Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Zhang Dai also couldn't help but interjected: "My lord, the steam engines built by the steam engine factory are for sale, not for gifting. The money you get from selling one machine can be used to buy raw materials, so the account is not calculated like this."

"What the eldest son said is very true." Ma Mingpao also said, "The steam engine factory can produce 650 units without a single trip, and then put them there for manufacturers who need them to choose, so there is no need for such a large capital."

"No, steam engines are different from other commodities, so you can't do this."

Chongzhen waved his hand and said: "Firstly, the unit price of the steam engine is too high, few merchants can afford it, and secondly, the steam engine is a new thing, and the merchants don't know its benefits, so if we follow the old method to cultivate the market, first Small batches are put on the market, the feedback is good, and then the production capacity will be increased. In this way, the steam engine market will mature after the year of the monkey? I don’t have that much time.”

Chongzhen is telling the truth, the market cultivation of new products has never been easy.

It is even more difficult to cultivate new products with huge investment and high cost.

If you want to cultivate the market in the short term, there is no other way but to burn money.

"So, what does His Majesty mean?" Ma Mingpao had already thought about it, but he couldn't believe it.

After pondering for a while, Chongzhen said: "After the steam engine factory is launched, it will go all out to expand its production capacity. It will achieve an annual output of [-] units within one year, and an annual output of [-] units within three years!"

Regarding the production capacity of steam engines, Chongzhen also thought about it.

At the beginning, it could only be made by hand, and the production capacity must be low.

But after one or two years, when the lathe is developed, the production capacity of steam engines will definitely be greatly improved, so it is possible to produce [-] steam engines a year, or even [-] steam engines a year.

"After the steam engine is produced, it is only given away and not sold."

"It is a free trial for merchants in need."

"There is no fee for the first year, and door-to-door maintenance will be charged, and a symbolic rent will be charged from the second year."

"After the two-year lease period expires, the merchant will decide whether to buy or return the product. If you decide to buy it, you only need to pay half of the cost. If you decide to return the product, you don't need to pay any fees."

"My lord!" Ma Mingpao and Zhang Dai almost went crazy when they heard this.

"No, it must not be like this, how can anyone do such a thing?"

"Ma Qing and Zhang Dai, you don't need to worry." Chongzhen said earnestly and seductively, "You two might as well think about it carefully, will you really lose money by doing this?"

Hearing this, Zhang Dai and Ma Mingpao fell into deep thought.

However, Ma Mingjue couldn't figure out the trick for a long time, but Zhang Dai is worthy of being a native of Kuaiji. He has been influenced by business since he was a child, and he quickly figured out the way.

Zhang Dai said thoughtfully: "If the steam engine is really a good thing, it can greatly reduce the cost of the merchants and improve the production efficiency of each factory as the Holy One said, then the steam engine that was used by the merchants for nothing in the past three years will form a good business. The demonstration effect will prompt most merchants to scramble to buy, so it is actually not a loss.”

"Why not?" Ma Mingpao frowned and said, "Even if the steam engines produced in the past three years are sold, they can only be sold at half price."

Zhang Dai said with a smile: "The half price mentioned by the Holy Majesty is only half of the selling price, not half of the cost price. Besides, even if it is only sold at half the cost price, the steam engine factory will not lose money."

Ma Mingpao was completely stunned: "Sell at half the cost price and not lose money?"

"It's not a loss." Zhang Dai said, "If you don't follow the method mentioned by the Holy One, the steam engine factory will receive at most two or three orders from the arsenal and other merchants a year. If the cost is 20, the price will be 30. [-] million."

Ma Minglu nodded lightly when he heard the words, this account is still very easy to calculate, and he can understand it completely.

Zhang Dai said again: "But if you follow the method mentioned by the Holy Majesty, you can send out a maximum of [-] units in the first three years!"

"So what?" Ma Mingtao said, "Selling at the cost price is just to protect the capital. At least 30 profits are lost. If you sell at half the cost, you will lose 100 million for [-] units. How do you say it's not bad?"

"No, no, that's not how the account is calculated." Zhang Dai waved his hand and said, "There is another problem that adults have not considered, that is, the steam engine does work very well after use, but the number of trials is limited, and some merchants will pay a lot of money. Buy, at this time, as long as you sell ten units, you can make millions of profits, which is enough to wipe out all previous losses."

Ma Mingpao refused to accept it: "This is just your wishful thinking, is the steam engine really so useful?"

"Ma Qing, you don't have to doubt this." Chongzhen said decisively, "The steam engine is more useful than you imagined. The reason why I don't hesitate to lose money and give the steam engine to the merchants for free trial is to open up the market as soon as possible. The steam engine industry can mature as soon as possible."

In the final analysis, Chongzhen was still fighting for time.

According to the general business rules, manufacture in small batches first, wait for feedback from customers, and then slowly expand production capacity after obtaining market affirmation. The risk of doing so is the smallest.

But it may take decades or even decades.

But Chongzhen didn't want to spend so much time, he wanted to see results within three years.

Then, if you want to grab time, there is no other way except to burn money and forcefully cultivate the market.

