Chapter 1376 - Each with Their Own Calculations
It seemed the Council of Elders' actions were changing the course of history more and more. Historically, the matter of switching to sea transport had always encountered tremendous resistance, yet this time it had proceeded remarkably smoothly. Obviously, factors he didn't know about were playing a role.
Shen Tingyang was in high spirits and quite talkative—the ambitions and proposals he'd nurtured for years finally had a chance to be tested. From his words, Zhao Yingong pieced together a general picture: this direct transport of grain and pay from Jiangnan to Liaodong was a proposal from Minister of War Xiong Mingyu. Due to the Council of Elders' intervention, Minister Xiong had appeared decisive and capable throughout the entire Dengzhou suppression. Because of this, his standing in the emperor's mind remained tolerable. Though he'd received disciplinary measures, he hadn't lost his position and been dismissed as in the old time and space. He continued to muddle through in the increasingly difficult role of Minister of War.
As for why Xiong Mingyu—this consistently wishy-washy, slippery bureaucrat—would suddenly put forward such a bold proposal, Zhao Yingong found it unsurprising. The man was desperate to restore "imperial favor." He could only take risks, make moves, demonstrate his "talent," and remind the emperor that he was still "useful." The Dengzhou Incident had caused consequences that couldn't be remedied simply by "suppression." Sun Yuanhua, who was still laboring at the aftermath in Dengzhou, was working himself half to death yet remained under the "dismissed from office" disciplinary measure to this day. Chongzhen would not easily forgive those deemed primarily responsible.
However, the reason Xiong Mingyu had dared make such a bold proposal was obviously because someone had given him great confidence. That person was probably not as obvious as Grand Secretaries like Zhou Yanru or Xu Guangqi. It must have been the result of behind-the-scenes maneuvering by someone extraordinarily powerful at court.
Could it be Zhang Pu, the "Heavenly Master"? Zhao Yingong felt this was most likely. Ever since his personal visit to Taicang to promote the proposition of abolishing canal transport for sea transport, he had sensed that Mr. Zhang was deeply interested. The Fushe Society largely represented the interests of groups centered on the gentry and landlords of Southern Zhili, and canal transport had always been the burden they complained about most bitterly. They had the greatest motivation.
Xiong Mingyu's memorial had garnered support from all sides. Because Shen Tingyang had long been working on this matter in the capital, Xiong Mingyu recommended him and also presented his "Book on Sea Transport" and "Map of Sea Transport." After court deliberation, both emperor and ministers agreed it was worth a trial to relieve Liaodong's urgent needs. They conferred upon him the nominal title of Secretary of the Grand Secretariat and authorized him to handle the matter with full authority.
"If this succeeds, there's also the possibility of switching tribute grain to sea transport in the future!" Shen Tingyang declared.
As long as grain could be transported directly from Jiangnan to Liaodong this time, it would prove that sea transport was reliable and inexpensive. From there, discussions of sea-transporting the white grain from Taicang, or even expanding to a full abolition of canal transport, could be implemented step by step in a gradual and orderly manner.
Zhao Yingong knew things weren't that simple. The force of habit and obstruction by vested interests meant any reform would encounter great resistance. Historically, Shen Tingyang's sea transport experiment had achieved complete success, yet canal transport had continued to rely on the inefficient Grand Canal.
Nevertheless, since history had already shifted somewhat due to their arrival, this change would inevitably trigger a chain of reactions. The butterfly effect wasn't merely empty talk.
Zhao Yingong adopted an appropriately pleased expression, offering a few agreeable words while waiting for the other party to get to the point. Shen Tingyang had specifically invited him here to discuss something. There must naturally be specific cooperation to negotiate.
However, Shen Tingyang's pleased expression didn't last long. It soon turned grave.
"To tell the truth, the reason this elder brother specifically invited worthy younger brother to Shanghai is to discuss some important matters."
"If there's anywhere I can be of use, I will certainly serve." Zhao Yingong nodded repeatedly, his expression solemn. What followed would be the crux of the matter. Shen Tingyang must have encountered difficulties he felt incapable of handling alone, which was why he had come seeking help.
Since he'd come seeking help, the Merchants Bureau would inevitably be involved in this arrangement. If Zhao Yingong could use this opportunity to bring coastal shipping routes under Merchants Bureau control, his company would become a legitimate "Ming Dynasty official ship." In coastal areas, that would mean conducting smuggling and illicit trade—anything, really—with full justification. Thinking of this, Zhao Yingong couldn't help but feel excited.
Only then did Shen Tingyang elaborate on the specific issues surrounding this grain and pay transport.
This shipment to supply the Guan-Ning Garrison would comprise 50,000 shi of husked rice. For Shen Tingyang's sea transport capacity, this wasn't a heavy burden. A brand-new large sand boat had a carrying capacity of roughly 4,000 shi. Thirteen or fourteen large sand boats could easily meet the demand. The Shen family had more than a hundred sand boats, many of which were already sailing the Northern Sea route. Completing the grain transport mission would be more than sufficient.
But matters were rarely as straightforward as they appeared. After gaining Xiong Mingyu's support and submitting his memorial, Shen Tingyang had quickly obtained the edict for trial transport of grain and pay. The ensuing problems, however, proved deeply troublesome.
The 50,000 shi of grain was to be allocated from Jiangnan, with the amount deducted from this year's tribute grain.
This was originally a convenient arrangement serving both public and private interests. But when Shen Tingyang approached the Provincial Administration Commission to handle the matter, he'd hit a wall.
