Chapter 575: Waiting

At the beginning, a lot of capital was invested in infrastructure construction, but now this low price has multiplied I don't know how many times. The shops on both sides of the main street of Huating New District are generally rented at 50 taels per month, and the good location starts at 100 taels. The warehouse near the wharf can't be rented for 300 taels a year.

This is a real change, and what was once a wasteland with only grass has now become a treasure land where every inch of land is valuable. How can the people of the Ming Dynasty have this prophetic vision, Chen Xie holds power in his hands, and he does not delay himself in making money by engaging in infrastructure construction, which is also in the Ming Dynasty. In modern society, they are all caught and shot. Eh, corrupt officials in modern society, reprieves are the limit, right? Hehehe, it's a bit like the Song Dynasty didn't kill the scholars, at most it was exiled for 3,000 miles.

Relying on the absolute superiority of the Ming Dynasty's foreign trade, Chen Xie was able to turn his hands into clouds and his hands into rain, turning a wasteland into a golden land. Speaking of which, no one has anything to say, the initial investment is huge, no one in the Ming Dynasty has the capital to do this, even if there is, who can know about the opening of the sea by the imperial court? Start buying land here first, and then build a new area.

Because of the new area, Huating County has now become more prosperous, and the price of land has also risen repeatedly. The whole Jiangnan recognized Chen Xie as a golden hand, especially those whose homes were in Songjiang Mansion and Huating, and they deeply felt the changes that Chen Xie brought to this land. Some local gentry have repeatedly approached Ruan Dacheng and Yang Longyou to request that the scope of the new district be expanded. It is not limited to the existing territory, but the entire Huating County should be included in it. After Songjiang Mansion was like this, and Suzhou Prefecture did not do anything, the prefect went to Nanjing many times to meet Chen Xie, and demanded that Suzhou should also be included in the scope of the so-called new area, and it was best to build a Susong New District. In fact, it is a right to foreign trade, which is now confined to the confines of a new district. The Europeans still can't go deep into the interior. You can only interact with merchants in the area of Huating New District.

Chen Xie brought the greatest changes to the south of the Yangtze River, mainly concentrated in the two provinces of Susong, the prosperity of the silk industry, and the endless stream of waterway boats leading from Suzhou to Huating, from Suzhou to Jiangyin, and from Jiangyin to Huating. This section is the busiest waterway. Also because of the rise of foreign trade, the waterway from Nanjing to Huating has also become extremely busy. Jiangxi's porcelain, going through the Jiujiang River to Jiangdong, relying on the entire Yangtze River waterway, the speed of commercial development is simply flying.

As long as you are not a fool, you can see these changes, which of the entire Jiangnan gentry group is not in business? These people were fiercely opposed from the beginning. So far, most of them have been supporting Chen Xie, and it has not taken too long. At the end of the day, it's still about interests. The entire foreign trade of the Ming Dynasty is led by silk, porcelain, and tea, where are the most of these things? Do you need to ask? A steady stream of silver goes into the pocket, and whoever can't get along with the money, and then opposes the opening of the sea, is the enemy.

Previous maritime trade. Mainly in Fujian, the nature of private smuggling. That's being controlled by people. Now you don't need it, just go on your own, in Huating or build a fleet, Zheng Zhilong of Fujian, now he is concentrating on a fleet, specializing in running the Nanyang route. Compared to the historical collection of protection fees. It's a little less, but it's better to be stable.

The pretext for this meeting was the annual meeting, the annual big gathering of the silk guilds. The silk merchants south of the Yangtze River are basically all there. Huating Hotel, the best hotel in Huating New District, was used as the venue for this reception. More than 100 businesses have moved in. Start socializing in a variety of ways. For a while, the entertainment venues in Huating New District began to be busy, and famous people from all walks of life got into the carriage and went to Huating Hotel.

This is a true garden-style hotel, with a wall on the outside and a two-storey villa on the inside. This hotel is naturally one of Chen Xie's industries, referring to the model of Banyan Tree where modern society has lived, it is difficult to get high in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Xun came here again, not as a representative of the Zhang family, but as the chief treasurer of the royal fleet. Because of the suspension of Su Song's weaving industry, which "disturbs the people", the royal family has no place to get some silk. Zhu Youzhen originally planned to re-engage in Su Song weaving and get some silk for Zhang Xun to sell. When escorting the gold to Beijing, Zhang Xun had the honor to meet you, Zhu Youzhen regretted mentioning this matter, Zhang Xun said that it was unrealistic to reopen Su Song weaving, and it was not necessary. The reason is simple, the current silk production is all steam engines, and the old-fashioned looms are no longer visible. And then there's the skilled workers, you have to retrain, which is also very troublesome. There is no need for the royal fleet to do so many tricks, just focus on making the fleet bigger. As for the source of goods, there is no need to worry about it at all. At present, there are two largest fleets in maritime transportation, one is the royal fleet and the other is the Zheng family fleet. In terms of the speed of development, the royal fleet easily threw off the Zheng family's fleet, because of Chen Xie's Dutch fleet, Zhang Xun took ten first, and the remaining ships were divided into half by the three families in Xinghai City, and the others were auctioned off. The Zheng family only got five boats, and they were all rushing to rob them, but Zhang Xun didn't have to rob them.

