Li Shishi was already used to Tong Yuan's attitude.
He visited many local officials of the Ming Dynasty, and almost all of them were just like Tong Yuan. On the surface, they were quite respectful to him, but in fact, their eyes revealed contempt and contempt.
Even though he is now the right prime minister of Ning State, with a high position of power, the prime minister of a country, and assisting the king, it can be regarded as realizing the highest ideal of a scholar.
But after all, he did not come from a serious imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty. He was not even an examiner, let alone a disciple of the emperor. Therefore, he was always looked down upon by those who took the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty.
Li Shishi was also very helpless about this.
But there is no other way, because this is a scholar.
"I am really flattered that the Prime Minister came here in person."
Tong Yuan smiled and chatted with Li Shishi.
"Master Tong is a great pillar of the Ming Dynasty, and he is also a disciple of Liu Gong. If you come to the West, we, Ningguo, will naturally give you a grand welcome."
Li Shishi smiled and guided Tong Yuan.
Soon, the two got on the four-wheeled carriage and headed to Xiyang City. Prince Ning had some properties in Xiyang City, including his own manor, shop, mansion, etc., which was more than enough to accommodate Tong Yuan.
Sitting on the four-wheeled carriage, Tong Yuan looked at the Western City in front of him with interest.
Xiyang City was built after the Western United Trading Company occupied Sri Lanka, and the Governor's Palace of Sri Lanka was also located here. Although the occupation was not long, Xiyang City was already quite large.
Neatly planned, straight cement roads extend in all directions, and on both sides of the road are high-rise buildings, large and small, with various shops and businesses, various icons, and advertisements.
The streets were busy with traffic and people coming and going, and it was very prosperous.
"The United Western Trading Company is really well run."
Tong Yuan couldn't help but admire. Along the way, he had seen many big cities and ports. This Western City could be ranked in the top five. The roads were very spacious and very clean and tidy.
"Of course, the Western United Trading Company is doing great right now~"
Li Shishi also nodded solemnly and said with some emotion: "The Western United Trading Company is now the largest trading house in the entire Indian Ocean region. It not only monopolizes the gem business in Sri Lanka, but also occupies a large number of businesses in Tianzhu and the African continent.
colony."
"In addition, the Western United Trading House is one of the largest slave traders in our Ming Dynasty. The number of slaves sold to our Ming Dynasty through the Western United Trading House every year exceeds one million."
"At the same time, they are also the largest cotton growers, rice, corn, sugar cane, and spice growers in Tianzhu. Their plantations are spread across every corner in Tianzhu and Sri Lanka."
"Relying on these, Western United Commercial Bank can obtain huge revenue of more than 100 million taels of silver every year, with profits exceeding 30%!"
When he said this, Li Shishi's eyes couldn't help but turn slightly red.
"A profit of more than 30 million taels of silver a year?"
When Tong Yuan heard this, he couldn't help but slightly widen his eyes.
This is an extremely huge amount, almost equivalent to one quarter of Ming Dynasty’s current annual treasury tax revenue.
"Hmm~"
"The Western United Trading Company was the first trading firm to enter the West. Their strength was very large from the beginning. They were composed of many powerful businessmen, gentry, and large families."
"After occupying Sri Lanka, we gained a foothold. With vigorous development, our strength quickly became stronger. After that, we continued to attack the Tianzhu Continent northward and owned a huge colony on the Tianzhu Continent."
Li Shishi nodded solemnly.
The United Western Trading Company has almost unparalleled influence in the Indian Ocean region.
Almost every vassal state and every colony has contacts with the Western United Trading Company, and the same is true for Ningguo. A large amount of business in Ningguo is almost all done in partnership with the Western United Trading Company. It is very clear about the strength of the Western United Trading Company.
This is a truly huge business empire like a Big Mac.
It is different from the vassal state established by the vassal king.
When a vassal king established a vassal state, it was to establish his own country and dynasty. Although it was a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, it was actually an independent country.
Western United Trading Company is different. The purpose of its establishment is for profit, that is, for money. Making money is the highest purpose, and the interests of shareholders are the highest interest.
It is a pure business, a pure money-making institution.
But now that it has developed, it is different because it occupies a vast colony and has complete independent power in its own colony.
You can formulate a management organization according to your own needs, -->>
It appoints managers, collects taxes, etc. In essence, it is actually an independent country.
But what is different from the vassal states is that the Western United Trading Company is a brand-new country that is bound by commercial interests. Unlike the vassal states, they have no monarch, and the highest governor is publicly elected by everyone within the Western United Trading Company.
