"Tingyang," Zhu Cixiang's tone was still very gentle, with a bright smile on his face, "don't be afraid..."
"I am scared..." Shen Tingyang said in her heart: It would be strange not to be afraid!
Zhu Cixiang smiled and said: "This decree exempts you from holding various duties!"
Is this the end of it?
Shen Tingyang almost shed tears. He spent a lot of money for his current official position! Why were you dismissed?
"But I also know that you are capable and can do your job!" Zhu Cixiang said, "You are a rare talent! If you are a talent, you should be promoted and appointed...and there is no fee. You spent money before I have removed the official position you bought, and now you will be re-appointed according to your ability and merit!
I would like to grant you the title of Commander of the Naval Guard of the Grand Marshal's Palace, in charge of Beiyang maritime affairs, and the title of General Mingwei. "
What's going on?
Shen Tingyang was confused. He was originally the director of the Imperial College, a sixth-grade civil servant. Now he has become a military attaché of the fourth rank who is in charge of military affairs. At first glance, it seems that he has been promoted, but he has exchanged civility for military power.
The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty were much more noble than the military attachés! A fourth-grade military officer cannot be compared with a sixth-grade civil servant...
"Tingyang," Zhu Cixiang fully understood Shen Tingyang's thoughts, "as soon as Beijing is lost, the world will completely fall into troubled times. Ming Dynasty is no longer the co-leader, but one of the heroes in troubled times. Use literature in peace and practice martial arts in troubled times. With that, Wen Yuwu can only be implemented when the world is at peace, not in troubled times.
Therefore, I was ordered to support the army and command the four directions in the name of the Grand Marshal of the World's Soldiers and Horses. I was the commander-in-chief of the Ming Dynasty, and I was also a warrior! Of course, the subordinate officials in the Grand Marshal's Mansion are all military men. Are you willing to serve as an official in the Grand Marshal's Palace in this palace? "
How clever and honest a businessman is Shen Tingyang? After being prompted by Zhu Cixiang, he immediately understood. Zhu Cixiang wants to turn himself into an old minister of Qiandi!
Although he is a military attache, his immediate boss is the Prince of Fujun himself... This backstage is as hard as a steel plate!
"I am willing to die for His Highness the Crown Prince!" Shen Tingyang immediately stood up and kowtowed to Zhu Cixang.
Zhu Cixiang smiled: "Okay, the Ming Dynasty needs loyal ministers like you now! By the way, I also heard that you are the chief helmsman of the Shachuan Gang? Is this true?"
"This..." Shen Tingyang didn't dare to deny it. Who doesn't know about this? I had no choice but to grit my teeth and said, "The Shachuan Merchant Gang is the ancestral business of the Chen family, and this chief helmsman is inherited... However, since I became an official, I have been devoted to public service and have not participated much in the Shachuan Gang's business."
Only ghosts believe you!
Zhu Cixi just shook his head and said with a smile: "How can you not participate? This business is based on honesty! Everyone in the world knows that you are loyal and reliable, even my father has issued an edict to praise you. A businessman like you is the pillar of the country, how can you What if you don’t do business? If you don’t do business, who can I entrust to you with matters on the Beiyang Sea?"
"It's not that I don't do business, it's just that I don't do much..." Shen Tingyang was confused, what's going on with this crown prince? He talks strangely.
Zhu Cixiang interrupted Shen Tingyang who was hesitating and said with a smile: "I would like to issue a decree to charter the Shachuan Gang to manage Beiyang maritime trade and form a chartered armed merchant fleet... In this way, your Shachuan Gang will be a chartered trader gang!"
A franchised trader gang? Why is this routine so familiar?
Shen Tingyang thought about it, this seemed to be the way Westerners did sea trade, with a license to kill people and set fires!
Zhu Cixiang added: "The Shachuan Gang is a trader gang authorized by this palace! Do you understand what this means?"
"Chen..." Shen Tingyang really didn't understand very well.
"That is to say," Zhu Cixiang said in a serious tone, "from now on, the Shachuan Gang will no longer be able to bribe any officials or nobles! You are a member of this palace, and they are not qualified to ask you for money. You are not qualified to make things difficult for the Shachuan Gang’s business. You, the Shachuan Gang, are doing business under orders and are royal merchants!
Moreover, the Shachuan Gang has the final say on the trade routes on the Beiyang Sea! "
"This..." Cold sweat broke out on Shen Tingyang's forehead, he already understood. The prince Zhu Cixi wants to compete with the officials for profit!
