To achieve immortality, I cultivate using Qi Luck

Chapter 690: Chapter 309: Increasing Revenue and Reducing Expenditure_3

Moreover, the barbarians’ mining technology is backward. If we use the more advanced mining technology of our Great Chu, the production of these eleven gold, silver, and copper mines can at least double and reach an annual output of 4 million silver taels.

Aside from this, there should be other undiscovered mineral resources in Qianzhong County. If we carefully search for them, there should be many gains.

As long as we discover one, it would be enough to annually increase the income of our Great Chu by hundreds of thousands of silver taels.

In my estimation, if we could reform the existing mining technology and simultaneously develop new veins, then before these mines are depleted, Great Chu can have an annual increase of 5 million silver taels.

If more mines are discovered later, this annual income would be even higher, reaching 10 million silver taels is not impossible.

The only concern is that mining requires a large amount of manpower, and many deaths and injuries. It is no less than a thousand people dying every year due to the barbarians’ mining.

Even if our Great Chu undergoes a technical innovation, the casualties will not be small; an unavoidable annual loss of hundreds, or even thousands of lives.

In this case, it is a dilemma for Qianzhong County, which already has a scarce population,”

At this point, Cui Changqing also frowned.

Qianzhong County has always had a small population, and even now, despite continuous immigration and including the recently developed barbarian population in Huichuan and Jianchang, it barely exceeds one million.

This small number of people is not enough for Chu State to develop Qianzhong County.

Having to mine again would not only require at least tens of thousands of miners but also reduce manpower for other projects.

Additionally, the annual loss of a thousand lives is far from negligible.

Even with the strength of Great Chu, we can’t help but feel the pain of these losses.

However, after hearing Cui Changqing’s concern, Lu Yuan laughed and waved his hand: “Don’t worry about the miners, I have my own solution.

At the beginning of this year, I fought across the Lu River and captured Huichuan’s Yi country.

In this single battle, I defeated 50,000 barbarian troops and captured more than 30,000 prisoners.

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Subsequently, we pacified Hui Chuan, subjugated the Da Changhe country, and captured over 10,000 people.

In total, there are 50,000 prisoners of war.

Additionally, the True Person Huang Xuan led the army to attack Jianchuan, captured nearly 70,000 barbarian prisoners, besides plundering 30 barbarian women and children back to the country.

Combining these numbers, there are no less than 120,000 barbarian prisoners in Qianzhong.

These are all able-bodied men, excellent labor forces.

Having no use for them previously, I had them building roads in various places in Qianzhong. In a few months, they have achieved significant progress, connecting the main roads between districts.

Now that there is a need for mining in Qianzhong County, I can allocate 50,000 of them to be sent directly into the mine.

The remainder will continue to build roads.

Although the main roads connecting the counties in Qianzhong County are now complete, local roads between counties and towns still need to be restored and are in desperate need of repair.

Once they have finished building the roads, they can be sent to the mines at any time.

There are also over 60,000 prisoners in the Xichuan County who are also building roads and cities.

These are also available manpower.

With these people, let alone a thousand people dying in the mines every year, even if 10,000 people died, it would be a trivial matter.”

In the previous battles in southwestern and Xichuan regions, Lu Yuan had achieved great victories, capturing more than 180,000 barbarian soldiers in total.

According to his policy implemented in the Qianzhong area, he had planned to reduce the number of barbarians. Naturally, he could not release these prisoners of war.

However, it would be too wasteful to kill them all outright.

After all, these were adult or nearly adult men, who in this era are all valuable labor forces.

So after much consideration, he decided to use them as free labor to build various projects.

Among which, building roads was just one part.

Late on, he planned to use these prisoners to build water conservancy projects, city walls, and to cultivate farmland, etc…

Now, in the two counties of Qianzhong and Xichuan, there is still much work to be done. Qianzhong County, especially, is still a wasteland.

If we want to develop these two counties, the required manpower is incalculable.

In some difficult situations, lives will have to be sacrificed.

Since people are going to die anyway, instead of killing the Chu people who can serve as the foundation, it’s better to simply utilize these prisoner-of-war wastes.

