Chapter 235: Industry and Commerce work together, the country is prosperous and the people are strong

Li Dongyang's first plan was to gather the strength of all his ministers and resist Zhenbaozhai.

Li Dongyang himself knew that this method was very low, but he always had to try it out. There were many wealthy people in the capital, but the wealthy and noble people were somewhat related to the ministers in the court. If there was no such thing, I would probably not dare to come to the capital.

If you dare to come to the capital to show off your wealth without any backstage, wouldn’t you pass by the downtown area with a lot of money? Compared with most scholars, Grand Secretary Li is a kind of scholar who is very flexible and has no pedantic spirit. He has a good understanding of the principles of these accidents and is very thorough.

This method is considered low, mainly because everyone cannot work together. Otherwise, if everyone works hard, it will still play a big role.

After all, except for some carved dolls, the things sold by Zhenbaozhai are luxury goods and are not necessary for life. If there are strict orders from people in charge of various families, it will still have a great effect. Li Dongyang thought of this section, so he made suggestions to Liu Jian without avoiding suspicion.

Although he did not attach as much importance as Li Dongyang and went to investigate in person, Liu Jian did not dare to take Xie Hong and Liu Jian lightly, and he also sent his attention. Therefore, he was also very shocked by the prosperity of Zhenbaozhai in the few days since its opening.

Therefore, although he was not optimistic about Li Dongyang's plan, he still agreed and summoned everyone to discuss it. In the end, he received everyone's promise, saying that he would restrain his family and not let him go to Zhenbaozhai to buy it.

Everyone, including the advocate Li Dongyang, knew that this move was not a long-term solution. After all, people's hearts were the most difficult thing to grasp. The more people, the harder the hearts were, and the more difficult it was to be consistent in their actions. But they never expected that the effect of this action would be so low and so short!

The day after the discussion, Zhenbaozhai's popularity did drop a lot. For the sake of his own future, the court officials restrained their families. Even if they were unwilling to accept it, they would not dare to commit crimes when the cabinet had just made plans.

It is said that a gentleman does not speak of profit, but the people do what business and how big the industry is, and it is not a secret in the court. No one will hide this matter. If you don’t tell it in advance, and then talk about it when someone breaks his family and makes money, it may not be too late.

This situation lasted only one day, because on the same day, Zhenbaozhai responded, and the agency system that was vague and perfunctory in the early stage was officially released!

This is a complete system, which divides regions, stipulates rights and responsibilities, and also clarifies reward and punishment methods. Although there are many procedures such as deposit and guarantees required and the supervision system is strict, as long as people with commercial vision, they can see that this is a road full of gold and silver.

Moreover, there are many branches on this Golden Light Avenue, and the value of each branch is different. The most important thing is the region. Nanzhili, a wealthy place, is of course the first choice. Although it is divided into many small parts by Zhenbaozhai, wealthy places are not ordinary. Even small parts are far better than those border towns.

The fairness that Zhenbaozhai has always advocated is not a false statement. This time, the division of agents still uses a first come first served method. As long as the procedures are complete and the background is not a problem, as long as it is ranked first, the operating territory can be chosen!

Before this day, many people had already gone to Zhenbaozhai to ask, but the second shopkeeper Ma Yongcheng kept saying vaguely and did not say it clearly. However, there were still many people who were interested. These people kept paying attention to the movements of Zhenbaozhai, so that as soon as the agency system sign was launched, someone came to the door.

After the news spread, merchants rushed in. Although the most powerful merchants obeyed the orders of their backers and resisted Zhenbaozhai, there were also many small and medium-sized merchants in the capital. These people either had nothing to do with each other or were not in the court, so they naturally ignored the so-called ban in the court.

Zhenbaozhai is the emperor's property, who dares to boycott it explicitly? Therefore, the court officials' boycott action did not achieve any effect at all. The door of Zhenbaozhai was only deserted for half a day, and the threshold was broken again.

The so-called day refers to the businessmen in the Beijing officials' homes. Faced with the trend of agency management, the most stable among them was only waiting and watching for a day.

There is no way. In just one day, Nanzhili has been divided. Even Jiangnan, Huguang and Henan have been divided. If there is any delay, I am afraid that the only thing left will be border towns. Could it be that they will go there to do business with the Tartars?

After hearing this analysis, the heads of various families, namely the officials of Beijing, were weakened by the desire to stop them. What is the most important thing? Of course, money is important. No matter whether he resists or not, will he boycott his own boycott and let others take advantage of this?

As a result, the merchants in the entire capital were moved. As long as they had some skills and wealth, those who could follow the qualifications listed by Zhenbaozhai came to the door, and no one would miss the opportunity to make a fortune.

