Chapter 31: The Shipbuilding Industry (Part 1)

  Ouyang Jie heard Yang Yingqi ask if he could build a river ship, and burst out laughing: "River ships and sea ships are as easy or difficult as rivers compared to seas. We can even build sea ships, let alone river ships!"

  Yang Yingqi said: "If so, I would like to ask the two of you, uncle and nephew, to stay at our place and help us supervise the construction of 500 ships on the river. How about it?"

  Ouyang Jie and Ouyang Yun exchanged a glance, and Ouyang Jie said: "But I don't know what kind of river boat is needed?"

  Yang Yingqi said: "It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be clever, as long as it can transport troops and horses across the river."

  Ouyang Zhen's eyes widened in shock. "Is... is this a declaration of war against the Great Liao?"

  Yang Yingqi's face was expressionless: "This is not something you should be asking."

  Ouyang Jie hastily said: "Yes! Yes!"

  Yang Yingqi asked again: "This time just you two uncle and nephew came?"

  Ouyang Jie said: "There is another one, it's Xiao Lao Er's son, who is waiting in Ningjiang State."

  Yang Yingqi said: "I will have someone bring him over, you let him give you a message to take back home, just say I'm keeping your uncle and nephew here. I appoint you as 'Director of the Jiang Shipyard' and your nephew as deputy director. On the day of completion, there will be another reward."

  Ouyang Jie initially heard Yang Yingqi wanting to keep his uncle and nephew, worried in his heart, but later on couldn't help but rejoice: "This... sir, are you going to promote this old man to an official position?"

  Yang Yingqi said: "That's right. If you don't want to, you can go back, I'll find someone else."

  Ouyang Jie hastily said: "I'm willing! I'm willing! It's just... I don't know how big this official is?"

  Yang Yingqi did not think he was an official enthusiast, and smiled in his heart, saying casually: "Seventh rank."

  Ouyang Jie exclaimed in surprise: "Seventh rank! It's... so big!"

  In later operas, there is the phrase "seven-rank sesame official", with seven ranks being a small official. In fact, in real life, the seventh-rank official was already a position that ordinary people found hard to aspire to.

  Yang Yingqi responded with a few more sentences, causing Ouyang Tian to become excitedly inexplicable. After entering the Huanglong Prefecture in the north, he heard that the Jin army had won several major victories, and although rumors were sometimes unreliable, everyone Ouyang Tian met described the overall situation as if the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty could conquer the five capitals of the Liao Dynasty at any time. Therefore, he was very concerned about obtaining rewards from the Jin state. As for being a Han Chinese himself yet serving as an official in a foreign regime, he didn't feel even slightly uneasy about it.

  After they left, Ouyang Zhan asked Yang Yingqi with a smile: "What do you mean? You've come up with such a strange official title."

  Yang Yingqi said: "What about you? Your relationship with your family doesn't seem quite right."

  Ouyang Shi sneered: "People in our clan look down on me, how can our relationship be good?"

  Yang Yingqi said with surprise: "Then why are you still so enthusiastic about getting along with them?"

  Ouyang Shi nodded, and Yang Yingqi suddenly said: "I understand! If you can't make a name for yourself, you'll probably hide far away to avoid losing face. But now that success is within sight, if you don't show off in front of them, won't it be lonely? This is what they call 'riches and honors do not return home, like brocade worn at night'!"

  Ouyang Shi laughed and said, "I indeed have this intention. But don't underestimate me either. I brought them here to consider the interests of my department. I don't know how you feel about doing business overseas, but I grew up in the waves from a young age and deeply understand that although the sea is treacherous, it's full of money everywhere. If we can develop to the coast in the future and open one or two good ports, then when the time comes for us to transport glass and other goods out, wealth will come pouring in."

  Yang Yingqi smiled and said: "Your idea is in line with mine."

  Ouyang Shi exclaimed with great joy: "I knew you young man had vision."

