Moma Liangshan

Chapter 37: The Poverty of Fishermen, the Extravagance of Tokyo

Wang Hao lowered his head in thought, then slowly said, "In that case, building Laoshan County into a county primarily inhabited by fishermen will surely garner strong support from other prefectures and counties." The county magistrate nodded repeatedly, saying, "All prefectures and counties would be delighted!" Wang Hao said, "Tomorrow I will host a banquet at the restaurant to entertain the county magistrate and the imperial envoy. We will then come up with preliminary regulations regarding the land division of Laoshan County. Today, I must take my leave!" The county magistrate said, "Young master is busy, and I cannot keep you here. I respectfully see you off!" He then escorted Wang Hao out of the county office. Wang Hao stayed in the west wing of the post station, while the imperial envoy stayed in the east wing. After returning to the post station, Wang Hao visited the imperial envoy, inviting him to the banquet at the restaurant the next day. Afterward, he returned to his room to ponder his strategy.

The next day, the imperial envoy and the county magistrate arrived as promised. Wang Hao raised his cup and said, "It is an honor for me to work with you two gentlemen. I toast you both!" The two men drank together. The magistrate of Jimo County asked, "May I ask, young master Wang, do you have any general plans for the jurisdiction of Laoshan County?" Wang Hao replied, "There are no plans yet, but Laoshan County was established for maritime transport, so there must be a good port within its jurisdiction capable of accommodating large ships." The magistrate said, "I have reviewed the Jimo Mountain and Sea Gazetteer overnight and believe that designating the area south of Laoshan and the Baisha River as Laoshan County would meet all the needs of rebuilding the Maritime Trade Office." Both Wang Hao and the imperial envoy had a copy of the Jimo Mountain and Sea Gazetteer. Wang Hao frowned slightly and said, "The land south of Laoshan and Baisha River is nearly half the area of ​​Jimo County. Are you really willing to give it all up, Magistrate?" The Imperial Envoy glanced at the Jimo County Magistrate, smiled knowingly, and said, "Young Master, you are unaware that the land south of Laoshan and Baisha River is sparsely populated. Although it occupies half of Jimo County's land, it pays less than half a percent of the taxes. For Jimo County, that land is merely a burden. If Lord Wang can truly turn stone into gold and transform that mountainous and coastal area into a subordinate prefecture like Mingzhou, not only Jiaozhou Bay, but the entire Jingdong East Circuit will be abuzz with your achievements."

The magistrate of Jimo County also said, "Not only that, but the area south of Laoshan and Baisha River is a haven for bandits and robbers. The Jimo County government has sent troops to suppress them many times, but all to no avail!" Wang Hao asked, "Why have you achieved nothing?" The magistrate replied, "Firstly, the mountains are high and the forests are dense, and the bays are numerous; secondly, the people are fierce and bandits are one family; thirdly, fishing boats roam the seas, while government troops can only fight on land. Jiaozhou Bay is more than 20 li from east to west and more than 30 li from north to south. The western end of the estuary is Huangdao, and the eastern end is Qingdao, with only five or six li between the two islands. However, Huangdao is under the jurisdiction of Mizhou, and Qingdao is under the jurisdiction of Laizhou. If traveling by sea, the five or six li journey from Qingdao to Huangdao can be completed in about half an hour; if traveling by land, the journey from Qingdao to Huangdao is nearly a hundred li, at least..." It will take a day. Coastal fishermen often collude and protect each other, so repeated raids have always been costly and fruitless. The imperial envoy asked, "Why doesn't the court establish a navy? Such unruly people and bandits will surely be brought to justice!" The magistrate of Jimo County sighed and said, "Establishing a navy of several hundred men would require tens of thousands of strings of cash, and annual repairs to ships would also cost thousands. Even if the bandits are wiped out, should the navy be retained afterward? If it is retained, there will be no bandits to fight, resulting in wasted money; if the navy is disbanded, the unruly people will see an opportunity and rebel again. Therefore, the government can only instruct inland villages and fortresses to be vigilant and strengthen the training of local militias to defend against bandit raids."

Wang Hao asked, "Is the coastal fishermen's rebellion due to famine?" The magistrate of Jimo County nodded and said, "Indeed, it is due to famine." Before Wang Hao could speak, the imperial envoy interjected, "Since it's due to famine, why doesn't the government provide timely disaster relief instead of forcing good people to rebel?" The magistrate of Jimo County shook his head and said, "Your Excellency is unaware! Take Jimo County as an example, over 90% of the county's taxes are paid by inland villagers. If we repeatedly use inland villagers' taxes to aid coastal fishermen, how will the inland villagers react?" The imperial envoy added, "Once the coastal fishermen have a bountiful harvest and a surplus, they can repay the previous disaster relief funds." The magistrate of Jimo County smiled bitterly and said, "When the coastal fishermen have a bountiful harvest, they can barely make ends meet. To have a surplus or savings is as difficult as climbing to heaven!" Wang Hao suddenly asked, "How many fishermen are there along the Jiaozhou Bay coast?" The magistrate of Jimo County replied, "Between six thousand and ten thousand households." Wang Hao frowned. Wang Hao asked, "So vague?" The magistrate of Jimo County replied, "Coastal fishermen rarely register with the government to avoid taxes and corvée labor, making it difficult to make an accurate estimate." Wang Hao inquired, "If we take the Baisha River and Laoshan Mountain as the boundary, how many people would there be?" The magistrate replied, "The original inhabitants are two to three thousand households, about ten thousand people." Wang Hao said, "Nearly two hundred li from east to west and nearly one hundred li from north to south, such a vast land, and only about ten thousand people?" The magistrate replied, "Even with just these ten thousand people, we can't support them. If the population were larger, the people's lives would only be more miserable, and the turmoil during disaster years would only be greater." Wang Hao pondered for a moment and asked, "In which season do fishermen usually rebel?" The magistrate replied, "Mostly in winter!" Wang Hao asked, "Is it because the weather is cold and the wind direction is unfavorable in winter that they can't go to sea?" The magistrate replied, "Mostly."

