pappabearbooks Chapter 278 The Fei Family
Chapter 278 The Fei Family
Chapter 278 The Fei Family (Part 2)
Shao Shuyi was not surprised that Fei Xiong knew about this, after all, Fei Xiong's eldest son-in-law was the Assistant Magistrate of Jiangyin Prefecture.
Therefore, he explained the whole process in detail.
The account given by the parties involved is naturally more detailed than what Fei Xiong heard from his son-in-law, and there may even be significant differences.
Fei Xiong was a seasoned veteran; after a quick comparison, he understood a great deal.
Zhu Daocun's words were not entirely true. He only mentioned that the government troops had fought several bloody battles and the bandits were exhausted. In the end, they let the righteous people Cao Luo's men go, which seemed like they got a bargain.
Hearing this from another perspective today, and comparing the two, I've come to my own understanding.
"How can the Huai bandits be so powerful? There are bandits in Jiangnan, but the government always manages to capture them when they are surrounded and suppressed. Yet, a mere few dozen Huai bandits have managed to get the government to—" Fei Xiong finished speaking, but his meaning was already very clear.
Shao Shuyi was at a loss for words. In the end, he could only offer a brief explanation from the perspective of local customs and the current situation: "Since the Song Dynasty, the two Huai River regions have been repeatedly at war, and the people here are far more fierce and resilient than those in the Jiangnan region. This spring, while I was in Jiangyin, the local people were eating the fat inside the pufferfish's belly, which they called 'Xi Shi's milk,' considering it a delicacy. They even talked about how it tasted so good that it was a way to die."
The people of Jiangyin were willing to die for the milk of Xi Shi, while the refugees of Lianghuai struggled to even obtain grains. It was not surprising that they would kill for a mere bite of food. Thus, the people were known for their nimbleness, fierceness, and fearlessness in the face of death. Looking further back, during the mid-Tang Dynasty, there was the infamous Cai bandit who repeatedly plundered Jiangnan. Later, the Yang Wu and Southern Tang dynasties carved out their own territories and clashed with the legitimate central government.
This place has never known many peaceful days, and its customs are very different from those of Jiangnan, making it difficult to suppress.
Of course, despite all that Shao Shuyi said, he still couldn't explain why he couldn't even handle a few dozen thieves.
During the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, the bandit Cai even went to plunder Jiangxi by boat, with a scale far exceeding a few dozen people. However, the other side was able to repel the bandits Cai, often inflicting heavy casualties and winning victories. Why? Perhaps the Jiangxi military under the control of the Jiangxi Inspectorate during the Tang Dynasty and later the Zhennan Army Military Governor was much more capable than the Yuan army in Jiangnan and was not so poorly equipped.
But there's no need to say that. If Fei Xiong doesn't realize this, there's no need for cooperation.
Fei Xiong nodded slightly upon hearing this, then asked curiously, "The staff-wielding fighters under your command are mostly from Jiangnan, right? How dare they fight against the Huai bandits?"
"The Jiangnan region is vast, with tens of millions of people in the province of Jiangsu and Zhejiang alone. Can't we find a hundred or so brave and daring individuals?" Shao Shuyi countered. "During the Jin Dynasty, when Qi Wannian was in turmoil, Zhou Chu led the Yixing army (Yixing) into Guanzhong to quell the rebellion. The soldiers of Jiangnan were brave and skilled in battle."
During Liu Yu's northern expedition in the Southern Dynasties, not all his troops were from the Northern Army. The Shen family's (Huzhou) troops from Wukang also fought bravely and fiercely, even resisting cavalry with infantry, never retreating an inch. Was this not a strong army? It's just that since the Song Dynasty, the Jiangnan region has been prosperous, and people have become complacent and less skilled in warfare. But even in such a "prosperous age," there are always those who are dissatisfied with their lives and willing to risk their lives for wealth and status. These are the people I'm looking for.
"So, in your opinion, will Jiangnan be as chaotic as Huai?" Fei Xiong asked again.
Shao Shuyi's spirits lifted. The high-ranking Deputy Commander was about to inquire about the specific situation from those on the front lines.
At this moment, he stopped rambling on about history and current events, and didn't say anything irrelevant. He simply pointed west and said, "Have you heard of the rebellion of the bandits of Jurong Huashan?"
"I've heard about it," Fei Xiong said.
The fact that Zhu and Chen's remaining followers had seized Huashan Mountain and resisted the government troops was arguably the biggest news in Jiangnan in the past few months.
