Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 87: You broke the rules first, so don't blame us for turning the table over! (Subscribe)
Fang Mo climbed back onto the shop table.

He looked at the people outside who were in disbelief, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

When he first heard the price, he was also in disbelief.

But it's true.

Fang Mo said: "If you want to buy salt at 18 wen per jin now, you can go to the right to queue up. If you want to form a group of ten to buy salt at 15 wen per jin, you can go to the left to form a group to buy it. Our salt shop has been preparing for two months and has sufficient stock. Moreover, people will come to deliver salt day and night."

"As long as you want it, we can sell it."

"but."

Fang Mo paused, then smiled and said, "We are only open six hours a day. After all, we also need to eat and stock up at other times."

Fang Mo's words also caused laughter from all around.

Fang Mo continued: "You should have seen a wooden sign just now."

"This is the counting method our commander came up with."

"For the next month, when we close the store every day, we will announce the number of pounds of salt we sold that day and tell the people in the city. After we close the store on July 6, our salt shop will compile the data for the other eight counties under the jurisdiction of Yingtian Prefecture."

“Fair, just and open.”

"Our commander is willing to show such great sincerity, so he will not cheat on the amount of 500,000 kilograms."

“The people can supervise and testify.”

"If we can reach 500,000 catties in a month, our salt shop will keep its promise and sell salt at 15 cents per catty from now on."

"If it is not reached, the original price will be restored to 20 wen per catty from now on. However, within this month, less than a catty and individual purchases will be sold at 1 liang 2 wen, and there will be no discount."

"Of course 500,000 jin is a lot."

"The total population of Yingtian Prefecture is only about 600,000 to 700,000."

"So there is no expectation. Everyone should just buy as much as possible within this month and stock up as much as possible."

"You can't lose money by buying salt for 15 wen. You can't be cheated by buying it. When the price goes back to 20 wen, don't complain that you bought less this month."

"I will put this document with the seal in a prominent place in the store."

While talking.

Fang Mo put the document in a wooden frame and placed it on a cabinet in the store. Anyone who approached the store could see the contents clearly.

The people who were close by took a closer look and shouted excitedly to the back: "It's really the government seal, and it also has the Ministry of Revenue seal."

"Shop owner, what does it mean to form a group of ten people? Even if they don't know each other, it's okay?" Someone expressed his concerns, because ten people was too general and they still couldn't believe it.

Fang Mo nodded and said, "Our store doesn't care about that."

"As long as there are ten of you coming to buy it and you say you are buying it together, then that's it."

"No matter if they are men or women, young or old, women or children, as long as they are human beings and citizens of the Ming Dynasty, they all meet the requirements. As for whether they know each other or have bought something before, we do not ask."

"But I still have a suggestion."

"It is not recommended to bring a baby who has not been weaned. Even if you do bring one, we will still have to recognize it."

“But this is somewhat inappropriate.”

Fang Mo also gradually adapted to it and made a joke.

It also caused laughter from everyone around.

At this time.

There are still voices of doubt.

"Is there something wrong with this salt? How can it be so cheap?"

"Nothing will happen if you eat it."

Fang Mo looked calm and not angry. Instead, he waved his hand behind him, and immediately a thin man came with a glass bottle.

Very beautiful and transparent.

Can see inside from outside.

Fang Mo said: "I know you have doubts. After all, since ancient times, cheap goods are not good. But my father is the top scholar of the dynasty. How could he do such a despicable thing?"

"The salt we provide is first-class quality salt."

"Fine salt."

“It’s not refined salt, but it’s better than most salt on the market.”

"I'll pour ten pounds of salt into this jar later."

“You can tell the quality at a glance.”

As they were talking, someone poured a jar of salt in.

I saw the slightly dark salt filling the entire bottle in an instant.

A little bit of it fell into a wooden tray beside it.

Someone with quick hands, while Fang Mo wasn't paying attention, tapped it with his finger, quickly put it in his mouth, sucked his finger, then raised his wet finger with a hint of surprise and said, "Salty, this salt is saltier than the salt sold in other salt shops."

"Good salt."

“Better than any other salt.”

Fang Mo smiled.

How can salt made with new technology be bad?
He even felt a little unfair, thinking that Xia Zhibai had set the price of salt too low.

This salt should be sold for at least thirty cents.

Fifteen cents is too little.

Fang Mo coughed lightly. Now Fang Mo's words had great weight in the ears of the people around him.

The surroundings soon became quiet.

Fang Mo said: "What I just showed you is the salt that our salt shop is going to sell."

"Of course, other salts will be introduced in the future, such as salt that can treat goiter and refined salt specially supplied to princes and ministers."

“It’s just that the price will be much higher.”

"Now that everyone is so enthusiastic, I won't spoil the fun again."

"My Kyoto Salt Shop is officially open."

"Salt, on sale!"

Fang Mo shouted and gave up his seat.

As business started, the store was crowded again, but no one was in a hurry to go forward, instead they were just shouting to each other.

"Who wants to form a group? Add me."

"I'm still short of two people, who wants to join us?"

"Add me one."

"."