After getting the goods, they went to other people's areas to operate. Many people thought of this method, but Zhenbaozhai thought about it earlier and arranged it in advance. Agents must supervise each other. In addition, Zhenbaozhai will also mobilize factory guards to supervise. Once such a situation is discovered, it will be severely punished! And it is in the name of the emperor!

People who hear this are all in awe. The originally eager heart is as if they have been poured with cold water. Different people say the same thing, the effect will definitely be different. If you severely punish others, if you are the governor of a province, even if you are the governor of a province, the merchants will not care too much. As long as you understand the clues, you will have room for negotiation if you have committed a big thing.

But who is behind Zhenbaozhai? It is Xie Hong, the plague god! Look at his previous deeds. That person kills people without blinking! Not only that, that person also has mysterious magic. Even a simple move like sending a clock can curse a king to death! Who dares to mess with such a person? Who can be bigger in the backstage? Behind him is the emperor! The emperor who obeys his will!

Didn't you see that it was Ma Yongcheng who came out to discuss the agency matters, and the person in charge on the second floor was Gu Dayong. These two were famous people from the Eight Tigers. This is not counting. Liu Jin, who was once the most glorious among the Eight Tigers, can only watch the door occasionally!

Let’s look at Xie Wei Shen. Apart from welcoming the emperor on the day of opening, how could he show off? I heard that he could only go to the VIP room on the fourth floor, but how could ordinary people get in there? There is a deposit of 50,000 taels as long as you enter the door, and you only accept big business with a transaction volume of more than 100,000 taels!

Tsk, doesn’t this mean that you need at least 50,000 taels to meet the plague god? It can be called golden face!

I have a full understanding of Zhenbaozhai and Xie Hong, but no one dares to make a wrong idea. Even if I think about it, I can only keep it in my heart first and wait until I see the news in the future before deciding to the wind. The consequences of committing crimes with Xie Hong against the wind are much more serious than those with court officials. At least the retribution will come very directly and quickly.

All the merchants have firmly remembered the rules. Even if they were uniform selling prices and obeying the dispatch and other overbearing terms, they had no objection and accepted them all. Anyway, Zhenbaozhai also promised that as long as the rules are followed, the supply of goods will be guaranteed. If there is a source of goods, there will be money to make money. What is the weird rules and the domineering thing?

Of course, some people have doubts about the production capacity of Zhenbaozhai. This is not only the capital, but also the entire Ming Dynasty. There are more than a thousand ways to produce goods. How could Zhenbaozhai produce so many goods? What about such quality? It is so incredible.

Their doubts did not last long. With the confirmation of agents, the signing of orders, and some people even started to transport goods. What else can be doubted? The rest can only be amazed and joy.

Looking at the numbers on the orders, Ma Yongcheng and Gu Dayong both smiled and finally understood what Xie Hong said when opening the business. The days when opening were really just a reputation. That little bit of money, compared with the large-scale orders in the past two days, was a drop in the bucket!

What is the cost of the palace? Just the order for the first day is enough. If all the orders arranged this year are added up, even if it is enough to provide the cost of ten Forbidden City.

Of course, this is not considered. I heard that the cost of the Military Equipment Department is very high. Only Xie Hong and Zhengde and others know the core secrets of the Military Equipment Department. Gu and Ma know the degree of their ability and will not go to inquire. But in this position, they can always hear some vague sounds.

The cost of the military weapon department is indeed very high, not on materials, but on labor. Xie Hong treated the craftsmen extremely generously. The highest among them is even comparable to the second and third-rank officials in the court. Compared with the craftsmen who were like cattle and horses outside, it was really speechless.

However, the two eunuchs had no complaints. After all, they knew that Xie Hong himself was a craftsman, and perhaps it was a kind of injury. Moreover, the production efficiency and product quality of military weapons were indeed amazing. Even those who don’t know how to do things would be amazed.

If I had taken out any of the treasures in the Zhenbaozhai, it would have caused shock, but now it is like a cabbage, counting hundreds of thousands. The craftsmen in the Military Equipment Department are indeed very magical, well, just like the one who leads them!

The two eunuchs are just working. Although they are senior after all, their identities will not change. They are so happy, let alone the biggest boss, Chairman Zhu Houzhao?

Seeing the numbers reported in the outside world constantly, Zhengde was also amazed, but his amazement was not entirely for the huge amount of money he earned, but to a greater extent because his common sense was subverted. He asked in confusion: "Brother, where did so much money come from?"

