I studied in modern times

Chapter 1080 The Yang Family Generals in Jiaozhou (3)

"I, the Nong Zonghui of Jiaozhou, bow my head to pay my respects to Lord Yang!"

Fifteen minutes later, in the front hall of the post station in Nanguan Town.

Wearing a loose Confucian robe and a turban, but with dark skin, he looked like a short, stocky man in his thirties. He spoke to Yang Zonghui in a stiff, indistinct accent.

Yang Wenhuai was somewhat confused as he listened, feeling as if he understood some of it, but also as if he understood nothing at all!

no way!
People from the Lingnan region naturally have a very strong accent!
The accent of Guangxi is the most obscure in Lingnan.

The accent of Jiaozhou people is quite strong, even in Guangxi.

Fortunately, this person brought a translator with him.

The translator looked tall and strong, with a sturdy build. He was wearing a simple summer shirt, white silk trousers, and a plain blue gauze hat.

However, Yang Wenhuai still showed a sense of closeness when he looked at the other person.

There's no other reason than that the other person was speaking the Bianjing dialect!
Nothing could be more authentic!
This is so heartwarming!
As he traveled south, his longing for Bianjing grew stronger with each step he took further away.

Even now, I feel joy whenever I meet a person from Bianjing.

After hearing the translation, Yang Wenhuai gave a warm smile.

"Young Master Nong, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise!" With that, he stepped forward to help Nong Zonghui up.

After Nong Zonghui was helped up by Yang Wenhuai, a hint of surprise flashed across his dark face.

"My master heard that Lord Yang is going south, so he specially ordered me to come and pay my respects to him, and also instructed me to make sure that Lord Yang is well received..." he said somewhat awkwardly.

Yang Wenhuai, however, didn't quite understand and looked at the translator beside him.
The translator beside him quickly repeated it in Bianjing dialect.

Yang Wenhuai finally understood. He stroked his beard and said, "Lord Nong flatters me. I am truly ashamed!"

His father, Yang Wenguang, once accompanied Di Qing on a southern expedition to quell the rebellion of Nong Zhigao.

The current Marquis of Guangyuan, Nong Zhihui, is Nong Zhigao's younger brother.

Back then, he may have witnessed Yang Wenguang's military prowess on the battlefield.

Therefore, it is reasonable for Yang Wenhuai to refer to himself as a "junior" to the Agricultural Wisdom Association.

When Nong Zonghui saw Yang Wenhuai, this distinguished guest from Bianjing, being so kind to him, he was immediately delighted and quickly said, "In the future, if you need anything in Guangyuan Prefecture, just let someone know and I will do my best to help you!"

When he said this, the face of the agricultural association was filled with an irrepressible confidence and pride.

Yang Wenhuai nodded, which was taken as his approval of the Agricultural and Religious Association.

He was well aware of the influence of the peasant family in Jiaozhou.

Since Prime Minister Zhang recovered Jiaozhou and reopened the Annam Protectorate, the Nong family has relied on their merits and the trust of the court, especially the current emperor, to firmly sit in the seat of the first chieftain of Jiaozhou.

In almost all of the eight tributary prefectures under the Annam Protectorate, there were territories of peasant chieftains.

Furthermore, there are rumors that Nong Rifu, the grandson of Nong Zhihui, has gone to Jiangning and successfully enrolled in Jiangning Academy.

This is not easy!
The academies of the Song Dynasty, including the four major academies (Bailudong Academy, Yingtian Academy, Songyang Academy, and Yuelu Academy), had never before had any non-Han students enrolled.

Once he completes his studies and returns, it will be as if he has sown a lineage of culture in Jiaozhou.

Moreover, it is the literary lineage of Wang Anshi of Jiangning Academy!

In the past thousand years, has such a thing ever happened in Jiaozhou?

Its significance is equivalent to that of the Buddhist master Xuanzang's journey to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures!

Therefore, even though the Agricultural Clan Association was just a branch of the agricultural family, Yang Wenhuai still gave it great respect.

He then invited them to his room and, patiently, began to communicate with them through the translator they had brought.

Instead of inquiring about the current situation in Jiaozhou, they asked about the local customs and traditions.

The agricultural association verbally agreed.

However, he mainly talked about things in the villages under his jurisdiction.

At most, I would talk to Yang Wenhuai about things in Guangyuan Prefecture.

He doesn't talk about many other things, or rather, he's not willing to talk about them.

They keep their mouths shut!
It's just the same few sentences over and over again.

