Nanming: I can build wonders

Chapter 364 The Beginning of the Ming Tobacco Industry (Please Subscribe!)

Under Zhu Kezang's ingenious plan, not only there is no public grievance, but the people's loyalty to the current emperor is rising steadily.

"Go and have a look, all the shops outside are increasing their prices. Even my bowl of noodles this morning cost a lot more than before. You know why. It's because of the Ming Dynasty's new commercial tax, which was imposed by the imperial court and increased the price. We are responsible for the burden of the people of Tianfu, as far as I heard, even the Qing Dynasty in the north does not have such expensive noodles."

A storyteller's fat scholar patted the gavel and was saying this, some audience members below couldn't help but slapped the table and said: "You are fucking farting! There is no price increase, and department stores and supermarkets have not. The price of the noodle set here is not reduced, but an extra egg is also given away. I heard that there is a new farm opened in Huangzhuang, and the eggs are cheaper than in previous years, so I gave it as a gift."

The fat scholar couldn't bear it for a while.

"That's right, you're fucking talking nonsense, you like Daqing so much, you'd better go to Daqing and become a slave in clothes! First shave off the hair left by your ancestors!"

A visitor also spoke up.

Immediately afterwards, the other spectators scolded the fat scholar and left.

The fat scholar didn't earn a reward for a while, so he had no choice but to leave in despair.

Fat Xiucai remembered that he had received money from a wealthy businessman to fan the flames in the morning, but the fire was not lit, and his reputation was ruined.

At this time, Cheng Ting and other wealthy businessmen also knew about the fact that the department stores and supermarkets kept selling at the original price, and they couldn't help but patted the table for a while: "The current emperor can't succeed in obtaining Fan Li's true biography, so he can play tricks in business! Now if we want to continue to make money, we We can only lower the price back!"

With that said, Cheng Ting sighed.

Therefore, due to the suppression of department stores and supermarkets, Ying Tianfu's prices did not rise for a long time due to the new commercial tax, and eventually fell back.

Because of this era, the production technology of Zhu Kezang's major factories in Yingtianfu was superior to that of ordinary merchants.

After all, Zhu Kezang, as the emperor, can spend more funds on technology research and development, and open the system mall.

This also makes the government-operated commodities in department stores and supermarkets superior in quality to commodities produced by the private economy.

Therefore, in the end, these ordinary merchants had to continue to cut prices in order to maintain market share with price advantages.

Fortunately, the common people in this era do not have high requirements for the quality of goods, but pay more attention to the price, so these ordinary merchants can continue to survive.

"After the pilot implementation of the new commercial tax in Yingtianfu, prices have also been suppressed, indicating that the pilot has been successful, and the next step is to promote it to other places! In addition, we have to find a way to make Daming's business more prosperous, so that we can collect tax in the future. More commercial taxes can further enrich the lives of the people and achieve our goal of revitalizing Ming Dynasty."

In the imperial study room, Zhu Kezang fully affirmed the work of Yang Ying, Shangshu of the Ministry of household affairs, and asked for further promotion of commercial taxation.

Yang Ying naturally had no objection, now his wealth and life depended entirely on Zhu Kezang.

After he knew about the commercial tax issue, he could only be safe and sound if he hugged Zhu Kezang's thigh tightly.

After chatting with Zhu Kezang about the follow-up commercial and tax layout, Yang Ying was thoughtful.

Afterwards, Yang Ying discussed with Yan Yuan, Li Bai, Huang Zongxi and others.

And Zhu Kezang was not idle, he announced to see Huang Lvzhuang, the great inventor of Ming Dynasty, and asked Gewu Zhizhi Institute and the General Administration of Manufacturing about the research and development results and production status of new industrial products.

In Zhu Kezang's view, to make Daming's business more developed, it is natural that more products should emerge.

In the Ming society with Confucian civilization as the main culture, it is difficult for folk businessmen to create fashionable new industrial products that promote social development.

