"Master Qiansui, I had a discussion with Fan Damen and asked for two hundred thousand taels of silver for the four fortresses..."
When the autumn wind picked up, Zheng Zhilong, wearing a ducal python robe, bowed and followed Zhu Cixiang, walking swaggering by the waterside of Zhongzhou Island in Xuanwu Lake. A pair of sneaky eyes kept looking at the eunuchs and maids serving around Zhu Cixiang. They looked a bit treacherous no matter how they looked at them!
Zhu Cixiang changed into a loose-fitting prince's uniform - because it was one size too big, it looked like a stolen garment, but it was actually sewn by Empress Zhou herself. The reason why he is a bigger size is because Zhu Cixiang has grown a lot during this time! So when making clothes, you need to make them wider to avoid wearing them after a few months. Zhu Cixiang looked like he was 1.8 meters tall... He was really a handsome man! Zhu Cixiang was a short man in his previous life, but now he has a proud smile on his face.
He is now a legendary rich and handsome man, and he is also the number one rich and handsome man among all mankind!
A brand new dragon boat was docked at the Zhongzhou Island Pier. Chen Shifang, the admiral of the East Factory, led his people to guard the dock. When he saw Zhu Cihong approaching with a smile, he quickly knelt down to greet him.
"Get up!" Zhu Cixiang waved his hand, and then said to Zheng Zhilong, "I've finished watching Zhongzhou Island, Lao Taishan. It's not bad, right? There are several islands on Xuanwu Lake, how about giving you one too?"
Zhongzhou Island was originally the location of Huangceku. However, after Zhu Cihong came to power, he no longer regarded these inaccurate yellow books as treasures. Therefore, they were transferred to Zhongzhou Island for storage in the Ministry of Revenue warehouse, and at the same time, a "pension palace" was built for Emperor Chongzhen on the vacant Zhongzhou Island.
Zhu Cixiang was so filial, so of course he paid close attention to the construction of the "Retirement Palace". Not only did he spend 300,000 li of silver, but he was also personally responsible for bidding and contracting. Now the Ministry of Industry of Ming Dynasty no longer does the project itself, but is only responsible for bidding, contracting, and acceptance. The "Retirement Palace" is a model project, and Zhu Cixiang put a lot of thought into it.
After the noon meeting today, Zhu Cixiang, a filial son, was going to inspect Zhongzhou Island. He happened to meet Zheng Zhilong asking for a meeting, so he took him to see the place where Emperor Chongzhen retired.
After reading it, Prince Zhu was quite satisfied. The project was almost completed, and only the interior decoration work was still being done. Chongzhen's "Retirement Palace" was built in a garden style, modeled after the original Xipu of the Wei State Mansion. Although no huge trees or jade were used, it was still beautifully built. The three hundred thousand taels were obviously worth the money.
Emperor Chongzhen must be looking forward to living in it, right?
Weng and his son-in-law got on the dragon boat that returned to Taipingmen Pier. After they sat down separately, Zhu Cixiang smiled and talked to Zheng Zhilong about the deal on Taiwan Island, "Old Taishan, you are the number one businessman in our Ming Dynasty. You don't have to ask what to do." Me. But one thing has to be said. Once Rejelan City is obtained, they should be allowed to live on the island of Taiwan for a few years, right?"
"They" refer to the sinners of the "Eunuch Rebellion" who were sent to Taiwan by Zhu Cixiang. There are thousands of them. They have now arrived in Fujian. However, they did not go to Taiwan. Instead, they were arranged by Zheng Zhilong to go to Gulangyu Island near Xiamen Island. Moreover, Zheng Zhilong also built a house for them on Gulangyu Island and provided them with good food and drink.
Exile in Taiwan has turned into a vacation on Gulangyu Island... But Lao Zheng also has to say that there is Dutch power on the island of Taiwan now. What if these former noble ministers in trouble collude with the Dutch?
His reasons were sufficient, so Zhu Cixiang did not pursue the case. But now that Taiwan Island is about to completely return to the motherland, it’s time for the sinners to go and stay on Taiwan Island!
"I will make arrangements after I return..." Zheng Zhilong chuckled, "Actually, Gulangyu Island is also an overseas desert island, a barbaric land, similar to Taiwan."
Who are you fooling? Zhu Cihong said to himself: I have been to Gulangyu Island... I still need to buy a ticket to go to the island! Could that place be a wilderness?
