People in the Ming Dynasty are lawless

Chapter 734: Transnational Trade at Longjiang Wharf!!

At Longjiang Wharf, the sun had just risen and the place was already bustling with people.

Merchant ships from Southeast Asia docked one after another, with their decks piled high with spices, ivory, tortoise shells, and golden Buddha statues inlaid with rubies, gleaming brightly in the morning sun. The porters on the dock had already lined up in a long queue, waiting for the government's order to start unloading the goods. In the past, the stewards of the dignitaries would pick up the best goods first, and the rest would flow into the market, but today was different.

"Make way! Make way!" Several yamen runners pushed the crowd aside and cleared a path at the dock.

The people were just wondering when they saw Crown Prince Zhu Biao and Chen Han coming side by side, followed by several officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, holding thick account books in their hands.

"What are you doing?" someone asked in a low voice.

"Who knows? He's not here to buy spices, is he?"

The merchants from Southeast Asia were also confused. This was not their first time to come to the Ming Dynasty. In the past, they were first exploited by the officials of the customs, then the prices were lowered by the wealthy merchants, and finally the profits they could bring back were pitifully small. But today, the prince came in person, which made people feel that things were not simple.

Chen Han walked to the center of the dock, raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said loudly: "From today on, all goods from Southeast Asia will be purchased and sold by the customs!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar on the dock.

"What? The government buys it directly?"

"Can we still get some bargains then?"

The Nanyang merchants looked at each other in bewilderment. One of them, a dark-skinned Javanese merchant, boldly asked, "Sir, I wonder how this purchase...is settled?"

Chen Han smiled slightly and pulled out a stack of brand new banknotes from his sleeve: "Of course I'll use this."

The merchants' faces changed. Baochao? That thing is not valuable in Southeast Asia!
Seeing this, Zhu Biao stepped forward and said loudly: "Don't worry, everyone. This time the treasure notes are different from the past. They can be used to pay commercial taxes and can also be directly exchanged for goods. There is no worry about depreciation! If you don't believe me, we can trade on the spot later."

Chen Han added: "Not only that, anyone holding the new banknotes will be able to enjoy a 10% reduction in customs taxes when doing business in the Ming Dynasty in the future!"

Now, the eyes of the Nanyang merchants lit up. In the past, their biggest headache was the layers of taxes from the Ming Dynasty. If they could reduce 10%, their profits would more than double!
"Okay! We'll sell it!" The Javanese businessman was the first to respond.

Seeing this, other merchant ships also nodded.

Soon, the officials at the customs began to count the goods and pay on the spot with treasure notes. They then put spices, ivory and other goods on the temporary shelves built at the dock, and the marked prices were 20% lower than the market price!

"This... is so cheap?" The onlookers couldn't believe it.

"It's not a lie, is it?"

A brave peddler squeezed to the front, grabbed a bag of pepper, sniffed it, and weighed it. After confirming that it was correct, he took out a few copper coins and said, "Give me half a pound!"

The official at the customs smiled and shook his head: "We will only accept banknotes today."

The peddler was stunned for a moment, then he took out a few crumpled vouchers from his pocket and asked, "How about this?"

"of course can!"

The transaction was completed, and the peddler happily left with the pepper in his hands. Seeing this, people around him immediately swarmed over.

"I want sumac!"

"Give me some rhino horn!"

"How much is that golden Buddha?"

The dock suddenly became bustling with people rushing to buy things, while merchants from Southeast Asia gathered around Zhu Biao and Chen Han, asking about the details of future trade.

As Chen Han answered, he observed the movements at the dock. He saw a thin Siamese businessman hiding behind the crowd, holding a package tightly in his hand, his eyes flickering.

"Merchant, do you have any unregistered goods?" Chen Han walked over and asked.

The Siamese businessman was startled and waved his hands quickly: "No, no!"

Chen Han smiled and said, "If there are any rare items, the court is willing to buy them at a high price and will never treat them unfairly."

The Siamese merchant hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered: "Sir, I... I have something, I wonder if the Ming Dynasty needs it."

As he spoke, he carefully took out a cloth bag from his arms, and after peeling off layer by layer, a black seed was revealed.

"What is this?" Chen Han asked.

"We call it 'black gold'. When it's lit, the smoke repels mosquitoes, which is ten times more effective than mugwort." The Siamese merchant explained, "It's just... the smell is a bit pungent. I wonder if your country can accept it."

Chen Han's eyes lit up. Isn't this the original mosquito coil? The miasma areas in the northern border and the south need this thing the most!
"how much do you have?"

"One ship." The Siamese merchant whispered.

"Take them all!" Chen Han made the decision immediately.

