The two of them were pointing to a map on the wall, on which were countless small flags, divided into red, white and blue.

The red is naturally Yinghua itself, the white is the enemy, and the blue is the friendly army. It looks like a military posture, but the words "grain", "salt", and "iron" are written on the flag, which is actually a commercial situation.

Xiang Huailiang nodded and said, "The salt merchants are all imperial merchants and official merchants, and they must be resolved." In this matter, the Tartar government can even be regarded as a friendly army, and if they want to stabilize Jiangnan, they must face a choice, whether to protect these salt merchants or protect the hearts of the people in Jiangnan. ”

Years ago, many people did not understand why the emperor insisted on abolishing the monopoly on salt and lowering the price of salt to an incredible level. But now, Yinghua colonized Jiangnan with commercial goods, and the salt industry has become the sharpest sword.

The three Yinghua salt giants, Chaoshan Shengliang, Guangzhou Nanyan and Gaozhou Salt, pulled three to four million catties of salt to Longmen Port in one go, and at the wholesale price of ten wen a catty, it was only a business of thirty or forty thousand taels of silver. But just the two provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang have to eat ten times this amount of salt a year, not to mention the markets in Anhui and Jiangxi further north, and a plate of one million taels of silver, and the three companies decided to join forces to divide it.

After the trial in the past two months, the salt merchants in Jiangnan have a very strict control over the market, looking for relationships in all directions, buying low-priced salt from Longmen, and on the other hand, treating these salts as official salt, changing hands for seven or eight times the profit.

Not only is this Anglo-Chinese salt industry consortium dissatisfied, but also the local government in Jiangnan, and the people in Jiangnan are also dissatisfied. And to deal with salt merchants, the Jiangnan local government can be regarded as a help.

Xiang Huailiang continued: "Rice merchants and iron merchants, although the control of the Tatars is strict, but because of the complicated trade routes, the profits are distributed everywhere, and there are no imperial merchants who have always been rooted in them, and some are just some officials and businessmen, and they are also the objects of oppression by the official government. In this matter, the magistrate's office is our enemy. Most of the rice merchants and iron merchants can be used as helpers. ”

This is the complexity of the colonization of commercial goods, because the Qing court's control of commercial goods is grasped by simple collusion of rights. The majority of the tightly controlled interests are in the hands of imperial merchants, such as salt. What cannot be controlled, the benefits are shared among the people, and what is caught in the middle is shared between officials and businessmen. For each kind of commercial goods, the situation of friend and foe is different, which requires categorization and countermeasures.

Xue Xue frowned and said: "Rice, salt, and iron are commercial goods that are already in short supply in Jiangnan, and we enter at a low price, which is beneficial to the people of Jiangnan, and these things can win the hearts of the people of Jiangnan." However, cotton cloth and knitting are self-produced in Jiangnan, and millions of people rely on these industries for a living, and our Yinghua cotton knitting is low in price and high quality. If there is a big prosperity in Jiangnan, I don't know how many people are bankrupt and unemployed, and at that time, the people of Jiangnan will regard our Anglo-Chinese enemies. ”

Xiang Huailiang also frowned, several members of the West Courtyard were from the silk and cotton weaving industry, and they were clamoring to dump Yinghua cotton knitting into Jiangnan, what Xue Xue said was also the emperor's concern, so for the time being, they only asked them to send people to inspect and did not let this action go.

"The people of Jiangnan will always regard me as the enemy of Yinghua, or the way the people of Jiangnan hold together, it is my great enemy of Yinghua."

Another voice sounded, and the two turned their heads to look, and yo ho screamed.

Xue Xue quipped: "Song Daxian, why are you here too?" Are you here to see the excitement? ”

Xiang Huailiang said: "With Mr. Song here, Jiangnan affairs are much easier." ”

The person who came was Song Ji, with broad shoulders and tall heights, dark skin, and a smile showing white teeth, which was extraordinarily bright.

