Even if the silk is cut off, don't you want to pay taxes from foreign countries?
"If Your Highness is interested at this time, why not listen to this silk matter. The dispute between the Silk Merchants Association and the Tea Merchants Association is just a trivial matter. The real big dispute is the dispute between silk, wool, cotton and linen."
After hearing what Fang Xuanling said, Li Yuanxing thought that there was market competition. This was very normal.
Fang Xuanling did not say any more, but glanced at Gao Jian.
"Your Highness, the matter is extremely troublesome. The orders received by the Foreign Trade Department, which have not yet been delivered, are: 1,380,000 feet of coarse velvet, 59,800 pieces of fine white linen, and 30,000 pieces of burlap. 136,400 pieces, of which 280,000 were mixed of various types of low-grade silk, 56,000 pieces of medium-grade silk, 66,000 pieces of fine silk, 17,000 pieces of special-grade silk, and snow velvet cloth. Thirteen thousand horses."
Hearing what Gao Jian said, Li Yuanxing thought to himself that with such a large order volume, why should they fight for it.
Fang Xuanling said at this time:
"Your Highness, silk is now divided into five grades and nine grades, with a total of fifty-four grades. The highest grade is flawless cloud brocade, super first grade, and the lowest grade is mixed silk and silk. According to the investigation of the Department of Commerce, this grade refers to those materials that are not handled properly. Silk, woven with the thinnest weave."
Fang Xuanling would like to go on to talk about how many grades there are in linen. There are also detailed classifications of woolen fabrics.
"Fang Gong! Tell me the important point!" Li Yuanxing couldn't help but interrupt Fang Xuanling.
"Your Highness, the Silk Chamber of Commerce has written that they have no silk. The Linen and Cotton Chamber of Commerce also said that they have no linen cloth. The Wool Chamber of Commerce directly told a certain person that unless they increase the amount of wool purchased, they will stop working. By the end of the year, the snow velvet cloth will be at most I scraped together 800 pieces and wanted to weave them, but I didn’t have any wool.”
Hahaha!
Li Yuanxing laughed loudly.
"Is there any representative of these chambers of commerce in the mansion? Let them come in."
Only then did Li Yuanxing realize that the fight between them was not about market competition, but about pushing the export sales part to other chambers of commerce. What they were fighting for now was actually the share of raw materials.
The eight people who came in were headed by Li Yuanxing, whom he had met many times. He was the head of the Chang'an Brocade Silk Chamber of Commerce.
Li Yuanxing motioned for them to sit down and immediately asked:
"Brand Silk Chamber of Commerce, have you emptied out your inventory of old goods? I'm afraid there are probably 30,000 to 50,000 pieces of new goods in stock. How much is the difference between the price offered by the merchants in the Western Turks and what you want? The price in Chang'an How much difference is there between the sales profit and selling to the Western Region?”
Li Yuanxing's series of questions stunned everyone.
Li Huishou, who was about to sit down, quickly walked to the middle and saluted: "Your Highness is wise."
After straightening up, Li Huishou said:
"The last batch of our old stock came out two months ago. All the brocade silk merchants in the entire Tang Dynasty have old stock. Including my own use, the old stock will not exceed a hundred pieces. Among the new stock, it is of the third grade. There are almost 3,000 pieces of Yunjin brocade, which is the highest grade that can be produced now. There are 20,000 pieces of special-grade products in stock, and less than 2,000 pieces of first-grade products. To find stocks below first-class products, you can only find them at each store. Went to the store."
"Go on! Sit down and speak slowly!"
After Li Yuanxing gave the order, a guard immediately took a stool and placed it next to Li Huishou.
"Your Highness, the profit offered by the big food merchant is already lower than the profit of the Chang'an store. I have been working in the store with my grandfather since I was sensible. I managed the store when I was young. I opened a new store in Dongshi a few years ago. After a month of management, the largest store in Dongcheng City had a maximum of 82 customers on one day, of which 51 purchased goods. Except for wealthy people who placed orders, the maximum number of shipments in one day was 104. match!"
Li Huishou seemed to be telling the history of his store, speaking in a very excited tone.
"Your Highness." Li Huishou suddenly knelt down, but Li Yuanxing was shocked: "Your Highness, the Leminyuan store had 1,433 customers yesterday and shipped 6,800 pieces."
Li Huishou's excited tone was trembling: "Your Highness, my Leminyuan store has a piece of second-class silk, and the profit is 15% higher than selling it to the Western Regions. The people of the Tang Dynasty want to wear silk, and the common people dare to ask Your Highness to order an end to the Western Regions."
goods.”
Li Yuanxing felt strange in his heart: "You get up first. I ask you, if I remember correctly, the shipping price of second-class silk to Chang'an, a foreign country, is about 80 guan. After deducting 30% of the tariff, it should be about 60 guan.
Guan. Right or wrong!"
"Your Highness, the silk in Chang'an City is priced at one hundred guan, and you can sell it for as much as you want. The wages of silk weavers in Chang'an have increased ten times compared to before. Because the silk raw materials are required to be more refined, the income of mulberry farmers has increased five times. The silk raw materials
It has also increased by more than four times. The land used for workshops and shops can no longer be a simple house like before. Each shop can only be more refined and more gorgeous. The wages of shop assistants have increased seven to eight times. All kinds of expenses in Chang'an have increased greatly!"
Li Yuanxing understood that this was normal inflation and the price of luxury goods had increased.
The more reason is that there is a shortage of goods.
Li Huishou was pulled up by Li Yuanxing's personal guards.
