In the Ming Dynasty, there were land temples everywhere.

Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to agricultural production, and the gods of the land could bless the harvest of grains, so he forced it to be promoted nationwide, and official sacrifices were held every spring - so the temple fair was greatly promoted, and the market around the land temple flourished during the few days of worship.

Well, the skinning of corrupt officials is often exhibited in front of the Land Temple.

So much so that many officials in the early Ming Dynasty sweated on their vests when they mentioned the Land Temple.

While vigorously promoting the land temple, many folk gods since the Tang and Song dynasties were banned, and most of them were beaten as obscene.

Miraculously, Zhu Yuanzhang, who advocated the prohibition of the sea, respected Mazu very much and canonized Mazu as "filial piety and pure heaven Fuji induction holy concubine". In the Zhu Di period, Mazu was upgraded again and was canonized as "Hongren Puji Protector of the Country and Shelter the People and Ming Tianfei", which is the origin of Mazu is also known as "Tianfei Niangniang".

There is Tianfei Palace in Nanjing, and the sacrificial activities are presided over by Taichang Siqing, and the level is very high.

With the prosperity of the marine smuggling trade, the Mazu temple in Hangzhou is full of incense, and the land temple outside the city has become unpopular.

Every spring, the county magistrate must personally preside over the sacrificial land temple, and now there is only one temple left. Wang Yuan directly occupied the magpie's nest and changed the land temple into the governor's palace, and the temple Zhu also became a temporary employee of the governor's palace.

At this very moment, Governor Wang is receiving applicants.

"Grass people Chen Youwei, meet President Wang!" A guy with a sharp beak and monkey cheeks kowtowed.

Wang Yuan sat on the incense case, and behind him was the land lord. He wrote down the man's name and asked, "Where do you live now, and what do you do for a living?" ”

This guy named Chen Youwei said: "The grass people live in Hangzhou City, how can they make a living......?"

"Honestly." Wang Yuan said with a smile.

Chen Youwei said hesitantly: "Be a helper for others." ”

Wang Yuan nodded and said: "Do you know the public opinion of Hangzhou City and the shortcomings of parents?" ”

Chen Youwei said: "It's very clear. ”

Wang Yuan said: "I can keep you as a servant, but you are not allowed to use my name to do evil." Can you do it? ”

"I am willing to be the king and make the saddle before and after the horse!" Chen Youwei was overjoyed.

Wang Yuan reminded: "Don't be too busy agreeing, there is a three-month probation period." And you have to take my words to heart, since Zhengde six years ago, I have personally killed hundreds of people, and I have ordered tens of thousands of people to be killed. If you dare to disobey the yang and the yin, communicate with outsiders, and act recklessly, I don't mind having an extra life on your hands! ”

"Don't dare!" Chen Youwei's neck shrunk.

Wang Yuan waved his hand and said, "Go down to handle the employment documents, and come to the Governor's Mansion tomorrow to officially report for duty." ”

This kind of gangster, Wang Yuan will not trust, maybe it may be a spy sent by someone. But for the time being, you can accept it, it's good to use it for errands, and you can also let him inquire about some ordinary news.

Wang Yuan sat in the Land Temple for a while, and soon a scholar came in and said, "Zhou Mo, who was born late, has seen President Wang. ”

"Where does my friend live, and when did he go to school?" Wang Yuan asked.

Zhou Mo held his head high and said: "He was born in Huzhou and studied in Hongzhi for 16 years. Conceited talent, but the township test repeatedly failed, recently heard that the general system of Wang recruited the shogunate, so he came here to recommend himself! ”

Wang Yuan smiled: "Then you don't have to claim to be a late student, I entered school later than you." ”

Zhou Mo immediately gave up his hand, and his figure was a little shorter: "The master is the teacher." Wang Zongzhi is a scholar and a celestial man, and I should call myself a late child. ”

A speculator who tends to be inflammatory.

After Wang Yuan made a judgment, he asked, "What talent do you have that I can use?" ”

Zhou Mo said: "In his later years, he was familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics, especially good at poetry and writing, and he could be the chief of staff of the king. ”

Wang Yuan smiled: "Since you are proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, I will test you." It is better to believe in the book than to have no book. I am in "Wucheng", and I just take two or three strategies'. What does this mean? ”

Zhou Mo said eloquently: "This statement comes from "Mencius: Dedication", the words contained in the matter may be exaggerated, scholars should know its original meaning, and should not be obsessed with rhetoric, otherwise it is better to have no book." Mencius only took the second and third strategies of the "Wucheng", and the rest did not believe it, which was to take his intention of fighting violence in heaven and the law of anti-government and benevolence. ”

"Sure enough, he is proficient in the four books," Wang Yuan asked again, "Then what do you think of the sea ban?" ”

Zhou Mo said: "The sea ban is an ancestral system, and you should obey it." Otherwise, all the people will float overseas because of profits, and who else will cultivate with their hearts? Once the sea is opened, the coastal agriculture will be destroyed. ”

Wang Yuan sneered: "You came to Mao Sui to recommend yourself, and you didn't inquire in advance, did this official come to Zhejiang to open the sea?" ”

"Huh?" Zhou Mo was instantly stunned.

