During the Ming Dynasty, there were earth temples everywhere.
Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to agricultural production, and the gods of the land could bless the harvest, so he forcibly promoted it nationwide, and held official sacrificial activities every spring - thus leading to the prosperity of temple fairs. During the days of sacrificial ceremonies, the markets around the Tudud Temple flourished.
Well, the skinning of corrupt officials was often displayed in front of the Tutu Temple.
As a result, many officials in the early Ming Dynasty sweated when they mentioned the Tutu Temple.
While vigorously promoting earth temples, many folk gods since the Tang and Song Dynasties have been banned, and most of them have been labeled as obscene sacrifices.
Miraculously, Zhu Yuanzhang, who advocated banning the sea, respected Mazu very much and canonized Mazu as the "Holy Concubine of Filial Piety, Pure Heaven, Fuji, and Influence". During the Zhu Di period, Mazu was upgraded again and was canonized as "Hongren, Puji, Protector of the Country, and Protector of the People." "Concubine", this is the reason why Mazu is also called "The Concubine of Heaven".
There is the Tianfei Palace in Nanjing, and the sacrificial activities are presided over by the minister of Taichang Temple, who is of a very high level.
With the rise of the maritime smuggling trade, the Mazu Temple in Hangzhou became very popular, while the Tutu Temple outside the city became unpopular.
Every spring, the magistrate must personally host sacrifices at the Tu Tu Temple, but now only one Temple Zhu is left hanging around. Wang Yuan directly occupied the Magpie Nest and converted the Tu Tu Temple into the Governor's Mansion, and Miao Zhu also became a temporary employee of the Governor's Mansion.
At this moment, Governor Wang is receiving applicants.
"Chen Youwei, a common man, pays homage to Mr. Wang!" A guy with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks kowtowed.
Wang Yuan was sitting on the incense table, with the Land Master behind him. He wrote down the person's name and asked, "Where do you live now and what do you do for a living?"
This guy named Chen Youwei said: "The common people live in Hangzhou City and make a living..."
"Tell me the truth." Wang Yuan smiled.
Chen Youwei hesitated and said: "Be a helper for others."
Wang Yuan nodded and said: "Do you know the public opinion in Hangzhou City and the factionalism among parents?"
Chen Youwei said: "It's very clear."
Wang Yuan said: "I can keep you as an official, but you are not allowed to use my name to do evil. Is it possible for you to do it?"
"I would like to make the front and back saddles for Mr. Wang!" Chen Youwei was overjoyed.
Wang Yuan reminded: "Don't rush to agree, there is a three-month probation period. And you must take my words to heart. Since Zhengde six years ago, I have killed hundreds of people with my own hands, and I have ordered the killing of hundreds of people." It’s tens of thousands. If you dare to act in a secretive way, communicate with outsiders, and act recklessly, I don’t mind having one more life of yours!”
"Don't dare!" Chen Youwei shrank his neck.
Wang Yuan waved his hand and said: "Go down and apply for employment documents, and come to the Governor's Mansion tomorrow to formally report."
Wang Yuan would not trust this kind of gangster, and he might be a spy sent by someone else. But he can accept it for the time being. It is very useful for running errands, and he can also ask for some ordinary information.
Wang Yuan sat in the Tutu Temple for a while, and soon a scholar came in, bowed and said: "Zhou Mo, who was born late, has met Wang Zongzhi."
"Where does my friend live and when did he enter school?" Wang Yuan asked.
Zhou Mo held his head high and said: "I was born late in Huzhou Prefecture. I entered school in the 16th year of Hongzhi. I pride myself on my talents, but I failed in the provincial examinations many times. Recently I heard that President Wang was recruiting the shogunate, so I came here from afar to recommend myself!"
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "Then you don't have to call yourself a late student. I entered school later than you."
Zhou Mo immediately handed over his hand, and his figure was slightly shorter: "A master is a teacher. Mr. Wang makes academicians a man of heaven, so I should call myself a late student."
A speculator who follows the trend.
After Wang Yuan made his judgment, he asked again: "What talents do you have that I can use?"
Zhou Mo said: "The late student is proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, and is especially good at poetry. He can serve as the king's general staff."
Wang Yuan smiled and said: "Since I am proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, I will give you a test. 'It is better to have no "Book" than to fully believe in the "Book". I only took two or three strategies from the "Wucheng"." This statement
What’s the explanation?”
Zhou Mokan spoke eloquently: "This statement comes from "Mencius: Full Heart". The rhetoric may be exaggerated. Scholars should understand its original meaning and should not be obsessed with rhetoric. Otherwise, it is better to have no book. Mencius only took "Wucheng"
The second and third policies in this chapter are not believed in the rest, because they are based on the idea of serving heaven to fight violence, and they are counter-political and benevolent methods."
