King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

Chapter 89: The Salt War Begins, Lao Zhu Is Shocked
  Ying Tianfu.

Qinhuai River.

As the most prosperous area in Yingtian.

Originally, Wu Shengyan didn't want to open the store here.

But Zhu Tan disagreed.

I firmly insist that a store must be opened here.

What kind of flagship store is it called?

Even if you spend more money, you won’t hesitate!

In the end, the store price alone cost thousands of taels of silver!

When Wu Shengyan opened this salt shop, his heart was bleeding!

It’s too expensive!

Not only is the store expensive, labor is also expensive!

Fortunately, there is no need to deal with government relations.

With Zhu Tan's note, no one in Yingtian's house dared to provoke Lu Shang Salt Company.

Even so, this salt shop is really unnecessary to open.
  Surrounded by people selling silk and satin, jewelry and jade, and rouge and gouache, it is a bit strange for a salt seller to open his business here.

What's more, at this cost, according to the price at which His Royal Highness King Lu sells salt, it's probably a long way to go to get the money back.
  Despite going through some twists and turns.

This day has come.

Lushang Salt Store is officially open to accept customers!
  At the entrance of the salt store, there is a row of exquisite fine salt!
  A large banner was erected at the door.

"Produced by Changlu, only high-quality products are sold, 8 cents of silver per pound, no deception!"

The shopkeeper and the clerks stood at the door, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“High-quality salt as white as snow and as fine as sand!
  On weekdays, the best refined salt costs you 3 taels of silver per catty!
  Ordinary large coarse salt costs 1 yuan and 2 cents of silver per pound!
  Today is different!

Our Lushang Salt Shop specializes in Changlu. Today, we don’t want 10 taels per catty, we don’t want 1 tael per catty, and we don’t want 1 tael per catty! Only 8 points!
  8 cents per pound!
  Please keep your eyes peeled!
  We guarantee that this salt is the best salt you have ever seen in your life!
  You are cooking, stewing, and barbecuing. How you eat makes it fragrant, how you eat makes you feel good, and how you eat makes you strong enough to work!
  If you taste a little bitter taste, just come to me and we will refund or replace it! "

soon.

All the Lu Shang salt shops in Yingtian Mansion followed these words and started shouting!

Countless people flocked here just after hearing the price!
  All curious.

What kind of salt is it that sells so cheaply and is said to be so good?
  At the same time, Chengdu, Changsha, Jinan, Wuchang, Nanchang, Peiping, Suzhou, and Hangzhou.
  Lu merchant salt shops have opened in more or less important state capitals across the country!
  Shopkeepers and shopkeepers everywhere shout the same words and sell the same salt!
  The best refined salt that should not appear in this era!
  Zhu Tan’s salt war has begun!

Ying Tianfu.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao joined the crowd to watch the fun.

At this time, more and more people gathered.

Everyone's face was filled with anger.

I was quarreling with the clerk at Cao's Salt Shop.

The leader said angrily: "Didn't we always sell salt from Changlu Salt Farm in the past?

The salt is at least a mixture of white and yellow!

Now take a look, what kind of salt is this?

It's dark and frighteningly full of impurities!
  Just put this salt on the table and forget it!

However, when salt becomes black, will your hearts also become black?
  One penny and two cents of silver and a pound of salt are not enough?

Now it has even increased to one cent and two cents!
  What do you want to do?
  Will we, the people, be allowed to live? "

People around him also started making noises.

"Yes! Don't increase the price too much! How can everyone live without salt? Is it because the court asked you to sell it at such a high price? It's been several months, and the price is still so expensive. We can’t even afford it! Are we forced to buy private salt?”

The clerk from Cao's Salt Shop sneered: "What nonsense is the salt from Changlu Salt Farm? I'm sorry, our master said so!"

The quality of the salt there is so poor that I’m afraid that everyone will have problems eating it, so I won’t buy salt from there anymore!
  You can also buy salt from Chimelong Salt Farm! "

A man who looked like a shopkeeper even sneered: "What does it have to do with us that you can't afford salt? The price of salt is determined by the salt regulations issued by the court! We cannot change this price without authorization!
  Regardless of how expensive it is, the cost is actually so expensive. What can we do?
  Isn't this what the imperial court ordered?
  There was also the one who said he wanted to buy private salt!

Today, sir, I am in a good mood, so I won’t argue with you!

Try shouting again!
  See if I catch you, go see the official and buy private salt, hum. If you are not afraid of death, just go and buy it! "

When everyone heard this, they became even more excited!
  Although the price of salt has only increased by 2 cents, it is still expensive throughout the year!
  A pound has increased by 2 cents, and one person has to eat six or seven pounds of salt a year, which is more than one penny!

Ordinary people work hard to earn only three to five taels a year, how can they bear such a huge expense suddenly!
  What's even worse is that the quality of the salt is even worse!

It's dark, bitter in the mouth, and has a lot of impurities. You can only eat it after you buy it home and dissolve it in water!
  In this case, not only will the loss be high, but the salt taste will also be poor.

It is even more unbearable.

Price and quality, you have to have a psychological balance point, right?
  Zhu Yuanzhang listened to the quarrel and immediately understood what they were arguing about.

He couldn't help but frown and said: "Why is the price of salt so expensive? It makes no sense! How does the Ministry of Revenue control salt?"

