I am really tired after the update today. I have a good rest for a day and I will understand more.

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The Governor of Xuanda was appointed, the generals of Zhangjiakou and Datong were replaced, and a group of middle and lower-level officers from each town were also transferred, and were replaced by martial arts.

There was also the earlier Shanxi Governor Yang Lian who took office and vigorously implemented the replenishment of funds for clearing the garrisons. Some local officials were subsequently dismissed and replaced. The officialdom in Shanxi was shocked.

These changes are not very obvious to the people. In addition to the imperial court's intention to exempt them from being happy.

But for Shanxi merchants, especially those with privileges of border foreign trade, they feel increasingly stressed and their income has decreased.

You should know that having border trade privileges can definitely make money, but smuggling banned goods is even more profitable.

The Ming Hui Dian records: "If someone who uses this (Maxi-City Trade) to see the truth and the truth, the Chinese people who are invincible make friends with direct people, even steal military weapons and leak military information. Even if there are officials such as the city, the situation cannot be banned."

In other words, when the Ming Dynasty opened the horse market to Mongolian tribes, it did not sell everything, at least in terms of some materials, it was not unlimitedly supplied.

For example, ironware was a clear ban in the Ming Dynasty. In addition, many strategic materials such as grain and salt were also sold in limited quantities.

As for weapons and intelligence, it is strictly prohibited. Moreover, this is no longer a matter of smuggling, but a treason.

However, the eight great masters of Shanxi merchants sold their country not after a private relationship with the Later Jin Dynasty. In their trade with the Mongols, they made money, which is what the "Chinese people who are invincible" mentioned in the Ming Hui Dian.

To successfully smuggle, we must naturally get in hand with the government and bribe the soldiers and generals, and provide convenience when checking out the customs. Over time, smuggling tends to change to openly.

But now, with the vigorous rectification of the court, smuggling is not only becoming more and more difficult, but it is even possible to be completely cut off.

Shanxi Jiexiu, Fanfu.

The mansion covers several acres of land and is built magnificently. Although it is a businessman, it has the temperament of no less than that of a high-ranking official.

It is normal that most Shanxi merchants are officials and businessmen, who take advantage of their official positions and have privileges and conveniences.

If we follow the root of the matter, we can find that the Shanxi merchants were once the force behind Zhang Juzheng to promote reform.

Wang Chonggu, Zhang Siwei, Yang Bo, Wang Guoguang and other Shanxi bureaucrats have close ties with Shanxi merchants through in-laws.

For example, Wang Chonggu's second sister married Zhang Yunling, a businessman in Shanxi, and his son was Zhang Siwei, while Wang Chonggu's daughter married Yang Bo's son Yang Junqing;

Yang Bo's two granddaughters married Zhang Siwei's two sons Zhang Jiahui and Zhang Dinghui, and Zhang Siwei's daughter married Ma Ziqiang (Shaanxi businessman)'s son...

Because of this, many people believe that although the "Longqing Peace Agreement" is a wise move in relations with Mongolia, it ensures hundreds of years of stability in northern Xinjiang.

However, the senior officials at that time Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei worked hard, which was also due to the selfish intention of realizing the Ming and Meng markets and gaining opportunities for their wealthy business family to make a lot of money.

In fact, Shanxi merchants did make a fortune through border trade, further strengthening the family's financial resources and influence in Shanxi.

However, changes in the Shanxi officialdom and the changes in the court's policies seem to be gradually blocking the financial path of Shanxi merchants. They have no choice but to discuss solutions and find a solution.

In the hall, Fan Yongdou's face was warm, listening to Wang Dengku complaining, smiling and gently slighting his head.

"If we weren't afraid of danger and traded with Mongolians from the customs, where would the border town be peaceful?"

Wang Dengku also looked aggrieved and indignant, and said loudly: "Now we have to kill the donkey and cut off our wealth. How can we make such a truth?"

Jin Liangyu smiled and said slowly: "Once the emperor is the emperor, the emperor is optimistic about who he is. Lao Wang, don't do this, you must know how much you hurt your liver!"

Huang Yunfa stroked his beard and said slowly: "Old Jin is right, but this matter cannot be forgotten. What should be fought for, but it still needs to be fought for."

"How to fight?" Wang Dengku stared at him, "If you buy it with money, you will have a chance. But now, there is no place to give away money!"

Jin Liangyu said: "Look, Lao Wang, you are still so impatient. You haven't figured out what specific policy you have yet to figure out, so you said there is no chance."

After pausing, he continued, "I asked someone to inquire about Governor Yang. This matter will be in charge of Governor Xuanda. What is the constitution, and the Governor will announce it. Therefore, it is better to wait patiently."

