Chinese New Year

Chapter 1474 Freight and Revenue

Before leaving the capital, the Crown Prince visited Shao Xun in the palace.

To the average person, a father seems to have nothing better to do than fish, hunt, or enjoy song and dance performances. But when you think this way, and then one day several memorials marked with big red crosses are suddenly returned with harsh comments, you'll know he's not just playing around.

He still maintains control over the world and continues to observe everyone around him, including his son.

Of course, the father hasn't remained completely unchanged either.

He has more wrinkles on his forehead and his physique is not as robust as before, even though he still practices martial arts regularly.

They have very little gray hair, which seems to be a family tradition; even after the grandfather turned seventy, he still had mostly black hair.

Be patient, keep being patient.

After preparing himself mentally, Shao Jin began by talking about local affairs: "When I was in Xuzhou, I made a special trip to the East China Sea. In addition to paying respects to our ancestors, I also visited Yuzhoupu."

"How is it?" Shao Xun asked casually as he gently flipped through the document in his hand.

“The boats are lined up everywhere,” Shao Jin said. “However, most of them are ships from the Imperial Household Department, and there are very few foreign merchant ships.”

"What kind of goods do you have?" Shao Xun asked.

Shao Jin thought for a moment and said, "Father, I bought some fine timber on Yuzhou Island and transported it to Luoyang via the Grand Canal. I then sent people to make furniture. Nowadays, wealthy families in Luoyang and Bianjing especially like Jiaozhou hardwood."

"Why?"

"It is both hard and flexible, and it is not easily affected by moisture and warping, making it a superior timber. I heard that the Panyu Shipyard has sent people to Jiaozhou to cut down large timbers to build ships."

Shao Xun grunted in response.

He recalled his wedding in his previous life, when he bought a teak wedding bed, the price of which made his heart bleed.

Good timber still had to be found in the tropics, even though the transportation costs were a bit high. But during the Age of Exploration, Europeans were still happy to transport tropical timber back to their colder countries. One rode (an English unit of measurement for timber volume) of teak was several times more expensive than oak, because it was one of the best shipbuilding timbers and was used in the era of ironclad ships until the advent of all-steel ships.

Surprisingly, the wealthy families in Luoyang and Bianliang were also discerning and knew the benefits of tropical timber.

"What else did you buy?" Shao Xun asked.

"The spices and sugar needed for the daily life of the Crown Prince's Palace."

What other goods are available on Yuzhou Island?

Large, round pearls are usually stored in velvet-lined wooden boxes. Warm, lustrous ivory, some of which are carved ivory artifacts. The beautifully colored tortoiseshell comes in many styles. The colorful coral is often carefully wrapped in a damp cloth. There are also giant clams, polished to a shine. Fish skin knife sheaths, snake gallbladders, agarwood shavings, rhinoceros horns, gabardine cloth, coconut wine, coconut shell utensils, and many herbs and rare seafood delicacies, which I cannot distinguish one by one.

"It seems he really did visit the market, knowing every detail perfectly," Shao Xun said happily.

Shao Jin lowered her head.

He's long been used to this kind of project model. A casual question from his father often carries a deeper meaning; he might be testing you. If you'd given a nonsensical answer just now, you might have been scolded.

"In your opinion, what about sea freight?" Shao Xun asked.

Here comes the important part! Shao Jin's mind raced, and he finally decided to tell the truth: "Without the presence of the naval forces, it would be difficult."

Shao Xun remained silent for a moment.

He was a member of a hereditary military family, and his ancestors were also hereditary soldiers. He was all too aware of the drawbacks of this system, and the restrictions and exploitation imposed on people were simply too numerous to mention.

The mere fact that their ancestors were soldiers for generations is already enough to make people nervous, not to mention that a considerable portion of the grain they grow has to be handed over to the imperial court.

Shibing will vote with his feet. It has happened before that Shibing's son couldn't find a wife and his daughter wanted to marry an ordinary family.

He used to hate these things, but after becoming emperor, he felt that the system was really good and cost-effective.

That's why the buttocks are different.

