Chapter 1614 Economic Power
Fei Cexian did have the intention to test Zhang Qianzhi. He was not sure whether this tour guide was a spy planted by Haihan Security Department, so even if he knew what happened to some Ming intelligence personnel in Haihan, he would still Pretending to be ignorant, I asked Zhang Qianzhi to see if the other party would accidentally reveal information that the tour guide should not have. It's just that he has not received any special intelligence training, so if he wants to use his brains with a highly vigilant professional like Zhang Qianzhi, he will inevitably be a little unable to do so.
Most of the products sold in these shops in Sanya City are recognized by Fei Cexian, and many of them are even directly produced in the Ming Dynasty, such as porcelain, silk, tea, medicinal materials, etc. The places of origin indicated are often in the Ming Dynasty. within the territory. But the price of these things sold in Sanya is several times higher than in the place of origin. Fei Cexian casually looked at the price tags of several products, and they were even higher than those in the capital, which shows how strong the local consumption power is.
Fei Cexian asked Zhang Qianzhi: "The prices of these goods transferred from Daming are so high, why don't these people buy directly from Daming?"
Zhang Qianzhi responded: "Most of the bulk purchasers of these goods are merchants from Southeast Asia and the West. If we take into account the trouble of dealing with the Ming Dynasty officials, the freight and time costs spent during the procurement process, as well as the various things that need to be endured during the voyage, Risk, then buying these goods in Sanya is far more cost-effective than going to the place of production. Moreover, they can still sell the goods at a higher price after shipping them back to China, which is actually quite profitable.”
Haihan's own products are mainly cash crops, various deep-processed products, and mass-produced industrial products. The types of goods that are re-exported through Haihan Port are even more abundant. Almost all kinds of products from all over the world can be Found in the market in Sanya. In the past, the place that carried the function of this re-export market was Guangzhou Prefecture, but now this job has been completely taken over by Haihan. Very few people go north to Guangzhou to purchase goods, and businessmen from Fuguang and even Jiangsu and Zhejiang often choose to transfer their goods to Guangzhou. Ship it to Sanya and sell it to get more generous profits.
In addition to such free sales markets, there are also officially established exchanges in the port centers of Sanya Port and Victory Port, which provide transaction information and official certification for merchants conducting large-scale transactions, and even financial transfers and loans. Other services are also provided. This type of comprehensive service agency established by the government does not exist in Ming Dynasty. After experiencing its convenience and safety, many foreign businessmen will choose this more reliable and convenient transaction method to complete bulk trade. Over time, Sanya has become the first choice for merchants to conduct bulk trade.
For Fei Cexian, the impact of the prosperity presented by Sanya is no less than that of the Haihan Army. In his impression, most of the Qiongzhou Island in the past was a deserted land with neither products nor products. No towns. Because the location here is too remote, it became one of the destinations for the imperial court's exiled prisoners. It can be said that this is the only impression most people have of this place. Such a place, in the hands of the Haihan people, became what it is today in just a few years. It is no wonder that there are ignorant people in the outside world who say that the Haihan people are good at witchcraft. Even if Fei Cexian knew that this was false, he still couldn't help but wonder if the Haihan people had cast some kind of ecstasy on him, and everything he saw here was a fictitious scene.
But for this kind of prosperity, Fei Cexian can't help but feel jealous. After all, this place was snatched from the hands of the Ming Dynasty. More than half of the goods sold here were produced by the Ming Dynasty. Even the merchants who buy and sell goods are from the Ming Dynasty. Make up the majority. It can be said that the prosperity here was entirely supported by the Ming Dynasty, but almost all the profits generated went into the pockets of the Haihan people. How could Fei Cexian turn a blind eye?
Fei Cexian's identity was sensitive, so of course he couldn't directly slander him, so he said sourly: "The business is really lively, but I see that the goods sold in these shops are all high-end goods, which is not unusual. They must be really good goods. You still have to go to the place of production to buy top-notch products.”
