nucmednet Chapter 676 It's Time to Develop Taiwan
Chapter 676 It's Time to Develop Taiwan
"Leaving aside the issue of not providing resettlement allowances and oxen, won't the pressure be too great if taxes aren't waived?" Liu Ye hesitated. "When the land is first reclaimed, there's basically no output, and if we still have to pay taxes, won't that be forcing them to their deaths?"
“Your Excellency is overthinking this,” Panda explained. “We can postpone the payment and let them owe us money. That way, they’ll be like donkeys pulling a millstone, constantly turning in circles and unable to stop, so they won’t have the energy to think about anything else.”
Liu Ye was still somewhat hesitant and asked, "The starving people who came before us all received a two-year tax exemption, but those who come later don't. Won't they feel resentful?"
"That's exactly what we need to create—to give those who came first a sense of superiority, and to make those who came later feel envious, thus naturally creating a divide. Otherwise, if hundreds of thousands of people are all in cahoots, that wouldn't be good news for the Marquis..."
Liu Ye and the others understood the implication. When there were only tens of thousands of people, the problem wasn't apparent. However, with a sudden increase of 100,000, far exceeding the original inhabitants of Lingao, and even the combined population of the three counties including Chengmai, conflict between the immigrants and the local inhabitants became inevitable. The locals would feel the immigrants had encroached on their living space, while the immigrants, with their numerical advantage, would inevitably experience friction and even conflict. Furthermore, the immigrants shared common interests, making it easy for them to unite and oppose the locals, potentially triggering social unrest. Rather than resorting to military suppression afterward, it was better to divide and weaken the immigrant community, nipping the conflict in the bud.
“Yes, that’s forward-thinking and a good idea,” Liu Ye agreed. “By disrupting the bonds between villages and clans, and then creating a divide between old and new immigrants through differentiated treatment, even if there are many immigrants, there will be no organized disturbances, and sporadic riots will be easy to suppress, making governance much easier.”
Yan Guang also said, "The general is right. As long as the people of the Ming Dynasty have food to eat, they will not rebel. They live much better under our rule than on the mainland. As long as we disperse and disrupt them, and remove the soil for them to collude and cause trouble, the immigrants will live their own peaceful lives."
After receiving affirmation, Panda was greatly encouraged and continued, "As for your concern that these people might not be willing to go to Qiongzhou, that is not a problem at all. If it weren't for your intervention, they would have ended up as bondservants for the Tartars in Liaodong, with a status even lower than that of pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep. Now that they have the opportunity to be peaceful citizens again, who would dare to make a fuss? A few lashes will naturally make them behave. If you are kind-hearted and cannot bear to do these things, please leave it to me. I will play the villain."
Liu Ye nodded repeatedly. A group needs all kinds of talents. Panda, a typical official, is very good at suppressing the people. He is very good at these things and is exactly the kind of talent he lacks.
He agreed to Panda's request, saying, "Mr. Yan Guang will take the lead in the immigration matter, and you will assist him. As long as you do this well, whatever you did before will be wiped clean, and you will have a place here with me from now on."
Panda was overjoyed and kowtowed: "Thank you for your forgiveness, Your Excellency. I will do my best to fulfill my duties."
Yan Guang said, "Since we've come up with the topic of immigration, I must remind the general that there isn't much vacant land left in the three counties of Lingao, Chengmai, and Danzhou. If another 100,000 people come, we'll have to expand south of Qiongzhou."
Liang Xiaoming, who had been silent until now, reminded us: "Qiongzhou Island has a terrain that is high in the middle and low around the edges. The central part is the Wuzhi Mountain Range. The only plains suitable for large-scale rice cultivation are the three counties of Lingao, Wenchang, and Wanxian. Forget about Sanya—that is, Yazhou. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea to the south, with too many harbors. At present, there are no conditions for intensive farming. Under the existing extensive farming model, the yield per mu is very limited, and the proportion of people that can be fed is low. With 100,000 migrant workers plus local natives, the agricultural population in Wenchang and other places will reach or even exceed saturation..."
The two had been partners for five years, and Liu Ye knew that once Liang Xiaoming entered humanoid computer mode, he would offer some important suggestions. He didn't interrupt, waiting for Liang Xiaoming's conclusion.
Sure enough, Liang Xiaoming finally concluded: "If all 100,000 people were to migrate to places like Wenchang and Wanxian, it would not only squeeze the living space of the local natives, but these immigrants would also have a very difficult time. Future immigrants would have nowhere to go. Therefore, it is time to develop Taiwan."
"Developing Taiwan?"
“Exactly.” Liang Xiaoming analyzed, “No matter how vast and sparsely populated Qiongzhou is, there are still so many Han Chinese in the area, plus the Li people. The potential for immigration and land reclamation is not as great as that of Taiwan. If you plan to use Shandong as a springboard and continue to make large-scale immigration in the future, developing Taiwan is inevitable.”
Liu Ye thought about it and realized Liang Xiaoming was right. Qiongzhou at that time wasn't the Hainan Province of later years. Many areas were undeveloped, and only about half of its ten or so counties were suitable for habitation and large-scale rice cultivation. Most importantly, the majority of suitable arable land was in the hands of the locals, limiting the area available for reclamation. Taiwan, on the other hand, was different. After the Dutch and Spanish were driven out, the entire island, except for a small number of indigenous people who only hunted, was entirely arable and had enormous potential.
“That’s a good idea.” Liu Ye agreed in principle. “We haven’t put the development of Taiwan on the agenda before because we didn’t have the energy and we lacked enough manpower to manage it. Now that we are about to enter a relatively stable period of development and there are no major wars for the time being, we have the energy to do this. Moreover, we now have an official reason to recruit people. This is something we can consider doing.”
He paced back and forth, thinking as he spoke: “Aren’t we going to Shandong first? We can recruit people in Shandong under the guise of relocating people to Taiwan to reclaim wasteland. As long as they have a certain level of education and sufficient social experience, they can apply to be managers of Taiwanese immigrants. Their political treatment will be determined according to the official rank, and as for their economic treatment, they will be paid monthly based on the level of factory managers here.”
Liang Xiaoming was somewhat confused: "We can guarantee high standards and high benefits for your salary, but how can you guarantee so-called political benefits? Although the emperor has appointed you as a Grand General, the imperial edict states that you are in charge of the military affairs of the three provinces and assist in the administration of government affairs. It doesn't say that you can be granted an official position. You are already skirting the rules yourself, so how can you give someone a formal position? Do you think you are the Minister of Personnel?"
Liu Ye smiled and tapped him, replying, "You can be more open-minded and flexible in your thinking. Don't be bound by conventions. Taiwan is far from the emperor's reach, and there are no local governments. We make all the decisions. We can carve seals, make official robes, and pay monthly stipends. We also have tens of thousands of people under our jurisdiction. We have money and manpower, and we are very powerful. Apart from not being able to get promoted in the imperial court's official system or be transferred to other prefectures, what's the difference between us and the real government?"