The area at the junction of Renhe County and Haining County used to be deserted beaches, fishing villages, and seaside Susukino fields, but now a somewhat sizable seaport has been built.
The seaport has not been completely completed. To be precise, even after Wang Yuan leaves Zhejiang, the seaport here will continue to be improved.
However, the road from Hangzhou City to the dock has been built. Houses have been built on both sides of the official road near the harbor, and many shops have even begun to open for business.
Most of the money misappropriated from Hangzhou Chaoguan to build the port was earned by selling shops.
The ancients may not have had a concept of real estate, but they definitely knew how to deal with it. No matter how expensive the shops were, when they saw the boom in maritime transportation, countless gentry and wealthy merchants rushed to buy them. Not only did they have to give enough money, but they also had to strongly support the governor.
Those who didn't have a good relationship with the governor could only watch dumbly.
The warehouse that was almost burned down was also sold to one of the top ten dental stores.
In other words, warehouse is synonymous with Yahang, and it was only the goods warehouse that was almost burned down.
Those warehouses are being gradually renovated, and the proposed buildings made of bamboo and wood are being gradually replaced with masonry buildings to prevent the recurrence of fires.
"The ship is coming, the ship is coming!"
Above the lighthouse, Qiantang sailors were on duty, watching the sea with telescopes.
Not long after the sailors rang the bell and shouted, the dock workers could also see the shadow of the fleet in the distance. It was a North Korean merchant ship, which was different from the Japanese merchant ship. An experienced person could recognize it at a glance.
A batch of North Korean merchant ships arrived two months ago.
There are a total of five boats in this batch today, which can be regarded as catching up with the last boat. The wind direction will change after spring begins.
Even before the ship enters the port, the dock is already bustling with activity, and the shopkeepers of Yahang are even more gearing up.
Officials from the Municipal Shipping Department first went to negotiate, go through a series of procedures and then collect taxes. While collecting taxes, Yahang had already learned what goods were shipped from North Korea, and other merchants contacted Yahang and waited for the transaction.
There are not many types of North Korean specialty products, but they are still in demand in the market. They are mainly medicinal materials, fur, pearls, bow horns, and saltpeter.
North Korea's favorite Chinese product is satin, while Japan's favorite is raw silk. These are all to meet the needs of dignitaries. However, with the expansion of trade after the opening of the sea, it must turn to mass products, such as cotton cloth, which is now very popular.
North Korea was still able to resist Chinese cotton to a certain extent, but Japan was directly fooled.
Because Chinese cotton cloth was of high quality and low price, it was shipped to Japan a few months ago and quickly dominated the Japanese market, becoming the favorite of the middle and lower samurai classes. When Japanese merchant ships returned, they actually began to reduce the purchase of raw silk and instead transported large quantities of finished cotton cloth back.
It is estimated that within a few years, Japan's cotton planting industry and cotton textile industry will be completely wiped out by Chinese cotton.
Well, the Japanese should just grow food honestly, and they can leave things like cotton to the Chinese.
By the way, North Korea is not short of money either.
A few years ago, the Dancheon silver mine was discovered in Hamjing Road, North Korea. The reserves are extremely rich, making silver in North Korea cheap and copper expensive. In the past, when North Korean envoys came to China, they would bring private goods to make extra money. In the past two years, they simply brought silver and exchanged it for it.
Cheng Daming copper coins were transported back to earn the foreign exchange price difference.
Cui Hao was the leader of these five North Korean merchant ships. When he arrived at Yahang, he said directly: "We don't want silver, we just want Ming Dynasty's goods and copper coins."
"No problem, you can register whatever goods you want with our bank, and we will definitely help you contact the seller." The shopkeeper of Yahang felt envious in his heart. Why don't these Koreans and Japanese regard silver as their treasure? Copper coins.
Where is the value of money?
Cui Hao spoke Chinese very fluently and said: "I want a lot of jokes, silk, cotton, and some tung oil, raw lacquer and Hui ink. In addition, I brought three thousand taels of silver, all of which were exchanged for Ming Dynasty copper coins. I want high-quality copper coins.
, don’t use bad money to make up for it.”
The shopkeeper of Yahang said with a smile: "Please write down the specific order quantity, and I will get it for you within half a month."
