Chapter 9: The Eccentric Genius

  "How dare you!"

  "Hu Lao Da, over the years, how many people have you seen who for the sake of wealth and glory, betray their country? Moreover, I am just a commoner, and I only sold it to Hebei, we are all Song Dynasty people, we are all from the capital city. From an official standpoint, can you say that I shouldn't sell it? From a personal standpoint, at most some ordinary people in the river might not be happy, what can they do to me?"

  When it comes to fist strength, Hu Lao Da is definitely not as good as the one sitting on the dragon chair now, but better than Song Jiu. However, when it comes to reasoning, a hundred Hu Lao Das wouldn't be a match for Song Jiu.

  Old Hu was speechless.

  "Now, let me continue. As you've seen the efficiency I'm talking about, have you ever thought of one thing? This machine can work tirelessly day and night without feeling fatigued, as long as some oil is applied to the pulleys as lubricant. On the other hand, if it's not allowed to work, over time, some iron parts will rust. Moreover, on the Bian River, there are often heavy goods, such as large timbers for building palaces, which are cut down and pushed into the river. No matter how heavy they are, they can be transported upstream by forming a raft and towing it to the capital city without any problem. The difficult part is on land, where many large carts and laborers are needed to transport them to their destination. But the most difficult part is getting them up the steep slope of the riverbank. Not only do you need many hands, but also a lot of equipment. You have to think hard and rack your brains. However, with this machine, one or two working together, with just a few thick ropes, it's easy to get it up onto the shore. What does this mean?"

  It's not that simple.

  Some goods still cannot be separated from manual handling.

  If it is promoted nationwide, some river embankments are wide and some are narrow, some are steep and some are gentle, some rivers have rapid currents and some have slow currents, the situation varies greatly, requiring different designs. On some special docks, this kind of clumsy primitive crane still can't play a role. Moreover, it is only suitable for medium-sized docks, small docks are not feasible, with less cargo transportation, setting up costs and maintenance are not worth it.

  But its emergence is of great significance.

  Song Jiu didn't think that far ahead either; he couldn't even take care of himself, how could he possibly care about the country?

  He is not a saint either.

  To say again, from previous life passing through, knowledge is much more than modern people, but how many are saints?

  Old Hu didn't even know the principle, let alone think so far ahead, and was stunned as if he had been struck dumb.

  "Hu Lao Da, even if I don't sell it to the Hebei Guild Leader, I can still organize some people and open another furnace. Although you are the Guild Leader with organizational rights, you don't have commanding rights. What ability do you have to stop me? Maybe what I want will get even more."

  "You... are ruthless!" Hu Lao Da had no choice but to agree, getting up from his seat in a huff, yet unable to vent his anger.

  At this time, the cargo of the second ship began to be moved upwards again.

  More and more people gathered around, many of whom kept touching the net pocket and looking at the rotating shaft and three large pulleys on the high platform, feeling incredible. Even some passersby stopped to watch, marveling at it.

  Persuaded Hu Lao Da, but it does not mean that the contract is established. It still needs to be recognized by most of the laborers in the river, press their handprints, and both parties sign the contract before it can take effect. In this era, there are also contracts, but they are called "契书" (contract book) or "契约" (contract). The notary office is equivalent to the village head and the elder of the neighborhood, and when both parties set up a contract book and ask the elder and the village head to be witnesses, it is equivalent to having a legally guaranteed contract.

  There are nearly 3,000 households of ordinary people in the river, but less than 2,000 households are truly residents of the capital city. Another 1,000 households are temporary migrants who come to the capital to make a living. There are all kinds of industries, some engage in shops and workshops, some work in shops and workshops, there are soldiers, performers, storytellers, prostitutes, businessmen, a small number of vegetable farmers, and a few fishing families who make a living by catching fish in the Nanbian River. However, most people have no way out and rely on this river to sell their labor for survival.

