As Su Lie walked into the camp with Han Donghu and Feng Yi, he found it hard to imagine that the camp before his eyes had been built within three months using only the initial personnel who had arrived earlier.
What drew his attention even more was the considerably large shipyard on the southeastern side, which had been expanded much more than when Yin Peng visited half a month earlier, clearly indicating intentions to build large and medium-sized vessels.
On the way to pay respects to Han Qian, Su Lie couldn’t help but ask Feng Yi: “The timber needed to build large ships must be air-dried for at least several years after felling before it can be used. How can large ships be built here?”
Although Su Lie didn’t understand the specific matters involved in shipbuilding very well, he was still clear on some basic common knowledge.
Newly felled timber was extremely damp. After air-drying, it could lose as much as sixty to seventy percent of its weight at most. Using fresh timber directly to build ships would result in warping and leaking within just a few days.
Never mind ships with cargo capacity of three to four thousand shi—even medium-sized vessels of three to four hundred shi, as long as they were intended for medium to long-distance sailing, couldn’t be careless about timber requirements.
The shipyards near Jinling had difficulty resuming operations. Apart from the large trees in the Jiangnan region having long been completely felled over these years for charcoal burning and constructing grand palaces, the more important reason was that even if timber was now transported from Jiangxi and Hunan, newly felled timber needed to be stockpiled and air-dried for at least three to four years after arriving at the shore before it could be used.
Perhaps Chishan Association would need to possess its own shipyard within Shiliang County territory in the future, but at this time they shouldn’t be wasting too many resources here.
And large-scale transport of timber needed for shipbuilding from Xuzhou here was also unrealistic.
“Xuzhou has methods for kiln-drying wet wood. Newly felled timber can be used for shipbuilding in as little as one month at the shortest,” Feng Yi said.
“Drying it directly with fire? That won’t work either. Timber dried directly is extremely prone to cracking and also can’t be used for shipbuilding.” Su Lie was utterly perplexed. He discovered that his understanding of Xuzhou was truly quite shallow. He thought to himself that it was no wonder Xuzhou had been able to continuously build large ships over these years—there really were too many secrets unknown to the outside world that weren’t transmitted.
“I don’t know the specific method either. Since this side needs to prepare to build some warships and cargo vessels, the drying kilns should also have been completed. We can go take a look in a bit and we’ll know,” Feng Yi said with full confidence.
Chishan Association’s three monasteries and six halls were led by Su Lie, Han Donghu, and Guo Quan. Baiti Ridge camp would ultimately serve as Chishan Association’s main hall, presided over and managed by them. Everything conducted at Baiti Ridge naturally had no need to be kept secret from Su Lie and the others.
Seeing Feng Yi speak so confidently, Su Lie was also very pleased.
Never mind Hongze Marsh to the north or Fanliang and Shaobo lakes to the west—within Shiliang territory itself, large and small streams, rivers, lakes and marshes crisscrossed everywhere. How could Chishan Association possibly establish itself here without boats and ships?
Not to mention that Chishan Association also planned in the future to develop their influence along the Yangtze River waterway.
Although Su Lie and Han Donghu were only passing through Yangzhou for the first time on this trip, judging from the attitude revealed by Yangzhou, they clearly also intended to limit Chishan Army from possessing excessively strong armed forces.
Xuzhou’s warships, never mind being transferred to Chishan Association through Yangzhou—even leaving the Yuan River would be extremely difficult.
For Baiti Ridge here to immediately possess the capability to build warships of two to six hundred shi class was truly too important for Chishan Army.
While Huaidong could limit commercial goods from Xuzhou transiting through Yangzhou, they couldn’t limit Chishan Association from building ships on their own on the west bank of Fanliang Lake. This was probably something Huaidong hadn’t anticipated beforehand, wasn’t it?
However, Su Lie was worried about another matter and asked:
“Can Xuzhou bear such large expenditures?”
Not to mention other things—Shang Wensheng, as the foremost among the capital region’s great families, knowledgeable in the five military arts, poetry, literature, and law, could also be said to be a talent in practical statecraft. Su Lie had spent many years by Shang Wensheng’s side, hearing and seeing much, influenced by him. He had also read many books and was considered an extremely knowledgeable person in contemporary times, understanding economic studies.
To be honest, apart from martial prowess and actual experience commanding in battle where he was slightly inferior to Han Donghu, Su Lie was stronger than Han Donghu in other aspects. That he had been able to become the leader in secretly raising the rebellion was definitely not by luck.
However, his perception of Xuzhou still remained at old notions. He thought that although Marquis Han Qian of Qianyang was indeed enfeoffed in Xuzhou, Xuzhou was located in a remote area. Even if it controlled the commercial route from Qianzhong to Xiangtan, its financial resources couldn’t possibly compare with the superior prefectures of the Yangtze-Huai region.
Xuzhou had previously provided forty thousand strings of cash as preparatory funds for Chishan Army. Baiti Ridge camp construction was also entirely invested by Xuzhou, with additional batches of supplies to be reinforced every month or two subsequently. They also had to build a shipyard here and construct warships and merchant vessels. Su Lie really didn’t know if Xuzhou’s financial resources could sustain this.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Feng Yi said with a hearty laugh.
