Late Tang Dynasty: I

Chapter 306
The cotton-padded clothes of the Tang Dynasty Weaving Bureau are lined with cotton and stuffed with cotton in the middle. The outer ones used in the military are also made of cotton, and armor can be worn on the outside.

For ordinary people, silk can be used on the outside, which is both warm and beautiful.

You must know that the winter clothes of this era are filled with velvet, which is processed from silk and is expensive.

Ordinary people wear linen, which is filled with flax or duck down.

Don't think that duck down must be a high-end product. In this era, the technology for processing duck down is not very good, and the smell of duck will never go away.

Although duck down is light and warm, in fact, not many people use it.

Firstly, there is a small amount of duck down, and secondly, it is far away and you can smell the smell of duck feces. You can imagine who would want it.

Therefore, most of them are filled with hemp wool.

You must know that linen is inherently rough. Although it may be better after washing and processing, when it is worn on the body, it will be itchy and uncomfortable.

Cotton clothes perfectly combine the advantages of both, and the price is slightly more expensive than linen clothes, but the body feel is not worse than silk.

As long as you put it on, you can't take it off. It was passed from person to person and word of mouth, and it became a hot item in Hedong. Army officers and soldiers asked for cotton-padded clothes one after another. Li Keyong had no choice but to make this move.

Zhao Xi frowned slightly, and said: "Originally, His Majesty would not reject the request of Junwang Li, but the production of this cotton padded jacket is really scarce. I heard that it is not guaranteed for the ladies to use it!"

"Ah, really?"

"Slaves don't dare to lie to the king, besides, the concubine Xian is in the palace, and the king of Li will know it with a letter!"

"..."

Li Keyong wanted to give up, but then he heard Zhao Xi change the subject and said, "If Prince Li really wants it, does this slave have a way?"

"Oh, if Zhao Lishi can do this favor for me, I will remember it in my heart and there will be retribution in the future."

Zhao Xi waved his hand and said: "The prince's words are serious, but it's actually not difficult. I heard that merchants in Chang'an have hoarded a lot. As long as the prince gives you money, you can still buy them."

"This……"

"I'm just saying, if the prince is interested, I can introduce you to him!"

A cotton coat costs less than 280 renminbi in Chang'an, and around [-] renminbi in Bianliang, but it cannot be supplied openly, and the price on the black market has to be doubled.

The price of Datang Weaving Bureau in Jinyang is only a little over [-] yuan. You must know that the price of grain in Jinyang has almost increased by one stone. This is still the result of smuggling by grain dealers.

As for cotton-padded clothes, the Datang Weaving Bureau initially threw away about [-] pieces, but later they disappeared, and no matter how many times I asked, they were still out of stock.

You must know that these cotton-padded clothes were shipped from Chang'an. The distance from Chang'an to Jinyang is about the same as Bianliang, and the road is even easier. The profit has doubled.

This price, in Li Keyong's opinion, is already very cost-effective. The entire army can only put on cotton-padded clothes, which is only [-] to [-] guan. He can afford this money, but if it goes on the black market, how much will it cost?
"One piece is probably consistent!"

"What? Gui Yi, how much does a silk coat cost? It's just Gui Yi!"

Zhao Xi smiled and said: "Silk is too thin and not wear-resistant. If you wear armor on the outside, I'm afraid that if you only wear it once, you won't be able to wear it next time. This cotton is thick, and it won't be possible to wear it for several years!"

"But the price?"

"I've also estimated the price. You guys can talk about it and I'll introduce it. I heard that their rule is to pay first and then deliver the goods!"

"..."

Datang has less money and more goods, which has caused the currency value in the world to remain strong. This is also the reason why most feudal towns prohibit the outflow of copper coins.

But now Hezhong in the east and Zhaoyi in the south are all under the intuitive control of the imperial court. Chengde and Weibo in the east, as well as Yunzhou in the north, are not so easy to mess with.

Li Ke took a long breath.

Now the salt, grain, and cloth in Hedong are completely controlled by the imperial court. Li Keyong himself did not realize what would happen if the imperial court interrupted the supply of these necessities?
More importantly, the Tang Dynasty Weaving Bureau liberalized deposit and loan services. Li Keyong borrowed 20 yuan in one go, with an annual interest rate of 50%. In terms of deposits, it was the first time that people in the Tang Dynasty saw that deposits could also be issued. , all of a sudden rushed to deposit money in the bank, and the savings reached [-] yuan.

Most of these depositors were generals and soldiers from Hedong, as well as officials from various departments.

Relying on a large amount of salt and iron, grain, and silk clothing, the reputation of the Weaving Bureau can be guaranteed.

The next day, Zhao Xi took Guo Chongtao back to Bianliang.

In Bianliang, His Majesty the Emperor sent craftsmen to tinker with duck down and wool.

If down jackets become available, they will be another big industry. As for wool, the current varieties include goats and sheep. Only fine-wool sheep can be used to spin wool, and coarse-wool sheep can only be used to weave carpets.

As for fur, it was not popular in the Tang Dynasty. Clothes made of fur were considered to be the traditional clothing of the Hu people and were despised.

In a blink of an eye, it was already December.

As the Chinese New Year approaches, Concubine He Shu and her harem have already set off from Chang'an and are on their way to Bianliang.

They never expected that the emperor would be gone for more than two years.

In the past two years, Chang'an has become more and more prosperous, and the days of fear and precarity are gone forever.

Li Ye, on the other hand, watched Bianjing city grow from nothing and slowly rise from the ground day by day.

The foundation of the palace is still being laid, but the factories and docks in Nancheng have been built, and countless timber from the south of the Yangtze River are piled on the docks.

Thousands of woodworkers are constantly building looms, and weavers from Chang'an are leading newcomers to play with new looms.

At the entrance of the weaving workshop, a group of soldiers on leave ran over from time to time to take a look at their families working inside.

The imperial court issued an order that any female worker who was a slave could be immediately removed from slavery as long as she married a military sergeant.

This suddenly set off a frenzy of marriage.

Although these women are slaves, most of them are ladies and well-educated. Many military officers entrust matchmakers to match them.

You must know that the wages of women workers who have been removed from slavery are five or six hundred yuan a month, which is comparable to the lowest level of soldiers, while soldiers of the third rank can earn as much as a month.

Two people can get [-] guan a year together, which is not small money. With [-] guan, they can buy a piece of land in the new city and build a house by themselves.

Li Ye said to Zhang Chengye: "I plan to let the Tang Dynasty Weaving Bureau promote personal credit. Those who have bought land, if they are not rich, can use the land as collateral, and the Tang Dynasty Weaving Bureau will give them money. What do you think?"

"How much interest does His Majesty plan to charge?"

"The annual interest rate is three cents. What do you think? You can pay it back in five or ten years!"

In the past, Datang's loan interest started at three cents. Now, the three cents interest rate is basically the same as free money.

"I think it's possible!"

(End of this chapter)