My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 409 Wuqing Earl's Grain Planting Competition
Cheng Ziwen knew Su Ze, but he did not know the wealthy middle-aged man beside him.

However, judging from his clothing, this person must be quite extraordinary.

Su Ze quickly explained:

"This is Li Wenquan, the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing."

It really was Li Wenquan.

Cheng Ziwen bowed to Li Wenquan, and Li Wenquan quickly returned the bow.

In those days, civil officials still held the highest positions. Cheng Ziwen was the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, and the business of the Japanese silver company was all in Dengzhou and Laizhou. If it weren't for his status as the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing, he would have to ask Cheng Ziwen for an audience.

Cheng Ziwen had just spoken with Liu Zhijie and was somewhat prepared, but he was still surprised when Su Ze actually came to see him. He even felt a little apprehensive.

This fear was just like when he was first received by the cabinet ministers. But Su Ze was only a fourth-rank official, not even as high-ranking as him, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou. What was going on?

Cheng Ziwen hadn't figured out where his emotions came from when he said this again:

"Is Hanlin Su here to inquire about my plans after I take office in Dengzhou and Laizhou?"

After saying that, Cheng Ziwen regretted it even more!
Why are you acting like you're reporting to a high-ranking official? Why are you adopting such a humble posture?

It's as if Su Ze came here to hear his report on his plans for taking office!
Cheng Ziwen didn't know what was wrong with him, why he was so at a loss for what to do today. He was a seasoned veteran who had been navigating the officialdom for decades!
Fortunately, Su Ze's attitude was not arrogant, and his posture was very humble. He quickly said:

"Why do you say that, Lord Cheng? I am but a man of limited knowledge, how could I possibly comment on your policies? I have come to pay my respects to you recently at the request of the heir of the Marquis of Wuqing."

Are you ignorant?
What about the entire court of civil and military officials?
Cheng Ziwen thought to himself, but he still said:
"Is Crown Prince Lee here because of the Woyin Company?"

Li Wenquan nodded repeatedly.

With the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou being replaced this time, Li Wenquan is the one who is most worried.

The main business of the Japanese Silver Company was in Laizhou, because the company's franchise was to offer preferential rates for coin minting, which required the cooperation of the mint in Laizhou.

The Japanese Silver Company mainly operated through several ports in the north, so the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou would indeed affect the company's business.

Fortunately, Cheng Ziwen did not discriminate against business. He was quite enthusiastic towards Li Wenquan, and after a brief conversation, the two quickly reached a consensus.

Cheng Ziwen's attitude was also very clear: the Dengzhou-Laizhou governor's office would naturally support the Woyin Company in carrying out normal business in Dengzhou and Laizhou.

The conversation was generally pleasant for both host and guest. However, towards the end, Su Ze asked:

"Lord Cheng, as the editor of the Yuefu Xinbao, I would also like to ask on behalf of the readers: what are your views on the future development of Dengzhou and Laizhou?"

Isn't this a form of political inquiry?!

Cheng Ziwen wasn't angry. He had sensed Su Ze's respect for him during their conversation, and Cheng Ziwen immediately said:
"Governor Tu has done a good job. After I took office, Xiao Guicao will be able to follow suit."

Su Ze frowned, and Cheng Ziwen couldn't help but ask:
"Does Su Hanlin think this is inappropriate?"

Su Ze said quickly:

"How could I dare? Lord Cheng has been in local government for a long time, so he naturally knows how to govern better than I, who has never served as an official for even a day."

Cheng Ziwen was a shrewd man; he could tell that Su Ze was holding back, so he said:
"Su Hanlin, people say that the development of Dengzhou and Laizhou is all thanks to your memorials. Now that I am about to take office in Dengzhou and Laizhou, to avoid you impeaching me with your memorials in the future, you should speak your mind."

Everyone laughed, and after the joke, the people present became even closer.

Su Ze then said:

"Lord Cheng, what do you think is the reason for Dengzhou and Laizhou's development?"

Cheng Ziwen thought for a moment and said:
"Naturally, it's because Dengzhou and Laizhou were the first to open the sea."

Su Ze praised:

"Master Cheng's insight is brilliant! Compared to the ports in the south, Dengzhou and Laizhou's only advantage is that they opened to the sea first."

But Cheng Ziwen was not the kind of official who only talked about empty talk. He frowned and said:
"Su Hanlin is also somewhat biased. The ports of Dengzhou and Laizhou have deep waters that are easy to navigate, and they are also very close to Korea and Japan. Whether in terms of geography or location, their advantages are obvious."

"In contrast, Guangxi does not have such a good harbor."

Su Ze shook his head and said:

"A port alone can only bring prosperity to a single city."

"Lord Cheng, are you aware that the Ministry of Revenue has compiled statistics on the number of merchant ships docked at various ports in the first half of this year?"

