King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

Chapter 447: Marquis Jianchang is indeed not an ordinary person
There are thousands of craftsmen from Jinling, of various kinds, most of whom have inherited their skills from their ancestors, and some of them were already craftsmen in the Yuan Dynasty.

Zhu Tan used his power to gather these craftsmen and build a place for drying the fruits.

He showed his ideas to the craftsmen and took out a more complete design drawing. He told them that a standard drying yard could be built in just twenty days!

"My Lord, we have never done anything like this before, and we don't know how to do it, but you are quite good at it."

"Okay, you build the frame first, then level the ground, and once it's painted, I'll teach you how to paste it."

Although this drying yard looks simple, it is a technical job and involves many skills, such as drying methods and how to use it.

Fortunately, it was a sunny day when Zhu Tan came to Qingkou Town, so the construction was completed very quickly.

The cement kiln at Guda is now almost in shape. All the materials have been put in, and we are just waiting to start the furnace.

The foundation of the drying yard has been built, and only a few chores are left, and the remaining thing is concrete.

Zhu Tan also became busy because his affairs here had spread throughout the entire continent, and many people from both the official and private sectors came to visit him.

Most of these gifts were given in the name of visits, and some of them were from local officials in Lianghuai Prefecture, wealthy salt merchants, and others.

Many people offered rewards of 10,000 or 20,000 taels, or even 1,000 taels, 300 taels, or 500 taels of silver, and Zhu Tan accepted all of them.

He had borrowed 10,000 taels of silver from Wang Qiao, and he didn't have much money on hand! He would naturally not let go of such a good opportunity, but it depends on what the other party thinks.

Just like the businessman Jiang Cai next to Chu Susu, he is about twenty-four or twenty-five years old and looks very smart.

Jiang Cai gave him a hundred taels, but he didn't care. It was just that Zhu Tan was very interested in his name, so he was very interested.

When he met Jiang Cai this time, Zhu Tan found that he was a very good talker. His father also made a living by collecting grain from the Chinese and French. When he came to Jiang Cai, his life changed from making money from the Chinese and French to making silver, and things began to become difficult for him.

"My Lord, we are salt merchants in name, but in reality we are no different from peddlers. We all buy residual salt from farmers, and sometimes we are accused of smuggling salt. Our lives are very hard!"

Zhu Tan nodded. He understood that people like Jiang Cai, who had no connections and no resources, would most likely be isolated and then trampled underfoot.

Jiang Cai continued, "I came here this time just to discuss this with the Marquis. If I say anything presumptuous, please don't mind it, Marquis."

"Tell me what you think. Feel free to say it." Zhu Tan did not show any impatience because of a small businessman.

"I don't know if you have heard that several salt farmers have run away. The salt shops in Lianghuai are not very conspicuous. When I went to Changlu Salt Field, two out of ten people ran away, resulting in a shortage of staff in the salt shop. Therefore, the salt production last year was much less, and this year is even more so."

Zhu Tan naturally didn't know, so he followed his words and said, "Why do you want to run? As a cook, no matter how tired you are, you won't starve to death!"

"Generally speaking, the taxes on kitchens are relatively light, but they have been increasing year after year. From the founding of the Ming Dynasty to the present, those cooks who were usually relatively idle have become ordinary people. While boiling sea water, they also have to undertake heavy labor. Under such tremendous pressure, it is understandable that they would decide to flee.

Zhu Tan's lips moved. The cook was cutting him like a sheep. He was going to pull out all his hair!
"I understand the difficulties of a cook, but why are you doing this? Do you want me to help you get the tax exemption for the salt stove so that you can be exempted from labor service?"

In Zhu Tan's eyes, this statement is the most credible and indeed feasible.

Contrary to Zhu Tan's expectation, Jiang Cai shook his head and said, "This will only increase the workload of the cooks and make these corrupt officials and demons even more powerful. I have a way. I have been thinking about it for a long time. Please take a look, Lord."

Zhu Tan stared at Jiang Cai seriously, wondering if he had misjudged him. Was Jiang Cai here to betray him and please him?
There were a lot of words on the paper taken from Jiang Cai, and Zhu Tan spent a whole incense stick of time reading it.

As soon as Zhu Tan read it, his impression of this man named Jiang Cai changed drastically. He actually saw traces of Zhang Juzheng's reforms in him.

Jiang Cai's move was only used to deal with people in the salt shop, but it was a prototype of a whip.

Zhu Tan mistakenly thought Jiang Cai was the person who traveled through time with him! This level of awareness is so high, it's simply genius.

