While Li Zhi asked craftsmen to make glassware in batches, he was preparing how to market this high-end product.
There were very few glass products in the Ming Dynasty during this era. Although there were Venetian merchants in Europe who could produce glass, glass was also an expensive luxury product in the West, and it was expensive to purchase. Selling it to China might not be profitable. Secondly, shipping glass from Europe to the Ming Dynasty was very difficult.
It is difficult, the sea is windy and the waves are strong, and the glass is easily broken by the shaking of the ship, so glass products are rarely seen in Daming.
There are few people seeing and using them, so the demand is not strong. If Li Zhi put glasses for sale in the store, he might not be able to sell a few in a month.
Li Zhi decided to take the initiative and let people in the Ming Dynasty try it out and learn about the benefits of this product.
Specifically, Li Zhi decided to give glass products to respected people and let them use the glass products in front of others, thus creating a trend of buying glass products.
As a so-called respected person, the current emperor would have been a good candidate. Unfortunately, everyone in the world knew that Emperor Chongzhen was always thrifty and did not want to be extravagant. Glassware offered as tribute to the emperor might be hidden away, and he might only use one or two a year.
return.
Who should I give it to? Li Zhi has traveled through the Ming Dynasty for more than a year, and naturally understands some basic official knowledge. He thought of Wen Tiren, the chief minister of the cabinet, and Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin Party: the chief minister of the cabinet is the prime minister of the dynasty.
Naturally, he has wide influence, and as long as he uses it, others will definitely follow suit. Although Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin Party, lives at home now, he has disciples and former officials all over the world, so he naturally has a lot of influence, so he is also a candidate.
For other targets, just choose the high-ranking officials and give them glasses. When these high-ranking officials all use glassware, the petty officials and wealthy businessmen will definitely follow suit.
At the end of April, Li Zhi took ten sets of newly made glass tea sets and ten sets of glass wine cups and went to the capital to give gifts.
The capital has a population of more than 300,000, which is much larger than Tianjin. Li Zhi entered the capital from Chongren Gate and saw that the inner city wall surrounding the capital was more than ten meters high, and there was a four-story gate tower on the gate.
, a horse face was built outside the city wall, and soldiers holding spears stood every few meters, which looked very impressive.
However, the sanitation situation in the capital was as bad as other Ming cities in this era. Before entering the city gate, Li Zhi smelled a strong odor. After entering the city gate, the smell became even stronger. There were odors everywhere on both sides of the city's roads.
Beggars, sewage flowing across the streets, garbage and feces accumulating on the corners, unspeakable filth.
Pedestrians on the road were all in rags and had no food on their faces. It was obvious that the economy at the emperor's feet was not very good either.
Li Zhi rode a horse, took his servants and carriage with him, carefully walked through the dirty streets, and first stopped at a large inn in the east of the city.
After finding a place to live, Li Zhi went to give gifts. He took two servants with them, holding a set of glass tea sets and wine sets, and several boxes of ginseng and deer antlers, and walked to the home of Wen Tiren, the chief minister of the cabinet, to inquire about the situation.
Walking to a relatively clean street, Li Zhi found Wen Tiren's house. It was a courtyard with three entrances, which was quite beautiful, but as the chief minister's residence, it seemed a bit shabby. The door of the house was closed, and next to it
There were a few loafers standing there. The entrance to the courtyard was very deserted, and there seemed to be no guests.
Li Zhi walked up and patted the side door. After all, this was the prime minister's home, so Li Zhi was a little nervous.
After waiting for a long time, I heard no movement.
Li Zhizheng was hesitating whether to take another photo, but he heard the idle man next to him laughing: "There haven't been any guests in the prime minister's house all day. Wen Qi, the doorman, fell asleep. Master, knock hard!"
Li Zhi was stunned, and then he knocked hard on the door panel of the side door. Sure enough, someone opened the side door. A sleepy servant stuck his head out of the door, looked at Li Zhi and asked, "What's the matter?"
ah?"
Li Zhi hurriedly sent his name card up and said, "Your Majesty, Li Zhi, has a few gifts for the Prime Minister. He also asked the gate officer to help him send the name card and gifts in."
After saying this, Li Zhi took out one and a half taels of silver from his arms and put it into the servant's hand.
The servant who looked after the door took his hand back as if he was being shocked, and cursed loudly: "Don't give me any money. If the master knows that I accept money, he will definitely drive me out of the house."
Li Zhi had no choice but to send the name card and the brocade box containing the gift.
The servant put away Li Zhi's name card, but refused to accept several gift boxes from Li Zhi. He closed the door and walked into the yard.
Li Zhi was a little overwhelmed by the style of the Wen family's servants, and looked at the idle men next to him. Those idle men laughed and said: "There are many strange things in the prime minister's house, the first one
The thing is, I never accept gifts, so your trip here, sir, was in vain!"
Li Zhi secretly thought something was wrong.
Sure enough, after tea time, the side door opened again. The servant looking at the door seemed to be more energetic. He looked at Li Zhi and said: "The master has something to do today and won't see any guests. You can go!"
Li Zhi hurriedly said: "I have a few small gifts, please give them to the chief assistant!"
The doorkeeper waved his hand and said, "Don't you know that the prime ministers of the Ming Dynasty don't accept gifts? Just go!"
After saying this, the servant slammed the side door shut and refused to open it again.
Li Zhi was rejected and slandered him, cursing in his mind why Wen Tiren was so unreasonable and looked down on himself as a junior official? When Li Zhi walked over, he wished he could kick the door. But no matter how unhappy Li Zhi was, he knew this.
The chief assistant could not be offended and could only leave with the gift.
Li Zhi was frustrated on his first gift-giving trip, so he regained his composure and made inquiries all the way to the home of Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin Party.
Walking to a respectable alley in the west of the city, Li Zhi saw only high gates and deep courtyards on both sides of the road. Walking all the way to the innermost part of the alley, Li Zhi found Qian Qianyi's mansion.
Although Luo Xian does not have an official position at home, Qian Qianyi's mansion is still very grand. The gatehouse has carved beams and painted pillars, and there are two big stone lions at the door, with their teeth and claws lifelike. It is far more imposing than Wen Tiren's Prime Minister's Mansion. I don't know why, but there are also people standing at the door.
An idle man looking around.
Li Zhi patted the door, and a doorman opened the door.
The man looked Li Zhi up and down for a while, frowned and said, "Master is very busy today."
The servant deliberately dragged out the word "very busy" for a long time. Li Zhi immediately knew what he meant, and quickly took out two taels of silver from his pocket and gave it to the servant.
The servant got the money and said seriously: "Then I will inform the official. However, there are two groups of guests waiting in front. The official and I can go to the west wing to wait together."
Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, too lazy to waste time here, so he simply stuffed another two taels of silver into the servant's hand. The servant got the silver and said with a smile: "Master, wait here, I will go in and collect your name right away."
