Han Shizu

Chapter 2089 Taizong Chapter 36 The Great Han in the New Era (Part )

In Zhengsufang, on Changping Street, teenagers walked briskly, their cheerful steps expressing their good mood, and they kept saying hello to the neighbors they met on the way.

It's late afternoon, and the sky is dark. The shops and vendors along the street are closing their doors and closing their stalls, and lighting up lights to welcome guests. The renewed noise is like the sonata of the nightlife of Luoyang people, even in Zhengsufang, where most of the poor people live. It also requires overnight living.

The young man was just looking at the flowers, but he stopped in front of a building called "Hu Ji Tower". There was a certain distance, but the figure of the Hu Lady and the old bustard looking for customers under the dim light still made people feel. The boy's mouth was dry.

The quality of the brothels in Zhengsu Square is naturally not high, but they focus on a "Hu style" feature, which is unique in the entire brothel. Even further away, there are customers coming from the inner square, including the ordinary rich and "novelty hunters". " Two words can explain it. After all, in Xijing City, the truly high-quality "Hu Ji Yifeng" is not something that ordinary wealthy families can afford.

The lights in the building were brightly lit, and one could already hear the sound of changing cups and cups, but the young man did not bother to guess and explore what kind of colorful world and gentle paradise it was inside. All he could see was the old bustard's secondary sexual characteristics that couldn't help but sway.

He instinctively touched his arms and regained consciousness instinctively. The little money in his pocket was probably not even enough for tea. Probably because he stopped there for a long time, he caught the Madam's attention.

Although Madam Hu is called "Old Madam", she is just older and her appearance has faded, but her mature charm is actually a fatal temptation for a young man who is full of energy.

Seeing the young man lingering across the street, the old madam seemed to recognize him. Speaking in pure Mandarin, he shouted: "The young man has stayed here several times. Since he is elegant, why don't you come in and have a look?"

As she spoke, she even showed a bright smile to the young man, which made the young man tremble, as if this Madam Hu wanted to eat people.

Not daring to stay any longer, she staggered and left in a hurry. She didn't pay attention and even fell down. Her youthful expression and embarrassed figure made Madam Hu so happy that she burst into laughter.

The wanton laughter reached the young man's ears, and his still childish cheeks turned even redder. But when he reached the end of the street, he couldn't help but turn around and glanced secretly, seeing that Madam Hu was paying attention. The force had already been transferred to other tourists, and the young man breathed a sigh of relief.

After admiring the plump figure again and imagining the singing and dancing in the building, the young man reluctantly left.

After turning several times, I arrived in front of a row of houses in the northwest of Zhengsufang. With just one glance, I got into one of the lanes and settled here.

Even though Zhengsufang was regarded as a residence of low-class people by the wealthy families in Beijing, it was not without some background. For example, there was a big family next to this young man's house. His surname was Su, and the head of the family was Su Jiancheng.

As a young man, he often climbed the courtyard wall and secretly peeked at the Su family's little granddaughter who was about the same age as him. Compared with Hu Niang with big breasts and fat buttocks, this was his real dream girl.

Compared with ordinary wealthy businessmen, the Su family has a great background. Their ancestor is Su Fengji, the founding prime minister of the country. Although it has been a long time ago, Su Fengji is really a strange person.

In the Qianyou year, he was deposed by Emperor Shizu for his excessive greed, and he and his family descendants were almost thrown into hell. However, he managed to raise horses for the imperial court in Longxi for more than ten years, and finally dissipated his family wealth and was forgiven by Emperor Shizu. , the family moved back to the capital.

Not only was he lucky enough to participate in the treasure-unveiling ceremony of Emperor Shizu, the official career of his descendants was also lifted.

The current head of the Su family, Su Jiancheng, is the direct grandson of Su Fengji. He once served as magistrate of Jincheng County and later resigned to go into business. He earned a large fortune by relying on various connections and excellent business acumen.

Therefore, in the eyes of people nearby, the Su family, which is both an official and a businessman, and has a profound background, is already unattainable and extremely awe-inspiring.

