Chapter 102: An Age Of Great Strife, Jin Prefecture’s Reforms
In Li Xiao’s plan, Western Wind Fierce and cloth would become Jin Prefecture’s two major pillar industries.
As for the furs industry, it was better than nothing, just an extra.
After all, in the Western Regions grassland, cattle and sheep were everywhere, so furs were not lacking at all.
It was just to find a sales channel for the furs in the hands of Jin Prefecture herdsmen.
Li Xiao did not expect to make much money from the furs business either.
The real huge profits were still in winemaking and textiles.
These two were representative industries of light industry.
There was no need to say more about winemaking; regarding textiles, Li Xiao also had some ideas.
Reform the machines for spinning yarn and weaving to improve the production efficiency of the textile industry.
Turn traditional family-style workshops into industrialized collective factories.
Li Xiao planned to establish a ‘cotton spinning yarn shop’ in Jin Prefecture, recruit female workers, and use it to mass-produce cotton cloth.
Send the finished cotton cloth to the Great Desert and Yin Mountains for sale.
As for the raw materials issue, it was also easy to solve.
Because Xinjiang in later generations was Huaxia’s largest cotton planting area.
The main planting range was in Southern Xinjiang and the area from the Northern Foothills of Tianshan to the Gurbantünggüt Desert.
This area’s climate was hot, with ample sunlight, extremely suitable for cotton growth.
In contrast, Jin Prefecture’s climate was too cold, only suitable for planting wheat and other grains, not for cotton growth.
So, next, Li Xiao negotiated the cotton purchase matter with Xiao Tula Duo.
Every year, purchase a certain quota of cotton from the Great Desert, process it into cotton cloth in Jin Prefecture, and then sell it back to the Great Desert.
Wine was the same: purchase grain from the Great Desert to make wine, then sell it back to the Great Desert.
In this way, Jin Prefecture’s commerce would have initial development, and once the two major industries matured, they could provide Li Xiao with massive wealth every year to raise an army.
“Most importantly, cotton armor has a source now.”
After downing a cup of wine with Xiao Tula Duo, with his face flushed, Li Xiao thought to himself secretly.
That’s right, his ultimate goal was to mass-produce cotton armor.
Currently, the army under Li Xiao only had a hundred sets of iron armor; the other soldiers all wore leather armor.
Everyone knew iron armor was good, and Li Xiao naturally hoped his troops could have one set of iron armor per person, or even pockmarked armor.
But that was simply unrealistic.
The production cost of iron armor was too expensive, and it rusted easily, with even higher maintenance costs.
Even the Jin Dynasty’s Iron Pagoda at its peak never exceeded ten thousand in number.
The famous Western Xia Iron Falcon, during Li Yuanhao’s time, only had around three thousand.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want more heavy cavalry; they simply couldn’t afford to maintain them.
So Li Xiao planned to walk on two legs: on one hand, forge as much iron armor as possible and develop heavy cavalry.
On the other hand, mass-produce cotton armor to replace the light cavalry’s leather armor.
Although cotton armor’s defense was not as good as iron armor, it was far superior to leather armor.
Moreover, cotton armor was not as heavy as iron armor, making it more convenient for soldiers to move in, and it could fully become the preferred equipment for light cavalry.
Most importantly, cotton armor’s warmth was unmatched by any other armor.
After all, the climate in the Northern Frontier and grassland was too cold; summer was fine, but in spring and autumn, fighting in iron armor was pure torment.
Cotton armor could block the biting cold wind on horseback for soldiers; just this alone was enough to gain a huge advantage in battles against enemies.
“But in this way, aren’t we too dependent on the Great Desert?”
After the banquet ended, once Li Xiao sent people to escort Xiao Tula Duo out of the camp and watched their shadows disappear into the dark night, Li Dashan suddenly shook his head and said.
Raw materials came from the Great Desert, and finished products were sold back to the Great Desert.
Once relations between Jin Prefecture and the Great Desert soured and trade routes were cut off, Jin Prefecture would inevitably fall into a passive position.
Li Xiao was of course well aware of this.
But what could be done?
At this time, Jin Prefecture was dirt poor, with nothing but agriculture and animal husbandry.
To develop commerce, they could only rely on the Great Desert first.
“Wait and see; as long as we spread Jin Prefecture’s fame, even without the Great Desert as a transit point, merchants will come from afar for Western Wind Fierce and cloth.”
Li Xiao said in a calm voice.
After all, these two were Jin Prefecture’s exclusive products, holding a monopoly in the market; under heaven, only Jin Prefecture had them, nowhere else.
So Li Xiao was not too worried.
At worst, they would return to the current penniless state, and Li Xiao would continue leading the fierce Jin Prefecture herdsmen to loot elsewhere.
“The Great Desert is a good place, but unfortunately, it can’t be used by me.” Li Xiao shook his head lightly.
Though he said that, at this moment, Li Xiao planted the seed of ambition to annex the Great Desert in his heart.
Although most of the Great Desert Prefecture was desert, it was richer than Jin Prefecture, with more population, especially Han People nearly twice that of Jin Prefecture.