The Commission refused to allocate grain, claiming that many prefectures and counties in Southern Zhili had suffered floods and droughts the previous year, leaving reserves insufficient everywhere. Spring also demanded large amounts of seed grain. The provincial treasury simply had no grain to allocate, and so forth.
"This elder brother originally assumed this was merely the customary solicitation of bribes," Shen Tingyang recounted. "Unexpectedly, the official in charge proved impervious to persuasion. No matter who went to intercede, he refused to even accept bribes. He simply insisted there was no grain and demanded disbursement of cash equivalent instead."
"Cash equivalent?" Zhao Yingong was startled.
Cash equivalent, as its name implied, meant disbursing silver instead of grain, according to grain prices. This was very common in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Because silver was easier to transport and use than grain, for distant regions with poor transportation conditions, paying cash equivalent was often far cheaper than transporting actual grain.
Cash conversion involved tricks like silver purity issues, melting losses, and other manipulations. It offered no fewer opportunities for corruption than transporting husked rice. Most crucially, after embezzlement, it eliminated the step of converting to cash. Consequently, it was popular among officials.
"As you know, we're currently in the so-called hungry months of May and June," Shen Tingyang continued. "The grain price outside is three mace per dou. One shi of rice, even buying wholesale from grain merchants, costs over two taels of silver per shi. And grain prices are currently rising—there's no telling where they'll stop."
Zhao Yingong now understood: the Provincial Administration Commission's cash equivalent was almost certainly based on the "official price."
"How much does the official price give?"
"One tael and two mace." Shen Tingyang smiled bitterly. "One tael and two mace can only buy six or seven dou of rice wholesale. To gather 50,000 shi of rice would require putting in at least 40,000 taels of silver."
The Commission's cash equivalent rate was based on one tael and two mace per shi, but when actually claiming reimbursement from the Ministry of Revenue, it was at two taels per shi. Back and forth, this 40,000 taels became the handling personnel's profit!
Compared to this 40,000 taels, a few hundred taels of "customary fees" and "bribes" counted for nothing. No wonder they used such high-sounding refusals.
Zhao Yingong silently cursed officials for their shamelessness—their greed truly knew no bounds.
"What is to be done? Surely Brother Jiming cannot use his own silver to handle this."
"Exactly." Shen Tingyang spoke resentfully. "This elder brother is half a businessman. There are all sorts of strange business methods under heaven, but loss-making ventures simply cannot be undertaken. This time, transporting grain and pay for Guan-Ning—though this elder brother's intention is to repay the court—I cannot take my own family's money to plug those corrupt officials' dog holes."
In ordinary times, since the Shen family was a shipping dynasty with established commercial networks, it didn't matter which waterway or grain wharf was involved. As long as cheap grain was available, they could buy in bulk. Not only would they avoid losses—they might even turn a small profit.
But this time, Shen Tingyang faced an even more troublesome complication. The secretaries of Guan-Ning Garrison responsible for coordinating grain and pay transport in the capital had already quietly let it be known that Guan-Ning would absolutely not accept "rotten and spoiled old granary rice." They demanded cash equivalent silver.
"Wouldn't that solve the problem?" Zhao Yingong was puzzled. Since the Guan-Ning army wanted silver, simply transporting 60,000 taels would be convenient and avoid all the price-differential hassle.
Shen Tingyang smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Worthy younger brother, you still know too little about the tricks of officialdom. The Ministry of Revenue's reimbursement is two taels of silver per shi. How could the Guan-Ning army possibly accept cash equivalent silver at one tael and two mace?"
No matter how they calculated, Shen Tingyang—the man handling this sea transport—would lose money. And this was only the loss on the "main item." The various other "expenses" and "entertainment fees" added up to no small sum either. In the past, by "floating loss" of a portion, these expenses could be offset with something left over. But this time, the gap in the main item was simply too large. Even Shen Tingyang felt at a loss.
"Moreover, for this sea transport, many grandees at court exerted great effort. They must all be shown proper appreciation." Shen Tingyang thought of this enormous subsequent expense and couldn't help but knit his brows.
These personnel expenses absolutely could not be skimped. Otherwise, he feared he couldn't even get the cash equivalent silver for sea transport on time. When yamen wanted to make difficulties for people, their methods came one after another, and they never let you catch them making a mistake. Without grandees at court speaking up, he couldn't even pass the first hurdle.
Originally, according to his thinking, this sea transport of grain and pay was serving the court. Even if he couldn't make money for the time being, so be it. As long as expenses could break even, that would suffice. If canal transport could eventually be abolished for sea transport, the benefits for both country and self would be immense. The immediate small profit could well be set aside.
Unexpectedly, the moment the edict for this sea transport came out, he found himself standing at the center of a storm. Every party seemed to think he'd obtained some immense fat position. They all eyed him hungrily, ready to devour.
"Unexpectedly, wanting to get things done is so difficult!" Shen Tingyang heaved a long sigh. "I wonder if worthy younger brother has any good strategy?"
While Shen Tingyang was speaking, Zhao Yingong's mind had already been turning over several ideas. He recalled materials from the "Compendium of Ming Political and Social Conditions" provided by the External Intelligence Bureau, combined with the commercial intelligence collected by Mountain-Sea Five Routes over the past year. He already had a countermeasure in mind.
He coughed lightly. "In my humble opinion, this matter is not impossible to accomplish..."
Shen Tingyang seemed to have been waiting precisely for these words. His gaze grew sharp as he watched Zhao Yingong intently. "Please enlighten me, worthy younger brother!"
(End of this chapter)