Prince Su Shu communicated well with maritime merchant representatives.
He was ready to do something big and let the world see his talent in business.
Prince Su Shu does not need to know a lot of everything, but he must know everything comprehensively.
Only when he shows his knowledge to the outside world will his subordinate officials not treat him as a fool and work seriously under him.
Prince Su Shu likes to read history books. He has seen that too many famous people in history can only be fooled by their subordinates in fields they are not familiar with.
He wanted to prove his erudition to the civil and military officials and his father, so that he could be considered a qualified prince.
As long as he is strong enough, he doesn't have to worry about his younger brother posing a threat to him.
Prince Su Shu began to promote navigation insurance and weather forecasting, the benefits that these two businesses brought to maritime merchants.
He met Yao Defa, the treasurer of the insurance company, and Ma Yunxiao, the treasurer of the weather service company, at his residence.
These two shopkeepers were all talented people selected by his wife Li Xiyue. They had come to Tianjin years ago to prepare in advance for the opening of the company.
"Two shopkeepers, how are you preparing? We will open tomorrow.
I know time is urgent, but these maritime merchants will go to sea after the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
Time is inherently tight and there is no room for delay. "
Yao Defa and Ma Yunxiao are both around forty years old and have been in the business world for many years.
They are now working with the Crown Prince Su Shu, or to be more precise, they are the Crown Princess Li Xiyue's people.
There is only one future queen, Crown Prince Su Shu, and the three current princesses. They are all using their own methods to increase their bargaining chips.
What Crown Princess Li Xiyue told me was really difficult to handle.
Even if the uncle of the prince spares the two of them, they will definitely not get any good results.
The two looked at each other. The business of the insurance company managed by Yao Defa was more urgent, so he immediately stood up to introduce the situation.
"Your Highness, I have arrived in Tianjin years ago and have been responsible for preparing insurance companies and training salesmen and actuaries.
The company is now ready to open at any time.
The company provides standard contracts, leaving maritime merchants little choice.
The salesmen we trained are fully capable of handling this kind of work. "
When Ma Yunxiao saw Yao Defa retreating, he immediately said: "Your Highness, we are making preparations for the weather forecast service and have been able to initially complete the weather forecast work.
If it rains somewhere in the empire, we will know about the rain within ten minutes.
The most important thing about weather forecast is not that it has already rained, we only know that it is raining locally.
Except for natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis, it is already raining in the forecast, which is of little use.
The Imperial Navy has a dedicated navigation staff responsible for checking hydrological and meteorological information, and based on the known information, predicting whether the fleet will encounter a storm.
We specially employ many retired navigation staff who can infer whether there is a possibility of rain through changes in the environment such as temperature and humidity.
In order to ensure the accuracy of weather forecasts, we cooperate with various fleets of the Navy by donating wireless telegraph machines.
We can clearly understand the conditions of most waterways.
We also dispatch four information-gathering ships to collect information on busy waterways to make weather forecasts more accurate. "
After Prince Su Shu heard this, he slammed the table excitedly and praised: "Old Ma, you did a great job on this matter.
How accurate is the weather forecast now? "
Ma Yunxiao said modestly: "Your Highness, the more data and the longer the recording time, the more accurate the weather forecast will be.
For regular weather, we now have more than 50% probability of predicting weather conditions.
However, extreme weather such as typhoons is still unpredictable.
We can only observe the direction of the typhoon after it forms. "
Prince Su Shu praised: "You have prepared very well. We will officially open tomorrow. We must make a name for ourselves."
He then looked at Ma Yunxiao and solemnly explained: "Lao Ma's company also has an important business, which is to sell wireless telegraph machines.
This matter must be done carefully. "
Ma Yunxiao asked with some concern: "Your Highness, will opening wireless telegraph machines to maritime merchants cause great risks?"
Cable telegraph machines all belong to the telegraph office and the military. People with crooked minds can't get them even though they try their best.
If wireless telegraph machines are sold directly, there will inevitably be a lot of people who forget their roots and sell wireless telegraph machines to people in Europe at high prices.
Some businessmen have a very low bottom line, hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, and they may stick to the bottom line.
When they encounter hundreds of thousands of taels of gold, few will stick to the bottom line.
Prince Su Shu certainly understood Ma Yunxiao's underlying meaning.
He said helplessly: "The wired telegraph machine is really technically difficult. If foreign countries want to imitate it, they must understand the electromagnetism that has just emerged.
But today is different from the past. Electromagnetism has been popularized in universities in the empire, and even primary schools also conduct certain popular science on electromagnetism.
