Yuan Zonggao wanted to start with the sale and purchase of goods in the palace to attack political opponents, revive Chang Shisi's prestige, and restore his original supreme position in the palace.
Zhu Hao understood Yuan Zonggao's intentions and did not expose them. He decided to arrange for shopkeeper Ma to meet Yuan Zonggao when he returned and explained some precautions in advance. Not only was he not secretive, but he also deliberately sold some flaws to Yuan Zonggao.
In the absence of Tang Yin, there was no fuse between Zhang Zuo and Yuan Zonggao to ignite the gunpowder barrel, so he had to use some tricks to make it explode.
Zhu Hao met Yuan Zonggao and went home happily to celebrate the New Year.
The next day, Shopkeeper Ma went to meet Yuan Zonggao at Zhu Hao's instruction.
After coming back, according to Zhu Hao's instructions, shopkeeper Ma did not consult with Zhu Niang. On the surface, he could make the decision on his own, which would make Yuan Zonggao feel...
Shopkeeper Ma was a chess piece planted by Su Xigui next to Zhu Niang and her son. The previous large sum of money given by Zhu Hao was more of a bribe than a bonus.
How can any boss give his subordinates such a large bonus at once?
Feeling so full after eating?
Since you gave a large amount of money, it means that they are not your subordinates, but someone else sent to monitor you. You may just give the profits that belong to Su Xigui to Shopkeeper Ma.
…
…
at the same time.
Outside the city, the Zhu family is preparing to celebrate a good year.
During this time two years ago, Zhu Wanjian suddenly became a celebrity in the family. Even the glaze workshop, which had been suspended for more than a month, was restarted at the end of the year, and was working day and night.
The female head of the Ouyang family has been staying at the Yuelai Inn in the city recently, renting six rooms on the second floor. All her people live on this floor.
"...Miss, shopkeeper Mu has returned to Nanjing. The money we brought to Anlu to purchase goods this time was all obtained from mortgaging the ship. It is about more than four hundred taels. Now less than half of the money is left. If this business cannot be profitable,
, I’m afraid some of our big ships cannot be saved.”
The mother-in-law told the girl sitting at the desk the current dilemma.
The Ouyang family purchased more than 100 taels of glazeware produced by the Zhu family at a time, and the average price of each item was about 30 taels.
Including labor and transportation costs, the price of a piece of glassware alone is 40 cents, and this does not include accidents such as damage during transportation...
The girl stood up and put the account book back into the wooden box: "Didn't Renqing go to the Chengguo government to collect the debt? I checked, and it was more than a thousand taels of silver... It took a long time, and three years have not passed.
Return. We, the Ouyang family, are facing an unprecedented crisis. We don’t expect Duke Cheng’s government to provide help in times of trouble, but we don’t want to add insult to injury. We only hope that Duke Guo’s government will return the money that should belong to us.”
The mother-in-law shook her head: "It's difficult."
The Ouyang family was originally an official and businessman secretly supported by the Chengguo Government. In the past, the family had frequent business contacts with the Chengguo Government. When purchasing goods, the official would not pay cash. As the former Nanjing garrison, the Chengguo Government controlled Nanjing's military affairs.
, many people are reluctant to please...
This is very different from King Xing, who is called a prince but actually does not have much real power, but is always guarded by the court.
Duke Cheng Guo is the real real power!
"But what can we do? Our house has been mortgaged a long time ago, and we owe thousands of taels of debt... If that doesn't work, let's mortgage our house and hundreds of acres of farmland together..."
The girl seemed to be desperate to fight to the death.
The mother-in-law quickly persuaded: "Miss, you can't have any ideas about the ancestral house and ancestral fields. Those are your dowry and our family's last hope... The master and his wife specially told you at the beginning that you should not force the business if it is not good.
There are too many wolves, tigers and leopards in the world, and it is not easy to do business.
"Go back and live a life guarding the ancestral house and ancestral fields. At least the Ouyang family can still maintain its lintel."
The girl shook her head helplessly, with a sad look on her face: "Auntie, we are already in such a farm, and there are so many debts outside. If we really can't make a profit, do you think we can keep our farm and house in our hometown? There is nothing we can do about it!"
The mother-in-law also knows the current situation of the Ouyang family. Apart from hoping that the glassware business will succeed, there seems to be no good solution.
The girl smiled and comforted: "I still have two hundred taels of silver in my hand. If I really can't find the glazed mirror, I might as well try to buy all the glazed utensils..."
"ah?"
The mother-in-law was quite puzzled.
Why buy so many bottles and cans?
If you can't sell it, wouldn't you lose it all?
The girl took out a silver mirror from her arms, looked at the flowers and the moon in the mirror, and sighed: "This thing can be sold for thirty or forty taels in Nanjing. It is often highly sought after, and it cannot be obtained without official documents.
"I have seen the glassware provided by the Zhu family. The materials are similar. Maybe I can reversely explore the manufacturing method of silver mirrors! Even if it doesn't work, those bottles and jars are exquisitely made and have many uses. How could the dignitaries in Nanjing not like them? It's really not possible.
, we can also sell it to the Duke of Chengguo."
Only then did the mother-in-law know why her young lady had gone all the way in the glassware business.
There are huge business opportunities behind feelings.
"At times like this, you can't rely on others, you have to rely on yourself for everything!"
The girl is confident, but the mother-in-law is worried.
