"That's right, but it's my fault!" Zhuge Wen said with a smile: "To be honest with Mr. Cai, it was a good thing you didn't mention it just now, but now that I hear what you say, I feel sleepy and ready to die, so I'll just follow what you said. , you and I both go back and have a good sleep, and we’ll talk about anything at your tea table tomorrow morning!”
The next day, Shan Yao lived.
The atmosphere at Shanyaoju located in Qingyangsi was a bit unusual today. Most of the normally open doors were closed, leaving only a side door on the right. Several clever shop assistants stood at the door. When they met a familiar customer, they stepped forward to greet them. They pointed to the sticker on the notice board and said, "Please forgive me. The shop owner has important matters to discuss today." , whoever gets the medicine, please go to the side room!"
Someone with a bad temper asked, "Mr. Cai no longer does business, and he actually drives away the customers who want medicine?"
"There is really something important today. Please take a look -" the waiter said with a smile, pointing to the open space where the carriages and horses were parked. It was already full. I am afraid there are not more than a dozen ornately decorated carriages and horses: "My boss also said I know that this is a bit excessive, so I have already told all the customers who just took medicine today to get a 30% discount. I just don’t mean it, so please forgive me!”
Hearing that the drug store was offering a 30% discount, the original complaints of the customers gradually subsided and were replaced by curiosity. Someone joked: "Shan Yao Ju is so grand, but are you going to switch to other businesses?"
"Yes, look at the carriage and horse decorations, but there are many noble people coming!"
"Yes, although the pharmacy business is good, the income is limited after all!"
The chatter and laughter outside crossed the wall and fell into the inner room in the side courtyard behind the wall. Yu Na sat at the tea table and listened to the laughter outside: "Mr. Cai, there is a lot of noise outside! Do you want to——"
"Brother Yu, don't worry about those idle people!" Zhuge Wen said with a smile: "Just calm down and enjoy the tea! You can't drink this good tea all the time!" At this point, he winked at Yu Na, laughed.
"Yes, yes!" Yu Na picked up the tea cup and took a sip. To be honest, he couldn't tell whether the tea was good or bad, but the people at the tea table either lowered their heads to drink tea or whispered, as if they had some secrets. Everyone knows, except himself. He wanted to ask, but he didn't know who to ask, so in the end he just picked up the tea cup and sipped the tea again.
"Ahem, it's almost time!" Cai Dingshan put down the tea cup in his hand and coughed twice. He stood up and made a group salute to the surrounding people: "Cai invited you all here today for a big event. It cannot be decided by Cai alone, so I invite you all to come and discuss it together!"
The people at the tea table did not speak, but cast expectant glances at Cai Dingshan. Most of them could guess the number. After all, Cai Dingshan had been traveling around in the past few months and was rarely in Chengdu. Without this central figure, the tea table gathering at Shanyaoju became much less attractive, and fewer of them came. Suddenly yesterday I received an invitation from a servant of the Cai family. Obviously this tea party has special significance.
Seeing that no one was speaking at the table, Cai Dingshan nodded with satisfaction and cleared his throat: "Everyone should also know that the Governor of Songzhou Governor's Palace defeated the Tubo people a few days ago. There was news in Songzhou a few days ago. It has been reported that the Tubo people have sent an envoy to temporarily cease the war and allow trade, and the location is Songzhou!"
"Seriously?" A man in green raised his head, his face full of joy: "This is a great thing!"
"Yes, as long as there is no war, it will be a good thing after all!" Another doughy man said with a smile: "I just don't know if we can have a chance to get a share of the pie!"
"Yes! Although Tubo is a bitter and cold place, it also has many specialties that are not found in other places. If we can trade with it and exchange what we have, that would be a great deal!"
"Yes, it's a benefit just to have him and me. I heard that the medicinal properties of the medicinal materials produced in Tubo are much stronger than those from the Central Plains!"
"Well, it should be due to the water, soil and climate. The climate there is extremely cold. Medicinal herbs of average size take five years to grow in the Central Plains and ten years in Tubo. The medicinal properties are naturally much stronger!"
"Not only the herbs, but also others, such as spices and cinnabar are also top-grade!"
Compared to others, Yu Na thought more. He secretly wondered whether Cai Dingshan had already taken over the trade matter, so he summoned us to discuss it? But I felt that the matter was not that simple. Although everyone had raised 20,000 guan and sent it to Governor Wang, the trade with Tibet was such a big deal, how could a mere 20,000 guan be spent? Could it be that the Governor Wang gave them an entry level for the sake of the 20,000 yuan? This was almost enough. Thinking of this, his mind became warm.