Therefore, the emergence of new industrial products can only be dominated by the emperor Zhu Kezang and the Ming court he ruled.

"Give a seat!"

When Zhu Kezang saw Huang Luzhuang appearing, he said something first.

Huang Luzhuang was deeply favored by the emperor, and now he is eating better and better. He has changed from a thin man to a slightly fat young man.

Zhu Kezang has always attached great importance to scientists, so every time Huang Lvzhuang reported affairs, Zhu Kezang would give him a seat.

Moreover, now Huangluzhuang has an official position, and he is a fifth-rank doctor of the Ministry of Industry.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Huang Lvzhuang replied happily, obviously there are some achievements today and Zhu Kezang has to see them.

After old eunuch Li asked someone to bring a chair, he stuffed it in and asked knowingly, "I don't know what orders the emperor has for calling his ministers?"

Zhu Kezang asked directly: "What new industrial products has Huang Aiqing been researching recently?"

Huang Luzhuang hurriedly bent down and took out a booklet from his sleeve, looked at the booklet on it and said, "Return to the emperor! The new products that can be mass-produced now include cigarettes."

After speaking, Huang Luzhuang raised his head, ignored him and sat down on the creaking chair, and said excitedly: "Now the Ming Dynasty Manufacturing Bureau has developed a manual cigarette maker (twenty brilliant points) according to the emperor's blueprint. , The cigarettes made are really exciting, and they have been spread internally, from the teachers of Gewu Zhizhi Academy to the ordinary craftsmen, they all like to take a cigarette in their mouths when they are working."

"Today, I specially brought a box of cigarettes for the emperor to taste."

As Huang Luzhuang spoke, he asked Zhu Kezang to allow his assistant to bring things in.

Zhu Kezang nodded.

As early as the Wanli period, tobacco from South America had been introduced to Ming Dynasty, and it became very popular in Guangdong. By the Chongzhen period, smoking had become a common phenomenon.

Emperor Chongzhen banned smoking for ten years in Chongzhen, but because many soldiers and civilians in the world have become addicted to smoking, Hong Chengchou, who was still the Minister of War in the Ming Dynasty, said that the bitter cold in Liaodong, soldiers smoking can keep warm and refresh, and asked the emperor for permission They smoked, and finally Chongzhen agreed, which led to the failure of the smoking ban.

Therefore, Zhu Kezang’s ordering the Daming Academy of Sciences to make cigarettes is not an invention of tobacco, and the whole people have the habit of smoking, but to create better cigarettes to compete for the interests of the tobacco industry!

Zhu Kezang knew that it was difficult to ban smoking, because many people in Guangdong and Fujian already depended on growing tobacco for a living.

Therefore, Zhu Kezang did not plan to ban smoking.

Once this kind of thing spreads, it is difficult to ban it by force.

What's more, tobacco is so harmful.

At least you can quit if you want to.

And there is a joke in later generations that tobacco revenue is linked to military expenditures, which is indeed a good economic crop.

But opium is different.

Zhu Kezang decided to completely ban drugs in the future. As far as he knows, under the influence of Westerners, many places in Fujian and Guangdong and Guangxi have already used opium poppy as a tobacco seed.

These will undoubtedly become hidden dangers for Daming in the future.

Turn the words back.

At this time, Huangluzhuang's little assistant came in with a small hollow plate with lacquer and begonia pattern.

Zhu Kezang asked Old Eunuch Li to take over.

Only then did Zhu Kezang see a palm-sized silver box inside the small plate.

Cigarettes without filters in silver boxes.

"Lao Li, distribute one cigarette to each of the Aiqing present, and then go to get the new matches made by the General Administration of Manufacturing, give each Aiqing a box, and give Huang Aiqing a cigarette and a box of matches, let Huang Aiqing make it Demonstration, how to smoke this cigarette."

Zhu Kezang said something at this time, and then laughed: "Smoking is specially allowed in the Imperial Study Room today."

(End of this chapter)