Chapter 594 T-roll is a good cat

  While Xu Chengdong was thinking about why Feng Ziying met the Dongting merchants before the Shanshanan merchants and Huizhou merchants, Feng Ziying was also thinking about how to talk to these merchants.

It is slightly different from Shanxi merchants and Anhui merchants who mainly focus on merchants. Perhaps it is because Suzhou has always been an economic center. Suzhou’s silk industry is the best in the world, and it has also formed a very specialized division of labor. At home and abroad, even in Dazhou, it is the most popular product. Although the silk industry in Hangzhou, Yangzhou, Jinling and other places is quite prosperous, it is still inferior to Suzhou.

  The Dongting merchants played a very important role here, including the tea industry in Nanzhili and the porcelain industry in Jiangxi.

   It is precisely because of this that Feng Ziying has to take a high look at this group.

After all, sea trade still depends on the growth of several major export industries in order to last long. Although from the current point of view, the overseas market will not grow indefinitely, whether it is Francois, Hongmaofan or English people, or even the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean They are hungry for silk, porcelain and tea from Dazhou, but the people who can afford it are still limited in Europe and the Mediterranean region.

  However, Feng Zi feels that for at least five to ten years, there is no need to worry about the market for Dazhou’s exports of these three types of commodities to the entire Europe and the Mediterranean region. What needs to be worried is only the production and its transportation factors.

   Dongting merchants have considerable strength and influence in these major industries, which gave Feng Ziying the idea of ​​meeting and talking with the leaders of this group.

  He wants to see if the leading figures in this group have a broader vision, or whether they can form a tacit understanding with themselves under their own inspiration and reminders, and do certain things according to their own intentions.

  So when Xu Chengdong stepped into Feng Ziying's study, he was also taken aback, because the other party chose the study instead of the living room.

  The conversation seemed very casual. First, Feng Ziying asked, and Xu Chengdong answered, and then gradually evolved into Xu Chengdong taking the initiative to introduce the current situation of Dongting merchants, and in which aspects they have made contributions to the court.

  But soon Xu Chengdong discovered that Feng Ziying was not interested in how much Dongting merchants had donated to the court, how many times he had been picked up by the imperial court, and he was not even interested in the business of Dongting merchants in the capital, Yangzhou, and Jinling.

  He realized that his guess was right. This little Feng Xiuzhuan was really not interested in making a living as a merchant. In this regard, Dongting merchants were inferior to Shanxi merchants in the north, and inferior to Huizhou merchants in the south.

"My lord, although most of our merchants from the eastern and western mountains still work outside, many of us stay in Suzhou. For example, Gusu silk is our pride, and the production of frightening incense is also increasing year by year. In addition, we are also cooperating with local merchants in Songjiang, 70% of the Songjiang dyeing workshop is run by our Dongting merchants, and we have an equal share of the Yangzhou printing workshop with Huizhou merchants..."

  Feng Ziying looked at the opponent a little bit.

  This guy has a very keen sense of smell, and he quickly noticed where his interests lie, and he can adjust the topic in time, so it's not in vain for me to take the time to meet him.

"I have heard what Mr. Xu said. Dongting merchants are all over the south of the Yangtze River, and Suzhou silk tea is flourishing because of them. It can be said that they have contributed a lot. But the imperial court opened the sea, and the demand for silk tea and porcelain will increase greatly. I don’t know. Have you ever thought about this?"

  Xu Chengdong's heart moved slightly, and he came.

"We have also heard about the strategy of the imperial court to open the sea, but the specific strategy is still unclear, but we also thought that if the sea ban was lifted, the goods exported to foreign countries would increase greatly. Tea porcelain has been admired for a long time, but it is a pity that the imperial court has banned it. They can only get greedy, or get a small amount through other methods. Now that the imperial court releases it, it will definitely usher in a surge. We are also discussing this matter,..."

Feng Ziying also knows that it is impossible for others to cater to her own opinions as soon as they come up. These businessmen and leaders all take one step and three steps. What I have to do now is to guide and encourage, but in the final analysis, they have to do it themselves. , It is impossible for the imperial court to replace it.

  Feng Ziying has always disapproved of that kind of government-run model. Given the current state of government officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the government's ability, efficiency, and official quality are not reassuring, and business-run is the best.

  If it is difficult for some emerging industries to start, the government can provide policy and financial support, and supervise them in due course, but that's all, and they must not be involved.

"It seems that Dongting merchants are well-deserved. They only see the prosperity of the sea trade, but you can see that the prosperity of the sea trade will bring about an increase in the demand of several major industries. I think you have some preparations?" Feng Ziying asked with interest. road.

