When they received an urgent order from the Beijing Mansion and learned that Wang Dehua, the eunuch of the Imperial Decree, was about to embark on a ship from Tianjin and go south, Shouhan and his wives and concubines had already set off from Guangzhou, preparing to return to Hue to escape the cold and celebrate the New Year.

Six giant whale-like ships patrolled vigilantly out of the rough sea, and hundreds of large and small guns were eager to try behind the cannon windows.

In the middle of the fleet, a larger ship was guarded in the center like a dragon by these six large ships. On the main mast in the middle of the ship, a large flag one foot two feet square hunted and flew in the sea breeze.

There are not too many official titles marked on the banner, only three bright yellow characters, "Ning Yuanbo", and a huge "Li" in the middle is extraordinarily conspicuous.

Shouhan, his wife, concubines, and entourage were on board the Changsheng, while the soldiers and personal soldiers of the Guards Brigade accompanied the other six ships.

The interior layout of Shouhan's cockpit is quite chic, and it is very in the style of Li Muhua. She thought that the cabin was too tall and unsuitable for habitation, so she decorated the cabin with some ingenuity, installed zigzag vermilion railings, carved partition doors, and furnished exquisite furniture and novel things purchased from Suzhou, Yangzhou and other places, and hung Western eight-tone self-striking bells on the wall.

He thought that the glass palace lamp was not lit, and the smell of the candle made of butter was very strong, so he ordered someone to remove one-third of the gold wires around the palace lamp, so that it would be doubly bright.

She is a very smart person, in addition to helping Shouhan share some inconsequential government affairs, she uses all kinds of thoughts to please Shouhan.

She knows it all too well. All she can rely on is her son, and once she falls out of favor in front of Shouhan, she and her son's hopes and happiness are over. Therefore, she has to find a way to make Li Huayu the next Ning Yuanbo and Nanyuejun as the head of the family.

On the table between Shouhan and Ao Lei Yilan and Li Muhua, a large agate plate with oranges and mandarins was placed, and in the center was a huge glass plate with a large red apple brought from Weihaiwei. In the corner of the cabin, a black lacquered mahogany coffee table made of snail steel, jade, and peach blossom red agate inlaid with a lotus picking picture sits on a golden incense burner, and a wisp of light smoke spits out from the lion's mouth, curling up, filling the house with a strange fragrance. It is a memorable reminder of the bumpy fatigue of the sea journey. The body and mind are suddenly refreshed.

On the hatch near the ship, there is a table that Shouhan used to handle official business, and on this table is a bonsai that Li Peiting found for him and came from a famous hand in Suzhou, although the Yixing purple sand basin is not long enough to grow. Inside, however, the peaks are abrupt. Strange rocks and phosphorus. The road is winding, the ancient wood is cold, and the temple is semi-hidden. Under a pool of clear water, white stone phosphorus phosphorus. On the table, there is another piece of Southern Tang Dynasty dragon tail inkstone, with the inscription of Ouyang Xiu of the Song Dynasty. Next to the inkstone, there is a half-section of light element ingot ink, there are six golden characters of "Ming Zhengde year", and the word "system" has been worn out most of it. Next to the inkstone, there is a Northern Song Dynasty Ru kiln secret color pen wash, a Yongle year of the red inlaid jade pen holder, the embedded picture is the east slope moonlit night tour red cliff. On the table, there is also a small frangipani tribute paper made in the fifth year of Xuande, on which is a branch of ink plum painted by Li Muhua, but it has not yet been painted.

In such a richly decorated cabin, the officials in the official room could hear that after reading this official document, and after learning that there was a messenger coming, Shouhan put down another document in his hand and said lightly, "Benbo knows." Those who told the sailors that when the fleet of the Qin Cha crossed the mouth of the Yangtze River, it was to be strictly guarded, and there should be no mistakes. After rendezvous with Chincha, he told him that Ben Bo was waiting for him in Hue. ”

Ao Lei Yilan, who was already pot-bellied, blinked her beautiful big eyes, and sat on the big chair beside Shouhan with the careful support of the two Silla maidservants, "Master, why did you let the people sent by Emperor Lao Tzu go to Hue?" ”

"Sister, if you don't go to Hue to see Xianggong, do you want Xianggong to go back to Guangzhou to see him?" Li Muhua commented on Qincha's visit in a very contemptuous tone.

