Fenghou

Chapter 1334 Labor
Early the next morning, Chen Qing came to the official room as usual, he sat down in his seat, and the soldiers came in to pour tea for him.

Chen Qing's room was originally served by a tea boy to brew and pour tea for him, but Chao Qing found out that this was a security hole. If someone bribed the tea boy, the consequences would be disastrous.

At this time, Chao Qing said at the door: "Your Highness, Chao Kun is already waiting in the corridor!"

Chen Qing nodded, "Let him in!"

Chao Kun has always been a highly valued official by Chen Qing. He is independent and dares to take risks overseas. Chen Qing really appreciates this adventurous spirit.

At this time, Chao Kun was pacing back and forth in the corridor. The corridor is located in the courtyard, where officials rest and chat at noon. The corridor leads to the meeting hall and the staff hall. At the same time, the corridor is also a place where officials wait to be summoned. , Of course, there are tables and chairs where you can sit and drink tea, or you can walk back and forth to relieve the tension in your heart.

Chao Kun was indeed a little nervous. He went to Nanyang again last year, and he couldn't find any of the crops His Royal Highness asked him to find, so he didn't know how to explain to His Royal Highness.

At this time, the elder brother said at the end of the corridor: "Akun, Your Highness let you in!"

Chao Kun came over and asked in a low voice, "How is Your Highness feeling?"

"Go! Don't worry."

Chao Kun plucked up the courage to enter the office, bowed and saluted, "See Your Highness!"

"Please sit down!" Chen Qing smiled and asked him to sit down.

His Royal Highness Yong's smile reassured Chao Kun, and he sat down on a chair beside him.

Chen Qing asked again: "Did you go to Nanyang in the past two years?"

Chao Kun's heart tightened, His Highness really cared about this matter the most, he hesitated for a moment and said: "Reporting to Your Highness, I went to Nanyang last year, but unfortunately, I didn't meet the crops that His Highness wanted, even the palm fruit. could not find it."

He didn't find his own stuff, as expected by Chen Qing, this is not the place of origin in Nanyang.

"It's fine if you don't find it. I'll look for it later when I have a chance."

Chao Kun felt relieved. He had been worrying about the matter for a year, but he didn't expect His Royal Highness King Yong to explain it in a few words.

"Beizhi went to Nanyang last year mainly to buy spices."

Chen Qing also knew that the spices sold by Jingzhao were continuously transported from Quanzhou, and it should be Chao Kun who brought them back from Nanyang.

"Have you met any Dashi merchants in Nanyang?"

"Yes, but not as many as before. It is said that there were many before."

"Why did it decrease?"

"Actually, it has something to do with the court."

Chen Qing frowned, "It's related to the imperial court, why?"

"The imperial court forcibly confiscated the ships of the sea merchants into warships, resulting in the disappearance of merchant ships going to Dashi. Dashi merchants usually take our merchant ships from the Song Dynasty. Without our Wanshi large ships, they really dare not take small ships. Merchant ships, they say that small merchant ships capsize in storms, and only our ships are the most reliable."

"Without our ships, there will be fewer big food merchants in Nanyang?"

"exactly!"

Chen Qing asked again: "What kind of goods do big food merchants usually sell?"

"Blankets, blankets, tinware, cloth, mainly cloth."

"Cotton?"

Chao Kun nodded, "Bizhi went to the spice shop and cloth shop last night and found that the quality of our cloth is much better than theirs. Our cloth is mainly cotton, while theirs is grass cotton."

Chen Qing wondered, the other party could use all cotton to weave. Is it because their velvet is longer and easier to weave? He asked, "Did you ask them for some grass cotton seeds?"

"His Royal Highness, the natives of Nanyang have always wanted to ask for cotton seeds from Dashi, but Dashi merchants are very vigilant and never bring cotton seeds to Nanyang, but I believe that their cotton seeds should be the same as ours. We The cotton seeds in China came from the Western Regions, and the earliest came from Persia or Dashi.”

