I studied in modern times

Chapter 714 Textile Wave (1)

Sitting upright in the Daqing Hall, Zhao Xu looked down at the civil and military officials filling the hall.

To be honest, the scene was very shocking!

Because it was the New Year's Day court, all the civil officials above the rank of imperial officials, the military officials above the rank of ambassadors, as well as the six generals, three guards, and surrounding guards were there.

There were so many people, several thousand in total.

Therefore, not only the Daqing Hall was filled with ministers.

Even outside the palace, there were ministers who came to pay their respects.

Everyone was well-behaved, following etiquette, performing the standard actions they were supposed to do, and following the procedures they had already arranged.

This is the shocking aspect of traditional etiquette.

Even though Zhao Xu had studied abroad in modern times and was used to big scenes, he still felt a little intoxicated in his heart.

It is no wonder that feudal emperors are always fond of ostentation and grandeur.

Pursuing those unrealistic things.

For example, all nations came to pay tribute, and the barbarians submitted.

And they keep repeating the same mistakes one after another.

Even Zhao Xu in his previous life had been immersed in it.

He also did this. Just because a country he had never heard of came to pay tribute, he was overjoyed and bestowed a reward that was ten or a hundred times greater than the country's tribute.

In order to buy horse bones for thousands of gold coins, attract more tribute envoys, and embellish the Shaosheng prosperity of the Song Dynasty.

Fortunately, after ten years of studying abroad, Zhao Xu has already solved this mystery.

So, when those delegations under various banners came to the temple, he still had a blank expression on his face.

Until the officials of the Ministry of Rites brought a group of envoys claiming to be from the Arab country of Malaba to the palace.

Zhao Xucai finally became serious.

why?
If the other party's identity is true, then they are the Arab Empire that now controls the Indian Ocean routes and to a certain extent monopolizes the maritime trade between the Song Dynasty and Europe.

The country's location should be in the area of ​​modern-day Malabar Coast in India.

This place has a more famous name - Cochin.

It is the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company!

The place coveted and occupied by the famous Sea Coachman is naturally a good place to do business!
Why does Zhao Xu know all this?
He was involved in the archaeological project of the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck.

According to the research of the South China Sea No. 1 shipwreck archaeological project, it can be learned that from the end of the Northern Song Dynasty to the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty, a Maritime Silk Road had been formed, starting from Yangzhou, Guangzhou, Mingzhou in the Song Dynasty, passing through the South China Sea, Champa, Srivijaya, entering the Indian Ocean, passing through Sri Lanka and the Malabar Coast, and entering the Red Sea.

Of course, now, all of this is still in its infancy and has not yet really flourished.

There was just one problem - Zhao Xu remembered that in his previous life, the envoys from the Malabo Kingdom should have come to the Song Dynasty in the third year of Yuanyou to try to obtain permission from the Song Dynasty court to open up the trade route.

Could it be another group of scammers who are here to get free food and drinks?
Or was it a group of Arab merchants pretending to be from the Arab world?
Zhao Xu wasn't sure.

But he picked up the pen and wrote the four words "Malobo Kingdom" on a piece of Yuanshu paper on the desk in front of the emperor.

After thinking for a while, he continued to write on the note: Ask Tong Guan to find out the truth.

After doing this, he handed the Yuanshu paper to Feng Jing who was beside him.

After Feng Jing took it, he looked at it, then bowed and nodded.

Naturally, it was impossible for the ministers in the palace to notice Zhao Xu's little trick.

But the two palaces behind the curtain saw it.

Then, a female official from the Empress Dowager Xiang came to Zhao Xu and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty sent me to ask, is there anything wrong with the Emperor?"

Zhao Xu shook his head and said, "I have nothing to do. I will report to my mother and mother. I am just curious about the name of the Maboluo Kingdom. It is too strange!"

But he himself knew very well that Mabolo was the transliteration of Malabar.

This was verified by archaeological research in the new century.

"Oh!" The female official didn't think much about it and just said, "The two ladies said: If the emperor is tired, he can retreat to the back of the palace to rest."

When Zhao Xu heard this, he immediately shook his head: "That's not necessary!"

"I am the Son of Heaven!" He answered solemnly, "I shall attend court and receive worship from my subjects!"

He had to observe mourning and was unable to attend last year's grand court assembly.

This year is the first time to participate in such a national ceremony.

Even so, the New Year's Day ceremony of the Song Dynasty has been a ceremonial event since the founding of the country - a gathering attended by thousands of people, only certain etiquette and rules can be followed.

Even during the regular and daily meetings, we can only discuss general things.

The place where real decision-making has always been made is in the side hall after the court session and in the discussions convened by the emperor himself.