"Well, I'll make a profit." Xie Hong felt that his second brother's IQ was a little reduced, and he was not as clever as usual.

Zhengde shook his head and said, "It's really strange. The income of tomorrow is only a few million taels, but our store's income these days is almost the same as the income of the Ming Dynasty in the year. Where did so much money come out? Is the Ming Dynasty's taxes really too light? The people are so rich."

"Uh, that's not the case." Xie Hong really knew this question. Historical novices were not completely unaware of history. He had no research on the importance of the Ming Dynasty's taxes.

However, he knew that at least in the late Ming Dynasty, the tax was heavy, otherwise there would be no rebellion by refugees. The Chinese people have always been the best at tolerants. They are not really unable to survive. Who would do such a beheading business?

He also has an answer to the Zhengde issue, it is very simple: the tax system in the Ming Dynasty was unreasonable, and the Ming court did not impose commercial taxes. This matter is actually quite strange. Scholars, farmers, industry and commerce were divided according to the Ming Dynasty. The status of merchants was still below craftsmen, which was the lowest. However, the low status was only a reminder in daily life, and not reflected in taxation.

From Xie Hong's point of view, he felt that this was also the calculation of the scholars and officials, that is, monopolize business. Suppressing small and medium-sized merchants through the division of identities is like craftsmen. Because of their low status, merchants can only be rubbed by the scholars and officials. However, scholars and officials can appoint subordinates to do business through their own status and finally reach a monopoly position.

No one dared to treat the people they appointed to do with the backstage, relying on the backstage, but no one dared to treat them as ordinary merchants; and if these people are separated, they will be nothing, so they dare not betray them. This is the far-reaching and clever plan of the scholars and officials.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was originally a poor man, and he really didn't know the tricks here. At least Xie Hong felt that, so the Ming Dynasty had such a strange tax system and no commercial tax was collected.

Due to productivity in later generations, the proportion of commercial taxes was quite high in any country, so the Ming Dynasty naturally could not be compared with that in later generations. However, the business activities of the Ming Dynasty were also quite active. If it were not for the ban on the sea for various reasons, perhaps the Chinese would have started the era of great navigation.

Although the economy in the Ming Dynasty was mainly based on agricultural output, in fact, the total amount of commerce and handicrafts was not inferior to that of agriculture, and the income was far greater than that of agriculture. After all, the input-output cycle of commerce and handicrafts was shorter and the profit margin was higher.

"...Second brother, you have also seen that if you want to enrich the country and strengthen the people, you still have to rely on industry and commerce. Agriculture alone can only be accorded to success. Relying on agricultural tax alone is a way to rob the poor and help the rich. In the long run, a hundred years later, the poor will become poorer and the rich will become richer. The conflicts within the Ming Dynasty will be more and more intense. It is not that I am exaggerating, and even if the country is destroyed, it is possible."

Xie Hong said in a deep tone that he had a close enough relationship with Zhengde. He dared to say something that was taboo, and Zhengde didn't care.

"Brother said it well." Zhengde was already very convinced of Xie Hong. Over the past period of time, he had been skeptical about the court officials. He had seen all the things that Zhenbaozhai had since its opening, and he couldn't help but disbelieve it.

Thinking that most of the court officials have wealthy families, they shouted every day that the Holy Emperor could not compete with the common people for profit and let themselves hide their wealth. He also became famous and angry and said, "These people are lying to me. Humph, tomorrow the court will come to an end and I will issue an edict to collect commercial taxes from all over the country and at the same time reduce the land tax for the common people!"

"That won't work." Xie Hong was startled and hurriedly persuaded him.

"Why not? Brother, didn't you say that you should pay equal attention to industry and commerce to be able to have a prosperous country and strong people?" Zhengde asked rebelliously.

"It's not the time..." Of course it's not the time. What kind of impact will a fundamental change in national policy bring? It can be judged without any political literacy.

Xie Hong knew very well what kind of stimulation this incident would bring to the literati. It was much more serious than being the chief or commander. Zhengde issued an order in front and someone immediately raised the banner of clearing the monarch.

Zeng Jian was the magistrate of the Six Ministers, but he wanted to slightly improve the status of craftsmen, but he did not dare to show off his expression. He was a little closer to the craftsmen and was rejected by the court officials, so he had no hope of promotion.

The power, money, wine and sex, and the money from the literati and doctors is even more serious than the women who rob them of their position, and how could they agree? Zhengde's proposal is simply forcing the court officials to ***.

"We will soon have enough money and enough economic strength, and we should also seek military strength. Second brother, don't rush to change the national policy. When you have fully grasped the power, it will not be too late for us to implement it."
Chapter completed!