Chapter 1335

In the winter of the twelfth year of Kaihuang (592), Yang Guang returned to Daxing to pay his respects and offer gifts, bringing back a large pile of spices and seafood.

The purpose, of course, was to tell Yang Jian that the profits from maritime trade were substantial and that the lands overseas were worth pursuing.

Just as Yang Guang had expected, after he spoke to Yang Jian about this matter, Yang Jian did not tell anyone else, but instead tacitly approved of Yang Guang's formation of an ocean-going navy to plunder wealth from beyond the borders.

After returning to Jiangdu, Yang Guang told Wang Yan that Yang Jian's first thought was exactly as Wang Yan had said: to control the power of maritime trade. All participating aristocratic families had to kowtow obediently; otherwise, he would have the navy destroy their fleets and leave them with nothing. If asked, the answer would be that overseas, crises and opportunities coexist, and the heavens are unpredictable.

It was all quite disgusting.

In fact, after the first harvest of maritime trade, Yang Guang no longer wanted Wang Yan's share, so Wang Yan truly invested all the money into maritime trade. He built larger, more powerful ships, recruited more naval forces, and even boldly and recklessly transferred some Yangzhou garrison troops to participate, letting his brothers all get rich.

Supported by vast financial and human resources, the construction of the fleet was rapid, and the training of the navy kept pace. The requirements for the navy were actually not high: they had to be able to swim without drowning, not get seasick, be able to board enemy ships, and not become weaklings once on land, maintaining considerable combat effectiveness—that was enough.

With the might of the Great Sui's weapons and armor, they swept through the south without any opponents.

Therefore, with tacit approval, Wang Yan committed a capital crime: he emptied the Yangzhou armory to fully arm the navy. However, the Yangzhou armory could never be emptied; he moved things slowly, and the imperial court replenished them slowly. Everything was handled by reliable people, and no mistakes were made.

Of course, at the same time, Wang Yan's head was also placed on the chopping block; the evidence was sufficient, after all—he could be executed whenever they pleased...

But these were secondary; after all, he was obedient, and Yang Jian and Yang Guang, this grandfather-grandson pair, loved him too much to ever want to take his head.

By the summer of the thirteenth year of Kaihuang, they had already made seven round trips, possessing over thirty large and small ships and more than three thousand naval troops. The money and grain earned were truly piled up like mountains.

At the same time, in Nanyue, they established distilleries to brew high-proof liquor using the local rice. Meanwhile, Wang Yan abused his power to have them purify alcohol for strategic reserves; these were strategic materials that could be used in the future.

In short, under Wang Yan's strategic planning, the maritime trade fleet he controlled developed very quickly. Shipbuilding technology was constantly accumulating, personnel were constantly becoming elite, and they were only three to five years away from ocean-going voyages.

At the same time, it also caused the eyes of Yang Jian and Yang Guang to fall upon the overseas world.

As the saying goes, the Dao of Heaven reduces the surplus to replenish the deficiency. As a strong Central Plains dynasty, one must naturally look to the four seas and use the resources of the four seas to nourish our people...

This was what Wang Yan hoped for; he hoped Yang Guang would have the grand ambition to swallow the four seas.

In June, Wang Yan packed his things once again, leaving some people to look after the Jiangning Marquis Mansion in Jiangdu, and took Xiao Mei and the children back to Daxing City.

Because he was going to be formally married, to marry a princess.

It was another arduous journey back to Daxing; the lack of a canal was indeed inconvenient.

Once the canal was opened, it would, firstly, accelerate the north-south turnover of goods; secondly, guarantee inland water transport; and thirdly, connect the north and south to suppress the resistance forces in the south. It would still be very useful.

Starting from the Sui, maintained by successive dynasties, and connected to Beijing in the Yuan Dynasty, it became the full-line Grand Canal seen later.

Currently, Yang Jian was already having it built while in power, and the person in charge was none other than Yuwen Kai, the same Yuwen Kai mentioned earlier who was responsible for the capitals of the Sui and Tang dynasties and the construction of the Eastern Capital, Luoyang.

It was just that Yang Jian was not as fierce as Yang Guang, who would conscript a million men and women at every turn; instead, he tried his best to conscript labor gently, doing it bit by bit. The methods were not so cruel, the consumption of the people's strength was not so great, and the people's resistance was not so intense.

Moreover, at the same time, Yang Guang mobilized hundreds of thousands or even a million troops to fight the Turks and launched three expeditions against Goguryeo, requiring millions of logistical personnel. When the Sui Dynasty was at its peak, the population was only fifty million, and the conscripted men and women were all laborers; he basically fully mobilized the war potential of the Great Sui.

If he could win, then there would be nothing to say; Yang Guang could certainly use the prestige of destroying nations to quickly clear out the opposition within the country. It was just a pity that all three times he failed; it was all just aimless tossing and turning. By the time of the third expedition, it was feared that it had become a bit like the "boy who cried wolf."

Consequently, Yang Guang lost control of his empire, and his dream of becoming a great emperor was shattered. His subsequent mediocrity was likely because he saw that the general trend was gone, and he was just disheartened and waiting for death; he had already foreseen his own death and had no intention of struggling. He was probably truly tired and thinking, let it be destroyed quickly...

