I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Ming Yu squinted his eyes, turned to look at him, and asked in surprise, “How do you know?”

Ma Jinyu poured him a glass of wine and smiled. “It’s all over the capital. Naturally, I’ve heard a little about it.”

“Is that so?” Ming Yu raised his glass, hesitated as if to drink but didn’t, and answered with a smile that seemed to hide something.

“Wang Ye, with all due respect, you’ve been visiting the homes of officials every day, and people are saying you’re only going to borrow money. Now, everyone outside is avoiding you,” Ma Jinyu observed carefully, studying Ming Yu’s expression as he spoke cautiously.

A hint of embarrassment seemed to flicker across Ming Yu’s face, but it was quickly masked by a smile. “Ah! You’re talking about that? Indeed, sigh! I’m also troubled. These people just don’t appreciate the opportunity I’m giving them. I’m offering them a chance to make money, and yet, they refuse to seize it. When the time comes, I hope they won’t regret it.”

A glimmer of joy flashed in Ma Jinyu’s eyes, and he feigned confusion. “Wang Ye, what do you mean by a money-making opportunity?”

Ming Yu waved his hand dismissively. “No need to mention it. It’s not worth talking about.”

Ma Jinyu’s eyes flickered as he quickly thought of something, and then said with a smile, “How could Wang Ye possibly be lacking in money? You brought back that batch of goods from the Western Regions, which caused quite a stir. Many people are coming with silver in hand, hoping to buy even one or two items they fancy. To be honest, I was hoping to buy one or two myself, but alas, it seems I can only watch from the sidelines.” He sighed, as his family was nothing compared to those of the powerful noble families.

Ming Yu had actually left the task of handling the goods from the Western Regions to Crown Prince Ming Ye, as Ming Ye had already dealt with a batch before and was familiar with the process. Ming Yu trusted him to handle it. Recently, the Crown Prince’s residence had been crowded with visitors, as the demand for the goods was overwhelming. Many noble families were eager to secure items, afraid they would be sold out before they had a chance to buy.

At first, Ma Jinyu had hoped to see if he could buy something small at a high price, but now it seemed impossible for the Ma family to get anything, even though they were one of the wealthiest families in the capital. In the end, they could not compete with the royal relatives and nobles, which left him feeling regretful.

This made them, the merchants, see even more clearly the benefits of cross-regional trade: rare goods were highly valuable, and it was a business that was all profit. Who wouldn’t envy that?

Speaking of this, Ming Yu seemed even more troubled and inadvertently muttered, “Ah! You don’t know, with this amount of money, what can I even do? It’s barely even a fraction of what’s needed.”

He stopped mid-sentence, leaving Ma Jinyu puzzled, who quickly said, “I’ve heard rumors that Wang Ye is planning something big, but is hesitating because of financial difficulties. Wang Ye is so benevolent, thinking of the country and the people, but many don’t understand your struggles. If there’s anything you need, my family… no, the Ma family will definitely lend a helping hand.”

Ma Jinyu spoke with great sincerity, even mentioning the welfare of the country and people. Ming Yu couldn’t help but smile inwardly but kept his face serious, continuing to act troubled.

Hearing Ma Jinyu’s words, Ming Yu finally relaxed his furrowed brow. “Your Ma family truly embodies benevolence. With your words, I feel much reassured.”

As if confiding in a close friend, Ming Yu opened up. “I’ll tell you this much: an unprecedented opportunity for reform is right in front of us. Although there are some difficulties now, I believe we can solve them.”

Ma Jinyu’s heart raced, and he cautiously asked, “Wang Ye, what difficulties are you facing? Please command me, I’d love to help. But I’m afraid I’m not very clever—what exactly do you mean by an opportunity for reform?”

Ming Yu seemed moved by Ma Jinyu’s words. He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice, “I’ve discovered a golden pathway, an economic lifeline. Now that my father has opened up foreign trade, my merchant caravans are making huge profits. If we control the Western Qi Corridor, it will become the main trade route between Great Yan and the Western Regions. In the future, all merchant caravans will pass through this route. When that happens, the wealth brought in will be beyond what anyone can imagine. This will lead to a tremendous economic leap for Great Yan.”

Ma Jinyu listened intently. He had read about these things in a small booklet and had found them unbelievable. But hearing Ming Yu speak about it now, he began to trust him, feeling as though it was only a matter of time before Ming Yu’s words became reality.

Ming Yu drank another glass of wine, his eyes becoming dreamy. He sighed and continued, “But the first step is proving to be the hardest. We lack money. Without money, nothing can be done. Do you understand? The imperial treasury is empty, and the ministers avoid me. No one is willing to offer even a penny to support me. Hmph! A bunch of narrow-minded fools! They’ll regret it in the future.”

“Yes, yes,” Ma Jinyu nodded fervently, even breaking a sweat in his palms. He refilled Ming Yu’s cup and continued to agree with him. “It seems that solving the lack of money will be difficult, right? Wang Ye, we Ma family may be merchants, but we have some surplus silver, and we would be willing to do everything we can to support you. However, Wang Ye’s needs seem quite large. Even if we gave all of our assets, it would barely make a difference.”