However, if you do it too early, you will be courting death!

"Tell me, do you have confidence? Even if the imperial court vigorously promotes it, it may not be able to achieve it."

Jiang Cai's breathing suddenly stagnated. He understood that what Zhu Tan said was right. This power was so strong that even many cooks themselves might not be able to understand it and might even raise objections.

"Have you ever heard of land contracting?" Zhu Tan thought he was very funny and joked with Jiang Cai, but he was immediately stunned. If it was really possible, then completing it in one go would also be a good choice.

Jiang Cai was confused, but when he heard Zhu Tan's words, he was shocked. He felt that he had been thinking about this question for the past two years, but was defeated by Zhu Tan's casual words.

Zhu Tan believed that he could sort out Jiang Cai's ideas one by one, line by line, and then let the emperor and his brother-in-law review them.

Recalling what happened in front of him, Chu Deng stared at Jiang Cai with shining eyes.

"If you want to be a big businessman, or a distributor, then I can tell you that I will sell you 1 million kilograms of salt every year. Adding taxes, this price is already very cheap. How many times do you think you can earn?"

Jiang Cai couldn't believe his ears. It was about 10% of the annual output of the Ming Dynasty. Don't forget that this also includes the output of salt ponds and well salt in the mainland.

"My Lord, are you kidding me? How is this possible?"

Zhu Tan curled his lips. What was a hundred million kilograms? The salt-drying method could definitely produce it, and it would be more than enough.

"I'm not a person who likes to talk nonsense. I'll do whatever you want me to do!"

Jiang Cai had a headache. The sale of salt in the Ming Dynasty had a complete set of procedures, and not everyone could sell it. In fact, he was not able to sell all of the more than 100 million kilograms of salt.

"My Lord, I can't do this. The court alone won't agree. If I go and buy a batch of cheap salt, I will be thrown into prison."

Zhu Tan Haha, he can even speak for the court!

"Then I will tell you what is a low price, what is a low price, and whose low price it is."

Jiang Cai left Zhu Tan's residence, feeling as if he was in the clouds.

He actually borrowed 100 million taels of salt from Marquis Jianchang, and also learned how to sell at a low profit but in large quantities, how to occupy more market share, how to suppress competitors, and how to monopolize everything.

"Marquis Jianchang is indeed not an ordinary person!" Jiang Cai just sighed in the end.

Jiang Cai had just walked out of Qingkou Town when a cloth bag was put on his head. Without even a groan, he was pushed into the carriage. After taking off the bag from his head, Jiang Cai recognized the people in front of him at a glance. They were Rong Ge and Wu Jie.

One was the chief of the salt administration, and the other was a powerful and influential salt merchant.

Jiang Cai was too lazy to pay attention to Brother Rong, and turned to Wu Jie and asked, "Brother Wu, did I do something wrong? What happened?"

Wu Jie still had a good impression of Jiang Cai. He smiled awkwardly and said, "I don't know the rules and am a little rude. Please don't mind it, brother Jiang Cai. But these days, it's only you and Marquis Jianchang who talk the most. Everyone is curious about what they talk about."

Zhu Tan had been entertaining those who brought gifts during this period. Most of them were sent away with just a few words, but Jiang Cai really talked for a long time. No wonder those who were monitoring him were curious.

Brother Rong didn't answer, but just smiled and glared at him, signaling him to answer quickly.

Jiang Cai was stunned for a moment, then revealed a hint of bitterness. These words could be said in front of others, there was no need to hide them.

When Wu Jie heard Jiang Cai talking about this, he looked at Jiang Cai with a higher opinion of him again. What Jiang Cai said did point out some shortcomings in the salt administration, but they would accumulate over time and would be difficult to correct.

Then, Jiang Cai talked about the batch of salt permits awarded by Marquis Jianchang, which made Wu Jie and Rong Ge choke and spit out blood.

Brother Rong laughed and said, "No way? Marquis Jianchang would take out 100 million? What does that mean? I thought he was so powerful, but it turns out he is a complete idiot."

"This is too outrageous." Wu Jie couldn't believe it. No matter how much it was, as long as the price was right, it would be fine.

The salt in the Ming Dynasty costs 300 wen per kilogram. If it is 100 million, how much profit can it make?
Jiang Cai smiled bitterly in his heart. It turned out that he was not the only one who didn’t believe it, no one else believed it either!

If Zhu Tan knew, he could only tell those people that they simply did not understand the power of technology.

Gu Dayong’s cement kiln finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhu Tan was not very sure about his nephew, so he went to check it himself.

