For a region to develop, it must have start-up capital. This time Zhao Tai issued a reward of 100,000 guan to the soldiers, which undoubtedly activated the commodity economy within the feudal town.
This gave some people within the feudal town, led by the army, some spending power. After they have the ability to consume, merchants can sell goods, earn profits, and accumulate capital, so they have the motivation to expand their business.
In this way, the feudal town's economy will prosper and taxes will rise. Of course, there is a problem, that is, the goods sold by these merchants mainly come from the Southern Song Dynasty, and there are not many goods from within the feudal town.
This means that the wealth under the vassal government flows into the Southern Song Dynasty every year, and the total wealth is decreasing.
If the vassal town did not have enough supplies and sold them to the Southern Song Dynasty, a trade deficit would result.
Currently, the total wealth in the area governed by the feudal town is only about three million guan. If there is a deficit of several hundred thousand guan a year, they will soon be destitute.
At present, Zhao Tai imported cloth, porcelain, rice paper, books, tea, grain, soybean oil and other commodities from the Southern Song Dynasty, while exporting only soap, a small amount of whale oil and leather products, resulting in a huge trade deficit.
If the vassal government wanted to ensure a sufficient supply of goods under its rule, it would need to buy copper coins from the Southern Song Dynasty. However, the vassal government could not exchange enough copper coins for the goods it exported.
In this way, under the rule of the vassal government, it was impossible to accumulate capital and become rich and powerful. Therefore, Zhao Tai asked Wang Wentong to sell the corals, Dongzhu, books, calligraphy and paintings and other treasures seized from Xuzhou to the Southern Song Dynasty to reduce the deficit and encourage commerce. He hoped that the goods produced by the feudal government could be exported to the Southern Song Dynasty in large quantities and reverse the trade deficit.
Southern Song Dynasty, Taizhou. This place is located on Liangzhe East Road, south of Shaoxing Prefecture and Qingyuan Prefecture, close to the sea, and the territory is mountainous. There are high-quality timber on the mountains, which makes the shipbuilding industry here relatively developed.
After Hu Zhen received Zhao Tai's order, she led officials sent from Haizhou to Taizhou to find shipbuilding merchants and asked them to go to Haizhou to build shipyards and help the vassal government develop the shipbuilding industry.
Haizhou attaches great importance to the introduction of Taizhou shipbuilding merchants, because one shipbuilding ship can solve the resettlement problem of thousands of refugees, and can drive other nearby handicraft workshops, bringing a large amount of tax revenue to the government. Therefore, Haizhou County Magistrate Zhou Rong thought again and again. He went to Chuzhou in person, met with Hu Zhen, and rushed to Taizhou.
After the group arrived in Taizhou, they asked around and learned that the largest shipbuilding workshop in Taizhou was in the hands of the local Li family.
The head of the Li family in Taizhou, named Li Siye, was a Jinshi of the Southern Song Dynasty and a fourth-rank official. Not only did his family own thousands of acres of fertile land, he controlled a shipbuilding workshop, and he also undertook orders from Qingyuan Prefecture and Quanzhou. His life was quite prosperous.
Hu Zhen and Zhou Rong wanted to visit Li Siye, hoping that the Li family could invest in Haizhou. For this reason, the two of them spent a lot of money to invite prominent local figures to make connections, and then they had the opportunity to visit Li Siye.
"You two, the patriarch is inside, discussing business with Haishang from Quanzhou. I will take you in. As for whether the matter succeeds or not, I don't care." A middle-aged man in a brocade robe said as he walked.
Li Siye is no longer an official, but even if the magistrate of Taizhou comes over, it will not be easy to see him. After all, he was a fourth-grade Beijing official, and he was no more than a minor official as a county magistrate. Hu Zhen said slightly: "Brother Li introduced us to Mr. Li, which is already a great help." The middle-aged man nodded with satisfaction. He is Li Siye's nephew, whose name is His name was Li Shijie. Hu Zhen couldn't see Li Siye, so she found him and went to see Li Siye through his introduction.
