In Hailing and Huai'an, except for a few counties that were brutally devastated by the war, most counties did not directly experience the war. Even so, the investment in reclamation, water conservancy, roads, bridges and other construction in these counties is extremely huge.

During the Huaisi War, the counties around Xuzhou were all captured, and the city of Xuzhou was surrounded and flooded for half a year, and it was almost deserted.

In order to limit Chen Hansan's power for several years, a severe blockade was carried out on Xuzhou, and today the city is crippled, the households are also empty, and a large amount of land has been abandoned.

Restoring people's livelihoods is not a simple matter.

The land has been abandoned for three to five years, the shrubs and weeds are overgrown, and the ditches, roads, bridges, rivers and lakes are almost deserted.

Xuzhou wants to recuperate and carry out large-scale tax reductions and exemptions, but Xuzhou has 15 counties under its jurisdiction, and it has to barely maintain itself, tighten its belt, and invest millions of taels of silver every year.

Almost all of the military department's income and expenditure were used to raise the army, and he did not draw silver money and rice from Xuzhou, but he could not take out a large amount of silver to support the recovery of Xuzhou's people's livelihood, and finally hit the idea on the head of Huaidong Qianzhuang.

Zhou Guangnan, who is the chief treasurer of Huaidong Qianzhuang, rushed to Xuzhou before the New Year's Festival, and the land of Xuzhou was covered with white snow.

"Three million taels of silver, borrowed in three years, with eight percent of the money and interest, guaranteed by the local taxes of the fifteen counties of Xuzhou, from the third year, the principal and interest will be repaid in ten years," Lin Jian said, "In order to ensure the ability of the Xuzhou local government to repay the principal and interest, the military department will not requisition money and grain from Xuzhou within three years, and after the fourth year, the money and grain requisitioned from Xuzhou will not exceed forty percent of the total tax - such a condition, I think Huaidong Qian Zhuang can accept." ”

"If you can raise 3 million taels of silver from Xuzhou and borrow 3 million silver in three years to restore people's livelihood in Xuzhou, of course there is no problem." Zhou Guangdong said that he came over this time, in addition to digging out silver, he also came to raise money.

"Aren't you thinking of a white wolf with empty gloves?" Li Wei smiled angrily, "Why don't you end up paying a penny." ”

"The money bank is a business, and it operates with gold and silver as goods, and the money bank itself does not produce gold and silver, so where can it be lent if it is not raised?" Zhou Guangnan said, "Xuzhou is located in Huaisi, the center of the north-south transport, businessmen gathered, and Jiangning, Huaiyang and called the world's prosperity." The city of Xuzhou was ruined, but it was not plundered after all. The poor people are waiting to be fed, but the merchants and wealthy gentry in Xuzhou should still have a considerable amount of gold and silver hidden in the cellar house. Gold and silver are dead things, buried in the place, and cannot satisfy hunger and thirst, but can only be valuable when they are practiced in the city—this is also the purpose of the Lord in the first place to raise money......"

Lin Jian smiled slightly, it takes a long time to establish credit, but the collapse is overnight, he always refrains from interfering in the affairs of the bank, and even asks Zhou Guangnan to resign from the post of the gold bureau and specialize in the bank.

Zhou Guangnan does not be the voice worm of the military department, so that he can win the credit of Caidong and develop more independently.

Li Wei had a bitter face, if Xuzhou City was surrounded and looted from house to house, the gold and silver goods obtained would definitely be more than three million taels of silver, but if he wanted a wealthy businessman to raise three million taels of silver and incorporate it into the money village in the form of principal, it would not be possible to do it overnight.

After all, Qianzhuang is a new thing, and Xuzhou has experienced wars, and everyone is prepared for danger in peace. Thinking about the overall situation, by depositing gold and silver in the bank, the Huaidong Military Division can be deeply rooted, and Xuzhou will restore the people's livelihood, which is naturally safer. But more people's minds, even if they are life-saving straws, prefer to grasp in their own hands.

"Qian Zhuang will first lend one million taels of silver to Xuzhou, and deal with it next year," Lin Jian can't let the situation freeze there, Li Wei wants to be regarded as a good official who is diligent in government and protects the people, but in the current situation, he has no good strategy, "It's a big deal, I'm in Xuzhou, shouting loudly for Qian Zhuang, to ensure that Qian Zhuang can raise enough silver from Xuzhou next year...... and Li Wei said, "Xuzhou Mansion Ya, also want to hype up for Qian Zhuang." The money owner will put the gold and silver into the money bank, and then the money bank will lend it to the local government to restore the people's livelihood, and the local government will collect taxes in the future, and then repay the money village, the money owner does not have to worry about losing all his money, and he can still eat interest - if this way, the local squire can not accept it, do they have to forcibly extort donations and forcibly apportionment to become a ......"

"Everything is difficult at the beginning, and when it takes root, it will be much simpler if it has some credibility," Ye Junan said, "Even if Qian Zhuang just arrived in Mingzhou Mansion, the families only made up eighty or ninety thousand silver to do perfunctory things, but today, each family has paid for the sweetness, and Qian Zhuang has raised silver in Mingzhou, and the total amount is afraid to exceed two million taels, right?" ”

"More than that," Zhou Guangnan said, "here in Xuzhou, for the time being, we will do as the adults agree—but we still have to negotiate a condition with Lord Li?" ”

"Please." Li Wei said.

"The surplus silver in the treasury of Xuzhou and the county government needs to be deposited in the bank; However, the money bank will set up branches in each county to ensure that the government and county will take the money as it goes. Zhou Guangnan said.

