The book continues from the previous chapter, talking about the new dock.
In response, Hai Dafu asked tentatively: "Mr. Qi, what is the draft of the pier?"
Qi Yu raised the corner of his mouth and said with a smile: "Let's put it this way, the treasure ships I use to sail to the West can berth at my dock. What do you think the depth will be?"
"Ah...this..."
According to legend, the treasure ships that sailed to the West were as tall as a building, with a wide base and a wide upper tip. Each ship could accommodate a thousand people. In terms of size, it is thirty-seven feet long and fifteen feet wide, and has a strong carrying capacity.
It can be seen that the treasure ships used for voyages to the Western Ocean were huge, almost comparable to future 'aircraft carriers', and their draft capacity was by no means ordinary.
If further analysis is based on this logic, the throughput of the new terminal should be very strong in the future, not far behind those major shipping towns in the south of the Yangtze River.
How tempting!
When Hai Dafu heard this, his heart surged and his eyes shone. He tried his best to suppress his greed and asked in a calm tone: "Sir, since there is no problem with the draft of the new pier, I am completely relieved. This trip is not for anything else. , I want to take advantage of my recent free time to build a larger cargo merchant ship as a supplement to the shipping... However, this requires the guidance of the old shipwrights you brought back, so I will come here to support you. I begged you with my face."
It turned out that I wanted to build a big ship!
As we all know, the fishing industry in Qiongzhou is prosperous. Most of the boats you can see are small boats used for fishing. Large boats are basically invisible, let alone the old craftsmen who built them.
Hai Dafu thought of this festival, so he came to ask for help.
Qi Yu smiled and said, "Sailor, how big of a ship do you want to build?"
"At least it will be twice as large as my current full capacity!" Hai Dafu said proudly.
Double? That's still small!
Qi Yu did not continue to ask, but changed to another topic: "Executive member, what is your purpose of building this ship?"
Hai Dafu opened his mouth and said: "What use can I do as a medicine merchant? Of course it is the medicine business in Qiongzhou. However, if I switch to large ships for transportation, I can save a lot of expenses."
Peng Wenchang nodded when he heard this and said: "That's right. One of Yuanwai's original two medicine ships has been lost. Since there is a need for reconstruction, we should really consider larger ships with more advantages."
Large ships have high transportation efficiency and save labor, but they must have supporting docks for docking.
Now that the future is clear, we can make some plans.
Qi Yu shook his head, smiled, and said with a disappointed look on his face: "I originally thought that sailors would be able to make a lot of money, but I never thought that I would still be obsessed with small profits!"
Um?
Something's wrong, there's something in those words!
Hai Dafu concealed his confusion and asked: "This... I forgive Hai for being stupid and not understanding the deeper meaning. I hope Mr. Qi can give me some advice."
"Yeah! That's good!"
Qi Yu put down his wine glass calmly, showed a high-spirited and confident expression, and said: "Qiongzhou has returned to stability now, and it is the time to vigorously pursue development. If the construction of the new terminal can be completed as scheduled, then the future business plan can be It has been put on the agenda recently. Our Qiongzhou is the only place in China that has relaxed the maritime ban. Wouldn’t it be a pity not to make good use of this unique and beneficial policy? Qiongzhou has a special geography, facing the sea on all sides, and is separated from the Southeast Asian countries. Facing each other by the sea, we have a unique advantage in shipping and trade. As long as the infrastructure construction can keep up, we can make a fortune even if we don't want to!"
"Well……"
As Qi Yu spoke, he couldn't help but stand up and said seriously: "I won't hide it from you either. The first government decree on shipping is to establish trade relations with Luzon. I don't know if Haiyuanwai is willing to be a part of it." Get a share of the pie?”
Luzon is a notoriously barren island, and its people's customs are rough and savage, not much better than primitive society.
If you establish trade relations with them, let alone get a share of the pie, you probably won’t even make a cent back!
Hai Dafu neither nodded nor shook his head. He felt like something was stuck in his throat and he didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Peng Wenchang also had a look of astonishment on his face, not knowing why at all. He looked at Mr. Qi's face carefully and found that his eyes were bright and clear, and he did not look like he had drunk too much.
