Of course, these were for ships entering the port; the rules for departing ships were even more numerous.
First, they had to inspect the cargo for any contraband, such as copper coins, people, or weapons.
Then, their destination had to be investigated. Only after all inspections were satisfactory would they be issued a permit, which was roughly equivalent to a license to sail.
However, Han Mo's new regulations were entirely different.
The procedure for departing was largely unchanged, with the addition of two new stipulations.
First, every merchant ship departing must sign an agreement, requiring them, as per the imperial court's demand, to carry a portion of the goods needed by the court upon their return voyage.
Of course, a certain amount would be deducted from the taxes they were required to pay on their return trip, as compensation for their service to the court.
Although this condition was indeed a bit troublesome, they could more or less accept it. After all, according to Han Mo's subsequent explanation, the goods they were required to carry would be items readily available in the local area.
However, this second stipulation struck at the very heart of several aristocratic families.
That is, all cargo carried by merchant ships departing must be purchased through the Maritime Trade Office!
And the original producers of these goods could only sell their merchandise to the Maritime Trade Office.
Similarly, foreigners would henceforth be forbidden from trading directly with Song Dynasty maritime merchants.
All goods they carried must also be transacted through the Maritime Trade Office on their behalf!
On the surface, this indeed made their business easier. But what was the reality?
Transport by sea was different from land transport. For land transport, a delay would at most mean earning less money.
But for maritime transport, if you missed the monsoon, it was no laughing matter.
For certain special routes, if the monsoon was missed, you might have to wait for several months or even until the following year to return.
To pursue quick entry and quick exit, they would likely have to give up a portion of their profits...
If this were the case, the Maritime Trade Office, which was previously obscure and had little presence, would instantly become a powerful government agency.
After all, with this incoming and outgoing flow, they held the lifelines of all merchants.
Take the Qian family, a supplier family, for example. Before this, they held vast quantities of high-end goods such as silk, porcelain, and tea, placing them in an invincible position in maritime trade.
Other families, even if they wanted to compete with them for the market, did not have such a large scale.
Or rather, they simply couldn't contact those major maritime merchants. But now, things were different.
All goods had to be sold to the Maritime Trade Office, and the prices of these goods would ultimately be set by the Maritime Trade Office based on previous years' prices and the scarcity of the goods.
The advantages previously accumulated by the Qian family were now completely gone...
The vast customer resources they held were now irrelevant to them.
The small merchants who could only sell their goods to them at low prices could now bypass them and sell directly to the Maritime Trade Office!
And the families who went out to sea were even worse off. They could originally independently decide to whom to sell most of their goods and determine the prices of these goods.
But now, the power to set prices had completely slipped away from them.
Unless their goods were to rot in their hands, or be sold to other countries, if they wished to enter the Song Dynasty market, they had to conform to the pricing of the Maritime Trade Office.
The goods they carried when they sailed out must also be provided by the Maritime Trade Office. In this way, any attempt to evade taxes would be laughable.
Although Han Mo did not mention taxes in this plan, Qian Lang could imagine that if this plan were implemented, Han Mo would likely put taxation on the agenda very soon.
At that time, whether buying or selling, taxes would be directly deducted from the payment, without your consent; the money would already be taken from your pocket...
No matter how profitable maritime trade was, they would never be able to stir up any further trouble from now on.
"What do you think of these regulations?"
As Han Mo spoke, he took another sip of tea, his placid expression truly full of irony.
"Other families won't agree to this plan..."
After hesitating, Qian Lang truthfully replied.
This was a matter of family survival, involving disputes over interests. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to step forward and confront Han Mo now.
"On what basis do you think I need their agreement?"
Han Mo said this with a smile.
The fact that he provided tens of millions of guan in copper coins to the imperial court annually was his confidence!
Moreover, with the Mingzhou Naval Fleet about to be established, once the Mingzhou Naval Fleet and Quanzhou Naval Fleet completed their integration, coupled with the sea vessels of the Pu family that Han Mo had absorbed,
If anyone dared to act against him, they would likely be sunk as soon as they set sail...
Looking at the smile on Han Mo's face, Qian Lang could only taste bitterness.
"Sir, why must you do this? Is it not said that leaving some room for manoeuvre ensures future encounters?"
After a long while, Qian Lang finally let out a long sigh.
"Do you think my regulations are too harsh for you?"
Seeing the bitter expression on Qian Lang's face, Han Mo suddenly stood up and said.
"Aren't they?"
"Are my regulations too harsh, or is your appetite too large? Have you not worn the hat of 'wealth surpassing the nation' long enough? Think carefully, what is the annual revenue of the Great Song Dynasty, and how much wealth do you people control? You make such vast sums of money year after year, have you never considered that a fat pig is eventually destined for the slaughter?"
With a cold snort, Han Mo spoke again.
"Is there no room for negotiation on this matter?"
Although Qian Lang's expression remained calm, his hands hidden in his sleeves had begun to tremble.
"You have already earned enough money. Even if your entire clan were filled with prodigal sons, it would be enough for you to squander for decades or even centuries. It's time to rein in your greed. This is my will, and also the Emperor's will. You can go back and discuss it properly with the elders of your clan, but my patience is limited. You can also try to see if you have the ability to overturn this situation. These regulations will be issued immediately and will officially take effect in four months. That's all, you may leave!"