I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 685 Don’t buy the right ones, just the expensive ones!

Sun Xueguang turned around and looked at Yang Guian with a look of grief and indignation, "Fuck him! Yang Yunpeng got ahead of me again."

Yang Guian was confused by what he heard.

Yang Yunpeng?
Who!

The love rival of my grandson?
The two men fell in love with the same lady from a prominent family, but she was snatched away by Yang Yunpeng.

But he just snatched it away, why did he make such a big fuss? The whole Fourth Division was cheering. If this was really because of this, how bad is your popularity!

Yang Guian was lost in thought, and Sun Xueguang said sadly: "The First Division has taken down the Tusi City of Bozhou, and Yang Yinglong and his sons have been executed."

what!
The Tusi City of Bozhou was taken.

"So fast?"

"Twenty thousand kilograms of gunpowder, how could it not be fast?" Sun Xueguan looked towards the direction of Bozhou City in the west, as if that was his unreachable poetry and distant place, which had now been blown up by twenty thousand kilograms of gunpowder.

Yang Guian explained quickly, "Twenty thousand kilograms of gunpowder. I know twenty thousand kilograms of gunpowder is very powerful, but it won't grow legs to blow up the city. Someone needs to brave the arrows, stones, and wood, and rush to the bottom of the city wall to install it, and then light the fuse for it to explode!"

"Yang Yunpeng led the elite team to blow up four gates of the Bozhou Tusi City and rushed into the main camp. Yang Yinglong and his sons and nephews put up a desperate resistance but were killed by the elite team.

Bozhou City was conquered in half a day.

Yang Yunpeng has made great achievements this time. I will never be able to catch up with him again."

"Captain Sun, what is your relationship with this Yang Yunpeng?"

"He and I were classmates at the Qinghe Military Academy. We were both young and brave, so we started fighting after a disagreement.
Old Yang, don’t you know who Yang Yunpeng is? "

"Who is it? Although his surname is Yang, he is really not my relative." Yang Guian shook his head.

"He is the youngest son of Wang Duxian's adoptive father. He has been with Wang Duxian since he was a child, just like his own brother."

"What, Wang Duxian's brother? How did he become the captain of the Elite Team?"

Yang Guian had heard from his instructors during military training how high the mortality rate of the Selected Pioneers was. If you joined the Selected Pioneers, as long as you survived, you would be promoted to a higher rank.

Getting promoted quickly also means it's really dangerous.

"Yang Yunpeng used to be the captain of Wang Duxian's personal guard. When Wang Duxian came to Huguang, he asked to serve in the army and chose the First Division, which was the farthest from Wang Duxian.

This guy is not only the captain of the elite team, but also the first to reach the Tusi City of Bozhou and behead the traitor Yang Yinglong. I can only look up to him for this achievement!"

Looking at Sun Xueguan's dejected look, Yang Guian felt mixed emotions.

Why are you fighting with Yang Yunpeng for no reason?

His brother is Wang Yi'e, from the Southeast faction. He is a ruthless man who personally wielded a knife to kill Japanese pirates. He is familiar with military leaders like Qi Jiguang. Who wouldn't be familiar with them?

With such a strong backer, he would be promoted quickly!

Can you catch up?

How strong is your backing?

Is your brother-in-law a pillar of state?
But he has retired from the army. Even if he works in the Hunan Public Security Department, he can't help you much.

Xiao Sun, you have such a wild heart! You have to compete with him!

But Yang Yunpeng is also a ruthless person. With his strong connections, he can get promoted anywhere. Others may need to work hard for ten or eight years, but he can climb up in two steps at a time.

Quick and easy.

He chose to be elected as the captain of the vanguard team, and took on such a tough task as Bozhou Tusi City.

The Tusi City of Bozhou has been run for five or six hundred years, so it is so solid!

It is true that you have 20,000 kilograms of gunpowder, but that stuff can blow up the village gates and city walls, and it can also blow you to pieces!
Wang Duxian is a ruthless man, and his younger brother is also a ruthless man.