But the young man was different. He was different from others who could only envy him. He couldn't help but imagine what kind of world it would be like if he could marry the young lady of the Su family in the future.

There is only one word difference between the boy's name and Cao Mengde, Cao Meng. When he was less than 5 years old, he moved to Luoyang with his parents and became one of many "Beijing drifters".

Over the years, the mother has been responsible for taking care of the children and doing some needlework and sewing work to supplement the family income. His father, Cao Yong, was originally a bricklayer, but later injured his back while working for others. Now he works as a dentist in various major markets, selling information, It was very hard to earn some commissions from people's business and travel here and there, but at least I had a stable foothold in the capital.

But obviously, this is a family that cannot afford any more accidents. Otherwise, they will either be devoured by the prosperity of Xijing or be driven back to the countryside and be exploited in another way.

When young Cao Meng carefully opened the door of his house and tiptoed into the simple but neat courtyard, before he could observe, he was stopped by a stern voice: "You are willing to come back!"

Noticing his mother who seemed to be hiding in the shadows under the eaves, Cao Meng couldn't help but wince and called out: "Mother!"

The single candle swayed slightly in the autumn wind, and the dim light illuminated the figures of the four people. The younger brother and sister were sitting at the square table, staring longingly at the two plates on the table, especially the plate of fried meat with cucumbers. Cao's mother was also sitting with her waist bent, but her head was buried sideways, silent.

Cao Meng stood in front of the door politely. Seeing his mother's sad look, he was a little at a loss. A pair of hands with nowhere to rest touched his arms, his eyes lit up, and he immediately took out two strings of copper coins and offered them as treasures. He held it up to his mother: "Mom, look!"

Facing the attentive eldest son, Cao's mother came to her senses and took the copper coins from Cao Meng's hand. She only had to weigh them with her rough hand and quickly judged that there must be twenty or thirty coins.

Mother Cao's eyes immediately sharpened, and she especially noticed that there were some dark blood stains on the faces of several copper coins that had not been washed away.

He slapped the money on the table, then got up and went out. After a while, when Cao Meng was stunned, he saw Cao Meng's mother walking in with a piece of bamboo. Without any explanation, she hit Cao Meng's arm hard. Go down.

Facing his mother's beating, Cao Meng did not dare to hide. He just knelt down and hunched his neck to resist. However, the two siblings next to him began to cry when they saw their eldest brother being beaten.

Cao's mother ignored it and slapped Cao Meng five times. Then she threw the bamboo pieces on the table and asked Cao Meng in a tearful voice, "Tell me! Where did this money come from?"

It turned out that this was the reason for being beaten. Cao Meng scratched the arm that was beaten and couldn't help but said aggrievedly: "I earned it!"

"How dare you lie!" Cao's mother was obviously irritated and picked up the bamboo pieces to beat her again.

After being slapped twice more, Cao Meng said hurriedly: "Two high-ranking officials were killed at Nanshikou during the day. Uncle Yang and I helped collect the bodies. The owner was generous and gave us wages and rewards."

After hearing this explanation, Cao's mother was stunned for a moment: "Seriously?"

"It's absolutely true!" Cao Meng nodded repeatedly.

However, another round of beatings followed, and the mother obviously did not hold back any strength. This was evident by the cries of the two younger siblings, but Cao Meng was standing next to him, and apart from shortness of breath, he did not even make a sound.

But gradually, Cao's mother's strength weakened. In the end, she threw away the bamboo pieces, walked to the table, covered her face and sobbed.

Seeing this, Cao Meng couldn't bear it. He knelt down in front of Cao's mother and said with bared teeth: "My mother was so cruel that I didn't even cry. Why are you crying? I know I was wrong. At most, I won't earn the money for shrouding my body in the future." "

Hearing Cao Meng say this, all kinds of feelings seemed to come to his heart at once, and Cao's mother couldn't help but cry loudly. This moment made Cao Meng completely panicked. He turned around and glared at the two weeping people next to him who were also at a loss. He called the three brothers and sisters to stop his crying mother.

Cao's father, Cao Yong, came home late every day, dragging his tired body. As soon as he entered the house, he noticed something was wrong with the atmosphere.

