Daming Yinghua

Chapter 68

Once Tailor Fan talked about his craftsmanship, he lost his humility and talked about it with confidence.

"Master, these years, every winter in Daming, even Yingtian Mansion is as cold as the north. We don't burn earth dragons or coal in the south, and the yamen halls are high and open, so the charcoal basin can't add much. Warmth, I heard that many officials will wear cotton robes under their official uniforms."

Huang Zunsu immediately understood why Tailor Fan asked whether the person he gave the gift to was an official.

"Old Fan, those few friends of mine are indeed wearing official uniforms. But why do you ask about their seniority and official positions?"

Before Tailor Fan could continue to answer Huang Zunsu's second doubt, Zheng Haizhu asked first: "Is it because the officials with low seniority often bow their heads, so the front of the cotton robe is slightly shorter than the back. But There is a category of official exceptions, that is, the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate of Yingtian Mansion, no matter how young they are, their spirits are high, and they often speak with their chests out, so the front and back should still be made the same length."

In normal times, Zheng Haizhu would never steal other people's talk like this, acting as if he "knows the king".

But today, she has already taken care of Tailor Fan and his daughter, and for the future, she must frighten the talents who intend to join her.

In fact, there is no essential difference between the mind of a craftsman and a scholar. A scholar tends to be proud of his talents, while a craftsman tends to be proud of his skills.

Sure enough, a hint of admiration flashed in Tailor Fan's eyes, and he cupped his hands and said, "It's exactly as Miss Zheng said, you are very knowledgeable."

Zheng Haizhu smiled, and after pressing it, he also lifted it, so he said to the Huangs without hesitation in praise: "Brother Fan is really as careful as a hair."

Now I made an appointment with this tailor Fan, saying that I would bring the cotton fabric from the Han family weaving workshop and come to discuss the style of the children's school uniforms.

……

It's the twelfth lunar month in a blink of an eye.

Hanjia Weaving Workshop completed the one thousand pieces of large-sized face towels blended with Zhang velvet and Songjiang cotton cloth ordered by Mr. Liu as scheduled.

The river and Taihu Lake are not yet frozen, and Songjiang and Suzhou are only a one-night boat trip.

Han Zhongwen personally brought a few pieces of finished products and a money order of 500 taels to meet Eunuch Liu in Suzhou. After preparing to deliver the banknotes, he asked the father-in-law to check the quality of the face towel.

The whole Han family was anxious and restless for two days, and Han Zhongwen came back.

The good news is that Eunuch Liu not only accepted the money order, but was also very satisfied with the facial scarf.

The better news is that Eunuch Liu specifically asked Zheng Haizhu to pack it up, and at the end of the twelfth lunar month, he will go south to Yuegang, Fujian Province together to see how the fan merchants react to this kind of goods, figure out their preferences, and then participate in the research to find out Something that can be exchanged for silver for the inner treasury.

The second grandma Qian Shi wondered: "This Eunuch Liu, isn't he just a year old?"

Han Zhongwen didn't think it was strange: "My father-in-law just took office as the admiral of Suzhou weaving last year. It was the time to work hard for the Long Live God. My father-in-law said that the seaport in Fujian is not frozen, and foreign merchants can only celebrate the Spring Festival in our Daming. This year Macau is not very peaceful. Hongmaofan and Frankie often fight, and foreign merchants are afraid to go there. They would rather pay more money and go to Yuegang to buy goods from my Da Ming peddler. Such a good opportunity, my father-in-law will return Don’t hurry up and come to Yuegang in person, pick up some money for Long Live Lord and come back.”

Qian said happily: "Oh, that's also the good fortune of our Han family. If you follow Eunuch Liu closely, why bother to compete with Su Song's colleagues for the business of Huizhou merchants. It's just that Ximeng will enter the Gu family before the Dragon Boat Festival next year, ah Now that Zhu is gone, it will be spring before he can come back, right?"

Han Ximeng on the side showed a firm supportive attitude, looked at Zheng Haizhu who stood beside him and said, "You can go there with confidence, the left and right dowry are almost embroidered. There is Cao Guanshi on the school side. Shoukuan is also a very capable young man, and he has been watching him all the time. Besides, who doesn't know now, that school was praised by the prefect Zhuang and Mr. Huang as a good deed, and Grandma Huang still wants to be a female teacher in it. There is no green skin Fulang dares to find trouble."

Han Zhongwen thought so deeply and nodded frequently.

The head of the family put it bluntly: "Azhu, you saved Ximeng's life, and you are also a member of my Han family. Miss grandma and I have long stopped treating you as an outsider. You go now, It's like being the treasurer of our Han family, if your father-in-law sends you any new orders, you just accept them."

Then he turned to his wife Qian and said, "The world today is really different from before. This time when I went to Suzhou, I saw a married woman who could take a painting box or a poem manuscript to participate in a literary meeting and sell it. A painter who sells poetry, and her husband took the child to see her off at the ferry. I am a person who abandons literature and goes into business, and I can appreciate everything. I think that if Ruo Ximeng marries and goes to the Gu family, he may not be able to stay in a deep house and not go downstairs. Well, Shouqian is the oldest grandson of the Gu family, if the Gu family's business is given to Shouqian at that time, Ah Zhu will definitely assist Ximeng in managing affairs, so why don't you go and see more now."

