For Yan Zheng, doing business with Zhang He was originally an idle move.

While expanding trade to Zhejiang, it also made up for the unfavorable situation of only trading with the Song family.

This time, the two gangs collided, and he specially arranged a chance encounter.

He knew that as long as the Song family knew the news, then they would have to make more efforts to ensure their Song family's fur business with Dongfan.

At that time, when facing Yan Zheng's request again, they will be much easier to talk to.

And open up the Zhejiang trade route, in the future, the source of pig iron and other materials will be more guaranteed, and it can also make Dongfan's production capacity have one more place to dump.

It's just that he didn't calculate that Zhang He would be so neat!

When Zhang Xi presented a list of the goods and people brought this time, Yan Zheng almost sat up!

"In the past few days, your master has recruited more than 500 homeless people and more than 30 shipbuilders?"

"Back to the king, since I am doing things for you, my lord does not dare to slack off! Not only this time, but in the future, these things will continue to be sent to Dongfan! ”

Yan Zheng leaned on the chair and flipped through the list of goods, which had already been checked, indicating that the goods had been checked.

"This Zhejiang is rich, why are there so many displaced people?"

Zhang Xi smiled faintly and explained: "The king doesn't know, Zhejiang is rich, nine times out of ten in northern Zhejiang, there are many households along the coast, plus there are many wealthy families, and there are many civilians who have no place to stand, so they only need to spend one or two, and the natural servants are like clouds!"

Yan Zheng nodded, but agreed with this statement, when he was a child, he also heard the old people in the village talk about escaping the famine.

"Then this group of displaced people, are they Tan households or ordinary farmers?"

Zhang Xi thought for a while and said, "This ...... The villain doesn't know, but if it's a coast, it should be mostly Tanhu! ”

Yan Zheng remembered the conversation with Li Haigou, but he knew that Tanhu's life was indeed not good.

"Cheng, in the future, you can recruit more Tan households to come over, especially those who are familiar with the sea conditions and hyacinths!"

Zhang Xi arched his hand and said: "The king has a trust, my lord must obey his fate!"

Yan Zheng snorted and asked again, "What about pig iron?" That's where you got it. ”

Zhang Xi replied: "King, Shaoxing Mansion is an important iron smelting town!"

Yan Zheng was stunned, but he didn't know the distribution of smelting towns in the Ming Dynasty, and only knew that the iron tools in Foshan in the Ming Dynasty were relatively famous.

In fact, not only in the Ming Dynasty, even if it is two generations up, Shaoxing has always been an important iron-smelting town, the reason is that there is iron ore in Shaoxing, and the grade is not low!

Moreover, the most mineral in Zhejiang is fluorite, one of the raw materials for making glass.

"In this way, the supply of pig iron every time is not a problem?"

"King, it's not a villain who says big things, there are more than 1,000 blacksmith shops in Shaoxing Mansion, more than 10,000 craftsmen, as long as you need them, they can practice them for you day and night!" Zhang Xi said with a smile.

"More than 10,000 craftsmen?" Yan Zheng moved his buttocks, "A Zhejiang, can you use such a blacksmith?" ”

"Oh, the king doesn't know the Ming Dynasty's craftsman's nationality, most of these craftsmen have to obey the call, if they can't pay the annual regular service silver, they need to work for the government, not just iron! And although there are many craftsmen, many iron factories are also unable to start, and these craftsmen have to work and farm for others on weekdays in order to live! Zhang Xi said carefully.

Yan Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, he didn't know much about the deformed household registration system of the Ming Dynasty, so he naturally didn't know how deep this policy oppressed craftsmen.

The craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty, since the beginning of Zhu Baba, have been maintained in a very large group.

It may have been effective at first, but by the time of Zhu Di, the number of descendants of the artisan households increased, and with the collapse of the rule of officials, the artisan households became free labor in the government.

Most of the artisans who could not pay the regular money became slaves of the government, so a large number of artisans fled.

Yan Zheng purchased a large amount of pig iron, but to some extent, he helped these blacksmiths.

Because they can work every day, and they can earn silver, and as long as they can earn enough money, they can spend money to be exempted from regular service, so that they will suffer less and their lives will be much more stable.

"So, isn't it about the same as the situation of shipbuilders?" Yan Zheng asked again.

Zhang Xi nodded and said, "It should probably be about the same, if the king is willing to give up the money, he can even go directly to the government and let the government help recruit him."

"What?" Yan Zheng was surprised: "The government, can you help me recruit craftsmen?"

Zhang Xi smiled and said: "Of course, this matter is not so easy, but the wealthy businessmen of Ningbo Mansion often spend some silver to let the government help recruit some craftsmen, or build some sword soldiers for them, or build waterwheel houses for them!"

"In other words, as long as you have the access of the government and are willing to spend money, you can let the government find the craftsman you want for you?"

"Exactly!"

"Damn, isn't this just the government acting as an intermediary and chartering a car to work!" Yan Zheng secretly slandered.

"If this matter can be helped, it doesn't hurt to give up some silver, does your master have this way?"

"This ......" Zhang Xi shook his head and said: "Maybe not now, but as long as the fur business is done, many things can be solved!"

Yan Zheng was silent for a while, then nodded: "The fur business is easy to say, from now on, Dong will allow your master to come to trade!"

Zhang Xi hurriedly saluted and said: "The villain is my master, thank you to the king!"

Yan Zheng waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite!" Let me ask you, they all say that there are many gentry in Jiangnan, and these gentry are really rich in money? ”

Zhang Xi was stunned, looked up and said: "King, not only the gentry in Zhejiang, but also in Nanzhili and Jiangxi, these places are full of wealthy families, and these wealthy families are not a word for money, but a word for power!" Every wealthy family, almost all of them are people in the court, relying on the government to operate, and no one in the local area dares to offend! ”

"In the Ming Dynasty, the imperial examination, once the Tao is obtained, the family is immediately prominent! How many wealthy families have relied on the imperial examination to enter the ranks of the gentry. And after becoming a gentleman, there are many intersections within it! No matter what you do in the place, you can easily make money! ”

Yan Zheng sighed and thought for a while: "In this way, where there are many gentry, ordinary businessmen have no power to resist at all?"

Zhang Xi nodded in agreement: "Where there are many gentlemen, this is the case!" If the king wants to understand, next time the villain can buy a copy of "The Gentleman" for the king. ”

"Gentleman? Or a book? ”

"That's right! This is a compilation of some printing houses, dedicated to the introduction of local gentry! Many scholars and officials will buy it, especially the magistrate sent by the top, and the first thing after coming to the place is to buy a gentleman! Zhang Xi explained.

Yan Zheng couldn't help but smile bitterly, no wonder the official standard has been so solid for thousands of years, it seems that the officials of various dynasties lack checks and balances.

In the future, you will never find a list of the second generation of places, which shows that we still smashed a lot of things.

"Okay, then buy one for me!" Yan Zheng thought to himself, isn't this book just a guide to copying homes?

"The villain will do it!" Zhang Xi arched his hand and said: "It's just that this time, the villain still has one more thing, and I want to ask the king for help!"

"What?"

"My lord, I want to buy some food!"

Yan Zheng frowned and said, "Food access is not allowed!"

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