Since you were not drunk, how could you say such nonsense?
How strange!
Weird!
Seeing that both of them were confused, Qi Yu couldn't help but murmur secretly. After being intoxicated enough, he explained: "In the eyes of ordinary people, Luzon is a shabby place where chickens can't lay eggs and birds can't poop. But in fact, it is a small country with rich products, and there are golden bumps everywhere!"
Golden pimple?
The soil is almost the same!
Who believes it!
"Don't just shake your head, listen to what I have to say first. Well, let's put it this way, I intend to revitalize our textile industry in Qiongzhou, vigorously promote the production and processing of cotton and linen, and then let merchants take it to Luzon for trade. Bartering for the 'spice' that was abundant in their area."
Ah, it’s actually spice!
This... is indeed a golden pimple, and it belongs to a hugely profitable industry!
There were rumors before that the Southeast Asian countries were rich in spices, but I didn’t know that Luzon was not included.
Qi Yu was very sure of this. He said that the spices in Luzon were carried in huge quantities, and it was said that they were burned as firewood by the local natives. It was simply a waste of natural resources.
so many?
"is that true?"
"Absolutely true!"
If this is the case, it is indeed feasible!
So, does bartering work?
Qi Yu thinks it is feasible.
At present, Luzon is poor and primitive, lacking in materials, and is in urgent need of basic necessities such as cotton, linen, and silk. If you ask them to pay for it, they probably won't be able to get the money out of it, but if you ask them to exchange for the spices they picked up for free, they will definitely rush to get it first.
Well, it works!
However, there are new problems.
what?
If the spices are exchanged as expected, who will they sell them to? Qiongzhou’s demand alone cannot absorb much!
market?
No worries!
Qi Yu narrowed his eyes and smiled happily: "As we all know, China is extremely dependent on spices, why worry about not being able to sell them? Now the whole country is under a sea ban, but only one place in our country, Qiongzhou, has been relaxed. That is to say , if you want to buy enough spices, you can only come here to purchase them. In order to facilitate transactions, I plan to build a large trading market not far from the shore after building the pier, so as to attract merchants from all over the country to come here. . In this way, we can still sell at the good price we want without leaving home.”
This is the benefit of relaxing the sea ban!
Can achieve a unique semi-monopoly business.
Peng Wenchang was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and he couldn't close his mouth in astonishment.
It was only now that he truly realized the importance of policy. Without the Emperor's permission, you would not be able to display your great abilities.
When faced with the emperor's inquiries, he asked for a plan instead of money. Looking at it now, it was indeed a far-sighted move.
Hai Dafu had already heard that his heart was pounding. After calming down, he asked eagerly: "Sir, what do you think about this tariff?"
Tariffs are a sensitive issue.
Businessmen are most concerned and concerned about this.
Qi Yu put away his smile and said solemnly: "Spice trading is a huge profit, so the government will naturally impose heavy taxes!"
"How heavy is it?"
"Half of the profits!"
Fifty percent?
I have to say, this tax is indeed very heavy!
But on the other hand, having half of the profit left is a huge fortune!
Hai Dafu was only slightly confused for a moment, and then he immediately became relieved.
Regarding the heavy taxes, Qi Yu gave his own explanation: "Outside the seamen, this is not because Qi Yu has a bad heart, but is forced by reality! You must also know that His Majesty has exempted Qiongzhou Prefecture from taxes for three full years. With agricultural and mulberry tax as support, where can I raise capital for the development of Qiongzhou? How can I maintain the finances of our state government? After much thought, I can only find some income from shipping tariffs."
Market ship tariff refers to the tax paid by merchant ships in overseas trade, which is not included in traditional taxes. Therefore, this move does not constitute a violation of the imperial edict.
Hai Dafu nodded repeatedly, expressing his understanding.
There is no other reason. My son-in-law is the one in charge of taxation. No one can trip him up!
Therefore, regarding the shipping tariff, I not only have to support it with both hands, but also try my best to persuade other businessmen to reduce the official pressure on my son-in-law.