China's copper coin casting technology is quite good. The reason why some dynasties lost money when casting coins was purely caused by corruption. In Japan and North Korea, the coin casting technology is much worse. Ming copper coins can circulate unimpeded in the two countries.
As soon as Wang Yuan opened the sea, it immediately caused a chain reaction in various industries.
Zhejiang Baoquan Bureau began to mint money crazily, and all the money they minted was high-quality money, which was specially used to exchange for silver to make a profit. This caused the price of copper in Zhejiang to rise. Japan will definitely sell a large amount of copper next year, and it is expected to form a "confrontation" between China and Japan.
The copper coin-silver trade led to the devaluation of silver in Zhejiang, which then gradually spread to the whole country.
Zhejiang Chief Secretary officials are no longer so opposed to opening up the sea.
First, it is difficult to go against Wang Yuan, and second, they have found new profit points. Because the agency responsible for minting money in Zhejiang is the Zhejiang Chief Secretary Baoquan Bureau, officials can make money from it, and they are also involved in corruption.
Nothing to do with it, just for personal use to make extra money.
As long as we persist for one more year, even if Wang Yuan leaves Hangzhou, Zhejiang Chief Secretary officials will continue to open the sea. Whoever dares to oppose the sea opening will be scolded by the Zhejiang Chief Executives!
Even Wang Shao, Tang Mu and other officials were afraid that Wang Yuan would ban the "copper coin-silver" trade. Because Wang Yuan prohibited copper and iron from going to sea, the copper coins were stained with the word "copper". Such trade was purely a policy violation.
edge ball.
Cui Hao took care of the trade affairs and settled the sailors on the ship. He couldn't keep the sailors on the ship all the time.
The shopkeeper of Yahang immediately recommended the "Ping'an Inn" to him, saying that the name of the inn was auspicious and that it had upper-class and lower-class rooms. The upper-class rooms were luxurious and suitable for noble merchants; the lower-class rooms were clean and cheap, suitable for ordinary sailors.
Cui Hao asked about the accommodation price, but it was a bit expensive.
The shopkeeper of Yahang said: "You don't know, but this is Hangzhou. The housing prices in the wharf, Fucheng and Chaoguan are very expensive, unless you go to the countryside to rent private houses. With five ships and hundreds of sailors, renting private houses by yourself is a lot of trouble."
Cui Hao is not the boss, and even the fleet does not belong to the same family. It is a joint venture between two North Korean families. He was a little reluctant to pay the expensive accommodation fee, so he took someone out to ask for the price.
"Tch, North Korean businessmen are stingy, but Japanese businessmen are much more generous." The shopkeeper of Yahang muttered. He would get a commission for recommending inns.
Cui Hao asked several inns in succession and found that the accommodation fee was about the same as what the shopkeeper of Yahang said, so he had no choice but to settle on one. He stayed in the upper-class rooms himself, and asked a few leaders to stay in the middle-class rooms, while the ordinary sailors all stayed in Datongbu.
.
After finishing the business, Cui Hao went to Fucheng for a stroll.
The dock side just looked busy because it was still under construction. When we arrived in Fucheng, it was definitely prosperous, with houses connected everywhere, shops lined up in rows, a wide variety of goods from the north and south, and the streets were busy with traffic. People were dressed in beautiful clothes, even if they were poor, they would wear cotton robes.
Passing through Fucheng, we came to the bank of the canal. The boats on the river traveled for thousands of miles, and the traffic was endless. It was a prosperous and wealthy scene.
Cui Hao was like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, standing by the canal and staring blankly for a long time, saying to himself: "I am in heaven right now? There is such a rich and prosperous place in the world!"
Back in Fucheng, Hangzhou, Cui Hao searched hard but couldn't find a beggar.
All the beggars were arrested by the two magistrates Chang Lun and Gui E. The laborers were sent to build roads and harbors, the old and weak women were sent to be starched, mended, and cleaned, and the children were taken directly to official charities to be raised.
Cui Hao comes from the Cui family, a large family in Korea, and claims that his ancestor is Cui Ao, the governor of Pingzhou (the fourth grandson of Cui Yan). Although he is a commoner, he has also studied Han classics since he was a child and has always regarded China as the land of his ancestors. Now I see
In the prosperity of Hangzhou, I found that beggars have disappeared. I thought that this was the case in all big cities in China.