After he met with Lin Zongjing, he learned that under Guo Que’s direction, the Wuchuan Salt and Iron Bureau had successfully drilled four brine wells over fifty zhang deep in the mountains of eastern Qian. This not only proved that the small-bore drilling method worked well, but also that it had produced great results.
Before year’s end, Wuchuan would be able to drill even more brine wells. Filtering brine and boiling brine operations were also being rapidly prepared. By then, not only would Xuzhou be able to achieve self-sufficiency for the nearly twenty thousand dan of salt needed annually, but there would also be surplus for export to Qianzhong, Nanzhao and other regions.
Before this, the court had twice increased salt taxes. To maintain a stable salt price within the territory not exceeding thirty cash per jin and not excessively harm the people’s interests, Xuzhou had to subsidize approximately ten cash per jin.
With Xuzhou’s population of over two hundred thousand plus livestock large and small, and the export of preserved food products, over two million four hundred fifty thousand jin of salt was needed annually. This meant that as long as Xuzhou couldn’t achieve salt self-sufficiency, the provincial treasury had to subsidize twenty-five to twenty-six thousand strings of cash each year.
Now the situation had reversed. Not only was there no need for subsidies, but Xuzhou territory could generate over fifty thousand strings in salt profits annually. This back-and-forth difference alone was seventy to eighty thousand strings of cash, and financial resources could become much more relaxed.
The migration of over ten thousand former Left Guangde Army members to establish themselves in Shiliang, plus Chishan Association’s early preparation, involved enormous expenditures. But after establishing a firm foothold, most association members would engage in various livelihoods and would no longer require large expenditures needing Xuzhou subsidies.
By the time Xuzhou’s expenditures stabilized, and Xuzhou formally established a production system for the four categories of salt, cloth, tea and iron that could be exported on a large scale to surrounding regions, there would be sufficient financial resources to maintain a standing elite combat force of ten thousand or even larger scale.
At that time, Xuzhou would no longer need to act like a wronged little daughter-in-law as in the past.
—
When Feng Yi walked with Su Lie, Han Donghu and others to the议事hall converted from the ancestral shrine deep in the village stronghold, without needing to be announced, Han Qian was already standing at the front of the hall waiting with Feng Liao, Guo Rong, Lin Sheng, He Liufeng and others.
Seeing Han Donghu and Su Lie enter the courtyard, Han Qian said with a smile: “It was so difficult to finally have you come over. Now we no longer need to overstep our authority and labor so hard.”
Su Lie walked into the courtyard and performed the grand prostration: “This subordinate is incompetent. Only by relying on Your Lordship to control the overall situation can we avoid countless errors and omissions…”
Su Lie knew that Xuzhou didn’t practice the prostration ritual, but after all, unlike Han Donghu who was part of Xuzhou’s direct lineage, he had to express his attitude of loyalty clearly and definitively.
With Su Lie doing so, Han Donghu and several main leaders accompanying them also all knelt in the courtyard to pay respects.
Seeing Su Lie act thus, Feng Liao, Guo Rong and the others were all pleased.
“We’re all one family—no need for such formality.” Han Qian stepped forward to help Su Lie up and invited everyone to enter the hall to talk.
Su Lie first reported on Chishan Association’s preparatory organization situation during this period in Guangde Prefecture and along the shores of Lake Tai.
Among the former Left Guangde Army members whose lands were encroached upon in Guangde Prefecture and their families, some had sought help from relatives and friends and made their own living arrangements. Roughly over twelve thousand people still had difficult livelihoods.
Apart from the association members and their families who had already transferred to Shiliang County, the association members that Han Donghu and Su Lie had previously recruited in Guangde Prefecture came forward to serve as association leaders. Using the form of mutual aid rotating credit associations—aæ°‘é—´ financing and lending form originating in the Han and Sui periods—they organized groups of seven or eight to over ten people. Some rented and cultivated the fields of wealthy households, some purchased boats to enter Lake Tai to catch fish and shrimp or transport commercial goods for a living. First they maintained the livelihoods of most people, while also organizing personnel to enter towns and cities along Lake Tai’s shores in groups to work and make a living.
After subsequently transferring over three thousand more women and children, maintaining the livelihoods of the dispossessed former Left Guangde Army members and their families would not be a problem. But if Chishan Association wanted to further expand in scale, there were still one hundred forty to fifty thousand former Left Guangde Army members and their families in Guangde Prefecture, their hearts still mindful of their former Pacification Commissioner.
“Let’s just keep it this way for now.” Han Qian didn’t want Chishan Association’s scale to be too large for the time being, mainly because the money and grain that needed to be invested in the early stage was truly too high.
Feng Yi then spoke of the various situations when he and Guo Xiao went to Yangzhou and Chuzhou: “We stayed in Chuzhou for over half a month without being able to meet Prince Xin. When Yin Peng appeared again, he said the matter was settled—I guess that Prince Xin must have summoned veteran clerks skilled in salt matters to verify that our new salt-drying method would work before finally yielding. Oh right, if Prince Xin really follows our new salt-drying method to dry sea salt along the Haizhou coast, roughly how much can production increase?”
