In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 813 The Merchant Guild's Success Awaits the Development of All Industries
At Liu Sili's command, the young women who had been busy making arrangements all stepped back.

The slightly noisy sounds in the reception room suddenly stopped.

Only the soft breathing of the crowd remained, and the atmosphere instantly became heavy.

The important figures took their seats one after another.

Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding was a burly man, sitting imposingly in his chair, his eyes exuding authority.

He glanced around at the people around him, frowned slightly, and seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the round table.

Marquis Yongding, Zhang Quan, was relatively relaxed, with a hint of curiosity on his face.

He would occasionally exchange a few words in hushed tones with Xu Huizu, the Duke of Wei, who was standing beside him.
Although Xu Huizu was young, he had a calm expression and simply nodded in response.

On the civil officials' side, Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui sat upright in his chair, his eyes deep and penetrating.

Minister of Works Qin Kui tapped the table lightly from time to time, seemingly waiting for the meeting to begin.

Minister of War Shen Jin arrived all smiles and chatted incessantly with people, living up to his reputation as a kind-hearted man.

Minister of Revenue Zhao Mian bowed slightly, his hands clasped in front of him.
He appeared calm, but a hint of urgency was revealed in the occasional glances he raised.

Han Yike, deputy director of the Market and Commerce Bureau, sat to one side.
His eyes held a scrutinizing gaze, as if he were observing the reactions of the people in the merchant guild.
Yuan Tai, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, smiled slightly.
With a faint, enigmatic smile, she was impossible to decipher.

Lu Yunyi, on the other hand, sat quietly in a corner, trying his best to make himself less conspicuous.

After all, everyone present was either a marquis, a governor, or a high-ranking official.
His official rank is not high and he is young, so he should speak less and listen and observe more in this situation.

Behind this round table are rows of solid wood chairs, where Yingtian Trading Company's upstream and downstream supply chain managers and partners sit.

They were sweating profusely and dared not breathe.

Normally, if even one adult present were to show up, they would be forced to kneel and kowtow.
Today, such a large table of guests has arrived. Even the most experienced manager has never seen anything like it.

Time flew by, and half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Several books were placed in front of each adult, and some were already quietly flipping through them.

Liu Sili, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and the head manager of the Yingtian Trading Company, sat at the head of the table, cleared his throat, and began to speak:
"Gentlemen and managers, I have gathered you all here today..."
This was the annual shareholders' meeting of Yingtian Trading Company, and also the time to discuss profit distribution.

"In the past year, with the support and help of everyone, the business has achieved considerable success."

As soon as he finished speaking, Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding clapped his hands with a smile and spoke first, his voice as loud as a bell:

"Lord Liu, we have been waiting for this day for a long time."

Guo Ying's words drew a few light laughs from the crowd, easing the atmosphere slightly.

Liu Sili smiled and nodded, saying:
"As of yesterday, Yingtian Trading Company has been open for a year."
The turnover reached 4,603,641 taels!

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent, followed by gasps of surprise.

The officials present whispered amongst themselves, utterly shocked by the number.
The shopkeepers sitting at the back were even more incredulous, their faces turning completely red.

"Four million six hundred thousand taels!"

Marquis Yongding, Zhang Quan, stared wide-eyed, his face filled with shock, secretly calculating in his mind.
If all this money were given to him, every soldier in Puzikou City would be able to wear heavy armor, be equipped with good northern horses, and even produce tens of thousands of heavy cavalry.

Liu Sili smiled and continued:

"Yingtian Trading Company's turnover of 4.6 million taels of silver had a gross profit of 35%, or 1.61 million taels of silver, while the net profit was 15%, totaling 690,000 taels of silver."

"Six hundred and ninety thousand taels"

Upon hearing this, the air in the room seemed to suddenly become much thinner.

Seven hundred thousand taels a year!
Some dukes and marquises looked at each other, having experienced periods of war.
Even robbery wouldn't be this fast; perhaps only the move of the Yuan Dynasty's capital palace could be this swift.