On the other side, Zhu Biao was surrounded by several Javanese merchants. They pointed at a batch of arrows on the shelf and said excitedly, "Your Highness, these arrows were specially made by our king and ordered by craftsmen. They are lighter than those of the Ming Dynasty, but have a longer range!"

Zhu Biao picked up an arrow and looked at it carefully, and found that the shape of the arrowhead was indeed different from that of the Ming Dynasty, and there were strange patterns engraved on the tail.

"What does this mean?" he asked.

"This is what our fortuneteller calculated. He said it will allow us to fly more steadily," said the Javanese businessman proudly.

Zhu Biao seemed to be thinking about something, and turned to look at Chen Han, who happened to be walking over. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Your Highness, why not let the Physics Department try?"

Zhu Biao nodded: "Okay, if it is really useful, we can purchase a large amount in the future."

As he was speaking, there was a sudden commotion outside the dock.

"Get out of the way! Everyone, get out of the way!" A group of soldiers from the Military Affairs Department came over with several bruised men. The leading officer clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, we caught a few troublemakers. They said they were from the Xu family and wanted to drive up prices!"

Zhu Biao's face darkened: "Bring it here."

Those people were pushed to the front, and one of them looked up, and it turned out to be the trusted advisor of the young master of the Xu family!

"Your Highness, please spare my life!" The master cried, "I am only following orders. The Xu family... The Xu family is also forced to do this!"

"Being forced into a desperate situation?" Chen Han snorted coldly. "Your Xu family is hoarding goods and monopolizing cloth, and now you want to disrupt the Nanyang trade?" The lawyer hesitated and did not dare to speak.

Zhu Biao waved his hand and said, "Take him away and deal with him according to the Purchase Restriction Regulations."

The officers dragged the man away and order was restored on the dock.

By noon, the first batch of goods had been sold out. The people dispersed contentedly, while the Nanyang merchants, holding boxes full of banknotes, couldn't stop smiling.

"Sir, can we come again next time?" asked a Malacca merchant.

Chen Han patted his shoulder and said, "As long as you abide by the rules, Daming welcomes all friends who are sincere in doing business."

The businessman nodded repeatedly: "Of course! Of course!"

As the sun sets, the people on the dock gradually disperse. Zhu Biao stands on the shore, looking at the sparkling river, and says softly, "Chen Han, this move today is the right one."

Chen Han smiled and said, "Your Highness, this is just the beginning."

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the water surface of Longjiang Wharf, gilding the moored merchant ships with a golden-red halo. The Nanyang merchants held the newly acquired treasure notes, gathered in groups of three or four, and discussed the next business in the heavily accented Mandarin.

"Your Highness, Lord Chen!" A Siamese merchant with a full beard stepped forward bravely and saluted with his hands clasped together. "We foreigners have obtained the treasure notes, so we must buy some goods from the Ming Dynasty and bring them back. I wonder if we can..."

Before Zhu Biao could speak, Chen Han had already patted the merchant on the shoulder with a smile: "Of course! The customs office has prepared a translator, and I will take you to visit the shops right away."

Before he finished speaking, several translators in blue official uniforms came quickly. They held brand new account books in their hands and abacuses on their waists. They were obviously experts carefully selected by the Ministry of Revenue.

The dock suddenly became lively. The merchants of the Ming Dynasty had heard about it long ago, and now they all displayed their goods. Silk, porcelain, tea, lacquerware... the dazzling array of goods glowed with an attractive luster under the setting sun. The Nanyang merchants were dazzled and exclaimed from time to time.

"Everyone, please look here!" A clear female voice suddenly came from behind the crowd.

The crowd automatically parted a path, and Zhu Youwei and a dozen women workers from the Women's Workshop came over, pushing carts full of cloth. In the sunlight, the cloth had a unique blue-green luster, and the texture was thick yet light.

"This is..." The Siamese merchant's eyes widened. He rushed to the cart in two steps and touched the cloth with trembling hands. "This texture, this feel!"

Zhu Youwei smiled and motioned Xiaotao to unfold a piece of cloth. The cloth was stretched out in the sunset, and the dark patterns on it were looming with the change of light. It was the latest anti-counterfeiting technology developed by the School of Physics.

"This is called 'voucher blue cloth'," Zhu Youwei explained. "It uses a special dye made from waste vouchers. It is not only washable, but also insect-proof and moisture-proof."

The Nanyang merchants were immediately in an uproar. A Javanese merchant squeezed to the front and asked anxiously: "How much is this cloth per piece? I want 50 pieces!"

"I want a hundred horses!" "Leave me two hundred!"

The bidding sounds continued, but Zhu Youwei waved her hand calmly: "Don't worry, everyone. The cloth in our Jinguo Workshop is clearly marked with prices." She pointed to the small wooden sign hanging on the cart, "One piece of cloth is two strings of silver coins. Large quantities are discounted."

