Chapter 302 Exploiting Capital and Benefiting the People
The presence of enemy deserters and defeated soldiers in military settlements within the country is only a small part of the problem, and it is not even a problem at all.

The problems exposed in the six counties of Yangzhou are more numerous than one another.

The shipbuilding industry in Lujiang County was threatened by competition for orders from neighboring Jiangxia County in Jingzhou, and a number of private fights had occurred, resulting in more than 500 casualties, comparable to a small battle.

Among them, the representative figures are Huang Zu of Jiangxia and Lu Jun of Lujiang.

After Huang Zu was defeated by Sun Jian, he and his clansmen lived in seclusion in the mountains until Jin Mao occupied the five southern counties of Jingzhou, when he came down the mountain to join him.

Many of his clan members had violated the law, but Huang Zu sacrificed his own relatives for the sake of justice, abided by the laws of the new policy, and soon climbed to a high position relying on the powerful family strength and devoted himself to the shipbuilding industry in Jiangxia County.

And it developed and created rapidly. Based on the light transport ship, it successively developed single-scull boats and single-scull fishing boats.

A paddle boat can move freely in small rivers and streams with just one person to control the oars, making it very suitable for the narrow rivers in the Jiangdong area.

The fishing boat is a single-row boat without a canopy, but it has two platforms at the bow and stern, where fishermen can stand and observe the water more clearly.

Both of them focus on narrow river basins and are very popular among the people of Jiangdong, so they naturally sell well.

Lujiang County mainly built transport ships. Before Huang Zu invented these two types of ships, transport ships were the most popular type of ships in the Jiangdong area.

Now that the market has been taken away by Jiangxia County, isn't this a loss of money?
Even if most of it has to be handed over to Jinmao, a small portion of the income can greatly improve people's lives.

Destroying someone's source of wealth is like killing their parents. How can we tolerate this?
Huang Zu was born a bandit. He would not be able to reason with others, but when it came to fighting, he had never been afraid of anyone.

Even if Sun Jian and Huang Zu were defeated at that time, they would not die.

The struggle has begun and is becoming more and more intense.

In this kind of situation, no matter how many people died, both sides maintained a tacit understanding that Jinmao must not be informed, otherwise, both sides would suffer.

really.

When Jinmao learned about this situation by chance, he first gave both sides a slap on the wrist.

Killing is definitely not allowed, although according to the new policy, the person will definitely be beheaded.

But the shipbuilding industry in Jiangxia County and Lujiang County has already developed into a well-established industry. If the leaders are killed, who will be the ones to invent and create?
But a demotion or something like that was too light a punishment. Both of them had huge clans supporting them and were good citizens.

Jin Mao felt the situation was difficult for the first time.

If this was a newly conquered territory, and the powerful families had just jumped like this, they would have been wiped out along with their entire clan.

If this matter is not handled properly, the nobles and powerful families in the four states who have surrendered long ago will also be a powerful force, and the backlash will be very severe.

If you can’t think of it, ask smart people for advice.

Jin Mao came to Jianye County, Danyang Prefecture, and discussed with Xi Zhicai, who had already become the governor of Yangzhou.

Today, Jianye City has become a large city with a population of over 200,000. It has high city walls and people are busy coming and going. One market cannot meet the needs of the entire county, so another market is being prepared and built.

The business in the city began to take shape. Not only did the people of the county come here to trade, but many people from neighboring Jiujiang, Lujiang and other places also came to Jianye County along the Yangtze River.

In addition, as the waterway in Guangling County was dredged, one or two ships could occasionally be seen going upstream in the downstream counties.

Jianye County Governor's Office.

The Governor's Mansion was originally the government office of Danyang County, adjacent to the residence once built by Jinmao. It has now been converted into the Governor's Mansion.

As for the seat of Danyang County, it was naturally moved to Wuhu County. The two places are more than a hundred miles apart and can be reached in half a day by sailing downstream along the Yangtze River, which is very convenient.

"My Lord, I am guilty of this."

In the meeting hall of the governor's mansion, Xi Zhicai spoke frankly and took the initiative to admit his mistakes.

Jin Mao sat at the top, Xi Zhicai stood on the left and bowed, and Dian Wei sat on the right, looking around eagerly.

In addition to the personal guards outside the governor's mansion, there were two other groups of people standing opposite each other, glaring at each other. If it weren't for the personal guards watching, they would probably have started fighting immediately.

"I'm not here to hold you accountable." Jin Mao waved his hand and said, "I'm only here for a solution!"

Jin Mao pointed at Xi Zhicai with his right hand and said, "I entrust Yangzhou to you. You know the situation here best, and only you know what is the best way to solve this problem."

Xi Zhicai bent even lower, bowed, and then said, "The cause of this matter can be traced back to two years ago."

At that time, Xi Zhicai was still coordinating logistics for Jinmao and transporting food and supplies.