This time returning to Daxing, he moved into the new Marquis Mansion bestowed by Yang Jian. This mansion was close to the Imperial City, and living here were a whole bunch of various dukes and various Pillar of State officials. Wang Yan, a mere County Marquis, really didn't amount to much in front of these people.

However, his status could not be simply divided by his title. A Marquis title was indeed enough to cover his merits on the grasslands. But they did not give him another chance to go to the battlefield to earn merit; it wasn't that Yang Guang insisted on transferring him away, but because no one was willing to have Wang Yan transferred elsewhere. If he remained in Bingzhou, Wang Yan's prestige in the border army was too high, and his appeal was too strong, making it easy to cause trouble.

This was also because Wang Yan did not act according to the original mission objectives of burning, killing, and looting on the grasslands. If he had a brain, he had ideas, and he was hostile to the aristocratic families, so they certainly couldn't put a knife in Wang Yan's hand.

Everyone was not a fool. Although the people of the aristocratic families lacked an adventurous spirit, they had long-term vision, so everyone tacitly suppressed Wang Yan, not letting him rise, and excluding him from core power. Unless absolutely necessary, Wang Yan would have no chance to go to the border to fight and earn merit again.

Still the same saying, the Great Sui did not lack people who could fight.

It was just that if Wang Yan set out, he might pull off a surprise great victory. If others set out, they might pull off a small victory and would still need to mobilize more troops and logistics, but everyone would get rich, so which was the better choice was obvious...

This large mansion, in Daxing, was basically the limit. There was nothing else to it; it was just big. The various pavilions, towers, rockeries, and landscaping in the courtyard were all complete.

However, Wang Yan didn't have any special feelings about this; it was just ordinary. If the house is big, there must be enough people to live in it. He didn't have that many people in his family; counting the servants and retainers, there were only a little over a hundred people living with him. They couldn't even keep this big mansion tidy.

Once Princess Qionghua moved in, there would be quite a few more; a whole bunch of messy people coming in, maybe it would be much livelier then...

Wang Yan's home was as cold and deserted as ever, not lively at all. Li Jing was still as decent as ever; in the afternoon, he brought a large pile of wine and food to visit.

"Brother, two years since we parted, I hope you have been well."

"Yaoshi, do you see any illness in your brother?"

"I see that Brother is doing very well."

Wang Yan laughed: "Then that is very well. Come, let's go inside and drink. It's still you who thinks of your brother, Yaoshi."

Immediately, Wang Yan affectionately took Li Jing's arm into the hall, ordered people to cook, and the two sat down at the large round table in the dining room.

Li Jing had been here many times and knew that Wang Yan did not like separate meals; in his own home, they all ate at one table. He was used to it and actually felt it was quite good.

"The wine you buy is boring; drink this of your brother's."

Wang Yan brought out the rice wine of over forty-five degrees and poured it for Li Jing.

"Brother, although this wine is good, after getting drunk, the headache is splitting," Li Jing said. "During the holidays, Brother sent me a lot; how could I drink so much myself? I sent quite a bit to others."

Wang Yan laughed: "Just drink it slowly. This wine of your brother's has been aged for a year, so it won't cause a headache; drink a little less, and it won't be a big problem."

"Brother, brewing strong liquor must consume a lot of grain, right?"

"Several times more than ordinary wine," Wang Yan nodded with a smile. "However, what your brother uses is not the grain of our Great Sui, but the rice of Nanyue; several times more, so what of it?"

Wang Yan did not keep the maritime trade a secret from Li Jing; this matter actually couldn't be hidden. He just didn't make a public announcement, but at the same time, he didn't hide it. He made a huge commotion building ships, loaded a mountain of goods before going to sea, and returned with a mountain of goods; the local wealthy families all saw it.

They even had some actions in private, but it just hadn't become a climate yet. Everyone was trying every possible way to inquire about news, and there were even incidents of bribing shipwrights and sailors.

Under Yang Guang's instruction, Wang Yan did not pay any attention to it. In fact, some news was leaked by Yang Guang to the wealthy families of Jiang Nan. He wanted to better control the wealthy families of Jiang Nan, and deepening the connection of interests was necessary.

As for the matter of brewing liquor with rice, as mentioned earlier, it was to avoid excessive waste of grain. White liquor above forty-five degrees can be stored for a relatively long time, and the value of strong liquor is far higher than the grain used to brew it; this is a highly profitable business.

Influenced by the fleet, the natives in Nanyue were very enthusiastic about farming. They wanted to exchange for more good things from the Great Sui.

Although quite a few people died there, for both sides, it was a great win-win thing.

But Li Jing had only just learned about this matter, and he asked in surprise: "Brother actually sent people to sea? How is the situation overseas?"

"A group of uncivilized barbarians just occupying good land. Haven't I sent you a lot of seafood and spices these past two years? They were all brought back by the fleet from outside. As much as you want, there is as much as you want."

"In that case, the overseas barbarians have no combat power?"

