Chapter 194: I am a big fool

Qixia, where merchants and businessmen gather.

Hearing about the auction here, many merchants have rushed here.

Doing business, is nothing more than mutual exchange, but where there is a slightest opportunity to earn money, who does not want to try?

Even if one may not intend to make the sale, it’s good to come here and see what’s going on.

Of course, the most important reason is the diaspora.

This Di Di newspaper is now not only unusual readers to see, at first, some merchants and businessmen also intend to be attached to the wind.

But slowly, they realized that some of the decrees, orders, and reports published in the Di Di newspaper were extremely useful for understanding the latest news.

Don’t look at the top are official articles, but if you are careful to examine, but found that the hidden message is very important.

If you don’t even bother to know the latest movements of the government, what kind of business is it?

And so it was that the news of the auction was published in the diwan, and although it was only a small article in a margin, it quickly attracted the attention of almost all the merchants.

Plus on the perch side, there’s really a lot of goodwill.

Don’t look at the readers scolding Zhang Anshi powerful, but Zhang Anshi’s merchant business is just doing great.

From shipping, to money changers, many are closely related to merchants, merchants to go goods, to cash gold and silver, and even fundraising, are inseparable.

Over time, people develop a dependency in an invisible way.

Although there is no concept of branding in this era, in this Daming, Zhang Anshi is considered to have built up enough of a reputation.

This is not that people think that Zhang Anshi is of high moral character, but by and large, they can form an …… image that this person is doing such a big deal, or at least will not sell substandard and inferior goods.

This auction, is considered something new and fresh, and this kind of bidding, something else, and thus many people are willing to come and join in the fun.

Nowadays, Zhu Jin, who is similar to Zhang Anshi’s great general manager, is busy, and his feet don’t touch the ground. The venue has to be set up, and all the personnel, as well as the base price bid, and even the guarantor, as well as the money changers, have to be contacted in advance.

Coupled with the ushering in of merchants and the sudden arrival of so many merchants, all the inns in Qixia were full.

Some merchants are the first time to Qixia, see such a scene, can not help but secretly stagger in this place is so lively, a thought, they may not want to buy what treasures, but quite a few want to build some restaurants and inns in this idea.

Zhang Anshi got up at dusk.

Zhu Jin came to see Zhang Anshi with great gusto and said, “Marquis, everything is ready, and the shooting will begin in one and a half hours.”

Zhang Anshi Shi Shi Shi Shi bet a mouthful of tea, yesterday slept a good sleep, at this time the whole person looks refreshed.

He smiled in satisfaction at Zhu Jin and said, “Not bad, not bad.”

Zhu Jin hesitated for a moment, but did not worry, “Just that little one heard some news ……”

“News, what news?” Zhang Anshi was surprised.

Zhu Jin then said, “I heard that the court has sold all the goods of the treasure ship.”

Zhang Anshi said, “They’re selling faster than me?”

This really surprised Zhang Anshi a bit.

Zhu Jin said, “It is said to have sold fourteen hundred thousand taels of grain silver …… little worried …… that if this news spreads out, then our auction goods …… ”

“Such a low price?” Zhang Anshi was astonished.

To be honest, Zhang Anshi could not have imagined in any case that the luxury goods brought by the entire nearly one hundred ships of treasure ships would only be sold for one hundred and forty thousand taels.

To put it bluntly, even the shipping cost is not enough, this is a rare commodity shipped thousands of miles across the ocean.

And …… whether it is spices, or ivory, rhinoceros horn, or a large number of Western countries specialties, originally in the market price is worth as much as gold, even if this time to bring more goods, will depress the price, but only sold a fourteen million two …… is Zhang Anshi unimaginable.

Song and Yuan dynasties, because there is no sea ban policy, a large number of Arab merchants as well as Han merchants engaged in maritime trade, a large number of specialties shipped to the Central Plains to sell, the price has been very strong, after all,…… the road is too far away, back and forth a trip is really not easy to say, this is completely with human life for rare goods.

Zhang Anshi paused, then calmly said, “Do not worry, merchants are not stupid, naturally know the benefits and disadvantages, this thing, even if it is hoarded up is not a loss, it is impossible to be so cheap, where the problem is, although we do not know now, but we auction ours.”

Zhang Anshi had confidence in this, because both spices and these specialties had the characteristic of being rare and at the same time easy to store, which led to its value for hoarding.