Standing at the back of the store, looking at the bustling flow of people, Fang Mo was secretly amazed.

The new top scholar is really amazing.

It took only a few months to create this huge event.

With the low price that Kyoto Salt sells on the market, as long as other salt merchants do not target it maliciously, the sales volume will be extremely crushed in the next month, making it difficult for other salt merchants to breathe, and even making it impossible for other salt merchants to sell their salt.

The money that the people of Yingtian Prefecture had for buying salt was completely drained away.

In the future, Kyoto Salt Industry will be the dominant player in the sales of salt in Yingtian Prefecture.

And it's monopolized.

Across the street, in the private room on the third floor of the teahouse.

There was complete silence inside, and the atmosphere was terrifyingly depressing and silent.

No one could sit still any longer.

They all stood in front of the windowsill, staring down with their eyes filled with shock, anger and anxiety.

Is Xia Zhibai crazy?
Fifteen cents?
How can you do this in business?
They just wanted to let Xia Zhibai see that businessmen are not afraid of deception. As a result, Xia Zhibai not only did not fall for it, but also lowered the price of salt to a very low level in one go.

The normal price is twenty cents.

They were paid about fifteen or sixteen cents each when they were sent to Yingtian Prefecture, and they had to support a large family.

Twenty cents was the lowest price they had negotiated before. It couldn't be any lower. If it was any lower, they would lose money. However, Xia Zhibai directly broke the bottom price.

Eighteen cents!
And there are still fifteen cents?!

Is Xia Zhibai really here to do business? Is he really not here to open a charity?
"Shall we still follow?"

The pot-bellied merchant asked uncertainly.

According to their previous plan, no matter what price Xia Zhibai offered, they were prepared to lower the price by one penny.

But now it’s 15 cents? Are they still going to lower the price?
"What a bullshit." Luo Gan cursed, "Fifteen cents? How can you expect us to sell it? How much will we lose per pound? How much wealth do you have to lose?"

"Xia Zhibai has been preparing for two whole months. Do you know how much inventory he has?"

"Even if there isn't 500,000 kilograms, there must be at least 100,000 kilograms. Can we lose so much salt all at once?"

"This is thousands of taels of silver, which is our income for several years!"

"But if we don't follow them, with the attitude of the Jingdu Salt Shop, I'm afraid that in the next month, the people of Yingtian Prefecture will go to them to buy salt. Wouldn't our salt be wasted? And looking at the situation, I'm afraid that the people will go crazy and buy salt for the next few months in one go." Another merchant said worriedly: "Can we just watch?"

Luo Gan was also extremely upset.

Xia Zhibai's actions were completely unconventional.

It completely disrupted their thinking and left them at a loss as to what to do.

You're losing money anyway.

suffocated.

Luo Gan paced back and forth in the room, thinking of a solution. It was impossible to get involved. They didn't have that much salt to throw in. And if they did, who knew if Xia Zhibai would do something crazy again? Could they afford to waste time with Xia Zhibai?
When Xia Zhibai finally leaves, they won’t know how long it will take for them to recover.

But if we don’t mix it in, will we just let Xia Zhibai sell salt?
Let him completely seize the market?

"Twenty and fifteen cents." Suddenly Luo Gan's eyes lit up and he thought of a solution.

He said in a deep voice: "I have thought of a way. Judging from the current situation, Xia Zhibai is obviously losing money to gain publicity, just to make the account look better so that he can report to the current emperor."

"We can't waste time with him."

"Xia Zhibai obviously knows that he can't last long."

“So we deliberately created a gimmick and sold 500,000 kilograms in a month.”

"First, it is to build momentum for myself, second, it is to make the accounts look good, and third, it is to facilitate future price increases."

“He had no intention of achieving it.”

“But we can help him achieve that goal.”

"Are you crazy if we help Luo Gan?" someone said dissatisfiedly.

Luo Gan sneered, "You heard it right. I want to help him reach 500,000 kilograms."

"Fifteen cents a pound of salt, even if you produce and sell it yourself, you're bound to lose money. How much money does Xia Zhibai have to lose?"

“Salt can be put in.”

“But once you spend the money, it’s gone.”

"When the price of salt could only be fixed at 15 wen, no matter how powerful Xia Zhibai was, he could only break the contract in disgrace, or close the shop and run away in disgrace."

"Then the salt market in Yingtian Prefecture will naturally fall back into our hands."

“We have the final say on the price of salt.”

"We will make up for the money we lost in the past few months by letting these people who are greedy for small profits to get back one by one."

"The top pick?"

"You dare to steal our food. Don't think you'll have an easy life, not to mention he's the top scholar. Even if he's a royal relative, don't expect him to have an easy life."

"To rob someone of their money is like to kill their parents. It is unforgivable."

"He should understand this!"

There was a flash of madness and ferocity in Luo Gan's eyes.

The other merchants looked at each other, all with gloomy faces, and nodded: "Okay, let's do it."

"What if he dares to steal our jobs, he's the top scholar?"

"I'm going to make him break his head and bleed."

"He was the one who broke the rule first, so don't blame us for turning the table over."

"Don't even think about it!"

(End of this chapter)