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The Dutch were scared away by the fleet, and the atmosphere inside the prefecture office was lively.
Yang Chengye was the most excited. Hearing Xiao Ming’s words, he grew even happier and said, “Your Highness, really?”
Nowadays, almost all the Great Yu Empire’s ports were in the south. Everyone knew how important ports were to a region. If Dengzhou could become a prosperous port, it would soon become a wealthy city.
As the governor of Dengzhou, Yang naturally welcomed this news.
“Of course it’s true, but that depends on General Niu Ben and Yue Yun taking Ryukyu first,” Xiao Ming smiled.
Upon hearing this, Yang Chengye stood and cupped his hands toward Niu Ben and Yue Yun. “Generals, the future of Dengzhou depends on both of you.”
With the completion of the warships, Xiao Ming could now control the seas around Dengzhou. For him, this meant gaining a vast maritime territory. He said, “From now on, wherever our warships sail, it is Great Yu’s sea. Governor Yang, your vision should not stop at the port. Actually, Dengzhou sits on a great source of wealth.”
“Oh? Please explain, Your Highness,” Yang Chengye said, puzzled.
“Marine fishing,” Xiao Ming replied softly.
Yang Chengye was overjoyed. He slapped his thigh and said, “Ah, Your Highness, you speak the truth. We’ve been badly bullied by Japanese pirates at sea all these years. I had forgotten about fishing. Now our fishing boats can finally sail out to sea.”
“Not just fishermen fishing. I will allocate thirty merchant ships, which will be converted into fishing vessels. Dengzhou will establish specialized fishing teams to supply meat to inland prefectures,” Xiao Ming said.
The Dutch soldiers’ robust physique amazed Xiao Ming. Apart from the wealthy elites in Great Yu, who were all well-fed, many common people looked malnourished.
From the Europeans’ perspective, this was no different from refugees, even seen as a symbol of poverty.
Xiao Ming noticed this issue during the wars against the barbarians. At first, his soldiers’ physical fitness was inferior, which was a disadvantage in battle.
Back then, his troops could only eat meat once a month, which was the limit of Qingzhou’s meat supply.
Without meat, soldiers could not build their bodies to match the barbarians or even the Europeans. This was unacceptable to him.
In modern times, soldiers’ diets are just as important as modernization itself. Training consumes great energy. Without proper food, training quality declines.
The fish caught by the thirty fishing ships might not fully feed his army, but at least he could make broth so soldiers could occasionally drink meat soup.
“I will remember this,” Yang Chengye suddenly felt the weight of his responsibilities.
Dengzhou had once been a marginal city, but now it had become crucial—tasked with building coastal defenses and serving as a trade port and fishing base.
Xiao Ming nodded, having given all instructions. The New Year was coming, and after that, his focus would turn toward the sea.
After staying in Dengzhou for a few days, Xiao Ming inspected the development of the local prefectures and the implementation of various policies.
His main concern was whether policies were actually enforced. Even today, top-down policies often face local resistance, and in an age of limited communication, policy implementation could easily fail.
Thus, when appointing Yang Chengye to heavy responsibilities, he had to check whether Yang was responsive to Qingzhou’s directives.
His inspection was somewhat sudden, leaving Yang Chengye flustered. Still, Xiao Ming was relatively satisfied with the results.
Now, no powerful clans oppressed their neighbors. Formerly dominant clans had become merchants and no longer maintained armed retainers.
Land distribution in Dengzhou was reasonable, with no peasant complaints. In fact, because Dengzhou was less populated, locals had more land than those in Qingzhou.
This was the difference between “wide” and “narrow” countryside in ancient times—the wide countryside had more land per family.
Besides, he checked the granary reserves, which were crucial in ancient times as the amount of grain determined how long a war could last.
After receiving satisfactory reports, Xiao Ming finally visited the Salt Transport Bureau in Dengzhou.
After marine fishing began, salt became a big issue. Without refrigeration technology, salt and spices were used to preserve food. This was why spices were so valuable in ancient times.
Europeans occupied Malaysia mainly to trade spices.
Xiao Ming did not have enough spices, so he planned to preserve sea fish by salting them. Though sea fish are salty, their salt content was insufficient for proper curing.
Therefore, he needed the Salt Transport Bureau to produce more salt. He also planned to sell salt to other parts of the Great Yu Empire, but only if his salt was cheaper than others’.
This required a more efficient salt production method.
“Your Highness, this is how we produce salt in Dengzhou,” said Yao Wenyuan, the Salt Transport Officer, who hurried over after learning Xiao Ming had visited the salt fields.
They stood on a flat beach with over a hundred thatched huts emitting smoke.
Some villagers carried seawater into the huts, filtered it several times through cloth, then boiled it in pots to produce salt.
“Is this your method of salt production?” Xiao Ming frowned. This was the seawater boiling method.
Yao Wenyuan nodded, “Yes, Your Highness. Since ancient times, the Salt Transport Bureau has used this method. Now, our production meets the needs of the six prefectures.”
“It’s not enough now,” Xiao Ming said. “This method is too slow. You must switch to a faster and more efficient method.”
“Other methods?” Yao looked confused.
Xiao Ming nodded. “Remember what I say now. In the future, use this method.”
Then Xiao Ming explained the modern salt harvesting method.
“This method is simple. The area is large. You can dig salt fields on this land. When the tide rises, seawater covers the salt fields, and the sun dries them…”