Chapter 499: Harmony Brings Wealth

Seizing on these years of disaster, both the Kong Estate and the Prince of Lu's household were massively annexing farmland. In such a famine year, the price of an acre of land had plummeted severalfold, even over tenfold — an absolutely enormous bargain.

As for the one operating in the shadows, that was the Smelling Incense Sect. With natural disasters and man-made calamities, the common people had no one to rely on, and it was precisely faith they needed to numb themselves. Seizing this opportunity, the Smelling Incense Sect expanded wildly. Whether it was the Mu family faction that had seized parts of Dongchang Prefecture and Jinan Prefecture, or the faction of the so-called hierarch Xu Hongru, both were swelling their ranks of believers. Likewise, amid such chaos, the Smelling Incense Sect would not pass up those cheap properties either — they, too, were using this chance to fatten themselves.

Counting this year, Shandong had suffered major disasters for three years running. Many people went from powerful magnates to wealthy households, from wealthy households to paupers, and then went bankrupt, unable to survive this wave of calamity. And those refugees who had returned to their hometowns last autumn and winter — they did not see the good harvest they had hoped for.

Seeing such sights, everyone had learned from experience. They knew that staying in their hometowns meant waiting to die, and it was better to leave before the full extent of the disaster became apparent.

Wandering aimlessly would not do. The best method was to first head to the Grand Canal, then follow the canal all the way south. Going north was no good either — the harvest in Northern Zhili was just as poor, and the government troops there killed people far too ruthlessly; going there was a dead end. The only good destination was the south. Word had it that the weather there was favorable, and it was said there were even special charitable halls to take people in. Going there offered a path to survival.

There were also terrifying rumors — that somewhere around Xuzhou and Huai'an Prefecture, a great beast blocked the road, a beast whose hands already held over ten thousand lives. Yet there were also accounts that this great beast was in fact a great benefactor, and that any refugee who could get past would be given shelter.

The rumors were a mix of truth and falsehood. Few heard them, and those who did did not necessarily believe them. Everyone simply agreed on one thing: go south, go west — to stay behind meant only death.

The canal route was truly bustling beyond measure. In the major hub towns of Linqing, Liaocheng in Dongchang Prefecture, and Jining, and even all along the canal, great crowds of refugees gathered. Some silently followed the river south; others begged the boats for a way to live, for a mouthful of grain.

On the shore, the world slid step by step toward hell. On the boats, there was little sense of that — instead, people were quite leisurely and at ease, taking in the sights.

"They all say Shandong is in a great drought, so why is the water in the canal beneath our feet so plentiful?" someone asked in puzzlement.

"You wouldn't know this, young master, but to keep the canal's water sufficient, the imperial court has officials in Shandong specially appointed to manage the springs. Along this whole canal, no spring water or stream water is permitted for irrigating the fields. When enforcement is strict, even drinking it must be done in secret. As for digging wells, that's even more strictly forbidden — if you're caught, it's a beheading offense!"

"Isn't drinking water and digging wells a matter of natural justice? How can that warrant execution?" The listener naturally found this utterly absurd.

"All of this is to keep this river full. Without this river, the grain from the south cannot be shipped to the capital. If the people in the imperial city and the capital don't have enough to eat, that is a matter of the gravest importance."

At first, hearing that drawing water along the route was forbidden seemed unreasonable, but the moment the capital and the imperial city were mentioned, the questioner fell silent.

Those concerned for the nation and its people were, after all, a minority. The grain soldiers and transport troops on the official and grain barges were long accustomed to such scenes — they could not even be bothered to look. Aside from a few minding the boats, the rest were gathered in groups, idly chatting.

"Take a look at those on the shore — there might be some fine goods among them. Last time, Old Liu traded half a sack of coarse rice for a teenage girl. When she came aboard, she was still all grimy, but once she washed up — tsk, tsk — a dewy-fresh young lady, just like those daughters of wealthy Jiangnan households. And now, would you believe it, she holes up in the cabin all day and won't come out!"

A burst of raucous laughter followed. Another man said scornfully, "Old Liu's nothing special. Wait till we reach the docks at Jining up ahead — who knows how many people there will be willing to sell themselves. You can find any type you want. I've heard there are even ones from scholarly families. You don't even need to give rice — just offer her a mouthful of food and she'll follow you!"

"You're just not thinking clearly. In places like Linqing and Jining, even if there are top-quality goods, how would it ever be our turn? The human traffickers from east, south, west, and north are all packed in there, and with all those underworld and jianghu factions around, the good goods get picked out long ago. What do you think we'd manage to scrounge up?"

"Speaking of Linqing, have you fellows ever seen the Holy Maiden?"

The topic shifted to the Smelling Incense Sect. Most of the grain soldiers and transport troops on the canal had close ties to the Smelling Incense Sect — either they had joined the sect themselves, or people close to them were in it.

However, the sect members in the canal transport service differed from those on shore. For them, joining the sect was more about forming associations and sticking together, and had little to do with devout faith, so they spoke of it far more casually.

"That day, I followed the crowd to pay my respects. A breeze lifted the gossamer veil before the Holy Maiden — heavens above, in that moment my soul simply flew away. How could there be a woman so beautiful..."

"Keep your voice down! How can you speak such reckless words? We're already in Yanzhou territory now — if the locals here hear you, it'll be big trouble!"

At the mention of this, everyone quieted down considerably. Someone said with a laugh, "That Holy Maiden is far too lofty for the likes of us. Let's talk about buying people instead. What do you say we buy some here, make use of them on the journey, and then sell them off once we reach the south? We get to have our fun and earn a profit besides!"

