Returning to the Lotus Pond Villa in the evening, Zheng Shuqing asked the beautiful maid to make tea again. Unfortunately, Fang Chongyong was so tired that he almost fell asleep. He sat on a high stool with a slumped face and took a nap.
Zheng Shuqing waved his hand gently, signaling the maid to leave.
"You were wandering around today, did you come up with a solution?"
He was a little impatient. The pressure of 300,000 yuan was not something ordinary people could bear. He was just as tired as Fang Chongyong, but he was just mentally tired.
"There must be a way, and I walk on two legs."
Fang Chongyong rubbed his eyes and said a little impatiently. Zheng Shuqing is too verbose, and he is not calm at all. Isn't it only 300,000 yuan?
After the Anshi Rebellion began, the imperial court randomly collected donations from the wealthy people in Chang'an, and even when they failed to make donations, the amount was more than this!
"Isn't this nonsense? Who doesn't walk on two legs?"
Zheng Shuqing looked at Fang Chongyong with contempt, and asked angrily, not bothering to care about his own image, and his words were very vulgar.
He always felt that Fang Chongyong acted erratically and couldn't control himself at all!
"Okay, okay, I said it's not okay yet."
Fang Chongyong rubbed his temples and sighed: "There are two methods that can work both ways, but for the time being, there is only one method that can be used."
"Then you still won't tell me?"
Zheng Shuqing's eyes lit up and he wanted to start shooting.
"It's simple. I saw that there are many shipyards in Kuizhou, and there are also many people engaged in ship repair and shipbuilding. After asking around, most of the ships in Shu come from Kuizhou. We can just sell the ships. Basically We can collect up to three hundred thousand guan."
Fang Chongyong said with some lack of interest, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.
"Selling a boat? Have you ever inquired about the price of a boat? Do you think I don't know the price of a boat here in Kuizhou? Do you think this governor is a fool!"
Zheng Shuqing shouted while slapping the table, already furious.
"No, no, let me think about it. If you sell one for a thousand guan, you can only sell three hundred of them. Kuizhou is in a strategic location. Could it be that you can't sell three hundred of them in half a year?"
Fang Chungyong said nonchalantly, as if he was talking about selling a few kilograms of meat.
However, in the Tang Dynasty, a county in Yangzhou and other places produced more than 300 large ships a year! It sounds like this thing can be made very quickly as long as the raw materials are available.
Kuizhou is the shipbuilding center of Shu. It has a long history and strong technical strength. There are many craftsmen who have been engaged in shipbuilding for generations! There are three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, so on average there are only two ships a day.
Fang Chongyong thought it was just a matter of sprinkling water.
"Here in Kuizhou, a boat with two or three hundred guan is already very big, but a bigger one can't get through Kuimen at all! Have you ever thought about this!"
Zheng Shuqing roared at Fang Chongyong, and the spittle almost sprayed onto his face.
The shipbuilding industry in the Tang Dynasty was extremely developed, let alone a hundred guan. On the wide river in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, some large ships could accommodate more than 3,000 people, and even vegetables could be grown on them. A thousand guan would only make a lonely ship!
However, this has nothing to do with Kuizhou, because those large ships cannot sail over at all, and the draft is too deep, and they are easily stranded in the Three Gorges. The question Zheng Shuqing mentioned was a common sense question, but Fang Chongyong had his own ideas.
He took a deep breath and said:
"Your Majesty, we said that this boat costs a thousand guan, so it will cost a thousand guan. Isn't this obvious? What we are providing is not a boat, but the qualification to pass the Kuimen.
There are many boats, some are big and easy to run aground; some are small and easy to capsize. Isn't it dangerous for these ships to pass through Kuimen and easily get into trouble in the fast river current, eventually blocking the waterway?
Blockage of waterways affects everyone. Let’s stand up and set the rules now. What kind of ship type is more reliable and can pass the heavy weight of the ship?
We use our own reputation as a guarantee, charge them a few hundred dollars, and issue a customs clearance permit. Is this too much? "
Fang Chongyong spoke so confidently that Zheng Shuqing was stunned.
