In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 881 The Gross Domestic Product of Daning City in the Twenty-Third Year of Hongwu

In the afternoon, the faint sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick clouds.
A few rays of faint light shone down, adding a touch of warmth to the city of Daning.

A large crowd of people had already gathered at the entrance of the government office.

They whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with anticipation and doubt.
Although they didn't know what GDP was, it didn't stop them from listening in.

In fact, they couldn't understand many things on the government notices, but that didn't stop them from reading them.

Before long, Xie Jin arrived, dressed in a brand-new blue official robe and wearing a black gauze hat.

He stood solemnly on the high platform at the entrance of the government office.

Behind him, a group of officials stood in neat rows, their expressions serious.

Yang Shiqi stood beside Xie Jin, holding the long scroll in his hands.

The moment they appeared, the scene fell silent.

Xie Jin's gaze slowly swept across the crowd below the stage. He cleared his throat, and his loud voice rang out:

"Fellow citizens of Daning City, today I will announce to you the gross domestic product of Daning City last year."

The audience fell silent, and all eyes were on Xie Jin.

Xie Jin nodded slightly, signaling Yang Shiqi to unroll the scroll.

Yang Shiqi carefully unrolled the scroll, and Xie Jin, looking at it, began to give a detailed report:

"First, regarding road construction,"
Last year, the capital city vigorously promoted road construction.
This laid a solid foundation for future transportation exchanges with Beiping and the interior of China.

A large amount of manpower and resources were invested in the road construction project.
Starting from the road construction site at the West Gate, the road has been planned and built all the way to where it is now, a distance of 280 li.

The project involved a large number of craftsmen and incurred huge costs in purchasing materials such as stone and timber.

According to statistics, the road construction project cost 110,000 taels of silver throughout the year, of which 46,000 taels were for labor costs.

The reward is 61,000 taels of silver, which was allocated by the government in cash before the new year and is not included in the calculation of the gross domestic product for road construction.

Upon hearing this, the crowd of people gathered in front of the gate were all shocked!
Road repairs are so expensive!

Wages are so high?
Many of the officials in the audience frowned; there were indeed too many.
If laborers were recruited, at least 80% of this money could be saved.

Xie Jin ignored them and continued:

"Next is agriculture. The land in Daning City is fertile and the people are hardworking. Last year, agriculture had a bumper harvest."

In the farmland, the wheat fields rippled like waves, the granaries were full, and the yields of various crops increased significantly.

Wheat production reached 200,000 shi, millet 150,000 shi, sweet potatoes 1,030,000 shi, and other miscellaneous grains.

It can be said that the people of Daning City will never go hungry again.

At the same time, animal husbandry has also developed steadily.
The pasture teems with cattle and sheep; last year, it raised 10,000 head of cattle, 50,000 sheep, 4,000 horses, and 13,000 pigs.

It is worth mentioning that only about 7,300 of the 13,000 pigs grew normally; the rest died.

Many people looked at each other in bewilderment, especially the people from the grasslands in the north of the city, who scratched their heads sheepishly.

Xie Jin raised his voice and shouted:
"The total output value of agriculture and animal husbandry was calculated to be 110,000 taels of silver."

This is inseparable from the hard work of every farmer and herdsman, and Dusi expresses his sincere gratitude.

It's unclear who started clapping, but the room erupted in applause.

Their thinking wasn't complicated; although many pigs had died,
But growing sweet potatoes yields a huge harvest!
With one million shi of grain, there will certainly be no hunger this year.

"Let's talk about handicrafts next."

Xie Jin's voice rang out again.

"Daning City has a wide variety of handicrafts, with exquisite skills in carpentry, blacksmithing, pottery and other crafts."

Furniture, farm implements, weapons, and pottery,

These handicrafts are not only popular in Daning.

It was also sold to places as far away as Beiping, Liaodong, and Yingtian!
Last year, the total output value of handicrafts reached 60,000 taels of silver.

The development of handicrafts has not only provided us with a wealth of goods,
It also created numerous job opportunities, enabling many people to support their families through their skills.

"The silk weaving industry is also an important industry in our Daning City," Xie Jin continued.

Last year, the silk weaving industry developed rapidly.
The looms run day and night, producing silk of excellent quality and in a wide variety of patterns.

The furs produced were of excellent quality and were sold far and wide throughout the Ming Dynasty!

According to rough estimates, the annual output value of the silk weaving industry reached 40,000 taels of silver, and there is still a lot of room for improvement!
Commander Liu has decided to continue expanding the scale of the textile industry.

"Open more workshops and strive to achieve a total output value of 60,000 taels of silver for the textile industry next year!"

When Xie Jin said this, some of the people who had come to listen that morning were somewhat confused.
Even more intelligent people instantly realized this.
That extra 20,000 taels is an opportunity!
"The sugar industry is also not to be underestimated," Xie Jin continued.

"Daning City has the most advanced sugar-making technology."

Last year, the workers in the sugar workshop worked tirelessly day and night, producing 50,000 jin of sugar, worth 20,000 taels of silver.

Li Xian, the assistant commissioner who was not far away, frowned when he heard about the accounts.

