The urban areas of Zhuhai and Zhongshan in later generations were located on the same offshore island. The urban area of ​​Panyu in later generations was on another offshore island. The urban area of ​​Jiangmen is directly on the seaside, and the area in Shunde is full of large and small sandbar islands.
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Panyu County Government Office is located in Dongcheng, Guangzhou, and Nanhai County Government Office is located in Xicheng City, Guangzhou.
As Guangzhou's maritime trade became increasingly prosperous, the largest outlying island was converted into the Guangzhou Outer Harbor. Berths were designated along the northern coast of the island, and there were many official agencies and warehouses on the island.
Sea-going ships could only reach the outer port of Guangzhou (later the urban areas of Zhuhai and Zhongshan, as well as the large area between the two cities).
This island is Xiangshan County, including Macau and other surrounding islands, all of which fall under the jurisdiction of Xiangshan County.
Overseas goods are sold in Xiangshan County, and most of them are transshipped to Guangzhou by offshore ships, some are transshipped to Dongguan in the northeast, and some are transshipped to Xinhui in the west.
Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Xinhui are all connected by rivers, which can radiate to inland areas.
Goods from the inland are naturally transported to these three places, and then transferred to Xiangshan County by offshore ships. (In fact, there is also Foshan Town in the northwest, which is also a transportation hub and is currently designated as a deputy county level.)
As an outer port of Guangzhou, Xiangshan Port has many pilot ships.
Sea-going ships that have a seagoing license and have paid taxes can be taken to the open sea by a pilot ship. Foreign ships must also be taken by a pilot ship to pay port taxes.
Any ship or fleet without a pilot ship will be regarded as a smuggling ship. Once the target is discovered, the navy near Macau will be dispatched immediately!
The Guangzhou Shipping Department, Guangzhou Exchange and other institutions have all moved to Xiangshan Port.
The Baoquan Bureau has also set up a branch in Xiangshan County, which has currency storage and exchange businesses. Overseas gold and silver entering Hong Kong must be converted into currency at the Baoquan Branch. Copper ingots entering Hong Kong must also be reported at the Baoquan Branch.
In late summer and early autumn, a fleet arrived at Xiangshan Port.
They came from Australia, stopped at Coconut City in Java Island for supplies, and bought a lot of spices, pearls, furs and other goods on their way back north.
There is no exchange in Yecheng, but there is private futures trading.
Some Ming Dynasty businessmen with strong capital have long-term cooperation with Sunda dignitaries. They build warehouses, stockpile goods, and pre-sell the goods half a year or a year in advance. When the time comes to pick up the goods, they trade at the contract price. This kind of contract can be done before picking up the goods.
Free to resell.
Wang Chongdu does not speculate in futures contracts. He always picks up the goods directly in Yecheng and returns home.
The fleet was taken to the unloading area by the pilot ship to dock, and the dock was a busy scene.
Countless coolies were moving goods back and forth, and there were also human-powered cranes. The goods that were not afraid of being broken were bundled into a large pile on the deck, and they could be brought to the shore using human-powered cranes.
After the goods landed, officials conducted random inspections, registered basic information, and immediately transferred them to the tax declaration area.
There are many tracks on the dock, and the carriages are pulled by mules and horses. After loading the goods, they run to the tax declaration area. Naturally, the cargo owners follow them and receive more detailed inspections in the tax declaration area.
"On the exchange or privately?" asked the tax collector.
Wang Chongdu's goods have piled up in a mountain, and it is impossible to inspect them in detail. When they get here, they are also randomly inspected: "The buyer has been contacted, and the transaction will be conducted privately, without going to the exchange."
The tax collector asked again: "Do you want to rent the official warehouse?"
"Rent a warehouse for five days." Several of Wang Chongdu's buyers are located in Fucheng, Guangzhou, and five days is enough time to transport all the goods.
The sales contract has also been signed long ago, and Wang Chongdu will pay for everything from tax filing to warehouse entry. If the goods are not picked up after the five-day lease period, the subsequent warehouse usage fees must be paid by the buyer. These are clearly stated in the contract.
If the buyer fails to pick up the goods after the contract period, it will be regarded as a breach of contract by the buyer. Wang Chongdu can eat the other party's advance payment and find another buyer to sell the relevant goods.
"What are those bags? Open them and take a look," said the tax collector.
Wang Chongdu said: "Gold."
There are big and small bags, one bag contains dog-head gold, one bag contains fish-scale gold flakes, one bag contains granular gold beans, and the rest is just some gold dust.
When Wang Chongdu returned home, most of the gold diggers were willing to sell their gold to him in exchange for equivalent silver and copper coins.
In addition to the nugget gold premium, Wang Chongdu's gold purchase price was slightly lower than the Guangzhou official price, and he was able to make a fortune from it.
But the gold diggers are still quite satisfied with this, because if they come to the government to exchange it themselves, it is very likely that the officials will find reasons to maliciously lower the price. They might as well sell it to Wang Chongdu!
"Is this... so big?" The tax collector's eyes widened when he saw the gold nugget.
Wang Chongdu chuckled.