"Well, if that's the case, wouldn't it be better if we just issue the customs clearance documents?"
Zheng Shuqing asked in a low voice, feeling that Fang Chongyong was unnecessary. Now that you have decided to play a big game, why bother to tie your hands?
The atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty was open, and local officials were always willing to take risks.
"Your Majesty, if we only issue customs clearance documents to collect money, people will report us to the court and say that we are forcibly extorting bribes! After all, we have not obtained the official documents from the court. It is just that the higher-ups are not allowed to do so. They do not say that the money we collect from customs clearance documents is According to the law.
But we are selling boats now. No, we are recommending those merchants who have cleared customs to buy local boats that meet the requirements in Kuizhou. We do not take a penny. This is official business.
As for those merchants responsible for shipbuilding along the coast of Kuizhou, if they voluntarily donate some money to the government to do charity in the future, we would be embarrassed not to accept it, right? "
Fang Zhongyong said categorically, very confidently.
Because it is necessary to ensure the safety of the waterway, only "standard" watercraft can pass through. This is responsible for the smooth flow of the waterway and the personal safety of the people sailing on the ship. Logically, there is no problem.
Because standard ships are only available locally, merchants can only buy "standard ships" locally. If something happens to a standard ship, it is a problem on the part of the Kuizhou government. It is the government that guarantees it. There is no problem with this logic.
Because the shipbuilding merchants were grateful to the government, they voluntarily donated money to the government. This logic is also not problematic.
Because the imperial court needed money, Zheng Shuqing sent the money to Chang'an or transported it to a certain place according to the imperial court's instructions. This logic is even more unproblematic.
As for the astonishing price of local standard watercraft in Kuizhou, it has nothing to do with the Kuizhou government office. It is all commercial behavior and free buying and selling.
If you don’t buy it, you can continue to see the scenery in Kuizhou, and no one will force you to pass customs.
After a roundabout explanation, Fang Chongyong reached a logical closed loop.
Zheng Shuqing was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time. After a long time, he asked with some doubts: "Would this trigger a civil uprising?"
"No, building so many ships will overwhelm the local people. Even counting money will make them weak. Who would make trouble? It's just enough to help the envoy to guard the city. Whoever makes trouble will be the enemy of the whole city. "
"I'm afraid it will take many years for the princes of the imperial court to appreciate the painstaking efforts that the emperor has taken to do this. Many people will understand his actions in the future. Unifying the standards of the water ships and making them uniform can maximize the To ensure the safety of boating to the maximum extent. As long as it is the same boat and sailed according to the rules, it will not capsize or run aground.
What do you think? "
Fang Zhongyong spoke eloquently, and when the whip was inserted, it seemed as if there really was such a great and noble person.
Zheng Shuqing felt a little relieved, nodded slightly and asked: "What if it's a court ship? There are quite a lot of court ships passing through the Kuizhou Jiangguan. Do we have to force them to change ships?"
Fang Chongyong: "..."
Governor Zheng really thinks too much. Just enjoy the dividends from the merchants. Do you still want to use this set of operations on the court?
"Your Majesty, there is one more thing."
Fang Chongyong's face straightened and he said: "Please write an official letter to ask the soldiers from Dongyang Prefecture to come to Kuizhou Prefecture to help. There are many slave warriors armed with swords and clubs on the merchant ships. If we force the pass, we have to have someone. He could control the scene. Yang Ruoxu's fifty crossbowmen would probably be looked down upon.
If we fail to control the situation at the critical moment and allow some ships to escape, then all our previous efforts will be in vain.
Tomorrow I will go to the many shipyards outside Kuizhou City to inquire about the type of ship suitable for crossing the Yangtze River. I will choose the best one. The one that is excellent will not delay your good deeds. "
Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing felt a little confused on his face. If possible, he really didn't want to risk his troops. But there seems to be no other good solution at the moment. Who knows if Fang Chongyong’s other “bad idea” will work?
It might as well be like this!
"That's fine, I'll make the arrangements. If you need any help, just ask. There's no way out, alas!"
