Han Shizu

In the summer and May of the tenth year of Yongxi's reign, Shanghai.

On the banks of the Songjiang River, among a group of refreshing brick and wood mixed buildings, a five-story "Han Tower" with a large area has risen from the ground. The new brick and wood mixed structure combines traditional carving styles with a unique Such a majestic and majestic building was built.

In the past twenty or thirty years, all aspects of the Han Empire were undergoing changes, and the civil construction industry, which was related to everyone's food, clothing, housing and transportation, was no exception. The biggest change is probably the shift from traditional wooden buildings to a mixed brick and wood architectural style.

Of course, in addition to the wind blowing in from overseas, the main reason for such changes lies in the great development of building materials. Brick factories and tile kilns, large and small, sprung up all over the country. Bricks and tiles of various materials and shapes were developed by Han merchants and craftsmen, which greatly enriched the content of basic building materials.

The great development of new concepts and new materials has brought about overall changes from design to construction. Coupled with the encouragement and support from the imperial court, rural areas dare not mention it, but in cities, more and more new buildings are beginning to use it. The brick-wood hybrid structure is both beautiful and practical, and the "brick content rate" is getting higher and higher.

This kind of Xinshi brick and wood building also has a new name. Some people call it "Western Building", while foreign businessmen from across the ocean call it "Han Building". The latter is obviously more popular. It was also easier to be accepted by the Han officials and people who were full of pride. Even official newspapers such as "Xuanbao" clearly mentioned such things as "Han Tower" and "New Tower" when promoting brick and wood buildings from time to time. class words.

The five-story building standing on the bank of Songjiang River is a standard Han Tower. It is also designed with great care. The layout is grand and the details are exquisite. It highlights the majesty of the building. It can be seen at a glance that this is An "official building".

Several months have passed since the foundation construction began. The completed building has already been clearly presented to the people of Shanghai, and now only the last step is left.

On such a sunny day, an unveiling ceremony was going on, and the scene was quite grand. Not only the main officials of the surrounding states and counties were present in person, but also the Han merchants and people who made a living doing business in Shanghai Port, as well as the envoys and foreign businessmen stationed in Hong Kong gathered here.

Especially those domestic and foreign businessmen who are engaged in foreign trade and maritime trade, their faces are even more joyful, their eyes are shining, staring directly at the archway covered by red silk in front of the main entrance, their eyes are almost overflowing with eagerness and hatred. You cannot uncover it with your own hands.

Obviously, it is by no means a simple opening ceremony of an official building that can cause the whole of Shanghai to move upon hearing the news. What is more important is the things behind it.

With the beating of gongs and drums, a lion dance for fun, and a burst of firecrackers, as the red silk fell, the Han Tower finally revealed its long-awaited true face of Lushan: the Dahan Customs Jianghai Taxation Department.

This is a customs building!

With the passionate speech by Wang Qinruo, the tax director of Jiangguang Customs, and amid warm cheers, the Dahanjiang Customs Building was officially put into use, which also means that the history of Dahan’s foreign trade has opened a new chapter.

Regarding the issue of the customs system of the Han Dynasty, there has actually been discussion. As early as the Kaibao period, someone had already proposed it. However, the vested interests were too powerful and stubborn, and the voice for reform was suppressed.

However, the city shipping system, which was inherited from the Tang Dynasty and developed and perfected in the Han Empire, and went through decades of glorious years, took the initiative to go overseas in the Han Empire and completed its historical mission in the face of the ever-changing world situation. . The abolition of the old system was followed by a new set of maritime, port and tax management systems.

Compared with the municipal shipping department system that had been popular in the Han Dynasty for decades, under the new customs system, the government no longer personally participated in foreign trade transactions, but was fully liberalized and developed towards "professionalization". The imperial court set up special departments to focus on Maritime and tax administration work. Such changes are nothing short of a boon to the business people engaged in foreign trade and maritime trade across the country and abroad.

For a long period of time, foreign trade under the municipal shipping department system has been strongly controlled by the government. The import and export of goods need to change hands through various municipal shipping agencies, and for every change of hands, the municipal shipping department can of course benefit from it. Earning a transfer fee is another cost in addition to the regular tax for domestic and foreign businessmen.

Decades later, in the Yongxi Dynasty, as the Han Dynasty continued to deepen its foreign colonization and achieved results, the scale of maritime trade was still expanding, but almost everyone noticed that the system of the Municipal Shipping Department had already had a negative impact on foreign trade. Blocking effect.

Of course, the market shipping system had been loosened as early as the late Kaibao period. The ever-expanding scale of foreign trade directly broke through the management capabilities of the shipping department, and the gluttons in the interest chain also tried every means to exploit loopholes to avoid being exploited. The Ministry of Transport has scraped it, which has led to problems such as smuggling, tax evasion and so on.

