Su He convened the cabinet, six ministries, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and other bureaucracies in Lingyun Palace to discuss matters related to the maritime ban.
"The Ming Dynasty banned the sea. Now we have taken over the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, especially the Guangdong region with a long coastline.
The governor of Guangdong, Honeysuckle, requested that the sea ban be opened, and we all discussed whether the sea ban should be opened."
Prime Minister Wang Zhongce was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, I think a sea ban should be imposed.
During the Song Dynasty, at its peak, commercial tax revenue was equivalent to silver coins, reaching 19.75 million taels of silver coins per year.
Among them, sea trade accounts for a very high proportion.
Now we have a larger population and richer products.
We produce more industrial products and Mongolian specialties than the Song Dynasty.
Once the sea ban is lifted, it can create greater commercial tax revenue.
During the Song Dynasty, goods still needed to be transported to Persia and other places for trade.
Now you only need to transport the goods to Luzon or Java to complete the transaction.
In particular, maritime trade can promote the development of industry.
The Ming Dynasty banned the sea, mainly due to the desolation of coastal armaments, and there was no way to deal with pirates, mainly Japanese pirates.
We are different. The navy will definitely be able to deal with pirates such as Japanese pirates.
This year's special military expenditure for the Navy is as high as five million taels of silver coins.
The cost of building a first-class battleship is as high as 400,000 taels of silver coins.
The navy's military expenditure is only 30% less than that of the army.
The huge naval military expenditure must be worth every penny.
If you spend a lot of silver coins, you won't be able to achieve better results.
I suggest to the king that the navy’s military expenditures be abolished.”
Cabinet Minister Li Zhisheng followed Wang Zhongce and said: "Your Majesty, the Navy is spending a lot of money building battleships.
The annual estimated expenditure is as high as three million taels of silver coins.
We cannot support the navy with our current tax revenue alone.
The Navy's construction of thirteen warships has consumed special military expenditures that we have prepared for many years.
Now we must open sea trade and do business with the Western Yi people.
Not only during the Song Dynasty, but also during the Ming Dynasty, maritime trade was also booming.
According to the investigation of the secret guards, the southeastern gentry received tens of thousands of taels of silver to millions of taels of silver from each sea trade.
But the Ming court could not collect a penny of tax money.
The benefits of sea trade are huge, and the most important thing is that we must be able to collect taxes.
We export a large amount of industrial products and import a large amount of grain.
This will not only allow industry to flourish.
Food imported from overseas can also help people no longer suffer from hunger."
After the two cabinet ministers Wang Zhongce and Li Zhisheng finished their speeches.
The six ministers also spoke one after another. Qian Fuwen, the minister of household affairs, and Zhang Dezhi, the minister of the ministry of industry, fully supported the sea ban.
Qian Fuwen widened his eyes and said: "Now the Academy of Sciences is tinkering with chemical fertilizers, which will have a great impact on agricultural output.
Fertilizer requires minerals such as phosphate rock and potassium rock, and the mineral reserves we have discovered so far are not many.
I heard that there is struvite in the sea, which is an extremely good fertilizer.
If a large amount of struvite can be obtained, the grain yield per mu will be further increased."
Zhang Dezhi said excitedly: "Now industrial development has entered a bottleneck. According to the king, it is insufficient demand, leading to a surplus of industrial products.
After taking over the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, the industrial surplus situation will be reduced, but as the industrialization of the Guangdong and Guangxi regions is completed, there will be industrial surplus again.
We need to obtain the dumping place of products and the supply of raw materials.
Neither the Qin Palace nor the Ming Dynasty could find a good target for this.
Lifting a maritime ban is the only effective means at this stage to resolve industrial oversupply."
Other ministers did not know much about maritime trade and did not speak.
Everyone here knows that the establishment of a maritime ban is a certainty.
The navy spends a large amount of money on military expenditures every year. It does not impose a maritime ban and obtains a large amount of imported silver. The Qin Palace cannot afford the naval military expenditures at all.
The State Administration of Taxation established a new independent operating department, the Municipal Shipping Department.
This is the yamen that specializes in maritime trade and tax collection.
