“Reporting to the Duke, last month Haixing Harbor received a total of 920,000 stones of grain! In the following two months, it is feared that the income will continue at this scale.” Even though Jiang Ni had been involved in numerous significant business deals over the years, this was the first time he had witnessed such a massive transaction. The volume of goods flowing through a seaport was unexpectedly immense, almost comparable to the grain production of several counties along the coastal areas of Ji County!
And this was only September; when the autumn harvest concluded, there would undoubtedly be even more merchant ships heading to Ji County. The fact that the new harbor was involved in the grain trade was already well-known. Although the profit from transporting grain was thin, the convenience of obtaining it was the key. Which wealthy family engaged in maritime trade didn’t own dozens or hundreds of acres of land? In contrast, the goods held by Bing County were not easily obtainable with such ease.
With this constant flow, a large quantity of grain poured into Ji County, as well as the warehouses of Si County and Bing County. With the availability of grain, there naturally came the capital to support the livelihoods of refugees and cultivate new fields. If this continued, there was no need to worry about the prosperity of the northern regions!
Facing Jiang Ni’s excitement, Liang Feng remained quite composed. The throughput of a seaport handling over ten million tons of goods was not considered a significant event. If it weren’t for frequent conflicts and trade contractions, the tax revenue might even exceed this amount.
On the side, Duan Qin also expressed his amazement, “When Lord mentioned the exemption of tariffs and reduction of market rents initially, many were worried. Who would have thought that not only did the tax revenue not decrease, but it also slightly increased? If this continues, it’s possible that Haixing Harbor could become a major port like Panyu.”
“The commercial route is like water. It can only thrive when it flows smoothly. In the Han Dynasty, wasn’t there also no mention of tariffs? It’s just following a good example,” Liang Feng explained with a faint smile.
During the Two Han Dynasties, tariffs were indeed abolished, promoting commerce. It wasn’t until the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty and the rise of warlords that checkpoints were established to collect tariffs and tax rates were increased. The current prevalent system was established during that time, requiring businesses to pay one-tenth of their earnings to the warlord in charge. With such a high tax rate and additional tariffs, it was challenging for commerce to thrive.
Although Liang Feng was not a business expert, the concept of attracting investment, revitalizing the economy, and developing people’s livelihoods was something he truly understood. The greatest benefit brought by commerce was its positive impact on the people. A bustling commercial district could rapidly boost the surrounding economy. Just like Haixing Harbor, constructing a city in a few short months was undoubtedly due to its lucrative prospects.
What he did was merely implement preferential measures and, incidentally, acquire some land for real estate development. Government-led construction of new cities was always a profitable venture. As for personal investments in hotels and shops, they were secondary. The primary focus was to involve influential families in the investment, share profits, align interests, and facilitate management. Otherwise, how could the number of bandits and thieves in Ji County have plummeted by over ninety percent?
Duan Qin nodded repeatedly, “Everyone says that commerce harms the people, but half of the refugees in the newly attached territories of Ji County can make a living because of Haixing Harbor. Perhaps even Qin Zhi, back in the day, couldn’t achieve such success!”
This was also the most remarkable aspect that impressed Duan Qin the most. Building roads had always been challenging. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang built the Qin Straight Road, “From Jiuyuan to Ganquan, a stretch of 1,800 miles, cutting through mountains and filling valleys, the road was incomplete.” Emperor Qin Shi Huang spent his entire life and never completed this massive project of 1,800 miles, causing increased taxation and endless military conscriptions. The colossal projects like the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, the Straight Road, and the Chariot Road eventually led to the downfall of the Qin Dynasty.
However, the lord’s approach was entirely different. He dared to use refugees for labor during times of great chaos! No province or commandery could absorb tens of thousands of refugees. With insufficient food and scarce cultivated land, any disturbance could lead to rebellion. However, substituting labor for relief was different; refugees could obtain food for sustenance while contributing their unused labor to large-scale construction.
For example, the original dirt road from Haixing Harbor to the ferry point on a tributary of the Zhang River took at least three days to traverse by foot. The use of manpower and animals alone would have been a considerable expenditure. However, after the new gravel road was completed, the journey could be made in a single day at the fastest! Moreover, there were relay stations along the way, providing fodder and meals for the grain convoy. This reduced losses to less than the original twenty percent.
And such roads brought great convenience to the merchant caravans. The more merchants, the higher the market rent, which in turn benefited the refugees. In this cycle, isn’t it marvelous?
Liang Feng nodded, “The road should continue to be extended, preferably covering the entire Ji County. Ji County has a flat terrain, which is most suitable for cavalry deployment. To resist the Xianbei cavalry, we must ensure that the roads are smooth for mobilizing troops and transporting supplies. Therefore, while channeling and dredging the river, it’s essential to expedite road construction.”
Hearing this, Duan Qin furrowed his brows slightly, “A few days of travel, it’s not difficult to build a road. However, the financial resources in Ji County are limited, I’m afraid.”
“No money? Then find a way to get the influential families involved. Reduce business taxes and increase the purchasing quotas for salt, porcelain, and glassware— as long as it’s beneficial, people will naturally flock to it. Ji County currently doesn’t lack manpower. With the convenient construction method of gravel roads, providing some grain will surely attract attention.” Liang Feng explained.
Duan Qin’s mind also stirred. This idea was not unreasonable. Manpower was abundant in Ji County, and the large water-powered stamp mills built along the Zhang River line solved the problem of obtaining small stones for road construction. With the flow of water constantly driving the wheels and pulling wooden hammers to strike the stones, wasn’t it a hundred times more convenient than relying on human labor?
