Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 126: Businessmen must obey politics! (First update)
Sunset.

Across the street, there is a familiar teahouse.

Luo Gan, Zhang Yuan and other salt merchants have all arrived.

Sitting in a private room on the third floor, looking at the crowds of people at the Kyoto Salt Shop below, his eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness.

They should have had a share of all this.

Now all of them fell into Xia Zhibai's hands.

Taking away someone's money is like harming someone's parents, how could they not hate him? But this was in Yingtian Prefecture, the emperor's feet, the best place, not to mention Xia Zhibai had the title of top scholar, and was doing business under the order of the court. Although they were dissatisfied, they dared not show it in public.

While drinking a big bowl of tea, Zhang Yuan slammed the bowl onto the table.

He looked around and said angrily, "What does Xia Zhibai want to do now? Does he want to laugh at us? We gave him enough face last time. Now the salt market in Yingtian Prefecture has been handed over to us. What else does he want?"

"You've already pushed us to this point, why did you call us here? Do you want to humiliate us again?"

"Even a clay man can get angry, let alone us. If we are really pushed to the limit."

A fierce look flashed across Zhang Yuan's eyes.

There are no easy people doing business these days. Anyone with a kind heart cannot do business and will not be able to succeed.

Of course they are no exception.

Now it’s just that Xia Zhibai is so powerful that they have to endure it, but if Xia Zhibai goes too far, they may not dare to retaliate.

The salt merchant at the side also chided in cursing, "This Xia Zhibai is going too far."

"Do you really think we are soft persimmons? You can summon us at will and send us away at will. Do you still want to squeeze us whenever you want?"

"He really pushed me into a corner. I'm not afraid of him."

"."

The salt merchant in the box was cursing.

Venting out the dissatisfaction in my heart.

Just as Luo Gan and Zhang Yuan continued to complain, footsteps were heard outside the door.

The sound in the compartment instantly fell silent.

creak.

There was a sound of a door being pushed open.

Xia Zhibai walked into the box steadily.

He calmly glanced at the salt merchants. There was still some anger and dissatisfaction on their faces, but they did not dare to show it in front of him.

Xia Zhibai knew it very well.

Xia Zhibai walked into the room and looked around.

Another thought flashed through his mind. In later generations, many gangs met on rooftops, but he seemed to meet people in teahouses.

Xia Zhibai came back to his senses, bowed slightly to Luo Gan and the others, and took the initiative to say: "I invited you all here this time because I have something to discuss with you. It is related to the salt market and your future livelihood."

Hear the words.

Luo Gan and others' expressions changed slightly.

Their faces turned livid and they stared at Xia Zhibai coldly.

Zhang Yuan, however, had a bad temper and could not help but sneer, "Salt market, what does the salt market have to do with us? It's as if our salt shops in Yingtian Prefecture can still operate. Aren't you the only one who has the final say in the salt market in Yingtian Prefecture, Lord Xia?"

"As for livelihood."

"Then don't bother Master Xia to worry about it."

"Since Yingtian Prefecture doesn't welcome us, then we can just go somewhere else. I just hope that you, Lord Xia, can show some mercy in the future and not be so ruthless."

"Leave a thin line in your behavior so that we can meet again in the future."

Zhang Yuan snorted coldly and didn't give Xia Zhibai any good look.

His expression was surprisingly ugly.

The other salt merchants also had indifferent expressions.

Xia Zhibai said, "That's why I called you here. The court has made new arrangements for me to expand my salt business to the entire north. According to my previous plan, the first two branches to be opened will be Shouzhou and Chuzhou."

"The salt markets in these two prefectures are in the hands of several people."

boom!
The tea bowl fell to the ground and broke into pieces.

"Xia Zhibai, what do you mean by this?" Zhang Yuan slammed the table in anger, glaring at him, his pupils filled with endless rage.

Luo Gan also stood up, staring at Xia Zhibai with a bad face and said, "Master Xia, what do you mean by this? Do you really want to kill all of us salt merchants? The Yingtianfu Salt Market has been occupied by you. We admit that we are indeed inferior to you in skills, but I also advise you not to go too far."

"If we force you into a corner, we won't let you off easy either."

"When a rabbit is cornered, even a rabbit will bite; when a dog is cornered, even a dog will jump over the wall. If we are pushed into a corner, we will do anything."

"Master Xia, I advise you to be cautious."

Luo Gan couldn't sit still anymore.

They are not the only salt markets in the world.

Their salt permits can only be sold to a few nearby prefectures. Now the largest prefecture, Yingtian, has been occupied by Xia Zhibai. Relying on the salt markets in Shouzhou and Chuzhou prefectures, they can barely survive although it is a bit difficult. If the markets in these two prefectures are also occupied by Xia Zhibai, then they will really be forced into a desperate situation.

There is no way to survive.

Then don't blame them for the consequences.

