Ming Dynasty: Evolution from snake to national guardian beast

Chapter 22 Eight major stores opened

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that these eight shops are the property of Prince Yan's Mansion.

Such a grand opening ceremony shocked everyone in Beiping Mansion.

Even in the cold winter, many people come here.

On the one hand, the people of the Ming Dynasty liked to watch the excitement, and on the other hand, it was also because of King Yan's kindness and love for the people like a son, which had spread in Beiping Mansion.

After all, in the entire Ming Dynasty, there was no prince who could devote all his wealth to helping the victims.

The people rushed to Prince Yan's Mansion happily, and even some wealthy businessmen wanted to go to Prince Yan's Mansion to support him.

However, when they saw the items for sale in the store, they retreated one after another as if they had been struck by lightning.

The scene that was bustling just now suddenly became quiet.

There is no other reason, because those shops sell coal, which is a bit incredible.

As long as they are not stupid, everyone knows that coal is poisonous, and no one will be stupid enough to burn coal to keep warm.

Now, it is really puzzling that King Yan is selling coal so blatantly.

On the first day of business, people came happily and left disappointed. All the eight major shops were open, but they could not sell even a pound of coal.

The atmosphere in Prince Yan's Mansion was somewhat depressing.

Zhu Di originally thought that this time it would really open, but no one came to buy coal.

The original excitement suddenly turned into depression.

At this moment, countless people were waiting to see Zhu Di make a fool of himself.

After all, coal poisoning is a well-known thing. It is ridiculous that King Zhu Di of Yan, as a prince, does not know the reason.

Zhu Gaochi's fat face had lost a lot of weight at this time, and it seemed that his appetite had been greatly reduced in the past few days.

"Master Bai, it's been three days and no one has come to buy coal."

"The eight major shops are deserted every day, and no one wants the briquettes we prepared. What should we do?"

Zhu Gaochi was very worried. There were thousands of people in Xishan Mountain, and they all relied on the support of Prince Yan's Mansion.

Now the Yan Palace has no source of income, and the huge palace is almost unable to support itself.

Bai Chu had his own countermeasures, but giving it to him now would be overkill and a waste of natural resources.

Seeing that Bai Chu was silent, Zhu Gaochi's heart sank.

Bai Chu was full of wits and could solve any problem easily, but this time, he remained silent, obviously stumped by Bai Chu.

Zhu Di and the old monk on the side also frowned. This was their first time encountering such a thing, and they didn't know what to do for a while.

In the past, no matter selling silk or doing anything, there was always support from the people of Beiping Prefecture.

After all, as a vassal king, Zhu Di was very kind to his people, so he was still very popular in Peiping.

But this time, everyone's expression changed. No one bought the coal they sold.

But after thinking about it, this is also a reasonable thing. Coal is like poison. Who would buy it unless they are looking for death?
  Just when everyone was frowning, Princess Yan Xu Ruoyun suddenly suggested:
  "No one is buying it, because people don't know what our coal is, so everyone is waiting to see the show."

"If that's the case, let's give away a pound of coal to the people for free first."

"When everyone knows that our coal is non-toxic, many people will definitely buy it."

"free?"

When Zhu Di heard what Xu Miaoyun said, he immediately shook his head. This was what he had worked so hard for, how could he give it away for nothing?

If there is no money, the whole family will starve to death. Forget about them, even the miners in Xishan will starve.

On the other hand, Bai Chu's eyes lit up. Isn't this the future of trying food first and paying later?
  Later generations of melon farmers, when selling watermelons, would cut one into pieces and let people taste it for free, so that customers could rest assured.

But now, Xu Miaoyun's suggestion is like selling watermelon.

"Wonderful!!" This scene shocked everyone.

Bai Chu was the first to agree:

"In this way, I believe our briquettes will become popular all over the city."

Inside the small shop.

The guys in the shop were all bored and sleepy.

You know, these shops are the busiest places in Peiping, and the annual rent costs several thousand taels.

On weekdays, the shopkeepers and clerks are very busy.

This time, the palace informed them that the coming days would be even busier, and the palace even increased their salaries.

The shopkeeper and the young ones all looked eager to give it a try.

However, when the door opened, everyone was dumbfounded. We all rolled up our sleeves and got ready for a big fight, and this is what happened?

Although they get a lot of salary for doing nothing every day, they still feel a little sad when they see the owner's business is so bleak.

Because only if the master does well can they get such a high salary. When the master makes money, they also make money.

But if this is the case, they are already considering whether it is time to change jobs.

Just when everyone was dejected, a burst of firecrackers suddenly came from the street.

The commotion was as loud as when the shop in Prince Yan's Mansion opened.

Anyway, I was idle, and the clerk and shopkeeper in the briquette shop all came out to see what was going on.

But when he saw the sign clearly, the expression on his face was as if he had swallowed a dead fly.

There are a few words written on the plaque.

Zhao's charcoal!

Zhao's charcoal was also famous in the Ming Dynasty. The Zhao family made their fortune from charcoal and had great influence all over the country.

Zhao's shop is not only in Beiping Mansion, but also in the Yingtian Hall in the capital of the Ming Dynasty. There are also many Zhao's charcoal shops.

Especially in recent years, the climate has been getting worse year by year. Zhao took the opportunity to raise the price of charcoal and made a fortune.

The Zhao family can be said to be extremely wealthy. As a businessman, such a high-profile behavior will naturally attract the jealousy of others.

But I heard that the backstage of the Zhao family was very tough. Many people wanted to make their own charcoal, so they were all solved by the Zhao family. In the end, only the Zhao family was left.

It's just that there are four shops of Zhao's Charcoal Shop in Beiping Mansion, and now Zhao has opened another shop in addition to the briquette shop in Prince Yan's Mansion. It's obvious how serious Zhao's intentions are.

Compared to the deserted Prince Yan's Mansion, Zhao's Charcoal House was bustling with people and business was very good as soon as it opened.

In comparison, the coal industry in Prince Yan's mansion looks even more bleak.

"Shopkeeper Sun, why are you here? Why are you still alive?"

Just when the steward of Prince Yan's Mansion was about to leave, a cold voice suddenly came from Shopkeeper Sun's ear, which seemed to be that of an acquaintance.

Seeing this man, Shopkeeper Sun's face suddenly turned ugly.

(End of this chapter)