  There are more people now, but there are still some empty and deserted land and vegetable gardens in the alleys.

  Old Hu spent two days notifying everyone and then chose an empty lot where all the laborers gathered for a meeting to discuss.

  Not only did thousands of coolies come, but also their families, with nearly ten thousand people pouring in.

  Song Jiu saw so many people and sweat broke out on his forehead. He immediately had Hu Lao Da dispatch someone to organize them, otherwise they would soon become a chaotic mess.

  "Many people, nearly a hundred thousand, can't see the end of it. What kind of scene would it be on those battlefields where hundreds of thousands of people are killing each other?"

  Song Jiuye had never been on a battlefield, nor had he ever commanded so many people. However, thanks to the knowledge dissemination of his previous life, he also knew some tricks. He let Hu Lao Da arrange the civilians well and selected a few people as messengers, otherwise the people in front would speak, but the civilians behind couldn't hear clearly.

  They had to bring up a few tables and put them together into a long table, move over a few chairs, let Old Hu sit in the middle, and himself sat on the side. Although Old Hu agreed, he was still unhappy, so they had to give him some face and comfort his wounded heart.

  There were also some curious passersby watching from behind.

  That majestic-looking man looked at this point, slightly nodded: "Although this kid is greedy for wealth, has a small mind, and likes to fight fiercely, relying solely on his organization skills, he has some shadow of his father Song De."

  This review... isn't too good, but it's also somewhat reasonable, not too unjust...

  Hu Lao Da spoke up, which was just a repetition of what Song Jiu had said.

  The people who were listening were initially silent, and then someone raised a question. Song Jiu's one percent stake had no objections, this thing has been running for two days, the audience is like a mountain, everyone sees its benefits, otherwise people wouldn't come so eagerly. The question was about Song Jiu's sister-in-law's stake. At first, someone whispered, and as more and more people spoke, their voices grew louder.

  "Gentlemen, please listen to me. For years, we've made a living by transporting goods, but I won't mention that with this new device, we'll no longer have to worry about straining our backs carrying heavy loads from the ship to the shore, or worrying about damaging the goods and getting into trouble with the ship owners. Nor will I mention that your actual income will increase, and you'll save a lot of labor, which can be used for other things, effectively doubling your income.

  I only want to say one thing: I borrowed 100 taels of silver to manufacture this device, mortgaging my house to the pawnshop, and my sister helped me pay it back. Due to the troubles in Suijing Village, I incurred new debts of 120 taels, totaling 220 taels, a staggering amount for me. My sister was worried, so I took her to the Bian River and walked with her from the East Water Gate, pointing to the river and saying that it would become a Golden River, filled with endless wealth.

  This device is just the beginning; things will only get better from here. In the future, all the people living along the river will see their lives improved, young people will have access to education, and the elderly and widowed will be taken care of. But this Golden River won't flow with gold on its own; it's the sweat and wisdom that will bring us silver and gold.

  Gentlemen, you have the sweat, but do you have the wisdom?"

  A big man sitting in the front asked, "Song Jialang, even if you use that crane of yours to move all the goods onto the shore in one day, it still can't turn them into gold and silver."

  "Shen family's big brother, you're right. This starts from Liang Taizu Zhu Wen, he was a high-ranking general under Huang Chao, and Huang Chao's rebel army was a cannibalistic army. Although he surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, in the end, he plotted against the Tang and established his own country. Fortunately, he had a good empress who advised him to focus on agricultural production, so he could slightly govern the country. After Empress Zhang died, he became cruel and tyrannical, and was eventually killed by his three sons. Not long after, he was replaced by the Later Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty's regional warlords were in control of their own territories, each with their own powers. Although the Five Dynasties' Taizu was a great man, they all had their own flaws, which led to the country's division and inability to unify. It wasn't until our current emperor ascended to the throne that he was able to bring order to the palace, but I didn't have the ability to see him, nor did I have the qualifications to sit down with him and drink tea, let alone talk heart-to-heart."

