If someone claims to have rich historical knowledge and proudly tells you that it was useless to make glass in the Ming Dynasty without making money...
Don't think too much, just give him a slap on the ear and that's it.
There were glass products in the Ming Dynasty and they were very common, but they were not the same concept as the glass products of later generations.
Basically, except for glasses, Daming glass products have almost no practicality.
Nowadays, Westerners have developed monocular telescopes, but they were still not visible in the Ming Dynasty.
So when Zuo Mengeng took out glasses, plate glass, glass bottles and other items and placed them in front of Liu Yiyuan, Zhang Haogu, Geng Zhangguang, Wang Weiran and others, they all went crazy.
"Is this a tortoiseshell?"
"I have never seen anything so clear and transparent."
"Can such ingenious things really belong to the world?"
Several people circled around the glass products, gently picking up one piece from time to time, looking at it carefully, and handling it with care, as if they were facing rare treasures.
"Everyone, as expected, I finally got the glass product out."
Everyone returned to the table, but they couldn't take their eyes away from the glass products no matter what.
Seeing that there was no other way around it, Zuo Mengeng took out a square glass bottle with a cork on it. The contents of the bottle were clearly visible. It was a deep, mellow red color with an intoxicating color. It was wine.
"We're done today. I brought some wine to celebrate."
Everyone stared at the sloshing wine in the glass bottle, unwilling to wake up for a long time.
"The luminous cup of grape wine will prompt you to drink with the pipa immediately. I thought that the beauty of drinking by the people of the Tang Dynasty was unparalleled. Only now do we know that the happiness of today's people is not comparable to that of the people of the Tang Dynasty."
Wang Weiran took the bottle from Zuo Mengeng, admiring it and praising it.
When he first heard Zuo Mengeng say that glass could be made, he didn't believe it. He felt that this young man was overjoyed. But today, with the real thing in front of him, he couldn't believe it anymore.
The same is true for Geng Zhangguang.
"This is just one bottle, not to mention that it contains fine wine. Even plain water is worth a thousand taels."
Liu Yiyuan and Zhang Haogu didn't speak, but their nodding movements obviously agreed with his words.
Compared with these practical and exquisite glass products, the tortoiseshell, medicinal jade and other objects they wore were simply unsightly.
Each person was given a glass, and the fragrant wine was poured in. After shaking it gently, the wine slurry hung on the cup and flowed quietly. It is true that everyone is drunk even if the wine is not intoxicating.
Before the drink was finished, Wang Weiran couldn't sit still.
"Brother Zuo, is it difficult to produce this product?"
Zuo Mengeng doesn’t lie.
"As much as you want."
Wang Weiran made a prompt decision.
"If Brother Zuo doesn't give up, Wang will be responsible for this matter."
Isn't this what Zuo Menggen wanted, so he immediately asked: "I wonder how many shares Brother Wang can buy?"
This question made Wang Weiran feel a little confused and uncomfortable.
At that time, people used to be quite tactful when discussing business, for fear of falling into clichés. However, Zuo Menggeng was straightforward and did not mince words at all.
But elegance and so on are not worth mentioning compared with the white money.
Wang Weiran woke up.
"Brother Zuo, did you teach me?"
If Shanxi merchants are rich, they are definitely rare big fat sheep.
Moreover, these guys smuggled goods outside the Great Wall, causing immeasurable damage to the Ming Dynasty and the Han people.
Zuo Mengeng had no shame at all for cheating them.
"If Brother Wang can price it at 200,000 taels, not only will Brother Wang become a shareholder of this property, but the right to sell it in Shanxi, Shaanxi, beyond the Great Wall and in the northwest will also belong to Brother Wang."
Wang Weiran remained silent and began to make calculations.
For two hundred thousand taels of silver, you can get the sales rights for the entire northwest. This alone is worth it. You can also get dividends from the production of glass, which is simply a good thing.
He didn't notice Zuo Mengeng's malice at all and jumped in directly.
"Brother Zuo is very righteous, and I admire him for that. It's just..."
He gritted his teeth and said it directly.
"Two hundred thousand taels of silver is a huge expense. Can you allow me to raise money for a while?"
No matter how rich the Shanxi merchants were, if they wanted to come up with 200,000 taels of silver in one go, it would still take some effort.
It's hard to say that after he returned, he would have to contact other Shanxi merchants so that everyone could jointly contribute to the business.
This is the effect Zuo Mengeng wants.
"If Brother Wang has financial difficulties, there is an alternative plan here."
When Wang Weiran asked for advice, Zuo Mengeng Tuqiong saw him.
"I need a lot of iron and coal here. If Brother Wang has the supply, I can use it as part of the funds. In addition, every year from now on, I can buy iron and coal from Brother Wang."
Which country in China has the richest coal resources?
That is of course Shanxi.
The amount of coal and iron Zhang Jimeng obtained for weapons was extremely limited, and it was not even enough to equip the entire rear camp with one-tenth of the weapons.
Zuo Mengeng had to find the raw materials himself.
Those who can do such things must be people with great energy.
Looking around, Shanxi merchants are undoubtedly the best collaborators at the moment.
As for falling out in the future...
Talk about it later.
As Zuo Menggeng continues to make progress, his scheming political quality is also improving.
