Chinese New Year

Chapter 1405 I'll Give You a Good Price
To be precise, the capital city consisted of two adjacent cities.

One city, located on a mountain to the west, was called the "Citadel," while the other city, located on a plain at the foot of the mountain, was called the "Capital City."

The citadel was smaller and primarily for military defense, while the capital was larger and mainly for residential use, with a considerable amount of farmland planned nearby.

The capital city is bordered by rivers to the north and east, and mountains to the west, with only relatively wide plains to the south.

Liu Jiu said that less than 700 hectares of land near the capital had been allocated, mostly flat land with a few sloping areas. Of these, 300 hectares were allocated to officials and military officers, and the remaining 400 hectares were allocated to guards.

Huan Si then realized that the King of Yan actually had two thousand guards, meaning he must have ten thousand soldiers under his command, not eight thousand.

The guard's family was given thirty mu of land, but they needed six hundred qing of land. So they fenced off another two hundred qing of land in the scattered river valleys a little further away and distributed them, making a total of six hundred qing of land.

In addition, the two thousand guards regularly received food, cloth or fur as rewards, which may not be as good as the Liang Imperial Guards, but they were better than the hereditary soldiers.

These two thousand families usually live near the capital. In case of trouble, they can be mobilized in a short time. They can be used as the backbone and a large number of peasant soldiers can be mobilized for defense.

To put it bluntly, this is a standard defensive posture, guarding against both Goguryeo and the imperial court.

The emperor's decision to build the capital for the Prince of Yan in this location demonstrates his deep concern, fearing that the prince might be harmed by his brother—although the possibility of the court launching a distant expedition to Liaodong is very low, precautions must still be taken.

Huan thought about this and sighed deeply.

The affairs of the imperial family are truly cruel. Perhaps the emperor didn't quite believe that his successor would really attack Liaodong, because it would be a losing proposition and would only benefit Goguryeo. But he always considered the worst-case scenario, and his mind was truly deep—or rather, dark.

Many people are already working near Xiuyan City.

The foundation has been completed; all that remains is to carry soil and sift sand, and to ram the city walls and various defensive structures.

Large logs floated on the river, likely felled upstream. People on the bank gathered them up and piled them on thatched sheds to dry in the shade—a process that would take several years.

I've heard that earthen kilns for drying timber have appeared in Luoyang, and the drying time is extremely short, but I wonder how effective they are.

The earthen kilns for firing bricks and tiles have also been built, but there are only two. It seems that they haven't been officially opened yet, probably because there isn't enough manpower, since making brick blanks is quite labor-intensive.

Along the mountain road, cart after cart of grain was hauled up. Or, it was transported upstream little by little by raft or small boat to the vicinity of the makeshift riverbank.

It's already mid-July, and people are still flocking here. Judging from their accents, they come from all over the country, clearly indicating a major undertaking that might not stop until the first snowfall.

"If it were up to the Prince of Yan alone, let alone the capital, it would be quite an achievement if Lushun could be properly restored within a few years," Huan Si sighed.

Liu Jiugang found the Prince of Yan in the mountains and returned after receiving orders. Hearing Huan Si's words, he was somewhat displeased: "The Prince of Yan is the current emperor's beloved son. Isn't it only right that he receives some benefits? The ten thousand elite troops in Liaodong are still watching Goguryeo, aren't they?"

"Yes, yes." Huan Si quickly followed his tone and said, "Goguryeo is a great threat to our dynasty. With the Prince of Yan guarding Liaodong, even if they invade from the west, they dare not launch a full-scale attack."

“That’s right.” Liu Jiu nodded. “The imperial court is using us as soldiers in the border towns. They might not even pay us in the future. What does it matter if we get some preferential treatment now?”

After speaking, he paused and said, "The King is inspecting the logging camps in the mountains and is heading towards Red Cliff. Let's go down the mountain and wait for the King at Red Cliff."

Huan Si was helpless; he had taken another wrong turn.

******
The sea breeze was biting, and the air was filled with a salty, fishy smell.

A large ocean-going vessel anchored not far away, and several small boats circled around it, taking the items hoisted from the ship into the cabin, and then rowed vigorously towards the shore, docking near the mouth of the Hongya River (Zhuanghe River).

Huan Si looked closely and realized that they were freshly caught sea fish, which immediately piqued his interest.

"The Imperial Household Department provided two ships in total, both of which are new-style seagoing vessels from Wenma Shipyard. Even the navy doesn't have many of them," Liu Jiu said with a slightly proud tone.

"Is that so?" Huan Si exclaimed in surprise.

He had seen many ships in Guangling, but this one was definitely different in design. Why was it being used for fishing? He could only think of it in a positive light: it was training new sailors.

"Why not build a seaport here?" Huan Si asked again.

"I heard that the Hongya River estuary has a lot of silt and shallow water. There's also no shelter outside, and the waves are quite large," Liu Jiu replied.

Huan Si looked out to sea and indeed, apart from a vaguely visible island, there was nothing else to obstruct the view. Mooring inland along the Hongya River would provide shelter from the storms, but dredging the area near the river mouth would be a significant undertaking.

Therefore, for now, the only option is to temporarily moor the ship near the shore and then use small wooden boats to travel back and forth to transport supplies ashore, which is very troublesome.

"When we have the resources in the future, we will definitely dredge the silt." A loud voice rang out from not far away.

Liu Jiu had already gone to greet him, bowing respectfully: "Your Majesty."

Huan Si hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness."

"I just came down from the mountain, please don't be offended, Lord Huan," Shao Yu said with a smile.

The accompanying soldiers brought a felt blanket, spread it on the beach, and the group sat down and began to chat.