Zhu Biao smiled bitterly and said: "Father, the price of salt has never been cheap! In recent years, the imperial court has been fighting in the north and south, and has spent a lot of money on construction projects!

Salt tax accounts for about 40% of the national treasury expenditure! The people have indeed been suffering from the price of bitter salt for a long time.
  But now, there is really no way!

But this time, Erchen didn’t know about the increase of 2 cents! "

Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly: "If you don't know, we certainly don't know either! This household department is getting more and more courageous now, and it can make decisions on such things without authorization!
  Did you hear what the salt store manager said just now?
  He kept saying that he was following the orders of the imperial court!

The price of salt is set by the imperial court, and the poor quality of salt is also produced by the imperial court!

Everything inside and outside the words is a matter of the imperial court!
  When the people hear this, they may hate us!

These damn profiteers! "

Zhu Yuanzhang was indignant.

Suddenly, another burst of noise sounded! “Everyone, what are you doing in front of this black-hearted Cao’s Salt Store?
  Now Yingtianfu has opened four new salt shops!
  Call it Lu Shang Salt Company!
  I've heard that salt is good!
  White as snow and as fine as sand!
  It tastes pure salty when you eat it, with no bitter taste at all!
  The price is even cheaper, only 8 cents per pound!
  Conscience!
  Let’s go to Lushang Salt Store to buy it! "

When everyone heard this, they immediately became more lively!
  "Really? Are there such good things?"

"Eight cents of silver per pound of salt? Or high-quality refined salt? How is that possible? Private salt costs 8 cents of silver per pound."

"Here, how do you know the price of private salt?"

"My friend bought it!"

"Great, let's go to Lu Shang Salt Store to buy salt! Just these black-hearted salts from Cao's Salt Store, bah! Even dogs won't eat it!"

"Why are you swearing? I still have several kilograms of salt in my house."

Amidst the noise, everyone quickly dispersed and rushed towards the so-called Lu Shang Salt Store!

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao looked at each other in confusion as they watched the crowd disperse quickly.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked: "Eight cents of silver per pound of salt? Where is the price specified?"

Zhu Biao shook his head with a confused look on his face.

Then, his eyes suddenly widened and he lost his voice: "Lu Shang Salt Shop? Lu?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was also stunned.

"Old Shi?"

Zhu Biao said: "It should be the tenth brother!"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said: "As white as snow and as fine as sand? And it only sells for 8 cents of silver? Where did Lao Shi get this kind of salt?
  Moreover, can it be sold so cheaply? "

Zhu Biao smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying: "I don't know either!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "In this case, let's go to the Lu Shang Salt Store to have a look!"

Done.

The father and son left with the crowd.

Jiang Yu followed Zhu Yuanzhang and his son closely, complaining repeatedly.

"Why do these two gentlemen join in the fun wherever there are more people?"

While talking.

While commanding the Jin Yiwei to follow Zhu Yuanzhang and his son closely, he was afraid that they would encounter any danger.

the other side.

Cao's Salt Shop.

It was originally very lively just now, but now it suddenly became quite deserted.

The shopkeeper and the waiter looked at each other with blank faces.

"Why are they all gone?"

"I heard them talking about Lu Shang Salt Company selling salt!"

"I heard it too, eight cents of silver per pound! Good salt as white as snow and as fine as sand!"

"It sounds like a dream. We don't even have eight cents of silver per pound!"

The head shopkeeper chuckled.

"Eight cents of silver per pound, yet still as white as snow, as fine as sand, without any evil smell?

This Lu Shang Salt Company is boasting too much!
  Be true to what they say! I bought this salt and mixed it with manure to eat! "

The guys looked at each other and suddenly stood up.

The shopkeeper frowned and looked at everyone.

"What do you want to do?"

Everyone said: "I want to see what the salt from Lushang Salt Store is like!"

"Yes, it costs 8 cents of silver per catty. Even if the salt is not good, it is still worth buying it! We buy it ourselves at the salt store, and the internal price is one cent and two cents of silver per catty!"

"Buy some and come back to try it. What if it tastes good?"

When the shopkeeper heard this, his face suddenly dropped.

"In any case, the Lushang Salt Store is also our competitor. How can we say that we should go to him to buy salt and try it?"

All the guys looked helpless.

How long has it been? Are you still so loyal to the old Cao family?

next second.

The shopkeeper snorted: "Otherwise you can only be the clerk, but I am the shopkeeper!

Looking at the situation today, I guess we won’t be able to sell our salt. You all go to the Lushang Salt Store to grab salt!
  But it’s time to say this!
  We don’t buy salt to resell, let alone for our own use!
  When we buy it, it’s just a matter of choosing it!
  Buy critically, got it? "

When the guys heard this, their faces looked strange.

No matter what, you have to buy it, and you still have to criticize it and not criticize it?

The shopkeeper waved his hands and said: "Everyone, go quickly! Everyone, go quickly!

What if it’s too late and it’s gone?
  By the way, help me to criticize the 20 kilograms back! Feel free to criticize yourself as much as you want! "

Hearing this, all the waiters immediately "hurrahed" and all of them ran away.

Yangzhou.

Cao Mansion.

At this time, a group of salt merchants gathered together, looking at the salt in front of them with disbelief on their faces!
  　There’s another chapter later!
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)