I practiced magic in the Three Kingdoms

Zhen Yan was really interested in glass products, so he didn't refuse: "Okay, it would be boring if I refuse such a kind invitation, so I might as well stay and take a good look."

Lai Fu did not disappoint them. The two glass reliefs were naturally the highlight treasures and the focus of this auction.

But there are still many glass products from the same batch. Even the styles and types alone are so numerous that it is dizzying and difficult to count.

Lai Fu said loudly: "Everyone, although there is only one auction today and only two treasures will be auctioned, you don't have to worry about going to Fu Man Lou empty-handed."

Suddenly, a curious guest couldn't help but ask, "Why, boss, do you have any good things you haven't taken out yet?"

"Since you dare to call yourself Fu Man Lou, you must be blessed with a perfect fortune. If I don't have the corresponding ability, how can I dare to make such a boast?"

When Lai Fu said this, he glanced at Zhang Zhong intentionally or unintentionally, openly and covertly mocking Qianzhen Pavilion, which was known as a place with thousands of treasures but didn't even have glass.

Zhang Zhong obviously understood Lai Fu's look, he snorted coldly but did not refute anything.

Because having an argument with Lai Fu at this time would only bring more shame to Qianzhenge.

"Everyone, seeing is believing. If you want to see how many treasures we have in Fu Man Lou, follow me inside and you will know."

In order to display their own products, Fumanlou built a showroom inside according to Wang Jing's requirements, and the decoration of the showroom has now been completed.

The decoration style chosen is relatively traditional. At the entrance of the showroom, the floor is paved with square bricks, the blue brick walls are polished with butt joints but not coated with lime, the ceiling is made of wooden lattice strips, and four large red gauze lanterns are hung, as well as a row of glass lamps bought from Yiwu.

It is surrounded by purple wood corridors, and in the hall hang poems, essays, and paintings by local masters, all of which have different styles and appear elegant and scholarly.

If you look carefully, you will find that the author is either from a local noble family or an official in power.

The three big characters "Fu Man Lou" hanging in the middle of the hall were written by Cai Yong, the most famous Confucian scholar and calligrapher of the time in Luoyang.

These three words alone are worth one hundred thousand coins.

After all, Cai Yong at this time was not only a famous calligrapher and a great scholar of the time, he also served as the Secretary General and was also Wang Jing's father-in-law!
Lai Fu personally led the way in front. The guests looked around curiously and saw a sea of ​​rosewood flower tables, long tables, eight-immortal tables and official hat chairs, as well as various vases, screens and ornaments, all of which were exquisite.

Four glass display cabinets are located on both sides of the main hall and are very conspicuous.

To ensure safety, Ding Ba asked someone to build an extra circle of copper railings on the outside of the cabinet to prevent the glass from being crushed by too many onlookers.

The samples for sale are all placed in exquisite trays of various colors that are custom-made from outside, lined with black, red and gold velvet satin. Two kerosene lamps converted into spotlights are hung diagonally above each cabinet, making every sample in the cabinet look colorful and glittering.

She Yuan, who was used to the dim and dark environment in old-fashioned jewelry stores, was amazed at this. He didn't expect that the owner of Fu Man Lou was not simple and actually had such a brilliant idea!

Whether it is a showroom or a display cabinet, there are all great treasures that have never been heard of or seen before, and the dazzling array of glass products is an eye-opener for many people.

Glass kettles, glass fish tanks, glass bowls, glass cups, and all kinds of exquisitely crafted glass jewelry and ornaments. Although they are inferior to the pair of glass reliefs in size and texture, they are still rare treasures in the world.

Many participants who failed in the bidding, when they saw such a treasure, how could they resist?
They all enter the shopping mode, wishing they could empty their wallets and take home all the treasures they see.

The chief manager Lai Fu, together with Fan Ping and others, began to work hard to promote their own goods.

Ding Ba did not show up in person. When Lai Fu told him the sales data, he showed an expression of disbelief: "How much did we sell?"

"Three hundred million dollars!"

