The two talked for a while about the situation in the north. The only threat to the Ming Dynasty was still there. No matter how declining Mongolia was, it was still a decisive force in the world.
Then we got to the point. Chen Youzong was not only the official envoy of the imperial court, but also the go-between for Zhu Biao to communicate with the major merchant families in the world. Only those who could find Chen Youzong were qualified to receive Zhu Biao's attention.
If you are not even close to Chen Youzong, you are naturally not qualified to do anything with the prince. This is why Chen Youzong, the general envoy, has a somewhat aloof status in the court in the past two years.
Zhu Biao put down his teacup and said, "I have heard in the palace that the Chen Mansion is more lively than the palace during the Chinese New Year. From New Year's Day to the present, the carriages and horses are like dragons."
Chen Youzong smiled and said: "Not only are the carriages and horses like dragons, but the four warehouses in my house are already full. Gifts are still coming in a steady stream. There are so many rare goods and treasures from all over the world. It has opened my eyes."
Zhu Biao sighed after hearing this: "The world is bustling, all for profit, and the world is bustling, all for profit. It is not easy to deal with these people, and the reputation of Aiqing Shilin has also been damaged. Thank you for your hard work."
Chen Youzong shook his head: "It is my duty to serve His Highness, and it is also my blessing. It's just a few slanderous words from a corrupt scholar, what's it worth?"
Zhu Biao didn't say much after hearing this. He had the kindness to meet Chen Youzong, and now he married his legitimate daughter. Their interests had long been integrated. He wanted to say something to comfort him, but he didn't need to say too much. Saying too much would make him seem overbearing.
.
The gifts Chen Youzong received were all for Zhu Biao, and they would be sent to the palace sooner or later. In fact, these two people didn't care about these things. The Chen family has been heirloom for more than a hundred years and has never seen anything. Zhu Biao is the crown prince of the country.
In the future, we must be able to conquer the world.
Zhu Biao may be short of food and people, but he will never be short of so-called rare treasures. Those are the most useless things to him. A few years ago, he was fond of calligraphy and painting calligraphy by famous Tang and Song Dynasty artists. Now he is busy reading government affairs.
I didn't even bother to take a look.
There was only a small hobby of playing with jade ornaments, and the most outstanding jade craftsmen in the Ming Dynasty had long been summoned by the emperor to come to Beijing exclusively for the use of the prince.
"I have read the list, but that's all. I have to ask Aiqing about which one is successful and which one is not."
Chen Youzong pondered for a moment and replied: "Every house and account has given generous gifts. If we really want to study it in detail, it is impossible. We can only look at it from the business gang where it belongs."
The reason for the formation of business gangs is actually very practical. It is to keep warm. Scholars, farmers, industry and merchants. Businessmen in any dynasty who go out to do business often receive unfair treatment on the business road. Some local officials and local gangs will exploit them in various names.
.
"Nowadays, several micro-businessmen have the greatest sincerity and are among the best in terms of strength. Your Highness also knows that in the Huizhou Baojie Valley, the mountains are at the foot of the original land and the fields are barren. The yield is very small, which leads to more businessmen, and the Jiang family, the leader of the micro-businessmen,
We have some connection with the Holy One."
Zhu Biao raised his eyebrows when he heard this. The last sentence was the key point. After thinking for a while, he remembered that when his father sent his troops to Anhui, the great merchant Jiang Yuan had offered one hundred thousand taels for peace.
At that time, military pay was scarce, and he had to get pay and silver to support the army no matter what. Jiang Yuan took the initiative to donate money to save trouble and make a difference to other wealthy businessmen, so this feeling was there.
Zhu Biao asked: "What does micro-business deal with?"
Chen Youzong stroked his beard and said: "She inkstone, Hui ink, Chengxintang paper, and Wang Boli pen. These four treasures were often offered as tribute during the Tang and Song Dynasties. They are still the same today. Any literati with a little wealth will buy them.
Suite installation facade.”
Zhu Biao glanced at the pen, ink, paper and inkstone on the desk in front of him and said: "I'm afraid the Four Treasures of the Study are not suitable for sea trade. Japan and Korea may rush to buy them, but other countries outside the vassal region cannot use them."
Chen Youzong was silent for a moment, and Zhu Biao said thoughtfully: "If you have anything to say, just say it. It's just you and me, so why should we be too taboo here?"
"Most of the people engaged in selling salt in Jianghuai are micro-businessmen and own thousands of ships..."
"Private salt?"
"Originally it was half-official and half-private, but according to Jiang Yuan's son, now they are all exchanged for the salt obtained from Kaizhongfa."
