open sea

Chapter 413 Jinshi
The weather in Luzon in September was hot, and the congestion in Macheng made the Ming officials who had just arrived feel chest tight.

Merchants and travelers from Daming arrived at the port one after another after the storm subsided. Dozens of Fuchuan and Guangzhou boats of different sizes parked in Manila Bay. The goods were transported to the market south of Wangcheng.

The captains of merchants may change, but sailors have always been recruited from the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangzhou, especially after the governor of Guangdong in the Ming Dynasty ordered a ban on the number of people who made maritime affairs their home, most of these sailors were coastal fishermen recruited from Fujian.

Since the officers and soldiers went south, the merchants followed closely behind, and recruited a group of fishermen and sailors to act as boatmen on the spot. The maritime merchants made a fortune, and the salary for the boatmen was higher than that of the middle school.Sailing is more prosperous this year, and sailors who have been to Luzon once or twice come back, and most of them bring the descendants of the clan to enter the industry.

Some people simply didn’t go back after seeing the Ming army’s victories in Luzon and even stationed in the islands last year, and started to make a living overseas.

Quanshang Shi Xiaolou is waiting for someone to lend money in Luzon. The Macheng government has the business of auctioning houses. Merchants in the market.

"Brother Wen, this generation is also an officer and soldier, how can he accompany merchants and merchants around, and look like Wu Bian?"

The talented scholars sent by the imperial court to the Nanyang Military Mansion also arrived. There were more than a dozen of them, each with a servant, and more than a hundred banner troops from Guangdong Province were escorted along the way.

The leader is Zhang Yuanxuan, who is from Xu Wei's hometown. When Xu Wei killed his wife and went to prison, he rescued him in every possible way. At the same time, he was also the number one scholar in the fifth year of Longqing.His entourage, Shi Ce and Liu Tai, were all from the same year. In the fifth year of Longqing's reign, there were less than [-] Jinshi scholars, and the dispatch of [-] to Luzon was already a matter of great importance to the imperial court.

Xu Wei took Zhang Yuanyu's arm and walked towards the yamen. Hearing the words, he followed his gaze and saw merchants with silk and satin at the port with a few attendants carrying blunderbuss and short knives on their backs. Don't stop, merchants are just defending themselves."

Zhang Yuanxuan looked back at Tongnian, there were those who didn't care about it, and naturally there were also those who were very grateful, but because they were newcomers, they didn't say anything.

Merchants are not allowed to wear silk and satin, and housekeepers are not allowed to carry firearms. These laws are broken in Luzon.

"Brother Wen just said that the war has not stopped? Where is there a war here? It is clearly a time of peace." Zhang Yuanxi raised his finger and gestured and said: "When boarding the ship in Weigang, the merchants in the same company said that this year Guangdong will lose to Luzon. There are 13 bolts of cotton cloth, which is more than the tax paid by the government last year, why, there are still people who use cotton cloth to fight wars?"

The tax that Zhang Yuanxi mentioned refers only to the physical tax on cotton cloth, which is only the discount collected by the imperial court from the weavers.

"The battle in Luzon has been fought long ago, and the officers and soldiers are now fighting in the east, Guam in the east." Xu Wei raised his hand and pointed towards the east, mysteriously saying: "Five thousand miles to the sea."

"But to be honest, cotton does fight wars."

Xu Wei didn't make it clear, and led Zhang Yuanxi along while introducing: "13 bolts of cotton cloth can't be eaten by Luzon. There are Ming merchants here who resell them to Sulu, Huani, and Java. A bolt of cloth sells for three cents in Daming. In Luzon, it can be worth two taels, and in Sulu and Heni, it can be worth four taels, so all countries can barter, and the goods can be sold back to Daming to live in exotic goods, and the price will rise as the tide rises."

"In this way, 13 cotton cloths come and go, and the government draws a lot twice, and you can get more than [-] taels. This year, Guangdong produces more cotton than last year, and next year will be more than this year. The common people have to use [-]% of the land to grow cotton, and [-]% to grow sweet potatoes, and the rest can be grown by themselves, and most of these things have to be transported back to the country.”

