Tianjin.

This northern gateway has been officially set up as a ******, and the entire Tianjin port area is a free port area. Foreign merchant ships entering the port, as long as the goods do not leave the Tianjin port area, then whether it is transshipment or sale in Tianjin, it is zero tariff treatment. As a result of this ****** policy, many foreign ships now come to Han to enter only a dozen ****** such as Tianjin.

There were even many yellow-haired, red-haired, high-nosed, and even turban-wrapped foreign merchants of all kinds, who began to set up shop and do business in the Tianjin port area, selling their goods directly, and many Han merchants also poured into the port area and invested in many new workshops and processing plants.

People are also willing to come to the port area to buy wholesale goods, such as spices from the South Seas. Buying in the Tianjin port area is at least 30% cheaper than outside the port area, because the free port area is free of import duties, as long as the goods do not enter the port area, they are exempt from import duty, so the spices sold directly in the port area are much cheaper than outside the port area.

The war in Nanyang stopped, and the free trade ports established by the Han Dynasty on the eastern coast of Central and South China made it more convenient for merchants from the Nanyang to come to the Han Dynasty, and even many merchants from Europe and India could come smoothly. The establishment of these merchants reduced many costs and greatly increased profits along the way, and they rushed to come to Dahan to buy those beautiful goods, which were transshipped to the South Seas, India, Persia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Foreign businessmen are also allowed to live and work in the Tianjin Free Port Zone, and many frequent foreign businessmen like to rent a house here, or simply buy a house, and enjoy the rich and comfortable life of the Eastern Empire.

The port is now busy with many ships coming in and out every day.

Early in the morning, another sailboat entered the port.

The guide boat entered the port in the lead, and the merchant ship slowly followed.

On the deck, a group of European men in civilian clothes looked at the more prosperous Tianjin Port, and couldn't help but be amazed.

"We've only been away for a year, and it's almost unrecognizable."

"yes, it's getting more and more prosperous."

These young men were all foreign mercenaries who had just returned from the battlefield in Annam.

"Andre, you finally got the status of a big man, what are you going to do next?"

Andrei, a bearded Swedish mercenary, grinned and showed a mouthful of big white teeth, "I haven't thought about it either, but it's also good in the Foreign Legion, I plan to work for a few more years, and when I save enough money, I can buy a house and open a shop or something." ”

"What store would you open?"

"Whatever, the big man is full of business opportunities, everyone is so rich, and he won't lose anything when he opens a store." Andrei said with a smile.

This group of foreign mercenaries who came back from the battlefield in Central and South China were basically European immigrants, and after coming to Dahan, they joined the Foreign Legion and fought on the battlefield for the identity of a big man. Now, Andre and many other foreign mercenaries, with their own military exploits, have finally obtained the household registration of the Han Dynasty and finally become the children of the Han Dynasty.

When they become the people of the Han Dynasty, they can enjoy many benefits. For example, you can enjoy a lot of discounts when you buy a house, and your children can go to school without having to spend a lot of money to send them to those immigration schools. In short, the benefits of becoming a citizen of the Great Han are innumerable, and for an immigrant who fled from Europe, they are willing to give everything for this piece of paper.

However, there are still many people who have not been able to enjoy the joy of this moment, Andre and they have many comrades-in-arms, but in the end they still died on the battlefield, died in Japan, died in Annam, died in Nanyang, died in that nameless battlefield, and died in a foreign land.

However, although these people did not enjoy the benefits of becoming the people of the Han Dynasty, their contributions have not been forgotten, and their wives, sons and daughters in the Han Dynasty can directly obtain the household registration status of the Han Dynasty.

In the past two years, more and more Europeans have emigrated to Dahan.

Among them, a small number of them were actively recruited by the big men, and they were all talents, scientists, engineers, craftsmen in various industries, etc. These people come to Dahan and enjoy very good treatment, Dahan is responsible for all the expenses they spend all the way, and also gives them a lot of money to settle in and travel expenses, etc., and when they arrive, they will immediately have residential jobs, etc., and the salary is not low, and they can be naturalized as soon as they arrive in Dahan.

