Chapter 289: Wendeng Military News

"The most urgent matter is an emergency report from Lord Chen. They need most of the miscellaneous horses transported to Lüshun, and they also require over two thousand able-bodied civilian laborers for constructing Lüshun's defenses. Dong Yu needs the civil administration to provide the manpower."

At Wolong Ridge, southwest of Dengzhou city, this place now served as the temporary headquarters of the civil administration. Inside the largest tent, Mo Huaiwen, holding a large stack of documents, was reporting to Liu Minyou. His duty was to categorize the documents submitted by various departments and then report them to Liu Minyou for handling, ranked by urgency and importance, generally also proposing a handling suggestion. Though he was merely a secretary, the demands of such a secretary were high, and his relationship with the leadership was good, so his future prospects were very promising.

Liu Minyou was revising the organizational plan as he asked without looking up, "Who will supply the monthly pay and food?"

"Dong Yu didn't say."

"If it's for defense facilities, let the army pay for it. For the manpower, tell Xu Yuanhua to recruit from the garrison households and refugees, and have Dong Yu go find him."

After speaking, Liu Minyou raised his head slightly. "The busy farming season is about to begin, and everyone is hoping for land distribution. Who would want to go to Liaodong at a time like this?"

Mo Huaiwen said calmly, "Land distribution hasn't started yet. We could add a condition: households with someone going to Liaodong get priority in land distribution. We seized many oxen this time, so the women in the family can handle the ordinary farm work."

"Good." Liu Minyou considered for a moment and said, "But this isn't conscription. It must be voluntary; don't force them."

"Understood." Mo Huaiwen recorded Liu Minyou's opinion and took out a second document. "This is the expansion plan for the tobacco factory. Wang Erya has selected two locations and requests your decision, my lord. The first location is outside the Shangshui Gate northwest of Dengzhou city, which would allow use of the naval dock. Without needing to build their own dock, she would like to ask Lord Liu to inquire with Lü Zhi whether a separate area could be set aside in the southwest of the naval base for merchant ships to dock, and a gate opened in the southwest corner of the naval base. Traveling from Yongfu Temple via Laibao Bridge to the new tobacco factory would avoid the detour past Zhenyang Gate, saving labor costs."

Liu Minyou tilted his head and thought for a moment. The naval camp and naval base were now both under Lü Zhi's control. Chen Xin and Lü Zhi had a good relationship, but back then Chen Xin and Sun Yuanhua had also been deeply affectionate, only for the two to fall out faster than one could turn a page. The tobacco factory was their most important means of making money; it was better not to rely on the naval base.

"What about the other location?"

"One li west of the naval base, by the seashore. It would require building our own dock."

"The west side." Liu Minyou stood up and looked at the map on the wall. "The shelter from waves there doesn't seem very good."

"Wang Erya's report notes that she consulted the navy. Danya Mountain can block wind and waves from the east, but the north and west sides are indeed worse. If manpower is sufficient, we could dig a harbor ourselves, and the excavated mud could be used for rammed-earth walls. Though inferior to the naval base, it would still serve some purpose."

Liu Minyou calculated in his mind. If it only needed to berth ships transporting tobacco, it wouldn't need to be as large as the Dengzhou naval base, and if the outer walls weren't faced with brick, it wouldn't take too long. Conveniently, there were still a group of Dengzhou disaster victims who could be used for this work. This earthen fort would have some basic defensive measures and could serve as a backup base for the navy in emergencies. After what Kong Youde had done, he now had to constantly consider the possibility of unrest.

"Then choose this location. Is there anything else?"

Mo Huaiwen put down the first document and recorded Liu Minyou's decision. "The second item is also about the tobacco factory. The filter tip that you requested, my lord, has been developed by the tobacco factory. The process is similar to making cotton armor—it requires soaking in water and repeated pounding, then cutting into small pieces and packaging. The process uses water-powered hammers throughout. They are now refining the production process and manual. Wang Erya asks the trading company to determine the pricing and sales method soon."

This filter tip was made by compressing cotton tightly to prevent tobacco leaf fragments from sticking inside the mouth. Liu Minyou hoped to use it as a high-end product in their tobacco line.

This was the business with the greatest growth potential. In the mid-Qing dynasty, annual tobacco sales in Linqing alone reached three million taels of silver. The number of smokers in the late Ming was also enormous, and launching new products could accelerate market expansion. It would become Wendeng's most profitable business in the future. Liu Minyou took the report. Wang Erya had written it with excellent organization, far beyond what someone like Lao Cai could manage. Only after reading it did he say, "Wang Erya wrote this well; the process is basically all there. But the packaging can't follow the old style. Order new packaging paper from the bookshop—it must be high-end, with taste. The moment you take out the box, it must be distinct from the original tobacco. This tobacco is meant to earn money from the wealthy. Have the trading company design it based on the things wealthy people along the Grand Canal enjoy. They can put some beauty paintings on it; it must be attractive. Write a letter to Zhou Laifu in my name. The trading company's early promotion can begin. Print more flyers to distribute. The core message is..."