  Yang Yingqi said: "Just now I kept your uncle and brother here, what do you think is the plan?"

  Ouyang Shidao said: "To put it simply, we need to build some riverboats to help the Jurchen people. But you've always had a long-term view...". After a moment of contemplation, he clapped his hands and said: "I understand now, you want to take advantage of building riverboats to have my uncles bring out a group of skilled shipbuilders!"

  Yang Yingqi smiled and said, "Exactly! When I get back, I'll transfer 500 men to your uncle's command, assign ten personal guards to him, and find someone who understands documents to assist him. Let him enjoy his official position and do things for us. As for you, I hope you can make another trip south. Firstly, let's expand our intelligence network in Liao Jing again and pay attention to the movements of the Liao people. Secondly, I hope you can find a few more families of sea merchants - isn't there only your Ou Yang family in the East Sea?"

  Ouyang Shi said: "It's not natural. We can't even control the Ouyang family now, and we're hastily looking for others, isn't that too impulsive?"

  Yang Yingqi said, "It's better to have several families competing with each other, so we can balance and make use of them. If we let the Ouyang family rely on our power to become the only dominant one, it would be harder to control. Hmm, Fourth Brother, actually, I'm glad to see that you and your family are not getting along today."

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said: "Are you afraid I'll show favoritism to my family?"

  Yang Yingqi nodded and said, "Although we are still very weak now and have to rely on the Jurchen people. But I always feel that our cause will not be small in the future! At that time, each of us brothers will be able to stand alone! Some things can prevent micro-incrementalism. Why did Xiao Tienu join us? Isn't it because he looks good at us and thinks that one person is hard to achieve great things? In fact, when it comes to inner thoughts and ideas, he and we are really incompatible."

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said: "I don't think there's much difference between the Iron Slaves and us. We're all good men, good sons."

  Yang Yingqi knew that among the seven brothers, he and Xiao Tienu were the closest, so he just smiled and didn't say anything else.

  On the second day, Yang Yingqi came to see Abaoji and happened to meet the Liao envoy who had come to deliver a letter. The national ministers, including Saige and Wanyan Xiyin, were all present. Abaoji handed the letter to Yang Yingqi to read, but it was written in Khitan script.

  Yang Yingqi had been in the north for several years and was quite familiar with both large and small Khitan scripts, only not as proficient as he was with Chinese characters. At this time, he looked at it and said: "The Liao ruler is impolite! This is not a national letter! In the language, the ruler of the country is treated as a jiedushi or fanwang under his command."

  Agu Da hummed and said: "I have already let Xi Yin reply to Yelü Yanxi in this tone, and sent the person back!"

  Yang Yingqi said: "Is it true that the ruler of the country has no intention of making peace?"

  "Agu Da said: 'Our army is now in a dominant position, why should we make peace?'"

  Yang Yingqi heard this and took out a map from his backpack, presenting it to Abaoji. Abaoji opened it and looked at it with great joy, saying: "This is the map of the Eastern Capital Road!"

  Yang Yingqi said, "That's right. Here is Hui Ning, here is Ning Jiang Prefecture, and further down is Huang Long Fu. Huang Long Fu is a major stronghold of the Great Liao in the northeast, not comparable to Ning Jiang Prefecture. To capture Huang Long, a large army is needed! However, I recently heard that the Liao people have destroyed all the boats on the Hunhe River, and I'm afraid that when our army marches south in the future, there will be no way to cross the river."

  "What method do you have?"

  Yang Yingqi said: "The other day, Ouyang Yi came back and brought two people who are good at building ships. I plan to transfer 500 Han troops to build a shipyard and build river boats, but unfortunately there is no wood."

  "Hah! My great Golden Mountain is surrounded by a ring of forests, how could we possibly lack timber? Eh! You little scamp! Your words are always not as straightforward as Yan Chong's. What do you want to tell me, spit it out directly! As long as it's a good thing that benefits my Golden Mountain, I will definitely support it with all my might."