Mrs. Qian beat her head like garlic: "That's natural. If a woman is too honest and has never seen the world, she will suffer in her in-law's house, regardless of whether she is inside or outside. We Ximeng can't suffer."

Zheng Haizhu stood still, listening to the open and honest discussion of the three masters of the Han family, which was very beneficial.

She just likes their way of putting all kinds of plans on the table, analyzing them openly, and all of them are self-interested without harming others. It is not only a rational plan, but also an enlightened ahead of the times.

At the same time, Zheng Haizhu was even more delighted that the opportunity came earlier.

Although she had a premonition from the details of her dealings with Liu Shimin before, this father-in-law seemed to be a little impressed by her.

Based on the judgment of a mature modern woman in her previous life, Liu Shimin's gaze is a recognition that has nothing to do with male oppression and possession.

Otherwise, Eunuch Liu would not have been interested in her proposal to widen the Huangpu River and establish a customs office for traffickers in Songjiang, second only to Yuegang.

But Zheng Haizhu never expected that he would get the opportunity to travel so soon.

Speaking of which, Yuegang on the coast of Fujian is not far from Longxi County, Zhangzhou, where she woke up after crossing.

But without the guidance of a powerful figure like the weaving eunuch, how could she have the opportunity to see the maritime public trade activities of the Ming Dynasty since the opening of Longqing.

……

On the [-]th day of the twelfth lunar month, on the west bank of Fanjiabang at the end of the Wusong River in Shanghai County, on the construction site for widening the river, the elders received a yearly gift of one tael per person from Mr. Huang, the Tuiguan of Songjiang Mansion who personally supervised the work. Reward silver and distribute it to the workers.

In the past, during the slack season, the government ordered all men to come out to work as corvee, and the treatment was extremely poor.

This time when I came back to fight Kuanda Huangpu, I not only had a full meal, but also had a meal of meat every few days, and I was rewarded when work was over in the twelfth lunar month.

One tael of silver is quite a lot. I heard that the monthly salary of the military households in Jinshanwei who are blown by the sea breeze all day is only so little.

With their money in hand, everyone picked up their tools and put them on the cart with laughter and laughter. They gathered at the open-air stove and had a full meal of meat buns and Laba porridge before going home.

Another year has passed since the slow-moving imperial wheels of the Ming Dynasty.

After Zheng Haizhu drank a bowl of ginger soup to keep out the cold, he stood by the stove, looking thoughtfully at the backs of those peasants from Shanghai County who had gone away.

"What is Miss Zheng thinking?"

Huang Zunsu led the official to inspect the construction site, paced over, and asked gently.

"Master, I'm thinking, one tael of silver can make a commoner in Daming so happy, and let a farm family have a decent New Year."

Huang Zunsu smiled and nodded: "Yes, the common people don't ask for much at all. Well, Miss Zheng, this time repairing the water, I would like to thank Erye Han for taking the lead in setting an example, donating money and working hard, and the gentry in Songjiang followed suit. Otherwise, Don't talk about today's rewards, just say that these hundreds of people work together by the river every day, and the yamen may not even be able to pay for food."

Zheng Haizhu didn't smile, but squinted his eyes, and said softly: "But at this moment, in the freezing Liaodong, General Mao's fort, and Tailor Fan's brothers, I'm afraid you won't be able to find so many Wealthy gentry, let’s collect food and drink for the sergeants.”

The people around him didn't respond immediately.

Zheng Haizhu turned his face, looked at Huang Zunsu calmly, and said, "We women are also concerned about state affairs, family affairs, and world affairs. We women also have a share. I often go to Fan Tailor for a while, and I saw that Fan Polu at least sewed a dick." There are ten cotton-padded jackets, and she said they were all sent to Liaodong, not just for the two uncles, but also for other soldiers, if they freeze to death, what will happen to their wives and daughters?"

Huang Zunsu murmured: "This girl is really kind."

Zheng Haizhu twitched the corners of his mouth and teased, "It's really a joke to rely on a ten-year-old girl's kindness to support the frontier army."

Huang Zunsu didn't change color suddenly.

In fact, similar meanings have long been expressed by their classmates of the Donglin School, like-minded people among the Jinshi in the same year, and even his young friends in the censor.

Since the girl in front of me is not inferior to the man in her behavior, why is she not allowed to ridicule the current situation?

After all, these women are also supporting Daming's country, aren't they?

However, when Master Huang was about to calmly listen to Miss Zheng's continued discussion, Zheng Haizhu changed the subject and said: "Master, I was free that day, so I found a sandboat, launched it from Fanjiabang, and went north to Baoshan After viewing the Yangtze River estuary and rowing southward for more than half an hour, and seeing Chuansha and the eastern islands in the distance, the return journey took more than half a day."

