Go back to the Ming Dynasty to be a thousand households

Chapter 244 Want a reward?

After fierce quarrels and the coordination of Shi Xing, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, finally Shanxi Town and Taipu Temple reached an agreement, and the horse management would still be managed by Taipu Temple.However, Shanxi Town is responsible for the security of the mutual market, and Shanxi Town must also have a share of the dividends in the horse market, and Taipusi agreed.

After the matter was resolved, Emperor Wanli formally approved the opening of Shanxi Town.Huang Laifu and others also proposed in the memorial that they hope that the city of Shanxi Town can not limit the time, but can have more locations and allow citizens to do so.

After all, it is concentrated in one place, and once a year, once a month, the mutual market time is far from meeting the needs of both Han and Mongolia in the border town.Moreover, Huang Laifu also assured that there would be no problem with the safety of the border town during the mutual market. He assured that the Mongols would not dare to cause trouble, and Emperor Wanli believed in Huang Laifu's ability, so he agreed.

On September 22, the [-]nd year of Wanli, Shanxi Town officially opened, with an official market and a private market.The location of the official city is located within the Shuiquanying Fort and Red Gate Fort on the side wall, and the location of the civilian city is uncertain.At the same time, in the three forts of Laoying Fort, Shuiquanying Fort, and Hongmen Fort, matters such as notifications (edicts) and licenses for entry and exit trade were handled. After the news came out, merchants from both Han and Mongolia flocked.

In October, the weather in the frontier fortress has gradually cooled down. The wind howled across the field, causing the bare branches to sway from time to time, and rolled up a piece of dust and yellow sand.After October, the scenery of the frontier fortress began to be depressed, but at this time, Yaogouzimin City, not far from Shuiying Fort, was full of excitement.

Shanxi Town has finally opened a market, which is a good thing, but the border wall between Shanxi Town and the Mongolian tribe is hundreds of miles long, and there are many mountains, so it is not easy to travel long distances. The two official cities in the district obviously cannot meet the demand, so Huang Laifu is here again. Five more civilian markets were opened in Yaogouzi and Dianbangzi on the side wall.

Yaogouzi is not big, it was originally just a small civilian fort, because it is close to the side wall, it also belongs to the main road of traffic, so it is a matter of course that it has become one of the civilian cities.Like many civilian fortresses in border towns, Yaogouzi has a fortress wall built along the mountain, which can be attacked when advancing and defended when retreating.Of course, the fort walls are all made of rammed earth, which cannot be compared with military forts.Although there are many streets and alleys in the castle, it is not very big, there are only dozens of large and small courtyards.

At this time, in the loess field surrounded by a wooden fence at the entrance of the fort, many well-dressed Han and Mongolian businessmen shuttled back and forth, and there were also many Mongolian men in shabby leather robes and fur hats, with their ragged women and children, He was driving his own cattle and sheep goods, bargaining in stuttering Chinese with Han people in better clothes, and trading what he needed, all kinds of voices were endless.

The things sold here are very simple, and the commodities traded are mainly necessities of daily life.The Mongolian herdsmen who came here traded cattle and sheep, skins, horsetails, felt fur, salinity, firewood, wood and other commodities in exchange for grain, rice, cloth, pots and kettles, farming tools, wool and other daily necessities from the Han merchants.

The items exchanged were simple and the transaction volume was not high, but even so, both the Han and Mongolian civilians were quite satisfied.Especially those poor Mongolian herdsmen were even more elated.

In the past, there was no market in Shanxi Town, and even some civilian markets that both parties sneaked open in peacetime were sneaky, and they couldn't meet the demand at all.Every spring in previous years, poor Mongolian herders were short of food, so they often came to the side wall in groups, begging the side of the Ming Dynasty for mercy, and let them secretly change things.

When they secretly traded with the Han people in the side walls and the army, they usually exchanged a cow for a stone of rice and beans for the Han people, and a sheep for several buckets of miscellaneous grains.Those who have no cattle or sheep will exchange a load of firewood for two or three liters of miscellaneous rice.Or maybe use leather clothes, use horsetails, and exchange various miscellaneous grains, etc.Its thin and hungry appearance and poor state make people feel pitiful.

It is not bad to be able to trade secretly, because these Mongols often gather outside the side wall in groups, and the frontier army is terrified when they see them, and they are fully on guard against them, often causing conflicts between the two sides, so let alone a deal between the two sides.Now it's all right, it can be traded openly, and the trading time is free, and both parties can get their own needs. For a while, the people on both sides of the border of Han and Mongolia are grateful for the grace of the Emperor of Ming Dynasty.

Here, more than a hundred officers and soldiers from the Luying Bureau of Laoyingbao Township are stationed here to maintain market order, ensure the normal progress of trade, and ban various prohibited items.At the same time, the clerks in the bureau also collected some tax money from both sides as the cost of maintaining order in the garrison.But to be honest, this kind of civilian city, the annual income tax is not much, ranging from two to three hundred taels to no more than four to five hundred taels, which can only meet the daily expenses of the garrison.

