The world of film and television begins with the God of Medicine.

Chapter 1652 Li Wantang

Since making peace with the Heavenly Kingdom, Huoshan has been remarkably peaceful, unlike anything seen in a chaotic world.

Even the refugees who fled here expanded outwards from Huoshan, clearing out all the arable land around them in preparation for planting some wheat and hoping to have some harvest.

In reality, Huoshan currently lacks sufficient food supplies. Even though there are mountains of grain piled up in the mountains, enough to last a year, it doesn't mean everyone will be well-fed. It only means that his soldiers can maintain their fighting capacity, and the common people will not starve or cause trouble.

There are still more than 10,000 refugees coming in, and they need basic necessities such as food and salt.

Of course, no place is currently experiencing a food shortage; in fact, the people of Huoshan are living a life that is truly heavenly compared to other places…

Fortunately, Wang Yan's escort agency is now truly the best in the world, and no one will dare to cause trouble for Shunfeng Escort Agency. Because now, whether in the territory of the Heavenly Kingdom, the territory of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, or the territory of other rebel forces or bandit tyrants, if anyone dares to steal anything from Shunfeng Escort Agency, they will face annihilation.

Such a force that makes its fortune through robbery cannot withstand the attack of a thousand troops who are professionally trained, well-organized, and equipped with advanced firearms.

If a powerful force can withstand the pressure, they don't need to resort to such low-level activities as highway robbery, because there are much more lucrative businesses available. Such forces typically partner with the Shunfeng Escort Agency; otherwise, they won't be able to obtain large quantities of goods.

Even if some of these forces are truly out of their minds, using their power to detain and rob goods, it won't be more than a month before someone sends their whole family to enjoy a life of luxury.

In recent years, such fools have become rare. Because the world is never short of greedy people. Whenever they arrive in a new place, there are always problems, and repeated friendly exchanges are mistaken for weakness and submission, leading them to become even more aggressive, and thus they get what they want. Such incidents don't need to happen too often; one in one region is enough.

As more and more such incidents occur, they will naturally spread and cause people to make the right choices in a sober manner.

People understand the difference between making small fortunes over a long period and making a fortune all at once...

The Heavenly Kingdom's northern expeditionary force fought its way to Tianjin, where it finally encountered fierce resistance and was unable to advance any further. This was an isolated army operating deep in enemy territory; the Heavenly Kingdom's main force and supplies had not kept up, and even communication with the rear was disrupted. Had they not later learned that the Heavenly King and Yang Xiuqing had not considered sending reinforcements.

Meanwhile, the western expeditionary force was also making good progress. After ceasing its confrontation with Huoshan, the Taiping army quickly captured Hefei and then marched southwest to Huangzhou, once again taking control of the Wuchang area.

The remaining forces of the Heavenly Kingdom, centered on Tianjing, expanded their rule over the Liangjiang region and constructed a defensive line to protect Tianjing.

After all, it's the capital of the Heavenly Kingdom. Now that they've established their base, the first thing they naturally think about is how to ensure their safety. They want to prevent a surprise attack from directly threatening the central command's security, and they need to be able to cope for a while while maintaining sufficient depth.

In other words, the Heavenly Kingdom is not thinking about how to break through or how to completely conquer the Central Plains, but rather how to secure its own spoils of victory.

The shift from offense to defense can be seen as a change in strategy.

Although the Qing Dynasty wasn't entirely successful, it still wielded more power. This old feudal machine sensed its impending doom and began to struggle. This struggle, of course, was more powerful than usual—it was a feudal counterattack.

As a result, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's attack did not go so smoothly, and the Xiang Army began to emerge, engaging in fierce battles with the Taiping Army in the Hunan and Hubei regions.

During this period, Wang Yan also received numerous attempts to win over the Qing court. They even used their connections with the Shunfeng Escort Agency to deliver an imperial edict to him, which they bestowed upon him regardless of whether he acknowledged it or not.

Anyway, Wang Yan is a rebellious person, so as long as he doesn't directly rebel with the Taiping Army, it doesn't matter.

Based on their understanding of Wang Yan's modus operandi, it's clear that he prefers to reap the benefits of the conflict and profit from the fighting between the two sides. Therefore, they sent Wang Yan an imperial edict and spread the word, letting the Heavenly Kingdom know that Wang Yan is unlikely to join the war.