Minister of War Shen Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"The trading company makes a lot of money, but what about losses?"

"Lord Liu, tell me, where did all this money go?"

Liu Sili was prepared, and he answered calmly:

"Aside from the wages paid to workers and the payments made to various households and villages, most of the money spent was used for road repairs and to help various villages."

Over the past year, the business has built 93 roads leading to the official road in the surrounding villages, which has facilitated the travel of villagers and promoted the flow of goods.

At the same time, we also invested money to help villages build various workshops so that they could be self-sufficient and live a good life.

In the past year alone, the Yingtian Trading Company has connected with 270 villages.

All sorts of items are produced from this, affecting over 100,000 people in the upstream and downstream sectors.

Upon hearing this, Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui slightly raised his head, a hint of appreciation appearing in his eyes.
"Such a good deed? How much money did these 100,000 people earn?"

Liu Sili quickly bowed and said:
"The merchants have made a rough estimate, but since most people won't tell us the truth, we can only make a rough guess."
Even in the poorest villages, a family's annual income is at least five qian of silver.

"so much?"

Zhan Hui clenched his fist tightly. As the Minister of Personnel, his duty was to select virtuous and capable officials for the court.

He knew best the lives of the villagers outside the town.
Let alone making money, it would be good if we didn't owe any money for a year.

In some remote areas, a few dozen copper coins could cost them their lives.

"Lord Liu, with all the officials present today, you mustn't speak carelessly."

Especially concerning matters of the common people, I must report this to His Majesty. If there is any falsehood involved, His Majesty will blame you and me.”

"Rest assured, Lord Zhan, all the documents and accounts are kept in the business."

There were too many, that's why I didn't bring them up.

If the Ministry of Personnel wishes to review this document, they can notify the Market and Exchange Bureau and then make a copy.

Seeing his confident demeanor, Zhan Hui nodded, relieved, and praised him:
"good."

Liu Sili quickly bowed and said:
"You flatter me, Lord Zhan. The development of our business is inseparable from the hard work and support of the people in the villages."

The merchants made money and enjoyed the spoils, so naturally they should share some of the profits with the people who supported them.

Moreover, this matter of helping villages,

"These are the rules that Lord Lu established when he founded the trading company. Without this initial intention, the company would not exist."

Upon hearing Liu Sili mention him, Lu Yunyi slightly raised his head and nodded to everyone.

The crowd lingered on him for a long time, their gazes a jumble of complex emotions.
There's a sense of regret that this isn't my son.
Liu Sili paused for a moment, then spoke again:
"Yingtian Trading Company has always attached great importance to the livelihood of each village and has put a lot of effort into this regard."

Speaking of weaving alone, in the past, the villagers used old spinning wheels, which were inefficient.
They can't weave much cloth in a day, and the hard-earned money isn't even enough to eat and drink.

The trading company then invited skilled craftsmen from Jiangnan to set up textile machinery improvement workshops in various villages.

These machinists not only improved the spinning wheel, making it spin faster and easier to operate,
With substantial investment, a new type of loom was also developed.
It can weave fabrics with more intricate patterns and a finer texture.

"Nowadays, many villages have developed into sizable textile workshops."

Like Lijia Village in Jiangning County, which was originally just a poor little village,
Most villagers rely on farming for a living. When they are extremely hungry, they go fishing or digging for vegetables, but they can't earn much money all year round.

Since the trading company entered the village, it has purchased spinning wheels for almost every household.

The women spun and wove at home during the day, while the men were responsible for transporting the woven cloth to the merchant's purchasing point.

Only six months have passed, and many hardworking villagers have already paid off the debts they incurred to purchase spinning wheels.

If I work hard again next year, I'll be earning my own money, which is very promising.

Now, Lijia Village can supply around 600 bolts of cloth to merchants every month, and each household earns at least one tael of silver.