"Everyone!" Cai Dingshan said with a smile: "The relationship between Tubo and the Tang Dynasty is quite subtle. In name, they are still uncles and nephews. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are enemies. Therefore, this trade matter is extremely unusual. If one person is not good enough, not only the business will not be done, but also the personal fortune and life may be involved. Therefore, after the royal governor discussed with the Tubo envoys, they agreed that the two parties would conduct business in one place twice a month. Only those who have received the edict can participate. Otherwise, everything will be done. Prohibited disposal!”
After listening to Cai Dingshan's words, there was no excitement around the tea table. International trade in the Tang Dynasty was originally very government-run, and a system like this that required an official charter before joining seemed to them to be the right thing to do, and it was smart. The pointer has already guessed that Cai Dingshan has probably obtained the imperial edict, otherwise he wouldn't have called everyone here. It's just a matter of price.
"May I ask, how much does this edict cost?" someone at the table asked.
"Do you still remember the 20,000 yuan?" Cai Dingshan smiled: "The Governor Wang has already said in the letter that the person who paid the original money will have a copy of the imperial edict, and there is no need to pay additional money!"
The tea table suddenly became lively. The people who had paid the money at the beginning were all smiling, and they subconsciously puffed up their chests, suddenly becoming half taller than the others. Those who had not paid the money were scratching their heads, anxious, and asking questions one after another.
"Mr. Cai, it's not that I don't want to pay. It's just that I didn't come that day. Otherwise, how could I be missing out on my share? This edict must not be missing out on me!"
"Yes, yes, we will make up for it as much as it takes. The edict must not be missing from me!"
"Mr. Cai, you can just ask, but I won't say anything to you!"
"Yes, Brother Cai, you and I have been friends for generations. We must help our brothers in this matter!"
The pleas around the tea table became louder and louder. Yu Na let out a sigh of relief and watched the ugly behavior of everyone with ease, just like a person standing on the shore looking at his companions struggling in the water. This kind of opportunity is rare. At this time, someone next to him grabbed his arm and begged: "Brother Yu, were you also involved in this matter?"
"Yes, my brother happened to be there that day!"
"Then if Mr. Cai can't ask for it, can you give half of it to me? How much money do you need? Please just ask me. I will never bargain!"
"This, how is this possible!" Yu Na was stuttered by the sudden plea. He stood up and tried his best to shake off the other party's arm: "I'm not trying to shirk the blame, but if I agree, I won't even be able to enter the house tonight. !”
"Everyone, everyone, be quiet and listen to what I have to say!" Cai Dingshan said: "There are fifty copies of this edict in total. Excluding the ones that have been divided, there are still forty copies, so you can rest assured!"
When they heard Cai Dingshan say that there were still forty copies of the imperial edict, everyone around the tea table breathed a sigh of relief and stared at Cai Dingshan with sharp eyes, fearing that they had missed a word.
"According to the requirements of the Tubo people, one imperial edict can carry the cargo of twenty pack horses. I plan to take out ten more. According to rough calculation, each of you can get half of the edict. Of course, this edict is not in vain. What do you think of it? It costs two thousand guan to exchange for an imperial edict?"
"Why don't you bring twenty copies of the imperial decree!" A man in gray clothes stood up: "I'm willing to pay two thousand guan, just give me one imperial decree!"
"Yes, I'm willing to do it too!"
"Yes, Mr. Cai, there are obviously so many imperial books, why don't you get a few more copies to share? If you keep so many, who can you give them to?"
As the saying goes, businessmen attach great importance to profits. Everyone around the tea table is a businessman who wants to reduce costs and seek profits. Although he has friendship with Cai Dingshan, with such heavy profits in front of him, he can't care about the friendship. It is clear from his words that he doubts that he will have three remaining people. It was too greedy to squander all the ten imperial edicts.
Seeing that there were more and more people talking around the tea table, Yu Na wanted to get up and say a few nice words for Cai Dingshan, but he didn't dare. While hesitating, he heard Zhuge Wen loudly say: "You don't know what's going on, so don't talk nonsense." You are making your home look ugly!"
"Zhuge Wen, you have also benefited from it, so naturally you speak for Old Man Cai!"
"That's right, you all get one share, why can we only get half of it? We need to talk to the Governor King to reason!"
"Yes, everyone should go and reason with the officials. I am not convinced just by their words!"
