The Rise of Ming Dynasty 1646

Chapter 365 Luxury Market

After leaving the Meridian Gate, Zhu Linmei sorted out the preparations for the Northern Expedition again in her mind.The most important thing about the expansion of the Dragon Guard Army and the Polu Camp will be handled by Yu Xin, so you can basically rest assured.Then the most urgent task right now is the construction of the navy, so he said to Shi Lin: "Go, go to Yongbeili Shipyard to have a look."

Upon hearing this, Shi Lin hurriedly said: "My lord, when I went out this morning, Huiqiu specially told my subordinates that the Grand Concubine set up the Qiu Club today, and asked you to return home before the time limit."

Zhu Linmi slapped her head, thinking that she really forgot.He had no choice but to let the car go back to the mansion first, thinking about whether to take a vacation with the princess.

But as soon as his car stopped in front of the palace, he saw people from Lishe came to report that a barbarian named Serio asked to see him.

Zhu Linmi patted her head again, she has been thinking about the Northern Expedition recently, and almost forgot about the watchmaker.

"What about others?"

"Go back to Your Highness, I am waiting in the front hall."

When the bald watchmaker saw that the Prince Counselor was coming, he brought his young apprentice to kneel down to salute.

"Forget it." Zhu Linmei pulled him back, "Let's get down to business, have all the equipment arrived, and how many people have you brought?"

"Your Highness ordered me to move more than half of Longnan's belongings here, and park them in the south of the city. There are five large carts." Serio said happily.

How could he not be happy, last year when he met this oriental aristocrat in poverty, he generously gave him a watch workshop.Although as a reward, he brought hundreds of watchmaking apprentices to the lord, but these apprentices can also work for him free of charge.

For more than a year, he didn't sell many clocks and watches, but the gun machines that helped Longnan Iron Works make spring wheel guns, as well as precision drilling machines, gear machines, grinding machines, etc., made him a full 4000 taels of silver. !
The money is enough for him to live a very good life in Italy.He originally planned to return to Europe at the end of the year to enjoy the blessings, but he suddenly received a letter from the co-principal king, asking him to go to Fujian to build a workshop of unprecedented scale.

This is to make a lot of money!Naturally, he would not refuse, and immediately packed up his things and came from Longnan.

"As for the manpower," Serio continued, "Although I only brought more than 30 people, they are all the most skilled hands in the workshop. Almost everyone can make a watch independently."

"It doesn't matter if there are fewer people." Zhu Linmei smiled, "I have also prepared hundreds of young people for you in Fujing, and I believe you will be able to teach them soon."

"An apprentice again..." Serio shrugged helplessly, fortunately he was used to it.

He suddenly said seriously: "By the way, Your Highness, if you want to build a bigger workshop, I don't know how the sales of watches and clocks are in Fujing? I can only sell two or three watches a month in Longnan. ..."

"Who told you to make clocks?" Zhu Linmin interrupted him with a smile, "That thing takes a lot of work and doesn't sell much."

Serio hesitated: "Then...or make spring wheel guns and drilling machines?"

"Fujing Arms Bureau is already able to make spring wheel guns," Zhu Linmi shook her head and said.For more than a year, Serio has trained many excellent watchmakers for Daming. These people have already entered the Armament Bureau or Suji Iron Works, and are responsible for precision machining.The spring wheel gun is of course a trivial matter.

"Drilling machines, gear machines, etc. are still needed, but they are not your main goal." Zhu Linmi took out a few blueprints and handed them to the watchmaker. "We manufacture household luxury goods, which are the most marketable things."

"House... what product?" Serio flipped through the blueprints suspiciously, but he was confused - it was the first time he had seen these standard industrial drawings - only the title on the blueprints he recognized, "Clockwork Fan ...Music box...Revolving lampstand...Wind-up frog hand-cranked meat grinder...What are these, what are these?"

Zhu Linmei took the drawing and gave him a rough explanation.Most of these things need to use springs, gears and the like. Although they are simple gadgets in the eyes of later generations, all of them can amaze people in the seventeenth century.

And with the processing ability of this era, the most dexterous watchmaker can make these things.

"You mean, this thing can blow the wind by itself?!" Serio's eyes widened, "If it's really as you describe, it will cost at least 30 taels each! Well, it will be sold in hot weather. More expensive."

"30 taels?" Zhu Lin was stunned for a moment, thinking that this guy is really dark enough.The so-called wind-up fan actually uses a pair of springs to drive the flywheel and drive three fan blades.It can be fanned for at most 10 minutes once tightened, and the structure is much simpler than a clock.

But he immediately felt relieved. Although the cost is not much, it contains patented technology, and it is normal for the premium to be higher.

The watchmaker continued to price these items enthusiastically, "Music box, this aristocrat must like it, 15 taels! Revolving lamp stand, wine shops and music workshops will definitely buy it, 18 taels! Wind-up frogs, tin frogs can jump by themselves, it's amazing! It was magic, five taels..."

Zhu Linmei had no choice but to interrupt his "fanaticism" and ordered: "I will ask Mr. Song to send some people who understand blueprints to help you build these things together.

"This time I will provide the venue, drawings, raw material costs and be responsible for sales, and you will be responsible for managing the craftsmen to make finished products. You will get [-]% of the silver taels, and I will get [-]%."

"Okay!" Serio immediately agreed without even thinking about it. He only contributes a part of the labor, and it is very cost-effective to share [-]%.And these things must be expensive. It is conceivable that even [-]% will not be a small number.

More importantly, as long as there are these few blueprints, even if he refuses to agree, the Counselor King can organize craftsmen to manufacture these things by himself, at most it will be slow to get started.

Zhu Linming said again: "The new workshop is located on the outskirts of Tianxing Mansion, covering an area of ​​more than three acres, and all the necessary things have been prepared. I will send someone to take you there later.

"After you get there, start working immediately, make samples as soon as possible, and then send them to Hong Si, a doctor in the Xuanbu Department."

"To the Propaganda Department?" Serio was a little puzzled, but he still agreed, "Don't worry, Your Highness, I will make a sample as soon as possible."

How did he know that Zhu Linmi had already formulated a whole set of sales plans for these novelty things.

On the one hand, missionaries hold samples and display them in various places to attract attention.On the other hand, he has already sent a message to Chan Yi, asking her to set up some shops in different places, named "Su Ji Zhen Pin Shop", specializing in these "luxury goods".Even enemy-occupied areas including Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, and Nanzhili have to open branches.

Of course, in the early stage, these treasure shops could only sell some spring wheel guns and clocks, but when these exquisite "luxury goods" arrived, the threshold of the shop might be stepped down.

This is one of his plans to expand his income. It is estimated that there should be 3 to [-] taels of income per month in the early stage, and it will be doubled after the sales are expanded.In the later period, it will be sold overseas with the Ming fleet, and the nobles in Europe will definitely flock to it.

　Because some revisions have been made at the end of "Chapter 380 Earth-shaking Changes", book friends can go back and read it again, sorry for the inconvenience caused. (Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't rewatch it, it has no effect on the plot.)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)