Chapter 37

Ten days later, Liang Xing and his companions arrived at the Zhang family residence. Li Jinlian was crying and making a fuss inside, refusing to leave no matter what.

Liang Xing and his companions were at a loss as to what to do. Just as they were about to step forward to persuade her, Li Jinlian spat in Liang Xing's face, acting extremely aggressively. Liang Xing and his companions were left in a sorry state, retreating with their heads hung low.

Seeing the situation, Lady Chang's chanting of Buddhist scriptures sped up significantly. After this incident, anyone who came to propose taking a concubine would likely be chased away with a big stick.

Zhang Han was the only one who suffered. Actually, there were a few maids in the household, none of whom had bound feet. They were around fifteen or sixteen years old, with smooth and healthy skin. One of them, with an oval face and skin as white as snow, was named Yang Liu. She walked with a graceful demeanor, and Zhang Han had already taken a fancy to her, wanting to take her as a concubine. However, with Jinlian around, Zhang Han didn't dare to mention it.

Unable to say anything, Zhang Han stepped forward and said, "Do you know that we are sending you to a Taiji, who is my business partner? He will treat you with the utmost respect."

"Even if he respects me, it's still Tartar territory, smelly and dirty. I won't go."

Zhang Han sighed and said, "Jinlian, I see that you enjoy a life of luxury. The Taiji is a noble among the Mongols, equivalent to a prince in our land. His yurt is vast, filled with countless gold and silver objects, and he has hundreds of servants. Moreover, he particularly likes Han women, especially those who are plump, fair, and have bound feet. I thought you were unhappy living here, so I wanted to elevate you to a better place. Who would have thought you would resist so much? I guess I'll reconsider..."

"No, no, no," Li Jinlian's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "I'll go, I'll go."

"Very well," Zhang Han said with a smile, "When you get there, if there's anything worth reporting, write it down. I'll arrange for someone to contact you, and I'll give you silver to spend each time. Is that acceptable?"

Li Jinlian, being very greedy, immediately agreed, seeing an opportunity to make more money from Zhang Han.

"Master Zhang, you are truly capable..." Liang Hong and the others were sweating profusely, even though it was only late March and the weather was mild. The sweat was clearly from their nervousness.

Zhang Han chuckled, "There's nothing to boast about. Although the conditions there are not great, this woman is greedy, and there are indeed many gold and silver objects there. The Taiji also likes Han women like her. If this line of communication remains open, it could be useful in the future, even if it's just a little."

Of course, this was just a side benefit. The most important thing was that he had finally removed the landmine from his household...

...

"Master Zhang, they have come to complete the transaction."

This was the final transaction, involving 3,000 stones of grain, delivered in thirty batches, each less than 2,000 stones. Nearly a hundred two-wheeled carts, each pulled by two horses, transported the grain from outside Xiping Fort to the Mongols, about ten miles away.

Such a large-scale smuggling operation was clearly visible to the border guards, but they had all been bribed, from the garrison commander to the company officers. They had been told, "Master Zhang said there will be a delivery every month."

With this, who would dare to cause trouble?

This was the last delivery. The carts arrived, and the laborers unloaded the grain bags. About twenty armed guards on horseback spread out to protect the area. Hundreds of Tartars came with their horses, each carrying three to four hundred pounds. This time, over 2,000 stones of grain were transported using nearly a thousand horses, a grand spectacle.

After the transaction was completed, a Tartar led a camel over, carrying two large silver bags, each containing less than 2,000 taels of silver. This marked the completion of the silver and goods exchange.

"Everyone is very satisfied," Yinding said, riding over on his horse. He no longer mentioned asking Zhang Han to paint, and he said with a broad smile, "We are short of grain, and your Ming Dynasty is strict about the market, only allowing purchases during the market days, and the quantities are limited. If you can provide grain on this scale regularly, we won't even need the monthly market."

