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Chapter 165 Line 36 2
Maritime bans have been strictly enforced since the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. Even Emperor Yongle, who supported Zheng He's voyages to the West, did not aim to open trade routes.

"When Xuande transforms and treats people who are far away, they will come back from all over the world; if they embrace the princes, the world will fear them."

The real intention is to show the majesty of the Celestial Kingdom, let all nations come to the Kingdom, and satisfy their vanity.There is another theory that Zheng He was looking for the missing Emperor Hui.No matter what the starting point is, the result is not worth the gain.

There are indeed many countries that come to pay tribute, but most of them want to take advantage of them. If they bring some local specialties or animals, the Ming government will have to entertain them with good food and drinks. Before leaving, they have to buy the so-called tributes at many times the price. .

However, from the time when the sea ban was promulgated until the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there was almost no day when the sea ban was actually banned.It is not that the people are rising up to resist, but that the ruling class has an ever-expanding demand for overseas spices, wood, precious metals, and luxury goods, and they are opening back doors in various ways to find ways to satisfy it.

Line 36 is a freak born under this weird and contradictory policy.Before the mid-Ming Dynasty, the imperial court designated three ports that could receive tribute ships from foreign countries, namely Ningbo, Quanzhou and Guangzhou.

In the Jiajing Dynasty, because the Japanese pirates were too violent, Ningbo and Quanzhou were closed one after another, leaving only Guangzhou as a window for foreign exchanges.The Shibo Division built the Huaiyuan Post in the west of the city, specifically to receive foreign tribute missions.

Each country that is allowed to pay tribute can send up to three ships at a time, each ship can carry up to 300 people, and is allowed to carry goods for sale, but it can only be sold to the Guangzhou official and is not allowed to trade with private individuals.

But the Municipal Shipping Department and the local government alone cannot handle so many foreigners, and the officials are not willing to learn the language, let alone bargain with these barbarians. What should we do?

So the merchants were reminded, and they chose local businessmen with relatively well-off families to negotiate business with the missions of various countries on behalf of the government. They first registered the type and quantity of the goods, checked the quality, made a valuation, and then paid the tax to the Municipal Shipping Department. , the goods are allowed to land.

In order to facilitate the operation, these merchants selected by the government classified the tribute ships from various countries according to the actual situation of each family, and each family targeted a certain country or several countries.Over time, more and more businessmen participated, and the divisions became more and more detailed, gradually evolving into 36 businesses that were half official and half business.

Later, the 36th Bank simply took over part of the work of the Municipal Shipping Department and local governments, including stipulating anchorages, inspecting goods on ships, estimating pricing, collecting customs duties, unloading goods ashore, wholesale sales, and mobilizing goods sources.

And it is two-way. Foreign ships that want to buy goods from Guangzhou have to go through Line 36. Otherwise, even if they are smuggling, it is not clear whether they will be caught by the government, but the probability of being robbed offshore is very high.The pirates seemed to have clairvoyance and ears. They could even know where the ship was parked and what cargo it contained.

With such great power, businessmen will naturally not let go of making money.On the one hand, they work for the government, and on the other hand, they also have some side jobs.For example, they negotiated with the tribute ship to smuggle valuable goods ashore and sell them, and the profits were divided between the two families according to a pre-agreed ratio.

In this way, the tribute ships can avoid most tariffs, and the selling price will naturally be lower. The 36th line was able to sell goods in short supply at a high price, making profits both inside and outside.Naturally, the local government also wants to take a share of the pie. Sitting at home, you can get free money, so you have to close your eyes.

If tax evasion alone is enough, then the name of government officials and businessmen will be in vain.When power and capital wear a pair of crotchless pants, there are only things that cannot be thought of and nothing that they dare not do.

The above are only a small part of the ways to make money, the real big one is smuggling! Bank 36 took advantage of its ability to control the sale and purchase of foreign ships and monopolize the supply of goods for coastal handicraft industries, and almost openly engaged in smuggling.

They purchased large quantities of porcelain, silk, tea and other goods at low prices internally, and sent them directly to tribute ships in small boats, while evading export duties.Or ship it directly to Southeast Asian ports using pirate ships to earn more.Li Zhi understood all this clearly, but he had no good way to change it.It is obvious that the 36 Group has become something of a phenomenon. It is not just a private business group, but a huge force that sticks to both black and white and colludes with the government to cut off the chaos.

Anyone who dares to touch their interests is tantamount to digging up the ancestral graves of the local gentry group, official group and some handicraft organizations.Unless the officialdom of Guangdong and Guangxi can be removed and replaced, and heavy troops are sent to annihilate it, there will be no way even if the emperor comes in person.

In desperation, he could only report the details he had learned to the emperor, and soon received a reply, which contained only two sentences: The lotus root is in mud, but its heart is pure.Master Li is my lotus root, which is supported by the mud and will only wait for the flowers to bloom in the future.

The meaning was very clear, and Li Zhi understood it 100%, but he couldn't do it because of his status, and he had to do it, so he had to leave the job to Suzaku.If that doesn't work, then the last resort is to go to the eunuch who supervises the Shibo Division.

After hearing this, Zhuque was not embarrassed at all. He immediately spread the word with the merchants who came to discuss the factory construction business, and then waited for 36 rows to come to the door on their own.

Soft white sugar is in short supply. There are as many as there are in Quanzhou, and most of them are shipped to Japan and Southeast Asia. Presumably the businessmen in Guangzhou will not remain indifferent to the goods that can make a lot of money.

But more than two months have passed, and there is still no one from 36 lines showing up.Just when he was restless, scratching his head and scratching his head, the captain of the factory guard handed over a name card with only five words on it, Guangzhou Huang Jianwang.

"Please... prepare tea!" Zhu Ming, who was already a little desperate, immediately felt comfortable when he saw the name. He calmly went back to the house and put on the robes for guests, and sat on the Taishi chair in the living room. It seems that he is really a hereditary and irreplaceable prince.

"I've heard about Huang Lantou for a long time, and I'm so lucky to see him today!" A moment later, an old man in plain clothes was ushered in by a boy. He looked no different from a teacher in the county.But Huang Jianwang's name made Suzaku put away his contempt, stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall to be the first to greet him.

"Oh, my lord, I can't do it, I can't do it, I'm hurting the common people..." Suzaku felt that his behavior was already very low-key, but the old man went even further. He actually knelt down and bowed as soon as he bent his legs.

"Absolutely not. Although the boy is in the golden book, he is a common man. Huang Lantou should not listen to the nonsense of the villagers and put the common people in a situation where it is difficult for them to argue." Zhuque quickly stepped forward and stretched out his hand to support him, determined not to give up. The old man knelt down, and at the same time he had to explain himself desperately, wishing he could say that he was a refugee.

"So, it's me, Mr. Huang, who is reckless?" The old man seemed to have heard this for the first time. His face was full of disbelief, but his legs were indeed no longer bent.

"No, no, it's my Zhu's luck that Huang Lantou is willing to deign to go to the wilderness. Come on, come on, please take a seat... No, no, no, you must take a seat..." Suzaku also let go of his hand and slapped his mouth. Haha, I feel a little nervous.

It was obvious that this old man had checked his own details before coming here, and he had done so thoroughly.Although Guangzhou and Wugang are not far apart, it is not easy for the people to figure out the inner affairs of the clan. It can be seen that 36 lines are not simple and have great power.

(End of this chapter)