This thing is not under the control of the Shipping Department, people from the Baoquan Bureau will take over.
Due to the current shortage of precious metals, the imperial court encourages the inflow of overseas precious metals, and major ports exempt gold, silver, and copper from tariffs. However, they must be sent to the local Baoquan Bureau, the gold and silver are converted into legal tender, and the copper ingots are reported and the buyer is clearly stated.
Wang Chongdu said to several of his followers: "Show it out and open everyone's eyes."
There were many merchants filing taxes nearby. When the entourage raised the largest nugget, it instantly caused a commotion.
The businessmen didn't even bother to file tax returns. They left their goods to their cronies to look at, and swarmed over to ask questions.
Wang Chongdu pushed out the honest gold digger: "You tell me!"
The gold digger was a little scared: "I picked it up in the river. I thought it was a stone, but I didn't expect it to be a piece of gold."
Wang Chongdu said loudly: "More than twenty-four kilograms (30 kilograms), more than twenty-four kilograms! This brother is from Guangdong, and his family is very poor. He had the courage to go out to sea with me to pan for gold. He only made eighteen
Oh my god, I just found this nugget of gold, and my family will have no worries about food and drink for several lifetimes. I can’t tell you his name and place of origin, so as not to be targeted by bad guys."
A businessman obviously knew Wang Chongdu and asked quickly: "Guan Wang, is this the Australia you mentioned last time?"
Wang Chongdu nodded and said: "Yes, it is Australia. The name of Australia Gold Mountain was given by His Majesty himself. After winter, I plan to recruit a group of gold diggers there. There is so much gold there that we can't finish it all. You see, in addition to
This 24-pound piece has several more and half a pound of nugget gold."
The entourage carried the bag containing the nugget gold and walked around the crowd with the mouth of the bag open, attracting waves of exclamations.
"There are also gold fish scales and golden beans to open their eyes!" Wang Chongdu laughed.
Another businessman asked: "There are many people mining gold in Australia, can we transport goods there?"
Wang Chongdu said: "Okay, go ahead and open a shop and do business there. But you have to pay me taxes. Your Majesty said that I will be responsible for it within five years, and the court will send officials there after five years."
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Five years of exclusive management rights?
Many businessmen were jealous after hearing this and wished they could replace him.
Wang Chongdu smiled and said: "Your Majesty asked me to tell you that whoever goes out to sea to explore similar places will be given five years of management rights by the court. If you can't handle the natives, you can also apply for the court to send troops to protect you. But if the court sends troops,
You will definitely not have so many benefits." The businessmen kept asking for details about Australia.
When they heard that Australia was very big, many people had already started thinking about it. They planned to transport a few daily necessities there first, collect information along the coast of Australia, and then recruit people to occupy a piece of land.
Or, if you organize a prospecting team to land and explore, you might be able to find a gold mine yourself.
They struggled in the customs declaration area for a long time, which seriously affected the customs work and the tax collectors had to come over and ask them to disperse.
Some businessmen gathered around Wang Chongdu and went to the Baoquan Bureau next door to watch him exchange a pile of gold into currency.
Wang Chongdu exchanged all his gold for Ming Dynasty treasure notes, and only a fraction of it was exchanged for silver coins and copper coins.
The man who picked up the largest gold nugget only wanted metal currency, and he stood there holding a pile of gold, silver and copper coins. It was too heavy and he couldn't move it at all, so he could only exchange some of it into paper currency.
With too much money on him, he did not dare to leave Baoquan Bureau...
Wang Chongdu took the opportunity and said: "I organized you to go out to sea to pan for gold, so I will send Buddha to the west. I will send someone with a firecracker to send you home and help you buy a house and land. If you are still spreading rumors in your hometown, who dares to come and seize you?"
I can’t live with my property, Wang Chong!”
Then he said to everyone: "As long as you go to sea and make a lot of money, I can send someone home. If you want to go to Australia with me, don't be afraid! Even if you die in a foreign country, I will bring your ashes back.
This time I brought back the ashes of more than ten brothers!"
"Your Majesty the King is benevolent and righteous!" Everyone praised him one after another.
Wang Chongdu said: "I will rent a house outside Fucheng, Guangzhou, and hang the words 'Australian Gold Rush Registration Office' on the door. Those who want to come to gold mining can register, and businessmen who want to go to sea together can also register. Everyone can make money, and I will never
Eat alone!”
Within five years, the more people were deceived into going to Australia, the more profits Wang Chongdu could make.
Two days later, Li Bin led a group of armed men and rented a river boat to escort the wealthy man home.
He even wore a big red flower on his chest.
This man's name is Zhang Guan. He has been farming for generations. The closer he gets to his hometown, the more scared he becomes.
Not only is he afraid of being targeted by gangsters, but he is also afraid that relatives and neighbors will come to borrow money. Once he borrows money, he will definitely not be able to get it back.
When the ship arrived in Heyuan County, Zhang Guan finally couldn't help but ask: "Master Li Bo, you are knowledgeable, can you give me some advice?"
Li Bin smiled and said, "Are you willing to spend money?"
To be continued...