"You guys came here for the cotton matter. As a prefect and herdsman, you are responsible. Naturally, you will not sit back and watch the cotton farmers suffer miserably." Yang Anshen stroked his beard and said with dignity.
Everyone here knew about Yang Anshen's eating habits, and they despised him in their hearts but praised him in their mouths. Their flattery made Yang Anshen laugh continuously.
Lu Xin, the head of the Lu family, complimented: "Since Mr. Yang pastored Yiyang, the weather has been good, businesses have prospered, commerce has flourished, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. This is all due to Governor Yang. In the future, Mr. Yang will be promoted to a higher position, so please help us old friends." "
Yang Anshen's wife was a descendant of Lu Zhi of Zhuojun County, and was of the same clan as Lu Xun. Lu Xin was from the Lu family of Yiyang, not the same clan. However, Lu Xin was good at flattery, and insisted on being a member of the same clan. He would inevitably give a generous gift every New Year, and established a relationship with Yang Anshen.
Yang An smiled deeply and said, "It's easy to say. Although the price of cotton has dropped, the price of cotton cloth is still strong. Why don't you weave cotton into cloth and sell it."
Lu Xin secretly cursed that Yang Anshen's words were similar to "Why not eat minced meat", and said with a wry smile: "The wages are soaring right now. Even if you pay a thousand dollars to weave a piece of cloth, you still can't find a weaver. The price of making cotton clothes and quilts Not high either.”
Yang Anshen laughed and said: "Mr. Lu was blinded by a leaf, and the wages in Yiyang are high, why not hire weavers elsewhere." xь.
Ye Ping sighed and said: "The fool ordered people to go to Xiangcheng, Nanyang and other places to recruit workers. If you include the expenses of travel, food and accommodation, etc., it would be better to recruit locally."
Yang Anshen trimmed his beard slowly and said: "Under Yonggong's rule, wages are high. Have you ever thought of going to the south of the Yangtze River to recruit workers?"
These wealthy families have caravans in their homes, and they will naturally do business with Song Gong. They know that the price of hired workers in Yang, Xu, Jing, and Jiang areas is not high. The monthly salary of a spinner is only three to four hundred yuan. If we can make Jiangnan weavers It's really cost-effective to hire.
However, at present, Yonggong is fighting with the Song Dynasty. If they rashly go to the Jiangnan area to recruit workers, if Yonggong finds out, will they be accused of collaborating with the enemy?
Yang An smiled deeply and said, "My lords, I have no doubt that I have made it clear to Duke Yong that I am going to the south of the Yangtze River to recruit workers. With the approval of Duke Yong, I can rest assured."
Smiles appeared on everyone's faces. Lu Xin was the first to raise his glass and said, "Thank you Mr. Yang for pointing out the way for us. I'll toast Mr. Yang to wish the prefect's longevity."
Yang Anshen happily raised his glass and took a sip, and said with a smile: "Don't be anxious, gentlemen, Yu has not finished his words yet." Yong Gong replied to Yu, not only can the princes go to Jiangnan to recruit workers, but they can also secretly help the weavers in Jiangnan move here. The individual government can subsidize you 500 yuan."
Five hundred dollars is not a small amount per person. Wan Chang put his hands on the table, leaned forward and asked with a smile: "Is it okay for the elderly, weak, women and children?"
Yang An said deeply: "The price is the same for men and women, and the price is half for old and young people. The government will provide land and houses for the people recruited, and rent grain seeds, cattle, and farm tools to help them settle down."
Everyone pondered in their hearts. It was obvious that Duke Yong paid such a high price not only to help people weave cloth, but also to move the people in the south of the Yangtze River and dig out the foundation of Duke Song. Duke Song would definitely fight back after finding out.
Song Gong coerced the emperor to act in the name of the imperial court. The aristocratic families were intertwined. Many families had clan members serving as officials under Song Gong's rule, which was likely to cause trouble for the clan members.
Now Song Gong and Yong Gong are competing for supremacy, and the outcome is still difficult to predict. At this time, choose a side first. If the wrong side is wrong, it will harm the entire family in the future. Everyone here looked at each other and would rather make less money than choose a side first.
Yang An saw that everyone was silent and said with a smile: "Yonggong decided to lift the cotton ban and also encouraged the princes to go to the south of the Yangtze River to set up weaving factories on the spot. Of course, commercial taxes must still be collected according to the system."
Ye Ping calculated in his mind that his clan had planted ten thousand acres of cotton this year and harvested more than four hundred thousand kilograms of cotton. If it was shipped to the Jiangnan area for weaving, the spinners and weavers could save most of their money, even if they had to pay commercial taxes on both sides. , there is still a lot of profit space.
Moreover, the woven cotton cloth can be sold directly in the Jiangnan area. There are many families in Jiangnan, and the price will be higher than that in Yiyang. This is a good deal.
Yonggong's lifting of the cotton ban meant that people were no longer prevented from growing cotton on their own. If the profits were large, they could simply buy more fertile land in the Jiangnan area in the coming year and directly hire people to grow cotton locally.
