Chapter 543 Expenses
Building a city is not about building a matchbox, nor is it about clearing out a piece of land and then repairing four tall, flat walls on the land to surround it and then it is completed.
This kind of thing is at best a copycat in Dayan.
Various technologies are required from the moment civil project planning begins.
From basic urban zoning, to the intersection of beastly roads and ordinary roads, to the complicated underground culvert system for water diversion, drainage, and water storage, no less than a hundred types of technologies, large and small, are used in many matters.
Furthermore, the above are just common theoretical techniques, most of which are based on formation patterns.
The establishment of a city requires no fewer than a thousand formations, large and small.
So these large-scale construction projects are usually subcontracted by several or even dozens of chambers of commerce in different industries.
However, with the size of Tianan Chamber of Commerce, there is no need to worry about these aspects.
After Xu Yuan finished speaking, Hua Hong didn’t think anything and gave a simple and clear answer:
“I can take it on, but I don’t have enough money.”
The construction of a new city in Dayan is generally divided into four processes.
One natural disaster or one man-made disaster can wipe out their savings for several years or even ten years.
As for the strategic location of Huizhou County?
After thinking for a while, Xu Yuan answered seriously:
"We at least need to take some precautions. The emperor's time is limited. He will definitely take action before then. Without the restraints of the barbarians and the northern sects, once the 300,000 Northern Feng troops move south, the situation is likely to turn south. It’s going in a direction we don’t want.”
But the Cheonan Chamber of Commerce doesn’t need this thing at all.
As he spoke, he glanced at Bai Muxi, who was looking down at him with a lowered eyebrow.
In Dayan, except for those large-scale chambers of commerce with sect or court backgrounds, the rest of the small and medium-sized chambers of commerce rise and fall at an extremely fast rate.
The model of getting money first and then starting construction is a guarantee for the chamber of commerce, and the collection of corvee also saves the chamber of commerce a large part of its manpower expenditure.
Be cautious in your words and deeds.
"If Huizhou County is really so important, how could the administrative level before this be just the county government? Indeed, Changtian, you are right. Huizhou County is indeed at the junction of two continents, at the entrance to Gyeonggi Province, but it is not the only problematic entrance. The Gyeongbuk Official Road next to it accounts for only one-tenth of the transportation share between Gyeonggi and the northern border."
As for this question, Xu Yuan’s answer was straightforward:
"This depends on their own ability. If they fail, it will be their own fate."
Thinking in his mind, Hua Hong looked at the thinking kid and said softly:
In short, it is to exchange the one-time payment for the project into some local political privileges.
After a few breaths of silence, Xu Yuan sighed lightly and suddenly said:
“Mr. Hua, you don’t really think that Huizhou County is just an ordinary county after the Xiaobai people are relocated there, do you? Moreover, you don’t know where the Jingbei Official Road continues to the north?”
Hua Hong has been able to sit in the position of president of the Tian'an Chamber of Commerce for decades, not because of the "success of the dragon" by following the young lady, but because of his real ability.
The war potential of the survivors of the Underground Palace is indeed great, but that is only potential.
Even if it has been smooth sailing and they have been relying on business and industry to expand their scale, once they cross a certain limit without political background, they will face being picked.
What is there in Huizhou County?
There is nothing, all that can be done are some mortal possessions.
At first glance, the chamber of commerce seems to be very profitable, but the problem is that the money allocated is far from enough. Generally, it only accounts for one-third to one-quarter of the total project. Some poor state government offices even only give five points. one.
The intricate network of official roads in Dayan has long been imprinted in his mind. Just give the name of an official road, and Hua Hong can immediately tell which state capitals, which important towns are along the way, and what kind of goods are produced and transported. The categories, and even the risks that may be encountered along the way, require money to be used to manage officials.
After getting his satisfactory answer, Hua Hong did not continue to make things difficult for the money. He nodded lightly and continued:
Fanaticism and faith may make you stronger in one-on-one melee combat, but in large-scale military clashes, these things will become a burden if not tamed.
The imperial court allocated funds for the project—the chamber of commerce accepted the bid—the imperial court collected corvees—and the chamber of commerce began construction.
He suddenly remembered what his father had told him.
Most of them are rootless duckweeds with almost no ability to resist risks.
“If you want to block the northern entrance to Gyeonggi, you have to control two important towns at the same time. Do you think this group of underground palace survivors can do it?”
The Black Lin Army has all gone through years or even more than ten years of tempering. Otherwise, even if they can form an army, just fighting in the field will turn into a one-sided massacre against the elite warriors of Dayan, let alone Siege the city.
Because in order to make up for the loss of the chamber of commerce, the imperial court would grant it certain privileges within the political division of the local new city, some of which were mining and spiritual field development rights, and some of which were tax exemptions that lasted for decades or even hundreds of years.
