In the original historical time and space, although the Qing Dynasty generally inherited the system of the middle and late Ming Dynasty in terms of local governance, the specific implementation details were still different.
For example, in their attitude towards civil uprisings, the Qing Dynasty officials mainly focused on direct suppression, while the Ming Dynasty officials in the middle and late Ming Dynasty focused on maintaining local stability, and tried to make peace with others if they could make peace.
For example, if the famous "Five Righteous Soldiers" in Suzhou were counted during the Qing Dynasty, it would have been more than just five, and it would have become fifty or five hundred Righteous Soldiers.
That's why in Hangzhou today, there is a scene where craftsmen can't stand the extra supply of 5,000 pieces of silk, so they gather at the Weaving Bureau to do business, and officials take turns to come out to persuade them -
According to the old rules, if you really can't be persuaded, then probably forget it. If a group of rioters have the courage, just go and smash the Weaving Bureau, and then the government will deal with the aftermath.
More and more craftsmen gathered together, and it seemed that there might be thousands of people. But after Taizhongtang made a speech, the people who came to block the door and cause trouble temporarily calmed down.
Because Qin Zhongtang's words are reasonable. The demands of the craftsmen who came to gather to cause trouble are to solve the problem. The additional payment of five thousand horses is too heavy, and they are not making trouble for noisy reasons.
Nowadays, Qin Zhongtang is the biggest in Hangzhou. If you can’t even solve Qin Zhongtang, who can you count on?
Qin Zhongtang, who came in sick, saw that the mood of the crowd had stabilized, and then turned and walked into the weaving bureau, probably to negotiate with the weaving eunuch -
Looking at this scene, Xu Weixue couldn't help but feel shocked and said: "A situation that can be handled by just sending a prefect. Qin Zhongtang did not hesitate to deal with it personally. I didn't expect that he has such a side."
Under the continuous brainwashing of Xu Zheng and Yan Shifan, Xu Xixue's impression of Taizhongtang was roughly "sinister and cunning", "arrogant and arrogant", and "greedy and lustful".
Unexpectedly, today I happened to encounter a scene where Qin Zhongtang loved his people like his own son, which gave Xu Xixue a new understanding of the complexity of human nature.
However, Yan Shifan couldn't help complaining: "Isn't Leader Xu so naive? Don't you see it?
Qin Dewei must be playing a double act with the weaving eunuch to gain reputation! In his own words, this is called gaining reputation!"
Xu Weixue can be a maritime merchant leader, so he is not an easy man. He has his own way of judgment. He retorted to Yan Shishan:
"The silk that the Weaving Bureau turns over to Ouchi every year is a fixed amount, which cannot be changed at all. If there is an opportunity to make a fortune from smuggling, the only way is to raise silk by sending extra.
And the additional five thousand horses sent to the craftsmen this time are not a small amount. If shipped to Shuangyu Island, they would probably be worth ten thousand taels of silver!
You also said that generally, eunuchs such as the guard eunuchs of Nanjing and the weaving eunuchs of Suzhou and Hangzhou are basically here for retirement. They want nothing but money. How could they give up five thousand pieces of silk just for Qin Zhongtang's words?
Gang?
I think that if the weaving eunuch cooperates with the double act just to increase the reputation of Taizhongtang, it is still impossible to lose 5,000 pieces of silk!"
Yan Shifan showed off and said: "Nothing is impossible. People like Qin Dewei talk about loyalty, but in their hearts they are business!
Leader Xu, you only know one thing, but not the other! Qin Dewei always likes to use flexible methods to do things, and he pays attention to the word "win-win", and then he can maintain the superficial skills!
Take this time as an example, I predict that Qin Dewei’s way of solving the problem is definitely not to directly waive the additional payment of 5,000 horses!”
Xu Weixue pointed to the angry scene and questioned: "How can the Weaving Bureau solve the problem if the 5,000 pieces of extra horses are not dispensed with?"
Yan Shifan replied: "What if we change the method? For example, the Weaving Bureau purchases 5,000 pieces of silk from these craftsmen at a price of three or four cents."
Xu Weixue didn't believe it even more, "The local silk market should be around 5 yen. The price of 3 or 4 yen is too low! How could those craftsmen sell it out!"
Yan Shifan continued: "If it is only purchased at a low price of three or four yuan, of course the craftsmen will not sell it, but if other conditions are added, that is not necessarily the case.
For example, if silk is sold to the Weaving Bureau at a low price to replace next year's service or assessment, why would those craftsmen be unhappy?"
Leader Xu doesn’t
Xiaobai, who doesn't understand the world, was stunned when he heard Yan Shifan's "plan". Can he still operate like this?