Xia Zhibai looked calm, and he glanced at Luo Gan and the others calmly without any panic. He said slowly: "I can understand your dissatisfaction, but this matter has been decided, and there will be no changes."

"I might as well tell you in advance."

"Not only Shouzhou and Chuzhou, but also Kaifeng, Shuntian, etc., all the four northern provincial governments and the salt markets in Zhili will fall into my hands."

"What I want to monopolize is the entire northern salt market." Luo Gan and other salt merchants' faces suddenly changed.

Xia Zhibai continued, "I know it's difficult to monopolize the salt market, especially since there are many salt merchants in the north, such as Shanxi merchants, border merchants, and many merchants who profit from the Sino-French trade. They will not agree easily and will stand against me. You may even unite to target me."

"Salt merchants from various regions have been operating in local areas for many years and have extensive networks of relationships in various places."

"ingrained."

“And it’s not hard to sell salt.”

"It's hard to find a low price, and it's hard to find transportation."

"The north is vast, and salt merchants from all over the country have their own salt transportation routes. If I, an outsider, want to interfere, I will certainly encounter many obstacles. Even if I produce and sell my own salt, I still cannot escape the high cost of transportation. As long as you make trouble in transportation, even if my salt production cost is very low, the price will eventually go up."

"Although I am an official, I am a businessman after all."

"The court won't ask too much."

"And conflicts and competition between merchants are inevitable."

"As long as there is no murder, the power of the northern salt merchants is enough to suppress me."

Seeing that Xia Zhibai understood so clearly, Luo Gan's expression eased a little, and he said in a cold voice: "Master Xia, since you know that we are salt merchants, you should know that the livelihood of our entire family depends on this. If you want to cut off our livelihood, how can we remain indifferent?"

"If Lord Xia called us here this time just to make us give up voluntarily, then Lord Xia can go back."

"impossible."

"Our livelihoods are at stake, so we won't give an inch!"

Luo Gan's eyes were cold and his look was extremely firm.

Xia Zhibai raised his eyes, shook his head and said: "I don't want you to give up. I also know you won't give up, but all this is in vain."

Zhang Yuan sneered, "Xia Zhibai, do you really think you won in Yingtian Prefecture?"

"I admit."

"Your attack really caught us off guard and we didn't react in time, but since we've experienced this before, we'll naturally be prepared and take countermeasures in advance. It may not work next time."

"And the reason why you won this time."

"The most important thing is that you are wearing an official uniform and have taken advantage of the government. Otherwise, even if you win, it won't be so easy."

"We can tolerate it in Yingtian Prefecture, but in other places, we have been running the salt market for so long, how can you win so easily? At worst, we will both die and the net will be broken, and no one will think about it."

Zhang Yuan's eyes were red.

Since Xia Zhibai won't give them a chance to live, they can only risk their lives.

What about officials?
They are all dying, who cares? !
Xia Zhibai picked up a tea bowl, filled it with tea, and pushed the bowl to the center of the group.

He chuckled and said, "There's no need to be so angry."

"Everything is negotiable."

"There's no need to fight to the death."

"Since you are so unwilling and indignant, I will tell you some things about the court. I believe that after you hear the court's decision, you will be able to calm down and sit down to discuss things calmly."

"The northern salt market will definitely be run by salt companies."

"There's no doubt about it."

“No one can stop it.”

“I can’t stop it.”

"As I said before, the biggest problem with transporting salt is transportation, and this link is also the most likely to cause accidents. However, this matter is not a problem in my hands."

"The court has decided to use part of the transportation capacity of the northern post stations for commercial salt transportation."

"Salt merchants did open up new transportation routes in the past, but they were still far inferior to the post stations that occupied the transportation hubs."

"In the past, you transported salt with mules, horses, donkeys, and ox carts, but do you have as many animals as the post stations? Can the post stations take good care of them? You need to send a lot of guards to protect the safety of salt transportation, but using the post stations to escort can greatly reduce expenses."

"Salt merchants, do you dare to attack the post station?"

"You can't compete with us in terms of salt production costs, transportation, escort, etc. How can you win?"

"in addition."

"The salt permit in your hands."

"It won't take long in the North to become obsolete."

"I can't add salt."

"Because all the cooks in the north will enter my salt enterprise, and the salt they produce will also fall into my hands. Without salt, what can you use to fight and win?"

Luo Gan and others' pupils trembled slightly, and they felt fear for the first time.

Xia Zhibai sighed and said slowly: "You may have realized a long time ago that I have never regarded you as my opponents because we are not on the same level."

"You are the ones who follow the rules, and I am the one who designs the rules."

"How can you win?"

“Not only you, but also other salt merchants.”

"Even all the merchants in the world."

"Without exception."

"No one or any organization can resist the state apparatus."

“Businessmen must obey politics!!!”

"Now you should calm down and sit down to have a good talk, right?" Xia Zhibai looked at the people with shocked and dazed faces and spoke calmly.

(End of this chapter)