Build the weaving field to the south of the Yangtze River, where labor is cheap and convenient. The weaving field can generate tax revenue for the court and allow the people to make a living. I think both the court and the Duke of Song will be happy to see it.
Everyone here is an old fox, and soon
After all the gains and losses were calculated, everyone was smiling. Just to drive the weaving field to the south of the Yangtze River, it is too small to rely on the strength of one family alone. Everyone at the table was whispering and discussing excitedly, preparing to join forces to go there.
Yang Anshen let everyone talk for a while, then he tapped the plate with chopsticks, and a crisp sound interrupted everyone's discussion. Yang An cleared his throat deeply and said with a smile: "It seems that many of you intend to move the weaving field to the south of the Yangtze River. People who leave their hometowns are humble. Although you are from a noble family, you will probably have to listen to others when you get to the south of the Yangtze River."
Lu Xin heard the hidden meaning in Yang Anshen's words and said with a smile: "It seems that Mr. Yang has already made up his mind. Can you give him some advice? If we gain anything, we will not forget Mr. Yang's teachings."
"Yes, why not ask Mr. Yang to take us together to Jiangnan to open a weaving field."
"If Mr. Yang is willing to help me, I hope that Mr. Yang will be the one to obey." Wan Chang said respectfully, cupping his hands.
Everyone agreed one after another, and no one was a fool. It was estimated that Yang Anshen was just a puppet in front of such a big matter, and it was Duke Yong who really made the decision. If Yong Gong is willing to secretly help behind the scenes, this business will still be a profit even if it loses money.
Yang An deeply stroked his belly, leaned back, and said, "Yu is An Xuan's eldest brother, and it is inconvenient to get this head out. But Wan Gong is right, a snake can't do without a head. I think you might as well discuss it on your own, Yu." Form a guild."
Lu Xin asked in admiration, "I don't know what a guild is?"
Yang Anshen nodded to Lu Xin with satisfaction, recalled his third brother's description in the letter, and said slowly: "Guilds are self-organized chambers of commerce that assist the government in regulating industry operations. They can stabilize prices, regulate the market, ensure quality, etc. It has many uses. You all come here for cotton, so you might as well call it a cotton business."
"The guild selects a person with high moral character and respect as its leader, and then selects a few elders as directors. If there are any disputes, they will be discussed and coordinated in the guild, so as not to squeeze each other and disrupt the rules."
When everyone heard what Yang Anshen said about the guild, their eyes shone with joy. If a guild was established as Yang Anshen said, it could control the prices of the industry, and the money would just flow like water.
Since cotton shops can be set up, rice shops can be set up, cloth shops can be set up, and guilds can be set up for any business. Just thinking about it makes many people feel excited and unable to control themselves.
Yang An smiled meaningfully and said: "Establishing a guild cannot disrupt the market and exploit the people. Otherwise, under the strict laws and disciplines under Yonggong's rule, it will never be tolerated."
Everyone was shocked. It seemed that the guild was still controlled by the government and could not do whatever it wanted. Lu Xin looked at Yang Anshen with flashing eyes. As long as he pulled Yang Anshen to make a fortune together, everyone would be happy.
Wan Chang carefully studied Yang Anshen's words, and found that the law and discipline under Yonggong's rule was strict, which meant that Yonggong would not care what the guilds did elsewhere. If the weaving field was moved to the south of the Yangtze River, and everyone collectively manipulated the cotton and cloth prices through the cotton shops, Even in other businesses, there is a lot of money waiting for you to pick it up.
Apparently there were quite a few people who had thought of this, and everyone couldn't hold back their excitement and started talking in the hall. Yang Anshen raised his arms, and the waiter on the side quickly stepped forward to help him stand up.
Yang Anshen said unsteadily: "Young masters, you might as well go back and discuss a plan first and let Yu have a look. If it is feasible, you might as well set up this cotton bank first. Now that the price of cotton has plummeted, the people are uneasy, and Yu is very worried."
Two days later, Lu Xin and others sent a copy of the "Cotton Industry Statutes" to Yang Anshen; five days later, Yang Anxuan, who was in the west of Anlu City, wrote a palindrome, which was feasible.
On August 18, a shop on Chengnan Street in Pingyang was decorated with lanterns, gongs and drums were beaten, and the red silk was peeled off to reveal a hanging plaque. The four golden characters of Yiyang Cotton Shop written by the prefect Yang Anshen shone brightly.
Lu Xin, wearing a new silk dress, stood in front of the door with a spring breeze on his face to greet Master Gao who came to congratulate him. The two stood under the plaque and exchanged greetings, letting passers-by give advice. A banquet was set up in the hall for the guests, and the hall was filled with laughter and laughter. .
Opposite Yiyang Cotton Store is Qingyu Restaurant. In the private room on the second floor, Yang Qiu and others looked across the street through the gauze curtain. The sound of laughter and liveliness spread across the street and reached the ears of the girls.