When Zheng Haizhu said this, his eyes became brighter and brighter. Turning his eyes, as if reviewing the map in his mind, he continued to say clearly: "Cargo ships can gather at Huangpu Port whether they come from the Yangtze River, Taihu Lake, the Canal or the East China Sea. Nearby, there is a large piece of land on the other side of the Pujiang River, which can be used for farming and building cities and houses, which can be worth several moon ports in Fujian. This Shanghai County is really a good port for sea trade where God enjoys food."

Zheng Haizhu is expounding this passage from the heart.

What she praised was clearly the prosperous Huangpu River Bund, Pudong Waigaoqiao Container Terminal, Baoshan Port and other places in her memory.

In the end, with a sincere smile, she said to Huang Zunsu: "My lord, there is nothing wrong with criticizing the current situation, but you can't just talk about it. What's more useful is to think about how to open up the court. Frankies, Hongmaofan, Japanese I have a lot of money in my hand now, why don't I, Daming, earn it?"

After all, Huang Zunsu is a top intellectual of this era. After thinking about it these days, he also consulted the palace newspapers of the imperial court over the years, and learned about the peddling rules of Yuegang after the opening and closing of Longqing, and the imperial court’s treatment of the Frankies in Macau since the early years of Wanli. He has gradually accepted the idea of ​​developing Shanghai County into the third sea trade gateway.

At this time, he pondered for a while, and finally said to Zheng Haizhu: "The switch has advantages and disadvantages. We must consider how to avoid disadvantages. According to my wife, the girl will join Liu Gonggong and the others in a few days and go to Yuegang. If you have a chance, please tell Eunuch Liu that Songjiang Prefecture can be opened and closed, but it cannot become the second Guangdong, and Shanghai County cannot become the second Macau."

Zheng Haizhu said sternly: "Of course you can't! Foreigners can buy goods with silver in boats. It's okay to ask for land with firearms in boats. Don't even think about it."

She turned around and looked at the piece of land on the other side that later became the financial district of Pudong Lujiazui.

She has been thinking about the hidden dangers that Huang Zunsu mentioned.

The official administration in the late Ming Dynasty was too muddy.

In the Canton area far south of the Lingnan, the imperial power was even beyond reach. The Portuguese took advantage of this and bribed local officials in Guangdong to steal Macau after they could not open the gate of Ming Dynasty with cannons.

Although the Portuguese also contributed a little land rent to the Ming government, they evaded commercial taxes, trafficked people, harassed the people, and even raised Japanese slaves to do evil.

As a descendant, Zheng Haizhu knew too well what the European powers from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century were.

Whether it is the Portuguese, the Spaniards, the Dutch, or the British, the need for foreign aggression and plundering of colonies is engraved in their bones, and it is also the primitive impulse of Western capital.

It is precisely because of this that in the age of great voyages, the Ming Empire should take the lead in opening the sea as a sovereign state and participate in the formulation of maritime order as a sovereign state.

However, the seemingly sluggish imperial officialdom does not lack insightful people to stop the aggression and encroachment of foreigners in the cloak of trade.

"Master," Zheng Haizhu stared at Huang Zunsu and said, "You mentioned Haojing Macau. As far as I know, just two years ago, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, Zhang Minggang and Zhang Butang, seemed to have made stricter regulations on the Frankies. The Cantonese merchants who came to Songjiang to buy cloth said that when a boat arrives in Haojing, it must enter the port and wait for the boat to be drawn. Only the existing houses are allowed to be repaired, and the Frankies are not allowed to build new high-rise buildings, otherwise the Guangdong-Guangdong Haiphong Road will be burned directly."

Huang Zunsu became more focused as he listened, and then raised his eyebrows and applauded: "That's right! Miss Zheng, I'll go back and think about it again, and write down the joints I'm thinking about one by one. Please show it to Eunuch Liu, okay?"

Zheng Haizhu understood that Huang Zunsu's relaxed attitude towards the admiral and eunuch Liu Shimin was not because of the quarrel he had convinced him, but probably because he knew that Eunuch Liu was a princeling, which was in line with their Donglin School Qingliu's political stance.

She then nodded happily: "I will definitely present it to Eunuch Liu, and, even if the person speaks lightly, I will tell him in detail."

The two stood in the north wind for a while, looking at the cold winter river where the water and the sky are the same color.

Standing side by side with a young woman who is not a family member, they fell into silence without any ambiguity or embarrassment. Huang Zunsu seemed to have never had such a strange experience.

He just felt that this kind of silence, like a flower blooming quietly, made his spiritual mansion clear.

At the end, he turned his head and said, "I heard that General Ma is also going this time to protect Admiral Liu and Fu Chuan. Then I wish General Ma and Miss Zheng a smooth journey."

(End of Volume [-])
Note: The wife earns money by writing or participating in the essay meeting, and the husband takes care of the children at home and supports her. Such a phenomenon in Jiangnan in the late Ming Dynasty is not fabricated by me.You can refer to the section about Huang Yuanjie, a talented woman from the south of the Yangtze River, in the academic book "The Boudoir School Teacher" by American scholar ** Yi.

(End of this chapter)