Chapter 709: A Helper Falling from the Sky

In the past half a month, several ships from Siam, Champa and Vietnam docked at the wharf of Huangpu Town, and after paying tribute and drawing goods in exchange for a lot of rewards, these merchants set up business on the street of Fangshi, so the merchants who had gathered in Guangzhou to wait for the opening of the sea naturally flocked to the city and rushed to eat these ships of goods. When the ship docked again that afternoon, they originally thought it was the fleet of a Western country, but when they found out that it was the galleon with the flag of the Ming Dynasty, and asked if it was the ship that had departed from Ningbo Port the year before last, these merchants died down.

However, it was easy to catch such a group of people with experience in going to sea, and these Cantonese businessmen who were very good at doing business would not let go, so they were simply led by one person, and everyone set up a banquet in this Bafang Inn to invite each other. Although this is a lame man who walks with a limp and a cane, they care about business rather than appearance, and naturally try their best to meet them. Between the staggering, Chu Fatzi, who had long been salivating over maritime trade, was the first to test it.

"Brother Liu, although we have all done business with Fanren, we are also sitting in business. You have been going to sea for a year and a half, how many places have you been, and what is the market production of those countries? ”

Liu Da habitually held on to the crutches with one hand and said with a smile: "Doing business overseas is just four words, bold and careful." When I went to sea, I went straight to Ceylon, and sold everything except silk for money, but I did not buy the precious stones that were special from Ceylon. Because I heard that the previous ships sold a lot of silk and bought a lot of precious stones, so the price of gems in the local area skyrocketed, but the price of silk plummeted.

Besides, the people who will buy gems in our Ming Dynasty are rich businessmen and magnates, and if they bring back too many things, they will be worthless. When I arrived in Siam, when a princess was married, the fine Jiangnan silk I brought with me was sold for twice as much as Ceylon. On the way back, because the imperial court had brought too many spices such as sumu and pepper to the West, I casually collected some ivory carvings, peacock feathers, ambergris, white sandalwood, etc., and brought some dyes and some large wooden ballast warehouses. When I passed through Java, I found that the rice crops there are three crops a year, and I asked the locals about the tricks of this land......"

Liu Da's previous experience made everyone nod their heads again and again, but when they heard what rice was two crops and three crops a year, the businessmen didn't care so much, only one or two curiously asked two sentences, and most people only cared about asking which country sold what goods best, what were the preferences of the people in power in each country, and so on. The businessmen asked energetically, but Liu Da answered calmly, introducing those experiences without caring from beginning to end, and the man and woman sitting alone at the other table shook their heads.

"Businessmen are profit-seeking, and they say to them that these are simply church apprentices starving to death of masters, Uncle Liu's heart is too sincere!"

"Honest? The righteous father is indeed a sincere person, where is like you! In my early years, I still admired readers, but now I know that you are the most scholars in the world! ”

"Can't you stop talking about the old things? It's all in the past, and I'm completely dead now. Besides, this time in Champong, if I hadn't had a lot of eyes, and the two sides were in full swing, with just a few of us people, everyone would have been able to come back safely? Uncle Liu is a good person, but he only has things in his heart, and being distracted is sometimes an advantage, but sometimes it is also a disadvantage. It's like you, with a knife mouth and a tofu heart, but sometimes you still listen to what you say. ”

"Phew, the dog can't spit ivory out of his mouth...... Hey, the guy over there is ......."

Seeing Xi'er's face suddenly change, and her eyes looked straight in the other direction, Fang Rui couldn't help but turn his head to look over, and when he recognized a few people who came in from the gate, he was also stunned for a moment. It's just enough to meet Zhang Yue, but how could his younger brother Fang Jing come here in a hurry? He almost subconsciously stood up, only to meet Fang Jing's sweeping gaze.

Since Fang Rui was directly packed and sent to sea, Zhang Yue, who was relieved, explained the reason for the matter to the other party. Fang Jing had always been convinced by Zhang Yue, but when he saw that the Han Dynasty was declining overnight, he was both afraid and happy in his heart. Therefore, when he saw the eldest brother he hadn't seen for a long time, his first reaction was that he was dazzled, and he blinked vigorously, and when he was sure that this was not an illusion, he showed an ecstatic expression, and rushed over in three steps and two steps.

"Big brother!"

