Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 424 Li Yu’s “Curve Method of Controlling People”

Li Yu was unmoved.
He asked with a smile:

"You are all veterans in the salt industry. Tell me, what is the actual cost of producing one jin of salt at the Lianghuai Salt Field?"

Jiang Chun thought for a moment and replied:

"If we take into account the outdated rules and filial piety, the actual cost of one pound of coarse salt is between 1 and 2 cents, depending mainly on the weather. But~"

Seeing that His Majesty was listening attentively, he continued:
"However, there are still costs incurred in the sales process, which are much higher than the actual cost of salt."

……

Li Yu nodded,
After pondering for a while, he slowly said:

"The Jiangxi Pingxiang coal mine is about to start production, and the first batch of high-quality coking coal will soon be transported by water to the Liangzhe Salt Field. Sunlight and coking coal complement each other, and costs can be further reduced."

"I want to combine grain collection and salt sales. I will collect grain on one hand and sell salt on the other. Each household can buy salt once when paying spring grain and once more when paying autumn grain. The limit for each purchase is 1 catties. That is, a household is limited to 1 catties per year. If it exceeds this limit, it will be charged 30 coins per catty."

"Salt may seem like a cheap thing, but you know that most people don't have much cash in their hands throughout the year. Farmers grow their own crops, weave their own cloth, and grow their own vegetables. Farmers don't make money, and they don't spend money either."

"As for taxes, they can be obtained from other sources."

"Today I want to remind you that the Shanxi merchants are gone, the Thirteen Hongs in Guangdong are gone, and the Jiangyou merchant gang has never recovered. In this vast world, the business map is almost blank! Only the merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are thriving and expanding everywhere. Wherever my sword reaches, you can also go."

"Four general merchants, what are you waiting for with such a good opportunity?"

The above can be stated explicitly, but what cannot be stated explicitly is the people’s will.

Li Yu hoped to win the hearts of the people through salt, a necessity for the people of the world. The people could not understand those vague words, but they could feel the real benefits.

It is expected that the effect is no less than that of a cannon.

……

This first month is very busy~
Li Yu met with his ministers and representatives of various business groups.

At present, Wu State

The main active merchants are divided into three factions.

Zhejiang merchants (Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou), Jiangsu merchants (south of the Yangtze River), and Huizhou merchants (southern Anhui).

The most generous are Zhejiang businessmen.

The most low-key and stable are the Huizhou merchants.

The Hui merchants controlled the tea mountains, the Jiangsu merchants controlled the silk, and the Zhejiang merchants were keen on opening mines, factories and maritime trade.

After Li Yu's guidance,
The four major salt merchants in Yangzhou burst into tears and suddenly came to their senses.

The world is so big, but business is in decline. This is a good opportunity to expand and become stronger. If you miss this opportunity, you may have to wait another 500 years.

……

The four great salt merchants were full of ambition and advanced and retreated together.

He took out 700 million taels of silver and entered Jingdezhen and dozens of surrounding raw material mines, controlling the upstream and downstream of the porcelain industry in one fell swoop.

Of the ten Jingdezhen porcelain merchants who survived the war and owned businesses, only three survived.

They silently accepted the acquisition plan of the four major salt merchants - 7% compensation in cash, 3% in exchange for shares, and all the technology, craftsmen and porcelain kilns accumulated over generations were transferred.

Since then,

He quietly withdrew from the porcelain market and watched the changing situation.

In Jiang Chun's words,

Burning bricks, burning porcelain, burning pottery, they are all burning.

If porcelain and bricks were to be marketed throughout the South, the profits from this business might not be worse than those from the salt industry.

……

His Majesty has instructed:

Every family needs a bowl, and everyone needs a bowl.

We must reduce the costs and lower the prices of bowls, plates and basins as quickly as possible.

Small profits but quick turnover is the kingly way of doing business. Don’t always stick to the old idea of ​​“selling salt at a high price”.

and also,

Moderately abandon the "craftsman spirit" and try to get rid of traditional constraints.

Process assembly line - the master craftsman who originally mastered the entire process is gradually replaced by several workers who only master part of the process.

