Shen Tang selectively ignored the word "smuggling".
After all, it would not be good if news got out that the government was engaging in "smuggling".
No matter how uninhibited and free-spirited she was, she still had to protect her reputation on the surface, so she pretended to cough lightly: "Why, you don't want to?"
She had done a lot of research on the smuggling of cloth, salt and grain. The local tyrants whose houses were confiscated had piles of account books. After looking at them, she realized that this business was originally firmly controlled by them. They paid bribes to the government offices and Yongguguan to establish relations, and then the merchants under their wing were responsible for the smuggling. Merchants from other places who wanted to get a piece of the pie had to pay several times or even dozens of times the amount to pay the local tyrants.
Profits are exploited at every level.
Even so, you can still make a lot of money in one trip.
This shows how huge the profits are.
Now, factory direct sales...
Ugh, that’s the end of the government office.
“No, no, no, no—” The merchant shook his head faster than a rattle, stammering, “I do want to, very much!”
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Do you have any rules?"
Although she chose the other party, the salt merchant's ability did not meet her expectations, and she did not mind changing to a better one.
The merchant in front of him was the salt merchant whom Shen Tang accidentally rescued when he went to Shiwu. He has not returned home yet, purely because his goods were robbed by the refugees from Shiwu during that business trip and he was left penniless. It was thanks to his ancestors that he was able to follow Shen Tang back to the interior.
After returning to the interior, Shen Tang ignored him.
In order to make a living, he had to stay and do odd jobs.
Prepare to save some money before going back.
This blow did not make him completely discouraged in his middle age, because he knew that his family still depended on him. As long as he was alive, relying on the connections and business experience he had accumulated over the years, he might be able to make a comeback if he seized an opportunity!
I endured two or three months with this belief.
but-
He never expected the opportunity to come so soon.
Hearing that the county governor was looking for him, he was frightened and recalled tremblingly whether he had offended the governor in the past. It was not until he saw the familiar face again and heard the governor ask him if he was interested in going to Shiwu to do business again that he was stunned.
Although he is confused, he is not stupid.
An idea came to me in a flash.
He had been smuggling in Shiwu for many years, and he often went to the most dangerous western border. He could not say that he knew this business very well, but he was definitely an old horse who knew the way. Listening to the salt dealer talking, he became more and more confident, and his eyebrows gradually danced. Shen Tang raised his hand.
“Just asking how much profit you made?”
The salt merchant looked embarrassed: "It's hard to say."
Shen Tang asked in confusion: "Why is it hard to say?"
The salt merchant had no choice but to explain in detail.
Everyone knows that salt is as valuable as gold.
Salt, like iron, was a business exclusively owned by the royal court.
According to the law, if a person privately produces a pound of salt, his toes will be cut off, and if the amount is too large, his property will be confiscated. However, the Geng Kingdom was in chaos, and the royal court's control made it impossible for them to really hold the salt in their hands. This led to a flood of private salt markets, with prices varying from high to low.
In the past, salt dealers would buy up low-priced private salt from everywhere in order to maximize their profits. Salt was relatively cheap near the place of production, and by selling it elsewhere, their profits could easily multiply by more than ten times. In some places, there was even a salt shortage, and the price could be increased even more.
A pound of coarse salt can easily sell for hundreds of coins.
If it is the place where Shiwu is most in need of salt, some tribes will directly trade with gold. Otherwise, why do they say one ounce of gold for one ounce of salt
Even though Shen Tang knew that this business was profitable, she was still shocked by what the salt merchant said. She thought about it and ordered someone to bring something.
Shen Tang asked: "What do you think of this salt?"
This is produced from salt wells.
She immediately sent the salt to the government office. After she tasted it, she found that it was not as bitter as the coarse salt she had used before, and it was closer to the table salt she remembered. With a wave of her hand, she divided the salt into two portions, and sent a small portion to the government office canteen, telling the chef not to feel bad about the salt, no matter how bitter it was, it would not make his tongue bitter! Use it to cook in the future!
The remaining income will be allocated to the government offices and included in the officials' salary lists.
Refined salt was used to replace the previous coarse salt, and the salary was generously increased - the weight of salt in the salary was doubled. If the official's family had a large population and consumed a lot of salt, the official could also exchange a certain amount of refined salt for the hours he worked overtime.
The salt merchant lifted the silk covering in confusion.
He was completely stunned at first sight, because the salt in front of him was snow-white and crystal clear, and each grain was distinct. He mustered up his courage and carefully put a few grains into his mouth. The salt grains melted in his mouth, with a moderate saltiness, and were not as bitter as he expected, but rather had a bit of freshness.
Better than any fine salt he had tasted before!
“It is truly the best quality!”
The salt merchant immediately confirmed the value of the salt!
"Mr. Shen, I dare to ask how much this item costs?"
"The cost? I haven't calculated it yet, but it's not difficult to make them, and the output is not small, so the cost is not that high. I don't have any other requirements, I just need you to sell them for ten crows! I won't let you make a wasted trip either. The caravan's guards, food, clothing, and even goods will all be arranged by the government. If you make a business trip, I will - promise you 10% of the profit as a reward for your hard work."
"What do you think?"
Shen Tang originally wanted to give 20%.
But the value of this salt merchant was not even half of Xu Jie's, and considering the profits on Shi Wu's side, he reduced the rate to 10%.
Giving 10% is not considered stingy.
Really not stingy.
"Yes, yes, yes! I promise to complete it!" He was afraid that if he was a second late, Shen Tang would change his mind.
