Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

Although the people of Vaishya have very dark skin, almost comparable to that of black people, those old bachelors probably won't be picky.

Next, they searched the houses of the Vaishyas and found many dried meats of animals and fish.

"Commander, there are quite a few deerskins in the room!" an officer reported with a grin.

Chapter 3336 Combined Civil and Military Forces

Deer hide is a good thing; wealthy people like to wear deer hide boots.

Before long, the cavalrymen who had pursued the remaining enemy forces returned: "There's a river over there, and we've spotted a large herd of deer."

The main prey of the Vaishyas was the deer herds on the coastal plains.

If mountain tribes lack food, they will come to the plains to poach deer, which leads to wars with the Vaishya people by the sea.

Centuries later, the Dutch colonized the area, and their main profits came from deerskin.

Yang Yao rode his horse to investigate and indeed found a large herd of deer.

He already had a plan in mind: to recruit more Tanka people from Fujian to establish settlements along the coast and to send a special detachment to garrison them.

Then, people gradually migrated here, cultivated the fertile land along the river, and hunted regularly for deer hides.

He can both expand his territory and make profits, and he will surely be promoted for his merits in a few years!

"Burn down these houses and continue sailing south!" Yang Yao shouted excitedly.

The three warships sailed south along the coastline and soon discovered another seaside tribe.

Same tactics, same routine.

Those wicked Vaishyas, when faced with an even more ferocious and well-organized navy, were utterly powerless to resist in battle.

Moreover, there was no way to escape; the surrounding area was all coastal plains, allowing thirty cavalrymen to roam freely.

They destroyed seven coastal tribes in succession, some of which belonged to the Tanmayan tribe and others to the Bishaye tribe.

In any case, regardless of the tribe, they were all pirates who frequently traveled north to kill and plunder.

Yang Yao did not send troops to areas closer to the mountains.

In any case, this battle was enough to deter the remaining tribes.

Next time we recruit the Tanka people and come back to kill them again, we can scare them so much that they dare not settle on the coast.

Returning to the Penghu Islands with spoils and prisoners, the islanders of several islands cheered and celebrated.

Yang Yao also sent all the first prisoners he captured to Lin Xiu, the Pacification Commissioner of Ryukyu.

It served both as a way to foster goodwill by gifting prisoners and as a way to intimidate and intimidate the Ryukyu people.

Yang Yao knew that Dai Chengsi was a big shot in the past, so he took the initiative to visit him and give a detailed account of the situation in northern and western coastal Taiwan.

Dai Chengsi said, "Commander Yang's plan is excellent. There are many boat people (tanka people) in Fujian, and they are poor and willing to migrate."

“We will entice them to cultivate the land, fish and hunt along the coast of Taiwan. As long as we offer them enough benefits, a large number of yachts will be willing to come.”

"Taiwan Island was named by His Majesty himself, and the court attaches great importance to it. If it is managed well, it will surely bring great benefits."

"I only know the methods of governing the people through military means, and I still need to ask Mr. Dai for guidance." Yang Yao humbly sought instruction.

Dai Chengsi laughed and said, "Commander Yang, why be so modest? Last year, you came to Penghu to pacify the Han people, subdue the Ryukyu, and attract the Tanka people. How could you not understand the methods of governing the people?"

"With Commander Yang's talent, he is more than qualified to be a prefect."

"It's all just wild guessing," Yang Yao said.

Dai Chengsi added, “The Ryukyu people and the Fujian people are no different except for their language; even their houses are built very similarly.”

“They may be descendants of Han Chinese from Fujian, and can be gradually educated.”

"If we continue to migrate and cultivate the coastal areas further south, we can also profit from deerskin, and the population will surely flourish in the future."

"Commander Yang should focus on managing things for five or six years. Once everything is stable, we can apply to establish Taiwan County."

Chapter 3337 County Establishment Plan

"Apply to establish a county?" Yang Yao clicked his tongue.

Dai Chengsi said, "Taiwan County is not like those tributary prefectures in the southwest. It is predominantly inhabited by Han Chinese, and we were able to register households and appoint officials to govern the county. It is a great achievement in expanding our territory!"

Yang Yao said, "Although King Lin Xiu of Ryukyu has abdicated the throne and become the Pacification Commissioner of Ryukyu, his territory is probably not easy to annex."