Since leaving Fang Jing in the British Mansion that year, Fang Rui has only visited his younger brother a few times intermittently, and each time he has taken a look at it and brought something with him, and he has to leave before he has time to say a few words. Now that he saw his younger brother really appear in front of him, he only felt that his eyes were sour, and he didn't know how to speak.

I haven't seen him for many years, and the shy little guy has already risen to the heights, and at this time he is wearing a azure round-necked right girdle robe, with cloud silk shoes on his head, and he is already a little adult. Compared to the estrangement and dissatisfaction he felt when he went to see him in the past, the expression on his brother's face now made him look much more comfortable. Sure enough, he had worked hard before, but he took a detour.

When the brothers met, Fang Rui didn't know what to say, but Fang Jing was very happy, and he didn't care about others, so he asked a series of questions like a cannon. As a result, Zhang Yue saw that everyone else in the lobby of the inn looked over, so he had to step forward to stop the excited little guy, and said hello to Xi'er, and then motioned for the two to follow his party to the small cross-courtyard over there to talk. Seeing that Liu Da, who was talking to the businessmen, quietly glanced at him, he didn't bother.

In order to be spacious and quiet, Zhang Yue ordered someone to charter a whole small courtyard, there are three main rooms here, two east and west wings, and it is naturally more than enough to live for so many people. At this time, he handed over his son, who was already asleep, to Cui's mother, and asked her to bring back those dim sum and food to share with everyone to taste, and then pointed to the empty West Wing. Sure enough, Fang Jing didn't say a word, and pulled Fang Rui into the house. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but smile, thinking that if he hadn't made up his mind to act quickly, it would have been difficult to catch people after Zhu Gaoxu's death.

"Isn't Lord Xiao Zhang transferred to Guangzhou Mansion? Also, I heard Brother Fang say that his younger brother was dedicated to the imperial examination, how could he follow him so coincidentally? ”

Hearing this voice, Zhang Yueshao had to look back and look at Xi'er. After not seeing her for many years, she has faded away from her former youthfulness, and she looks much rounder, but her eyes are cleaner and clearer than before. The upper body is a close-colored slash shirt, and the lower head is a white silk silk skirt, and the whole body is just a pair of pearl earrings that are more conspicuous. Seeing her standing there generously, without avoiding his scrutinizing gaze, he couldn't help but nod even more secretly.

"I have just been transferred to Guangdong as a political envoy, and I came to Huangpu Town today to watch tomorrow's dragon boat race, who knew that I would meet you so coincidentally. As for Xiao Fang, he tried to fail last year, and I thought that he was not good at studying in the capital, so I asked him to come down and relax. Now that the wind is suitable for the return trip, why do you stop the ship in Guangzhou? ”

Xi'er heard that Zhang Yue had now been promoted to political envoy, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face. She is no longer the ignorant girl who is unwilling to farm in the countryside all her life and wants to fly to the high branches, she has been messing around outside for so many years, and she once pretended to be a small maid to follow Liu Da to visit guests, and she is no longer a stranger to the level of official character and position. Thinking that Zhang Yue was now a feudal official, and her thoughts in the past were really stupid, she blushed a little for a while, and hurriedly coughed to cover up the past.

"Isn't it because of that nerd with a lot of eyes? At first, he was always restless on the ship, always thinking about how to escape back, until we arrived in Ceylon, he gave up, only cynicism, and finally encountered pirates when he was rescued by his father-in-law, and then he gradually woke up, and his father-in-law asked him to help take care of the affairs of the ship. But this guy didn't give up, and when he returned from Zhancheng, he proposed to stop in Guangzhou first, but as soon as he got off the ship, he heard that the Han Dynasty was over, and he naturally had no thoughts. ”

Regarding Fang Rui's attitude, Zhang Yue is not surprised. This person defected to the King of Han out of anger and utilitarianism, and he may still have some loyalty to Zhu Zhantan, but for Zhu Gaoxu, who doesn't look down on him at all, he naturally won't go all the way to the dark. It's just that after weighing Xi'er's tone, he couldn't help but feel moved, but he didn't dwell on this issue anymore.

