Chapter 25: Official Ghost Market
"But my cousin said that many people in the guardhouse died at the hands of Japanese pirates."
"Pirates and Japanese pirates are inseparable. Zhenhaiwei can't do such dirty things anymore."
After Zhang Luo heard this, he didn't know whether to admire Baihu's hardcore integrity.
Still complaining about Baihu's pedantry.
Causing the poor clang in the guardhouse.
The Japanese pirates along the coast have been unable to be pacified.
It also has a lot to do with the corruption of the Coast Guard.
In the knowledge of the "Ancient History" skill.
It shows a lot that corruption took shape in the mid-Ming Dynasty and smuggling became common.
Some even colluded with Japanese pirates to rob merchant ships along the coast.
Guard stations like Zhenhai Guard.
It is a rare exception among the southeastern coastal areas.
Of course, there is another reason why Zhenhaiwei was not dragged into the water.
It's also because the terrain here is too remote.
Pirates and Japanese pirates don't look down upon this place at all.
I thought of smuggling and selling stolen goods.
Zhang Luo asked the little fool:
"Is there an underground black market near Zhenhaiwei where you can smuggle and sell stolen goods?"
"Black market? Brother Zhang Luo, are you talking about the ghost market nearby?"
Closed during the day and open late at night.
It's like a market just for ghosts.
Only then did Zhang Luo remember the name of the ghost market in the Ming Dynasty.
This is the underground black market that belonged to the Ming Dynasty.
Normal businessmen want to enter the city.
Commercial taxes need to be paid to the gatekeeper.
You also have to pay shop tax when opening a market in the city.
Even bad luck.
You will also be caught by patrolling petty officials to pay some unknown taxes.
Many businessmen are unwilling to enter the city.
They will find a black market outside the city to sell their goods.
Over time, a ghost market culture was formed.
And in the ghost market, there are not just ordinary products.
There are also some goods smuggled in by pirates.
and some things that violate court laws.
These will be traded in the ghost market and sold as stolen goods.
These days, Zhang Luo is also thinking about ways to make money.
He said to Zhang Wangsheng:
"Is the ghost market open tonight?"
Zhang Wangsheng patted his forehead and thought for a while, then said:
"It's open. The nearby ghost market is open at the beginning and end of every month."
"Today is the end of the month, so the ghost market must be open."
"Then we'll leave later. You take me to the ghost market."
I decided to go to the ghost market.
Zhang Wangsheng will not return to Baihu Mansion.
Let’s take a nap in the wing room first.
Wait until the third watch of the night.
Zhang Luo and Zhang Wangsheng got up and put on their clothes.
Carrying a small candle lamp, he walked out of Zhenhaiwei.
Walk towards the south.
As the two of them walked, the little fool told Zhang Luo about ghost affairs.
"When my uncle was still here, people from the guardhouse often went to the ghost market to buy and sell things."
"Now, only Uncle Changwen can go to the ghost market to sell some wood carvings."
Zhang Luo understood.
When the predecessor Baihu was here, Zhenhaiwei would also sell some smuggled things.
The ghost market is where they sell stolen goods.
Smuggling of goods in coastal areas.
It belongs to the middle ground outside the law.
Since the 16th century, the southeastern region of the Ming Dynasty.
Smuggling of goods is becoming more frequent.
A huge interest network has been formed.
In the early years of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu Gao repeatedly banned going to sea.
People along the coast were forcibly prohibited from communicating with Southeast Asian countries.
But the small countries in Southeast Asia need goods from the Ming Dynasty.
The Ming Dynasty also needed the inflow of silver from overseas.
The Ming Dynasty also established an agency in Hangzhou specifically responsible for overseas trade.
The Municipal Ship Trade Department was responsible for the trade between the Ming Dynasty and overseas countries.
But under the increasing corruption of the Ming Dynasty officialdom.
In overseas countries, the profits gained through the shipping trade department are becoming increasingly scarce.
More and more maritime merchants are embarking on the road of smuggling.
Someone once said with emotion, "Officials are banned from the sea, but their children are rich in gold."
Satirize coastal officials.
In the case of maritime ban.
By smuggling merchant goods, his children can wear gold and silver.
Zhangzhou Port is not far from Zhenhaiwei.
It is also known to the world as a national smuggling center.
The coastal guard station was originally responsible for enforcing imperial decrees.
More or less, they all joined in the smuggling feast.
Therefore, there is a guard station like Zhenhai Guard.
It has become a clean stream in the guardhouse.
After the outbreak of Japanese pirates along the coast.
The situation in Fujian and Zhejiang is becoming increasingly complex.
The black merchants at sea basically have two positions: officers, soldiers and Japanese pirates.
Wang Zhi, the great pirate who has been wreaking havoc in Zhejiang recently.
He accepted the imperial court's appeasement many times.
A person wears many hats.
According to what Zhang Wangsheng said.
This ghost market on the edge of Zhenhaiwei is quite large.
In addition to the nearby health center, people from the village will come to the ghost market.
Several small pirate groups also sell stolen goods here.
Sometimes vendors from far away come to the ghost market to sell their goods.
Zhang and Luo were holding candle lanterns.
It took two sticks of incense to walk along the dark path.
I saw a trace of fire emerging in front of me.
After Zhang Luo took a few steps closer,
I saw an iron inscription.
There are several red lanterns hanging on both sides of the inscription.
Like a guide sign, it tells passers-by the location of the ghost market.
Zhang Luo asked incredulously:
"Aren't ghost markets generally very hidden?"
Zhang Wangsheng said with a smile:
"Who can find it if it's so deep? This ghost town is recognized by the county government."
"Does the county government approve it?"
Zhang Wangsheng, this little living treasure, deserves to be from a hundred families.
He is very responsive and well-informed.
In comparison, Zhang Xiaozhu and others were a lot clumsy.
Zhang Wangsheng nodded and said:
"The bosses of this ghost market are some of the big bosses in the county."
"Those gentlemen come to the ghost market every month to collect taxes."
Zhang Luo was surprised after hearing this.
He knew that taxes in the Ming Dynasty were heavy and varied.
But I didn't expect it to be so serious.
There is a fine of silver for clan fighting.
There is still market tax collected in the ghost market?
It seems that the Ming Dynasty did not collect commercial taxes at all, as later generations said.
Zhang Wangsheng continued:
"Of course it's not a tax that the imperial court wants to collect."
“The big bosses account for the majority of the county government’s annual tax revenue.”
"In order to compensate them, the magistrate agreed to let them open a ghost market."
"Of course not all the money collected belongs to the landlords."
"We also need to take good care of the county officials.
"Although there is a tax in the ghost market, it is still much lower than the tax in the city."
"Doing business here is definitely more cost-effective than going to the city."
This makes sense why this ghost market is so ostentatious.
It turned out that the government officials tacitly approved it.
After passing the inscription in front of him, Zhang Luo glanced at it.
I found that this ghost market is really quite big.
There is one main street and two side streets.
Bright red lanterns hang on the simple wooden house.
The name of the shop is also written on the side of the lantern.
All of this gave Zhang Luo, who had never been exposed to ancient ghost markets, a new level of knowledge.
Zhang and Luo walked towards the depths of the ghost market streets.
The shops around me slowly turned into stalls.
The sellers at the stalls all covered their faces.
We will not actively solicit customers.
Guests see something of interest.
Naturally, I will take the initiative to inquire.
Both buyers and sellers communicate using simple sign language.
If the buyer is interested, he will take the initiative to put money on the paving.
This is what Zhang Luo thinks a ghost market should look like.
This chapter has been completed!