Chapter 100: First Volume, Chapter 100: Northwest Pacification

First Volume, Chapter 100: Northwest Pacification

After a moment of silence, Cheng Yin could only toss out a hollow remark: "How much silver is needed is the Ministry of Revenue's concern; I merely propose governance strategies."

Qin Feng snorted inwardly—he'd seen plenty of these paper-talking fools before.

To Qin Feng, who spent his past life daily on market floors and was utterly action-oriented, such men weren't even worthy of being called opponents.

Qin Feng faced the Liang Emperor, raising both hands respectfully: "No need to trouble the Ministry of Revenue officials. There are 137,000 sugarcane farmers in the Northwest; their scattered sugarcane fields, when combined, total over two million mu. To relocate these farmers, they must move from the Northwest to Jingyun Dao—only Jingyun Dao has suitable, idle land available for cultivating sugarcane."

"This journey spans a thousand li—equivalent to transporting grain and forage from the southern granaries to the Northwest border. Even without me explaining, Your Excellencies know full well the losses incurred in transit for supplying 130,000 border troops."

"Even if all conditions were perfect, let me calculate just the silver losses for you, sir."

"Moving 137,000 people a thousand li—assuming half the speed of an army march, and that's already optimistic—would take a full month. The border troops receive three shi and three dou of grain monthly; each dou of mixed grain costs five wen. Just the grain loss alone amounts to 22,605 taels of silver."

At this, the Liang Emperor's eyes gleamed brightly—he never expected such a pampered young master could understand people's livelihood matters with such precision; even most Ministry of Revenue officials couldn't match Qin Feng by a hair's breadth!

Qin Tianhu was also deeply startled, silently marveling: "When did this brat ever visit the sugarcane plantations?! How else could he know sugarcane farmers' affairs so intimately?"

White sugar is one of Qin Feng's core industries; the sugarcane farmers' survival is his own survival—he naturally used every channel to learn the conditions of the Northwest sugarcane plantations.

Hearing Qin Feng's precise calculation, Cheng Yin's face grew rigid, yet he feigned ease: "Just twenty thousand taels of silver? If it ensures the livelihood of 170,000 sugarcane farmers, what's that to worry about?"

Qin Feng inwardly cursed Cheng Yin's ancestors, raging against scholars who ruined the state, yet his face remained full of respect: "Sir, don't rush."

"Jingyun Dao is one of the main millet-producing regions; though some idle land exists, it's reserved as backup farmland for local farmers. After all, millet is one of the Five Grains—the lifeline of Heaven."

"Cultivating sugarcane fields isn't impossible, but land must be purchased at market price—eight hundred wen per mu annually. To restore sugarcane field scale, you'd need… oh, sir doesn't know? Let me tell you."

Ignoring Cheng Yin's grim face, Qin Feng smiled and named a figure: "One million six hundred thousand taels of silver."

"This…"

Hearing this number, Cheng Yin was stunned—such a sum was no trivial matter even for the National Treasury.

The Confucian Scholars clustered around Cheng Yin could no longer stay silent and began arguing.

"Since it's reserve land, the rent can be paid after harvest."

"Exactly—we're all on the same side. Why count so precisely?"

Qin Feng still smiled, showing utmost respect to the Confucian Scholars, while inwardly cursing: You idiots know nothing!

But since they raised the issue, Qin Feng had to answer—or the debate was meaningless. He bowed: "If a Debt Agreement is signed, who signs it? The sugarcane farmers? They've lived for generations in the Northwest Ancestral Land; they've traveled a thousand li to a foreign land, barely settled, yet already burdened with debt—who would agree to relocate? If the court signs, first it burdens the National Treasury, second, lower officials will embezzle—how do you solve that?"

The Confucian Scholars turned red-faced but had no retort.

Qin Feng pressed forward, his tone growing sharply serious: "Everyone knows sugarcane sugar yields far higher profit than grain. When local farmers, who've grown millet for generations, see sugarcane's profit, they'll all switch—what then if grain shortages arise and grain prices soar?"

"What impact will relocating these 137,000 sugarcane farmers have on Jingyun Dao's people's livelihood? Can the region absorb so many refugees all at once?"

"Have you forgotten the Da Liang Law: People's Livelihood Volume, which clearly states: Any displaced people must not flee en masse; if over three thousand, county magistrates are exiled to military service; if over five thousand, they are dismissed!"

The entire Grand Hall fell silent. Even Ministry of Revenue officials lowered their heads—having held high office too long, none could speak to such nuanced people's livelihood matters.

Cheng Yin was speechless. He had read the Treatise on Governance inside out—it plainly stated that disaster victims must be aided.

He never imagined the implications ran so deep.

Finally, the Liang Emperor exhaled a long, suppressed breath and asked: "Qin Feng, do you have a method to aid the farmers?"

Qin Feng bowed: "Your Majesty, to mobilize the people is to exhaust them and waste resources; stirring them harms not just finances but the very roots. Better still to remain still. The solution to aiding sugarcane farmers lies not in the farmers themselves, but in a stable cultivation environment. In essence, it comes down to one phrase: Northwest Pacification!"

Only then did everyone realize—Qin Feng had been talking about launching a campaign against the Di all along!

The Pro-Peace Faction officials exchanged glances, silently cursing Qin Feng for his cunning—he spoke of aiding disaster victims, yet secretly pushed for war against the Northern Di.

Damn it, he was impossible to guard against!

Li Zhan had feared that after court, his old bones would bear the Emperor's wrath—he wasn't sure he'd survive the day.

But hearing Qin Feng's final four resounding words—"Northwest Pacification"—his face brightened instantly; he nearly wanted to kneel and kowtow to Qin Feng in gratitude for saving his life.

Li Zhan stole a glance at the Emperor—and sure enough, the Liang Emperor's expression was radiant.

The Liang Emperor sighed, his tone restrained yet commanding: "Excellent—Northwest Pacification! If all of Great Liang possessed such resolve, why fear the petty Northern Di?"

Qin Tianhu wiped sweat from his brow, feeling as if he'd just escaped death—he'd already decided: once home, he'd interrogate Qin Feng thoroughly and find out what the brat had been up to lately.

Could the Treatise on Governance have been taught in the Heavenly Craft Manual?

Cheng Yin's face burned crimson, his long beard trembling with fury.

As leader of the literati, he'd been rendered speechless by a brash, unripe youth—this was utterly outrageous!

Cheng Yin flung his sleeve aside in anger: "Relocating sugarcane farmers exhausts the people and wastes resources—does launching a campaign against the Northern Di not do the same? Do you know how much silver a national war requires?"

Qin Feng bowed again to Cheng Yin—but this bow felt painfully sharp: "Sir, the Northern Di are militarily strong and skilled in mounted archery and ambushes. Once war begins, it will be a prolonged, brutal conflict. Even the most conservative estimate requires ten million taels of white silver."

Ten million taels…

The momentum Qin Feng had just regained instantly reversed…