"Okay, okay, as long as Qian Zhuang borrows silver, I will give tea and water to the east end of Zhou Cai." Li Wei couldn't stand Zhou Guangnan's calculating temperament, and hurriedly begged for mercy.

Lin Lian laughed and settled the matter.

Qian Zhuang to Xuzhou to raise silver, in addition to replenishing the principal, the deeper meaning is:

Once the wealthy villagers of Xuzhou incorporated a large amount of gold and silver into the Huaidong Qianzhuang in the form of principal shares, it was closely related to the Huaidong Qianzhuang and the Huaidong Military Division - in order to ensure that the local taxes in Xuzhou could be used to return the principal and interest of the Qianzhuang in the future, it was inevitable that the fifteen counties of Xuzhou would always be under the jurisdiction of Huaidong.

Under the royal power, Xiongjie divided the place and became a prince, usually relying on personal prestige and the power and influence of the clan, which is also the basis for the luxury family to attack the city and plunder the city to ensure the interests of the clan in the first place.

Rather than shaping personal prestige and strengthening cohesion, through the operation of a series of means such as Qianzhuang, it can fundamentally consolidate the cornerstone of Huaidong and stand on its own outside Jiangning.

**************

When he was in the Wandering People's Army, Ma Lantou was in charge of money and food, and he claimed to be a capable person who knew political affairs, but during this time, he mixed with Gao Zongting, Sun Jingtang, Ye Junan, Li Wei and others, and realized that this governance was also different, and occasionally laughed at himself: "If you don't lead the troops to fight, you may be reluctant to go to the local county master for a term ...... the county master."

When she returned from the discussion, Ma Lan's head was dizzy, so she asked her mother-in-law to warm a pot of wine, cut two catties of meat, and comforted herself in the room.

It didn't take long for the doorman to come and say, "The eldest lady is here......"

Although Liu Miaozhen served as the deputy envoy of Xuzhou, the Huaiyang military general was still called by the eldest lady.

"What is the eldest lady doing here?" Ma Lan scratched her head, stood up and went to the door with her mother-in-law to greet her.

"Uncle Ma." Liu Miaozhen came over in a carriage in civilian clothes, got out of the car and saluted Ma Lantou.

Ma Lantou and Liu Miaozhen's uncle Yang Quan are of the same generation, but when Liu Miaozhen came over to talk about private matters, there was no formality, let people burn a brazier in the mansion, invited Liu Miaozhen into the house to talk, and asked as she walked: "What do you have to tell the eldest lady here?" ”

"I want to ask you for the bereavement and meritorious service." Liu Miaozhen said.

In the battle of Xuzhou, the Huaiyang army accumulated more than 3,000 casualties.

At least until now, the Huaiyang Army has maintained a relatively independent status.

The treatment of the wounded was the unified responsibility of the Huaidong Military Division, but the bereavement and reward of meritorious service involved the independence of the army, and Lin Jian gave Liu Miaozhen, Ma Lantou, and Li Liang their autonomy, and Huaidong was responsible for the necessary financial support.

In the past, meritorious generals were rewarded with some silver money, but after being in close contact with Huaidong for so long, Ma Lantou also knew that the previous practice was too rough, but he didn't know what to do for a while.

Hearing that Liu Miaozhen came specifically for this matter, Ma Lantou smacked her lips and frowned, unable to answer.

Ma Lantou's mother-in-law interjected: "The eldest lady hasn't eaten yet, why don't you eat here together?" ”

"Trouble auntie." Liu Miaozhen said.

Ma Lantou's mother-in-law has been in charge of the women's camp for a long time, and she was an important female general in the Wandering Army, and she was qualified to participate in the deliberations. It is said that people have a fixed mind and must have a stable place to stay, who is willing to run around? Even if the generals are fighting abroad, they hope that their families can live in peace - to discuss pensions and awards, I think it is best to divide the fields and settle down to become naturalized......"

"Good is good enough, but how can there be such a field?" Ma Lantou said, "Xuzhou has a master, even if it is a barren beach and a lake, if it is to be changed into a grain field, how can it be done without two or three years of operation?" According to the Huaidong Army's awards and pensions, I am afraid that this time it will be 80,000 or 90,000 mu of grain land. There are many people in Xuzhou and little land, and one mu of cooked land costs ten taels of silver, and Huaidong is for food and clothing, how can they have the face to ask for another 80,000 or 90,000 mu of mature land? ”

Ma Lantou's mother-in-law ignored Ma Lantou's complaints and asked Liu Miaozhen: "What is the eldest lady hesitating about?" ”

"This burden has been on the shoulders for all these years, and a weak woman is a little unbearable, but now everything is stable, and everyone doesn't have to go hungry, so they want to unload the burden. If it weren't for Uncle Ma, you would be the family, and Miaozhen would be your deputy? Liu Miaozhen said.

"How can I deserve it?" Ma Lantou hurriedly refused, and only then did she understand Liu Miaozhen's intention, and asked Chi Qian, "What does the eldest lady mean is to completely hand over the burden to Huaidong?" ”

"What does Uncle Ma think?" Liu Miaozhen asked.

Ma Lantou was silent, and said after a while: "Speaking from the heart, Li Liang and I, even if we join Huaidong, we will not be treated badly, and we will have a clear head in the future; But what should you do, Miss? Young boy, what should he do? ”

"Miaozhen is willing to marry Lin Jian as a concubine!" Liu Miaozhen said categorically.