Chapter 21

"From my perspective," Zhang Han interjected at the right moment, "carrying silver to buy goods risks theft or robbery. When transporting goods back, there's a fear of extortion. Staying in an inn within the city is safer, but staying outside the city, where theft and robbery are common, is too risky."

"This young man is indeed from a merchant family; what he says is very true."

"Last time I traveled from Xinping Fort to Kaifeng, I had over three hundred hides. By the time I reached Kaifeng, only about two hundred remained. They were stolen, robbed, or extorted, and I had to pay off the tax collectors..." A middle-aged merchant, his face filled with indignation, shook his head. "In short, our line of work is not easy!"

"Who can blame us for having many princes in Shanxi and Henan?"

"Shanxi is still better; Henan has even more."

Many of the merchants here indeed traveled to Henan and Shandong. Northern specialties were actually more expensive in the Jiangnan and Huguang regions, but ordinary peddlers found it very difficult to travel such long distances. Shandong merchants mostly traded with Liaodong and the capital, rarely coming to Shanxi. Henan merchants were more numerous, and both Shanxi and Henan had several princes and dukes. Official tax checkpoints were few, but the private checkpoints set up by these princely households and local gentry were many. Add to that the various fees, taxes, and duties collected by the merchants' guilds, and Zhang Han could easily see how difficult it was for merchants to make a profit in the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, the poor maintenance of the imperial highways, the difficult roads, the floods, the displaced people, and the bandits, including the ruthless extortion by the local villagers, made it even harder for merchants. If not for the Ming Dynasty's advantageous position in bilateral trade with Mongolia, which brought substantial profits, these merchants might not have found it profitable at all.

At the time, the best trade route was maritime trade. Jiangnan, Fujian, and Guangdong had already made huge profits, especially Jiangnan, where the profits were particularly high. Another profitable route was the north-south trade along the Grand Canal, transporting southern goods to the north. The trade route from Huguang to Jiangnan and Henan was also very prosperous.

As for the northern commerce, the rise of the Shanxi merchants was due to their monopoly on salt, tea, and grain trade, and now it was the horse market that was crucial.

In the casual conversations, Zhang Han gradually gained a clearer understanding of the commercial landscape of this era. Many things that were not visible in Xinping Fort could only be learned through such travels, and the vague ideas in his mind gradually became clearer.

"Sometime," Zhang Han said with a smile, "when silver can be withdrawn at the destination, and goods can be shipped home, and picked up upon arrival, doing business would be much easier."

The middle-aged merchant who had been trading hides laughed. "Young man, you really know how to joke. If business were done that way, wouldn't it be the same as doing business from home?"

"There are still differences," Zhang Han smiled. "You still need to go to the source to inspect the goods. Each person's judgment is different, so the goods they buy and the information they have are different, and thus the profits are different."

"But to achieve what you say, it's absolutely impossible."

Zhang Han smiled without responding, but someone else chimed in, "The exchange of silver is already happening, but on a small scale, and only in a few places. It's only between trusted acquaintances that silver is exchanged for bills of exchange, which are then exchanged for silver at the destination."

"I wouldn't dare to do it that way."

"Indeed, it sounds too risky."

The merchants all shook their heads. Zhang Han was not surprised by this situation. In the Tang Dynasty, there was a system called "flying money." During the frequent wars and the scarcity of gold and silver, copper coins were the main currency. Carrying tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of strings of coins for trade was too risky and cumbersome. The various military governors had offices in the capital, Chang'an, where merchants could deposit money locally and withdraw it in the capital, saving a lot of costs and avoiding the risk of robbery, making it very convenient.

Unfortunately, this system disappeared in the Ming Dynasty. It wasn't until the late Ming that a few bills of exchange appeared, but it would take over a century for this industry to mature. Soon after, European powers entered, and their banking systems were more advanced, with better services and more capital, quickly overwhelming Chinese private capital. The eight major Shanxi merchant families declined in the late Qing and early Republic periods, and many legendary merchant houses closed down.

In the end, the development of European banking was due to the influence of the Jews and powerful merchant guilds, where capital spoke for itself. In China, merchants were more like fat sheep, and the establishment of money shops was already a significant achievement.

As the night fell, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. After a good night's sleep, Zhang Han and his companions continued their journey the next day.

From Tiancheng Wei to Yanghe Wei, entering Yanghe Wei city, and then to Datong Town, they headed southwest, arriving in Puzhou after six days of travel. What would be a few hours by train in the future was a long and arduous journey in this era.

On the way, they encountered some ruffians, but no bandits, as they mostly traveled on the main roads and avoided small paths and mountain trails. There were a few close calls, and when they passed through Taiyuan, Liang Hong caught a cold and almost fell ill. They stopped for half a day, cooked a large pot of ginger soup, and after everyone sweated it out, Liang Hong's complexion improved, and they continued their journey after resting.