The food was already cold, and Cao's mother went to heat it in silence. Cao Yong also noticed the two strings of money on the table, and immediately stared at Cao Meng, who was not listening to the gas, and asked what was going on and how. Annoyed my mother.

However, after listening to his explanation, Cao Yong was silent for a long time. He walked to the door of the hall and looked at the busy figure in front of the stove, his deep eyes particularly firm.

It was late at night. At the dinner table, a family of five was eating in silence. Cao Yong stuffed the last pancake into his mouth and said to his wife: "Prepare some dry food for me and a set of autumn and winter clothes. I want to go on a long trip." !”

Upon hearing this, Mother Cao's face changed slightly and asked, "Where are you going?"

Cao Yong did not hide anything and explained: "I have been thinking about it for a long time. I can't make money just by soliciting customers at Yahang. I have discussed it with a few old brothers and set off in three days to go to Jiangnan to purchase goods and do cotton business!

In the past few years, the price of cotton cloth has been rising year by year, and the supply in the market has exceeded demand. I have made arrangements with several cloth shops and dyeing houses. As long as the cloth is brought to Beijing, I can sell it and make money! "

Hearing what Cao Yong said, Cao's mother couldn't help but said: "There's no need to go so far. Are there no cloth sellers in Gyeonggi and Henan?"

Cao Yong shook his head and said: "The cloth in the north is expensive, but the cloth from the south of the Yangtze River is large in quantity, good in quality, and cheap in price. I have been looking for it for a long time, and this time I will go to Xiuzhou first!"

"After all, we are in a foreign land. What if something happens?" Cao's mother could not hide her worry.

Cao Yong interrupted his wife: "We are not powerful people. We can't make money lying down. We can only win wealth and honor, even if we risk our lives!"

Although Cao Meng lowered his head, his ears were kept erect, listening carefully to the conversation between his parents. He was somewhat vague about other things, but he remembered Father Cao's words deeply in his heart. Seeing that her husband was so determined, Cao's mother knew that she could no longer persuade her, so she asked, "How can I solve the problem?"

Cao Yong said: "Brothers, let's collect thirty guan together, and then borrow another 50 guan from Yaxing."

As for the interest rate on borrowing money, Cao Yong didn't say anything, but obviously it won't be low. Although the court has added a new loan bill to strictly control private loans at high interest rates and impose severe penalties on many lenders, it is undeniable that the cases investigated and dealt with are only a drop in the ocean compared to the overall scale of private lending.

Listening to his words, the look of hidden worry in Cao's mother's eyes became more serious. However, seeing her husband's resolute attitude, she could not say anything to dissuade her, so she could only say to be careful. After all, Cao Yong is the one who calls the shots in this family.

He could understand his wife's uneasiness, but Cao Yong didn't want to explain too much. The more he said, it would only aggravate her worries.

He reached out and pressed his wife's hand to express comfort, then looked at his eldest son Cao Meng and said, "I will arrange Dalang's affairs before departure!"

When he mentioned himself, Cao Meng immediately raised his eyes and looked at his father in confusion: "Dad, what can I do?"

Cao Yongdao: "You are thirteen years old. You can no longer wander around all day doing nothing. I will find you a shop and become an apprentice!"

Hearing this, Cao Meng looked unhappy and immediately refused: "What's the future of an apprentice? If my father wants to go on a long trip, my son will go with him so that he can take care of me and save my mother from worrying!"

"If you follow me out, your mother will be worried!" Cao Yong heard this and immediately scolded: "Besides, if you follow me, can you carry a bag or can you walk on a boat?"

"You already know how to do abacus. I will arrange for your Zhangjiami shop to learn accounting, accounting, inventory of goods coming in and out, and learn more words! Study hard. If dad can support the cotton business during this trip, in a few years, you Then you can go home and help!" Seeing the eldest son's unconvinced expression, Cao Yong advised earnestly.

As he spoke, he put his hand on Cao Meng's shoulder, as if entrusting him, and said very solemnly: "Dad is away from home, and there is only one supporter in the house. You still need to take care of your mother, brothers and sisters!"

