1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3982

To be honest, the production volume of Lushan Yunwu tea is not low, and it is not that rare on the market.

Before the war broke out in Jiangxi, Lu Congshan, the prefect of Jiujiang, had transported a lot of local specialties to Nanjing, selling them and using them as gifts to bribe officials in Haihan. Even Qin Jian, a mid-level official in charge of local water transport and port affairs, received Yunwu tea from Cheng Yunya, the second manager of Lu Congshan.

However, the finest Yunwu tea, produced exclusively from the Five Old Peaks of Lushan, is indeed extremely limited in supply, and Li Yuande was simply stating the facts without exaggeration. The Yunwu tea that Lu Congshan sent to Nanjing to cultivate relationships was only slightly more expensive, but it was nowhere near as rare as the tea Li Yuande possessed.

However, Li Yuande's detailed account of the tea's origins served two purposes: firstly, to highlight its value and thus cultivate a relationship with Chen Pingliao; and secondly, to subtly flaunt the extraordinary abilities of Fu Ruifeng.

Even rare items that are impossible to buy on the market, even if the place of origin is located in the heart of an enemy country, Furifeng has a way to obtain the goods through its exclusive channels, and then cross the ocean to appear in the small guesthouse in Hamban Port, becoming a pastime for high-ranking officials and nobles.

When Chen Pingliao heard that Li Yuande was going to send tea to the north next year, he knew exactly what Li Yuande was planning. He put down his teacup and said slowly, "More than half of the business in the northern region is controlled by the merchant groups of Dengzhou and Laizhou, with the Ma family of Fushan County being the most prominent. As for the Ma family's background, you should know it very well without me having to tell you."

Li Yuande nodded, not in a hurry to interrupt. The Ma family of Fushan County, Dengzhou, was the maternal family of Chen Pingliao's mother, Ma Yuling. Their business had long since spread throughout the northern region, and their operations were extremely large. The Ma family was Furuifeng's main competitor in the north.

Of course, many businesses are ostensibly managed by the Ma family, but in reality, they are probably being handled on behalf of Chen Yixin, who is unable to appear in public. The real helmsman is still the Governor of the Northern Region, and Qian Tiandun even holds shares in some of them.

Chen Pingliao continued, "We, as the host, certainly welcome Furuifeng to do business in the north. Competition in the market is inevitable, and we don't mind as long as it is normal competition."

Li Yuande then replied, "With Brother Chen's words, I am relieved."

Furuifeng's business in the north was not subject to any overt restrictions, but there were certain sectors where it remained inaccessible due to unspoken barriers. These sectors, in fact, were monopolized by local businesses.

This is certainly understandable. Just like when northern merchants go to the south, they will also encounter similar local protectionism. Local giants like Furuifeng have their own ways to protect their advantageous territory and prevent outsiders from easily entering.

Chen Pingliao's statement now actually represents a certain concession by the Northern Region government, allowing Furuifeng to have more trade rights.

As for why Chen Pingliao did not make such a clear statement during their talks in Hangzhou, Li Yuande was well aware of the reason.

At that time, the two were far from being so familiar with each other that they could talk about anything. Even if Li Yuande made relevant requests, Chen Pingliao would only brush them off. However, once Chen Pingliao arrived in the special operations division's territory and witnessed firsthand everything that Li Yuande and Fu Ruifeng had done for the special operations division, he was certain that the other party had enough strength to become his partner. This issue was then just a trivial matter that could be easily glossed over with a few cups of tea and a few words.

With the matter settled, Li Yuande felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. Although the task assigned by Guangzhou wasn't mandatory, he had ultimately achieved his objective. However, Li Yuande understood that Chen Pingliao's stance wasn't solely due to Li Yuande's influence. The Northern Region was the Special Operations Division's most steadfast political ally, and only now had Furuifeng's partnership status truly gained the Northern Region's recognition.

However, for Fu Ruifeng's business in the north to make significant progress, it won't be an instant thing. It will take at least two or three years before we see any noticeable improvement.

Of course, this doesn't have much direct impact on Li Yuande, who is far away in the Indian Ocean. Even if Fu Ruifeng earns more money in the north, it won't directly go into his account. More importantly, it will allow him to add a line to the clan's record of merit, and perhaps even get a special chair in the ancestral hall decades earlier. This will also give him, as a descendant, the right to speak when the Li clan makes any major decisions in the future.

After the two sat idly for a while, sure enough, someone came to their door, wanting to see Chen Pingliao.

Li Yuande laughed and said, "Since we have guests, I won't get in the way here. I should go and check on my business."

Given Chen Pingliao's status, arriving in a small place like Hanban Port would certainly place him among the powerful and influential. His father, Chen Yixin, is currently one of the nine members of the Executive Committee and also the governor of the Northern Region. In the past, this would have been a true regional governor, a powerful prince. Ordinary people would definitely address Chen Pingliao respectfully as "Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

Whether out of courtesy or to curry favor, local civil and military officials, gentry and elders, and any respectable person of status would naturally come to the guesthouse to pay their respects after learning of Chen Pingliao's identity.

Those who come to see Chen Pingliao may not necessarily have anything to discuss in person; their main purpose is simply to show respect. Whether they can actually get an audience is secondary. Chen Pingliao might not remember who has come, but if someone were to say something like, "So-and-so didn't come," it could easily cause trouble.

Although this was purely a formality of official social interaction, since everyone didn't know what kind of temperament this Mr. Chen from the country was, it was better to be safe than sorry. It was better to follow the rules for the first time.

Chen Pingliao's trip was not a fleeting visit; he was to be stationed at the Special Operations Division for an extended period. He would likely be dealing with various ports within the jurisdiction, so it was inappropriate for him to adopt a cold and aloof demeanor to avoid being gossiped about.

People are now lining up outside to see him, so what can we do? We can only put aside our pride and patiently receive them one by one.

Some salt merchants' sons and southern merchants who had not met with Chen Pingliao alone before also rushed over after hearing the news and joined the line waiting to be received.

As a result, a long queue formed in this small guesthouse, a rare occurrence. The last time such a lively scene was seen was when Stevin and his delegation inspected Hamban Port.

Chen Pingliao was both amused and exasperated by this, never expecting that in Hamban Port, which is isolated overseas, the number of visitors would be several times greater than when he was in Hangzhou and Sanya.