But precisely because of this, such occasions are particularly important and serious.

Because Zhao Xu is facing the whole world!
Not only officials in Beijing, but also civil and military officials in prefectures and counties across the country should return to Beijing to report on their work or wait in Beijing for office this year.

Most of these people will never speak to Zhao Xu in their entire lives.

The grand court meeting, a ceremony that Zhao Xu would definitely attend, became one of the few ways for Zhao Xu to establish a monarch-subject relationship with them.

Another way is to hold suburban sacrifices or Mingtang ceremonies every three or five years. Suburban sacrifices and Mingtang ceremonies are celebrated throughout the country, and all officials will be rewarded.

……

After the female official withdrew, the remaining time of the grand court meeting came to an end with wave after wave of foreign envoys entering the hall.

When the last group of messengers bid farewell from the temple.

The little clepsydra figure on the Daqing Hall struck the small drum representing the hour of Zheng.

Then, the music of ceremony and propaganda began to sound.

Han Jiang and Lu Gongzhu led all the civil and military ministers, royal family members, and nobles, and collectively bowed their heads four times, and presented a New Year's Day congratulatory speech drafted by Dutang in the second year of Yuanyou.

Zhao Xu said words of encouragement such as "You are my loyal ministers and my pillars of support. You are loyal, diligent and hardworking. I really admire you."

The ministers bowed again to express their gratitude.

The grand court meeting in the second year of Yuanyou ended in this festive, peaceful and joyful atmosphere.

The eunuchs carrying the imperial weapons, the officials of the Imperial City Administration, and the Guduozhi guards of the Imperial Dragon Left, surrounded the two palaces and Zhao Xu, and began to leave the hall and dismiss the court to the sound of fans and drums.

All the ministers bowed again and saw him off respectfully.

……

Watched the two palaces and the emperor leave.

All the ministers in the Daqing Hall breathed a sigh of relief.

They felt their calves trembling.

But no one dared to slack off. They went out in groups of three or four, according to their respective shifts, and left the court under the leadership of the chief officer.

However, the Liao envoys Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang, who had already left the palace and were brought to Xuande's gate, were still savoring the taste of the "icing" they had tasted.

The mellow and undisguised sweetness still lingers on their taste buds.

Let them linger on the taste and look forward to the next time they taste it.

"Brother..." Yelu Yongchang pulled Yelu Ju's sleeve and said, "We must buy that icing sugar!"

"Besides, you have to buy a lot!"

Yelu Ju nodded and said, "I know it myself."

He was sure that frosting would be another good thing that would benefit the country and the people after tea!
Not only the emperor will like it, but the court officials will also fall in love with those snow-white, crystal-like beautiful things.

Not to mention the leaders of the Bohai nobles, the Jurchen tribes, and the Zhubu tribes.

They will take the most valuable things of their tribe to exchange with the Liao Dynasty!
He might even be willing to be driven by the Liao emperor just for the sake of icing!

Therefore, as long as you buy it back, it is a political achievement and a credit!
The more you buy, the greater your political achievements and the higher your merits!
But the problem is...

"Only three million Jiaozi every year...too little, not enough!" Yelu Ju sighed.

"Before October last year, the quota for Jiaozi had been used up..."

"This year, we have added icing sugar and cotton cloth. I am afraid that with three million strings of cash, we won't be able to support them for even three months."

Yelu Yongchang was stunned when he heard this. Three million strings of cash were spent in just three months?
This...this...is too exaggerated.

If that's the case, wouldn't it cost tens of millions of guan a year? Or even more?!

Yelu Yongchang couldn't imagine how much ten million copper coins would weigh if piled together.

and many more……

"What is cotton cloth?" asked Yelu Yongchang.

Yelu Ju looked at him and asked, "Brother Zhongye, didn't you go to see the gifts sent back by the Southern Dynasty?"

"There's cotton in it!"

He thought for a moment, tugged at his collar, and showed the lining to Yelu Yongchang: "This is a piece of clothing I made of cotton cloth."

"Brother, feel it..."

Yelu Yongchang reached out and touched it, and then his eyes widened.

It feels delicate and thick to the touch.

The most important thing is to keep warm!

Yelu Ju said: "I heard that this cotton cloth was modified from the old Jibei cloth of the Southern Dynasty..."

"Jibebu?" How could Yelu Yongchang know that this kind of thing only appeared in a small circle in the Song Dynasty?
Yelu Ju said, "Come back to Duting Posthouse with me and take a look at the appearance of this Southern Dynasty cotton cloth!"

So the two of them hurried back to Duting Posthouse, and found the gifts given to them by the Song Dynasty in the wing room prepared for them by the Song Dynasty.

