met free Chapter 904 This is just drifting, definitely not a kidnapping.
Chapter 904 This is just drifting, definitely not a kidnapping.
Xu Jingyu became wary and asked, "What are you thinking? Don't tell me you're planning to abduct them halfway?"
Zhou Jingxin glanced at Xu Jingyu and said, "What do you mean by 'kidnapping someone halfway through the journey'? Only robbers kidnap people halfway through the journey."
“Look, Huai’an is located right between Shandong and Jiangnan. Whether it’s transporting prisoners to Liaodong, people going to Liaodong to work, or people from Jiangnan who want to go to Shandong to work, they all basically have to pass through Huai’an.”
"What I mean is, we can't touch the prisoners, and we can't touch those who went to Liaodong to work either. But those who went to Shandong to work, after all, our Huai'an Prefecture is closer to Jiangnan than Shandong. What if they want to stay in Huai'an Prefecture?"
"This can only be described as drifting away, it cannot be described as kidnapping."
Yes, it is a blessing for the master to have such a good student as you.
Fortunately, my classmates from Ningyang County were assigned to the Yanyun area instead of Jiangnan.
If there were more county magistrates or prefects from Ningyang County in the Jiangnan region, perhaps no one would be willing to go out to work.
Xu Jingyu was internally ranting, while Zhou Jingxin continued, "Also, what do you think our Huai'an Prefecture is lacking right now?"
Xu Jingyu was taken aback for a moment, then asked in return, "Aren't we short-staffed?"
Zhou Jingxin glanced at Xu Jingyu again, feeling as if he had returned to the time when Xu Jingyu was the magistrate of Penglai.
“Strictly speaking, our situation is similar to that of Dengzhou Prefecture. What we lack is not the people on the household registration list, but strong laborers who can build roads, dig wells, and build reservoirs.”
Zhou Jingxin smiled maliciously, "So here's the question."
"What's the difference between using the able-bodied men of our Huai'an Prefecture to build roads, dig wells, and dredge reservoirs, and using short, stocky, or monkey-like people to do the same?"
“With the able-bodied men of our Huai’an Prefecture, we must not only consider the money and grain in the prefectural treasury and the granaries of various prefectures and counties, but also agriculture and sericulture.”
"Whether it's spring planting, summer management, or autumn harvest, none of these can be delayed."
"But if we use short, stout, or monkey-like laborers, we don't need to worry about these issues too much."
"As long as there's something to eat, that's fine with them."
"It saves money and food, and you don't have to worry about exhausting your own young and strong family members."
After a slight pause, Zhou Jingxin added, "Of course, it costs money to hire laborers from the foreign envoys at the border, and it also costs money to buy laborers from them, so it's actually a bit uneconomical."
“What I mean is, we can find the maritime merchants in Jiangnan and ask them to buy some cheap laborers for us when they go to sea.”
"Otherwise, we can organize the able-bodied men in the manor to go out to sea and 'recruit' some laborers back."
Xu Jingyu stared blankly at Zhou Jingxin for a moment.
What you mean by "buying some cheap laborers" or "recruiting some laborers" is actually going out to sea to capture laborers, right?
No wonder you said you wanted to see if I dared to do it.
It seems like none of these paths are entirely clean.
but……
You, Zhou Jingxin, are underestimating my courage, Xu.
"Three paths, let's walk them together."
"No, it's four roads going together."
Xu Jingyu said, "The first option is for us to send someone to the border market to find the foreign envoy."
"While the Prefect is currently away from Dengzhou Prefecture, let's recruit some laborers from Park Sung-sung and his men."
Don't worry about the price.
"Ten coins a day is the price for a proper laborer."
"In fact, there are still a lot of black laborers in South Korea who earn five cents a day."
"The second option is to find those maritime merchants in Jiangnan and buy some cheap laborers from them."
"A third way, huh..."
Xu Jingyu chuckled twice and continued, "We will organize the able-bodied men of Huai'an Prefecture to go to sea, but we will not let them capture laborers. Instead, we will organize a fleet in the name of Huai'an Prefecture and let them go to the South China Sea to look for spices or gems or something."
"Spices and other local products belong to the border markets, and the laborers who transport the spices belong to us."
"To kill two birds with one stone."
Zhou Jingxin glanced at Xu Jingyu with considerable surprise.
You've improved, hey.
This is much better than when he was the magistrate of Penglai.
Xu Jingyu stroked his chin, glanced in the direction outside the government office, and continued, "As for the fourth path, it will probably have to be found among these idiots."
Zhou Jingxin was slightly taken aback and asked, "Their classmates from the same year?"
Xu Jingyu shook his head slightly and sneered, "Their classmates from the same year can only solve a small part of the manpower problem."
"What I mean is, there will definitely be people urging them to build a shrine for the governor."
“Even if they don’t do anything stupid, those people will still secretly instigate the people to build a shrine for the governor.”
"Let's try to get help from the Prefect, and ask the Embroidered Uniform Guards stationed in the counties of Huai'an Prefecture to keep an eye on things."
"Once we discover any signs of building a shrine to the living, we will..."
Xu Jingyu made a gesture as if grabbing something.
Zhou Jingxin, however, looked at Xu Jingyu with the same care and concern one would show to someone with intellectual disabilities.
I was just about to say a few words of praise to you.
And that's how you ended up with this terrible result.
Don't you ever think about whether those bastards who instigated the people to build a shrine for the lord will live long enough for you to send people to arrest them?
You even went to the magistrate for help, asking the Embroidered Uniform Guard to keep an eye on things for you?
The Imperial Guards must be swamped with work right now!
……
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was indeed extremely busy.
Outside Yangzhou, Zhu Da, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, led fifty of his men to smash open the gate of the Xu residence.
"Xu Zhen, Xu Dong, your affair has been exposed!"
Fifty Imperial Guards, armed with embroidered spring knives, stormed into the Xu residence, binding everyone they saw. Zhu Da, however, strolled in empty-handed: "Master Xu, Second Master Xu, shall we come with you?"
Xu Zhen's face was ashen as he stared intently at Zhu Da and asked, "May I ask, sir, what heinous crime have I committed that warrants the arrest of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
Zhu Da unconsciously twisted his neck, then let out a long sigh.
Sir?
Soldiers it is.
Anyway, I'm not in Ningyang County right now.
However, you old bastard calling me "soldier" are you deliberately trying to annoy me?
Zhu Da sneered and looked at Xu Zhen, saying, "The crimes of Master Xu and Second Master Xu are not too serious. They are only treason, rebellion, evil, filial impiety, immorality, discord, injustice, and internal strife. They are still a long way from committing treason and disrespect."
The Xu brothers, Xu Zhen and Xu Dong, were both dumbfounded.
Of the ten heinous crimes, how could his own brother have committed eight of them?
Especially the one about internal strife.
How did the Embroidered Uniform Guard find out about my family's affairs?
Thinking of this, Xu Dong even turned to look at Xu Zhen, "Brother, did you go out and talk nonsense?"
As Xu Dong finished speaking, Xu Zhen was plunged into deep despair.