Therefore, what Xi Zhicai meant was that this incident was not instigated by him, but was a historical legacy.

Jin Mao nodded and motioned for the other party to continue.

Xi Zhicai first explained the detailed process and data, and as for his own efforts, he said in one sentence: "I consulted Huang Zu and Lu Jun three times, but the effect was minimal."

Finally, Xi Zhicai summarized and analyzed the essence of the struggle, "The Master said, what is worrying is not the scarcity but the inequality."

"There are two reasons why the two counties are fighting each other."

"First, this is a conflict of interests between the two tribes. The people who participated in the battle were all instigated and deceived."

"How could this happen!" Jin Mao slammed the table and shouted, "You really deserve to die!"

Xi Zhicai immediately explained: "These two people did not violate the law. The people's actions were all voluntary and not forced. The words of deception were just my guess. The crime is not punishable by death."

Jin Mao is so disgusting. He is like Liu Biao and Sheng Xian. You can neither beat him nor kill him.

What annoys me most about these magic attacks is that I can't fight them with real weapons.

He himself almost forgot how many people had died at his hands. Those who survived were all smart. How could they make such a stupid and low-level mistake?

"Go on." Jin Mao waved his hand impatiently.

Xi Zhicai bowed again and said, "Secondly, most of the profits from shipbuilding belong to the two tribes, and the common people get very little, only enough to support their families."

After hearing this, Jinmao understood that he was an old capitalist.

If shipbuilders in both counties could earn an income above the poverty line, who would work so hard?

These two tribes are truly despicable!
Your own people can only wave flags and shout slogans, and the charging into battle is left to the common people, right?
"What good ideas do you have?" Jin Mao was very calm this time.

There is no point in being anxious. Killing cannot solve all problems, it will only cause more problems.

Xi Zhicai picked up a paper book on the table and handed it over, "My lord, please read it."

Jin Mao held the book in his left hand and flipped through it with his right hand. It was full of data. At a glance, this was the average income of the people in the six counties of Yangzhou.

Although the authenticity of the reports submitted by the subordinates needs to be verified, they are still of certain reference value.

Xi Zhicai said: "Among the six counties in Yangzhou, the people in Kuaiji County have the highest income, while the people in Jiujiang County have the lowest income. Let's take the median value."

"The people are peaceful, and each household earns eight shi of grain and one hu of oil a year."

Eight shi of grain is equivalent to 240 kilograms, and one hu of oil is equivalent to 20 liters. For a family of five, this means the average annual income per person is 48 kilograms. They definitely cannot make it to the poverty line, but they will not starve to death.

This is the data for the case where two years are planted out of three years, and other dryland crops are also added.

As Kuaiji County gradually implements the composting plan, it will surely radiate to the entire Yangzhou in the future. If it can be planted every year, the income can be increased by another one third.

Of course, these are all things to follow.

The current situation is that most people cannot even solve the problem of food and clothing and can only barely survive.

Even so, they are still countless times stronger than the people in the north. Even Jingzhou and Yizhou cannot compare to them, let alone Jiaozhou.

Xi Zhicai continued, "The income of the people in Jiangxia County and Lujiang County is around eight stones."

"Huang Zu treats me a little better, while Lu Jun is a little worse."

A shipbuilder's family is not only engaged in industry, but also in agriculture, and their income is much higher than that of an ordinary family.

Shipbuilding is a hard job. Except for a very small number of skilled workers, most of the work is three-dimensional work, and the income from farming work is naturally not as high as that of full-time farmers.

If the main source of income was reduced, there would definitely be a big uproar. Unfortunately, there was no sound corporate law in this era, and there was no very good binding force on business owners and landlords, which led to the inability to properly resolve this conflict.

At this point, Jin Mao probably guessed what would happen to Xi Zhicai later.

"You mean to increase the income of shipbuilders?"

Jin Mao twisted his beard, which was only a few centimeters long, and said, "With a good income, the shipbuilders will no longer be tempted, or most of them will not be tempted. At that time, we only need to deal with a small number of rioters, and the problem can be solved."

Xi Zhicai bowed and flattered him, saying, "My lord is wise!"

Jin Mao's mouth curled up unconsciously, "In this way, a world where only a few people get hurt will be achieved!"

The ones whose interests were harmed became the Huang and Lu families, and the common people became the beneficiaries.

"Very good!"

Jin Mao slammed the table and said, "Dian Hongxing, ask them all to come in."

"Yes." Dian Wei took the order and went down.

After a while, Huang Zu and Lu Jun walked into the court glaring at each other, followed by ten craftsmen representatives from the two shipyards.

"Meet the General!"

More than a dozen people knelt down and paid homage.

"Everyone, get up."

"Thank you, General!"

Jin Mao sat upright in the court, with Tushita placed on the table. He had already taken off his Ming Guang armor and hung it on the hanger beside him. He was only wearing a thin brocade robe.