Most of the hereditary military forces of the Great Liang Dynasty were disbanded, except for those in the northern border states and the south, mainly to save money.

In addition, with the institutionalization of the navy, a new trick was introduced: the hereditary naval force.

Yes, the naval officers and soldiers were neither imperial guards nor local militia, but hereditary soldiers.

After the conquest of Jin, with the end of large-scale naval warfare, maintaining a navy of tens of thousands of men seemed unnecessary, so it was reorganized.

Some of the elderly and infirm were laid off and incorporated into the civilian household register;

Some were diverted to the four naval garrisons established thereto, becoming garrison troops, namely the four garrisons of Jiangling, Shamen, Shitoucheng, and Nanhai.
Another portion was diverted to the command of the Finance Commissioners in Yangzhou, Jiaozhou, and Guangzhou, becoming troop transporters by sea.

This last part is the crucial seafaring hereditary soldiers mentioned by the Crown Prince, commonly known as "seafaring households," which are distinct from "riverboat households."

In order to increase the income of seafarers, in the fourth year of Zhenming (337), the Ministry of Agriculture took the initiative to "purchase services" from these seafarers, that is, the seafarers provided ships and people to transport grain for the court. The rules at that time were: from Jiaozhou to Jianye, the transportation fee was 25 coins for one hu of rice, 50 coins for one hu of rice, and 55 coins for one hu of glutinous rice.

That year, 200,000 bushels of rice were transported, costing nearly 8,000 strings of cash in freight. At the time, the ship owners were full of complaints, all thinking they were doomed. As a result, Guanqiu Ao, the governor of Jiaozhou, submitted a memorial requesting the cessation of the transport of Jiaozhou rice, which Shao Xun agreed to.

In the first year of Longhua (342), five years later, the seafarers once again received an "order" from the Ministry of Agriculture, transporting 400,000 bushels of rice, paddy rice, and glutinous rice from Jiaozhou to Guangling, at the same price as before.

Compared to five years ago, the seafarers still complain, but it doesn't seem as intense as it used to be.

One reason is the progress in navigation technology over the past five years, mainly due to the large number of new ships put into use and the gradual popularization of nautical songs. Another reason is the improvement in the skills of the ship owners themselves – they initially only knew how to navigate inland waterways.

Of course, there are other reasons as well, such as what Crown Prince Shao Jin mentioned. Seafarers have no way to change their fate; they can only try to accept it, otherwise they can only abandon their wives and flee to the mountains and marshes—which actually won't last long, and they might die even faster than at sea.

Reality is cold and cruel.

"Liang Nu, you're becoming more and more able to see what's behind the surface of things," Shao Xun remarked, then asked, "If all the seafarers were registered in the county's civil register now, what do you think they would do?"

“Perhaps I’ll go back to farming and stop doing this kind of work,” Shao Jin said uncertainly.

Shao Xun smiled and said, “Actually, I am also trying to improve their livelihoods. A single new seagoing vessel can carry 6,000 bushels of rice, but only requires a dozen or so boatmen. Transporting 400,000 jin of Jiaozhou rice to Guangling required more than 60 ships and 1,000 boatmen, costing 16,000 strings of cash, with each person receiving 16 strings. Do you know that in many places, 16 strings of cash can buy a life?”

Shao Jin nodded.

禁军士卒一年得36斛粮、6-10匹绢、6-8贯钱，折算下来，不比海船户多多少。

From this perspective, the income of seafarers was actually quite considerable, but the risks were relatively high, and they were more likely to die than the Imperial Guards.

Furthermore, each seafarer could carry a box with them once they boarded the ship, allowing them to smuggle any goods into the ship. After selling these goods in Jianye or Guangling, the proceeds would be theirs.

It's hard to say how much this income was, because everyone carried different kinds of goods. Some people lacked the capital to buy goods and could only rent out their boxes to their fellow travelers in exchange for income.

Overall, they actually earned more than the Imperial Guards. If a seafarer was a wretched man, so poor that he couldn't even afford to get married, he might be willing to go to sea.

By restricting their household registration and preventing them from engaging in other industries, and then enticing them with benefits, over time, they will eventually accept their fate and that of their descendants with equanimity.

