Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 320 0315 [Prepare for military training]

The cargo ship of the Bai family docked at the wharf of Daming Village, and Bai Chongwen went straight to the inn to find the merchant.

For the Bai family father and son, Daming Village continues to develop into Daming Township, and they are both troubled and happy.

The trouble is that occasionally there are tenants, and the whole family runs to Zhu Guoxiang.The tenants also repaid the rent and usury owed to the Bai family, but requested to repay in installments, and the interest had to be reduced.

If Zhu Guoxiang took in the fugitive tenants, it would be an act of bad manners.

The problem is that the tenants in Shangbai Village are all acquaintances with Zhu Guoxiang, and many of them have even had Zhu Guoxiang's wedding wine.If acquaintances come to defect with their families, it would be detrimental to their reputation to directly refuse.

Therefore, every time a tenant came to vote, Zhu Guoxiang would personally go out to Shangbai Village to communicate with the old white officials.

Zhu Guoxiang helped repay the tenant's debt, and the tenant repaid it to Zhu Guoxiang in installments.Moreover, a small gift was prepared to make the old white member look good.

It's strange to get by!

Doesn't it seem unrighteous for one's own tenant to flee to another house?

The Bai family father and son had no choice but to lower the rent and interest rate, which suppressed the momentum of the tenants to flee.By the way, go to the upstream village to recruit tenants to make up for the lost population.

So what do they like?

Of course, from Zhu Guoxiang, I learned the production process of green tea and black tea.He also joined Zhang Guangdao's smuggling team and sold tea to Shaanxi.

There are more and more merchant ships berthing at Daming Village, and various local products of the Bai family can also be directly shipped in Daming Village.

When Bai Chongwen came to the inn, he cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Chen, the local goods from the mountains have arrived at the pier. Please send someone to check and transport them."

"Goro, you go to the pier to inspect the goods and trade." Member Chen held the tea bowl in his hand, still staring at the chessboard.

This is Zhu Guoxiang's "improved" chess, which has become popular in Yangzhou, and merchants in the past also like to use it to pass the time.

Chen Yuanwai is a merchant from Xiangyang, specializing in leather goods and dry goods, and smuggled some tea by the way.

Yangzhou black tea and green tea are also popular in Jingxiang, and the market is full of smuggled products.Because Yangzhou belongs to the tea market area, foreign merchants can't buy tea if they have it, so they can only smuggle a small amount of it through normal trade.

The more it is like this, the more expensive it is, and it has become a luxury item!

Bai Chongwen and that Wulang went back to the pier to do business.After the inventory and inspection of the land and goods are completed, the payment will be settled according to the contract.

Bai Chongwen was very happy to make another small profit.

In terms of business, although he has no apprenticeship, he has become Zhu Guoxiang's apprentice.

Whatever Zhu Guoxiang did in Daming Village, he learned in Shangxiabai Village.He also learned (stealed) various techniques. Zhu Guoxiang improved oil extraction technology in the first half of the year, and Bai Chongwen quietly learned it in the second half of the year.

Every time he came over, Bai Chongwen would visit and bring gifts.

The servant quickly led him in, and Bai Chongwen bowed respectfully and said, "Grandson has seen my uncle!"

Grandma Yan was very happy: "Sit down quickly. They are all relatives, so why bring something?"

Bai Chongwen said: "It's just a jar of honey, it's worth nothing."

Grandma Yan said: "Come back next time, just empty-handed. I'll be happy when you come. Is your father better?"

Bai Chongwen said: "It's all right now, even if my legs are paralyzed, I can't walk with crutches. Now I have to be carried everywhere."

"Oh, I'm getting old." Grandma Yan sighed.

Bai Chongwen said: "Father asked me to ask, whether my uncle's [-]th birthday next year should be arranged?"

Mrs. Yan said: "I won't make a fuss. It's a good idea to set up a few tables. I must invite the Bai family."

"Grandson saves it." Bai Chongwen said.

