The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 366 Inspecting Baoning Prefecture

With the Emperor's approval, the administrative expansion and industrial upgrading of Jiangyou became the top priority.

The order was relayed back to the central government in Chengdu by fast horse. The cabinet left behind quickly passed the deliberations and issued a formal edict three days later.

The imperial edict clearly stipulated that Jiangyou County was elevated to a directly governed prefecture, directly under the jurisdiction of the central government.

Its jurisdiction remained unchanged from the original county area, and county government offices were established in important saltpeter-producing towns such as Chonghua and Yongping.

The imperial edict officially appointed Jiao Yu as the prefect of Jiangyou Prefecture and granted him the title of Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

To ensure the orderly progress of the administrative expansion, the remaining cabinet immediately dispatched a special task force headed by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, officially known as the Imperial Commissioner Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue's Task Force for the Expansion of Jiangyou Prefecture.

The Vice Minister of Revenue personally carried the imperial edict and related detailed documents to Jiangyou to supervise the handover and assist Jiao Yu in establishing the prefecture-level administrative structure.

At the same time, another vice minister was sent to Long'an Prefecture to be responsible for separating the financial revenue and expenditure of Jiangyou Prefecture and establishing a separate prefecture-level financial ledger.

In addition, there was a considerable "special fund for the establishment of the prefecture" used for the initial construction of the prefectural government, the expansion of the official staff, and the construction of necessary public facilities.

Given the important position of the Chonghua government-run nitration plant, Jiang Han personally ordered the deployment of an additional garrison battalion directly under the central army in Jiangyou.

The garrison battalion was rated to have 1,200 men, and the commander of the battalion was appointed by Cao Er of the central army. They were specifically responsible for the defense of key areas such as the prefectural city and the nitration plant.

As Jiao Yu's administrative rank rose, his power naturally increased as well.

The existing six-department structure of the county government needs to be upgraded quickly and manpower expanded to adapt to the functions of the prefectural government.

Of course, the appointment of important subordinate officials such as clerks in various departments of the state government could be directly recommended by Jiao Yu, and only needed to be reported to the central government for record.

Upon hearing this news, the officials of Jiangyou County were overjoyed.

They never expected that their county magistrate's hosting of the king's inspection tour would bring such enormous benefits; it was as if one person's success brought prosperity to his entire family.

The county magistrate, county assistant magistrate, and registrar were transformed into prefectural magistrates and vice prefects, and the ranks and treatment of the clerks in each department were also greatly improved.

For a time, the entire Jiangyou County was gearing up for a big undertaking.

The first step was to expand the government offices and add regulated office spaces such as the Assistant Magistrate's Office, the Judge's Office, and the Clerk's Office to accommodate the new agencies and personnel.

In addition, according to the standards of the prefecture level, Jiangyou also needs to build a Changping warehouse and expand its grain storage capacity.

According to the central government's regulations, prefectures with a territory of less than 30 li (approximately 15 kilometers) were required to store at least 25,000 shi (approximately 12,500 bushels) of grain for war preparations and to stabilize grain prices.

Of course, the water and land transportation within the state also needs to be improved, and corresponding official roads, post stations, and wharves should be added and expanded.

In order to further improve the efficiency of saltpeter transportation, officials focused on expanding the river transport wharves on the Fu River and its tributary, the Lingxi River.

While Jiao Yu was busy upgrading the administrative system, Zhou Guangyu took on the important task of industrial upgrading.

The fact that the king made such a grand show of things demonstrates how much importance he attaches to the nitration plant, so Zhou Guangyu naturally dared not be negligent.

He led his colleagues from the Ministry of Works and the foreman to repeatedly survey the terrain from the foot of Lao Jun Mountain to the banks of Lingxi River, and meticulously planned the overall layout of the factory area.

In his plan, the nitration plant must be located near a water source to facilitate water intake and raw material transportation, but the core production and storage areas need to be far away from Chonghua County, where people live.

