With the Ministry of Works' affairs recently settled, Si Xitong is taking the Ministry's research results very seriously. He's heard that a flintlock pistol and a firearm have been troubling the Southern Treasury for a year. To this day, no invention has been found that can compare to the flintlock gun developed by his father.
As a result, Xie Lanzhi diverted most of the warehouse's funds to the Ministry of Industry, which then invented the ignition tube lighter.
He was Wei Gong, a trusted confidant of Si Xitong and Wei Zhao's eldest disciple.
Si Xitong had been stingy in rewarding the craftsmen and clerks with rice cakes last time, but she secretly allocated a million taels of silver to her eldest disciple. Wei Gong spent 100,000 taels to forge a gun and barrel that were both moisture-proof and could be used to create a flint and steel mark. The most moisture-proof part of the flint and steel was cotton thread. The cotton thread was covered with a cloth pad that absorbed water, and once the surface got wet, it couldn't penetrate. Afterward, it could be used again simply by replacing it with a new moisture-proof cloth, which was much better than the traditional matchlock.
If humans can achieve this level of sophistication, the only missing piece would be a significant upgrade in materials technology.
When the remaining 900,000 taels were returned, Si Xitong gave the money to Wei Gong. To bestow 900,000 taels so readily was not just extravagant, it was practically throwing gold around. 900,000 taels was equivalent to the tax revenue of a city, and this event caused a sensation throughout the court and the public.
Si Xitong thus shed her nickname "Rice Cake Princess".
“I’ve had a lot less free time lately, but you’ve become much busier.”
"You handle foreign affairs, and I'll handle domestic affairs. We both value the Great Jin equally."
The two worked together seamlessly, understanding each other's thoughts without needing to say it aloud.
Unbeknownst to them, many political affairs in the Golden Palace had unintentionally shifted towards Si Xitong. This was not something that could be controlled by human intervention; it was all due to the circumstances.
The officials in the Golden Palace increasingly relied on Si Xitong's decisions, and the Xie family was busy with the decrees she had assigned every few days.
The streets were filled with the figures of court officials on horseback, coming and going. The streets and alleys of the common people also tacitly cleared the way and prepared cold drinks. It was early summer, and although it was not very hot, the long journey would definitely lead to dehydration, so cold drinks began to appear in the streets and alleys.
The ice distribution in Tianjing was also segmented. Mountain spring water ice was stored for the imperial palace first, while ordinary spring water ice was eagerly sought after by the nobles. The scraps and unattractive pieces of ordinary spring water were all distributed to the common people at low prices.
Commoners also have ways to refreeze broken ice and turn it into a piece of ice even more beautiful than that of the gentry.
As a result, the aristocratic families not only waited for the artisans in the palace to make ice for them, but also ordered ice from private merchants for their own use.
In early summer alone, the business of selling ice had already reached five million taels of silver.
I was utterly astonished by the officials of the Ministry of Works' Calculation Department. It seems that such a sum was only achieved a hundred years ago, during the reign of the retired Empress Dowager. Now, only the second year after the Emperor Xie arrived in the capital, it already possesses the purchasing power of a time of national revival. It is enough to call this a golden age of peace and prosperity in Tianjing.
As Xie Lanzhi's confidant, Ming Suanmen's rise in status was greatly facilitated by her attention. She was also generous, providing Ming Suanmen with items that were exclusively for the imperial use, which led talented individuals from all over the country to secretly consider Ming Suanmen as a future career.
Xie Lanzhi herself didn't need much ice, but the master of ceremonies in the palace insisted on giving her ice according to the emperor's standards, saying that the rules couldn't be changed. If she changed them, the number of people under her would also be reduced, and so on down the hierarchy until the common people had no ice left to use.
To be precise, it refers to the proportion of ice resources allocated. This is one aspect of the rigid feudal hierarchy.
Xie Lanzhi didn't want to waste time on a piece of ice, so she decided to handle her own ice as she saw fit. She gave all the excess ice to the Mingsuanmen, and she also gave the fruit to the Mingsuanmen and the Ministry of Works, or to other distributors, in case it spoiled.
Her subordinates had to frequently calculate tips for her, which was both time-consuming and laborious.
Tired of all this, Xie Lanzhi finally set up a logistics allocation department and appointed a clever and straightforward official as its head. Allocations were then carried out according to her rules.
When the master of ceremonies learned of this, seeing that she had not violated any ancestral rules, they did not say anything more.
This small distribution was fair, ensuring everyone had access; the only question was how much. The people of Tianjing began to be able to buy imperial tribute fruits on the streets every few days, enjoying a taste of the new offerings.
Merchants in the private sector saw the potential for profit and bought up these tribute fruits, transporting them out of Tianjing to sell at high prices to wealthy families in other regions, making a fortune in the process.
When Si Xitong learned that this small business chain could generate tens of thousands of taels of profit, she began to set her sights on merchants in the private sector.
Seeing the gleam in her eyes, Xie Lanzhi knew she was about to take action again. It wouldn't sound good if word got out that the imperial court was competing with private merchants for profit; it wouldn't be understood. But if it happened often enough and became the norm, it could change people's preconceived notions.