With a very delicate Qianqianyu finger, he picked up the import and export quota of the thirteenth year of Chongzhen of the Guangzhou Port Customs on the small table that Shouhan put on the small table, and marked the number of imports, exports, and trade quotas to Japan, ten states, Korea, etc., and even the number of goods shipped from Fusang mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas in the more distant countries of the Portuguese and Spaniards.

Of course, most of these were American gold and silver that were shipped from Fuso and were used to exchange them for gold and silver dollars to purchase goods.

"Xianggong, I heard from the people who came back from Nanjing." Looking at the details of this customs revenue tariff, his eyes were a little dazzled by the numbers on it, but Li Muhua was unmoved and calm in his mouth.

"Miss Li had a miscarriage because of the subsidized rice, grain, oil, cloth and other matters for the students in Jiangnan. A boy who had already been formed was gone. ”

Regarding Li Lizhen's miscarriage, Ao Lei Yilan's eyes revealed deep sympathy for this good sister, and she couldn't help but feel a blush on her face when she was sleeping with Shouhan and Emperor Hu Tianhu. When the embarrassing postures, postures and tricks that Li Lizhen taught her that day came to mind, she couldn't help but feel a wave in her heart.

However, Li Muhua secretly called a fluke for the lack of harvest of the rain and dew sown by Shouhan in Jiangnan, and for her, any factor that could compete with Li Huayu for the throne of the heir is an enemy. Like a lioness, she patrols the borders of her territory.

After a slight pause, Li Muhua's attention was again devoted to the financial statement in front of him.

The gold and silver shipped to Canton and the red copper from Japan were only subject to a tariff of 5 percent in accordance with the provisions of the treaty of friendship and trade signed between the Nanyue Army and the Japanese shogunate. After that, those merchants with the background of the Japanese shogunate happily exchanged these gold, silver and copper to the Mint Bureau and other financial institutions of the Nanyue Army for gold coins, silver dollars, Tongbao and other currencies circulating in Fujian, Guangdong, Guizhou and other provinces to buy weapons, cloth, tea, glass, mirrors, silk, porcelain, wine, and the food that the common people needed most.

The red copper is processed and refined into copper plates, which are made into the most acceptable currency in Japan, "Tongbao". Rice, cloth, silk, porcelain, and other goods are shipped back to Japan, and then exchanged for various types of production and labor in Japan, and the cycle continues.

This kind of trade brought great prosperity to the port of Guangzhou, from the emperor to the Tokugawa shogunate, to the daimyos, samurai, and even the shoto minor. The ships that traveled to and from the treaty ports of Guangzhou and Japan brought a large amount of gold, silver, copper, people, sulfur and other goods, contributing to the prosperity of the port of Guangzhou.

From the day when the Nanyue Army began to occupy Guangzhou, the large foreign ships moored at the Pearl River Wharf and the Huangpu Island Wharf in Guangzhou have been more and more day by day.

According to the statistics of the trade of Guangzhou Port in the thirteen years of Chongzhen, Li Muhua saw that the export volume had reached 16 million silver dollars, while the import volume was not so much. The total is counted. But more than 9 million taels. According to the treaty signed with the Japanese state, the tariff on exports was no more than 800,000 silver dollars. The imported one is 450,000 yuan.

In the past few years, the tariff of Guangzhou Port has basically hovered at one or two million yuan. For this, Li Muhua is also clear. for it is from the east. Mostly Japanese and a few Koreans. Occasionally, there are Portuguese and Spaniards from the distant country of Fuso, who are negligible.

"Xianggong, it seems that tea and porcelain are a big and profitable business."

I took a closer look at the detailed numbers on the report. Li Muhua expressed his views to Shouhan.

"Although tea and porcelain are said to be in large quantities, the profit is still not as good as weapons and ......."

Shouhan originally wanted to talk about the huge profits that were far inferior to weapons, glass, mirrors, etc., but when the words came to his mouth, he swallowed them again, and there were some words that even husbands and wives could not say. What's more, this is the super core secret that brings astronomical benefits to the Nanyue Army every year.

