The peppers in Hou Mansion have just been planted and will take a few months to bear fruit, but the pepper tastes good. It is hard to imagine that pepper was very valuable in the Song Dynasty. This Central Asian spice from the Western Regions is very valuable.
Even cheaper than gold.
For Ye An, mutton soup without pepper is soulless, but after asking about it, he found out why there was no pepper in his mutton soup, and he had to pay more for it.
But after the waiter told him the price of "one hundred cents", Ye An decisively gave up the idea of adding pepper. He couldn't figure out why pepper was so expensive.
The mutton soup he drank before was all laced with pepper, but when he thought about it carefully, he found that he drank the mutton soup either in the palace or at the Li family, and his own pepper was also sent as a reward from the palace.
Just one bag made the person who delivered it feel so tight, which seems to be reasonable.
Seeing Ye An's expression, Ge Shanshu chuckled: "Master Hou, this pepper is a business grouped together by merchants from the Western Regions, and the shops selling pepper are all shops in the Song Dynasty!"
"Why don't the people in the Western Regions sell pepper themselves? Do they just have a monopoly on pepper?"
Ge Shanshu took a sip of the mutton soup and nodded slightly: "Isn't that right? People in the Western Regions are subject to heavy taxes when selling pepper and spices, but we in the Song Dynasty do not need such heavy taxes when selling them in shops, so merchants in the Western Regions
The trade of pepper and other spices gave us a foothold in the Song Dynasty.",
"That's not right! Even so, their transactions with the merchants of the Song Dynasty do not require heavy taxes in Ghana?"
As soon as Ye An's question came out, Ge Shanshu smiled, looked around and said in a low voice: "Master Hou, I don't know, in fact, all the spice business shops in Tokyo are related to the clan..."
This makes it clear that in addition to selling spices to the clans of the Song Dynasty, merchants in the Western Regions had to pay heavy taxes as long as they dared to sell them privately. In this way, they only needed to control the price and quantity, and it was a monopoly business!
This can't help but remind Ye An of the fat and treacherous merchant Bayi from the Western Regions, and his exotic master Rosanna.
Among the merchants in the Western Regions, she can be regarded as the best in terms of ability, money, and even means. Moreover, the merchants in the Western Regions seem to care about Gao Chang as their respecter. Ye An feels that this should be related to her identity.
After all, Gaochang City sent its own princess as a merchant to transfuse blood to the entire Gaochang City. There must be more fishiness in this. This woman seems to care about business and money, but in Ye An's opinion, she cares more about Gaochang City.
.
If you want products from the Western Regions, you have to deal with her, but the strange thing is that Rosanna has disappeared since the Chinese New Year, and Baiyi has also disappeared into Tokyo.
Since the merchants of the Western Regions respect Rosanna, the spices from the Western Regions are inseparable from her, and this also indirectly shows that there is an ulterior deal between Rosanna and the clan.
After finishing the delicious mutton soup in the bowl, Ye An couldn't help but smile bitterly as he looked at Ge Shanshu who added dogwood powder to his bowl: "Uncle Third, although this dogwood powder has a spicy taste, it is very bitter. Why add it in like this?"
Ge Shanshu said with a smile: "With this added, it still has some flavor. It's much better than nothing at all."
Ye An shook his head and took out a piece of paper from his arms, handed it to Ge Shan and said: "Our mutton soup shop in Xinlingfang will open in a few days. When you try it again, you will feel that it is extraordinary.
!When I go to court later, you can take this list to buy condiments and go to a few more markets without letting anyone see you."
Ge Shanshu looked at the content on the note, and after making sure he remembered it, he dipped the note into the mutton soup that was still a little bit, making the writing on it blurry and invisible, and then said in confusion: "Master Hou, what is on this note?" They are all medicinal materials, what are they used for?"
"The mountain man has his own clever plan. Don't be stingy with money. Order more and have them sent to the Marquis' Mansion, and my wife will handle the accounts."
Looking at Ye An's mysterious smile, Ge Shanshu nodded slightly: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis, these little things will be taken care of for you. However, these medicinal materials are not cheap. There is a discount for buying more, but..."
Ye An saw the same expression on his face as that of Wang Gang, as if he was looking at a prodigal son, and waved his hand: "I don't care about this, you can just go!"
Looking at the Xuande Building not far away, Ye An got up and left. On the way, he went to Grandma Cao's house to buy freshly baked meatloaf. He tasted a familiar flavor in the meatloaf, which was the same as the meatloaf of later generations. Very similar, the fillings are pickled, and the most familiar ones are the aroma of star anise and cinnamon.
Why is Grandma Cao's meat pie so delicious? Why has it become a living signature in Tokyo? It's not because of the secret seasonings, but these seasonings are really not a secret to Ye An.
Catering was an extremely profitable business both in later generations and in the Song Dynasty, but the premise is that you have to do it well and exquisitely, making people want to stop.
The temptation of food to human beings has long been rooted in genes, and it can also bring people the most direct enjoyment.
The market in Xinlingfang is a commercial street, so it is inseparable from the help of nothing. Shopping and dining go hand in hand and complement each other. Now Xinlingfang seems to have been developed to the maximum, but in Ye An's eyes It's still too far behind.
Where is this place? Tokyo city!
It was the most prosperous metropolis on earth in the Song Dynasty and even in this era. The small Xinlingfang has countless possibilities, how can it stop at a small city?
Ye An's appearance made the courtiers who came to attend the court complain. It didn't matter that he was wearing an ordinary official uniform. After all, it was not a court meeting, but it was a bit too much for you to enjoy it so much with a piece of meat pie in your mouth. no?
A literati should have the dignity of a literati. How can a courtier of the fifth rank be so casual? It is completely disregarding the dignity of a scholar-bureaucrat.
But Ye An didn't care. In fact, he ate quite comfortably. I have to say that Grandma Cao's meat pie was unique. The meat filling was fat but not greasy, and the pancake was also very good. Although it was passed the test, it was not... So do it.
Du Yan saw Ye An's appearance and said with a smile: "Even if you are here, why do you have to be so casual? The court is not for you alone, nor for the courtiers and officials. You still have to have the dignity you deserve." some."
Ye An was very surprised by Du Yan's statement. He looked at him strangely and said, "It doesn't belong to the courtiers or the official family. Who does the court belong to?"
"It belongs to the sages of the Han family. It is they who have made the world a success, and they have made the Gong Gong princes in the court a success. The court is the place that governs the world, and it is also the place where the sages are worshiped. To desecrate the court is to desecrate yourself, right?"
Ye An pursed his lips. He found that no matter how eloquent he was, he could not refute Du Yan's words. Yes, it was the countless "masters" of the Han family who made the Han Dynasty successful, no matter who it was. As the master of this world, the court will not change. No matter how the official system changes, the court will also not change.
This is the place where the cultural essence of the Han family gathers, and it is also the place where the wisdom of the Han family is preserved. The due respect must still be maintained.
After finishing the pancake in his hand, Ye An took out the handkerchief and wiped his hands and mouth, crossed his hands and saluted Du Yan: "Thank you, Mr. Du, for the tip. Ye An is very grateful."
Du Yan waved his hand indifferently: "It's good to know. Who hasn't had a young and wild time? The sound of drums in the corner tower has passed, and you can enter the courtyard! Boy, have more respect for the court. After all, this is where the world belongs.
, don’t hate the whole court just because you see people coming and going in it, or even think that it’s all ugly things. When you really enter it, you’ll know what it’s like!”
Ye An nodded slightly. He suddenly realized that maybe his previous understanding of the Great Song Dynasty was biased or not comprehensive enough?