So little? How is that calculated?

He knew that most of this sugar was sold to the grasslands, and although the output was 20,000 taels,
But the money that actually reaches Da Ning must be at least 200,000 taels!
"The iron and steel industry is one of the pillar industries of our Daning City."

Jie Jin raised his voice.

Last year, the scale of the iron and steel industry continued to expand.
The craftsmen mastered advanced iron smelting technology and were able to produce high-quality iron.

The annual iron production reached 60,000 jin.

In addition to meeting the needs of local handicrafts and agriculture

They also manufactured large quantities of military equipment, with an annual output value of 60,000 taels of silver.

"Trade and commerce are also of paramount importance to the development of our Daning City."

With the development of Daning City, commerce has become increasingly prosperous.

The city market was bustling with activity, attracting merchants from all over.

Tea and silk from the south, furs and medicinal herbs from the north, as well as numerous spices and jewels.

Last year, the total value of trade reached 40,000 taels of silver.

Xie Jin looked at the long document and said:
"I will not go into the other minor details."

Later, officials will post these documents throughout the city.

After Xie Jin finished explaining the output value of each industry,

After a brief pause, his gaze swept across the crowd below the stage again, and he said solemnly:

"Now, I will announce the GDP of Daning City last year."

"After detailed calculation, 110,000 taels of silver were spent on road repairs in Daning City last year."

The output value of agriculture and animal husbandry was 110,000 taels, that of handicrafts was 60,000 taels, that of silk weaving was 40,000 taels, that of sugar refining was 20,000 taels, and that of iron smelting was 60,000 taels.

The value of trade transactions was 40,000 taels, totaling 220,000 taels of silver!

There was a moment's pause in the audience, followed by a burst of gasps.
Many people looked at each other in disbelief, marveling at how wealthy Daning City was!

However, the officials in the audience frowned.
They had some knowledge of the financial transactions of the military commander, and it turned out that it only amounted to 220,000 taels.

This number isn't too high, it's too low!

Xie Jin spoke very seriously:
"Gentlemen, this is the first time the Commandery has used the GDP method to measure its prosperity."
Therefore, some deviations are inevitable.

In the following year, the command will refine the calculation method.

Use more precise methods to calculate accurate accounts.

Of course, this figure is for reference only and can be compared with this year's GDP.

As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning.

Calculating GDP is just the beginning; there's a long road ahead.

Based on this calculation, the department will make specific plans and continue to increase investment.

Please work hard and do your job well. Also, please pass this message on to your relatives and friends.

This year, there will be more and better job opportunities in Daning City than last year!

The people listened, and their faces lit up with anticipation.

Another round of enthusiastic applause rang out.

Although I don't understand what that gross domestic product is.
But having more places to work is always a good thing.

Soon, the officials posted detailed figures for the gross domestic product of Daning City.
A group of people crowded forward to look.

The crowd was bustling about, everyone staring wide-eyed.

Seeing this scene from not far away, Li Xian frowned slightly, disbelief flashing in his eyes. He had never seen so many people concerned with the affairs of the military command before.

In the past, during the Northern Yuan dynasty, even some court officials treated official documents issued by the imperial court as if they were toilet paper.

Not to mention the ordinary people who were like walking corpses.
I almost never look at it.

Asu stood to the side, noticing Li Xian's shocked expression, and asked curiously:
"My lord, what's wrong?"

Li Xian snapped out of his daze and suddenly burst into laughter:
"I'm somewhat shocked. Look at these people."

To be able to flock to read documents already makes one a truly human being.

This is something you almost never see elsewhere.

Asu's expression was somewhat strange as he looked the people over repeatedly.
It's just a notice, why is it so mysterious?

"Sir, aren't there a few women..."

"Ah"

Li Xian chuckled and glanced at him:
"What, do you think I'm just boasting?"

"No, these people often come to see the notices in the past."

"Paying attention to politics is itself a form of understanding."

"Have you been to other parts of the Ming Dynasty? Do the people there pay so much attention to government decrees and announcements?"

Asu had been to the capital, and he shook his head:
"The people of the capital also read government decrees and announcements."
But most people were still eyeing the bounty offered by the local government, hoping to make a fortune.

"That's right, even the capital region is like this."
Needless to say, those impoverished areas are even worse.

With such a prosperous state, Da Ning's future rise to prominence is inevitable.

Li Xian spoke with unwavering conviction, and the firmness in his tone made Asu glance at him several times.

In a daze, Asu felt that Lord Li beside him was the true Ming man.

Before long, Li Xian and Asu and the others arrived at the back hall and met Lu Yunyi, who was looking at the gift list.

"Greetings, my lord."

Lu Yunyi looked up, and when he saw it was them, he smiled:
"Please sit down and have some tea."

He put down the gift list and looked at the people in front of him with a smile:

"So, what are your thoughts on the GDP of our Daning City?"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Duan Zhengze spoke first, respectfully saying:
"My lord, this method is the one that gets to the root of the problem."

In the future, Daning City can be compared in pairs.
Once you truly identify the shortcomings of the year, it's much easier to make repairs later.