That is, because the amount of import and export duties of the Guangzhou Port Customs is not large, Shouhan will let them see these in front of a few women, if it is the tax inventory of the Manraka Customs and the Old Port and other customs, it is not even Yan Mei'er can see it.

Compared with the sale of arms and goods, such as arms, grain, cloth, medicine, tea, and silk, to Europe and Tianzhu and other places where there was a big fight, the tariffs brought about by this trade with Japan and Fuso were simply a drop in the bucket. Not even a fraction of the trade with the Saurons in Temple Street and elsewhere. Of course, considering that trade in Temple Street and other places is a risky and highly political behavior, trade in this direction is not taxable.

"Do the math, I'm also a big tax evader, right?" Thinking about the trade profits between Temple Street and the mainland's furs, ginseng, Dongzhusheng, golden bear's paws and other things last year, Shouhan could wake up with a smile in his dreams when he fell asleep. With extremely low-cost ironware, cloth, salt, spirits and other materials, he exchanged for high-quality Liaodong specialties and sold them in Beijing, Jiangnan and other places, and the profits he earned made Shouhan himself embarrassed.

"Why don't I do it too? How about paying a million dollars? There he stared at the gold-wired glass chandelier that was swinging slightly on the beam of the cabin, with a smirk on his face. (Chongzhen: You damn tyrant!) I've been so kind to you, can't you give me more money and food?! ）

Most of the great profits from foreign trade in the Old Port, Canton, etc., came from the export of tea, and a large number of Japanese ships and ships of the Spaniards, Portuguese, English, and Dutch carried shiploads of tea from these ports to their respective destinations.

Tea, in the foreign trade in the Shouhan-controlled area, accounts for at least one-tenth of both the trade volume and the tariff amount. From the tea sold to the east, west, north and south by Longsheng, which was directly controlled by the Nanyue Army, to the Jiangnan tea exported by the Jianghai Joint Defense Agreement, all of which brought huge benefits to the Nanyue Army.

An ordinary person, whether he is a Mongol, Tianzhu, Turkic, Dutch, English, or Spanish, can do without armor and swords, without wearing Chinese silk, without using Chinese porcelain, but the temptation of tea is difficult for people to resist.

The enormous benefits of the tea trade attracted almost all of Europe to trade in this magical land.

The arrival of these people, in addition to bringing gold and silver, also brought all kinds of things needed by the Shouhan.

For example, when entering the customs of the Xuanwei Embassy in the old port, each ship must have at least 100 stone of wheat on board, and a pair of horses and peons from Tianzhu and Tianfang to be handed over to the Nanyue Army as a necessary procedure for entry. If the male and female are not matched, at least two peons must be available.

If the merchant is too poor, or if there is too little space in the cabin. If you can't feed such a big horse, then you can replace it with all kinds of people needed in the Nanyue Army. It would be even better if there were people on the list of Galileo and others who recommended and introduced each other.

They will be treated as guests of honor by the Nanyue Army, and they will be given a taste of living and academic conditions that are unimaginable in the war-torn continent. Together with Galileo, Descartes and others, who are now treated everywhere in Nanzhong, he conducted research and discussion in the fields of natural science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

But theology and the rest of the world have to be put back first......

As soon as Wang Dehua's fleet crossed the Yangtze River, it was met head-on by Zhang Xiaohu's fleet, which was stationed on Chongming Island in accordance with the Jianghai Cooperation Treaty.

After learning that it was the Qin messenger who went to Guangzhou to deliver the message, Zhang Xiaohu did not dare to slack off at all, and ordered someone to go to Shanghai County to purchase supplies for the Qin mission. Inform several stewards in the Lijiaqiao Concession to come to the meeting; On the other hand, he asked Qin to send him to his camp to rest for a while.

"Please ask Commander Zhang to do his best to order someone to replenish some water, vegetables, and fresh meat for our ship. Let's go to Guangzhou as soon as possible to see Ning Yuanbo. ”

Fiddling with Cheng Yi sent by Zhang Xiaohu, the newly minted silver dollar in Wang Dehua's hand continued to glow with lovely blue light under the flickering light. This kind of silver dollar, which is more than 90% fine, is more colorful than the so-called gold and silver. And it doesn't wear out. Weight and colour are guaranteed. It has become the most popular hard currency in the capital.