"Go ahead." Wang Yuan waved his hand.

Zhou Mo hurriedly bowed his hand and said, "Mr. Wang, I haven't finished my words yet." Although the opening of the sea is harmful to agriculture, it can increase the country's livelihood, and the opening of the sea by the general system of Wang in Zhejiang is a good government that benefits the country and the people. ”

"Hahahaha!"

Wang Yuan laughed: "You are shameless enough, if you can inquire in advance, maybe I will accept you as a staff member." But you follow Mao Sui's self-recommendation, and you don't even know what I want to do, how can you be a staff member if you are so negligent in strategy? Let's go! ”

"General Wang, there is still a word in his later life." Zhou Mo knelt down directly.

Wang Yuan didn't bother to pay attention: "Take him down!" ”

The left and right sergeants immediately stepped forward and forked this stupid talent out of the Land Temple.

Wang Yuan held his forehead, and his heart was extremely tired.

It's been almost half a month, and there are more than ten applicants on average every day, but there are very few really useful people, but some local gangsters have been recruited to be soap workers.

After another hour, a sturdy man with dark skin entered.

"Grass people Pang Jian, meet President Wang!" A sturdy man fell to his knees on one knee.

Wang Yuan asked, "Where do you live and what do you do for a living?" ”

Pang Jian asked rhetorically: "Didn't President Wang say that he didn't care about his background and didn't ask about his identity?" ”

"It seems that you have something unspeakable," Wang Yuan said with a retreat, "You go out first." ”

When there were only two people left in the main hall, Wang Yuan said, "Now you can talk about it." No matter what you have been responsible for in the past, I will not pursue it, let alone let a third party know. Do you want me to swear? ”

Pang Jian was stunned: "No, I can trust President Wang." ”

Wang Yuan asked, "You and I met for the first time, how could you trust me?" ”

Pang Jian arched his hand and said: "Mr. Wang won the top prize in the examination, and fought on the battlefield, both civil and military, and made countless meritorious contributions, and he was the star in the sky. And I'm a grass people, and I'm not a giant, so why should Mr. Wang play tricks with me? ”

"Hey, that's interesting." Wang Yuan said with a smile.

Pang Jian said eloquently: "My current name is fake, I was originally a military stove household, and I was forced to count my life as a thief in the sea. Because he came up too fast, he was jealous and hated by Li Da, and pretended to invite me to drink, and he was half drunk and wanted to kill me. Wang Zongzhi and look at ......"

Pang Jian unbuckled his belt and opened his shirt, with a huge scar on his chest.

"Li Da, where is the bandit?" Wang Yuan asked.

Pang Jian explained: "It's also called Da Na, it's also called Na Da, anyway, the famous pirate leaders in Zhejiang and Fujian can be called like this, and they have been passed down from their ancestors." ”

"Da Na" or "Na Da", derived from the Persian word for "ship owner", came to China with Arab traders during the Song and Yuan dynasties. In later generations, a small Southeast Asian country still retains the title of "Dato", which actually comes from this root, and Jackie Chan's eldest brother was named Dato' by this country.

Wang Yuan asked again: "What is your relationship with that Li Da?" ”

Pang Jian said: "He is the owner of the ship. When I first started to transport goods to him, I took people to transport them from the coast to the port of bandits, and then he loaded them on ships and sold them to Japan. Later, I saved some money, so I got a big boat by myself, followed Li Da to Japan, and slowly mixed into the third position. I am righteous, and my brothers are all toward me, and this guy is jealous, and now he has swallowed up all my ships! If I wasn't good at martial arts, I would have been hacked to death by him! ”

Wang Yuan was very interested and asked, "Have you ever been to Japan?" ”

Pang Jian said: "I have been there, but I can't speak Japanese, and I don't have any contact with the Japanese. After landing in Japan, it was Li Da's henchmen who negotiated, and the goods were also sold by him. ”

Wang Yuan asked, "How many old ministries can you gather?" ”

Pang Jian said: "There are only more than ten left, and they are all good men who cross the sea." I heard that Mr. Wang was going to open the sea in Zhejiang, so I came to defect. ”

Wang Yuan asked again, "What are your requests?" ”

Pang Jian said: "I just want to get a martial arts job to do after opening the sea, and it would be better if I could restore my surname." My brothers also want to return to their roots, so I ask Mr. Wang to get a good book. ”

"This matter is easy to do, you and others have reuse, stay and handle the paperwork!" Wang Yuan was very happy.