The imperial court had a weaving bureau in places like Suzhou and Hangzhou, which was supervised and managed by weaving eunuchs and sent silk fabrics as tribute to the palace.
The Weaving Bureau has two production methods. One is to have its own equipment and recruit military and civilian craftsmen to serve. For example, the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau has more than 200 looms and more than a thousand craftsmen of various colors.
Another way is to apportion directly to the craftsmen, which can be considered as serving on duty. This time, an additional 5,000 horses will be sent, which is this method.
Of course, the craftsmen would not be happy with extra money beyond the quota. But it would be more cost-effective if they sold a certain amount of silk at a low price in exchange for not having to serve or reducing their service next year.
For craftsmen, no one wants to serve or receive an official commission!
Therefore, Uncle Yan Shifan, who has rich experience in fighting Qin Dewei, has long seen through all the tricks:
"In this way, the craftsmen can get certain benefits, so they can accept it; and the weaving eunuchs can get the most critical goods stably, and they have to rely on Qin Dewei to help with shipments, so they will definitely agree!
And Qin Dewei himself will gain great fame because of his kindness to the people and solving the problem of being expropriated and expropriated!
On the surface, everyone is happy, but in fact, what is damaged is the amount of the Weaving Bureau's handover for next year, which is the income of the Imperial Palace!
The government will only let you see what you can see, how many people can see through the truth behind it?"
Xu Weixue still couldn't believe it: "Silk is not cheap, and purchasing silk in large quantities also requires capital. The weaving eunuch is used to doing business without capital, how can he be willing to invest the money first?"
Yan Shifan said contemptuously: "I never told you that Qin Dewei opened a bank? When Qin Dewei came to the capital, the bank opened to the capital. When Qin Dewei came to Hangzhou, the bank will definitely open to Hangzhou."
What can be lost by asking the bank to lend a few thousand taels of silver notes to the weaving eunuch as capital? Moreover, we can also take the opportunity to open up the situation in Hangzhou and let the banknotes circulate, which is simply killing three birds with one stone!"
At this point, Xu Weixue really believed it and couldn't help but take a breath of air. Is this the calculation level of the top boss in the imperial court?
Could it be that the riot at the craftsmen's house in front of us was also directed by someone behind the scenes? In the end, he succeeded in killing several birds with one stone, reaping all the benefits from fame to actual profit?
Yan Shifan took the opportunity and said: "That's why you want to deal with people in the court, especially those like Qin Dewei who eat meat but don't spit out bones. Without a smart person like me who is second only to Qin Dewei, you can't even touch the temple gate!"
And don’t you think it’s scary to deal with Qin Dewei? For people like you who want to go ashore, Qin Dewei is really not the best person to seek refuge with!”
Xu Weixue glanced at Yan Shifan, the "hostage", and said noncommittally: "We are just here to buy silk this time. Without silk, we cannot explain. We will talk about everything else later."
While he was talking, the door of Zhizao Mansion opened again, and the sick Qin Zhongtang was supported by someone and walked out tremblingly.
"Look, the one named Qin is about to start acting. Chief Xu, just wait and go to the Weaving Bureau to buy silk!" Yan Shifan signaled to Xu Weixue.
Then Qin Zhongtang was seen standing outside the gate of the Weaving Bureau, saying feebly to the craftsmen: "After my persuasion, the eunuch Weaving Money has agreed to waive all the five thousand extra horses!"
Qin Zhongtang's voice was not loud, and only some people at the front could hear it, but it was enough, and the news spread quickly among the crowd.
Immediately, the crowd burst into loud cheers, and Qin Zhongtang was the best!
Xu Weixue and his party, who were standing a little further away, soon learned the news from the front.
Yan Shifan was immediately stunned, how could this be possible? How could Qin Dewei's oboe performance directly eliminate five thousand pieces of silk?
This is absolutely impossible! No matter whether it is the weaving eunuch or Qin Dewei, it is impossible for him to pay such a huge price just to gain his reputation once!
Without these five thousand pieces of silk, how could the weaving eunuch go to sea to make a lot of money? What other business could there be in the weaving bureau, which could be faster than directly receiving ten thousand taels?
Qin Dewei, why can't you just behave honestly?
Xu Weixue, on the other hand, was livid. The purpose of their coming to Hangzhou to find the Weaving Bureau was to purchase these five thousand pieces of silk! If this batch of silk was gone, wouldn't their visit to Hangzhou be in vain?
Not to mention that there are many computer users in Hangzhou and they can be purchased slowly. That would be too inefficient. I don’t know when it will be possible to get enough of them!