The monthly market, a private market, had various restrictions, especially on grain in the early days. It mainly dealt with miscellaneous goods, and fruits and vegetables were not restricted. The corresponding tribe to Xiping Fort was the eldest son of Altan Khan, the second-generation Shunyi King, Huang Taiji, who was also a restless leader. His tribe was estimated to have around 100,000 people, and including the elderly, children, and women, there were about 300,000 to 400,000 people. With the nearby tribes, the total population was certainly over 500,000. The official and private markets were not enough to meet the needs of so many people, including their livestock. However, the Ming Dynasty's horse market was more about political considerations, hoping to use this form to control the restless Mongol tribes. The opening and closing of the market were based on politics, and market considerations were far behind. The market was insufficient, and the supply of goods was also far from enough, but the court would not address this.

"Grain will definitely be available," Zhang Han said confidently. In fact, the grain prices in the fort had been rising, and the supply was very limited. The largest households had a lot of grain but were holding back. To acquire more grain, he would have to go to the fields himself. The best time to buy from farmers would be from late April to early May, when the wheat harvest begins, or even better, in June when the summer taxes are collected.

Acquiring grain was difficult, and the profit margins were low after the price increase, but the potential benefits were significant. Zhang Han would not cut off the trade he had established. He would maintain it by any means necessary, even at a loss.

"Han boy, it's settled then."

Yinding was in a very good mood, looking much more handsome than usual.

As a small Taiji, he had suddenly acquired tens of thousands of stones of grain, and there would be a steady supply in the future. This smuggling route was not like the small-scale operations of Han merchants, who transported a few carts of grain or miscellaneous goods with donkeys and mules. This was a major business deal by a legitimate merchant.

He had already received praise from his superiors. If this continued throughout the year, the nearby tribes would not face the risk of famine. In recent years, due to drought, life on the grasslands had been difficult. Without this trade, they would have already raided the border to gather food.

However, this was just the beginning. He still needed to see if the Han boy had the capability to deliver.

Yinding did not say more, bowing in the Han style and riding away.

He deliberately did not mention Li Jinlian, fearing that Zhang Han might bring it up. The Han woman was plump and fair, with a face like a silver plate. Yinding was captivated by her, especially her small feet, which he found fascinating.

There were some Han women on the grasslands, some who had come on their own, some who had been trafficked, and many who had been captured during wars with the Ming Dynasty. These women were mostly from the lower classes, with rough hands and large feet. A woman like Li Jinlian was extremely rare.

Yinding knew that Han men often gifted concubines to each other, but his cooperation with Zhang Han was just beginning, and their relationship was not deep. Moreover, Yinding believed that Zhang Han must cherish Li Jinlian as a precious treasure. For Zhang Han to send such a beloved concubine as a hostage showed his sincerity.

...

After Yinding left, everyone returned with the carts. During this period of transporting grain, the carts and horses from nearby stores were called back, and several dozen more were rented, barely enough to meet the demand.

Everyone was in high spirits, except for Zhang Han, who was frowning, thinking about the future of grain acquisition.

To the modern reader, the transportation of tens or hundreds of stones of grain seems trivial, but in the early to mid-Ming Dynasty, transporting grain from Shaanxi's Guanzhong region to northern Shaanxi was a daunting task. For example, a county might have a task to transport 5,000 stones of grain to the Yanxiu Town, which is 600,000 pounds, requiring a large number of horses and people, and significant expenses. The official roads were in poor condition, and there were many mountain paths, small roads, and rivers that interrupted the route. What could be done easily with a few large trucks in modern times required a significant amount of manpower and resources in that era.

The current issue was the rising grain prices, but this was not a concern. The demand on the grasslands was high, and the prices could rise without fear.

Zhang Han's business was based on transportation, and the account office was established on the mutual circulation of money and goods. If transportation could be further improved, with a logistics system that was incredibly efficient, grain could flow like water across Shanxi, Hebei, and Shaanxi. This would not only ensure a steady supply for his business but also prevent large-scale famines and the resulting banditry that could threaten the Ming Dynasty.

However, Zhang Han would not do this. The former was his concern, while the latter was the court's responsibility.

The longer he stayed in the Ming Dynasty, the more he felt that the dynasty was sick, not just sick, but seriously ill.

The tax system, household registration, merchant registration, market registration, trade management, official and local administration, laws, the single-whip tax system, clerks, and the military were all diseased. The causes were unclear, but the symptoms were obvious.

At the upper levels, officials were preoccupied with bickering with the emperor, and the emperor, in a fit of pique, ignored state affairs. Zhang Han had read the official gazettes, and from 1617 to 1618, the chief minister Fang Congzhe submitted multiple memorials requesting disaster relief and the appointment of officials, but the emperor ignored them all.

