Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 514: The bloody business war deliberately indulged by His Majesty

This military meeting in front of the emperor was filled with too much swordplay and bloodshed.

Li Yu pondered for a long time and said to everyone:

"What you said makes sense, my dear ministers. I need to think about it. The New Year is coming to an end, so enjoy the New Year with peace of mind. I would like to have a drink with you on New Year's Eve."

The atmosphere suddenly became much more relaxed.

The dull and depressed mood was swept away and they started talking about the New Year.

……

Returning to the bedroom, Li Yu asked in a low voice:
"Is Liu Qian back?"

"Your Majesty, there is no news yet."

"Is there any latest military report from Hunan?"

"No, Your Majesty. Not even the carrier pigeon has returned."

"understood."

Bad weather brought everything to a standstill.

War, communication, and business were all suspended, and everyone had to stay at home, waiting for spring to come.

even,

The palace banquet on New Year's Eve was also forced to modify the guest list.

Nearly a hundred prominent figures from various provinces who were originally scheduled to attend were unable to come, only Suzhou and Songjiang were close enough to come.

Coupled with the recent assassination incident and the death of Concubine Yang, this Spring Festival was cast a shadow.

……

The city has organized manpower to clear the snow on a daily basis.

Therefore, it has little impact on traffic within the city.

A horse-drawn carriage rumbled over the snow and arrived at the gate of a small courtyard on the north side of Pingjiang Road.

Hu Xueyu got out of the car and walked quickly into the courtyard.

The outside is plain and simple, but the inside is a different world, and the small building is as warm as spring.

The four wealthy businessmen who had been waiting here for a long time came forward and said:
"Greetings, Mr. Hu."

"Four general merchants, no need to be so polite."

……

Since surrendering to the Wu court, the four major salt merchants of Yangzhou have settled in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, and their business has been booming.

but,

They didn't forget to make connections in the hub.

This inconspicuous little building was purchased by them specifically for receiving distinguished guests.

Office in Suzhou
Even Hu Xueyu was surprised by the luxury of the interior decoration of the small building. The rich and luxurious house was an exaggeration in the book, but it is realistic here.

"It was a continuous snowstorm and the roads were blocked. How did you get here?"

The skinny Mr. Huang smiled and said:

"Let the old man know that we set out as soon as the snowstorm started."

"Well, you guys are thoughtful. How's business lately?"

"Thanks to your majesty, the ceramic business is making a fortune, while the brick kiln business is making a steady profit."

Hu Xueyu looked up at Jiang Chun in surprise, thinking that you are really honest and not afraid of showing off your wealth.

……

After three rounds of drinks, it’s time to talk about business.

He first praised His Majesty's wisdom, and then Jiang Chun asked casually:
"I heard that Your Majesty intends to recruit the sons of wealthy merchants to join the army? I would like to ask for your advice, Father-in-law."

Hu Xueyu swallowed the food slowly and calmly.

He wiped his mouth again before speaking:

"That's true, but you won't be a private. Instead, you'll be enrolled in the Naval Academy. You'll start as a warrant officer on a warship. As for how high you can go in the future, it all depends on your military achievements."

Mr. Mi's fat face trembled, and he asked in disbelief:
"Navy, are we going to sea?"

This question was so stupid that no one answered it.

……

Hu Xueyu didn't even raise his eyelids and just ate his food.

The key to braised shark fin is the broth.

Braised bear paws are delicious because they are fresh.

Clear soup Nanyang blood bird's nest, all in the bird's nest variety.

Biluochun fried chicken tongue, a rare dish.

The scallion-fried sea cucumber has distinct main and secondary flavors.

He had seen and eaten it all in his life and knew the quality of the dishes on this table. From the ingredients to the cooking skills, they were all top-notch. Even the imperial banquet in the Wu Palace would pale in comparison.

Your Majesty, you are pitiful.

Seeing that the owner was so calm, the four major salt merchants also silently calculated in their hearts.

Jiang Chun grabbed the wine jug and poured wine.

