Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

As the new year approaches, Luoyang's business has gradually calmed down after explosive growth for a period of time.

Changxia Trading Company, which was once bustling with people, closed down after selling the last batch of mink skins, beaver skins, and black water pearls, and the money was counted.

In Luoyang Nan City, which was once bustling with people, merchants started a clearance sale early, which was very cheap for Luoyang locals who came here specifically to buy off-price goods.

The Qin Lou Chu Pavilion, which smelled of makeup and powder, was the last to close.

The prosperity of this business is beyond anyone's imagination, especially in the autumn and winter of the year before the imperial examination. It is so popular that you even have to queue up.

The popular aunties have soft legs and weak feet, and forcefully smile to receive guests.

Romantic gentlemen spend a lot of money, and they have to indulge in other addictions even if they can't wait in line.

At this time, some places were really inlaid with diamonds, mass-producing money, and tax supervisors were weak in collecting taxes.

Well, what is collected is residence tax, not settlement tax.The state had taxes on tea, coal, salt, etc., but there was no pen tax...

Shao Shude also rode the tail end of the business boom at the end of the year and traveled around Luoyang.

He is like a farmer inspecting the vegetable garden, looking around to see how the fruits, vegetables and fruits he cultivated are growing.

It looks good, I feel satisfied, and I feel that my efforts are not in vain.

He didn't look good and was annoyed, so he called the officials to scold him.

Even though he is older, he still has a bit of childishness. Maybe men have this side no matter how old they are.

After inspecting the city, he took his guards with him to Luoyang, Henan and even Yanshi, Xin'an and other counties a little further away, where he went deep into farmers' houses and held discussions with people. Feng Dao and Guo Chongtao, who came to Beijing to report on their work, were also taken with him. Go to the countryside together.

"Wang Yidao, when you received the reward, the first thing you did was to wear colorful robes and wander around Luoyang South City." Shao Shude pointed at the old man with white beard and hair, and laughed: "I have never seen money like you in eight lifetimes. Similar."

"When we attacked Zhu Youyu, I was the first to climb over the wall and rush in. Of course, everyone should see the reward given by His Majesty himself," Wang Yidao said.

A group of bright old men were overjoyed and laughed.

Feng Dao watched silently.

Saints always deal well with warriors.His memory, even now, has not diminished much.His ability to win the hearts of the military is not accidental, it requires a little talent and some secret effort.

Guo Chongtao listened eagerly.

He is more "ambitious" because he has been in the military camp for a long time and is more friendly to the warriors.He compared Li Keyong and Jin Shang, and finally could only sigh.The King of Jin could only use reward money and indulgence in military discipline to maintain morale. Now he has more methods. In addition to financial stimulation, he also has emotional tricks to make him more stable.

I heard that the prince is also good at soothing the soldiers' morale, but I don't know how far he can go.

Shao Shude sat in the homes of these veterans of the Forbidden Army for a while, and then left with everyone.

The weather is nice today, the sun is warm.Shao Shude walked slowly in front, Feng Dao and Guo Chongtao followed silently.

After a long time, Shao Shude stopped in front of a livestock pen at the end of the village.

The owner was scolding his son, saying that he bred the family's horses indiscriminately and actually gave birth to "strings" instead of pure-blooded horses.

Shao Shude burst out laughing after hearing this, and was filled with emotions.

He founded the horse administration and spent decades of work to purify and fix certain bloodlines. If the people still don't pay attention to these and randomly breed cattle, sheep and even horses at home, then they are really going backwards.

"The people living in this village are all old people from the Forbidden Army many years ago. You must have heard the accent, and they are mainly from Hedong. In fact, they are indeed from Hedong, and most of them are from Puzhou." Shao Shude said: "I Employers are eclectic and don’t have too many sectarian opinions. Both of you have great talents, and you are both top-notch in official examinations. I have been observing you, and I am very pleased."

Having said this, he paused and said: "Do a good job in your new position. As long as you have merit, the court will not turn a blind eye. Maybe there will be a great fortune."

"I will obey the Holy Order." The two of them responded in unison.

The sage's words were a bit cryptic, but the general meaning was clear.

I have no sectarian views, but you are capable, and I will not turn a blind eye. This promotion is proof: as soon as the prince was promoted, he approved it.

Do your best next time and prove your ability. Even if I can't continue to promote you, there will be an explanation for the new king's succession in the future.

To put it bluntly, you are all members of the prime minister's team prepared for the new king. You must be patient and don't be too eager.

Guo Chongtao and Feng Dao looked at each other and understood everything.

The saint should have paid more attention to them, so he took them out to walk around, look at them, and observe them up close.Now it seems that it should have passed part of the test.But - is this the end?
******
After returning to the Guanfeng Hall of Shangyang Palace, Shao Shude took the two of them to a huge hanging map.On the table under the map, there are also stacks of bound documents - handwritten documents?
Shao Shude's finger scratched here and there on the map.Guo Chongtao and Feng Dao didn't know why.

