Chapter 936
Development
Pan Jun does indeed prefer Ningbo.
However, Ningbo is not far from Hangzhou. As long as it is within Zhejiang Province, it is a political achievement for the Provincial Administration Commission and a good thing for the officials and people of Zhejiang.
The terms can be negotiated on the same terms.
However, she is the Imperial Advisor, and her status is not suitable.
Soon, the emperor's official document arrived at the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission.
The emperor's official document reflected Pan Yun's previous conversation with them. Sun Yuanzhen put down the document and murmured, "Does this mean that Jian is in the emperor's heart, or that the emperor's heart is with her?"
Yang Zan lowered his eyes and said, "No matter which one it is, it can be used as long as it benefits the people."
Sun Yuanzhen snapped out of her daze and nodded, saying, "That makes sense."
With the emperor's approval, Sun Yuanzhen felt much more confident in his actions.
While Pan Yun was searching for a Taoist priest with skills but no ordination certificate, Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan, together with gentry, landlords and wealthy merchants from eleven prefectures in Zhejiang, discussed the matter of Zhejiang striving to open a port.
"The Quanzhou Maritime Customs Office has collected nearly 200,000 taels of silver in customs duties from the winter month to the end of February this year."
Seeing their interest but hesitation, Sun Yuanzhen continued, "The lifting of the sea ban was strongly advocated by the Imperial Advisor. Even the silver mine in Dasen Township was presented to the court by the Imperial Advisor, which shows how much the Imperial Advisor values maritime trade. Quanzhou Prefecture has a seaport and a Maritime Trade Office, so the Imperial Advisor goes there several times a year. Lu Mingzhe, the prefect of Quanzhou, has been frequently mentioned by His Majesty since winter and has made many merits. If there are no accidents, he can be transferred back to the capital in three to five years and directly promoted to the position of vice-minister of the Six Ministries."
Yang Zan glanced at everyone and continued Sun Yuanzhen's words: "Because of the importance attached to Quanzhou, the Imperial Preceptor has also opened a branch of the Tool and Equipment Workshop in Quanzhou, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works. Even the Imperial Observatory has sent two officials to the Quanzhou government office to survey the weather for the people of Quanzhou to help with the farming season. It is said that an academy will be opened next to teach people the knowledge of the Ministry of Works."
Yang Zan sighed softly and said, "As you all know, the difficulty of the Southern Examination has always been higher than that of the Northern Examination. In each Southern Examination, most of the successful candidates come from Jiangxi, Southern Zhili and Zhejiang. Now Fujian is greatly encouraged. You may not see the difference in the first two sessions, but in the third and fourth sessions, Fujian will probably catch up and surpass others."
“Fujian is a poor and remote place. How many good teachers would be willing to go there to teach? Lord Sun is worrying too much.”
Sun Yuanzhen remained silent, so Yang Zan sneered and said, "That's because you are all short-sighted and far less far-sighted than Lord Sun. Once Quanzhou Port opens, merchants will flock here. In order to shorten the transportation distance, they will set up a large number of textile workshops and porcelain workshops in Fujian. Fujian is a hilly area and also a good place to grow tea. It can be said that the economic benefits brought about by the port are immeasurable."
“We can see initial results in three years, catch up with Zhejiang in six years, and in nine years… the students who entered school at seven this year will be sixteen by then!” Yang Zan shouted. “Sixteen is the age when your children and grandchildren take the imperial examinations. When they go to the capital for the metropolitan examinations in a few years, are you sure your children and grandchildren can beat them?” Yang Zan sneered. “You should know that among the southern candidates, Jiangxi and Southern Zhili have never been surpassed. Zhejiang is still a step behind.”
When it came to the future of their descendants, the gentry and landlords exchanged uneasy glances.
The businessmen had long been interested.
Unlike the gentry and landlords, all they saw was piles of silver.
With so many tariffs, how much money must they make?
Moreover, besides the profits from exporting ocean-going vessels, these manufacturers also make money.
If we export more goods, we might be able to raise the prices of domestic goods and make another profit.
A merchant immediately asked, "What must we do to get the court to agree to open a seaport in Zhejiang? We would appreciate guidance from Lord Sun and Lord Yang."
"Everyone, please listen carefully."
Sun Yuanzhen stroked his beard and said, "We must let His Majesty and the court see that we, the people of Zhejiang, are of one mind."
How can we make the emperor and the court see this?
Donate money, donate land.
The Zhejiang Provincial Administration Commission would coordinate the collected funds and land to resettle displaced people.
The gentry, landlords, and merchants: ...This sounds a bit like soliciting bribes, doesn't it?
Is the goal to settle the displaced people, or to settle the officials who are in charge?
If it's the former, just give a little; if it's the latter, then you can't give too little.
If they have too little, not only will the officials look down on them, thinking they lack ability, but they will also lose face among their peers.
But this was the first time Sun Yuanzhen had directly asked the gentry, landlords, and merchants for land and money.
In the past, he had always seized land through policy, so he was now blushing with embarrassment.
