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes secretly at the bullet comments.
Doesn’t she currently lack people and money?
If she didn’t find a way to increase revenue and cut costs, how could she expand such a vast operation?
In reality, the common people held Jiang Pengji in very high regard, with many sincerely respecting her.
How many of them had she personally rescued from the ruins?
Their survival wasn’t due to the court’s kindness or love for the people; it was simply because this young woman harbored a compassionate heart.
A saving grace feels like a rebirth.
When news of Jiang Pengji preparing to set off for Xiangyang spread, and they heard about the bandits stirring trouble with the Green Garment Army and Red Lotus Sect on the road, one could easily guess they were no legitimate organizations. Many common people felt anxious and desolate, fearing being abandoned by her.
Staying in the capital could mean death, so why not take a chance and start anew in a new place?
At the very least, life wouldn’t be any harder than it is now.
Young people were mostly willing to follow her, but the elderly and children posed a problem; they were slower and could be a burden.
“Don’t worry, elderly folks, whoever wants to go can go. The Young Master won’t leave any common people behind.”
A young man from a certain troop smiled, showing a nice set of teeth, comforting a nervous grandfather and grandchild duo.