For example, pepper, pepper this thing, in the Tang Dynasty, because the main source of foreign countries, Hu merchants transported to the Great Tang is not easy, so …… when the Tang emperor copied home, copied out of the pepper extremely much, such as the biggest corrupt official of the time Yuan Zai, the emperor copied out of his home pepper 800 stone.

After all, the stuff has collector’s value, and it’s stored at a higher value compared to copper coins, and again, it’s a luxury item. By and large, you could look at it as if it were Maotai.

Zhang Anshi thought about it, then said, “This auction, must be successful, if it fails …… only to be afraid of something.”

Jujin raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Something happened?”

Zhang Anshi did not say anything, but his heart is largely aware of, if the value of the real fourteen hundred thousand two hundred silver touted, the next Western Ocean spend so much manpower and resources, it means that this is a only lose not earn business.

Even if the Great Ming is no matter how big the family is, it can’t afford to eat such consumption.

If it were to rain a few more times, wouldn’t the court have to lose everything?

Therefore, today’s auction is related to the survival of the state policy of going down to the West Pacific, whether it will be able to go down to the West Pacific all the time, or even adhere to a few hundred years, depends on the present.

Otherwise, not only the hundred officials, even the people, there will be a large number of people opposed to go to the West, that this is just a great success, is the court to take the people’s fat and cream to the face of the gold.

……

Zhu Di took Yiluoha and a few guards and came to Qixia in a micro-suit.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that the place had long been very humanly signposted, and as he followed those signposts all the way, he could see a large meeting place.

And at this point, the place has long been overcrowded.

But almost everyone who wants to enter the venue is required to pay a security deposit.

Since the last time he had suffered the loss of no money, Yilungha nowadays, but whenever he went out of the palace door, he would carry a sum of silver with him.

So after paying the security deposit, Zhu followed the flow of people and entered the venue first.

It was just a meeting place with small benches arranged in such an orderly fashion that everyone was packed in like sardines.

There was no way around it, there were just too many people.

Here, it has actually accommodated hundreds of people.

Zhu only feel here noisy and annoying, but many merchants love this kind of lively, can not wait for the more lively the better.

Also lost ha close to the ancestral land, quietly introduced to Zhu Di: “That Annan Hou let Deng Jian with the ship back thirty ships up and down, bring back also more spices and ivory, and rhinoceros horn ……”

Zhu Di nodded his head, “Only these?”

“There are other specialties, but they are few and far between, more of a rarity.”

Zhu nodded his head and said, “For a few tens of thousands of taels of silver, he has gone to great lengths.”

Yee Lostha laughed and didn’t say anything.

At this time …… in the center of the venue, Zhu Jin made a personal appearance.

At this time his hand is holding an iron trumpet, shouting, “Silence, silence …… now …… we auction to start, the rules, everyone has seen it, if you are still not familiar with it, you can look at the party issued again your statutes.”

“In addition, everyone can hold their number plate, well, come on, come on, first on the first batch of goods, this first batch of goods, is from the Western Ocean shipped from the good spices, this spice …… everyone knows it, in previous years, one or two can be converted to one or two gold, now a thousand pounds starting auction. ”

With that, he shouted again, “The reserve price is one thousand taels.”

At these words, the merchants down below began to stir.

One thousand taels and one thousand pounds ……

That’s like picking up for nothing.

In fact …… there are quite a few people here who have heard about the sale of treasure goods by the Ministry of the Household.

But that thing has nothing to do with ordinary merchants.

It was sold off before anyone knew what was happening, and hell knows who took the goods and who paid for the silver.

Though the advent of large quantities of spices and Western rarities will cause these to fall.

But the annual consumption of these things is also amazing, although this thing is expensive, but many rich and noble families have to consume.

There’s no telling when we’ll bring back a new shipment on our next trip to the West.

So immediately someone raised a sign, “Two thousand taels.”

Immediately following ……

“Three thousand taels.”

“Three thousand one hundred taels.”

“Four thousand taels.”

“Four thousand four hundred taels.”

At this moment, everyone in this hall tensed up.

Many people are calculating the market price of the spice out there.

More than that ……

There is also the storage value that everyone is calculating.

Some spices, stored for a long time, are naturally more expensive.

“Five thousand taels.”

“Five thousand three hundred taels.”

“Seven thousand taels ……”

At first people were bidding like crazy.

But as the price got higher and higher, those who were willing to call the price began to thin out.

“Eight thousand taels ……”

“Nine thousand ……”

“Ten thousand taels ……”

Several spice merchants have begun to fight, they know the market, this thousand pounds, even now this price, but also absolutely profitable.