With people and materials ready in the form of sand and gravel, the only thing lacking for road construction was food. Just providing some rations could allow them to obtain scarce goods, which was indeed enticing. Moreover, the lord didn’t explicitly state that only the influential families could provide food, right? In fact, the common clans and powerful families also had plenty of grain! These people might not have the opportunity to dabble in porcelain and salt, so how could they miss such a good opportunity to join in?
Once this method was implemented, it would likely be difficult to suppress the growth of commerce in Ji County!
“Lord, this method is ingenious!” Thinking of this, Duan Qin couldn’t help but nod.
Liang Feng smiled. The benefits of conducting trade were not limited to road construction alone. This money-centric class was an effective tool for breaking the monopoly of influential families. As more people entered the property-owning class through trade, their descendants would also have the opportunity to advance in education. Merchants couldn’t hold official positions, and historically, there was a tradition of favoring agriculture over commerce. However, many merchants who owned land later became landlords and common clans, advancing through this channel. Coincidentally, the current imperial examination system in Bing County was nominally for selecting officials. This could undoubtedly become an opportunity that many clever people could seize before it closed.
However, to develop commerce, there was still an urgent problem that needed to be solved.
“The matter of casting coins needs to be prepared…” Liang Feng slowly said, “Once the number of merchants increases, relying solely on grain transactions may not be appropriate.”
“This matter must not be rushed!” Duan Qin was resolute on this point. “Since the reign of Emperor Wu, for more than fifty years, the court has never minted coins. Why be in a hurry now? Besides, privately minting coins might easily arouse suspicion from Yang County. If there are difficulties with grain, we can use silk as a substitute. The matter of casting coins should be approached cautiously.”
This was also the most headache-inducing issue for Liang Feng. The currency of Western Jin had never truly entered the circulation market. Small transactions or transactions between influential families could still use coins, but the large-scale circulation of goods and even the distribution of officials’ salaries were conducted with physical objects. This was simply because, since Emperor Wu’s reign, there had been no coinage!
With numerous influential families and manors scattered everywhere, in such a self-sufficient society, commerce was naturally in decline. Moreover, with continuous warfare, the Western Jin government had not even exploited copper mines, lacking the capacity to issue currency. Hence, the money seen in the market now was purely ancient artifacts left over from previous eras. Even the money from the Han and Wei, Shu, and Wu periods was considered good, but the poor-quality coins minted by Dong Zhuo were practically unusable. The coins issued separately by the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu were insufficient in quantity. As for the coins from Shu and Wu, each worth one hundred and fifty-five-zhu coins, they were so thin and light that their face value couldn’t be equated.
In a society where coins were not widely circulated but served as decorations for the aristocracy, gifts, or symbolic acts, this problem became severe. Liang Feng, although not an economic expert, understood that replacing barter with currency was progress in society. If they wanted further development of commerce, they would eventually have to issue their own currency.
However, they couldn’t ignore the various concerns raised by Duan Qin. In the territories under his control, according to his memory, only Hedong, which would be Yun City, Shanxi in the future, had copper mines. However, Hedong was under the control of the Xiongnu and couldn’t be conquered easily. Even if they obtained copper, how to mint coins, in what quantity to issue them, and how to circulate them were all complex matters. Issuing too much or too little would cause social unrest; thus, they needed to be cautious.
Sighing softly, Liang Feng conceded, “Let the scholars in Qiuzhi Academy study it first. The matter of minting coins is of great importance and will eventually be brought to the forefront; we cannot take it lightly. However, in Haixing Port, we still cannot use silk for settlements; grain must still be the priority. The foundations of the provinces of Si and Ji are weak, and recovering the previous production levels will take time; stocking up on grain is our top priority.”
In recent years, the climate conditions have not been pleasant. The initial turmoil in Bing County was caused by severe drought in several provinces simultaneously. Such large-scale weather anomalies were definitely not isolated incidents. Droughts, floods, locusts, frosts, hailstorms—one after another—had a profound impact on agrarian societies. The Sima family caught the worst of it. The weather was as unpredictable as bungee jumping, yet these princes were relentless, wholeheartedly devoted to turning human heads into dog heads. It was like the old man on his deathbed decided to hang himself, tired of living!
Taking advantage of the current situation where the Xiongnu, Shi Le, and the small court in Yang County were all preoccupied, it was crucial to rest and recuperate for further development.
That was all he could do.
Next was the autumn imperial examination. Liang Feng’s gaze shifted to the examination questions sent by Fan Jijiu. The difficulty of the questions had increased significantly. He wondered how many usable talents would emerge from this examination.
Author’s note:
The Qin Straight Road was also a massive project, extending from the military stronghold Yunyang Lingguang Palace (now Liangwudi Village, Chunhua County, where Emperor Wu of Han cooled off) in the south to Jiuyuan Commandery (now Mengjiawan Village, southwest of Baotou City, Inner Mongolia) in the north, crossing 14 counties and covering over 700 kilometers. The road’s widest section was about 60 meters, generally 20 meters wide. In fact, Emperor Qin Shi Huang was similar to Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, both avid enthusiasts of infrastructure development. They took a hundred steps in one breath and ended up playing themselves to death. _(:з」∠)_
As for the issue of currency, the governments of the Eastern and Western Jin Dynasties had never minted coins. It was only during the reign of Emperor Xiaoyuan of Eastern Jin, in the Taixing era (318-321 AD), that Shen Chong of Wuxing privately issued some large-holed small coins. From the late Eastern Han Dynasty to the period of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were indeed several regimes that minted coins. Why the Sima family did not engage in coinage is something I don’t understand _(:з」∠)_