"Your Highness, a piece of silk used to cost two to three guan of money. This was the best. But now, it is only a third-class, fifth- or sixth-grade product. The current cost of such silk is about two to three guan of money. Plus
Add to that shipping costs, store profits, and taxes. If you don’t have a six-guan price, you’ll definitely lose money.”
Li Yuanxing did a mental calculation and found that the increase was not too high.
"But foreign merchants are becoming more and more cunning. The second-class and fifth-grade products are shipped to Yizhou for a price of about 200 guan. But the journey is long and the risk is not economical. It is really uneconomical to sell the goods in Chang'an for 60 guan.
Adding an overprint, that is, adding one to three guan to the cost of each piece, can produce first-class low-grade rainbow silk. The market price in Chang'an is 90 guan. The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and yesterday's price was already 100.
It’s a lot of money, and how much can you sell for it?”
Li Yuanxing figured out that businessmen are for profit.
Once he saw that it was uneconomical to do business with foreigners, he decided not to do it.
Businessmen don't care about allies or friendly relations.
Li Yuanxing sighed softly:
"The Mohe, Khitan, Shiwei people, and many tribes from the Eastern Turks always contribute to the Tang Dynasty. Especially the three tribes such as the Mohe are loyal to the Tang Dynasty. Their goods cannot be cut off!"
"The inventory we have left is just for them. It's just that we don't have any ordinary goods."
Li Yuanxing nodded slightly:
"Okay, I agree with you. The Western Region will be out of stock for one year. We will see the situation and discuss the next year. There will no longer be a limit on wool purchases, but merchants are not allowed to collect wool themselves. Each merchant will buy wool at the Ministry of War.
Well, I just want to say one thing, this is related to the Tang Dynasty’s strategy against the Turks, so don’t say more!”
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Li Yuanxing waved his hand, indicating to the people from the Chamber of Commerce that they could leave.
Although the faces of Li Huishou and others were full of awe, they were laughing in their hearts. In fact, there is another algorithm for the account. If the goods are not given to foreign merchants, they can get their money back immediately. The money is circulated.
It was fast, which was also a kind of profit. In fact, Li Huishou told lies to Li Yuanxing.
His profit from selling in the store is not 15% higher than selling to the Western Regions.
But it's only half percent, which is a huge amount of money considering the huge sales volume.
Li Yuanxing held his chin and said slowly:
"The price of silk is exaggerated. Compared with selling it to people from the Western Regions, the Tang Dynasty collected at least 500,000 yuan less in taxes, and the people also spent a lot more money. Although there is nothing wrong with merchants pursuing profits, Gao Shangshu said, The price is very high, but the people of Chang'an spend a huge amount of money!"
"Your Highness, if there is no goods in the two cities, the price will naturally rise. Things are rare and valuable! If we forcibly cut off the goods in the two cities of Chang'an and sell the goods to foreign countries, I am afraid that no one in the Holy Land will be able to explain it. The people have to celebrate the New Year. , the people need some gorgeous belongings, the price of jewelry has also increased by almost 20%, and the price of shoes, hats, etc. has also increased by more than 30%!"
When Fang Xuanling said this, Li Yuanxing understood.
The market determines everything, and state regulation may go against the market excessively.
"Well, I want to cut off the tea leaves of the Western Turks. Originally I wanted to embarrass the Western Turks. Now it seems that this is an embarrassment to the Tang Dynasty. The wealth of the Tang Dynasty is not enough for the people of the Tang Dynasty. This matter needs to be Report to Tianying Pavilion. First, we need food, second, we need work, and third, we want the people of the Tang Dynasty to have no money and no place to buy what they want!"
"Follow the palace's order!" Wei Zheng stood up and responded.
Li Yuanxing stood up:
"I think that Gaochang is too ambitious. Since the various goods of the Tang Dynasty are not enough to supply the people of the Tang Dynasty, I have decided that from now until May next year, all caravans will be redirected to Liaodong instead of going west. From now on, Tang will not accept any orders from merchants in the Western Regions!"
"Your Highness, think twice!"
Gao Jian was frightened. You must know that the Silk Road business was cut off. At present, Datang's domestic demand was huge and there was no problem. But what about the future?
Li Yuanxing shook his head gently: "I have thought twice about it, no!"
Li Yuanxing was really cruel.
Gao Jian wanted to persuade him again, but Wei Zheng stood up and said: "Gao Shangshu, the merchants from the Western Regions must be more anxious than you."
"This..." Gao Jian began to reflect after Wei Zheng said this.
Wei Zheng added: "Gaochang blocked our Tang Dynasty's caravan and levied heavy taxes. Now it has suddenly been halved. None of our Tang Dynasty merchants will go to Gaochang anymore. I don't know what the Gaochang people will think. And the Western Turks will be even more Chaos, because suddenly there is a large amount of food in the west, and merchants from Qin are waiting for goods from Tang."
Li Yuanxing smiled slightly: "Wei Changshi, issued a general order to all checkpoints. Those who transport goods out of customs without permission will be severely punished!"
"Your Highness, there are still some details that need to be discussed. After discussion, we will report to His Highness for a decision!" Cui Dunli also believes that it can be stuck, but it cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. Even if it is a one-size-fits-all approach, there must be a reasonable explanation.
After Cui Dunli and others went to the conference room, Li Yuanxing lit a cigarette and was thinking about Li Huidao's words. He thought it was very strange that there would be a panic buying trend. It was because there were too few supplies or because the people of Chang'an were rich. (To be completed.) Continued..)
ps: Ha,
Suddenly I remembered that I had wrongly labeled the chapter names many times before.
It seems that the light of the great god will take a few more days.