At first, it was limited to Jiqing Road, but as time went by, neighboring cities such as Taiping, Zhenjiang, Ningguo, Guangde, and Changzhou gradually learned about it. By this time, even the historically prosperous cities of Pingjiang, Huzhou, Songjiang, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou, where people traditionally discussed romance and poetry, had become aware of it.
The reason is simple: this event is too bizarre and too explosive, perfectly meeting the conditions for explosive dissemination.
The Prince of Zhennan personally led an expedition, with over ten thousand government troops, suffering repeated defeats and countless casualties, while the rebels numbered only a few dozen. Anyone who heard this would be dumbfounded. So the Yuan Dynasty's government troops were so useless, even inferior to the soldiers of other dynasties at their end?
Seeing that Fei Xiong hadn't beat around the bush and had directly admitted to knowing about the matter, Shao Shuyi knew what to say next. He simply said, "The government troops have had such a hard time suppressing dozens of bandits. What if there are hundreds or thousands of bandits causing trouble in the future? It's not impossible. Cai Luantou is robbing grain transport ships at sea, and the government troops are powerless to suppress him. Even their attempts to appease him have failed. From now on, what will happen to the grain transport?"
If it were just Cai Luantou alone, it wouldn't be so bad, since he only has two or three hundred followers. But there are others in Wenzhou and Taizhou in eastern Zhejiang. Li Daweng of Taizhou is a former pirate who has been reformed, but his thieving nature remains unchanged. Now he only stops robbing grain transport ships, while merchant ships have repeatedly fallen victim to his crimes. Fang Guozhen, a salt smuggler, has seen his power expand rapidly. His ancestors were salt smugglers, and he still has old connections. If he were to rebel, the consequences would be unimaginable. Would the imperial court be willing to suppress him?
Having discussed the sea, let's move on to the land. The Taihu Lake bandits have not yet been completely eradicated. In the past, the Changqiao naval forces could still hold some advantage, but in the last two years, they have suffered considerable casualties. The Taihu Lake bandits are becoming increasingly unafraid of government troops. If they were to invade the land, Suzhou would be in grave danger.
In the various regions of Jiangnan, there are still some powerful landowners, wandering knights, salt merchants, and families who abuse their power and influence, too numerous to list. The situation here is actually not that stable.
Fei Xiong listened the whole time without interrupting.
After Shao Shuyi finished speaking, he looked at the other man intently and asked, "Could these people occupy prefectures and counties and rebel to establish their own rule?"
"No." Shao Shuyi glanced at the other party frankly and said, "Two years ago, Guo Huonichi rebelled and roamed the interior for more than two months before finally being defeated and killed. The reason was that he couldn't recruit any soldiers, and no one was willing to follow him in rebellion. If things are like this in the north, it's even less likely in the south. Now, the Huashan bandits seem very powerful, but they are confined to Jurong. This shows the truth."
Shao Shuyi's meaning was clear. He acknowledged that the rebels were capable of defeating the government troops head-on, even humiliating them, but the problem was that the rebel forces could not expand. The primary issue was the difficulty in recruiting soldiers; there were simply not enough people who were unwilling to follow him in rebellion and could not survive.
The Huashan bandits are too few in number to occupy cities, cannot get local powerful families to supply them with troops, cannot get gentry and wealthy people to provide them with provisions, and cannot get officials to serve them. That is the problem.
To put it bluntly, it's just a matter of whether someone's heart is with them or not.
The Yuan Dynasty was corrupt and increasingly ineffective, but how can you prove you can replace it and make their investments worthwhile? People in wealthy areas don't really want change.
After hearing Shao Shuyi's words, Fei Xiong's expression relaxed considerably, and he smiled, "Shao She, your insight is already quite remarkable. Jiangnan is different from other places; the likes of the Huashan bandits will not amount to anything."
It might not accomplish anything, but it could cause trouble. Fei Xiong was well aware of this, so he added, "However, on the other hand, the world is in turmoil these days, so it's time to make some preparations. Haven't you set up your business stall in Songjiang Prefecture? There's a Maritime Trade Office here, and foreign merchants and sea travelers often come here, along with many locals, so a large number of ships are needed to transport goods."
"I've been to Songjiang a few times, mostly to transport goods for the Shen family," Shao Shuyi said.
"Shen Wansan's family?" Fei Xiong was slightly surprised.
"Exactly."
"How many years have you been transporting goods for the Shen family?"
