After all the merchants left, Gu Chengyu rubbed his brows and prepared to take a good rest. He was really tired from running around these days.
Unexpectedly, Hu Maoshen was unwilling to let him go, "Gu Shaoqing, it seems that the chamber of commerce you just mentioned has not been discussed by the court. I wonder if this chamber of commerce is your personal idea, or has it really been negotiated with the emperor?"
Hu Maoshen's eyes were gleaming. If he had some doubts just now, he was now very sure that this matter was Gu Chengyu's own initiative.
He did not agree with Gu Chengyu's establishment of a chamber of commerce because he wanted to control rising rice prices, and he had just heard from Gu Chengyu that this chamber of commerce was very troublesome. With so many merchants gathered together, it was really difficult for the court to control it.
Scholars, farmers, industry and merchants, once these merchants gathered together and became a rope to fight against the imperial court, wouldn't they cause big trouble?
Don't underestimate the power of merchants. Money can make all the difference. As long as there is money, are you afraid that no one will serve them? Besides, those vassal kings in their fiefdoms may not be able to calm down.
The past two years have been so quiet, it’s hard to say that they are all holding it in! If the feudal king chooses to cooperate with a powerful merchant, how will they know?
Gu Chengyu raised his eyebrows, and then said frankly: "It is true that I have not discussed this matter with the emperor, but I think the emperor will agree."
Seeing Gu Cheng's success, Hu Maoshen couldn't help but frown.
"Gu Shaoqing, are you really so confident? According to your analysis just now, I believe that this chamber of commerce can indeed drive the development of this dynasty. In the long run, it is unlikely that it will be able to create a prosperous era. But this has invisibly improved the status of merchants.
, aren’t you afraid that they will join forces to constrain the imperial court?”
It is undeniable that Gu Chengyu's move can promote the development of commerce, but it is not conducive to the stability of the court. Hu Maoshen was indeed impressed by Gu Chengyu's plan just now, but when he thought about it carefully later, he felt that it was not feasible.
Gu Chengyu chuckled lightly, "How could it be? The more these people earn, the greater their contribution to the court. Don't think that becoming a member is easy. You can become a member of the Chamber of Commerce without making tens of thousands of taels a year?"
Even if you become a member, you are not as free as you imagine. Not only are you bound by the Chamber of Commerce, but you are also supervised by the court. The reason why I established the Chamber of Commerce is to better control those merchants."
Gu Chengyu has no prejudice against merchants, nor does he think merchants are inferior to common people and nobles.
But in this dynasty where imperial power was supreme, the king would never allow businessmen to improve their status and threaten the stability of the court.
If you have money and status, how can the emperor feel relieved?
The general environment was like this, and Gu Chengyu was unable to change it. Moreover, he had to go with the flow, and even resisted with these rulers.
Because he himself is one of the superiors, he cannot just watch himself fall from the pyramid.
"Members still have to pay money? Thousands of dollars?" Hu Maoshen's eyes widened. He just thought that Gu Chengyu would have disadvantages in establishing a chamber of commerce, but now he suddenly felt that Gu Chengyu was simply evil.
"Are you kidding? With thousands of taels, how could those merchants agree to join the association?" Hu Maoshen felt that Gu Chengyu was simply whimsical, and he couldn't help but laugh and shook his head.
Gu Chengyu still took things for granted. His long-term smooth sailing made him lose his sense of normalcy. He always thought that he could succeed in whatever he did, but reality often gave people a hard blow.
Gu Chengyu raised the fan in his hand, shook it, and said mysteriously: "If I ask them to hand it over like this, of course they will be reluctant to part with it. But I have a way to make them hand it over willingly."
Hu Maoshen's eyes lit up. If each merchant could really receive such a large amount of dues, the imperial treasury would be filled with a lot of money.
Of course, the premise is that these merchants can be well controlled so that they have no chance to stir up trouble.
"What's a good idea? Don't hide it, Gu Shaoqing. Tell us and we can help you."
Other officials couldn't help but pricked up their ears. Gu Chengyu had come up with the tea tax before, which benefited the court a lot. They had a hunch about the chamber of commerce that they just mentioned, and there would be another bloody storm among the generals in the court.
"Yes! Mr. Gu, three cobblers are worth one Zhuge Liang. Although we are not as talented as Mr. Gu, we can still express our humble opinions!"
"Yeah yeah"
Several people agreed and expressed their willingness to hear the details.
This person is so talented, they might as well hug this person's lap. Although the emperor has given Gu Chengyu the benefit of promotion for this disaster relief, the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce will probably bring Gu Chengyu a lot of benefits.
Even if you can't be promoted for the time being, there will definitely be other rewards.
And officials like them from the Ministry of Industry have not moved their seats for a long time. If they can participate in it, they may be able to get some glory, so it is not impossible to be promoted to one level!
Gu Cheng raised his eyebrows, and when he saw everyone watching eagerly, he suddenly smiled, and then said in an awkward tone: "The time has not come yet. When the time comes, everyone will know."
How could Gu Chengyu not know what these people were thinking? Why should others follow and take advantage of the method he thought of?
If he is the executor, then it doesn't matter if he picks two people who are pleasing to his eyes to participate.
But the emperor would never leave this matter to him, so these people were just blind men lighting up their lamps in vain.
Besides, these people are officials from the Ministry of Works, and this matter is an errand of the Ministry of Household Affairs. These people are destined to watch helplessly.
Seeing that Gu Chengyu refused to speak clearly, everyone couldn't help but curled their lips secretly, and then left without smiling.
Gu Chengyu returned to his wing and did not rest, but started writing non-stop.
He wanted to report the matter to the emperor as soon as possible. Jiangnan was a long way from the capital, and even if he traveled day and night, it would take several days.
Naturally, you have to strike while the iron is hot. While these merchants are still enthusiastic about the Chamber of Commerce, it is best to implement this matter as soon as possible.
In fact, he also knew that this matter would definitely cause huge waves in the court. The establishment of a chamber of commerce would cause the loss of some people's interests. How could those officials who were just doing nothing allow such a thing to happen?
If you have been in a monopoly business for a long time and you can raise prices if you want, who would dare to have an objection?
In the past, the court would not interfere too much as long as it did not go too far. Now that a chamber of commerce is established, as long as you join the chamber of commerce, they cannot raise prices as they please.
In the future, more and more merchants will join the Chamber of Commerce. If you do not join the Chamber of Commerce, there will be many restrictions on your business. This is a contradictory choice.
On this day, there was light rain in the sky, and two horses were racing through the rain on the official road.
The galloping iron hooves broke the dew on the grass blades and galloped forward.