There may not be much time left for the survivors of the underground palace to train into an army. After all, the saint in the palace may only have one or two years left to live.
But even so, there are still many chambers of commerce that are eager to do this.
“Is this so”
Even if Huahong undertakes this type of project, it is based on some strategic resources within the planned area.
ˆ “.”
Although the mortal industry can also make money, it has to be large-scale. The output of only hundreds of thousands of mortals is not worth it at all by the Tianan Chamber of Commerce.
This policy of the imperial court gave these emerging chambers of commerce an opportunity to become aristocratic families, allowing them to have a certain political background.
“Qinlong Pass is stationed with the Guijia Army from one town, and the Jingbei Prefecture next to it is stationed with the Jiulong Army from two towns, and they form an angle with each other.
“Leading to Qinlong Pass and Jingbei Prefecture.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes were calm and steady, and he stared at Xu Yuan closely, with a hint of exploration in his slender eyes.
Hua Hong answered the question without any pause:
“So, Changtian, what you mean by this is that you want to rebel?”
This is the imperial court's recruitment policy for these emerging chambers of commerce.
From now on, everything you say and do will be scrutinized by others.
Xu Yuan did not answer immediately.
Hua Hong smiled softly when he heard this.
He already understood the meaning of this boy's move.
The way the senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office dealt with the survivors of the underground palace was suppressed by Xu Yinhe's absolute authority, but suppressing does not mean disappearing.
Xu Yuan is using this method to give an explanation to them, the senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office.
If the situation really develops to that point,
If the survivors of the Underground Palace can really seize those two important towns and hold back the 300,000 Northern Feng troops for the Prime Minister's Office, then they can create a time window for the Prime Minister's Office's coup in Di'an City.
This is a great achievement.
Furthermore, after experiencing this war, the population of the underground palace survivors will inevitably be severely weakened, and the future that the prime minister's senior officials are worried about will be postponed indefinitely.
Failing that, the survivors of the Underground Palace can rely on the huge cultivator base to hold off for a period of time, creating a time window. By then, the survivors of the Underground Palace will most likely be exterminated, and the concerns of the senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office will cease to exist.
Thinking of this,
Hua Hong looked at Xu Yuan with a touch of strangeness in his eyes, but at the same time he was also relieved.
Such a decisive method, that kid has grown up now
The thought flashed past, and Hua Hong's face turned a little serious:
“If this is the case, it would be best not to use the name of Tianan Chamber of Commerce to take over the civil engineering projects in Huizhou County.”
“Are you having difficulty?” Xu Yuan asked.
Hua Hong smiled slightly:
“It’s just using some hidden tools, it’s a very simple thing.”
In addition to the obvious ones, the Prime Minister's Mansion has also buried secrets in many places, and Hua Hong has in his hands some small and medium-sized chambers of commerce that apparently belong to the sect or the royal family. Xu Yuan’s eyes flashed and he asked tentatively:
“I’ll find a way to raise the money myself.” Hua Hong snorted coldly.
"Why?" Xu Yuanyi said righteously: "I am doing this for the prime minister's house."
“Long sky.”
Hua Hong interrupted with a light voice and said word by word:
"Based on their nature, these underground palace survivors are your personal private soldiers, not the prime minister's government."
ˆ “.”
Xu Yuan frowned slightly, thinking about the meaning of these words, but did not answer.
Upon seeing this, Hua Hong continued, his voice serious:
“I have been following the young lady all my life. To me, the private soldiers of the young man are the same as those of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, but it is different for Zong Qingsheng’s Black Lin Army.”
“Just like your father followed us, a group of old guys, Zong Qingsheng also followed his faction of military commanders.
“You also know that because of your previous bad things, the Black Lin Army is suspicious or even repulsive towards you, but now you suddenly have such a group of underground palace survivors around you, what will they think?
"In the past few decades, the system within the Prime Minister's Office has been basically fixed, and you, the heir, suddenly have such a direct army around you. What do you think they will think?"
Hua Hong spoke slowly and his tone became more solemn:
“Taking a closer look, there are only so many benefits of money, food, materials and ordnance in a year. If they are rationed to the survivors of the underground palace, the share originally belonging to the Black Lin Army will be reduced.
“Going a step further, when you inherit the Prime Minister’s Office, will you use this direct line to ban old ministers like them?
"The appearance of the survivors of the underground palace has threatened the status of their group, so if you can solve it yourself, Changtian, it is best not to rely on the power of the prime minister for the time being, at least until your plan for the survivors of the underground palace is implemented and you have made great contributions. Not before.”
Speaking of this, Hua Hong showed a helpless smile on his old face and sighed softly:
"It turns out that Xu Yinhe wanted you to cultivate some young men in the Black Scale Army as direct descendants. You don't have to deny that Commander Yuan Hao was the first direct descendant of the Black Scale Army given to you by your father, but your boy You have found a batch of seedlings to cultivate outside, which can be regarded as destroying the road he paved for you to a certain extent."