We farmers have received immense kindness from the government; they have truly given us a second life!
Therefore, we firmly support the Emperor and all his decrees!
In addition, his accent was very strong, and he always needed a translator to understand him.

Therefore, Yang Wenhuai found it very difficult to communicate with him. After only a little over an hour, Yang Wenhuai felt exhausted and had to give up.

However, it was the man who served as the translator for the Agricultural and Religious Association that caught Yang Wenhuai's attention during this process.

Aside from the fact that the other party spoke Bianjing dialect very fluently.

Yang Wenhuai also took note of the emotions he occasionally revealed.

Therefore, when the farmer and his family were about to leave the meeting, Yang Wenhuai made a point of keeping this person behind.

After the agricultural association left, Yang Wenhuai beckoned the tall, strong, and sturdy man to come to him.

The other party seemed quite flattered and bowed deeply to Yang Wenhuai: "Your humble servant, Daqiang, Inspector of Nanguan Town, Guangyuan Prefecture, pays his respects to Anfu!"

When Yang Wenhuai went south, he was appointed as the mediator of Chenzhou, Huizhou, and Yuanzhou by imperial decree and under the command of the provincial governor.

After completing this assignment, Bianjing issued another imperial edict appointing him as "Pacification Commissioner of the Left and Right River Caves of Guangxi and concurrently Pacification and Investigation Commissioner of the Eight Prefectures of Annam".

The task is to comfort the various prefectures and pacify the local areas, so as to satisfy my wishes.

Therefore, it is reasonable to be respectfully addressed as "appeasement" or "consolation".

When Yang Wenhuai met this person, his manners were quite appropriate, and he spoke very respectfully, always carrying a tone of voice typical of the common people of Bianjing.

Curious, he asked, "Are you from the capital?"

"Yes!" the other party replied, bowing. "My ancestors were soldiers of the Tiger Wing Army!"

Yang Wenhuai was immediately filled with respect: "So you are a descendant of a loyal and virtuous man!"

He then sighed, "During the Xining era, my late father was appointed as a military commander by the late emperor..."

"Perhaps your father or elder brother once served under my late father!"

His father, Yang Wenguang, served as the commander of the fourth wing of the Dragon God Guard during the Xining era, which is also known as military command.

The Tiger Wing Army also belonged to his command.

Yang Wenhuai's words were undoubtedly an attempt to build rapport.

He may no longer possess the bravery of his father and grandfather.

But when it comes to interpersonal skills, they are absolutely excellent.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to coax Yang Guangzhen and his son Yang Zongbao from Bozhou, or Yang Changxing and his brother from Chenzhou, into being all smiles and willingly agreeing to pay annual tributes of gold and silver to maintain good relations with their kin.

The other party, flattered, replied, "I wouldn't dare!"

"But when my father was alive, he told my brothers and me that General Yang was strict in disciplining his troops, but he loved his soldiers like his own children..."

"Tell us brothers that if we ever encounter any descendants of Guan Jun in the future, we must show them utmost respect!"

"Oh my!" Yang Wenhuai clapped his hands: "Unexpectedly, in this remote land of Lingnan, I have met an old friend and his descendant!"

"It's so clear!"

He then raised the drink in his hand and drank it all in one gulp!

Then he asked, "Since you are from the capital, how have you fallen to this state?"

The other person lowered his head and sighed, "To be honest, I used to be quite useless and rather mischievous..."

Yang Wenhuai listened, and he already understood.

From childhood to adulthood, what he saw most often were those hooligans and ruffians roaming the streets.

These people are proficient in everything from eating and drinking to gambling and whoring.

They believe in the saying "drink today, worry about tomorrow."

The business environment of Bianjing also provided them with room to survive.

The price of rice was low—one dou (a unit of dry measure) cost one hundred coins, a situation that persisted for almost a century.

High wages – even a simple job pays over a hundred coins!
That means you can buy a bushel of rice by working for a day.

Enough for an adult to eat for several days!

Therefore, as long as you have some strength, you can work for half a month and then lie down for half a month.

If one had extra money, one could go to Sweetwater Lane and find some women with half-closed doors for some fun.

Or they might go to a foot massage parlor to drown their sorrows, or gamble in a brothel.

However, such people usually meet a tragic end after the age of forty.

They either froze to death, starved to death, were beaten to death and thrown into the Bian River, or died of illness and agony.

In the past, every winter in Bianjing, one could see a large number of former ruffians and scoundrels sitting pitifully on the ground waiting to die in front of the gates of major temples and Taoist monasteries.

However, such things have become rare since the current emperor ascended the throne.

Because the emperor hates lazy people the most!