For a moment, Cui Hao burst into tears and walked in a trance. He muttered: "The Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of Heaven, it is worthy of being the Kingdom of Heaven!"
Suddenly, Cui Hao knelt down to the north and kowtowed to the Emperor of Ming Dynasty from afar, so as to express his turbulent mood.
"Is this person a fool?"
"Maybe it's because my family is in the north and I heard that my parents died, so I can only fulfill my filial piety like this."
"He lives in the north, and judging by his clothes, he is Korean."
"He is worshiping the emperor?"
"..."
A passing scholar asked: "What are you worshiping?"
Cui Hao stood up and said: "When I first came to China, I saw how prosperous Hangzhou was. There were no beggars at all. It showed that everyone lived and worked in peace and contentment. In this way, I couldn't help but feel excited, and I paid homage to the Ming Dynasty monarch from afar to show my admiration."
The scholar laughed loudly: "You should go pay homage to the governor."
Cui Hao asked: "But that Governor Wang who destroyed the country and opened up the sea?"
The scholar was a little surprised: "You came to Ming Dynasty for the first time. Did you know that Governor Wang destroyed the country in the Western Regions?"
Cui Hao said: "The king's servant destroyed the country in the Western Region and presented the prisoners under the palace. The envoys from all countries saw it with their own eyes. My brother is the tribute envoy, how could I not know?"
The scholar laughed and said: "I didn't expect that even the Koreans knew about Governor Wang's Ming Dynasty."
Cui Hao asked: "What amazing thing did Wang Shilang do when he opened the sea in Hangzhou?"
Scholars said: "The name of Governor Wang is known to even a three-year-old child in Hangzhou. He went to Shuangyu alone to attend a meeting, persuaded long-standing pirates to surrender, and suddenly attracted more than 30 sea ships. He also punished the bad habit of infant drowning, and today Hangzhou
In each county, even stupid men and women in the village dare not drown babies, but those who drown babies will be exposed and severely punished. As for the beggars in the city, they are also assigned errands, and everyone has a job. There are many gangsters to help, once
He was arrested and used as a sailor for everything, and now he is practicing day and night at sea."
Cui Hao sincerely admired him and said: "You are a true minister of the country!"
The scholar said: "Hangzhou is now under great rule, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. All the merchants from the north and south come here, and even the small people have benefited. Even if they can't sell cakes on the streets, they can still live. But Governor Wang still lives in a ruined temple, spending time with his subordinates every day.
Soldiers and soldiers eat the same food, and they are as clean and honest as the same soldiers, which is rare in the world. Now, the gentry and wealthy merchants in Hangzhou are urging the governor to move to a big house, and the merchants even chipped in money to build the governor's mansion for him."
Cui Hao was shocked: "The governor of a province is still living in a ruined temple?"
"Have you ever seen such an official in Korea?" The scholar was quite proud.
Cui Hao thought of North Korea's officialdom, shook his head and sighed: "If our country had such good officials, the whole country would have been governed long ago!"
Nowadays, the most beautiful places in Zhejiang are Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Ningbo, which together produce more than 80% of the Jinshi. Hangzhou is the best of the best, and many scholars from other places come to Hangzhou to study.
Wang Yuan continued to suppress the gentry, and was despised by the gentry. There were many rumors and rumors about him.
However, as the opening of the sea continued to deepen, more and more ships came and went, and a group of vested interests emerged among the gentry and wealthy merchants, and the common people benefited immensely.
The children of those with vested interests, as well as the scholars who truly admired Wang Yuan, gradually began to "overturn the verdict" for Wang Yuan.
Take Hangzhou Fuxue as an example. The students there have polarized opinions on Wang Yuan. Some hate him to death and compare him to cruel officials like Lai Junchen; some praise him to the heavens and compose poems and songs to praise Wang Yuanli.
Benefit the country and the people.
Those who are praised all over the world will be slandered all over the world, that's it.
What you do will definitely offend people, and it will definitely win over people. Whether you are praised or slandered depends on which way your butt is tilted.
As Na Shizi said, there were indeed businessmen who jointly built houses and asked Governor Wang to move to the mansion to work. This matter was done by the big businessman Huang Chongde.