Steam Daming: Stop calling me to supervise the country

Chapter 97

The funeral of the Cao family was extremely decent, and there were still mourners coming every day after the burial.

Zhu Zhanchang plans to stay for another two or three days before going back, and continue to visit the township.

This morning, I was planning to go out, but I saw Cao Yangfeng, the second master of the Cao family, was leading a group of people pulling a few carts of food from the back door. Out of curiosity, Zhu Zhanchang asked Chen Xuan.

"Chen Zongbing, what is he doing?"

"I don't know either, just ask."

Chen Xuan strode to the front of Cao Yangfeng, and Cao Yangfeng hurriedly greeted him.

"Master Cao, what is this for?"

Cao Yangfeng did not change his expression: "This is the tax grain sent from the village, which is stored in the granary of our Cao family. They came to the main gate. There is a white paper hanging on the front gate. I am afraid that it will be unlucky, so I will take them in through the small gate."

The Cao family has a granary that is placed in his house.

"Tax grain." Zhu Zhanchang was a little puzzled.

Chen Xuan replied: "The Cao family is the grain chief in this area, responsible for escorting tax grains to the capital."

The grain chief system is a system invented by Zhu Yuanzhang. Each prefecture and county is divided into several grain districts according to the amount of grain collected, and the districts have grain chiefs.

Each prefecture and county is divided into several grain districts according to the amount of grain collected, and the district has a grain chief.At first, the grain chief first promoted it among the big households that received the most grain in the grain area.Later assigned by the government.The purpose of the long-running grain system is to prevent officials from encroaching on fishing, and to facilitate households to pay on the spot, so as to ensure tax revenue.

The right of the grain grower in the countryside is quite large, which made Zhu Zhanchang think of the collective economy again.

In a place such as Huzhou Prefecture, which is close to the capital, these large households are more active in serving as grain chiefs, and the cost of transporting grains is not high due to the developed waterways. Moreover, during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, there were also precedents for a few grain chiefs to be promoted to officials because of their appreciation.

However, it is inconvenient and costly to transport grain in places far from the capital, and fewer people volunteer to serve as grain chiefs.

As the grain chief in this area, the Cao family needs to take the responsibility of transporting tax grain for the imperial court, and because the imperial court strictly controls the tax grain, and the punishment is even severe, they do not dare to deduct or neglect these tax grain, even because the townships The delivery time is different, if there is a loss in the preservation, you have to post it yourself.

However, the position of the grain chief is equivalent to a small official with a little power, so the Cao family is also willing to follow.

Cao Yangfeng went to store the tax food first. The Cao family has been noisy these days. As the second master of the Cao family, Cao Yangfeng took advantage of this early morning to get some air, but the past two days have given him a lot of noise. He was responsible for this matter before, so he led the way, and if he could not quarrel, he would not go.

His biological son, who was adopted by his elder brother, is the current orthodox heir to the Cao family, and he naturally stands by his elder sister-in-law.

The two were talking while walking towards the merchant.

"Chen Zongbing remember what I told you about the collective economy?"

"Well, of course I remember it. I also thought about it when I returned to the house that day. This method may be effective, but the resistance is bound to be great."

Zhu Zhanchang looked at the grain truck that left: "The grain chief is responsible for the taxation of grain for a collective. If this collective is the unit, is it feasible to supply and sell tea, silk, cotton, grain, etc. in a centralized manner?"

Chen Xuan thought for a while: "If you ask people in the surrounding villages to hand over all these goods to the grain chief, I am afraid that it will increase the power of the grain chief, and corruption will be inevitable."

"No, the grain chief here doesn't necessarily have to be the patriarch of a big family. You can choose someone with strong ability to do it, distribute salaries, publish accounts regularly, and share dividends for all participants at the end of the year."

Chen Xuan felt that Zhu Zhanchang's idea was too idealistic, but he couldn't find anything wrong.

Information transmission in the Ming Dynasty was slow. Many villagers had no way to do trade on their own, so they could only sell to a nearby firm. There was no bargaining power. A collective economy was created.

"Chen Zongbing, what do you think of building a supply and marketing cooperative on the side of the canal that mainly serves the business of the surrounding people?"

"Supply and Marketing Cooperative?" Chen Xuan heard another word he had never heard of before.

"The grains and teas harvested by the villagers include taxable grains. It is responsible for receiving and selling goods, stabilizing sales channels, and also responsible for the transportation of taxed grains. At the same time, it is also a comprehensive business, and people need food and clothing. Sold here, you think so.”

"This...this..." Chen Xuan couldn't say it for a while.

Zhu Zhanchang continued: "The accounts of the supply and marketing cooperatives can be inquired by the participants, and they are also subject to the supervision of the imperial court. In this way, it is difficult for the tax to escape, and then if it is on the edge of the canal, there will be a few distances away. For a supply and marketing cooperative, the internal operation of these supply and marketing cooperatives is enough to form a huge industrial chain."

Chen Xuan looked at Zhu Zhanchang in astonishment. This Fifth Highness, the starting point of everything is people's livelihood. These measures will inevitably affect those large commercial banks and officials along the coast. Even if he thought of this method, Chen Xuan would not Dare to do it.

"It's okay, this thing can't be done overnight, just ask Mr. Chen what he thinks."

Chen Xuan stopped in place, Zhu Zhanchang took a few steps and turned around, Chen Xuan said, "Your Highness, if this can really be done, it should be a great thing."

Zhu Zhanchang smiled slightly: "Let's wait for the loom to be completed first, the loom is completed, and the output increases, so the sales channel is more important."

"Chen Zongbing, in the future, we will talk about everything based on the steam engine's ability to sail. I believe that steam ships will be able to produce energy next year. Even if they can't fit big ships, small merchant ships will be fine."

Chen Xuan understood that Zhu Zhanchang felt that he was too conservative, and the development of the times was getting faster and faster. Chen Xuan was happy with it, but also felt a little worried.

Looking at Zhu Zhanchang's back, although he was young, the confidence exuded from his body was incomparable to ordinary people. He thought deeply that if the grandson and the Fifth Highness could be brothers together for decades, then this prosperous age of Yongle would be at least Another brilliant decades.

Daming is lucky.

Today, I visited two more markets, the tea market and the ceramics market. The ceramics market here is not big, but the scale of tea is quite large.

These two are not essential, but will play a very important role in the future foreign trade.

Do the necessities first, and then think about the tea art.

Back at Cao Mansion, the door was closed, and the atmosphere felt wrong. The servants inside opened the door, and Chen Xuan asked, "What's the matter?

"Chen...Master Chen, the ancestral hall...the noise was so loud, my wife ordered me to close the door."

"What's the matter."

"It seems that the fourth master brought an outsider here, it is said... it is said that..."

"Supposedly what?"

"It is said that she found a marriage for the eldest miss."

Chen Xuan's anger rose, and he started walking but stopped again. It was inconvenient for him to intervene in the affairs of the Cao family.

"Chen Zongbing, why don't I go take a look."

(End of this chapter)