Laziness is the greatest enemy of man!

Therefore, Bianjing strictly prohibited idlers.

If unemployed people were caught wandering around by the street officials, they would be sent to construction sites in Hebei, iron mines in Xuzhou, or workshops outside the city.

They call it: Transformation!
At the same time, all major storage yards received instructions that all employees must sign contracts.

Wages should be paid monthly!

Daily settlements are prohibited!

If anyone is found to be employing day laborers, they will be fined at best, and in severe cases, the storage yard will be reclaimed and the stockpiles will be repurchased!

With this two-pronged approach, there are now almost no ruffians or scoundrels in Bianjing who dare to roam around during the day.

Shihlin naturally sang praises to this.

Everyone says that the emperor is wise and sagacious!

These scoundrels and lazy bums deserve a severe beating!
Jia Zhongmin, the head of the Street Office, even declared: "Lazybones, scoundrels, and rogues are traitors to the people and a scourge to the nation! Arrest them one by one, without any leniency!"

This person most likely traveled south through other channels before the emperor purged the ruffians and scoundrels of Bianjing—because after the emperor began to purge Bianjing, such a person had only one fate: to become a worker on a construction site of the Song Dynasty, a miner in a mine, or a laborer in a workshop.

The Song Dynasty did not tolerate idlers and lazybones!
The current emperor is best at finding jobs for these people!

Thinking about all this, Yang Wenhuai asked, "When did you arrive in Jiaozhou?"

The other person bowed and said, "I came from the first year of the Yuanyou era..."

"The first year of the Yuan You era?" Yang Wenhuai pondered for a moment, then sighed, "I never expected you to be an old man from Jiaozhou!"

"hey-hey!"

"If that's the case, may I ask your honorable name?"

"My surname is Wang..."

"Wang Daqiang?"

"Yes!"

Yang Wenhuai laughed: "Could it be that you have a brother named Big Knife?"

Wang Daqiang said, "Reporting to Anfu, I do indeed have an elder brother named Dafu..."

"Now I am a general under Lord Lü in Xihe Road. Some time ago, my brother wrote to me saying that I have been promoted to Deputy Military Commander of Xizhou!"

"Deputy Military Commander of Xizhou!" Yang Wenhuai's expression changed.

Normally, one would need to be a military officer with the rank of chief or deputy commissioner of various departments to hold the position of deputy military commander of a prefecture!

Moreover, Xizhou was a border prefecture.

In such a place, to become the deputy military commander of a prefecture, one needs not only military merits but also a powerful patron!
and so……

What incredible luck did this guy named Wang Daqiang's brother have? And who is his backer?
Perhaps it is a big shot in the court—just like his father, who rose to fame and rose rapidly in just a few years thanks to the appreciation of Fan Zhongyan!

Yang Wenhuai pondered, his attitude subtly shifting from warm to affectionate. "I never imagined your brother was a general of the state! My apologies! My apologies!"

He then said, "Brother Big Spear, since you are a general of the nation, you need not stand on ceremony in front of me!"

The class stance of the nobles in the Song Dynasty was always very firm.

This stance is even subconscious.

For example, Yang Wenhuai, upon hearing that Wang Daqiang's brother was the deputy military commander of a prefecture.

Their attitude changed immediately.

"I wouldn't dare!" Wang Daqiang was very cautious.

He had spent several years in Bianjing (Kaifeng) and was very familiar with the character of the sons of these noble and military families.

If someone is useful to you, I'll be completely open and honest with you.

Once it's no longer useful, discard it immediately like worn-out shoes!
Moreover, his elder brother, Wang Dafu, was a military general in Xizhou.

This place is Jiaozhou!

The two are probably ten thousand miles apart!
Even a commander-in-chief of a military force couldn't reach out to everyone, let alone a mere deputy commander of a state's military forces.

Therefore, Wang Daqiang never dared to be arrogant or complacent just because he had an older brother who was a deputy military commander.

He grew up listening to the story of Han Zhongxian Gong killing Jiao Yong!

Therefore, upon hearing this, Wang Daqiang was not complacent, but instead became even more respectful: "In front of Anfu, Daqiang dares not be presumptuous!"

He then bowed deeply and said, "I am deeply terrified and humbly request your guidance and reassurance..."

"Why did you specially keep me here, Anfu? Is there anything you wish to instruct me to do?"

Yang Wenhuai naturally saw through Wang Daqiang's concerns and worries, so he laughed heartily and said, "Brother Daqiang, there's no need to worry!"

"Though I am not talented, I would never dare to tarnish my late father's good reputation!"