…
During the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, inland waterway shipping was extremely developed.
In order to ensure the sustainable development of the shipping industry and strengthen water transport management, the imperial court established a complete top-down water transport affairs management and law enforcement agency. From legislation to execution to supervision, it can be described as a trinity!
Among them, the "Water Ministry" under the Ministry of Industry of Shangshu Province is responsible for the legislation and administrative review of water flow and boat navigation.
The "Du Water Supervision", an independent agency directly under the Shangshu Province, is a specialized water transport management agency at the central level other than the six ministries of the Shangshu Province. It is responsible for supervising and inspecting water flows, river embankments, shipping and Jinliang work, and most of the supervision and administrative management. The task is also carried out by the Metropolitan Water Supervisor.
The "Water and Land Transport Envoy" or "All Roads Transport Envoy" sent by the central government are responsible for coordinating the relationship between the two, especially monitoring whether the government's water transportation is running smoothly.
But there is a blind spot in these institutions that has not been, or rather has not been determined on purpose.
That is the question of who will collect the river tariff. The situation in different states and counties is different and cannot be generalized.
What surprised Fang Chongyong was that most of the local states and counties were responsible for collecting river tariffs in the Tang Dynasty.
In fact, this is easy to understand, because if the Ministry of Water Resources and the Metropolitan Water Supervision were responsible for managing these matters, it would easily cause serious conflicts with the civil affairs of local states and counties. Moreover, it is directly under the central government and it is impossible to send many people to work outside.
For example, Gu Kuang is the supervisor in charge of hundreds of hectares of red lotus rice fields. In the entire Kuizhou, he is the only official directly under the central government. The others working in the fields are just tenants! There is no imperial establishment at all! The same goes for the petty officials who manage farmland.
Another example is Kuizhou. If tariffs are collected by an agency directly under the central government, even if there are no personnel problems, the local financial resources will be greatly weakened.
Because Kuizhou Prefecture really doesn’t have much other input except customs duties, which are the largest source of income. The total amount of customs duties is much higher than the rent collected by the local government! It is almost an order of magnitude more than the commercial tax!
Will these levels take the spotlight by then? Will it cause chaos in local finances? Will it be resisted and restricted by local officials?
The answer is self-evident and cannot be avoided. The court's choice is also very realistic, and it can be managed as easily as possible.
Excluding the collection of river tariffs, this is a complete water transport management system. It also elevates water transport management to the level of law and fully implements water transport management with safety as the theme.
Some of them are as sophisticated as Fang Chongyong's previous life.
For example, boat owners must conduct safety inspections on the vessel at any time before sailing or during the voyage to ensure that the hull is watertight. If there is water seepage, it should be removed in time to avoid causing navigation accidents and ensure that the ship maintains good seaworthiness.
For another example, after a boat is berthed, signs must be set up to facilitate identification by ships and passengers. Boats and bamboo rafts must avoid each other during navigation. In rapids and dangerous shoals, if the upper and lower boats meet, the boarding boat must take the initiative to avoid the launching boat. This is especially true in the Yangtze River where rapids and rapids are common, to avoid accidents caused by rushing to the other side. .
If the above regulations are not followed, the boat owner will be punished with "50 floggings".
All the regulations are extremely detailed.
However, the ideal is very full and the reality is very skinny.
The strategy of the Central Committee of the Tang Dynasty was very good, and the arrangements were not ingenious, but... it seemed that there were not enough manpower, and the policies formulated could not be truly implemented. The phenomenon of capsizing and sinking of ships in river channels still occurs frequently and can be seen everywhere.
Because the Capital Water Supervisor, who is responsible for implementing "water affairs," has a total establishment of less than 400 officials across the country, 362 to be exact.
This includes roles such as department heads and chief clerks, and there are even fewer who can actually work at the grassroots level.
But in the vast territory of the Tang Dynasty, there were more than a hundred rivers! If you only expect these people to do things and deal with complicated affairs, then even if they are busy from dawn to dusk, they will not be able to finish the work without sleeping or eating!
