"Father, I know I was wrong." After returning home, Jiang Yan confessed to Jiang Guomao.
"No, you're right. We Huizhou people are angry at book business and enjoy grudges. People put knives on our necks. We can't give in! Good scolding!"
Jiang Guomao not only did not blame his son, but instead praised him. After a while, he said: "Yan'er, go and secretly invite that person into the house."
"Father, didn't you say that the person's origin is unknown and you can't deal with him?"
"Unknown origin?"
Jiang Guomao snorted coldly, "My father had already guessed his origin. The war was in chaos, and there was so much cheap salt in his hands. Who else could be there besides the south? We didn't want to deal with him before because we still had a way to go.
Now that people have blocked our road, we have no choice but to deal with him. Remember, if the two armies are fighting and are in a desperate situation, you must dare to fight."
"I remember it."
"Hey, this tea is good, the best green Yangchun. In the whole of Yangzhou, I'm afraid you can only drink such good tea in Jiangfu." Song Erquan, the foreign minister of the Ming Dynasty Salt Class, took a sip of the fragrant tea and said slowly,
Squinting my eyes, I seem to be savoring the aroma of the tea soup.
He was originally the head of the Salt Class Promotion Department. Because of his merits in handling salt affairs, he was promoted to Yuanwailang. Cao, the right servant of the Ministry of Revenue, ordered him to sneak into the Qing-occupied area and dump his excess salt.
Jiang Guomao smiled and said: "Your Excellency is a man who knows tea. This top-quality green Yangchun only produces a few hundred kilograms in Yangzhou every year. Since I like it, I will take two kilograms with me later. How much salt do you have in your hand? What price do you plan to pay for it?
For sale?"
"Twenty million catties, thirty cents per catty."
"Who are you? Why do you have so much salt?"
"Why would Mr. Jiang ask knowingly? Who else has so much salt these days except me, the salt class clerk of the Ming Dynasty? I am Song Erquan, the foreign minister of the salt class of the Ming Dynasty."
"You are so brave. An official from the Ming Dynasty actually dared to sell salt in the territory of the Qing Dynasty. I am just a small businessman and I don't dare to cause trouble. Please come back."
Song Erquan laughed loudly: "Jiang Guomao, you are the supervisor of the Ming Dynasty, so don't forget the teachings of the saints. The Master said, 'It is better for the Yi and Di to have kings than for the Xia to perish.'" After saying this, he strode out of Jiangyuan.
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Jiang Yan asked Jiang Guomao: "Father, are we not going to do business with that person?"
Jiang Guomao sighed: "No, this business has to be done. However, our family cannot come forward, so go and ask Uncle Wang to come over."
When Wang Biao came to Jiangyuan, Jiang Guomao said to Wang Biao straight to the point: "Brother Wang Xian, if there is a business that is extremely dangerous but must be done, one of you and I must do it. Who do you think is better?"<
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Wang Biao said sternly: "Of course it's my younger brother who will go. The Huizhou Merchant Gang can live without me, Wang Biao, but cannot live without you, Jiang Guomao."
Jiang Guomao pointed to the south, "There are people coming over there. They have 20 million kilograms of salt in their hands. They only charge thirty cents per catty. This amount will be paid every year in the future. If we can get this batch of salt, fifty cents per catty,
We will not lose money, we will still make money. But this matter is extremely dangerous. Once the government discovers it, it will be a catastrophe of confiscating the family and exterminating the clan. My dear brother thinks about it."
Wang Biao thought for a while and said: "It is our duty to sacrifice my family to save the entire Hui Gang. However, we have to leave a root for my Wang family."
"It's natural. I have asked someone to buy a house in Guangzhou. It is an area controlled by the Ming Dynasty, and it is far away from the battlefield and is safe. I will choose a smart kid from the clan and quietly move to Guangzhou to live. If the matter is leaked, it can be
"Preservation".
"Alas! My eldest grandson Wang Yunxin is blessed. Let someone take him to Guangzhou."
Wang Yunxin's son Wang Tingzhang is Wang Biao's great-grandson. In another time and space, he was one of the eight major merchants in Lianghuai during the Qianlong Dynasty.
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Song Erquan returned to Song Garden. He said it was Song Garden, but in fact it was just a garden he rented from a failed businessman. There was no other way. In the salt business, the scene must be grand, so that others will think you are capable.
"Come here, let's take a look at the tea." Song Erquan ordered his servant to serve Wang Biao the top-quality green Yang Chun just brought back from Jiang Mansion.
