"But my cousin said that many people in the guard house died at the hands of the Japanese invaders."

"Pirates and pirates are inseparable, and Zhenhaiwei can't do this kind of dirty thing anymore."

When Zhang Luo heard this, he didn't know how to admire Baihu's iron integrity.

still complains about the pedantry of hundreds of households.

Led to a poor jingle in the guardhouse.

The coastal pirates have been unable to calm down for a long time.

It also has a lot to do with the corruption of coastal guards.

"Ancient History" skills in the knowledge.

It shows a lot, and corruption took shape in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and smuggling became a trend.

Some even colluded with the Japanese to rob merchant ships along the coast.

Guards like Zhenhaiwei.

It is a rare outlier in the southeast coast.

Of course, Zhen Haiwei still has a reason why he was not pulled into the water.

It's also because it's too remote.

The pirates don't look down on this place at all.

Thought of smuggling and selling stolen goods.

Zhang Luo asked the little stunned:

"On the edge of Zhenhaiwei, is there an underground black market where you can smuggle and sell stolen goods?"

"Black market? Brother Zhang, do you mean a ghost market nearby? ”

It closes during the day and opens late at night.

It's like a market for ghosts.

Only then did Zhang Luo remember the name of the ghost city in the Ming Dynasty.

This is the underground black market that belongs to the Ming Dynasty.

Normal, ordinary merchants want to go into the city.

It is necessary to pay commercial tax to the doorman.

Opening a market in the city also requires a shop tax.

Even bad luck.

They will also be caught by patrolling officials to pay some unknown taxes.

Many merchants were reluctant to enter the city.

They would find a black market outside the city and sell their wares.

Over time, a ghost market culture was formed.

And in the ghost market, there are not only ordinary goods.

There are also goods smuggled by pirates.

And something that violates the laws of the imperial court.

These will be traded in the ghost market and stolen goods.

These days, Zhang Luo is also thinking about ways to make money.

He said to Zhang Wangsheng:

"Is the ghost market open tonight?"

Zhang Wangsheng patted his head and thought for a while, and said:

"It's open, the nearby ghost market, it's open at the beginning and end of every month."

"Today is the end of the month, and the ghost market must be open."

"Then we'll leave later, and you can take me to the ghost market."

Decided to go to the ghost market.

Zhang Wangsheng will not return to Baihu Mansion anymore.

Take a nap in the side room first.

Wait until the third watch of the night.

Zhang Luo and Zhang Wangsheng got up and put on their clothes.

Carrying a small candlelight, he walked out of Zhenhaiwei.

Head south.

As the two of them walked, they were stunned and talked to Zhang Luo about ghost affairs.

"When my uncle was still there, there were often people in the guard house who would go to the ghost market to buy and sell things."

"Until now, only Uncle Changwen will go to the ghost market to sell some wood carvings."

Zhang Luo understood.

When the predecessor Baihu was there, Zhenhaiwei would also sell some smuggled things.

And the ghost market is where they are responsible for selling the stolen goods.

Something about smuggling goods in the coastal zone.

It belongs to the middle ground outside the law.

Since the 16th century, the southeastern region of the Ming Dynasty.

Smuggling of goods is becoming more frequent.

A vast network of interests has been formed.

In the early years of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu Gao repeatedly forbade going to sea.

It was forbidden for the coastal people to forbid the countries of the South Seas.

But the small countries of Southeast Asia need the goods of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty was also in great need of silver inflows from overseas.

The Ming Dynasty also set up an agency in Hangzhou that was specifically responsible for overseas trade.

The Department of Trade was responsible for the trade between the Ming Dynasty and overseas countries.

But under the increasing corruption of Ming Dynasty officialdom.

In overseas countries, the profits obtained through the market trade division are becoming more and more scarce.

More and more maritime merchants have embarked on the road of smuggling.

Someone once sighed. "The official is forbidden to the sea, and the children are full of gold."

Satirizing coastal officials.

In the case of a sea ban.

By smuggling goods, his children are dressed in gold and silver.

Zhangzhou Port not far from Zhenhaiwei.

It is also a well-known national smuggling center.

Originally, it was responsible for enforcing the decrees of the imperial court.

More or less joined the smuggling feast.

Therefore, Zhenhaiwei is such a guard.

It's already a clear stream in the guard.

After the outbreak of the coastal pirates.

The situation in Fujian and Zhejiang is becoming more complicated.

The black merchants on the sea basically held both the positions of officers and soldiers and the Japanese bandits.

Wang Zhi of the big pirates who have been raging in Zhejiang recently.

He accepted the appeasement of the imperial court many times.

One person wears many hats.

According to what Zhang Wangsheng said.

The scale of this ghost market on the edge of Zhenhaiwei is not small.

In addition to the nearby guards, the people of the village will come to the ghost market.

Several small groups of pirates also sell their stolen goods here.

Sometimes, vendors from afar come to the ghost market to sell their wares.

Zhang Luo and the others carried candles.

Walked along the gloomy path for two pillars of incense time.

I saw a glimmer of fire in front of me.

After Zhang Luo took a few steps closer

An iron inscription was seen.

There are also several flaming red lanterns hanging on both sides of the inscription

Like a guide sign, tell passers-by the location of the ghost market.

Zhang Luo asked incredulously:

"Aren't ghost markets generally very hidden?"

Zhang Wangsheng said with a smile:

"Who can find it when it's so deep? This ghost city is recognized by the county government. ”

"The county government approves it?"

Zhang Wangsheng's little treasure is worthy of being born in a hundred families.

Long live, well-informed.

In comparison, Zhang Xiaozhu and others are a lot more clumsy.

Zhang Wangsheng nodded and said:

"The boss of this ghost city is a few big men in the county."

"Those lords come to the ghost market every month to collect taxes."

Zhang Luo was surprised when he heard this.

He knew that the Ming Dynasty had heavy and multifaceted taxes.

But I didn't expect it to be so serious.

There is a fine for clan fighting.

In the ghost market, there is still a market tax?

It seems that the Ming Dynasty did not collect commercial taxes at all, as later generations said.

Zhang Wangsheng went on to say:

"Of course it's not a tax to be collected by the imperial court."

"The annual tax revenue in the county government is accounted for by the big men."

"In order to compensate them, the magistrate promised to let them open a ghost market."

"Of course, not all the money collected belongs to the landlords."

"Take care of it too, county officials.

"Although there is a tax in the ghost market, it is still a lot less than the tax in the city."

"It's definitely more cost-effective to do business here than to go to the city."

This makes sense why this ghost market is so ostentatious.

It turned out that it was acquiesced by the people of the government.

Walking past the inscription in front of him, Zhang Luo glanced at it.

It was found that this ghost city is really not bad in scale.

There is a main street and two side streets.

A simple wooden house is decorated with bright red lanterns.

The name of the shop is also written on the side of the lantern.

These all made Zhang Luo, who had never been in contact with the ancient ghost market, gain knowledge.

Zhang Luo and the others walked towards the depths of the streets of the ghost market.

The shops next to me slowly turned into stalls.

The sellers of the stalls all covered their faces.

It will not actively solicit customers.

Guests see something of interest.

Naturally, they will take the initiative to ask for a quote.

Both buyers and sellers communicate in simple sign language.

If the buyer is interested, he will voluntarily throw the money on the paving.

This is what Zhang Luo's impression of a ghost city should look like.