As an honest businessman, I have to give hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to officials, dignitaries, and eunuchs in the North and South Beijing every year... Will this money be sent directly to the Generalissimo's Mansion in the future?
"Tell me the number!" Zhu Cihong said, "How much do you give them a year? How much money can I, the Prince Fujun, get from you?"
Shen Tingyang immediately knelt down, "Your Highness, I, I have never bribed anyone! All officials in the Ming Dynasty are all upright officials..."
Zhu Cixi laughed loudly: "Get up, sit down and talk!
I am not here to punish anyone! Besides, you don't have to be afraid... Now that the imperial court is in exile, the nobles and powerful eunuchs in the capital have become toothless tigers, unable to bite you. The tigers in Southern Zhili still have teeth, but as long as you and Zheng Zhilong can support me, they are nothing.
Moreover, I am the most fair person, and I will never take money from the Shachuan Gang and Shibazhi for nothing... I know that you, the Shachuan Gang, are in trouble, and I can help you solve it! "
The Shachuan Gang is engaged in Beiyang sea trade, and Beiyang sea trade is different from Nanyang and Dongyang sea trade. The latter two mainly export commodities and import silver, with a surplus of several million taels a year. Beiyang maritime trade is basically balanced, with both output and input. The exports are porcelain, silk, tea, salt, etc. produced in Jiangnan and Jianghuai. The imports were furs, ginseng, Dongzhu and various seafood. These imported goods are all good things for the wealthy families in Jiangnan, and the profits are very considerable.
But now there is a problem with the supply!
The origins of furs, ginseng, dongzhu and various marine products are Liaodong and North Korea. Now Liaodong has become the territory of the Qing Dynasty, and North Korea has also become a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty. It was difficult for merchants in the Ming Dynasty to do business, especially since the Shachuan Gang had always supported the Ming Dynasty and rebelled against the Qing Dynasty. They often caused trouble for the Manchus, which was completely different from the Shanxi merchants.
Zhu Cixiang looked at Shen Tingyang with bright eyes, "Tingyang, I plan to reopen Dongjiang Military Town!"
What? Reopen Dongjiang Town?
In the current situation where the Ming Dynasty cannot protect itself, can it still open up the Dongjiang River? Is this crown prince just too whimsical?
"I'm not just wishful thinking," Zhu Cixiang seemed to be able to see through Shen Tingyang's mind, he smiled, "I also know that the current Ming Army Army Division cannot defeat the Manchus... but they can defeat the Koreans! There is no need to destroy North Korea, as long as it can be harassed by the ships of the Shachuan Gang.
As long as you can defeat North Korea, won't your Shachuan Gang's trade routes be stable? If the trade route is stabilized, won’t it be possible to make a lot of money? Now that you have a lot of money, it won't be difficult to spend some money to support Dongjiang Town, right? As long as it is profitable to open the town of Dongjiang, my Ming Dynasty can still squeeze out its troops no matter how difficult it is.
These are troubled times, and human life is not valuable. As long as you can get one or two or five pieces of silver for a month's pay, how many soldiers will you have? "
Shen Tingyang was stunned again and again, thinking to himself: Has this crown prince done any business? Why does this number sound the same as that of a trader?
Opening the town of Dongjiang and co-writing is a business?
"This Dongjiang Town can actually be regarded as a business!" Zhu Cixiang smiled, "It is a business in Beiyang Maritime Affairs! So the cost of opening the town has to be paid by your Shachuan Gang, and the main town of Dongjiang is also paid by you. Come and take up the part-time role, and the Shachuan Gang will also be responsible for the daily operations. The Generalissimo's Office is only responsible for recruiting and training troops, and providing some officers to lead the troops. Do you think this is okay?"
"This..." Shen Tingyang didn't expect Zhu Cixiang's approach at all, and of course he didn't have any mental preparation. He didn't know if it would work or not?
Zhu Cixi also understood that such a big deal could not be concluded at once, so he immediately smiled and said: "Tingyang, the business of opening the town of Dongjiang will definitely be profitable... You go back and make a good calculation, and wait until you get to Dagukou before you give me the money." Please reply to me. As for how much the franchised jurisdiction of Beiyang Maritime Trade is worth per year, you should go back and calculate it carefully, and give me an amount when you arrive in Jiangnan. Let’s talk about it slowly then. After the negotiation is completed, we will make an agreement. I keep my word on the contract and will definitely abide by it. Therefore, it will be more cost-effective and more profitable for you to make a deal with me than to go through the doors of nobles, officials, or chamberlains."