Of course, many more immigrants came on their own, some on their own, some with their families. For these immigrants, if they are skilled, or if they are rich, then the Han can also accept them for naturalization. But for those ordinary immigrants who don't have much technology and don't have assets, it is difficult for them to naturalize, and it is difficult for them to even settle down.

Now Dahan doesn't need so many Europeans who have nothing to do, so when they arrive in Dahan, they can only do some hard labor, and they can only get temporary residence permits, and they can only get temporary residence permits after they have good performance and stable jobs.

In order to become a naturalized citizen, they must either join the Foreign Legion and fight for the Han Dynasty, or only their daughters and sisters will marry the Han men. According to the regulations, after a foreign woman marries a Han man, she can obtain the status of a Han and can also help two relatives become naturalized.

Of course, if this immigrant has the ability to marry a woman from a big man, he can also be naturalized.

However, most immigrants do not have sisters and daughters to help them naturalize, and they do not have the ability to marry a Han woman as a wife, so they are not willing to stay in Dahan to do hard labor, but also want to stay in Dahan, so their choice is to join the Foreign Legion.

But with so many immigrants, it is not easy to join the Foreign Legion, and until now, the size of the Foreign Legion is only 30,000. The vast majority of immigrants can only work hard in those mines and workshops to earn food. However, even working as a coolie in the mines of the Han Dynasty was enough to make many immigrants extremely happy and happy, and compared to Europe, which was not only war-torn and even full of religious persecution, the Han Dynasty in the East was like a paradise.

Julian leaned to the side, cigarette in his mouth, unlike his companions.

He has long had the identity of a big man, and his identity was obtained by his sister for him. My sister is married to a Han official, and she is still a young high-ranking official, talented and rich. With his help, my sister has now opened dozens of chain stores in restaurants, and she has become a wealthy woman with a net worth of hundreds of thousands.

The last time my sister wrote to me, she also told him that she had also entered the House of Representatives in Suncheonfu and became a distinguished member of the House of Representatives.

Julian insisted on joining the Foreign Legion, and during the two years he spent in the Foreign Legion, he fought all over the world and gained a deeper understanding of the country.

That man is not simple.

Julian, who has now returned from Central and South, is already a battalion commander of the Foreign Legion, although he thinks that these are won by his own ability, but he also understands in his heart that with his age and qualifications, it is not easy to be quickly promoted to battalion commander, after all, many people in the Foreign Legion have been veterans who have been soldiers for more than ten years or even twenty or thirty years, and even have command experience.

He understands that his promotion so quickly must have something to do with his brother-in-law.

Taking a sharp puff of his cigarette, Julian was a little confused. Most of those companions joined the Foreign Legion for the identity of a big man, but what about themselves?

In her last letter, my sister persuaded me to quit the Foreign Legion, saying that there was a way to help me transfer to other units. He understood that the way his sister said must be his brother-in-law. My sister also said that there was even a way to help him transfer to the Praetorian Guard, or the Guard. Transferred to these two armies, they will basically be stationed in the capital in the future, and they don't have to go to the battlefield often, their lives are in danger, and their family can see each other often.

If he didn't want to stay in the army, his sister was willing to help him start a business, and his brother-in-law also promised to give him 100,000 yuan as his entrepreneurial capital.

All of this was good, but Julian was always a little upset.

How many companions were born and died on the battlefield just to be able to earn a big Han identity, but in the end they fell on the battlefield forever. It doesn't seem fair that you can easily get everything by yourself.

"I'm going to work for a few more years, and when I have enough money to buy a piece of land and build a farm, I'll retire, and then I'll buy a piece of land, build a house, take a wife, hire a few servants, and be a happy farmer."

Everyone is talking about their future life again, and they are so happy.

"Hey, tall Duncan, where are you going to buy land, maybe we can be neighbors!"

The tall Duncan said, "I think Guangnan is good, I have never seen such fertile land, it can be harvested three times a year, and it is close to the sea, merchant ships come and go, buy land there to live, life will definitely not be bad." ”

Talking and laughing, the ship entered the port.

Julian's ship was not a warship, but a merchant ship in Annam, with a few ships in between. The fare wasn't cheap, but it wasn't too expensive for Julian and his group of mercenaries.

