Chapter 2, Yicheng Port

To the north of Yicheng, on the northern bank of the Luo River, lies Yibei Port, the largest naval port of the Dongping Kingdom. From the Wangjiang Tower, one can faintly see the masts standing tall in Yibei Port, with various naval vessels entering and leaving the port, as well as the naval forces stationed at Yibei Port conducting their drills.

Although the two guards sitting beside the screen could not see their young lady's expression, they knew that such a person was certainly not likable. The two guards stood up together, blocking the young man in front of them. The young man, completely oblivious to the situation, actually shouted, "I admire your young lady and have come here for that reason; you two servants are being quite rude." He even raised his voice, exclaiming, "Your young lady has been in Yicheng for less than two hours, and her name has already spread throughout Beicheng. Please give me a chance." His behavior drew the angry glances of other patrons in the tavern. Meanwhile, the waiter cowered in a corner, looking both disgusted and helpless, clearly accustomed to this young man causing a scene here more than once or twice.

A young man dressed in a cyan long gown stepped onto the second-floor elegant seating area and, in an extremely flattering tone, recited aloud: "I have just learned that a graceful beauty has arrived in Yicheng, captivating and enchanting, may I have the honor of meeting her? I would be willing to serve as a guide to share the local customs with the young lady."

The young lady frowned. Throughout her journey, she had encountered many such individuals. In the Eastern Ping Kingdom, the atmosphere is quite liberal, and there are numerous wealthy young men who believe themselves to be charming. Wherever they go, there are always one or two who foolishly attempt to make acquaintances. However, this particular fellow was not just frivolous; no, his tone and inflection were downright lewd. The young lady could not help but display a look of disgust.

"Uncle Liu, please do not hit the boat," the young lady instructed in an exceptionally gentle tone. Manager Liu, who was sitting beside her, was taken aback for a moment, then respectfully placed another cup of tea in front of the young lady and replied, "Yes."

The Dongping Kingdom encourages merchants by not imposing a land tax; however, the regulation of goods entering and exiting is quite strict. Particularly, the "Maritime Trade Law" implemented four years ago consolidated the original seven taxes: land tax, ship tax, maritime labor tax, pirate suppression tax, port construction tax, river dredging tax, and river and book sacrificial tax into one. This reform reduced the total tax burden from over 20% of the goods' price to a maritime tax of 10% of the sales price, in addition to various supplementary taxes on different types of goods.

The mere consolidation of 7 taxes into a maritime regular tax appears to have reduced the tax rate; however, after one year of implementation, all four ports in Dongping Country reported a significant increase in the taxes collected compared to before. Many smugglers who previously operated in secrecy have voluntarily paid taxes to gain the protection of the Dongping navy. Additionally, some pirates, who had originally targeted smugglers knowing they would not report to the authorities, perceived that engaging in legitimate trade could be profitable, leading several to choose to naturalize and engage in legitimate maritime business.

In the distance, a much larger crane stood at the port. Unlike the rudimentary human-powered cranes nearby, this large crane was surprisingly connected to a winch in the shape of a square, pulled by four horses, and was actually powered by animal strength. The young lady found it intriguing and was just about to ask the waiter to call the manager for an inquiry when suddenly, she heard a commotion coming from the second floor of the Wangjiang Tower.

The additional tax on goods varies, and relying on this additional tax, Dongping Kingdom has for the first time mastered a tool that can be considered macroeconomic regulation. Although domestic grain production in Dongping Kingdom is not abundant, in the past, purchasing grain from Chun Nan Kingdom was unprofitable for maritime merchants due to excessively high tax rates. However, now the additional tax on grain is only 2 cents, which has allowed many capable maritime merchants to see significant profits. Over the past few years, they have not only imported large quantities of grain, keeping the grain prices in Dongping Kingdom consistently low, but they have also enabled the Dongping court to stockpile a substantial amount of grain for disaster preparedness. Compared to grain, Dongping Kingdom lacks not only pastures but also horses, especially cavalry horses from Beiliao Kingdom and even further northern grasslands. Therefore, the additional tax on horses is particularly unique; not only is there no tax levied, but there is also a subsidy of 6 cents. However, for horses imported from the north, only a tax of 4 cents is required. Such a lucrative business has attracted many maritime merchants who thrive in the north; they either collude with local authorities or resort to smuggling. Over the past few years, they have imported no less than 40,000 fine horses from the north, causing the price of horses in Dongping Kingdom to drop by more than half.

However, what is even more enticing is the row of various-sized boats and colorful characters along the riverside in Yicheng. The port where Wangjiang Tower is located is no longer a place where just any vessel can dock. This section of the port is constructed of bluestone, densely packed with large ships, each over 10 zhang in length. Judging by the shape of the boats and the carvings on their sterns, they likely belong to several prominent maritime merchant families. Even the loading and unloading of goods in this section of the harbor is distinctive. From Wangjiang Tower, one can also see the port where smaller boats are concentrated, with barefoot porters laboriously carrying bundles of goods tied with hemp ropes across the gangplank. In this section of the port, robust men with bare arms pull thick hemp ropes, using simple hoisting devices to transport large quantities of goods to the dock. As soon as a load of goods hits the ground, several porters immediately remove the items from the woven hemp net and neatly stack them to one side, while the clerks in charge of the port promptly come forward to count and register the goods.

Although the tax rate has decreased, the number of merchants completing customs has increased, leaving the officials at the four ports of Dongping State extremely busy. While it is true that the heads of each port often turn a blind eye to small bribes and loose change, allowing the port officials to enjoy a position that many envy, the consequences of being caught in a conspiracy to smuggle are severe: 30 military lashes and a year of detention. This has kept the port officials on their toes, ensuring they do not engage in corruption or malpractice.

Manager Liu stepped out from behind the screen, completely ignoring the young man's words. He grabbed the young man's collar and flung him outward, then turned and walked back behind the screen without even casting a glance. The young man screamed hoarsely as he was thrown out of the building, astonishingly flying over a distance of more than ten zhang and landing in the water at the port, between two large ships. This display of strength by Manager Liu was simply shocking. Although the guests in the Riverside Pavilion were mesmerized by the spectacle, they were deeply horrified; was this Manager Liu even human? The Riverside Pavilion was frequented by many figures from the martial world, and while some would inevitably get drunk and cause a ruckus, regular patrons regarded watching duels as a form of entertainment. However, those who were somewhat renowned in the martial world paled in comparison to Manager Liu, who made them seem like insignificant creatures. To throw a living person nearly 20 zhang and have him land safely in the water, without hitting a ship and seemingly without injury, was akin to placing that person gently in the water; this was not merely a matter of strength.