Fan Yongdou nodded in agreement and said, "Old Jin is right! What license should the court issue? This is similar to the previous "opening the middle system"? Can't you still get rich?"

During the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, in order to defend the harassment of the Oirat and Tatars on the Central Plains, nine sides were set up to defend.

Because the nine sides are far away from the empire's ruling center and the logistics supply difficulties are numerous, in order to reduce the burden, the court reached an agreement with Shanxi merchants, which is the so-called "opening the middle system", or "opening grain and receiving middle system".

The specific method is: Shanxi merchants transported food to several major border fortresses such as Datong and Juyongguan, while the court induced salt to these merchants, so that these merchants were qualified to legally sell "official salt".

The advantage of the Kaizhong system is that it mobilized the enthusiasm of merchants and the people to transport military rations, while the disadvantage was to give benefits to salt merchants and reduce government revenue. However, in the early Ming Dynasty, the benefits outweighed the disadvantages.

For example, the Ming Taizu fought eight times and Chengzu fought five times, which consumed countless military rations and horses, and there was no public grievance. The "Opening the Central System" made an indelible contribution.

Moreover, in order to save the cost of transporting grain, merchants recruited a large number of farmers to clear land near border towns, which also enriched the empire's borders and promoted the development of border areas.

However, if any good policy is implemented for a long time, problems will inevitably arise, and the same is true for "paying food and raising money".

Due to the huge profits of selling salt, a large number of royal relatives and noble officials participated in it and used their power to invade salt. The royal family also took the lead in taking salt as a means of reward.

In this way, the salt is overspent, and the salt field does not have so much salt to withdraw, so fewer and fewer merchants are engaged in the salt business, and the system of the salt system is thus destroyed.

However, the rise of Shanxi merchants has made the first pot of gold from "paying food".

In addition to their normal operation, they also use bribery and other means to spend a small amount of money and not transport grain, but they can get salt, which is similar to the nature of the invasion of the powerful and powerful.

Therefore, the news of border trade licenses spread, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu and others could not sit still, but the leader Fan Yongdou was still relatively calm.

In his opinion, policies are not about how to formulate them, but about how to implement them. The original intention of the court, whether it will be implemented and whether it will go astray when it reaches the local level. The statement among them is very deep.

"But now, many border generals and local officials have changed, so it is not easy to get along with each other." Wang Dengku shook his head gently, not optimistic about this.

Jin Liangyu smiled and said, "I can be strict for a while and can last for a long time, but I don't believe it."

Fan Yong Douzhu agreed and said, "Long live young and impatient, it is understandable. Our current flaw is still that there is no one in the court, or that there is not enough official speaking for us."

In the early days of Wanli, those who supported Zhang Juzheng's reform, such as Wang Chonggu, Zhang Siwei, Yang Bo, Wang Guoguang, Ma Ziqiang, etc., were all Shanxi officials.

These people hold high power in the court, so Shanxi merchants have a protective umbrella, can grasp the trends of the court at the first time, and make the best choices and countermeasures.

When Zhang Juzheng died of illness and began to liquidate Zhang Juzheng from top to bottom, Zhang Siwei quickly changed from a reformist faction to an anti-Zhang faction, and the businessman's face was undoubtedly revealed.

From this we can see that there is no support for reform. These bastards who are both officials and businessmen are all for the sake of official positions and power, as well as the aggregation of family wealth.

In the current court, Shanxi merchants do lack spokespersons.

Originally, the merchants and gentry in Jiangnan were developed because of the strength of the Donglin Party, but the emperor did not give them this opportunity. After a fierce operation, Donglin and the three parties were fucked into two hundred and five in the circle.

On the contrary, after being severely punished, the Tongzhou business gang emerged again. Not only did they get the convenience of Caolu, but they also had exclusive sales of domestic silver mirrors. Now they are involved in logistics and border trade.

Of course, the Tongzhou business gang has been renamed "Da Ming Chamber of Commerce". Judging from the new name, we can know that its unconcealed ambitions are the rhythm of the world that must be crushed south and suppressed north!

Fan Yongdou looked around the people in the hall and stretched out a finger and emphasized in a deep voice: "The most urgent task of obtaining a civil servant is to compete with the Tongzhou merchant gang. Otherwise, he would lower his head face to face, how to compete?"

That's right, Wu Dazhang finally got his wish. Before rushing to Zhangjiakou to get the title of the third "Civil Master" in the Ming Dynasty, a few days earlier than Huang Cheng.

