577 Maritime Smuggling

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Zhang Kuo couldn't help but nod when he heard Zhu Taigu say this.

Let's not talk about the four major families in Jinling, just one Lu family is enough for Shi Kefa to weigh it, and the power of the Lu family in the Jinling area is not ordinary.

Therefore, of course, the Lu family will not let go of the lucrative business of sea trade.

And the other ship owners around also heard Zhu Taigu's words, and their hearts suddenly became a lot more relaxed, and they have been worried for the past two days.

"That's right, in addition, we people, every ship has paid silver to the Zheng family, and once we go to sea, we will be protected by the Zheng family's fleet.

Even if Shi Kefa was ordered by the emperor, but on this sea, the words of the Zheng family may be more useful than the emperor's orders. ”

Another maritime merchant said excitedly next to him.

Whether it is the maritime merchants in Jinling and Suzhou, or the maritime merchants in Hangzhou, every time they go to sea, they have to spend a lot of money to buy a flag of the Zheng family.

That means that after they go to sea, they can be protected by the Zheng family's fleet, an ordinary sea ship is two thousand taels of silver, and a large sea ship needs to pay three thousand taels of silver.

Although three thousand taels of silver is indeed very expensive, these maritime merchants are still willing to spend this money.

Because, after they have the banner of the Zheng family, they will be able to sail in the southeast sea, and they will be unimpeded and carefree.

At this time, in the sea area southeast of the Ming Dynasty, no pirate dared to rob the ship with the Zheng family's flag.

Three thousand taels of silver, these maritime merchants spent money worthwhile, and they were willing to spend it.

Because they went to sea like this, they didn't have to worry about pirates, or the Dutch, or the Spaniards, who would rob them.

This is also why, these maritime merchants would rather pay money to the Zheng family than pay taxes to the imperial court, and to a certain extent, their approach is also correct.

After all, if they pay the imperial court's taxes and duties, the imperial court basically can't give them much protection, and the money is like a drop in the bucket.

At this time, there was only one naval division of the Ming Dynasty, and dozens of ships had been anchored at the mouth of Weihe Dagu in Tianjin, and rarely sailed out of the Bohai Sea.

On the one hand, the vast majority of the ships of the Daming Navy Division at this time were old ships from decades ago, not to mention old, but also because of lack of funds, they had long been in disrepair and poorly maintained.

The danger of such a ship going to sea is high, and every time it goes to sea, it needs a lot of silver, but the court can't take out this silver.

As a result, at this time, the Daming Sailor has basically disappeared in the Daming Sea.

Think about how beautiful it was when the eunuch of the Three Treasures led a huge fleet of treasure ships to the South Seas and even arrived in the waters of India for a time.

"I sent someone to inquire in Yangzhou, and I heard that there are a lot of customs taxes set there, and they are also very famous.

What is the water tax, it is the introduction of the tax, and there are others, such as what additional tax, sea tax, and so on.

An ordinary sea ship goes to sea, under normal circumstances, it has to pay two or three thousand taxes, the emperor is crazy about silver, what is the difference between it and Ming robbery.

Don't forget that Emperor Taizu has set a rule that he can't collect taxes from us, and the current emperor is going to violate the ancestral system! ”

A merchant ship owner said dissatisfied.

"Who said it wasn't, if we gave this money to the Zheng family, we could buy peace for ourselves, what was the use of giving it to the emperor.

It was precisely because the emperor knew that his order was against the ancestral system, so he did not give an order through the imperial court, but Shi Kefa colluded with the general of the Zhenguo to do it! ”

"Hmph, the emperor is red-eyed, let's go to sea and earn this little money. It is said that 'the government does not compete with the people for profit', look at what the emperor is doing now, such an emperor is really ......"

"Shhhh Be quiet, you really dare to say anything! If such a rebellious remark is heard, it will be killed. ”

Someone hurriedly stopped a maritime merchant and continued to say such critical remarks about Chongzhen, fearing that it would lead to trouble.

"Cut, what are you afraid of, none of the people here are outsiders." The maritime merchant said disappreciatively.

"These taxes are only on the surface, and you must know what virtues those officials in the court have.

Whether it is to apply for a quote, apply for a permit, etc., you need to work up and down to feed those officials.

Everyone knows that as soon as you enter the yamen, you will be asking for money, and if you don't have enough mouth, you don't want to do things well.

So this time, we must not open this opening, otherwise it will be endless in the future. ”

Zhu Taigu said with a look of deep hatred, they knew about the corruption of Daming at this time.

"That's right, this opening can't be opened, I'd rather give the Zheng family 'protection money' than I will never hand over the customs duties of Shi Kefa's bullshit."

The owner of the maritime vessel said with a resolute face.