For the imperial court, it was actually a profit.

Jiaozhou is better than Guangzhou in terms of both household registration and farmland, and it also pays more taxes.

During the Jin Dynasty under the Sima clan, it was impossible to collect taxes from Jiaozhou; they could only "pay tribute according to local conditions," that is, offer some token tribute. The fact that the Liang Dynasty could transport grain every few years was already a significant improvement.

Hundreds of thousands of bushels of rice are far more valuable than a mere 16,000 strings of copper coins.
"What do you think would happen if Grandpa gave the seafarers some more benefits?" Shao Xun walked to his son's side, patted his shoulder, and asked.

“If we give more, they will be less resistant,” Shao Jin said. “I have heard that there are many barbarians in Yangjiang and Jiaoguang. The same sixteen strings of cash may be more valuable to them, enough to risk their lives for.”

Shao Xun was speechless.

He's truly a good son of my traitor Shao, just as ruthless as I am!
"So in your opinion, there is great potential in maritime transport?" Shao Xun asked.

Shao Jin pondered silently for a moment, then nodded and said, "The area between Jiaoguang and Jiaoning is mountainous and densely forested, making it difficult to harvest rice. With sea transport, the imperial court would be making a profit. As long as there are ships and seafarers, this can be implemented. I think—"

At this point, he looked up at Shao Xun and said, "Even if there are fewer seafarers in the future, we can lure barbarians out of the mountains, or even learn from Linhai County and use prisoners as boatmen. If anyone in any prefecture breaks the law, they can also become a boatman. In this way, there will be a continuous supply of boatmen. Furthermore, we could perhaps give them some additional benefits—"

"Speak," Shao Xun encouraged.

"It's a real pity that the seafarers returning from Jianye and Guangling often don't carry enough cargo," Shao Jin continued. He paused, then gritted his teeth and said, "Actually, my third brother and I discussed this matter before. He suggested that we could ship Kuaiji celadon and Central Plains silk south, and the price could be higher. If the seafarers could earn several dozen strings of cash on a round trip, they could go home and build houses and marry new wives. Why would they still need to flee?"

Shao Xun remained noncommittal, only saying, "I'm afraid we won't be able to sell dozens of boatloads of celadon and silk."

"We'll take as many ships as we can; it's better than sending them empty," Shao Jin said.

Shao Xun nodded.

This is actually the predicament that prevented the Maritime Silk Road from flourishing. Porcelain could be sold to some of the locals in Jiaozhou and Guangzhou, but silk could not be sold in large quantities.

This model would have worked during the Tang and Song dynasties, but it won't work here.

Of course, you can't have it both ways.

The flourishing of the Maritime Silk Road inevitably affected land trade, which meant that Gaochang and even the Western Regions would rise to prominence only to decline.

"What else did your third brother say?" Shao Xun asked again.

"My third brother mentioned that many musical instruments and coffins in the Central Plains are made of extremely precious wood, more valuable than gold," Shao Jin said. "Room beams, Buddha statues, couches, and gates—if they are made of good wood, they can be sold out very quickly. The wood I bought was already recorded by Cui Bao of the Jin Dynasty, who said, 'Purple sandalwood, from Funan, purple in color, also called purple sandalwood,' and also known as 'the wood of kings.' Many people love it, even spending thousands of gold coins to compete for it. My third brother said that when Chen Shumi's elder brother was buried, his coffin was made of purple sandalwood, which shows that it was not uncommon at that time. If we had the seafarers transport the wood from Jiaozhou north, paying them by price, even if each person paid thirty or fifty strings of cash at a time, we could still make a fortune."

“Nian Liu is really obsessed with money.” Shao Xun smiled, then waved his hand and said, “I know. Go visit your mother and spend ten days with your wives, concubines and children. After that, prepare to survey the land. This year, we need to finish investigating the three prefectures of Xu, Qing and Si. If we have time, we can also clean up Ji Prefecture.”

"Yes." Shao Jin bowed, took his leave, and departed.

Shao Xun stood with his hands behind his back, watching his son's back for a long time before finally looking away.

(End of this chapter)