He arched his hand to the two of them and said: "Jiangnan affairs involve changes in commercial goods and national political exchanges, and it is rare to see Song in the eternal times, so he naturally has to experience it in person." ”

When he went to the wall and looked at the map, he nodded and said, "You have already understood the situation very thoroughly, and I can't do anything." It's just that the official family thinks that everyone still has their own ideas about the root of Jiangnan affairs, and they want to borrow my mouth to talk about it. ”

Song Ji just emphasized the "group method" of the people in Jiangnan. "Xue Xue is good at macro planning, Xiang Huailiang is good at the details of commercial goods, and he is not familiar with the affairs of this system, so he will wait for Song Ji to follow.

"When I established the country in Britain and China, what was the biggest obstacle to the implementation of the official government to the countryside? Patriarchal clan! ”

"For thousands of years in China, based on agriculture, this clan has a good eloquence to the present, throughout the world, the east and west are connected, and it is an era of industry and commerce-based and capital-oriented. If Huaxia still stops on the old road, the countries of Europa will sooner or later fish me Huaxia. ”…,

"Focusing on industry and commerce does not mean abandoning agriculture, but that we must reorganize all industries and the world with industrial and commercial affairs. The agriculture-based clan pursues the principle of maintaining the world with blood affairs and suppressing all industries. In order to conquer Huaxia, this clan must be broken. ”

"The purpose of the official government of my Yinghua to go to the countryside is to use the official government to protect industrial and commercial affairs, penetrate to the end of the world, and replace the clan's control over the local township community and the exchange of commercial goods, and the suppression of all industries."

Song has learned both China and the West, and his opening is everyone's demeanor, and he will explain the background clearly in a few words. At this time, Fan Jin and Xu Shidao came in again, and they listened quietly.

"In our country, we have implemented the government government in Liangguang, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan to go to the countryside, but to this day, it has not yet been completed. Guangdong is a basic success, and Fujian is prosperous because of maritime trade, and this matter is also smooth. But there were many conflicts in the meantime, and the corrupt newspapers had played up enough, not that the country was strong and prosperous, and the South Seas opened up the territory, and these conflicts really messed up the hearts of a country. ”

"What is the scene in Jiangnan? Jiangnan Tian is densely populated, and the clan is powerful. I am also a native of Yangzhou, and I rely on the clan to support my studies, and I want to be an official on a different day, and I also have to take care of the clan, so as to form a big net, from the local to the court, and the state affairs will be covered layer by layer. ”

"I also see the children of the clan, but all those who are not scholars, and their own business must be controlled by the clan. For a long time, the people in the clan either studyed, farmed, and wanted to do business and commerce, but they were all punished by the clan, saying that they forgot their roots. ”

"In Jiangnan, industry and commerce are referred to as the last industry, but even those who are in the last industry are grouped together by clans.

Let's just say that the Suzhou and Hangzhou weaving workshops, even if they recruit weavers, they are also managed in a clan way. The east and west lines they have formed are clearly distinct and abide by the rules. They run their property like a ploughing field, and they are especially disgusted with competing with each other. ”

"And my Yinghua proprietorship, I have made enough efforts to innovate the process, and I have a wide range of new businesses, and I always keep at my feet. The West House Firm competes with the East House for profit, rather than excluding other employees. ”

Song said forcefully: "Fight!" The reason why my Yinghua country can flourish lies in the economic system set by the official family and the imperial court, which can push people to fight! If the water does not live, it will rot, if the industry does not advance, it will retreat, and if people do not fight, it will be wasted! And this Jiangnan is an indisputable place, and there is no power to fight if it is tied by the clan! ”

"During the Song and Yuan dynasties, all industries in the south of the Yangtze River flourished, and many skills emerged in endlessly. By the time of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there was no new industry! Is it because Jiangnan people are no longer wise and knowledgeable? No, it was the Tartar court that pressed it! Through cynicism and clan pressing, there is no trace. ”

"When Zhang Boxing was in charge of Jiangnan, how many Jiangnan people defected to Yinghua, who have they become now?"

