Reborn Ming Dynasty as Emperor

Chapter 509

Despite the huge changes brought about by the steam industry, coupled with the further improvement of the level of mechanical manufacturing, various types of locomotives have emerged in this world one after another.

However, for a town like Zhaoqing, which deviates from the coastal and industrial centers, the appearance of bicycles can still arouse great curiosity of the local people.

The wheels made of iron wire and some kind of black and very thick colloid, as well as the bell that jingles when you press it, and it is not pulled by a cow or horse. No matter what structure or part it is, it attracts the eyes of these common people.

Riding on the bicycle is Qu Shixu, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and his staff. As the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he controls the largest overseas trade export destination in the entire Ming Dynasty. The frequency of encountering new things is not inferior to Gong Yong, the right servant of the Royal Industrial Company Therefore, for this apocalyptic bicycle, he will naturally be the first to enjoy this new "technological product".

"Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness for coming late to greet the driver." Qu Shixu hurried over, seeing that the soldiers of the Fifth Army guarding His Majesty Zhu Youxiao were about to raise their guns on guard. He stopped the car, jumped down first, lifted his robe, and apologized to Zhu Youxiao in what he thought was a quick movement.

Zhu Youxiao thought it funny. In Daming, where there were no motor vehicles, a non-mechanical bicycle that got rid of animal power was a relatively rare thing. It was like a bloody BMW in Han Dynasty. Today's eight-carrying sedan chair, in their eyes Come on, riding is a very pretentious thing.

In Zhu Youxiao's view, it is an ordinary but even unacceptable picture. A second-rank official in a scarlet robe riding a car without electroplating and paint spraying technology is just one or two iron wheels plus one power When the system and the Daming version of the bicycle with the leading steering and braking functions came over, the scene was as obtrusive as possible.

However, in fact, the current Ming Dynasty is like this. On the one hand, it is a medieval society with clans and centralized dynasties as the basic and upper-level ruling forms; Forced, many people have a sense of missing out. Some people are grateful for the much more elegant lifestyle in the past, and they will not spend huge sums of money to try out a new mechanical product produced by Royal Industries, not only bicycles but also Others, such as water pumps and ships without oars, etc., and more spend huge sums of money to organize poetry clubs and build gardens.

"Get up", Zhu Youxiao couldn't say it. This kind of bicycle can be seen everywhere in later generations, so he nodded and let Qu Shixu flatten himself.

In front of Zhu Youxiao, Qu Shixu couldn't ride a bicycle anymore, so he had to follow Zhu Youxiao with the dragon's head, but at the same time he felt a little guilty. He didn't know that His Majesty would arrive in Zhaoqing City today, so he rode himself A batch of apocalypse vehicles purchased from Guangzhou went to the outside of the city to inquire about the progress of Zhu Youxiao's Luanyi, and he himself only got the news from Guizhou when he was about to return to Zhaoqing City, that is, His Majesty The news that he was about to enter the city made him rush over, but he happened to meet Zhu Youxiao unexpectedly.

In this way, before Qu Shixu had time to hide the bicycle he sold for a huge sum of money, he was deeply afraid that His Majesty would suspect that he had embezzled a huge sum of money, otherwise where would he get the money to buy such an expensive product.

As everyone knows, in the eyes of the emperor Zhu Youxiao, this kind of thing that is everywhere in later generations and is incompatible with the Ming world brought by Eguanbo has not been connected with luxury goods at all.

Even seeing Qu Shixu, the majestic governor of Guangdong and Guangxi pushing a bicycle behind him, made Zhu Youxiao feel that it was like some officials in some TV dramas deliberately riding a bicycle to inspect in order to show their integrity. Come in a very honest look.

Zhu Youxiao didn’t stay in Zhaoqing for long before leaving for Guangzhou Mansion, which is the location of the largest customs in Ming Dynasty, that is, the Guangdong Ship Lifting Department. Because the customs has just been established, a certain amount of troops are needed to maintain order. Zhu Youxiao He directly let Lu Jiayu, the commander-in-chief of the Fourth Army currently stationed in Guangzhou, concurrently serve as the governor of Guangdong and the secretary of the city ship promotion department.

Basically, the entire huge customs tax is collected and maintained by the Shibo Lifting Department, and the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi is responsible for monitoring and deporting to Beijing.

Therefore, in the Ming Dynasty at this time, the governors of Guangdong and Guangxi and the governors of Guangdong had similar powers in Guangdong and Guangxi.

There are not many western shops in Zhaoqing city, but when you enter the territory of Guangzhou, you can find that there are all kinds of western shops running their own businesses on almost every street, some sell Kunlun Road, and some sell goods plundered from overseas colonies. Those who bought gems from here also sold Western and Oriental women directly, and even opened a brothel mainly for Western women, named "Orchid Style", which is also a good business.

"These are all registered in the Lifting Division. Depending on the goods, our Lifting Division will collect different percentages of taxes. For some urgently needed goods in Ming Dynasty, they can be exempted from tax, such as direct gunpowder and Western firearms, but Only designated officials and merchants of the Ming Dynasty can trade, and each store needs to take the initiative to fill out the tax payment form every three months and complete the tax payment before it can continue to operate or it will be forcibly closed."

Lu Jiayu was dressed in a military uniform, and walked beside Zhu Youxiao with great arrogance, introducing Zhu Youxiao the business situation in the entire city of Guangzhou.

After hearing this, Zhu Youxiao looked at a Western soft-sailing boat that was loading bicycles onto the ship, and couldn't help asking: "Is there a lot of illegal smuggling and buying and selling of items prohibited by Ming Dynasty?"

"After killing a bold Western fan, it is rare, but there are always desperadoes who ignore the king's law for small profits, so there may be some omissions, but we try to minimize omissions, and every ship enters the port. Or export ships, we will strictly inspect them.”

As he said that, Lu Xiangsheng pointed to Zhu Youxiao's Western soft-sailing boat full of Apocalypse bicycles and said, "Please look, Your Majesty, our people are going to check it now."

Zhu Youxiao looked over, and sure enough, he saw a group of members of the Gendarmerie of the Fourth Army temporarily serving as customs inspections, armed with guns, and led by a ninth-rank civil servant and several clerks, entering the soft sailing ship.

However, the owner of the soft sailing ship saluted the personnel of Daming who carried out the inspection respectfully.

"Go, take a look when you are angry," Zhu Youxiao said and walked up, but saw a clerk pull out a bag of smoke from the deck of the ship: "It's opium, and this ship actually carried opium privately!"

Hearing this, before the western fan could react, the military police of the Fourth Army had already shot more than a dozen shots at him all over the body, and all the other western fans were also killed.

"Very good, decisive and straightforward", Zhu Youxiao only said a few words, and then looked at another western soft sailing boat that was about to leave Guangzhou. There were also people checking it, but the boat went smoothly and nothing was found , was successfully released to sea.

(End of this chapter)