"Little Sun, don't be anxious, there is still a long way to go! If there is no light in the east, there will be light in the west! Yang Yinglong just suppressed the rebellion, even if he was chopped into eighteen pieces, that's not much of a contribution.

If you participated in a war to destroy a country, captured the king of the enemy country, and immediately made him a marquis regardless of whether he was dead or alive, wouldn't you have quickly come from behind and become the winner?"

Sun Xueguan's eyes lit up.

"Old Yang, what you said makes sense!
Yes, attacking Bozhou and killing Yang Yinglong was just suppressing a rebellion, no matter how hard you try, it was not as great as destroying a country. Hu Gong, Qi Shuai, and other generals, all of them were awarded titles for their contributions in destroying a country.

Yes, that's right! When you said that, my mind immediately became clear.

"The head-chopping thief, Mang Yinglong of the Toungoo Kingdom! I have my eyes on him! The emperor has issued a special decree to severely reprimand him. His head is worth at least an earl!"

"That's right. Although the navy's naval forces reduced the coastal areas of Toungoo to ruins, Mang Yinglong hid in the inland mountains and forests, and in the end it was our army that had to use volley guns and bayonets to eliminate him.

This bastard used to be a chieftain of Yunnan. He rebelled against the Ming Dynasty, occupied Pagan, and proclaimed himself king. If we get rid of him, our achievements must be much greater than Yang Yinglong's!

"Xiao Sun, after Guizhou is reformed, Yunnan will be next. After Yunnan is cleaned up, isn't the Kingdom of Toungoo next door? It will only take three to five years. By then, you will be promoted to the head of the regiment, and it will be easier for you to make meritorious deeds."

Sun Xueguang smiled happily, "Old Yang, you really are a top talent of the Jinyiwei. Apart from other things, when it comes to convincing people, you are like catching a round fish in a jar, it's easy for you to catch it!"

A messenger came running to deliver the order: "Report, order from the regiment!"

"Say!"

"The entire division will turn to Guiyang City."

"What about the prisoners in our battalion?"

"Take him to Guiyang City for local screening and reform education."

"The Second Battalion of the Left Guard has received the order, and we must carry it out resolutely!"

When a sharp copper whistle sounded, Agui and other Bozhou soldiers trembled with fear, and some were so scared that the wooden bowls in their hands dropped to the ground with a bang.

Sun Xueguan glanced at them.

The sharp sound of the whistle is so scary, but you haven’t heard the sound of the trumpet when the entire army charges!
The 4th Division's marching route was to go south along the Meitan River, and after arriving at the Wujiang River, cross the Wujiang River, and then go south along the Qingjiang River and Nanming River, which were also tributaries of the Wujiang River, all the way to Guiyang.

When they arrived at Maolipu Town on the bank of Wujiang River, Yang Guian said goodbye to Sun Xueguan.

"Old Yang is leaving?"

"Let's go. First, we'll go down the river to Sinan City, meet up with Li Lingshi and Ren Dushi, and then go back to Chenxi City to report to the Dusi."

"Okay, since you have business to attend to, I won't keep you. We may be far apart in the future, but there will always be a chance for us to meet again."

"Of course we'll meet. Don't you go back to Hunan to visit your relatives every year? Come find me if you pass by Changsha and I'll treat you to a drink."

"Okay, I will. When I get to Changsha, I will find you and my brother-in-law and get drunk with him."

"I'll leave Tian Agui in your care. He's alert, can speak Chinese and Miao, and knows a lot of words. After a few months of training in the military academy, he'll be a good candidate."

"Don't worry. Our Fourth Division will assist Guizhou in forming a battalion guard. I will recommend him. He is indeed a good candidate."

"See you, Vice Captain Sun!"

"Goodbye, Yang Dushi!" Following Yang Guian's eastward advance, there were also reports of victory sent from the First Division from Bozhou Tusi City, the Fourth Division from Meitan City, the Second Division from Huangping, the Third Division from Shiqian, as well as Zhu Yu, Li Mingchun and others from Sinan City, all flying eastward like flowing water.