“Eleven thousand two hundred and fifty taels ……”

“Thirteen thousand taels ……”

“Fifteen thousand taels.” Someone raged.

“Fifteen thousand one hundred taels ……”

“Sixteen thousand taels ……”

People held their breath.

“Seventeen thousand taels.”

“Eighteen thousand taels.”

The bidding has come to a point where it is finally …… silent.

The first shipment was taken directly by a spice merchant.

Zhu Jin red light, this is considered a good start, because this spice …… is still more, a full 50,000 pounds.

Unexpectedly, at this time, he also said in a loud voice: “I just received the news of the money bank, the money bank side, willing to spices and other things as a guarantee, the issuance of loans, of course, …… only 70% of the transaction price for the guarantee.”

When this statement was made, the merchants looked at me and I looked at you.

Auctioned back and could borrow from the money changers to raise more money?

This means that …… Moneymaker has afforded them at least a large portion of the money for the auction.

So much so, that almost everyone has a few times more money on hand.

Those who originally had 10,000 taels of silver can now mobilize 30,000 taels of silver to purchase goods.

By the time the spices are sold and the lower interest loans …… from the money changers are repaid it will be profitable.

Thus, when the second batch of one thousand pounds of spices began to be auctioned, everyone became even more enthusiastic.

Some traders, in fact, purely want to shoot it back as an heirloom for future generations.

The price of this stuff …… won’t go down much in the long run.

There were also a few spice merchants who ran around trying to monopolize the goods.

Of course, there are those who get up and want it as a gift.

After all …… directly send silver, not inevitably vulgar, and calligraphy and painting that thing, the threshold is too high. And this thing is really, neither involving gold and silver, but received a gift of people, only a look, know the value.

So the second batch of one thousand pounds of spices, the price actually jumped directly to nineteen thousand three hundred taels.

This was a moment of joy for those who had previously taken the first shipment.

Many people’s minds are beginning to come alive, after all, the further back …… the goods will be less and less, who knows what the latter bidding will be like.

By the time we get to the fifth, sixth, and seventh installments.

The prices have all gone beyond 20,000 taels of silver.

Just when everyone was eager.

Sitting on a small stool Zhu, but stiffly sat in place, motionless, color looked obviously bad.

Even Yiluoha, who was on the side, had his face changed.

At this time, he carefully glanced at Zhu Di, through this dim light, he could only see the side of Zhu Di’s face, a face that seemed to be fixed, as if it was carved in stone.

“Twenty-two thousand taels ……”

Who knows, every call for a price is tantamount to whacking Zhu’s heart.

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, “Thirty thousand taels!”

Instead, he saw a teenager, who, after yelling out, slapped his belly with ambition.

This teenager, always bidding at the most crucial moment.

It’s like stirring the pot.

Especially a rich and powerful spice merchant was directly angry and gnashing his teeth.

At this time …… this teenager shouted out 30,000 taels, that spice merchant is even more angry forehead exposed veins, he stared at the teenager with a deadly stare, gloomy, hate to eat people in general.

“Thirty thousand and a hundred taels!”

Now the teenager was silent.

Finally …… sold.

The teenager then happily continued to pat his belly with a happy face, as if it was New Year’s Eve.

Many people are people are not enough to sympathize with the spice merchant, as a bystander, in fact, many people know that this spice merchant is purely fighting, was fooled.

But they weren’t that merchant after all, and each could always be more sober and objective when looking at others.

But where such things fall into one’s lap, it’s a different matter.

Especially certain big merchants, valuing goodwill and face more than anything else, on the surface this spice merchant seemed to be killing red eyes, but in fact, he was sneering in his heart.

You think I’m in a hurry? In fact, I am killing the chicken to scare the monkey!

Sure enough, further down the line, when this spice merchant made his move, there were fewer other merchants willing to compete with him.

The good thing is that the teenager, but always just right to raise the bar, although also let the spice merchant broke the cost, but the teenager also seems to know can not be raised too high price, roughly to twenty thousand three or four thousand two, will be moderate to stop.

The further we got, the more we learned that the spice might be about to sell out, and many people began to get anxious.

This thing …… even if the price of thirty thousand one thousand pounds, in fact, if it is retailed out, it is also profitable, in previous years, one thousand pounds can be sold to at least fifty thousand taels, it can be said that it is more expensive than the gold are much it!

And this era, transportation is not convenient, information is different, many of the big cities in Jiangnan, although the price fell a lot, but in Sichuan, Guanzhong, Heshi, Xiangtan and other places, still still maintains at least 40,000 to 50,000 silver high price.

