Shen Feng was aware of Yuzhou's tight financial situation, but the pressing issues had to be resolved. If they waited until disaster struck, it would truly be too late.
"Aren't I here to discuss this with you? If there's no money, we need to find a way to get it. After all, if the number of birds in the mountains grows too large, they'll be forced out of the mountains due to a lack of food. Don't forget that our cultivated land is all north of the river. If that area is ravaged, it's all over. Without grain, Yuzhou will be the first to descend into chaos," Shen Feng said urgently to everyone.
The others, hearing about their current predicament, were also troubled. It was indeed as Shen Feng had said. Yuzhou's important areas were mostly north of the river, as there were more plains there. The south was mostly mountains. If the northern region were attacked, the losses would be devastating.
Yang Ye thought for a moment and said, "How about this? We increase taxes! If we collect more taxes, that should solve the immediate crisis."
"Impossible. We can't increase taxes at a time like this. Making wild suggestions is not helpful. There are countless poor people in Yuzhou, and very few can even sustain themselves for a month. If we increase taxes, will we even be able to collect them?" Shen Feng immediately rejected the suggestion. Everyone was poor. The only taxes they could collect now were consumption taxes, which already caused many to complain bitterly. If they continued to increase taxes, what else could they tax? A poll tax?
Yang Ye spread his hands and said, "Then I have no solution. Yuzhou has no gold or silver mines, and I can't conjure money for you."
Shen Feng shook his head and looked at Guo Pinming and Yang Chang beside him, asking, "What about you two? What's the army's stance?"
Originally, three people managed the army. Yang Chang and Guo Pinming were old hands, while Lu Xian joined later but was also considered loyal. However, news recently came from the prison. During the interrogation of Zhang Xiaoqiang, she revealed the name of an accomplice: Hong Yehui, Lu Xian's wife.
As a result, Lu Xian was isolated, and they planned to decide how to deal with him after the investigation was complete.
Guo Pinming pondered for a moment and said, "We can clear the mutated birds in the forest without any reward. However, at the very least, the soldiers below need to be fed. If there isn't enough food, I don't recommend going on a campaign."
Ultimately, it still came down to a lack of food. Food was the most basic necessity for survival. Without food, nothing else mattered. Yuzhou's currency system was tied to grain, and Shen Feng couldn't arbitrarily issue more grain coupons, as that would lead to their devaluation.
Shen Feng thought for a moment and said, "It seems the most urgent matter is to make money, and when it comes to money, we need grain. This means we have to rely on Wang Ao Ye of the Qing Hong Gang, don't we?"
Tu Xuhuai thought for a moment and said seriously, "City Lord, why don't we wait for a month? After the autumn harvest, we will have enough grain. Then, we can plant the winter wheat, and it will be easier to mobilize the army. A month should be fine, right?"
Tu Xuhuai's suggestion was simple: the city's grain supply was currently insufficient, so they should wait for a month. After the autumn harvest, with grain stored, they would have the capacity to mobilize the army.
Shen Feng frowned. Relying on time seemed somewhat unreliable, but there was no other option.
"It seems that to act in time, we need to obtain some external grain. We can only ask Wang Ao Ye for help. He has a strong influence in Southeast Asia and controls several plantations. As long as he sends the grain over, we can act quickly," Shen Feng mused.
In the apocalypse, the most important thing was always food. Besides food, energy was also important, but one could survive without oil and natural gas. At worst, they could burn firewood. Without food, people would starve to death.
Tu Xuhuai nodded and said, "Yuzhou's cultivated land will have a good harvest this year. As long as we wait until after the autumn harvest, we can take action."
Shen Feng now completely understood why ancient people always fought wars in autumn and winter. It was precisely because of the lack of food. Without sufficient food, nothing could be done, especially during wartime. Without food, everything was impossible.
Shen Feng was silent for a moment and said helplessly, "Then let's do it this way. We'll wait until the grain is harvested and then act. I just hope no danger arises during this period."
The meeting dispersed, but Shen Feng remained restless because the crisis was imminent. If they didn't find a way to solve the problem of the mutated birds, Yuzhou would suffer great losses if danger struck.
After thinking hard, Shen Feng couldn't come up with a solution. He could only entrust the affairs of the City Lord's Mansion to Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan. He himself went to the offices of the three advisors, intending to ask them for ideas.
When he found Yu Zhijing, Shen Feng carried a snuff bottle with him. As he handed it to Yu Zhijing, he said, "This contains soporific pollen. Whenever you feel like sleeping, just inhale a little. It won't cure your illness, but it can alleviate it. However, don't inhale too much, or you might sleep forever."
Upon seeing what Shen Feng handed him, Yu Zhijing was momentarily moved. He hadn't expected the City Lord to go to such lengths for his terminal illness; it was truly difficult.
"Thank you, City Lord. With this pollen, my brain will be able to get sufficient rest," Yu Zhijing said quickly.
If it weren't for the side effects of excessive thinking, the fruit Yu Zhijing had eaten would have been something people scrambled for, no matter how difficult it was to find. Everyone wanted to become a genius.
