Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2321 Fengshan (XVIII) Tianjin Port Business District (Part )

The emperor and his entourage returned to the welcoming hall for lunch, and after a short rest, they started their afternoon trip. According to the scheduled plan, the emperor was going to take a good look at the commercial area of ​​Tianjin Port this afternoon.

Tianjin prospered due to the canal transportation and became an important land and water port after the middle of the Tang Dynasty. However, if we talk about the city building, the history of Tianjin is not too long. It was not until the turbulent early Ming Dynasty that Tianjin rose quietly in the sky of history like a new star.

On the decisive day of November 21, the second year of the Yongle reign, Tianjin was officially established as a garrison, which not only marked the birth of a city, but also heralded the beginning of a new era. It is said that the establishment of a garrison in Tianjin was closely related to the "Jingnan Rebellion" launched by Zhu Di. It is said that when Zhu Di crossed the river to Cangzhou, he thought that this place was "the ferry where the emperor passed by", so he named it "Tianjin", built a city, dug a pond, and established a garrison.

At that time, the construction of Tianjin City was led by Huang Fu, the Minister of Works, Zhang Sigong, the Left Vice Minister of Works, Chen Xuan, the Earl of Pingjiang, and others. In the early days, Tianjin City was a rammed earth earthen city, which gradually evolved into a brick city after many repairs.

Due to the massive population reduction in the area around Tianjin caused by the Jingnan Campaign, the imperial court began large-scale immigration in order to restore and develop the Tianjin area. The immigrants mainly came from Nanjing, Huaibei, Suzhou, Shanxi, Shandong, Northern Zhili, Henan and other places.

These immigrants brought rich human resources and diverse cultures to Tianjin. With the influx of immigrants, the population of Tianjin gradually increased, forming contiguous settlements, laying the foundation for the further development of the city.

With the towering city walls, Tianjin gradually awakens from the desolation. The gentleness of Nanjing, the tenacity of Huaibei, the elegance of Suzhou... these elements blend and collide on the land of Tianjin, forming a unique urban landscape.

Economic prosperity soon followed. Tianjin, with its unique geographical location, quickly became an important hub for water transport. Merchant ships were constantly coming and going, goods were piled up like mountains, the hustle and bustle of the market was one after another, and the whole city was full of vitality. Artisans found a stage to display their talents here, and their skillful hands made exquisite handicrafts that were sold far and wide.

However, while the economy was booming, Tianjin, as the gateway to the capital, was always facing severe military challenges. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was one of the backings of the capital, and the three guards of Tianjin were important emergency troops for the capital. After the middle Ming Dynasty, as the invasion of Japanese pirates became more rampant, it became an important port for the capital to defend against Japanese pirates.

Therefore, during the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court had always stationed heavy troops here and built strong fortifications to ensure the safety of the capital. The city walls are tall and the forts are numerous. These cold stones and black gun barrels have witnessed many wars and also guarded the peace of Tianjin and the capital behind it.

As time went by, Tianjin's administrative system also quietly changed. From the initial military management, it gradually transitioned to the separation of military and civilian management. The improvement of the administrative system provided a strong guarantee for Tianjin's sustainable development.

This city has continued to grow in the torrent of history, especially after Gao Youshi proposed to Gao Gong to allow private citizens to establish private ports in coastal areas. As Jinghua invested heavily in Tianjin private port and then established the Beiyang Maritime Trade Alliance, as the actual "mother port" of this super commercial alliance, Tianjin quickly developed into the number one port in the north of the Ming Dynasty in just over 20 years. Even for the entire Ming Dynasty, it was an important commercial and trade center.

This time the emperor went south not only to offer sacrifices to the gods at Mount Tai and pay homage to the Mausoleum of Emperor Xiaoling, but also, according to Gao Youshi's preliminary plan, he had another important task, which was to show the world his image as a saintly monarch who loved the people as much as possible in the process.

In this case, Tianjin Port, a benchmark city that grew up under the practice of the practical school theory, is naturally the object he must inspect. According to some gossips, several ace newspapers under the Jinghua Newspaper Group have sent their capable writers to join the entourage, preparing to carry out extensive publicity and promotion of some of the emperor's words and deeds that are in line with the image of a sage monarch.

This afternoon, in a corner of Tianjin Port Business District, the facade of a Nanyang Spice Shop exudes a strong exotic atmosphere, with colorful flags hanging in front of it, gently swaying in the wind. Inside the shop, various spices are neatly arranged on the shelves, from cloves, cardamom to pepper and cinnamon, each exuding a unique aroma, making people feel as if they are in the tropical rainforest of Nanyang.

Emperor Wanli Zhu Yijun entered the spice shop accompanied by Gao Youshi and the three chief officials of Tianjin. The rest of the entourage had to stay outside because of the size of the shop. The decoration inside the shop is elegant and full of Nanyang style. There are many exquisite rattan crafts hanging on the wall, and several pots of green palm plants are placed in the corner, adding a bit of vitality to the shop.

