Chapter 585: Travel Not Changing Name, Sit Not Changing Surname

When Liu Benshen faced Wang Dou, though he was respectful, his face remained expressionless. He slowly reported what the Intelligence Division had uncovered: "Regarding the recent rumors targeting the Grand General, their supporters in the capital are led by Minister of Personnel Li Rixuan, Minister of Revenue Li Daiwen, Left Chief Censor of the Censorate Li Banghua, Vice Minister of Justice Meng Zhaoxiang, Left Vice Censor of the Censorate Shi Bangyao, Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Ling Yiqu, and Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Wu Linzheng. The remaining cabinet ministers and high officials all maintain an attitude of tacit approval!"

"And the rise of these rumors may not be without the covert instigation of rebel and slave spies..."

"On the commercial conspiracy front, the major merchant houses of Xuan-Da and Jin territories, such as the Fan, Wang, Kang, Zhai, Liang, Huang, and Qu families, are the main actors. Cooperating with trading firms everywhere and numerous local officials and military officers, they first boycotted and burned our incoming commercial goods, then blockaded and destroyed many merchants in various places who were close to our Eastern Circuit, even assassinating and assaulting members of those clans. When the various merchants filed complaints with the authorities, they were all ignored, and instead the merchants themselves were thrown into prison."

"...This is the first step of the villains' treacherous scheme, intended to blockade the future development of our commercial affairs!"

Liu Benshen said, "Their second step is to print counterfeit grain tickets."

He pulled out several grain tickets with face values of one sheng, one dou, and one ge, and handed them to Wang Dou: "These are the counterfeit tickets printed by the treacherous merchants."

Wang Dou took them and examined them, turning them over and over, and finally sighed: "Truly they pass the false off as the real. When common folk see them, how can they tell the difference?"

In fact, the merchants of the Great Ming did very well in anti-counterfeiting measures for various instruments — watermark techniques, specially assigned calligraphers, micro-carved seals, Chinese character secret codes, all manner of methods were complete. Their ox-horn anti-counterfeiting irregularly shaped seals were such that even in later ages, people would still see them and marvel.

However, the Eastern Circuit was after all a small place. The anti-counterfeiting measures the various merchants could devise were far from comparable to the vast Jin merchant conglomerate. Imitation and cracking were both quite easy, and moreover these counterfeiting bases were not set up within the Eastern Circuit — they lay outside the jurisdiction. Investigation and seizure were even more difficult.

The power of those Jin merchants was astonishing. Once they mobilized, given time, a tide of counterfeit grain tickets would drown the genuine tickets issued by the Eastern Circuit.

These counterfeit grain tickets were passed around among the commanders. Gao Shiyin pulled a few genuine grain tickets from his own bosom. Comparing them against these counterfeits, he found it truly hard to tell which was superior. He could not help but click his tongue in wonder: "Damn, they're made so lifelike. Have to admit, these treacherous merchants do have skill."

Shen Shiqi said, "They really do look alike. If Old Liu hadn't said anything, I would have thought these were genuine tickets."

Xie Yike said angrily, "They look alike, sure, but they're still fakes. These treacherous merchants won't walk the proper path, but when it comes to crooked ways, every single one of them is top-notch."

Wen Fangliang pondered for a long while, then said, "That may be so, but our Eastern Circuit's supervision is extremely strict. Even if a small amount of counterfeit tickets flows in, it wouldn't affect the overall situation, would it?"

Advisor Qin Yi said, "Not so. At present, our Eastern Circuit grain tickets are renowned far and wide, and many places outside the circuit are using them. If counterfeit tickets circulate in large quantities, then the villains will manufacture rumors, causing grain tickets outside the circuit to be abandoned, and even triggering runs on grain stations everywhere..."

He said, "Gentlemen, you know that the Grand General now holds the honored position of Regional Commander of Xuanfu Garrison. But our Jingbian Army's ambition does not rest in one place alone; we must always expand outward. The benefits of grain tickets, everyone has seen. This is a vital instrument for the nation. If it loses credibility..."

He looked toward Wang Dou and said with gravity, "Grand General, if this truly comes to pass, the pace of our Jingbian Army's outward expansion will be greatly slowed."

When everyone considered this point, they all started in alarm. Indeed, credit was something ethereal and intangible. When credit held, even without grain reserves, without gold and silver reserves, everyone used them with confidence. If confidence were lost, the Great Ming treasure notes were the cautionary tale right before their eyes.

The development of the Eastern Circuit grain tickets had not been easy. Even with the military and civilians holding tremendous confidence in and reverence for Wang Dou, it had still traversed a tortuous path over several years. If credibility were lost outside, how many years would it take to promote grain tickets in the future?

Not to mention anything else, after Wang Dou stationed himself in the garrison city, the promotion of grain tickets in the remaining circuits within the garrison might well fall into an unsatisfactory state.

The moment they thought of this, everyone could no longer sit still. Gao Shiyin and Shen Shiqi leaped up again, one shouting kill kill kill, the other shouting chop chop chop, both bellowing and yelling.

Wang Dou waved his hand, signaling everyone to stay calm. He looked at Liu Benshen and said, "Where there is one or two, there is a third. Tell us how the treacherous merchants' third step proceeds."

Liu Benshen saluted and said, "Yes."

He said, "The treacherous merchants' third step is to attempt a run on our grain tickets within the Eastern Circuit. According to the Intelligence Division's detection, they likewise divide this into several steps: roughly cutting off external supplies of grain and fodder, salt, tea, cloth, and so on, then buying up Eastern Circuit commercial goods in massive quantities, or buying up Eastern Circuit grain tickets in massive quantities, so that both tickets and goods within the circuit become scarce, and then they have further designs. This may involve some internal traitors within the Eastern Circuit..."

At this point, Liu Benshen's eyelids lowered, and he did not say on the spot who those internal traitors were. A cold gleam flashed in Wang Dou's eyes. The news that internal traitors had appeared pained him, yet it was also within his expectations. His subordinates were not saints; when various situations arose, the possibility of being bought off also existed.

Only by purging these scum could the Eastern Circuit become more united, with ten thousand hearts beating as one.

However, that Wang Dou could accept it did not mean his subordinates could. Garrison Judge Chi Dacheng's face turned ashen and black. Wen Fangliang and Han Chao also shot to their feet. Gao Shiyin and Shen Shiqi, on the other hand, staggered back several steps. Gao Shiyin murmured, "Who is it? Who could be so shameless?"

Wang Dou took a deep breath and told Liu Benshen to continue his report. Under Liu Benshen's detailed briefing, the schemes of the Jin merchants unfolded step by step before his eyes. It could be said that their Intelligence Division was competent — the representative figures of the conspiracy, their operational steps, were all within their grasp, which left Wang Dou quite satisfied.

Intelligence is the eyes and ears of an army, of an organization. Without intelligence, one is groping in the dark with both eyes blind.

After Liu Benshen finished his report, all the commanders looked at Wang Dou. This kind of commercial warfare was not their forte. Aside from Advisor Qin Yi, who knew a little, and Sun Sanjie, who understood some, the rest were all laymen who only knew to pester Wang Dou for money and grain.