Lai Fu was also so excited that he could hardly speak clearly: "We not only sold all the inventory, but also received many large purchase orders. All in all, we made a total of 300 million yuan!"

Three hundred million dollars!
This number shocked not only the people outside but even Ding Ba himself.

When Wang Jinghao invested 100 million yuan to develop glass, there were countless people inside and outside the place who opposed and secretly laughed at him, but Ding Ba knew that after today, all these people would be severely slapped in the face.

Although it costs more to research and develop new technologies, you can earn more!
This wave of sales immediately paid back the investment and made a lot of money.

Not to mention that from now on, Fumanlou can make money without doing anything. As long as the glass formula is not cracked, he can continue to make money without doing anything!
"Haha, such good news should be reported to the Lord as soon as possible."

Thinking this in his mind, Ding Ba immediately glanced at Lai Fu and told him, "You continue to manage the accounts. As for the orders, take as many as you can. Don't worry about the production capacity."

At this moment, Ding Ba was filled with pride, because he knew that Wang Jing had invested tens of millions of dollars to open a large glass workshop.

Because of the use of new technologies, production has been further increased and can definitely meet the current market demand.

"Master, please rest assured. I know what to do!"

As for Lai Fu, he was also full of energy. After all, he had a great start and the future would be smooth sailing. Lai Fu was very glad that he did not refuse the invitation at the beginning, otherwise how could he have participated in such a big event?
…………

In the General Wei's mansion, Wang Jing was discussing government affairs with Guo Jia, Xun You, Jia Xu and other advisers. Jia Xu spoke the most: "There have been several heavy rains in recent days. The Yellow River has flooded again. Many residents along the river ports have been affected, but the court cannot provide funds for disaster relief. What should we do? Please decide, my lord."

In addition, Jia Xu also mentioned the development of water conservancy, construction of canals and other irrigation projects. For the court officials of this era, encouraging agriculture and sericulture was one of the most important political achievements.

Investing in people's livelihood construction requires a large amount of financial support.

Wang Jing was also thinking in his heart. People's livelihood is the cornerstone of the country and cannot be left alone. Therefore, he quickly made a decision: "The root cause of the Yellow River flood is the indiscriminate logging in the upper reaches. It will take time to solve it, so it is not the right time to build water conservancy projects. Disaster relief is urgent. Let me pay for it first, and I will make up for it from other places later. The victims must be treated as soon as possible, otherwise there will be trouble."

Luoyang is Wang Jing's own territory now, so of course he will not ignore it.

However, it is not realistic to build water conservancy projects at the moment. In history, one of the reasons why Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty killed himself was because of building the Grand Canal.

If one really wants to carry out this great project of the century, in addition to having sufficient money and food, one must also mobilize a large army to suppress it. Otherwise, it will provoke civil unrest in a matter of minutes. There are countless accidents throughout the dynasties caused by this.

As long as the world has not been unified, Wang Jing will not do such a stupid thing.

Wang Jing is willing to spend money on some investments that can produce immediate results, but the money he earned from selling furniture recently is not enough.

Just when I was having a headache, Ding Ba came and said, "My lord, great joy!"

"Old Eight is here? Tell me, why are you so happy?"

When he saw Ding Ba, Wang Jing's frown relaxed slightly and a smile appeared on his face.

Ding Ba first bowed, and then told Guo Jia and others about Fumanlou's profit today.

Before Wang Jing could say anything, Guo Jia, Xun You and Jia Xu were all stunned and incredulous by the number "300 million".

This is three hundred million dollars!

The three of them were the most outstanding strategists and wise men of the time, so they naturally knew how much they could accomplish with so much money in the fight for world domination.

Xun You couldn't help but ask, "Did you really make 300 million?"

"Of course, but more than half of them are orders. At present, only the deposit has been paid. If we want to really make money, we have to see when the glass factory will deliver the goods."

Ding Ba was also very excited. Although Fumanlou was a secret intelligence agency, if it could make money, it could also help Wang Jing raise military funds, which would be a great achievement.

"Great! I didn't expect this glass to be so magical."

