Martial Arts World Assassin

Chapter 185 Western Region Chamber of Commerce
After Huang Sixi returned to the capital, he stopped fighting foreign troops and began to recuperate.

In the blink of an eye, he basically lived in the deep palace and rarely traveled far.

It was not until the Far East Chamber of Commerce and the Indian Chamber of Commerce, which he founded, began to show success after several years of operation and began to pay profits to the court.

In particular, the Tianzhu Chamber of Commerce, which mainly operates in the southeastern waters and controls the trade routes between the East and the West, has seen its revenue double every year.

The imperial court was encouraging the development of commerce and completely lifting the maritime ban. In coastal areas that already had a maritime trade base, maritime merchants began to grow like mushrooms after a spring rain.

After Huang Sixi learned about this situation, he set up a customs office and began to collect customs duties.

Since Huang Sixi had abolished agricultural taxes and trade in the Central Plains was still immature, commercial taxes should not be too heavy. He attached particular importance to tariffs and directly appointed the chief minister of the cabinet as the governor-general of customs to crack down on smuggling maritime merchants.

In the first year of the establishment of the Customs Office alone, customs duties reached millions of taels of silver.

The more prosperous the Central Plains' commerce becomes in the future, the faster the tariff revenue will increase. This one tax alone will basically be enough to solve all the military salary problems of the court.

However, Huang Sixi was eager to expand people's livelihood construction. The income from the Far East Chamber of Commerce, the Indian Chamber of Commerce and the Customs was not enough to meet his development requirements. He turned his attention to the Western Regions and prepared to create a new chamber of commerce run by the court.

It was originally in Huang Sixi's plan to establish an intercontinental chamber of commerce in the west, south, and north of the Central Plains. He had even already found a headquarters base for the Western Region Chamber of Commerce.

When he returned to "Bloodless Rivers and Lakes", he first appeared in the Tianshan Mountains in the Western Regions. When he was coming down from the Tianshan Mountains, he encountered a fight between the Kazakhs in southern Xinjiang and the Qing soldiers. He rescued the Kazakhs, repelled the Qing soldiers, and got to know Fei Hongjin, the leader of the southern Xinjiang tribes.

Later, together with Fei Hongjin, he assassinated Nalan Xiuji, a Qing general in southern Xinjiang, rescued the chiefs of the 24 tribes in southern Xinjiang, and defeated the traitorous Kadar tribe.

The Kadar tribe was the largest tribe in the southern Xinjiang grasslands. Because it surrendered to the Qing government, it was jointly wiped out by the 24 tribes. Afterwards, in order to repay Huang Sixi's kindness, the 24 tribes donated the Kadar tribe's pasture to Huang Sixi.

This ranch spans hundreds of miles of territory and is the perfect choice for running the Western Region Chamber of Commerce.

The Far East Chamber of Commerce's main products were furs, while the Indian Chamber of Commerce's main products were tea and silk.

The Western Region Chamber of Commerce deals in a wide range of commodities, but as it is a newly established chamber of commerce, its short-term profits will certainly not be as good as those of the Far East and India.

In order to increase the profits of the Western Region Chamber of Commerce, Huang Sixi left the capital again after several years, personally toured the grasslands in the west, and selected a special product for the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce".

On this day, Huang Sixi, accompanied by the governor of the Western Region Chamber of Commerce, came to a stone fortress building in the north of the ranch.

In the valley outside the stone fortress, there is a small dark green lake, which was formerly called the "Black Water Spring" by herdsmen.

When the twenty-four tribes in southern Xinjiang presented the ranch to Huang Sixi, Fei Hongjin specifically mentioned that there was a black water spring in the ranch. Black water is flammable and will burn if not carefully checked. Every time it burns, part of the grassland will be destroyed.

The herdsmen in southern Xinjiang have no idea what "black water" is and are terrified of it.

Huang Sixi knew very well that this "black water" was natural crude oil.

As early as fifty years ago, Adado, a strange man in southern Xinjiang, accidentally discovered that crude oil was erupting from the ground. Even the slightest spark could cause a fire if it fell on the crude oil.