Arriving at the door of the guild hall, Li Shijie said a few words to the gatekeeper, then brought Hu Zhen and Zhou Rong into the guild hall, walked through the long corridor to a hall.
In the hall, Li Siye was chatting and laughing with the businessmen from Quanzhou. Li Shijie then said to the two of them: "You two will wait in the outer hall first." Hu Zhen and Zhou Rong nodded, and Li Shijie walked into the inner hall.
"Uncle!" Li Shijie saluted. Li Siye just finished talking with the businessman from Quanzhou.
"Shijie, why did you come here today?" Li Shijie said:
"Uncle, two people came from Haizhou. They wanted to discuss business with the uncle. They asked me to introduce them, so I took it upon myself to bring them here!" Li Siye frowned slightly. He first said a few words to the Quanzhou businessman. , after they left, he said with a straight face:
"Haizhou? People from the Jin Kingdom?" Li Shijie said:
"They said that they were the chiefs of the shogunate and the magistrate of Haizhou under the Jiedushi of the Zhongyi Army!" Although Li Siye resigned, he had heard about the affairs of the world and had some understanding of the Zhongyi Army. He knew that the Jiedushi was Zhao Tai.
Speaking of which, his resignation had something to do with Zhao Tai. Zheng Qingzhi is now in charge of the imperial court, and the Loyalty Army is Zheng Qingzhi’s political achievement. Li Siye said solemnly:
"Let them in!" Hu Zhen and Zhou Rong sat in the outer hall for a while. They saw the Quanzhou businessmen leaving, but there was no movement inside. Just when they were worried, Li Shijie came and said:
"The patriarch invites you to come in." Hu Zhen and Zhou Rong entered the inner hall. When they saw a thin old man sitting in the middle hall, they saluted:
"Li Jianyuan!" Before Li Siye became an official, he admonished the officials from the fourth rank and had the right to go to the Jingyuan. Li Siye nodded slightly,
"What do you call it?" Hu Zhen said:
"I am Hu Zhen, the chief of the shogunate under the command of the Jiedu Envoy of the Zhongyi Army!" Zhou Rong said:
"The Yu Zhongyi Army Jiedu Envoy knows the affairs of Haizhou." Li Siye asked arrogantly:
"What are you waiting for people from the Jin Kingdom to do in Taizhou?" Hu Zhen and Zhou Rong frowned, and Hu Zhen said with a smile:
"Li Inspector, our Jiedushi wants to set up a workshop in Haizhou, and we hope that the Li family can go there." Zhou Rong also lowered his posture and bowed:
"Li Inspector, I know the affairs of Haizhou. I came to Taizhou in person this time to express my sincerity to the Li family. If the Li family is willing to set up a shipbuilding workshop in Haizhou, the feudal government promises to order five ships with a cost of 5,000 materials from the Li family every year." In addition, Haizhou can provide the Li family with land for free to build a shipyard, and the first three years will be free of tax!" Li Siye listened to what the two said and understood their intentions, but he was not interested in going to Haizhou to set up a workshop. , little interest.
The Li family can already make a lot of money by taking orders from Qingyuan Mansion, that is, the Ningbo area, and Quanzhou, so there is no need to go to Haizhou.
However, with orders for five large ships costing 5,000 materials per year, land and tax exemptions are also provided, and the conditions are indeed quite attractive.
Li Siye looked at the two of them and said in a deep voice:
"The conditions are good! Do our Li family only need to build a workshop in Haizhou?" Hu Zhen said:
"The feudal government has a condition that it wants to invest in the Li family's workshop in Haizhou, but Mr. Li can rest assured that the feudal government will only buy shares and not interfere with the Li family's experience." Li Siye frowned.
"How much money do your vassal government plan to pay?" Zhou Rong said:
"The vassal government will buy shares with land and tax exemptions!" Li Siye, who was not very interested at all, sneered when he heard this.
"I know what you mean. Today, for the sake of Prime Minister Zheng, I will receive you, but my Li family is not interested in building a workshop in Haizhou." After speaking, Li Siye stood up and said to Li Shijie :
"Send them off for me!"