There is also the Huating Shipyard, the current output of merchant ships is not high, only six per year, and the orders are scheduled for five years. The Zheng family wanted to build their own ocean-going ships, but they didn't have the skills. Therefore, relying on Chen Xie's support, it is not difficult for the royal fleet to become the largest fleet at sea, and since it is the largest fleet, the advantages of doing maritime trade are even more obvious. It is not easy for an ordinary merchant to have one or two ships of five hundred materials to run a big man, which is like a royal fleet, with twenty big ships in hand.

After persuading Zhu Youzhen, Zhang Xun went south to Huating, and the purpose of attending this meeting was for silk. In the next step, he plans to make a trip to India, although it is a little farther, but the profit can be doubled. The only problem is that from the "pirates" it is necessary to hire a fleet of naval escorts.

Living in one of the most expensive villas, Zhang Xun told his entourage to prepare carriages and horses, and he was going to meet Chen Gebu. As soon as he finished grooming, Zhang Xun heard the news from his entourage that the shops in Huating New District began to be officially sold to the outside world, and the people of the Silk Guild gave priority to procurement. Zhang Xun was very moved by this news, and now the shops here are sold according to what square meters, and the price is simply crazy. One hundred taels of silver for a square meter of shop, at this price, I love to buy it or not.

Zhang Xun went to the sofa and sat down, touching his chin and groaning, this is an opportunity to make a fortune, and it must not be missed. He now works for the emperor, with an annual salary of five thousand taels and a bonus of one percent of the profit. In a year, he can earn 30,000 or 40,000 taels, which is considered a high-income class. Not to mention his social status, he is already a loose official of the eighth grade, and he is from a person's background.

Compared to the money he earned for the royal family, it was the silver in his own pocket that was more attractive. After pondering it again and again, Zhang Xun made a decision, called his entourage, and immediately went to Ningyuan to hand over the post. Even if he can't see Chen Xie this time, he can go back to Jingshi to find the emperor for help, and he has to seduce the emperor to take some shops or land from the new area, and he can earn some money from it.

Handing over the post, Zhang Xun saw the carriages parked outside, piled in piles, all of which were officials waiting to be met here. This phenomenon is very common, and the average official usually hands in a letter of worship and waits here for an audience. Zhang Xun saw that there were a lot of people, and he felt that he couldn't see it today, so he should try his luck. It's definitely not appropriate to go at this time, it's rude. What if the Chen Pavilion calls you? Are you going to come and see you next time?

Looking at the officials sitting in a row, Zhang Xun was very conscious, and found a stool to sit down in the last place. The place was on the edge of the porter, and the guards who guarded the door ignored their presence and stood motionless. An official beside Zhang Xun, dressed in the clothes of the prefect, looked at Zhang Xun carefully, and asked with a smile: "This benevolent brother, what is the importance of this dress?" ”

Zhang Xun looked down at himself, wearing an ordinary long shirt. The officials of the Ming Dynasty, even if they are loose officials, when they go out to meet their superiors, they also need to wear official uniforms. Zhang Xun didn't have this consciousness yet, and he regretted it a little when he thought about it, but he smiled on his face: "It's not particular, I was in a hurry when I came out, and I didn't have time to change into my official uniform." is a loose official, and he doesn't dare to call him a brother in front of the prefect. ”

Hearing that he was a loose official, the prefect showed a meaningful expression, nodded and didn't say anything, but the ridicule in his eyes was very clear. Dignified Chen Gebu, a loose official, are you embarrassed to come and ask to see? Are you really idle as a cabinet lord? Look at the teams sent by these officials outside, the officials from various prefectures and counties in Jiangnan Province are not here to play, which ones are not carrying heavy gifts, and the ardent expectations of the gentry from all over the country.

"Lord Liu, you are the prefect of Hangzhou, and you came to Huating to ask to see Chen Gebu, I'm afraid it's not so suitable, right?" A local official in Jiangnan on the side will make fun of this Liu Governor's Mansion.

"Why is it not appropriate, since the Chen Pavilion Department advocated opening the sea, the people of Hangzhou are looking forward to the golden finger of the Pavilion Department to click on Hangzhou, it is really long-awaited. In the coming down, not for personal interests, but for the sake of millions of fathers and elders in Hangzhou. "Governor Liu is not cowardly at all, originally he came here, and it was not a bad name. Chen Xie is a cabinet minister, and he is also in charge of foreign trade, he is considered a subordinate, and he can naturally come for the sake of opening the sea.

"Hehe, Lord Liu, it is said that you should play the cabinet first, go through the relationship with the Lord Shi of the household department, and then go through the relationship with the Yang Cabinet Department, and after submitting it to the inner court to wear red, you will finally go to the Chen Pavilion Department, right?" This local prefect is an old friend of Lord Liu, and it is estimated that the relationship is not very good, anyway, he has been sarcastic and sarcastic. (To be continued......)