The electronic components in wired telegraph machines were very ordinary.
Anyone could build a working wireless telegraph by hiring just any college student. "
Prince Su Shu had previously asked Mei Hongyun about the difficulty of manufacturing wireless telegraph machines.
Mei Hongyun said in a relaxed tone: "Given a few copper wires and iron sheets, his students can knock out a wireless telegraph machine with their bare hands without using too complicated tools."
Prince Su Shu later learned that the electromagnetic field was very profound and worthy of careful exploration for generations.
But the wireless telegraph machine is just a very simple application of electromagnetic technology. A smart person can learn to make it at a glance.
Yao Defa said angrily: "Your Highness, according to what you said, the leakage of the wireless telegraph machine is inevitable.
This is such a shame. "
Prince Su Shu said very confidently: "Simple technology does not mean that the product is easy to imitate. Even if a foreigner imitates a wireless telegraph machine, it will only become a toy for the nobles in a short time.
Not to mention the difficulty of producing wireless telegraph machines, foreign countries cannot supply large quantities of literate telegraph operators.
As long as you have attended elementary school, have flexible ears, and coordinate your hands and feet, you can become a telegraph operator.
But this condition, except in the empire, is extremely harsh.
Wait until other countries develop proficiency in the use of wireless telegraph machines.
The development of the empire will not stop. We will have better technology and continue to lead the development of the world. "
The two shopkeepers, Ma Yunxiao and Yao Defa, were infected by Prince Su Shu's confidence and immediately agreed and said: "Your Highness is right, we don't need to belittle ourselves."
After they reported their work, they gathered the company's people and began to prepare intensively for the company's opening.
…………………………
Xu Changlin is a small maritime businessman who specializes in traveling to France.
French aristocrats liked the empire's perfumes, aluminum utensils, and medicines.
Perfume competition is fierce, especially among those groups of scholars who synthesize artificial flavors through chemical methods.
There is no need to extract flower petals to make perfumed vegetables, and the cost is drastically reduced.
The price of perfume has dropped to the point where French citizens can afford it.
Aluminum wares In the empire, because of the electrolytic aluminum technology, aluminum is much more expensive than copper and iron, but not as expensive as gold and silver.
The situation in France is completely different. The price of aluminum exceeds that of silver and is almost the same as gold.
The most expensive goods in Europe are undoubtedly medicines.
The same weight of penicillin can be exchanged for almost the same weight of gold.
Xu Changlin didn't know how those scholars did it, but from his experience, the empire's penicillin production increased year after year.
Previously, penicillin, a miracle drug, could only be sold by the empire's official caravans.
Now that penicillin is no longer controlled, even small businessmen like him can buy it.
Xu Changlin saw his friend Niu Yousen holding a few pieces of paper in his hand and smiling happily.
He immediately stepped forward to say hello: "Old Niu, what happy event has happened to you? Did your son pass the imperial examination?"
"Old Xu, don't open any pot and lift it.
Even though my son has taken the imperial examination three times, he has never passed the examination.
But I believe that one day, he will be successful.
I have worked so hard to earn so much money just to give my sons a stable life. "
Niu Yousen didn't say any more. He showed the insurance deed in his hand.
Xu Changlin asked curiously: "What is this? It deserves you to be so excited and show off to me."
“I saw that you just went back to your hometown for the holidays and didn’t pay attention to the hottest news recently.
This is a business launched by Prince Edward.
As long as the total value of the team does not exceed one hundred thousand taels of silver coins, spend one thousand silver coins to purchase insurance.
No matter what problem occurs and causes loss to the fleet, the insurance will pay the full amount. "
When Xu Changlin heard the news, his eyes widened and he couldn't believe it.
“Is it really true that full compensation will be paid for fleet losses caused by ship sinking, pirate robbery, etc.?”
Niu Yousen nodded and pointed to the deed in his hand.
“It is clearly written in black and white, and His Highness the Crown Prince’s credibility is also guaranteed.
One thing I want to make clear is that for a safe return trip, the insurance premium will not be refunded at all. "
Xu Changlin smiled happily and said: "This is no problem at all. If we don't earn tens of thousands of taels of silver coins for this trip, who would work hard to travel around the world by boat?
This is completely a virtuous policy, and it is a benefit given by His Royal Highness to maritime merchants like us.
If Lao Wang can catch up with this good time, he will not go bankrupt because his goods are robbed by pirates. "
Xu Changlin asked a friend where he could buy insurance, and he immediately ran out of money to buy it.