Grandma Yan asked again: "What happened to Sanlang?"

Bai Chongwen said: "Sanlang wrote a letter a few days ago, and the Jilu officer was promoted to a higher level, and he was transferred to Ezhou as a judicial officer to join the army. Alas, although he was transferred from the barbarian land, he did not have any real power left in his hands. Judicial joining the army is just a display, not as good as before. To be a county magistrate."

Grandma Yan comforted her, "It's good to be promoted."

"Is Mr. Zhu at home?" Bai Chongwen asked.

Grandma Yan said: "I took my wife and children on a spring outing. They said it was a spring outing, but they actually went to inspect the spring plowing."

Bai Chongwen said: "Then I will wait for my husband to come back."

Grandma Yan said with a smile: "The village plans to build a stage. On the day of the big market every month, the theater troupe will be invited to sing the big show. It will be very lively at that time, so let my father come and sit."

Bai Chongwen said: "My grandson must tell you."

Grandma Yan has become much richer in recent years, and she no longer does chores herself, and only spins yarn and weaves silk to pass the time in spring.

I usually like to go out for a stroll, and the villagers respect me very much when I see her, and I even go to Shangbai Village occasionally.

When the evening approached, Zhu Guoxiang finally came back.

Dean Zhu's life is very nourishing, one wife and two concubines.In addition to Zhu Ming's own son and stepson Bai Qi, Shen Yourong gave birth to another son and a daughter, An Niang gave birth to a son, and Wen Xiaomei gave birth to a daughter.

He felt that his life was complete, and if it wasn't for the end of the dynasty, he would not even think of rebelling if he was killed.

"Nephew pays respects to uncle, aunt and aunt." Bai Chongwen hurriedly got up to salute.

Shen Yourong smiled: "Sit down."

Wen Xiaomei nodded, chatted for a few words, then returned to the inner house with Shen Yourong and An Niang with the children.

Bai Chongwen was a little embarrassed to speak, and said bravely, "Uncle, I plan to build a shochu workshop, and also use corn and sweet potatoes to make wine."

Zhu Guoxiang laughed and said: "Stealing the teacher again?"

"That... I went to the distillery to have a look, and I've seen it better." Bai Chongwen blushed.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "It's okay, how can the business be done by one family?"

"Thank you uncle!" Bai Chongwen said gratefully.

Both the Zhu family and the Bai family do not break the law in brewing wine.

There were three management modes for the wine industry in the Song Dynasty:

First, buy and sell freely, and pay taxes according to regulations.

The whole territory of Guangdong and Guangxi, Kuizhou Road, Jinghu South Road and some prefectures and counties of Fujian Road belong to the free trading zone.Brew and sell casually, the government will not interfere.

It's not that the government doesn't want to take care of it, but that private wine and private sales have been banned repeatedly.

It was all an area with a lot of barbarians, because Jiuqian had fought wars, and the official institutions were not well managed. In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, they simply let go.

Second, the official discussion system.

The government brews and sells itself, and controls private wine merchants through distiller's yeast.

In the Guanqu area, the folks are not allowed to make wine koji privately.If you want to brew and sell wine, you can get a license first, then go to the government to buy koji, and the tax amount is determined by the amount of koji.

The "so-and-so store" in "A Picture of Shanghe during the Qingming Festival" is a restaurant owner who has obtained a license.The "so-and-so foot store" is a small restaurant attached to the "main store", and they buy liquor at high prices from the main store.

Third, the buy-and-play system.

To put it bluntly, it is a tax package system. The government determines the total amount of wine tax in a certain area and contracts it to private merchants in the form of auction.

In this area, other merchants are not allowed to engage in the wine industry. If they want to brew and sell wine, they must obtain the consent of the buyer.

Zhu Guoxiang brews wine in Daming Village, which is a mixture of the second and third systems.

His brewery is called "Fangchang", and the hotel in the village is called "Qiwanghu".

