"I know!"
Guo An chuckled and put the pepper on the table.
"This item is indeed the pepper I am looking for. The Shen family is indeed the largest maritime merchant in the Ming Dynasty."
"Guo Changshi misunderstood. This object was brought back from overseas by my elders, Shen, before His Majesty banned the sea.
The civilians rummaged through several warehouses before finding this object. "
Shen Zhuang explained quickly.
"It doesn't matter. I only want this thing. As for how you got it, I won't ask a single word."
Guo An smiled softly and comforted.
"Thank you Guo Changshi!"
Shen Zhuang's face lit up, and he quickly looked at Guo An expectantly.
"Since this is the chili pepper that Guo Changshi needs, I don't know what Guo Changshi said to the common people before..."
"It counts!"
Guo An looked serious and asked directly: "Tell me, what do you want?"
Shen Zhuang said quickly: "For the record, Guo Changshi, the common people have heard that Prince Yan's Mansion seems to be able to produce sugar as white as snow grains? I wonder if the common people are lucky enough to cooperate with Prince Yan's Mansion?"
Or, like buying the secret recipe for clear glass, buy the secret recipe for white sugar? "
“The secret recipe for buying sugar?”
Guo An smiled lightly and looked at Shen Zhuang with a strange expression: "Shen Zhuang, how much do you think the secret sugar recipe is worth?"
"this……"
Shen Zhuang smiled and said, "My Shen family is willing to pay three hundred thousand taels of silver to buy the secret recipe for sugar."
"Oh? Is the Shen family so generous?"
Guo An looked teasing.
Shen Zhuang's face was even more embarrassed, "If Guo Changshi feels that it is a little short, my Shen family is willing to add more money."
Guo An asked, "How much more?"
Shen Zhuang was confused by Guo An. He did not expect that Guo Changshi would be so straightforward when talking about money and things. He was not as reserved as other officials.
After a long while, he slowly said: "Guo Changshi, can you do 500,000?"
"Five hundred thousand taels of silver?"
Guo An was surprised for a while, the price was actually a good price.
"It's just that Shopkeeper Shen isn't worried. What if there are other wealthy businessmen who also offer 500,000 taels of silver to buy the sugar secret recipe?"
Shen Zhuang's eyes widened and he said with a smile: "The common people believe in Guo Changshi."
Guo An smiled slowly. He believed in himself, but he just couldn't believe Zhu Laosi. "We need to ask His Highness to make a decision on this matter."
"It couldn't be better."
Shen Zhuang said quickly.
Guo An said: "Just wait a moment, let's go find His Highness King Yan!"
After saying that, Guo An stood up and walked out.
Jin Zhong, who had been waiting outside, walked in with a simple and honest face at Guo An's signal.
…
"The Shen family wants to use five hundred thousand taels of silver to buy the secret recipe for sugar?"
After listening to Guo An's words, Zhu Di's eyes sparkled with gold.
Guo An said: "Your Highness, the Shen family found a good price for Wei Chen, and Wei Chen promised them that he could help them once.
However, the secret recipe for sugar is of great importance, and Wei Chen does not dare to make the decision without authorization. "
"Um."
Zhu Di did not ask what the object was, but said directly: "Guo Qing, do you think it can be sold to the Shen family?"
Guo An thought for a while and then said: "Your Highness, there are a lot of sugar cane grown in Fujian, Guangdong and other places, and these sugar canes can be made into white sugar.
With the secret recipe for white sugar, the Shen family can become the largest sugar merchant in the Ming Dynasty.
Wei Chen guessed that as long as they got the sugar, they would be able to earn back half a million taels of silver within two years.
Even earning five hundred thousand taels of silver a year is not impossible. "
"In addition, since our Prince Yan's Mansion sold the secret recipe to the Shen family at a high price of five hundred thousand taels of silver, it can no longer be sold to multiple families like transparent glass..."
Zhu Di said thoughtfully: "So, Guo Qing does not want to sell the secret recipe."
