Walking to the beginning of the courtyard, Fang Yingwu saw Wang Kui coming from the direction of the vestibule. From this distance, he could see Wang Kui's expression clearly.
Fang Yingwu's footsteps suddenly stopped, and his demeanor returned to leisurely. Because he saw that Wang Kui looked very excited, and although his face was slightly dusty, he was radiant - this meant that Wang Kui must have brought good things.
News, then why should he be nervous?
Sure enough, Wang Kui rushed to Fang Yingwu in three steps and quickly reported: "I am going to Huguang this time..."
"Don't be in a hurry. Let's go into the room to talk. First drink a few sips of hot tea to moisten your throat." Fang Yingwu stopped Wang Kui and personally led Wang Kui to the flower hall.
Let the servant serve tea, and then Fang Yingwu retreated, leaving him alone to talk to Wang Kui.
After Wang Kui drank tea, he picked up the conversation again: "When I arrived in Huguang, I first went to see Liangdao. Your letter will be no problem. Then I set up a business in Hankou and used money to buy rice and grain.
The price of rice in Huguang is indeed cheaper than that in Jiangnan. I spent 50,000 taels of silver in exchange for 150,000 shi of rice grain, and then transferred it to Guazhou warehouse. With your imperial envoy saying hello, everything will go smoothly."
"Have you got all the return tickets issued by Guazhoucang?" Fang Yingwu asked. Wang Kui replied: "Of course I have all the return tickets, not a stone is missing."
After Fang Yingwu was sure, he smiled and said, "It's been a hard work for you on this trip! I'll hold a banquet for you tonight!"
Wang Kui shook his head and said: "We are all members of our own family, why should we be so serious? There is no need for a reception banquet, it is enough for you to invite me to have a drink with you!"
"No, the reception banquet is necessary, not just you and me. There are many other people." Fang Yingwu said: "I want the world to know your glorious things."
So invitations were urgently distributed from the Imperial Envoy's Residence one after another, and a banquet was held in the lobby of the Imperial Envoy's Residence that night.
When the banquet started, about twenty people came to the banquet. It was quite difficult to gather this number of guests in just one day.
Among the more than twenty people, there were wealthy people who took refuge in Gongguan Street three months ago, and celebrities who participated in the effort to retain Fang Yingwu a month and a half ago.
After the host, Qin Envoy Fang, appeared, he exchanged greetings with the guests. Next to him was Wang Kui. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that En Envoy Fang's sudden and impromptu banquet must have something to do with Wang Kui.
After drinking for three rounds, Fang Yingwu pointed at Wang Kui and said: "This friend of mine has made a big deal, and it is an unprecedented deal."
Someone shouted in a joking manner: "I wonder what kind of deal this is?"
Fang Yingwu replied: "He spent fifty thousand taels of silver to buy fifteen stones of rice in Huguang and transported it all to Guazhoucang."
Fifty thousand taels is equivalent to the wealth of dozens of wealthy businessmen. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is an astronomical figure. This is really a generous sum. Everyone can't help but take a breath of air-conditioning and marvel at Fang Yingwu's courage.
Some people wondered: "Guazhou warehouse is only used for the transfer of tax grains. Could it be that this friend Wang bought 150,000 stones of rice grains just to lose it for taxes?"
Fang Yingwu shook his head and said: "How can you say such nonsense? Everyone must have heard the allusion of Zigong's redemption of people. Naturally, Brother Wang will not do it in vain, otherwise he will be someone else's way."
Brother Wang transported 150,000 shi to Guazhoucang, so he received a return ticket for 150,000 shi! I have long said that these return tickets can be directly used as tax credits at the county government office!"
Wang Kui bowed to everyone and said with a smile: "I will add the following. Although I am currently in Suzhou, I am not from Suzhou. Therefore, there is no need to accept autumn grain.
