nucmednet Chapter 967 Bai Lu and Gu Liang's brilliant idea of "the merit lies in autumn"
Chapter 967 Bai Lu and Gu Liang's brilliant idea of "the merit lies in autumn"
“That’s not all!” Bai Lu added, her face radiating confidence. “Now, this will bind the two places together even more tightly!”
"Think about it, the Jurchens' livelihood is in Pingzhou's hands, and their economic lifeline is closely linked to ours. Even if Wanyan Zonghan has other intentions in the future, will his tribes agree to it?"
"Would ordinary herders, who are used to exchanging cattle and sheep for rice and flour and living a stable life, agree to this? This is more reliable than any alliance or oath!"
"So that they won't turn against us!" Bai Lu said decisively at the end.
After they finished speaking, they both fell into a brief silence.
The setting sun cast its golden rays upon them, giving them a golden outline. The despair and helplessness that had been weighing on their hearts vanished, replaced by a sense of exhilaration as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining through.
Gu Liang let out a long sigh of relief, and his confident smile returned to his face. He turned around and solemnly bowed to Bai Lu.
"Bai Lu, your words are more valuable than ten years of study. Today, you have enlightened me."
His bow was a gesture of heartfelt admiration. He admired not only her wisdom, but also her courage to break free from traditional thinking and challenge conventional boundaries. This was precisely what he, a person raised under the traditional literati education, lacked.
Bai Lu accepted his bow without hesitation, then smiled and said, "You forced me into this situation. Who told you to throw such a big problem at the two of us?"
Gu Liang burst into laughter, his voice echoing across the vast grassland.
The problem seemed to be solved, but how to persuade Wanyan Zonghan to accept this economic dependence? How to organize grain production in Pingzhou? How to establish a fair trade system? All of this required more meticulous planning.
The gloom in their hearts vanished, and Gu Liang and Bai Lu immediately turned their horses around and, before nightfall, rode back to Pingzhou City.
This time, their steps were no longer heavy.
Back at their official residence, the two didn't even bother with dinner, immediately spreading out a map of Pingzhou and the surrounding area in their study. Candles were lit, illuminating their focused and excited faces.
“I call this plan the Northward Expansion Strategy of the Tea-Horse Trade.” Gu Liang picked up his pen and drew a heavy circle on the map at the border between the Jurchens and Pingzhou. “The core of this plan is fairness, efficiency, and controllability.”
Bai Lu nodded and added, "And we must make the Jurchens feel that they have gained an advantage, or at least that they are not at a disadvantage."
“That’s exactly what I meant,” Gu Liang agreed. “Therefore, the primary issues are trade checkpoints and government-guided prices.”
Gu Liang moved her finger across the map, eventually clicking on two locations.
"There shouldn't be too many checkpoints, otherwise they will be difficult to manage and will easily breed smuggling. In the initial stage, I suggest setting up only two official trading posts."
He pointed to one of them: "The first one will be located in Pingzhou City. It is the largest city in the northern border, with city walls and garrison troops, which makes it easy to manage and maintain order. Large quantities of grain, cloth and ironware can be transported from here, and the furs and livestock of the Jurchens can also be traded and stored on a large scale here."
Bai Lu nodded slightly: "Pingzhou City is the obvious choice. What about the second one?"
Gu Liang moved his finger to the northeast corner of the map, to a place called "Black Stone Pass".
“Here,” he said, “the Black Stone Pass is one of the essential mountain passes through which the Jurchen tribes traditionally traveled south to raid or trade. It is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack.”
“We will set up a pass here, which will not only cut off their passage to other places in the south, but also make it convenient for Jurchen tribes further east and north to come and trade.”
"In this way, one in the south and one in the north, one in the main and one in the secondary, will be enough to cover all the areas that Wanyan Zonghan can currently control."
"A good choice," Bai Lu praised. "Pingzhou is in charge of internal affairs and will be responsible for large-scale transactions."
"Black Stone Pass is responsible for external affairs, border trade and initial screening."
"Both locations have military bases, so their security is guaranteed."
"Also... pricing."
“This is the most important part of the whole plan.” Gu Liang’s expression turned serious. “If the price is set too high, we will suffer losses, and the imperial court will not approve it.”
“If the price is set too low, the Jurchens will feel exploited, and sooner or later they will cause trouble.”
