The Great Industrial Ming Dynasty Started from Beiping

Chapter 550 Precious wealth

Haojingao Pier.

The guys in the shop supervise the short-term workers and even help themselves to carry the goods from the warehouse behind the shop to the dock.

Originally there was no road, but after walking too much, it became a road.

The road formed by people and wheels has become a solid dirt road after preliminary repairs by the government.

From a few shops that were opened spontaneously, it gradually expanded into a street, and from one street to two streets.

There are uneven shops on both sides of the street. In order to save costs and maximize utilization, there are shops in the front and warehouses in the back.

"Compared to the docks in Shanghai County, the order here is terrible."

Several officials inspected Haojingao.

The development of Haojingao attracted the attention of the imperial court and investigators were sent. Their appearance aroused hostility on the island.

Everyone knows.

The appearance of government figures heralds new changes.

It's nothing more than collecting taxes, and the worst thing is banning Haojingao. No matter what it is, businessmen are dissatisfied.

Especially those small businessmen.

They risked their fortunes to do business, so why should the government collect taxes when they say they want to? The verbal reasoning is not unacceptable.

"After all, it was formed spontaneously. Although Yan Fantai was in charge, it brought changes to Guangdong, but its capabilities were limited."

Li Xueyan smiled.

Li Xueyan was very enthusiastic about officials coming from the imperial court.

He was in Beiping and Liaodong, causing a lot of trouble for Prince Yan and his son, and almost died in Liaodong.

Who knew the world had changed so much.

The father and son of Prince Yan, who were regarded as a threat by the imperial court, suddenly became the crown prince and the crown prince.

This troubled Li Xueyan very much.

As a political participant in Guangdong, although I worked diligently, I was very worried and didn't know what my future would be.

So when he learned that officials were coming from the imperial court, Li Xueyan took the initiative to lead the way, hoping that when the news came back to the imperial court, the prince and his son would change their impressions.

"Sea trade first arose in the shipping lanes of Jinzhou and Tianjin, which brought great profits. Therefore, after Yan Fantai arrived in Guangdong, the first thing he did was to support merchants to go to sea."

"Guangdong relaxed restrictions on private sea trade, which quickly aroused the enthusiasm of merchants. Over the past few years, due to the needs of the waterway, there have been changes like this."

"You should have planned carefully from the beginning. Haojingao has changed to this day, but the state has not collected taxes, and the businessmen have lost control and are lawless."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Li Xueyan smiled bitterly and did not explain in detail.

Businessmen in Guangdong are different from businessmen in the mainland.

The Jianghuai area is close to the capital, which has a great influence, not to mention the north. The population is insufficient and people's livelihood is declining. It is urgent to manage internal affairs.

Guangdong is close to the sea, and there are many Western countries and regions. Chinese products are superior, and there is no need to worry about not being able to sell them. You can make money as long as you go to sea, unless there is a storm and the ship is destroyed and everyone loses everything.

Therefore, although the sea was banned, there were not many businessmen in Guangdong who went to sea privately. On the contrary, they were happy that the court banned the sea.

Not only did this reduce their competitors, it also raised the prices of domestic goods, making overseas profits more than double their usual levels.

Guangdong opened up the sea, and it is not easy to achieve what it is today.

The biggest resistance is not the government, but the people. Who would believe it? Li Xueyan is still amazed.

"Roads need to be built."

"The docks in Shanghai County and the warehouses built by the Taxation Department provide people with savings and are very popular."

Several court officials pointed out the advantages of Shanghai County and pointed out the shortcomings of Haojingao.

"The warehouses provided by the government are safe and guaranteed, and merchants have more trust. They can also strengthen the control of goods leaving the port."

"The roads also need to be repaired, and they are full of potholes, which makes transportation more difficult."

Li Xueyan only wears his ears, and whatever they say will be good.

indeed.

The docks in Shanghai County are full of order. That is because the opening of the port in Shanghai County was built and promoted by the imperial court personally.

Haojing'ao is a port where merchants broke away from the coastal ports of Guangdong and sprung up outside the coast.

The sun is in the sky.

Sunlight shines on the busy port.

The waves on the sea were rough, and seagulls were circling in the sky, making crisp calls.

On an ordinary day, there is never a shortage of ships entering and leaving the port on the pier, mainly Fuzhou ships and a small number of Guangzhou ships. As for the northern Shachuan ships, there is not a single one.

The South China Sea has strong winds and waves, so sand ships are suitable for the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea.

The boss of the ship was entertained with delicious food and drinks by the merchants, and the owner of the ship came to the port in person.

In addition to the cargo owner or the crew they sent, there were also passengers who were going to the feudal country in person on the cargo ship with two thousand materials waiting for news at the dock.

The boss of the ship shouted, and dozens of sailors performed their duties.

Firecrackers went off at the pier.

This is a tradition for Chinese merchants, including setting off firecrackers and beating gongs and drums when entering ports in Western countries.

In the future, when Western colonists arrived in Southeast Asia and encountered Chinese merchants entering the port, they thought that the Chinese merchants were the same pirates as them.

Hearing the sound of firecrackers and gongs and drums, they thought the Chinese businessmen were coming to plunder, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides.

