Chapter 31 Characteristics of the Ming Dynasty: Serving the people and violating the laws
Author: Fat Bird Goes First
Chapter 31 Characteristics of the Ming Dynasty: Serving the people and violating the laws
Having decided to go to the ghost market that night, Lin Liangjun decided not to go back to the Baihu House and just slept in the temple for a while.
At midnight, Su Ze and Lin Liangjun changed their clothes, carried the only lantern in the family temple, and walked northwest of Changning Guard.
While walking, Little Carrot Head introduced the situation of the ghost market to Su Ze:
"When my father was here, Wei Li often went to the ghost market to buy and sell things. Now only Uncle Zong makes carpentry items and brings them to the ghost market to sell."
Su Ze understood that when the old family was still there, Changning Guards would also handle some smuggling and selling stolen goods, and the ghost market was the place where they sold stolen goods.
The matter of coastal smuggling was a gray area in the Ming Dynasty.
Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, smuggling has become popular along the southeast coast and has formed a developed industry.
In the fourth year of Hongwu's reign, Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang ordered that "no one is allowed to enter the sea." Later, he reiterated the ban many times, "forbidding coastal people to communicate with overseas countries."
However, the Ming Dynasty's goods were needed overseas, and the Ming Dynasty also needed silver from overseas. The Ming Dynasty established a Shipping Department to be responsible for the trade of tributary countries.
The trade with the tributary countries presided over by the Municipal Shipping Department was increasingly exploited by the officials of the Municipal Shipping Department, and the profits of the sea trade originally conducted in the name of tribute became increasingly thin. At the same time, the commodity economy on the southeast coast developed and maritime smuggling became increasingly rampant.
People at that time once lamented, "No piece of wood is allowed to go into the sea, and the huge stern ship comes to cover the river; no goods are allowed to enter, but the children are always loaded with treasures and silk."
For example, Zhangzhou Yuegang, not far from Changningwei, was a well-known smuggling center throughout the Ming Dynasty. "A mixed mix of farmers and merchants, traveling overseas is like being in the market, supplying goods to the sea day and night, and entertaining barbarians."
And almost all coastal guards that were originally responsible for maritime prohibitions and coastal defense were more or less involved in the smuggling feast, so guards like Changning Guard were special cases among special cases.
After the rise of the Japanese Rebellion, the situation in the entire southeast region became more complicated.
Maritime speculators on the southeast coast often have one or two identities as "officers", "Japanese pirates", and "sea merchants". Wang Zhi, the great pirate king who is now wreaking havoc in the southeast, has been recruited by the court many times and is also a soldier.
The triple identity of bandits and merchants.
According to Lin Liangjun, the ghost market near Changningwei is quite large. In addition to being a place for nearby people to exchange goods, it is also a place for several smuggling gangs along the coast to sell stolen goods. There are even businessmen from distant places who come to the ghost market to purchase goods.
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The two of them held lanterns and walked westward along the official road. After walking for less than half an hour, they saw a brightly lit market.
After getting closer, Su Ze even saw a wooden archway with a string of lanterns hanging high, like a lighthouse, attracting passing merchants unscrupulously.
Su Ze asked in shock: "Shouldn't ghost markets be sneaky?"
The little carrot head rolled his eyes at Su Ze and said:
"Who can find it secretly? This ghost market is registered with the county government."
"The county government registered the number?"
Lin Liangjun, the little carrot-head, is worthy of being from a hereditary family. He is very well-informed. In comparison, Cainiang and other children are much duller.
Lin Liangjun nodded and said: "It is said that behind this ghost market are several officials from the county government, who come here every month to collect taxes."
Su Ze was greatly shocked. He knew that the Ming Dynasty had excessive taxes and miscellaneous taxes, but he did not expect that it would reach this point.
There is a tax on martial arts, and the ghost market also collects taxes. Who can say that the Ming Dynasty merchants taxed less? Su Ze was the first to refuse.
Lin Liangjun continued: "Of course it is not the official tax of the imperial court. This money is for the government. The owner of the ghost market will take a commission from the vendors and then give it to the tax collector, but it is still more cost-effective than doing business in the city.
many."
No wonder this ghost market is so blatant, it turns out there is a protective umbrella behind it.
After walking past the archway, I saw that this ghost market was quite large, with two streets, one horizontal and one vertical. Simple thatched houses were hung with lanterns, and the lanterns even had their signatures written on them. This was an eye-opener for Su Ze.
Walking deeper into the ghost market, the shop turned into a stall. The owner of the goods squatted behind the stall with his mask on, not soliciting customers. Interested people naturally went up to inquire about prices, and the two parties communicated with gestures. This is how the ghost market in the novel came to be.
appearance.
[I found the location "Market" and can learn the skill "Valuation". Do you want to learn it? 】
[I found the location "Market" and can learn the skill "Buying and Selling". Do you want to learn it? 】
Learn, learn!
Two more practical skills!
Valuation is used to evaluate the value of goods, and it is a widely used business skill in "Hundred Scenes".
In reality, this skill level is only Lv1. It can only let Su Ze know the uses and approximate prices of some common products. This is already a very practical skill.
"Business and trade" includes a set of skills for observing people's emotions and buying and selling goods. The Lv1 level is the level of an apprentice who has just entered the industry, but it also includes some unspoken rules of the industry for doing business, which is considered to be relatively practical knowledge.
After learning two skills, Su Ze finally understood what these masked vendors were selling.
This should be a place where smugglers or pirates sell their stolen goods, and those who come to buy goods look like professionally trained clerks or experts who specialize in picking up leaks.
Their bargaining method is also silent. Both parties hide their hands in their sleeves, and then use gestures to bargain with each other's sleeves.
Su Ze saw a cargo owner nodding slightly, and then the customer who was buying something immediately took out a piece of cloth, paid for the needed goods, packed them, and left in a hurry.
However, Su Ze didn't take a second look. Most of the people who came here to buy and sell were desperadoes. The water here was too deep. Su Ze hadn't found out the situation clearly yet, and he didn't have the capital to participate in these transactions.
Su Ze took Lin Liangjun around the ghost market, which was an eye-opener.
Before and after the ghost market is divided, the former market is basically legal business, such as rice, noodles, grains, oils, sauces, vinegar, tea, tables, chairs, benches, agricultural tools and kitchen utensils, and the categories are quite complete.
The business here is almost open and honest, and some merchants even bring teams of mules and horses to carry bags of goods.
The future market is more similar to the black market. In addition to various stolen goods, there are also some rare items.
Su Ze also saw a stall selling abortion pills. This stall was even more peculiar. There was no stall owner at all, and there was only a clay pot with a narrow mouth placed behind the stall.
A masked guest picked up a package of medicine, threw the copper coins into the clay pot, and hurriedly left with his face covered.
Su Ze sighed, considering the medical conditions of this era, taking abortion pills would most likely kill two people, so the government has always strictly prohibited the sale of abortion pills.
However, although the imperial court prohibited it, there were always times when the people were in need, especially in Fujian, where supplies were scarce, and there had always been a tradition of abortion and infanticide.
Su Ze turned around and finally saw the stall he was looking for.