“I already know why you’ve come here; it’s nothing more than the fine horses of Liaodong,” Shao Yu said. “There are pastures in the mountains of Lushun, Beifeng, and Pingguo, with at least 30,000 to 40,000 free-range horses. If you want any, just go to the mountains tomorrow and choose one. 1,000, 2,000, or even 3,000 to 5,000 are all fine, as long as you have the ability to transport them back.”

Huan Si was somewhat tempted upon hearing this, but then his expression darkened. He said, "I brought very little cargo. After selling it, it will only be enough for a few months' worth of food and clothing for our group." "I trust you, I trust the Huan family of Guangling," Shao Yu said, looking into Huan Si's eyes. "The horses can be transported first, and the money can be sent over around May or June next year. Since your family is the first to arrive, I'll give you a good price: fifty bolts of silk per horse. Don't try to fool me with cheap silk worth three or four hundred coins; I'll give you good silk worth a thousand coins. Hmm, I have no use for silk anyway. You can exchange it for ironware, cloth, writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, porcelain, and other goods."

Huan Si did the math and found it a bit troublesome, so he said, "Does Your Highness mean that each horse should be priced at five dragon coins?"

Upon hearing this, Shao Yu slapped his thigh and laughed, "How could I forget about Dragon Coins! Having them for pricing is indeed much more convenient. Yes, a horse costs five Dragon Coins; you can calculate the equivalent value for the goods."

"Could you please put in a good word with General Zhongli? I heard he hasn't left yet," Huan Si added.

Shao Yu gave him a half-smile and said, “Zhongli Ke’s fleet can probably transport back more than 500 horses. If your family resells them, you can still make a profit of 100%. Shouldn’t you give them some benefits? You don’t need to give them to General Zhongli himself, lest Huangsha Prison find a handle against you. Your family can just donate some grain and silk to Shamen Town. They are not rich.”

"Of course, of course," Huan Si said repeatedly.

"That's settled then," Shao Yu said. "We'll have fish tonight."

Just then, Lieutenant Sima Lühan walked over and whispered something in Shao Yu's ear.

Shao Yu stood up, frowning slightly, and said, "I'm afraid it's unlikely to work out. Have they sent people to Luoyang?"

“I went,” Lü Han said in a low voice, “last month—”

Shao Yu stopped him from continuing, took a dozen steps outside, and gestured for him to continue.

“Last month, Lady Zhou gave birth to a daughter in the palace, this matter…” Lü Han said.

"This is really..." Shao Yu was speechless.

Father, oh Father, do you really have to make Zhou Shi bear your child?
That woman wasn't a stunning beauty, and she was already forty years old, yet she insisted on getting him pregnant.

This damn desire to conquer!
Not only will they defeat your army on the battlefield, breach your capital, plunder your treasures, force you to kneel and beg for mercy, and send envoys to pay tribute, but they will also make your mother and wife lose their chastity and become pregnant and give birth to children for their enemy.

My father's illness is getting worse...

Shao Yu was absolutely certain that his father would never return the two women, Zhou and Yu, as that was not in his nature.

The more frequently Gao Zhao sent envoys, the more his mother and wife suffered, and they would become pregnant one after another.

If Gao Zhao stops caring about his wife and mother, his father might forget about these two women altogether.

What's the use of coming to me for help?

"Send the envoy away and return the gifts," Shao Yu waved his hand and gave the order.

"Yes," Lü Han replied.

"Is there anything else happening in the palace?" Shao Yu asked again.

"In mid-June, Suo Gong visited Liu Bi's residence and heard that Liu Xiuyi was terminally ill and would not live much longer. Now it is July, and perhaps the Minister of the Imperial Household Department is already preparing funeral items."

Shao Yu hummed in agreement.

He was actually more worried about his mother's health, but fortunately he was in contact with the Wang family, and at least until last month, everything was fine.

However, her mother had been seriously ill before, and after recovering, she was not as strong as before. The princess and the crown prince remained in Luoyang and could visit her in the palace from time to time to keep her company.

He sighed softly, his mood becoming somewhat heavy.

******
On July 20th, Huan Si returned to Lushun under the escort of a bandit leader named Duan Bao.

Because he had been informed in advance, Zhonglike's attitude towards him improved significantly. He told him that the fleet would set sail in two days and return to Penglai, and that he should not go far during these two days.

Huan Si expressed his gratitude, and then hurried to Lushun County to inquire about the situation. He learned that outsiders could buy land and build their own houses as long as they paid money. He was relieved and prepared to go back and discuss with his father the possibility of sending a member of his clan to cross the river to Liaodong to settle down.

He had seriously considered bringing his family over, since he was clearly not a prominent figure in the family and could not possibly inherit the family business. But in the end, he hesitated, after all, this place was not as comfortable as living in Guangling.

In this state of constant inner turmoil, he arrived in Penglai on the night of July 23 and settled in a residence after disembarking.

On the 25th, a total of 537 horses were led ashore. Huan Si arranged the affairs of the residence and then traveled to Xuzhou with a member of the Mi family.

They moved quickly, reaching Xiapi by the end of the month, and then headed south, arriving in Guangling on the tenth day of the eighth lunar month.

At this point, a quick inspection revealed that, apart from about twenty horses that were in poor condition, the remaining five hundred or so were in relatively good condition.

In the following days, the Huan family sold two hundred horses in Guangling in one go, and the remaining three hundred or so were transported south across the Yangtze River to Jingkou, where they were sold directly.

Immediately, buyers flocked to the site, vying to raise prices.

This deal made them incredibly wealthy, with each horse fetching an average of around 100,000 coins.

(End of this chapter)