"The area around Rezhelan City is not bad, right?" Zhu Cixiang said. "After all, it has been developed by the Dutch for more than 20 years, so it is no longer considered raw land. Let those sinners live there for a few years first, and when they adapt to the climate, I will It will give them a chance to atone for their sins."
Zheng Zhilong said with a smile: "The old minister will thank His Highness the Crown Prince for his grace on behalf of those sinners."
The living conditions around Rechelan City are indeed better than other places on the island of Taiwan. It is not seven deaths and three lives or six deaths and four lives. There is always a 50-50 ratio, and maybe it can be a little higher.
If those criminals could survive in Rechelan City for a few years, they would be able to adapt to life in Champa and Shuizhenla, and they would be sent to work as colonial officials.
Thinking about colonization, Zhu Cixiang asked again: "How have you considered going to Champa State and Shuizhenla to buy rice that I told you last time?"
Zheng Zhilong smiled and said: "Master Qiansui, I have already asked someone to settle the accounts. You can't make much money from the business of buying rice from Champa State and Shuizhenla... The value of rice is too low. How much is rice worth? And we don’t have much to buy to Champa, Shui Chenla, and Annam. But I still have a way to import rice from Champa, Shui Chenla!”
Zhu Cixiang laughed and said in his heart: I know you, a profiteer, have a way! You profiteers are more capable than the scholar-bureaucrats!
"Speak quickly, speak quickly!" Zhu Cixiang urged.
"It's actually very simple," Zheng Zhilong said. "The import shipping tax does not require silver, but instead collects rice... Our Ming Dynasty maritime trade has always seen more going out and less coming in. Exports include silk, porcelain, cotton, Ironware, woodware, tea, etc., are of all kinds and in great quantity.
The bulk goods imported are only spices, brass, colored glaze, and rare wood. Therefore, Western merchants would ship a large amount of silver every year to make up for the gap in the value of the goods imported and exported. But the silver is not heavy either. Therefore, cargo ships from various countries for import trade mostly arrive empty and leave fully loaded.
If the shipping tax levied by the imperial court was levied in rice instead of silver. Then merchant ships coming for trade from far away would dock at Champa and Shuizhenla to purchase rice and transport it northward. After all, the price of rice in Chameng and Shuizhenla is only one-third of that in Jiangnan, and merchant ships are on the way, so paying rice is much more cost-effective than paying silver!
Based on the annual import shipping tax of three million taels, the maximum amount of rice converted into rice is three million dan... If it can be purchased from Champa, Shuizhenla and Annan at the price of five qian silver per dan, the maritime merchants who come and go One and a half million taels can be saved in one year.
In order to ensure supply and lower rice prices at the same time, large merchants would open up land in Champa and Shuizhenla. The maritime merchants were rich, well-connected, businessmen, good at calculations, and efficient in doing things. If maritime merchants take the lead in colonizing Champa and Shui Zhenla, they will definitely get twice the result with half the effort. "
"Okay!" Zhu Cixi said with a smile, "Quan Guo Gong is really my humerus... If the Minister of Household Affairs allows you to do it, I will be able to save a lot of trouble."
"Master Qiansui is joking," Zheng Zhilong thought Zhu Cixiang was joking with him, so he replied with a smile, "How can I, a reckless man, become a minister in the cabinet?"
"Why not? You can do a hundred times a thousand times better than those nerds..."
Zhu Cixiang smiled softly and did not persist. But he was thinking: Sooner or later he will have to trick you into becoming a minister! It doesn't matter if he doesn't have a Jinshi diploma. Wu Xiang doesn't have one, so why not still become the Minister of War? If that doesn't work, you can also take the imperial examination! You can ask Qian Qianyi to give you some tutoring, and you will definitely win.
"It's better than this." Zhu Cixang turned the topic back to trade and colonization. "The tax package in Quanzhou and the tax package in the Nanyang Governor's Office should both be paid in rice... The two tax packages together are one million." Two, you can just pay 800,000 shi of white rice."
Zheng Zhilong was stunned, why did it come to my head again? He thought about it again and felt that this was not a bad thing... Taiwan Island would be taken over soon, and perhaps more land could be opened up on the island to grow rice. If there were harvests like those in Fujian, four to five million acres of fertile land would be enough to pay 800,000 kilograms of rice.
In addition, Champa and Shuizhenla must also be profitable! Zheng Zhilong thought to himself: Brother Pulian seems to be prosperous. When Damu comes back from defrauding Japan, let him take a trip to Shuizhenla... He must deceive him well!