Once the Great Desert was taken, Li Xiao would have more soldier source and wealth to expand the army and prepare for war.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tula Duo’s group, having left the camp, slowly headed toward their own camp in the darkness.
Riding on horseback, Xiao Tula Duo was blown by the cool wind, his drunkenness surged, his eyes grew increasingly hazy, and he began swaying on the horse.
With no other choice, Xiao Tula Duo’s personal guard captain had to share a horse with him and support him.
“Si Gele, Li Xiao’s damned Western Wind Fierce is really fierce.”
“Haven’t been this drunk in a long time.”
Xiao Tula Duo muttered on horseback.
Complaining about Li Xiao on one side while chuckling on the other.
After all, for this old drunkard, this half-drunk, half-awake state was really comfortable.
But the personal guard captain behind him said worriedly: “Governor, are we really cooperating with Li Xiao?”
“Will Deputy Governor Xiao Lintta blame us?”
After all, once Xiao Simo’s appointment was made, the relations between the three Northern Frontier governors and three deputy governors seemed to become delicate.
Xiao Tula Duo and the Great Desert’s deputy governor, that Uyghur person, had relations that only stopped at not tearing faces openly.
And if Xiao Lintta found out about the business cooperation between Xiao Tula Duo and Li Xiao, would he think Xiao Tula Duo was deliberately picking on him?
“Heh heh heh, afraid of what?”
“I’ve known Xiao Lintta for thirty years; I understand that guy the most.”
“He looks bold and straightforward on the surface, but is actually the most petty.”
“Even without this matter, if something else happens later, Xiao Lintta will still overthink it.”
“After all, I can’t tear faces with Li Xiao just to keep friendship with Xiao Lintta, right?”
Xiao Tula Duo muttered drunkenly.
“Moreover, Li Xiao has a close relationship with Kun Ji and has essentially become her paramour.”
“Once the Great King agrees, that kid Li Xiao will soar to the top.”
“Tearing faces with him at this time would be unwise.”
“Besides, what Li Xiao asked for is just a favor along the way; consider it giving face to Kun Ji.”
Xiao Tula Duo’s voice grew fainter in the dark night until it disappeared into the Great Desert Army camp.
On the other side, Li Xiao returned to the large tent reeking of alcohol.
He saw Xiao Yanyan curled up fully under a sheepskin blanket, with only a pair of lotus-like white arms exposed.
Her body leaned against the bed, her face full of post-rain charm, cheeks pink, eyes seductive, looking lazily at Li Xiao.
“What did Xiao Tula Duo say?”
But Li Xiao seemed not to hear Xiao Yanyan’s words at all, his eyes bloodshot, breath becoming heavier.
Stimulated by the alcohol, Li Xiao approached the bed step by step like a frenzied bull.
Finally, amid Xiao Yanyan’s scream, he grabbed the woman’s white ankle and yanked her over.
Immediately after, enchanting sounds rose in the large tent.
The next morning, Xiao Tula Duo led the Great Desert Army to depart.
Xiao Simo led all generals to see them off; Li Xiao wore a black leather armor, looking spirited, with no trace of fatigue from the previous madness.
Once the Great Desert Army left, Xiao Simo turned his gaze back to everyone and said in a deep voice, “The under heaven today is a once-in-three-hundred-years era of great contention.”
“Jin Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Xia Kingdom are all reforming, strengthening their countries and soldiers; even the eastern grassland tribes’ mutual killings are more severe than in the past century.”
“Under heaven is changing, and our Great Liao has reached the point where it must change.”
“This King has decided to implement household registration on the Four Prefectures of Northern Frontier.”
Xiao Simo said in a low voice, his gaze toward Li Xiao and other Jin Prefecture generals, tribal leaders, etc.
His face became more serious as he said: “Jin Prefecture, as the most loyal and battle-hardened prefecture under This King, surely you are willing to support This King’s decision.”
As his words fell, Li Xiao and the others felt a heavy pressure descend.
What was there to say at this point?
Household registration in Jin Prefecture was inevitable, and moreover, Li Xiao and the others were all beneficiaries of this reform.
Li Xiao had already secured four chiliarch positions.
So Li Xiao had transformed from an original opportunist into a firm supporter of the reform.
“Lord is wise.”
Li Xiao and the others said one after another.
Even if some had their interests damaged, in the face of the trend and Xiao Simo’s twenty thousand army, it was all futile.
No one dared to oppose openly.
“Good!”
A smile appeared on Xiao Simo’s face as he said satisfactorily: “From today, Jin Prefecture begins a comprehensive census of population, reorganization of household registration, issuing iron plaques to every household to prove identity.”
“Let every household under our Great Liao witness together with This King the re-rise of our Great Liao.”
“Understood!”
Thus, Jin Prefecture began a large-scale population census and household registration.
Dismantling the original structures of various fortresses and tribes, reorganizing into centurions of one hundred households each.
This process continued until before the wheat harvest, when the reforms in Jin Prefecture’s various fortresses and tribes were initially completed.
And Li Xiao truly became Jin Prefecture’s deputy governor leading the Left Chiliarch.