Use their hard work and blood to build the prosperity of Qianzhong and Xichuan.

Since Cui Changqing wants to open mines, it’s a good opportunity to allocate some of the surplus prisoners to increase Chu State’s revenue.

This would give them some value and not waste grain.

“If it can be done this way, then the mining issue in Qianzhong will be worry-free.”

Hearing Lu Yuan’s words, Cui Changqing couldn’t help but be overjoyed, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

Having resolved this issue, he moved on to the next strategy for revenue generation.

“In addition to regular taxes and mining, Great Chu can also gain a lot of profit from vassal state’s tributes.

Chilih, Kunhai, and Jianchuan are vassal states of our Great Chu and are our subjects.

Within the Chu State, local prefectures and counties must pay taxes to the central government.

Southsea, which hasn’t yet submitted to Chu State, still has to pay an annual tribute of three million silver taels and two million shi of grain.

As for the three southwestern states, which have already submitted, it is natural to follow the example of tributes.

In my opinion, Your Majesty can set a custom, with the three southwestern states providing 100,000 to 300,000 silver taels per prefecture according to their current population, for them to present annually for national use.

In this way, the fifteen prefectures of the three southwestern states can collect 2 to 3 million silver taels in tribute alone each year. As they develop further, even reaching 4 to 5 million silver taels would not be out of the question.

Now, this would be a significant source of income.

The strategies for increasing revenue and reducing expenditure mentioned above were the result of brainstorming among us.

According to the national policy execution, in three years, it would be possible to reduce expenditure by 2 million silver taels and increase revenue by more than 10 million taels, balancing the books by 12 million taels.

In other words, by the ninth year of Shenwu, Chu State’s annual revenue would reach a surplus of 4 million silver taels.

And by six years later, which means the twelfth year of Shenwu, Chu State’s revenue is expected to reach 20 million silver, with an annual surplus of 12 million taels.

With such financial support, don’t even mention today’s 380,000-strong army.

Even if we recruit another 200,000 soldiers, Great Chu’s finances can still support it.

And if we can really have an army of 600,000 strong, then our Great Chu’s military power can truly rival that of Zhou, Liang, Ning, and other great nations, becoming a real hegemonic power.

By then, it would be imminent to march to the east, follow the river down, attack and annihilate Ning Country, and unify Yangzhou.”

Cui Changqing’s face was flushed with excitement as he spoke.

Even though six years later, he would no longer be alive in this world.

But just thinking about accomplishing such a great cause in his own hands, his heart’s ambition gradually comes to fruition.

It was an excitement that could not be contained.

Even Lu Yuan, after hearing that six years later, Chu State could achieve an annual surplus of 12 million silver taels, was also deeply moved.

Because this meant that once Chu State’s potential was fully developed, it could receive an annual income of up to 42 million silver taels.

Such income would be on par with Ning Country, which possesses five prefectures and thirty-eight counties in Jiangdong.

According to the investigation from the foreign office of the imperial city, based on the information leaked by Jinling officials, Ning Country’s current annual income is around 52 million silver taels.

Compared to the 42 million taels per year Cui Changqing had predicted for Chu State six years later, the difference is only 10 million taels.

The gap is not significant.

How can he not be excited?

‘Moreover, after six years, Brother Sun will achieve Inborn, and my second Yellow Turban Strongman Avatar will also be refined. By then, Chu State will have two more Innate Combat Powers and 600,000 troops.

Perhaps, as Cui Changqing has said, we could really launch an eastward expedition, conquer Ning Country, and unify Yangzhou.’

Lu Yuan was thinking this way, and then seeing Cui Changqing and other important ministers looking forward to the future and feeling proud, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Cui Qing is right. With such national power, we can surely destroy Ning Country and unify Yangzhou!”

His bold words immediately echoed through the chamber.

The ministers who were nearby were all infected by this enthusiasm, and one after another said, “With Your Majesty’s wisdom, we can surely annihilate Ning Country and unify the world. We congratulate Your Majesty and Great Chu!”