The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 53 Hancock's Food and Labor Plan
Li Anbang was somewhat surprised by the detail of Samuel's intelligence, so he repeatedly confirmed whether his statement was reliable.

Samuel repeatedly assured that it was absolutely accurate and that the Massachusetts militia was formed by Samuel himself.

The Boston Tea Party was planned by Samuel and Hancock, and implemented by Samuel himself with his own civil society group, the Sons of Liberty.

Through his Sons of Liberty organization, Samuel had a very thorough understanding of the situation in the Northern United States.

According to Li Anbang's understanding, the Sons of Liberty is a folk secret society whose members are young people from all walks of life in the northern United States.

Their main purpose is to promote the independence of America, and they can do all kinds of things to achieve this goal.

Li Anbang decided to accept Samuel's explanation, and then asked the two about the local folk situation:

“How do the local people support the British court army and you?

“The most critical question is, can the British army in New York collect supplies from the surrounding civilians?

"Can you mobilize the surrounding people to clear the fields? In other words, destroy all facilities that may be used by the British?

"This is related to the possibility of success of our siege plan."

Samuel said again with confidence:
“If it’s the South, I’m not sure, there are more royalists and loyalists there.

“But most people in the north support independence.

“The British army wanted to obtain supplies from the surrounding areas, mainly relying on sending small groups of troops to forcibly collect and mop up supplies.

“But we have a large number of militias operating around New York, and have already attacked and eliminated many mopping-up teams sent by the British Army.

“Now with the assistance of the Ming army, we should be able to completely put an end to the British army’s raids.

“By that time, apart from the British army directly occupying a few islands, the British would not be able to get any supplies from the local people.

"The British army in New York could only rely on the European merchant fleet for supplies.

"As long as the Ming navy cuts off the sea supply line again, the British troops in New York will have to surrender within a few months."

Although Li Anbang did not know the concept of mass base, he was a general with rich combat experience.

These war experiences were mainly gained by suppressing indigenous forces.

He knew very well that in tasks such as suppression and siege, in addition to the combat capability of the army, the attitude of the surrounding people was very important.

If Samuel was not lying, then the British troops in New York would now be fat meat on the chopping board.

The British had previously been able to collect supplies through raids because the local militias were unable to engage them in direct combat.

Now that the Ming army has joined the war, the situation is immediately different.

Li Anbang nodded slightly and continued to ask:

"Then the people around here should be able to provide us with supplies, right? They should mainly provide food and labor during the siege.

"We know that you are short of military supplies, so we have prepared as much as possible.

“But the daily consumption of food is so high that we cannot stock up on board.

"We also need to have enough labor to help us dig and build fortifications and do miscellaneous work around the camp."

When Samuel heard this question, he obviously hesitated for a few seconds.

"With the call and mobilization of our militia and the Sons of Liberty, the people will certainly be willing to provide food or come to work.

"But it would be best for the Ming Dynasty to give the people reasonable compensation, otherwise the collection of grain and labor will not be sustainable."

Li Anbang immediately smiled and said:
“I understand this. Although we didn’t bring money directly, we did bring silk, porcelain, tea, and spices.

"You can help us sell these supplies, or directly exchange them for food. Should you be able to do that?"

Samuel and Hancock were a little disappointed and surprised when they heard that they didn't bring any money. But when they heard the following key words, their eyes lit up immediately and their emotions went through a roller coaster ride.

Samuel had been involved in tea smuggling before and had his own sales channels.

The Hancock family also has a large-scale trading company, which can easily handle these materials and make money.

The value of these products of the Ming Dynasty may not be as stable as the price of precious metals such as gold and silver, but it is much more reliable than the current unreliable US dollar.

Samuel patted his chest and said:
"As long as there is reasonable compensation, there will be no problem with food and workers..."

After hesitating for half a second, Hancock proposed another bold idea on the spot:
“These materials are expensive, and most people will not use them directly. To some extent, they are similar to gold and silver.

“So, we can either sell it directly or exchange it for food directly.

"We can store these supplies in a public and safe place so that all citizens know about it.

“We will also arrange enough guards and lead some militiamen to take turns guarding day and night, so that everyone will feel absolutely safe.

“At the same time, we will produce tickets corresponding to a certain amount of supplies, which can be used to exchange for supplies in the warehouse after the war.

“This should allow us to collect more food and labor than the actual value of the materials through the issuance of these tickets.

“If private merchants were allowed to trade these tickets freely, there would be an opportunity to obtain more food and labor.

"If the Ming Dynasty can guarantee that similar supplies will be delivered regularly every year, the effect will be better..."

After listening to this, Li Anbang was a little confused and could not immediately understand the principle behind Hancock's operation.

But Li Anbang grew up in the Ming Dynasty, where industry and commerce were equally mature.

His life experience allows him to make judgments purely subconsciously, so Hancock's methods should be able to produce good results.

We are in a state of war now. If those precious silks and porcelains are distributed directly to the people, they may not be able to keep them.

Both official and civilian forces came forward to jointly guard these supplies in public.

It can make people feel that the government is leading them to protect their assets.

In addition, since the bills themselves can be traded, there will be a group of people who speculate on these bills, and a group of people may never actually collect the supplies.

Therefore, the exact quantity of materials may not be announced, and the invoices issued may exceed the total quantity of materials to a certain extent.

If the Ming Dynasty ships goods here every year, they can get the bill for one year later one year in advance.

In fact, you will have one year more money out of thin air than in reality.

If businessmen like Hancock were allowed to cooperate and secretly participate in the speculation in the bill market, they could even make profits directly through bill transactions.

Li Anbang thought about it for a while and finally decided to accept Hancock's idea:
“The goods from the Ming Dynasty can be handed over to you for disposal, as long as you can raise the materials and personnel.

"But we must remember to control the extent. The most important thing for us now is a stable supply of materials, not the highest possible profit.

“Do not issue bills that exceed the actual amount of materials, and do not deliberately over-indulge bill trading activities.”

Hancock immediately patted his chest and assured:

“Please rest assured, there is absolutely no problem, we will definitely work hard to ensure a stable supply.

Li Anbang nodded slightly and gave a few more instructions, which was considered as his approval of his promise.

But he was not completely reassured, as Li Anbang had no expectations of the businessman's methods and character.

Therefore, military personnel from the Ming Dynasty will still be arranged to follow, cooperate and supervise their activities.

(End of this chapter)