He lifted up a corner of the gauze curtain, looked at the glittering golden plaque, and sighed slightly in his heart. If he hadn't been a woman, how could Lu Xin, the head of the cotton guild, have been able to get away.
Yang Qiu ate happily and praised while eating: "The meat of this goose is fresh and tender, and the soup is clear and mellow. It is really good. The stone jelly is also good, refreshing and smooth."
Mouth, delicious. "
Qingyu Restaurant is owned by the Yang family. Mrs. He put down the gauze curtain, picked up a pair of new chopsticks, put a piece of eel on Yang Qiu's plate, and said with a smile, "Auntie, try this eel stuffed with bacon, it will replenish your blood and nourish your skin."
Yang Qiu tasted it and said: "These dishes suit the slave's appetite. He, please ask the cook to write down the recipes. I will take them back and let the cook prepare them so that my mother can taste them too."
Zhao Xuan smiled sweetly and said, "Qiu'er, if you continue to eat, you will become fat like a pig. When your Mr. Shen comes back, he may dislike you."
"He dares," Yang Qiu glared and said softly, but he put down the chopsticks in his hands, sighed when he looked at the table full of delicious food, and took a few sips of tea.
Zhang Lan pursed her lips and smiled, and said: "This cotton store had spread the news two days ago that it would purchase cotton on the market for fifteen yuan per catty. I heard that in the future, cotton clothes and cotton cloth will have to be priced by them."
Yang Qiu held the cup and chuckled: "They also want to control the price of cotton. You must know that we are the largest cotton merchants. They dare not go through us first when negotiating prices."
Mr. He knew that the official name had two pronunciations. If the cotton shop wanted to do business under Yonggong's rule, it would naturally depend on his face. Her husband and the aunt in front of her were the real leaders of the cotton shop.
She knew that the cotton price agreed upon by the cotton store at fifteen yuan per catty had been reported to Yang Anshen in advance, and her husband only approved it after discussing it with her aunt.
I just heard from Yang Qiu that this group of cotton shop people mainly go to the Jiangnan area for development. In the future, these people will buy land in Jiangnan to grow cotton and build weaving factories. The cotton products they get will also be sold in the Jiangnan area. They should have little impact on the local area. .
He vaguely felt that there was something hidden behind her, but she was a woman and didn't want to think too much. As long as she followed her aunt closely, she didn't have to worry about anything else.
Picking up a piece of fish, Mr. He advised diligently: "Auntie, try this tube of fish. You won't get fat after eating it."
Zhao Xuan smiled and said: "Now we have harvested hundreds of thousands of kilograms of cotton, and the spinning machines and looms have arrived. It's time to recruit people to weave."
Five days later, the news of the establishment of a cotton bank in Yiyang County was spread by cotton collectors to Wujia Village in the south of Xinxi City in Runan. The Wu Chen family also heard about it. The price of cotton there was fifteen yuan per catty, which was higher than that in Xinxi Market. The price was five cents higher, and many people were preparing to ship cotton to Binh Duong for sale.
Before leaving, the price of Xinxi cotton rose back to twelve cents, the next day it was thirteen cents, and two days later it was fifteen cents. The originally worried cotton growers have smiles on their faces. According to this trend, the price of cotton may rise to 20 yuan.
Mrs. Wu began to murmur that she should not have listened to her sister-in-law and sold more than three thousand kilograms of cotton to the government. Otherwise, even if it increased by one or two cents per kilogram, it would be a big sum.
A few days later, the long cotton transport team began to move south to Xunyang. Wan Chang lowered the curtain and the ox cart began to drive along with the cotton transport team.
Wan Chang is the director of the Cotton Bank, and his third brother is the chief clerk in Xunyang County. This time he was asked by others to go to Xunyang to recruit workers to build a weaving field. If things go well, the next step will be to buy land in Jiangzhou and gradually move towards Development in Yuzhou, Xuyang, Jiaoguang and other places.
A cotton incident affects the hearts of millions of people. Few people know that an economic war that will destroy the country has quietly begun.
"Note: The emergence of "Xing" as an industry was first seen in the Sui Dynasty. Tang Du Bao's "Daye Miscellaneous Notes" from the Sui Dynasty read: "... Fengdu City, Zhou Bali, has twelve gates, one hundred and twenty lines, and more than three thousand fours. .... "Taiping Guangji" describes Suzhou's "gold bank" and Xiangyang's "clothes shop" in the Tang Dynasty, "Youyang Zazu" describes Yangzhou's "fish shop and bran shop", and "Fangshan Stone Classic" records Fanyang County has a white rice shop, a rice shop, a japonica rice shop, a charcoal shop, a pig iron shop, a silk shop, a small color shop, a silk shop, a Zhuozhou meat shop, a fruit shop, a pepper and bamboo shoot shop, a dyeing shop, a boot shop, and a grocery shop. Zhou ***, Mo Xing, etc. These "rows" are blocks where similar shops gather. "