Others may not know it, but she has watched her young lady grow up day by day, and she knows very well that the young lady in her prime does not know how to do business.
She thought to herself, if the husband and wife hadn't lost their only son early, why would the young lady take over this mess?
Could it be that the Ouyang family is really going to be at the end of its rope and the family is no longer safe?
…
…
The hostess of the Ouyang family, as well as the people she brought with her, are waiting for "Shopkeeper Mu" to return to Nanjing to complete debt collection, mortgage loans, and sell the first batch of goods.
But at this time, Shopkeeper Mu, the aggressive thirty-year-old man that Zhu Hao had seen at the ferry, did not return to Nanjing. Instead, he quietly turned back shortly after departure. At this time, he was working with his business partner, the Zhu family.
On behalf of Zhu Wanjian, he was drinking in Jiaofangsi.
"This is fifty taels of silver belonging to Mr. Mu's family. Keep it."
Zhu Wanjian pointed to the wooden box next to him with a proud look on his face.
If the business can be successful this time, he also has a strategy.
Knowing that even if the glassware was sold for ten cents each, local and foreign merchants would not ask anything, so he directly bribed the shopkeeper under the female head, a guy named Mu Renqing.
Originally it was just a try, but unexpectedly the two parties hit it off immediately, and the other party was easy to talk to, so the kickbacks were not much...
Mu Renqing did not count the money and put the wooden box on the chair next to him.
Zhu Wanjian stood up and poured wine for Mu Renqing, and asked with a smile: "I wonder when the next amount of money will be delivered? It's still the old rule, 30% of the benefits will be given... I can make it for you as much as you need."
Mu Renqing glanced at Zhu Wanjian and asked with a half-smile: "Second Master Zhu, do you know why I want to cooperate with you?"
Zhu Wanjian smiled and waved his hand: "Don't ask about other things, just make money when you can."
You, an evil servant who betrayed your employer, have the nerve to ask me why you want to cooperate with me?
Even I, Zhu Wanjian, have never done anything like this to you. Do you still want me to praise you?
Mu Renqing said coldly: "Actually, I did this all for her own good."
Zhu Wanjian was extremely disdainful, but with a smile on his face, he asked coyly: "Isn't the woman that Mr. Mu is talking about... your boss?"
"Exactly!"
Mu Renqing also knew that it was shameful for a seller to seek glory, and he needed to defend his behavior at this time. "In fact, Cheng Guogong told his employer many times that as long as she is willing, he can hire her to work in the Duke's mansion."
The concubine in the nineteenth room will never humiliate her, but she is stubborn..."
"hehe."
Zhu Wanjian had a smile on his face. Seeing Mu Renqing drink the wine, he consciously poured another glass for him: "It turns out that it has something to do with the romance. But Duke Cheng is not young, and he covets a man who can be his father at the age of sixty."
His granddaughter's daughter... Oh, don't worry about other things, it's a beautiful time, it's really a bit deserted if you don't ask a few girls to come in to drink and sing songs, someone is here..."
"No need!"
Mu Renqing rejected Zhu Wanjian's "kindness" and continued: "Cheng Guo Gong is a bit older, but what else does a merchant's daughter want? Now, although Cheng Guo Gong is no longer on guard duty in Nanjing, he is leading the Chinese Army Commander-in-Chief
My duty is to guard Nanjing for generations... Mr. Zhu, I am telling you this to remind you not to take any chances with my employer."
Zhu Wanjian was startled.
Are you trying to take advantage of your boss?
The beautiful face of the young girl suddenly appeared in my mind, and then I thought of the power of Chengguo Duke's mansion. I couldn't help but shake my head and throw away my selfish thoughts.
"Don't dare, don't dare. How dare I have such evil thoughts about the woman that Duke Cheng is interested in? It's just to make money, but I don't know how well those glass bottles and jars shipped out earlier will sell well?"
Zhu Wanjian asked in a fake tone.
Mu Renqing said: "Don't think I don't know. Your bottles and jars cost only a few cents and will break when touched. These vessels look crystal clear and beautiful, but in fact they are most taboo to transport over long distances... Even if you give them to me for free,
, I won’t want it either.”
Zhu Hao handed over the glaze workshop to the Zhu family, seemingly retaining the craftsmen and not retaining any technical aspects. However, in fact, the vessels produced were all made of ordinary thin glass. The technology was extremely immature, and it was difficult to achieve uniform thickness.
The heating is uneven and the skin is thin and brittle.
After all, this is just the first generation of glass products developed by Zhu Hao, specifically used to deceive people. This is also the reason why the business of the Liuli Workshop was not good after the Zhu family took over.
"Hmm."
Zhu Wanjian didn't like hearing this.
No matter how bad the glassware is, it was obtained by the Zhu family at a great expense.
Now in my hands, it is clearly running very well and has begun to make substantial profits.
Mu Renqing continued: "This is just a way to consume the Ouyang family's wealth. When she is at the end of her rope, I will ask her to enter the Duke's Mansion to protect herself. Master Zhu only needs to give birth step by step, and I will also tell her
Selling glassware in Nanjing made a profit, but she couldn't see the money, and in the end..."
Zhu Wanjian took the lead: "All responsibilities naturally have to be borne by her, the boss who makes the decision, so she can only obediently join the Duke of Chengguo as a concubine..."
Mu Renqing took a deep look at Zhu Wanjian, and then nodded silently.