"Money and food are the foundation of the country."

Zhang Yuanxuan laughed dumbfounded, and said: "The common people buy land but have to listen to the government's assignment to cultivate it, don't they feel unhappy?"

"Most of the local natives don't want to buy land for farming. They are more willing to be tenants for the Ming people. It saves worry and effort. As for the people who cross the sea, they will not be upset. How can there be hundreds or even thousands of acres of land in the country? Let alone the government. Some people come to collect the ordered things every year, and they are all based on the market price, so it’s too late to be happy.”

These Jinshi are all talented and intelligent people. After listening to Xu Wei's introduction, they still seem to understand. Lu Song is too messy in their eyes. Walking with a knife, there are even those who carry a bird gun on their shoulders and a gun gun in their hands.

Not to mention, the soldiers here are obviously barbarians, but they are the Ming Banner Army, and the merchants are dressed in silk and satin, but the officials turn a blind eye.

Jinshi Liu Tai was previously the head of the Ministry of Punishment, and the boss was not happy about his transfer to the Nanyang Military Mansion this time. At this time, he couldn't help it anymore, and asserted: "There is no law here, and it will be chaotic if it goes on for a long time!"

"There is a law, murder pays for life, wounds and convicts, and pays food and taxes."

Xu Wei saw that some of the Jinshi were dissatisfied with the current situation in Lu Song, but he would not comfort him. He smiled and said: "So the imperial court sent you over, and Chen Shuai will give you a big gift first, which is to formulate rules and regulations. The set of rules should be recorded in the annals of history."

"What rules?"

"The "Wan Guo Tong Law", in response to Chen Shuai's intention, set up a law governing the barbarians and people going to sea in overseas countries, and also stipulated the obligations of trading countries, allies, tributary countries, vassal states, and vassal states. This set of laws and regulations The purpose is to facilitate Daming, and I hope that you will not put the cart before the horse."

Xu Wei said emphatically, "Protecting Daming's overseas property, trade, people and conquests, of course we must also seek the well-being of the countries."

A group of Jinshi listened to Xu Wei's retelling of Chen Mu's original words, and looked at each other. They didn't quite understand. The most critical question was asked by Zhang Yuanyu. He said: "The imperial court is overseas, and there are still property?"

Ming people are used to their own land and their own food, and never compete for other people’s. Overseas has always been someone else’s. The law of the ancestors does not work outside?

"In the southwestern Mindoro Island, the island does not belong to Luzon. In the letter of credence handed over to the imperial court by the King of Luzon in the twelfth lunar month last year, the seven islands including Mindoro and Chenlai have been included in the territory of the Ming Dynasty. Four gold mines have been opened on the island. , [-] coal mines, and more than [-] households, there will be more and more land like this.”

"There are more than a thousand immigrants from Xinming, and the land there is bigger, but it's not as good; the Nanyang military government resets three guards on Kuwu Island, Guam and Xiyi naval battles, from Malacca to Japan, there is Mongolian Oirat in the north of Ming Dynasty, but Nan Facing Overseas, I have completely obeyed Wang Hua!"

"Chen Shuai said that today the three points will fall, and the Western Yi kingdoms will attack the Ottomans. We, Ming Dynasty, should not settle down in one corner. It is time to hide our strengths and bide our time, and wait for the opportunity to strike first. Overseas is far easier to make meritorious service than in China. It is worthwhile for you to come here."

As Xu Wei said, he stood still outside the Nanyang Yamen in Macheng, turned his head and looked at the group of Jinshi with a sudden pity in his eyes, he stretched out his hand and said: "Masters, Haigong has been waiting in the hall for a long time, please .”

Zhang Yuanyu was stared straight at by Xu Wei, he hadn't recovered from Xu Wei's words earlier, he frowned and asked, "Haigong?"

Xu Wei nodded, seeing the sudden change of color of several Jinshi who had reacted, finally couldn't hold back the smile on his face, gave a positive answer to their guess, nodded and said: "That's right, Haigang Peak."

(End of this chapter)