"you……"
Listening to Zhou Tingru's questions, the faces of Ye Longxi, Ge Shun and others changed drastically, and their eyes were full of horror.
The decision to establish the Chamber of Commerce was made yesterday afternoon. Only wealthy merchants and gentry who have reached a certain level in Suzhou City knew about it. It has not been announced to the public yet. How did Zhou Tingru know?
Did one of them rebel? Or did Jin Yiwei find out? Or were they overheard while they were plotting? Or did you spill the beans last night?
No matter which one it is, it is enough to see Jin Yiwei's pervasiveness.
After the shock, various thoughts flashed through Ye Longxi's mind, and then he said calmly: "Your Majesty, this is indeed the case.
We also made a temporary decision in view of problems such as dishonesty in cooperation between merchants and dealers, high prices, and supply and marketing difficulties.
The main purpose is to put constraints on businessmen and businessmen, standardize the business environment, exchange information, and achieve better development.
It is still under planning. Now that the prefect knows about it, it will save you the trouble of reporting to the prefect’s Yamen in the future! "
The crowd was quiet for a moment, and then started talking.
Listening to the discussion of the crowd, Ye Longxi felt cold in his heart, but his expression was normal and he said: "I just heard that the prefect meant that it is not allowed to exist?"
"of course not!"
Zhou Tingru said calmly: "This is a good thing. It is better if it is regulated. Under the supervision of the Chamber of Commerce, there will be fewer economic disputes and the pressure on the government will be reduced.
But this government must make it clear to you that you are just a non-governmental organization and have no right to implement the government's registration system, warranty system and clearance system, as well as the various commercial penalties imposed by the Ming Dynasty laws. You can only mediate them. Do you understand? ? "
"We will bear in mind Master System's teachings and say goodbye!"
"Please!"
Zhou Tingru waved his hand, turned around and walked towards the high platform. The moment he turned around, the expression on his face slowly faded. By the time he returned to the high platform, his face had become cold.
"Dear neighbors, eight shops have just been raided, and the number of vacant shops is estimated to be around a hundred. If you are interested, you can go to the house under the prefect's office to subscribe. The one with the highest price will get it, but it will not exceed the appraised price.
But many of them are bookstores, tea shops, etc., which cannot meet everyone’s daily needs.
Therefore, the government decided to temporarily open four square markets outside the four city gates of Suzhou City: Changmen in the northwest, Panmen in the southwest, Qimen in the northeast, and Xiangmen in the southeast, imitating the border markets. There are about five hundred stalls,
Changmen sells study supplies, incense and candle supplies, etc., Panmen sells wood, coal, bricks, etc., Qimen sells firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea and other household supplies, Xiangmen sells silk, fur, medicinal materials, etc. The details will be announced later.
Merchants who come from afar can register at these four city gates, and villagers can go there to buy if they need it. I believe that without merchants profiting from the price difference, it will be more affordable outside.
It's just that the distance is a bit long, so folks can buy a little more at a time and treat it as a way to keep themselves refreshed!
Of course, the conditions are a little rough for the time being. When I am done with this period of time, I will make some plans in Suzhou City to see if I can build a new market. Please forgive me, this is a no-brainer! "
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Longxi and others who were walking in the crowd suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Zhou Tingru on the high platform, their eyes full of shock and anger.
The fingers pointing at Zhou Tingru were trembling: "You..."
puff……
puff……
Two or three people spurted out a mouthful of blood, their gloomy faces quickly turned red, and then turned white, but their eyes were fixed on the high platform.
His breathing was rapid, and his chest was heaving violently.
The people around him quickly supported Ye Longxi and patted his back gently. After he recovered, Ge Shun's trembling voice sounded: "Master Magistrate, do you really want to kill every fish and kill them all?"
"Master Ge, why didn't I understand what you said? If you have anything to say, just say it!"
"you you……"
"Lao Ge, calm down, don't fall out completely, go back and make a long-term plan!"
Ye Longxi pressed Ge Shun's hand, and after taking a deep look at Zhou Tingru, everyone turned and left.
After everyone left, the people came back to their senses. Most of them had doubts on their faces, but some in the crowd still understood.
"What do you mean? Is this a riddle? Why are you vomiting blood?"
"I'm so angry that I'm so angry!"
"No, that's not the case. The missed taxes have been paid back, and the prefect Zhou has no excuse to deal with them.
With the business of the Chamber of Commerce, credit rating and directions are no longer a problem, only the store calendar review is a waste. The wealthy businessmen win! "
"You stupid pig, do you think that the prefect of Zhou opened a market in the four city gates? This not only solved the problem of goods being trafficked by merchants from other places, but also solved the needs of the people in the city.
If the wealthy businessmen don't open the door, they won't open the door. It doesn't matter if there is a market! "
"That's right, there are no merchants in the middle. Not to mention how cheap the goods from the merchants are, they are definitely cheaper than those from the merchants. What are you afraid of if you have to travel a long distance?"
"This is a really clever trick. As long as the Zhou Prefecture keeps blocking their shops, they won't be able to open them, they won't be able to do business, and the Chamber of Commerce will be nothing more than a decoration."
"So that's it, there is still this Tao Dao, but...those workshops have eliminated a large number of craftsmen, etc. What should they do if they have no work?"
"The city of Suzhou is so big, why are you afraid that you won't be able to find a job? They are all craftsmen. As long as the government provides money, is it difficult to build some workshops? Although it can't solve everything, it can solve some problems.
As long as the wealthy businessmen still want to do business in Suzhou City in the future, they have to be subdued, otherwise the prefect will definitely make trouble for them. It's really awesome! "
"Haven't you noticed? This chamber of commerce seems to be okay now. Businessmen in the future can only join them. Otherwise, the merchants in the association will exclude and suppress them, making it impossible for them to continue.
They have the final say in Suzhou City. If we raise the price uniformly, we have no choice but to buy it. Therefore, these wealthy businessmen and gentry are nothing! "
…
Some people in the crowd who understood clearly explained, and the common people suddenly understood and began to curse the wealthy businessmen and gentry.
The merchants have mixed feelings. They are happy that they can solve the trafficking of goods, get cash, and sell them at a higher price. They are worried that it will delay time, trivial matters, etc., but overall they are quite satisfied.
"Okay, fellow neighbors, let's all disperse. Those who have business experience, strength, and literacy can go to a few markets to try their luck. The merchants will definitely need manpower."
"My business friends who have come from afar, I have solved the problem for you, but I would like to emphasize three points.
First, fights are not allowed in the mutual market; second, inferior quality is not allowed or fraud is allowed; third, craftsmen are not allowed to deduct their wages, and they are paid as soon as they are sold.
Violation of the above three points will result in being expelled from the market and not allowed to enter for three months, to being punished with fifty rods and permanently banned from doing business in Suzhou City. Let's all disperse! "
The people were quite satisfied with Zhou Tingru's handling and left amid discussions.
