Quanzhou is like a shining pearl, inlaid on the map of China's southeast coast.
From ancient times to the present, Quanzhou has carried a rich historical and cultural heritage.
As early as the pre-Qin period, there may have been traces of human activities here.
As time went by, Quanzhou gradually grew and developed. By the Tang Dynasty, it had become one of the important trading ports. Countless merchant ships gathered here, bringing with them rare treasures and advanced technologies from all over the world.
The Song and Yuan dynasties were the heyday of Quanzhou, and its prosperous overseas trade was remarkable.
Merchants and envoys from all over the world flocked to Quanzhou, making it a place where diverse cultures converge.
Quanzhou not only has a developed business, but also has nurtured a unique and splendid regional culture.
Traditional art forms such as Nanyin and puppetry have been passed down from generation to generation here.
Ancient religious beliefs such as Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, etc. also coexist harmoniously.
In addition, Quanzhou has many famous scenic spots and historical sites, such as Kaiyuan Temple, Qingjing Mosque, Luoyang Bridge, etc. These are precious heritage left by the years.
This was Lu Chen’s understanding of Quanzhou in his previous life, and the situation in Quanzhou in this life was actually similar.
After all, the geographical location gives them a unique advantage in development.
Lu Chen's understanding of this place mostly came from short videos on the Internet, most of which were about the delicious food in Quanzhou.
Things like ginger chicken, rice noodle soup, fried oysters, and local people are all quite delicious.
Especially the fried oysters, which not only tastes good, but is also very satisfying to eat, and most importantly, is good for your health.
This time, Lu Chen traveled thousands of miles to Quanzhou, and his purpose was far more than just looking for a precious sea chart.
In fact, he has more far-reaching plans and wants to conduct an in-depth and detailed investigation of Quanzhou's local business environment and infrastructure construction.
In Lu Chen's opinion, there must be certain necessary conditions for Quanzhou to form a strong maritime trade atmosphere in both timelines. It has a natural harbor and can indeed be used to build it into a future maritime trade center.
But the prerequisite is that the businessmen here must be reliable and know who provides them with a living.
Lu Chen doesn't like to see the disgusting behavior of picking up the bowl to eat and then putting it down to curse.
To put it more bluntly, he intends to bet heavily on this place. He wants to invest madly here and build various infrastructures.
He doesn't want everything he does to be a favor to others.
It would be fine if the merchants in Quanzhou City were sensible, but if they were not, Lu Chen wouldn't mind replacing them with a new batch.
After all, after establishing a company with Shen Wanshan and others, what Lu Chen has the most at hand is businessmen who can get things done.
When Shen Wanshan and others heard that they could actually engage in maritime trade, they were quite excited. They patted their chests and promised to follow Lu Chen's lead and expand the territory for Da Qi.
Since getting in touch with Lu Chen, many businessmen, including Shen Wanshan, have made a fortune. Now Lu Chen has become a treasure pot in their eyes.
Although the imperial court did not have clear statistics, it can be inferred from the news sent back by the Jinyiwei during this period that Quanzhou's annual cargo throughput was quite large, but unfortunately these goods were not taxed.
Or, in other words, the Great Qi did not attach much importance to taxation on maritime trade, and the tax system was very unreasonable. For many maritime merchants, it was almost as if there was no tax.
Lu Chen thought this was wrong. They were obviously very poor before, but now they turned a blind eye to such a big piece of fat meat. This was unreasonable and must be corrected.
So before leaving the capital, Lu Chen went to the palace and personally discussed the issue of maritime trade with Li Zhuo and the six ministers.
It is obvious that there are no officials from Quanzhou among the six ministries, and although everyone’s understanding of maritime trade cannot be said to be completely nonexistent, it is almost blank.
When Lu Chen told the Chinese Academy of Sciences about Quanzhou's annual maritime trade volume, he could clearly see distrust and even some absurd expressions on everyone's faces.
In the eyes of the officials of the six ministries, Da Qi had a vast territory and a large area of arable land. Now you tell me that the annual cargo throughput of a mere wharf in Quanzhou is actually the same as the income from arable land. Isn’t that nonsense?
Lu Chen also knew that it was unlikely to change these people's minds in a short period of time, so he did not force them. He just asked Li Zhuo calmly whether he wanted more money.
Of course Li Zhuo wanted it. Even the emperor felt that money was never enough.
Lu Chen said that if you want more money, you have to change the commercial tax on maritime trade. As for how to change it, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is full of talents researching this area, so why not leave it to them.
Li Zhuo agreed in theory, but he also said that after the Chinese Academy of Sciences has formulated detailed regulations, it needs to be brought to the court for discussion before a decision can be made on whether to implement them.
Lu Chen had no objection to this, and Zhao Gongming, who was in charge of policy making, had even less objection.
Zhao Gongming has now become a nobleman. Envoys from neighboring countries cry and beg to see him all day long, just to get more loans from him.
Over time, Zhao Gongming also developed the demeanor of a big boss.
Moreover, the longer he stayed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the longer he worked in the financial industry, the more he looked down on the accountants in the Ministry of Revenue.
In Zhao Gongming's opinion, the accountants in the Ministry of Revenue today have only an elementary school education, and it is already amazing that they can do multiplication and division.
They are nothing like those people in their central bank who are just playing around with numbers.
Zhao Gongming, who had traveled south with Lu Chen, arrived at the cabin and respectfully handed over a pamphlet, saying, "Master Imperial Master, this is the commercial tax we have just researched. Please review it and correct me if there is anything wrong."
Lu Chen took the booklet but didn't rush to read it. Instead, he put it aside and chatted with Zhao Gongming, "Many things still need to be combined with reality. When we get to Quanzhou, you can take people to conduct an on-site inspection. By the way, can you also help me with the land price assessment?"
"I've studied Quanzhou City on a map. Its current location is quite good, but unfortunately some of the good spots have already been taken. Consider how much it would cost to buy these plots of land."
Zhao Gongming nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll do it as soon as I get there. I've also heard about Quanzhou City. My Lord Imperial Master, you'd better be prepared. I suspect once word gets out about the land acquisition, the price won't be cheap."
"It's okay, just go ahead and do it. There are cheap ways to play, and there are also not-so-cheap ways to play. The initiative to overturn the table is in our hands. I'm not panicking at all."
"You've been with me for so long, you should know me a little bit. I've always been a win-win situation!"
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