Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 208 Finance
In the ninth year of the Wu Dynasty, the Northern Wu followed up on the affairs of Liu Jingshun in Annam Province.

Only after confirming that this person truly possessed the powerful ability to move freely between the north and south of Annam province, as well as the ability to rule over the local people, did Arctic Military feel comfortable investing in the south.

Arctic Martial actively funded this person to destroy the rest of the countries on that island, while simultaneously importing single men to have children with local women, thus unifying their language and writing system.

"Your Majesty, if we continue to spend money on the South, we may suffer a fiscal deficit this year."

Standing below the main hall, the Finance Minister of the Arctic Army, Yun Shangchuan, calmly stated the problems that the Arctic Army needed to solve.

Beijiwu, who was dealing with something, stopped what he was doing and took a couple of seconds to think about his expenses for the year.

"In which areas did the budget exceed the limit?"

Yun Shangchuan replied, "The cost of building the ship is 500, plus the cost of hiring translators, ship doctors, sailors, and merchants."

"The expenses for supporting Annam province, the cost of transporting grain and purchasing water buffaloes—this year, with water buffalo prices remaining high, the cost of water buffaloes alone amounted to 20,000 taels."

“Build railways and highways, construct reservoirs and canals, reward the Western Expeditionary Army, build Jiangxia City, and provide subsidies to officials in West Asia Province.”

“There is also investment in the construction of Xinjiang Province and the Western Regions Province.”

"The construction of Dongdo Port and the resettlement support for civilians in Donghae Province of Goryeo."

Beijiwu listened quietly; what the other person was saying were things that needed to be done this year.

Many other things cost even more, such as the investment in steam engines.

There are also various immigration and disease prevention and control measures, as well as the expansion of urban areas and sewer systems.

Water supply projects, bridge projects, lathe replacement, etc.

"This great voyage allows southern merchant caravans to follow; they can join or leave at any time."

"Joining requires a donation of one thousand taels of silver to secure a spot as a follower. You will need to provide your own ship and sailors; the fleet will only provide leadership."

"If they return safely, private merchant ships will be allowed to go to sea for trade after registration."

"It allows households and hereditary officials from both the North and South to invest in fields such as culture and technology, and to invest in maritime trade, seeking their own profits, but they must pay taxes legally."

Beijiwu said a few things, "That's it, go and get it done as soon as possible."

Yun Shangchuan suggested, "Your Majesty, collecting some taxes would help replenish the national treasury."

Beijiwu is not short of money. "The national treasury has never been short of money. Besides, if I were to collect one tael of silver, the cost would definitely exceed two taels of silver. It's better not to collect it."

"It's already very good. As long as we don't spend money recklessly, there won't be any problems."

"When a system works well and everyone is happy as long as no mistakes are made, it is best not to make changes. Otherwise, it will often become worse rather than better."

Yun Shangchuan bowed his head and said, "Yes! Your Majesty's decree shall be obeyed!"

Arctic Martial looked at this person with mixed feelings.

"There's something I've always found strange: isn't it awkward to use the title 'Your Majesty'?"

Yun Shangchuan was stunned.

"This... I believe this is the name used by the mountain farmers, and that's how everyone addresses them..."

Beijiwu said helplessly, "There is no precedent for a mountain farmer to become an emperor. I am not the kind of person who does not allow others to speak. Why has no one ever used a normal form of address with me?"

Yun Shangchuan couldn't explain this matter clearly, and it wasn't just one person's problem.

When everyone calls someone that, then it becomes one too.

Beijiwu did not blame Yunshangchuan.

"Fine, let's just call him that."

Arctic Martial Arts School is too lazy to change its name anymore. As long as there is a unified understanding, no matter how it changes, it means the same thing.

Furthermore, I just said that I shouldn't change anything unless it's a major mistake. It's just a form of address now; everyone has been calling me that for years. Changing it suddenly would seem like something from before...

No system is perfect. As long as someone wants to find an opportunity to cause trouble, there will always be something they can exploit.

Bei Jiwu continued, "This year, we will produce an additional 100 million strings of copper coins. In the future, there will be a large demand for copper coins in circulation abroad. We will take some with us on this voyage. In the future, our country's currency will become a currency of all nations."

Yun Shangchuan respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Beijiwu continued to handle matters. Yunshangchuan was the younger brother of Yunyong, a scholar from Lanzhou.

Yun Yong was once one of the ministers of the Northern Army. Before he died of illness in Ji Province, he recommended several of his clansmen to serve in the court.

Among dozens of Yun family relatives and friends, Yun Shangchuan gained the attention of Beijiwu because of his abilities and was appointed as the Minister of Finance, a more important position than Yun Yong.

The mountain farmers have a recommendation system, and many talented people are discovered through recommendations.

The system included recommendation, imperial examination, merit-based system, and progressive system.

Sang Yang'an and several artisan households were representatives of the progressive system. By continuously achieving the predetermined goals of the Arctic Army, they gradually came into the Arctic Army's view.

Arctic Wu spends most of his time reviewing reports from various locations, but it's impossible for him to read every single report.

