The people who can sit in this position, even if they are not considered to be the top group of people in the Shanshan-Shaanxi business gang, can still be regarded as the mainstay of the group.
They have huge business networks and industries in Beizhi, Shandong and even Liaodong, not to mention Shanxi and Shaanxi, where they are the foundation. Even when the Ming Dynasty and the Great Zhou Dynasty were established, they were able to penetrate deep into the south of the Yangtze River with their early capital advantage.
However, with the rapid growth of the local business gangs in Jiangnan, their power was counterattacked by the new business gangs in Jiangnan and Huguang, and their prosperity turned into stable development and standby.
In their view, the opening of the sea ban during the Great Zhou Dynasty was a huge opportunity. It could be an opportunity or a crisis. If the Shanshan and Shaanxi merchant gangs could not participate, then it would be an opportunity for the Jiangnan merchants and a crisis for the Shanshan and Shaanxi merchants.
So it seems that opening up the sea is mainly a matter of Jiangnan maritime merchants. It has some connection with the merchants who dominate the land, but the relationship is not too big. But the real leaders can naturally see further and see this
The crisis lurks behind it.
At present, the only thing that the Shanshan-Shaanxi merchant gang can exert a greater influence on the court is the logistical support brought by Kai Zhongfa, but this situation is due to the fact that the imperial merchants and honorary families and even the imperial court
The "nest-occupying" phenomenon caused by nobles with connections to important ministers asking for salt has become increasingly serious and is quickly disappearing.
The method of Kaizhong has gradually declined. From the beginning, 90% of the food supply in the border areas was shipped by Kaizhong merchants or from the merchant villages of Kaizhong, but now it has dropped sharply to less than 30%.
What this brought about was that the price of food in the border areas skyrocketed. More of the food in the border areas was shipped from various places, with high prices and poor quality. However, the influence of Shanxi and Shaanxi merchants on the imperial court also declined rapidly.
"Then Mr. Fan, how should we respond?" Someone finally interrupted, and others also agreed.
"Shao Quan, what do you think?" Fan Gong ignored those guys who followed others' opinions, but asked the representative of the new force of the Wang family in front of him.
"To untie the bell, you must tie the bell. We have not yet been able to get a full glimpse of this strategy of opening up the sea. Although we have received a lot of information from various channels, they are all scratchy. We still have to find Feng Keng, the person who proposed the idea.
, can we understand the final thoughts of the imperial court, but I don’t know if this guy is waiting for a price, or if he is confident, or if the imperial court intends to let him do this. Logically speaking, such a big move cannot be possible without the support and efforts of our business gang.
Could it be that the imperial court really intends to exclude us merchants from Shanxi and Shaanxi?"
Wang Shaoquan's words made the old man surnamed Fan with a dull face across from him shake his head decisively, "Shao Quan has gone astray on this matter. How could the imperial court allow Jiangnan merchants to become the dominant family? But the reliance on Jiangnan merchants is inevitably becoming more and more obvious. This pair
We are at a disadvantage."
"Mr. Fan, I'm afraid we can't just sit back and wait for death. We have to take a multi-pronged approach and think of ways from all aspects. Don't wait until the overall situation is decided and we can't even get a share of the remaining water, then...
"
Wang Shaoquan carefully considered his words, "Judging from the situation in the past few days, this Feng Xiuzhan mainly went to Wenyuan Pavilion, um, and also to Rongguo Duke's Mansion. The news I found out is that he will not take a bath tomorrow, and he may have to go to Wenyuan Pavilion.
Accompany his mother to Dinghui Temple to offer incense."
"Oh?" The old man surnamed Fan's eyes lit up slightly, "Rong Guo Gongfu? What is his relationship with the Jia family?"
"They must be family friends. Feng Keng has a close relationship with Jia Lian, the eldest son of Jia She, the Duke of Rongguo. It is said that Jia Baoyu, the eldest son of Jia Zheng, a minister of the Ministry of Industry, and Jia Huan, the concubine, serve him as brothers..." Wang Shaoquan is obviously also a stooge.
After a while, "Feng Keng went to the south of the Yangtze River to Yangzhou. It is said that he stayed in Si Yamen for a long time while transporting salt in Lianghuaidu. Lin Hai, the censor of salt inspection in Lianghuaidu, was the sister-in-law of Jia She and Jia Zheng of Rongguo Mansion..."
The old man surnamed Fan stroked his beard and nodded, "He is going to Dinghui Temple tomorrow. Can Shao Quan go with him?"
Wang Shaoquan knew that the old man surnamed Fan could not sit still, so he nodded: "If Mr. Fan is interested, Shaoquan will accompany you."
**********
Suzhou Hutong, Dongting Guild Hall.
Compared with the grandeur of the Shanshan Guild Hall, the Dongting Guild Hall is much smaller and more exquisite.
But smaller scale does not mean smaller energy.
Dongting does not refer to Dongting Lake, but to Dongting Mountain, located in Suzhou.
Suzhou has always produced officials. This was true in the Ming Dynasty and even more so in the Zhou Dynasty. However, at the same time, the relationship between the gentry, merchants and officials in Suzhou was the closest.
Dongting Guild Hall is a gathering place for the elites of Suzhou business gangs.
"Is this guy so difficult to deal with?"
Several people were sitting in official hat chairs, drinking tea with light and casual looks.
"The representative figure of the northern scholars is taught by Ge Lao and the left deputy censor of the Imperial Procuratorate. How can he be a good person?"