Such wine merchants have to stay away from the city and can only sell in the countryside.Moreover, it is not allowed to make wine koji privately, and you must go to the "Dujiuwu" to buy wine koji - this is an official system.

The county towns of the three counties in Yangzhou were all contracted by wine merchants.

The baijiu in Daming Village is transported to the city, and it is enough to pay taxes to the buyers, or even sell it directly to the buyers-this belongs to the buying and selling system.

Of course, Zhu Guoxiang will definitely make wine koji privately, and the privately made part can evade taxes.

In order to increase fiscal revenue, Cai Jing raised the liquor tax too much. How can he operate without tax evasion?

Bai Chongwen suddenly said: "The elementary school and county school in Xixiang County have been canceled this year. The number of students in Yangzhou State School has been reduced by [-]%. Can my youngest son and the fourth son of my second brother go to Daming Village? Here to study?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Students from other villages, just give them enough to repair their feet, and they all come to school."

"Thank you uncle!" Bai Chongwen cupped his hands.

It is of great significance to the Bai family that Bai Sanlang was admitted as a Jinshi.

Although the official career is not going well, the official status is there.Bai Chongwen's eldest son was even engaged to the Lu family, the richest man in Xixiang County.

From top to bottom, the Bai family is eager to produce a second Jinshi.

It was getting late, Bai Chongwen bid farewell and left.

He paced the town street, feeling quite emotional in his heart.

Just a few years ago, this was still a piece of farmland, and there were only ten or twenty bandit families living nearby.Now it has become a town, and it is more prosperous than Baishitou.

Few people go to the market in Baishitou, and even the farmers from Shangxiabai Village like to come to Daming Village.Because the market is more lively, there are more things to buy, and the local products among the sellers are also better.

When I came to the pier, I saw a boat docking.

Bai Chongwen could tell at a glance where the "immigrants" came from again.These people did not bring farm tools, so they were probably not farmers, but craftsmen recruited in Yangzhou City.

"Brother Zhang!" When Bai Chongwen saw Zhang Guangdao, he immediately cupped his fists in greeting.

Zhang Guangdao replied, "I've seen Bai Dalang."

The two chatted briefly and then left.

Zhang Guangdao went directly to see Zhu Guoxiang, and spoke alone in the study.

"Don't take the lead in the smuggling business, stay in the village and step up training," Zhu Guoxiang ordered, "After the spring plowing, the family is not the only child, and all of them will have males to train village bravery."

Zhang Guangdao was overjoyed: "But..."

Zhu Guoxiang nodded: "The world is about to be in chaos, so we must be prepared."

Zhang Guangdao asked: "How many soldiers will you train?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "In Daming Township, 800 people will be trained first. In Jintan Village, 180 people will be trained. In Jinzhou, 180 people will be trained. But there is no fixed number of deaths, more or less."

It feels like the world is going to be in chaos, there are more than one or two, and they have different observation angles.

For example, when Zhang Shangying passed away this year, Chen Yuan's uncle, Chen Guan, said to people: "Shangying is not pure in virtue, and his talents are few, but people turn to him. Now that his cloud is gone, people are hopeless. Looking closely at the weather and human affairs, we must There are changes. I am afraid that although there are people with great virtues, they may not be heard by everyone, and it will be difficult to help them."

Zhang Shangying's character is not good, and he has no ability, but it is what the people of the world want, and scholars think that the former prime minister is very good.It must be Zhang Shangying who thinks that he can rectify the court and govern the country well.

Now that Zhang Shangying is dead, his popularity has been cut off, and no one can change the situation.

There are indeed many talented and virtuous people, but their qualifications and prestige are not enough.

Although Ju Ming's reputation is great, he is too young, and the highest is only Zhizhou, and he does not have a solid foundation for governing.

Therefore, Chen Guan concluded that once Zhang Shangying died, "there must be changes in the weather, personnel and affairs."No matter which official is highly respected, it is impossible to unify the court and change the current bad situation.

(End of this chapter)