"But you don't have to worry. If you really can't get the money, I can give it to you privately, but never go through the official method of the prime minister's office."
ˆ “.”
After listening carefully, Xu Yuan was silent.
The words spoken from the heart made the wrinkles on Hua Hong's face look a little older. Looking at the young man in front of him, the complexity spread in his heart.
Being taken out of the small Chang'an pawnshop by the young lady, Hua Hong has already devoted his life to his loyalty as he approaches the age of seventy.
If possible, he would really like to see the young lady’s heir sitting on the ninety-five position.
However, Hua Hong only hid these words in the deepest part of his heart.
After a period of spreading silence,
Xu Yuan suddenly chuckled, rejected Hua Hong’s kindness, and said:
“I know, but it shouldn’t be necessary.”
“Oh?” Hua Hong raised his eyebrows when he heard this.
Xu Yuan smiled slightly and said half-jokingly:
"But you, old man, are so generous for once. If you have to give it to me, I can accept it."
Hua Hong was stunned for a moment, and then said with a bit of laughter and tears:
“Changtian, I’m not joking.”
“I’m not kidding either.”
Xu Yuan replied directly, put down his legs, sat on the soft couch, put his elbows on his knees, and said with a hint of seriousness in his voice:
"You, an old man, don't have any heirs or relatives, how can you save your private money? In the end, it's not about making false accounts. It's easy to leave false accounts with such a large amount of expenses at one time. When the time comes, the Heilin Army knows about it, and their opinions may be will be bigger.
"And you should know my ability to get supplies. That old woman Lou Ji robbed me of a batch of Sumeru Rings earlier. You, the old man, should also have a share of the supplies inside, right?"
ˆ “.”
After a moment of silence, Hua Hong frowned and said:
“What supplies?”
“Come on, don’t let me pretend like this.”
Xu Yuan's eyes showed a hint of contempt: "My batch of Xumi Rings is full of military supplies. Lou Ji doesn't have an army and can't use them. Where can she sell such a large batch of stolen supplies? The Royal Chamber of Commerce or the sect?"
“.” Hua Hong’s face turned red.
Humoured slightly, Xu Yuan did not delve into this topic.
Because even if he looked into it deeply, it was impossible for the old man to spit out the money.
Waving his hand, Xu Yuan continued to speak softly:
“The settlement of the underground palace survivors has been settled. In addition, I also want to purchase a batch of ordnance from you.”
Hua Hong didn’t show much surprise in his eyes. After all, Huizhou County was established to hide troops there, and he said softly:
"Of course, I will coordinate with various chambers of commerce to carry out production in the near future. The initial scale of six battalions is expected to be delivered around the beginning of summer next year. During this time, I will help you raise military pay. No deposit is required, but the ordnance must be paid in one go when it is delivered. Pay the full amount."
This is the special care given by Hua Hong to Xu Yuan.
However, Xu Yuan was a little dissatisfied and asked directly:
“Isn’t it in stock?”
Hua Hong was immediately alert when he heard this and frowned:
“What do you want the spot for?”
Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and whispered:
“Old Man Hua, we are doing business, and I am a guest. How can a seller ask questions about a guest?”
Hua Hong stared at Xu Yuan for a few breaths, and then breathed out softly:
“Well, I hope you know it in your mind and whether it is available in stock, but it depends on how much you want.”
Xu Yuan touched his chin, briefly recalled the previous secret conversation with Li Yunqing, and said softly:
“Two camps, are there any?”
Ten thousand people
Hua Hong thought for a moment and subconsciously wanted to ask the reason.
Although he is willing to trust Xu Yuan, as an elder, he is really worried about this kid with such a large batch of ordnance. In this troubled year, any random mess is very likely to ruin Xu Yinhe's century-old plan.
Xu Yuan also understood Hua Hong’s concerns and immediately said:
“Don’t worry, I have thought about this matter carefully and it will not affect any situation in Dayan.”
Won’t affect Great Inflammation
After receiving this hint, Hua Hong immediately understood, felt relieved, and nodded with a smile:
“The Tian’an Chamber of Commerce does have the inventory of the two battalions’ ordnance, but do you have any money?”
Xu Yuan chuckled:
“You quote a price first, I still have a little money on hand for the time being.”
“Two thousand taels of spiritual pattern armor and matching helmets, and two hundred taels of standard spiritual swords.”
ˆ “.”
Hearing the price, Xu Yuan's eyes immediately darkened.
Ordnance requires redundant inventory.
To arm ten thousand sergeants, excluding large ordnance such as crossbows, the cost of armor blades alone is upwards of 25 million taels.
The three million taels that Xu Yuan dug out from Xu Xinyao are not even a fraction of this.
(End of this chapter)