"Your Highness is wise!"
Guo Andao: "If our Prince Yan Mansion wants to make grenades, landmines and other bombs, we need a lot of sugar.
Moreover, Wei Chen felt that after selling five hundred thousand taels, he still made a bit of a loss!
If Prince Yan's Mansion cooperates with the Shen family, it will only take three years at most to earn back half a million taels of silver, or even more..."
Zhu Di said directly: "Then we will cooperate with the Shen family."
"Wei Chen obeys the order."
After Guo An resigned from Zhu Di, he returned to the public house.
In the public room, Shen Zhuang and Jin Zhong seemed to be chatting happily.
Seeing Guo An come in, Shen Zhuang stood up quickly and looked at Guo An expectantly.
"I dare to ask Guo Changshi, what is the opinion of His Highness King Yan?"
Guo An sat down, took a sip of tea slowly, and said, "Of course you can't use five hundred thousand taels of silver to sell the secret recipe for sugar."
Shen Zhuang looked anxious and said quickly: "Guo Changshi, my Shen family can add more money."
"How much more?"
Guo An asked again.
Shen Zhuang froze on the spot. He was just an ordinary concubine of the Shen family, and his maximum authority was only five hundred thousand taels of silver.
Jin Zhong on the side also looked at Guo An and then at Shen Zhuang in stunned silence.
He finally saw the money-making ability of his Guo Changshi. A small secret recipe for sugar could actually be sold for five hundred thousand taels of silver?
Moreover, judging from the wishes of the bastard of the Shen family, it seems that they can add more money?
Guo An smiled softly and said, "Okay, you don't have to do this."
Shen Zhuang was anxious, "Guo Changshi..."
Guo Andao: "Your Highness will not sell the secret recipe, but Prince Yan's Mansion can cooperate with the Shen family to make sugar."
"Cooperative sugar production?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhuang was overjoyed.
As a member of the Shen family, he was very familiar with this model, and he quickly asked: "May I ask Guo Changshi, how does your highness plan to cooperate with the Shen family?"
Guo An sneered, "You are overthinking it. How can His Highness, King Yan, worry about such a trivial matter?"
Shen Zhuang apologized quickly, "It's just a wishful thinking. I dare to ask Guo Changshi, how can our Shen family cooperate with Prince Yan's Mansion to make sugar?"
Guo An thought for a moment, then raised his head and said, "My Prince Yan's Mansion has the secret recipe for sugar, and your Shen family has the workshops and money to build sugar workshops in Fujian, Guangdong and other places.
Prince Yan's Mansion will account for 70% of the profits. "
"Seventy percent?"
Hearing this, Shen Zhuang's face changed greatly and he smiled bitterly and said: "Guo Changshi, Prince Yan's Mansion just came out with the secret recipe, and the rest was all produced by my Shen family. In this way, Prince Yan's Mansion occupies 70%, and I, the Shen family, are all involved in this matter." The elders will never accept it."
"Why not accept it?"
Guo An smiled softly, "Even if we build a sugar workshop in Fujian and Guangdong, how much money will it cost?"
Shen Zhuang said: "Reporting to Guo Changshi, each workshop requires at least ten thousand taels of silver."
"Um!"
Guo An nodded in agreement, "It's only 20,000 taels of silver. What else is there to spend? You can also calculate it for me."
Shen Zhuang said quickly: "Back to Guo Changshi, each workshop requires at least one hundred craftsmen. Each craftsman earns one tael of silver a month, which means he needs 80,000 taels of silver a year.
besides……"
Guo An waved his hand directly, "Shouldn't the cost of craftsmanship be included in the cost? Since your Shen family is responsible, then let your Shen family be responsible."
Shen Zhuang: "..."
Guo An asked: "What's left is the money to buy sugar cane. Then your Shen family will be responsible for it. How much money can you spend to buy sugar cane?...
I know that your Shen family is a large family in the south, with tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land and dozens of sugar cane workshops. As for the sugar cane grown, there must be a lot of it..."