Many people claim that the Ming Dynasty continued to function well even with the emperor's neglect, but this is a complete fabrication.

The situation in the north and south was different. The development of agriculture, industry, and commerce in the south due to trade could not fully represent the north. The emperor's neglect had a fatal impact on the north, which needed the court's coordination for disaster relief, the construction of water conservancy projects, tax reductions, road repairs, and the transportation of grain to disaster areas. However, everything deteriorated, and by the time of the Chongzhen era, the situation had reached its end.

At the lower levels, clerks were corrupt, and officials were indifferent to the people's suffering. At the upper levels, officials were preoccupied with moral debates with the emperor and had no ideas or plans for reform. The most daring reformer was Zhang Juzheng, but his single-whip tax system and other measures were still just patchwork within the existing framework.

The Ming Dynasty's laws had not changed since the founding of the dynasty, and the emperor and officials were completely unable to adapt to the new situation. The regulations set by Zhu Yuanzhang were based on conditions from over 200 years ago, and "ancestral rules" had become a symbol of complacency. In contrast, the Song Dynasty's laws were continuously improved and developed, and like the Tang Dynasty's laws, they were divided into various categories to manage and promote commerce and industry, and to utilize the wealth generated by foreign trade. In this aspect, the Song Dynasty was far ahead of the Ming Dynasty.

Local administration was left to Zhejiang secretaries who treated politics as a business. Whether the emperor was negligent or the court officials tried to establish authority, the entire social structure had completely detached from reality. Neo-Confucianism had reached a dead end, and Mind School was becoming increasingly abstract, unable to solve problems and instead serving as a shield for officials' lack of moral integrity. The purpose of the law was to adjust social relations, but the Ming legal system had lost this function and even the willingness to do so. In the traditional agricultural sector, harsh policies and severe punishments bound farmers to the land, while the gentry sucked their blood. New industries such as manufacturing, finance, and foreign trade were outside the system, and the system had neither the willingness nor the ability to manage these new industries or incorporate their benefits into the empire. This led to a deadlock, with the north in decline and the south prosperous, and the merchants becoming increasingly wealthy. The restrictions and weakening of merchants were not based on the legal system, and the benefits were not converted into wealth for the Ming court. Instead, they were divided among the privileged classes and merchants, leading to the court's increasing poverty, which, combined with the north's devastation, ultimately led to the court's financial bankruptcy and the chaos in the north. The Jurchens then took advantage of the situation, plundering the south's wealth and eliminating the merchant and gentry classes, leading to the dynasty's collapse.

These insights were derived from Zhang Han's deep integration into the Ming Dynasty, viewing things from a modern perspective and summarizing his observations.

Corrupt officials and border guards were just surface issues. The root cause was that the dynasty's system was rotten, starting with the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and the subsequent complacency and inertia led to the dynasty's decline. Before, Zhang Han's understanding was theoretical, but now, being in the midst of it, his thoughts touched on the true reasons for the dynasty's collapse.

However, this was not his concern. Although the thoughts were heavy, they were not painful. He was not a member of the Ming royal family, the emperor, a noble, or a gentry. He did not belong to the privileged class, and the dynasty's interests were not his. On the contrary, he was a target of the dynasty's suppression and weakening. Now that the dynasty's control over the people had weakened, merchants had the opportunity to rise. Therefore, whether the Ming Dynasty fell or not was irrelevant to him. Even the officials he encountered were as greedy and fierce as tigers. What harm would it do if the dynasty fell?

Zhang Han only had a sense of the nation. No matter how the country changed, it was still China. The Manchus had also integrated into Chinese civilization, and ethnic conflicts were not as unacceptable to him. He had been educated this way from a young age and had no unique personal views. After all, in the grand scheme of history, he was just a small figure.

A small figure should focus on small matters. Zhang Han's current headache was still the grain. In the past few months, this was the most pressing issue.

---

This chapter contains a lot of discussion, which can be a hindrance to reading in a historical novel. I have noticed that I tend to elaborate on these points and am trying to improve. However, writing a historical novel without these elements would be like writing a fantasy novel. Therefore, some chapters will still include these discussions.