Then asked:

"I am just making a wild guess. Your Majesty's intention is to hope that merchants like me will serve the country so that we can win the support of the people in the future?"

……

Hu Xueyu nodded slightly.

Vines need trees, and trees need vines.

The four major business leaders are not ordinary people, and it is worth winning over one or two of them.

"In Wu, we do not talk about scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, but I think you all know why scholars have been valued and merchants have been despised for thousands of years. It is easier to be an official if you have someone in the court."

Everyone nodded silently, this is the truth.

Hu Xueyu raised his glass and clinked it with Jiang Chun's.

laughed:

"The navy is different from the army. It has a higher status, faster promotion, and stronger professionalism. The Naval Academy has an open recruitment. What is this called? Two lists of Jinshi with guns."

Everyone was dumbfounded~
If you still don’t understand what has been said, then you’ve wasted your time.

……

This has already revealed the essence.

If there hadn't been the 50 taels of silver as a gift in advance, Hu Xueyu would definitely not have been so patient today.

Anyway,

He likes to study Your Majesty, and he studies it very thoroughly.

"As for the army, they can be sent to the battlefield after a few months of training. As long as there is money, you can have as many infantry as you want. The navy is different. They have to learn astronomy, geography, navigation, artillery, mathematics, and there is a lot of knowledge involved."

In fact, Hu Xueyu didn’t understand it either, but that didn’t affect his ability to talk freely.

"The imperial court will gradually relax maritime trade. By then, mountains of gold and seas of silver will flow into our Great Wu from all directions. In this case, can we do without naval escort?"

……

Mr. Huang raised his glass and asked a crucial question:
"Please advise me, father-in-law. Is it the eldest son or the second son? Is it the legitimate son or the illegitimate son?"

Hu Xueyu chuckled:
"Get rid of the heirs, the useless ones, the cunning ones, the lazy ones, and the greedy ones. It doesn't matter if it's a son or a grandson."

Mr. Huang laughed.

Win, win.

He spent at least 4% of his money on women in his life. It was true that he had a concubine every month, but that was only for those who didn't get pregnant.

If you are pregnant, then don’t abort.

If a girl was born, he would give 1 taels to send the mother and daughter away.

After giving birth to a son, she became a formal concubine.

……

Mr. Mi stared at him and asked suddenly:
"Old Huang, how many sons do you have?"

Mr. Huang was stunned and couldn't even give a number.

Probably, it seems, there are about thirty or forty illegitimate sons. I would pick a few of them and send them to Your Majesty as sailors without any regret.

but,

Some people feel very distressed.

Everyone's eyes turned to Jiang Chun~
Hu Xueyu cleared his throat:

"Mr. Jiang has only one son. He doesn't have to join the army. By the way, I heard that your son has been in Hangzhou?"

Jiang Chun's old face turned red.

What a traitor.

Laozi made a fortune in Jingdezhen, and he spent money like water in Hangzhou.
"My son is not good at studying, is not good at business, and is a playboy by nature, so he is not capable of taking on important responsibilities."

Hu Xueyu sighed and looked at his peer in front of him with sympathy.

He rarely lowered his status and comforted her:
"That's fine. Mr. Dongpo was enlightened in his later years and wrote a poem saying, 'I hope my son will be ignorant and rude, but will become an official without any disaster or trouble.'"

……

After seeing off the distinguished guest, the four businessmen continued to drink tea.

It was windy and snowy outside, but it felt like heaven inside the house.

Mr. Huang smiled and said:
"Old Jiang, we have been friends for decades. Just tell me the truth, do you want a son? I can adopt three or five for you."

"Don't be silent, okay?"

"How about I pick out some women who can give birth to sons for you? Don't glare at me. I'm not as good as you in business planning, and you're not as good as me in knowing women."

Mr. Mi and Mr. Su laughed so hard that tears came out of their eyes.

The four major salt merchants, Jiang, Su, Huang and Mi, have always been united. They advance and retreat together when faced with difficulties, as if they were one.