After hearing what his father said, Cao Meng's stubborn expression really calmed down. He met his father's gaze and nodded seriously.

That night, Cao Yong and his wife both tossed and turned and couldn't sleep all night, but neither said anything more. Early the next morning, I still had to take the whole family to work with heavy dark circles under my eyes.

Cao Yong took Cao Meng to the Zhangjiami shop in the neighborhood for an "interview." With their familiarity, it was basically just a formality. Cao's mother took her youngest son and daughter to pack her husband's luggage.

Until three days later, in front of the house, the four of them, mother and son, cuddled together and silently bid farewell to Cao Yong. Cao's mother still didn't say much, and all her words turned into a "treasure".

The young Cao Meng stood aside. This was the first time in his life that he looked at his father's back so seriously. He looked slightly stooped, but as solid as a mountain. His father's confession before leaving came to his ears again. At this moment, the young man seemed to have grown up all of a sudden.

The people who work with Cao Yong are all pawns who travel in major markets. In addition to him, a tooth man, there are vendors, bookkeepers, and coolies. They have many years of contacts and know everything about it.

A group of four people chose to take the water route, boarded a boat from Mengjin, passed through the Yellow River to Bian, passed through Si and Huai all the way, crossed the canal and entered the Yangtze River, heading east, and lasted more than 20 days before arriving at their destination, Xiuzhou.

Xiuzhou is located southeast of Suzhou and northeast of Hu and Hangzhou. It is the cotton planting and textile center in the south of the Yangtze River. Due to its advantages in water transportation along the river and sea, it has gradually become a national trade hub and cargo distribution center.

From Qianyou to Kaibao, during most of the reign of Emperor Shizu, the imperial court consistently supported the development of the cotton industry, constantly recruiting talents from Central Asia, Tianzhu and other places, cultivating improved varieties, and providing tax incentives and Rewards, vigorously developing cotton spinning technology, and it took decades to hatch a large industry that is gradually reaching maturity.

It can be said with certainty that the vigorous introduction and promotion of cotton and Champa rice was the most meaningful attempt by Emperor Shizu to solve the "food and clothing" problem of the people, and the results and achievements achieved were, to a certain extent, even greater than those illustrious martial arts achievements. , but this kind of contribution is not easy to remember, and even easier to be forgotten.

However, the development of the cotton industry and the popularization of Champa rice have greatly alleviated the pressure on the Han people in basic survival. This is also one of the important factors behind the skyrocketing population of the Han people in the past few decades.

Such benefits eventually fell to the court and the ruling class, because it actually enhanced their dominance and extended their vitality.

At first, the key cotton planting area of ​​Han Dynasty was undoubtedly Erdao in Henan and Hebei. From the introduction, cultivation, selection and promotion of cotton seeds to the promotion of cotton spinning technology, all the foundational work was done in Erdao and in the imperial court. Continuously pushing forward under his nose.

Dahan's cotton spinning industry really ushered in great development around the fifteenth year of Kaibao. At that time, cotton planting and cotton spinning technology had matured and been widely promoted. In particular, Qiongzhou Zhizhou Zhou Renjun took the lead in improving textile machines, which greatly Increasing the output of cotton cloth will have a stronger effect on promoting the development of the cotton spinning industry.

From that time on, the cotton industry in Jiangnan began to rise. The suitable climate and soil conditions, coupled with the tradition of silk weaving, printing and dyeing, made it easy to catch up with the fast track of the development of the cotton industry in the Han Dynasty.

Now, another twenty years have passed, and the cotton industry in the north is still dominated by Gyeonggi and Lianghe, supplemented by Guannai and Gaochang. As the main cotton growing areas, with the support of the government, they also occupy a dominant position.

However, the rapid development in Jiangnan is visible to the naked eye. It does not necessarily mean catching up from behind, but the momentum of catching up is obvious. In addition to output, whether it is talent, technology, or market vitality, with Jiangnan Road as the core, the south The cotton industry has surpassed that of the north.

Especially in the production efficiency and quality of cotton cloth, the large and small factories and workshops in Jiangnan Province that use a large number of new textile machines are far ahead of their counterparts in the north. In view of this, the cotton industry practitioners in the south of the Yangtze River have already sounded the clarion call to launch an "attack" to the north.

