"The ability of Shanxi merchants to start a business is directly related to three people." Zhang Shize took a bite of food and continued.
"Which three people."
"The first one was Emperor Taizu. At that time, food was scarce on the northern border and there was not enough local military supplies. Food needed to be transported from the interior. There were too many troops stationed in the north at that time, an estimated five to six million people, and most of these people were from the south. People are the army that Taizu started."
"Transporting grain is too laborious. When one cart of grain is transported to the northern frontier, it takes three carts of grain to be eaten by the people transporting it on the road. If this continues, the country's finances are ruined. Later, Taizu wanted to farm locally. But by my court The climate in the north is too cold and droughty. The harvest from an acre of dry land is only three to five bushels. In a disaster year, the seeds may not even be harvested."
"The south is a land of plenty, and the officers and soldiers were unwilling to settle down in the north. It was too hard in the north, so they all ran away. Later, too many people ran away, and there was no other way. I thought of learning from the Song Dynasty, and came up with a method to open the country."
Yang Fan still knows about opening the Chinese method.
The "Kaizhong method" mainly consists of three steps. The first step is for the merchant to transport the grain to the designated location. The second step is for the merchant to go to the salt farm to exchange for salt based on the voucher received from transporting grain. The third step is to sell the salt to the designated area.
If you want to run a particularly profitable salt industry, you have to deliver food to the northern military towns, otherwise you will not be allowed to do it.
This time, the military food problem in the northern military town was solved in one fell swoop.
This means that transporting grain itself is not profitable, but it bundles this business with a business that makes a lot of money. If you want to buy a TV, you must build a radio.
Yang Fan nodded. There are always more solutions than difficulties. This is equivalent to using the profits from the salt industry to supplement military rations. The profits of the salt merchants were reduced and subsidized into military rations.
"There are quite a lot of people willing to do this kind of business. Why did it fall into the hands of Shanxi people?" Yang Fan asked.
"Originally, there are salt ponds in Yuncheng, Shanxi. It is more convenient to have local resources. They have salt in their hands, otherwise they would not be able to take on this good job. Originally, the salt industry was dominated by sea salt from Yangzhou, and Shanxi merchants could not compete with the southern business groups. . But they have a geographical advantage."
"Xuanfu Town and Datong Town are in Shanxi." Yang Fan immediately understood how Shanxi merchants got this matter into his own hands.
In the early Ming Dynasty, four towns were first established in the north, among which Xuanfu Town and Datong Town were in Shanxi. The important towns of Jiubian were gradually formed later.
"Yes, they are local and have an advantage over others by having a good relationship with the local garrison. The local garrison must be inseparable from the support of the local government and gentry. They must also have a good relationship with the local powerful. After all, they are on their own territory. Woolen cloth."
This is also easy to understand. The army is not insular, and the same is true for future generations. What about the military wife's employment, children's schooling, medical treatment, and buying food, vegetables and supplies? Many times you have to deal with the local people, otherwise your life will be a problem.
Military towns often took the initiative to interact with local officials, gentry, powerful people, and big landowners. The two parties hit it off immediately, and it was normal for Shanxi people to take over the business.
Doesn't the powerful dragon overwhelm the local snake? In the Ming Dynasty, the Shanxi clan was so powerful that other business groups could not defeat the locals in this area.
Therefore, as soon as the Kaihong Law was implemented in the early Ming Dynasty, they got on the bus, leading step by step.
Shanxi merchants developed from this.
After all, the salt industry is a hugely profitable industry. Their interests are intertwined with the border troops. They control Yuncheng Yanchi. They only need to knock out the food and it will be perfect.
"The grain business is very special. This thing is very profitable." Yang Fan said after taking a sip of wine. He purchased large quantities of grain from modern times and sent it over. He knows the tricks here better than anyone else. He is a big grain merchant.
Grain is different from ordinary commodities. Once it is produced, it is sold in bulk, or in extremely large quantities. I can't afford it if I don't have money. The profit of a few cents per pound of grain is worth doing. If the profit is a few cents, it is very considerable. Because the quantity is too large.
Whether it is grain or salt, it is a hugely profitable industry if done well. What's more, they have added a monopoly operation. Then the profit will be greater.
Add grain to salt, and if you play it well, it will be king.
"Eating alone is the most hated thing. The Shanxi merchants were able to control it for two hundred years, I'm afraid they used a lot of extraordinary methods." Yang Fan sneered.
"Hey, those old scoundrels are ruthless. Once they enter Shanxi, the mountain bandits, horse bandits, and even the beggars and thugs in the city who can stand up rely on Shanxi merchants to survive. Otherwise, they can survive overnight. It will disappear in time.”
"You want to come to Shanxi to do business. The government colludes with them, the border troops collude with them, and they are the ones raising these lawless gangsters. Who do you think would dare to come looking for death?" Zhang Shize sneered.
"Can't we also enter the business of nobles and relatives of the emperor? Are these people so exclusive and domineering to this extent?" Yang Fan asked.
"It won't prevent you from coming in. In short, nobles, other civil servants, relatives of the emperor, and princes of the clan will also allow you to come in. It will give you a face, and everyone will have a chance to step in. But you won't make much money. "Don't even think about the core business." Zhang Shize's tone was obviously sour. It can be seen that Xungui Group still has strong opinions on Shanxi merchants.
"I'm afraid these alone are not enough. This Ming Dynasty is not what they say." Yang Fan said after considering it.
At this time, the cook came in again to serve food.
"Eight bowls in Yu County, you two adults can use them slowly." The fat cook announced the names of the dishes, "Silk chowder, stir-fried meat, steamed pork, tiger skin meatballs, chunk chowder, fried chicken, steamed meatballs, and silver tripe."
A group of girls aged fourteen or fifteen served eight plates of dishes in a steady stream.
The troupe on the ground was also playing and singing, and an iconic little lady was singing Hebei Bangzi.
Zhang Shize's eyes were so lustful that he never left them. There was still a squeaking sound in his mouth. This figure and the twist of his waist are so strong.
What she sang should be regarded as Zhangjiakou opera. A kind of Hebei Bangzi.
Commonly known as Sai Sai Class, also called Bastard Class. It is a local opera type in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province.
This form of opera has died out since the Republic of China. Yang Fan has never seen it in later generations.
The repertoire performed is similar to the big plays in general local operas, including "Foyin Temple", "The Imperial Statement" and so on.
Yang Fan glanced at him speechlessly, this guy was obsessed with sperm. It has transformed into a thinking animal with its lower body.
"This troupe has a few decent young ladies. How about we break up the party and leave a few behind?"
"Forget it, you can do it yourself, I'll go back and have a good sleep."
"You just can't let go, and your wife is not around. What are you afraid of? You are not short of money."
"I'm so scared. The girls at home are going crazy thinking about children. They torture me in different ways all day long, and I can feel relieved when I come out. If I have that time, I might as well go back to sleep." Yang Fan was bored. said.
"Let's get down to business, who are the two remaining decisive figures?" Yang Fan said. This bastard didn't talk about women for three days, and he did it early on the fourth day. Yang Fan was very familiar with him and knew his behavior clearly.
"One is Wang Chonggu and the other is Zhang Siwei"
Yang Fan took a breath, it turned out to be the two of them.