Everyone in the Tianjin Port Trade Zone knew that they would need to welcome the emperor this afternoon, and even started simple etiquette and other training months ago. At this moment, the shop owner saw the emperor coming and hurried forward to greet him. Although he had been trained, he still looked nervous and excited. Zhu Yijun looked around and showed great interest in these spices. From time to time, he picked up some spices to look at them carefully and even smelled them.

"Where in Southeast Asia are these spices shipped from?" The emperor looked for a while and finally asked.

The shop owner replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, these spices mainly come from the Moluccas in Southeast Asia, the Longya Peninsula, and even further away, Ceylon."

"Where is the Molucca Islands?" Zhu Yijun turned and asked Gao Youshi.

Gao Shishi said: "This name was actually given by the Portuguese. This archipelago is located southeast of Borneo."

Zhu Yijun suddenly realized when he heard it: "Oh, I know, it's called the Spice Islands on Jinghua's map... Well, it seems to be worthy of the name." The emperor obviously didn't know that Jinghua's labeling was actually just Gao Youshi's laziness, because "Spice Islands" was also a name given by Westerners.

Seeing that Gao Youshi just smiled and didn't answer, the emperor asked the shopkeeper again: "I heard that Nanyang is remote and the local natives are not much more civilized than those who eat raw meat and drink blood. Therefore, the collection and transportation of these spices must be quite difficult, right?"

The shopkeeper bowed and replied, "That's true, Your Majesty. Spices need to be collected at specific times, and many spice trees grow in deep mountains and old forests, so it's quite difficult to collect them. The local natives are generally lazy, so it's not easy to organize them to do the work. As for transportation, there are indeed many requirements. In short, we have to be careful throughout the process to prevent the spices from getting damp or spoiling."

Zhu Yijun seemed very concerned about these questions: "So, what is the cost and selling price of these spices? How to deal with the risks during transportation?"

Cost has always been a core secret in business, so the shop owner was also very smart not to directly state the specific price, but only explained: "Your Majesty, due to the high cost of collection and transportation, the price of these spices is naturally high. However, we have established long-term cooperative relationships with some local organizations, so we can appropriately reduce the cost.

As for transportation risks, we will purchase insurance from Jinghua to ensure that the spices will not be plundered by pirates during the sea transportation. As for problems such as moisture and deterioration, we use multiple layers of protection in the packaging and a series of regular drying measures to ensure the safe arrival of the spices. "

The emperor seemed quite satisfied with the shopkeeper's answer. He knew that these spices played an important role in the development of Ming Dynasty's cooking and medicine. However, "satisfaction" was just a necessary expression. On the way out of the spice shop, he asked Gao Youshi some vague questions.

"Rixin, what this shop owner said is a bit evasive. Tell me, since the local natives are lazy, he said he has established long-term cooperative relations with some local organizations... What kind of organization is so powerful that it can make those lazy natives work seriously?"

Gao Youshi laughed and said, "Your Majesty has a keen eye. The so-called 'local organization' of this store is actually the settlement team of Jinghua. Let me put it this way. The settlement team is an armed management organization formed by Jinghua with a small number of core management and armed servants, and then recruiting and absorbing local elders and militiamen. They are responsible for managing and supervising the local people to work for us.

Of course, we pay them so that they can live better than the natives who don’t work for us.” Zhu Yijun wondered, “Why do we have to do this? It would be better to give the natives regular corvée and let them take turns to collect spices. This would save a lot of money!”

Ah, fuck?

  No wonder feudalism is said to be inferior to capitalism. It seems that you are unwilling to give away this little bit of meat in your teeth to others, right?

Gao Fusi hurriedly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, you don't know that this little money is only a small part of the cost of the spice trade. The local natives have very poor production capacity and are extremely poor, so paying them a little is actually insignificant. But doing so can make them our living advertisements... uh, what I mean is that I am willing to spend a fortune on horse bones.

In addition, from a long-term perspective, paying wages can greatly reduce or even completely eliminate the local natives' rejection and resistance to us outsiders. In this way, the unrest, riots and even organized armed resistance that we might have faced will be eliminated... Your Majesty, you also know that fighting is not cheap. Even if we fight these natives, we must pay them a penny of salary and reward."

Zhu Yijun suddenly realized: "So that's how it is... Yes, this is the way to achieve long-term success." After a pause, he suddenly smiled and said: "It seems that you really treat Nanyang as a long-term industry."

Gao Youshi's eyes twitched, but his tone of reply was still calm: "It is beneficial to both the public and private sectors, so I will naturally take some measures."

Zhu Yijun laughed, patted Gao Youshi on the shoulder, and said, "I know your usual style of doing things. You put the public interest first, but you are not above personal gain. You don't have to worry. I have no intention of criticizing you."

Gao Youshi said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding."

Afterwards, Zhu Yijun inquired in detail about the market demand and sales of spices in the Ming Dynasty. Gao Youshi, the Minister of Revenue, was truly an accomplished person. He answered all the questions one by one, leaving out no detail, which made Zhu Yijun very satisfied.