This is the truth!

The biggest asset and reliance of the Yang family to this day is the reputation accumulated by three generations.

This is the Yang family's talisman!
It can not only save lives in critical moments, but also bring wealth in ordinary times and even benefit future generations!

How could it be destroyed so easily?

Therefore, since heading south, Yang Wenhuai's main purpose along the way has been to make friends.

The reason why Guizhou and Yongzhou fled so quickly was because they realized that if they stayed and got involved, they might not make friends, but enemies.

He then said to Wang Daqiang, "To be honest, Daqiang, the purpose of my trip is to investigate the true situation in Jiaozhou, record it, and then report it to the Emperor upon returning to the capital, so that the Emperor may know the truth about Jiaozhou!"

"I hope that you, Great Spearman, will speak frankly and without reservation, and fulfill my king's command!"

Wang Daqiang listened, his expression becoming serious.

Your Majesty...

He silently recited the sacred title in his mind, referring to his creditor—he still owed the government seven hundred strings of cash!

He owes his current success entirely to the benevolence of the officials, who lent him money, provided him with travel expenses, and even granted him the freedom to claim land!

People in the city may have all sorts of problems and flaws.

But loyalty is number one!
You should repay kindness!
So Wang Daqiang bowed and said, "Please, ask away!"

"I would never dare to hide anything I know!"

……

As night fell on the post station in Nanguan Town, the maids began to light oil lamps and burn a local specialty of mosquito-repellent incense.

In the smoke, Yang Wenhuai let out a soft sigh.

"The situation in Jiaozhou is many times more complicated than I had imagined!"

"If it weren't for Big Gun's explanation, I probably would have been kept in the dark forever!"

Wang Daqiang laughed: "You're being too kind with your words!"

"In Jiaozhou, anyone with a modicum of knowledge knows about these things!"

"I was merely reporting what I had heard and seen to reassure everyone!"

Yang Wenhuai shook his head: "Why be modest about your big gun?"

"Before I came here, I asked people in the capital of Guangyuan Prefecture..."

"But very few people, like Big Spear, can clearly describe the situation in Jiaozhou today!"

"When we return to the capital and are before the Emperor, I will present the name of Daqiang to him. If there is any reward for his merits, Daqiang will certainly receive one!"

For Yang Wenhuai, this was just a simple matter of lifting a finger.

Upon hearing this, Wang Daqiang's face flushed red with excitement, though he still managed to say, "How dare I! How dare I!"

After spending an afternoon together, his feelings for Yang Wenhuai grew stronger.

Now, the initial vigilance and wariness have been removed, and even the speech is no longer restrained.

Yang Wenhuai said, "Tomorrow I will need to trouble you, Big Spear, to take me to the ruins of Jia Ni for a look!"

“Yes!” Wang Daqiang bowed solemnly.

……

After seeing Wang Daqiang off, Yang Wenhuai took a bath and then, with the help of a maid, returned to his bedroom. Lying on the comfortable bamboo bed, he listened to the babbling water outside the door and the croaking of frogs in the summer night of Jiaozhou. He reminisced about the afternoon when the inspector named Wang Daqiang had introduced and explained the situation of Jiaozhou to him.

According to Wang Daqiang, Jiaozhou is now a specialized sugarcane growing area.

In the past, the primitive agricultural economy based on rice under the rule of the local chieftains in Jiaozhou has been replaced by sugarcane cultivation, which is more advanced, developed, and capable of generating more wealth.

Now, people from the Dongxi region in Jiaozhou are accelerating their efforts to switch to growing sugarcane and ramie.

Traditional crops such as rice and taro are being phased out at an alarming rate.

The economic reason was that large quantities of cheap rice produced in Jiaozhi (Vietnam) flowed into Jiaozhou through the tribute rice trade.

This directly caused the price of agricultural products in Jiaozhou to collapse—even during the lean years, the price of rice sold by the Annam Protectorate never exceeded one hundred coins per bushel!

Such a price has driven down the cost of local rice cultivation.

This makes it extremely uneconomical for even small farming families to grow their own food for their own consumption!

Along with the rice came a massive amount of cheap goods and advanced agricultural tools from the Central Plains region.

These goods flooded into Jiaozhou like a tidal wave, following the rise of the sugar trade.

Wang Daqiang had no idea where these goods came from, nor did he understand why they were so cheap.

As a result, the prices of many goods are almost the same as those in Bianjing!
But Yang Wenhuai knew.

Because during his journey south, he had spoken with many merchants and officials from the transport bureau, and had learned some information about the situation.