"It's just that at the age of seventeen, isn't it too exaggerated?"
"I heard that he is not good at poetry and poetry, but he is particularly good at discussing current policies, which is exactly in line with today's imperial examination competition."
"No wonder the current Holy One is so favorably favored..."
There was a burst of laughter in the hall. Today, it is a secret that the Holy Emperor does not like poetry. It is widely circulated among the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River, and many literati and poets even ridicule it.
"Not entirely true. It is said that this son also competed with fellow students from his hometown who were famous for their poetry at the Enrong Banquet, and he was not inferior. Later, there were rumors that this son just didn't bother to spend more time on poetry. There are different opinions.
…”
"Hmph, I came from a martial arts background, so no wonder you are so vulgar and don't know the truth..."
"Don't you know the Dao? Then can this strategist who opened up the sea be called the Dao? If it is not the Dao, why do you and I have to work so hard here just to meet each other?"
"You! It's simply insulting to politeness. You Xishan people are so..."
I saw that several people were about to start a dispute, and the leisure and understanding before was no longer the same, but no one was willing to resolve it.
"Okay, there is no point in saying this. The situation is stronger than the people, and we have to think about our own affairs." An old man in brown shirt who had been silent until now finally spoke.
"Mr. Xu, it's not an option to sit and wait like this." A middle-aged man sitting next to the old man in brown shirt also glanced at the people who were still chattering with some displeasure.
There are connections with merchants from across the land and sea, and there are also contacts with merchants in Ningbo, but we Suzhou people are the only ones left out..."
"The Ningbo merchants want to go north to set up a shipyard. This is the intention of the imperial court. Those people in Ningbo may not be willing to go, but they may not be able to withstand the pressure of the imperial court." Xu Gong said calmly: "If you, the Xu family of Xishan, are willing
If you participate, the imperial court will surely be happy to see the results."
Being squeezed by the old man, the middle-aged man with a broad face was a little embarrassed. He was just looking for a topic, but he didn't expect that this wealthy businessman from Dongshan would not give him any face.
"Is there any news from the Huizhou Guild Hall?"
"They didn't do much. Their posts have been sent in a long time ago, but just like us,..." Although the man surnamed Xu felt resentful in his heart, he still did not neglect the inquiry of the old man surnamed Xu, "But what about Long You?"
It seems that I have received the message, but I am not sure yet..."
"What? Longyou's gang received the post? Is it true? Why?" The old man surnamed Xu suddenly became nervous.
If everyone is in trouble, then he can still feel at ease, but if someone else takes the lead, he will have to be frightened.
The plan to open up the sea involves maritime trade only superficially. More importantly, it involves the transformation of the entire commercial system from Liaodong, Beizhi, Shandong, Nanzhi, Zhejiang and Fujian, and Guangdong and Guangxi, and even includes
Huguang and Jiangyou along the Yangtze River.
This means that once the sea ban is lifted, the maritime industry will usher in a huge development, and the huge cost advantage of water transportation compared to land transportation will quickly become apparent.
Originally, the most important ones were the golden waterways along the Yangtze River and on both sides of the canal. However, in a few years, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shandong, Beijing, and Liaodong will form another more extensive golden waterway for maritime transport. These three waterways are connected.
As one, no one can predict what kind of changes it will bring to the commercial trade within the entire Great Zhou territory.
Even these three waterways will be connected to the future long-sea trade with North Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia. With the huge consumer market system and production system in Dazhou, both imports and exports will bring unpredictable benefits.
The man surnamed Xu shook his head, "I don't know about that. In addition, I also learned that Feng Xiuzhan also sent a message to Jiangyou Guild Hall, but who received it at Jiangyou Guild Hall is unknown.
"
The old man surnamed Xu was thoughtful and silent. This is not the way to argue.
Feng Keng was originally from Shandong and grew up in Shanxi. His teachers were Qi Yongtai, a native of Beizhi, and Qiao Yingjia, a native of Shanxi. The Shen family he was engaged to was from a scholarly and prominent family in Suzhou. They knew all these connections very well.
You said that he was on good terms with the Shanshan-Shaanxi merchant gang, which makes sense. He had contacts with Fujian maritime merchants and Ningbo merchants. That was when he sailed to Denglai, southern Liaoning, but Hui merchants, Shanshan-Shaanxi merchants, and the Dongting merchant gang were the most powerful in the Great Zhou Dynasty today.
He did not contact any of the three groups. Even the Huangshang group seemed not to have been invited. Instead, he contacted Longyou and Jiangyou merchants. This is incredible.
Although the power of Longyou and Jiangyou merchants is not weak, they are inferior to Huizhou merchants, Shanshan and Shaanxi merchants and even their own Dongting merchants. It is just recognized by the world that even the richest Yangzhou salt merchants are Huizhou merchants and Shanshan merchants.
The merchants were equally divided. How could it be the turn of the Longyou merchants and the Jiangyou merchants?
"Mr. Weng!"
There was a commotion of tables and chairs in the hall, but an old man was seen walking in proudly accompanied by several people.
"Mr. Weng!"
"Lao Weng!"
His beard and hair are all white, but he is mentally strong. Even the old man named Xu rarely gets up: "Brother Qiyang."
This is Weng Qiyang, the son of Weng Ji, a representative of the Dongting merchant gang.
"Brother Chengdong, this Feng Xiuzhan is not a simple man. He has a bright mind. He united Anfu merchants and Longyou merchants with the intention of eastward." Weng Qiyang made a big move as soon as he sat down.