After a pause, Chao Kun said again: "There is another matter, I have to ask His Highness for instructions!"

"you say!"

"Bizhi went to the spice shop yesterday. In fact, he was selling spices for his colleagues. He also bought a load of spices himself. They were all bought by himself. I don't know if I can do this? Your Highness please instruct me!"

Chen Qing knows that all crew members, including soldiers, who go overseas will carry some private goods and make a little money back and forth. Good thing, in the end there is no one to do anything.

Chen Qingxiao asked: "How much did you personally earn from a trip to Nanyang?"

"Xiaozhi spent [-] guan, bought a load of spices, and sold [-] guan when he came back."

"not bad!"

Chen Qing said indifferently: "I will only give you four words, enough is enough, it is okay to carry a small amount, if you want to buy hundreds of catties or thousands of catties, then absolutely not."

"Understood, I understand. I will raise this issue when preparing for the establishment of a trade supervisor. We must set rules on how much personal belongings each person can carry. If there are no rules, there will definitely be a large number of people carrying goods for others, taking up the load of the ship."

"Is there anything else to report?"

"There is one more thing that I have to report to Your Highness for my humble position."

"go on!"

Chao Kun thought for a while and said, "This time when we go to Japan, we will post notices to hire some laborers for twenty cents a day. It is said that this is twice as expensive as the labor price in those days. As a result, there were too many people who signed up. It was a sea of ​​people. I heard that Japan has a large population and few opportunities to make money. Many people came to the seaport to find work. I was wondering if I could recruit Japanese laborers to pick cotton in Ryukyu. , After all, we only harvest [-]% of the cotton in the big island of Ryukyu every year, and most of it is wasted, which is a pity."

Chen Qing thought for a while and said: "In principle, it is possible, but the details must be done well, such as not allowing Japanese laborers to settle in Ryukyu Island. Of course, it is okay for Japanese women to marry Han laborers, so you have to change after one year. People, let them cut wood, build roads, grow sugarcane, and pick cotton. The wages can be a little higher, including food and housing, [-] yuan a day, so that more people can be attracted to the past. "

"Should this matter be discussed and decided by the Internal Affairs Hall?"

Chen Qing shook his head, "Not for the time being, you should do it first. The number of recruits in the first year is within 3000, the number can be increased to 5000 in the second year, and 1 in the third year. Submit an application, and then the internal government will formulate a system, and as for the army to maintain order, I will give you a thousand soldiers."

Chen Qing thought for a while and smiled again: "You should write an application! I will approve it for you, so that you can do things better."

"Humble job will be submitted tomorrow!"

Chao Qing has been paying attention to his brother's situation outside. Seeing that it took nearly an hour for Chao Kun to report, he was secretly surprised. His Royal Highness King Yong rarely received officials for more than half an hour, but he actually talked with his brother for nearly an hour. His Royal Highness King Laiyong valued his brother very much, and of course he also valued the huge profit of overseas trade.

"How? Have you been criticized?" Chao Qing asked with concern.

Chao Kun nodded, "Fortunately, His Highness asked a lot about overseas affairs, and His Highness agreed to the plan I proposed."

At this time, Chao Qing saw that Jiang Yanxian had accompanied Zheng Tongquan over, and he hurriedly said to his brother: "You go back first! Let's talk in detail tonight."

After Chao Kun left, Chao Qing greeted him with a smile and said, "Counselor Jiang wants to see His Highness?"

Jiang Yan nodded with a smile, "Is Your Highness free?"

"I just had an interview with Chao Kun, I'll go ask, the counselor is waiting!"

Chao Qing entered the room and reported: "Your Highness, Counselor Jiang and Duke Zheng are asking to see you."

Chen Qing looked at the clock, it was almost noon, he got up and said with a smile: "Go to the teahouse and talk to them, arrange a carriage, and then invite Counselor Zhou!"

Soon, the carriage was arranged, Zhou Kuan also came, and the four of them boarded two carriages and drove towards the teahouse.

(End of this chapter)