Dai Chengsi laughed and said, "That's easy. Before applying to establish the county, send Lin Xiu to the capital to pay homage to the emperor."

"What kind of insight could a chieftain from a remote island have? He'd be so happy in the capital that he'd forget all about home."

"At that time, the emperor can simply bestow a residence and some money upon him, and he will be able to bring his family there."

"Mr. Dai is indeed very insightful." Yang Yao felt that he had asked the right person.

Dai Chengsi continued, "After Lin Xiu's family left, the tribal chief was appointed as the village head, and they were then asked to recommend a local chieftain as the county magistrate."

“If the chieftain and county magistrate assist the county magistrate in managing Liuqiu, and the chieftain and village head obey the orders of the county magistrate, then the people of Liuqiu can be registered and treated as equals.”

Yang Yao bowed and thanked him, saying, "If Taiwan County can truly be established, I will certainly petition for credit on your behalf."

The territory of the Ryukyu Kingdom was not large, only encompassing the coastal plains of Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Taichung.

Moreover, they share similar physical appearances with the people of Fujian, as well as many similar customs. They also know how to cultivate rice, so assimilation would be very rapid.

Rice can be grown on a large scale from the Penghu Islands to the coastal plains of Taiwan, which can make up for the food shortage in Guangdong and Fujian.

Taiwan in the mid-Qing Dynasty was a major grain-producing region.

The surplus grain was not only transported to Fujian and Guangdong for sale, but also all the way to Tianjin port for entry, and... much of it was traded illegally.

Yang Yao then asked, "If Taiwan County were to be established, where should its county seat be located?"

Dai Chengsi reminded him, "Do whatever is convenient for fighting. Commander Yang should know better than me."

“I understand,” Yang Yao immediately came up with an idea. “Let’s set it up on the opposite shore of Penghu Island (Chiayi). To the north, we can control Ryukyu; to the south, we can control the various barbarians; and to the west, we can connect Penghu and Quanzhou.”

"As long as we establish a county and station troops there, everything will be fine."

"Wherever a rebellion breaks out, troops can be quickly mobilized to suppress it, and supplies from Quanzhou can be easily transported here."

“The local products on the island can also be sold to Quanzhou Port nearby.”

Dai Chengsi said, "We should also establish more free schools. There are many convicted officials in the Penghu Islands. We should take turns sending them to Ryukyu to educate the local people."

“Village schools can also be established in Penghu and along the coast of Taiwan.”

"The villagers pooled their money and grain to support the teacher. They were willing, and the convicted official was also willing, since they didn't have to farm anymore."

"After the county was established, people could even apply for the imperial examination."

"This is also a great achievement, and it will surely become a celebrated story among scholars. Civil officials will naturally look at the general with new respect."

The two found themselves increasingly compatible and began to develop a detailed development plan, intending to enable Taiwan to establish counties within six years.

After all, the Penghu Islands have a rich history, with three or four thousand Han Chinese already residing there.

By recruiting more Tanka people to the coastal areas of Taiwan and annexing the Liuqiu Kingdom in Taipei, the minimum standard for establishing a county could be met.

A surrendered general and a convicted official thus determined Taiwan's development path.

Moreover, they were full of energy, eager to try, and determined to make a contribution.

While Yang Yao and Dai Chengsi were discussing how to develop Taiwan, Zheng Hong was transferred back to Tokyo to serve as the prefect of Kaifeng.

Chapter 3338 Price Gouging

This chubby boy who knew nothing has now become a chubby boy who knows a lot but doesn't know anything.

He had barely settled into his seat in Kaifeng when he requested the establishment of a stock exchange in Kaifeng.

This thing was established by Zhao Yuan in the six major maritime trade offices, but it has never been introduced to the mainland market.

Li Shishi was helping to refill the wine when Zhao Yuan picked up his glass and asked, "Why did you come up with this idea?"

Zheng Hong said, "I have seen the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Office's exchange. When I returned to Beijing, I found that the Kaifeng market had been monopolized by those who had acquired other businesses. Therefore, I requested the establishment of an exchange to break this monopoly."

"You've got guts," Zhao Yuan laughed.

Zheng Hong laughed along, "If it weren't for last year's big case, I wouldn't dare mention something like this."