"My Great Sui's weapons and armor are sharp; even if they had combat power, how could they block us?" Wang Yan waved his hand with a smile. "Not worth worrying about. The money and grain there are more important; the profits from maritime trade are quite abundant."

"Brother is truly an extraordinary person doing extraordinary things," Li Jing couldn't help but praise.

"However, Yaoshi must keep this matter secret; you must not spread it out, otherwise it will invite disaster."

"His Highness the Prince of Jin?"

Wang Yan shook his head gently: "And His Majesty."

"It is actually like this?"

"If it were only my family operating the maritime trade, how would I dare to speak of sharp weapons and armor? That would be a capital offense."

"Brother, rest assured, I will definitely let this matter rot in my stomach."

Wang Yan laughed: "There's no need to let it rot; it will be fine after a few years. By then, I imagine the aristocratic families will all know, and this matter will no longer be a secret."

Li Jing nodded and turned to ask: "Brother, I heard that the Kaihuang Plow came from Brother's hands?"

"Oh? Yaoshi has heard of this?"

"In that case, it really was Brother?" Li Jing laughed. "This is a great good deed that will be famous for ten thousand generations; the people of the world will all remember Brother's merit."

"The merit is naturally His Majesty's and the Prince of Jin's; it is enough for your brother to leave a name. A mere trifle, not worth mentioning; success does not have to be in me, as long as the people of the world receive the benefits. Come, come, drink, drink."

So Wang Yan and Li Jing began to exchange cups, talking about what had happened to each of them in the past two years.

Although the two had been communicating by letter, obviously many things could not be put on paper. They were just greeting each other about their life status and talking about some happy things. Now that the two were drinking and talking, they said a lot more.

Now Li Jing was no longer the Merit Officer of Chang'an County as before, but had been promoted to Director of the Palace. This was a seventh-rank official position belonging to the Palace Bureau of the Secretariat, overseeing the six bureaus of Food, Medicine, Clothing, Housing, Horses, and Carriages, assisting the Palace Supervisor in doing things.

This was a proper central direct unit, and the information he came into contact with was relatively broad, so he knew quite a few things.

Li Jing talked about the gossip in the imperial court, also looking like a marmot eating a melon, very happy.

Wang Yan was telling Li Jing about some things in the south, talking about the distribution of forces there, and so on.

It was also a very pleasant conversation...

It was another hangover. This time, Li Jing very honestly ate breakfast at Wang Yan's place before going to work, and did not try to compete with Wang Yan again.

Wang Yan, on the other hand, idly took Xiao Mei and the children for a stroll on the street.

He didn't need to worry about the wedding; the royal family had already prepared everything. He came back early to prepare, which was nothing more than cooperating with various processes.

He didn't have anything to do in Daxing, and no one came to visit, so wasn't he just idle and strolling everywhere? Looking at the East and West Markets, going to the village outside the city to walk around and take a look, and then solving some problems, it was very comfortable.

Not two days later, on this day, after Wang Yan returned home, he saw a nervous, rough man in the gatehouse, and a thin, small child of sixteen or seventeen who was hanging his head and not speaking, who could be considered to have just grown up.

They saw Wang Yan and called out "Marquis" and were about to kneel and kowtow.

Wang Yan grabbed them, not letting them kneel down, and patted the rough man's shoulder with a smile: "Zhang Si, why do you have to kowtow when you see me? We are all brothers; if this gets out, what will others think of me?"

Looking at Wang Yan's friendly smile, and the fact that he even called out his name in one breath, Zhang Si's hanging heart was put down. Wang Yan was a man of his word and still remembered him; he didn't look down on them just because he had become a Marquis.

Zhang Si's tears flowed down immediately: "Marquis, the family suffered a disaster, and we can't go on living; I brought the child here, hoping the Marquis can help find a way out..."

Wang Yan waved his hand: "Look, you two have been hungry for a long time; let's eat and talk. There is no hurdle that cannot be crossed; don't cry and wail like a woman."

So Wang Yan ate and drank with the two of them and learned the reason.

It was just that there was a drought at home, there was no harvest in the fields, and they had to bear the family taxes and provide for food and drink; they really couldn't support themselves. So Zhang Si, in a panic, brought his eldest son out to find Wang Yan for help.

After all, Wang Yan had once said that if there was anything, find him, and he would definitely do his best to handle it. He was also thinking of trying to see if he could find a way to live. He just didn't expect Wang Yan to be so powerful now, having become a Marquis and even going to marry a princess.

He didn't even dare to come, but in the end, holding the spirit of "since I'm already here," he came to the door.

This matter was naturally not a big problem for Wang Yan, and this was not just Zhang Si's problem; after all, his fellow villagers and comrades were also not having an easy time. Everyone knew each other back then, it was just that only Zhang Si dared to run all the way here to find someone, while others didn't hold this thought.

So Wang Yan took in Zhang Si's eldest son to work under him and had people transfer a batch of grain to Zhang Si's hometown to help those familiar garrison soldiers get through the difficulties.

The cause planted today will surely bear sweet fruit another day...