That night, Wang Yuan summoned Pang Jian and carefully inquired about the details of the maritime pirates.

According to Pang Jian, most of the wealthy gentry in Zhejiang are not directly involved in smuggling. They sold their goods to land merchants, who trafficked them to the coast, and small smuggling gangs transported them to the pirate harbor, where large pirate gangs traded in the oceans.

This is a gray industrial chain.

When the sea ban was strict, the imperial court would order the local area to clear the bandits, and it was indeed able to take out several large gangs. But after killing one and climbing up another, the gentry who really provided the goods didn't have any.

Wang Yuan asked: "If I open the sea, how many local wealthy businessmen do you have to support?" ”

"I'm afraid there is no one to support it." Pang Jian shook his head and said.

Wang Yuan said: "After the sea is opened, they don't have to sell goods secretly, so why should they oppose it? ”

Pang Jian said with a smile: "Zhengda sells goods in a bright light, and it will be taxed twice." Whether it is a merchant or a pirate, they all hope that the imperial court will not ban the sea, nor open the sea. ”

This seems to be inconsistent, but it actually points out the mentality of maritime businessmen.

I hope that the imperial court will not ban the sea, which means that it is not too forbidden, just get by. It was hoped that the imperial court would not open the sea, mainly because it did not want to pay export taxes, and those "land merchants" who purchased goods were also afraid of losing their monopoly position.

Wang Yuan asked: "If I reduce the tax on going to sea to 10%, how many gentry will support it?" ”

Pang Jian grinned and said: "If there is really only one percent of the sea tax, except for those wealthy merchants who receive the goods, other gentry and merchants will all support the general system of the king." ”

The tariffs (rivers) of the Ming Dynasty were very complicated, with the highest tax rate being three out of ten and the lowest tax rate being one out of thirty.

Once the sea is opened, other officials will also take at least 20% of the export tax, because foreign merchant ships to China are pumped so much.

By the way, foreign merchant ships used to be free of taxes, and the collection of customs duties was much thanks to Gonggong Liu.

At that time, a non-tributary merchant ship floated in Guangzhou, and it was supposed that it could not carry out trade activities. The officials of the Third Division of Guangdong were bold and wanted to obtain trade profits to subsidize the local finances, so they reported to the imperial court that they would levy 20% of the tax.

The tribute is a matter of etiquette, and the Ministry of Rites resolutely opposes it, but Liu Jin agrees against public opinion (Liu Gonggong also benefited).

Since then, the sea ban of the Ming Dynasty has opened a gap, and the sea ban of the entire Zhengde Dynasty is not strictly managed, and even the officials of Zhejiang and Fujian have followed suit.

However, these local officials are purely for the purpose of subsidizing the finances (making a fortune easily). They forbade Chinese merchant ships to go to sea, only allowed foreign merchant ships to trade in the name of "disaster-stricken drifters", and took 20 percent of the customs duties and distributed them to the local three divisions—except for a few curiosities presented to the emperor, the household department did not want to get a penny.

Even, local officials thought that the tariff of 20 percent was too little, and was asking the imperial court to increase the tariff to 30 percent.

Seeing such a high tax rate, maritime merchants take it for granted that the export tax after the opening of the sea is also so high, of course they must resolutely oppose the opening of the sea!

Local officials, on the other hand, are also firmly opposed to opening the sea. Because in the past, all taxes were collected into their own treasury, and after the opening of the sea, they had to hand over to the household department, and on the premise of deliberately ignoring the cake to make it bigger, they all regarded Wang Yuan as a representative of the court who came to grab profits.

After listening to Pang Jian's words, Wang Yuan's heart became more confident.

On the second day, another scholar came.

This person arched his hand and said: "In Xia Tang Yin, I have seen the general system of Wang. ”

Wang Yuan was stunned for a moment, his eyes widened and asked, "Tang Bohu?" ”

Tang Bohu smiled bitterly in his heart, he was really famous all over the world, and even the governor of Zhejiang knew about it. He explained: "The word 'Ziwei' has been changed to no longer use the word 'Bohu'. ”

Don't blame Wang Yuan for reacting so much, it is really Tang Bohu's image, which is too different from what he imagined.

When Tang Bohu is mentioned, he naturally thinks of a merry and talented man.

But the person in front of him has a big head, a big beard, big bags under his eyes, rosacea, gray hair, thin from neck to feet, and a big belly.

Oops old man, one!