"What's the rush? On this boat, you've got to be careful not to get caught and punished by the higher-ups. Look at the way the harvest is going — just wait a while longer. By then, you won't even need to buy them; just providing meals will be enough."

They all broke into lecherous snickering. Then someone, out of step with the rest, sighed and said, "When human lives are this cheap, not worth a single copper coin, by the time that happens, I fear no one will even bother to buy."

Compared to Shandong, the situation in Southern Zhili was far better. Aside from the peculiar circumstances of Fengyang, none of the other areas had to worry about drought. The Yellow River, the Yangtze, the Huai River, and countless other waterways all passed through this region.

In the past, Xuzhou had suffered the occasional drought, but now there was no need to worry. The vast numbers of refugees they had taken in were used as nearly free labor to dredge rivers and canals, ensuring irrigation for the fields. The estate managers and old farming hands were all saying that this year was sure to bring a good harvest.

Ruhui and Zhou Xuezhi had already begun reducing the amount of grain they purchased. At Lake Luoma, they could still trade tribute grain for liquor, but now it took even more grain to exchange for the same amount of liquor, and paying in silver was preferred.

The great numbers of recruited refugees did not merely consume grain — this vast pool of free labor made things far more convenient for everything connected to the Zhao Camp.

For instance, among the refugees were quite a few craftsmen. Carpenters, bricklayers, and tilers — such common trades were especially numerous, and they could be put to use when building the salt market.

Brick and tile buildings could not be erected overnight, but in the vicinity of Xuzhou, there was no shortage of timber and bamboo. Wooden houses and bamboo-built warehouses and sheds were all swiftly raised. The salt merchants from Yangzhou hurriedly set about getting established — they simply could not afford any delay, for every day lost was a day's business lost.

There was no need for Zhao Jin to notify the buyers from Henan, Shandong, and Fengyang Prefecture. The salt merchants had long since sent word to those places themselves. They would rather make not a single coin at first and let those buyers purchase the salt stocks that Zhao Jin had held back. Even though all the money went entirely to Zhao Jin, they would rather do exactly that — using this method to first stabilize their existing buyers and prevent other parties from seizing them away.

The Feng family's salt shipments could finally pass through Xuzhou, though this time they, too, were headed for the salt market. A single trip involved dozens of large carts, plus boats on the water routes — the sheer scale and extravagance of it stunned everyone else.

The newly formed Salt Patrol had been busy for only a short while before things quieted down again. That did not mean they had nothing to do, however. Xuzhou was, after all, a land transport hub, and there were still salt smugglers and dealers who did not want to go through the salt market and tried to sneak their shipments across the border. There were also those salt merchants who had already set up operations inside the salt market but were unwilling to give up their under-the-table private salt dealings. For such cases, the rule was confiscation upon discovery — no argument was tolerated.

Still, those daring enough to take the risk were few in number. A portion of the Salt Patrol would be used to escort salt merchants. Those coming to sell salt, upon entering Xuzhou's territory, and those leaving Xuzhou's territory after selling — all needed to be watched. After all, this salt cargo was illicit contraband that could not see the light of official law. Whether it was seized by authorities or snatched in a double-cross by fellow criminals, there was no way to seek recourse afterward. Having an escort meant an extra expense, true, but it guaranteed safety.

Beyond this, the Salt Patrol unit also accepted the customary fees from Xuzhou natives residing within Huai'an Prefecture. Should trouble arise there, this Salt Patrol unit would go over under the pretext of investigating and banning private salt. The clever part was that back when the Xuzhou Guard had established its three units — River Patrol, Salt Patrol, and Bandit Patrol — the scope of their inspection and pursuit authority included Huai'an Prefecture. So even if a large force crossed the border, there was a cover story on the official level.

In normal times, this Salt Patrol cavalry unit was composed of military households from the Xuzhou Guard and mounted jianghu figures from around Xuzhou. But the moment something happened, the Zhao Camp's cavalry would merge into its ranks, and no one could spot anything amiss.

The salt merchants and various other parties preparing to do business at the salt market had sent word out early. Buyers from Henan, Shandong, Fengyang Prefecture, and elsewhere all rushed over upon receiving the news. Although the warehouses, storefronts, and such were not yet complete, business had already begun.

The cart inn outside He Village, now called the Zhao Family Inn, had tripled its room rates. Even so, a room was still nearly impossible to find. Salt merchants from Southern Zhili and wealthy patrons arriving from other regions had filled every respectable place to capacity.

These people did not come solely to buy salt. When they saw the goods and specialty products gathered from all over at the He Village market and recognized the profit to be made, they naturally bought goods to take along with them. They also began to consider bringing their own local goods here to sell, and whether they ought to rent a storefront in this market as well.

The several commanders of the Xuzhou Guard were already grinning from ear to ear. The sales channels for all kinds of goods produced by the Xuzhou Guard had greatly expanded, and naturally, silver and coin were rolling in.

By the fifth month, Zhao Jin's reputation for turning stone into gold had even eclipsed the fearsome name of the Zhao Camp.

Some noticed, and some did not, that the moment this salt market began to flourish coincided exactly with the time the Feng family sent someone to sue for peace.

The so-called foremost house of Jiangbei bowing its head to another — such a thing would naturally not be proclaimed far and wide. But there are no walls in this world that wind cannot pass through. Even if they wished to hide it, the very people who interceded on their behalf to make peace would not keep it secret. Once this news spread, everyone's minds were set at ease.

The Zhao Camp was overbearingly powerful, and the Feng family, foremost house of Jiangbei, had been majestic and imposing for decades. If these two sides tore off all pretense and fought a bloody battle, who would dare come here to do business? Who would not fear being caught in the crossfire?