met free Chapter 742: Rich enough to rival a nation
Chapter 742: Rich enough to rival a nation
Having witnessed firsthand how capable the women of Lingao were, the group continued their journey.
Having spent most of his time in the palace, Fang Zhenghua rarely walked long distances. After walking for a while, his legs started to ache, and he couldn't help but massage them. Li Fu noticed this and gave a few instructions to the people around him. After a while, the "ding-a-ling" of a bell rang, and an empty carriage stopped in front of them.
“Father-in-law, if you’re tired from walking, please get in the carriage.” Li Fu pointed to the horse-drawn carriage and explained, “This kind of carriage runs on flat ground, so it’s very stable and not bumpy at all.”
Fang Zhenghua curiously examined the carriage. Apart from the fact that the wheels were mounted on two railway tracks and the carriage was much longer than a regular carriage, with an extra pair of wheels, he couldn't see anything particularly unusual. But once he stepped inside, he discovered a completely different world. The long carriage was exceptionally spacious, complete with tables and chairs, and even tea and snacks were laid out on the tables, making it look like a room in a wealthy household.
He clicked his tongue in amazement: "I heard that during the reign of Emperor Wanli, Zhang Taiyue's sedan chair was carried by 32 people, and it had a bedroom, kitchen, and latrine, as well as two servants to attend to him. I was so envious of that. I suppose this carriage is about the same as his?"
Li Fu laughed and said, "I am ignorant and do not know what the Grand Secretary Zhang's sedan chair looks like, but in Lingao, it is not difficult to make a carriage of this size, and it does not require dozens of people to carry it. If one horse is not enough, we can add another horse."
As the railcar technology in Lingao matured, the number of carriages increased from a few experimental carriages to more than twenty, and the length of the rails gradually increased from a few miles to more than ten miles. This reduced the travel time between the dock and the city by more than half, creating a "half-hour" economic circle. What used to take more than an hour to walk from Bofu dock to the main city of Lingao can now be done in just half an hour by railcar.
To better utilize this new mode of transportation, at Liang Xiaoming's suggestion, Liu Ye also established a management office. The staff was temporarily affiliated with the "Lingao Technology Research Institute." Dedicated personnel were responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the carriages and railway tracks, as well as scheduling the operation of the entire railway line to ensure that the carriages would not "collide" at different times. Although at the speed of the carriages, even if a collision occurred, it would not cause a major accident, but it would still bring the entire system to a standstill or even paralyze it.
After more than a year of operation, the tram had become the most important means of transportation between Bofu and Lingao city. Although it could not be compared with a real railway, it was at least a proper rail transit system, far surpassing traditional transportation methods in this time and space in terms of carrying capacity, operating speed, and stability. As the people adapted to this new thing, different derivative models were developed, including passenger and freight models. The former carried people, while the latter was dedicated to transporting goods. Goods and commodities brought back by sea were transported back to the city by tram, which was much more efficient than carrying them by hand. To meet the needs of high-ranking officials, a VIP model even appeared, with some seats removed to create a Ming Dynasty version of a "luxury" RV, which is what Fang Zhenghua saw.
Although Fang Zhenghua held the prestigious position of a court eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial, a significant political rank within the Ming Dynasty and an important figure in the central government offices of the Forbidden City, he was ultimately still a eunuch, and even though the emperor's robes were patched, indulging in extravagance under his nose would be suicidal. Even if he had amassed some wealth, he dared not cross the line of lavish living, so he lived a relatively simple life. Now, seeing this contraption comparable to the legendary 32-person sedan chair, Fang Zhenghua was naturally eager to try it out, wanting to experience it firsthand, but also somewhat apprehensive.
He asked hesitantly, "In this dynasty, there are established regulations for riding in sedan chairs, soft sedan chairs, and eight-bearer sedan chairs. Would it be against the regulations for our family to ride in such a carriage?"
Li Fu chuckled and replied, "The court stipulates that it should be a sedan chair, not a horse-drawn carriage. Besides, you will be the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial in the future, one of the most important people in the palace. How can this be considered overstepping the bounds? Furthermore, I have sent away all your attendants. The emperor is far away, so if you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who will know?"
Seeing that the other party had made proper arrangements, Fang Zhenghua felt relieved and boarded the carriage, with Li Fu following him.
The carriage slowly started moving, and just as Li Fu had said, it was extremely stable, a hundred times better than the carriage he had taken when leaving the capital. Fang Zhenghua was a eunuch, and the journey from the capital to Tianjin by sea had been bumpy and arduous, something that normal men could not comprehend. Therefore, he particularly appreciated this comfort.
Before long, the carriage arrived at its "final destination," Bofu Wharf. Fang Zhenghua lifted the curtain at the window and looked out. The harbor was ablaze with sails, and the wharf was bustling with people. He couldn't help but ask, "I have a question I wanted to ask when we disembarked, but I couldn't find anyone to answer it: all these merchants from all over the world have gathered in Lingao, supposedly to pay silver. What exactly is the arrangement? Also, the imperial court sets up customs posts along the Grand Canal because it's a necessary route for ships. But the sea is vast, and it's impossible to set up roadblocks. So how do you get these merchants to obediently come to Lingao?"
Li Fu coughed a few times and explained, "Your Excellency, actually, a customs post has been set up in Lingao, with the same purpose as the imperial court's customs post—to levy taxes on passing ships. As for why the maritime merchants obediently come to Lingao to pay their taxes, it's quite simple: the Qionghai Navy is invincible across the seas; the seas are our domain. Anyone who dares not to pay taxes can be dealt with in a few shots, their ships and cargo confiscated, leaving them with nothing. In this way, who would dare to evade taxes?"
Fang Zhenghua's eyes widened. This method was simple, brutal, and utterly unscrupulous, demonstrating that the Qionghai Navy was even more brazen at sea than on land. As an ally, he didn't raise the "illegality" of setting up checkpoints to collect taxes, but was more interested in the effectiveness of the tax collection.
"So, how much revenue does this tax collection generate annually? The revenue of the major customs offices of the imperial court is quite substantial, ranging from over 100,000 taels of silver during the Chenghua era to over 500,000 taels during the Tianqi era. The total amount has been increasing. Maritime merchants are even wealthier than inland river merchants, so I'm afraid it's not less than that amount, is it?"
Li Fu hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Well... to be honest, the annual revenue of the Grand Canal Customs is about the same as the monthly revenue of the Lingao Customs..."
"A month..." Fang Zhenghua was truly shocked. The imperial court spent countless manpower and resources to set up numerous checkpoints on the Grand Canal, and after a year, it was only equivalent to the revenue of the Lingao Customs for one month? He only knew that Qionghai Town and Liu Ye were rich, but he did not expect them to be this rich. This must be what they call being richer than a country.