Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

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

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

The annoying thing is that occasionally there are tenants who run to join Zhu Guoxiang with their whole family. The tenants also acknowledged the rent and loan shark debt owed to the Bai family, but requested that it be repaid in installments and that the interest be reduced.

If Zhu Guoxiang took in the fugitive tenants, it would be a bad behavior.

The problem is that the tenants in Shangbai Village are all acquaintances with Zhu Guoxiang, and many of them have even eaten Zhu Guoxiang's wedding wine. If an acquaintance drags his family to join him, refusing directly would be detrimental to his reputation.

Therefore, every time a tenant came to invest, Zhu Guoxiang personally went to Shangbaicun to communicate with Laobai.

Zhu Guoxiang helped repay the tenant's debt, and the tenant paid it back to Zhu Guoxiang in installments. Moreover, he also prepared some small gifts to make the old white man look good on the outside.

It’s weird to get by!

If one's tenants run away to another house, doesn't it appear that one is unkind?

The Bai family and his son had no choice but to lower rents and interest rates, which suppressed the tenants' tendency to flee. By the way, he went to the villages upstream to recruit tenants to make up for the lost population.

So what do they like?

Of course, I learned the green tea and black tea making techniques from Zhu Guoxiang. He also joined Zhang Guangdao's smuggling team to sell tea to Shaanxi.

There are more and more merchant ships docked in Daming Village, and the Bai family's various local products can also be loaded directly in Daming Village.

Bai Chongwen came to the inn, raised his hands and said, "Exceptor Chen, the goods from the mountains have arrived at the dock. Please send someone to check and move them."

"Wu Lang, you go to the dock to inspect the goods and trade." Chen Yuanwai held a tea bowl in his hand and still stared at the chessboard.

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

Chen Yuanwai is a merchant from Xiangyang who specializes in collecting leather goods and dry goods. He also smuggles some tea leaves along with him.

Yangzhou black tea and green tea are also very popular in Jingxiang, and the market is full of smuggled goods. Because Yangzhou is a tea-growing area, foreign merchants cannot buy tea if they have it. They can only smuggle a small amount through normal trade.

The more this happens, the more expensive it becomes, and it has become a luxury item!

Bai Chongwen and Wu Lang returned to the dock to do business. After the inventory and inspection of the goods are completed, the payment will be settled in accordance with the contract.

Bai Chongwen was very happy to make another small profit.

In terms of business, although he did not become an apprentice, he has become Zhu Guoxiang's apprentice.

What Zhu Guoxiang did in Daming Village, he learned in Shangxiabai Village. He also learned (stealed from) various techniques. Zhu Guoxiang improved the oil-pressing technique in the first half of the year, while Bai Chongwen quietly learned it in the second half of the year.

Every time he comes here, Bai Chongwen will visit and bring gifts.

The servant quickly led him in. Bai Chongwen bowed respectfully and said, "My grandson has met my great-uncle!"

Grandma Yan was very happy: "Sit down quickly. We are all relatives, how can we bring anything here?"

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 will be happy when you come. Is your father's illness better?"

Bai Chongwen said: "There is no problem anymore, but my legs are paralyzed and I can't walk with a cane. Now I have to be carried on my back wherever I go."

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

Bai Chongwen said: "Dad asked me to ask if my great-uncle will have a grand celebration for her 60th birthday next year."

Grandma Yan said: "I don't know how to make a big deal. It's just a matter of setting up a few tables. I must invite the Bai family."

"Save it for your grandson," Bai Chongwen said.

Grandma Yan asked again: "How is Sanlang?"

Bai Chongwen said: "Sanlang wrote a letter a few days ago. He was promoted to a higher rank and transferred to Ezhou to serve as a judicial officer and join the army. Alas, although he was transferred away from the barbarian land, he did not have any real power left in his hands. The judicial officer joined the army and was not as good as before. I'm a county magistrate."

Grandma Yan consoled her: "It's good if you can be promoted."

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

Grandma Yan said: "I took my wife and children on a spring outing. It was said to be a spring outing, but in fact it was to inspect 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, and on the day of the big fair every month, we invite the troupe to come and sing the opera. It will be very lively by then, so I will invite you to come and sit."

Bai Chongwen said: "My grandson will definitely tell you."

Grandma Yan has become much richer in recent years and no longer does chores herself. She only spends her time spinning and weaving silk in the spring.

He usually likes to go out for walks, and the villagers respect him very much when they see him. Occasionally, he even goes to Shangbai Village for a walk.

As evening approached, Zhu Guoxiang finally came back.

Dean Zhu's life is very nourishing, with one wife and two concubines. In addition to Zhu Ming, his biological son, and stepson Bai Qi, Shen Yourong gave birth to a 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. If it had not been for the end of the dynasty, he would not have thought of rebellion even if he was beaten to death.