Liu Minyou suddenly stopped. Physicians and commoners at this time all believed tobacco could dispel cold and dampness, but he knew tobacco was harmful to health. False advertising would certainly boost business, but it would also turn more people into smokers because of fashion. He frowned and thought for a long while. Mo Huaiwen thought he was pondering strategy, unaware it was because of this.

"The core message is that it can dispel cold and dampness." Liu Minyou finally chose high profits. "On the cover, write the five characters: 'A Noble Indulgence.'"

Mo Huaiwen took out a third document. "This is the ordnance factory's application to finalize the Type Five Year flintlock. They've made certain improvements to the original flintlock, removing the safety mechanism and using two notches on the lock—one position for loading, the second for firing. This simplifies thirteen parts, reducing cost by three mace. Zhu Daichun's experiments found it better than the original and has already submitted it to Lord Chen for approval. Only the bayonet problem remains unsolved; production is very low."

"Also, the eight-pounder prototype cannon experiment is complete, but the army doesn't yet have a corresponding establishment and hasn't said whether to order it. Tang Kun has sent a message asking whether to continue with improvements for mass production."

"Then let him continue improving. It will be needed sooner or later. The silver spent on trial production must also be accounted for in the cost. In the future, confirm such matters directly with the army. If the army determines it's needed, continue improving; there's no need to bring it to me for approval. If the army is slow, urge them." Liu Minyou knew Chen Xin would certainly continue expanding the army, and larger field guns were needed. The four-pounder cannon had been highly praised within the army. After its two appearances at Shenmi Island and Dengzhou, it might inspire the Later Jin or other forces, who might also manufacture such field guns. Chen Xin's countermeasure was to suppress the enemy with more and larger cannons.

"Xu Yuanhua has sent a message asking: most of those over a thousand women are unwilling to return home. Over nine hundred remain. The new tobacco factory only needs about five hundred. What should be done with the other four hundred plus?"

"This is the Intelligence Bureau's application to withdraw a portion of high-grade jewelry. Lord Chen has already approved it, but it still requires your countersignature, my lord."

"This is the corn planting conditions reported by Wen Xianming. The areas in Wendeng suitable for planting have been roughly determined, allowing the expansion of tens of thousands of mu of farmland, with a yield of over a hundred jin per mu. Next, he plans to trial-plant in the mountainous areas of Dengzhou and Laiyang and is applying for additional funds..."

"This is the annual budget reported by Wang Daixi. The army's has tripled. Additionally, she believes the army's retirement pensions should be deposited in the bank to increase the bank's reserves, which would be better than keeping them in the Central Army Department."

"This is the funding application reported by Song Wenxian. He plans to build the Foreign Affairs Department office at the military camp and needs to prepare personnel and funds, and also purchase some desks, chairs, and stationery. Additionally, he wants to transfer thirty students from the literacy class..." "... material preparations for farming..."

By the time Mo Huaiwen finished reporting all the matters, an hour had passed. Liu Minyou rubbed his face, utterly exhausted. Dozens of miscellaneous matters—the expanded scope was indeed more complicated than before. It wasn't like the old days in Wendeng or Weihai, where problems could be solved on the spot, and urgent matters could be reached by a day's ride. Now they had to rely entirely on written correspondence.

Establishing institutions with clearly defined responsibilities was already urgent. Liu Minyou looked up and asked the equally tired Mo Huaiwen, "Is there anything else?"

Mo Huaiwen quickly put down his teacup. "No more urgent matters. There are some remaining items about building schools and expanding the science and technology class..."

Liu Minyou interrupted him. "Don't delay the school-building either. Build a school wherever you build a garrison farm. What we just handled were urgent matters, but don't relax on the important ones either. It's like the sequence I explained to you: urgent and important matters need priority handling, but you must carefully weigh matters that are merely urgent against those that are merely important. Just like the new institutional planning—although we can still manage for now, it's no longer suited to such a vast jurisdiction. If we only ever handle urgent matters and keep postponing the important ones, these urgent matters will multiply until we work ourselves to death and still fail to do things well."

Mo Huaiwen accepted the teaching. "Lord Chen and Mr. Liu are both extraordinary men, always able to speak such unique and useful words."

Liu Minyou, having just reached this point, asked Mo Huaiwen, "Regarding this new division of institutions, Huaiwen, is there anything you need to remind me of?"

Mo Huaiwen had been with Liu Minyou for a long time and knew this superior was actually unassuming. Reasonably voicing a differing opinion would not only fail to displease him but would instead earn his regard.

Emboldened, Mo Huaiwen said, "Your subordinate has also felt increasingly overwhelmed these days. The original departments all just did their own work without clear responsibilities. Many matters had to be decided by Lord Chen and Mr. Liu, otherwise they'd stall there at a loss. Your subordinate believes this time we should clearly define the scope they can handle. When authority matches responsibility, most matters can be managed well—better than asking you, my lord, about everything. Mr. Liu only needs to first set their objectives, have them submit their own plans, and finally check whether they've completed them according to their duties and plans."