"Sure enough, he is proficient in the Four Books," Wang Yuan asked again, "What do you think of the sea ban?"
Zhou Mo said: "Sea prohibition is an ancestral system, and we should abide by it. Otherwise, all the people will live overseas for profit, and who will be diligent in farming? Once the sea is opened, all farming along the coast will be destroyed."
Wang Yuan sneered: "You came here to recommend yourself without asking in advance. Did I come to Zhejiang to open sea?"
"Ah?" Zhou Mo was confused for a moment.
"You go ahead." Wang Yuan waved his hand.
Zhou Mo hurriedly went to the mansion, raised his hands and said: "Zhi Wang, I haven't finished my words yet. Although opening up the sea is harmful to agriculture, it can increase the country's livelihood. Mr. Wang's opening up the sea in Zhejiang is a good policy that benefits the country and the people."
, we scholars should do our best to help!”
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Wang Yuan laughed: "You are shameless enough. If I could inquire in advance, maybe I would accept you as a staff member. But you followed Mao Sui's example and recommended yourself. You don't even know what I want to do. How can you be a staff member with such a lack of strategy? You
Let’s go!”
"President Wang, I have one more thing to say about my later life." Zhou Mo knelt down directly.
Wang Yuan was too lazy to pay attention: "Take him down!"
The sergeants on the left and right immediately stepped forward and took the foolish scholar out of the Tutu Temple.
Wang Yuan held his forehead, feeling extremely tired.
It has been almost half a month, and there are an average of more than ten applicants every day, but there are very few truly useful people. Instead, some local gangsters have been recruited to serve as agents.
After another hour, a muscular man with dark skin came in.
"Pang Jian, a common man, pays homage to Mr. Wang!" The strong man knelt down on one knee.
Wang Yuan asked: "Where do you live and what do you do for a living?"
Pang Jian asked back: "Didn't President Wang say that regardless of origin or identity?"
"It seems that you have something to hide," Wang Yuanping said as he backed away, "You guys go out first."
When there were only two people left in the main hall, Wang Yuan said: "Now you tell me. Regardless of any crimes you have committed in the past, I will not pursue them, let alone let a third party know. Do you want me to swear?"
Pang Jian was stunned: "No, I can trust Mr. Wang."
Wang Yuan asked: "How can you trust me when we meet for the first time?"
Pang Jian cupped his hands and said: "President Wang won the first prize in the examination, and fought on the battlefield. He was both civil and military, and made countless meritorious deeds. He was like a star in the sky. And I am a commoner, not a big bandit. Why should President Wang play tricks on me?"
"Hehe, that's interesting." Wang Yuan smiled.
Pang Jian eloquently said: "My current name is fake. I was originally a soldier, but I was forced to make a living by joining the sea as a thief. Because I rose to prominence so quickly, I was jealous of Li Dana. He pretended to invite me to drink, and he wanted to kill me when I was half drunk.
.President Wang, let’s see…”
Pang Jian untied his belt and opened his clothes, revealing a huge scar on his chest.
"Where is the bandit number Li Da?" Wang Yuan asked.
Pang Jian explained: "It is also called Da Na, and it is also called Na Da. Anyway, famous pirate leaders in Zhejiang and Fujian can be called this way. It has been passed down from our ancestors."
"Dana" or "Nada" originates from Persian and means "ship owner". It was introduced to China with Arab traders during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. In later generations, a small Southeast Asian country still retained the title of "Datu". In fact,
Also derived from this root, Jackie Chan was named Datuk by this country.
Wang Yuan asked again: "What is your relationship with that Li Da?"
Pang Jian said: "He is the owner of the ship. When I first started transporting goods for him, I took people to drive a small boat and transported it to him from the coast to the port. He then loaded it on the ship and sold it to Japan. Later, I saved some money and started shipping on my own.
I bought a big boat and went to Japan with Li Dana, slowly becoming the third in the ranking. I was a righteous person and all my brothers turned to me. This guy became jealous and now he has swallowed up all my boats! I am a martial artist.
No, I would have been hacked to death by him long ago!"
Wang Yuan was very interested and asked: "Have you been to Japan?"
Pang Jian said: "I have been there, but I can't speak Japanese and have little contact with the Japanese. After we docked in Japan, it was Li Dana's confidants who negotiated, and he sold the goods together."
Wang Yuan asked: "How many old troops can you summon?"
Pang Jian said: "There are only a dozen or so left, and they are all good men who sail across the sea. I heard that Mr. Wang was going to open a sea in Zhejiang, so I came to join him."