  Song Jiuyi spoke slowly, one sentence at a time, and as he passed it down, all the common people laughed together.

  Some women laughed and scolded Song Jiu, saying that Song Jiu had become infatuated, how many people in the world were qualified to sit in front of Zhao Kuangyin and drink tea and chat?

  Song Jiudeng and everyone laughed, then said: "But observing the subtle to know the prominent, it can be seen that the emperor attaches great importance to internal governance, with good conduct and morals, quite like a wise elder. This means that there is also a model for moral integrity. As for military achievements, no one dares to doubt the emperor's military prowess. The three most important things - civil governance, military achievements, and morality - the emperor has them all. There is still one more thing, which is the hearts of the people. During the Tianbao period, when the Tang Dynasty reached its peak, there were nearly 9 million households, plus hidden households with a population close to 100 million. Now, how many households are there in the world? Our dynasty has such a large territory, but only over 120 million households, and the entire Central Plains have less than 3 million households. The population has been reduced by more than half. Fellow villagers, which of your families did not have an elderly relative or kin die on the battlefield? My father was killed in battle due to injury, and my grandfather was also a veteran who died on the battlefield. The hearts of the people are inclined towards unification under one ruler. Of course, the Qiang people in the northwest cannot be counted, nor can the Khitan people in the north. All conditions are ripe, do you think our dynasty is still far from unifying the world?"

  One has to say good things about the imperial court, everyone likes flattery.

  Perhaps in the future, due to the wheel group's disputes, that Second Grand King will again lightly sentence the people of the river and himself.

  "Where is the richest place in China? Not my dynasty, this is related to geographical factors. The north is cold and barren, with little water and poor land, plus the constant war, so the richest places are Jiangxi and Wu Yue areas. Once my dynasty unifies the world, the main enemies will become the Qiang people of the northwest and the Khitan people of the north, forming a situation where the north is responsible for military affairs and defense, with supplies coming from the southeast. From the southeast, which river can be used to transport goods to the capital? You tell me, will this Bian River be the Golden River? But do you have the wisdom to grasp it? This is hard to judge, I only say one thing, these things have not happened yet, but they must happen, ask yourselves how many of you have thought about it. If you can think of it, it means your wisdom is almost as good as mine, if you haven't thought of it, it proves my wisdom is far superior to yours."

  Those people in the distance heard this and some of them, regardless of their status, opened their mouths wide.

  The Longzhong Dui

  Song Ji continued: "Hundreds of years ago, the Tuyuhun king Ashai summoned his twenty sons before his death and ordered each to contribute an arrow. He took one arrow out and gave it to his brother Muruiyan, telling him to break it. Muruiyan broke it easily. Ashai then handed nineteen arrows to Muruiyan, who could not break them. Ashai said that a single arrow is easy to break, but when gathered together they are hard to break. As long as you brothers unite, our kingdom will be solid."

  As he spoke, he suddenly looked up towards the northwest imperial city and finally understood why Zhao Kuangyin later used various means to release power from Zhao Kuangyi's hands but never laid a hand on him.

  That's the business of big shots, it has nothing to do with us. He also said: "You need my wisdom, I need your strength. If our two thousand or so households in the river work together, use their brains and brawn, then gold can be panned from the Bian River. If you agree, there is a contract here, everyone writes down their address and name, those who can't write, I'll help them write, and press their fingerprints on it. If you don't agree, I won't force you, so from now on, we'll go our separate ways."

  The leader of the group shook his head, having just been stunned by Song Jiu's words, thinking he was another prodigy, but it turned out this kid was a thick-skinned and rough-mannered scoundrel who used all his talent to deceive ordinary people.

  But he was amused by Song Jiu and said, "Let's go back."

  No need to look anymore, relying on this group of hard work, it's possible that this little guy will sell them out and even grab the money to count for him.