Shen Zhuang said helplessly: "Guo Changshi, can't this matter be settled like this?"
Guo Andao said: "If that's the case, then you can convert everything into silver."
Shen Zhuang frowned and thought for a long time, then said slowly: "Guo Changshi, please estimate that the amount of silver spent on sugar cane in a year is at least 300,000 taels of silver!"
Guo An said: "In this case, the total money contributed by your Shen family is only 400,000 taels of silver.
But, how much is the secret sugar recipe from Prince Yan’s Mansion worth? "
Shen Zhuang said honestly: "Fifty thousand taels..."
"You wanted to add more money just now, so it will be more than 500,000 taels of silver, and the Shen family can only provide 400,000 taels of silver in total."
"Guo Changshi, after all this calculation, Prince Yan's Mansion will not get 70%..."
"Then do you think that the secret recipe for white sugar in Prince Yan's Mansion is really only worth five hundred thousand taels of silver? If I release this news, how many Jiangnan rich people will want to add money to buy this secret recipe?..."
"Shen Zhuang, if you hadn't come here with chili peppers today, I would never have discussed the secret recipe for sugar with you.
In the first half of a month, after the autumn harvest, Prince Yan's Mansion will go directly to Fujian and Guangdong to build sugar workshops. Is it not good for Prince Yan's Mansion to have exclusive access to sugar profits?
Why do we still need to cooperate with your Shen family and let your Shen family have a hand in it? "
Hearing this, Shen Zhuang couldn't help but struggle.
"If you can't make the decision on this matter, then bring it up later. Or, let's remember the pepper matter for now, and then you can come back to me when you fancy other items in Prince Yan's Mansion."
As he said that, Guo An had already picked up the tea cup.
Shen Zhuang's expression changed and he said quickly: "Please don't be anxious, Guo Changshi, the common people can make the decision on this matter.
However, please give Cao Min two months. The matter of cooperation with Prince Yan's Mansion is a major matter for the Shen family. Cao Min needs to go back and ask his family elders to explain clearly and sign a contract. "
Guo An smiled and said with a gentle expression: "In that case, I can just write a contract and you can take it back.
If the head of the Shen family agrees, he can just sign the contract. If he doesn't agree, he can just tear it up. "
Shen Zhuang quickly looked horrified, "Guo Changshi is serious. Our Shen family is just a merchant family. It is a great blessing for our Shen family to cooperate with Prince Yan's Mansion..."
"Okay, okay."
Guo An waved his hand impatiently, "Jin Zhong, write two contracts and show them to Shen Zhuang. If there are no objections, the matter will be settled."
"Yes, Guo Changshi!"
Jin Zhong responded, then hurriedly walked to the desk on one side and started writing.
Guo An sat aside with peace of mind and waited quietly.
After more than a year of training, Jin Zhong had written countless business contracts, and Guo An was confident that Jin Zhong could understand his intentions.
Sure enough, after reading the business contract, Shen Zhuang's expression changed again and he hurriedly looked at Guo An.
"Guo Changshi, why does it say in this business contract that the Yan Palace and my Shen family should divide the money from the sugar sales?"
Guo An asked: "What's wrong?"
Shen Zhuang said quickly: "Guo Changshi, shouldn't it be a share of the profits from selling sugar?"
Guo An sneered, "Shen Zhuang, I originally wanted to share the profits from selling sugar with your Shen family, but you insist on counting the money spent on building the workshop, the wages of the craftsmen, and the money spent on buying cane sugar...
So, you have already included those costs into the Shen family's costs. Why do we, the Yan Palace, still have to bear this money? "
Shen Zhuang couldn't help but feel regretful.
Guo Ancai didn't give Shen Zhuang a chance to react and said directly: "Okay, the business agreement has been finalized. Just take it back and ask the elders of the Shen family to take a look. Whether it succeeds or not, that's it..."
Shen Zhuang stood up helplessly and thanked him, "Thank you, ordinary people, Guo Changshi!"
…
(End of chapter)