When Zhang Qianzhi heard his tone, he could naturally guess what he was thinking, and immediately responded with a smile: "It doesn't have to be so troublesome. As long as you have money, you can buy anything in Sanya. The most sweaty BMW on the grassland, Pearls larger than goose eggs in the East China Sea, tea picked before the Qingming Festival at Longjing Temple in Lion Mountain in Hangzhou, special spices produced on unknown islands in the South China Sea, grapes and wine produced in the European continent thousands of miles away... as long as someone is willing to pay for it You can buy whatever you want at a reasonable price, even limited edition tributes sent to the Ming Dynasty Palace are also sold in Sanya.”
This last sentence is undoubtedly a bit treacherous to Akito. How can the high-end luxury goods offered to the royal family be freely sold among the people? If this is verified, many people will lose their heads. However, seeing Zhang Qianzhi's nonchalant look, Fei Cexian was obviously not worried about the serious consequences that would arise after revealing this matter to Fei Cexian.
Fei Cexian thought about it again and realized that this was indeed the case. The places where tributes were made were strictly supervised. The craftsmen would definitely not dare to risk losing their heads doing such a thing, but they had the ability and channels to sell the tributes to Haihan. , I’m afraid they are all people with great hands and eyes. If you want to report these people, you are afraid that you will be punished first before the court can punish them. This kind of thing is not my task in the first place. For the sake of safety, it is better to do less than to do more.
Zhang Qianzhi continued: "If Mr. Fei has anything he wants to buy, you might as well tell me, and I will buy everything for Mr. Fei. The price is definitely the lowest on the market, and I can save a little bit for you."< br>
What Zhang Qianzhi said was very philistine, with the mentality of a small person in the market. Fei Cexian frowned when he heard it, thinking that for a person like you to want to take advantage of me, you are looking down on me, a Ming official. Then he shook his head and said: "I won't bother you anymore."
Of course, Zhang Qianzhi said this deliberately to dissuade Consumer Cexian from being wary. Of course, if Fei Cexian is really a person who is greedy for petty gains, then just lure him into taking the bait, and then slowly bribe him with benefits. Many officials of the Ming Dynasty fell under such inducements and were gradually bribed by Haihan.
Since Fei Cexian believed that the goods sold locally were high-end goods, Zhang Qianzhi had to take him to see several shops that specialized in high-end goods. Even though Fei Cexian was an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, after seeing the prices of truly high-end goods, he couldn't help but lament in his heart that his wallet was too thin and he simply couldn't afford the luxury goods introduced by Zhang Qianzhi.
"As long as the price is right, you can find a place in Sanya to order everything from gold ear picks to large sailing ships. Mr. Fei, there is nothing you can't think of in Sanya. There is nothing you can't buy with money." Zhang Qianzhi After taking Fei Cexian out of a shop that sells glass handicrafts, he said to him ostentatiously: "I heard that Mr. Fei will stay in Sanya for a long time, so you can slowly think about what you need to purchase."
Perhaps because he realized that his financial resources and knowledge were very limited, Fei Cexian's expression was much stiffer than before, and he no longer resisted Zhang Qianzhi's showoff. He could only actively change the subject and said: "Sailboat Can it also be customized? "Of course! The orders received by the Shengli Port Shipyard are in short supply from the beginning of the year to the end of the year," Zhang Qianzhi said while paying attention to Fei Cexian's reaction: "Master Fei also plans to order ships. You have to hurry up, orders for next year will be closed at the end of the year.”
Fei Cexian asked: "Can we also order warships?"
"Warships cannot be ordered by just anyone." Zhang Qianzhi responded with a half-smile: "You must first get approval from the Executive Committee, and then deal with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Shipping, and only a few ships are sold a year. Go out and see how many people are queuing up with money! Besides, as a civil servant, Mr. Fei may not be able to pass the first hurdle.”
Fei Cexian didn't know what he meant and asked: "Why are there problems with civil servants?"
"Since it is a warship, of course it makes sense to sell it to a general who leads troops. If Mr. Fei made such an application to our country, how would you explain the original motive?" Zhang Qianzhi asked.