Bai Lu picked up the conversation, her business instincts kicking in perfectly: "Pricing can't be fixed; it has to be flexible, but there has to be a benchmark."
"My suggestion is to establish a base exchange rate and a seasonal floating rate."
"I'd like to hear the details." Gu Liang looked at her with great interest.
“The basic exchange rate is our way of reassuring the Jurchens,” Bai Lu explained. “We can promise that a flawless adult sheepskin can always be exchanged for at least thirty catties of millet. A three-year-old steppe horse can always be exchanged for at least five hundred catties of grain or an equivalent amount of cloth. This minimum guarantee will be written into the supplementary clauses of the alliance to put their minds at ease.”
“Seasonal price fluctuations are our means of regulating the market,” she continued. “For example, in autumn, sheep and horses are fat and strong, their fur is of the best quality, and the supply is large. We can purchase them at a rate 10% higher than the base rate to encourage them to trade in concentrated quantities.”
"When the spring harvest season arrives and they urgently need food, we can appropriately lower the purchase price of furs, but keep the exchange price of grain unchanged, to ensure that they can get through the difficult time, while also allowing us to save costs during the peak purchasing season."
Gu Liang nodded repeatedly and quickly jotted down the key points: "Brilliant! We can gain their trust by providing a minimum guarantee, and achieve our profits and control through seasonal fluctuations."
"In this way, we always maintain the initiative."
“Yes,” Bai Lu added, “and all official transactions must use barter certificates issued by our Pingzhou government.”
"The Jurchens sold their furs and livestock and received barter vouchers."
“Then use barter coupons to buy the grain, salt, tea, and ironware they need.”
"This would prevent them from directly hoarding gold and silver, thus locking their wealth firmly within this trading system."
"Barter coupons..." Gu Liang's eyes lit up instantly.
"Furthermore... with official channels and preferential prices, the profit margins of private merchants will be greatly compressed," Gu Liang said in a deep voice. "But the pursuit of profit is human nature, and smuggling and speculation must be guarded against."
"My idea is to combine blocking and dredging."
"The 'blockade' means setting up a trading post outside Heishi Pass and Pingzhou City, where all transactions must be conducted. The Pingzhou Trading Company will be jointly established by the Anguo Marquis's Trading Company and the government, monopolizing all bulk commodity transactions."
"At the same time, we will increase patrols and crack down on smuggling along the border."
"Anyone caught smuggling will have their goods confiscated and be arrested to repair the city walls!"
“The ‘shunting’ policy allows licensed small vendors to enter the market to retail daily necessities and trinkets, thus revitalizing the market. But to obtain a sales license, they must wholesale goods from our Pingzhou Trading Company…” Bai Lu nodded with a smile, “In this way, they transform from our potential competitors into our downstream distributors?”
After listening, Bai Lu smiled and added, "I'm an expert at dealing with unscrupulous merchants."
"We can establish a public appraisal agency, with one representative from the government and one from the Jurchen side, plus a trusted third-party expert, to jointly assess the quality of furs and livestock..."
"The price can only be confirmed with the signatures of all three parties to ensure fairness to the greatest extent and prevent price gouging and deception."
......
As night deepened, the discussion in the study grew increasingly heated.
From setting up checkpoints to setting tax rates, from promoting agricultural techniques to increase grain production in Pingzhou... to supporting large-scale livestock farmers within the Jurchen region... one specific detail after another was proposed, discussed, and improved.
What started as a mere crisis-solving idea, under their joint discussion, grew like a snowball. Even the emperor, upon seeing their suggestion, would surely be astonished.
The two worked together seamlessly, as if they were born to be partners.
Two days later, when the first rooster crowed outside the window, the table in front of them was already covered with papers filled with writing. A detailed document entitled "Draft of Pingzhou-Jurchen Mutual Trade Agreement" had been completed.
Gu Liang put down his pen and stretched. Although he hadn't slept for two nights, he was unusually excited.
Looking at Bai Lu beside him, whose eyes were equally bright and showed no signs of fatigue, he suddenly felt a surge of unprecedented satisfaction. This joy of working side-by-side with a close friend to create something great... it was truly indescribable. Especially since this was a method that would benefit future generations.
“Alright,” Gu Liang said with a smile, “The plan is in place. Now, only the most crucial step remains.”
