While we were busy outside the city, a room in a deep courtyard inside the city was also filled with more than a dozen people.
On the table were delicacies from the mountains and seas, as well as the Qinyang way of eating that Xu Youzhen had seen before, the big carp from the Yellow River.
"Why hasn't Lord Tongxuan come yet?"
"He has been busy these past two days, but he has promised and will definitely come."
"Hey, if this continues, I will really lose everything."
"I don't know what the court thinks. The victims are the people of the Ming Dynasty. Are we not the people of the Ming Dynasty?"
"That's right, that's right."
"I have also worked hard for decades, and finally managed to save my family fortune today. I thought that this disaster would allow us to make another big fortune, but the imperial court actually ruined our jobs. This year I am in The grain shipped from Shanxi is 20% higher than the current selling price. If I sell a bucket of grain, I have to pay forty copper coins. If it closes down, how will we deal with so much grain?"
These are all prominent grain merchants in Qinyang Prefecture.
Although when Emperor Taizu founded the country, the grades of scholars, farmers, industry and merchants were clearly divided. Merchants had the lowest social status, but they controlled huge amounts of wealth. Although their status was low, their enjoyment of life was higher than that of officials, common people, and craftsmen. Many people say that merchants were not allowed to wear silk or ride in carriages, but that was during the Hongwu Dynasty, and the restrictions on them became smaller the further back they went.
Those squire and landowners all rely on land, and their lives are not easy when times are bad, but businessmen can create wealth by buying at low prices and selling at high prices. Even bad times are opportunities for them.
While the merchants were complaining, Lord Tongpan of Qinyang Mansion arrived.
The official name of Qinyang Prefecture was Xu Wenshu.
"Lord Tongpan, Lord Tongpan." All the businessmen stood up.
Xu Wenshu sat on the main seat. Like the magistrate and others, he also had a tired face. He was invited here to stabilize these guys.
Because I have a good relationship with these businessmen, and they all got the information from their own path. If they make any trouble, I will also make trouble.
As soon as Xu Wenshu sat down, the businessmen began to vomit their bitterness.
Xu Wenwen listened while pouring wine and eating vegetables. During this time, his taste was light and he missed these delicacies very much.
When he was full, he put down his chopsticks and said: "I know what everyone thinks, but now it is the imperial government's policy, and I have no ability to change it. Now that the food price has returned to the normal price, you can Earn less.”
"Sir, what you said is wrong. I don't want to earn less, I have to pay for it."
Xu Wenshu glanced at the speaker and chuckled: "Some time ago, I made more, and now I have lost a little. Isn't that just making less money? Shopkeeper Niu, don't cry about poverty here."
"Sir, please see if the price can be raised a little higher."
Xu Wenshu glanced at the businessman who was speaking, and sneered: "Increase the price, Shopkeeper Wang. To say it is small, this price is set by the Governor's Yamen and the Third Division Yamen. If it is larger, the center of the capital, and even His Majesty may know it. Who dares to mess with it?" move."
After hearing this, Shopkeeper Wang's face turned extremely ugly: "Then what should we do? Lord Tongpan, please give us an idea. We will never treat you badly."
After hearing this, Xu Wenshu patted the table and said angrily: "Isn't it wrong to be treated badly? Shopkeeper Wang, don't talk nonsense."
"Yes, yes, I said something wrong. Don't be angry, sir. But sir, we are also the people of the Ming Dynasty. You have to find a way for us to get through this difficulty."
Xu Wenwen's face looked slightly better.
"The price of grain is gradually stabilizing. This is the general trend and no one can change it. You have two ways now. Transport the grain out and sell it to shops in other places. This way you can save some capital. Second, you just look forward to a good business next year. Some, so that the official warehouse can be replenished, so there is no need to adjust grain from other places, and I can buy it from you. Although I won’t make much money, you will definitely not be able to compensate.”
The ideas Xu Wenshu gave them were all about capital preservation. After hearing this, they were not in high spirits. Businessmen want to make money, not capital preservation.
"Sir, can we start with the official grain?" the cattle shopkeeper said in a low voice.