In this era, if one caught a cold or was affected by the local climate, they would need to rest for several days before continuing. Liang Hong, being physically strong and with the care of Zhang Han and Liang Xing, and due to the urgency of the matter, eventually got back on his horse and continued the journey. Fortunately, there were no further incidents, and they finally arrived in Puzhou safely.

The Zhang family of Puzhou was the first prominent clan in the region, and Zhang Siwei was the highest-ranking member of the Zhang family. However, the Zhang family was not limited to Zhang Siwei; it had been a prominent family for several hundred years, with Zhang Siwei's branch being the most illustrious.

"The Zhang family's main residence is in Luoma Alley. Several alleys in that area are part of their estate. When you get there, find out which branch you are looking for before you visit."

A family that had been prominent for hundreds of years, with many branches, made Zhang Han and his companions realize just how influential the Zhang family was.

Even though the Zhang family had not produced any outstanding figures in the past twenty or thirty years, their foundation was still far stronger than that of ordinary gentry families, let alone purely commercial families.

The entire area around Luoma Alley was inhabited by the Zhang family. Each courtyard was impressive, and several alleys, except for a few other families, were almost entirely occupied by the Zhang family.

There were no shops or unsightly buildings on the street. In the center of the street was a clan temple, the ancestral hall of the Zhang family of Puzhou, which clearly demonstrated the family's deep roots.

Even more prominent were the archways that stood at the entrance of the street. There were several archways for those who had passed the imperial examinations, and others for those who had held high offices, but the most prominent were the archways for the Grand Secretary, the Grand Tutor, and the Pillar of the State, all achievements of Zhang Siwei. To this day, few other prominent families in Shanxi could match the Zhang family of Puzhou in terms of the number of archways.

Zhang Han did not have much respect for his great-great-grandfather. Zhang Juzheng was a successful reformer and politician, but during his lifetime, Zhang Siwei flattered him. After Zhang Juzheng's death, Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing ruthlessly attacked a dead man to curry favor with Emperor Wanli. This was a matter of poor political ethics. In practical terms, the revival of the Ming Dynasty was destroyed by Shen Shixing and Zhang Siwei, and this was undeniable.

Despite his thoughts, the Zhang family of Puzhou and Zhang Siwei were Zhang Han's greatest support at this time. He dismounted early and walked respectfully under the archway, showing the utmost respect regardless of his inner feelings.

Zhang Han and his companions also attracted attention. Most of the residents on this street were from the Zhang family or other gentry families, and the people walking on the street were mostly familiar with each other. The sudden appearance of several horse-riding outsiders was quite noticeable.

"Are you looking for the branch of Fengpan Gong? They live in the main hall, which is the largest residence in the center. This branch is now a single line, so it's easy to find."

When Zhang Han inquired, he was taken aback.

After so many years, the Zhang family in Xinping Fort had been separated from the Puzhou branch for a long time, and it seemed that the Puzhou branch had forgotten about the Xinping Fort descendants of Fengpan Gong?

"I am also a descendant of Fengpan Gong."

The man speaking was about forty years old, lean and short, wearing a pure yang cap and a blue robe. After hearing Zhang Han's words, he blinked his small eyes, thought for a moment, and then clapped his hands, smiling. "I know, you must be from Xinping Fort, right?"

Zhang Han was impressed by the man's knowledge of the family tree, which was quite detailed in such a large family.

"Yes, I am..."

"Don't call yourself 'in the lower position.' Is your father Zhang Cheng? He came here once when he was young, and I, being young then, met him and even played with him. It's been so many years..."

The lean man sighed, looked at Zhang Han, and said, "I am Zhang Xuezeng. In the family tree, I am your great-uncle. Call me Third Uncle."

Zhang Han quickly bowed. "I greet Third Uncle."

Zhang Han chose to speak to this "Third Uncle" after observing him. The man's attire was that of a gentry, and many people on the street greeted him with respect, which he returned. His status and demeanor were impressive, and he was also very humble. Zhang Han chose him to ask for help, and the conversation went well.

Zhang Xuezeng looked at Zhang Han and asked, "How is your father?"

"My father passed away several years ago..."

"Ah, I see." Zhang Xuezeng sighed. "Your father came here years ago to report his death and to seek reintegration into the family, but it didn't work out. It's a long story, but let's not dwell on it. Tell me, what brings you here this time?"

This Third Uncle was truly kind-hearted, and Zhang Han did not hide anything, explaining his purpose in detail.

---

Duke of London, regarding the issue of buying and selling shops, I did not exaggerate. There are many records from the time that are quite shocking. In my book, I included the words of Emperor Longwu, who had a complex life and was not easily deceived like Emperor Chongzhen, who grew up in the palace. Emperor Longwu had a deep understanding of the issues with shops, but unfortunately, he was a setting sun.