Wang Weiran was very excited when he heard that iron and coal could be used to offset equity capital.
This kind of material is extremely difficult for others, but in the eyes of Shanxi merchants, it is ordinary.
Coal in northern Shanxi is now mined, and there are people within Shanxi merchants who are operating it.
As for iron materials, there is the Changzhi Iron Works in Shanxi, which produces a lot every year.
Although it is government-run, the best thing is the official camp.
In fact, Shanxi merchants have often colluded with the Changzhi Iron Works over the years and smuggled a lot of ironware outside the Great Wall.
But no matter how powerful they are, the amount of goods smuggled outside the Great Wall cannot be compared with the amount of goods sold within the Ming Dynasty.
This condition makes.
Wang Weiran confirmed the matter immediately and did not even need to go back to ask his elders for instructions.
"I wonder how much coal and iron Brother Zuo needs?"
The lion Zuo Mengeng opened his mouth wide.
"Fifty thousand jins of iron, 100,000 jins of coal, and 130,000 taels of stock capital, how about that?"
Wang Weiran frowned, feeling deeply pressured.
The price Zuo Menggeng gave is very subtle.
If you say it is high, it is still within a reasonable range; if you say it is not high, you will never be able to buy so much coal and iron at this price on the market.
After thinking about it, the vast northwest market is still more attractive.
"Okay, that's settled."
In the land of the Ming Dynasty, only Shanxi merchants could transport so much coal and iron without being noticed by the government.
Shandong and Shanxi are not far apart, which is why Wang Weiran dared to agree.
Finally, there was a stable source of coal and iron supply, which made Zuo Mengeng very happy.
Over there, Liu Yiyuan also made a decision.
"My Liu family has fifty thousand taels."
He didn't ask for regional distribution rights, because the Liu family is currently not prosperous and there are no high-ranking officials. Even if he asked for the management rights, he wouldn't be able to get it, and the cost of opening trade routes would even be more than selling products.
Another thing is that he is now serving in the rear camp and is doing his job very happily. He only wants to get ahead by relying on his military exploits.
Zhang Haogu is very ambitious.
"My Zhang family will pay one hundred thousand taels, and also want the sales rights in Shandong."
When he reported the matter to Zhang Zonghuan, Zhang Zonghuan told him this.
The Zhang family is a local in Shandong and has a wide network of contacts. They have been doing business for many years, and their business routes are all ready-made.
Zuo Mengeng had already promised Zhang Zonghuan to give Zhang Haogu a future, so he readily agreed.
"My little brother is short of money and only has 20,000 taels. I have the right to use it as stock capital. I hope Brother Zuo won't give up."
Geng Zhangguang also did not ask for distribution rights, but only invested in shares.
The Geng family's real legacy of farming and education was nothing but farmland, let alone business.
After everyone present had finished dividing, Wang Weiran was keenly aware of something.
"Brother Zuo, there are more wealthy people in the south, how can we let it go? How about I contact some comrades and sell our things there?"
This guy is quite greedy, and he even wants to get the distribution rights in southern Zhili and other places.
Zuo Mengeng immediately refused.
"Brother Wang doesn't know something. I still have some close friends, so I have to take care of him."
The benefits of other places should be left to others.
Zuo Menggeng knows very well that if he wants to achieve his career in this era, he cannot take the bottom-level route.
In this case, it is necessary to contact the inherent strata and establish a broad interest alliance. Use interests to push those who control the means of production in this era to change their business methods, thereby affecting the entire society.
Therefore, when you have a way to create benefits, you must bring more people in and increase your allies.
Cao Wenheng, Qu Shichun, and Zhang Jimeng, who are now protecting him, are the first people who need to be won over.
He first went to Qu Shiqi and presented glass products, and then said: "Ming Mansion, I know that there is a piece of wasteland near Fancun Factory. Because it can't grow crops, it has always been idle. I and a few like-minded friends are planning to set up a workshop and produce
Please rest assured that the Ming Dynasty will not use this place in vain. In addition to paying taxes, this place can also be used as stock capital to benefit the government."
There is no unclaimed land in this world.
Even if it is wasteland that does not grow crops, you must obtain permission from the government if you want to use it.
But there is no profit from the wasteland, and the government cannot turn it into real money if it is in its hands.
If it is counted as stock money and given to Zuo Menggeng to build the factory, then it will be a good income every year.
The best thing is that this money is not included in the public accounts and does not need to be deported. It can be regarded as a small local treasury.
Everyone knows how pitiful the welfare of officials in the Ming Dynasty was.
If officials are not greedy, their lives will be difficult to live by.
If there is a stable source of wealth, and everyone's life will be easier, they will definitely be grateful to him as the governor. Would you dare to die in service?
Qu Shichun immediately understood this benefit, and even more clearly understood Zuo Mengeng's profound meaning.
Linqing Zhizhou has such a profit, so no matter who the chief official here is in the future, he will have to accept Zuo Menggeng's favor.
Even if Zhizhou has ill intentions towards Zuo Mengeng, it still depends on whether the officials below will agree or not.
In this way, at least from an official perspective, Zuo Mengeng could be said to have formed a tight and strong network in the local area, protecting himself even more deeply.