NOVPUBChapter 408 -151 Huang Wan’er: I’m Pregnant (10,000 Words Subscription Request)_3
Chapter 408 -151 Huang Wan’er: I’m Pregnant (10,000 Words Subscription Request)_3
As the banquet ended, it signified Chen Jie’s official role as the Hall Master of White Tiger Hall in Mianshui County, and he was now officially a leading figure in Mianshui County.
From then on, Mianshui County had acknowledged a place for Chen Jie.
…
In such a manner, half a year passed by.
During these six months, Mianshui remained calm and tranquil, but three significant events occurred.
First, Wu Hong successfully broke through the Energy Transformation, becoming the new arrest officer of Mianshui County. The former arrest officer, Zhang Liye, was transferred to Huangzhou Prefecture to serve as the deputy Chief Constable.
Soon after Wu Hong’s breakthrough, he had a disagreement with his best friend, Chen Jiusi, and the two fought fiercely at the Drunken Immortal Tower, parting ways unhappily. From then on, they ceased contact. Moreover, Wu Hong arrested dozens of members from White Tiger Hall, claiming to uphold justice. Meanwhile, Chen Jiusi leveraged his connections to have County Magistrate Tang Wannian dismiss three old arrest officers from Zhang Liye’s era to establish his authority.
People of Jianghu rumored that the two had parted ways due to conflicting ideals—what a pity!
Second, the Darugachi Mansion released a group of beggars they had previously captured, including a beggar named Zhou Peng, who had also broken through the Energy Transformation. He reclaimed two streets on South Street and was called the Iron Beggar.
With these emerging forces, the arrangement of Mianshui County’s Thirteen Grand Protectors was revised.
Now it was: Nan Batian, Beilao Liu, invincible among the Thirteen Grand Protectors, doctor, arrest officer, oil seller, Ghost Hand, scholar, Red Face, blacksmiths, Iron Beggar, Blind fortune-teller, and Eagle, Tiger, and Leopard!
Of these, Nan Batian and Beilao Liu remained steadfast in their positions, but the third spot had changed hands and was now occupied by a doctor. And who might this doctor be?
Indeed, it was Chen Jiusi. His identity as an apprentice to Doctor Bai had been revealed, and everyone discovered that the third key figure in Mianshui’s guild hierarchy was actually a doctor.
Just like back then, when Peng Shizhong became famous, someone uncovered his past as a fisherman, and thus he was dubbed a fisherman among the Thirteen Grand Protectors.
Lastly, since becoming the White Tiger Hall Master, Chen Jie had implemented extensive and sweeping reforms within White Tiger Hall, which in turn influenced the entire Mianshui County. The enterprise of White Tiger Hall thrived far beyond the era of Peng Shizhong.
These specific reforms were divided into three parts!
The first part was military reform, which established the White Tiger Guards. The combat capabilities of the White Tiger Guards surged dramatically, and with Chen Jie sparing no expense, their strength improved rapidly.
All thirteen team captains had entered the level of Dark Force, and their combat power was now on par with Nan Batian’s core members from the Fishing Guild.
Nan Batian was angered by this development but felt helpless. He lamented privately more than once, considering raising a tiger as an invite for trouble!
Additionally, White Tiger Hall was expanding, and in this half-year period, it had taken in two hundred new disciples, totaling nearly eight hundred members.
The second part was economic reform.
This mainly comprised two reforms, the first of which was adjusting industries under its flag, specifically reducing taxes for shops.
All streets managed by White Tiger Hall slashed taxes by thirty percent, attracting more quality merchants to invest and open shops along these four streets, significantly increasing their foot traffic. Directly operated shops of White Tiger Hall also received substantial benefits.
Due to the tax reduction, Chen Jie was seen as a benevolent and just figure by the merchants, which enhanced his public reputation.
Next was restructuring the economic bodies under his command, proposing a sixteen-character directive:
Reduce output to protect mines, lower taxes to attract merchants, expand and innovate, and eliminate harsh practices.
The first point, reduce output to protect mines, meant that Chen Jie reduced production capacity in the iron mines. Previously, White Tiger Hall had sold iron externally, but now, they reduced mining altogether, only ensuring enough iron for internal use within White Tiger Hall, and sealed off other veins, ceasing large-scale operations.
Since he was a newly rising power in the guild, Darugachi was naturally distrustful of him. Although Chen Jie had aligned with him, Darugachi remained cautious.
Therefore, Chen Jie voluntarily gave up some rights to gain trust, such as the mining rights to the iron mine.
In this era, what did iron represent? It represented weapons, and what did weapons represent? Instability and rebellion. To reassure Darugachi, Chen Jie voluntarily halted the most violent industry, continuing to mine only enough iron for internal consumption within White Tiger Hall.
He also cut off any trade of iron products externally.
He left the iron market to Nan Batian and Beilao Liu. This move seemed to show weakness, but in reality, it was a form of self-protection. Consequently, Darugachi Mansion increased their support for him, even making some concessions. The third point, expansion and innovation, was established on this basis.
What was expansion and innovation? The answer was simple: the Nan Lake Salt Field.
Chen Jie’s closure of the mines in exchange brought not only more trust from Darugachi Mansion but also a larger share in the salt market.
Or rather, it wasn’t just a larger share, but Chen Jie had opened a new market: the refined salt market.
In that era, cooking salt was coarse and gritty, and what was marketed also contained large grains. This type of salt was coarse and impure, tasting bitter when consumed.
As a transmigrator, Chen Jie naturally knew the method to purify refined salt.
He directly produced a type of salt with fewer impurities and no bitter taste. Chen Jie set a high price for this refined salt, targeting wealthy buyers rather than the poor.
The price of this refined salt was three times higher than that of regular coarse salt.
He had assumed the market share would be small, yet unexpectedly, it became a sensational success among the wealthy, making Chen Jie extremely prosperous. This success not only compensated for the reduced iron production and the lesser commercial taxes but also resolved various financial issues, boosting the income of White Tiger Hall by more than thirty percent.