Guo Jia couldn't help but admire it. He didn't quite agree with Wang Jing's spending so much money on developing glass. After all, if there was really 100 million yuan, whether it was spent on territory construction or strengthening military strength, the effect would be immediate.

As for technological research and development, this thing is too illusory. What if it fails?
Wouldn’t it be a complete loss of the money invested?
But now glass is so valuable, and even profitable, so what else is there to say?
It's done!

Jia Xu asked Ding Ba, "You said that a wealthy man from Jizhou spent tens of millions to buy the two glass reliefs. Do you know their identities?" "Yes, the registered names are Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao. They are from Jizhou and entered the venue with the son of the General of Chariots and Cavalry. Judging from their relationship, they seem to be quite familiar with each other."

Ding Ba told Jia Xu the news, but he felt nothing after hearing it.

Wang Jing, on the other hand, showed a somewhat strange expression, because he suddenly remembered that the famous Zhen Ji was from the Wuji Zhen family of Jizhou.
The Zhen family spent tens of millions just to buy two reliefs. Naturally, it is impossible for such a wealthy family like Zhen to have a second one.

As a politician, Jia Xu was in charge of local government affairs in Luoyang, so he was naturally very interested in the two Zhen brothers. After all, many of the things he wanted to do required cooperation with such powerful people.

Everyone was talking about the Zhen brothers, but unexpectedly Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao came to their door in person.

The servants in the mansion stood outside the hall and announced loudly: "Master, there are two distinguished guests named Zhen outside the door who want to see you."

Not everyone can enter the door of General Wei's Mansion. To be addressed as "distinguished guest" shows that the Zhen family is quite famous in Luoyang.

"They're coming?"

Wang Jing had really not expected this, but since he was the brother of the famous Luoshen, he was naturally interested in meeting him, so he ordered, "Please bring him in."

Guo Jia smiled and looked at Wang Jing: "My lord, are you interested in these two?"

"That's it."

Wang Jing did not deny it. After all, even if Zhen Mi did not exist, the Zhen family was still worth winning over.

It’s not that Wang Jingzhi is greedy for Zhen Ji’s body. According to her age, Zhen Mi is still a ten-year-old little girl. Her body hasn’t fully grown yet. No matter how beautiful she is, how beautiful can she be?

What really moved Wang Jing was the money from Wuji Zhen family.

After all, it was a wealthy and powerful family that even the local tyrant Yuan Shao took the initiative to propose marriage to. It is conceivable that the Wuji Zhen family had a lot of money and grain. Zhen Mi could be said to be the most beautiful, rich and beautiful woman in the Three Kingdoms.

The two brothers Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao came to ask for a meeting, naturally to offer treasures.

But when Wang Jing saw the treasures they both presented, the expression on his face was quite interesting.

It's really ridiculous because the things I sold with my own hands were returned by the buyer.

Wang Jing looked at glass products from a modern perspective and did not think they were valuable. After all, in modern society, this stuff can be seen everywhere and has even become a building material.

However, glass made its first appearance in the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Its exquisite and gorgeous appearance was truly shocking, so it was regarded as a priceless treasure.

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao naturally knew that this item must have been produced by Qiqiao Pavilion, but that did not stop them from using it to offer gifts.

Guo Jia, Xun You and Jia Xu, who were watching the show on the side, were also watching this magical scene with interest, but they all guessed what the Zhen family wanted to do.

Due to civil unrest in Jizhou, the Zhen family had to relocate their family power in order to protect themselves. However, if they wanted to gain a foothold in Luoyang, they had to find a backer.

In such a huge capital, is there any golden thigh thicker than Wang Jing's?

Since you are looking for a backer, just find the strongest and toughest one!

He spent tens of millions of dollars just to win Wang Jing's favor, and returned the treasures in their original state, which showed his full sincerity.

Wang Jing felt the sincerity. Moreover, even if it was for the sake of the future Zhen Ji, the investment was worth making. Therefore, Wang Jing smiled and said, "I am glad to accept the treasures offered by your Zhen family, and I will also give you something in return."

"Return gift?"

