Since Yang Guozhu took office as the commander-in-chief of Datong Town, the Tiger Character Banner's strength in Datong has been further reduced.
The new governor and commander-in-chief of Datong are not far or close to the Tiger-Character Banner, and even vaguely suppress the Tiger-Character Banner. This puts increasing pressure on Zhao Yutu, who stays in Xinpingbao.
"Another year has passed so quickly." Zhao Yutu stood in front of the window, looking at the branches swaying in the wind outside the door.
After the New Year, the streets regained some of their popularity, and many street shops began to open for business. Tiger Flag's shop in Xinpingbao also began to welcome customers.
Before the first lunar month, merchants from all over the country had already come to Xinpingbao to do business.
Many merchants who don't want to go to Qingcheng want to get all kinds of leather goods from the grassland at cheap prices. There are only two places, Xinpingbao and Zhangjiakou, and Xinpingbao, unlike Zhangjiakou, doesn't have so many messy business taxes.
"Shopkeeper Li, you're here, please come in." The waiter in the shop greeted a dusty man who walked in from the door.
The visitor breathed hot air and walked quickly to the stove in the shop.
"It's so cold today, the wind wants to blow into my bones." Shopkeeper Li took off his gloves and put his hands on the fire to warm himself.
Zhao Yutu turned around and called to the waiter: "Make tea for Shopkeeper Li to warm yourself up."
The boy ran to make tea.
"I would like to thank Mr. Zhao in advance." Shopkeeper Li cupped his hands towards Zhao Yutu, and then continued to warm himself by the fire.
Soon, the waiter made tea and gave it to shopkeeper Li.
The tea burned my mouth and I couldn't drink it for a while. Shopkeeper Li put the teacup on his lap and held the outside of the teacup with his hands to keep warm.
"Bring some preserved fruits here." Zhao Yutu ordered the waiter, then walked towards Shopkeeper Li and sat down on the other side of the stove.
Shopkeeper Li held the tea cup, turned to Zhao Yutu who was sitting over and said, "It's better for you Tiger Flag. With such a stove, the whole room is hot, which is much better than mine."
"You have to be willing to replace the charcoal pot with a stove, and the house will be as warm as mine." Zhao Yutu said with a smile.
The other party is the shopkeeper of a merchant in Xinpingbao, and his shop is next door. He is just a bit picky, and would like to break a penny in half and spend it.
Shopkeeper Li said slightly embarrassed: "I have used the brazier for so many years and I have become accustomed to it."
"A stove like this is not expensive. A large stove like this only costs a few dozen taels. If you put one like this in your shop, you won't have to freeze all winter." Zhao Yutu said.
Shopkeeper Li said coquettishly: "Next year, when I get a stove like the one in your shop, I will definitely invite Mr. Zhao to my place to warm up the fire."
"I take what Shopkeeper Li said seriously. I must go there later, otherwise Shopkeeper Li won't let me have tea." Zhao Yutu joked.
Shopkeeper Li shook his head quickly and said: "That's not possible. If Mr. Zhao is willing to come to my place, I will treat him well. Not to mention tea, preserved fruits are also indispensable."
As he said that, he looked up and looked for the waiter in the shop, thinking about the preserved fruit that Zhao Yutu had just asked the waiter to prepare.
At this time, the waiter came out of the next room, holding a plate with a few simple preserved fruits in his hand, and placed it next to the stove.
When shopkeeper Li saw the waiter bringing the preserved fruit, he hurriedly reached out and picked one up, threw it into his mouth and started eating.
"Today is the first day the market opens. I guess the business at Shopkeeper Li's place is good!" Zhao Yutu looked at Shopkeeper Li who was having tea with a smile.
He took the hook in his hand and put it on the stove snare.
"Hey, don't mention it. It's been all morning and there hasn't been a single customer." Shopkeeper Li sighed and said, "Business is getting harder and harder."
Zhao Yutu was stunned.
I thought that only their shop in Tiger Flag had no customers, but I didn't expect that the shop next door also had no customers.
"In the past, when General Liu Shou was here, our Xinping Fort was very lively. Now look at it, there are fewer and fewer traders coming. If this continues, sooner or later we will close down." Shopkeeper Li complained.
As the Tiger Character Banner opened Qingcheng to merchants from the Ming Dynasty, some merchants who came to Xinpingbao to do business chose to go to Qingcheng. In addition, the current Xinpingbao keeper intentionally or unintentionally suppressed Xinpingbao merchants, which made Xinpingbao's business more and more popular. It was difficult to do, so naturally there were fewer merchants coming to Xinpingbao.
Zhao Yutu comforted him: "Maybe it's because the New Year has just passed, so it will be better after a while."
"It's not going to get better. I heard that our guard sent someone to collect entry fees at the city gate. All the people and merchants entering the city have to pay taxes, and merchants have to pay taxes when leaving the city, otherwise they won't be able to leave the city gate at all. ." Shopkeeper Li said with a sigh.
Zhao Yutu frowned when he heard this and said, "Why do I have to pay taxes when I leave the city? This has never happened before."
Not long after Li Guangyi came to Datong as governor, Huang An began to collect a head tax for entering the city. Businessmen were not only charged a head tax, but also a commercial tax on the goods they brought.
These powers belong to the guard of Xinping Fort. Even if Zhao Yutu knew about this kind of thing, he would be powerless to stop it, so he could only watch Huang An reap benefits from the merchants coming and going to Xinping Fort and destroy the commercial prosperity of Xinping Fort.
"It's just to make money!" Storekeeper Li said, "The notice was posted outside the gate of the general's mansion. No one knows about the merchants entering the city. When they leave the city, they are told to pay the city tax."
After saying that, he took another sip of tea and grabbed the preserved fruit on the plate with his other hand to eat.
Zhao Yutu frowned and said: "If this continues, there will be no merchants coming to Xinping Fort. By doing this, wouldn't it be killing the goose that lays the egg?"
"We are all ordinary people. How can we care about the affairs of the Shou General's Mansion? If Shou General Liu is still there, maybe our words can be of some use. Unfortunately, Shou General Liu is not here. It is Shou General Huang who has the final say in Xinping Fort." Shopkeeper Li grabbed the last piece of preserved fruit on the plate and threw it into his mouth.
Zhao Yutu sighed and said, "It's a pity. If this continues, Xinpingbao will never be as prosperous as it once was."
Based on Huang An's approach, it can be expected that business here in Xinpingbao will become increasingly difficult.
Now that there is no mutual market, it is difficult for Xinpingbao to benefit from the mutual market. Once the Tiger Flag cuts off the supply of Xinpingbao, Xinpingbao will have nothing to attract merchants.
The merchants who originally lived in Xinpingbao will also move away from Xinpingbao little by little. In the end, Xinpingbao will only be reduced to a pure military fortress.
"Mr. Zhao belongs to General Liu. Why don't you talk to General Liu? Maybe General Huang will cancel the head tax at the city gate for the sake of General Liu." Shopkeeper Li looked at Zhao Yutu hopefully.
I hope that Tiger Flag can come forward and stop what Huang Shoujiang is doing.
Zhao Yutu shook his head and said: "My boss is no longer an official in the officialdom. He has long since retired and has no chance to talk to General Huang."
At this time, he already understood that the purpose of shopkeeper Li next door coming to his place was not just to warm himself up by the fire.