As the two of them continued to talk, they walked past several shops and came across a store called Tianzhu Gem Pavilion, which was particularly eye-catching. Its decoration combined the magnificence and mystery of India, like a treasure house, attracting the attention of passers-by. Zhu Yijun became interested and quickly stepped into this exotic store.

Inside the store, the walls are hung with exquisite Indian tapestries showing peacocks, lotus and other patterns, and the floor is covered with colorful carpets, creating a warm and luxurious atmosphere. Behind the counter, a local merchant from the Ming Dynasty, as the owner of the store, was busy sorting gems. When he saw the emperor coming, he immediately put down his work and went forward to pay his respects.

"Your humble servant pays homage to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor." The shopkeeper bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly, obviously feeling excited and nervous about the Emperor's personal visit.

Zhu Yijun nodded slightly, his eyes falling on those dazzling gems: "Are these gems all produced in India? Were they transported from that Bengal region via the Jinghua Two Oceans Fleet?"

The shopkeeper didn't expect that the emperor knew that Bengal had been seized by Beijing and could transport the gems produced in India, so his voice became more respectful: "Your Majesty, that's right. Originally, I was also doing the Indian gem business, but the source of the goods at that time had to be transferred several times. At first, the Portuguese obtained it from India, and then sold it to Longya City (Malacca), and my family needed to arrange for someone to purchase the goods in Longya City... In short, the Portuguese must make a profit from it.

But not long ago, Nanning Marquis Ying Xihuiyuan was invited by the Grand Prince of the Mughal Kingdom of India to go west to help, and later received the country's Bengal region as a reward. In this way, Ming merchants like me also have a place to stay in India, and the Jinghua Two Oceans Fleet immediately opened up a trade route with Bengal. I can directly obtain the best quality gems from the local area without the Portuguese interfering. This not only ensures the stability of the supply, but also effectively controls the cost. "

Zhu Yijun was fully aware of the inside story of Gao Yuan being invited to help the Grand Prince of Mughal. Of course, he also knew that this statement had been embellished in every way: he was invited to help because he was helping his son to overthrow his father. This was something that could not be said casually in the Ming Dynasty and was extremely incorrect.

The eldest prince of the Mughal Empire was not a prince, because the Mughal Empire was an empire, not a kingdom. However, he did not dare to call anyone else "emperor" in front of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so he was automatically downgraded from a prince to a prince. As a result, Akbar the Great had to condescend to be a king who did not show up.

Of course, the emperor would not point these out. He just followed Gao Youshi's suggestions and pretended to be very interested in private trade and asked, "So, how are the sales of these gems in Ming Dynasty? Do the people like these exotic treasures?"

The shopkeeper smiled respectfully and replied, "Your Majesty, these gems are very popular in the Ming Dynasty. They are not only the favorite daily decorations of the noble families and wealthy merchants, but also often given to each other as gifts during various festivals and celebrations. In addition, the rarity of gems also makes them a good collection and even investment object."

Gao Youshi added: "Your Majesty, the people are getting richer, but some rich people still have surplus wealth but nowhere to invest it. Therefore, the influx of these gems can also strengthen the flow of currency to a certain extent and inject some vitality into the country's economic development."

Zhu Yijun nodded. He did not have a deep understanding of the significance of the Tianzhu Gem Pavilion in economic development, but as an emperor, the prosperity of the gem industry itself made him feel satisfied, because the royal family itself was an important consumer of this industry. Now that the gem industry has sufficient supply and safe transportation, doesn't it mean that the royal family can buy gems much cheaper in the future? That is obviously a good thing in his opinion.

"Well...your efforts have contributed to the prosperity of Tianjin Port. I hope you can continue to maintain this prosperity and contribute to the development of Ming's commerce and trade."

This statement... seems to be something Gao Youshi taught in advance. But it doesn't matter, as long as the emperor says it.

The shop owner was not surprisingly excited, and choked up as he answered, "I will do my best to live up to the emperor's expectations."

Later, under the guidance of the shop owner, the emperor visited the gemstone display in the shop and asked in detail about the identification and processing of gemstones. Zhu Yijun had a deeper understanding of the commercial prosperity of Tianjin Port and the role played by the Jinghua Two Oceans Fleet in it. When he left, he still praised Gao Youshi: "Rixin, it seems that your Two Oceans Fleet can do a lot of things, which is very helpful to our Ming Dynasty."

Gao Fusi smiled and bowed, saying, "On behalf of the tens of thousands of crew members of the Two Oceans Fleet, I thank the Emperor for his recognition. I will also urge them to continue their efforts to live up to the Emperor's praise."

  Having said that, the Two Oceans Fleet is now larger than just "tens of thousands of crew members", but it is obvious that Gao Yousi was deliberately holding back, and there is no need to explain.
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PS: I originally planned to write one chapter about the inspection of the commercial district, but when I started writing, I found that I had only written about two of the five planned stores and it was almost 5 words, so I had to divide it into two chapters.