A Chinese merchant ship was defeated, and finally it was understood that it was a misunderstanding.

At that time, the Ming Dynasty's national power was at its peak, and the merchants were not embarrassed. They returned the ships and goods, repaired them, and resumed business.

In front of organized Western businessmen, Chinese businessmen cannot beat them.

So the tradition was restored. They used to have their own force, but over time, they developed lawlessness and were severely punished by the country.

In addition, the Ming Dynasty was the suzerain of various Western countries, so their trade was not risky. They could trade smoothly in various countries and become guests.Therefore, the dominant Chinese businessmen in the West had little need for their own force, so they gave up their own force.

When they encountered Western merchant ships, they had an urgent need for force again, but they no longer dared to arm themselves in the name of Japanese pirates, thus promoting the rise of piracy in their own country.

Different from the original, they were bold and wanted to wrestle with the mainland, and suffered a big loss. The armed forces that emerged later were unwilling to become enemies of the mainland, and promoted the pirates' imperial edict.

The power of pirates in the South China Sea has been greatly developed. Relying on their own power, they have repeatedly defeated and expelled Western business groups with unified organizations behind them.

Finally, due to the fall of the Ming Dynasty, after losing its foundation, it soon withered, and the West officially became the sphere of influence of Westerners.

The ship was slowly pushed out of the harbor, a stark contrast to the crashing waves.

The sails of the ship made a "swishing" sound when blown by the sea breeze.

People on the boat looked ahead nervously and expectantly, especially the newly joined businessmen, who knew that this voyage was related to their entire wealth.

The ship boss couldn't help but smile.

The more merchants there are, the more important his status is, and the sailors he raises can make a living to support their families.

The ship swayed on the sea and gradually moved away from the port.

The scene of the harbor becomes smaller and smaller until finally it disappears from sight, the channel is mature and the risks are not great.

"Three Pure Ones are above us, Buddha bless you."

"You come together to worship."

"It doesn't hurt to say goodbye."

Several newcomers who were going to sea for the first time looked nervous and encouraged each other, looking forward to the smooth sailing and the wealth it would bring them.

Spice is money.

As long as you bring back the spices, you don't have to worry about not being able to sell them.

The boss of the ship walked up and down the deck, always paying attention to the ship's course and the situation at sea.Where there are islands, the sea water is shallow, so he needs to pay attention to the nearby reef areas.

The crew members are busy at work, maintaining various parts of the ship to ensure safe and smooth navigation.

"Ship boss, what are you holding in your hand?"

When the ship has been sailing for half a day, the boss of the ship is no longer busy. The next work is mainly to maintain the route.

"Needle Book."

The boss of the ship was very polite. The businessmen in front of me might become long-term partners in the future.

"There are no markings on the sea. In the vast sea, we can only look at the sky and walk. This needle guide is what we eat."

"is it?"

Looking at the strange things, the businessmen were curious.

"It used to be a compass, then it was a locator, and then it was a star guide. Now this new gadget from Peiping is amazing." The ship's boss laughed.

"Not only does it combine a compass, a locator, and a star finder, but it also has the function of longitude and latitude. It can also be used as a log to calculate speed."

"yes."

The businessman looked at this humble tool curiously.

The ship boss didn't stop him.

Just like a star-pulling instrument, you need to understand the art of star-pulling to know how to use it. People who have never learned the new needle guide do not know how to use it, and they cannot understand it with the naked eye.

"As long as you tell the scale, you can know where it is."

"There is a map of the mainland, and there are place names on the map. If the place names are reported, people will know where they are. The scales are the place names on the sea."

The ship boss showed off.

Being the boss of a ship is not an easy task, and their expenses were not in vain.

"Boss."

"The clouds ahead are wrong."

The sailors on the observation deck shouted loudly at the sea on the deck. The ship's boss immediately left the businessmen behind and shouted, "Adjust the course."

He knew his partner well and made his choice immediately without even looking at it.

"Reinforce the cargo in the cabin and check for any leaks."

The boss of the ship saw the color of the sky. Most people could not see any change. Only experienced people could distinguish it slightly.

This is their luck and their misfortune.

It is their luck to encounter a celestial phenomenon discovered in advance, and it is their misfortune to be unable to avoid it.

Every sailor has a job.

A sailor once again checks various emergency tools, hammers, axes, saws, nails, boards, ropes and canvas, etc., ready for repair and reinforcement.

The merchants were all driven back to their cabins and were not allowed to come out without permission, not only to prevent them from interfering with the sailors' work, but also to protect their safety.

After all, experience is experience, and weather accidents are beyond human control.

The usual experience doesn't work anymore.

Unknown hurricanes and heavy rains on the sea raided this sea area.

Haojingao suffered a typhoon.

a day later.

The wind and waves calmed down a bit, and many merchant ships left the port. Guangdong's navy also went to sea to search and rescue survivors who had not survived the storm and capsized their ships.

The wind and waves come and go quickly.

The cargo ships at the dock depart as scheduled. As long as they return smoothly, everyone will become rich.

The wages of avarice is death.

The eternal truth.

　Thanks to book friends, reward slowly
　　
　
(End of this chapter)