The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 299 "Moisturizing People"

September 1732, 9, Daxing Prefecture, Chengde County (now Ipswich, Australia).

"Does father have any other instructions?" After reading the letter, Luo Yuanxing couldn't help but twitch his mouth. He was silent for a while, then turned around and asked.

"Reply to Fifth Master." Luo Gui bowed and said, "The master said that he came to Qi State for official business and it is inconvenient for him to meet with Fifth Master. All the matters entrusted are in the letter. Fifth Master, please handle them as soon as possible."

"How long will father stay in Qi?" Luo Yuanxing frowned.

"The master said that it will take no longer than two months. If the talks with the Qi government go smoothly, it may take a month, or even ten days or half a month."

"Agui..." Luo Yuanxing nodded, then hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "Is my mother okay in Zhangde?"

"Replying to Master Wu, Madam San is doing well."

"everything is fine?"

"Yes, Fifth Master." Luo Gui smiled flatteringly and said, "Third Master, everyone is doing well! Last year, I received a gift from Fifth Master who sent it from Qi State. I was so happy that I couldn't sleep for several days."

"Then... Mother, are you willing to come to Qi State to reunite with me?"

"Fifth Master..." Luo Gui's expression froze, and he said hesitantly, "Fifth Master, Third Madam... I'm afraid she won't be able to cross the sea to come to Qi to meet you. To be honest with you, Fifth Master, I've been floating on the sea for more than a month, and I've vomited all my bitterness, as if I had been to Hades. With Third Madam's delicate body, she probably can't bear this! Besides, people are worthless when they leave their hometowns, and Third Madam doesn't want to leave our Great Qin and come to Qi, a strange environment, when she's old."

"A person who leaves his hometown is considered inferior? Haha... But I came to Qi State alone when I was still young, and stayed there for more than ten years!"

"Haha, how about the whole Luo family recognize Fifth Master as the best in the family?"

"Really?" Luo Yuanxing couldn't help but sneer after hearing this. "Don't the people in the Luo family all regard you as the leader of the family?"

"Hehe, Fifth Master..." Luo Gui laughed dryly twice and didn't dare to respond.

As a servant, I'd better not get involved in my master's affairs!

Luo Yuanxing glanced at the uneasy Luo Gui, smiled, and leaned back gently on the soft leather chair. With his right hand, he picked up an exquisite iron box from the table next to him, opened it, took out a cigarette, struck a match, lit the cigarette in his mouth, and took a deep puff.

In Qi, the production history of this cigarette is also 40 to 50 years. It is made of shredded tobacco leaves rolled with paper and made into trumpet-shaped cigarettes for personal smoking. According to unverifiable sources, this smoking method was invented by Emperor Taizu of Qi and then widely used in the army.

Later, more and more businessmen found business opportunities and opened cigarette factories, hiring a large number of full-time workers to carry out large-scale production to supply the huge number of tobacco addicts at home and abroad.

Apart from picking and cutting tobacco leaves, which can be done by machines, many other processes of cigarette rolling are done manually, which results in a higher production cost of cigarettes, which is much more expensive than simply selling tobacco leaves.

However, the biggest advantage of cigarettes is that they are extremely convenient. Whenever you feel the urge to smoke, you can just take a cigarette out of the cigarette box (can), light it up and start smoking. It is as easy as opening the cork of a bottle of alcohol.

The pipes or tobacco rods used in the past were not very convenient. They could not be smoked without wind, and they also required time and patience. The tobacco leaves had to be slowly stuffed into the pipe and compacted before they could be lit and enjoyed. That is, the use of pipes was more ritualistic and unique, giving people a feeling of "pretentiousness".

However, as cigarettes gradually became more popular, the general public became more and more accepting of cigarettes and gradually abandoned the use of pipes.

On the battlefield, soldiers who are in a state of deep fear and anxiety have no time to take out a pipe, slowly take out the tobacco, put it into the pipe, slowly compact it, then elegantly strike a match, light the pipe, and finally take a deep breath with full of style.

Perhaps, before this set of ritual movements is completed, they have to immediately enter combat mode, or move their positions to the next battlefield.

With cigarettes, soldiers can quickly light up a cigarette and take a few deep puffs during breaks in battle, quickly calming their tense and anxious mood.

Farmers working in the fields, workers busy in factories, scholars and experts in research institutions can all take out a cigarette and take a few quick puffs during their short break to relieve temporary stress and boost their tired spirits.

In order to expand production scale and improve production efficiency, several large cigarette factories in Hanzhou offered rewards to research institutions, machinery manufacturing factories and individuals across the country for the invention of special machines that can mass-produce cigarettes.

At present, I heard that the corresponding cigarette-making equipment has been put into trial operation, but I don’t know what the production efficiency is.

However, if cigarettes are really mass-produced by machines, will it affect the smoking effect of cigarettes? Will the taste of handmade cigarettes be lost?