Although they lost the salt business that they had relied on for generations, they still couldn't forget the sweetness of Longduan~
……

It is impossible to monopolize the ordinary ceramic business, but it is possible to monopolize the high-end ceramic business.

Your Majesty's brand strategy is followed by the four major merchants, who are committed to creating the high-end luxury "Jasmine" series of ceramics.

Luxury,
First, rely on culture; second, rely on ideas; third, rely on funds.

The four major merchants all have these elements. In addition to the 600 porcelain kilns in Jingdezhen, they also bought a piece of land in northern Jiangxi, which is close to the mountains and rivers, to grow mulberry leaves and produce luxury silk, and named the brand "Wu Yi".

Because the area is not large, the Anhui-Jiangxi Tea Chamber of Commerce did not step in to stop it.

If the four major merchants want to enter the tea industry in a big way, the Anhui-Jiangxi Tea Chamber of Commerce will definitely take action.

……

"Your Majesty~"

Hong'er, Yang Fei's former personal maid, timidly brought last month's summary report.

now,

The Ministry of the Interior has lost its helmsman, and His Majesty has taken over personally.

Li Yu knew very well that the emperor's life was a process of gradually becoming "deaf and blind", so it was particularly important for the emperor to personally grasp the real information.

The Ministry of the Interior's working method is rather special. It deploys spies in various army corps, government offices, and industrial and mining enterprises. This is a typical passive way of collecting intelligence.

Hidden and low-key, not easy to be exposed.

Only some people at the central level know about the existence of such a department, while local people are completely unaware of it.

……

One of the briefings attracted Li Yu's attention.

About salt merchants.

Location is very important for luxury business.

They have to open stores in the most prosperous and central streets of Suzhou, Hangzhou, Jiangning, Guangzhou, Songjiang and Huzhou before they dare to charge the most outrageous prices to customers who enter the store.

The salt merchants' march into Guangzhou was boycotted by Cantonese merchants.

One side is a dragon from across the river, and the other side is a local snake.

At the beginning, the local Cantonese people had the upper hand.

However, Guojianglong was very patient. He transferred batches of people from other provinces to help and continued to fight back.

If you hit my people, I will hit yours.

If you smash my shop, I will smash your shop too.

Consume~
The battle went on like this, with the main goal of killing 800 enemies and losing 1500 of your own money.

It was regarded as a wonder in Guangzhou and people marveled at it.

Eventually, the local tyrants couldn't take it anymore.

The two sides drank tea and chatted happily with the help of the middleman.

Guojianglong paid some money for tea and was no longer troubled.

that's it,
With their tenacity, the four major merchants successfully opened the first luxury goods store in Guangzhou.

……

In the wild era, these things are indispensable for developing business markets and grabbing land.

When the heroes of Jianghu see these tycoons, they have to bow and meekly call them "Big Brother" to pay tribute to their elders.
How can you make a fortune without any drastic measures?
The wealth of a good person will never exceed 2000 taels.

Li Yu knew this very well.
but,

The four major merchants have been able to change from "taking salt from the bowls of ordinary people" to "emptying the pockets of the rich", which is a great progress.

This is cause for celebration and needs encouragement.

……

Li Yu didn't intend to criticize them.

No matter how much you struggle, you can’t turn the world upside down.

Today's Wuguo Shopping Mall is a huge cricket jar, and the final winner will receive a "broad sea and sky" reward - to expand business overseas.

Come to think of it,

Once these winners arrived overseas, they would certainly be able to adapt to the environment in a second, bombarding European colonists and burning the indigenous people of Southeast Asia.

What is civilization?

It means that while most people can enjoy the fruits of civilization and mature order with peace of mind, there are some people outside doing "very uncivilized but necessary" things.

There has never been a pure civilization in the world, just as there is no single pure substance without any impurities on this planet.

The pursuit of 100% purity is essentially a mental illness.

……

This Spring Festival is a bit bleak~
The sounds of firecrackers are not as loud as before, and are sparse and quiet.

Countless people were struggling to survive under the abnormal astronomical phenomena, praying that their dilapidated houses would not be crushed.