Fortunately, he is dark-skinned, so you can't tell unless you get close.
It is precisely because he is so unfathomable that everyone tends to favor the latter.
If it's soliciting a bribe, then...
"My lord, my home is in Jinhua Prefecture, which is quite far from Hangzhou. If I were to donate the land, to whom should I give it?"
Sun Yuanzhen immediately said, "Just donate with confidence. I will send someone to take over. We will also erect a monument for you and write your biography so that the villagers can know about your contribution to the opening of the seaport."
The landlord twitched the corner of his mouth, indicating that this was just his token of appreciation and that Lord Sun didn't need to be so polite.
After hearing this, everyone was even more certain that it was the latter; otherwise, why would they have assigned someone to be in charge?
Sun Yuanzhen thought to himself: Of course I have to send someone to take charge, otherwise, if the local government handles it, no one knows how much will be confiscated.
Because it was a bribery affair, and the bribes were to the two highest-ranking officials in Zhejiang, none of the gentry, landlords, and merchants present wanted to be looked down upon by their companions, so each one showed more sincerity than the last.
Moreover, they would contribute one portion at the dinner table, and then secretly ask Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan for another portion after the dinner.
Their requirements also differed.
The gentry wanted letters of recommendation from Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan, or to send one of their sons or grandsons to study at the Imperial Academy.
The landlords, on the other hand, had their eyes on a piece of wasteland or a barren mountain and hoped that Lord Sun and Lord Yang could inform the prefect below them so that they could sell it at a lower price.
The merchants, on the other hand, were interested in the construction of the harbor. One company recommended its own timber to Sun Yuanzhen, another recommended its own bricks and craftsmen to Yang Zan, and still others had their eyes on the land near the harbor, wanting to build some shops...
Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan: ...
It was late at night when the two of them returned to the Provincial Administration Office after dealing with everyone.
There were still officials working overtime in the yamen. They saw that the two officials looked exhausted, especially Lord Sun, who looked as if he had aged three years.
Sun Yuanzhen was indeed old. He sighed and said, "It's harder than fighting ten battles for me."
Yang Zan smiled and said, "We can give a vague answer first. When it comes to building the port, we can compare the materials and prices. If they are similar or the same price and quality, we should give them priority."
Sun Yuanzhen sighed, "That's all we can do."
With the two top officials in charge, things were naturally handled quickly and well, with incredibly high efficiency.
While Sun Yuanzhen's men received the land and money, Sun Yuanzhen's petition to separate the three counties of Ruian and establish four additional counties including Taishun and Yunhe was also passed in the imperial court.
While arranging for new troops to be stationed there, Sun Yuanzhen also visited the four counties, demarcated areas, and had the troops lead the displaced people to reclaim wasteland...
The reclaimed wasteland and the land donated by the landlords were distributed to the refugees. The money donated by the merchants was used partly to buy land to continue resettling the refugees, and partly to build houses for the refugees to live in.
Whether or not the seaport should be built was still undecided by the imperial court, but Zhejiang was already showing signs of prosperity. The increasingly acute conflict between displaced people and landlords had also eased considerably.
Although not all the refugees from the eleven prefectures had been properly resettled, those who hadn't been resettled still held a glimmer of hope, thinking that they would be the next ones to be resettled. So they became cautious in their words and actions again, no longer causing trouble everywhere, and no longer wanting to make a scene like Deng Maoqi and his gang.
Sun Yuanzhen had quelled several rebellions in recent years and was particularly sensitive to this change in atmosphere.
When he discovered that the smoke of battle among the refugees had thinned considerably, and even the bandits hiding in the mountains had quietly fled back home to become refugees again, his heart became even more complicated.
Taking advantage of the situation, Yang Zan increased the efforts to equalize taxes, spreading the taxes on government land to the privately owned land where taxes were lower.
Sun Yuanzhen also allocated a lot of wasteland to the garrison, allowing them to cultivate the wasteland for military farming.
These were genuine military settlements. The produce from these settlements would be distributed to the military households. Apart from a portion given to the military, the rest belonged to the households and their families.
The military and civilians in Zhejiang were overjoyed.
But the gentry, landlords and merchants of Zhejiang were very anxious. It was almost June and there was still no news about the construction of the seaport. Could Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan have lied to them?
By this time, they already knew that the land and money they had donated had indeed been used to settle the refugees, so much so that they could not even sue Sun Yuanzhen and Yang Zan for soliciting bribes.
At most, I'll sue them for coercing me to donate.
but……
They forced donations, and the money all went to displaced people. How could the emperor and his officials possibly pay any attention to them?
The gentry, landlords, and merchants were extremely troubled and could only try to get hints and direct suggestions from the two men every day.
Sun Yuanzhen was also anxious. He heard that Pan Yun had strongly advocated for opening a branch of a crafts shop in Ningbo and had also helped the royal family open a textile workshop, which was run by the Empress's people. So he went to Ningbo overnight to see Pan Yun.
