Chapter 477

Qingyu Mountain's plan having been announced, Chen Wuji's admiration for this young official instantly turned into appreciation; this kid's mind is more than capable, the ideas he came up with hit the mark.

What he wants is precisely this kind of win-win method that benefits both him and the people.

A plan that relies solely on the government office spending money and grain for resettlement is the worst strategy.

"Come forward!" Chen Wuji sat upright, raised his hand, and called out.

"Yes!"

The young official walked past a pile of colleagues in the middle and stepped to the front.

Seated to Chen Wuji's lower side, Cheng Zhiheng, who had not yet come up with a single idea, upon seeing this, immediately bowed his body and leaned forward to whisper in Chen Wuji's ear: "Deputy Commander, he is Doctor of Classics Zhang Xun, in charge of the prefectural school and Hezhou's cultural education."

Chen Wuji nodded.

Cheng Zhiheng is clearly unfit as an official, but his eyesight is still decent.

"Zhang Xun, Qingyu Mountain could try opening a mountain road; I'd like to hear how you would use this to settle the people," Chen Wuji asked.

Zhang Xun, after all, deals in culture; he looks like a typical scholar.

His bearing is refined; he walks and speaks with chest out and head high, carrying a scholar's arrogance.

"Replying, Deputy Commander, it is still the levy-and-recruit method: the people do labor and may choose silver or grain," Zhang Xun said. "The Subordinate even thinks we can incorporate the Military Merit method into this labor recruitment to boost the people's motivation—more work yields more pay, less work yields less pay, no work yields no pay."

"Good!" Chen Wuji approved it on the spot with that single word.

"Are there any other methods? Please speak them all together."

Having received Chen Wuji's strong affirmation, Zhang Xun's face instantly broke into a brilliant smile; he slightly restrained himself, clasped his hands, and said: "Subordinate still has one final plan, though Deputy Commander, you have likely already thought of it."

"Please, speak."

"Gu Wenjie, without scruples, looted the people's bronze and iron objects, melted them into ingots; these items piled up in the government treasury, and if not well utilized, it would truly be a pity," Zhang Xun said.

The Deputy Commander previously ordered us to register households for the city's people, emphasizing artisans and military households; surely this was for recruiting troops and forging weapons.

Chen Wuji nodded, "Your guess is not bad; I indeed have this intention."

"The Subordinate has exhausted his tricks; right now this is all he can think of," Zhang Xun said.

Chen Wuji again looked around the others in the courtyard, "Lord Zhang's pearl is before us; I don't know which other lord has lofty views—don't be stingy with your talents, quickly think again."

The remaining officials were each both anxious and embarrassed.

They had been thinking, their minds never stopping, yet they truly could not find a clue.

Before anyone spoke, they were in a complete tangle; once someone spoke, they suddenly saw clearly, regretting not having thought of such a simple, obvious method, and they kept going through this cycle.

Afterwards, several more officials stood up and proposed some methods.

Basically they all followed Zhang Xun's line of thought—either doing urban construction or working on projects in the mountains and rivers. The relatively exceptional suggestion was that someone proposed forging weapons to sell to other prefectures in exchange for money and grain; this idea did spark a slight thought in Chen Wuji, though he did not pay much attention to it.

One could be a weapons merchant, but not now.

Given the current situation, his own weapons are barely sufficient; where would there be surplus to sell?

In Yunan's treasury, the only surplus at present is the bows captured from the Qiang people.

Training archers is not that easy; so far, less than a third of those bows have actually been distributed, but Chen Wuji also does not intend to sell them now.

"Zhang Xun will temporarily serve as Sihou Staff Officer, overseeing this disaster relief; after I report to the emperor, a formal appointment will be issued." Chen Wuji rose, lifted his belt with both hands, and said to the officials in the courtyard.

"You are all sensible people; Hezhou City now has many affairs awaiting revival, and all around are tigers and wolves watching, so we cannot be lax. I hope you can assist Zhang the Staff Officer well, accomplish this great matter, and consolidate our foundation."

"I do not want to hear news of internal strife reaching my ears; do you all agree to that?"

The officials' expressions tightened, and they replied in unison, "Yes!"

They envied Zhang Xun's speed of promotion, but they truly dared not harbor any other thoughts.

This Deputy Commander Chen's reputation for having a kind face but a dark heart has already spread throughout the city.

"Good, if you can all work together wholeheartedly, that could not be better." Chen Wuji waved his hand, spoke loudly, "Regarding the three matters of recruiting soldiers, recruiting laborers, and recruiting settlers, you must quickly draft detailed proposals, then post notices throughout the city to inform the people, making sure every resident knows."

"I won't elaborate on recruiting soldiers; recruiting settlers is the plan Lord Zhang previously mentioned. Regarding recruiting laborers, I need to add a few words. The wages for mining at Qingyu Mountain should be higher, and we should also provide convenience elsewhere for those who choose to mine; forging weapons comes second."

"Furthermore, I also have a business that can be included here: specifically, levying and recruiting people to go up the mountain to cut timber, which should be written into the notice at the same time."

The officials unanimously accepted the order.

Xiao Zong's paper has already succeeded, so the branch factories can be arranged.

Chen Wuji does not worry that this venture will lose money; there may be some difficulties at first, but they are absolutely only temporary. Once sales channels open, a single workshop's output will surely be insufficient to meet demand, so we must plan ahead to ensure sufficient output.

The spirited Zhang Xun, full of vigor upon happy occasions, after the meeting ended, pulled the superiors and subordinates to discuss concrete details, and by afternoon he brought Chen Wuji the specific proposals.

After Chen Wuji examined it and found no problems, he ordered the notices to be posted.

Dividing the three aspects of recruiting soldiers, recruiting laborers, and recruiting settlers, the disaster-affected people in the city are roughly split accordingly; Chen Wuji even tossed those few wealthy merchants aside, not considering them.

From the people's standpoint, they surely prefer to farm their own land rather than merely labor for others just to earn a meal.

At dusk, notices written on Fire Hemp Cloth appeared in every corner of the city.

Beneath each notice stood one or two clerks; besides looking at the notice, more importantly they explained to the people what was written on it.

As the news spread, the great Hezhou City instantly resembled a ladle of water poured into hot oil, boiling up in a moment.

The people crowded before the notices, listening to those who could understand as they analyzed the government's meaning there.

Some excitedly shouted for Deputy Commander Chen, calling him a good official, even performing the great kowtow of three kneelings and nine head knocks.

Where there is praise, there is inevitably criticism.

Many people blamed Chen Wuji for Gu Wenjie's deeds, believing the government had seized their belongings and then concocted this scheme, which is fundamentally hypocritical, treating them like livestock.

Chen Wuji walked through the crowd, hearing the voices around him, his expression calm.

He would also like to return the people's belongings in full, but it is not that simple.

Merely the things Gu Wenjie consumed and carried away would be enough to let him make ends meet, let alone how many truly honest people there are in this world.

Once he opens this loophole, the people will surely demand more; even if he were killed, he could not possibly repay the people in full.