The group nodded repeatedly, recalling some of the city's shortcomings in the past.
They could only see with their own eyes and understand through the lives of ordinary people.

They can even be completely indifferent and just let things take their course.

But with this, you can see its shortcomings.

Lu Yunyi smiled and gestured for Lu Yunyi to lower his hand.

"Sit down, sit down. Gross Domestic Product is the only way to face ourselves honestly, and it needs to be put into practice on paper."

If we persevere, we will see the development trend of Daning.

"Then, you can use this piece of paper to ask the imperial court for money; it will be easier to do so."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening, and their expressions turned strange.

That seems to make sense!

If the imperial court doesn't provide strong support to a commander who is rising through the ranks, it would be too disheartening.

Li Xian seemed to be deep in thought, and tentatively asked:

"Sir, is this...is the calculation of GDP accurate?"
In my humble opinion, this number is too small.
After all, the yamen had nearly two hundred thousand taels of silver in cash a few days ago.

Lu Yunyi smiled:

"How much money you can earn is completely different from how much you are worth."

A hint of doubt flashed in Li Xian's eyes, and he fell into deep thought.

"My lord, please enlighten me?"

Lu Yunyi waved his hand:
"Just like you and me, it's very easy to get ten thousand taels of silver through crooked means."
However, it is extremely difficult to find a business that can earn ten thousand taels of silver.

The difference is that a legitimate business can continue, but shady practices will eventually come to an end.

The commandery is now a large trading company, earning a lot of money every year.
As long as they don't issue any decrees that would anger both heaven and man, they can maintain this status quo.
This kind of business is worth at least twenty times more than its price.

The group was even more confused, their faces full of bewilderment.
Li Xian, as the Minister of Works of the Northern Yuan, understood some of it, but not quite.

Lu Yunyi blinked and said:
"Yingtian Trading Company earned 690,000 taels of silver last year."

How much money would it cost to buy such a trading company?

"We can't just buy the trading company for 690,000 taels, can we? There's more silver in the treasury than that."

Upon hearing this, Li Xian suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly:
"What you say is right, sir; that is indeed the truth."

Although the total output value of Daning City is only over 200,000 taels, it is a 'business' that can be run for generations.

If we sell Daning City for twenty times the silver price as the adult suggested...
That would be a pure profit business in twenty years; it's such a great deal!
"I believe that Daning City is likely more valuable, at least... at least fifty years from now!"

Lu Yunyi burst into laughter and nodded repeatedly:

That makes sense. This account is already quite large.
Moreover, this calculation was very superficial.
Although the road repairs cost 110,000 taels of silver, a large portion of it flowed back into the city.

It could be wages or payment for goods from the workshop.

Therefore, the figure of 220,000 taels is inaccurate; the calculation method will gradually be improved.

Duan Zhengze also spoke at this moment:
"Sir, we can't inflate the bill too much at the beginning."
Otherwise, if we show off our power for a while, things will be difficult next year.

We should add it little by little, creating a pattern of continuous growth.

Lu Yunyi was taken aback, then smiled and tapped him:

"The amount of grain collected by each military garrison has been increasing year by year, that's how they do it, isn't it?"

Duan Zhengze smiled sheepishly:
"Sir, this is the practice everywhere, so we just let it go."

Everyone burst into laughter, and after some conversation, Lu Yunyi got down to business.

"In a few days, I will be going to Liaodong to discuss road construction with Lord Pan. I may be gone for several months."

You must guard your homes carefully then, and be wary of merchants in the city colluding with outsiders.
And at the western gate of the city, not a single drop of water that shouldn't flow towards Beiping should be allowed to pass.

The adults all wore solemn expressions, and Duan Zhengze asked in surprise:

"My lord, are we starting repairs so soon? The imperial funds haven't arrived yet."

"Time is running out, so it's better to do this sooner rather than later."

Take advantage of the free time after the New Year and go quickly and come back quickly.
As before, Black Hawk handles all affairs of the Commandery; go to him for anything.

"Yes!"

The group agreed, and Prefect Hong Yishan asked in a deep voice:

"My lord, before the New Year, the Commander sent a memorial requesting the establishment of three departments."

If the imperial court replies and agrees, what should we do?
"Are we really going to establish a Provincial Administration Commission and a Provincial Surveillance Commission?"

Li Xian and the others also became serious.
The establishment of the Three Offices will undoubtedly weaken their power.

To be fair, they did not agree with submitting this memorial.
But the person in front of them had turned the Commandery into a one-man show, so they had no choice but to listen.

Lu Yunyi smiled and replied:

"There's no need to worry about this. The imperial court is unlikely to establish the Three Offices in Daning at present."

This memorial was also a pretext.

It's better than the court having to be hesitant and indecisive when they bring it up with us later.

Hong Yishan breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally at ease.

If his current position as prefect were to be replaced by a provincial administration commissioner...
He didn't know what official position he would get, and it was far less comfortable than he was now.

After all, he is now called the Prefect.

But the things that are handled are all done by the left and right provincial governors!
"Alright, everyone, you can all go back now."

If anything happens during this period, please report it in advance. I will set off with my men in a few days!

"Yes, my lord!"

(End of this chapter)