In order to "let the grassland shine with light", Adado searched all over the grasslands of southern Xinjiang and finally found a natural crude oil well in a valley basin in the north of the Kadar tribe, which is called the "Black Water Spring" by local herdsmen.

Unfortunately, after Adado's death, local herdsmen were afraid that crude oil would cause a fire and were terrified of the "Black Water Spring", so they all stayed away from the oil well.

When Huang Sixi was gifted the grassland ranch, he fell in love with the "Black Water Spring" at first sight and took the ranch as his private property with the purpose of utilizing the oil well today.

When Huang Sixi founded the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce", he recruited the most famous master craftsmen in the Central Plains and rushed to the southern Xinjiang ranch to let them study the method of distilling crude oil.

They pondered for several years and finally completed the invention that Huang Sixi had dreamed of.

"Your Majesty, please look, this is a kerosene lamp!"

The craftsmen gathered in the stone fort and excitedly told Huang Sixi about this new item.

A kerosene lamp is a lighting tool that burns kerosene and is much more useful than a candle.

Huang Sixi then asked them: "Can kerosene lamps replace candles in the future?"

The craftsman replied, "Kerosene lamps are brighter and more convenient to use than candles. You only need to add oil to burn them all night long. If we transport these oil lamps to the Central Plains, they will definitely be snapped up! But Your Majesty, we cannot explore the reserves of black oil in the Black Water Spring. If the reserves are exhausted and we lose our source of kerosene, we will be like 'a good cook without rice'!"

Their meaning was very clear. As long as the black oil reserves in the crude oil wells were abundant, they guaranteed that kerosene lamps could replace candles and become the nighttime lighting tool for the people in the Central Plains, and could even be exported beyond the region.

But the key is that they are unable to explore the reserves of black oil, and therefore cannot assess the potential for kerosene lamps to sell well in the Central Plains.

Huang Sixi knew very well that there were innumerable crude oil mines in southern Xinjiang, and the reserves were astonishing.

The crude oil that naturally gushes out of the "Black Water Spring" at Huang Sixi Ranch alone, if all is excavated and made into kerosene lamps, will be enough for the people of the Central Plains to use for several years.

Of course, kerosene lamps were a new thing. When they were first shipped to the Central Plains, their prices were definitely high. They were mainly sold to dignitaries and wealthy businessmen in the Central Plains. Ordinary people might not be able to afford them.

But the fewer people use it, the lower the loss of the "Black Water Spring". The kerosene lamps produced by this "Black Water Spring" can be supplied to the officials and gentry in the Central Plains for decades.

Even if the "Black Water Spring" dries up and no other oil wells can be found, at least we can reap huge profits from the officials and gentry in the Central Plains through kerosene lamps.

This is also the reason why Huang Sixi ordered the craftsmen to gather at the "Black Water Spring" to develop kerosene lamps. The ultimate goal is to create huge profits for the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce".

Huang Sixi is a time traveler. He is very aware of the important role of crude oil, which is the foundation of the industrial age.

Unfortunately, it was only the seventeenth century and the whole world was in the handicraft era. Even if Huang Sixi gathered all the skilled craftsmen in the Central Plains, the only place they could use crude oil was kerosene lamps, and they had to use the most primitive distillation method to obtain combustible kerosene from crude oil.

However, it doesn’t matter even if the crude oil distillation technology stagnates for a hundred years. Huang Sixi used kerosene lamps to make the whole world aware of the benefits of crude oil.

When the industrial age arrives a hundred years later, crude oil mines will surely receive attention from all over the world.

Huang Sixi's "Western Region Chamber of Commerce" will mainly sell kerosene lamps in the future. In order to ensure that the profits from kerosene lamps can be smoothly transferred to the court, Huang Sixi not only recruited a large number of craftsmen, but also dispatched his confidants Dong Xuan and Xiao Zhuang to station in southern Xinjiang. Dong Xuan served as the governor of the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce" and had full authority to manage the trade in southern Xinjiang.