He, Xu Weixue, is a large businessman, not a small trader who deals in a few or dozens of horses!
What he urgently needs now is to acquire a large amount of silk in two or three months to catch up with the ship's voyage back to Japan by taking advantage of the monsoon!
Thinking of this, Leader Xu felt extremely angry. He stretched out his hand and grabbed Yan Shifan. He gritted his teeth and said, "The good idea you swore so much that the Weaving Bureau must have a large amount of silk. Where is it?"
Yan Shifan felt the breath of death again, and quickly shouted softly: "Don't panic! This is Qin Dewei's selling off, there must be something more to come! Wait a moment!"
At this time, someone suddenly shouted "Qin Qingtian" excitedly. After a while, the crowd was infected and shouted "Qin Qingtian".
Qin Zhongtang was short of breath and waved his hand weakly: "I feel ashamed of myself. Since there is nothing to do, let's leave, so as not to scare other people."
After hearing Qin Zhongtang's instructions, the satisfied craftsmen dispersed in twos and threes without anyone stopping them or saying anything else.
Leader Xu, who witnessed all this, thought of the time he had wasted traveling hundreds of miles from the sea to Hangzhou, and also thought of the 20,000 pieces of silk that he had sold, and he felt a sense of despair and despair.
Next to him, Uncle Yan Shifan, his judgment on Qin Zhongtang was always sound and reasonable, and he could make himself believe it every time, but he was never accurate!
It is said that Chief Xu will definitely be valued and won over by Qin Dewei, but the result is the opposite; it is said that Qin Dewei will definitely open the sea, the result is the opposite; it is said that with Qin Dewei's help, the Weaving Bureau will definitely send more silk to sell, the result is the opposite.
I just believed in Uncle Yan’s evil deeds, and that’s why I was tricked step by step from Jingkou to now!
Thinking of this, Leader Xu suddenly shouted to Yan Shifan: "Tell me! Did you do it on purpose? To deceive us from the sea into Hangzhou City, and then catch all the turtles in the jar?"
After Leader Xu said this, several men around him immediately held Yan Shifan down and suggested: "It's inconvenient for people in the city to have so many eyes. It's better to go to a wilderness outside the city and treat Uncle Yan to some flat-knife noodles."
!」
Yan Shifan, who had been through the test of death for a long time, was also anxious and said without hesitation: "If you dare to do this, I will scream at the top of my lungs right here!
In full view of everyone, even if you kill me on the spot, it will be difficult to escape from Hangzhou City in the end!"
Leader Xu laughed angrily, "You, Uncle Yan, are a hostage, but you threaten me?"
Yan Shifan replied: "I didn't intend to do this, but in order to protect myself, I had to do this! Do I, Yan Shifan, deserve to die?"
I advise Leader Xu to stay calm and don’t make mistakes, if you still want to go ashore!”
At this time, the craftsmen in front of the gate of the Weaving Bureau were almost dispersed, and Qin Zhongtang got on the sedan with difficulty under the escort.
Then the large group of people walked along the street, and the leading knights began to drive away those who blocked the road. Xu Weixue and his group avoided the road early and hid in the side alley.
Yan Shifan pointed at the elite guards of Qin Zhongtang passing by and said to Xu Weixue: "If I really want to die together, I just need to shout here, then no one can survive."
Xu Weixue snorted coldly, suddenly turned around and rushed out, kneeling on the roadside and shouting: "Master Qingtian is here! I'm wronged!"
Yan Shifan: "???"
He was really surprised. With his alertness, he didn't react.
Then someone stood in front of Xu Weixue and didn't know what he said. Then he heard Xu Weixue reply: "Xu Weixue, a businessman, is suing someone for pretending to be the son of the elder and cheating!"
Yan Shifan: "...."
All of these people are so desperate that they no longer want to be human beings?
Half an hour later, Qin Zhongtang, who had recovered from his illness, was sitting behind the public case in the shogunate's judicial hall. In front of him were the plaintiff Xu Weixue and the defendant Yan Shifan.
Xu Weixue recounted his experience of being "scammed"
After finishing speaking, he stopped talking.
Qin Zhongtang looked at Yan Shifan curiously and said, "You fled without authorization in Jingkou Station and were missing for many days. I didn't expect you to survive!
I ordered you to go to Shuangyu Island to inquire about the French shipbuilding method, are there any results?"
Yan Shifan walked toward the beam, arrogant and disdainful and refused to answer. If you Qin Dewei has the guts, just use Shang Fang Sword to chop him down!
Qin Dewei slapped the case and said: "You Yan Shifan, don't be greedy for the prosperity of Hangzhou, you must go to Shuangyu Island! I order you to traffic 10,000 pieces of silk and go to Shuangyu Island to atone for your sins!"