Even if Wang Yan was provoked into joining the rebellion, and even if his subordinates were highly skilled and stronger in combat, in the end, they only numbered a few thousand.

Even if Wang Yan were to incite the people to revolt like he did, the situation couldn't get any worse. After all, the people have already started cannibalism; they don't really need Wang Yan's group.

However, these still arrogant masters did not know just how strong Wang Yan's organizational and leadership abilities were, and that it was not simply a matter of the number of rebels increasing.

However, Wang Yan really didn't want to raise the flag of rebellion now, because that would require a clear division of power, and he wouldn't be any more relaxed than he is now.

After all, he can still open escort agencies on both sides and make money from them through trade to expand his own power...

Gunshots rang out.

"All hit the target!" A soldier shouted from afar.

Li Wantang patted the gun in his hand, examined it from left to right, and was very satisfied.

"Grandpa, you've really put the credit right into my hands."

“You’ve delivered a lot of goods to me over the past few months, even sending them to Zhengzhou. Although the escort agency could have delivered them themselves, there are many places that need manpower right now, and you, Mr. Li, have saved me a lot of trouble.”

“The old man is a man of great importance. We have such a good working relationship, how could I possibly hinder his business? If I have the ability to gather the goods together, I should naturally save the old man some effort.”

Li Wantang laughed heartily, "And we also benefit, sir. You may not know this, but because we piled up large quantities of goods in Zhengzhou, we attracted many small merchants. They traded in Zhengzhou, and even the number of working people increased significantly. Things there are cheaper than elsewhere."

If it weren't for the natural disasters and man-made calamities that have plunged China into chaos, that place would likely be experiencing a true golden age. And indeed, their tax revenue is substantial, which is no small feat at this time; everyone in Zhengzhou has benefited. Furthermore, most of their officials are Prince Gong's men, making our business a win-win situation.”

"People say I'm domineering and don't follow the rules, but actually I've always pursued a win-win situation for everyone."

"The old man doesn't seem surprised by the situation in Zhengzhou?"

Instead of rushing to flatter him, Li Wantang astutely identified the problem.

Understanding a city's situation represents many things, such as mastery of various information, more advanced analysis, and most importantly, a true understanding of economic development and social operation. In short, it represents a person's vision and wisdom.

All of this happening to a peasant like Wang Yan is certainly astonishing, and chilling upon closer examination. "Whether it's the Qing Dynasty or the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, I think they've all planted people under my command. They didn't before, and they definitely do now. Planting, bribing, coercing, enticing—you should know that I've been having my brothers from the escort agency gather all sorts of information."

“Sir, you speak your mind, that’s true.” Li Wantang nodded in agreement. “That’s why the imperial court is paying close attention to Shunfeng Escort Agency! They’re keeping a close eye on their every move. But what I’m curious about isn’t that you know about Zhengzhou, but rather the situation you’ve analyzed. I haven’t heard of any famous scholars under your command.”

"Although your words may seem disrespectful, I can still offer you an answer." Wang Yan raised his head, his gaze falling on the gun in Li Wantang's hand. "In this world, a scholar who has studied diligently for twenty years is no match for a firearm like this. Fame and reputation are nothing more than a flowery sedan chair carried by many, all built up through mutual hype."

Those who gain fame are few, while the majority remain unknown. Take, for example, Lu Mochen, the magistrate of Huoshan County. In my opinion, in terms of governing ability alone, he is more than capable of managing a province. I gave them the opportunity to rise to prominence, and naturally, they worked hard to demonstrate their value, proving that my investment was worthwhile.”

Wang Yan did not exaggerate Lü Mochen's abilities, because the imperial court's administrative structure was vertical, with six ministries at the top and six departments at the bottom. It was a case of "a thousand threads above, one needle below." The affairs of the world did not reside with the emperor or the central government, but with these lower-level officials; that's how a department head governs the country.

The ability to balance the situation in a county and ensure stability is crucial. This capability, when extended to governing a prefecture or province, would be sufficient to handle most situations. Of course, this is an ideal scenario.

The real problem is that one's own life shouldn't be taken to that extreme. But the various officials and wealthy families causing trouble below all do, exaggerating the risks. Outsiders, unaware of the local unspoken rules, are unable to navigate the complexities and find a way to maintain order, naturally leading to chaos. The consequences range from losing their positions to losing their lives.

