Two days later, Zhu Xu's fleet docked in Yangzhou and headed straight to Jiangdu.

The prosperity of Yangzhou was famous in the Ming Dynasty, especially in the Jiangnan area, and was comparable to Suzhou. As for Yingtian Prefecture, Hangzhouzhou is still not as good as that.

The rivers are divided into two cities: inner and outer cities. The prosperity of the new city is far greater than that of the old city. There is also a river that passes through the city. It is known as the "Little Qinhuai" and is the place where the romantic and talented men and beautiful women like to linger.

Zhu Xu and Cao Bianjiao were wearing regular clothes and walking on the most prosperous streets in the river.

There were crowds of people and cars and goods intersected. Even the road was blocked with five horses and carriages, and it was once blocked and it was difficult to move forward, and the government yamen runners needed guidance.

Zhu Xu shook the folding fan in his hand and said with a smile: "This place is more lively than the capital."

Cao Huachun followed and replied, "Yes, the northern Zhili has not been peaceful for a long time, the land is barren and the people are few. Jiangnan has been peaceful for more than two hundred years, so it should have such prosperity."

Zhu Xu nodded, and after walking a few steps, he could see the shop with the word "Hui", including vegetables, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea.

Zhu Xu was happy to see that Huitong Trading Bank currently monopolized two items of salt and tea, which can bring nearly 20 million taels of silver to the court every year, and most of its contribution is also in the Jiangnan area.

While speaking, seven or eight people suddenly walked towards Zhu Xu and others, with sticks in their hands, and were full of momentum.

Cao Bianjiao's face changed slightly, and he took a sudden step forward. At the same time, he waved his hand. The imperial guards in the secret also quietly stepped forward and touched their waists.

If these people do things randomly, they will be shot into a sieve by short-handed muskets as soon as possible.

"Smash it for me! Smash it hard!"

The group of people turned around not far from Zhu Xu and rushed towards a salt shop.

"Wang Laoba, you dare! Come and call me back and beat me hard!"

Seven or eight people rushed out of the salt shop and started fighting at the door of the shop.

"My surname is Fan, I have to smash your store today! Beat me and beat me to death!" Someone from outside shouted and rushed up with a big stick.

"Hey, I guessed that they were going to fight again!"

"No, this is the seventh time this month?"

"Yes, you said they kept fighting and didn't lower the price..."

"How else do you want to reduce the price of salt? If you go back to the sixth year of Apocalypse, you will cry..."

"Hehe, I didn't say it's okay, it's still Jing is right, Jing is right..."

Zhu Xu watched a group of people fighting so hard that they were desperate. The group of people were having fun watching. He approached a middle-aged man and said, "What happened here?"

The uncle was watching with relish. Listening to Zhu Xu's question, he turned to look at him and smiled and said, "Did you come from the north? We are all used to it. It's not common in Jiangdu, Yangzhou. Don't worry, you can't die..."

Zhu Xu became more and more strange when he heard it, and said, "Then what are they fighting?"

The middle-aged man was happy to watch the show, so he explained to Zhu Xu: "It's not surprising that my little brother came to Yangzhou for the first time. I'm not sure, but this will be a long time if I want to talk."

Zhu Xu immediately took a look at the ears.

The middle-aged man was even happier. While looking at Quan Wuxing, he said, "One of them is the Shanshan Gang and the other is the Hui Gang. Before Tianqi, they all operated private salt. When the Chongzhen court changed the salt administration, they were all 'salt merchants' specially approved by the court. Because the salt price is low and the others have no right to buy and sell, these two gangs make more money..."

"Parents are enemies..." Zhu Xu said to himself thoughtfully.

"You are wrong with this little brother," Zhu Xu said as soon as he spoke, the uncle said with a smug expression: "'Jingzheng New Policy' includes the Salt Administration. All salt prices are the same across the country. If anyone dares to raise or lower the price, the government will come to pick up people immediately, so their prices are the same..."

Zhu Xu was slightly stunned and said, "This is really, then what are they fighting?"

The middle-aged man became more and more proud. Seeing that several people had been knocked down and their heads were bleeding, he still said enthusiastically: "These two gangs are very powerful in Yangzhou. In the second year of Tianqi, the Shanshan Gang wrote a letter to the court, hoping to settle in Yangzhou and his children could enroll in Yangzhou official schools. The court specially approved seven places, but Hui merchants originally belonged to Nanzhili, so their children had to return to their original hometowns and could not enroll in Yangzhou..."

Zhu Xu understood and said, "So the Hui Gang has resentment towards the Shanxi Gang, so I vented their anger..."

"Little brother is wrong again..."

The uncle became more and more proud and said, "Last year, the Hui Gang jointly wrote a letter to the court, requesting that all the salt merchants be admitted to Yangzhou. At that time, the prefect of Yangzhou, the salt patrol envoy in Nanzhili, and the governor's yamen all wrote letters to support Hui merchants. You said that there are only so many places to enroll. If Hui merchants can go to the school, then how many of their seven Shanshan Gangs will be left..."

Zhu Xu didn't dare to pretend to understand now, and said with some understanding, "Will the government ignore it? Let them continue to fight like this?"