"Currently, in our Great Ming Dynasty, the port with the most ship calls is still Laizhou Port. However, the combined number of calls at Dengzhou and Laizhou ports, plus the port of Zhigu, cannot compare to the number of calls at the river and sea ports in Jiangnan."

Cheng Ziwen looked at Su Ze.

Su Ze said:

"The Yangtze River is now navigable for seagoing vessels, and cities along the river have opened to foreign trade, with more and more merchant ships beginning to concentrate in Southern Zhili."

Su Ze also sighed, even though the North has the advantages of being first to market, technological advantages, and policy advantages, businessmen will still vote with their feet and prefer to stay in Jiangnan.

There's no way around it, the Yangtze River is arguably the most valuable waterway in the world!

Today, the Yangtze River waterway can accommodate almost all small and medium-sized seagoing vessels. In other words, the entire middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River can be considered as the coastline, and these riverside cities are equivalent to coastal cities.

This golden waterway can also extend into the hinterland, connecting the vast markets of the Yangtze River basin.

The area along the Yangtze River has always been a prosperous region.

Another important characteristic of industrial production is that it is more specialized and refined.

For example, a steam engine manufacturing plant needs high-quality steel from a steel mill, qualified parts from a processing plant, and various supporting factories. Ultimately, the steam engine factory is responsible for assembling the engines and transporting them to coal mines in Shanxi.

In the north, transporting these parts would waste a lot of time and money, but on the Yangtze River, as long as these factories were distributed along the river, merchant ships could easily transport them all to the steam engine factory.

Such industrial clusters have now emerged in the Yangtze River basin.

In contrast, while Den Lai's port is also a good harbor, it lacks inland depth.

Furthermore, Su Ze also worried that if Dengzhou and Laiyang made money easily through trade, what would happen if they eventually abandoned industrial development and focused solely on trade and finance?
This is not to say that trade and finance are not profitable, but in this era where logistics are far inferior to those in the original timeline, industrialization is the only way for the Ming Dynasty to modernize.

Cheng Ziwen thought for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Is Su Hanlin planning to build a railway?"

Su Ze thought he would have to explain further, but Cheng Ziwen understood immediately.

Su Ze could only sigh that those who could become high-ranking officials were indeed capable and insightful!

Su Ze said:

"Lord Cheng's insight is brilliant! This is exactly what I came for!"

“If goods only circulate between the ports of Dengzhou and Laiyang, it will not benefit the people as a whole; an excessive amount of silver dollars will only harm the people.”

Cheng Ziwen nodded repeatedly. Scholars naturally understood this principle: if the growth of wealth were concentrated in the hands of the rich, it would inevitably lead to the loss of ordinary people, which would not be a good thing for the imperial court.

In the words of the original timeline, the benefits of development did not reach the people; large sums of money were circulating idly, ultimately leading to inflation and a decline in the actual purchasing power of ordinary people.

This is exactly what Su Ze is worried about. The development of Denglai Port is good, but it has not benefited the surrounding prefectures and counties. If this continues, the maritime merchants who come and go from the port and the inland people outside the port will be completely different species.

Conflicts and hatred will accumulate, and the country will become more unstable.

Su Ze said:

"If a railway could be built, starting from Dengzhou and Laizhou and connecting to Daming Prefecture."

"In that way, the ports of Dengzhou and Laizhou can be connected to the Grand Canal of Daming Prefecture, making the flow of goods more convenient, and the people along the way can also benefit from it."

"What does Lord Cheng think?"

The railway from Laizhou to Damingfu?

This grand plan made Cheng Ziwen's heart tremble.

The maintenance costs for such a long railway must be outrageous!
Su Ze said again:
"Lord Cheng, a steam engine has appeared in Shanxi. It was originally used to pump water in coal mines."

"The craftsmen at Fan's Coal Mine have improved the steam engine and have developed a steam engine that can automatically pull mine carts."

Actually, the technical difficulty here, from pumping water to pulling the horse-drawn carriage, is not high.

The technology of the Datong Fan family was not very advanced; the speed of the hauled mine carts was not as fast as that of horse-drawn mine carts.

However, once the technological path is established, the time when steam trains can be truly put into use will not be far off!

By the time the complete steam locomotive is built, it will be too late to start railway construction.

Railway construction is a time-consuming and labor-intensive basic task with a long construction cycle, especially in a vast and resource-rich place like the Ming Dynasty. If it is not planned and constructed in advance, how can it keep up with the rapid industrial boom?
This railway, connecting the canal waterway and the shipping hub, will enable the towns along the route to develop and establish an industrial base in the north.

This is the real purpose of Su Ze's trip.

It's easy to talk to smart people, and Cheng Ziwen also understood the enormous benefits of this railway.

