Striking, like any other endeavor, requires money. The canal laborers have to eat, after all. A day or two they might manage, but who could hold out for long? Zhao An estimated that to bring the Grain Transport Yamen to its knees, the strike would need to last at least ten days, perhaps even half a month.
The strike’s backbone consisted of the Second and Third Gangs, who directly manned the boats. Their members were largely impoverished laborers with wives and children to feed; they could manage to stop for a day or two, but ten days would surely lead to starvation. Since this strike to block the Duan Canal was initiated by Zhao An, the Young Lord, and given that "Uncle" Zhang Baofa was clearly dragging his feet, Zhao An had no choice but to reach into his own pocket to provide the funding.
You cannot expect the horse to run while denying it grass. In any era, while passion might spark a cause, it cannot sustain it for long without financial support. Zhao An had reached his current position not merely through historical speculation, but because his knowledge and vision were, compared to the vast majority of people in this era, at the level of a top-tier expert. In truth, any high school student from later generations transported to this time could lead an uprising at the level of Yang Xiuqing. If a university student were to arrive, they would be a living Tang Taizong or Song Taizu. Such is the benefit of an information explosion. The various historical novels of the future…
Chapter 160