……

……

Finally, under Zhao Junchen's combination of soft and hard, most of the Hui merchants were persuaded by Zhao Junchen, and they expressed their willingness to cooperate with the imperial court and join the joint shipping line!

So far, Zhao Junchen's plan to rectify commercial taxes and smuggling has been half successful.

However, Zhao Junchen did not take any action immediately, but only instructed the Hui merchants to go back and prepare, and let them go to the capital to discuss the specific details with Zhao Junchen in a few days.

After all, Zhao Junchen has not officially taken over the matter of commercial tax rectification, and Zhao Junchen also needs to persuade Emperor Deqing and the hundred officials of the imperial court to officially launch the matter of the establishment of a joint shipping company, and only in this way can this plan be regarded as a preliminary success.

However, according to Zhao Junchen's view, it is actually easier to persuade Emperor Deqing than to persuade the Hui merchants, after all, in Zhao Junchen's plan, compared with the money, effort, and manpower of the Hui merchants, the Deqing Emperor does not need to pay too much, only needs to provide some policy preferences, and then Zhao Junchen only needs to explain to the Deqing Emperor how much silver this plan can bring, then the Deqing Emperor will not have too much hesitation!

One of the biggest shortcomings of Emperor Deqing is that he is "afraid of poverty", so as long as he is persuaded in a targeted manner, Emperor Deqing can also become an emperor who is full of advice and has an easy-going personality.

*

When Zhao Junchen left the "Fuhui Pavilion", the moon hung on the branches, and the sky was getting late.

After saying goodbye to the Hui merchants, Zhao Junchen did not go back immediately, but led Xu Qingyan to stroll through the night market in Taierzhuang. Observe the current situation of Taierzhuang in detail.

In Zhao Junchen's plan, the status of Taierzhuang is very important, although it is rumored that Taierzhuang is now extremely prosperous, directly catching up with Suzhou and Hangzhou. But Zhao Junchen still has to make a field trip before he can rest assured.

Facts have proved that the rumors are not wrong, since the opening of the canal, Taierzhuang has become a hub connecting the north and the south, an important wharf and commercial town of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, although now it is getting dark. But Taierzhuang is still a scene of "a river of fishing fire, ten miles of singing, merchants and merchants, and no stop at night".

Secretly observed. Zhao Junchen pondered in his heart: "Since the opening of the canal, the commercial prosperity of Taierzhuang is really better than one day!" Every year, there are more than 12,000 ships coming and going, and the grain transported to Jingshi through here is as high as more than 4 million stones! In addition, silk, bamboo, tea, rice, cotton cloth and other materials in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huguang and other areas are also continuously transported to the north through this. As for the mountain fruits, ginger, medicinal herbs, miscellaneous grains, and skins in the north. Tobacco leather and so on are also transferred south through Taierzhuang! Relying on the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal's south-to-north grain transportation, material exchanges, and banknote customs and taxation, Taierzhuang's economic vitality is now very amazing, and even the budding capitalism has been very obvious. ”

After thinking about it, Zhao Junchen's expression was very serious, and he thought: "Since ancient times, the starting point of many policies is good, but it often backfires, and not only does it not bring benefits after the policy is implemented. On the contrary, there are many drawbacks, which are often due to the unruly and covert actions of the people below. That's what the so-called 'there are policies and countermeasures' means!

After the official establishment of the United Shipping Company, in order to seek greater benefits, the Huizhou merchants may not necessarily be secretive and disobedient, but they need to set up checkpoints at several transportation hubs to further suppress smuggling activities, and they can also closely monitor the goods accounts of the United Shipping Company...... Among them, the existence of Taierzhuang is the top priority, as long as the investigation of Taierzhuang is strict enough, then even if the Hui businessmen want to secretly do something, they can't set off any waves! ”

Thinking of this, Zhao Junchen's brows furrowed slightly.

The existence of Taierzhuang is so important that in order to effectively control the actions of the United Shipping Company, Zhao Junchen needs to send a close official to be stationed here to closely monitor the goods accounts of the United Shipping Company, lock the neck of the United Shipping Company, and prevent this behemoth that he has formed with his own hands from becoming a wild horse and out of control.

Therefore, the officials stationed in Taierzhuang not only need to be Zhao Junchen's cronies, but also have strong enough ability and flexible means, and most importantly, this official must have a certain degree of principle, and cannot be easily bought by Hui businessmen!

However, among the officials under Zhao Junchen, most of them are corrupt officials, ghosts, snakes, and gods, although there are many loyal, capable, and flexible people, but there are very few honest and self-disciplined people, and there are even fewer people who have both!

Such a situation made Zhao Junchen scratch his head a little.

Then, Zhao Junchen suddenly thought of Zhang Jizhi, the prefect of Linqing who had taken refuge under his door a few months ago! (See Chapter 308 for details)

For Zhang Jizhi, the prefect of Linqing, Zhao Junchen has only seen him three times, but he is deeply impressed and has a good impression of him!

At the beginning, on the occasion of Emperor Deqing's southern tour, in order to protect the people's power, Zhang Jizhi was the only local official who did not waste money and money to build a palace for Emperor Deqing!

Because of this, the officials in Shandong were worried about Emperor Deqing's blame, and they all alienated and excluded Zhang Jizhi, and also let Zhao Junchen take the opportunity to take Zhang Jizhi into his door!

Although this person has a cowardly personality, he can stick to his principles and bottom line, his vision and talent are also very outstanding, his wrists are flexible, and he is quite economically minded, which can be said to have many advantages, so Zhao Junchen also values him very much!

Originally, Zhao Junchen planned to transfer Zhang Jizhi to the household department of the capital after returning to Beijing to help Zhao Junchen further control the financial power of the imperial court.

