For Public and Private Gain in Rinan

Lan Tian encouraged trade in Guangzhou. After several years of administrative promotion, various systems and guidelines gradually emerged in accordance with market laws, allowing the city's trading firms, itinerant merchants, and peddlers to find their balance.

Once the cake of the Trade District was enlarged, commercial taxes were implemented, gradually becoming an important source of revenue for Guangzhou. Lan Tian also implemented a tiered tax system based on industry, scale, and profit, ensuring the interests of all businessmen.

Jing Province was simultaneously at war with Jiangdong and Cao Cao, causing channels like the Yangtze River and Han River to close for a time, yet this did not affect the merchants' business. Beyond traveling to Guiyang, Lingling, and other places, they found a new target in Jiaozhi Commandery, which held a large proportion of the population in Jiao Province.

Maritime trade did not diminish due to the detention of Wang Shi; on the contrary, it became more prosperous due to the constant wars in the Central Plains. Li Yi had been gone for less than half a year, yet the shipyard orders he was responsible for were already booked until next year.

Guangzhou's trade prosperity was bolstered by the publicity of the Yangtze Daily and Lingnan Newspaper, spread by word of mouth from various merchant caravans, and linked to the high degree of freedom in trading hours. Business only paused for four two-hour periods each day—Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao—leaving ample time for merchants and commoners to trade, though this also brought difficulties to market management.

Lan Tian established the Guangzhou Trade Department, specifically responsible for the management of merchants in the Trade District and tax auditing. This office was under the jurisdiction of the Nanhai Prefecture Office, and its director was the diligent Shi Zhi.

Jiang Wan knew that Lan