In the diminutive shop shrouded in the sunset, Shen Lie and Zhang Jingxiu stared at each other and bickered vigorously.
I saw Miss Zhang wearing spotless Confucian clothes, with her waist tied up, and her big hair saying coquettishly: "Sigh... I don't even bother to argue with a philistine like you... philistine!"
Shen Lie had an innocent look on his face, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Oh, thank you very much, the shopkeeper, for your advice.
I am a philistine, you are noble, you are amazing.
Finished speaking.
He then looked at the corners of Miss Zhang's fair mouth with evil intentions, and her pretty face immediately turned red. She didn't know what she thought of, so she quickly closed her rosy little mouth that kept opening.
Tian Hong couldn't help but touched his head and laughed knowingly.
Lao Tian was also here, and he often quarreled with his mother-in-law at home. He saw that Miss Zhang's demeanor and tone were exactly the same as his mother-in-law who had given birth to two children.
It's just a joke between husband and wife.
enjoying the moment.
Yun'er didn't care so much, she just carefully put the big gold ingot back into the box, and then hugged the money box tightly with her small white hands.
Anyway, the people in this room are big-hearted!
Everyone patiently waited for the first shopkeeper and the second shopkeeper to finish their bickering and calm down, and then quickly accepted the emperor's strange idea of doing business with everyone.
Instead, the atmosphere gradually became heated.
Less than a quarter of an hour.
Under the rays of rays of light in the sky.
Led by Shen Lie and Zhang Jingxiu, they got together with Tian Hong and Yun'er and called Miss Xuan'er over. The group of people ate sunflower seeds and potato chips and discussed in low voices.
At this time, Yun'er had secretly hidden the money box, and while cracking sunflower seeds, she smiled and said: "Master, what business are we doing with the emperor this time?"
Shen Lie looked at her cute and cute look and nodded: "Good question."
This question really stumped him.
While knocking sunflower seeds, everyone began to think seriously and began to help make suggestions.
Zhang Jingxiu was biting potato chips with his ruddy mouth, thinking seriously, and suggested: "This is the most profitable business in the capital..."
As she spoke, she lowered her voice and said mysteriously: "Be a salt merchant!"
I heard the word salt merchant.
Shen Lie and others were instinctively startled and all looked at her.
Miss Zhang thought she had a plan, and pouted her little mouth and said proudly: "With your relationship with the emperor, it is not difficult to get a few salt quotes as long as you open your mouth. With salt quotes... Hahaha, it will definitely happen day by day. Enter the bucket of gold."
Yanyin is a salt seller, a license to sell salt.
Finished speaking.
There was silence in the small shop.
Looking at his sweetheart's bright, stunning and proud face, Shen Lie grinned involuntarily, and his face became a little bitter.
Be a salt merchant...
Isn't this seeking death?
Miss Xuan'er was also startled, grabbed a few sunflower seeds and covered her mouth, looking at the daughter of the Grand Master's Palace in surprise.
Tian Hong also trembled with fright and hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Absolutely not."
Zhang Jingxiu pouted and said, "Why not?"
Yun'er also said coquettishly: "I think the big shopkeeper is right. Aren't we an imperial merchant? Why can't we sell salt?"
Then the little maid clenched her little fists and said fiercely: "Let's show the emperor's sign. If anyone dares not to give us a signal then... we will let the emperor chop off his head!"
Seeing the vicious expression on the pretty face of the little maid, Shen Lie suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, and thought to himself that you are really a little elf!
Dare the emperor kill the salt merchant's head?
What a joke!
Shen Lie kept rubbing his head.
Tian Hong grimaced on the side and explained in a low voice: "My little aunt, didn't the Queen Mother tell us not to cause trouble to the palace? We can do whatever we want in this one-third of an acre in the capital, but don't sell salt."
More than just salt.
Tian Hong lowered his voice and talked about business.
"In this part of the capital, big businesses such as salt, iron, tea, horses, silk and satin, and porcelain are absolutely untouchable by outsiders."
Not to mention the imperial merchants, even the imperial edicts don’t work!
In this day and age, if anyone touches these businesses and rushes in hastily, let alone an eighteen-year-old emperor, even the resurrection of Ming Taizu will not be able to protect him!
From the prosperous and beautiful south of the Yangtze River to the capital city and then to the northwest frontier, who is doing the business of selling salt?
People from Yangzhou, people from Suzhou, people from Hangzhou...
In particular, the Yangzhou salt merchants were the richest in the world, and behind them were some of the biggest forces in the court. They were ruthless people that even Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, did not dare to touch.
Zhang Juzheng was already very bold in reforming, but he did not dare to touch the Jiangnan salt merchants, so the business of selling salt was absolutely forbidden.
As Tian Hong lowered his voice and spoke eloquently, the three women Zhang Jingxiu, Yun'er, and Xuan'er gradually came to a realization.
In this day and age, it is almost 200 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The hugely profitable industries such as salt, tea, and silk are all firmly controlled by Jiangnan merchants.
Businesses such as iron, horses, and rice grains were controlled by Shanxi merchants, while businesses such as ginseng and deer antler were controlled by several big bosses in Liaodong.
Huizhou merchants acted as second-tier dealers among Jiangnan merchants and Shanxi merchants.
Behind the merchants of these major factions are princes, dignitaries, and relatives of the emperor and countrymen from various places. The factions of the literati group have already formed intricate interest groups.
Tian Hong's mouth became dry as he spoke, and then he said cautiously: "Big shopkeeper, you can't do this!"
The three women became a little nervous after hearing this. Zhang Jingxiu clapped his folding fan and responded awkwardly: "Oh, is that so?"
It seems she was hasty.
Although she was born in the Grand Master's Mansion and was favored by thousands of people, and her knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics was as good as any man in this world, she still knew nothing about the unspoken rules of all walks of life.
At this time, Miss Xuan'er, who was standing aside, couldn't help but slightly open her lips and said softly: "I have an idea, I don't know whether I should say it or not."
Shen Lie hurriedly said: "Girl, it doesn't matter if you just say it."
So the charming bright eyes of this Yangzhou thin horse were shining with wisdom, and he said softly: "Do you have a royal background? The most profitable business is naturally the ticket number pawn shop."
She said this.
Everyone's eyes lit up. The two grown men, Tian Hong and Shen Lie, also looked at each other for a moment, unable to hide their excitement.
Don't say it yet.
Looking at Miss Xuan'er's charming face with a little makeup, the two grown men were slightly stunned. It seemed that this Yangzhou first-class skinny horse was really not a flower vase.
This is a knowledgeable woman.
"Um."
Tian Hong nodded and pondered: "The business of this pawnshop is indeed hugely profitable."
Shen Lie also thought seriously.
In the early Wanli year of the Ming Dynasty, there were countless ticket number pawn shops in various parts of the Ming Dynasty. There were so many large and small ticket number pawnshops!
Taking the capital as an example, among the large and small bank accounts under the emperor's feet, there are Shanxi bank accounts that specialize in banknote exchange, and there are also local bank accounts that do lending.
That's just the Shanxi bank, it's a time-honored brand that Shanxi merchants have worked hard for many years, not to mention the local bank and pawnshop, there are just a few of them on almost every street.