Chapter 363: Population and Artillery

The season was nearing summer, and the weather was sweltering.

Zhao Xu wore a thin, unlined long gown and held a paper fan in his hand.

While fanning himself, Zhao Xu looked at the anxious-looking Ma Han.

Smiling lightly, he said, "Do not be anxious; it is not as if I will not sell them to you, but this Prince has a few conditions."

He was not helping Ma Han out of friendship; after all, the two had only interacted more frequently after the Ma Family's internal strife.

There was no talk of friendship.

Furthermore, Ma Han was, after all, the Head of the Family of the Ma Family, and his first consideration had to be the interests of the Ma Family.

Moreover, due to the existence of the Ma Family's council of elders, Ma Han could not simply do whatever he wished.

Therefore, although Ma Han said he would follow him, the extent of this following would always be subject to a discount.

All in all, the two families drawing closer was still a matter of interests.

Since that was the case, he naturally could not give everything away for free just because Ma Han had latched onto his thigh.

Business is business; your Ma Family must pay money, and crying poverty will not work.

"Please speak, Your Highness." Ma Han's heart skipped a beat.

He understood the principle that pies do not fall from the sky.

That Yan Wang could lend him troops to attack Ma Jin was already a great favor.

He truly dared not hope to obtain Artillery from Yan Wang without spending Silver.

After all, Yan Wang also had costs in manufacturing these things.

It was just that after this turmoil, half of the Ma Family's wealth had been taken away by Ma Jin, so they were truly not well-off.

"This Prince understands your difficulties, so I do not want your Silver, but you must use people to offset it," Zhao Xu said, pondering.

According to Chang Wei, nearly one million Song People had now fled from Qinzhou and Yongzhou into Sizhou.

The influx of so many people who had lost their land was simply a disaster for Sizhou.

Ma Yuan and Ma Han had discussed leading these million people to Jinzhou, while simultaneously preparing to request relief from the Imperial Court.

But in his eyes, this million-strong population was simply incredibly succulent.

How could he allow them to flow into Jinzhou right under his nose?

"People?" Ma Han was stunned for a moment.

Zhao Xu nodded. "I will not hide it from you; whether it is Artillery or muskets, they all require a large number of craftsmen to participate in research and manufacturing. Yanzhou has had few households since the Yuan Family's chaos, and this Prince is short of people."

Ma Han understood instantly; what Yan Wang wanted was the million people he had introduced into Sizhou.

"But Your Highness, these commoners are not the private property of the Ma Family; how can I sell them to Your Highness?" Ma Han said with a bitter face.

Zhao Xu shook his head. "Even if you sold them, this Prince would not buy them, but since these commoners can be introduced to Jinzhou, why can they not be introduced to Yanzhou?"

He paused, then continued: "Whether they are in Sizhou or Jinzhou, they will inevitably face a miserable life of hunger and cold next. If they come to my Yanzhou, this Prince can ensure they are fed and clothed. Although they live under your Ma Family's rule, they are also my Song People, are they not?"

Ma Han suddenly realized; so that was what Yan Wang meant.

Currently, this million-strong population was a heavy burden for Sizhou.

After all, Sizhou could not afford to support so many suddenly appearing people.

Even though his uncle had relieved his worries by proposing to introduce the population to Jinzhou.

But Jinzhou had long since rotted away during the war, and it had problems with its own food supply; how could it support a million people?

Although they could request relief from the Imperial Court, he understood the officialdom of the Song very well.

However much grain the Imperial Court could allocate, by the time it traveled from Jingshi to Jinzhou, it would be peeled away layer by layer, and it was feared that not much would be left in the end.

By then, the lives of the commoners would still be miserable.

Letting the commoners go to Yanzhou was undoubtedly a choice that would benefit them.

And the Ma Family seemed to have nothing else that could move Yan Wang.

"I understand. Please rest assured, Your Highness; these commoners will arrive in Yanzhou smoothly," Ma Han said decisively.

Since the Ma Family was now backed by Yan Wang, he, as the Head of the Family, had to be straightforward.

Otherwise, if they lost Yan Wang's trust again, they would have nothing left.