Wang Hao asked, "What about other seasons?" The magistrate replied, "There's very little unrest." Wang Hao nodded slightly and said, "If each person receives an annual ration of eighty catties of grain, could that guarantee they can barely survive?" The magistrate said, "It should be enough, and even if it's insufficient, there won't be a significant shortfall. But you must think carefully, young master. Eighty catties of grain per person per year, that's eight hundred thousand catties for ten thousand people. Based on the current rice price, that would require nearly ten thousand strings of cash. Jimo County's annual revenue is only seventy thousand strings of cash." Wang Hao nodded and said, "This amount of money is something I can afford!" The magistrate and the imperial envoy exchanged glances. After a moment, the imperial envoy said, "If you, young master, were to truly take out ten thousand strings of cash to subsidize those impoverished people, the entire Song Dynasty officialdom would likely be hard-pressed to find another like you." "..." Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Do you two gentlemen think that my eighty catties of rations are a free gift?" The magistrate of Jimo County said, "Young master, either don't give them at all, or if you do, those poor fishermen certainly won't have the ability to repay them!" Wang Hao confidently said, "This young master can help them gain the ability to repay." The imperial envoy said, "Fishermen cannot go to sea in winter because of the bad weather. Does Lord Wang perhaps have the power to change the will of Heaven and calm the storms on the sea in winter?" Wang Hao smiled casually and said, "You jest, sir. How could I possibly change the will of Heaven? I can set up a workshop and recruit them to work. With jobs, they will naturally have wages, and with wages, they will naturally have the ability to repay their rations." The two of them simultaneously thought of the Eight Immortals Winery. After a few breaths, the magistrate of Jimo County said, "If Lord Wang can truly provide the coastal fishermen with a stable job, everyone in Jimo County will remember your merit!" Wang Hao replied, "The establishment of Laoshan County is by imperial decree. Tomorrow I will return to Tokyo to meet the Emperor. I entrust the affairs of this place to you two gentlemen." The two men raised their cups together and said, "Lord Wang, please have a safe journey. Before the Emperor, please put in a good word for us!" Wang Hao smiled and said, "I will forever remember your great assistance!"

Wang Hao's return to Tokyo was not primarily to meet Emperor Huizong, but rather to detour back to Liangshan, using the opportunity to travel south to Mingzhou to sell Liang Zhongshu's birthday gifts and recruit the manpower he needed. The establishment of Laoshan County was for the purpose of restoring the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office, one of the main objectives of which was to establish sea routes to the Jurchens and launch a pincer attack on the Liao Dynasty from the north and south. Mingzhou not only possessed the largest maritime trade office in the Song Dynasty but also the largest shipyard. Officials familiar with maritime transport, skilled shipbuilders, and experienced sailors all gathered in Mingzhou. Therefore, Mingzhou was a place Wang Hao had to personally visit. After returning to Tokyo, Wang Hao, as usual, wrote a memorial to Emperor Huizong, reporting on the establishment of Laoshan County. The day after the memorial was sent to the palace, a eunuch delivered an imperial edict from Huizong, ordering Wang Hao to attend a banquet in the royal garden that evening.

As the sun set, Wang Hao changed his official address and traveled by carriage to the royal gardens. Just as he alighted, Li Shishi's carriage arrived. Before he could even disembark, Li Shishi said, "Brother, you've returned to Tokyo without even sending a message to your sister! How heartless!" Wang Hao smiled sheepishly and said, "I returned in haste, and was just planning to visit you soon!" Li Shishi said, "Brother, you're still young, yet you spout such nonsense!" Unable to win the argument, Wang Hao said, "The scenery of Laoshan is extremely beautiful. After things settle down, how about inviting you to visit Laoshan together?" Li Shishi said, "I've never been to Laoshan. I wonder how it differs from the Five Sacred Mountains and Taihang Mountains?" Wang Hao said, "The beauty of Laoshan lies in the seamless blend of sea and sky, the boundless azure expanse, and the endless waves stretching for miles. Its vastness and grandeur are unmatched by any inland mountain or river!" Li Shishi said, "Indeed..." "Speaking of which, what we're going to see at Laoshan isn't Laoshan itself, but the sea!" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Exactly. 'To see a thousand miles further, climb one more story.' That's what you see—mountains and rivers. 'The spring river's tide rises level with the sea, and the bright moon rises with the tide.' That's what you see—the vast ocean. Laoshan is a pillar supporting the East China Sea. Standing atop Laoshan, gazing at the vast ocean, there's no longer the annoyance of mountains obstructing the view, but rather the helplessness of limited vision preventing one from seeing the whole world." Li Shishi pondered for a moment and said, "From what my brother has told me, Laoshan truly captivates the heart!" The two talked as they walked, passing through a corridor and arriving at an open space, where a lifelike statue appeared before them. Li Shishi looked at the statue and trembled involuntarily; it was so lifelike, so masterfully crafted. Wang Hao said, "Could this be the Chang'e statue personally supervised by the Emperor?"