In this way, there are many benefits.

then,

The eyes of the four major merchants lit up. They were all veterans in the business world and understood immediately.

His Majesty also said meaningfully:
Being loyal to the court, making money for the family, and selling products to the people are not contradictory and can be taken into account at the same time.

It is suggested that porcelain products should be managed in a differentiated manner in the future, with high-cost-effective products supplied to the general public and expensive products supplied to the wealthy and overseas.

……

Your Majesty said this to such an extent that it was only natural that the four major salt merchants were moved to tears.

If this doesn't get a positive response,

Li Yu could only think of a way to take advantage of them and replace them with someone else to carry out his own business ideas.

The high concentration of key industries in the hands of a few businessmen is intended to reduce costs, upgrade technology, and accelerate the transformation of handicrafts into industry.

It is the best solution for the State of Wu at the moment, with more benefits than disadvantages.

Simultaneously,

It is also easier to collect taxes and manage.

The four major merchants in Yangzhou are a benchmark!

Salt merchants were originally the money bags of the Qing court and were deeply bound to it.

The fact that the Wu State could accept such a "reactionary character" must have made the loyal ministers and generals of the Qing Dynasty feel somewhat emotional.

……

Anyway,

Not long after, the first batch of affordable products in the "Slender West Lake" series came out.

The bottom is stamped with a trademark, and the shape is nothing special, just ordinary. The complicated process is simplified by 4%, the quality is reduced by 3%, and the price is reduced by 5%.

The high-end product "Jasmine" series is still under development.

The quality must be high, the style must be novel, the pattern must be exquisite, and the price must be expensive enough.

The salt merchants remembered His Majesty's words:

“We need to have the concept of luxury goods, so that brands and expensiveness are firmly tied together. The easiest way to show your status is to buy luxury goods.”

It turns out that

No one understands the concept of luxury better than salt merchants.

After all, these are the guys who are the best at finding ways to spend money.

……

Mi Zongshang, who is chubby and good at cooking, said it all in one sentence:

"Luxury goods are about buying status! Buying distinction!"

"It's like when I, Lao Mi, feed chickens with wild ginseng and deer antlers in Yangzhou Prefecture, then kill the chickens and boil the broth, and then use the broth to make a bowl of boiled dried bean curd."

"why?"

"Because all the people in Yangzhou eat boiled dried bean curd. If I want to distinguish myself from them, I have to find ways to spend money. Otherwise, how can I, a general merchant, show my status?"

"Your Majesty is wise. It is good to deal in luxury goods. It is especially good."

The four major salt merchants all nodded in approval.

……

"Your servant greets the young lady."

"Hello, Mammy. What can I do for you?"

"Your Majesty is going to tour the Mint, please accompany me young lady."

Wang Zhenyi put down the manuscript in her hand,

The palace maids had already prepared a thick cloak, a glass mirror and a dressing box for her.

1 quarters of an hour later,
She stood up and opened the door:
"Mommy, let's go."

Rong Mama was surprised and blurted out:

"Girl, so fast?"

"..."

On the way,

Madam Rong was thinking that if she notified other concubines to accompany the emperor, it would take at least half an hour for Shuzhen Shujie to dress up, and about quarter of an hour for the Queen. It was hard to say for Concubine Yang, it could be longer or shorter.

This female official was different from the others and had a nerdy temperament.

Your Majesty actually likes this? You really have a wide range of interests and take care of both public and private interests.

Rong Mama is old and experienced, and can tell the difference between the big and small princes.

She has gained the trust of Queen Hu Ling'er, and is in charge of the palace servants and recording their daily life.

Simultaneously,

He also paid close attention to the two Zhao sisters, and the difficult balance they achieved is not something that many people can imitate.

……

The Mint, in Cang Street.

It is surrounded by high walls and is heavily guarded.

"Your Majesty, please look, at the outermost platoon there is a platoon of soldiers responsible for checking vehicles and people entering and leaving. A new batch of soldiers will be randomly selected every three months." "Inside, the Finance and Taxation Bureau and the Metallurgical Bureau are jointly responsible. The Metallurgical Bureau is responsible for production, and the Finance and Taxation Bureau is responsible for statistics and registers."

