The "Imperial Merchant" in Daxuan should be called "Imperial Supplier", which is an honorary title given by the emperor to win over some wealthy and powerless families for his own use.

It is similar to the "special offer" in Chu Qing's world, but the purpose is different.

The emperor hoped to use the name of "special offer" to elevate the status of some businessmen and give them some industry monopoly advantages in an attempt to differentiate them from other aristocratic families. It would be best to compete with the economic power controlled by those aristocratic families.

The Meng family in the south of the Yangtze River specially supplied sesame oil to the royal family and silk as a reward to the emperor, ensuring the Meng family's "guaranteed harvest in droughts and floods" in these two areas.

However, they did not form any opposition to the Jiangnan family. Instead, they joined forces with the family to seek greater benefits.

"You don't have to think about this," Meng Chun raised his hand and motioned for his son to sit down: "In our family, being an imperial merchant is of little use, it's just a name;

I thought that after the late emperor passed away, our new emperor would replace us with someone else, but no;

Do you know why the new emperor did not revoke our title? Because he wanted me to be in opposition to the famous family, hum;

It's okay for the emperor and merchants to be wrong, so how can they be in opposition?

What do we seek? What we seek is to prosper ourselves. Without the cooperation of others, how can we prosper?

If we unite with the major families, we will become quite powerful..."

At this point, Meng Chun clenched a fist to express "hug together", and at the same time glanced at the door and window. Well, they were closed tightly. Then he leaned slightly towards Meng Xiansheng, raised his fist, and lowered his voice and said

: "Does the emperor dare to kill our big group? He doesn't dare! Even if he kills this group, he will be done with it!"

Yes, the economy is the engine of a country. If this engine is smashed, will the country still be able to survive?

Meng Chun continued: "Don't worry, others won't compete with us for this royal merchant qualification, and it's no good! The price given by the royal family is pitifully low, and it's all been earned by those eunuchs!"

Meng Xiansheng agreed with most of what his father said, but he also disagreed with some: "But, father, without this name, we have no reason to buy all the sesame seeds and cocoons at low prices. Then our cost will be..."

The way the Meng family monopolized the sesame oil and silk markets was very unethical.

They first purchased all the sesame seeds and silkworm cocoons in the area in large quantities at the prevailing prices. This cost-effective method greatly increased the number of growers and silkworm farmers, and they all sold the goods to them, creating a monopoly on raw materials.

Then, except for the part used by the royal family, they wholesale or retail the remaining raw materials to his downstream merchants without any price increase.

In this way, in just two years, they monopolized all the merchants who needed these raw materials.

But, can they just contribute without making money? Of course they can’t.

Two years later, the Meng family said to the growers and silkworm farmers: "You have made a lot of money in the past two years, right? Do you know why you have made so much?

That's because I bought all your things in order to keep you fed and clothed warmly, but can I use them all? I can't use them all!

So I have to help you find a way to sell it, and I don’t make a penny!

Also, the emperor ate the oil extracted from the sesame seeds you planted and said it was delicious, and wore the clothes made of the silkworms you raised and said it was comfortable to wear. So, do you have the nerve to charge the emperor such a high price?

However, I also have to support my family, and I can’t spend labor and freight in vain to help you do this, which is really a waste of money;

If you still want to continue doing this, then give me space for labor and freight, and I will help you sell your goods."

When the common people heard that their things were for the emperor's food and clothing, they felt proud, and they all said that it was their blessing that the emperor took a fancy to their things.

The Meng family can send their blood and sweat to the emperor, so they naturally have to cooperate well with the Meng family.

Besides, if the Meng family doesn't accept their goods, no one else will.

There used to be some, but the Meng family didn't lower the price and just took it, which cut off all other ways of making money.

As a result, the Meng family controlled the bidding power, and these people had no choice but to lower their prices. If they could lower their prices once, they could lower their prices several times.

While the Meng family continues to reduce costs, it only needs to keep up with the market prices of these two commodities to make a lot of money. Even because of the monopoly, there is no competition in the area where the crops are grown.

Therefore, Meng Xiansheng would be worried that if the people knew that their things would no longer be provided to the emperor, they would not be willing to give the Meng family such low prices anymore. Even if they did not raise the price, who would they sell it to?

Meng Chun shook his hand and interrupted his son: "I told you, you don't have to worry about this.

We are already having a hard time earning this little money for sesame oil. You know, that Chu Qing, she used soybean oil and peanut oil to lower the price of our sesame oil again and again;

How much kickback did the old eunuch in the purchasing department take from our family? He even showed me how to show off and asked me to spend money to honor her, and I had to accept his favor!

Also, our family is responsible for the silk used as royal rewards, so how much can we have? The quantity is not large, but there are many varieties. How much profit can we make?

Well, Chu Qing, by using cotton and cotton and linen blends, the cotton-wool blend directly squeezes our silk by how much?

Not only has the silk gifted by the royal family decreased, but our sales in cloth shops everywhere have also dropped sharply!

So, you don’t need to worry about this. At worst, we will no longer be the imperial merchants. Whoever wants to be the emperor can be the one!

The emperor wants to use this little fame, so he asks us to fight against those famous families on his behalf. Haha, who is more stupid than the other?

Although our family does not have the good reputation of those famous families, we are still a family that has been inherited for more than a hundred years!

Just wait, as long as the emperor reveals his intention to get rid of our royal merchants, we don't have to hide it, our ambitions will be exposed when they are needed, and you will participate in the scientific examination immediately!

I have confidence in you, as long as you stand out, our family will also become famous!"

As a long-established businessman with more than a hundred years of history, the Meng family's wealth is not bad. Compared with the famous family, it just has a stronger "copper smell".

In these years, Meng Chun made two preparations for his family plans: one hand for his son to study and prepare for the imperial examination at any time; the other hand for sending the family's legitimate daughter to various aristocratic families, high-ranking officials and powerful families.

I still don’t believe it, what can I do if I am not an imperial merchant?

Meng Xiansheng felt that what his father said was reasonable, so he nodded, but he immediately asked: "That Chu Qing's child?"

Meng Chun gritted his teeth: "I can't keep him! But don't touch him, just observe first. I didn't kill the mother and son before, but now they are in Songjiang Mansion, and they can't be moved. As long as something happens to them here, others will come first."

Time will doubt us."

Meng Xiansheng said: "Didn't no one know that we were responsible for the previous interceptions and killings?"

Meng Chun glanced at him: "Do you believe what you say?"

Meng Xiansheng remained silent.

I don't believe it.

It’s not that no one knows, it’s that no one can prove it.

Chu Qing himself did not provide any evidence. All the people he sent were dead. Without evidence, the Dong Lun bandits would not admit the matter.

But just because there is no evidence, it doesn't mean that Chu Qing doesn't know.

Meng Chun finally said: "Let's watch it first. Find something for them to do. For example, if the college can't open or something, run them away. As long as they leave Songjiang Mansion..."


Chapter completed!