"It's just a preliminary idea, but the Xu family intends to do so. For example, our silk business in Suzhou intends to expand the scale. In this regard, the Xu family still has some advantages, and as far as I know, the Weng family has also taken action in this regard. ..."

  Since he had seen the other party's intentions, Xu Chengdong naturally reciprocated. It is of course a big deal for the Xu family to make friends with such a promising person. Maybe one day this person will be a minister or even an old man.

"Well, very good..." Feng Ziying nodded, "The three major industries of silk, tea and porcelain should be more connected with maritime merchants, and we can judge and grasp the growth rate of this kind of export sales based on their export sales, and then determine the next year. As well as its own production scale and expansion plan in the next few years,…”

  …

  Xu Chengdong found it more and more interesting.

  He felt that the person sitting opposite him was not a member of the Hanlin Academy. It was a colleague who knew this well in the guild hall, and he was constantly giving some industry suggestions based on his own introduction.

  This feeling is relaxed and harmonious, and even occasionally discussing some new trends in the industry, this feeling is too mysterious.

   "..., my lord, are you saying that the imperial court will support the manufacture of firearms like it supports Denglai shipbuilding industry? Uh, allow merchants to participate?"

  When Xu Chengdong heard the news, he couldn't believe his ears. How is this possible? Firearms manufacturing is a country's most important weapon, how can it be possible for businessmen to participate?

Da Zhou's ability in this area is indeed very weak. Only one firearms bureau in the capital city can produce hundreds of three-eyed blunderbusses and cannons every year. The battalion maintains the existing guns. Feng Ziying went to see them once. Its decadent state is unbearable to witness. It is no wonder that the division of the Nine Sides has always been in a subtle semi-resistance state to the use of firearms.

Now in the Great Zhou army, apart from the Shenji Battalion of the Beijing Camp, which can barely be regarded as a pure firearms army, all the others are mainly cold weapons, and the training status and actual combat power of this Shenji Battalion are worrying. Feng Ziying It is estimated that even the Ministry of War probably does not have much confidence in how much use this army can make in battle.

In fact, in Guangzhou and Quanzhou, as long as you ask for a price, you can already easily buy guns and cannons in varying quantities from Flang Jiren and Hongmaofan merchants. Of course, the quantity will not be large. After all, these materials Flang Robots and Hongmaofan merchants are not embargoed to Da Zhou, but they still have to block the Nanyang aborigines.

  However, if they find out that Da Zhou's colonization strategy in Nanyang may pose a threat to them in the future, I am afraid that they will also impose restrictions and embargoes on Da Zhou, but at least not yet.

"The imperial court has this intention." Feng Ziying nodded, "But there must be some conditions. For example, if you want to obtain an order from the imperial court, what kind of state should be achieved, scale, quality, and confidentiality? If the imperial court has requirements, of course the imperial court will Give corresponding support and support, such as Yinzhuang's low-interest loans, such as order deposits, such as new technology inventions and innovation and improvement rewards,..."

  Xu Chengdong was stunned by the sudden news.

   This was too unexpected, even far beyond his previous imagination.

  He never thought that the other party would discuss such a "deep" issue with him. Could it be because of Shen Xing's letter? How could it be possible?

  There has never been a pie in the world.

"..., the first heavy iron material in the manufacture of firearms, whether it is a firearm or a cannon, the quality of the cast iron material determines its own quality. Although we are laymen, we should be clear about this. If Mr. Xu and you Dongting merchants in this regard I am also interested, and the imperial court also welcomes it very much..., there are many places in the north that are rich in iron ore, but the imperial court does not have so much energy to explore, mine and smelt, so the imperial court intends to..."

"..., we are looking forward to the performance of Dongting merchants. As for why we choose Dongting merchants, well, Dongting merchants perform better in the field of industry. Of course, the imperial court will not reject other merchants who intend to enter, but we hope that there will be more People with experience in this field come,..."

"..., technical requirements,..., industrial scale,..., quality assurance,... These are all decisive factors. Of course, we know that Dazhou does not have this strength, and the technology is far behind. Otherwise, how could we come up with such an idea? Of course, it is up to you to figure out a way. The owner of the Ningbo Shipyard is already trying to find a way to recruit shipbuilders and technicians from Hongmaofan and Flangjiren. If one hundred taels of silver is not enough, then three hundred taels is not enough. Just five hundred taels..."

"..." Lu Song couldn't find it, so he went to Manga, and if he couldn't find it, he just let it out and went to the Xiyi people's hometown to recruit,...you can do the same, as long as you can recruit technicians,..., no matter what A black cat is a white cat, it is a good cat if it catches mice, it is a good cat if it can build ships and firearms that meet the needs of the imperial court,..."

  (end of this chapter)