"Shut up!" Cai Dingshan shouted, his face ashen. He took out two pieces of paper from his sleeves and shook his hand: "Don't you want to reason? Okay, open your eyes and take a good look. Once you see clearly, you can reason!"
"What, what is this?" the leading man in gray asked.
"One is an autographed letter from Governor Wang. It talks about the matter of the imperial edict and is to be distributed by Mr. Cai!" Zhuge Wen took the two pieces of paper and said loudly: "The other is the regulations for the distribution of the edict from Mr. Cai. Ten copies of the imperial edict will be given to the person who raised the money in the first place, another ten copies will be given to the people at this tea table, and the remaining thirty copies will be given to other merchants in Chengdu!"
"Why, why!" The man in gray clothes saw the two pieces of paper, and his momentum was weakened. He just insisted and refused to bow his head: "The allocation given to Mr. Cai by Governor Wang was true, but he didn't expect that you were unfair. If you keep a copy of the imperial edict in your hand and don’t take it out, we will naturally find someone to reason with you!”
"Hahahaha!" Zhuge Wen listened to the strong argument of the man in gray and laughed instead of getting angry: "You are such a strong argumenter. Fortunately, Mr. Cai and I were prepared. Come on, open your eyes and see clearly what this is. ?" He put the end of the next piece of paper in front of the man in gray. The man in gray looked at it carefully: "Wang Ence? Who is this?"
"I'm going to teach you today. The person who signed the painting is the biological brother of Governor Wang. After Mr. Cai made the rules, he didn't dare to implement them, so he sent them to Xiao Langjun overnight and asked him to read them before he dared to implement them. You just said that the regulations are unfair, is it true that the young man is also unfair?"
Zhuge Wen's words seemed to hit the snake seven inches, and the man in gray clothes was speechless and speechless. At a time when aristocratic politics and clan politics were prevalent, the "brotherly relationship" between Wang Wenzuo and Wang Ence was the ironclad proof that it was better than anything else. To dare to question Wang Ence meant to question Wang Wenzuo, which was extremely rude.
"Everyone has seen it clearly!" Zhuge Wen raised the document and circled it in front of everyone: "This is Wang Ence's handwriting of the Young Master. If you have any questions, you can go directly to the Young Master to talk! "
There was a dead silence around the tea table. Whether they were filled with ecstasy or fear, everyone lowered their heads in awe to show respect for the person who made the sign. A few minutes later, Cai Dingshan coughed twice: "You are all old acquaintances of Cai. If you follow Cai's original intention, you can simply divide the fifty copies of the imperial edict at the tea table, so that I can get more. How many copies are there? But have you ever thought about the consequences of doing this? How many people in Chengdu City, and even in the entire Jiannan Road, are jealous of the Tibetan trade? If we wrap up all fifty copies of the imperial edict, do you think it will cause trouble? How many people are jealous, and how can we continue to do business safely at that time? We all seek wealth in business, not anger. With our weight, to be honest, it is a bit reluctant to eat twenty portions!"
The people around the tea table exchanged glances. After the initial greed passed, they gradually regained their senses. Cai Dingshan's words touched everyone's heart. Indeed, in the final analysis, they can only be regarded as second-rate businessmen. Compared with the top businessmen, there is still a certain distance between them in terms of financial resources and the connections behind them. If they are too greedy, they will most likely be You will suffer a big loss.
"Hey, Mr. Cai is right. It's true that we can only eat so much, but I think it's a pity!"
"Yes, if we can eat these fifty copies of the imperial edict, we will be the ones on Songmao Road in less than ten years!"
"Yes, this kind of business is getting bigger and bigger. Tubo is a big country no matter how you say it. Every year, there is enough tea, medicine, silk and various utensils for us to eat!"
Hearing the sighs at the tea table, Zhuge Wen smiled slightly. He was much younger than Cai Dingshan, and he was engaged in the tea and horse business. His knowledge was much broader, and his ambitions were much greater: "Everyone, Mr. Cai just now Saying that we can only eat twenty portions of the imperial edict now does not mean that we can only eat so much forever, it all depends on people!"
"What does Brother Zhuge mean?"
"It's very simple. When we are divided, we are weak, and when we are strong, we are united. Those thirty imperial edicts will definitely not belong to one family, but at least twenty or thirty families. If we can unite, the matter of Tibetan trade will naturally be ours. He can make the decision. What kind of person is the Governor Wang? He can’t possibly spend his time on such trivial matters, instead of just using whatever works best for him?”
(End of chapter)