In particular, the gunpowder workshop, which has the highest risk factor, and the saltpeter warehouse, which stores a large amount of finished products, must be located in an open area far away from other buildings, and must be guarded by dedicated personnel.

The factory area was divided into several different main areas, the first of which was the administrative and living area.

There should be a general office, accounting office, material warehouse, craftsmen's dormitory, canteen, and clinic on-site, forming a management and living center.

Near the entrance to the nitrate tunnel transportation route, a nitrate stockpile and a preliminary sorting area should be set up to conduct the initial screening and classification of the mined raw materials.

According to the nitrate production process, the work area is divided into four parts.

The first part is the soaking and filtration area, which mainly involves building a large number of stone troughs and supporting water diversion and drainage ditches.

The second area is the processing zone, where ventilated sheds containing a large number of earthenware urns and clay pots need to be built for processes such as adding alum for sedimentation and using wood ash to leach alkali.

Then there are the boiling and drying areas: mainly used for processes such as boiling nitrates and cooling.

The saltpeter that comes out of the production area will be sent to two different workshops.

If it is saltpeter, it will be sent to the gunpowder workshop; if it is pure saltpeter with higher purity, it will be sent to the fertilizer workshop.

The gunpowder workshop was located in the most remote corner of the factory area, with its own high walls, moats, and separate sentry posts of the garrison battalion, and was strictly managed.

The fertilizer production workshop is relatively independent, mainly responsible for mixing nitrate with various manure, compost, and sludge in appropriate proportions, and selecting the best formula.

In less than a year, a major town integrating military production and fertilizer manufacturing will rise from the clear mountains and green waters of Laojun Mountain.

While everyone in Jiangyou Prefecture was busy with administrative and industrial upgrades, Jiang Han and his entourage had already quietly left Jiangyou and were preparing to head to Long'an Prefecture.

For safety reasons, Jiang Han will not travel by waterway on this trip, but only by official road.

After all, the risks on rivers are far greater than on land, as the unpredictable nature of waterways makes them much more dangerous.

To travel from Jiangyou to Baoning Prefecture, one needs to pass through Qinglinkou, cross Wulianyi, and arrive at Jianzhou. From Jianzhou, one can then travel south to reach the city of Baoning Prefecture.

But just as Jiang Han's carriage left the Qinglinkou area, the official road ahead was already surrounded by a group of people.

The two leading figures were Dong Erzhu, who was in charge of guarding Jianzhou, and Zeng Rui, the prefect of Baoning Prefecture.

It was only natural that Zhu Zi would lead his troops to accompany and protect them.

To Jiang Han's surprise, Zeng Rui had brought most of the officials from Baoning Prefecture with him.

He walked through the welcoming crowd, first patting Zhu Zi on the shoulder, then looking at the reserved Zeng Rui beside him, and said half-jokingly:
“Prefect Zeng, you’ve got quite a entourage here.”

"Looks like you've brought half of Baoning Prefecture's staff to Qinglinkou?"

"I am merely conducting a routine inspection; why make such a fuss?"

Upon hearing this, Zeng Rui quickly stepped forward to explain:

"His Majesty's esteemed presence in my Baoning Prefecture is a great honor for the entire prefecture. How could I, your subject, dare to remain seated in the prefectural city and neglect our welcome?"

"Having just learned that General Dong was coming to accompany the King and provide him with adequate protection, I thought it would be my duty to come along as well."

"In this way, we can both listen to the King's teachings and report on the recent situation in the palace along the way."

His words were impeccable and extremely respectful.

Jiang Han listened, but only smiled meaningfully and did not reply.

How could Zeng Rui's little schemes escape his notice?

Jiangyou is right next to Baoning Prefecture. How could Zeng Rui, a neighbor, not know about such a big commotion there, with its promotion to a prefecture and the construction of a factory?
Seeing Jiao Yu rise from a mere county magistrate to become his equal, and even take charge of the extremely important saltpeter industry, he was deeply impressed.