Zhu Tan was impressed at first sight. The program designed by Zhu Houzhao was not a product of the laboratory. It could be used every day. Even the quality could be used to pave the way. There would never be any cutting of corners.

He followed the cook in Qingkou Town, looking at those who were burned to ashes, confused. What can these ashes do? This is probably the habit of Jianchang Hou. In folk terms, it means being rich.

When the concrete is cooked, Zhu Tan will tell you how to use it, the ratio with river sand, whether to add some lime, and how to apply it.

This is a skill passed down from generation to generation, with its own unique skills, but even so, I was shocked by the scene before me.

When a test piece of concrete dried completely, it was so solid that the craftsmen were stunned.

Then there is the drying area, which is an area as big as a football field, covered with a layer of concrete and smooth concrete, and the entire area is blue-gray.

This will increase the heat, causing the seawater to evaporate quickly, thereby promoting the discharge of salt.

In addition to these, there are the standardized drying yards and other supporting equipment that Chu Yunsheng had seen in his previous life. In short, more than twenty people can manage this place in an orderly manner.

Zhu Tan set the construction process and asked the craftsmen to start working in three shifts over three days.

Why didn't anyone come to make trouble? First of all, they couldn't understand Zhu Tan's intention. They didn't think he could come up with anything new besides the regular salt land.

Secondly, the troops under Zhu Tan should not be underestimated. Although there are only seven or eight hundred people, all of them are loyal and reliable elite city guards.

What's more, Gu Dayong also brought hundreds of bottles of bullets and explosives from the capital, which was enough to reassure people, and this was also the source of Zhu Tan's confidence.

Therefore, those who had ulterior motives were waiting to see the show, waiting for Zhu Tan to make a fool of himself, and waiting for this royal descendant from outside the province to return to the capital in disgrace.

Zhu Tan was indeed here to do business. After setting the standards, he immediately began to enclose the land and marked out all the suitable places.

The biggest problem at the moment is manpower. Zhu Tan specifically asked Zhang Ju if he wanted to contract the plantation. If it wasn't for free, he would pay, which would make money faster than drinking!

Zhang Ju naturally wanted to cooperate. Money was one thing, but what was more important was to have a good relationship with Marquis Jianchang, otherwise he really couldn't do anything to him.

The son-in-law Ma Cheng is a very difficult person to deal with. He is very difficult to deal with.

Zhang Ju was able to mobilize more than 4000 troops and divide them into different areas without any effort.

Zhu Tan made full use of his expertise, that is, he was rich and willing to spend money. He would even give silver as a reward to the soldiers under Zhang Ju first, and won the praise and trust of the soldiers.

No one would dislike such a good boss who will give you money whenever you need it!

Zhu Tan also used his connections to get documents from the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commandery for Zhang Che to send troops, making it more justified.

Chu Xian drove for more than a month, and the quarry next to Qingkou Town began to produce salt, and the high-quality snowflake salt piled up like a mountain.

Jiang Cai got the news and came to deliver salt. When he saw the mountain of salt, he asked in surprise, "Is this the salt produced here?"

Hearing this answer, Jiang Cai felt terrible. He was shocked by the salt he saw in the drying yard. He didn't believe that he would have such a method. He thought that Marquis Jianchang must have used some means.

There was no technique involved, it was just people’s experience and Zhu Tan just took advantage of that.

Bargaining will only begin after the salt is sold. According to the current market price, one ton of salt costs three hundred taels, and a kitchen can be exchanged for one stone of rice, which is four or five taels.

Coming out of the kitchen, it costs three hundred taels per kilogram, and the price difference is a world of difference.

Jiang Cai did not dare to take advantage of Marquis Jianchang, so he mustered up the courage to offer the market price.

Zhu Tan's answer surprised Jiang Cai again. Although it was free, he still had to pay for the shipping himself, and he drew a red line on the retail price, twenty cents per pound.

He felt like he was dreaming and was under tremendous pressure. He knew that if he sold these things to civilians, he would be killed tomorrow and thrown into the ditch.

This has exceeded their bottom line. Even the cost of cooking is far more than this figure, which makes them very angry!
Jiang Cai suddenly felt that he had fallen into a big pit and there was no way back. He was sure that if he turned around and ran now, Marquis Jianchang would definitely kill him.

However, with his current physical condition, he simply cannot bear it!
Zhu Tan didn't care about Jiang Cai, he was very busy now! But when he heard the news, he still told Jiang Cai.

If you want to make money, you must take greater risks, and you can also transfer them by cooperating with more people!

(End of this chapter)