Then I found a box filled with cotton cloth among the gifts.

Like Yelu Ju, Yelu Yongchang was also given sixteen pieces of cotton cloth.

But when the cotton cloth appeared in front of Yelu Yongchang, his breathing stopped at that moment.

Because, the cloth in front of him was only of two kinds - green and red.

However, each piece of cloth is woven very delicately, and one can imagine that the yarn used must be very small.

At the same time, the weavers' skills reached the pinnacle.

Because this fabric is very delicate!

It is so delicate that it cannot be woven by humans!

The feel is very comfortable, with almost no discomfort.

In addition, it is sturdy!
Yelu Yongchang pulled it hard, but found that the cloth did not move at all.

Thick, delicate, solid...

These three together are synonymous with warmth!

"This...this...this..." Yelu Yongchang was almost speechless.

After a long while, he just sighed: "What a good cloth! What a good cloth!"

He was a noble from the Chongde Palace system in Liaoyang Prefecture.

The winter in Liaoyang Prefecture is extremely cold, so cold that most people don’t even dare to go out!
However, these fabrics in front of us can allow people to move around in severe cold.

purchase! Must buy!
If you don’t buy it, you are not a Khitan!
Just ...

Where does the money come from?
……

Five days later.

The fifth day of the first lunar month in the second year of Yuanyou.

Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang, dressed in casual clothes, came to a cloth shop on Maxing Street accompanied by Xing Shu.

There are already crowds of people here.

There were even queues of people coming to buy.

And the line extended all the way to the other end of Ma Xing Street!
Fortunately, Xing Shu had given notice in advance, so the guards from Kaifeng Prefecture cleared the way for them and brought them directly into the shop.

"This is the cloth shop specially set up by the imperial decree of our dynasty's Lingjinyuan. It specializes in all kinds of cloth produced by Lingjinyuan..." Xing Shu brought Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang into the warehouse inside the shop.

The noise and clamor outside was still loud enough to make one's ears numb.

The cloths displayed on the containers in front of Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang also dazzled them.

As a result, he didn't hear Xing Shu's words.

Xing Shu was too lazy to say anything more and just let the two of them watch, listen and feel.

He believed that these Liao people would definitely buy it.

……

Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang were walking in the warehouse of the cloth shop.

Looking at the pieces of cloth displayed on the shelves.

From time to time they picked up one, touched it, and felt it.

Shock burst out from their hearts.

no way!
The quality of the cloth in front of them was so good that they were surprised!
More than just cotton!
Almost the moment they walked into the cloth shop's warehouse, they discovered that there was more than just cotton cloth here.

There are also silk, linen and other cloths, and even woolen cloth.

All fabrics have one thing in common.

Delicate, thick, high quality, and consistent specifications!

This is too exaggerated!
It's just a magic trick!
wrong!

Immortal magic!

The constant calls for purchases inside the cloth shop also shocked them both.

"Give me a piece of linen!"

"I want three bolts of cotton cloth!"

"Two hundred rolls of cotton cloth, five hundred rolls of silk cloth! Grandpa has plenty of Jiaozi, hurry up and get the cloth for Grandpa!"

These people don't even ask the price.

They are crazy!

But the madness makes sense!

Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang barely suppressed their inner shock, looked at Xing Shu, and bowed to him, saying, "May I ask the scholar..."

"The price of these cloths in your country..."

Xing Shu smiled, like a hunter who saw his prey fall into his trap.

He walked over and said softly, "Two governors..."

"My Lord once said something virtuous..." He bowed towards the Funing Palace and said, "The Great Song and the Great Liao have been brothers for a hundred years..."

"He also asked us ministers to try to be as friendly as possible in our dealings with the Liao Dynasty..."

"Therefore, if your country is willing to purchase these cloths, except for cotton cloth, we can sell the other cloths to you at 70% of the market price."

"Seventy percent of the market price?" Yelu Ju and Yelu Yongchang looked at each other.

Yelu Ju didn't care.

But Yelu Yongchang was still relatively loyal.

He immediately asked, "How much is it exactly?"

"For example, this silk cloth..." Xing Shu smiled, like an adult coaxing a child to eat: "The market price in my dynasty is 1,300 coins per piece..."

"If your country buys it, at a 70% discount, it will be 921 coins, or one string and two hundred and sixty-two coins..."

"In view of the friendship between our two countries, let's cut off the decimal point and make it 200 wen per guan!"

"And this silk, nowadays, is worth about 2,100 coins per piece on the market, which is about three strings of cash!"

"30% off means two kan and one hundred wen!"

"In view of the deep friendship between our two countries, let's just calculate it as two kan!"

(End of this chapter)