The soldiers at the door took away two ferocious hounds.

Wang Zhenyi then felt a little relieved and followed behind silently.

As they walked through the gate and were still far away from the workshop, everyone heard a loud noise.

Kuang, kuang.

Li Yu asked for a ball of cotton and stuffed it into his ears.

When he put it into Wang Zhenyi's ear, he whispered:

"Look carefully. I'll test you when I get back."

……

Li Yu picked up a finished silver coin.

It looks like an ocean, with 9% silver, 0.9% copper and 0.1% tin.

The weight of the whole silver coin is 7 cents, which is equivalent to 1 tael of silver.

The production process is to first melt the three metals, pour them into the mold and shape them into a long metal plate.

The metal sheet passes through a stamping machine and round billets emerge.

The waste board full of round holes is recycled again~
The round coin blank has to go through processes such as stamping patterns, squeezing edges, and polishing before it is considered to be formed.

"Your Majesty, who designed this machine?"

Wang Zhenyi's eyes lit up.

"A doctor on the Saxon Navy battleship Hell, and also a mechanical enthusiast. It is said that he once opened a small mechanical factory in London, but it went bankrupt due to poor management. In order to pay off his debts, he joined the navy."

"The Military Industry Department and this doctor worked together for two months, gathering hundreds of craftsmen. In the end, they came up with this complete set of machines. Except for the mechanical power, I am basically satisfied with the rest."

Wang Zhenyi was stunned and asked:

"Your Majesty, when you say drive, do you mean replacing human power with water power?"

……

Li Yu shook his head.
He seldom mentioned the steam engine.

When there is time,

He planned to take this female science and engineering student, who was rarer than a giant panda, to a field trip to take a look, draw a map, and then imitate and improve it to create a coal mine water pump.

For the current Wu State,
Astronomy is not very meaningful, but physics and mathematics are very meaningful.

Before leaving, Wang Zhenyi took away 1 gold coin, 1 silver coin and 1 copper coin.

The front of the gold and silver coins has the words "1 yuan".

The surrounding font is slightly smaller: Royal Mint of the Great Wu Empire.

On the reverse side is a large profile of Li Yu.

There is a line of small words at the bottom: 1778.

The edge of the silver coin is slightly raised. This process is tedious but necessary.

Copper coins are much smaller and lighter.

The patterns and fonts are basically the same.

In addition to the words "1 cents" written on the front, there is an extra line of small words on the back: 1 cents to 100 yuan.

……

Issuing currency is a must for every empire.

Even separatist warlords would actively promote the coinage business.

the reason is simple,
profitable.

and,

Irregular silver ingots are difficult to carry and difficult to make change.

Round coins are easy to transport and carry, and are also more beautiful.

Li Yu does not plan to issue currency with a smaller face value than the copper coin. For the time being, 1 copper coin will be exchanged for 10 square-hole copper coins.

The deputy director of the Mint and former doctor of the Hell wrote to his friends to tell them that he was doing well in the far East.

"~Thanks to your majesty's trust, I am honored to serve as the deputy director of the Royal Mint, with a monthly salary of 100 yuan and a lakeside house as a gift. In my spare time, I can go fishing and hunting."

"If you are not happy in London, you can take a ship to Suzhou at your own expense. The air here is sweet and free, without the choking coal smoke~"

"His Majesty is young and handsome, wise and tolerant. He is a true lover of science, art and military affairs."

"It's slightly different from the introverted and conservative East as described in the legend. Gentlemen here can hold hands openly and they won't be burned as heretics. The nobles call this Longyang, and it's an elegant thing. Nobles can have both Yin and Yang and Longyang at the same time."

"More importantly, the climate here is quite similar to that of London. It is cold and damp for a long time in a year. I would like to call it the second home of London gentlemen."

……

For several days in a row,

Wang Zhenyi accompanied the emperor to visit agricultural machinery, water-powered mills, honeycomb coal factories, Xishan Island cannon foundry, and river excavation sites.

