Chapter 486 What does it mean that the present is different from the past?
Chapter 486
I'm afraid that such a shameless operation was probably thought up by someone next to our Governor Yang who is covered in fat and looks treacherous when he smiles.
All the merchants in Jiangdu County were full of dissatisfaction, but now that someone has come forward to make a sample, it will be easier to handle.
Many people stood up enthusiastically to express their admiration for His Majesty the Sui Emperor and the prefect of Jiangdu.
The scribes, who had already prepared their votes, quietly appeared in front of the merchants who promised how much money they would donate.
Tell them to write it down in their own handwriting. After all, since you dare to open your mouth to contribute on such an occasion, it will be empty words after all.
So, I would like to ask you all to leave your own notes. In case you have a bad memory, you will forget all about this matter when you leave the restaurant.
It doesn't matter, our officials, scribes, and servants in Jiangdu County will definitely work tirelessly to come to your door in person and ask for it from you.
Yang Qian happily ate the delicacies of the restaurant, and from time to time raised his glass to show his goodwill to the businessmen who stood up and announced how much money they would donate.
It's just that from beginning to end, for more than an hour, I didn't even finish a glass of wine. Such a drinking capacity.
It is enough to be despised by anyone from a seventy-year-old man to a six-year-old child.
More than an hour later, nearly a thousand businessmen expressed their attitudes. Of course, there were also some die-hards or profiteers as stingy as Grandet.
Even if he went to a restaurant to eat and drink, he didn't even donate a single coin. Such people were also recorded in the notebooks of those around Yang Qian.
There will be plenty of ways to cause trouble for these guys in the future. After all, Governor Yang has already made a promise to all the merchants present today.
He will not submit a petition to His Majesty to impose commercial taxes for at least five years, ensuring that everyone can continue to do business safely.
Under such circumstances, you guys, the merchants who have made countless amounts of money through the court's policies, can't even do this, so what's the use of staying here?
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Fortunately, there are only a handful of such people, and some even quietly went to the scribes who recorded the records and supplemented their donations.
After seeing that the alms banquet was coming to an end, Yang Qian cleared his throat, picked up the wine glass and stood up.
"Today, I have received the support of you all. You have donated so much money and silk, which has relieved my worries. Here, I would like to toast you all."
Yang Qian finally drained the glass of wine, which was probably almost gone.
"In addition, although most of you work as merchants, I think you should have a lot of land. You are so generous today, and I hope to be able to give you a benefit..."
Yang Qian opened his mouth to speak, and the quietness returned to the restaurant once again. Everyone pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what Yang Jiangdu said about the benefits.
"Have you ever heard of Ryuqiu Island?"
As soon as this statement came out, nearly a thousand businessmen all looked confused and shook their heads slowly, as if they were not quite sure.
"Liuqiu Island? Is it an island? I wonder if this island is in Taihu Lake?" A businessman couldn't help but asked curiously.
"It seems that you are really not clear about it." Yang Qian himself also breathed a sigh of relief. It's good. Since everyone is not clear about it, this is the best way to sell it well.
"Everyone must know that I, the Sui Dynasty, have now obtained a better variety of rice. It only takes more than fifty days to produce a crop."
"If you live in a place where it feels like spring all year round, you can even plant four seasons in a year."
"Just a few days ago, Fourth Young Master Zheng's fleet was just east of Jian'an County. After setting out to sea, after about three or four days' sailing, we could see a large island.
The island is as big as a county in Jiangdu."
It is like spring all year round and there are many plains, which are most suitable for growing rice. Governor Yang is planning to establish a county there.
As for the land there, if someone cultivates it, then whoever cultivates it will belong to him, and there will be no tax for ten years.
"Whoever can cultivate as many fields will belong to whom?!" A wealthy businessman stood up in disbelief and asked.
"Why, can I still lie in front of more than a thousand people?" Yang Qian laughed.
After Yang Qian dropped the news, he just slapped his ass and left, while Zheng Yuanxun was directly surrounded by a large number of businessmen.
Zheng Yuanxun's eyes flashed brightly when he looked at this group of people, as if as long as they got close to him, they would be able to board Liuqiu Island and obtain countless merchants who had no owner's land, and his whole body felt bad.
Fortunately, there were many servants inside the restaurant who were maintaining order, so Mr. Zheng was not crushed into a meat pie by those wolf-like merchants.
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"Can this news tempt those people?"
Hearing the noise coming from inside, Changsun Wuji shook his head, turned over and jumped on the horse, and asked Fang Qiao and Du Ruhui beside him.
Fang Qiao stroked his long beard and smiled confidently.
"In ordinary times, such news would make these wealthy businessmen with huge wealth excited, but they would also hesitate and weigh the pros and cons."
"But today is different from the past. Once they get the news, they will definitely try to go there and occupy a place on Liuqiu Island, more or less."
"What does it mean that today is different from the past?" Li Shimin, a fat young man with great curiosity, couldn't help but interjected and asked.
"Nowadays, wars are raging in the Sui Dynasty, and the world is unrest. As a common people, what do you want, isn't it to have a peaceful place to live?"
"The big island of Liuqiu is two to three hundred miles across the sea from Jian'an County. It's neither far nor close."
"And there aren't many people there. If we can occupy a place there, what if the war spreads to the south of the Yangtze River one day..."
Li Shimin suddenly nodded. "That's right, if one day comes, the family can just take a boat to cross eastward.
It’s really a good choice to go to that big island that is spring-like all year round and can be self-sufficient, and then come back after the Central Plains is settled.”
"If the Sui Dynasty was stable and prosperous, I think that even if they heard the news, at most a few people would be moved and send some people to verify the authenticity and gain some land."
Yang Qian listened to the discussion behind him and felt secretly proud in his heart. He really didn't think that far ahead at the time.
I just feel that if this big island can be developed earlier, it can definitely promote the development of China's shipping industry earlier.
Only with enough attraction can we attract people to actively do something.
Nowadays, Dan'er County, Zhuya County and Linzhen County have been established on Hainan Island. Why can't Liuqiu Island be used? Isn't it because the sea route is too far?
What's the point? Don't we all need to take a boat to go far or close? As long as there are enough boats, traveling will be convenient.
What's more, when the imperial court has absolute control over Liuqiu Island, it can also consider exploring in all directions.
Maybe in twenty or thirty years we will be able to discover the New World, explore Asia, Africa and Latin America, and go to the whole world...
But before that, Yang Qian thought he should go to the canal to take a look at the construction status of the canal bridge.