In addition, will the invention of cigarette-rolling machinery and equipment destroy the jobs of countless cigarette-rolling workers?
In addition, many women who stay at home to take care of their children would also receive cigarette-making materials from the tobacco factory, and then use their spare time to make cigarettes one by one, earning some money to supplement their family income.

Will they also lose their livelihoods in the future due to the emergence of new machines?
"Heh..., why should I think about these things?...This is not my business!" Luo Yuanxing thought about it with self-mockery, then blew out a smoke ring and turned his gaze to Luo Gui.

"Stay at the manor tonight. I will write a letter and give it to my father."

"Yes, Fifth Master." Luo Gui bowed respectfully and replied.

As the fifth son of Luo Renjing, Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Palace of the Great Qin Dynasty, Second Assistant of the Cabinet and Minister of Rites, Luo Yuanxing has been in Hanzhou for fourteen years. Relying on the support of his family and the care of his fellow villagers and classmates, he has successively purchased and operated a number of industries and has been thriving. He was also officially naturalized as a citizen of the magnificent Great Qi Empire ten years ago.

In fact, there were many sons of high-ranking officials and gentry in Qin who lived in Qi, bought properties, and even became naturalized. These large families all followed the principle of "a cunning rabbit has three burrows" and spread risks, allowing their children to bring part of their property to Qi to establish branches.

If they were politically purged or persecuted in the Qin Dynasty, the entire family would not be completely ruined and dissipated. Qi State had been established for more than 90 years, and it seemed that there had been no such incidents as the confiscation of property and extermination of the clan as in previous dynasties. Even if they committed a crime, their family would not be affected, and even their property would not be confiscated. Only the money involved in the crime would be confiscated.

For example, in the recent retrial of the Yingzhou corruption case that caused a stir in Hanzhou, more than 30 officials of all ranks were severely punished for corruption and bribery, and were sentenced to exile in remote and bad places. Except for a few family members who were actually involved in the case and were convicted, most of the relatives and family members of the offending officials were almost not implicated, and their legal property was allowed to be retained.

"Private property is sacred and inviolable and cannot be deprived without reason." This imperial edict was issued by Emperor Taizu himself and was strictly implemented by the State of Qi from beginning to end without any changes or fluctuations. This also won the influx of countless overseas safe-haven assets.

Even in the Qin Dynasty, whether officials, gentry, or even traditional stubborn literati who viewed Qi with a biased eye, in addition to purchasing extensive land, would deposit part of their own liquid assets in banks opened by Qi to ensure the safety and reliability of their property.

"Although the people of Qi are barbarians, their trustworthiness can be relied upon." After sending Luo Gui away, Luo Yuanxing called his butler and asked him to go to the Chengde branch of the Hanzhou Bank in the city to make an appointment to process a draft for 10,000 gold yuan coupons the next day.

Yes, Luo Renjing mentioned in the letter he wrote to him that he should prepare a large amount of cash to bring back to Daqin to make up for the huge deficit in the clan.

A few years ago, Zhangde Prefecture where the Luo family lived suffered from drought and locust plagues one after another. Nearly ten thousand acres of farmland had almost no harvest. Not only were the farmers and tenants left homeless and without food or clothing, but wealthy families like them who owned vast fields also suffered heavy losses. Not only had they lost their income for several consecutive years, but in order to highlight the Luo family's reputation, they frequently opened porridge stalls and gave alms to neighbors during the disaster years, which resulted in a lot of deficits in the clan's accounts.

Luo Renjing was promoted from the position of Chief Censor of the Censorate to the Minister of Rites, and then to the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace and the Second Assistant of the Cabinet. All of this required him to take care of things, deal with people, and entertain people, which really cost him a lot of money, and the family's savings over the years gradually became depleted and unable to make ends meet.

More than two years ago, the eldest son of the Luo family, who was in charge of the family's finances, wrote a letter to Qi State, requesting Luo Yuanxing to withdraw part of Qi State's profits and interest for the public use of the family.

However, Luo Yuanxing ignored this request and paid little attention to it.

While his father was still alive, it was not the turn of the eldest son of the Luo family and his elder brother who were thousands of miles away to boss him around and give him orders.

Back then, at the expectation of my father and the clan, I came to Hanzhou to study with an old housekeeper, several loyal servants, and more than ten thousand taels of silver. Then I struggled to survive and worked hard, and it took more than ten years to achieve what I have today.

After so many years in Hanzhou, he has completely integrated into the State of Qi in all aspects. In addition, with the broadening of his horizons and the growth of his knowledge, he no longer looks down on those country bumpkins and brothers and sisters who are still in Daqin.

How much money can you expect to make in a year with more than ten thousand acres of land and dozens of shops?

The woolen cloth factory he operated in Chengde, the coal mine he developed with several partners in Fengping (now the small town of Miles in Australia), and the investment in the Daxing stock market brought him an annual income of more than 10,000 yuan, which, if converted into silver, would be more than 30,000 taels.