King Su He of Qin had no intention of imposing a sea ban, so why bother building a large fleet and setting up a shipping department in the State Administration of Taxation?
Su He looked at the ministers in the Qin Palace and saw that no one objected to the sea ban.
He was relatively satisfied that the Prince of Qin's Palace was operating lightly and no large interest groups had yet formed.
Whether the Prince of Qin's palace lifts the sea ban or not has no influence on these officials.
Many of their families own factories, and imposing a sea ban will help the factories make profits. Most people support the sea ban.
No one objects to the sea ban.
The Ming Dynasty imposed a sea ban, but many interest groups blocked it.
Even though the cabinet ministers pushed for it many times, it was not implemented because of too much resistance.
Among them, the biggest resistance came from the southeastern gentry and the Caoyun Yamen.
After the sea ban was lifted, anyone could go to sea to trade. How could the southeastern gentry, led by the Donglin Party, monopolize sea trade and earn more money every year than the Ming Dynasty.
The gentry of the Ming Dynasty were not poor at all, it was the Ming court that was poor.
After imposing a sea ban, you still have to pay taxes to the imperial court. This is cutting off flesh from yourself, and you will definitely object to it.
There were millions of water workers in the Ming Dynasty, and these water workers relied on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
After the sea ban was imposed, sea transport replaced river transport.
A large number of land workers are unemployed, and these unemployed water workers are extremely well organized.
Hundreds of thousands of water workers rebelled, and it was impossible for the Ming Dynasty to bear it.
Su He said with a smile:
"This Lingyun Palace meeting has reached a resolution, and I will personally issue an order to impose a sea ban.
The Three Law Divisions will draft the "Law of the Sea" and "Maritime Trade Law" as soon as possible.
How is the Guangdong Shipping Division preparing now?"
Su He asked the Secretariat to write an official document and formally decreed the opening of the sea ban.
Wu Donglin, Minister of Dali City, stood up and replied: "Your Majesty, we will draft these two laws as soon as possible.
After the meeting, I discussed with the king the key points of these two laws.
After the draft is approved by the king, these two laws can be officially implemented."
Wu Donglin finished his report and sat in his seat.
Su Que, director of the State Administration of Taxation, stood up and said: "Your Majesty, I will dispatch the best tax policemen of the State Administration of Taxation to Guangdong to establish a local taxation branch and a municipal shipping department.
Now Guangdong Shipping Division is operating normally.
The Municipal Shipping Department has its own anti-smuggling team, equipped with warships that have been eliminated by the navy.
When encountering smuggling merchants with high levels of force, we will also request the navy to cooperate in the anti-smuggling operation.
The State Administration of Taxation guarantees that we will try our best to curb smuggling and fully collect sea trade taxes."
"The State Administration of Taxation has done a good job. You have guided the Shipping Department to make anti-smuggling work a top priority.
In the early stage, we should kill the chickens to scare the monkeys, catch a few more typical cases, and deal with them seriously.
You must make it engraved in the heart of every maritime businessman to pay taxes in accordance with the law.
The maritime trade law’s provisions on punishment for missing persons should be strict rather than lenient.”
Su He ordered in a serious tone.
The merchants and pirates of the Ming Dynasty were basically two sides of the same coin. To make them pay taxes, they must have sufficient force and a strict attitude.
This meeting also discussed matters related to the yamen of the Prince of Qin's Mansion after the sea ban was imposed.
The Shaofu specially established the Guangdong Maritime Trade Company and established an official fleet to conduct maritime trade on behalf of the Qin Palace.
The Lingyun Palace meeting lasted until evening before everything was finalized.
Su He returned to his bedroom and saw the first-class battleship model placed on his desk.
The cost of this battleship was as high as 400,000 taels of silver coins.
But it's worth the money. If this battleship is ever built, it will be the most powerful warship in the world.
The Netherlands and Spain could build larger warships, but their artillery was not as advanced as the Qin army.
Their main ships will never be sent to the waters surrounding China.
A battleship costs 400,000 taels of silver coins, but the value it brings far exceeds 4 million taels of silver coins.
