Idle courtiers

Chapter 308 A Good Deal
Could it be a Hongmen banquet, trying to trick my lord to go out and walk to a narrow alley.Then, a sack was buckled down and I was hammered hard?
Zhou Nan thought, with such a simple strategy, if the official is also tricked, he will not be qualified to be in the new Ming Dynasty in the future.

"I'm sorry, I have a bad stomach and never eat out." He flatly refused.

The military officer ignored Zhou Nan's indifference and continued to invite enthusiastically: "Zhou Xingren, there are also a few students from our Huai'an attending the dinner today. They have no hope of fame, and they have been doing business like me. You must get to know the number one talent in Huai'an, Zhou Zimu. I have guaranteed my ticket in front of all my colleagues, and I ask passers-by to show me their respect."

Zhou Nan was impatient with his entanglement, and said coldly: "Besides the military, can you and I still sit and eat together? By the way, I seemed to have eaten your hot and spicy soup that night, and I kept thinking about it." Please come back."

It was unpleasant to hear him speak, a blue vein throbbing in Wu Xinhua's temple, obviously on the verge of eruption.But he took a deep breath and still had a smirk on his face: "Pedestrians, the so-called hometown water is sweet or not, and whether you can kiss the people in your hometown. It's a great pleasure to have friends coming from afar. In the past, I was not easy to offend, and I offended you." Please don’t worry about it, I apologize to you.”

Zhou Nan knew what kind of person Wu Yuanwai was after so many days.This person was born as a scholar, and his family has small assets.Those who hang out with his uncle Xun Xiucai are naturally not serious people.

Everyone is now enmity, Wu Xinhua can be said to hate Zhou Nan to the bone, but he has no ability to retaliate.Ordinarily, this birdman had already fled back to his hometown, so why did he bring him back?

He is a businessman, what is the purpose of a businessman—to make money—in order to make money, he even dared to sell the rope that hanged himself.It is obvious that you have the courage to come to see me today because you have something to ask for.Moreover, the interest of this matter outweighs my fear and makes it impossible for me to refuse.

Thinking of this, Zhou Nan was curious.Coupled with the sincerity of the soldier's attitude, his anger also subsided a little, and he asked: "The officer is here today, is there something to do? I have something to say, I can't accompany you to eat."

"It's nothing, it's nothing, it's just that everyone wants to get acquainted with the famous Zhou Zimu."

"Besides the military, if you don't talk about business, then you won't be entertained." Zhou Nan called out to the outside of the study: "Soybean, see off!"

"No, no, no, I said, I said." Wu Xinhua hastily arranged: "Several merchants in our Huai'an do have a business and want to cooperate with Pedestrian. If this is done, it will be of great benefit. At that time, Pedestrian There is a heart here.”

After finishing speaking, he wrapped his sleeves around Zhou Nan's hand, and compared two fingers inside.

This... the way of asking prices is too primitive, are you selling cattle?Zhou Nan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and shook off his hand annoyedly: "That's all?"

Is this 200 taels, or [-]%, what kind of riddle are you playing with me?
Wu Xinhua thought that Zhou Nan was dissatisfied, so he called out to Qu: "Pedestrian, there are three people on our side, divided into five shares, and one person only holds 500% of the shares. If pedestrians want to take more shares, they must not explain to them. A share is a net profit of [-] taels!"

One achievement is 500 taels, [-] taels, converted into the RMB of later generations, almost millions, this business is done well.

Not knowing what to do, Zhou Nan calmed down and asked, "I'm an official of the imperial court and my position is low. Where in the capital, there are some things that I'm afraid I can't do."

"What pedestrians can do is very simple." Wu Xinhua is such a shrewd person, how can he not see the look in Zhou Nan's eyes after hearing the word "Qian": "That is to get a diploma in customs defense, which is also convenient for the Grand Canal Up the boat?"

Zhou Nan: "Private salt will cost you your head."

"It's not about taking the salt, it's not about taking the salt, even if something happens, at most it will be a loss of property, and you won't be punished."

Zhou Nan: "I would like to hear about it."

"I and a few fellow villagers want to transport some money back to Huai'an. There are a total of ten big boats, and I ask pedestrians for help."

Zhou Nan was amazed: "If you transport copper money back to Huai'an, it's still a penny if you bring it home, and you will pay a lot of shipping costs. Aren't you taking off your pants and farting--is it troublesome?"

Wu Xinhua chuckled: "Pedestrians don't need to talk about it. This penny will be transported back to Huai'an. After deducting various expenses, not to mention two pennies, one and a half pennies will still come out."

Zhou Nan was taken aback: "So much money? Tell me."

After listening to Wu Xinhua's words, Zhou Nan suddenly realized that this was related to the Ming government's monetary policy and taxation system.

It turns out that China's taxation system has been implemented in currency and in kind since ancient times.Every year, the people pay summer and autumn taxes, which are collected in kind.For example, if you are a wheat farmer, you have to pay wheat; fishermen pay you salted fish;If the output in the field is not enough, it can be converted into cash, which is called folding color.

As for handing in the true color or folding the color, it all depends on the arrangement of the government.

There is a problem with tax payment in kind, that is, the freight is too expensive and the loss is too much, so it is not as simple and convenient as folding color.

The government has collected the discount, and the country has money, so it needs to buy any materials from the people.

In fact, this matter has been implemented on a small scale by local governments in recent decades. When Zhang Juzheng came to power in the Wanli year, they simply abolished the true character and collected money directly.

In this way, the food standard currency system that has been implemented for thousands of years was replaced by the copper and silver base metal standard. This is a famous whip method in history.

Today, the country sees the benefits of the discounted tax system and has intentionally implemented it.

The Jianghuai businessman was quick-witted and immediately noticed the change in the political wind.After thinking about it for a long time, they actually figured out a way to make money.

That is, buy copper coins and take them home, melt and refine them, and make them into copper wares for profit.

The thing is this, in addition to brass, ancient Chinese copper coins also contain lead. The ratio of copper to lead is generally six to four, and the copper content is relatively high.

Thus, a problem arises.If the copper in a penny is extracted and made into utensils, it will be worth several pennies, or even more than ten pennies, calculated according to the market price.

This change of hands is huge profits.

All the merchants need to do is to exchange large quantities of silver on hand for copper coins, and then make copperware.

This kind of thing happened in the early and mid-Qing Dynasty in real history, and because merchants exchanged a large number of small coins, the price of money soared, and there was even a money shortage.The country found that something was wrong, so it gradually reduced the copper content in copper coins. At the lowest point, the ratio of copper to lead reached an astonishing three to seven, and it broke into two pieces when it was broken by hand.Businessmen are making no profit, so this has to be stopped.

Unexpectedly, it appeared in the middle of the Ming Dynasty now. The merchants in Jianghuai are really smart!Zhou Xingren sighed in his heart: It's a good deal, but it can be done.

(End of this chapter)