"You have been at sea for more than a year this time, and you should have traveled around many countries, and there must be a lot of interesting things. Since Xiao Fang has entangled his eldest brother, and Master Liu is still talking to those businessmen outside, you can simply go to the house and sit down, so that everyone can listen to what you have seen and heard along the way. ”

Since Zhang Yue was invited, Xi'er agreed without saying a word, and followed him into the main house. When Qingzhou exterminated the White Lotus Sect before, she was dumbfounded by medicine, and because of this, she saw Xiao Wu and Lingxi, and now she saw Zhang Yue's family again, although she was not as frightened as she was back then, she still couldn't help but look at Du Juan twice, after all, it was once the official family she envied the most. However, when she talked about the exotic scenery, she gradually forgot about the old things and just talked about them.

Whether it is Du Juan or Lingxi Amber Autumn Marks, although they are not blindly trapped in the deep boudoir, they have never had this kind of experience of traveling around the world, at this time, listening to Xi'er talk about those foreign customs and customs, they all fell into the mind unconsciously, even those girl mothers. Zhang Yue listened and thought about Liu Da's intention to befriend those businessmen, until Peng Shisan's voice came from outside, he stood up, said something to Du Xuanfen, and immediately stepped forward and went out.

At this time, it was already the third watch, and a crooked crescent moon had risen high. Peng Shisan stood outside the door with an ordinary oil-paper lantern, and next to him was Liu Da. Seeing Zhang Yue come out, he hurriedly raised the lantern, and when he saw that the person was standing firmly on the ground, he smiled and said: "I just listened to it outside for a while, and I still know for the first time that Brother Liu's kung fu is good in his hands, and his kung fu is also good in his mouth." After only a few moments, the merchants outside were obedient. ”

"What I can say, it's just because I have some other plans, so I have to deal with it mentally."

Liu Da first saluted Zhang Yue, and when he sat down in the east wing, he explained: "They just want to buy the things I brought back, and by the way, they get the news from me, so they just work hard." After all, my goods are better than those of the merchants, and I am a native of China, although the price is more expensive, it is more reliable than the fans. It's just that, according to the charter, I have to send these goods back to Ningbo City to sell, and I don't know if I can be accommodating now. ”

"This one is not working now, but you can moor for a few days, and when the court decrees it, it should be fine. I have agreed with the emperor before, the tax rate of 30 taxes and one for maritime merchants is too low, starting from the opening of the sea in Guangzhou this year, the tax rate of this year is 30 taxes and 1, after three years it will be 20 taxes and 1, and then three years will be 15 taxes and 1, and this number will be used in the future. All goods leaving the port are taxed once at the time of departure, and if the goods are carried at the time of entry, they are recounted and taxed once. When you leave the port, you need to receive a quotation survey, and when you return, you can enter the port at any of the three major cities. ”

"This dare is good, you don't need to return the original port of departure, you can save the boss trouble. This time, I plan to ship in Guangzhou, and then take the specialties here to the north on a boatload. Speaking of which, I would also like to mention to the adults that Ningbo, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou, these three ports are all old seaports, but they are all concentrated in the south. Now that the capital is in the north, it is possible to open another seaport in Tianjin or Dengzhou, Shandong, so that the north and south can be communicated by sea. ”

These words naturally went to Zhang Yue's heart, he nodded, and then sighed: "I have also thought about this matter, after all, the north is all pointing to Caoyun, if the grain can be transported by sea, then the north must open another port." The emperor has already written down this matter, and it should be being considered, but after all, the court and China have different opinions, and it will not be so smooth for a while and a half. The elders are old, and it is difficult to accept so many changes. Let's not talk about this for a while, you have been gone for more than a year, but what have you gained? ”

"The harvest is naturally there, and it's not a little bit, and the adult is now the political envoy of Guangdong, so it couldn't be better." Liu Da took out a small pocket he carried with him as he spoke, and handed it to Zhang Yue with both hands. Waiting for him to take it, he said with great interest, "This small country in the south of Fanbang is summer all year round, and the weather in Guangdong and Hainan is not far behind. In my opinion, many places in Guangdong and Hainan can grow Java's three-season rice, but only two crops can be grown, and other agricultural products can also be mixed with it. ”

Grabbing that pocket, Zhang Yue couldn't help but think of the seeds he asked Zhang Qian to ask Zheng He. Although I have tried it on my own farm, many of them are tropical crops, and the survival rate and yield are very low, and after all, the people who bring back the seeds are not well-versed in farming. Now that Liu Da has said this, he only feels that the prospects are very good, and he is naturally in good spirits.

"Good, good! If it can be successful, then there will be no hunger in the land of Guangdong! ”