Although such income was not considered rich in Qi, compared with the main branch of the Luo clan in Qin, it was definitely enough to surpass the others, giving him enough confidence to despise those legitimate brothers who once looked down on him as a bastard.

What's the matter? Life in the Qin Dynasty is getting hard, so you have to lower your proud heads and shamelessly ask me, your illegitimate son, for a little "food" to get through the difficult times?
For your father's sake, I'll give you ten thousand yuan.

This is a considerable amount of money. Converted into the silver dollars of the Great Qin Dynasty, it would be more than 38,000 yuan, which is enough for you to earn interest from digging the land for several years.

You know, more than ten years ago, when I came to Hanzhou, I only took 12,000 taels of silver from the public treasury.

What? All the foundation I built in Hanzhou was earned with this ten thousand taels of silver, so it should all belong to the main branch of the clan?

Don't be ridiculous. In my Qi State, we pay attention to "ownership of property rights". In the industrial and commercial registration book of Da Qi, all of this is under my name, Luo Yuanxing, and has nothing to do with the main branch of your Daqin Luo family.

Even if my father came forward and wanted to forcibly take back the assets he controlled in Qi, it would be absolutely impossible!

We will have to wait and see. In time, it will be unknown which of the two branches of the Luo family separated in Qin and Qi will be the main line and which will be the branch.

In this world, is there any such thing as strong branches and weak trunks?

From now on, our Luo family of Great Qi will become more and more prosperous, with abundant financial resources, and will eventually surpass your Luo family of Great Qin and become an existence that you will have to look up to.

Well, just like the current situation of Qin and Qi, times have changed, the strong and the weak have become clear, and Qi will eventually become the leader of Chinese civilization.

Deep down, Luo Yuanxing was not very optimistic about his father being ordered to lead the Qin delegation to visit Qi State in an attempt to seek support.

This was because the entire Qi State had accumulated too much dissatisfaction and resentment towards the Qin State, and there was even a radical trend of thought that wanted to trample the Qin State underfoot in order to prove the supremacy of the Qi State.

In the past, during the reigns of Taizu and Taizong, perhaps out of special feelings for the Chinese mainland, coupled with the large number of immigrants from the mainland and a deep sense of homeland, the State of Qi always maintained a friendly attitude towards the State of Qin, and even engaged in various "selfless" acts of giving back and supporting the mainland.

During the reign of Ruizong (temple name of Emperor Taiping), as the number of native-born citizens increased and the older generation of immigrants died one after another, the entire Qi State's feelings towards the mainland became increasingly indifferent. Coupled with years of compulsory education and inculcation of national consciousness, the vast majority of Qi people no longer regarded Qin as their "mother country", but as an equal and ordinary Chinese country.

As the power gap between Qi and Qin grew larger, the self-confidence and pride of the Qi people flourished, and their attitude towards Qin gradually became contemptuous.

The Qin Dynasty was nothing more than a weak and powerless "old empire".

It is really speechless that they could have dragged on for decades in dealing with a backward and barbaric nomadic force in the northwest without being able to completely pacify the situation.

Tell me, are there one million old, weak, women and children in the entire Dzungar Khanate?

Look at the population of your Great Qin.
It must be at least 130 million!
Even if you pile up heads, you can still overwhelm Dzungar.

Oh, you said that the northwest is remote and desolate, and the supply is not smooth, so we have to take it slow and repeat it. What about Liaodong and Korea?

In the two Qin-Ming wars, facing the small Northern Ming, your Great Qin actually had an extremely hard time fighting, and the losses you suffered each time were even greater than those in the battlefield in the Western Regions, which is really surprising.

If your Great Qin were to face our Great Qi, would you be able to escape unharmed?

Of course, the relationship between Qi and Qin has not yet reached such a terrible situation where war would break out. There are too many commercial interests between them and they will not turn against each other easily.

But why does your Qin State always act on guard against our Qi State?
Even though the northwest and northeast were facing foreign threats and the country was plagued by disasters, there was still spare money to develop naval forces. Nanjing Longjiang Shipyard and Fuzhou Mawei Shipyard launched more than ten large sailing warships in succession, and built naval military ports in Xiamen, Fujian, Yizhou Anping (Tainan City), Zhoushan and other places.

What is its purpose?
According to a business partner with a strong family background, Qi's current military and diplomatic focus has temporarily shifted to Borneo and Indochina. As for Qin's internal and external troubles and requests for financial assistance, it may be of little interest and is not among the government's priorities.

Envoys from Shun, Sulu, Luzon, Wei, Ha Tien, Champa and other countries gathered in Chang'an. Although no one knew what they were going to discuss, they would not just come here to drink tea and chat.

Most likely, the target was the two indigenous kingdoms of Brunei and Cambodia, thus completely establishing a new pattern in Southeast Asia dominated by Qi.

(End of this chapter)