The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Three days passed, Kunning Palace.

The retired emperor Hongzhi was reading a book.

Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Zeng were selecting three ladies from sixty common women, preparing to issue an order to the Ministry of Rites to propose marriage.

Zhu Zaikun ran to Empress Zeng and whispered, "Mother, will you allow my father to marry the princesses of Tang and Song?"

Empress Zeng raised her head slightly and looked in a certain direction, and saw that the retired emperor had already glared at her with a stern face.

A majestic voice made the little eunuch full of energy.

"What benefits did your father promise you?!"

"Take me to play at Master Yan's house..."

Zhu Zaikun's skin was as fine as flour. Seeing the anger of the retired emperor, he continued, "My father crawled out of the palace, and I didn't go."

"..." Retired emperor Hongzhi.

Empress Dowager Zhang looked at the retired emperor Hongzhi. Needless to say, her son's temper was smart and opinionated, and he would not listen.

"I agree, too. What do you think of the emperor?"

"The princess has a special status, so she needs to go to court to discuss with you gentlemen."

The emperor Hongzhi put down his book. He was not idle for the past three days.

The Jinyiwei has been checking Liu Zhao's family records to see if his ancestors and parents are innocent.

This is a necessary procedure for the emperor to take a concubine.

The next day, Fengtian Hall.

Today, the new emperor will take a concubine. Liu Jian first mentioned Turpan's invasion of Gansu.

Yan Chengjin thought for a long time, stepped forward and said: "The court used to confer the title of King Zhongshun of Hami, but Hami was weak and not strong enough to suppress the Western Regions.

Tangsong Kingdom can replace Hami. From this point of view, it is possible to form an alliance with Tangsong Kingdom."

He didn't want to participate in this matter, which would arouse the suspicion of the gentlemen.

But the emperor pushed this matter onto him. If he didn't participate, it would arouse the suspicion of the gentlemen.

"Did the Jinyiwei find the Liu family files?"

"Yes, there is a family in Yuanzhou Prefecture that is the same as Liu's, but they have disappeared for more than 20 years, but their origins are innocent."

Mou Bin reported anxiously.

They moved away 20 years ago. Who knows if they became refugees or escaped to the sea? It's too difficult to find out.

Yan Chengjin breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuanzhou Prefecture is next to Nanchang Prefecture, and Wang Shouren really found someone who can match the name.

The gentlemen frowned deeply, with doubts on their faces.

When they thought of the marriage, they became cautious. At first glance, it was a happy event that would benefit the two dynasties.

Besides, the new emperor has always been stubborn and refused to listen to advice. What else can be said?

The decree was quickly sent to the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory, and a document was issued on a chosen day, ordering the envoy to take the betrothal gifts to the Tang and Song Kingdoms.

……

Hangzhou Prefecture, Zheshan Town.

The laborers lined up in a long line, ready to go on deck. The wages in Hangzhou Prefecture are very high, eight cents of silver a day.

But the Zhang brothers offered more, 16 cents a day, double the price.

"Why hasn't Yan Chengjin, that dog official, sent the boat yet?"

Zhang Heling looked at the buckets of fish and shrimp in front of him. The ocean was simply a huge treasury, but he was not excited at all, and was about to explode with anger!

Not enough boats!

At the beginning, he was too cautious and only bought eight large ships. After returning, many shopkeepers and gentry from restaurants and inns in Jiangnan came to place orders.

The best-selling squid and prawns were priced at will.

I don't know how much silver was lost every day!

"Brother, let's write a memorial to make that dog official pay for the silver!" Zhang Yanling gritted his teeth and said angrily.

At this time, a fleet not far away sailed into Hangzhou Bay.

Wang Bushui walked down from the boat with more than ten people.

"The two lords' ships have arrived. Please send someone to steer them. Lord Yan also asked me to bring three imperial chefs."

"Why are there only ten ships?"

"Yes! What do we need imperial chefs for!"

"The two lords ordered ten ships at the beginning. Lord Yan said that the imperial chefs should promote the way of eating fish in Jiangnan." Wang Bushui took out another drawing: "These are tributes to be sent to the palace. Lords, don't make the wrong choice."

Just like the promotion of books at the beginning, other places can't afford to eat fish, but Jiangnan is a place for pleasure.

Whether it is poetry meetings, painted boats or brothels, banquets are indispensable.

With the imperial chefs leading the trend here, sending tributes to the palace will make the gentry follow suit, which is another sure-win business.

This time when he came to Hangzhou, Wang Bushui was not doing silk business, but seafood business.

He bought land in Hangzhou and set up a fish market. Now, Liangxiang's merchant ships have gone to sea.

……

Cabinet, duty room

Liu Jian saw Zhang Heling submitting a petition to buy 200,000 silver coins of surplus salt from Hangzhou.

"How many fish do you need to pickle salt fish?"

Li Dongyang carefully read the petition and did not mention how many fish were caught, but only wanted to buy salt coins.

The so-called surplus salt is the salt bricks stored in the Salt Bureau.

After reading the petition, Yan Chengjin said, "I think that you should be allowed to open the warehouse and sell salt."

The price of a salt brick is one cent of silver.

The price of a salted fish is two cents of silver.

Of course, this is ordinary salted fish. Squid is more expensive, requiring eight cents of silver per catty. Obviously, selling salted fish is more profitable.

The Zhang brothers will not use salt bricks for other things.

"Now that Shouning Hou has caught fish, how will the court collect money?"

The retired emperor Hongzhi took a look at the petition.

At the beginning, Yan Chengjin said that Shouning Hou should go to sea, but he could only think of a few ways to collect money.

There must be a tax item for collecting money. You can't just collect money from Shouning Hou and the gentry for no reason.

"The Ministry of Revenue has added a tax item, and set a berthing fee at the port's dock. There is a port in Hangzhou Bay, and the fee for berthing for one day is calculated according to the goods.

You can also build a collapsed house for merchants to store goods.

I have heard that there is already a huge fishing market on the coast of Hangzhou, which needs to be built to store goods. "

During the Hongwu period, He Bo had more than 250 places.

But the system was very simple, only responsible for collecting fish taxes, not other things, so the court did not attach importance to its existence.

In the farming world, fisheries are as important as agriculture.

Even in later generations, it occupies an important industrial position and can support the expenses of a country.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang did not mention fisheries in his official, agricultural, commercial and industrial careers.

First, he knew little about marine resources, and second, he was restricted by shipbuilding technology and could not go to sea.

Now, if the fishery can be established as a complete system as agriculture, it can further move towards prosperity and increase the source of tax revenue for the court.

It is not necessary to put all the chips in one basket. Once the agriculture is dry or flooded, the court will not be able to make ends meet.

At least, this is one of the good policies that Yan Chengjin can think of at the moment.

"Master Yan, do you mean to build a market at the port?" Jiang Mian raised his eyes.

"Even if the court does not build it, it will spontaneously form a market over time.

But at that time, it would be difficult for the court to collect money from the gentry. "Yan Chengjin said.

It's just like collecting tolls after repairing a road.

But the road is already there, and you collect tolls again, which makes you a robber.

How could the gentry be willing?

The small difference before and after contains the way of governing the country.

The retired emperor Hongzhi was thoughtful and understood this truth, so he looked at Wang Qiong: "How does the court collect fish taxes?"

"One tax for thirty, converted into silver, two cents of silver per catty for carp, one coin of silver per catty for crucian carp, and eight cents of silver per catty for white fish..." Wang Qiong pinched his fingers and muttered.

If he didn't recognize it from the sea, he wouldn't know.

The retired emperor Hongzhi and the officials listened attentively.