Only those who can complete the mission multiple times have the opportunity to enter the field of vision of Arctic Martial Arts.

War can select talented people because only those who win battles can come into view. Whether a person's performance is good or bad can only be discovered by looking back.

Wang Qing gained recognition through his professional abilities. Unlike other emperors, Beiji Wu paid more attention to data and details, repeatedly calculating data such as inventory and consumption, which is why Wang Qing was able to stand out.

The emperor's personality largely determines the direction in which the ministers he selects will be.

An emperor who enjoys playing games will naturally have no shortage of capable ministers in this regard.

The Northern Army heavily relies on practical and capable individuals, while those below them must also put on a show in order to gain the Emperor's favor.

Flattery will only annoy the Arctic warriors. The mountain farmers have always valued straightforwardness in their speech and actions, and disliked red tape and deceitful reports and accusations.

The imperial court divided the country, and officials performed their respective duties without interfering with each other. They also basically did not attend court, and when they did attend, it was always the Northern Military Commissioner who made the final decision.

Officials had no opportunity to attend court together and argue with the emperor. The task of investigation was handed over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Civil officials were civil officials, and military officers were military officers; their functions were completely separated and fixed.

They can't even meet if they want to fight like dogs. They can't fight in private, and they don't have the chance to bark and bite each other in front of Arctic Martial Arts.

The strategy of forming cliques and attacking dissidents doesn't work in Arctic warfare; the decision-making power simply doesn't lie with these people.

Arctic militias don't need officials to supervise each other; if one is corrupt, the other is corrupt too, and if things get out of hand, they all die together.

Hereditary systems are accelerating the process; problems will surface within a generation, while allowing these individuals to remain within the merit-based bureaucratic system allows them to remain so for several generations.

The Mountain Farming Kingdom doesn't need loyal ministers who can apply the brakes; the entire society and its institutions are constantly evolving.

Even Beiji Wu, who became emperor for the first time, was constantly adjusting and developing a system that best suited his own needs.

After Yun Shangchuan left, Beijiwu summoned the Minister of Resources.

"Have the statistics for this year's real estate funds been released yet?"

Seeing that King Wu was asking directly, Sun Chuanhua skipped the formality of bowing and immediately replied:

"Only the data for Huanghuai Province has been compiled. The data for Shannong Province is somewhat unclear due to the disaster, and the data for Pingyuan Province seems to be incorrect. I have already sent someone to go and check it again."

Beijiwu asked, "What is the income of Huanghuai Province?"

Sun Chuanhua did not neglect his duties and immediately replied: "There is a total income of over 20 million guan, 400,000 households applied for housing, 350,000 households are public households, and 50,000 households are merchants and ordinary people."

The prices of commercial housing vary, ranging from 30 to 1000. The 1000-yuan apartments for officials are not open to ordinary people. The Arctic Army allows a certain number of officials and foreign kings to have vacant rooms in and around Luoyang; this is a necessary arrangement.

“I will take 30%, and the rest will be left for the local prefect and governor to use for road and bridge construction, house building, and welfare distribution. The money can only be used after the houses are built and handed over to the mountain farmers. Any misuse will be dealt with by the people themselves after it is discovered.”

Sun Chuanhua cautiously inquired, "Isn't leaving 70% too much for the local area? I feel that 30% would be enough."

Beijiwu said, "Building houses and paying wages both require money. Let the local area keep some money for long-term planning, and allow each region to invest in and operate some industries, such as hospitals, schools, textile factories, dye factories, and stone quarries, as long as they are legitimate."

"Mountain farmers are not allowed to engage in illicit businesses such as brothels and gambling dens. These businesses that bring in quick money are subject to heavy taxes."

"Allow hereditary lords in various regions to engage in mining businesses such as coal, iron, and copper, primarily utilizing resources within their own territories. For specific details, have those lords submit an application to me, listing the resources within their territories and the businesses they wish to engage in."

"As long as they pay taxes legally, give me my share. I don't mind if they make money and live a good life. Give them twenty years to see how things go. If it goes well, we'll continue; if it doesn't, we'll take it back."

Sun Chuanhua's family was a thousand-household commander in Lanzhou. Lanzhou is mostly mountainous and was previously considered a barren land. However, after hearing that King Wu had allowed mining, they immediately realized the great favor this was bestowed upon them.

"The minister obeys the order!"

The Arctic military has been developing rapidly for twenty years, and as long as it still has the strength, it can reclaim its authority.

Guns and lathes used for mass production of weapons must be regulated and manufactured only in Shanxi and Hebei provinces.

Military strength is one aspect, and so is the perception of the people.

Although the fate of many people in hereditary territories is not taken into account, the identity of the mountain farmers has been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

The smaller the territory of the mountain farmers, the safer they are, just like a religious symbol occupying a legitimate position.

The money collected is not used for the farmers in the mountains, but for everyone.

Beiji Wudang has been the emperor for almost ten years, and he has hardly spent any money on himself.

Jiangxia Palace was built to consolidate the north and south and to expand its maritime and land hegemony.

The beauties in the palace were either captured by Arctic Martial himself, or sent by others out of fear of Arctic Martial's power.