"They have become the three sages of the west, I, Song Ji, Tang Sunhao, and Li Fangying, are all from Jiangnan! They have become real promising officials Zheng Banqiao! They became the proprietor of Shunfeng Express, and Huang Fei became Huang Zhuo, who was about to complete the steam engine! has become a great painter Bian Shoumin, who is praised by the Chinese people! became Huang Shen, Zhuang Zaiyi and Xu Shidao Jiangnan Three Heroes! There is also Lu Yizhong, a descendant of Lu Liuliang, who has now become the new Hanlin of my Yinghua Hanlin Academy! ”

Song Ji's voice deepened: "Jiangnan people are outstanding people, but if they are still dragged by the braids of the Tartars, and pressed by the cynics of the clan throughout the ages, it will be difficult to get up again......"

Then he raised his voice: "This Shen Zhen is already heavy, and the defeat of my Yinghua Dinghai before, you can see that the hearts of the people of Jiangnan are sinking under the water, and they don't want to rise up!" If I, Yinghua, directly wave the army, when he fights for profit, I Yinghua will carry all kinds of evil things. I am from Jiangnan, and I don't want the court to bear these responsibilities, this is what those Jiangnan people deserve! ”

"So we took root in Longmen and entered Jiangnan with commercial goods. What we want is not only to let Yinghua industry and commerce benefit, but also to let the people of Jiangnan benefit. At the same time, they should also see clearly that the industrial and commercial affairs attached to these commodities can give them greater benefits, so that they can break free from the shackles of the clan, and secretly infiltrate the industrial and commercial affairs of the people, and when the time is ripe, Jiangnan will decide in one fell swoop. ”

Song Ji smiled slightly: "Yinghua has Fujian, how easy, isn't this because of my Yinghua business affairs, has it been deeply penetrated to the people of Fujian before?" ”

The applause rang out, and at this time, Song Ji saw that behind him were Fan Jin, Xu Shidao and the staff of the Jiangnan camp. Xu Shidao applauded particularly hard, and he was also mentioned.........,

Song Ji hurriedly arched his hand and said: "These words are not all realized by Song himself, but the official family has mentioned me well before leaving." ”

This guy is indeed not modest, he wants to change Li Fangying, I am afraid that he will push it all to the emperor.

After the applause, Xue Xue asked again: "This is looking at Jiangnan from the roots of China, if you start from commercial affairs, what else does Sage Song think?" ”

Song Ji's current academic direction is not only in the social system, but also in the economic level, which is why he led the title of Jiangnan Xingying Counselor to Longmen to assist Fan Jin.

He nodded and said, "The business affairs in Jiangnan should be seen from the entry and exit. Silk, raw silk, cotton cloth and other weaving products out of the south of the Yangtze River, but there are not many commercial goods into the south of the Yangtze River, grain and rice are only a mixture, and the amount of ironwork and other materials is very small. The extravagance in the south of the Yangtze River prevails, and the extravagance is nothing more than incense, courtesans and other things. Jiangnan under the Manchu Qing Dynasty was a ...... A place that is self-contained and seems to last for 10,000 years. ”

This is not Li Shi's point, Li Shi wants to be here, I am afraid that he still gives a thumbs up, praising this Song for his excellent vision and seeing through the economic essence of Jiangnan.

In Li Shi's time, there were two different views on the classification of Jiangnan's economy, one was that Jiangnan had a developed handicraft industry, a high urbanization rate, and prosperous commerce, and also showed obvious export-oriented economic characteristics, such as the export of a large number of weaving products, which had signs of modern industrial society, in other words, "the germ of capitalism".

However, another view holds that Jiangnan is still a typical small-scale and peasant economic society, and this "small-scale peasant" does not mean that the economy is dominated by agriculture. Rather, it is said that this economy is entirely self-sufficient, and does not contain the elements of self-innovation. Even compared with the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, Jiangnan in the Manchu era was still conservative and backward. One proof of this is that after entering the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there was no technological innovation in agriculture, handicraft production, or the financial system. The so-called export-oriented economy is organized by capital outside the south of the Yangtze River, and it does not organize export-oriented capital itself.