Xu Wenwen chuckled upon hearing this.
"How to start?"
"We have bought all the official grain. When the time comes, the official warehouse needs to be mobilized. We have stopped intervening in grain prices, and our prices will naturally rise."
After Xu Wenwen listened to the words of the cattle shopkeeper, he laughed out loud: "Do you know how big the official warehouse is? Even if the government does not ask about household registration and does not determine the share, according to the current food price, let you buy it, how much can you buy? , can you eat it?"
"Is there no other way?"
"Yes, do as I say. Don't think about making a fortune. It will be good if you can keep your shop alive."
"Qinyang Mansion is now the top priority of the Third Division Governor's Office. As soon as there is any trouble, the Chief Envoy will immediately notice it. By then, even if your hands and feet are in the sky, you will end up with your family ruined. Be content with your content. Those who are content will always be happy. That’s it.” Xu Wenwen sighed.
He also needs to be more restrained.
"But sir, is the imperial court so rich? My fellow countryman is an official in Beijing. Although he does not often attend court meetings, he told me that the officials in the Ministry of Revenue often cry about poverty. How can they get meat and grain now?"
Xu Wenwen smiled, picked up the wine glass, and took a sip.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You only know one thing, but you don't know the other. Now it's all saved by His Majesty in the palace. The palace has stopped purchasing for nearly four months. Even if there is an additional increase, the officials of the Ministry of Revenue will also increase it. Not much."
"That's not right. I heard that the surrounding prefectures are counting the names of the elderly. Although the things they give are relatively small, they are what the entire Ming Dynasty has to give. This is not worth two or three hundred thousand taels. Money? Your Majesty can save so much money in one year. Moreover, once you get started, you won't be able to hold back 200,000 yuan in the next year. Is it possible that the emperor is hungry every day?" Shopkeeper Niu said hurriedly.
"This is benevolent policy and should not be talked about lightly."
"Lord Tongpan, if I remember correctly, the Supreme Emperor abdicated in the 14th year of Zhenghua. His Majesty ascended the throne when he was a little over two years old. Now it is the seventh year of Chenghua, but Your Majesty is only ten years old. How could it be like this? So many ideas.”
"Your Majesty is a benevolent king. Although he is young, he is open-minded and able to listen to the opinions of important ministers. He trusts Taibao, Li Fuchen and other central ministers. Now these things must have been taught by Taibao. However, these words are in this room After you have finished speaking, please do not talk about it any more. If someone else hears your criticism of His Majesty, it will be a crime of beheading."
"Yes Yes……"
Xu Wenwen stood up, holding the wine glass.
"Everyone, I put my words here. No matter what you say to your county master, all conspiracies and tricks will not work here. If someone does not follow the right path and hinders the government's disaster relief policy to suppress food prices, I was the first one to take him. This is no joke. This is a matter of wealth and life. I hope you can think more about whether it is worth it and whether you can do it..." After saying this, Xu Wenwen poured the wine glass into his mouth. He finished his drink in one gulp, then picked up the official hat placed on the bar table and walked away.
Listening to Master Tongpan's words, the grain merchants all lowered their heads and sighed, thinking that during the Zhengtong years, they made a lot of money. Why is it so difficult to make some money in the Chenghua year? Why can't they still do it? If so, behead him.
Could it be that the world has changed? Hey, it is better to be the orthodox emperor...
If you read orthodox, think orthodox, in the orthodox year, you will make good money, and all the grain merchants will be rich...
Ever since the little emperor appeared, it has become more difficult every year...
The environment is not as good as before...
Do businessmen dare to be cunning? Yes, they do, but they need an official who can lead them to go astray. Without this official, they would be much less courageous.
In Qinyang Mansion, Xu Tongpan is their backbone.
But when Xu Wenshu looked at this formation, he was afraid. If one person did not control it well, it would be a small matter if his official position was not guaranteed, but his wealth and life would be big.
This is why Xu Wenshu came here to meet these grain merchants at this critical moment, just to stabilize them and even threaten them so that they would not dare to act wrongly. As long as they were fine, they would not involve him... …
Biquge