Ming Yu patted him on the shoulder, his fair skin flushed from the alcohol, a soft red tint spreading across his face. “I knew you were a friend worth having. Actually, this problem isn’t as difficult as it seems. I already have a plan. Money is no longer an issue.”

Ming Yu had already opened up to him, so Ma Jinyu pressed on, expressing his happiness for Ming Yu. “Wang Ye is truly wise and talented. Otherwise, how could he have such a perfect plan for the West Qi Corridor? Since Wang Ye already has a plan, it must be nearly certain. I’m truly happy for Wang Ye.”

Ming Yu was also in a good mood, laughing foolishly as he spoke, “Of course, my father has already agreed to grant me ten years of managing the West Qi Corridor, which will give me free rein to carry out my plans. I’ve already decided to hold a public bidding event for the West Qi Corridor. I’ll divide the construction of the corridor into sections and let merchants fund the building. Naturally, those who contribute will see returns. I will divide the profits from the corridor’s taxes over the next three years as dividends. The merchants who bid the most will receive more profits. Plus, successful bidders will enjoy tax reductions for ten years. That means merchants who help build the corridor will pay lower customs duties when trading. The more they contribute, the bigger the discount. They could even get a 50% reduction. I believe no one would refuse such favorable conditions.”

Ma Jinyu’s mind was working quickly, trying to understand and remember Ming Yu’s words. He had never heard terms like “bidding,” but by combining them with Duan Wang’s words, he was able to roughly understand what Ming Yu meant.

Ming Yu’s words really shocked him. He realized that instead of shouldering the full cost of building the West Qi Corridor himself, Ming Yu was bringing in more people to help. With many contributors, the pressure on each one would be much lighter. Those with the financial means would invest more and reap greater rewards. No one could object to this setup, as it was within the rules.

Ming Yu was using the profits from the West Qi Corridor over the next few years to entice others, making them eager to join in. This tactic of starting with nothing and gaining so much was truly brilliant. How many people could have the guts to make such a bold move?

Not to mention, the tax reduction for the next ten years alone was enough to entice anyone. Merchants knew that trading goods, whether selling goods from the south in the north or vice versa, was more profitable due to regional differences. However, they also had to account for losses during the journey and the hefty customs duties. Even ordinary people had to pay a fee to enter the city, let alone merchant caravans, who paid high customs duties throughout their travels.

This is why many merchants, hoping for more profit, took risks to evade duties, even though it could cost them their lives. Now, if what Ming Yu said was true and customs duties could be reduced by half for the next ten years, this would be a huge benefit. It would accumulate into a large sum of wealth, and all merchants would likely take this into consideration.

“Half off the customs duties?” Ma Jinyu asked again, uncertain.

“Yes,” Ming Yu replied. “In the future, the West Qi Corridor will be the only trade route between the Great Yan and the Western Regions. The customs duties will be calculated based on the value of goods, not like before. For example, goods worth ten gold will incur a tax of one gold.”

“Wow, a ten percent tax?” Ma Jinyu gasped, surprised by the high rate. But thinking of the value of goods from the Western Regions, his heart raced even more.

Even though there would be more merchant caravans using the West Qi Corridor for trade, goods from the Western Regions would still likely retain their high value. Based on this, even with a ten percent tax, the profits would be significant, much higher than typical trade. If the tax is reduced by half, it would feel like a twenty percent discount. Over ten years, with the additional dividends in the first three years, this deal would definitely be profitable.

“What are the requirements for the bidding that Your Highness mentioned? The Ma family fully supports Your Highness, without a second thought. If you could share some details with us, we could prepare early. Otherwise, I fear we might not have enough funds when the time comes, and I’d feel deeply embarrassed if we end up holding Your Highness back,” Ma Jinyu said sincerely. He also wanted to have an idea of what to expect so he wouldn’t be outdone by the other families.

Ming Yu gave him a meaningful glance, playing with the empty wine cup in his hand. “Well, I haven’t quite decided yet. However, the funds needed for the construction of the Western Qi Corridor must be considered before setting a price. Don’t worry, everything is still in the planning stages. Once the plan is finalized, I won’t forget the Ma family.”

Ma Jinyu realized he had been a bit too eager and smiled awkwardly. “Yes, yes. Your Highness has great foresight, and it is an honor for our Ma family that you thought of us.”

Ma Jinyu was clever, and Ming Yu smiled faintly. Dealing with intelligent people was always easy. “The Emperor’s upcoming grand birthday celebration is on my mind. These smaller matters will have to wait until after the celebration is over. At that point, I will hold a bidding session, and all the rules will be clearly laid out so that everyone will know what to expect.”

When these words were spoken, it was like a reassurance to Ma Jinyu. As long as things were settled, the Ma family would do best to make plans as early as possible and prepare thoroughly.

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