Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 97 Hidden Plans

Jinan Prefecture, Lu Mansion Study.

Outside the window, snow was falling heavily, turning the entire courtyard into a silvery white.

Lu Yan sat behind his desk, a map spread out in front of him. The map was densely marked with various symbols—red dots represented branches of Lu's Carriage and Horse Trading Company, blue dots represented cooperating merchants, and black dots represented forces that needed to be guarded against.

"Master."

Hu Jingshui pushed open the door and entered, her face full of exhaustion, but her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Sit down." Lu Yan gestured to the chair opposite him. "Have some hot tea to warm yourself up."

Hu Jingshui didn't stand on ceremony, picked up her teacup, and drank most of it in one gulp.

"Master, the accounts have all been checked."

He took out a thick ledger from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Lu Yan took the account book and opened it to examine it closely.

"Five thousand three hundred mu of farmland, twenty-three shops, one hundred and eighty mules and horses, sixty carts... Thirteen thousand taels of silver, five thousand shi of grain, and three thousand bolts of cloth..."

"Including income from warehousing, trade, and security businesses, our total assets this year are around 25,000 taels," Hu Jingshui added.

Lu Yan put down the account book, leaned back in his chair, and smiled slightly.

"Compared to the beginning of the year, it has doubled again."

"That's right," Hu Jingshui sighed. "This year has been exhausting for the little one."

"Thank you for your hard work. But that's not enough."

Lu Yan stood up and walked to the map on the wall.

"You see, our current business is mainly concentrated along the Jinan-Linqing line. Transportation, warehousing, and security all revolve around this route. But this route is too narrow. If there's a problem with the canal, or if the government restricts our access, the entire business will be paralyzed."

Hu Jingshui frowned.

"Does the owner mean to expand?"

"Yes. But it's not blind expansion; it's planned and step-by-step expansion."

He picked up a vermilion pen and drew several circles on the map.

"The first step is to consolidate Jinan. Jinan is our base of operations; our foundation must be solid. The second step is to expand eastward. Dengzhou is Shandong's gateway to the sea, and the profits from maritime trade are astonishing. The third step is to penetrate southward. Yanzhou is my hometown; we can utilize some old connections there. The fourth step is to extend northward. Dezhou is a necessary route to Beijing."

Hu Jingshui nodded repeatedly as she listened.

"Master's insight is excellent. But such a large operation requires a lot of money and manpower."

"I'll figure out the money. You take care of the manpower."

Lu Yan put down his vermilion pen and turned around.

"From now on, Lu Ji Carriage and Horse Trading Company will be reorganized. The transportation department will remain, but will be expanded. The warehousing department will be separated, and large warehouses will be established in Jinan, Linqing, and Dezhou. The trading department will also be separated, specifically responsible for the buying and selling of goods."

"In addition, establish another money exchange."

"A money exchange?" Hu Jingshui's eyes lit up. "Is the owner going to do money business?"

"Yes. But not an ordinary money exchange," Lu Yan said calmly. "The biggest headache for merchants is cash flow. Sometimes they sell their goods but can't get the money back; sometimes they need to buy more but don't have the cash on hand. Our money exchange helps them solve this problem. Merchants pledge their goods to us, and we lend them money for working capital. Once they get their payment, they repay us with a little interest."

Hu Jingshui's eyes lit up when she heard this.

"Boss, that's a brilliant idea! This way, we can not only earn interest, but also keep track of the merchants' goods and cash flow."

"It's not just that. Once a money exchange becomes large enough, it can influence the entire commerce of Jinan. Who can borrow money and who can't is entirely up to us."

Hu Jingshui gasped.

"My lord's foresight is truly admirable."

"Stop flattering me. These things are all your responsibility. You come from a Huizhou merchant background; you know the ins and outs of the money exchange better than I do."

"Rest assured, sir, I will do my utmost."

……

After seeing Hu Jingshui off, Lu Yan sat alone in his study, lost in thought.

A soft knock came from outside the door.

"Come in."

Shen Qing pushed open the door and entered, holding a stack of papers in her hand.

"This is a summary of intelligence for this month."

Lu Yan took the paper and carefully examined it.

The first document concerns the remaining forces of the White Lotus Sect.

"Although Xu Hongru was captured, the White Lotus Sect was not completely eradicated. Several remnants remain active in the mountainous areas of southwestern Shandong. They are few in number, but their movements are elusive, and the government has been unable to eliminate them."

Lu Yan frowned.

Is it possible for these people to make a comeback?

"Unlikely in the short term," Shen Qing shook his head. "Xu Hongru was the spiritual leader of the White Lotus Sect. Once he was captured, most of his followers scattered. The remaining ones are just scattered soldiers; they won't amount to anything. But in the long term, it's hard to say. The White Lotus Sect has deep roots among the people; it can rise again whenever there's a natural disaster or man-made calamity."

Lu Yan nodded and put the intelligence aside.

The second document concerns the various factions in Jinan.