"This is not the most serious problem, I also secretly sent someone to inquire, if you want to get the permission of Yangzhou City to go to sea, but it is troublesome.

Every time a sea ship goes to sea, it has to get a reason for the introduction issued by the city shipping department, which is a certificate for going to sea, and with the reason for the introduction, our sea ship can go to sea.

Then, before each time I go to sea, I will send our goods to the wharf of Yangzhou Port, and send the goods one by one to let them check.

Why, because according to the rules of Yangzhou City, the tax we pay every time we go to sea is taxed according to the value of the goods we go to sea.

They will assess the total price of our goods according to the market prices, and it is said that the final duty to be levied is 5 or 6 percent of the total price of our goods at sea.

After we have paid the tax, we can load the goods on the ship and go to sea, and according to this standard, each of us will have to pay one or two thousand silver each time we go to sea.

Because now the emperor only allows the establishment of a city shipping department in Yangzhou, which means that we must first transport goods to Yangzhou before we can go to sea.

It's just a nuisance for us, and it's going to take us a lot of time! ”

As soon as this person finished speaking, someone next to him immediately interjected: "It's not! I even heard that Shi Kefa and they also set up, many prohibited items, are not allowed to be taken out of the sea.

For example, when you go abroad, you can't bring gunpowder, sulfur, saltpeter, copperware, or even too much gold and silver.

It is said that this was requested by Li Zixiao, the general of the Zhenguo, and if these contraband were found on the ship, they would all be confiscated and fined.

Everyone said, isn't this Li Zixiao and Shi Kefa, changing their ways to get silver from our pockets! ”

"That's right, also, we have to send the goods to the warehouse of Yangzhou Port first, just with the urine of those old men in the yamen.

I'm afraid that when our goods come out again, we don't know how much will be left. ”

In addition, they have to take a tax of five percent, and even the price of the goods has to be assessed by them.

If they just give us more money, wouldn't we have to spend more money in vain, this is bullshit! ”

At this time, on the port wharf of Chongming Island, many merchant shipowners and even sailors gathered together, talking about each other.

Anyway, they are extremely distrustful of what kind of market division Chongzhen asked Shi Kefa to do this time, as well as the tax law.

"It's getting harder and harder to do business these days." Someone sighed.

Just when these maritime merchant ship owners were complaining about Chongzhen's tax policy, the people on the port wharf soon loaded the goods worth one million taels to fourteen large sea ships.

"Okay, okay, don't talk about it, the goods are all loaded, go back to their respective ships, and get ready to go to sea."

Immediately, the owners quickly returned to their respective ships and directed the sailors to sail the ships out of port.

As a result, what these maritime merchant ship owners didn't know was that they were in the southeast sea area of Chongming Island port, that is, on their sea route to the south.

A huge fleet of more than 40 warships and ships, carrying more than 5,000 soldiers and horses, is waiting for these ships in the port of Chongming Island to go to sea.

As a result, when the maritime ships on Chongming Island left the port of Chongming Island, less than half a day later, when they had just entered the waters of the East China Sea, they discovered this huge fleet.

"Huh? Could it be the Zheng family's fleet? Why did the Zheng family's fleet sail here this time? ”

After discovering this huge fleet from afar, some maritime merchants thought it was the Zheng family's fleet, and said suspiciously.

Under normal circumstances, after they left the port of Chongming Island, they had to continue to travel dozens of miles south by sea before they could discover the Zheng family's fleet.

"No, they don't seem to be flying the Zheng family's flag!"

On the front ship, a crew member saw the flag flying high on the mast of the largest three-masted battleship in the fleet, and shouted loudly.

"A white snake? It's not good, Dongjia, it's not the Zheng family's fleet, but the fleet of the White Snake Army under General Jiangbei Zhenguo! ”

As the ship kept getting closer, soon, some crew members could see the huge white snake flag on the mast in the distance.

"What! Li Zixiao's fleet? ”

On the deck of a sea ship, Zhu Taigu was also shocked when he heard the news, but unfortunately the distance was too far, and he still couldn't see clearly.

"Dog, bring the clairvoyant."

A family member hurriedly took a pair of clairvoyant mirrors and handed them to Zhu Taigu.

The clairvoyant mirror here was bought by Zhu Taigu from Jiangbei and sold at the behest of Li Zixiao.

Of course, these clairvoyants they sell are all inferior products, and the quality is far worse than the clairvoyants equipped by the White Dragon Army itself.

Zhu Taigu used the clairglass mirror to look into the distance, and on the flag on the mast, a white flying snake soared through the clouds, I didn't know if I thought it was a dragon!

"Zhenguo General Li Zixiao's water army."

