After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1278: Chapter 1245: Borrowing Money

Zhao Hu snorted coldly. Zhao Hanzhang had set a legal cap on the interest rate for private loans. How high could it possibly go?

Even though Zhao Hu was a bit mixed up, he dared not defy her laws, especially not in her presence.

So he only asked, "For how long is the loan?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "One year. By this time next year, I will repay the principal and interest."

Zhao Hu calculated how much he could recover by lending her money at the highest interest rate. After a moment, he nodded, "Okay, I’ll lend it to you."

Noticing Zhao Hanzhang was in a good mood, Zhao Hu coughed lightly and leaned closer, mimicking her posture, "I heard that next year’s labor conscription will be reduced, but there are still many roads and waterworks instructed by the Central Secretariat to the Ministry of Personnel. Is this funded by the court?"

Zhao Hanzhang seemed to smile but not quite, "Seventh Ancestor, your sources are quite well-informed."

Zhao Hu said, "I’m not the only one who knows this news; many people are well aware."

Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes to hide her thoughts. The reduction of labor conscription was no secret; she had announced it publicly to allow local officials and the people to rest.

But the mandated road and water project by the Central Secretariat was still in its formative stage, and the Ministry of Supervision had yet to review and approve it.

Zhao Hanzhang decided to let Yuan Li investigate the matter secretly. She knew it was impossible to completely prevent political information from leaking, especially information people thought would not affect the national level but was profitable enough to leak to their close ones.

But this was just the beginning. If not curbed, the trend would become harder to stop once it set in.

Zhao Hanzhang didn’t ask Zhao Hu where he got his information, estimating he wouldn’t say. Zhao Hanzhang lifted her gaze, her eyes clear, "Seventh Ancestor, what do you intend to do?"

Zhao Hu said, "After the New Year, I want to assemble a work team. I’ve even named it Zhao Family Work Team, to take on private house-building, court road repairs, and canal digging jobs. Grant me a segment of road construction in Luoyang."

Zhao Hanzhang: "Where will you find the manpower?"

"I have them. Aren’t those who have been building houses for me all along?"

Zhao Hanzhang: "Didn’t they receive land plots? Aren’t they going back to farm?"

"You think the court schedules roadwork during farming seasons?" Zhao Hu said, "I’ve contacted them already. During idle farming times, they all come out to work. If a village has just one person in my team, he can bring out an entire village’s young men, so rest assured, the people will be enough."

Zhao Hanzhang believed this. This is how rural networking in China worked: one worker brings a family, a family brings a village.

"Your work team relies entirely on short-term laborers?"

"Not only that, I also have slaves and tenant farmers."

Talking about this, Zhao Hanzhang was intrigued and said to Zhao Hu, "Seventh Ancestor, let me redeem some people from you."

Zhao Hu immediately distanced himself, leaning back, "Redeem my people with my money? You wish! Hmph, I’m short on people as it is now, if it weren’t for you..."

Actually, Zhao Hu wanted to buy more slaves, but the court has been allocating land so generously that a few years back, there were plenty of refugees, easy to recruit on highways.

But starting this year, it was no longer the case, although there were still refugees, he couldn’t compete with the court.

With Zhao Hanzhang’s high reputation, people had great faith in her. The direct consequence was that people were willing to register with the court offering barren land rather than take his real silver and grain.

Zhao Hu had vast tracts of land not being farmed and had to release some slaves to be sent to farms for work.

In fact, in Zhao Hu’s current business structure, his lands’ annual yields couldn’t match those of his workshops and stores.

But Zhao Hu still wouldn’t let go, not even after both Zhao Hanzhang and Zhao Song advised him several times to either sell unused lands or sell them to the court as a favor to redeem them.

But Zhao Hu wouldn’t agree.

He was shrewd. He couldn’t articulate a grand reason but knew his initial capital came from lands. Subsequent success in following Zhao Hanzhang around, eating meat and drinking soup, was due to his bountiful grain from lands.

Those grains, when converted to money, weren’t much, but during wars, even money couldn’t buy them. It was these grains that secured him protection time and again from Zhao Hanzhang, allowing him to expand his business national-wide under her protection.

The money earned was used to stockpile grain further, selling them to the Zhao Family Army or aiding them, gaining even more favors....

If Ji Yuan and the army’s logistics officers were familiar with anyone in the Zhao Family, besides Zhao Ming, it would surely be Zhao Hu.

Why was he ennobled before Zhao Ming?

Because, although he didn’t serve in the front line like Zhao Ming, he was always a strong rearguard for Zhao Hanzhang, making significant contributions.

Zhao Hu wasn’t smart, but he was far more sensitive to profit than average people, acutely aware of the importance of land and grain.

Not only for now but for the future as well.

At least, this wouldn’t change within three years.

As for matters three years later, they could be left to three years hence.

Moreover, even if he decided to sell land, it wouldn’t be to the court. Though the court wouldn’t necessarily undercut him, it wouldn’t fetch a high price either.

Once nationwide stability returned, would those aristocratic families in flight return?

Even if just a branch came back, would they be satisfied with tens of mu of scant land from the court?

Surely they would want to buy lands, preferably to reclaim connected lands that once belonged to their families.

When buying lands initially, Zhao Hu had calculated this. So he particularly targeted fertile lands abandoned by large families fleeing for safety.

Mature lands, easy to farm, convenient irrigation, high yield, with potential buyers, allowing high resale values. These amassed lands were immensely valuable.

Just a pity, whoever gave Zhao Hanzhang such a bad idea, she enacted laws prohibiting private land sales.

Furthermore, not only was he prohibited from buying reclaimed lands from the government, but also forbidden from purchasing from private owners.

Were land transactions only permitted among landlords with vast lands?

The more Zhao Hu mused, the angrier he became, feeling that Zhao Hanzhang had blocked many of his rapid wealth avenues, so he asked without warmth, "Are you going to or not?"

"Yes, I’ll do it," Zhao Hanzhang said, "Seventh Ancestor personally asks, how could I refuse? But let’s make it clear from the start, for both construction quality and treatment of laborers; if you don’t comply with regulations, I won’t play favorites."

Zhao Hu snorted, "I never counted on your favoritism. It’s already decent of you not to obstruct me. Because of you, how many people have I lost this year, how much money wasted in vain?"

Once legislation emerged forbidding owners from obstructing slaves’ self-redemption and capping redemption fees at thrice their sale price, the north was also affected.

Many of Zhao Hu’s employees cautiously requested to redeem themselves.

Zhao Hu had no choice but to raise wages and benefits for slaves to keep most, while being forced to release those with strong resolve.

Honestly, were it not for Zhao Song keeping an eye on him, forbidding disorder, Zhao Hu had many means to dissuade them from self-redemption.