Upon hearing this, Pan Yun, amidst his busy schedule, looked up and asked, tilting his head, "Has the imperial court's order not been issued yet?"
Sun Yuanzhen said anxiously, "No, His Majesty, he wouldn't have changed his mind, would he?"
Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Is Xue Shao still in Zhejiang?"
Sun Yuanzhen paused for a moment and then said, "Imperial Censor Xue is currently in Jiangxi. I heard that he just brought the prefect of Jiujiang to justice a couple of days ago."
After a pause, Sun Yuanzhen praised him: "Imperial Censor Xue is truly loyal. After he inspected Zhejiang, the number of cases of usury and grain lending in the eleven prefectures surged. Each prefecture took Hangzhou Prefecture as a typical example and cleared out 687,563 mu of land involved in the case, more than 86,000 taels of silver, and more than 937,000 coins."
“Six hundred and eighty thousand mu,” Pan Yun said with a smirk, “Did the gentry and landlords donate six hundred and eighty thousand mu of land this time?”
Sun Yuanzhen paused for a moment and then said, "Only over 90,000 mu."
Pan Yun: "Therefore, prevention is far more worthwhile than post-event reckoning."
Sun Yuanzhen seemed to be deep in thought. Before he could plead for mercy again, Pan Yun stood up and said, "However, since I have promised Lord Sun and Lord Yang, I will definitely keep my word. I will return to the capital tonight to see His Majesty."
Sun Yuanzhen breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "I will arrange the carriages and horses right away."
Pan Jun paused for a moment before saying, "No need. I'll be right back. If nothing unexpected happens, I should have news by tomorrow or the day after."
"Huh?" Sun Yuanzhen subconsciously looked at her legs.
Pan Yun glanced at him and said, "I don't ride horses."
She said regretfully, "It's a pity that you are the Provincial Governor, and you are not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict. Otherwise, it would be nice to take you back to the capital."
We'll depart in the afternoon, arrive in the evening, meet the emperor, and then return, allowing us to get some sleep.
Sun Yuanzhen didn't dare to ask any more questions, but that afternoon, someone said they saw a pot flying in the sky.
Sun Yuanzhen: ...
The advisors couldn't help but ask Sun Yuanzhen, "My lord, does the Imperial Preceptor really know how to fly?"
Sun Yuanzhen was also a second-rank official, so of course he knew some of the inside stories of this world. Moreover, he said, "Back in March, there was a dispute between villagers from two villages on the outskirts of Hangzhou over water. Didn't you hear the rumor that a giant cauldron fell from the sky?"
The aide murmured, "I always thought it was just a rumor..."
If this is true, then many more rumors must also be true?
The staff member found it unbelievable: "How come I've never heard of this before?"
“That’s what the local Daoji Divisions do. Many things, once seen, become rumors and dubious gossip. In the end, only a few believe them, while the vast majority doubt them,” Sun Yuanzhen paused before continuing, “Pan Yun dares to show her tracks now only because she is the Imperial Preceptor, holding a high position and wielding great power, so neither the Daoji Division nor the Daolu Division can punish her.”
Otherwise, given the skills she displayed in public, the Daoist Discipline Bureau would have punished her to the point of bankruptcy.
But why is Pan Yun being so high-profile?
Is he overconfident, or does he have other plans?
Sun Yuanzhen recalled Pan Yun's words and actions, feeling somewhat uneasy, as he always felt it was the latter.
If it's the latter, what does she want to do by revealing these supernatural abilities to others?
Pan Yun, with Pan Xiaohei in tow, returned to the capital.
Just as she said, if we leave in the afternoon, we'll arrive by evening.
She was as obedient as ever, never crossing Zhang Zijin's bottom line, so she landed outside the city, put away the Three Treasures Cauldron, and then used her light-foot technique to run into the city.
To Pan Yun's surprise, the capital city had changed a lot in just over three months.
Even in the evening, there were still many people on the streets.
Pan Yun looked around curiously. Standing in front of the barbecue stall, she ordered fifty lamb skewers in one go. While waiting for them to be grilled, she asked, "The sun is almost setting, why aren't you packing up yet?"
The stall owner glanced at her and asked, "Young lady, have you just returned from outside the capital?"
Pan Yun hummed in agreement and said, "I was away for a few months because of some business."
“That’s right,” the stall owner said. “Starting last month, the curfew in the capital is lifted on the 10th and 2nd of every month. Today is May 21st. This is the main street, and people don’t finish walking around midnight.”
Pan Yun raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "This suggestion... is truly ingenious. Aren't the court and schools also on holiday for 102 days every ten days?"
"That's right, that's why it's been so lively these past two days!"
Pan Yun's lamb skewers began to sizzle with aroma, attracting people to come over. The stall owner got busy and no longer had time to talk to Pan Yun.
Pan Yun stepped aside and turned to look at the people on the street.
She noticed that not only were there more people on the streets, but there were also more girls on the streets.
Even the clothes have changed slightly compared to previous years. (End of Chapter)