Originally, there are still two obstacles to burning money to forcibly cultivate the market. One is that there must be sufficient capital, and the other is that there must be a bright future, at least to be recognized by the market, otherwise it will not be burned if you want to burn money.

But for Chongzhen and steam engines, these two obstacles do not exist.

Chongzhen was well aware of the prospects of the steam engine, and also had a way to get money.

In this case, as long as you are not an idiot, you will choose to burn money to cultivate the market.

Seeing that Chongzhen's determination has been made, Ma Mingpao no longer dissuades him. This is Ma Mingpao, who will never discount Chongzhen's will, even if he doesn't agree with it in his heart.

……

Ma Mingjue received the order and left the Guozijian with Zhang Dai.

Chongzhen has been busy all day, but he still can't rest.

Because there are still Tang newspapers from Gaizhou and Dagukou that I haven’t read.

After dismantling the Tang newspapers sent from Gaizhou and Dagukou, the content of the newspapers is almost the same.

The Jiannu army has surrounded Dagukou and Gaizhou, and launched a continuous attack, mainly digging tunnels and burying gunpowder for blasting.

For Jiannu's tunnel blasting, the Ming army also had few options.

Since Jiannu had suffered a loss at Dagukou last time, he dug the tunnel deep underground. In addition, the temperature in Dagukou and Gaizhou was low, and the water was frozen to ice, so the tunnel was not easy to collapse.

If it is summer, it is impossible to dig tunnels in the coastal area.

The Ming army found that the 4-inch artillery could not destroy the tunnels of Jiannu, so they stopped wasting ammunition.

However, the Ming army did not wait, but invented a monitor, which is to cover the empty Mingjiu cans on the ground, and then they can hear subtle movements from the ground, thereby judging the location of the Jiannu tunnel in advance.

After roughly judging the location of the tunnel, the Ming army followed suit to dig and intercept the tunnel.

After the tunnels of both sides were dug through, a scuffle started immediately, but basically Jiannu suffered a disadvantage, and then the entire tunnel would be blown up by the Ming army, and then Jiannu could only dig another tunnel.

But there are also Jiannu who dug the tunnel under the Ming army's blunderbuss and detonated it.

Most of the time, the Ming army will move ahead of time, but there are also times when they are accidentally recruited.

For example, Gaizhouwei had 90 Ming soldiers on a blunderbuss platform were buried alive, and all died when they were dug out.

The two armies of the Ming and Qing had victories and losses, and the battles were indistinguishable. At least in a short period of time, Jiannu could not do anything to the Ming army, and it was unlikely that they would take down Gaizhouwei and Dagukou.

To be honest, the result was better than Chongzhen expected.

Chongzhen was actually ready to give up Dagukou.

Chongzhen even issued a secret order to Yan Yingyuan that Dagukou could be abandoned in an emergency.

But Yan Yingyuan guarded Dagukou, until today Jiannu has nothing to do.

After reading the Tang newspaper, it was already the time of Chouchu, Chongzhen simply washed up and fell asleep with a happy mood.

……

Ma Mingpao and Zhang Dai didn't sleep all night.

After returning to the House of Internal Affairs, Ma Mingpao called for the brothers Weng Zhiyi and Weng Zhili.

The Weng family is a great salt merchant as famous as the Kang family, and Weng Zhili is even more famously shrewd.

The brothers of the Weng family had already been asleep for a long time, but when they heard that the head of the House of Internal Affairs had called, they immediately got up and rushed over, not daring to delay for a moment.

After hearing Zhang Dai's report, Weng Zhiyi was stunned on the spot.

How could this be possible?Isn't this a waste of money from more than 900 shareholders?

Ma Mingpao said in a deep voice: "Boss Kangda and Kanger, this is not to discuss with you, but to inform you that this is the decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, understand?"

"But, but..." Weng Zhiyi's facial features were almost huddled together in worry.

"Isn't the Ministry of Internal Affairs expressly stipulating that it is not allowed to specifically intervene in the affairs of the shareholding factory? My lord, is this a violation of the rules? If the Holy Majesty asks, it is difficult to explain."

Through the two tax refunds in Yangzhou and Nanjing, Chongzhen's image of "abiding by the rules" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The Weng brothers have no doubt that if this matter is brought up in front of Chongzhen, Ma Mingtao will inevitably die. fall.

Of course, the brothers of the Weng family would definitely not do this unless it was absolutely necessary, and it would not be good for the Weng family to tear their faces apart.

Ma Mingpao is also suffering and can't tell. Can he say that this is the will of the Holy One?No, isn't that slapping the Holy Majesty in the face?As a courtier, you have to worry about the emperor's urgency, instead of pushing troubles and problems on the emperor.

Immediately Ma Mingpao said to Zhang Dai: "Zongzi, you should come and tell them."

To be honest, Ma Mingpao himself still has a little understanding of the concept of cultivating the market by burning money.

So this matter can only be said by Zhang Dai, who has a more thorough understanding of this concept than Ma Minghao.

At that moment, Zhang Dai took over the task without shirking his responsibility, and instilled the concept of burning money to quickly cultivate the market into the Weng brothers.

"Brother, you can try this matter." Weng Zhili said.

"Then, try?" Weng Zhiyi replied uncertainly.