Recovering Qinzhou and Yongzhou would also be a pipe dream.

"Straightforward." Zhao Xu was overjoyed to hear this.

With this, the population of Yanzhou would reach over four million five hundred thousand.

In the history of the Song, even the peak population of Yanzhou could not compare to this.

Besides this, according to the news sent by the garrison commander of Feihu Pass, his policy of treating prisoners of war with leniency while in Jinzhou had shown results.

Compared to his leniency, the Xiliang people treated the returned prisoners cruelly after the war, and the word spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred.

During this period, large numbers of Song People within Xiliang had been constantly fleeing to Yanzhou.

He believed that it would not be a problem for the population of Yanzhou to break five million in a short time.

And this demographic dividend would be greatly beneficial to the handicraft industry of Yanzhou.

As for the problem of grain to feed this population, he was not very worried now.

Because Yanzhou was currently in the summer harvest.

He had already ordered Liu Fu to set up public grain procurement points in every county.

Using Silver from the Government Office to directly purchase surplus grain from the commoners and store it.

Plus the grain bought from Jiangnan, it was enough.

"This Prince will provide you with two hundred pieces of Artillery, how about that?" After a burst of excitement, Zhao Xu said to Ma Han again.

"Two hundred pieces of Artillery is more than enough to hold Qin Pass, but I also want your muskets, and I hope Your Highness can send generals to instruct us." When Ma Han made this request, he felt a bit insecure in his heart.

He felt he was asking for too much.

Zhao Xu smiled.

During this war, Ma Han had seen the power of the flintlock with his own eyes.

It was only natural for him to have this idea.

However, he would not sell flintlocks at this time.

But he could sell matchlocks.

Although the Divine Machine Battalion in Jingshi already had these, he was very confident that the ones he produced were of superior quality.

So he said, "This Prince can provide you with firearms, but they will be slightly different from the ones this Prince uses, and you must pay for these firearms with Silver; thirty taels of Silver each, but I will sell them to you for only twenty taels."

From Wang Ying, he learned that the current cost for the Armory Bureau to produce one export-grade Artillery piece was five hundred taels.

The cost of a flintlock was eight taels, and if it were a matchlock, the cost would be even lower, likely five taels would suffice.

He did not feel this price was high; after all, it wouldn't be the arms trade if it weren't profiteering.

Hearing thirty taels, Ma Han initially felt a bit of heartache, but when Yan Wang changed his tune and knocked ten taels off, he was immediately delighted again and hurriedly agreed, "Thank you for your grace, Your Highness. In that case, I shall take twenty thousand for now."

"Very well. In two days, this Prince will have the Armory Bureau produce one to send to you. If you are satisfied, this Prince will order the Armory Bureau to produce twenty thousand for you," Zhao Xu said.

Although Ma Han had agreed, he still felt a bit uneasy thinking about how Yan Wang had mentioned that this type of firearm was different from the ones used by Yan Wang's soldiers.

While nodding, he said, "However, may I first see how powerful this type of firearm is?"

"That is, of course, no problem." Zhao Xu had anticipated that Ma Han would ask this.

If Ma Han didn't even know to inspect the goods when buying something, then he would truly be of no use.

"In a few days, this Prince will have someone send it to Sizhou and personally demonstrate the firing for you to see," Zhao Xu said.

Ma Han was now at ease; after all, his trip to Yancheng had not been in vain.

"Many thanks, Your Highness. Since that is the case, I shall return to Sizhou now to lead the commoners into Yan." Ma Han bowed to Zhao Xu and took his leave after saying goodbye.

As Ma Han's figure disappeared, Zhao Xu felt slightly smug.

Selling firearms to the Ma Family had two benefits for him.

First, the Ma Family, equipped with firearms, could better defend Qin Pass and maintain stability in the northwest.

The second was a trap inherent in the arms trade.

Once they used his firearms, the Ma Family would become dependent on him.

If they were to betray him, they would have to weigh the consequences of having their firearm supply cut off.

After all, Artillery and firearms would constantly suffer wear and tear during warfare.

Without replenishment, they would sooner or later be completely depleted.