RPAGF Chapter 74 Silver Inflow
Chapter 74 Silver Inflow
In early July of the second year of the Tianqi reign, Jinan was as hot as a sauna. But even hotter than the weather was the astonishingly detailed accounts of Lu's Carriage and Horse Shop—or now it should be called the "Jinan Prefecture Volunteer Militia Training Headquarters".
"Master, this is the final account for June."
Fan Fu's hands were trembling, a physiological reaction to the cramps from counting money. He handed a thick, brick-like ledger to Lu Yan with both hands, his voice low, as if afraid of disturbing a passing deity.
"Aside from the bribes to the government, the brothers' rewards and pensions, and the expenses for purchasing raw materials... although our turnover last month was over 40,000 taels, after deducting all expenses and the purchase of raw materials..."
Fan Fu swallowed hard, then held out his palm and flipped it over: "Net profit, six thousand eight hundred taels."
Even at 6,800 taels, in an era when one tael of silver could buy two bushels of rice, it was still a huge sum of money.
"Only six thousand?" Zhao Changying was somewhat disappointed. "We risked our lives."
"That's quite a lot." Lu Yan said calmly. "This is equivalent to ten years' worth of 'fire loss' for the prefect of Jinan. Moreover, the biggest profit we make isn't silver, but those twelve thousand salt permits, which are strategic reserves."
"Salt permits cannot all be sold."
Lu Yan stood up and walked to the map of Shandong on the wall. His gaze was no longer limited to Jinan, but turned to the broader supply chain.
"In this chaotic world, silver will depreciate. Once Xu Hongru really destroys the canal, silver won't even be enough to buy rice. But salt certificates are different; they are hard currency and leverage for controlling basic resources."
Lu Yan turned around, his eyes sharp as knives. "Fan Fu, pass on my message. Of those 12,000 salt certificates, only 30% should be sold to pay salaries in cash. The remaining 70% should be used to negotiate with salt merchants in Shandong and Beizhili."
"How do we negotiate?"
"Barter." Lu Yan held up three fingers. "I don't want silver. I only need three things: the finest Suzhou steel, granular saltpeter, and... a skilled craftsman."
"Especially the craftsmen." Lu Yan emphasized, "Tell those salt merchants that if they can bring me master craftsmen from the north who know how to cast cannons and repair firearms, or skilled craftsmen who know how to build water conservancy projects, I will give them salt permits at a 20% premium for each person they bring in."
This is Lu Yan's "way to make money".
In his previous life, as an engineering manager, he deeply understood the difference between "cash flow" and "core assets." Money is merely cash flow, while technology, materials, and people are the core assets. He wanted to leverage this wave of war profits to complete the initial capital accumulation from a "logistics company" to a "military-industrial complex" in the shortest possible time.
……
Meanwhile, the militia training base in the western suburbs of Jinan is undergoing a frantic "production ramp-up".
The original abandoned training ground has been completely transformed. Dozens of acres of wasteland around it have been fenced off, and a two-zhang-high wall has been built around it. The top of the wall is covered with broken porcelain shards, and watchtowers have been built at the four corners, making it as heavily guarded as a small city.
The clanging sound of blacksmithing never ceased, day and night.
"Expand! We must expand!"
Zhao Tie, shirtless and covered in burn scars from sparks, roared at several newly hired blacksmiths, "The boss said the number of sidecars needs to double next month! And that 'Thunderclap Bomb,' the current production is only fifty a day, raise it to one hundred! If we don't have enough molds, we'll make new ones; if we don't have enough manpower, we'll hire more!"
With a huge influx of capital, Zhao Tie's workshop is rapidly evolving into a "factory".
The towering iron smelting furnace billowed black smoke; this was the complete team that Lu Yan had hired from the Laiwu iron mine at great expense. Although the technology was still very primitive, it was already capable of separating iron and water and casting at specific points.
In the core "firearms workshop," more than a dozen of the most skilled veteran craftsmen are tackling a new challenge posed by Lu Yan—the lightweight modification of the Franconian machine gun.