The concubines in the palace were envious and jealous, and lamented that His Majesty had a new favorite and had forgotten the old one.

This is really a turn of events~
however,
These are all misunderstandings.

The purpose of Li Yu's frequent visits to Wang Zhenyi was to let her understand her own background as soon as possible and pay attention to science and technology.

Use science and technology to benefit the people, feed back into the treasury, and arm the military.

This kind of stubborn and intelligent woman must be allowed to figure things out on her own before she can truly work for you.

I need her brain.

How to conquer a woman's mind
A female writer named Zhang summarized it very well - the shortcut theory~
……

After visiting a series of factories,
There was light in Wang Zhenyi's eyes, there was surprise, there was eagerness to try, there was awe, and there was admiration.

That night,

Li Yu decisively exercised his rights as an emperor~
Inject your concentrated wisdom into a better carrier of vitality.

Education has completed the closed loop at this moment!

Rong Mama's daily notes:
"The emperor favored his female official Wang Zhenyi, and he accompanied her in his carriage to inspect the emperor many times in the first month of the year. On the sixth day, he favored her, on the seventh day, he favored her again, and on the eighth day, he favored her again."

If the daily records were written by Li Yu himself,

He would have written:

"On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Emperor met with Consort Yi and discussed science and technology, working very hard."

Since then,

Li Yu gained a convinced senior science and engineering brain.

can not say,
There is no other high-level brain in the world, but it is definitely not as safe as Wang Zhenyi~
because,

She is a woman!
……

Out of certain concerns, Li Yu ordered someone to build a quiet residence on Xishan Island as Wang Zhenyi's study.

Assign 2 tasks:
1. How much earth would be needed to build the Go-shaped artificial river network in the south of the Yangtze River that I envisioned? How many workers would be needed? How long would it take?

Second, the steam engine is large-scale and simple
The steam engine used in the set of machine tools originally rewarded by the system is a mature, precision and miniaturized model.

With Wu's current metallurgical technology and processing technology, it is impossible to restore and imitate it.

Li Yu asked Wang Zhenyi to improve it, make it more practical, larger and simpler.

The sealing rubber pad is not realistic and needs to be changed!
Water tube boilers are not practical, so we need to switch to fire tube boilers.

The throttle valve, speed regulator, and steel pipe all need to be modified, and the design must take into account the industrial foundation.

The time is tight and the task is heavy. It is more difficult than giving birth to a child.

……

The 9th day of the first lunar month.
A express horse from Jinshanwei Fortress reported that the fleet of the Saxon East India Company had arrived.

Li Yu sneered and said:
"26 large sailing ships, 4 armed merchant ships, 5 warships, and an earl! It's a large scale, enough to start a war."

"Order, Chongming Island and Zhoushan Island are on alert."

"Order, the remaining troops of the 2nd Corps will be stationed in Songjiang and Taicang."

"Let Du Ren go to Jinshanwei to welcome the Earl of Adelaide. I will summon him to Suzhou Prefecture."

The atmosphere in Jinshanwei was tense at this time.

The fleet that covered the sky and the sun did not lower its sails to enter the port or close its gunboats, but instead dropped anchor 5 miles from the coastline.

The warships were in front and the merchant ships were behind.

……

Small sampans shuttled back and forth between the fleet and the land to pass messages.

Jinshanwei has been upgraded to a fortress. In addition to the north and south double artillery batteries, it is also stationed with two infantry companies and five small and medium-sized cruise ships.

Under the unified command of a captain.

The two sides just confronted each other quietly.

Adelaide stood on the deck in his neatly dressed military uniform, with a sneer on his face.

When the fleet passed off the coast of Guangzhou, he witnessed the weakness of the Qing Empire's navy.

The arrogant Dutch occupied Lantau Island and even sent troops ashore to plunder the property of several Guangzhou gentlemen.

The Qing army in Guangzhou did not send troops to intervene.

It is said that they are trying their best to deal with the Wu army.

……

(End of this chapter)