But even if there are many problems, it has still been a relatively long process to abolish the old shipping department and establish a new customs system. Among them, it is not only the desperate maintenance of the officials and businessmen who rely on the market system, but the most important thing is the upper class of the Han Dynasty. To be precise, the Finance Secretary is reluctant to part with the generous income under the market system. The monopoly business has always been the most profitable. It is also the most difficult to let go.

Therefore, in the face of internal and external grievances and endless problems, in the past few years, the "Shibo faction" has suppressed the voice of reform while repairing leaks and rectifying problems. However, this is only a manifestation of struggle after all, and it only delays the collapse of the shipping system.

No matter how fiercely the vested interests defend it, the fundamental problem is that the old shipping system cannot meet the growing demand for maritime trade management. If this fundamental contradiction is not resolved or alleviated, new problems will only accumulate and develop to the point of affecting To the extent that foreign trade is concerned, the problem is already serious.

Reform is necessary, and it has never been a problem for Emperor Liu Yang, as long as there are enough reasons to convince him. But if it were just domestic maritime merchants and foreign merchants, even if they shouted at the top of their lungs, it would be difficult to really shake the deep-rooted system. After all, the vested interests were too powerful, and there was also the Shaofu next to the Financial Secretary.

However, when the feudal kings of Nanyang continued to make demands and point out problems to the court, the impact would be great. Those feudal states obviously hated the old shipping system. If they wanted to develop, they could not develop without trade with the Han Dynasty. In the course of more than ten years of trade, they naturally deeply realized that domestic and foreign merchants were exploited. pain of.

As a feudal state, it was customary for them to make appeals to the imperial court. As descendants of the Han royal family and descendants of Emperor Shizu, they could directly go to heaven to listen.

Therefore, when various voices of reform reached the ears of Emperor Liu Yang, and after many investigations and studies, the reform of the Municipal Shipping Department system was still launched. This was still not a quick process. It took several years of back and forth, and it was not until the winter of the ninth year of Yongxi's reign that customization was officially announced.

In order to meet the management of foreign trade, ports, taxation, anti-smuggling and other affairs, further promote the development of maritime trade, and strengthen ties with feudal countries and foreign countries, the Han Dynasty promulgated the "Customs Management Regulations".

In the coastal areas, a total of five major customs have been established, from south to north, namely Guangdong Customs, Fujian Customs, Jiang Customs, Dongguan Customs, and Bohai Customs. Each major customs has the post of director. From the third level, the customs is divided into ports to carry out comprehensive manage. The Customs is directly under the Finance Department. The director and subordinate port directors are arranged by the court, and are equipped with specialized customs troops to carry out inspection, public security, anti-smuggling and other activities.

The new customs system may not be so perfect, and more new problems may arise during the specific implementation process, but this kind of reform that is timely and in line with the trend has its important significance, which is also the reason for the entire Yongxi era. A display of a positive outlook that strives for change for the better.

And now, in Shanghai in the summer of Yongxi's 10th year, along the Songjiang River, just looking at the joyful expressions of domestic and foreign merchants who gathered around the opening ceremony of the Jiangguan Customs Building and hearing the deafening applause, one can know how this reform was carried out. The land wins the "popular support". In the ten years of Yongxi's reign, Shanghai was more prosperous than before. Rapid changes continued, and the population further increased. It was already a metropolis with more than 300,000 people, attracting merchants from all over the country. There’s still no ceiling in sight.

Of course, the biggest change is the improvement of administrative status. Today's Shanghai, even in the Han Empire, can justifiably be called "Shanghai City". It was also in the ninth year of Yongxi that this once penniless rural town The fishing village became the first "separately planned city" in Han Dynasty.

The promotion of this matter was due to the vigorous promotion of Wang Xuanzhen, the chief envoy of Jiangnan Province. Before taking office, he had received an interview from the emperor. After taking office, Wang Xuanzhen was very concerned about the situation between Shanghai, Su and Xiuzhou. Another in-depth and thorough understanding was conducted.

Finally, after he submitted it to the Central Committee, it was decided that Shanghai, a port city that thrived due to foreign trade, would be listed separately and become a "city" directly under the management of Jiangnan Province, and the "mayor" would also become a new figure in the local administrative system of Han Dynasty. The title is directly graded to the third grade. Tax revenue is shared between the central government and Jiangnan Province, adopting the "28/20 split" principle.

At this point, for the benefit of Songjiang and port trade, you and I were fighting for the two states of Suxiu with red faces and bloody heads. In the end, nothing was lost.

Not only did they not get it in their mouths, but they had to dig out what was originally protected on the plate. The new Shanghai, which combines economic strength and political status, has a strong waist. After all, it has the endorsement of the central government and the Taoist Council.

Therefore, with the support of Wang Xuanzhen, some adjustments were made to the Shanghai municipal area, which basically included the entire lower Songjiang area in the east of Suxiu Prefecture, which became the boundary of Shanghai. It was something that Suxiu Prefecture was once at odds with. They were all swallowed up by Shanghai.