Moreover, the Han and Mongolian border people came and went laxly in the city, and there were not many permanent merchants.Regarding the establishment of the civilian city, what Huang Laifu valued was only the exchanges and contacts between the border residents on both sides.If you want to make a big deal and get a large amount of tax money, you have to look at the Shuiquanying Fort and the Red Gate Fort official city on the side wall.

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Compared with Yaogou Zimin City, Shuiquanyingbao Guanshi is much larger in scale. Guanshi is not far from the fort. It is surrounded by high walls, like a urn city. There are gates inside and outside the gate, which can be opened and closed.

Inside the wall, there is a market made of wood, called the market circle.There are high-rise buildings in the city circle for the officers and soldiers stationed in the market to look out.Xie Qingkui, the garrison of the Zhenlu camp, led [-] elite officers and troops to station in the market, serving as market guards and maintaining market order.Every time the Mongols entered the market, the few were forty or fifty, and the many were more than a hundred riders. Once they entered the urn city, the gates were closed, and then the two sides traded with each other.People come again, and then open again.

Except for these idle trading Mongolians who only received edicts and short-term trade licenses at the pass.In the official city, there are also many Han and Mongolian businessmen with dental certificates and city registration licenses. They rent stalls in the official city and stay in trade for a long time.This is the difference between Shanxi towns and other border towns.

With these licenses, it is much easier for Huang Laifu to collect taxes from these people.Like other border towns in the Ming Dynasty, Huang Laifu also set up a tax department in the official city of Shanxi Town to collect taxes from both sides of the transaction.Relevant ambassadors, deputy envoys, Zandian, Patrol and others were appointed by He Chaoxun and Deputy Qianhu after consultation.After several years of management, coupled with Huang Laifu's usual indoctrination, He Chaoxun and Deputy Qianhu can be said to be handy in collecting tax money.He has developed a keen eye, and no one wants his subordinates to evade taxes.

Huang Laifu had a heated argument with Governor Yang, Taipu Siqing and others about the management personnel of the Central Taxation Department in the official city. Everyone wanted to use their own people.Of course, Governor Yang couldn't compete with Huang Laifu, and he also understood the virtues of his subordinates. Anyway, Huang Laifu made a lot of money, so he would give himself a dividend and let Huang Laifu handle it instead.

The Taipusi Minister did not give in, because an important feature of the "official market" is that the official comes out of the "market capital", that is, to buy goods such as silk and silk cloth that are traded in the mutual market, and then trade with Mongolian merchants and people.At that time, the "city book" was mainly issued by the Taipu Temple, an institution in charge of horse affairs.After receiving the "Shiben" silver taels issued by Taipu Temple, all parties will not only purchase goods from Zhangjiawan, Hexiwu near Shuntianfu, and Linqing Prefecture in Shandong, but also take the "Shiben" far to the south of the Yangtze River. Purchase goods from Huguang and other places, and transport them to Saishang to trade horses with Mongolian merchants.

Generally speaking, each side's annual market needs more than [-] taels a year, and one tael is indispensable, which is a heavy burden for the imperial court, and the mutual market is a national policy of the imperial court, which must be carried out every year.Among the frontier generals in the past, who could afford the capital without relying on the Taipu Temple?It is often the case that the Taipu Temple delays the market with excuses, and the border generals have insufficient funds, so they have to ask for guest pay, or ask the Ministry of War to send horses and silver, or even fill the market with the internal organs of dead horses and friends in each battalion.Besides, the management of horses in the armies of all sides is through the Taipu Temple, who dares to fight against it?
But when it comes to Huang Laifu, he is not a problem, more than two hundred thousand taels of silver is a lot, but Huang Laifu can afford it, and the profit obtained after the transaction is definitely no less than this amount.It would be best for Taipu Temple not to intervene.After being threatened by Huang Laifu, Taipusi had no choice but to give in and let Huang Laifu manage the tax department of Shanxi Township. From now on, they will only concentrate on the horse trade.Of course, Taipusi also said that Huang Laifu can take care of the tax department, but Huang Laifu will be responsible for the rewards of the barbarians in the future.

In fact, Huang Laifu's insistence on managing the tax department was also out of his own considerations. Daming's commercial taxation is notoriously imperfect.In a township government city, the annual tax and silver collection is no less than 6000 taels and no more than 7000 taels. This is inconceivable to Huang Laifu.If he is allowed to collect it, it can be as little as tens of thousands of taels and as much as 10,000+ taels, which is very easy, because it is equivalent to a local tariff.

Huang Laifu comes from a later generation, so of course he knows the huge profits of tariffs, such as ad valorem tariffs, specific tariffs, mixed tariffs, selective tariffs, sliding tariffs, import taxes, export taxes, transit taxes, etc., are collected one by one, easily and richly.

It is not Huang Laifu's style to hand over and let wealth slip away from him.Therefore, after he won the management right of the Guanshi Taxation Department, Huang Laifu selected personnel from the Wuzhaibao Taxation Bureau to come to Shuiquanyingbao Guanshi to manage tax collection, and formulated detailed management regulations and tax categories.