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao looked at each other, obviously not knowing what Wang Jing meant.
Wang Jing ordered someone to bring a box, and then placed it in front of the two brothers, motioning: "Why don't you open it and take a look?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yan bowed slightly and said, "Please forgive my impoliteness."

After saying that, he walked forward and carefully opened the wooden box.

There was no gold, silver, or jewelry in the wooden box, nor any drawings or technical drawings, but only a few strange white flowers, which looked like spider webs, entangled and beautiful.

Although he was disappointed, Zhen Yan did not dare to show it. Instead, he pretended to be overjoyed and kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for the reward, sir."

"Ha, that's not what you mean."

Wang Jing chuckled and then asked Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao, "Do you know what the flowers in the box are?"

Cotton was introduced into China during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, but at that time it was mostly grown in the frontier areas. It was not introduced into the Central Plains in large quantities until the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. For example, the word "cotton" officially appeared when the Yuan court compiled "Book of Song".

Therefore, the two brothers Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao naturally could not recognize what the cotton in front of them was. When faced with Wang Jing's question, they could only answer honestly: "I don't know. Please help us solve this puzzle."

Wang Jing reached out and took out a ball of snow-white cotton from the wooden box. He smiled and explained, "This thing is called cotton. I specially sent people to search 100,000 miles to find this treasure from the land west of the Western Regions."

In fact, this was a treasure that Abdul sent back to present to Wang Jing. When Wang Jing invested in his "revolutionary cause" in Persia, he had put forward many requirements, including collecting books and knowledge, as well as various strategically important crop seeds. Among them, cotton was the top priority.

Jia Xu couldn't help but ask: "My lord, what is the use of this cotton?"

Not only him, but others were also very curious.

Wang Jing kept them in suspense and immediately began to explain: "Of course cotton is very useful. It can not only fill pillows and quilts, but also be used to extract silk threads. Clothes woven from it are better at keeping out the cold than linen and ramie cloth, and they are also smoother and more comfortable to wear."

Upon hearing this, everyone became extremely excited.

Dressed to keep warm and comfortable?

That's pretty cool!

There is no doubt that cotton planting has great potential, especially in the increasingly cold north, the market potential is huge!

The two brothers Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao once again showed ecstatic expressions, but this time was different from last time, they were really ecstatic now.

But Wang Jing also reminded them, "The existing textile technology is not compatible with cotton. It is best for you to develop and master the processing of raw cotton by yourselves. You can go to Qiqiao Pavilion for help on this matter."

In Wang Jing's opinion, it would be difficult to guarantee the quality and output of cotton yarn if ordinary people were to process raw cotton themselves.

So they simply let Lu Fang lead the Mohist disciples to develop a batch of new textile machines, and then let the Zhen family invest in setting up a cotton combing factory to clean and grade the raw cotton, and then contract it out to processors.

Simple machines for weaving towels and knitwear were recently successfully developed, but they are designed for wool and are not suitable for weaving cotton.

So the two brothers couldn't help but show worried expressions. They really had no idea about things like technological research and development.

Wang Jing comforted them, "The carding machine is easy to make and has a very simple structure. I will draw the blueprints and give them to the craftsmen at Qiqiao Pavilion. I believe the finished product will be developed soon. However, you will have to pay for the investment during this period."

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao dared not object and quickly agreed: "Thank you for the reward, General!"

They all knew that Wang Jing was not only a peerless warrior, but also a great master of Mohism. Who in the world didn't know about his book "Mechanics"? With this achievement, he was enough to establish a school. Therefore, when they learned that Wang Jing would personally take action, they immediately felt relieved.

Wang Jing had just obtained the cotton seeds and was worrying about how to promote them. After all, Wang Jing needed food more at this time. He already had wool for warm clothing, so he had no urgent need for cotton. He was hesitating whether to invest manpower and material resources in development.

It just so happened that the Zhen family came to ask for help today, and Wang Jing also planned to set up an example - if you follow him, you will have meat to eat!

Since the cotton textile industry was about to be established, the establishment of a unified clothing factory was put on the agenda. (End of this chapter)