I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 83 Yang Jinshui, a business man
Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture.

Yang Jinshui, who was granted the Feiyu costume, held the title of Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Household, and was the Director of the Donation and Relief Coordination Bureau and concurrently the Director of the Southeast Office, was standing on the east gate tower of the county town in a robe and a net scarf on his head.

He was accompanied by Li Sanjiang, the magistrate of Shanghai County, Zhang Jingyuan, the general managers of Xingruixiang, Deshengmao and Lianshengxiang, Yang Dezhi, Wang Feilin, key personnel of the Southeast Office of the Coordination Bureau, and other closely related business owners and managers, about twenty people in total.

Looking up, the Wusong River and the Huangpu River converge not far ahead. The docks on the shore are full of ships, with masts like a forest, and countless porters are loading and unloading goods like ants.

Yang Jinshui exclaimed: "This is a Feng Shui treasure land."

"What Eunuch Yang said is true. During the pre-Song Dynasty, Shanghai had a Shanghai Office, which was responsible for collecting liquor taxes. At that time, there were Shanghai Pu and Xia Hai Pu. The tax office was set up in Shanghai Pu, hence the name Shanghai Office.

Songjiang was a big cotton cloth trading place, and it became a trading and transshipment center. Gradually, it changed from Shanghai to Shanghai Town. During the Yuan Dynasty to the Zheng Dynasty, Shanghai Town was separated from Huating County to form Shanghai County.

"Sanjiang is knowledgeable and can quote allusions at will." Yang Jinshui laughed.

Li Sanjiang is one of us, an "old man" trained by the Coordination Office, and he is a rare juren.

In order to promote the large-scale development of Shanghai, he was specially arranged to be the magistrate of Shanghai County.

Yang Jinshui turned to look at everyone and asked, "Do you know why the prince specifically asked to move the Southeast Office of the Coordination Bureau and the headquarters of the three businesses of Xingruixiang, Deshengmao, and Lianshengxiang to Shanghai County?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Zhang Jingyuan, the general manager of Xingruixiang, said, "Eunuch Yang, because Shanghai County is located in Songjiang Prefecture, it is the place with the largest cotton cloth production in the Ming Dynasty. It is also backed by Suzhou, Huzhou, Jiaxing and Hangzhou, and the silk production is abundant."

Wang Feilin, the shopkeeper of Lianshengxiang Company, said: "Eunuch Yang, I think this is the place that leads to the sea. The Huangpu River flows into the Wusong River in front, and the Wusong River flows into the Yangtze River at the Wusongkou. A large part of the shipyard in Longtan, Nanjing, and the shipyard in Huai'an have been moved there, and now it has become the largest shipyard in South Zhili.

Some shipbuilders from Ningbo, Quanzhou and other places also moved here to specialize in building seagoing ships weighing more than 2,000 tons.”

Yang Dezhi, the general manager of Deshengmao, stroked his beard and replied: "Shanghai's Wusong River connects to Suzhou and Taihu Lake, and the Huangpu River directly connects to Jiaxing and Hangzhou. Also, at the mouth of the Yangtze River, tea and porcelain from the south of the Yangtze River, grain and tea from Huguang, and brocade and bronze from Sichuan and Shu can all flow down the river.

Goods shipped from overseas can also go up the Yangtze River and be distributed in Jiangnan, Huguang, and Sichuan, or go north to the Central Plains and south to Liangzhe via the canal.

Li Sanjiang realized it and quickly added, "It connects rivers and seas, Eunuch Yang, because Shanghai is connected to rivers and seas."

Yang Jinshui nodded approvingly, "Yes, it is connected to the sea and rivers. Shanghai faces the East China Sea, is backed by the Yangtze River Canal, and is near a large area of ​​cotton and silk. It occupies a geographical advantage. Now the Southeast Office of the Coordination Bureau and the three businesses of Xingruixiang, Deshengmao, and Lianshengxiang have moved here to gather people together."

Li Sanjiang, Zhang Jingyuan, Wang Feilin and Yang Dezhi thought to themselves that the time had come for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Shanghai has the right time, location and people, and is indeed a Feng Shui treasure land.

"Sanjiang, have you seen the Shanghai County Planning Case?"

"Replying to Eunuch Yang, I have seen it. The area near the dock in the east of the city has been designated as a storage area. Shanghai County is recruiting laborers to build warehouses according to construction standards.

This area is designated as a commercial area, and in the future, all the businesses from all over the Ming Dynasty will be settled here. Xingruixiang, Deshengmao, and Lianshengxiang will build the three largest buildings as a model.

I would like to thank the three chief managers first."

