The two talked for a while about the situation in the north. The only threat to the Ming Dynasty was still there. No matter how declining Mongolia was, it was still a decisive force in the world.
Then we get to the point. Chen Youzong is not only the official ambassador of the imperial court, but also the go-between for Zhu Biao to communicate with the major merchant families in the world. Only those who have the ability to find Chen Youzong are qualified to receive Zhu Biao's attention.
If you are not even close to Chen Youzong, then you are naturally not qualified to do anything with the prince. This is why Chen Youzong, the general affairs envoy, has a somewhat aloof status in the court in the past two years.
Zhu Biao put down his tea cup and said, "I heard in the palace that the Chen Mansion is more lively than the palace during the Chinese New Year. From New Year's Day to now, the carriages and horses are like dragons."
Chen Youzong smiled and said: "Not only are the carriages and horses like dragons, but the warehouses in my home are already full. Gifts are still coming in a steady stream. There are so many rare goods and treasures from all over the world. This has opened my eyes."
Zhu Biao sighed after hearing this: "The bustling world is all for profit, and the world is bustling for profit. It is not easy to deal with these people, and the reputation of Aiqing Shilin is also damaged. Thank you for your hard work."
Chen Youzong shook his head: "It is my duty to serve His Highness, and it is also my blessing. It's just a few slanderous words from a corrupt scholar, what's it worth?"
Zhu Biao didn't say much after hearing this. He had the kindness to meet Chen Youzong, and now he married his legitimate daughter. Their interests were already one and the same. He wanted to say something to comfort him, but he didn't need to say too much. Saying too much would make him seem indifferent. .
The gifts that Chen Youzong received were all for Zhu Biao, and they would be sent to the palace sooner or later. In fact, these two people did not care about this stuff. The Chen family had not seen anything for more than a hundred years, and Zhu Biao was the crown prince. In the future, we must be able to dominate the world.
Zhu Biao may be short of food and people, but he will never be short of so-called rare treasures. Those are the most useless things to him. A few years ago, he was fond of the calligraphy and painting calligraphy of famous Tang and Song dynasties. Now he is busy reading government affairs. Don't even bother to take a look.
All that was left was the small hobby of playing with jade ornaments, and the most outstanding jade craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty had long been summoned by the emperor to the capital for the exclusive use of the prince.
"I have read the list, but that's all. I have to ask Aiqing about which one is successful and which one is not."
Chen Youzong pondered for a moment and replied: "Every house and account has given generous gifts. If we really want to study it in detail, it is impossible. We can only look at it from the business gang where it belongs."
The reason for the formation of business gangs is actually very practical. They are just to keep warm. Scholars, farmers, and merchants. Businessmen who go out to buy and sell in any dynasty often receive unfair treatment on the business road. Some local officials and local gangs will exploit them in various names. .
"Nowadays, several micro-businessmen have the greatest sincerity and are among the best in terms of strength. His Highness also knows that in Huizhou Baojie Valley, the mountains are at the foot of the original, the fields are barren, and the yields are very small, resulting in more businessmen, and the Jiang family, the leader of micro-businessmen We have some connection with the Holy One."
Zhu Biao raised his eyebrows when he heard this. The last sentence was the key point. After thinking for a while, he remembered that when his father sent his troops to Anhui, the great merchant Jiang Yuan had offered one hundred thousand taels for peace.
At that time, military pay was scarce, and he had to get pay and silver to support the army no matter what. Jiang Yuan took the initiative to donate money to save trouble and make a difference to other wealthy businessmen, so the feeling was there.
Zhu Biao asked: "What kind of things does micro-business deal with?"
Chen Youzong stroked his beard and said: "She inkstone, Hui ink, Chengxintang paper, and Wang Boli pen. These four treasures were often used as tribute items in the Tang and Song Dynasties. They are still the same today. Any literati with a little wealth will buy them. Suite installation facade.”
Zhu Biao glanced at the pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk in front of him and said: "I'm afraid the Four Treasures of the Study are not suitable for sea trade. Japan and Korea may rush to buy them, but other countries outside the vassal region cannot use them."
Chen Youzong was silent for a moment, and Zhu Biao said thoughtfully, "Just tell me what you have to say. Why should we, the monarch and my ministers, be so taboo here?"
"Most of the salt traders in Jianghuai are micro-businessmen and own thousands of ships..."
"Private salt?"
"Originally it was half-official and half-private, but according to Jiang Yuan's son, now they are all exchanged for the salt obtained from Kaizhongfa."
Zhu Biao tapped the desk thoughtfully: "Is it credible?"