(In the Ming Dynasty, directly governed prefectures and counties were of equal rank)

It would be abnormal if Zeng Rui didn't feel the slightest bit of emotion.

His early welcome was certainly intended to fulfill his duty as a subject, but it also served to strengthen his presence in front of Jiang Han.

Of course, in order not to appear too deliberate or eager for quick success, Zeng Rui's trip was disguised as being with Dong Erzhu.

Furthermore, he only brought his deputy, Wu Xi, and Chen An, the prefect of Jianzhou.

These two were the top two finishers in the first imperial examination in Baoning Prefecture, and were also "disciples of the emperor" personally promoted by Jiang Han.

By this calculation, in the king's eyes, they could be considered familiar faces who were already on the list.

Sure enough, when Jiang Han saw Wu Xi and Chen An in the welcoming crowd, he gave them a slight nod.

This simple gesture immediately excited Wu Xi and Chen An, who quickly bowed again.

Seeing the large, imposing crowd surrounding him, Jiang Han lost all interest in strolling around. He ordered his troops to quicken their pace and head directly to Jianzhou. Accompanied by Dong Erzhu, he first inspected the Jianzhou camp, which was undergoing expansion and training.

As Jiang Han requested, Jianzhou needed to add 7,000 combat soldiers and 20,000 militia.

Dong Erzhu has also been busy recruiting soldiers and horses in Baoning Prefecture, Long'an Prefecture, Shunqing Prefecture and other places, and stepping up training.

At the same time, the Jianzhou camp also held a grand competition to select elite scouts.

After a month of testing, fifteen people stood out and were secretly transferred to Chengdu several months ago for training by the Detective Agency.

Jiang Han carefully inspected the camp's defenses, weaponry, and food reserves, but found nothing wrong or missing.

He first expressed his approval of the pillar, and then solemnly instructed:
"Jianzhou is the key to the northern gate of Sichuan. You must guard it well for me."

"Jinniu Road and Micang Road are the main routes for our army to advance north in the future. We must send people to repair and maintain them regularly to avoid any problems later."

He naturally trusted Dong Erzhu, after all, Dong had followed him when the rebellion started, otherwise Jiang Han would not have entrusted him with such an important position.

After inspecting the military affairs of Jianzhou, Jiang Han rushed to Baoning Prefecture.

Looking at the familiar city before him, Jiang Han couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

It was here that he broke through the three lines of defense of the Ming general Zhang Ling, and won the first victory in pacifying Sichuan.

Now, revisiting this place, I naturally feel a deep sense of nostalgia.

The Prince Shou's mansion in the city had already been cleaned up and was used as Jiang Han's temporary residence for this inspection tour.

After settling in, Jiang Han summoned Zeng Rui to the flower hall of the Prince's Mansion.

Zeng Rui was met with considerable coldness along the way.

The king saw Zhu Zi and summoned Wu Xi and Chen An, but he deliberately did not summon him.

Inside the flower hall, Jiang Han smiled as he looked at Zeng Rui, who seemed somewhat uneasy.
"Prefect Zeng, you've come a long way to greet me; it must have been a long and tiring journey for you."

Zeng Rui dared not agree and could only wave his hands repeatedly:
"It's my duty, I dare not say it's been hard work."

Jiang Han sighed, then changed the subject:
"Jiangyou, in the end, was just a county town."

"It is only because of the saltpeter resources it contains, which are of great importance to both the military and the people, that I have specially ordered it to be upgraded to a directly governed prefecture."

"The main purpose is to concentrate resources on major tasks."

"But Baoning Prefecture, where you are, is different. It is the key to northern Sichuan and is rich in resources and prosperous people."

"It can be called the economic, cultural and political center of northern Sichuan, and its status is extraordinary."

His gaze fell on Zeng Rui, and his tone became more forceful:

"I placed you in this position because I value your abilities."

"Prefect Zeng need not belittle himself, nor should he compare himself with others. He only needs to do his duty and govern Baoning Prefecture in an orderly manner, which will be a great achievement."