"Well..." Fei Cexian asked this question on a whim, without any careful consideration, so he was choked by Zhang Qianzhi's question. He actually didn’t understand Haihan’s arms sales rules, and he had no idea how difficult it would be for foreign countries to purchase warships from Haihan. Except for a very few allies, other countries would move in like the Matalan people. It’s also hard to impress Haihan with the gold bricks in the entire car. Who to sell warships to, when to sell them, and how many ships to sell are all decisions made by the Executive Committee and the Ministry of National Defense after careful deliberation. Economic gains are not considered the primary factor. They are mainly based on political and military reasons. considerations. Fei Cexian definitely doesn't understand these truths now.
Zhang Qianzhi said: "Warships cost money every moment, and there is no way to make money at all. In my humble opinion, if Mr. Fei has spare money and is interested in shipping, he can buy it A ship is entrusted to a shipping company affiliated with the Ministry of Shipping of our country. You don’t need to take care of anything. You only need to collect money every month. This is much more cost-effective than buying a warship.”
Fei Cexian said: "Is there still such an operation?"
Zhang Qianzhi nodded and said: "To be honest with you, many officials in Fuzhou and Guangzhou operate this way. Now there are thousands of ships under the name of the Ministry of Shipping of our country, and a considerable number of them are managed in this way. For ship owners, basically It’s a guaranteed profit-free business, and with Haihan’s official guarantee, you don’t have to take any risks. If the ship has an accident at sea and causes losses, the official will also cover it.”
Fei Cexian thought of a way to bribe our officials from the Ming Dynasty! This kind of ship purchase and trusteeship operation basically has no way for the court to investigate. Haihan not only used this to develop his own shipbuilding industry, but also bribed these officials. It can be said that he killed two birds with one stone. As for whether it is really so profitable, Fei Cexian thinks there are still doubts about it, but through this kind of cooperation, Haihan can openly bribe local officials at all levels in the name of business income, which is impossible to guard against.
Haihan penetrated the officialdom of the southeastern coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty so thoroughly that the entire Lingnan region basically acquiesced to Haihan's rights and interests, and various imperial decrees against Haihan were often difficult to implement at the local level. Even if people were sent from the capital to the south to investigate, because there were so many local officials who accepted Haihan's benefits and they had become monolithic, nothing could be found out at all. On the contrary, many officials who went to the south to investigate Haihan affairs were quickly assimilated after arriving at the local level. After getting enough benefits, they returned to Beijing to report that everything was normal.
There are officials who can withstand coercion and inducement, but it is difficult to make any noise in this environment, especially since senior officials in Fujian and Guangzhou have had too many entanglements with Haihan over the years. There is no way to separate myself from Haihan. It has become a situation where both prosper and lose, so they can only continue to cooperate with Haihan. Fortunately, Haihan was also measured. In addition to opening ports and establishing trade relations, he did not have any excessive demands, nor did he show any ambition to invade the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, local officials felt comfortable accepting the benefits. Over time, I don’t feel that my actions have done any harm to Daming.
It's just that Fei Cexian, who came from the capital, knew very little about the doorways in between. Therefore, after hearing Zhang Qianzhi's explanation, he couldn't help but be a little surprised at Haihan's hidden methods. In fact, Haihan's method of buying Ming officials and conveying benefits went beyond merchant ship trusteeship. Cooperation methods such as exclusive agents brought even greater profits to the partners. The Ministry of Commerce even established a special industry department to manage these businesses related to Ming Dynasty official figures and ensure that these projects can bring sufficient profits to the partners regardless of the actual operating conditions.
Of course, there are some elements of losing money and making a profit, but in terms of the overall environment, Haihan is still the one who takes advantage. The convenient conditions provided by these local officials bribed by Haihan can allow Haihan to earn back all the expenses during the period at a rate of return of ten times or even a hundred times in cross-border trade. Moreover, the political atmosphere in the entire southeastern region of the Ming Dynasty has been steadily leaning towards the Haihan side. This is a good situation that took almost ten years to finally manage.
Of course, with so much successful experience ahead of him, Haihan will not let go of the new Ming envoy. Although Zhang Qianzhi is only playing the role of a tour guide this time, one of his tasks is to try to find Fetze. Xian's weakness, try to use various means to bribe this person. If the envoys sent by the Ming Dynasty can be dealt with, Haihan will have more convenient conditions when dealing with diplomatic issues between the two countries.
(End of chapter)