This widens the gap in identity. No matter how big the Shanxi merchants had, it is already a thing of the past. Now, no senior official dares to come out to stand up for them.

"Now—" Jin Liangyu shook her head and sighed, "Is it too late?"

Huang Yunfa also frowned and said, "Long live the civil servants' titles. Even if we have this heart, we can't get along with each other!"

Fan Yongdou smiled bitterly and said, "I know it's difficult, but I have to fight for it. Even if I can't get a license this year, then next year, will we give up border foreign trade?"

After looking at the people who were in deep thought again, Fan Yongdou continued: "If you study the people who have been granted the title of Long Live, there are still traces to find. One is that you have money, two is that you are willing to help the court, and three is that you are able to do a good job."

Huang Yunfa lightly said with a slight head, "This is what the newspaper calls 'Yi Business'?"

Fan Yongdou nodded vigorously and said, "That's right, it's a charity businessman. As far as I know, some wealthy businessmen in Jiangnan are also trying to attack the civil servants, but they don't know what they are going to do?"

"No matter what they do, let's make a decision first." Jin Liangyu seemed to see hope and cheered up.

Wang Dengku scratched his head and said, "Okay. I think this is a solution, it's better than doing nothing."

Outside the Fan Mansion, several vigilant eyes were staring at the gate and the back door, paying attention to those who came out.

"Fan Dafu, the old man of the Fan family, is now the housekeeper." An Jinyiwei pointed and reported to the leader: "The guy I just introduced was a Mongolian. He has been in and out of the border several times, so he should be an enemy's spy."

Luo Yangxing nodded and said in a deep voice: "There are instructions above to install an undercover agent in Fan's mansion to grasp the evidence of his crime of cooperating with the enemy and treason, and wait for an opportunity to implement a counter-espionage plan. Fan Dafu, first investigate and see if it can be used by me."

"I understand." The Jinyiwei agreed, with a few sneers on his face, "Fan Dafu's concubine just gave birth to a son for him, and love is like a treasure..."

Luo Yangxing smiled twice and patted the Jinyiwei on the shoulder to show encouragement and appreciation.

The arrangement of Long Live is very clear inside the East Factory owner and outside the Fufu Department. Although there are times when crossing, the general direction will not change.

The victory of foreign wars will make Long Live favor, after all, it is a major event that concerns the safety of the country.

Since the factory guards are all long-lived confidants, they will inevitably be willing to compete for merit.

Luo Yangxing was ordered by the saint, so he naturally knew how long live valued this mission. How dare he not do anything to strive to complete the task perfectly.

Moreover, he has been retired for a few years, and the next commander will be between him and Liu Qiao if nothing unexpected happens.

This time, he went out for a job and was a good opportunity for him to perform well and overpower Liu Qiao.

…………………………

Jiangnan’s wealthy merchants and the eight great masters of locust merchants are two big targets, and they are the targets that Zhu Youxiao has long been targeting.

The Jinyiwei stared at the eight great masters of Locust Merchants because it involved military and national affairs and foreign wars.

The Jiangnan Haoshang was in charge of the East Factory, and sent Wang Guozhong to Jiangning to weaving, which was to monitor the Jiangnan Haoshang.

The wealthy merchants in Jiangnan did not sell their country, but were blood-sucking insects attached to the body of the Ming Dynasty.

Their illegality and their infiltration made the Ming Dynasty financially embarrassing and the government corrupt. They were also the culprits to destroy the Ming Dynasty from within.

Supporting the maritime merchant group led by Li Dan and Yan Siqi, Wu Dazhang's Tongzhou merchant group was not only to increase the income of the court, but also to block the financial path of locust merchants and Jiangnan merchants and weaken their economic strength.

One rises and the other goes down, the cake is so big, and the competition in business can be much more intense than what is seen on the surface. The support of the upper level determines the rise and fall of which commercial group.

When Zhang Juzheng, Wang Chonggu, Zhang Siwei and others were in the court, Shanxi merchants developed rapidly through border trade;

When Donglin officials occupied the court, the Jiangnan merchant group became powerful and intervened in the maritime trade, and successfully blocked the Shanxi merchants' attempt to intervene in maritime trade.

Zhu Youxiao's winning over the maritime business group and being relatively independent, which is equivalent to reducing the wealth of Jiangnan's wealthy merchants. Although they can still sell merchants to maritime businessmen, how can the profits be so large directly?

That's it, Zhu Youxiao would not stop. Because of the commercial tax, he was full of malicious acts of Jiangnan's wealthy merchants, and even hated officials who colluded with or joined the business group.
Chapter completed!