Liu Minyou smiled and nodded. "It's very good that you have this idea. When the scope expands, we can't do things the old way. But what seems easy in theory may not go so smoothly in practice. This time, the institutions are also divided by function. Some matters may not be clearly delineated as to who should manage them, and buck-passing won't be rare. I can't be present for everything. I plan to make you my deputy, to handle some matters independently."

Mo Huaiwen stood up excitedly to express his thanks. Liu Minyou's meaning was that he would become the second-in-command of the civil administration, with status surpassing the heads of the various departments. Among the first batch of the literacy class, his status was already no lower than Huang Side's.

Mo Huaiwen thought of Huang Side and quickly pulled out the last sheet—a small, thick piece of paper from the very bottom. "This is the second issue of the military newspaper. It just arrived today."

Liu Minyou took it and looked. The layout was quite good, probably designed by Chen Xin. It was similar to the newspapers he used to read, except it followed the custom of vertical writing, and the paper was much smaller. In the center of the front page were the two large characters: Wendeng Military News.

The headline was "Commendation of Heroes and Models in the Dengzhou Pacification." Below it, in a line of bold small characters, was a seven-character poem by Chen Tingdong, "On Hearing of General Chen's Recovery of the Two Southern Garrisons." The literary quality was quite good, and it was very morale-boosting—perfectly suited to the military newspaper's style.

The smaller text below was the commendation content, honoring soldiers who had performed excellently, such as Guan Dadi, Li Tao, and Bao Ya, as well as commending groups like the Special Service Team and the Third Company Headquarters. It also detailed the heroic deeds of Guan Dadi and others. But it made no mention whatsoever of the specific activities of the Intelligence Bureau or the Special Service Team.

Liu Minyou thought it was written rather well. This was a way to give these soldiers an honor and to foster an atmosphere of striving for honor throughout the Wendeng Battalion system.

Next came the punishment notices. These mainly detailed the penalties for soldiers who had retreated in the face of battle or embezzled military pay, listing their names and affiliated garrison farms one by one. The military judge's verdicts were all execution by firing squad, along with the reclamation of land already distributed to their families. Any family members working in factories or schools were all to be expelled.

Liu Minyou was somewhat displeased with Huang Side's approach. Punishment according to military law would have sufficed, but this was now a collective punishment system, cutting off their families' entire livelihood, and it was being widely publicized, deliberately making their families unable to hold their heads up.

He glanced further down and suddenly slammed his palm on the table, cursing loudly, "What is Huang Side doing, encouraging everyone to report each other for embezzling military pay?"

Mo Huaiwen jumped in fright. He had also seen that item and felt it was somewhat inappropriate at the time, but he hadn't reacted as strongly as Liu Minyou.

"If he wants to investigate embezzlement of military pay, that is the military judge's duty. How can he encourage mutual informing? From the founding of the Wendeng Battalion, General Chen has always encouraged camaraderie among soldiers and officers. I have guided the same way in the garrison farms. This is one reason soldiers are willing to fight to the death for the Wendeng Battalion. And now he goes and pulls this stunt. Under a system of mutual informing, how can there be trust and camaraderie among the garrison households? If this continues, what kind of atmosphere will prevail in the army and the garrison farms? This is a real harm to the Wendeng Battalion's combat effectiveness."

"This..." Mo Huaiwen didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought that deeply, but what Liu Minyou said did make sense.

Mo Huaiwen said quietly, "If you find it inappropriate, sir, we could issue a notice to all the garrison farms, instructing the farm chiefs and schools not to read this item aloud. Those garrison households are illiterate, and there's only one copy of the military newspaper per farm. We could even skip reading it altogether. Huang Side can't possibly go around checking each one."

"Why couldn't he? Didn't he set up another Propaganda and Education Department? The training teams have started their own literacy class, and each garrison farm is to be assigned a propaganda officer. Even if the farm chief and teacher don't read it, they will."

Mo Huaiwen frowned. "I don't know where Huang Side found the silver, but he's been recruiting licentiates from the Dengzhou disaster victims recently, putting them through that literacy class for training, and then assigning them to the various garrison farms. He's also organizing some kind of cultural troupe. I don't know where he got the silver for that."

"Cultural troupe?" (To be continued.)

PS: Regarding a reader's question about why pikes are retained, the previous text has already explained that bayonets require very high standardization and are not easy to manufacture. Dupuy's *The Evolution of Weapons and Warfare*, page 184, states: "The flintlock was a more complex and expensive weapon than the matchlock; each gun had to be carefully made to standard dimensions in order to fit the socket bayonet." European infantry also gradually reduced their pike formations. It took over sixty years from the invention of the flintlock to the establishment of the first pure flintlock unit in France—it did not happen overnight.