"It's been many years," Shao Shuyi said. "The Shen family has entrusted me with most of the freight business along the Suzhou-Hangzhou, Yangzhou, Wuhu, and Jiangzhou line. The roads are much more treacherous than in previous years, so we have no choice but to do this."
Fei Xiong remained calm and simply smiled, saying, "Shen Wansan certainly has guts. He's reluctant to give up the cities and towns near the river in Huainan, where he can still do some business."
After saying that, he asked, "You just mentioned two ships. What kind of ships were they?"
Shao Shuyi then explained the situation regarding Ma Jia and Ma Yi.
Fei Xiong's expression didn't change much after listening, as if this kind of ship was commonplace to him.
"My fleet is heading to Tuta, and these two ships are just about right," Fei Xiong said. "What kind of goods do you want to sell?"
'
Shao Shuyi's heart jumped up. Good heavens, they've extended their reach all the way to southeastern India! This is a great deal!
"Is it permissible to ship celadon porcelain, silk fabrics, and raw silk overseas?" he asked.
Fei Xiong nodded and said, "A conventional idea, that's fine. Actually, you can't lose money trading porcelain and silk no matter when; it's just that sometimes you make a lot and sometimes you make a little. What goods would you like to buy on the return trip?"
"May I ask what the Fei family's fleet is purchasing?"
"Gold placer, alum, white alum, gemstones, pearls, spices, and the like," Fei Xiong briefly introduced.
"What is the Qingduan?" Shao Shuyi asked after listening carefully.
"It's blue silk," Fei Xiong said. "The silk from the Yuan Dynasty was transported there, dyed by the local people, and then transported back to China for sale. This blue silk doesn't fade easily and has always been considered top-quality. Gems and pearls are also highly sought after by the people of China. During the Dade era, there was an Indian gem called 'Red Thorn,' weighing one tael and three qian, which was sold to the imperial family by a maritime merchant for 140,000 ingots. From Emperor Chengzong to Emperor Ningzong, it was used to adorn the emperor's hat."
As for various spices, medicinal herbs, timber, ivory, rhinoceros horn, peacock feathers, amethyst, coral, and fine cotton fabrics, they were also purchased in great quantities, too numerous to list.
Shao Shuyi thought to himself that this business was incredibly profitable!
What kind of gemstone sells for 140,000 ingots? It's practically become Emperor Yuan's family heirloom. Let me see it.
"What goods to purchase is entirely up to you, sir," Shao Shuyi said, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.
Fei Xiong nodded casually, seemingly not taking it very seriously.
Perhaps in his view, taking two extra ships of goods to India when setting sail might be a viable option, not to mention that he would share the profits from those two ships with them.
He didn't actually pay much, but he gained a lot. That's the advantage of a seafaring family; they can let whoever they want profit.
To put it bluntly, this is called mentoring or charity.
"I can take your ship on overseas missions, but—" Fei Xiong then looked at Shao Shuyi, stopping short of saying more.
"I am willing to serve you, my lord." Shao Shuyi immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "From now on, I will come whenever you summon me, my lord."
Fei Xiong hummed in agreement and said nothing more.
Shao Shuyi slowly sat back down.
The main objective of today's meeting has actually been achieved. However, Fei Xiong both values him and doesn't value him highly; it's as if he casually bestowed some benefits to buy someone's service.
But Shao didn't care; making money was no shame. As the situation develops, the value of security will only increase.
"You're not married yet, are you?" Just as Shao Shuyi thought the gathering was about to end, Fei Xiong suddenly asked, "There's a rumor circulating in Jiangyin's official circles—"
'
"It is indeed a rumor," Shao Shuyi said, slightly embarrassed.
"Really?" Fei Xiong looked at him suspiciously, as if judging the truth of the statement.
"Indeed," Shao Shuyi replied calmly.
"That's good." Fei Xiong's expression improved considerably. He said, "Take more time to read. The knowledge in books is profound; you could study it all in a lifetime and still not finish. Today, the hall is filled with scholars, and there are many excellent works. Jiangnan is a place where culture and talent converge; how many outstanding individuals there are!"
Shao Shuyi nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Damn it, the guy with the big headscarf is a genius, but I'm not, right?
I am at least physically strong and masculine, and even Madam Liu praised me. She doesn't know what's good for me!
Seeing that Fei Xiong had nothing more to say, Shao Shuyi got up to take his leave.
"Stay for a meal before you leave, lest others say I'm lacking in hospitality." Fei Xiong waved his hand and said, "Take the gifts you brought; they're quite valuable, I don't need them."
What else could Shao Shuyi do? He could only agree.
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