"What do you two think about people who go to sea to seek wealth?" Shao Shude turned around and asked.

"There are many benefits." Guo Chongtao said first: "Sea animal fur is an excellent thing to keep out the cold and keep warm. The leather sold by Changxia Trading Company is often out of stock. It can be seen that there are many people rushing to buy it, and it is a good thing for the country and the people. .”

"Feng Qing also tells me." Shao Shude said.

"I believe that the situation at sea has reached its current limit," Feng Dao said.

"Feng Qing might as well explain it more clearly."

"Your Majesty sent people out to sea to explore, and the only result was that a dozen more small islands were added to the map of the world." Feng Dao said: "But for these islands where few natives may live, a huge price has to be paid, my lord. It’s hard to say whether it’s worth it.”

Shao Shude hummed, but did not express his opinion clearly.

What Feng Dao means is that the Aleutian Islands are too far away and do not have much value. It is a small matter to spend a title and a lot of money to encourage people to explore the sea, but is it worth paying a huge price-including rewards, shipwrecks, and human lives?
Shao Shude guessed that he might think that Sakhalin Island and the Thousand Islands were too far away and not of much value.

"Do you know Feng Qing -" Shao Shude said, seeming to feel that he couldn't explain clearly. He reached out and picked up a book bound with silk thread from the table, handed it to Feng Dao and said, "Let's take a look."

Feng Dao took it and looked at it.

Shao Shude picked up another handwritten mimeographed version and handed it to Guo Chongtao.

Wax paper mimeograph technology is truly an epoch-making invention, which greatly reduces printing costs.

Although this technology has shortcomings such as unclear writing and easy blurring, it is more cost-effective.The ink, which is exclusively sold by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and sold by Changxia Trading Company, is always in short supply and has become a new profit growth point for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.Judging from this fact, we can already get a glimpse of the popularity of this technology.

Compared with it, movable type printing is not worth mentioning, and it is not even as good as woodblock printing.

The manuscript that Shao Shude handed to the two of them was handwritten and mimeographed by him by summarizing information from various captains.

This was the first time for Feng Dao to see such detailed maritime information.

He didn't care about exploration, but the ocean fishing industry fascinated him.

Through passages of text, he seemed to see a huge number of saury migrating southward in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

The fishermen of Daxia accidentally discovered that the light of fire at night would attract saury schools, so they invented an extremely efficient fishing method: they implemented fire or light traps in the waters near the Thousand Islands, and caught them easily in one night. Tens of thousands of catties of saury.

The article also mentioned the local indigenous Ainu people. They did not know this "magical" fishing method. They only drove a small boat day after day, year after year, and used inferior nets to fish. They may not even know what the fishing season is like when catching some topwater fish in inland rivers or offshore waters.

The Thousand Islands are an inexhaustible treasure trove.After reading the full text, Feng Dao had to admit this.

"I only let people explore it a little, and we got this treasure house." Seeing that they had almost seen it, Shao Shude said: "Now that we are exploring the Aleutian Islands, can Feng Qing guarantee that there is no value at all?"

Feng Dao was silent for a moment and sighed: "It's still too far. It's easy to go, but hard to come back."

After saying this, he didn't say much.

This is his habit. He will give advice, but he will not give it to you. Whether you like it or not, I will fulfill my obligations and be worthy of the salary I receive.

But he also had to admit that "Sea Ranch" was indeed attractive.

After being processed into dried salted fish on site, it is transported back to ports in Huaihai, Hebei, and Huainan in the autumn. It is very convenient to sail with the wind.At this time, the weather is cold, and the salted fish is salted, so there is no need to worry about spoilage.The only shortcoming is probably that it will impact the salt market, but the saint doesn't care, so what else can he say?
"Your Majesty has really benefited all people." Guo Chongtao said sincerely: "In the past, I lived in the east of the river, and my eyesight was shallow. I only knew how to fight and kill all day long. After I jumped out, the vastness of the world was so vast that it was like sitting in a well and observing the sky. Navigation. I think it's feasible and it won't cost much. Once discovered, it will be of unimaginable huge benefit."

Feng Dao lowered his eyelids slightly and said no more.

He was a smart man and could see that the saint was still observing them.

What to observe?Maybe it's the pattern, maybe it's the acceptance of the new dynasty's elegant politics.

Perhaps, he and Guo Chongtao were left by the saint to the prince.It is not easy for a saint to worry about this.Parents love their children and have far-reaching plans.This "zi" can refer to the prince, or it may refer to the Daxia Dynasty.

Guo Chongtao should have noticed it, but he was more proactive. Even if he didn't agree with it in his heart, he always had to sing a high profile at this time.

Maybe the saint is right.Feng Dao was not sure either. He had a vague feeling that this world was becoming more and more unfamiliar, and it was no longer the traditional society recorded in classic books.

If you want not to fall behind, you still need to learn more and read more.At least, he must be worthy of the prince's strong recommendation and the saint's promotion.