“Currently Huaidong only has one thousand salt workers secretly evaporating sea salt in Haizhou, able to obtain seven to eight thousand dan of sea salt annually. If veteran clerks skilled in salt matters really go to perfect the new method, obtaining twenty thousand dan of salt annually should be no problem,” Han Qian said.
“Ah, then this means that as long as Prince Xin dispatches an additional four to five thousand salt workers, wouldn’t Huaidong’s own salt needs be solved? They’re really getting a huge bargain.” Feng Yi asked.
“Huaidong’s standing troops are already too numerous by themselves, and provisions are difficult to sustain. Without needing court pressure, Huaidong will inevitably have to take the initiative to demobilize large numbers of standing troops and arrange them for garrison farming. Having them arrange an additional four to five thousand elderly and weak soldiers to dry salt in Haizhou is completely no problem. I’m offering him such a huge benefit, only asking that he turn a blind eye to Chishan Association’s affairs. If he still doesn’t allow it, that would really be too unreasonable,” Han Qian said with a laugh.
Feng Yi also mentioned encountering Yao Xishui and Chun Shisanniang on the Imperial Weaving Bureau procurement ship coming close to observe at Guazhou Wharf.
Han Qian laughed: “Regardless of how long the cooperation with Huaidong lasts, in outsiders’ eyes, Xuzhou and Huaidong have already joined forces and gained momentum. Going forward, you can represent me in making more trips to Yang, Chu and other regions, letting some people become suspicious and doubtful…”
Since Han Donghu and Su Lie had both arrived at Baiti Ridge, Han Qian still needed to hand over Chishan Association’s daily affairs to them. The focus of subsequent work remained on camp construction.
“At this time, the surrounding refugees, even without boats, can still enter the water bare-bodied and barefoot to catch fish and shrimp to fill their bellies. But in another month, when cold currents move south and the weather becomes freezing cold, they can no longer go into the water. Available fish and shrimp will also be few, food will be difficult to obtain, and plundering incidents will occur frequently. The Imperial Guards may still delay another month before completely capturing Chaozhou. Counting the time for pursuing and defeating remnants, this winter season the court will probably be too late to provide relief to refugees huddled in this corner.”
Han Qian said to Su Lie, Han Donghu, Lin Sheng and the others.
“The shipyard is preparing to be able to build vessels of around six hundred shi in the future, but this matter can be postponed. First build more fishing boats to sell on credit to the surrounding area. This might help more refugees make their living from the lake and survive this calamity…”
The dispossessed former Left Guangde Army members totaled only about three thousand households. Bringing them all over would only be fourteen to fifteen thousand people, most of them still elderly, weak, women and children.
Even without managing livelihood matters, Chishan Association couldn’t deploy too many able-bodied men to form water camp armed forces, much less attempt to control the waters on the west side of Fanliang Lake or south side of Hongze Marsh under the very eyes and noses of the even more powerful Huaidong troops and Anning Palace rebel forces.
However, if they could guide refugees stranded in Shiliang County to migrate toward the shores of Hongze Marsh and Fanliang Lake, even entering lake islands and islets to depend on the waters for their living and form fishing villages and water stronghold forces one after another along the lakes and by the waters, and if at this time Chishan Association could still maintain sufficient influence among them, this would have nothing but benefits and no harm for Chishan Association’s future establishment of roots here.
Selling fishing boats on credit could be said to kill multiple birds with one stone.
Although Han Qian had only transferred over thirty skilled shipwrights from Xuzhou, over forty-five hundred people had already gathered near Baiti Ridge, most of them still well-organized former Left Guangde Army members. The women and children were all diligent and capable.
Organizing two to three thousand able-bodied laborers to fell trees and obtain materials, with various tools shipped from Xuzhou, and not needing to use large timber—building fishing boats that three to five people could paddle on the lake would naturally be extremely quick and convenient.
Without so many complications, with the previous groundwork already laid, and temporarily not needing to consider supply problems, working at full capacity before the depths of winter completely arrived, rushing to build four to five hundred fishing boats would be no problem.
Listening to this, Su Lie secretly admired it, thinking that they had only thought about transferring as many former Left Guangde Army members as possible and building a batch of warships as soon as possible. They hadn’t thought that with the same investment, they should also strive to expand their influence to the utmost. They hadn’t thought that even if they built a batch of warships, apart from prematurely exposing their own strength and arousing Huaidong’s vigilance, it wouldn’t bring any additional benefits…
Han Qian selected the main points to personally instruct Su Lie and Han Donghu, but camp construction, Chishan Association’s subsequent development and expansion, as well as establishing an intelligence network in the Yangtze-Huai region involved too many aspects in every direction—it couldn’t all be explained at once.
Han Qian planned to have Feng Liao be responsible for these matters, so more specific affairs were also left to Feng Liao to guide Su Lie and Han Donghu.