It is a completely new mode of operation.
Under this purely commercial operating model, the laws, rules, etc. formulated by the Western United Trading Company are almost all based on commercial trade.
It can be said that the Western Union Company already had the prototype of a later capitalist country.
It’s just that everyone has never had this awareness. The people of Western United Trading Company have always felt that they are a trading company, and everything is for the benefit of the trading company and the profits of shareholders.
The large colonies managed by trading houses were all managed in a commercial manner. Officials were not appointed through assessment, but were appointed by family members of these shareholders, or they were shopkeepers of the trading houses, professional managers, etc.
Moreover, the Western United Trading Company also paid taxes to the Ming Dynasty court every year. The people in the Western United Trading Company also felt that they were from the Ming Dynasty. Unlike those people in the vassal country, they all knew that they were from the vassal state. Although they were also from the Ming Dynasty, they
After all, he has left the Ming Dynasty.
"How is the situation in Tianzhu Continent now?"
After hearing what Li Shishi said, Tong Yuan thought about it and asked quickly.
When Li Shishi heard this, he smiled and took out a map from the side. This map was obviously a map of the entire Tianzhu, with many blocks divided into different colors.
"This large area in the south is a colony of the Western United Trading Company. It is vast and rich in resources. The Western United Trading Company has opened a large number of plantations here to grow cotton, rice, sugar cane, spices, etc."
"Further to the northwest region, this area is the territory of our Ning Kingdom, which mainly includes the original Guli Kingdom, Keqin and other areas. At present, our Ning Kingdom is considered the largest vassal state on the Tianzhu Road, but it is not as large as the territory.
Western Union Trading Company."
"In some places to the north, this is the Kingdom of Shu. It is a vassal state established by the King of Shu. It is not large in area and mainly engages in slave trade, development of ports and plantations."
"Western Tianzhu is mainly occupied by our three families, while East Tianzhu is more complicated. There are dozens of vassal states, large and small, such as Qin, Zheng, Liang, Yong, Jing, etc.
, are all vassal states established by vassal states."
"Because these princes came out later and gathered together in East Tianzhu, the competitive pressure in East Tianzhu is very high. The area of these vassal states is relatively small, and the largest ones are no more than the size of a state capital.
A small vassal state is only as big as a county."
"In addition, the population is also very different. The largest vassal state has a population of less than 100,000, and most vassal states only have a population of 20,000 to 30,000 people."
"In addition to these vassal states, there are also a large number of colonies established by trading houses, big families, big gentry, etc. in Eastern Tianzhu."
"Like this outlet of the Ganges, the Zhang brothers of Shouninghou in the Ming Dynasty established a huge colony, almost occupying the most fertile river mouth and its outlet to the sea."
"However, although the land in the Ganges Delta is fertile and the rainfall is abundant, which is very suitable for growing rice, sugar cane, etc., the rainfall here during the rainy season every year is too great, and floods often occur, so it is more difficult to develop."
"The Zhang brothers mainly rely on this place to plot the whole of Myanmar. The jade and jade trade in Myanmar is monopolized by them."
Li Shishi was very clear about the situation in Tianzhu Continent and introduced it in great detail.
Tong Yuan listened carefully and looked carefully. The entire plateau area in the southern part of the Tianzhu continent has been almost divided up, and only the northern area is left.
"So there is only the northern part of Tianzhu that no one has taken a fancy to?"
Tong Yuan looked at the area in the north of Tianzhu. Before coming, he had heard about the situation in Tianzhu. The most fertile areas in Tianzhu are actually the north, the Ganges River Basin and the Indus River Basin. As for the southern plateau of the Tianzhu continent, it has always been
They are all synonymous with poverty and backwardness.
"It's not that we don't like it. On the contrary, everyone is actually drooling and want to annex these rich areas in the north."
"However, the situation in northern Tianzhu is different from that in southern Tianzhu. The north has had a unified dynasty since ancient times, so the regions are more united."
"Secondly, the northern region is the richest, most populous and most advanced region in Tianzhu. It is now ruled by the Lodi dynasty composed of Afghans and Turks. It is not easy to capture these places."
Speaking of this, Li Shishi also set his sights firmly on the northern region of Tianzhu.
In the whole of Tianzhu, the most fertile areas are in the Indus River Basin and Ganges River Basin in the north of Tianzhu. There is a huge population here, which means an endless supply of slaves.
The land here is very flat and fertile, which means rich products and so on.
Ning Guo has coveted these places for a long time, but he has never been able to take them.