Therefore, the local states and counties where the river section is located have taken on the task of "assisting" in the management of the river. In other words, the Metropolitan Water Supervision does not go down to the grassroots level at all, but only regularly listens to "reports" from local states and counties.
People from the Capital Water Supervisory Bureau are all deployed in key cities and work there. For example, big cities like Jiangling, Yangzhou, and Luoyang.
Specifically, here in Kuizhou, there are no officials from the Water Supervision Bureau in charge of the management. Everything is "carried out" to the Kuizhou government office. Who let Fucheng be right next to Jiangguan in Kuizhou? Zheng Shuqing didn't say a word. Who dared to reach out and take care of it?
Yang Ruoxu and the united soldiers under his command were responsible for the tasks of anti-smuggling and intercepting ships on the river. Except for Yang Ruoxu, who had a military position, everyone else was a "temporary worker", and this kind of work was very hard. He said that there was not much to fish for, and he usually spent three days fishing and two days drying the nets.
As long as there are no ships evading customs and tax, or large ships capsizing and blocking the waterway, they generally will not go out.
Early that morning, Yang Ruoxu posted a notice at the ferry outside Kuizhou City, asked his men to beat gongs and drums, and then blocked the Kuizhou Jiangguan! No ships are allowed to pass!
On the board where the notice was posted, there was a large piece of paper that read:
According to the new regulations of the imperial court, in order to ensure the safety of waterways and prevent ships from capsizing or running aground, only ships with designated ship types and designated carrying capacity can pass through customs!
Please ask in front of the government office for details!
If someone breaks through by force, he will be punished as a bandit.
Seeing this notice, all the merchants running the ship were dumbfounded. Kuizhou Commercial Port can indeed store goods, but it cannot be said that it will always stay here. If it cannot be cleared on time, the consequences will be big or small.
One after another, merchants went to the government office, only to find that there were already crowds of people in front of the government office.
There were many notices posted on the wall outside the government office, and a bunch of people crowded there to read them. Many people who came later couldn't squeeze in at all.
"The water flow in the Shu River is turbulent, and ships are prone to capsize, and are even more likely to run aground and block the waterway. According to the new policy of the imperial court, from now on, all watercraft passing through Jiangguan must be regulated uniformly, and a unified customs clearance certificate will be issued by Jiangguan in Kuizhou. One ship, one certificate, no Those who testify will not be able to pass the test.”
"If the urgent goods pass the customs, each ship must pledge five hundred guan. If a new ship is customized next time, the pledged money can be redeemed with the customs clearance permit. If the customs clearance is not completed within one year, the pledged money will be redeemed later. Kuizhou government office redeemed him.
Or all the cargo on the ship can be unloaded, the ship can pass through the customs empty, and the cargo can be disposed of as floating. You can also unload the goods first, and then change ships to pass the customs after the new ship is built. "
"There are shipyards around the capital of Kuizhou where ships can be built. In order to ensure orderly order on a first-come, first-served basis, you must first go to the government office to apply for customs clearance documents and receive a number plate. Then, use the documents and number plate to go to the shipyard to customize a standard ship. The shipyard builds ships in sequence. , the government will cancel their construction qualifications if they violate the rules. If a merchant builds a ship privately and then comes to apply for a customs clearance document, the government will not issue it."
"This customs has established a red name system. Those who forcefully pass the customs, commit crimes in Kuizhou City, build ships privately or forge customs clearance documents in an attempt to pass the customs will be permanently disqualified once verified."
How is this a new regulation? This is forced buying and selling of Hongguoguo!
"The dog officials are levying excessive taxes. Let's sail the boat and fight them. I don't believe they can stop everyone!"
A strong man wearing a green brocade robe raised one hand and shouted loudly. Suddenly, an arrow shot from a distance and shot directly through his throat!
"There are still people who dare to make trouble, he is a role model!"
Wang Zhongsi, who was tall and tall and dressed in leather armor, walked out of the government office. He still maintained his archery posture and held the horn bow without putting it down. Behind him, more than a dozen soldiers wearing heavy armor lined up to wait for the enemy.