"The power structure of Jinan Prefecture can be roughly divided into three factions. The first faction is the government faction, led by Prefect Zhou Tingru. The second faction is the gentry faction, led by Wang Shouzheng, the Provincial Administration Commissioner. The third faction is the merchant faction, led by several large merchant houses. There is both cooperation and competition among these three factions."

After reading it, Lu Yan seemed to be deep in thought.

"And us? Which faction do we belong to?"

"We don't belong to any faction, yet we're connected to every one of them," Shen Qing replied. "Our master has official connections and dealings with the government faction. Our master has eunuch connections, so the gentry faction doesn't dare offend them easily. Our master has a business network and collaborates with the merchant faction. But our master isn't entirely dependent on any one faction; we maintain relative independence."

Lu Yan nodded.

"That's exactly what I want. In officialdom, taking sides too early is a major taboo. What I need to do is maintain relationships with every faction, but without being bound to any one. I'll make my choice when the time is right."

The third document concerns the situation in Liaodong.

"The situation in Liaodong is getting worse and worse. Nurhaci's offensive is fierce, and after the fall of Guangning, the Liaoxi Corridor is in grave danger. Although the court has sent Sun Chengzong to oversee the troops, the lack of provisions and manpower means they can only barely maintain the defensive line. Refugees from Liaodong continue to move south, and tens of thousands have already poured into the Shandong coast."

Lu Yan put down the intelligence report, his brows furrowed.

He understood the situation in Liaodong better than anyone else. In a few years, Yuan Chonghuan would win a victory at Ningyuan, temporarily stabilizing the situation. But that would be nothing more than a temporary resurgence. The foundation of the Ming Dynasty was rotten to the core; Liaodong was merely the first wound to fester.

"Shen Qing."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Keep a close eye on the Liaodong refugees. Also, I need you to plant some spies in the prefectural government. All official correspondence, all personnel changes, all secret transactions—I need to know everything that happens in Jinan Prefecture."

Shen Qing nodded.

"Understood."

"Go."

Shen Qing turned and left, her footsteps silent, like a stealthy cat.

Lu Yan sat alone in his study, gazing at the heavy snow outside the window, lost in thought.

……

December 20th.

Lu Ji Carriage and Horse Shop, Linqing Branch.

Hu Jingshui stood at the warehouse entrance, watching truckloads of goods being moved into the warehouse, a satisfied look on her face.

"Manager, this batch of goods has all been put into storage."

A waiter ran over and handed over a list.

Hu Jingshui took the list and carefully checked it.

"Three thousand bolts of cotton cloth, five hundred bolts of silk, two thousand catties of tea, one thousand pieces of porcelain... Good, it all matches up."

He put the list away and turned to the shop assistant, saying:

"Lock the warehouse door and have people guard it day and night. This batch of goods is our capital for next spring; we can't afford any mistakes."

"Yes, shopkeeper."

The man accepted the order and left.

Hu Jingshui stood alone at the warehouse entrance, looking at the mountain of goods in front of her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Three years ago, he was a down-on-his-luck accountant, pushed out by his employer to take the blame, penniless and desperate. It was Lu Yan who took him in and gave him a chance to start over.

For the past three years, he has followed Lu Yan, growing his business from a small carriage and horse company to its current scale. Transportation, warehousing, trade, security... Lu's carriage and horse company's business has spread to Jinan, Linqing, and Dezhou.

And now, the owner is going to open a money exchange.

Money shops. Those were the exclusive domain of Shanxi merchants; countless people wanted to get involved but couldn't.

But if the owner says they're going to open it, they'll definitely be able to.

Hu Jingshui firmly believed this.

……

December 25th.

Jinan Prefecture, Lu Prefecture.

Lu Yan stood by the window, looking at the heavy snow outside.

The second year of the Tianqi reign is about to pass.

That year, he went from being a poor, impoverished student to a high-ranking official, holding the rank of eighth grade.

That year, he went from having nothing to becoming a wealthy businessman with a vast fortune.

That year, he went from being all alone to becoming a powerful figure commanding hundreds of elite soldiers.

But all of this is far from enough.

The fate of the Ming Dynasty is about to change. The flames of war in Liaodong will burn ever brighter. Factional strife within the court will intensify. Natural disasters and man-made calamities will follow one after another.

In this chaotic world, to survive, one must be stronger, more ruthless, and more farsighted than others.

He turned around, walked back to his desk, picked up his pen, and wrote a few words on a piece of white paper:

"Dengzhou. Imperial timber. Waterworks."

This is his plan for next year.

Dengzhou is Shandong's gateway to the sea and a gateway to Liaodong.

Imperial timber was a major project of the imperial court and a shortcut to currying favor with the powerful and wealthy.

Water magic was his trump card, a magic weapon to win the emperor's favor.

If he can accomplish these three things, he will be able to rise to a higher level.

Lu Yan put down his pen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"In the third year of the Tianqi reign, I arrived."

Outside the window, the snow continued to fall heavily.

But Lu Yan's heart was burning with passion.

The covert arrangements have been completed.

Next, it's harvest time.