Water Margin people

"You want to do business overseas?"

Sun Lei looked at everyone and smiled.

"Your Majesty, we want to ask for your protection! The overseas is vast and the aliens are ferocious. It is difficult for us merchants to protect ourselves!"

The leader of the Shanxi merchants spoke.

As Shanxi merchants, although they have never been overseas, they know best the ferocity of foreigners. Shanxi merchants are located at the junction of ethnic groups from the Central Plains to the northern grasslands. They have been doing business in the Central Plains and grasslands since ancient times.

After the Chanyuan Alliance, the Song and Liao Dynasties set up forays to carry out trade. Shanxi merchants sold horses, furs and other items from the north to the Song Dynasty, and sold silk, tea, porcelain, etc. from the south to the northern grasslands. Shanxi merchants earned a lot of money over the years. The bowl is full.

Now that the sea trade has opened up, they naturally want to participate in it.

As a Shanxi merchant, he knows that doing business with foreigners requires a strong country as a backer.

"Haha, scholars, peasants, industrialists and merchants all say that without business there is no treachery. In fact, treachery also depends on which direction you look at it. To deceive people by treachery requires enough wisdom!"

Sun Lei laughed. He now understood what these merchants wanted. It must be said that these merchants were very smart and discerning. They grasped the key to the matter in one go. This truth is still true after thousands of years.

"What your Majesty said is true, but it is not entirely true that there is no businessman without treachery. Those are some profiteers who have ruined their reputation. Real businessmen are genuine and honest. Do you want to do business? What you want is a steady flow of water, and deceptive business lasts a long time." No."

The Central Plains merchant saluted and said.

"Tell me, why should I protect you?"

Sun Lei looked at everyone and asked directly.

"When His Majesty was still in Liangshan, he established a rule. As long as merchants passing by Liangshan pay the protection fee in full, they can stay safe within Liangshan without worrying about anyone plundering them!"

Zhu Que spoke.

"There are rules, and they have been implemented well. You know, I like people who abide by the rules!"

Sun Lei nodded.

"I wonder if Your Majesty is still willing to collect protection money?"

Zhu Que looked at Sun Lei and asked as he saluted.

"Protection money? Hmm..."

Sun Lei touched his chin and hesitated. Of course he would be willing to make money, but the protection fee would not be simple if he went overseas. How to protect him from an accident tens of thousands of miles away, the cost would be sky-high.

"Your Majesty is probably not ready to stop!"

Zhu Que asked.

"Well, there is nothing in the world but the royal land!"

Sun Lei nodded and did not deny anything. This was not a secret. He needed to let the soldiers know that the birds are not gone yet, good bows are not hidden, and there are still many opportunities to make contributions and make a fortune.

"Your Majesty needs money to expand your territory, and we are willing to help with all our resources. We only ask for your protection, and we are willing to hand over half of the proceeds from overseas trade!"

Zhu Que spoke.

"half?"

Sun Lei was a little moved. Not only did he have the start-up capital, he also had such a high profit.

"half?"

The other merchants were stunned. They did not expect that Zhu Que would promise so much. The start-up capital for the army expedition was already a large amount, and half of the subsequent profits would be divided. Coupled with the risks of doing business overseas, they would not be able to do so. If you are careful, you will lose everything.

"Zhu Que, you are crazy. How can anyone do this kind of business? Not to mention the cruelty of the aliens, even if they encounter a storm, they will lose blood!"

Quanzhou merchants opened their mouth and said that Quanzhou has surpassed Guangzhou in recent years and become the largest port. It has been doing business with various countries in the South China Sea all year round and is very aware of the risks at sea.

"If you want to make a lot of money, you have to be willing to make money. You should all know that if you don't want to let go of your children, you won't be able to trap the wolf. And you should know how powerful Qi is! With such a powerful country as your backing, what are you afraid of? Storms? The bigger the waves, the bigger the storms. , the more valuable the goods are!”

Zhu Que looked at everyone and said.

Everyone was powerless to refute these words. The Qi State was unprecedentedly powerful, and it was invincible in the world. No foreign race could be its opponent.

"Even hiring an escort agency costs money. It seems appropriate for an escort agency like Qi State to spend more money!"

Everyone thought for a while and agreed. "Okay, 50% is 50%. Although it's a little less, I'm kind-hearted, so I agreed. You go to Liangshan to register!"

Sun Lei looked at the merchants and agreed. He knew very well that the army's plunder was only temporary. The real plunder still depends on these merchants. These people are masters of breaking bones and sucking marrow, scraping bones and boiling oil.

"With a stick in one hand and candy in the other, is this a master?"

Sun Lei secretly thought to himself, isn't the empire where the sun never sets overseas just a series of colonies and trading companies, and he can do the same.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

All the merchants were overjoyed when they heard this and saluted quickly.

After some more flattery, the merchants left.

"Is it too much? I'm really afraid those people won't agree!"

Sun Lei looked at Zhu Wu beside him and asked, not to mention the start-up capital, but 50% of future profits will be handed over. This is cruel enough. You must know that you are taking 50% of the profits without taking any risks. This is worse than robbery. .

"Your Majesty, aren't they all doing this voluntarily! Then Zhu indeed wanted to repay his kindness. I didn't expect him to be so cruel as soon as he opened his mouth."

Zhu Wu chuckled, Zhu indeed was arranged by them.

After a while, Zhu Que walked in again.

"I wish you could meet your Majesty!"

Zhu Que bowed deeply to Sun Lei again.

"You are ruthless enough. You get 50% of the profit as soon as you open your mouth!"

Sun Lei looked at Zhu Que.

"Your Majesty has saved the Zhu family, and everything in the Zhu family belongs to His Majesty!"

Zhu Que saluted Sun Lei and said that the Zhu family was prosperous in Huizhou. When it was most prosperous, half of the shops in Huizhou had signboards with the word "Zhu".

But something unexpected happened, Fang La rose up, and it was near Huizhou. As a wealthy man in Huizhou, the Zhu family was also affected. If Sun Lei hadn't destroyed Fang La and ended the Mingjiao rebellion, the Zhu family would have been destroyed.

"You calculate 50% of the profit?"

Sun Lei looked at Zhu Que and asked.

"Your Majesty, I have asked dozens of accountants to do the calculations. Fifty percent of the profit is acceptable. If the war goes well, the profits of the merchants can be guaranteed!"

"But there is actually room for maneuver here, because the profit is the profit after the goods are sold, and there is a customs duty at the shipping department when the goods enter the customs!"

Zhu Que said to Sun Lei.

"tariff?"

Sun Lei was stunned. He was so excited that he forgot about this. This was double insurance. No matter what tricks the merchant would play in the future, he would be able to deal with it.

"Sure enough, he is really talented, and he still has this skill!"

Sun Lei looked at Zhu Que. Hui merchants and Shanxi merchants were two legendary merchant gangs in China. They had a long heritage. Shanxi merchants valued money, while Hui merchants valued Confucianism. Now they seemed really extraordinary.

"You are very good!"

Sun Lei looked at Zhu Que and said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

I wish you a big bow and thank you. I am very meticulous in etiquette.

"Do your best, and the position of president of the Overseas Chamber of Commerce will be yours!"

Sun Lei smiled and looked at Zhu Que and said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

Zhu Que didn't expect that Sun Lei would make such a promise, so he hurriedly paid his respects again. (End of chapter)