Yan Shifan could no longer care about his aloofness and asked warily: "Where did you get the 10,000 pieces of silk? Do you still need me to raise them?"
Qin Dewei said: "The shogunate needs money, so I asked the court to use the tribute and inventory of 10,000 pieces of silk from the Hangzhou Weaving Bureau this year as the start-up funds for the shogunate!
Then, after the shogunate's turnover starts next year, you can replenish the money at the same price back to the weaving bureau!
In this way, there is no need to increase the burden on the people of Zhejiang Province, and there is no need to occupy the official bank of other yamen."
Yan Shifan couldn't help but be stunned. It was true that the newly opened government office needed funds, but how could it be done like this?
The Weaving Bureau was under the supervision of the Weaving Eunuch, who was not in the system of civil and military officials and was only under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Ceremony.
The rated silks of the Weaving Bureau are all tribute to the palace. Unless otherwise ordered by the palace, no one can touch these silks!
How could such a ridiculous petition, such a naked act of trying to get money from the eunuch system and the palace, be approved by the eunuch in charge of the ceremony? It is simply incomprehensible!
And according to Qin Zhongtang's suggestion, he wants to "smuggle" these ten thousand horses to Shuangyu Island? There is a lot of trouble here!
The market price of local silk in Hangzhou is five yuan, and the market price of ten thousand pieces is five thousand taels.
In other words, Qin Zhongtang nominally borrowed silk from the Weaving Bureau with a market price equivalent to 5,000 taels of silver, and only needs to make up for 5,000 taels next year.
But if you smuggle 10,000 pieces of silk to Shuangyu Island, you can sell it for 20,000 taels of silver! But on the surface, you still only need to make up for the 5,000 taels of the Weaving Bureau!
Between twenty thousand taels and five thousand taels, the difference of fifteen thousand taels is a fishy thing!
Then Yan Shifan suddenly realized that no wonder Qin Dewei "persuaded" the weaving eunuch to cancel the additional shipment of 5,000 pieces of silk.
Because there is no need to go to extra trouble at all, just move the ready-made ones from the warehouse of the Weaving Bureau!
He had already thought very badly of Qin Dewei, and thought that Qin Zhongtang was just helping to create eunuchs, and was harming the public and enriching his private life by sending more eunuchs in exchange for exemptions!
Unexpectedly, what Qin Dewei did was even darker than he imagined! He directly used his power to collude with others, take things from the warehouse, and then smuggle them to earn a huge price difference!
After Yan Shifan figured it out, he couldn't help but feel aggrieved.
I always thought that only the Yan family and his son would be corrupt, but I didn’t expect that even you, Qin Zhongtang, would become like this. This Ming Dynasty is almost over!
He wanted to report it and wrote to the capital to report it!
Xu Weixue next to him has opened his eyes wide since he heard the figure of ten thousand horses. For a merchant who is in short supply of bulk silk, what could be more tempting than this?
He originally just wanted to find an opportunity to contact Qin Zhongtang and get rid of Yan Shifan, the annoying noodle.
But I didn't expect that I would get the unexpected surprise of knowing such important cargo information!
Seeing Yan Shifan's reluctance, Xu Weixue couldn't help but interrupt and said: "I am willing to serve the Zhongtang! I can also do some trafficking! Or I can eat all these silks directly!"
Qin Zhongtang seemed to have just remembered that there was someone next to him. He turned to Xu Weixue and said, "This Zhongtang is always willing to give people a chance, but if you tell me first, how can I make this Zhongtang trust you?"
Since Xu Weixue just dared to run out and contact Qin Zhongtang by "stopping the sedan chair and complaining", of course he already had a method in mind.
When Qin Zhongtang asked about it, he immediately said: "I still have forty thousand taels of silver here, and I am willing to deposit it in Yuanfeng Bank!"
"Pah!" Qin Zhongtang slapped the table and said, "Then Zhongtang can trust you. I'll work hard in the future!"
Yan Shifan muttered loudly: "Idiot! You surnamed Xu think you are standing here and hearing such inside information. If you don't express your opinions, you can still walk out of the shogunate alive?"
"Shut up!" Qin Dewei scolded, and then ordered: "On behalf of the shogunate, you and Chief Xu trafficked silk to Shuangyu Island!"
Yan Shifan said angrily: "You engage in large-scale smuggling for profit, and you want to drag me into the water with you? I, Yan Shifan, will never join in with you!"
Qin Zhongtang said coldly: "This is an order! Chief Xu will be watching you on the way! This chapter has been completed!