However, as soon as one ate this fruit, their brain would think non-stop. The activity level of their nervous system would far exceed that of ordinary people. The brain consumed the most energy among all organs. A brain that never stopped thinking would exhaust the body. This also corresponded to the ancient saying "extreme intelligence leads to an early death." The smarter the child, the more likely they were to die young.
Next, Shen Feng convened the three advisors around him and began discussing how to make money.
"I want to clear out the mutated birds in the mountains, but the most serious problem is the lack of money. Help me think of a way, tell me how I can earn enough money to fight a war. Don't hold back, just say whatever comes to mind!" Shen Feng said to the three of them.
After Shen Feng posed the question, the other three fell silent. For them, there were many ways to make money, but they only earned small amounts. Earning a large sum was not easy, especially enough to fund a campaign.
Feng Shicheng suddenly spoke up, "I remember an expert saying that to make money, you should rent out idle houses and also drive taxis for extra income. City Lord, why don't we encourage people in the city to earn extra money in their spare time?"
Shen Feng's expression became complicated upon hearing this. He asked, "Do you think this is a time for jokes?"
At that moment, Shen Feng wished he could slap Feng Shicheng to death. Did he really think everyone in Yuzhou owned a house or a car? This was not the time for jokes, and he should have considered the situation.
Feng Shicheng looked at Shen Feng awkwardly and said sheepishly, "I just saw that the atmosphere was too heavy and wanted to lighten it up. Did I do something inappropriate?"
"Nonsense. If you have an idea, share it. Stop trying to be clever. If you want to joke, do it during private conversations," Shen Feng shot Feng Shicheng a look. The current situation was not a time for jokes, especially when it involved making money.
Feng Shicheng quickly retracted his awkward smile and said seriously, "I think using financial methods to make money is a good option. Open a bank, encourage everyone to deposit their grain coupons in the bank. This way, money can be spent through the bank. As long as this is kept quiet, no one will know."
"A bank?" Shen Feng pondered. This idea seemed good, as banks could be used for investment. If they really used this method, they could also use it when they were short of money in the future.
However, as Shen Feng was seriously considering this matter, the half-immortal spoke, "To use financial methods, first, you need a trust system. City Lord, do you think people will honestly deposit their meager grain coupons into a bank? You know, for many people, they worry about the next few days' rations. They hide their grain coupons in their shoe soles and dare not reveal them. Will they trust a bank?"
"This..." Shen Feng hesitated and did not answer. However, he recalled some past events. Many banks had gone bankrupt, and the highest compensation for depositors was only five hundred thousand. When this happened, everyone deposited their money in large banks and no longer trusted small banks.
Yuzhou had not yet established a bank because it was not needed for the time being. Few people would deposit money; they preferred to hide their grain coupons at home rather than have a bank established. Ultimately, keeping it at home was also saving money, and they could see it. Putting it in a bank would just be a string of numbers, and it might be lost.
Shen Feng had an answer and then looked at Feng Shicheng, asking, "Are there any other methods? Continue speaking, I'll screen them."
Feng Shicheng spread his hands and said, "Then let's enact laws. Establish three crimes: hooliganism, speculation and profiteering, and dereliction of duty. Anyone seen committing these three crimes will be arrested and made to pay bail. This way, by arresting more people, we can collect money."
Shen Feng was speechless. These were just three catch-all crimes. Anyone he disliked could be arrested. Hooliganism could be directly imposed to sentence someone. If they really followed Feng Shicheng's advice, wouldn't everyone in Yuzhou live in fear? Such a method was absolutely unacceptable.
"You only come up with bad ideas. Just shut up. Come on, Yu Zhijing, you speak. I see you already have an idea." Shen Feng had lost patience with Feng Shicheng's terrible ideas. While it was a way to make money, if they used such methods, they would be overthrown.
Yu Zhijing, with Shen Feng's permission, nodded and directly said, "City Lord, I think we can make money by selling land. I've seen many people use this method historically, and the results are immediate!"
Shen Feng's interest was piqued. He asked, "Explain your method in detail, I'm listening."
Yu Zhijing said seriously, "Do you know why our country's economy took off at the beginning of this century? Was it really due to GDP's rapid growth? No, it all had to do with land! A piece of land, which originally had no value, gained value after selling its seventy-year usage rights. If it was speculated upon, it could fetch exorbitant prices. Whether residential communities or shopping malls were built on these lands was irrelevant; once the land was sold, money was made. This money was counted towards the GDP."
"Hush, you little kid, shut up quickly. Is this something that can be said? Be careful, someone might come to check your water meter!" Feng Shicheng immediately warned Yu Zhijing. Words should not be spoken carelessly. Everyone tacitly understood this matter, but now that Yu Zhijing had said it, how could they deceive people in the future?
Yu Zhijing looked at Shen Feng and asked, "City Lord, can I say it?"
"Continue speaking, it's alright. I'll protect you!" Shen Feng nodded, allowing Yu Zhijing to continue. After all, as long as they were in Yuzhou, Shen Feng could ensure Yu Zhijing's safety. If he were to be timid in such a situation, he would be useless.