The Ngo Ting government internally predicted that the death toll under its rule would not be less than 50.

If the house collapses, the people will die.

Without food, people will die.

Without fuel, people will die.

Nowadays, the people under the rule of Wu State do not have much problem with food, and almost every household has grain reserves.

The fuel problem is serious. Although a lot of honeycomb coal was sold in advance, it is obviously not enough in such extreme cold.

The housing problem is huge, the adobe houses are too large in proportion.

……

Not to mention the Qing-controlled areas in the north, all three problems are particularly serious.

And the temperature gets lower the further north you go.

Wu Dinh estimated that between 500 and 1000 million people would disappear in the North.

In the war between man and nature, humanity loses nine out of ten battles and draws only once.

but,

The snow stopped from the third day of the first lunar month.

Cities across the country began to organize people to clear the snow.

First there were streets and houses, then official roads, gradually expanding outwards.

It is especially cold when the snow melts.

Even cotton-padded jackets could not keep out the biting cold, so a new group of people had to be replaced every half an hour.

Merchants donated silver, and the government office organized people to boil ginger soup in large pots to keep everyone warm, and set up more fire spots to remove moisture from clothes, shoes and socks in time.

The world is gradually coming back to life.

……

More than half a month later, major transportation in southern provinces was restored.

Suzhou City, southwest corner.

A huge auditorium that had never been used since its completion welcomed the long-awaited bustle.

The upper class from all over the country gathered together, beaming with joy.

It's early in the morning.

On stage,

The girls from Jiangnan Textile Factory are like butterflies, flying around all the time.

They wore all kinds of new clothes with pride and confidence.

Fashion show!

The upper class people in the 18th century had never seen such a scene before and praised it as extremely elegant.

……

The girls walked out, like a slowly unfolding historical scroll.

Bone hairpin, wooden hairpin, linen and leather robe - ancient times

Narrow sleeves on top and apron on the bottom - Western Zhou Dynasty

Cross-collared robe, simple and elegant - Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period

Long gown with curved hem and wide sleeves trailing the ground - Han Dynasty
Short long skirt, high waist - Tang
Short top and long skirt, with backpack - Song
Up to the Song Dynasty, there is no mention of Ming and Qing clothing.

……

The girls were half-veiled, and each of them could get 2 taels of reward for this trip.

Originally, this was considered immoral.

But since His Majesty and the important ministers were all the audience, it became a grand occasion.

After the various clothing displays, there was a display of 13 types of sample clothing.

Your Majesty designed the daily clothes based on the aesthetics of the Song Dynasty. The Chinese clothes were designed based on the aesthetics of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Modern elements accounted for no more than 3%.

The main features are:
Simple, bright, convenient, outlines advantages, and has aesthetics.

When Xia came out in summer clothes, the whole audience was shocked.

So bold!

Is this something that you can wear on the street for your own women? But if other women wear it on the street, it would be a beautiful sight.

……

Front row,

A palace maid stood up and said in a crisp voice:

"Your Majesty praised it and said it was very beautiful. He gave me a gold ingot as a dowry."

The girl on the stage, who was originally uneasy and had red eyes, suddenly smiled. Just for what Your Majesty said, she will definitely marry into a good family when she returns.

Changing customs and habits starts with clothing.

Step one: Clothes freedom.

Wu Tingming issued an imperial edict, announcing to the world:
Starting today,
Except for bright yellow clothing, official uniforms, and military uniforms, the people were free to choose their clothing. No matter how unorthodox a person was, the local authorities could not interfere, and those who violated the order would be exiled to Chongming.

……

Li Yu deliberately abandoned Ming and Qing costumes because some elements of Qing costumes were borrowed from Ming costumes, and the two have many vague similarities.

In order to avoid being manipulated by others in the future to create some Hanqi costume, it is better to do it thoroughly~
Anyway,

Li Yu has never hesitated to assume the greatest malice towards his enemies.

Clothing ~ seems like a small matter, but it is actually a big matter.

(End of this chapter)