In those days, Huang Sixi killed the Tartar emperors Shunzhi and Kangxi in Mount Wutai, and then asked Jiunan and Mao Huanlian to impersonate the two emperors and hide in the Forbidden City.

It was not enough to just control the power of the imperial palace. Huang Sixi asked Taoist Dongxuan to impersonate Prince Kang Jieshu and take up the post of Governor of the Nine Gates, and then control the public security of the entire capital.

Taoist Dongxuan did not disappoint Huang Sixi's trust and perfectly performed the job of the Nine Gates Commander.

When Huang Sixi started his rebellion in Kunming, the news reached the capital. The Eight Banners Tartar nobles immediately united and tried to force the emperor to abdicate, asking Jiunan and Mao Huanlian to issue an order to encircle and suppress Huang Sixi.

At this critical moment, Taoist Dongxuan relied on his identity as the Governor of the Nine Gates to decisively suppress the Eight Banners nobles who were forcing the emperor to abdicate, and aborted the Eight Banners' plan to organize an army to quell the rebellion.

During the period of Huang Sixi's recovery of the Central Plains, he did not encounter any large-scale Tatar troops, which was mostly due to the credit of Taoist Dongxuan.

When Huang Sixi led the Dragon Subduing Army to attack the capital, Taoist Dongxuan acted as an insider and opened all the gates inside and outside the Forbidden City, providing decisive conditions for Huang Sixi to recapture the capital without bloodshed.

Huang Sixi did not ignore the contributions of Taoist Dongxuan. After he ascended the throne, he directly ordered Taoist Dongxuan to return to secular life, and selected Taoist Dongxuan into the cabinet, making him one of the eight cabinet ministers.

Since Dongxuan was the youngest disciple of Xiandu Sect in the past, he is less than fifty years old now.

Among the eight cabinet ministers, the civil officials were Gu Yanwu, Huang Zongxi, Wang Fuzhi, and Lu Liuliang, and the military officials were Hu Guinan, Luo Liru, Meng Zheng, and Dong Xuan.

Among these eight people, only Lu Liuliang was over 40 years old, younger than Dongxuan, and the other six were all older than Dongxuan.

Huang Sixi implemented a system of rotating prime ministers in the cabinet. The rule was that the oldest person would serve as prime minister first, and the younger one would come later.

Therefore, Dongxuan is the last of the four great military generals to serve as the prime minister. He currently has no important official duties in the capital, so Huang Sixi transferred him to southern Xinjiang and appointed him as the governor of the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce" to manage southern Xinjiang for the court.

This time, Huang Sixi inspected the kerosene lamp production base of "Heishuiquan" and was accompanied by Dongxuan throughout the trip.

In the eyes of most people in the Central Plains, Southern Xinjiang is a barbarian frontier area. Dongxuan also holds this idea. He was initially reluctant to leave the Central Plains and go to Southern Xinjiang to take up a post. However, when he learned that the imperial court was going to establish the 'Western Region Chamber of Commerce' in Southern Xinjiang, and that the scale of this chamber of commerce would be on par with the 'Far East Chamber of Commerce' and the 'Indian Chamber of Commerce', he immediately happily took up the post.

Over the years, the imperial court has earned countless profits through the 'Far East Chamber of Commerce' and the 'Indian Chamber of Commerce'. The 'Western Regions Chamber of Commerce' faces a wider territory. After all, the Central Plains court has been managing the Western Regions since ancient times, and the origin of the Silk Road is also in the Western Regions. If managed properly, the profits will definitely be greater.

Dongxuan knew that Huang Sixi attached great importance to the profits of major chambers of commerce. The higher the profits handed over to the court, the greater the reward from Huang Sixi. Dongxuan gladly rushed to southern Xinjiang to preside over the development of the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce".

Huang Sixi inspected the Shibao base and saw that the kerosene lamps had already taken shape in the production line process. He knew that the development of the "Western Region Chamber of Commerce" was already on the right track.

