Summer is scorching hot, and the entire north is beginning to be scorched by the scorching sun, while summer has already begun in the south for more than a month.
For the Ming Dynasty, it was extremely hot, but for the Yue State, it was the right time.
The Yue Kingdom was established in Ezo, which was Hokkaido where Japan later established itself.
The latitude here is similar to that of the Northeast. Although it is not close to Siberia, it is still a bitter cold place.
When the Yue Kingdom was founded, there were only ten thousand people in Gusu, the capital of the country. But now, after years of development, the population has grown rapidly.
Under the deliberate control of the Yue vassal, Korean and Japanese people only accounted for half of the total number of immigrants, and people from the Ming Dynasty occupied a dominant position.
As the son-in-law of the Tokugawa family, Yue State could make profits of two to three hundred thousand silver dollars every year by virtue of the convenience of the two countries and the exchange ratio of gold, silver and copper.
The same is true. Among all the vassal states, although the land of Yue State is relatively poor, it is the richest.
Although the Edo shogunate began to narrow its borders in the past two years in order to avoid the loss of gold and silver, for the Yue Kingdom, the financial path is still there.
For example, Vietnam controls nearly half of Japan's raw copper exports, with an annual profit of tens of thousands; exporting tens of thousands of shi of grain to Edo can also earn tens of thousands.
For example, in North Korea, gold and silver are scarce but iron ore is abundant, so it can also make a profit.
A large amount of money allowed the country of Yue to carry out large-scale immigration. Tens of thousands of Han people poured in every year. In just six or seven years, the total population of the country of Yue had exceeded 200,000.
Among them, there are 120,000 Han people, 50,000 Japanese people, 20,000 Korean people, plus nearly 10,000 Ezo people.
"Your Highness, the population should not be increased any more!"
Zongyi Zhen, the prime minister of Zhengshitang, said with great sincerity:
"Today, our country has only 20,000 hectares of arable land. Not only does it have to feed 200,000 people, it also exports to Japan and North Korea. It is already overwhelmed!"
When the King of Yue heard this, he looked startled, then smiled and said, "Then continue to reclaim the wasteland."
"The entire Yue country is so huge, how can it be? I mean, at least one million people are enough!"
The king of Yue, Zhu Cuncui, said seriously: "We have cultivated less than 10% of the huge Yue country, which is far from enough."
"You have to know that the Qin State has eight million people. What a huge number this is? Our Yue State can't only account for a fraction of others, right?"
"Otherwise, if I take him out, where will my dignity be?"
Zong Yi really smiled bitterly.
Sure enough, the King of Yue was still young and vigorous.
Didn’t you just participate in Emperor Shaowu’s Longevity Festival? Why are you so quiet and aggressive when you come back?
At this time, Prime Minister Lan Sheng was not in a hurry and said:
"What His Highness said is exactly what he said. Two hundred thousand is far from enough. Only one million can fill our country of Yue. I even estimate that the country of Yue can support at least three million people."
"Your Highness, as you have immigrated for many years, you also know that cattle, houses, rations, and farm tools are all indispensable. On average, each family spends ten silver coins to gain a foothold!"
"In other words, eight million more?" Yue Guo's expression changed immediately as he calculated the numbers.
For the Ming Dynasty, this huge number was nothing more than a year's tax for Songjiang Prefecture or Suzhou Prefecture.
But for the Yue State, it was overwhelming.
In recent years, thanks to its land and trade, the average tax paid by the country of Vietnam is about 200,000 yuan a year. If the additional price difference between gold and silver is included, it is almost 500,000 yuan a year.
Among them, the King of Yue and his family needed 50,000 yuan for personal use.
The support for officials and the army would cost more than 100,000 yuan.
Of the remaining 350,000, at least 100,000 must be used to appease the immigrants and allow them to take root as soon as possible and create wealth.
After all, immigration is about letting people come and live, not just transferring people from a ship to Vietnam and everything will be fine.
Without houses and fire pits, they could not survive the winter; without food rations, they could not survive the autumn harvest; without farm tools, they could not open up wasteland for farming.
After all, I can't bring any tableware, chopsticks or anything else with me. I can only bring an iron pot with me, so the means of production are close to nothing.
Even so, they still have to survive the difficult situation of being acclimatized to the local environment, which can be said to be extremely difficult.
This is also the reason why in ancient times no one was willing to leave their hometown unless it was necessary.
Without the help of the government, if ordinary people want to take root in a strange place, three to five years is the most basic, and eighty or nine years is considered fast.
And often most people die in the first year of migration.
But with the help of the imperial court, it took only one year to stabilize, and three years to open up wasteland, cultivate land, and pay taxes, forming a virtuous cycle.
This is also the reason why the imperial household department provided support for several years. The vassal state had no money and food and could not recruit people at all.
So in some novels, people are relocated at all costs, and then people can take root. It’s just a dream!
Unless they are those from aristocratic families and the landlord class.
The remaining money and food of the Yue Kingdom were basically spent on building roads, cities, ditches, clearing wasteland, etc.
It can be said that the current Yue State is still in the construction stage and is far from the time to enjoy happiness.