"By the way, the number of children from Lijia Village attending the school has surged from eleven in twenty-one years ago to one hundred and five now!" "That's great!"

Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui nodded in approval:

His Majesty has said several times that he wants to promote education and literacy among the people.
Although Yingtian Trading Company did not establish an academy, its actions were of great merit!

"Not bad." Minister of Works Qin Kui nodded:
"Now that the country is increasingly peaceful, the requirements for all professions have become extremely high."

It's no longer the time when someone who couldn't read a single character could hastily mount a horse.

Whether you pursue business or become a government official, you must learn to read and write, and understand principles. Without literacy, there is no future!

The crowd nodded in agreement, especially the merchants and shopkeepers behind them, who were extremely excited!

This was the first time they had ever heard a top figure in the imperial court speak directly about his thoughts.
Putting aside everything else, let's glean some insights from this.
That would allow them to ride the wave and make a fortune.

Liu Sili continued:
"Not only cloth weaving, but also pottery making has developed significantly."

The merchants discovered that many villages around Yingtianfu possessed excellent clay.
But in the past, the villagers didn't know how to make pottery, so they could only watch helplessly as the clay sat idle.

After discovering this situation, the merchant guild invited experienced pottery masters from the city.

Pottery-making training courses were offered in various villages, covering everything from selecting and kneading clay to throwing and firing.
After several months of practice, many clever villagers have mastered the art of pottery making and begun to earn money.

"Taking Wangjia Village in Lishui County as an example, the business helped the village establish a pottery workshop and provided initial funding and sales channels."

Today, Wangjiacun pottery is quite popular in Yingtian for its unique style.

Hundreds of people in the village are engaged in pottery making, which has also spurred the development of related industries such as clay mining and timber supply in surrounding villages, indirectly creating hundreds of jobs.

There are also wood carving and bamboo weaving handicrafts.
Some mountain villages are rich in timber resources.

The merchants then encouraged the villagers to develop the wood carving industry, from simple carvings of flowers, birds, fish, and insects to complex carvings of figures.

The villagers learned slowly, but they were all diligent and hardworking, and they were able to earn some money.

"In some villages with dense bamboo forests, merchants support the development of bamboo weaving handicrafts."

From everyday items like bamboo baskets and crates to exquisite bamboo carvings.
These bamboo woven items have now become highly sought-after goods in Yingtian.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Mian, the Minister of Revenue, had a glint of excitement in his eyes and said:

"Lord Liu, your business is doing a great service to the court and the people! Very good!"

Liu Sili quickly bowed and said:
"You flatter me, Lord Zhao. The business developed these industries to make money, but there are some mutually beneficial aspects involved."

A business can only thrive if both parties can make money.

Moreover, now that the villagers are well-off, they often go to the city to see the goods sold in the shops and to see if their produce is popular in the capital.

Since we've already come all this way, we can't go back empty-handed; we should buy something.

It's fair to say that the more people making money in a region, the more money the trading company makes!

This was quite a mouthful, and many merchants and shopkeepers were somewhat confused when they heard it.
But the governors and lords present were all astute individuals; they understood almost immediately and nodded repeatedly.

Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui nodded slightly and said:
"What Lord Liu said is absolutely right. Those who help others will be helped by Heaven. The business has developed in such a way because of the help of the people."

Liu Sili smiled and nodded: "Lord Zhan is absolutely right."

Yuan Tai, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, said with a solemn expression:

"Lord Liu, your business's approach is quite novel and effective."
However, nothing in this world is without its advantages and disadvantages.
Let's talk about the downsides, so that we can also gain a full understanding of the business."

Liu Sili frowned slightly and said:
"What Lord Yuan said is absolutely right. The business guild has indeed faced some difficulties in the process of leading the villagers and villages."

For example, as an industry expands, the supply of raw materials may sometimes become tight.
To address this issue, the business partnered with the villagers while actively seeking new raw materials to ensure stable development.

