Daming: Wanted to be a small landlord, but was forced to ascend the throne

Chapter 282 Private salt?

"Yes... the manager's year-end accounting is indeed much less than before. I think it's because ordinary people are short of money, and now they buy less and less..."

Hong Shou said with some hesitation.

"Money is tight? You idiot! No matter how tight it is, it can be tighter than when the thieves were in chaos a few days ago. You know that your annual income from the Anlu State Salt Industry is about the same as when the famine and thieves were in chaos before! I have asked Li Shupei to show it to me Account book!"

Hong Fu looked at his younger brother coldly.

He looks gentle and harmless, but he is decisive when he does things, and sometimes he even kills without blinking an eye.

Although he made many so-called dead brothers, Hong Shou was the younger brother of his mother.

Their family was originally a salt merchant, and his father was a private salt merchant, and his family was fairly well off.

His dream was originally to pass the scientific examination and become an official.

It's just that his father offended another group of private salt dealers, was reported, and the whole family was executed.

He and his brother escaped under the cover of Dad's brother.

They later engaged in smuggling salt, which was actually following the old path of their father.

Fortunately, I got to know Xing Wang later, and turned from a secret to a regular.

But even if you are an official salt, the interests of all parties are stalemate, and you are living on a knife edge.

Now the salt industry is under the control of southern officials, their salt business is becoming more and more difficult, and their territory is being suppressed smaller and smaller.

He has made a lot of money over the years, which can be said to be enough to live for several generations.

Even if he stopped, he couldn't spend the money, and he let his brother do a lot of other businesses.

It's just that he has too many people under him. If he doesn't do salt business, he can't support so many people at all.

What should he do with those people?
Also, he has offended people a lot these years, if he stops here and there are no followers around him, the money may not be spent.

Therefore, he had to find a new way out, and he thought of shipping.

It's just that there is a gap between the mountains. He inquired and prepared for a year or two, but he still felt that it was not comprehensive enough.

When I came back this time, it happened to coincide with the wedding of Prince Xing's son, so I came here to pay my respects to the prince.

During the chat, the prince actually talked about shipping, and he talked eloquently. He had never heard of many information and opinions. He asked King Xing for advice, and King Xing actually said that he had listened to his son.

At first, Hong Fu didn't pay much attention, thinking that King Xing was deliberately exalting his son. After all, King Xing's health is deteriorating and he lacks the vigor of earlier years.

After inquiring about Prince Xing's son, Hong Fu was taken aback.

This kid actually took part in the scientific examination and won a small quadruple!

What surprised him even more was that he opened a shop to do business.

Although these surprised him, they were still acceptable.

In today's Ming Dynasty, even though the country is prosperous and the people are peaceful on the surface, the vassal kings are all under local control, unable to produce or make money, and can only be supported by the state.

But we all know that there are policies above and countermeasures below, and it has become a half-open secret for many feudal lords to open shops and do business.

After all, all the fiefdoms belong to other people. Isn't it a business to rent out the land and collect rent?

And as far as he knows, King Ning's business is doing very well today, and he has contacts with many officials of the court, and his limelight is getting more and more prosperous.

Even though Hong Fu's reputation among the salt merchants was not great, he still had a small reputation, and some people from King Ning's side came to win him over.

Even though he likes to make money, he still pays attention to protecting himself wisely, thinking that sooner or later something big will happen to King Ning, and he is not very optimistic about King Ning being too arrogant.

If King Xing had any ideas in his early years, maybe he still has one or two ideas.

Hong Fu sent people to investigate Shizi's business, and what surprised him most was that Wubiju he ran not only sold rice, but also bought salt!

When I asked that the salt belonged to their family, they provided a place for free and helped them sell it, and they didn't charge a penny!
There is no such thing as a free dinner!

How can there be such a benefit?
Hong Fu asked Li Shupei, and Li Shupei said that the prince said it was drainage or something.

Just to entice customers to buy something else.

Hong Fu felt that this explanation was acceptable. He observed that some people did buy other things while selling salt.

But he discovered a more important situation, that is, Wubijuli also sells pickles.

And there are more people buying pickles than salt.

Especially some people who looked shabby, they basically bought pickles.

He listened to those people talking in private.

This pickle is very salty, it can be soaked in water and eaten, and the soaked water can also be used as salt.

More importantly, the price of this pickle is about the same as the price of salt!
But the pickles you buy can not only eat salt water, but also get pickles, which is much more affordable than salt.

Even though he saw that many well-dressed people bought pickles and salt, the poor still accounted for the majority, so the sales of pickles were far higher than that of salt.

Hong Fu finally understood the reason why the sales of salt in his younger brother's store in Anluzhou had dropped.

And he also learned that there seems to be a branch of Wubiju in Xiangyang, and pickles are basically occupying the Xiangyang salt industry market.

"I... I know that Wubiju's pickles are very popular, but his pickles have to be pickled with salt, and the price is not expensive. Doesn't he have to use salt to pickle pickles?"

Hong Shou said in disbelief.

"He uses salt to pickle vegetables, but he didn't buy your salt. If he bought it, would your sales of salt still increase?"

Hong Shou made the point.

"Then... what kind of salt does he use? Could it be private salt?"

"But the price of private salt nowadays is not cheap, plus pickled pickles, if the price is about the same as our salt, it's not considered profitable. If this is the case, what do you think this world wants?"

Hong Shou didn't understand.

"This son is not simple! In my opinion, he is smarter than Laozi Xingwang. His pickles are definitely not simple, and he actually knows very well about shipping."

Hong Fu felt that this son of King Xing should not be underestimated.

"That's natural, brother, you don't know. Our teahouse business is booming now, and we've made a lot of money from script performances. Li Shupei also invested in a store in Wuchang Mansion. The business strategy was proposed by the prince. It’s convenient for us to earn less, but we have increased a lot of money here. I was busy here, so I didn’t pay much attention to the salt industry. The son is a scholar, and he even has four yuan for the small and medium-sized. There is no one comparable in years!"

Speaking of Qin Shao, Hong Shou was eloquent, apparently he had already surrendered to the son of Prince Xing.

"Brother, even though the salt industry is making money, you and your brothers are living life on knife edge. If you ask me, it's better to switch to a normal business, which is less risky."

Hong Shou has been in charge of sales work. He has studied for several years, and he doesn't like the days of fighting and killing. He feels that his brother has worked too hard these years.

"You! I'm stupefied after reading the book! So many people eat, have you read the book, have they read it? They're used to licking their lives, what can they do when they go to the city? And we have made many enemies over the years, Once we stop, do you know what will happen? Unless someone really takes us through the clear road, and someone is covering us, otherwise..."

Hong Fu sighed.

He just thought about it, even if someone was covering him, he couldn't afford to take in so many people, he must have special errands to do!

"I heard that Shizi even went to the capital to open a shop. He is so capable, you might as well ask him!"

Hong Shou said suddenly.

"You said the son still opened a shop in the capital?"

Hong Fu asked in surprise.

This world has too much courage!
He even ran to the capital.

"The storybook writer Li Shupei knows is called An Yongzhen. He was originally in Anlu Prefecture, but later he went to the capital. He said that he was the son of the prince, and he also opened a shop there!"

"Come on, I'm bound to pay my respects to the prince soon!"

(End of this chapter)