They fought in the east and west, and every time they fought and charged, they took their lives to earn money, as long as they didn't die, they didn't earn less. The Foreign Legion was subordinate to the imperial court, but it was not a regular army of the imperial court, and the imperial court was not responsible for food, pension, or reward. But as long as there is a battle, the Foreign Legion can grab the spoils of war, and the more frequent the war, the higher their profits.

The Foreign Legion is like a joint-stock company, and each mercenary has a stake in it. The spoils obtained from the battle, excluding the part paid to the imperial court, and the part of the 'management fee' of officers at all levels, as well as the soldiers' rewards for their combat achievements, etc., the final remaining income is equivalent to a share dividend, and everyone has a lot of it.

After each war, their spoils of war were handed directly to the people sent by the imperial court, who valued them and then converted them into silver dollar bills. Therefore, although the booty of each battle was varied, such as people, livestock, gold, silver, pearls, grain, houses, furniture, etc., it was all counted as money in the end.

Now everyone is carrying a certificate of deposit, and the silver dollar has long been deposited in the bank, and there will be no captives, livestock, gold and silver and the like for each person, and there is no need for them to go to the merchant to cash it out, all of them have long been exchanged for silver dollar bills.

Julian, as the battalion commander of the Foreign Legion, was also a middle-level officer, and in two years, he had saved a lot of money in his bank passbook.

"Let's go, go to the bank and get some money, and have a good time."

The mercenaries got off the ship and went ashore, looking at the more lively Tianjin Port, and couldn't help but say loudly.

Julian nodded, not interrupting everyone's interest. In fact, he wanted to return to Beijing as soon as possible to meet his sister and parents.

The most lively place in Tianjin Port should be Dongdajie, which has hundreds of large and small financial shops, major banks under the name of the royal family, as well as those famous silver numbers, money banks, pawnshops, etc., these shops are gathered together on this street.

The first thing many foreign businessmen have to do after entering the port and entering the city is basically to go to the bank to exchange money.

Foreign merchants come from all over the world, so the currencies they carry are also varied, all kinds of weights, different content of gold, silver and even copper coins, such currencies are of course not easy to trade directly.

Moreover, even if many merchants carry goods, it is very inconvenient to barter goods, so in Tianjin Port, they all use Dahan silver dollar coupons as the settlement currency, and their goods are sold and settled with silver dollar coupons, even if they purchase goods in the port, they are also settled with silver dollar coupons.

Therefore, the exchange of coins is very prosperous in ****** like Tianjin.

The real money is exchanged for pieces of paper, all because of the strong credit of the Han, so that businessmen from all over the world can accept it.

Silver dollar coupons can be exchanged for silver dollars, as long as they are not large amounts, they can be exchanged directly, and only when the amount exceeds a certain amount, you need to make an appointment in advance.

However, nowadays, basically no one wants to exchange silver dollars, and a hundred silver dollars can have a small bag, which is extremely heavy on the body. And silver dollar coupons come in various denominations, even if you carry 10,000 yuan on your body, it doesn't affect anything at all.

Julian and the others chose the Royal Commercial Bank, there were many people in the bank hall, in and out of the deposit and withdrawal of money, but it was very orderly, there was a row of security guards at the door, and there were several security guards standing in the hall, and their eyes kept sweeping over everyone. Whoever dares to steal money here is really a long life.

"Hey, the row of security guards at the door are all Europeans, I guess they're Russians, look at their heads." A mercenary said.

"It's a shame that such a big guy doesn't work as a mercenary to be a security guard." Another humane.

"It's good to be strong in the past mining farms, you must know that the Foreign Legion is now a place that immigrants yearn for, and it is said that thousands of applications are received every day, and it is not easy to enter the Foreign Legion."

Looking at those Russian men who were as strong as black bears, they could only stand at the door of the bank as security guards at this time, so the mercenaries felt more and more that they were very good.

Finally lined up at the window, Andre handed over his passbook and was surprised to find that it was actually a young Han woman. Unexpectedly, the bank actually hired a young woman.

Andre was slightly distracted, and when the woman asked him again in Mandarin whether he wanted to save money or withdraw money, Andre, who was only going to take five yuan, immediately said arrogantly, "Take a hundred!" (To be continued.) )