"Hehe, this is the key," the middle-aged man smiled even more proudly, saying, "This Yangzhou Prefect is a Shanxi and a Shanxi Gang, who deliberately let their fellow villagers make trouble like this. It is said that the governor's yamen and the cabinet have some concerns and have never agreed. This has attracted dissatisfaction from the Hui Gang, so the situation is now..."

Zhu Xu pinched her chin and looked like a smile.

The Shanxi Gang, also known as Shanxi and Shaanxi, Shanxi, also known as Shanxi, occupy a very special position in the economic structure in the late Ming Dynasty. Although Zhu Xu cleared Shanxi and cut off their way to the north, the Shanxi people accumulated over the years of experience and capital, still looked up to the north and south of the Ming Dynasty. With the reform of salt administration and tea administration, they quickly seized the opportunity and expanded rapidly in Yangzhou, Huai, An and other places.

Because they were a group of fellow villagers, they quickly gained a foothold in the two places and eroded the interests of other business groups.

The biggest influence among them is Hui merchants. Hui merchants originated in Huizhou, which is later Anhui Province. It is now under the jurisdiction of Nanzhili. After a long period of accumulation, merchants, gentry and officials colluded with each other, unable to distinguish you and me. They used their region and official business relationships to fight back strongly, and they had a strong momentum in Yangzhou and even the entire Nanzhili.

As the two gangs continue to expand, political needs are also revealed.

This matter seems to be a business dispute between the two gangs, but in fact it is a political struggle. After all, what is really decided at this time is the government!

Zhu Xu roughly figured it out, so he watched the two gangs fight.

Evenly matched, there were several people on both sides who had the lottery, and finally there were six people standing, confronting each other in three or three.

Although they are all called fierce, no one dares to take the initiative.

The official servant finally arrived. The leading captain snorted coldly and said, "It's you again, come with me and let your shopkeeper bring the money to pick up the people!"

Both sides spat at each other, obviously familiar with each other, and followed the official mission to the government office with the injured brothers.

Zhu Xu looked at it, said goodbye to the enthusiastic uncle, and walked forward. While walking, he was thinking.

The so-called "Jingzheng Salt Administration" was once called "Chongzhen Salt Administration" by the outside world, but it is now included in the "Jingzheng New Policy", so it was changed to its title.

The method adopted by the "Jingzheng Salt Administration" is to sell official and civilians. The court controls various salt fields and is responsible for production. Then, through Huitong Trading Bank, it is transferred to agents at all levels, and then dispersed to various grassroots shops for sale. They are all unified packaging and unified prices. All government agencies cross-inspections. Once someone finds that they sell privately and raise prices, they will be sealed immediately and the previous level will be held accountable.

Without private salt, and with the price of official salt, the chaos in salt administration was basically eliminated, becoming one of Zhu Xu’s reliable and stable sources of “inner treasury”.

The expansion of salt merchants should actually be said to be a germination of the bourgeoisie and began to pursue political discourse. Although it is still very low-level, it is also a kind of progress.

However, there is some progress that is not the time, but it just catches up with the Ming Dynasty's internal and external troubles, natural and man-made disasters, and the development of business can only be limited to past accumulation, and there is no way to go further.

"By the way, what's going on in the Chamber of Commerce now?"

Zhu Xu turned his head and looked at Cao Huachun and said.

Cao Huachun hesitated a little, looked around, walked closer and whispered, "Back to the emperor, now business owners are all in groups. Whether it is Shanxi merchants, Qin merchants, or Hui merchants, they are all gathered together to exclude outsiders. He Yunshan is the president of the Chamber of Commerce, but he has always had a title and is difficult to integrate. He is not as good as Wei Liangqing, the shopkeeper of Huitong Commercial Bank, let alone Mr. Fu."

Fu Grand Prince Fu Tao was a special existence in the business environment of the Ming Dynasty. The fundamental reason was his great ability. In the entire Ming Dynasty business, no one dared to go against him!

After all, everyone knows that he is not only the eldest son of the Minister of Revenue, but also the emperor's wallet! The collapse of the Fan family and other major families in the Shanxi merchants was rumored to offend Prince Fu, and the emperor was confiscated and exterminated the family!

These Zhu Xu knew it in his mind and nodded, "Haimao, who is responsible now?"

Cao Huachun said, "After the integration of Huitong Trading Bank, He Yunshan should be responsible for the maritime trade matters."

Zhu Xu closed the fan in his hand and said, "Okay, remember, wait until the war at sea is settled, find an opportunity to pass on him to see me."

"Yes." Cao Huachun said.

After walking for a while, Cao Bianjiao looked up and said, "Your Majesty, this is our inn. It has been emptied and ready."

Zhu Xu nodded, stepped in and said, "Go and inquire about the largest academy in Yangzhou. After lunch, let's go and have a walk."

Cao Huachun said: "Yes."

Zhu Xu walked over and the inn had been cleared and was specially welcomed by Zhu Xu. When a thin middle-aged man inside ran over panicked and cautiously, kneeling and said, "Caominyuan, see the emperor, long live my emperor!"

This is also the inn with the word Hui. Zhu Xu smiled and waved his hand and said, "I live in your place. It will probably delay your business a lot. If you need to be missing, please find Cao Huachun."

Yuan Kezhong stood up cautiously, but he dared not really want it. He bowed and said, "The emperor can live in the inn of Caomin. That is the virtue of his ancestors. The emperor must not ruin villains again."
Chapter completed!