The same is true. The Yue Kingdom has only 2,000 infantrymen and 500 naval caravans, so they have no worries about harassment.
Those Ezo people simply dared to provoke Yue.
In this way, there will be at most a few hundred thousand left every year, and it will take the Year of the Monkey, the Horse and the Moon to attract people?
Moreover, the profit from reselling gold and silver has decreased, making it difficult to immigrate in the future.
"The vassal government is in financial difficulty, so we have to find a way."
Yue Guo frowned and said: "If we continue, I am afraid that the annual immigration will not be able to continue, otherwise millions will be nothing more than a mirror in the mirror!"
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
This is really a bitter cold place.
The annual income is only over 200,000 yuan, which means it can only be self-sufficient and has no room for expansion.
Even immigration is difficult.
Zong Yizhen glanced at Lan Sheng and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
As expected of the Prime Minister, His Highness immediately changed his mind.
Lan Sheng smiled slightly, seemingly confident:
"Your Highness, the country of Yue has one crop per year, which is not as good as the two crops per year in the south of the Yangtze River. It does not have the benefits of silkworms, cotton and linen. It can be said to be a barren place."
"But misfortune comes with blessings. In addition to plains, our country also has a large number of mountains, and there are many minerals in them!"
"As long as the vassal government is willing to work hard, there will definitely be coal, iron, copper, and even gold and silver mines..."
"Yes!" The King of Yue was overjoyed: "Yes, all the mineral deposits in the world come from the mountains. Our country of Yue is uniquely endowed with plains and mountains and forests, which is really a great benefit!"
"The political affairs hall drafted an edict, recruited a hundred people, or even five hundred people as a Nuggets team, and went all out to the mountains to search for mineral deposits..."
"I don't hesitate to reward you!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Everyone bowed down one after another.
The Yue State has five counties, its capital is Gusu, and its population is tens of thousands. It is the largest plain.
Wu County is on the seaside, where the navy is stationed, and a large number of fishermen make a living by fishing; Shangyu and Yuyao are located near Suzhou and are the frontiers of opening up to the outside world.
Wushang County, on the other hand, is close to mountains and forests.
As the saying goes, you rely on mountains to eat mountains, and you rely on water to drink water. Because of the mountains and forests, there are more hunters. These extra incomes make them happier and have more money.
For Jiang Dakui, hunting is the next best thing.
When he was in his hometown, he studied in the blacksmith shop for several years. Except for the special skills such as weapons and armor, which were hidden in the end, he also had the remaining hoes, rakes, etc. at his fingertips.
The same is true. After arriving in Yue, he wanted to open a blacksmith shop, but Yue was short of minerals.
He had no choice but to move to Wushang County. Firstly, it was inland and safer. Secondly, it was also close to the mountains and forests, so he could find some mines.
Thirdly, those hunters need to make bows and machetes, etc. This is also a good piece of work.
The big "ginger" sign fluttered in the wind, attracting everyone's attention.
There is only one blacksmith shop in the whole village, so Jiang Dakui is the busiest person.
"Brother Dakui, there is a chip in my sword, please fix it!"
A big man with a dark face came over and said with a smile. He was holding a hatchet no more than two feet long in his hand. It could be seen that it was well protected.
But iron has a lifespan. No matter how well maintained it is, it will be scrapped!
"Well!" Jiang Dakui said casually: "The quality of this knife is not very good. Do you want to buy a good one from me?"
"It's enough for you to use for several years. You don't have to come here to repair it every day. The repair money is enough to buy another one!"
The big man hesitated: "How much?"
"You don't need more than one deerskin and two grouse!"
Jiang Dakui said casually: "I see that you are a fellow countryman, and we have a good relationship with you, so I can take advantage of you."
The big man showed a happy expression: "I have deerskins at home. I will go and shoot two grouse for you another day!"
"Can you help me change this knife into a hoe?"
"Okay, just bring another rabbit!"
"okay!"
The man left happily.
After a while, another hunter came over: "Brother Da Kui, I want an ax..."
"Okay, one deerskin and two rabbits!"
After entertaining several people one after another, Jiang Dakui returned home unhurriedly.
I saw his apprentice, who was concentrating on pulling the blower and making iron.
The iron in the blacksmith shop is pig iron bought from Gusu, but it cannot be used and has to be smelted by oneself.
This is not a joke, but the situation in Vietnam.
Much of the pig iron from the Yue Kingdom was purchased from the Ming Dynasty and traveled across the ocean to the Yue Kingdom. The price of ten cents per pound soared to twenty or thirty cents, resulting in extremely high prices for ironware.
The iron produced in North Korea and Japan is 20 to 30% cheaper, but the quality is extremely poor.
Therefore, Jiang Dakui purchased Japanese pig iron, and then returned home to smelt it again to obtain qualified pig iron.
"Er Xi, are you tired?"
He looked at the shirtless apprentice and asked casually.
"Master, I'm not tired, just too hot!"
"Drink some cold tea and take a break!" Jiang Dakui handed him a cup of tea.
Although it was bad tea, Erxi drank it happily.