Wang Biao drank it leisurely, without any strange color on his face.
Song Erquan knew it well. After coming to Yangzhou, he had a clear understanding of the living habits of the major salt merchants in Yangzhou. The output of this top-quality green Yangchun was very small. Jiang Guomao liked tea the most and almost sold this kind of tea on the market.
All the best products were collected. This person tasted this tea but remained calm. There are only two possibilities, either he is a person who does not understand tea, or he is Jiang Guomao's confidant.
Haha, these big salt merchants are indeed smarter than the last. Jiang Guomao, Jiang Guomao, you can actually come up with this strategy of borrowing chickens to lay eggs. You are truly worthy of being the leader of Huizhou merchants.
"Brother Wang, are you here to buy salt?"
"Exactly, I wonder how much salt Brother Song has on hand? How much does it cost?"
"I now have 20 million kilograms of salt on hand. From now on, the annual quantity will only be more, not less. As for the price? The price of salt is low this year, thirty cents per kilogram, and it will fluctuate according to the market price in the future."
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"Deal, I want all 20 million salt."
"Wait a minute, if you want to get cheap salt, you have to do something for me."
"Oh, I wonder what Brother Song wants me to do?"
"I want Brother Wang to spy on the Tatar military situation for me and instigate Tatar officials and generals... in short, to be a chess piece buried by the Ming Dynasty in the occupied areas."
"Are you an official of the Ming Dynasty?"
"That's right, I am Wai Lang, the official responsible for the promotion of salt in the Ming Dynasty. I also have an official position as the recruiting envoy of Southern Zhili. If you can recruit important officials from Southern Zhili for me, the price of salt can be discussed again."
It was Zhu Hengjia's impromptu idea to appoint Song Erquan as the envoy of Southern Zhili. Hearing that Cao Dengbang said that he would send people to Yangzhou to sell salt, he took the opportunity and sealed the official position. If there are dates but no dates, let's take a shot.
"No, everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the country. Students are also members of the Ming Dynasty (scholars). They don't want to keep money after death to see their ancestors. It is the duty of students to serve the country."
"Okay, okay, this is the character of Huiluotuo, much better than that of Jiang Guomao!"
Song Erquan repeatedly praised, "I admire Brother Wang's integrity. After the Ming Dynasty's Northern Expedition to South Zhili, you will be the chief merchant of the Lianghuai salt merchants. Brother Wang will not forget the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty will never forget Brother Wang."< /p>
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In the Qianqing Palace of Prince Jing's Mansion in Changsha City, Zhu Hengjia summoned the Minister of Household Affairs, Guan Shouzhen, the left minister Zhang Xiaoqi, and the right minister Cao Dengbang.
"Qing Guan, how much silver is there in the national inventory now?"
"Reporting to the Supervisor, the summer taxes have been put into the treasury. This year's customs duties, mining taxes, salt taxes, and land taxes are far higher than in previous years. The finances have improved, and the national treasury currently has 3.6 million taels of silver."
"Okay, Guan Qing has worked hard, but we still have to work hard to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. We are about to fight a big war, and we can't do it without money. Zhang Qing, how is the food accumulation going?"
"Reporting to the Supervisor State, Changsha Xiangtan Cang, Changde Wuling Cang, Nanchang Fengcheng Cang, Jiji Shuicang, Chaozhou Jieyang Cang, and Wuzhou Cangwu Cang have all been filled."
"Okay, Zhang Qing has done a good job. He has food in his hands and is not panicking. Cao Qing, back then you told Gu that the salt tax of one million taels in three years has been exceeded. How is the salt production this year? Dumping in the captive areas Can table salt help?"
"Reporting to the Supervisory State, we can produce 70 million jins of salt this year, and the remaining 20 million jins will be sold to captured areas. All have been sold."
"Oh, so fast? How did you do it?"
"I have found a big salt dealer in Yangzhou who is willing to cooperate with us. But the price of salt is a little low, only 30 Wen per catty. However, our cost of salt per catty is only 5 Wen, 30 Wen per catty. It’s still huge profits.
Zhu Hengjia thought for a while and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter if you sell it at a lower price. Putting so much salt into the captured areas at once will inevitably drive down the price of salt in Lianghuai and cause huge losses to those Yangzhou salt merchants who colluded with the Tatars. They can't make any money." , If there is no money to support the Tatars, the Tatars’ military expenditure will naturally be reduced. This account can be achieved.”
This chapter has been completed!