Zhu Taigu gasped, and when he saw the 'White Snake' flag clearly with his clairvoyant scope, he completely believed what the sailor shouted.

At this time, Zhu Taigu and other Daming maritime merchants, of course, knew that the only one in the Ming Dynasty who used this kind of 'White Snake' banner was Li Zixiao, the general of Zhenguo.

At this time, Zhu Taigu saw the White Dragon Army Navy fleet intercepted in front of them, and a bad feeling welled up in his heart, which made his back cold.

"Could it be that General Zhenguo really wants to be ruthless to us this time, and wants to make an example of the chickens?" Zhu Taigu thought quickly in his heart.

When Zhu Taigu thought of Li Zixiao, he once opened a killing ring in Jiangbei, killing the landlords and gentry in Jiangbei, and the bad salt merchants, and the heads were rolling.

At this moment, Zhu Taigu suddenly regretted a little in his heart, if Li Zixiao really wanted to attack them this time and make an example of them, then their fate was probably not better.

It's a pity that at this time, Zhu Taigu knew that he was afraid, and he knew that he regretted it, and it seemed that it was too late.

Because the naval fleet of the White Dragon Army on the opposite side had already surrounded them, and they quickly surrounded their fleet.

"All ships listen, immediately drop anchor and stop the ship, otherwise we will open fire."

Soon, on the surrounding White Dragon Army Navy fleet, someone shouted at Zhu Taigu and them.

Zhu Taigu and the other sea ship owners looked at the black holes on the White Dragon Army Navy warships that surrounded them.

This made them feel a chill in their hearts, if they didn't listen to the order, the artillery on the White Dragon Army's warship, at such a close range, fired a volley at them, the consequences were unimaginable.

"Let's stop the boat." Zhu Taigu sighed, and had no choice but to shout to the sailor obediently, drop anchor and stop the ship.

Soon, more than forty White Dragon warships surrounded these fourteen sea-going ships on the sea, and then approached the decks of each sea-going ship, stretching out their hooks and hooking them.

In this way, the sailors on the ships of the White Dragon can easily jump onto these sea ships.

"Who is the owner of this merchant ship?"

A team of White Dragon Army naval sailors, after boarding Zhu Taigu's merchant ship, glanced at Zhu Taigu and the others, and one of the sailors shouted.

Zhu Taigu forced a smile on his face, took a few steps forward, and said with a smile: "I don't know what the officials are stopping us for?" ”

Zhu Taigu spoke while winking at his subordinates.

After a family member next to him understood, he immediately took out a silver ingot full of fifty taels and prepared to secretly hand it to the one in front of him, who seemed to be the middle-aged general of this group of sailors.

When the middle-aged general saw this ingot of silver, he didn't accept it immediately, a sneer appeared on his face, he glanced at Zhu Taigu, and said in a cold voice: "In Xia Hongsheng, he is the deputy commander of the naval fleet under General Zhenguo.

Now, I have been waiting for you here for a long time on the orders of General Zhenguo and Lord Shi Kefa.

Now that you have been surrounded, let those of your family who carry weapons obediently lay down their weapons and surrender honestly. ”

"Lord Deputy Commander, what crime did we just honest businessmen commit to make you so mobilized to surround us, and still want us to lay down our arms and surrender?"

Although Zhu Taigu knew the reason for a long time in his heart, he was still there, asking knowingly, and at the same time, his heart was too trembling.

Each of their ships is indeed guarded by more than 100 people, all of whom are armed with bird guns, responsible for protecting the safety of the ship.

"Why did you arrest you? Don't you count B? Hong Sheng looked at Zhu Taigu and sneered and said.

"You are suspected of sea smuggling, admit your guilt and surrender, don't let us do it, otherwise the crime will be even greater."

"Official, this is all a misunderstanding, we didn't smuggle." Zhu Taigu quibbled.

"Hehe, there is no smuggling, you can enter Yangzhou City to pay taxes, no. Can there be a certificate issued by Yangzhou City Shipping Division by the introduction and departure? Not really. ”

"My lord, we ......" Zhu Taigu heard Hong Sheng's question, and he had nothing to say for a while.

After all, they really belong to smuggling, and they don't have the reason for what Hong Sheng said, the certificate of leaving the port, etc.

Because they didn't pay the money to Yangzhou City at all, how could there be these things!

"He also said that he was not smuggling, and you simply didn't see the emperor's order in your eyes.

Our general has sent us to cruise in the waters of this area for a long time, responsible for anti-smuggling at sea in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but we have never caught a big fish.

Today is the opening of the store, and as soon as it opens, we will catch your 'big fish', which is very good! ”

Hong Sheng's eyes swept over the fourteen big sea ships around him, and he said excitedly.

(End of chapter)