On October 22th, the 3000nd year of Wanli, Huang Laifu, father-in-law Ma Jiuying, Governor Yang, and Shaoqing, a fourth-rank official in Taipu Temple, also came to Shuiquan Yingbao for inspection, accompanied by Zhenlu The battalion guerrilla Xu Zhongtai, the former deputy commander of the old camp, has now been appreciated by Huang Laifu, and he is able to command [-] people in the Zhenlu battalion.After receiving the news that Huang Laifu and others were coming, the bearded Xie Qingkui greeted them at the gate of the market.

When Huang Laifu and his party entered the official city, there was a noisy atmosphere. The official city was full of dense shops and stalls. No matter they were Han Chinese, Mongolians, or many Hu people from all over the Great Wall, they traded loudly here. with.

In the official market, there are government-market transactions and private-market transactions, each occupying one side.

Generally, the official market mainly trades silk, horses and other things.There are more abundant trades in the city. Han merchants and civilians used cloth and silk pots and kettles, needles and threads, lengths of silk, cloth silk, cotton, needle threads, modified machines, combs, rice salt, candy, shuttle cloth, otter skins, sheepskin boxes, etc., for exchange. Mongolian horses, cattle, sheep, mules, donkeys, horsetails, sheepskins, leather jackets, etc.

In the private market, when the two parties trade with each other, the price is generally set by the local people, and the market tax bureau does not interfere.Here, horses can also be bought and sold, but compared with the official market, the horses here are slightly worse, and the price will be higher.Generally, a high-quality fan horse is priced at 12 taels, with a piece of cloth for [-] cent, and the real price is more than [-] taels of silver.A middle-fan horse is priced at ten taels, and its real value is more than seven taels of silver.The next fan horse is priced at [-] taels, and the real value is more than [-] taels of silver.

But even so, both sides have made huge profits, and both Han businessmen and Mongolian businessmen expressed their satisfaction.Huang Laifu nodded secretly, while the young minister of the Taipu Temple was secretly jealous. He didn't expect Shanxi Town to be full of businessmen and people as soon as it opened. It's a pity that the tax revenue does not go to the management of his temple.

Huang Laifu and his group walked into the market, and of course they attracted the attention of others. They saw the clothes of Huang Laifu and others, the elite guards beside them, and the market guard Xie Qingkui respectfully accompanied them. , both Han and Mongolian merchants hurriedly saluted Huang Laifu and others. From time to time, some people discussed and speculated on the identity of Huang Laifu and others.

Huang Laifu was strolling around the Ming Dynasty's stock market, while watching, Governor Yang was also smiling all over his face, and said: "What a city, bustling and lively, it's not inferior to Ningwuguan, it's really rare!"

Suddenly he heard a fierce quarrel ahead, which immediately attracted the Han and Mongolian merchants who were trading to look there. Huang Laifu frowned, and Governor Yang also shouted: "An important place for the government and the city, who is making noise here?"

Xie Qingkui clasped his fists to Huang Laifu and saluted, "Military Gate, the last general will go and have a look!"

He led a few sergeants to stride, and soon he came back, followed by a Mongolian man in a leather robe and a group of Mongolian attendants. It seemed that he was the patriarch of some small tribe, because Huang Laifu was not there. Guihua City had seen him.

However, although this person is the patriarch of a small tribe, he has an arrogant expression. Seeing Huang Laifu's big appearance, he shouted at him angrily in blunt Chinese: "Why is there no reward? When I was in Datong Town, the local Ming State officials and generals reward the city, why not in Shanxi Town?"

Xie Qingkui just whispered to Huang Laifu: "Junmen, this barbarian wants to be rewarded!"

Hearing this little patriarch yelling loudly, with a rude expression on his face, he couldn't help but change his face, and shouted: "Presumptuous, you bastard, how dare you be rude to my family's military sect!"

A group of Huang Laifu's servants shouted angrily when they saw that this man was rude. Everyone drew out their weapons one after another, and even pointed a few pistols at them.The Mongolian attendants beside the patriarch immediately changed their faces. Huang Laifu had a rule that when entering the border, the Mongolian people were forbidden to bring weapons, so now they can be said to be unarmed.In a real fight, they will definitely suffer.

Hearing what Xie Qingkui said, Huang Laifu snorted and sneered.According to the mutual market regulations of Ming Dynasty, after the mutual market in each border town is over every year, for the Mongolians who come to trade, after the transaction is completed, all the chiefs of various ministries will be feasted, and the barbarian chiefs will be rewarded. Each person will give a catty of beef and five pieces of corn. , a catty of wheat noodles, a bottle of seasonal wine, vegetables, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and horse grass silver for seven cents and two cents, rice charcoal and silver for two cents, this is called a reward.

These silvers are taken from the commercial tax collected by the local city.But with Huang Laifu, his reward was cancelled.

At this time, Huang Laifu looked at him coldly, and suddenly shouted, "What kind of reward? A fart reward!"

(End of this chapter)