Such a result is obviously not acceptable to the two states. During the final promotion process, voices of opposition and complaints reached Tianting, but to no avail. When the authority of the central government is strong, if your local government dares to openly resist, it will really lose its head. Although Emperor Liu Yang has been promoting the construction of the rule of law, the fundamental rule of the empire is still the rule of man. Even tax reform and official reform can Promoted with great vigor, there is not much room for resistance to the institutional division of a place, and it is too weak.

What's more, there is also the Jiangnan Daosi represented by Wang Xuanzhen, as well as a series of new interest groups involved in Shanghai. He is obviously optimistic about the "Shanghai city establishment".

As a result, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Delta have ushered in a new pattern, and an Oriental star city is rising facing the sea and embracing the future.

In this process, the most injured person was undoubtedly Xiuzhou. It lost the cornucopia of "Shanghai County" and almost cut off an arm. Although there is still a key industry of cotton spinning, the faint sadness after being castrated always lingers. In the hearts of Xiuzhou officials.

In comparison, Suzhou, which also suffered losses, is much better off. Compared with Xiuzhou, Suzhou's family is obviously much richer. Without Shanghai, it still has the benefits of the Yangtze River, Taihu Lake and Yangcheng Lake within its territory. There are also Changshu Tang, Zhihe Tang, Bai Maopu, Qiyapu and other water ports that can be used. Rather than competing for Shanghai, it seems that developing one's own superior conditions is the right way.

Among the customs ports under Jiangguan Customs, Suzhou accounts for three, which shows the "strength" of Suzhou.

No matter how many twists and turns there are, and no matter how many competitions for interests arise, the establishment of Shanghai as a city is an indisputable fact. And this is also a historic landmark event for the urban development of Han Dynasty. This is a brand-new model, involving a brand-new relationship between central and local governments. There is no reference at all, but in fact it represents a new model. This development trend in the new era is also worthy of being highlighted in the history of Han city development.

From the founding of the city to the establishment of the five major customs, Shanghai, which had both, naturally became the most unique city in the Han Dynasty, the only one in the country.

Regarding the Shanghai model, of course, discussions between the DPRK and China cannot be avoided. After all, it is too new, and new things are often not easily accepted by people. What’s more, it is still something that was tinkered with by a "hawk" like Wang Xuanzhen.

Once a hawk, always a hawk. Although Wang Xuanzhen has shown sufficient administrative capabilities, he is still not accepted by the mainstream of politics. Of course, now Wang Xuanzhen has given up on integrating into the group of meritorious officials, literati and bureaucrats. As long as he is recognized by the emperor and becomes a minister of Yongxi, it is enough.

The five major customs basically cover the foreign trade management of all coastal areas of the empire. When they were first established, some officials suggested that they be listed separately like Shanghai.

But this matter ultimately failed to happen. Shanghai is special in that it relies on the Yangtze River Delta region, which is already rich enough and highly developed, and the commodity resources of all the prefectures and counties within the reach of the Yangtze River and canal can be gathered here. , which is a condition that other customs cities do not have. When establishing a separate city, in addition to strengthening management, the essence is that the court needs to participate in profit distribution to a greater extent. If the court eats more and takes more, the place will naturally lose money.

Take Quanzhou, where the Fujian Customs is located, for example. Zhou Yinquan, the chief envoy of Fujian Province, once went to the imperial court and said that the people in Fujian had a hard life and could only survive by relying on sea trade. Fuzhou and Quanzhou were the two places where Fujian developed. If one of his two legs is lost, he will have to walk lamely and complain. In fact, it is Fujian Daosi's resistance to Quanzhou's independent city designation.

Fujian Customs was sown by the imperial court and a golden egg hatched from Fujian Road. The imperial court already took the lion's share. It would be too much to take away even the hen that laid the egg. Not all places are Jiangnan Road, and not all envoys are named Wang Xuanzhen.

Similar to Quanzhou, it is naturally Guangzhou Prefecture, where the Guangdong Customs House is located. There is no doubt that in the past few decades, Guangzhou has gradually developed into one of the largest cities in the Han Dynasty and a trading port of all nations. At least in the ten years of Yongxi's reign, its size was several times that of Shanghai.

However, a key question is, in the entire Lingnan region, apart from Guangzhou Prefecture, which city can be named? After careful calculation for a while, I really couldn't come up with anything that could be beaten. Therefore, the existence of Guangzhou Prefecture also plays the role of Chengdu Prefecture in the southwest region. It needs to help the poor brothers around it, "drive the future rich" and contribute to the stability of the entire region.

As for the East China Sea and Bohai Sea Passes in the north, they mainly target the Northeastern region and Korea and Japan. First of all, they are limited in scale. Many merchants from the two countries would rather sail to Shanghai for trade. On the other hand, the conservative atmosphere is also stronger. There is no need to implement separate listing for the time being.

Therefore, at least in the ten years of Yongxi, Shanghai became the most special city in the entire Han Empire. From architectural style to ideological concepts, from business environment to management model, it was the first of its kind in history. It was in the Han Empire that this city The city is becoming more magical and dazzling, making it difficult to predict where it will eventually go.