"Furthermore, competition will become increasingly fierce."
Merchants and even villages in some other regions,

Seeing that the villagers' products were selling well, they began to imitate them and try to disrupt the market with low prices.

In response to this situation, the commercial bank currently has no good solutions.
The only solution is to strengthen quality control and increase the added value of products in order to win the market through quality.

On the other hand, we should increase brand building efforts through publicity and promotion.
To ensure that each village maintains a leading position in a single product,

This is to increase product awareness and reputation, and enhance competitiveness.

Everyone was completely bewildered by Liu Sili's words.
Especially those fancy words and phrases,

This made them realize for the first time that even those who are well-read can lack knowledge.

Lu Yunyi, sitting in the corner, understood everything.

He had no good solutions to the product competition problem, nor did he leave any strategies for the business.

However, building a brand is indeed the simplest and most direct method, but it is fraught with difficulties.

After that, the group started talking all at once.
The adults kept asking questions, but Liu Sili, as the head manager, remained calm and composed throughout.

Everything from products and finances to various arrangements was handled in an orderly manner.

After nearly half an hour, the current situation of the trading company had been almost fully explained.
Liu Sili gulped down a pot of iced tea and said loudly:

"Now, let's move on to the next step and discuss the profit-sharing of Yingtian Trading Company."

Liu Sili put down his teacup, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone, and said solemnly:
"The managers of the business have discussed this matter."

For this dividend distribution, the commercial bank plans to allocate half of its net profit.
That is, 345,000 taels, which will be distributed according to everyone's share.

Upon hearing this, a murmur of discussion immediately arose inside the room.

The merchants sitting in the back row couldn't help but gasp.
Some people even clutched their chests as they received 300,000 taels of silver in one go.
This is incredibly profitable!!
Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke first:

"Lord Liu, distributing half of the profits as dividends is quite a generous gesture."

The business will need a considerable amount of money for its future development. Won't this allocation affect its operations?

Liu Sili smiled slightly and said:

"Your Excellency's concerns are very valid. The merchant guild made this decision after careful consideration."
After all, it's the first year, so we have to make a good start!

Although giving away half of the profits as dividends is a bit much,
But the remaining money is enough to get things done.

"As mentioned before, although the businesses that the company has developed in various villages have already shown initial results, there is still a lot of room for expansion."

We plan to do so in the coming year.

Further expand the scale of industries such as textiles, pottery, wood carving, and bamboo weaving, and promote new machinery and techniques in more villages.
This helps more villagers become self-sufficient, while also generating more profits for the business.

"In addition, the company also plans to explore new markets."
Currently, our business is mainly concentrated in the area surrounding Yingtianfu.

But the world is vast, and there are still many places waiting for us to explore.
The business plans to organize caravans to travel to more distant prefectures in Zhili, thus expanding the business to a wider market.

The initial preparations, including recruiting merchants familiar with local conditions, all required substantial financial support.

Minister of Revenue Zhao Mian nodded slightly and said:
"Lord Liu's considerations are very thorough. The development and expansion of the business will benefit both the country and the people. However, the matter of commercial tax should not be ignored."

Liu Sili quickly bowed and said:
"What Lord Zhao reminded us is that since the beginning of our business, we have always strictly abided by the laws of the imperial court and paid our commercial taxes on time."

Of the remaining profits, a portion is specifically set aside for paying commercial taxes.
The merchants knew all too well that without the protection and support of the imperial court,

The company would not have achieved its current success without paying commercial taxes; it is our bounden duty.

After listening to Liu Sili's words, the officials all nodded in approval and expressed their approval of the merchant guild's arrangements.

At this moment, Han Yi, the deputy director of the Market and Trade Bureau, looked thoughtful and spoke softly.
His voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried a sense of authority:
"Lord Liu, the trading company is now under the jurisdiction of the Market and Commerce Bureau and has just been established. It urgently needs funds to maintain itself."

In my opinion, the merchants should allocate a portion of their funds to the Market and Exchange Bureau in the future.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became subtle.
(End of this chapter)