"You are too polite, Magistrate Li. We are here to make money, so why thank you? Let's make money together, let's make money together!"

Zhang Jingyuan and the other two answered with a smile.

"Xingruixiang, Deshengmao, and Lianshengxiang are the three most anticipated businesses in the southeast. Now that you are here, the rest of the businesses will follow. In addition to your business, local noble families will build restaurants around you. When it comes to business, how can we do without these?"

Everyone chuckled.

Li Sanjiang circled the area with his finger and said, "This area will become very valuable. Shanghai County has already auctioned off 165 plots of land. We have the money to build dock warehouses and repair the city walls. I have to thank the three of you." Zhang Jingyuan and the other two smiled and bowed.

We are all family, so there is no need to be polite.

Li Sanjiang continued: "A wharf that can berth ships with a capacity of more than 3,000 tons will be built at Wusongkou.

A 2,000-ton ship could sail up the Wusong River to Shanghai County, but if a ship of more than 3,000 tons stopped there, the traffic would be too crowded.

Moreover, there are many river boats on the Huangpu River and Wusong River, and the number of them is huge. If a ship with a capacity of more than 3,000 tons goes upstream, it is easy to collide with these river boats, which is not appropriate.

The previous Wusongjiang Station was merged with the Baoshan Station to become a water fort affiliated with the Zhejiang Navy, protecting the waterway safety of Wusong Wharf and Shanghai County.

A customs inspection team directly under the Maritime Customs Office will also be set up there, with sentry boats deployed to conduct patrol inspections."

After Li Sanjiang finished speaking, Yang Jinshui continued, "Managing Shanghai County is the top priority for the Southeast Office of the Coordination Bureau and the three businesses of Xingruixiang, Deshengmao, and Lianshengxiang in the next five years. His Royal Highness has placed great hopes on it.

Everyone must not be careless. "

"Yes!"

Yang Jinshui talked about another important matter. "The output of Southeast Industrial and Commercial Enterprises has doubled due to your efforts, and the taxes paid have also doubled. You have solved the country's problems and relieved the king's worries. The emperor and the prince have also bestowed grace."

Everyone immediately bowed their hands towards the north and said in unison: "We thank the emperor for his grace."

Zhang Jingyuan, Yang Dezhi and Wang Feilin were granted the title of Zhengshilang and were regarded as the backbone of the Southeast Office. Other business owners and managers who paid “outstanding taxes” were granted titles ranging from Jiangshizuolang to Xiuzhizuolang.

It is indeed rare for a merchant to be granted a certain rank, it is a great honor for his ancestors.

Yang Jinshui glanced at everyone and continued, "Now that Southeast Industry and Commerce has developed to this day, I feel that we have reached a hurdle. Everyone, do you have this feeling? Shopkeeper Zhang, Shopkeeper Yang, Shopkeeper Wang, tell us what you think."

Zhang Jingyuan looked at the other two companions and said, "Yes. After more than two years of rapid progress, we really feel that we are running out of stamina in the past few months. We want to continue to move forward and live up to the expectations of the emperor and the prince, but now we have put in 120% of our efforts but have only gained 30%."

"Brother Zhang is right. In the past, we put in 120% of our efforts and could get at least 80% or 90% of our gains. Now, we are secretly happy with only 30% of our gains."

Others also echoed the same idea, saying similar things.

Yang Jinshui spoke up, "What you are talking about, my family also experienced it last year. I just thought hard about it, but I don't know where the root cause is."

Everyone was silent and listened quietly.

Everyone knows that although Yang Jinshui is an eunuch and a disabled person, he is the most capable person among all the people present when it comes to doing business.

In the past two years, it was because of his behind-the-scenes steering that the three businesses of Xingruixiang, Deshengmao and Lianshengxiang grew rapidly, and then quickly integrated the southeastern maritime trade, turning it into a sumptuous feast, and then boosted the business of cotton and silk in the southeast, tea and porcelain in Jiangnan and Huguang, and white sugar in Lingnan.

In the southeastern business community, some people may despise him for being a eunuch, but no one dares to deny his ability to do business.

Now everyone feels that their business development has reached a bottleneck, and they all hope to get the answer to the solution from him.

In everyone's mind, if Eunuch Yang couldn't come up with a good solution, then who else in the world could come up with a solution?

Looking at the bustling dock in the distance, there are ships like crucian carp crossing the river, loaded with wealth and goods from all over the world, piled up like mountains.

Looking at the large construction sites, countless shops, restaurants and warehouses are rising from the ground, full of vitality.

But everyone’s business is stuck there and has come to a standstill. What should we do?
So distressed!
　Third update, continuing to shamelessly beg for votes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)