Xie Lanzhi conveyed her message to Si Xitong through the small ice cube.
Rules cannot be changed if they don't exist. If they do exist, then find a way to change them. Continue changing them until others accept the new rules.
The people are the loyal followers of the new rules.
"I think you're getting more and more cunning. You never consult with your court officials on anything, which makes them feel insecure."
Xie Lanzhi served her warm tea and then handed it to Si Xitong, saying, "They feel insecure, so they start making a scene. Aren't you afraid?"
Si Xitong took a sip, smiled faintly without saying a word, a cunning glint in her eyes, presumably brewing a storm of wits and courage in her mind.
"Lanzhi".
"Um."
"Starting today, let's stop eating apples. Let's have ice hot pot instead."
Xie Lanzhi had just picked up an apple when she put it back on the fruit plate and asked, "What crops did you ask Master Si to bring back this time?"
Si Xitong's agricultural economics book will probably include more types of meat and poultry. She did some calculations: "There are many, many. I heard that there is a kind of chili pepper from Southeast Asia called the Southeast Asian devil pepper. It was created by the local people of Sichuan and became a popular hot pot."
"There is another type of Southeast Asian pig that produces many offspring and has a lot of lean meat, so I also bought some. They will be sent to the Southern Regions and Tianjing for breeding, so that they can produce meat for our Great Jin Dynasty repeatedly."
She is becoming increasingly adept at business management.
Xie Lanzhi felt at ease letting go.
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:36:35 and 19:21:48 on December 15, 2021!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Qingshan (1);
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Bai Cha Qing Huan Wu Bie Shi (10 bottles); 51838864, Lu Ren Jia Yi Bing Ding Wu Xu (5 bottles); and Anonymous Bald Master (4 bottles).
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 75 Her Initiative Was Hit Seven Inches
It seems that the Khan of the Northern Regions, Beiluo, seized the opportunity when she softened her stance and kept sending friendly letters. Even Li Li sent a petition for a north-south alliance.
Xie Lanzhi disliked the term "strategic alliance" because it sounded unlucky. Back then, when Qin Shi Huang swept across the six states, the term "strategic alliance" didn't live up to its name and didn't amount to much.
But she took Li Li's petition very seriously.
If we rely solely on Yifan as the capital, with 30,000 troops barely able to protect it, then Yifan's fighting strength is ultimately no match for Tianjing's geographical advantages.
Xie Lanzhi replied to Li Li, stating her attitude towards establishing a commercial capital with her, and then clarifying the pressure they faced from the Xiongnu.
Li Li reacted quickly, immediately pointing out that the North-South alliance should include Honghe Shangdu in the treaty, and promising generous terms such as allowing Xie Lanzhi to send troops to assist in protecting the capital.
If enemy troops were to enter the enemy's commercial center during wartime, it would undoubtedly be fatal.
The conditions offered by Li Li are sufficient proof of Bei Luo's emphasis on Shangdu. Without Bei Luo's delegation of power, Li Li would not have been qualified to lead troops, because for the Northern Region, this would be an act of inviting a wolf into the house.
But the rice from the Southern Regions is simply too fragrant. It has a fatal attraction for the Northern Regions.
The Khan of the Northern Regions of Xiang was willing to pay such a high price to facilitate the establishment of the Red River Commercial Capital.
Xie Lanzhi did not explicitly refuse, but instead replied with a question: "How much say does Crown Prince Yelü have, and how much say does the Khan have over all his generals?"
If any other ruler of a small country dared to ask such a question, they would surely be met with the iron fist of the Northern Region's arrogance. But the one who asked was Xie Lanzhi.
The food shortage in Beiluo was so severe that it was enough to make the generals and slaves want to rebel. However, the food shortage alone was not enough to justify the slaves' rebellion. The more significant issue was the extremely unfair tribal system in the Northern Region. The pie was only so big, and Beiluo took half of it. Then, the sons of the Northern Region divided the other half into more than a dozen pieces, leaving only scraps for the slaves, who were the main source of soldiers for the Northern Region.
In the Northern Regions, the common people are not called "citizens" but rather slaves. The tribespeople, though considered citizens of the Northern Regions, are small landowners second only to the tribes. Furthermore, tribespeople and slaves are not allowed to intermarry.
As the number of slaves grew, so did the power of slave owners. The Eight Generals, who commanded tens of thousands of slaves, strengthened their power, with Yelü Wen as their leader.
Yelü Wen wielded immense power in the Northern Region. As his father, Bei Luo's patriarchal authority inevitably exerted some restraint on his son, allowing him to control Yelü Wen. However, once Bei Luo passed away, no one would restrain Yelü Wen, and his sons from various tribes would be unwilling to submit to him, inevitably leading to internal strife within the Northern Region. The Northern Region would then be hollowed out by these ruthless and powerful forces.
The Hu Xiongnu king and Yelü Wen were on good terms. Yelü Wen had privately instigated the Hu Xiongnu to attack several times, cutting off their supplies to destroy Li Li's power and eliminate a powerful enemy for himself.
