The winter solstice is approaching, and the whole of Tokyo is plunged into a lively and peaceful atmosphere. Liu Chengyou's throne gradually consolidated, his authority grew stronger, and the government became more stable. As time went by, the benefits gradually emerged. Only when the government is stable and the army is stable can the people be stable.
Although life is still difficult for the people at the bottom of Tokyo, it is much better than last year. The city of Kaifeng seems to have its own commercial elements, and once the situation stabilizes, the atmosphere will pick up.
To celebrate the winter solstice, everyone from the noble to the poor wear new clothes and prepare food. The dignitaries and wealthy families in the imperial capital spread their wealth widely and bought frugal goods. The entire Tokyo market slowly entered a short-lived consumption boom.
Although the weather is cold and everything is bleak, the excitement in Tokyo is not fake at all. Outside Kaifeng City, south of the Bianhe River, there are densely populated houses and many restaurants and shops. The cold weather has prevented most people from going out, but there are still many people coming and going on the roads, going in and out of Kaifeng, running for a living.
There are several Hongqiao bridges on the Bianhe River, connecting the two sides and serving as important bridges connecting the north and the south. Near Hongqiao, there is a large guesthouse, but it is quite lively. Judging from its sign, it mainly sells various muttons.
The sound of mule bells was particularly clear under the cold weather, and could be seen from a distance. From the distant wilderness, a caravan was slowly coming eastward. There were more than twenty mule carts and dozens of guards. A caravan of this size was not small in this world.
To the left of the road, there was already waiting a middle-aged man in a cotton robe, followed by two servants. Judging from his demeanor, he must be a businessman. This man's name is He Fuyin. He is a well-known businessman in Tokyo. He has a huge fortune and a strong backing. He is from the Palace of Prince Yan. He did business for Zhao Yanshou in his early years.
He was waiting by the road, obviously waiting for someone. When the caravan approached, he immediately sent his servants forward to question them. After finding out their identity, he showed a professional and kind smile, went up to them, and greeted them cordially.
The curtain was drawn, and a strong man with a long beard in his mouth jumped down. His movements were quite vigorous, and he returned the favor with his hand.
"Brother Li!"
"Brother He!"
The owner of the caravan, whose surname was Li and whose given name was Jin, saw He Fuyin and restrained his fierce aura, with a bit of respect in his tone: "Suihan, why did Brother He offend Feng Qinying?"
"It doesn't matter!" He Fuyin smiled and stepped forward to pat Li Jin on the shoulder: "With the friendship between you and me, let alone the north wind, what's the problem if we add ice and snow?"
"It's been a long journey, so I'll rest in the hotel for a while, then go to the city. I've prepared a banquet for my brother."
"Listen to your brother's arrangements!" Li Jin responded.
The caravan was quickly driven to the open space behind the guest post, where it was guarded and fed nearby. He Fuyin and Li Jin went inside to communicate. The wine was already stuffed and the meat was cooked, just waiting to be enjoyed.
The seat is next to the window, and through the gap, you can vaguely see the winter scenery outside the guest house.
"Did you encounter any trouble during this trip to Ruzhou? How is the goods?" He Fuyin asked after a few glasses of wine.
"It's basically going smoothly!" Noticing He Fuyin's eyes, Li Jin chuckled and said, "Brother He, don't worry, there is no problem with this batch of coal!"
Seeing this, He Fuyin also laughed: "With Brother Li going there in person, I will naturally feel relieved."
Li Jin is a businessman who is dependent on He Fuyin. Following the He family, he has gained a small fortune in the past two years. This time, under the orders of He Fuyin, he led a team to Ruzhou to purchase coal. Tokyo is a city with a huge demand for various resources. After winter, there is an even greater shortage of coal, charcoal, firewood and other materials for heating.
Taking a fancy to this, He Fuyin became interested, and in the Central Plains, Ruzhou's coal was still quite famous. Seventy percent of the coal Li Jin brought to Tokyo this time belonged to the He family.
The atmosphere gradually became warm, and Li Jin began to tell He Fuyin about what he had seen in Ruzhou: "Over in Ruzhou, the defense commander Liu Shijun is a capable official, and his rule is stable. After several rounds of bandit suppression by the court, bandits in the Central Plains have almost disappeared, and some Mao Thief, I can take care of it myself. Nowadays, doing this kind of business is much safer than before. Otherwise, it would be unprofitable to haul coal to Tokyo over four hundred miles away!"
"If I hadn't known about this situation earlier, I wouldn't have let Brother Li take the risk." He Fuyin smiled.
"If you want to make a profit, you still have to take advantage of the situation!" Li Jin shook his head and sighed from the bottom of his heart.
In fact, with inconvenient transportation and difficult transportation, there is really not much money to be made by hauling Ru coal to Tokyo. However, He Fuyin has another use for this batch of coal. The twelfth lunar month is approaching and the weather will only get colder. It is a good time to provide help in times of need. I am afraid that no one in Tokyo is short of this good heating material.
"It's just that the imperial court has explicitly exempted tariffs, but along the way, apart from you and Zhengzhou, there has been no shortage at all!" While He Fuyin was playing with the wine glass, Li Jin said with a painful look on his face.
Hearing this, He Fuyin waved his hands to reassure: "The goods are safe, and all the customs duties paid will be paid by me!"
After saying these words, Li Jin's rough face suddenly showed a bright light.
"By the way, Brother He. I brought back a cart of local porcelain from Ruzhou. The quality is quite good. In my opinion, it may be profitable to sell it." Suddenly thinking of something, Li Jin said casually .
He Fuyin didn't take it seriously and said casually: "Let's take a look at the situation first!"
"It's so cold today!" After sighing, Li Jin took a sip of wine, feeling the spicy taste in his throat, and said, "The wine business is easy to do, and you don't have to worry about making a profit. I wonder who is standing behind the owner of this family. ?”
"The imperial court banned alcohol, but now that the ban has been lifted, it has been classified as an official business. It is difficult to make a living without any connections!" He Fuyin also sighed.
Previously, the imperial court banned alcohol. Although there was suppression, the ban continued repeatedly. Finally, when the food shortage eased, Liu Chengyou issued an edict to lift the ban. However, Wang Zhang soon introduced a policy that he had been preparing for a long time, Jiuqu Official Camp. It has not been implemented for long, but it has already contributed a lot of income to the imperial court in just one city, Kaifeng.
Seeing this, Li Jin moved closer to He Fuyin with a drunken look on his face, and asked curiously: "Isn't it possible even with Brother He's relationship?"
He Fuyin shook his head, glanced at Li Jin, and said calmly: "If the price to pay is too high, why bother. How much money can you make in this tavern? It's a pity that King Yan is not in Tokyo."
As the conversation got more exciting, Li Jin couldn't help but ask: "Brother He, I have never wanted to go to Youzhou. With the relationship between the He family and the Yan Palace, what kind of business can't be done?"
Mentioning this, a strange light flashed in He Fuyin's eyes, and then disappeared. He toasted Li Jin with a glass of wine and said, "Brother, let me tell you the truth. You don't know when it will be lost in Youzhou. How can it be in the Central Plains?" I need to be safe. Besides, I’m in Tokyo——"
At this point, it stopped abruptly. He Fuyin laughed and changed the subject: "Today in Tokyo, there are many opportunities to make profits, including silk, porcelain, parallel imports, fruits, grains..."
Speaking of food, He Fuyin couldn't help but show anger: "The Lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty really cut off a huge way for us and others to make money!"