"Nephew pays homage to his uncle, and pays homage to his aunt and aunt." Bai Chongwen stood up quickly to pay homage.

Shen Yourong smiled: "Sit down."

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

Bai Chongwen was a little embarrassed to say it, so he said bravely: "Uncle, I plan to build a soju workshop and also use corn and sweet potatoes to make wine."

Zhu Guoxiang said with a smile: "Stealing a master and stealing again?"

"Um... I went to the shochu shop to take a look, and I got a better understanding of it." Bai Chongwen said with a blush.

Zhu Guoxiang said: "It doesn't matter, how can one family complete the business?"

"Thank you uncle!" Bai Chongwen said gratefully.

It is not illegal for the Zhu family and the Bai family to make wine.

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

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

The entire territory of Guangdong and Guangxi, some prefectures and counties on Kuizhou Road, Jinghu South Road and Fujian Road are free trade zones. You can make wine and sell it as you please, and 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.

They were all areas with a large number of barbarians. Because there were still wars among Jiuqian and the official institutions were not managed well, they were simply let go in the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Second, the official inquiry system.

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

In the official areas, people are not allowed to make wine koji privately. If you want to make wine and sell liquor, you must first obtain a license, then go to the government to purchase distiller's yeast, and the tax amount will be determined based on the amount of distiller's yeast.

The "so-and-so restaurant" in "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" is a liquor store that has obtained a license. The "so-and-so foot shop" is a small wine shop that depends on the "main shop". They buy koji at a high price from the main shop.

Third, the buying and selling system.

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

In this area, other merchants cannot engage in the wine business, and those who want to make and sell wine must obtain the permission of the wine merchant.

Zhu Guoxiang makes 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 "Qi Wanghu".

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

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

The liquor from Daming Village is transported to the city and taxes are paid to the dealers, or even sold directly to the dealers - this is part of the purchase system.

Of course, Zhu Guoxiang will definitely make the wine koji privately, and this part of the private production can evade taxes.

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

Bai Chongwen suddenly said: "Primary schools and county schools in Xixiang County have been canceled this year. The number of students in Yangzhou state schools has been reduced by 60%. Can my youngest son and my second brother's fourth son go to Daming Village? Come here to study?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Children from other villages, just give them enough to practice, and come here to go to school."

"Thank you uncle!" Bai Chongwen handed over.

Bai Sanlang's passing the Jinshi examination is of great significance to the Bai family.

Although his official career was not smooth, his official status was there. Bai Chongwen's eldest son is even engaged to the Lu family, the richest man in Xixiang County. This marriage is all due to the Bai family's becoming a non-commissioned officer.

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

It was getting late, Bai Chongwen said goodbye and left.

He walked around the town street, feeling quite emotional.

Just a few years ago, this was a farmland with only a dozen or two families of bandits living nearby. Now it has become a town, and it is more prosperous than Baishitou.

There are no more people going to the market in Baishitou. 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 sellers’ local goods are easier to sell.

When I arrived at the pier, I saw a ship docking.

Bai Chongwen could tell at a glance where the "immigrant" came from. These people did not bring farm tools, so they were probably not farmers, but craftsmen who went to Yangzhou City to recruit.

"Brother Zhang!" Bai Chongwen saw Zhang Guangdao and immediately greeted him with fists in his hands.

Zhang Guangdao replied: "I have met Bai Dalang."

The two chatted briefly and then left.

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

"In the smuggling business, you should stop taking the lead personally and stay in the village to step up training," Zhu Guoxiang ordered. "After the spring plowing, if there are no only children in the family, all men will be sent to train village warriors."

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 are trained?"

Zhu Guoxiang said: "Here in Daming Township, we will train 800 people first. Over there in Jintan Village, we will train 180 people. Over there in Jinzhou, we will also train 180 people. But there is no fixed number of deaths, but there can be more. It could be less.”

There are more than one or two people who feel that the world is going to be in chaos, and each of them has a different angle of observation.

For example, when Zhang Shangying passed away this year, Chen Yuan's uncle Chen Guan said to people: "Shang Ying is not pure virtue, and his talent is sparse, but people are turning to him. Now that he is dead, people are in despair. If you look closely at the weather, current affairs, and people, you will surely There is a change. I am afraid that even if someone has great virtues, they may not be listened to by the superiors and subordinates, and it will be difficult to save them.”

Zhang Shangying's moral character was not very good, and he had no ability, but he was popular among the people in the world. Scholars all thought that the former prime minister was very good. The one who believed that he could rectify the court and govern the country well must be Zhang Shangying.

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 was well-known, he was too young and could only serve as the governor of the state, without a solid foundation for governance.

Therefore, Chen Guan concluded that after Zhang Shangying's death, "the circumstances and personnel must change." No matter which official is highly respected, it is impossible to unite the whole court and change the current bad situation.