For the transit of this proclaimer. Zhang Xiaohu sent Cheng Yi with two thousand silver dollars at one time. The accompanying officials, eunuchs, and guards also indicated their rank and status. For a while, the whole mission was full of laughter.

Many people are full of longing for the southward announcement.

"Please rest assured that my father-in-law is not afraid of the cold and danger to see my father-in-law. Ben will naturally do his best. ”

If someone else sees Wang Dehua's expression, they will inevitably feel apprehensive in their hearts, and then make up a generous gift in order to keep themselves safe, but this situation has never appeared on both sides of the guest and host today.

Zhang Xiaohu, as the general of the Nanyue Army, naturally would not take the chief eunuch in front of him in his eyes, what if you are Emperor Chongzhen's confidant and favorite eunuch? Can you bite Lao Tzu's ball?! My lord is the one who your emperor and master have to stammer! I did this to you for the sake of the face of your proclamation of decree to the head of my family.

But Wang Dehua did not mean to take the opportunity to blackmail. If you want to make money, with Ning Yuanbo's wealth, he can rival the country, and he will come across the sea thousands of miles at the end of this year, if he doesn't come up with tens of thousands of silver dollars, he will not be the Ning Yuanbo who monopolizes the benefits of maritime commerce.

The eunuchs left behind in Nanjing had already written to him, in which they exaggerated the price and popularity of the trade privileges stipulated in the Jianghai joint defense agreement signed by the governor Caojiang Yamen and Ning Yuanbo in the Liudu and various parts of the south of the Yangtze River.

"All the ships that go to sea for trade are not allowed to use the flag issued by the Jiang Yamen and Ning Yuanbo, and cannot go out of the Yangtze River estuary, and go to and from Hangzhou Bay, Jinshanwei and other places, each ship is often about 2,000 gold, and the market can not ask for it, and there are many people who are willing to borrow a flag for a round trip with 10,000 yuan. With the abundance of Jiangnan businessmen and the noble families who stayed in the capital, the annual income was at least tens of millions, and the new uncles and other families became rich overnight. ”

At this time, both economically and politically, the princes and nobles of Nanjing fell to Li Shouhan, and the two sides began to take what they needed and hook up with each other. The nobles in the city all relied on the trade privileges with the Nanyue army, and made a lot of money, the rich had a fortune of tens of millions, and the few had millions. On the other hand, in the Ming Dynasty, the annual market tax was only 40,000 taels.

"Alas! It's too late! ”

Walking to the bow of the boat, looking at the starry lights on the night sailing ship in the distance, Wang Dehua wrapped the fox fur robe on his body tightly, and muttered a sentence in his mouth, and he didn't know what he regretted.

The henchman next to him handed him a white copper hand stove, "Father-in-law, why do you say this?" ”

Wang Dehua is a eunuch, and people's physical desires are basically irrelevant to him. But the great eunuch, who is the celebrant eunuch, has a far greater desire for power and money than ordinary people. Presumably, it's the adrenaline and hormones that translate into a constant grab for power and money.

"If I had known that Ning Yuanbo was going to work with the old family in Liudu to engage in this joint defense of the river and the sea, our family would have to order everyone in Nanjing to participate in it, and everyone could make a lot of money, but now we can only see others pulling this car by car, and our family will lead people to look at the water and drool!" He threw the silver dollar in his hand onto the board, and it gurgled and rolled somewhere.

"Father-in-law, didn't Uncle Ning set up customs at the mouth of the Yangtze River and Hangzhou Bay? According to what he and the emperor played, these tariffs should be half of the emperor's and collected in the inner treasury! ”

The little eunuch next to him had a light in his eyes and reminded Wang Dehua in a low voice.

"Hmmm! You monkey! It's clever! Our family has almost forgotten about it. When the uncle and the emperor played right, our family could hear it clearly! ”

"Father-in-law, when I went back to see that Uncle Li, I can ask for personal favors in private for a few fathers-in-law in Nanjing who have face and friendship, and ask Uncle to reward them with a few flags. In this way, let the people of Nanjing also see, if you want to get rich, you have to follow your father-in-law with all your heart! (To be continued......)