Whenever the number of women in the palace became too large, they would voluntarily lose weight, and they did not select women from respectable families for the imperial concubine selection, thus delaying ordinary people from getting married and having children.

There is no need for tributes of rare treasures, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, or beautiful women from various places, and no banquets are held.

He often led his troops in person, but each time he achieved a swift victory, and each time he returned with spoils that even hundreds of thousands of troops could not handle.

Compared to other emperors, Emperor Beiji Wu, the farmer of the mountains, was already quite simple.

Stimulated by several potent drugs, the construction speed of the Mountain Farmer Kingdom increased dramatically, and the lords in various regions also gave up hunting and womanizing, and began to explore the flowers, plants, stones and wood in their own territories.

Allowing local governments to exercise fiscal autonomy will certainly create a lot of trouble, but both the system and the ethics must be in line with the times.

In the era of globalization, local autonomy is an inevitable outcome.

If you want such a large territory, you must bear the subsequent problems that come with occupying it.

Should Europe pay taxes in Asia, and then Asia send salaries to Europe?

That's impossible; we're not living in that digital age anymore.

Only when local authorities have money, grain, and a certain level of authority can they suppress various rebellions.

If we want the Chinese language and characters to continue to influence generations for centuries, we need to relinquish some of our interests to allow local powers to take root in the region.

Arctic martial arts seek a unified cultural identity, not eternal enslavement.

Whether it's Europe, America, or Africa, or even if Annam province on our doorstep becomes independent, it doesn't matter, as long as they don't abandon their language, writing system, and general traditions, we won't attack them.

In the spring of 9 AD, King Wu dispatched a fleet of 300 ships to the South Seas.

The total number of people is over 30,000.

Eighty large ships were built, the largest of which was 160 meters long, about 60 meters wide, and had an estimated displacement of 4000 tons. It was a steel-and-wood sailing ship and was named Dongfang No. 1.

The rest included auxiliary vessels such as horse boats, grain boats, warships, and water boats for transporting horses and supplies.

Merchants from all over Jiangnan also joined the ocean-going fleet, bringing with them their surplus tea, silk, and capital.

A grand maritime adventure began, much to the dismay of many.

The Expeditionary Army advanced towards the Western Sea, while the Oriental, carrying a merchant caravan of 30,000 men, headed towards the Eastern Ocean.

There were boys on the ship who were fluent in various languages.

What makes these teenagers different is that they come from different countries.

What they have in common is that they are all kidnapped and captured children, possess at least two languages, and have a language learning ability that is more proficient than that of adults.

Historically, the best way for two countries that had never met before to quickly produce their first translators was to kidnap or adopt the women and children of the other side.

These people are usually regarded as traitors by their original ethnic groups.

Whether it was the Western Expeditionary Army or the Japanese Merchant Caravan, they were all conquerors.

Arctic Wu laid the foundation for the Mountain Farming Kingdom's foreign policy, and although many people have tried to correct that violent and barbaric strategy of conquest over the years, they have all failed.

The people of Shannong only see foreigners as targets to be converted, not as honored guests.

Whether they were from the three tribes of Gui Nong Province or other ethnic groups, they all had to integrate into the Shan Nong tribe.

The very act of returning to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Naturalization, and the Province of Agriculture is itself a statement of attitude.

No one, from top to bottom, felt that conquering others was a shameful thing.

The fact that Arctic militants frequently destroy other countries has made southerners feel that there is no need to be so polite to foreigners.

However, if we can coexist peacefully, we will. As long as we don't attack our own people, Arctic Martial is willing to use gifts to achieve friendly exchanges.

In April, people in Son Nong province and around the world are busy farming and weeding, paying little attention to maritime trade and the world beyond.

Arctic Wu himself didn't care about this matter; even if he conquered the Americas, it would benefit future generations.

Who was the previous leader who conquered Goguryeo in the east and Lin-yi Kingdom in the west, built highways and canals throughout the country, and launched the imperial examination system to recruit craftsmen?

Yang Guang!

Thinking about this made Arctic Martial Arts feel very bored; it would be better to just eat and play by himself.

Fortunately, being an emperor was just a four-hour job each day.

Beijiwu is in charge of controlling the direction. In order to be able to eat fresh lychees and fruits, and to be able to quickly go to the seaside for vacation in the future, a huge amount of manpower has been invested in building roads.

With the continuous increase in mechanized planting and harvesting tools, agriculture needs less and less labor.

Military spending was minimal, and each region was managed by township and town heads, so there was no need for dedicated thugs.

The border guard posts were mostly abandoned. Apart from a few dozen that collected tolls, the rest were dismantled and used as post stations.

Veterans who served for ten years without ever fighting were given severance pay and sent home to farm; the country doesn't need this kind of talent.

The Arctic Army's forces were incorporated into production teams focused on machinery, electricity, and gunpowder. Future battles would no longer be fought with swords; combat effectiveness would depend entirely on organizational strength and familiarity with mechanical firearms.

The main force is still farmers and workers, but it is definitely farmers and workers with household registration, especially those who can drive and repair harvesters and manufacture trains and guns.

(End of this chapter)