They were first gathered in Chenxi City, the seat of the Qianzhong Military Commission, and then rushed by the Military Commission for 800 miles to the Tongzhengsi and Rong Government, and finally presented to Zhu Yijun's imperial desk.

At this time, Zhu Yijun was drinking tea, eating fruit in the West Garden, listening to Yang Jinshui talk about his new money tree.

"Tobacco? Jinshui, how did you come up with the idea of ​​tobacco?"

"I have heard from the Emperor before that the Spaniards discovered a strange herb in Xun and Dui continents. It can be dried and fermented, and then lit and smoked. It can make people become immortal and addicted. It is a good business with huge profits.

As soon as I heard about the huge profits, I kept it in mind.

It happened that the Suzaku Navy occupied Cebu Island. When the military caravan was counting the spoils, they found a strange grass that the Spaniards brought from Xundu Island and transplanted to Cebu Island to repel insects, exactly as the emperor had described.

I immediately ordered people to transplant this tobacco to Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan and other places for testing.

"do experiments?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Why do you want to do an experiment?"

“Your Majesty, I don’t know where this tobacco can be grown, so I might as well cast a wide net and plant it in various places to see where the quality is better.

After the tobacco was grown, we dried it in the shade and fermented it according to the method the Spaniards said, and asked people to light it and smoke it. We found that it was indeed very effective, but it was not perfect. So I went to find Mr. Dongbi. "

"What do you want to do with Li Shizhen?"

"I once heard from the Emperor that tobacco is also called cigarettes. Tobacco leaves are one part of the cigarette, and various spices are added. Each one has a different effect when smoked, and can make people become immortal.

Mr. Dongbi is known as the King of Medicine. No one in the world is more familiar with medicinal herbs and spices than him."

Good man, Yang Jinshui, you are already starting to integrate technology and hard work at this time!
"Under the guidance of Mr. Dongbi, I found a dozen spices that have a strange aroma when burned but are harmless to humans. I ground them into powder and mixed them with tobacco. I adjusted the proportions and tried for more than a year before finally coming up with five recipes.

Some have the lowest cost but average taste; some have moderate cost but unique taste; and some have the highest cost but are unanimously considered to have the most mellow and best taste.

I have made the tobacco, but I am at a loss as to how to sell it. "

Zhu Yijun smiled, "That's right, in the tobacco industry, research and development is the threshold, and how to sell it is the most important thing."

"Your Majesty is wise. I am worried about the five kinds of tobacco I have. How should I sell them? Should I sell them in shreds? I can't sell them at a high price by the ounce or two ounces!"
It's just like food. Even if you make it into something beautiful, others will still think it's just a pile of grass leaves. Why would they spend a lot of money to buy it?
Let me think about it again. Selling tobacco like tea leaves? Although it can make money, it is not as profitable as the emperor said. What should I do?

I wanted to ask the emperor several times, but I was too embarrassed to ask.

The emperor has pointed out the way, and the rest is up to us servants to do. If we have to have the emperor's instructions on everything, then what's the point of keeping us servants?

I pondered over what to do. One day, I thought, it would be great if I could sell tobacco like wine. Wine is also made from grain, and when it ferments and turns into water, the price increases several times. If it is brewed well, the price can be more than ten or even dozens of times higher.

But how can we sell tobacco like alcohol?
I will continue to think about it."

As Yang Jinshui spoke, he stood up and replaced a cup of hot tea for Zhu Yijun.

"You should change your tea, too. You've been talking for so long that your mouth must be dry. Cold tea doesn't make you feel good."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

Yang Jinshui drank two sips of the newly hot tea to moisten his throat, and continued: "The servants who are in charge of tobacco have all started smoking this tobacco. Some of them use Spanish pipes, and some use wooden copper pots.

One day, one of the subordinates forgot to bring his copper pot and had no way to fill it with tobacco to smoke, so he complained that if there was any way, he could carry the tobacco with him and take it out to smoke at any time.

Hearing this, I suddenly became enlightened. Yes, we can find a way to allow people to smoke tobacco anytime and anywhere, isn't it the same as turning grain into wine?

I immediately asked people to start researching it. After trying many methods, I found that wrapping the tobacco into a cigarette the size of a chopstick was the most suitable.