As far as Yang Wenhuai knew, the reason why goods from the Central Plains were cheap in Jiaozhou was for only one reason—most of the merchants who brought these goods to Jiaozhou were not doing so to make money!
It was simply to ensure that their merchant ships heading south wouldn't make an empty trip.

Therefore, most people would choose to fill their ships as much as possible when heading south.

At the same time, in order to quickly sell and cash out their goods, they mainly chose products that were in high demand in Jiaozhou.

Furthermore, most people simply couldn't be bothered to waste time in Jiaozhou—they all just wanted to quickly convert these things into cash, then exchange them for sugar, transport them back to the Southeast Six Routes and Bianjing, and earn exorbitant profits from the sugar.

Therefore, many of the goods that were transported were sold off as quickly as possible as long as there was a profit to be made.

Thus, in Jiaozhou and Guangxi, a phenomenon emerged that surprised people like Wang Daqiang: as places where goods are sold, the prices of many goods in these two places are even the same as those in the places of origin!
For example, a good hoe costs three strings of cash, a sickle from Xuzhou costs only two strings, a shovel costs three and a half strings, and a curved plow costs thirty-five strings.

A cotton short jacket made in Bianjing costs eight hundred coins, and a pair of white silk trousers costs one string of cash.

Etc., etc……

Among these many goods, there is only one item that costs far more than its price at the place of origin.

And this thing is very counterintuitive—it's a lady's dress produced in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

A set costs several hundred strings of cash!

Moreover, demand exceeds supply!

Wang Daqiang was very surprised by this, and he was extremely astonished when he talked about it.

But Yang Wenhuai was not surprised.

Because these ladies' costumes were very expensive in Bianjing.

For example, Zhang Fangping, a senior official of the court, was accused of exchanging power for money and accepting bribes, and was impeached by the censor.

The most crucial piece of evidence is that someone testified that Yang Yi, the then-judge of the Ministry of Revenue, used the pretext of helping Zhang Fangping hire maids to actually bribe Zhang Fangping.

The evidence is that Zhang Fangping did not pay back the wages of the maid Yang Yi hired for him.

Yang Yi paid off all the money on behalf of the family.

This includes the clothing and accessories provided for these maids.

According to the evidence presented by the censor who impeached Zhang Fangping—the contents of the contract signed between Yang Yi and those maids—the entire set of clothes purchased by those maids was worth more than one hundred thousand!

Traditionally and customarily, this is something the employer is required to pay.

After all, this is workwear!

However, Yang Yi paid all of this money, including the wages for hiring maids.

This incident directly led to Zhang Fangping's first downfall.

As for why such a trivial matter could bring down a high-ranking official of the fourth rank?
hey-hey……

What kind of maid could have an outfit worth a hundred thousand?
Why would you need someone else to cover for you?

Instead of hiring them themselves?
All I can say is, that veteran really knows how to play the game!

Anyway, Yang Wenhuai knew who those so-called 'maids' were.

What did their outfits look like?

Because he hired him himself!
I also enjoyed the 'services' of these maids!
These people wore elaborate headdresses adorned with clouds and intricate designs, their sideburns supported by golden phoenixes. They wore thin blouses and jackets, floral skirts with colorful sleeves, and applied fragrant ointments...

Such clothing, while dignified and elegant, makes the wearer appear more beautiful and graceful, and also has an indescribable and stimulating quality.

Especially when tearing it up...

Aside from being expensive, it has no other drawbacks!

Thinking of this, Yang Wenhuai's lips curled up slightly.

"It seems the waters of Jiaozhou are deeper than I imagined!"

he muttered.

The information Wang Daqiang provided about Jiaozhou quickly made him realize a problem—the influx of so many goods and the massive amount of consumption.

The chieftains of Jiaozhou now rely on the sugar trade to survive.

But what about at the beginning?

The beginnings of the sugar trade.

Who gives them money to spend like this?

Who organized these merchants and transport officials to transport goods?

and also……

What Wang Daqiang introduced to him was the "De-Jiaozhi Pseudo-Court Movement," which has continued since the first year of the Yuanyou era and even after the change of the Guangxi Military Commissioner, and has even resorted to physical destruction using force.

This is the source of the accusation that Zhang Dun has been attacked for 'slaughtering the elite'.

This was something that terrified him when he heard it.

Tomorrow, Wang Daqiang will take him to a chieftain's territory that was wiped out and destroyed last year by Cai Jing, the newly appointed Guangxi military commissioner, who mobilized a large army.

A place called Jiaxu.

(End of this chapter)