This price made the Nanyang merchants gasp - not because they thought it was too expensive, but because it was too cheap! You know, fabric of this quality can be sold at least five times the price in the West.

"I want 300 horses!" The Javanese merchant almost shouted, fearing that someone else would grab them first. He turned around and snatched a stack of banknotes from his follower, and stuffed them into Zhu Youwei's hands without even counting them.

Seeing this, other merchants also took out their banknotes to buy. In a blink of an eye, the hundreds of pieces of cloth brought by the Jinguo Workshop were sold out. Those merchants who didn't get any were so anxious that they stamped their feet and surrounded Zhu Youwei to ask when they could buy more.

Zhu Biao stood not far away, watching this scene, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously. He turned to Chen Han and whispered: "Youwei is doing a great business."

Chen Han smiled and nodded: "The cloth from the Jinguo Workshop is indeed good, and the Nanyang merchants know the goods."

As he was talking, a Malacca merchant suddenly squeezed over and took out a small cloth bag from his arms in a mysterious tone: "Your Highness, Lord Chen, these are the spice seeds that are a specialty of our Malacca. They are very effective in repelling mosquitoes when lit. I wonder if I can exchange them for some 'Quanqing cloth'?"

Chen Han took the bag and smelled it, his eyes suddenly lit up: "Good stuff! Youwei, give this guest another fifty pieces of cloth!"

Zhu Youwei understood and immediately ordered the female worker to go to the warehouse to transfer the goods. The Malacca merchant was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.

As the sun gradually sank to the west, lanterns were lit on the dock. The trade was still going on in full swing, and the merchants of the Ming Dynasty also tasted the sweetness - they used treasure notes to purchase goods from Southeast Asia, and then sold them to other merchants, making considerable profits.

A Songjiang cloth merchant came up to Chen Han, rubbing his hands and asking, "Master Chen, look at these vouchers... Can we merchants also use some? It's really convenient to use."

Chen Han exchanged glances with Zhu Biao and said with a smile, "This matter still needs to be considered in the long run. However, since you have performed well today, the court will consider expanding the scope of use of the vouchers."

As soon as these words came out, the merchants around them all showed joy. They had long been jealous of the convenience of vouchers, but they did not dare to act rashly due to the court rules. Now with Chen Han's words, it seemed that they saw unlimited business opportunities.

As the night deepened, the number of people on the dock did not decrease. Zhu Biao looked at the sky and said to Chen Han, "Let's stop here today and let the merchants come back tomorrow."

Chen Han nodded and was about to announce the closing of the market when he suddenly heard a commotion. He saw several young men in fancy clothes squeezed into the crowd, led by Xu Mingde, the young master of the Xu family.

"Your Highness!" Xu Mingde bowed, but his eyes were fixed on the cloth in the Jinguo Workshop. "I heard that there are new cloths on sale at the dock, so I came here to see them."

Zhu Biao frowned and didn't respond. Zhu Youwei glanced at Xu Mingde coldly, turned around and was about to pack up the goods and leave.

Xu Mingde stepped forward quickly and blocked Zhu Youwei's way: "Ms. Zhu, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Our Xuji Cloth Shop is planning to cooperate with the Women's Workshop. May I ask if you can spare us a moment to talk?"

"No need." Zhu Youwei refused straightforwardly, "The fabrics of the Women's Workshop will be sold on their own, so Master Xu, don't worry about it."

Xu Mingde's face froze. Just as he was about to say something, a Nanyang merchant suddenly squeezed over, pointed at Xu Mingde and shouted excitedly: "It's him! It was his people who tried to force us to buy our spices at a low price last time!"

The crowd was in an uproar. Xu Mingde's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly explained: "Nonsense! My Xu family is doing business honestly, how could we do such a thing!"

The merchant refused to give in and took out a jade pendant from his bosom: "This is what your men dropped, and there's the word 'Xu' engraved on it!"

Zhu Biao's face darkened. Seeing this, Chen Han immediately stepped forward and said, "Master Xu, how do you explain this?"

Xu Mingde's forehead was sweating, and he was hesitant and unable to speak. At this time, the people from the Five Cities Military Division rushed over after hearing the news. The leading captain clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, the Xu family is suspected of raising prices and forced buying and selling. I have evidence. Please allow me to arrest and interrogate them."

Zhu Biao glanced at Xu Mingde coldly and waved his hand: "Take him away and deal with him according to the law."

Xu Mingde's face turned pale as he was escorted away from the dock by the soldiers of the military. The merchants watching applauded and cheered - the Xu family had been bullying others for a long time, and today they finally fell.

As the night deepened, the crowd on the dock gradually dispersed. Zhu Biao stood on the shore, looking at the sparkling river, and breathed a sigh of relief: "Today is finally a good start."

……

(End of this chapter)