Bai Lu smiled knowingly: "Go and persuade our Jurchen king."
Three days later, the atmosphere was solemn inside the Jurchen king's tent outside Pingzhou City.
Wanyan Zonghan sat on the main seat covered with a thick bearskin. He had changed out of his military uniform and put on the brocade royal robe bestowed upon him by the Emperor of Dawu. In front of him were a low table and steaming milk tea.
Gu Liang and Bai Lu sat side by side opposite him, their expressions calm and composed.
"Lord Gu, Miss Bailu, what important matter brings you here today?" Wanyan Zonghan's voice was loud and clear. He keenly sensed that today's meeting was different from usual.
Gu Liang did not answer directly, but instead asked, "King Zonghan, please forgive my impertinence. Now that you have been enfeoffed as a king, what are your plans for the future of the various Jurchen tribes?"
Wanyan Zonghan was taken aback, then said in a deep voice, "Naturally, it means that every Jurchen man should have meat to eat and clothes to wear, with cattle and sheep covering the hillsides, so that they will no longer suffer from hunger and cold. This is also what I promised Lord Gu."
“Well said.” Gu Liang nodded, then changed the subject, “But has Prince Zonghan ever considered whether cattle and sheep alone can truly feed and clothe everyone?”
He continued, “Grasslands have good years and bad years. A single disaster can freeze countless cattle and sheep to death. Moreover, as the population grows, the grasslands will eventually become overburdened. When that happens, without enough grass, where will the cattle and sheep come from?”
"With the famine starting, tribal conflicts will reignite. How long can King Zonghan's prestige last?"
Seeing Wanyan Zonghan's face change slightly, Gu Liang stopped keeping him in suspense and took the thick "Draft of Pingzhou-Jurchen Mutual Trade" from Bai Lu's hands, handing it over with both hands.
"King Zonghan, we have no intention of offending you. We simply sincerely wish to find a foolproof solution for the long-term peace and stability of the northern border. Therefore, we have chosen to be frank and open. This is a path that we two have devised for you and for all the Jurchens after several sleepless nights. Please take a look."
Wanyan Zonghan took the draft with suspicion, and several of his underlings curiously gathered around. Some of them had a basic understanding of Chinese characters, but most looked completely bewildered.
Wanyan Zonghan had a good foundation in Chinese classical studies, and he turned the pages one by one.
Gu Liang and Bai Lu did not disturb him, but waited quietly.
“Districted governance…exchange trade…” Wanyan Zonghan muttered to himself. He raised his head. “You want to use grain to tie the necks of the Jurchen people?”
This was a pointed question. The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became tense. Several Jurchen leaders unconsciously placed their hands on the hilts of their swords at their waists.
Bai Lu smiled slightly and calmly said, "Prince Zonghan, this is not a noose around your neck."
She stood up, walked to Wanyan Zonghan, and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, we are telling you frankly that this plan will be of great benefit to Da Wu. We can exchange grain for urgently needed warhorses and stabilize the northern border. This is an open strategy, and we do not deny it."
“But at the same time,” she raised her voice, “its benefits to the Jurchens are equally enormous!”
"From now on, you will no longer have to worry about years of disaster and famine. Your people can use their best skills in herding to earn a stable life."
"Your children no longer need to risk their lives to plunder southwards, and they can wear silk and eat white rice. Isn't this what you want?"
“We’ve written down all the details, the good and the bad,” Gu Liang continued. “We’ve specified the minimum guarantee for how the government sets the guidance price to ensure you don’t lose out; we’ve proposed setting up a public appraisal agency with your people participating in the rating to ensure fairness.”
“We are even willing to provide a batch of iron farm tools and forage seeds free of charge in advance to help you improve your breeding efficiency.”
He looked directly into Wanyan Zonghan's eyes and said, word by word, "King Zonghan, this is a choice. You can choose not to believe us and continue down the old path of relying on the heavens for sustenance, often facing famine and internal strife."
"Or, you can choose to trust us once and create a brand new era with us."
"An era in which the Jurchens no longer go hungry, and the Great Wu no longer worry about the northern border."
"We have laid out both knives and honey on the table; the choice is entirely up to Your Majesty. This is our sincerity."
The entire royal tent was completely silent.
Wanyan Zonghan lowered his head, repeatedly flipping through the draft in his hands. His breathing was heavy; an internal struggle was raging within him...