Moma Liangshan

Chapter 190 In the Taiqing Palace, ten thousand copper coins

Gongsun Sheng seemed somewhat anxious and pleaded, "Please tell me a thing or two, Master Uncle?" Qing Xuzi was somewhat surprised, but smiled and said, "Young Master Wang is not a hermit, but the magistrate of Laoshan County, appointed by the imperial court. You can find out all about his deeds by simply sitting in a teahouse for two hours!" Gongsun Sheng hesitated for a moment and said, "I dare not deceive Master Uncle. I have come to Jiaozhou for a matter of life and death. If anything goes wrong, my six sworn brothers and I will perish!" For monks, everything depends on fate, so Qing Xuzi did not press Gongsun Sheng about the matter, but said, "The Taiqing Palace has been established since the founding of..." "This lineage has been passed down to me for over two hundred years, and I've lived in Jiaozhou Bay for a full sixty years. I know every blade of grass, every village, and every hamlet here like the back of my hand. Jiaozhou Bay originally had no city, until last year when a young master Wang arrived. He carried an imperial edict and personally led people to demarcate the current boundaries of Laoshan County. At the time, when I learned of this, I didn't take it to heart at all, considering it just a routine imperial decree. But three months later, everyone in the Taiqing Palace, and indeed the entire population of Jiaozhou Bay—a hundred thousand people—began to look at this young master with new respect, even gratitude!" Gongsun Sheng, engrossed in the story, blurted out, "Why?"

Qingxuzi took a sip of tea and continued, “Jiaozhou Bay is mountainous with little arable land, and the people suffer greatly. During the lean months each year, the able-bodied men become bandits, plundering neighboring counties, while the elderly, women, and children come to the Greater and Lesser Laoshan Mountains to beg for a meal to survive! Taiqing Palace is the most popular, and its soup kitchens open earliest and close latest every year. Last year, the temple prepared large pots of rice as usual, waiting for the refugees to arrive so they could start cooking and distribute soup. We waited for many days, but no refugees came up the mountain. Then one day, a commotion suddenly broke out at the foot of the mountain gate, and the crowd stretched from the gate all the way to the sea. It happened so suddenly that I dared not be careless and personally met with the leader!” At this point, Qingxuzi paused and asked, “Do you know why they came?” Gongsun Sheng shook his head and said, “Please enlighten me, Master Uncle!” Qingxuzi continued, “They came to pray for Wang Hao’s well-being!” Gongsun Sheng found it hard to believe and said, “No matter how ambitious a person is, they cannot drive thousands of people to pray for their own well-being!”

Qing Xuzi shook his head and smiled, saying, "You're wrong, terribly wrong. Those people weren't driven here by Wang Hao; they came willingly!" Gongsun Sheng unconsciously raised his voice, saying, "This doesn't make sense!" Qing Xuzi nodded, saying, "I initially thought it didn't make sense either, but the leader even brought ten thousand copper coins, which were accumulated from one copper coin from each household! And these copper coins are placed before the statue of the Dao Ancestor!" The statue of the Dao Ancestor was enshrined in the main hall. Gongsun Sheng said, "Uncle-Master, may I take a look?" Qing Xuzi nodded, saying, "I'm getting a little tired of sitting. I'll take you there!" The incense hall and the main hall were very close. After about a hundred paces, Gongsun Sheng saw the ten thousand copper coins respectfully placed before the statue.

Gongsun Sheng's voice trembled slightly as he said, "How is that possible? Wang Hao is just a man, not a god?" Qing Xuzi sighed, "Wang Hao is a man, but he is also a god in the hearts of the people. To be more precise, in the hearts of the people, they would rather Wang Hao be a god than a man, because then their good days would last longer!" Gongsun Sheng understood somewhat and said, "Could it be that the current Jiaozhou city was really built by Wang Hao in just over a year, and that the people in the city gathered here willingly?" Qing Xuzi nodded and said, "I told you, Jiaozhou originally had no city!" Gongsun Sheng was still puzzled, but Qing Xuzi had already anticipated his question and said, "As for your other doubts, just take a walk around Jiaozhou city, and you will understand!" Gongsun Sheng rode his donkey, wandering through the streets and alleys of Jiaozhou city, listening to the various opinions in teahouses and restaurants, and even bought two of Wang Hao's works in a bookstore. Just as Gongsun Sheng was gaining a preliminary understanding of Wang Hao but was also filled with many questions, Wang Hao finally led twenty ships from the Lin family of Quanzhou back to Jiaozhou.

Twenty ships were docked in Jiaozhou Bay's harbor, yet it didn't feel crowded at all. Wang Hao said to the Lin brothers beside him, "What do you two gentlemen think of my Jiaozhou Bay and Jiaozhou Port?" Lin Xiao, the eldest son and the next head of the Lin family, said, "Jiaozhou Bay is blessed with unparalleled advantages, and Jiaozhou Port is the best in the world!" Wang Hao had every right to be proud of everything about Jiaozhou, saying, "Jiaozhou Port not only has wide wharves, but also smooth roads, vast warehouses, and efficient and incorruptible government offices!" Lin Xiao clearly sensed Wang Hao's ambition and said, "Lord Wang seems to have grand ambitions?"

Wang Hao smiled slightly and said, "Lin Yi has already joined my ranks. As for the Lin family's maritime trade, I will never forcibly interfere. The reason I'm telling you this is because I want to 'attract investment' to Jiaozhou!" Both Lin Xiao and Lin Yi found the phrase "attract investment" both novel and familiar, and asked, "Could you please explain what attracting investment is, sir?" Wang Hao was very frank and said, "As the name suggests, attracting investment means recruiting merchants and attracting capital!" Lin Xiao, having inherited his father Lin Wei's true skills, asked again, "How does sir plan to attract investment?" Wang Hao said, "Lower the tax rates on inbound and outbound goods, create a fair and excellent business environment, and further improve the port's municipal infrastructure!" Lin Xiao pondered for a long time and said, "If sir can truly achieve these three points, it might not be difficult for Jiaozhou Port to become the world's largest port within a few years!" Wang Hao said, "This is my first collaboration with the Lin family. Whether Jiaozhou is worthy of favor, and whether I am trustworthy, let's wait and see!"

After landing, Wang Hao quickly received news from Zhu Gui that Gongsun Sheng had been waiting for him for many days. Wang Hao was filled with anticipation for the arrival of this legendary figure from Liangshan, as it signified the official start of the gathering of the 108 heroes of Liangshan. However, now that Wang Lun and Lin Chong were gone, and even Zhu Gui had arrived in Jiaozhou, only Du Qian and Song Wan remained. Although he hadn't yet met Gongsun Sheng, and Zhu Gui had only informed him of Gongsun Sheng's arrival in Jiaozhou without mentioning anything else, Wang Hao, as someone who had been through similar experiences, could easily guess Gongsun Sheng's purpose. Liangshan was a territory established by Wang Lun, so Wang Hao decided to first consult with his father.

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