Even though the 'Western Region Chamber of Commerce' is a newly established company, once kerosene lamps are shipped to the Central Plains in large quantities, the profits of the 'Western Region Chamber of Commerce' will definitely not be lower than those of the 'Far East Chamber of Commerce' and the 'Indian Chamber of Commerce'.

The trade profits of the three major chambers of commerce in Huang Sixi's hands are enough to completely offset the agricultural taxes paid by the people in the Central Plains.

The imperial court only needs to seize the profits of the three major chambers of commerce to ensure peace in the world.

Even if Huang Sixi leaves "Blooded Rivers and Lakes" now, it will not affect the effective operation of the court, nor will it affect the prosperity and prosperity of the Central Plains' commerce.

Seeing that Dongxuan and Xiaozhuang's business in southern Xinjiang was gradually becoming stable, Huang Sixi decided not to stay in southern Xinjiang for long and prepared to return to the capital.

But before he left, he had one important matter to attend to.

That day, he led Fei Hongjin away from the Imperial Guards and went deep into the vast Tianshan Mountains.

After marching for several days, they saw a snow-capped peak blocking their way. At first glance, the peak looked like a huge camel, with its head facing east and its tail facing west, covered with white fur.

Fei Hongjin recognized the origin of Xuefeng Peak at a glance and said to Huang Sixi, "This is Luotuo Peak. It seems that the Wudang hero Zhuo Yihang is living in seclusion on the peak. Your Majesty, do you want to meet the hero Zhuo?"

"no!"

Huang Sixi said, "Zhuo Yihang climbed up Camel Peak for another reason. He lived in seclusion on the top of the snowy peak in order to pick a rare flower for your master."

"Strange flower?"

Fei Hongjin recalled what Huang Sixi had said outside the Huanggong Temple in Hejian Prefecture: "Is the strange flower your majesty is talking about the Udumbara flower?"

"What else could it be but this flower!"

In order to explain to the martial arts masters why he looked young, Huang Sixi claimed that it was the result of taking the Udumbara Flower, but in fact he had never seen the Udumbara Flower.

However, Huang Sixi knew the experiences of the heroes in "Tianshan Jianghu". Zhuo Yihang had been stationed at Luotuo Peak for decades and finally saw the blooming of the Udumbara flower.

Back then, Zhuo Yihang caused the White-haired Witch's hair to turn white due to a misunderstanding. Out of guilt, he wanted to help his lover, the White-haired Witch, to regain her youth. That's why he guarded the place where the Udumbara flower grew, just to wait for the fairy flower to bloom, and then pick it and give it to the White-haired Witch.

Unfortunately, Zhuo Yihang was old and frail, and time passed quickly. When the Udumbara flower bloomed, he was already on his deathbed. In the end, he was unable to hand the fairy flower to the Witch of Flowers in person, and could only entrust his disciples to deliver it on his behalf.

When the disciple handed the flower to the White-haired Witch, she was already in her seventies or eighties. What good would it do to take the flower? She was getting old, and her lover Zhuo Yihang had passed away. Who could she show her youthful face to?
In the end, the White-haired Witch did not take the Udumbara Flower, and gave it to her disciple Fei Hongjin.

Huang Sixi knew about Zhuo Yihang's past with the White-haired Witch, so he led Fei Hongjin to Luotuo Peak.

When climbing the mountain, Fei Hongjin introduced Huang Sixi: "It is said that hundreds of years ago, there was no ice or snow on this Camel Peak. The whole mountain was covered with green grass and a clear spring on the top of the mountain. There were strange flowers growing beside the spring. One flower looked like the morning glow, and the other looked like moonlight. If you picked these two strange flowers and chewed them, the old would become younger and the young would become more beautiful..."

What she was talking about was the Udumbara flower.

The two climbed up the mountain and soon saw the clear spring on Camel Peak and two exotic flowers, one red and one white, blooming beside the spring.

However, on the stone wall behind the strange flower, there was a cave entrance. In the cave, an old man was sitting cross-legged. His face was pale, like a skeleton.

(End of this chapter)