This insurance must be purchased before traveling.
Without this insurance, if something goes wrong with the fleet, his life would be over.
Xu Changlin couldn't waste time. Several of their small caravans collided with one large caravan. It would be safer to operate together.
Their cargo ships are only equipped with a dozen obsolete artillery pieces.
The armed merchant ships of the large caravan were purely decommissioned warships that did not carry any cargo.
Although these are old sailing ships, they have extremely powerful firepower and have no problem dealing with ordinary pirates.
Xu Changlin couldn't help but sigh when he thought of pirates.
The pirates on the route have learned wisely. Most pirates only plunder the cargo and no longer kill the sailors on the ship.
Many of their merchants initially thought that these pirates knew better than to fish in the marsh.
Xu Changlin was almost robbed by pirates. Only when he met the patrolling Imperial Navy did he know the specific reason.
The prosperity of commerce led to a large number of pirates on the route, and the Imperial Navy did not have enough troops to maintain the security of all parts of the route.
They can only focus on combating the most vicious pirates.
Once a pirate starts killing people, even if they chase them to the ends of the earth, the Royal Navy will bring the pirate to justice.
It is precisely because of the strong deterrent power of the Royal Navy that most pirates choose to only rob goods and not harm anyone.
Only after Xu Changlin formally witnessed this situation did he have faith in the prince.
He believed that the insurance created by the prince must be a good policy.
Xu Changlin came to the insurance company and found a long queue outside the insurance company.
He roughly estimated that there were at least 200 people in front of him.
If you want to know the maritime merchants in Tianjin Port, there are only more than 100 people.
Now that there are more than 200 people queuing up, there is only one possibility. It is this insurance business that attracts maritime merchants from other ports.
Xu Changlin immediately lined up. He listened to the two businessmen in front of him communicating in incomprehensible words.
He immediately stepped forward and asked, "Brothers, aren't you from the north?"
The two maritime businessmen nodded and said: "We are both from Wenzhou and learned about the insurance situation a few days ago.
I rushed over from Wenzhou immediately and wanted to apply for an insurance policy.
Who knows which one will come first, tomorrow or the accident? Going out to sea without purchasing insurance is really worrying now.
We really don't pay attention to a mere tens of thousands of taels of silver coins. If goods worth millions of taels of silver coins are lost, the loss will not be too huge for anyone. "
When Xu Changlin heard the two people's answers, he immediately became more humble.
These two are not ordinary people. They have a fleet worth millions of taels of silver coins. They are both famous maritime merchants.
Those who are not in the north and can get detailed information are only these well-informed merchants from the sea.
Nowadays, even big businessmen like this choose to buy insurance, so what reason does he, a small businessman, have not to buy it.
The team moved forward very slowly, but no one made any noise, they just lined up silently.
The sun was almost setting, and Xu Changlin finally walked into the house.
The insurance process was surprisingly smooth.
The insurance company only reviewed the tax receipts from the Imperial Customs and the customs duties paid in advance for this trip to sea.
Insurance companies value the fleet based on taxes, combined with the condition of the merchant ships and crew conditions.
If the fleet is less than 100,000 taels of silver coins, it will be calculated as 100,000 taels of silver coins. If the fleet exceeds 100,000 taels of silver coins, an insurance premium of 1% of the total value will be charged.
Maritime merchants are extremely satisfied with this charging standard.
Xu Changlin saw that the total value of his fleet was a little over 110,000 taels of silver coins, and he was charged according to 110,000 taels of silver coins.
He immediately happily paid the insurance premium, signed the insurance contract, and walked out happily with the contract.
This deed was made in triplicate. He held one copy in his hand, the insurance company kept one copy, and the Hebei governor's Yamen kept one copy.
In this way, even if one deed is lost, the other two can be compared with each other to prove the existence of the deed.
Xu Changlin returned to his fleet and found that all the maritime merchants around him had purchased insurance.
Some of these maritime businessmen are discussing insurance, and many are worried about whether the insurance company will compensate according to the conditions stipulated in the contract if something happens.
There are also some people who are discussing the role of wireless telegraphy in navigation, and say that through wireless telegraphy, they can learn about sea conditions and weather forecasts.
Xu Changlin also envied this function, but the value of his fleet was not as expensive as a wireless telegraph machine, so how could he buy such an expensive thing.
He briefly learned that the merchants who followed him had purchased wireless telegraph machines.
Xu Changlin only hoped to get a wireless telegraph machine so that he could get the same service without spending a penny. (End of chapter)