On the sea, there is no protection by force. No matter how much money you have, it is other people's money.
…………………………
"Sell newspapers! Sell newspapers!
The King of Qin issued a decree to impose a maritime ban, and any merchant who registered a company could participate in maritime trade."
In Dinghelou, Guangdong, Li Shengli took out five copper coins and bought a newspaper.
"No wonder during this period, many merchants from the north poured into Guangdong.
With abundant funds, they purchased a large number of ships capable of going to sea.
A businessman named Yang offered a high price of 10,000 taels of silver coins for one of my dilapidated seagoing ships.
My family sold two boats in total, and we didn’t stop until my brother received a letter. No matter how high the price offered by others, we wouldn’t sell them.”
Liu Sanfeng said with emotion: "I don't know if the Qin King's opening of sea trade will have a big impact on us maritime merchants.
With so many merchants coming in, I guess many maritime merchants will be ruined."
"Brother Liu, your worries are unfounded. We usually go to Luzon Island for trade.
How much food can only the Spaniards eat? There are also Dutch and Portuguese people in Java.
Now that the Portuguese have lost the large port of Haojing, they also need us to transport a large amount of goods.
Besides, the Xiyi people have a big appetite, so they can eat a lot of supplies that we transported.
These Xiyi people really couldn't eat the goods, so we followed the example of our predecessors in the Song Dynasty and went to Persia to sell goods, or even went directly to the hometown of the Xiyi people.
If you are worried about not being able to sell your goods, you might as well worry about the shipping company.
It is not entirely a good thing to impose a sea ban. From now on, when we go to sea for trade, we will have to pay taxes."
Liu Sanfeng frowned and said: "Pay taxes, how can you pay taxes?
There are so many small ports along the coast of Guangdong, and I don't believe they can blockade all areas.
With so many ways to evade taxes, who will pay taxes?
If we are already engaged in the high-risk industry of sea trade, what is the risk of tax evasion?”
Li Shengli just wanted to persuade his friend today, but if he couldn't listen, there was really nothing he could do.
What Liu Sanfeng was thinking was what most maritime merchants in Guangdong were thinking.
They had some resistance to King Qin's imposition of a sea ban.
Before the maritime ban was imposed, maritime trade was monopolized by them, and they basically made money while lying down.
As long as there are no storms on the sea, if you haul a boatload of silk or porcelain, you can bring back half a boatload of silver.
Li Shengli's brother Li Shengming sent him a letter some time ago.
Li Shengming has entered the Imperial College and is learning how to be an official.
Based on his own ability and the reference of his classmates from the Imperial College, he passed the exam to become a prefect in a remote place, and there was no problem.
Li Shengming studied in Hanzhong and learned about King Qin's persistence in tax law.
In the letter, he sternly warned Li Shengli that his family would never allow tax evasion.
Li Shengli listened very much to his brother.
Their branch is a side branch of the Li family. If his brother hadn't been admitted to the imperial examination, their branch would not have received high treatment in the clan.
Now his brother is about to become a prefect and become the most important figure in the Li family.
Li Shengli felt that his knowledge was not as strong as his brother's, and he was in Guangdong, where information was relatively limited, so he should just listen to his brother's words.
The sea ban has just been launched and the situation is still unclear. It is definitely the safest way to abide by the rules set by the King of Qin.
When the situation becomes clear, it all depends on the ability and attitude of the shipping company whether it is tax evasion or tax payment.
…………………………
Yang Wencai was in front of Dinghe Building, receiving middle-aged people who were slightly younger than him.
This middle-aged man looked about forty years old.
He wore a loose robe and dressed like a businessman, but he could never escape the shadow of a soldier.
"Prime Minister Yu, Admiral Feng Sanqiu, they are my eldest brother's son-in-law.
You and Admiral Feng have worked together for many years, and it was Admiral Feng who helped us get in touch this time."
Yang Wencai immediately took Yu Fuyun to a private room in Dinghe Building.
Yu Fuyun is an officer of the Hanshui Navy. Now the Hanshui Navy is trying to rejuvenate its ranks.
According to the order of the Governor's Office, non-officers over the age of 40 must be discharged from the army.
