Steam Daming: Stop calling me to supervise the country

Chapter 79 The Road to the River and the Sea ([-])

"Father, let's have dinner first."

"good idea."

The father and son were in a good mood, and Zhu Gaochi immediately arranged for the eunuchs to prepare the prince's dinner.

The prince is rarely angry, and he is very kind to the eunuchs, but if you do something unpalatable, you will be furious. Men must have their own principles and bottom lines.

Chen Xuan looked at Zhu Zhanchang curiously. He had seen His Highness from a distance before, but he had not paid any attention to it. It can be said that this was the first close meeting.

"His Royal Highness."

"Are you Chen Xuan Chen Zongbing?" Zhu Zhanchang already knew that Chen Zongbing was there on the way.

"It's Wei Chen."

"My second uncle said a few days ago that you were in Jinan, otherwise I would have wanted to see General Chen."

Hearing that Zhu Zhanchang called the second uncle, Chen Xuan was a little surprised, because he knew that the relationship between the king of Han and the prince was not harmonious, but the grandson called the second uncle cordially, but seeing that the prince had no objection, he naturally had no objection.

"Yes, the minister was in Jinan a few days ago because of official business, and only returned yesterday."

Then he said: "This morning, the minister went to see Zheng He and saw the steam engine. Zheng He and the minister praised the Fifth Highness."

"Zheng He exaggerated. I just came up with an idea. He and the craftsmen worked hard. Otherwise, he would not be able to build a steam engine. It is beyond my expectation that this can be done in March."

"Zhansang, just now, General Chen has discussed with us some matters concerning water transportation and shipping. We would like to hear your opinion." Zhu Zhanji took over.

"Brother, what's the matter?"

"Chen Zongbing is about to take up the post of Chief Officer of River Transportation and Maritime Affairs. Let's not say before, it is mainly river transportation. The appearance of steam ships will make water transportation ships faster, and it can be expected that sailing ships will be more frequent. The most relevant, how to negotiate with it is the key to the reform of water transport.”

Zhu Zhanji said very vaguely. In fact, the reform of water transport will affect the interests of the gentry and clansmen. These people are all big taxpayers. The family and the family are fine, but they are all offended, and he can't do it even Chen Xuan.

"Chen Zongbing, can you tell me what the current situation of water transportation is and how to manage it?"

At present, the busiest and most lively waterway transportation is the Grand Canal. After all, it runs through the north and the south, and the transportation of waterborne grains and palaces accounts for a large part. In addition to these, the commerce and trade in the Ming Dynasty gradually developed.

Hui merchants started out in the tea trade, and Shanxi merchants started in the salt industry. Silk, ceramics, and various local specialties were all transported on this Grand Canal. As the Ming Dynasty became more and more prosperous, these business activities continued to increase.

Due to the literati's lack of attention to businessmen and the "notoriety" of businessmen, although businessmen make money, their status is not high, and their reputation is generally not good. also began to use the power of the group to increase their own interests.

But these are the people who are the big taxpayers.

Although the literati restrained commerce, the imperial court needed taxation and increased private capital, which was unstoppable, so even under restraint, commercial activities continued to increase in the prosperous years of Yongle over the years.

Most of the nobility and clansmen also have backers, relying on the big backers to find some small officials in various key links, and bind them in the form of cash or dividends, which also forms a whole chain of interests, which affects the whole body.

At this time, there are four main taxes in the water transportation business system, business tax, shipping banknotes, draw points, and door-to-door tax.

Commercial tax is levied according to the selling price of items. There are more than 200 tax collection stations on the canal just for commercial tax, and I am afraid they will escape.

The maintenance of these tax collection stations alone requires a lot of people and a lot of salaries. Of course, it is the small officials of these tax collection stations that are most likely to be bribed by the clansmen and accept bribes.

After all, the money for these valve plugs is much higher than the salaries of the little officials themselves.

Ship banknotes are classified according to the size of the ship and the total amount of cargo carried. It is charged in five stages from Peiping to Hangzhou. Even if the empty ship travels from beginning to end, it will cost 8 taels of silver.

Points are charged for shipbuilding materials, which are paid in kind.

The door stall tax is a license tax levied on the warehouses and stalls of urban merchants. It is necessary to collect this tax for non-court grain tributes to flow into the market and shops. This is also a key item of evasion. If you report less, you can save a lot of tax.

The imperial court's suppression of commerce is obvious. If ordinary merchant ships pay in full, they are only loaded with local specialties. From Yingtianfu to Peiping, the tax may be five or six layers of the cost of goods or even higher.

Through some means, the clansmen and clans under-reported the quantity by three or four layers, and escaped the tax from the gate stall, so that they could enter the market of other cities at a lower price. Over time, a monopoly would be formed, and small traders could not compete with them at all.

When you monopolize a market, you will try to prevent any change, because any variable has the potential to adversely affect you.

Chen Xuan dredged the river, which facilitated the court's grain and tribute, and at the same time increased the taxes in various places. Although the clan became bigger and some taxes were revealed, after all, there were a lot of taxes paid.

In addition, these clans are powerful in the local area, and Chen Xuan is the chief military officer of water transportation. It is not easy to maintain the relationship between these clans and the imperial court.

Looking at Chen Xuan's analysis of the current situation of water transport, and the fact that he loves and hates the clan and gentry, and is more helpless, Zhu Zhanchang knows that he has thought about changing the status quo, but he has more than enough power.

It is indeed difficult to change according to the current capacity of the court.

When Chen Xuan said it, the dishes were served. Although Zhu Gaochi was worried, the food still had to be eaten first.

The prince likes to eat. As we all know, although Zhu Zhanji is helpless, he can't stop him, talking while eating.

"Mr. Chen, let's eat together."

"His Royal Highness, the minister will eat when he goes home."

"When you came at noon, it was just after lunch. I guess you didn't eat at noon on the way you came here. You can't do anything when you are hungry. Let's sit down and eat together."

Of course, the prince's dinner is not the same table for the king and his ministers, one table for each person, and the food is divided into small portions and exquisite.

"Chen Zongbing tried this dish. It was made by a chef from Fujian. He simmered a bunch of ingredients and seafood in a clay pot, and it tasted extremely delicious."

Zhu Zhanchang looked at it, this dish is very similar to Buddha Jumping Over the Wall, but at this time Buddha Jumping Over the Wall has not been invented yet, it is somewhat similar.

During the meal, Zhu Zhanchang kept thinking about Chen Xuan's words, the existing gentry clans have formed a certain scale with the development of such a long time, and they also have a monopoly effect in all walks of life. There are also some in the officialdom through bribery or marriage. Intricate relationship, impossible to kill with one stick.

But monopoly or oligopoly are not conducive to economic diversity. Zhu Zhanchang came up with an idea.

Is it feasible to fight oligopoly with a collective economy?
There was nothing in his heart.

(End of this chapter)