Wang Yuan asked again: "What is your request?"
Pang Jian said: "I just hope that after I open the sea, I can find a military position, and it will be better if I can restore my original name. My brothers also want to return to their roots. I ask Mr. Wang to find a good job."
"This matter is easy to handle. You and others will be of great use. Please stay and handle the paperwork!" Wang Yuan was very happy.
That night, Wang Yuan summoned Pang Jian and asked carefully about the details of the pirates.
According to Pang Jian, most of the Zhejiang gentry and noble families were not directly involved in smuggling. They sold the goods to mainland merchants, who then trafficked them to the coast. Small smuggling gangs then transported them to pirate ports, and large pirate gangs conducted ocean-going trade.
This is a gray industrial chain.
When the maritime ban was strict, the imperial court would order the local government to turn over pirates, and it was indeed possible to kill several large gangs. But after killing one, another one came up, and the local gentry who actually provided the goods did nothing.
Wang Yuan asked: "If I open the sea, how many local wealthy merchants will support me?"
"I'm afraid there is no support." Pang Jian shook his head.
Wang Yuan said: "After the sea is opened, they no longer need to sell goods secretly, so why do they still oppose it?"
Pang Jian smiled and said: "If you sell goods openly, you will be taxed 20%. Whether you are a merchant or a pirate, you hope that the court will not ban the sea or open the sea."
This statement may seem inconsistent, but it actually illustrates the mentality of maritime merchants.
I hope the court will not ban the sea, which means don’t ban it too much and just muddle along. I hope the court won’t open the sea. The main reason is that I don’t want to pay export taxes. Those “mainland merchants” who purchase goods are also afraid of losing their monopoly status.
Wang Yuan asked: "If I reduce the sea tax to 10%, how many gentry will support it?"
Pang Jian grinned and said: "If there is really only a 10% sea tax, except for the wealthy merchants who receive the goods, all other gentry and merchants will support the king's system."
The tariff (river system) in the Ming Dynasty was very complicated. The highest tax rate was 3 out of 10, and the lowest tax rate was 1 out of 30.
Once the ship opens to sea, other officials will be charged at least 20% export tax, because foreign merchant ships are taxed this much when they arrive in China.
By the way, foreign merchant ships were not taxed in the past. We have to thank Eunuch Liu for collecting customs duties.
At that time, a non-tribute merchant ship floated into Guangzhou, which was not allowed to carry out trade activities. The officials of the Third Division of Guangdong were bold and wanted to obtain trade profits to subsidize the local finance, so they reported to the court and said that they would impose a 20% tax on the ship.
The tribute was related to the etiquette system, and the Ministry of Rites was firmly opposed to it, but Liu Jin agreed despite all opinions (Eunuch Liu also benefited).
From then on, a hole was opened in the Ming Dynasty's sea ban. The entire Zhengde Dynasty's sea ban was not strictly enforced. Even officials in Zhejiang and Fujian followed suit.
However, these local officials are purely trying to subsidize the finances (make a quick buck). They do not allow Chinese merchant ships to go to sea, and only allow foreign merchant ships to trade in the name of "disaster-affected ships", and extract 20% of the tariffs and distribute them to the three local departments -
——Except for donating a few rare items to the emperor, Hubu could not get a single penny from him.
Even local officials felt that the 20% tariff was too low and were requesting the court to increase the tariff to 30%.
When maritime merchants saw such a high tax rate, they took it for granted that the export tax would also be so high after the sea opened. Of course, they must firmly oppose the sea open!
The local officials were also firmly opposed to the opening of the sea. Because in the past, taxes collected went into their own treasury, and after the opening of the sea, they had to be handed over to the Ministry of Accounts. On the premise of deliberately neglecting to make the cake bigger, they all regarded Wang Yuan as the imperial court who came to snatch profits.
represent.
After listening to Pang Jian's words, Wang Yuan felt more confident.
The next day, another scholar came.
The man cupped his hands and said, "I'm in Tang Yin, and I've met Mr. Wang Zhi."
Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, widened his eyes and asked: "Tang Bohu?"
Tang Bohu smiled bitterly in his heart. He was indeed famous all over the world, and even the governor of Zhejiang Province knew about it. He explained: "I have changed the name to 'Ziwei' and no longer use the word 'Bohu'."
Don't blame Wang Yuan for such a big reaction. In fact, the image of Tang Bohu was very different from what he imagined.
When I mention Tang Bohu, I naturally think of the romantic and talented man.
But the man in front of me had a big head, a big beard, big bags under his eyes, rosacea, gray beard and hair, and was thin from neck to feet, but he also had a big belly.