sjar Chapter 269 Everything about the military camp!
Chapter 269 Everything about the military camp!
In the following days, Gu Jingzhi stayed at home with his wife and did not go anywhere.
However, people who were keeping an eye on Cong Qin came to report every few days that this woman was quite capable. After she came in, she had caused Taizi Ge and Qiao Shuwan to quarrel twice.
However, the more this woman acted like this, the more he felt that there was something wrong with her, but he couldn't tell what the problem was.
Until one day, when Lin Feng came back to find him, he temporarily put aside his desire to watch the show.
When Chen Yu saw Lin Feng coming, she knew that her husband had something important to do. After all, the autumn harvest had not yet ended, and Gu Jingzhi came back in a hurry. Something big must have happened!
When Gu Jingzhi saw Lin Feng, he knew that he had already explored the terrain and was reporting to him.
Chen Yu went straight back to the inner courtyard. After she left, Lin Feng's face showed ecstasy. He said, "Cousin, we still underestimated the terrain there!"
"It's all deep water. Although the terrain isn't as open as the Ningzhou Wharf, the good thing about that area is that it's a dead end. It looks like it's only twenty miles away from the Ningzhou Wharf, but if you take the waterway, it's an extra thirty miles away. That's why there are no ships passing by at all!"
"Plus, there are mountains separating it. Although it's said that the entire 20-mile area is part of the same body of water, it's actually a world of its own! It's a perfect place to build a military port!"
Gu Jingzhi was delighted when he heard this and asked, "What if the military rations are transported out? Will people notice?"
"I can't say it's impossible, but as long as we are careful, or we transport the grain out at night, we can leave Ningzhou by dawn, pass through Zhenning County in Jinzhou and go straight to Lingzhou."
"Lingzhou is a key border town of Great Xia. Except for specific roads, merchants are not allowed to pass through. It won't take more than five days for our army's food and fodder to reach the border troops!"
Lin Feng broke down the route on the map. Gu Jingzhi looked at it and exclaimed, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
As the chief official in charge of Ningzhou, he naturally knows the main trade routes in Ningzhou best. He also knows exactly where those merchants will enter Ningzhou!
What he was worried about was Ningzhou, which was under his jurisdiction. It was said that there were all kinds of people here... Although it was an exaggeration, no one could guarantee that the merchants here were spies from other forces!
Therefore, in order to be absolutely safe, we just need to ensure that the news is not leaked in Ningzhou!
If we do as Lin Feng said and transport the food at night, we can leave Ningzhou during the day and enter Jinzhou. I believe that this method is difficult for the enemy to come up with even if they rack their brains.
Seeing that Gu Jingzhi had agreed, Lin Feng asked, "Cousin, since there are no other questions, why don't we gather some people over there and start the work?"
Gu Jingzhi shook his head: "No! If we build a military camp without the imperial court's permission, it would be a rebellion!"
It’s not that Gu Jingzhi is too cautious, but this matter is too sensitive. He is holding the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword in his hand and can mobilize troops.
The identity is very sensitive.
Generally, when building a military camp, not only must one report to the imperial court and obtain its approval, but all necessary drawings, materials, etc. must also be recorded and submitted to the imperial court for archiving.
He could execute the crime first and report it later, and Emperor Xia would not do anything to him for the time being, but this was still against the rules.
If one day the imperial court really wants to deal with him, this incident alone will be enough to make him completely unable to turn over. Gu Jingzhi will not hand over such a handle that endangers the lives of his entire family to others, no matter who it is!
After hearing this, Lin Feng realized that he was too excited and had forgotten about this.
only……
He thought for a moment and said, "Cousin, we don't know when the court's reply will arrive. If it's late, we might not have enough time!"
It is not just as simple as building a military camp, they also need to leave enough time for the quartermaster to dispatch food and fodder.
Gu Jingzhi said calmly, "This isn't difficult! We still have nearly 300,000 criminals in Ningzhou. Whether it's building a military camp or transporting food and fodder, we have to recruit civilians. Instead of wasting manpower and money, why not recruit young and strong men from these 300,000 people?"
"Firstly, it can reduce expenses for the court, and secondly..."
He pondered for a moment and said, "Ningzhou's construction is progressing much faster than we imagined. The total population of Ningzhou, including both registered citizens and slaves, is only a little over 400,000!"
"If the majority of these people cannot escape from slavery as soon as possible, it will actually hinder the development of Ningzhou!"
Having said this, Lin Feng also understood what Gu Jingzhi meant. He said, "Cousin, are you going to pardon their crimes?"
"Well!"
Gu Jingzhi nodded and said, "You've actually seen over the past six months or so that most of them are forced to become bandits due to financial difficulties!"
"But the government gave them a glimmer of hope. They worked harder than anyone else! These people are the hope of Ningzhou."
Punishment is not the goal. The reason why Gu Jingzhi set the punishment of three years of slavery was just to warn the world. But although only half a year has passed, he has seen the quality of these people.
As criminals, they could not own their own property at all, and even...if the government imposed any corvée labor, they would be the first to bear the brunt!
Although this kind of punishment saves costs for the government, is it practical?
Ningzhou's future trade is bound to become more prosperous. The entire Ningzhou needs people. Instead of holding these 300,000 people in his hands, it is better to let them go and make money. This will not only make Ningzhou more prosperous.
Once these people get rid of their status as criminals, think about it... they will have to spend money on various aspects of their lives, right?
Once money is spent, it must circulate in the market.
What Gu Jingzhi wanted was not only to build Ningzhou into Daxia’s first goods distribution center, but also to stimulate Ningzhou’s domestic demand at the same time.
After all, in ancient times, unreasonable means such as war could occur from time to time. Once a war broke out, Ningzhou's business would be affected. At that time, strong domestic demand would be able to stabilize Ningzhou's prosperity.
Lin Feng smiled and said, "I believe my cousin has been thinking about this for a long time, right?"
"Not bad!"
Gu Jingzhi nodded and smiled, "Changing orders every day is a taboo. Although I thought about it before, it's only been over half a year. If we change the decree now, I'm afraid it won't achieve our goal of punishing someone with a small punishment but making a big warning! However, the court's use of military force this time has given us an opportunity..."
Lin Feng's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "If we select the civilians who will be transporting the grain from among these people, and after the war we pardon them of certain crimes, then this combination of kindness and severity will not only not affect our goal, but will also make them feel grateful to the court!"
"Cousin, this move not only lays the groundwork for Ningzhou's future, but also saves the court money on military spending. It doesn't affect the purpose of punishing criminals, and it also increases the prestige of the court and the government... Killing four birds with one stone! A great deed!"
"Okay, stop flattering me!"
Gu Jingzhi laughed and scolded, "I submitted a memorial to the court using the express courier service of 800 li. I believe the court's reply will arrive soon. You should discuss it with Brother Liu first and recruit laborers. Once the court's order arrives, we will start the work immediately..."