Li Wantang seemed to understand something, then said with a smile, "I can understand Magistrate Lü. His family is in Tianjin, while he is in Huoshan. Huoshan is surrounded by Taiping rebels, so it must be tough for him."

"Nothing is easy. Everyone's risking their lives."

Wang Yan waved his hand, "No more, I'll just take a thousand for you this time."

"I heard that last year only 600 were sold to the Taiping Army, but this year so many were sold in one go. It must be because of the production side..."

"You supplied enough raw materials and sent me a lot of craftsmen. After so long, the problem has finally been solved. As long as there are enough raw materials, we can produce tens of thousands of units a year from now on."

Li Wantang was astonished, because this production volume was practically explosive for this land at present. Especially considering that the brand-new gun he had just used hadn't had a single problem.

Moreover, this successful experience can be replicated. If conditions permit, Wang Yan can increase the output to 100,000 or even hundreds of thousands of guns per year by opening more steelmaking furnaces and gun-making workshops.

Such advanced firearms could truly play a decisive role on this land. After all, neither the Qing Dynasty nor the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom had managed to equip every person with a musket!
He composed himself and then asked, "I wonder if you have any knowledge of artillery, sir?"

"Of course! It's already finished. You'll see it if there's ever a war."

Li Wantang asked cautiously, "Sir, if I may be so bold as to ask, I wonder about the production volume of these cannons..."

Wang Yan smiled and said, "That's enough."

Li Wantang subconsciously wondered, "How much is 'enough' exactly?" Then he thought of the previous war between Huoshan and the Heavenly Kingdom. At that time, Wang Yan must have already built cannons, but he didn't use them at all. In other words, Wang Yan was confident of victory back then, and the war with the Heavenly Kingdom was just child's play.

This chilling feeling made even the well-informed Li Wantang break out in a cold sweat.

He noticed the thumb ring on Wang Yan's thumb and laughed: "It seems that this thumb ring will only serve as decoration and a means of showing off in the future."

"Archery can also be a good exercise. I shoot a bag of arrows whenever I have free time to stretch my muscles and bones."

The gun deal was settled, and the two strolled away from the shooting range and headed back to the training ground.

Obviously, the firing range had to be quite far from the training area to avoid affecting the local people. Therefore, the firing range was located in a valley in the tea plantation.

It was the Grain Rain season, and the people were picking tea leaves, while those down the mountain were busy frying tea.

"Such a scene is truly rare..." Li Wantang exclaimed.

"It's no use. Tea isn't selling well these days. Last year's price was only 30% of what it was last year. It's all a waste of time." As he spoke, Wang Yan looked at Li Wantang, "You have business dealings with foreigners, can you sell it?"

"Foreigners are incredibly shrewd. In this situation, everything is in short supply, yet nothing can be sold. The hard currencies are grain, salt, sugar... They only offer tea at 40% of its original price. Sir, you know that foreigners can do business with both the Qing Dynasty and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom; they never lack goods."

"Sell it. We've worked so hard for so long, we can't let it all go to waste. We have to get some grain in return."

The best way to maintain order is, of course, to keep production, communication, and the supply of basic goods. Therefore, Huoshan, once a beautiful little county, is now devoid of beauty. Various workshops have opened, and the people have work to do, processing the various goods transported in from outside.

“Okay, I’ll send the tea to Zhengzhou later and then I’ll talk to the foreigners.” Li Wantang agreed readily.

The two wandered among the busy tea farmers. Li Wantang didn't say anything else. He came to show Wang Yan his attitude. He found that Wang Yan was a ruthless person. With Su Zixuan acting as a go-between, the cooperation for half a year had been quite pleasant. Now that there was a channel for him to come and see the development in person, he would feel more at ease about future cooperation.

After walking for a while, Wang Yan stopped in front of a tea-frying master.

"what's your name?"

"Greetings, sir. My name is Liao Jingfeng, and this is my daughter, Liao Xuan. We fled from Huizhou and were once famous tea-frying masters there. Look at this big iron wok of mine; it's been passed down for over a hundred years. The tea I fry in this wok is unlike any other."

The little girl next to him agreed: "My dad is right. Every year in Huizhou, people ask my dad to make tea."

"Send me some of the tea you made later; you and your son will definitely get your share."

……

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