The Xiongnu had dominated the north for a century, with countless strategists in the Central Plains under their command; they would not listen to the instigation of a mere inexperienced young man. They didn't even respond.
But I can't guarantee I won't have this idea in the future.
Bei Luo saw the hidden danger. Although he disliked the crown prince, the crown prince was, after all, his son. The powerful enemy, the Hu Xiongnu, was an outsider, and he certainly couldn't let them take over his position.
The haste in establishing Beiluo stems from a desire to strengthen Li Li's power to contain Yelü Wen and indirectly resist pressure from the Xiongnu. This aims to ensure the safety of the capital and its surroundings in the northern regions. Therefore, Li Li has become a balancing force, a means to distribute pressure from the Xiongnu in the north. Using him effectively can bring benefits.
Bei Luo replied that he was getting old and recounted his past close and friendly interactions with Emperor Xicheng, attempting to appeal to his father-in-law's emotions.
Xie Lanzhi did not accept it until Bei Luo replied again, which slightly caught her attention.
Beiluo promised Xie Lanzhi 50,000 troops to jointly establish a commercial capital, and gave her half of the control of the port, but on the condition that she must fulfill her responsibility to resist the Huns.
He also promised that after his death, Li Li would become the next Khan. The contract could be renewed for three generations.
Xie Lanzhi was indeed tempted by such favorable terms, but she felt suffocated by Bei Luo's previous strategy of supporting Yelü Wen to suppress Li Li and maintain a balance. Instead of trying to control power, strengthening one side while suppressing the other would only hasten disaster.
Now they're resorting to the same old tricks to cultivate Li Li.
It seems that this Khan's abilities have been limited to this.
Xie Lanzhi did not reply. The Northern Region was also much quieter, with fewer spam emails and requests for alliances being sent as before.
It's impossible for her to form an alliance with the Northern Region. What would an alliance mean?
Xie Lanzhi took out the long halberd sent back from the Southern Region, held the golden hilt, wiped the blade, and looked at her reflection in the blade, her facial features clearly visible.
She smiled with satisfaction: "An alliance means that we can no longer attack our own allies."
Si Xitong was already aware of the frequent correspondence between the Northern Region and Xie Lanzhi, who also frequently returned to the military camp for inspections. Her every move was affecting the hearts of Tianjing and the Southern Region.
A tense atmosphere, as if ready to draw swords at any moment, permeated the entire capital. The Xie family of the Southern Region was rapidly integrating into Fengxi Town, with other towns also settling in. It was as if they were moving the entire Southern Region there.
"Whether you agree or not, it's only a matter of time before things change in the Northern Region."
Xie Lanzhi said, "Then I'll wait. How can I tell if they're in a hurry or not if I don't wait?"
In fact, both inside and outside the Northern Region were anxious, as if the situation was like being on fire and about to reach their eyebrows.
Li Li, however, had the leisure to let his father, the Khan, worry about this, causing him sleepless nights. Yelü Wen was equally anxious. His eight generals, hearing that their Khan had secured a supply route through the tribe and was showing great sincerity, naturally tightened their belts, waiting for the Khan to distribute provisions. Therefore, no matter how Yelü Wen tried to incite his eight generals, they were all aware of the situation.
They supported Yelü Wen and followed him as their leader, but if they didn't have enough to eat, it was uncertain whether not only Yelü Wen but also their own power could be preserved. Food was the final straw that broke the camel's back for the slaves. Normally, the Eight Generals could exploit the slaves however they wanted, but once they were driven to the brink, it would inevitably backfire.
The slaves are the fighting force of the Eight Generals, they are the elite, but if the elite turn against them, they will be the ones to be preyed upon.
Meanwhile, the Khan is working hard to secure supply lines. At this juncture, launching an attack on the Crown Prince would only offend the Lord Xie, doing more harm than good. It would be a losing proposition.
This is where Xie Lanzhi's advantage of establishing a commercial capital, taking the initiative, and holding the key to the northern region became apparent.
The so-called North-South alliance was actually just the Northern Region trying to restrict Xie Lanzhi's actions and prevent her from overstepping her bounds. It was an alliance to control her. So why would she accept it?
The longer Xie Lanzhi didn't reply, the more anxious Bei Luo became. He had already opened one granary, and opening another would mean two years' worth of grain reserves. However, if the harvest wasn't good, the reserves for those two years would be gone. The more granaries he opened, the more holes he would create, until they were riddled with holes and beyond repair.
Bei Luo couldn't eat or sleep. He retreated again and again, until he had squeezed himself to the minimum. He decided to sever ties with the Shi Kingdom and increase the supply of strong cattle and horses, selling them to Tianjing at a fraction of their original value—essentially giving them away for free. He then promptly sold off the Shi Kingdom.
This condition tempted Xie Lanzhi.
She was very tempted.
Especially when asking his beloved wife, she specifically said, "The Khan of the Northern Regions is so generous that everyone who sees him is moved."
"If I agree this time, I'll get 80% of the benefits. Does offering me so many advantages mean the Northern Region is truly facing a life-or-death crisis?"