Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 260 I just wanted to buy some wool and you all came knocking on my door.
Inside the main hall of Wenhe Mansion.

A middle-aged man dressed in a white fox fur coat walked in, guided by A Dong.

This person looks wealthy; his clothes alone must be quite expensive.

"Please wait a moment, my young master will be here shortly."

"Ah."

The middle-aged man responded indifferently and sat down as A-Dong guided him.

He was Zheng Yunhao of Xingyang Zheng clan.

Before long, a servant brought out tea.

Smelling the fragrant tea, a hint of emotion appeared on his originally calm face.

"This tea seems to be much better than the ones we bought before." Jung Yunho picked up the tea and took a sip, immediately feeling the lingering fragrance on his palate.

The servant boy following him chuckled, "This tea originated from the Wen family, so naturally there are even better ones."

"Hmm, this young man from Gaoyang County can make a fortune every day just from this tea. No wonder even the Wen family of Taiyuan sent many people to Chang'an. He's just too greedy."

He smiled and shook his head, then took another sip of tea before putting the cup down.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside, and a young man walked in.

Jung Yunho immediately stood up and went to greet Wen He.

"Greetings, sir of Gaoyang County."

"I have met Zheng Yuanwailang."

Yesterday, Wen He specifically asked Zhou Fu to inquire. Zheng Yunhao is thirty-seven years old this year and works as an assistant director of the Ministry of Personnel, a sixth-rank official.

After exchanging greetings, Wen He invited him to sit down and then had tea served.

"This was just transferred from the south, and the taste is better than before. Please don't be shy, sir," Wen He said with a smile.

He felt he had become somewhat decadent, even learning to speak politely.

It's true what they say, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets

After exchanging pleasantries and enjoying tea with Wen He, Jung Yunho finally got down to business.

"I have taken the liberty of presenting this visiting card today because I have a question I would like to ask you, sir. I wonder if you would be so kind as to answer it?"

amount……

Hearing his self-deprecating way of addressing her, Wen He felt a little uncomfortable.

I felt that what he said was somewhat pretentious.

Although he thought this in his heart, Wen He did not show it on his face. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Please speak, sir."

"I have heard that the Wen County official has brought a batch of wool from the Turks to weave into winter clothes that can withstand the cold. Is this true or false?"

Jung Yunho's lips curled slightly, his eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze.

Wen He held the teacup, concealing the surprise in her expression.

Although the fact that a hundred riders were transporting wool was not deliberately kept secret, it would have been impossible to know about it without someone deliberately spying on it.

Moreover, apart from him and Li Shimin, no one else knew the purpose of the wool.

Jung Yunho actually managed to guess it.

Seeing that he hesitated and didn't speak, Jung Yunho added meaningfully.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but although my family has always been a family of scholars and farmers, there are some good-for-nothings who have gone into business. They happen to be in the cloth and leather business, and they just happened to run into a group of people in the Turkic territory."

"It seems to be a hundred riders, so I think this must be the county magistrate's idea. Although sheepskin is considered a low-grade product when made into fur coats, it can still bring in a fortune if sold to poor families."

After he said that.

Wen He then remembered that Xingyang was the hometown of Leizu.

More than half of the industries were silkworm breeding and cloth weaving. As for Xingyang, oh no, when the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Northern Qi Dynasty, Xingyang was renamed Xingzhou.

After the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, this place was renamed Zhengzhou.

Although the Zheng family still refers to themselves as the Zheng family of Xingyang.

But in reality, it was already called the Zheng family of Zhengzhou.

The name of a prefecture is actually the surname of a family, so one can imagine how powerful the Zheng family was in Zhengzhou.

Wen He now understood why Zheng Yunhao had suddenly come to see him. He put down his teacup and said, "You misunderstand, sir. I have no intention of doing business in fur clothing. Besides, fur clothing is made of hides, and what I buy is just wool."

"Is that so?" Jung Yunho smiled faintly.

He knew Wen He wasn't telling the truth.

The Zheng family's businesses also tried making sheepskin coats, but the cleaning costs were too high, and there weren't many buyers.

Anyone with a bit of money would at least choose rabbit fur.

Those who were poorer would buy fine clothes.

Of course, those who buy these are at least from poor families; most ordinary people wear linen clothes.

Wenhe came from a farming family, which is why the people in the clan wondered if he knew a convenient way to clean sheepskins and then make fur coats to sell to the common people.

If that's the case, then there are huge profits involved.

Another point is whether Wen He's garment-making method this time will affect the fabric.

It wasn't just the Zheng family who were worried about this; other aristocratic families shared the same concern.

It's important to know that in the Tang Dynasty, the price of cloth was linked to copper coins.

In some places, people even used cloth to pay taxes.

If the price of cloth decreases and His Majesty cancels the cloth tax, their losses will be enormous.

“Of course, I can guarantee that,” Wen He said with a smile.

He wasn't actually making fur coats; he was just weaving wool into yarn.

"But the county magistrate doesn't seem to deny that wool is used to make warm clothing." Jung Yunho suddenly changed the subject.

Wen He smiled noncommittally and didn't say anything.

Seeing that he acquiesced, Jung Yunho stopped beating around the bush.

“The Zheng family owns many cloth and leather shops, and they also know some people who have connections within the Turkic territory. If the county magistrate is willing, the Zheng family can help you share some of the burden in this wool business.”

"I suppose the magistrate of Gaoyang County doesn't want His Majesty to know that you secretly sent a hundred cavalry to the Turks to purchase wool for trade."

Well, as expected of someone from the aristocratic class.

Their use of coercion and enticement is truly masterful.

If she had known this would happen, Wen He wouldn't have wasted her time seeing him.

"It's getting late, and I've suddenly remembered something, so I won't keep you for dinner."

Wen He stood up.

It's a rejection, and it's also an invitation to leave.

Upon hearing this, Jung Yunho chuckled, stood up, and said, "I know that the Gaoyang County magistrate now holds the power of distribution, which does indeed make many people wary. But since it's a fair trade, it depends on the magistrate's background. Moreover, in a monetary transaction, with a contract in place, how could the magistrate refuse to supply goods?"

He was reminding Wen He not to try to use distribution to fight against the aristocratic families.

Even if the location is re-selected next year, the Zheng family can still obtain the current distribution rights as long as they pay more money.

"What are you saying, sir? Business is business, and grudges are grudges. But I wonder if you have ever heard the saying, 'Those who have nothing to lose are not afraid of those who have something to lose'? The Zheng family has a thousand-year-old business, with many friends and many enemies. It's best to be careful."

Wen He smiled kindly.

Anyone can threaten someone.

Jung Yunho's smile froze for a moment, but his composure allowed him to suppress his anger. He bowed to Wen He and smiled.

"In that case, I shall take my leave."

"Please take care, sir."

Wen He didn't go to deliver it herself, but sent A Dong instead.

After everyone left, the smile on his face vanished instantly.

"I just wanted to buy some wool and you guys came knocking on my door? Damn it, come on, who's afraid of who!"

As long as Li Er doesn't target him, he really has nothing to fear in the Tang Dynasty.

Wen He hadn't expected that the aristocratic families would act much faster than he anticipated.

(End of this chapter)