Because tea is also expensive in Vietnam, ordinary people only drink it during festivals and when entertaining guests.
But in the blacksmith shop, it is always available.
He took off the remaining clothes and looked at the iron slurry in the furnace. It was red in color. The apprentice was not lazy, so he could rest assured to practice!
Pour the molten iron into a pottery basin, wait for it to cool and then place it on the table until it becomes red.
The apprentice grasped the iron block with pliers, and he began to beat it.
Gradually, a half-curved hatchet was revealed.
"You correct it with a small hammer, and I'll go out for a while!" Jiang Dakui ordered: "Remember, it's neither light nor heavy, and don't deform it!"
After saying that, he left with peace of mind, taking a few silver coins with him to the shop not far away.
Indispensable in a village, in addition to the blacksmith shop, there is also a grocery store.
The Yue Kingdom was different from the Ming Dynasty in that most of the immigrants were subject to the control of the vassal court, resulting in the population of each village being controlled at around a hundred households.
Fifty Han households, thirty Japanese households, and twenty Korean households live together to promote integration.
The distance between each village is even controlled at about twenty miles, and will not exceed thirty miles at most.
All leading to the village are official roads up to two feet wide.
This kind of regulation made transportation more convenient, but it also made the salesmen disappear and shops came into being.
On every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, merchants carry large amounts of goods and go to villages along the official road to replenish the stores.
They are all in need of rare items, and shopkeepers will also entrust them to merchants of all sizes.
Some of these merchants sell salt and some sell cloth, but without exception, they no longer have direct contact with ordinary people, but sell directly to shops, saving a lot of time.
Of course, merchants sometimes buy some scarce goods on the spot so that the common people can make a fortune.
The guise, the facade, and even the low threshold make this shop look very special.
"Shopkeeper, I want a cotton coat!"
Jiang Dakui spoke up.
The bearded shopkeeper showed a smile: "Blacksmith Jiang, why do you buy cotton clothes this summer?"
“It’s cheap!”
"Let me ask for you, but you have to be prepared, cotton clothes are not cheap..."
Jiang Dakui said nonchalantly: "In addition to cotton-padded clothes, buy me two sheep, one male and one female."
"Live?"
"Definitely!" Jiang Dakui said loudly: "My wife is about to give birth, and my son will definitely need to drink goat's milk. I heard that eating goat's milk will make you strong!"
Several people in the store nodded in agreement.
This trend came from Gusu. I heard that the king of Yue milked goats for the princes to drink, and it gradually became popular in the country of Yue.
As a result, the animal husbandry of Yue State has developed greatly, and the number of animals in stock has reached 400,000, which is enough for each person to have two.
"Okay, I will definitely ask for you!"
The shopkeeper's smile became more sincere. This was a big business and he could earn a lot of commission.
At this time, several women walked in, followed by several men holding linen cloths, like followers.
"Shopkeeper, how do you collect the cloth?"
"Hey, your fabric is of good quality and feels smooth!" The shopkeeper immediately ran from behind the counter to the front and groped carefully.
The smile on his face was exceptionally bright.
"How about you give me three cents for one piece of such fine quality?"
"Is this how you do business?" The leading woman put her hands on her hips: "In Gusu, you can earn only five cents, but you can make two cents in the blink of an eye!"
"How much do you want?"
"Fifty cents, or I won't sell it!" the woman said arrogantly, "Otherwise, I will sell it to those merchants when they come over."
The shopkeeper frowned in distress and thought for a long time: "Okay, just five cents..."
He immediately ate all the cloth, and his face blossomed with joy.
Jiang Dakui was stunned.
He chased the girls over and asked politely: "How come the price is the same as in Gusu and the shop also charges for it?"
The woman said casually: "This is red linen. It is very expensive. I heard that some people in my hometown like it, and the Japanese also like it. It is profitable to sell it more expensively..."
Home refers to the Ming Dynasty. The immigrants missed their homeland, so they called it home.
"Japanese people also like it?" Jiang Dakui was stunned.
The woman chuckled and said, "Blacksmith Jiang, although the weaving is simple, the patterns, threads, etc. are very particular. No one pays attention to it in my hometown, but in Vietnam and Japan, it is a top-notch expert!"
"I'm telling you, your blacksmithing skills look average, but who do you have to compare with? I heard people say that all the hoes that come in from North Korea and Japan are banned!"
Jiang Dakui was stunned, then laughed and said: "I have become a great master..."
Throughout Asia, the Ming Dynasty's smelting and handicraft industries were at their peak, crushing the industry.
The Japanese even have substandard coinage technology and prefer to use Yongle coins.
A book written by a book friend, title: Nong’s Immortal Clan
[Family flow] [Group portrait] [Local indigenous people have no system]
Introduction: Family flow + dual cultivation of law and body + single female protagonist
The ancestors build the family foundation, and the descendants build the family's reputation.
Building an everlasting family is not the work of one generation. It requires the trust of countless clan members, who forge a reputation with blood and defend the honor with their lives.
More than 100,000 words have been saved. Please feel free to enter. I just signed the contract today. If you are interested, please watch.
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