Honestly, neither his own father nor his own mother was as generous as Shen Tang! They were just forcing their wealth into his mouth!
Even though the profit was only 10%, he could earn more from one trip than from three or five trips before—because he earned his hard-earned money as a merchant! He needed to bring hired guards to collect salt everywhere, and after going through untold hardships to reach Longwu County, he would pay a lot of real money to pay respect to the local tyrants, and get a special "Salt Permit Document" from them, and then Yonggu Pass would let him pass.
To enter the territory of the Ten Crows, you have to pay money and be on high alert every day, hoping that you will have good luck and not be robbed by the refugees.
After a trip, you still have to do favors when you come back.
Compared with what he earned, the amount he actually received was not much, but Shen Jun directly deducted many unnecessary expenses for him.
Longwu County belongs to Mr. Shen.
With a piece of paper, Yonggu Pass will let us pass.
The key is that this is an exclusive business.
There are no competitors, and they are the only ones who have salt. The Shiwu tribe is so short of salt that they are going crazy. Wouldn’t they fight tooth and nail for the salt
The salt merchant was satisfied, and Shen Tang was also satisfied. She finally saw the light of a debt-free life, and a bit of joy appeared on her face: "That's great, very good! Then you can wait for another half a month, and when you have collected enough pounds for this trip, you can gather all the people and set off."
The salt merchant left with many thanks.
When Gu Chi learned about this, he frowned.
"One percent, is that too much?"
Giving Xu Jie 40% of the profits is nothing. This person can still be useful in the future, and it is not a loss to maintain the relationship. Besides, there is a melee among the big and small forces within the Great Wall, and the private salt market is in chaos. The profits are not as great as those of Shi Wuda. Without strong connections and business routes, there is no way to make money safely.
Forty percent is reasonable.
But a mere private salt merchant...
Giving 10% is too high.
“It’s a little more, but worth it.”
Shen Tang smiled and said, "Just think of it as buying his experience. Except for him, everything else is ours, so it's convenient to 'steal' him. With his familiarity with the Ten Crows, he can also act as a guide and lead our young people to get familiar with the Ten Crows... Isn't that perfect?"
Shen Tang was not going to let the salt dealers continue to do this. He would wait until his own people became familiar with the business and then he would demolish the bridge after crossing the river.
Anyway, the initiative is in our hands.
Shen Tang put down his pen and saw a sealed letter in Gu Chi's hand. His eyes lit up and he asked, "Wen Zhu's letter?"
Gu Chi nodded: "Just arrived."
Fresh and hot.
He wanted to know the answer as soon as possible, so he acted as a messenger and personally escorted the letter to Shen Tang.
"Let me see."
Open it and read ten lines at a glance.
Shen Tang's eyebrows were filled with visible joy, and he chuckled and said, "I told you, the text is very much to my liking."
Xu answered and agreed.
To show his sincerity, he sent her double the amount of silkworm seeds and leaves she needed, and offered her a bargain price on top of the friendly price. If he wasn't afraid of being criticized, Xu Jie would have even wanted to give it away for free.
But it was enough for Shen Tang to see his attitude.
Gu Chi agreed with this, but was slightly displeased: "This person is very tactful, but - a little too smooth."
If this is the case for Wu Xian, what about Shen Tang
Shen Tang laughed at him.
"You're a bit of a scumbag now."
"Scumbag?"
She explained: "Those who play with other people's feelings and are unfaithful are scumbags if they are men and scumbags if they are women."
Gu Chi showed the expression of an old man on the subway and said wrongly: "... Chi, why did you play with Xu Wenzhu's feelings?"
Shen Tang couldn't help laughing. "Wen Zhu's attitude is a bit ambiguous. He is like a person who has a stable partner and is in love with Wu Zhaode, but he can't stand the offensive of a third party and is shaken several times. Well, we are the third party."
"We obviously benefit from him and hope that his every move will be as we expect, but you think his wavering behavior is a bit 'unfaithful' and you don't like it. Look, doesn't this look like a scumbag? He uses all his tricks to seduce a good girl, and when she gives in, he dislikes her for not keeping her belt tight..."
Gu Chi: “…”
It would have been better if the lord hadn't said it, but now that he had said it—
I seem to be a bit of a scumbag.
Shen Tang sighed, "A gentleman is judged by deeds, not by heart. No one is perfect in the world. Wen Zhu is just an ordinary man, so there is no need to be too harsh on him. Besides, he was originally under Wu Zhaode's command, and it is not easy for him to help us so much. As the head of the Xu family, it is not easy to worry about the whole family."
She quite liked this money-giving boy, who was quiet but worked hard. If he had not been assigned to Wu Zhaode long ago, she would have wanted to poach him. Moreover, her cousin was still working under her, and he was willing to work hard without complaint.
Gu Chi heard this and looked educated.
"My lord, your mind is so broad that I cannot compare to it."
The production and sales of salt were roughly arranged. All she had to do next was wait for the gold to fly into her pocket. Shen Tang was restless and counted on her fingers what else she had to do: "By the way, have you found all the women with experience in silkworms?"
“I have found them all.”
The townhouses specifically for raising silkworms have been built for some time.
“Where are the skilled craftsmen?”
Gu Chi said, "I heard Wu Hui mention it two days ago. People are already waiting at the craftsman workshop near the government office."
Why look for skilled craftsmen
Naturally, it is to optimize textile machinery, which only needs slight improvements to be more efficient than current machines.
She just wants to "find trouble".
Let everyone in Longwu County get involved!