"Although I haven't read many books, I have asked around and found out that the reason why Prime Minister Wang of the former Song Dynasty was dismissed from his post was because of this."

Wang Anshi's reforms were met with collective opposition from those who had vested interests.

The reform that faced the most opposition was not the equal taxation of farmland.

Measures such as investigating land ownership and adjusting agricultural taxes may seem to have a wide-ranging impact, but in reality, the local gentry were a disorganized bunch, and a few ruthless officials could easily suppress them.

The direct reason for Wang Anshi's dismissal as prime minister was that the "Market Exchange Law" combined with the "Exemption from Corvée Labor Tax" offended the imperial family, important officials in the court, and large merchants who colluded with them.

The consequence was chaos in the national market, with Tokyo being in even worse disarray, even causing problems with the supply of goods to the Imperial Family.

Imperial relatives and powerful officials were among the biggest "victims" of the reforms.

The emperor's relatives, including the empress dowager, complained all day long that Wang Anshi had caused chaos in the country.

The specific details are as follows:

Local governments across the country collected a great deal of taxes in kind, including grain, cloth, timber, and so on, which had to be sold to merchants to convert into cash.

Or perhaps the government needs certain supplies, which must be supplied by merchants.

Or perhaps some event needs to be organized, requiring merchants to supply goods and services.

Merchants who distributed goods, supplied goods, and performed services for the government were collectively referred to as "kepei".

The work was done by business guilds; for example, if it involved cloth, it would be handled by cloth merchants.

A guild is often headed by a major wholesaler who joins forces with other wholesalers to monopolize regional trade.

Retailers buy goods from wholesalers and suffer exploitation and oppression from them.

To facilitate transactions between the government and merchants, local authorities would inquire about prices every ten days to obtain the latest market prices for various commodities.

Local officials would submit price quotes to the imperial court once a month so that the central government could keep track of the latest market prices across the country.

However, whether it's a ten-day price or a monthly price, it will definitely differ from the actual prices of goods.

When dealing with government-mandated taxes and levies, wealthy merchants would take advantage of any profitable opportunities to participate.

For deals that are guaranteed to lose money, arrange for small and medium-sized merchants to participate.

In addition, large merchants colluded to monopolize the market, hoard goods and drive up prices, causing small and medium-sized merchants to go bankrupt every year, and also causing economic losses to the central government and local governments.

Wang Anshi attempted to solve the problem through the Market Regulation Law, which aimed to change the situation from large merchants monopolizing the market to government intervention to control the market.

When large merchants deliberately lowered prices and refused to buy goods, the government would directly intervene to buy the goods, then distribute them to retailers, and lend money at low interest rates to small and medium-sized merchants to operate their businesses.

Because officials were corrupt and abused their power when enforcing the market regulation law, the market became even more chaotic.

Wealthy merchants colluded with powerful figures to fuel the chaos, and the government's allocation of funds became a complete mess.

The situation for small and medium-sized businesses has become even more difficult!

Wang Anshi then introduced a "payment to exempt merchants from corvée labor" scheme as a supplement, allowing merchants who did not wish to pay taxes to the government to be exempt from these duties.

The Market Regulation Law, combined with the exemption from corvée labor, had a huge impact on the imperial family, powerful officials, and wealthy merchants, effectively cutting off their lifeline to making a fortune.

The resulting backlash was many times greater than the equal taxation of the land survey, ultimately leading to Wang Anshi's dismissal as prime minister and his return to his hometown.

But the real reason for the failure was that Wang Anshi took the wrong path.

It's problematic for wealthy merchants to monopolize the market, but it's not problematic for the government to directly monopolize the market.

Wang Anshi's remedial measure was to increase the salaries and benefits of officials, thereby preventing them from profiting through the Market Exchange Law.

As a result, officials used the market exchange law to further exploit and harm small and medium-sized merchants.

Most of the excuses used by the opposition to attack the Market Regulation Law are actually true!

This problem is unsolvable, at least not by Wang Anshi, because it requires much more drastic measures.

During the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song, Cai Jing reinstated the Market Exchange Law and the Exemption from Corvée Labor Tax.

However, the Market Regulation Law was soon abolished, and the exemption from corvée labor was retained in a rather haphazard manner because it benefited large merchants.