Cigarettes were originally rolled by workers by hand. The tightness of the cigarettes varied. The loose ones burned quickly, while the tight ones burned slowly, and the feeling of smoking was completely different.

Besides, manual production is costly and inefficient. Under the guidance of the Emperor, I am the first person to initiate the Industrial Revolution. How can I still use such a backward method? No, I have to change it. "

Zhu Yijun burst into laughter after hearing this.

That’s right, under his guidance, Yang Jinshui was indeed the first person to initiate the industrial revolution in the Ming Dynasty.

When people in the future study the Ming Dynasty’s Age of Navigation, the eunuch Zheng He, the Three Treasures, is an unavoidable pioneer; when people study the Ming Dynasty’s Industrial Revolution, the eunuch Yang Jinshui, the God of Wealth, is the unavoidable first person.

They are all eunuchs, what happened to the Ming Dynasty?
Is there something wrong with its system? Is it too reactionary and backward?

Yang Jinshui continued, "I asked the people from the research institute to try again and again, but it didn't work because the paper was too soft and it would be easily squeezed and deformed. I also tried to imitate people rolling cigarettes, but it still didn't work because the tightness was not the same.
Finally, a craftsman, no, an engineer came up with a brilliant idea, suck it! "

"suck?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. The tobacco is very light. The tobacco paper is rolled into a tube, which is placed inside a copper tube. When the vacuum pump is used, the tobacco is drawn up and flies into the cigarette.

As long as the suction size of the vacuum machine is controlled, the tightness of the tobacco shreds can be controlled."

As Yang Jinshui spoke, he took out five boxes of cigarettes from the box he brought.

"Your Majesty, this pack contains thirty sticks."

"It's too many. Twenty is enough. It's easy to carry. Thirty is too many. It's bulging and hard to put in your pocket."

"Your Majesty is wise. I have another request."

"You said."

"Of these five kinds of tobacco, the worst two, I and my subordinates decided to name them Lugou Bridge and Sanggan River. The two ordinary ones, we named them Chaoyang Gate and Luan River.

Now there is still one most expensive one, which has not been named yet. We, the servants, dare to ask the emperor to give it a name. "

"Name it? Let me think about it. Let me ask you, how much do you plan to sell these cigarettes for?"

"Cigarettes?" Yang Jinshui was stunned for a moment, then immediately responded, "To answer your Majesty, the worst Lugou Bridge and Sanggan River cigarettes cost about one cent, and I want to sell them for five or six cents a pack.

The cost of Chaoyang Gate and Luanhe is about three cents, and I want to sell them for 15 cents and 18 cents. The most expensive cost is about five cents, and I want to sell them for 25 cents. "

Zhu Yijun asked again: "Which one is better, Lugou Bridge or Sanggan River?"

"Sanggan River is the worst, Lugou Bridge is slightly better. Chaoyang Gate is slightly worse, Luan River is slightly better."

"The ones at Sanggan River are five cents, the ones at Lugou Bridge are ten cents. The ones at Chaoyang Gate are ten and a half cents, the ones at Luan River are twenty-five cents, and the most expensive ones are fifty cents." Zhu Yijun paused and added, "Twenty in a pack."

Yang Jinshui took a breath of cold air.

I said it was a pack of thirty, but you said it was a pack of twenty, and it’s so expensive.

Your Majesty, you are the God of Wealth!
"This pricing method creates a price ladder, and people with different incomes will consciously buy corresponding cigarettes. As for the most expensive cigarettes, if you can spend 25 cents to buy a pack, will you care about spending an extra 25 cents?
How can we make people who smoke these cigarettes feel satisfied if we don’t raise the price too high? Taste is a very subjective thing, as long as it’s acceptable and there’s a certain difference, it’s fine. The key is to find the right target customer group based on the price.”

Your Majesty, I am the fake God of Wealth, and you are the real God of Wealth!
As he was speaking, Wanfu came running over breathlessly, "Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun raised his eyebrows, "What happened?"

"Your Majesty, something big has happened"

(End of this chapter)