In the attic of the wine shop, Li Ang leaned against the window, frowning slightly, looking at the closed Suzaku door below, tapping the table back and forth with his five fingers.
Inexplicably, there is a sense of déjà vu as if the wife is giving birth in the delivery room and the husband is waiting anxiously outside the house.
In the same room, Li Leling, He Fanshuang, You Xiao and others were chatting, talking about the newly launched rouge gouache - in fact, it was mainly Li Leling who was chatting.
After all, their identities are different, You Xiao is cautious, friendly and respectful, and responds at the side.
He Fanshuang was calmly drinking tea and eating melon seeds...
Seemingly noticing Li Ang's anxiety, Li Leling coughed slightly and said: "A few days ago, I heard Aye Aniang and the ministers discuss that those Hu merchants sold spices, borneols, rhino horns, ivory and other luxuries
The goods were brought to Chang'an and sold for profit.
Then transport the porcelain, silk, etc. from the Central Plains back to the far west, and you can earn tens of thousands, or even more than 100,000 guan in one round trip. It is a huge profit, and you can still make money even if you impose heavy taxes."
"Huh?"
Li Ang's attention was slightly attracted and he asked doubtfully: "Is the imperial court going to take action against Hu Shang?"
Three hundred years after the Yu Kingdom, the culture of favoring agriculture and suppressing business has still not been eliminated. Scholars and nobles still disdain to manage business themselves, preferring to find agents to make money for them.
Foreign businessmen who have no foundation and can be replaced at any time have become the best agents.
As a result, the Hu businessmen in Chang'an and the two cities have become one of the highest-income groups in the Yu State, and they have always been the target of "hatred against the rich" by the people of Chang'an - the people of Chang'an wished that the court would pay higher wages to the Hu businessmen.
Heavy taxes to subsidize the finances.
However, there are nobles at the head of large and small Hu businessmen, so asking the court officials to propose raising the tax rate is tantamount to "I am punishing myself", and it is difficult to implement it.
Moreover, Hu businessmen’s taxes are already high enough.
“I don’t have any plans yet.”
Li Leling shook his head and said: "But spices, borneol, ivory, etc. are all luxurious playthings of rich nobles, which are of no benefit to the country or the people, but what the Yu country lost was copper coins, gold and silver.
So now we have to find a way to earn back the gold and silver."
Li Ang raised his eyebrows,
The land of Yu State is too large and the population is too large. As soon as the gold, silver and copper mines are mined and turned into coins, they will be absorbed by the country in a blink of an eye. As a result, there will never be enough coins in circulation, which has become a financial problem.
There are only a few ways to make up for the money shortage.
Imported gold, silver and copper ore.
The promotion of banknotes to make money - this requires further improvement of anti-counterfeiting technology, papermaking technology, and printing technology.
Let the gentry spend the money they have hidden at home - this requires a more stable financial management method than land annexation, that is, investing in factories.
But what does it mean to earn gold and silver from the far west?
"The simplest thing is to prohibit Hu merchants from carrying Yu State coins when they return to the far west, but that will shake the credit of the coins, so it is not feasible."
Li Leling said: "So we can only find other ways to develop new products that will interest countries in the far west."
"Is it a book?"
You Xiao thought for a while and said, "I see that in the public library in Chang'an, there are often barbarians reading books."
"Uh, no."
Li Leling shook his head, "Those Hu merchants are indeed particularly interested in the journals of the Yu Kingdom, especially the Neo-Confucian journals of the Academy, and are willing to collect the journals at ten or a hundred times the price and smuggle them to the far west.
The kings of the Far West will reward you generously.
There are too many benefits in this. Even if the court imposes strict penalties and strictly prohibits the outflow of books, it cannot stop Hu merchants and even the Yu people from smuggling books themselves, so they have to give up.
After all, the Academy prints too many publications every year."
Li Ang glanced at You Xiao from the corner of his eye. You Douzhi's emotional intelligence was so much higher than that of Song Shaoyuan that he must have known for a long time that it was not about smuggling books. He just asked this just to please Li Leling.