"I already know what happened. I will put an end to it today."

"Great General!" Huang Zu stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying, "I want to sue Lu Jun for bullying and monopolizing the market!"

Lu Jun is the eldest son of Lu Kang. He is about the same age as Huang Zu. He is dressed like a Confucian scholar, in contrast to the strong Huang Zu.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Lu Jun's temperament disappeared, "Huang Zu! I'm your mother!"

"You said I was bullying the market, why don't you say you stole my customers?"

"Humph!" Huang Zu glanced at Lu Jun and said disdainfully: "The buyer is your father, can't you change the seller?"

Lu Jun obviously only inherited Lu Kang's pedantry but not his adaptability, and he started swearing.

"Oh!"

Jin Mao grabbed the gavel and slammed the table angrily. Tushita fell over with the sound: "Shut up!"

Huang Zu clasped his fists and pushed him away, but Lu Jun was startled, his face turned pale, and he stammered while trying to speak.

"Shut up!"

Jin Mao glared at him, and Lu Jun felt aggrieved but had nowhere to vent.

Ever since Lu Xun became Jin Mao's adopted son, the Lu family thought that they were standing with Jin Mao, and Lu Jun was one of the representatives.

Therefore, although Lu Jun was at a disadvantage in business wars, he had the upper hand in official circles and thought that no one dared to provoke him.

Now that we are in court, he is still trying to build connections.

Jin Mao didn't know what Lu Jun was thinking and just wanted to deal with the matter at hand. In his eyes, favoritism also depends on the object. Lu Xun was okay, but Lu Jun was nothing.

"I will not pursue the past."

Jin Mao glanced at everyone, like a lion patrolling his territory. "From now on, how you two shipyards compete is your business. I just want to say one thing."

"Double my boatman's pay!"

"Later..."

Before Jin Mao could finish his words, Huang Zu and Lu Jun both jumped up in anger.

"This is taking advantage of someone's misfortune!"

“This is against the law!”

"Bang!" Jin Mao slammed the gavel again. Seeing that Huang Zu and Lu Jun had no intention of stopping, he turned to look at Dian Wei and said, "Give each of them twenty lashes!"

Soon, the ferocious guards rushed into the hall. Although Lu Jun had mastered the six arts of a gentleman, the guards were too strong and he was pinned down in an instant.

However, Huang Zu took advantage of the situation and knocked down several of his personal guards.

Dian Wei felt embarrassed upon seeing this, so he jumped down the hall and was defeated by Huang Zu in two moves.

After being beaten with twenty boards, Huang Zu was able to stand up, but Lu Jun lay on the ground for a long time unable to move.

"How dare you roar in court." Jin Mao said contemptuously: "You have never been beaten, right?"

This time, the two men dared not say a word, for fear of being beaten again.

However, for the sake of fairness, justice and openness, Jinmao also made a special explanation: "The new policy is formulated by me, I am the law!"

"If anyone dares to disrespect me again in the future, the crime will be even more serious!"

Everyone was silent, these "three officials" were so overbearing.

"Zhicai," Jin Mao said, "draw up a five-year plan for the two shipyards and list in detail the income of each employee."

"Wait until you are transferred or the five-year term is up, and then draft a new one."

"There is only one principle." Jin Mao raised a finger and said, "The income of boatmen should be twice as high as the average!"

This is like cutting the flesh of Huang Zu and Lu Jun, using the interests of a few to feed the majority.

Xi Zhicai accepted the order.

Huang Zu and Lu Jun looked ashen. The ten boatman representatives had different expressions. Most of them were excited, but a few, probably from the two families, were not happy.

Jin Mao then said to the man lying down: "After you ten go back, you must tell everyone this good news. If anyone dares to stop it."

Jin Mao opened his bloody mouth and said, "I'll make the decision for you!"

"Even if I'm not here, the governor can make the decision for you!"

Immediately, eight out of ten knelt down and shouted, "Thank you, General!"

The remaining two knelt down reluctantly with grim looks on their faces.

When the matter was settled and more than a dozen people left, Jin Mao turned his head to look at Xi Zhicai who was writing furiously and said, "Send a few officials to the two shipyards."

"I grant you the right to execute first and report later. If anyone causes trouble, no matter who they are, you can execute them!"

Xi Zhicai quickly put down what he was doing, stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you, my lord."

Jin Mao nodded and asked, "Anything else?"

Xi Zhicai took out another booklet, flipped through it, removed some minor problems, and threw out another big one.

"Cotton planting in Wu County was hindered, and the people were unwilling to give up rice and wheat to grow cotton."

Jin Mao frowned and asked, "Are there any powerful families causing trouble behind the scenes?"

Xi Zhicai shook his head and said, "No."

Suddenly, Jin Mao rubbed his temples. This was really a headache.

(End of this chapter)