In other words, although these 150,000 shi can be deducted from tax and grain, it is of no use to me. I have no tax and grain to deduct from it. According to the official records, I donated 150,000 shi to melon.
Zhou Cang.
So I thought about it and consulted with Commissioner Fang Qin, and decided to sell all the 150,000 stone return tickets!
Whoever buys this ticket can directly use the discount to offset their own taxes and grains, which will save them a lot of trouble! There is no need to work hard and mobilize troops to transport the taxes and grains to Guazhoucang."
Everyone at the banquet was whispering to each other. Some of them had heard Fang Yingwu's idea of going to Huguang to buy rice before.
However, although they didn't say anything on the surface at the time, they were scornful in their hearts. After all, Jiangnan is known as the land of fish and rice, and it was a bit unbelievable that they needed to buy rice from other places.
Wang Kui continued to introduce his business: "The return ticket of 150,000 shi, compared with the current price of local rice and grain, is about 75,000 taels of silver. Of course, my hard work cannot be in vain, and I have to charge more for the hard work, so the total can
Sold for more than 80,000 taels."
This figure surprised everyone at the table. As mentioned earlier, Wang Kui's capital was fifty thousand taels. After a round trip of less than two months, he could exchange it for more than eighty thousand taels, with a profit of at least
It’s thirty thousand taels!
With a capital of 50,000 taels, you can collect a profit of more than 30,000 taels in just two months. How can this not be tempting?
Is this business really possible? In the past, we encouraged wealthy businessmen to buy rice from Huguang to supplement Suzhou’s local income. Everyone thought it was a fantasy and impossible. Who knew that there was actually a successful example standing in front of them?
.
Some people are interested in this business started by Fang Yingwu and are wondering how to find Wang Kui to learn about the details of the transaction.
There are now nearly three months until the end of the year, enough time for businessmen to make a trip to Hankou Town and back again. If you hurry up, this business can be done!
Another group of people lacked hard work and were only content to buy tax and grain receipts from Wang Kui, and then directly offset their own taxes, so as not to worry about how to transport money and grain to Guazhou warehouse.
However, 150,000 shi is a huge amount, and these people in the hall will definitely not be able to afford it. It would be good to buy a thousand shi Guazhoucang return ticket.
Wang Kui is not in a hurry. Once word of mouth spreads among these people, there will definitely be many outsiders who want to save worry and effort and come to him to buy Guazhou warehouse return tickets.
After the banquet was over, Wang Kui responded to the other party: "Calculating the time, after I finish processing the receipts on hand, it seems that I can still go to Huguang. Then I can go there again with the capital of 80,000 taels of silver?"
Fang Yingwu quickly rejected Wang Kui's idea, "Now there must be businessmen in Suzhou who are ready to imitate your approach, and I am happy to see it happen.
But if another huge sum of 80,000 taels of silver is thrown in, it will definitely disrupt the Huguang rice market and hit the Suzhou merchants who are interested in trafficking rice grains. This is not my original intention.
After all, my main purpose is to guide Suzhou people to turn their attention to Huguang and form a practice of trafficking rice grains, not to make tens of thousands of taels of silver.
Therefore, the best opportunity is not available again. You should take your heart back and give the opportunity to others. Even if Suzhou Prefecture can only lose an extra one or two hundred thousand shi to the imperial court this year with this method, it can be considered a success.
.”
Wang Kui sighed with regret, but as a businessman who relied on Fang Yingwu, he certainly understood that money was not everything, and economic interests had to give way to Fang Yingwu's political interests.
Therefore, Wang Kui said openly: "In any case, making some money is not a bad thing, and letting others make some money can also be considered a good deed. Now that fifty thousand has become ** ten thousand, the extra thirty thousand can be regarded as yours!"
Fang Yingwu frowned and said, "I'm wondering whether it's better to keep these thirty thousand taels for myself, or to accumulate the thirty thousand taels with the previous fifty thousand taels and finally offer them to the emperor together." (To be continued.)