Zhu Biao tapped the desk thoughtfully: "Is it credible?"
Chen Youzong did not dare to guarantee it: "I only know that since His Highness visited the south two years ago and attacked the Li family, all the people in Jiangnan who started their business by selling smuggled salt have disappeared."
Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said: "Let them hand over 500 ships to the Water Transport General Office, and send another 300,000 shi of grain to Hangzhou. This matter will be forgotten, but if they commit robbery and annihilation again, they will be killed."
"promise."
This is the price they have to pay. They must have been prepared for it. The salt industry is hugely profitable, but there is a risk of confiscation and annihilation of the family. Maritime trade is also violent. Although there is a risk of shipwreck and death, the whole family will not be wiped out.
Chen Youzong's expression remained unchanged and continued: "Then there are Shanxi merchants. In recent years, due to the imperial court's introduction of Sino-French law, the wealth of several Shanxi wealthy merchants has doubled. Taiyuan, Pingyang, Ze, Lu, the wealthy merchants are the best in the world, and there are dozens of them.
Never dare to claim to be rich."
Zhu Biao knew that Shanxi merchants wanted to join the maritime trade. He probably heard that the imperial court was planning to stop opening up to China and France, so they were so eager. Their camel fleet did not dare to stop.
"Okay, 300,000 shi of food and 200,000 taels of silver. Let them prepare their own fleet to go abroad. How much they can eat depends on how big their appetite is."
If you want to eat your first crab with the imperial court, you will naturally have to pay a price. Since the end of the Yuan Dynasty, sea trade has been cut off. No one knows what the situation is like overseas. Moreover, there are Japanese pirates running rampant in the offshore areas. Without the imperial navy to protect them, they will go to sea.
Fat sheep.
There are also Fujian merchants behind them, but they don't need to spend too much, because they are truly ancestral in maritime trade and have extremely rich experience. The navy has to rely on them when going to sea in many places.
With several regional business gangs, dozens of large merchant houses, and the number one naval force, this was basically the Ming Dynasty's first attempt at the ocean.
It seems that merchants account for the majority, but in fact, they are not even as good as the imperial court. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are only a drop in the bucket. Today, many people who weave silk and porcelain are government-owned. The productivity of the imperial court is far greater than that of the merchant houses.
too much.
What's more, no one can afford to miss out on the commercial taxes that should be collected after returning from trade. Zhu Biao never worried about whether sea trade would lose money. What he worried about was that the sea was ruthless. So what about the tens of thousands of naval fleets, which were only a few ships in the stormy seas?
Just a piece of duckweed without roots.
Zhu Biao discussed with Chen Youzong for more than an hour before Chen Youzong left. After he returned home, he had to convey the prince's will to every household. Various arrangements and the general division of interests still needed to be discussed.
Zhu Biao drank three times hot tea at this moment, and his forehead was sweating. Fugui carefully fanned him with his sleeves, looking like he was expecting recognition but was afraid of being scolded.
Zhu Biao said indifferently: "There is a fan in the Qinglong wooden cabinet on the left side of the side hall, go and get it."
"promise"
Eunuchs commonly used spices, and Fugui used only ordinary ones when he first came to power. Zhu Biao smelled a bit pungent, and soon Fugui came back and fanned him gently.
"If you don't serve me well, you will be punished when you return."
Zhu Biao leaned on the chair and closed his eyes to rest. After a long time, he said: "Go back and ask Liu Jin carefully."
Joy flashed in Fugui's eyes. What he feared most was that His Highness would ignore his instructions. In that case, he would not be prepared to keep him by his side forever.
What Zhu Biao was thinking about at this time was whether he wanted to take advantage of the wealthy businessmen. Just now, he asked for some, but in fact it was very little. If it falls on one household, it would be too much, but Zhu Biao wants the business gang.
Yes, they didn't even break their muscles and bones when they got together.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to forget it. With this amount of silver grain and searching elsewhere in the second half of the year, I can easily repay the Jiangnan clan's millions of stones of grain next year.
Merchants relied on the loose policies and low business taxes at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty to relax. There was no need to be so eager to exploit them. Even though they survived the troubled times of the late Yuan Dynasty with a richer family wealth than the common people, they certainly could not let go.
With little blood, a lot of family property was lost.
Let's wait until the sea trade becomes smoother before raising commercial taxes. Of course, the restrictions should be stricter. Collusion between officials and businessmen must be restricted and prevented. They cannot let them take all the power and finance. The Ming Dynasty is not the Ming Dynasty of merchants.
Zhu Biao sighed. He had to wait until the child grew older. It would not be good to beat him to death now. Lao Zhu only started beating his son severely when he was six or seven years old.