However, thinking about it at this time, it may also be a good choice to transfer Zhang Jizhi here to serve as the prefect of Yanzhou (Taierzhuang was under the jurisdiction of Yanzhou in the Ming Dynasty).

Although Zhang Jizhi is not treated well and is quite excluded in Shandong officialdom, it is precisely because of this that if Zhang Jizhi wants to make a difference in the future, he can only hug Zhao Junchen's thighs tightly! In addition, Zhao Junchen's confidant Li Lide is now serving as the political envoy of Shandong, and he can also secretly take care of him.

"In this way, Zhang Jizhi is indeed a good candidate......"

*

After his mind gradually settled, Zhao Junchen planned to go back.

And then. Zhao Junchen suddenly realized that something was wrong-but Xu Qingyan's performance today was a little too quiet, and he didn't interject any more.

So, Zhao Junchen turned his head to look. found that Xu Qingyan was quietly following behind him at this time, constantly smirking, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Zhao Junchen shook his head lightly and asked, "Qingyan, what are you thinking?" Is it a smirk like this? ”

After hearing Zhao Junchen's inquiry, Xu Qingyan came back to his senses a little, and then replied, "Young Master." You don't know, just now when we left Fuhui Pavilion, a Hui merchant secretly told me. They said that they had prepared some gifts for you, young master, and now they have been sent to our temporary residence! Hehe, young master, you think, these Hui businessmen are all rich and wealthy. Where can they be stingy with their gifts? Now they have a request for the young master. These gifts are probably worth a lot of money, maybe hundreds of thousands of taels of silver! ”

After speaking, Xu Qingyan continued to smirk, looking extremely happy.

Seeing Xu Qingyan's virtue, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but smile bitterly and shook his head, knowing that Xu Qingyan's miser temperament had attacked.

Speaking of which, Zhao Junchen has not had any embezzlement since this period of time. Even if there are occasional cases of bribery, most of them are out of human considerations. It's not on your own initiative.

On the contrary, in order to buy people's hearts, Zhao Junchen has given a lot of benefits to his officials in the past year, coupled with the formation of an intelligence network, the plan to infiltrate the army and the inner court, and the expenses to curry favor with Emperor Deqing on weekdays, all of which require a large amount of silver, and so on, resulting in the fact that the silver of the Zhao Mansion has been unable to cover the expenditure during this period of time, and the silver deposit will decrease every day, even if there is the gold mine of "Yuerongfang", the situation has not improved much.

As a miser, Xu Qingyan is naturally distressed by this situation.

Because of this, the gifts of the Hui merchants are tantamount to a long drought for Xu Qingyan, reversing the loss of Zhao's silver deposits, and Xu Qingyan is naturally very happy.

Just when Zhao Junchen shook his head with a wry smile, Xu Qingyan said again: "Young master, when we were still studying in Yangzhou, we were used to seeing the majesty of the Hui merchants, and even those prefects and counties nodded and flattered them, but now when they see the young master, they are flattering and careful in every way, and they almost grabs the land with their heads...... Speaking of which, these Hui merchants have a lot of influence, and after they take refuge in the young master, the young master's influence in the court may also increase a lot! ”

After speaking, Xu Qingyan looked like he was happy with honor, but this appearance always makes people involuntarily think of the word "villain's ambition".

Zhao Junchen shook his head with a smile again, and said: "The Hui merchants are respectful to me, but it is only because they are forced to ask me, even if they are willing to cooperate with me, they may not be willing to take refuge, Lin Yunpu has always been deeply hidden, Bai Mingyu is also unwilling to lie dormant, even if they bow to me for a while, but they will not be subject to me forever, as long as the timing is right, they may find a way to get rid of my control, but you can't be deceived by their disguise." ”

After speaking, Zhao Junchen asked again: "By the way, when I was in Xuzhou, I asked you to send someone to pay attention to the 'Rongfa Boat Company' of the Wu family in Xuzhou, what news is coming now?" ”

Xu Qingyan was slightly stunned, and asked rhetorically: "Rongfa ship?" Oh, I think about it, the young owner of the boat company once wanted to compete with the young master and be jealous, but it was Chen Zhirong and Miss Chen who humiliated it, and finally they invited Cao Wenbin, the waiter of the household department of Nanzhili, to apologize to us, and also sent a precious diamond as a gift......"

Speaking of this, Xu Qingyan shook his head and said, "I sent people to keep an eye on them, but I haven't received any useful news, only that they have listened to the advice of the young master and plan to leave the declining Xuzhou and move to other places for development...... However, whether they are willing to take refuge in the young master or not, there is no consensus at present. ”

Zhao Junchen nodded and ordered, "You send someone to continue to keep an eye on them, this ship will be of great use to me!" ”

*

As Zhao Junchen said before, he doesn't trust Huishang Group very much.

Most of the Huishang groups are pure businessmen, but most of the businessmen are profit-seeing.

Once the United Shipping Company is formed, it will inevitably become a behemoth, and the strength of the Huishang Group will definitely increase a lot.

Therefore, in order to prevent the Huishang Group from getting out of his control, while winning over the Huishang Group, Zhao Junchen also prepared a lot of follow-up measures to prevent trouble.

Among them, setting up a checkpoint in Taierzhuang is just one of Zhao Junchen's backs!

Planting a nail in the United Boat Line is Zhao Junchen's other backhand!

For the choice of this nail, Zhao Junchen prefers the Rongfa ship line in Xuzhou! This boat company is gradually declining because of the decline of Xuzhou, and it is easy to control, but the vitality is still there, and someone needs to help it.

……

PS: Thank you again for your encouragement, no more nonsense, update and serve!

…… (To be continued.) )