It was under this trend and background that Cao Yong and his partners thought of going south to purchase goods.

Many things are better than seeing them. It was only when they arrived in Jiangnan that Cao Yong and others realized how far cotton cloth had developed here.

It can be said that cotton products have now replaced silk and linen, and have invaded thousands of households in the Southeast, helping ordinary people in the Southeast solve the problem of "warmth". Of course, the silk industry in Jiangnan is still booming. After all, the powerful still prefer delicate and luxurious silk brocades to highlight their status.

The high season of autumn is also the harvest season in the south of the Yangtze River, not only for late rice, but also for cotton picking. Of course, compared to those unpalatable Champa rice, Cao Yong and others only saw those white cotton balls.

It wasn't until Xiuzhou that I really opened my eyes. If the southern cotton industry is centered on Jiangnan, then Jiangnan Road is centered on Xiuzhou. In the entire Xiuzhou, almost half of the families and farmers are engaged in cotton cultivation or cotton cloth production. For most people in Xiuzhou, this is even their main business and their entire source of livelihood.

Of course, Xiuzhou can achieve such development not only due to its own suitable planting conditions and unique river and sea transportation advantages, but also thanks to Zhou Renjun's leadership.

It can be said that Zhou Renjun was regarded as a patriarch-level figure in the cotton spinning industry during the Han Dynasty. He not only led Danzhou craftsmen to improve cotton spinning techniques, but also made significant contributions to the subsequent dissemination of cotton spinning technology and the development of the cotton spinning industry.

Zhou Renjun once served as the chief envoy of Hedong Road. Of course, he did not serve for two years before he retired due to illness. After taking office, Zhou Renjun returned to Danzhou, the place where he made his fortune, and learned about the difficulties in the development of local cotton spinning. Many elders couldn't help complaining to Zhou Renjun that as the birthplace of "Danji" (cotton spinning machine), the development of the cotton industry was not as good as other places. It could not even occupy the market of Guangdong and Guangxi, but was replaced by practitioners in some places. Steal profits.

After subsequent research, Zhou Renjun found that the root cause was geographical restrictions. Danzhou is located in the northwest of Qiongzhou Island. Although it is separated from the land by water and water transportation is developed in the south, the location is still too remote. However, if the cotton industry wants to truly develop, the market is in the vast inland Daozhou, and new technologies and textile machines have spread long ago. There is no advantage in technology and quality, so how can it develop and grow.

In Danzhou, the only thing we can rely on is the market of Guangdong and Guangxi. Of course, we will not die of hunger. However, if we want to achieve greater development, we must get rid of the restrictions of Danzhou.

Therefore, under the leadership of Zhou Renjun, more than ten Danzhou cotton spinning practitioners moved from Danzhou to Xiuzhou, opened workshops, organized production, spread technology, and at the same time studied and updated textile technology in an attempt to produce more efficient cotton cloth.

As the former chief envoy to Hedong, Zhou Renjun's political prestige was extremely high for Xiuzhou. With his endorsement, the Xiuzhou government would of course also fully support it.

As a result, the rise of "Xiuzhou Cotton" is unstoppable. When Cao Yong and others arrived at Shanghai Port in Xiuzhou, they truly saw the shocking scene of "Jiangnan cotton coming out of Xiuzhou".

The existence of Shanghai Port was of course the main reason why Zhou Renjun chose Xiuzhou. As early as the second year of Kaibao, the imperial court established Shanghai Affairs at the mouth of the Yangtze River and built and expanded the seaport to meet the needs of the gradually emerging overseas trade.

In the fifth year after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai County was established. In the tenth year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xiuzhou Prefecture was also moved from Jiaxing to Shanghai County. Up to now, Shanghai has become the most important commercial port of the Han Dynasty, a thoroughfare between rivers and seas, and a center for commodity and colonial trade.

It is not weaker than Guangzhou in terms of foreign trade, and at the same time, it is closer to the heart of Han Dynasty!

(End of this chapter)