"Aside from silk, porcelain, and pure wine, what Hu merchants are most interested in are actually the luxury goods of Yu State."
Li Leling stopped pretending and said, "Speaking of which, I have to thank you, Dalang.
Soap and absorbent cotton have now become bulk commodities purchased by Hu merchants, and the most profitable one is perfume."
"Oh, this."
Li Ang suddenly realized that the plant essential oils extracted using condensation technology completely surpassed previous aromatherapy in terms of aroma, and became the crown of luxury goods in one fell swoop.
Now in the market of Yu State, the price of a small bottle of aromatherapy, which is one finger high, ranges from one hundred to one thousand guan, and it is often expensive but not marketable - only generals are qualified to produce condenser tubes.
For example, old stores such as Jinxiu Tang, faced with the reality of shortages, even developed a "membership reservation system" without a teacher.
You must first become a member of Jinxiu Hall before you are eligible to draw your number. Only when your number is drawn can you be eligible to pay for purchases.
When Li Ang heard the news for the first time, he had to admire the business thinking of these people. It can only be said that interests are indeed the best tool to stimulate subjective initiative.
"The imperial court originally wanted to ban perfume. After all, perfume was originally an anti-mosquito product, and it also occupied a share of condensation equipment.
It can be regarded as a ‘wonderful skill’.
But it really makes a lot of money, even more than spices, ivory, and pearls."
Li Leling said with emotion: "The daily profits of those companies that are qualified to produce perfume have reached an enviable level. Even my seventh, ahem, sister has to find someone to open a company. Her name has already been
It’s ready.”
"What's it called?"
You Xiao's eyes lit up and he asked softly.
Li Leling is the most favored Princess Guanghua, and her random words are the most valuable information for the two cities of Chang'an and the information closest to the power center of the Yu Kingdom.
It can be said that if you become good friends with Li Leling, you can make a lot of money even if you close your eyes and invest in the east and west cities.
"Gucci."
Li Leling said seriously: "It's ancient, it's been a long time.
Chi, well-known.
It means long-term operation."
Poof.
Li Ang almost spit out a mouthful of tea leaves, Gucci...
Why not call it Chanel, Dior, or Hermès?
"Gucci, Gucci...a good name."
After You Xiao got useful information, he boasted fiercely and his thoughts changed rapidly.
Even the imperial court of the Yu Kingdom quietly relaxed restrictions because of the huge benefits of the perfume industry. Even the princess of the Yu Kingdom wanted to invest in the company and take the opportunity to make a fortune.
Even if Youxiao is from a small family, he is not qualified to have a relationship with the princess, participate in an investment firm, and get a piece of the pie.
At least we can find ways to invest in new companies that will be established in the future and are qualified to produce perfume.
"I don't know much about this either. In short, it would be best if the business can be established."
Li Leling stuck out her tongue. Except for a few particularly favored princes and daughters, the status and wealth of the other royal heirs in the palace largely depended on the power of their mother's family.
If the maternal clan is powerful, the prince's future palace will be more luxurious, and the prince's daughter will be able to find a good husband in the future instead of just marrying a low-level official with an innocent fortune.
As for the princes and princesses who are not favored and whose mother's family power is weak, they can only find their own ways and rely on their own efforts. While they are still in Chang'an, they can make money while they can.
Li Leling has never been troubled by money, and sincerely hopes that her sisters and brothers can make more money.
"Having said that, I don't know if the candidates can have lunch during this year's final exam."
Li Leling suddenly remembered that it was already lunch time, and she didn't know if there was any food in the examination room.
"There should be...right?"
Just as Li Ang was about to say something, he heard a creaking sound coming from the Suzaku Gate below.
Has someone come out already?
He immediately stood up and looked into the distance, and the parents of the candidates who were waiting anxiously on the street also stood on tiptoes and looked to see if it was their child.
Wow——
The Suzaku Door slowly opened, and a familiar figure walked out.
"Huh?!"
Li Ang subconsciously turned up the volume.
This chapter has been completed!