roccoschili Chapter 102 Hot Potato
Chapter 102 Hot Potato
Jinan Prefecture, Lu Prefecture.
After seeing Liu Cheng off, Lu Yan sat alone in his study, lost in thought.
Royal timber transportation.
This is a hot potato, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
It's called a hot potato because it's such a difficult thing to handle.
Dozens of giant Phoebe zhennan logs, the longest being ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) long and the thickest exceeding three chi (approximately 1.3 meters) in diameter. Such large logs simply couldn't fit in ordinary barges. Even if they were to be loaded, the water was too deep, and the canal was too shallow, making it impossible to move.
Even worse, all the laborers had run away.
Transporting imperial timber was a tough job—low pay, heavy workload, and dangerous. A single piece of imperial timber could weigh tens of thousands of pounds, and the slightest mistake could be fatal. The laborers would run faster than rabbits at the mere mention of transporting imperial timber.
But it's an opportunity because if it succeeds, the benefits will be enormous.
Wei Zhongxian wanted to curry favor with the Tianqi Emperor, so he ordered the massive construction of palaces. Imperial timber was the main building material for the palaces, and if it couldn't be transported to the capital, the palaces couldn't be completed. Whoever could solve this problem would be Wei Zhongxian's hero.
Moreover, Liu Cheng had already promised to help him secure the position of Prefect of Dengzhou after the matter was completed.
Dengzhou.
That was the place he had always dreamed of.
"Master."
Zhao Changying pushed open the door and entered.
"Everything is packed, we can leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Lu Yan nodded.
"Changying, do you think this can be accomplished?"
Zhao Changying thought for a moment and said:
"Since the employer accepted this job, he must be confident in his abilities."
"Confidence??" Lu Yan gave a wry smile. "What confidence do I have? I'm just taking it one step at a time."
He stood up and walked to the map on the wall.
"You see, the imperial timber was procured from Sichuan and Huguang, transported along the Yangtze River to Yangzhou, and then flowed north along the Grand Canal. Linqing is the throat of the Grand Canal; all the imperial timber had to be transshipped here."
"The problem now is that the canal channel in the Linqing section is silted up, making it impossible for large barges to pass. The imperial timber is also too heavy for ordinary barges to carry."
There are only two ways to solve this problem.
"First, we need to dredge the river channel and raise the water level. But this requires a lot of manpower and resources, and it can't be done in the short term."
"Secondly, we could build specially designed barges with a shallower draft and greater carrying capacity. This method is feasible, but it requires time and money."
Zhao Changying nodded repeatedly as he listened.
"Master, shall we build a ship?"
"Shipbuilding is one part of it," Lu Yan said. "There's also the issue of loading and unloading. The imperial timber is so heavy; moving it by hand is too slow and prone to accidents. I plan to use a pulley system to improve efficiency."
"A pulley system?" Zhao Changying asked, puzzled. "What's that?"
"A labor-saving machine," Lu Yan explained. "It uses several pulleys combined together to lift very heavy objects with very little force."
Zhao Changying nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.
"The boss knows a lot."
Lu Yan smiled but offered no explanation.
The principle of pulley systems was a topic covered in junior high school physics in my previous life. But in this era, it's considered a remarkable "ingenious trick."
"There's one more problem," Lu Yan continued, "the laborers."
"All the laborers have run away, and there's no one to work. We need to find them and bring them back."
"How do I find it?"
"Work relief instead of financial aid."
A glint of light flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.
"Shandong is now full of refugees who fled from Liaodong. They have no food or water and are desperate. If we give them food, they will be willing to work."
"Moreover, refugees have no roots and are easier to manage. Unlike local laborers, who have families and livelihoods and can leave if they're unhappy with their work."
Zhao Changying suddenly realized.
"The employer is brilliant!"
"It's not so much clever as it is," Lu Yan shook his head, "it's just taking advantage of the situation."
He walked back to his desk, picked up his pen, and wrote a few words on a piece of white paper.
Shipbuilding. Pulleys. Laborers.
"These three things are crucial to the transportation of the imperial timber. Once these three issues are resolved, the timber can be successfully transported to the capital."
"But all three things require money."
"Liu Cheng said he'd provide the money, but I can't rely on him entirely. What if he changes his mind? What if there isn't enough money?"
"So, I have to cover part of it myself."
Zhao Changying frowned.
"Master, do we have enough silver?"
"That's enough." Lu Yan nodded. "Manager Hu still has over ten thousand taels of silver in cash; we'll cover that for now. We'll reimburse him from Liu Cheng after everything is done."
"In this way, we can not only earn money, but also gain favor. Liu Cheng will have to repay what he owes us in the future."
Zhao Changying nodded repeatedly as he listened.
"The employer has thought things through very well."
"It's far from perfect," Lu Yan sighed. "This is very risky. If it goes wrong, not only will the money be wasted, but we'll also offend Liu Cheng."
"But without taking risks, there are no opportunities."
"Fortune favors the bold; this saying is absolutely true."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside.
"Changying, how many years have you been following me?"
"It's been four years since I returned to my former employer."
"Four years," Lu Yan said with emotion. "Four years ago, we were in Yanzhou, driven to desperation by the Fan family. At that time, I only had thirty taels of silver, and you were still lying in bed recovering from your injuries."
"Four years later, we had a fortune of over 20,000 taels of silver, several hundred men, official positions, and powerful backers."
"But that's not enough."
He turned around and looked at Zhao Changying.
"Changying, do you know why I'm going to Dengzhou?"
"Didn't the employer say there are opportunities for maritime trade in Dengzhou?"
"Maritime trade is only one reason," Lu Yan said. "The more important reason is that Dengzhou is the gateway to Shandong, a springboard to Liaodong."
"Liaodong?" Zhao Changying asked, puzzled. "Isn't there a war going on in Liaodong? What are you doing there, Master?"
Lu Yan remained silent for a moment.
"Changying, do you believe me?"
"What are you saying, Master!" Zhao Changying exclaimed urgently. "You saved my life, Master. If you order me east, I will never go west!"
"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "Then I'll tell you something."
"The fate of the Ming Dynasty is about to change."
"The flames of war in Liaodong will burn ever brighter. The factional strife within the court will intensify. Natural disasters and man-made calamities will follow one after another."
"Twenty years from now, the world will be in chaos."
Zhao Changying was stunned.
"Master...how does the master know all this?"
"I just know." Lu Yan didn't explain. "You don't need to ask why. Just remember one thing—follow me, and I'll help you survive."
Zhao Changying was silent for a moment, then nodded heavily.
"Understood."
"Okay." Lu Yan patted him on the shoulder. "Go and get ready. We'll set off for Linqing early tomorrow morning."
"yes!"
Zhao Changying turned and left.
Lu Yan stood alone by the window, looking at the sky outside.
Transporting royal timber is just the first step.
Dengzhou is the real target.
Dengzhou was merely a stepping stone.
His goal is to go even further.
"Twenty years..."
He muttered to himself.
"Twenty years is enough."