Yu Fuyun was an army officer, but in order to set an example, he took the initiative to retire and change his career.
Now he is the general manager of Guangdong Sea Trade Company.
He doesn't understand maritime trade, and he doesn't need to understand maritime trade. The people below will be responsible for the specific matters.
Yu Fuyun, the general manager, is in charge of the armed merchant ships of the maritime trading company.
This is his old profession. He was previously a Zhushi, not a captain leading troops.
But in the past few years, I have basically lived on warships, and commanding armed merchant ships has no problem at all.
The two of them sat down, the food and wine on the table were already placed, and Yang Wencai poured wine for Yu Fuyun.
"Premier Yu, I'd like to toast you."
Yang Wencai picked up the wine glass and drank it all immediately.
He came into contact with Fortune this time because he had something to ask for.
He speculated through various channels that King Qin might impose a sea ban.
He had come to Guangzhou a long time ago and contacted some local maritime merchants.
Yang Wencai discovered that he could not get involved with the locals at all, as these people were extremely xenophobic.
But when he learned about the profits of sea trade, he couldn't control his eagerness to move.
A standard piece of silk in Hanzhong is sold at a cloth shop for 5 taels of silver coins, while the ex-factory price is only 3.4 taels of silver coins.
This piece of silk was sold to Luzon Island, where Spain is located, for a price as high as twenty-three taels of silver.
That's more than six times the profit.
When Yang Wencai learned the news, his eyes turned green.
If you want to buy a big ship, you have to spend a lot of money to buy two large ships.
This is still the price before. Now even if you have money, you can’t buy a seagoing ship.
If two ships go out to sea, they will basically never return, so Yang Wencai must find a backer.
Fortunately, his niece went to Feng Sanqiu in Guangzhou and made a matchmaking connection with Yu Fuyun.
The fleet owned by Guangdong Maritime Trading Company has armed merchant ships, which can ensure the safety of the fleet at sea.
The two of them drank a few glasses of wine, and Yang Wencai said: "Manager Yu, congratulations on becoming the general manager of Guangzhou Sea Trade Company.
This is an extremely easy position to achieve results.”
Yu Fuyun just nodded numbly. He knew his own level and he was not a businessman.
He has nothing to do with the company's business affairs. He is in charge of the warships and does not interfere in business, as long as the company can operate normally.
“I have just arrived in Guangzhou recently, and I don’t know much about the company’s business yet.
If you want to sell something to me, I don’t know the market. Guangdong Sea Trade Company has a dedicated person in charge of this business.”
After all, this was someone introduced by his comrade Feng Sanqiu. It was not easy to refuse directly, so he could only decline politely.
Yang Wencai was a man smarter than a monkey. Just by looking at Fuyun's expression, he knew that things were going to be bad.
He knew that if Yu Fuyun refused directly after the pleasantries continued, things would be difficult to handle after that.
He had also come into contact with officials who had been transferred from the military to civilians before, and the common behavior of these officials was that they were smelly and tough.
They have become accustomed to the rules and regulations in the army, and all the rules of doing things are in accordance with the rules and regulations.
"Sir Yu, I am not looking for you to sell goods.
I just want to ask when the sea trading company can go to sea.
I also have enough money to buy two sea boats and prepare to go out to sea for business.
But I learned that the sea is too dangerous, so I wanted to join the sea trading company's fleet.
As long as you allow our ships to follow, we can pay a certain price."
When Yu Fuyun saw Yang Wencai, he was not looking for him to sell something.
He carefully recalled the regulations of the Sea Trading Company. There was one regulation in the Sea Trading Company.
The armed merchant ships of Haihai Company are allowed to rescue ships in danger on the sea.
"The ocean belongs to us, not our maritime trading company. We will not drive you away when you are walking on the shipping lanes.
If you encounter pirates, you are allowed to approach our fleet.
The pier has not been built yet, and some items have not been shipped. It is expected to go out to sea on May 5th."
When Yang Wencai heard that Yu Fuyun relented, he finally felt relieved.
With the armed merchant ships of the maritime trading company escorting him, it will be safer for him to go to sea for the first time.