Zeng Rui's little scheme was exposed by the Prince of Han, and he immediately blushed and bowed to apologize.

"Your Majesty, I was momentarily confused and harbored competitive intentions. I have failed Your Majesty's trust and beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

Seeing this, Jiang Han waved his hand, and his tone softened:

"There's no need for punishment; it's not a big deal."

"Wanting to improve is understandable."

"But you should know that the responsibilities of a regional governor are no less than those of a central government official. The administrative affairs they have to deal with are just as numerous and complex, if not more so."

"The same is true for Baoning Prefecture. Civil administration, finance, military, education—which aspect doesn't require their attention?"

"To be honest, I really can't find a more suitable candidate than Minister Zeng right now."

"Just focus on your work and hone your skills. It's only a matter of time before you're promoted to a high-ranking position in the central government."

"Those newly appointed scholars are still struggling in various counties and townships. Their qualifications and abilities are far from sufficient. I can only entrust important tasks to experienced and prudent officials like Minister Zeng."

Hearing Jiang Han's heartfelt words of comfort and promise, Zeng Rui not only did not feel relieved, but instead felt even more embarrassed.

Looking back, he was just a newly appointed county magistrate. Thanks to the special decree of the king, he was promoted several ranks and became the prefect of Baoning.

The favors they received were undeniably generous.

Now, I'm actually envious of others' promotions, which is really wrong of me.

I am ashamed, so ashamed.

Seeing that he had repented, Jiang Han stopped dwelling on the matter and instead brought up serious business:

"I have two main purposes for coming to Baoning Prefecture this time. The first is naturally to inspect the local area and understand the military and political affairs."

"Secondly, we need to establish a large, government-supervised, and privately-run trading company in Baoning Prefecture to coordinate foreign trade matters."

"The main destinations are Shaanxi, Fujian, and even the capital."

Zeng Rui was somewhat surprised upon hearing this:
"For matters of commerce like this, Your Majesty, you only need to issue a decree, and we will do our best to handle them."

Why bother personally overseeing it?

Jiang Han naturally couldn't say that he was going to plant spies inside; it was a secret, and even few people in the central government knew about it, let alone local officials.

He simply waved his hand, giving a vague answer:

"nothing."

"Our three southwestern provinces are rich in resources. If we can sell them to other provinces, it will not only revitalize the local economy and replenish the government treasury, but also bring back various resources."

"Besides, business travelers are well-informed and can also find out some news from the outside world."

Zeng Rui was a smart man, and when he heard the inquiry, he immediately understood.

This matter is far from a simple business transaction; there must be a deeper meaning behind it.

He didn't ask any more questions, but instead offered advice from a business perspective:
"Your Majesty, I see."

"Baoning Prefecture is located at a strategic point between land and water routes; to the north, it can be connected to Hanzhong and Shaanxi via the Shu Road."

“Going south, one can travel down the Yangtze River directly to Chongqing, and from the Yangtze River, one can reach Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangnan, making it an ideal transit point for trade.”

"In terms of trading goods, if they are to be sold to the capital, then Shu brocade and some high-quality medicinal materials have always been favored by high-ranking officials and nobles."

"For example, Eucommia ulmoides, Ligusticum chuanxiong, and Paris polyphylla are said to be unmatched in other provinces."

"If you go to Fujian, the shipbuilding industry there is thriving, and the best cedar and nanmu wood will definitely sell well."

"As for Shaanxi... now, with alternating droughts and locust plagues and consecutive years of natural disasters, tea production is bound to decline sharply, and Sichuan tea can fill the gap."

"In addition, summer cloth is cool and breathable and can be used as a lining for military uniforms; tung oil can be used to maintain military equipment, both of which are excellent products."

"only……"

He paused, then reminded him:

"Shaanxi is in chaos right now. If you want to go there to do business, it's best to have some official background to avoid being robbed by the Ming army."

(End of this chapter)