Li Xi didn't have much understanding in the previous era, but now that he has seen and observed it with his own eyes, his understanding of Jiangnan's economy has been biased towards the second point of view. In a vernacular, even if there was a "germ of capitalism" in Jiangnan during the Manchu era. "Yes" modern handicraft society. "But on its own, it will not be able to evolve into a capitalist society and a modern industrial society in 10,000 years.

From a certain level, Jiangnan at this time is faintly like the whole of China under the rule of the Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Then Song Ji said: "Since it is self-contained, cynicism and clan are entangled, and the Manchu court is pressing, and the entanglement of interests and interests is extremely complicated. To break this game, you have to think differently. ”

"Just now, Mr. Xue and Xiang Yuan talked about the difference between friend and foe in Jiangnan, but I think that we should not look at the difference between friend and foe from the current pattern, but from the future pattern of Jiangnan, we should push back friend and foe."

Backwards from friend or foe?

Everyone's eyes are shining, this idea is good, this is to change from passive to active.

Song Ji smiled: "This is actually common sense in the world, we need a stable and loyal Jiangnan to my Yinghua." We have the goods in hand, we have the army behind, so what do we need to do? ”

In the expectant eyes of everyone, he said in a deep voice: "We need to raise a group of new profiteers in Jiangnan." They hate the official mansion, the imperial merchants and the official merchants, of course, they must also have a certain amount of strength to contract our goods and resell them to the people of Jiangnan, and at the same time be able to deal with the pressure of those two parties. ”

Xue Xue said with a smile: "Han Feng,... Let's create a lot of traitorous ......",

This line of thinking was set by Li Xi a long time ago, the so-called "Han traitor." There is another word in Li Xi's stomach...... Comprador.

Jiangnan Xingying is also very familiar with this strategy, and the reason why people from all walks of life in Jiangnan are allowed to buy and sell commercial goods is this purpose. But after Song explained the background and then said this policy, everyone felt that the previous practice was too rough and did not control this matter from an overall level.

How to break down a closed social system? The solution is very simple, get rid of the original vested interests and support another layer of vested interests. Throughout the ages, a change of dynasty, or a "revolution." "That's all right. In the case of Jiangnan, the original vested interests were official businessmen, imperial businessmen, and monopoly businessmen who occupied the commanding heights of the capital level. Push these people to, push up the industry and commerce that were originally at the bottom of the profits, and let them combine with Yinghua to replace those who originally had vested interests, so that the transition to Jiangnan can be completed in the general direction.

Of course, in this process, Yinghua not only has to overthrow the original vested interests, but also overthrow the original interest circulation system, and even the connected clans have to be broken, and the conflicts generated during this are very intense. At this time, there was still the Manchu Dynasty official mansion, that is, to throw these responsibilities to the Manchu Qing to bear, although because it was separated from the Manchu Qing Dynasty official mansion, it was also very troublesome to do things, but weighing the pros and cons, Yinghua had time and could spend some water grinding effort.

But how to help up this group of "traitors"?

This is the biggest problem at present, and now there are cards everywhere in Jiangnan, and the circulation of commercial goods is very affected.

Song Ji shrugged his shoulders and said, "How to help?" Smuggling, giving those people two or three times the profit, of course, they have to solve these problems themselves. We're not babysitters, we've done everything for them. ”

Large-scale smuggling overturned the original commercial circulation system in Jiangnan, which meant a turmoil, Fan Jin muttered: "You can't let them all go......",

Song Ji said again: "Afraid that they will harm the people of Jiangnan, but instead lose Yinghua's reputation in Jiangnan?" Simple, I am from Jiangnan, and most of the people who come to Longmen are locals who escaped from Jiangnan before. ”

After these words, the Anglo-Chinese commercial colonization plan for Jiangnan finally took shape...... ）【