Chen Youzong did not dare to guarantee: "I only know that since His Highness visited the south two years ago and attacked the Li family, all those who started their business by selling smuggled salt in the south of the Yangtze River have disappeared."
Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said: "Ask them to hand over 500 ships to the Water Transport General Office, and then send another 300,000 shi of grain to Hangzhou. This matter will be forgotten, but if they commit robbery and annihilation again, they will be killed."
"promise."
This is the price to pay, and they must have been prepared for it. The salt industry is hugely profitable, but there is a risk of confiscation and annihilation of the family. Maritime trade is also violent. Although there is a risk of shipwreck and death, the whole family will not be wiped out.
Chen Youzong's expression remained unchanged and continued: "Then there are Shanxi merchants. In recent years, due to the imperial court's introduction of Sino-French law, the wealth of Shanxi's wealthy merchants has doubled. Taiyuan, Pingyang, Ze, and Lu have the most powerful merchants in the world, not just dozens of them. Don’t dare claim to be rich.”
Zhu Biao knew that the Shanxi merchants who wanted to join the maritime trade must have heard that the imperial court was preparing to stop opening up to China and France, so they were so eager. Their camel fleet did not dare to stop.
"Okay, 300,000 shi of food and 200,000 taels of silver, let them prepare their own fleet to go overseas. How much they can eat depends on their appetite."
If you want to eat your first crab with the imperial court, you will naturally have to pay a price. Since the end of the Yuan Dynasty, sea trade has been cut off. No one knows what the situation is like overseas. Moreover, there are Japanese pirates running rampant in the offshore areas. Without the imperial navy to protect them, they will go to sea. Fat sheep.
There are also Fujian merchants behind them, but they don't need to spend too much, because they are truly ancestral in maritime trade and have extremely rich experience. The navy has to rely on them in many places on the sea.
With several regional business gangs, dozens of large merchant houses, and the number one naval force, this was basically the Ming Dynasty's first attempt at the ocean.
It seems that merchants account for the majority, but in fact, they are not even as good as the imperial court. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are only a drop in the bucket. Today, many silk and porcelain weavers are government-owned. The productivity of the imperial court is far greater than that of the merchant houses. too much.
What's more, no one can afford to miss out on the commercial taxes that should be collected after returning from trade. Zhu Biao never worried about whether sea trade would lose money. What he worried about was that the sea was ruthless. So what if the tens of thousands of naval fleets were only a few in the stormy sea? Just a piece of duckweed without roots.
Zhu Biao discussed with Chen Youzong for more than an hour before Chen Youzong left. After he returned home, he had to convey the prince's will to every household. Various arrangements and the general division of interests still needed to be discussed.
Zhu Biao drank three times hot tea at this moment, and his forehead was sweating. Fugui carefully fanned him with his sleeves, looking forward to recognition but afraid of being scolded.
Zhu Biao ordered indifferently: "There is a fan in the Qinglong wooden cabinet on the left side of the side hall, go and get it."
"promise"
Eunuchs commonly used spices, and Fugui used only ordinary ones when he first came to power. Zhu Biao smelled a bit pungent, and soon Fugui came back and fanned him gently.
"If you don't serve me well, you will be punished when you return."
Zhu Biao leaned on the chair and closed his eyes to rest. After a long time, he said, "Go back and ask Liu Jin."
Joy flashed in Fugui's eyes. What he feared most was that His Highness would ignore his instructions. In that case, he would not be prepared to keep him by his side forever.
What Zhu Biao was thinking about at this time was whether he wanted to take advantage of the wealthy businessmen. He had asked for some just now, but in fact it was very little. If it fell on one household, it would be too much, but Zhu Biao wanted to do something about the business gangs. Yes, they didn't even break their muscles and bones when they got together.
After thinking about it, I decided to forget it. With this amount of silver grain and searching elsewhere in the second half of the year, I can easily repay the Jiangnan clan's millions of stones of grain next year.
Merchants relied on the loose policies at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty and the low business taxes to calm down. There was no need to be so eager to exploit them. Even though they survived the troubled times at the end of the Yuan Dynasty with a richer family wealth than the common people, they certainly could not let go. With little blood, a lot of family property was lost.
Let’s wait until the sea trade is smooth before raising commercial taxes. Of course, the restrictions should be stricter. Collusion between officials and businessmen must be restricted and prevented. They cannot let them take all the power and finance. The Ming Dynasty is not the Ming Dynasty of merchants.
Zhu Biao sighed. He had to wait until the child grew up to beat him. It would not be good to beat him to death with force now. Lao Zhu only started beating his son severely when he was six or seven years old.
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