However, he rose through the ranks from the bottom and has a deep understanding of human nature, Cheng Ziwen said with concern:

"But this is not easy. The Zhigu Railway connects to the capital, and the Wusong Railway goes without saying. Jiangnan is already a prosperous region."

How will the Laiji Railway raise funds?

Su Ze smiled and said:

"This is exactly what Su came to discuss with Lord Cheng."

“Railway fundraising is also a strategic move. Like roads, railways will eventually be state-owned.”

Cheng Ziwen nodded. Railways, like roads and canals, are indeed not suitable for private ownership.

Su Ze said:

"Therefore, the Laiji Railway still needs to be led by the government. It just so happens that the imperial court is going to implement tax-sharing reform, and this money should be provided by the Denglai Governor's Office."

"Does the Dengzhou-Laizhou governor's office have that much money?"

At this moment, Li Wenquan said:

"The headquarters of the Japanese Silver Company is planned to be moved to Laizhou, and the tax revenue of the Japanese Silver Company will be delivered in Dengzhou and Laizhou in the future."

Li Wenquan further stated, "Woyin Company is also preparing to build a steel plant, a coking plant, a cement plant, and a machinery plant in Laizhou. These factories will also pay taxes."

Cheng Ziwen's heart skipped a beat.

He originally thought that the investment in Huaiqing Prefecture was already large enough, but he did not expect that the investment of the Woyin Company in Dengzhou and Laizhou was even more enormous!

If these taxes can be collected, the local government of Dengzhou and Laizhou will actually have enough money to raise the start-up capital for the Laizhou-Ji Railway!

After all, railways are built section by section; it's not like you have to pay for the entire railway all at once.

After reaching a consensus, Cheng Ziwen had a detailed discussion with Li Wenquan, and after finalizing many details, Su Ze took his leave.

After Su Ze left, Cheng Ziwen was filled with emotion.

I thought that once I arrived in Dengzhou and Laizhou, I would follow the old ways and wait for my retirement while serving as the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. For a long time, Cheng Ziwen's goal was to serve as an official in a prosperous and stable place and retire there.

However, Cheng Ziwen was somewhat unwilling to come to Beijing from Guangxi, as he had been an official for decades but had never had the opportunity to realize his ambitions.

Now that such a great opportunity is before him, how could Cheng Ziwen miss it?

It was only then that Cheng Ziwen realized that everyone could be called a "Soviet Party member".

In the political arena, anyone with a modicum of political ideals would want to achieve something tangible.
Su Ze is the kind of person who can help you achieve your dreams. What will you do if you don't follow him?
"You've worked hard, Your Highness."

Inside the carriage, Su Ze expressed his gratitude to Li Wenquan.

After Li Wenquan returned to Beijing, Su Ze took him to meet Liu Zhijie and Cheng Ziwen, where Su Ze made a series of promises to him.

Li Wenquan smiled and said, "What are you saying, Hanlin Su? I owe my success today to your guidance."

"Besides, these investments were originally intended for the Japanese Silver Company; otherwise, it would be a huge waste for these silver dollars to sit idle in the accounts."

WoYin Company is probably the world's largest non-public economic entity. Li Wenquan, in his position, can only do his best to learn and improve in order to barely control this "giant ship".

Li Wenquan also brushed up on some economic theories and understood that funds only have meaning when they are in circulation.

Moreover, if the profits of the Japanese silver company rely solely on franchising, its ability to withstand risks is too poor.

Moreover, the profits from the Japanese silver trade were declining. Investing the huge profits from the initial stage in building factories was the only way to ensure long-term success.

However, the two were already very close, so there was no need for excessive small talk or formalities.

After Su Ze finished speaking, he inquired about Li Wenquan's family affairs.

"Yesterday, His Highness mentioned that the old Marquis of Wuqing has been keeping a close eye on the fields every day these days?"

At this point, Li Wenquan let out a long sigh!

He simply couldn't understand why Wu Qingbo, the number one winner in the Ming Dynasty, wouldn't just lie down and relax. At his advanced age, he was still spending his days and nights in the fields for the thousand silver dollars prize money in the grain-growing competition.

His daughter is the emperor's concubine, his grandson is the crown prince, and his son runs a commercial empire worth nearly a million silver dollars. Wu Qingbo almost suffered heatstroke because of this one thousand silver dollar bonus!
According to Li Wei, the Earl of Wuqing, these days are the crucial moment of the competition. The nobles of several surrounding estates may be trying to cheat their way to victory by sending people to destroy their crops, so he has to guard them day and night.

Su Ze smiled after hearing this, thanking Wu Qingbo for his dedication in promoting Feitian powder.

The awards ceremony is in a couple of days. If we get an interview in the Yuefu Xinbao, the Feitian fans will become famous.

(End of this chapter)