"The blueprints provided by the employer are absolutely brilliant."
An old craftsman, holding a simplified version of vernier calipers (handcrafted by Lu Yan), was measuring the inner diameter of the cannon barrel. "Adding this 'bullet's' sealing ring will at least solve half of the air leakage problem. If we can build it, the cannon's range will increase by a hundred paces!"
"Stop talking nonsense and get to work!" Zhao Tie wiped his sweat. "The boss said that whoever builds a qualified prototype cannon first will receive a reward of one hundred taels of silver, plus a house in Jinan!"
Under the reward, there must be a brave man.
In this era of widespread famine, Lu Yan used silver and grain to create an astonishing industrial island outside Jinan.
……
But the influx of silver also brought trouble.
Money is a powerful motivator. Lu's Carriage and Horse Shop is such a tempting piece of meat.
June 20th, Jinan Prefectural Government Office.
"Commander Lu, this...this is a bit difficult."
Prefect Wang held an official document in his hand, his expression somewhat embarrassed. "The Provincial Surveillance Commission has issued a statement, saying that in order to 'coordinate the overall situation,' they want your carriage company... to be merged into the Provincial Transport Bureau. Of course, they'll give you the honorary title of 'Deputy Transport Commissioner,' you see..."
The peach pickers have arrived.
Seeing that Lu Yan was making a fortune in the grain transport business, not only making money from the government but also profiting from both the legitimate and criminal worlds, the bigwigs in the province finally couldn't sit still anymore.
Lu Yan sat at the lower end, calmly sipping his tea.
He had long anticipated this day. In the Ming Dynasty, if a business grew too large without a strong enough backer, it was like a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered.
"Your Excellency, is this the intention of the Provincial Inspector, or... someone else?" Lu Yan put down his teacup, his tone calm.
"This..." Prefect Wang lowered his voice, "You know, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's brother-in-law also runs a carriage shop in Linqing. Now that the canal is cut off, he's starving there and is envious of your area..."
"Understood."
Lu Yan stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "Your Excellency, could you please pass on a message to the Provincial Inspector?"
"Merging it into the transit bureau is acceptable."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Lu Yan's lips. "But my 1,200 brothers only recognize my money. If it's incorporated into the public treasury, won't the Transport Bureau also pay their monthly salaries of 4,000 taels of silver and 3,000 shi of grain?"
"Furthermore, my vehicles, firearms, and thunderclaps are all my private property. If the transport bureau wants to requisition them, please compensate me according to market value—probably around 200,000 taels of silver."
"This..." Prefect Wang was startled, "Where would the transport bureau get so much money!"
"If there's no money, then don't talk about 'overall planning'."
Lu Yan's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying the murderous aura he had forged on the battlefield. "Tell that official, I earned this livelihood with my life. If you want a share, we can sit down and discuss profit sharing. But if you want to take the whole pot..."
He leaned closer to Prefect Wang and whispered, "Xu Hongru hasn't been wiped out yet. If my local militia disbands, and those thousand-plus fierce soldiers with guns and cannons start a riot... they might be even more troublesome than Xu Hongru."
Prefect Wang shivered.
He suddenly realized that the young man in front of him was no longer the scholar who needed him to sign a waiver to go to the city.
Now, Lu Yan holds the reins of military power, money, and the lifeline of Jinan. He has become a "warlord in the making" that no one can touch.
"Ahem... Commander Lu is joking." Prefect Wang chuckled twice. "I was just saying it casually. Don't worry, as long as I'm in Jinan, no one can touch your Lu family!"
"Then thank you very much for your guidance, Your Excellency."
Lu Yan cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and left.
Stepping out of the government office and looking at the bustling streets outside, Lu Yan knew this was just the first wave of probing. With the arrival of the main government army, this game would only intensify.
"Looks like I need to find a bigger backer," Lu Yan muttered to himself, his gaze drifting towards the capital city in the north.
That man named Wei Zhongxian should be at the pinnacle of power now, looking down upon all living beings. It's time to loosen that "Imperial Horse Stable Line" that was laid long ago.