Whoever traffics there first gets the windfall.

Not to mention, a lot of country bumpkins ……

Prices, after all, are transmitted in waves, and in this day and age, that price transmission can take more than a year.

“Twenty-nine thousand taels ……”

After learning that the spice was running out, those who couldn’t sit still began to strike after all.

“Thirty thousand taels.”

“Thirty-one thousand two hundred ……”

When Zhu Di heard this, he only felt that it was a smothering whack on his brain and also on his heart. He felt that his brain was a bit dizzy and faint, and his heart was also stuffy and painful.

At first, he sat here and smiled, thinking that he was going to make money, and thinking that Zhang Anshi’s method was good and interesting.

But slowly …… he became more and more aware of the wrong taste ……

How can I say this …… It’s like everyone sitting here is savvy as hell.

But he, Zhu Di, is the only one who is the world’s number one fool!

Zhu Di was a very conceited man, and from his youth, he had set great ambitions, thinking that he would do feats far beyond those of his predecessors.

After becoming the Son of Heaven, this thought became even deeper and deeper.

But now ……

A side of the also lost ha, obviously felt the change of Zhu, subconsciously …… went to quietly touch Zhu’s wrist ……

He pretended that he had bumped into it accidentally, but he was actually worried that nothing would happen to Zhu.

When he touched it, he felt that Zhu’s hand was cold, as if even his blood was cold.

Yiluoha hesitated for a moment, but eventually he couldn’t hold back and leaned next to Zhu’s ear, whispering, “Your Majesty, let’s go.”

Zhu remained sitting motionless, and for the first time, he began to learn arithmetic without a teacher.

Mental arithmetic.

This is the thirty-seventh installment.

By now …… the spices alone have been sold for seven hundred and thirty two thousand five hundred taels of silver.

There’s more at the back of …….

Not to mention …… other than spices ……

Bidding is still getting hotter ……

In this crowded space, people are in the middle of it, each calculating their gains and reserve prices, each with their own agenda.

Some rejoice, some cry, and some are chagrined.

But Zhu Di is the only one who has a …… feeling of ten thousand arrows piercing his heart.

He looked at the merchants, whoever they were, with a smiling face.

They all seemed to be smiling at him, a smile …… like a taunt.

The most painful thing that can happen to a person is nothing less than a proud man who ends up being stripped naked and made into an exhibit.

Or maybe …… one such person ran out into the street naked and ate feces and then got mobbed.

Yiluoha kept his eyes on Zhu, his heart was getting lost.

He knew Zhu too well.

So he was busy tugging at a guard and whispered, “Go …… hurry to invite Marquis Annan to come.”

Having Annan Hou in …… can guard against something that could be horrible in the future.

That guard was still giggling, seeing the merchants so enthusiastic, it was as if they were watching a play, at this time, after listening to Yilungha’s command, his eyes still lingered before he hurriedly went away.

…………

“What?”

Zhang Anshi said in consternation, “Why does His Majesty keep coming to Qixia?”

Zhang Anshi is drinking tea in the back room of this venue.

As soon as he heard that Zhu had come back into the picture, he had a big headache.

Looking at this forbidden guard in front of him, Zhang Anshi quickly realized his own slip of the tongue, so he immediately said, “Don’t misunderstand, what I mean is ……”

This forbidden guard then said, “Marquis, you should stop talking, the Grand Duke is asking you to hurry to meet the Emperor.”

Zhang Anshi said, “Well well well, but let’s not be in a hurry, now people are still bidding on it, this sale is done halfway, if there is a mess it’s not good, let’s just wait here, later, after the bidding is done, then go to meet the driver.”

The forbidden guard hesitantly said, “Will this work?”

Zhang Anshi justified, “You don’t understand, when a sale is messed up, the one who suffers the most is His Majesty, and it’s better to be rude than to make less money.”

The forbidden guards froze and actually looked like they felt justified.

At this time, Zhang Anshi added: “Right, later on, you don’t say that you found me very quickly, when we go, we have to be just right, it’s best that, after the bidding is over, you happen to find me before the incense burns, and then I will rush over there out of breath, in this way, His Holiness’s face is preserved, and we appear to be doing our best as well.”

The forbidden guard couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “Marquis, I …… wouldn’t dare to deceive the king ……”

Zhang Anshi glared at him and said, ”Who let you bully the king! Into your mother …… Come on people, fork this guy out and let him find me once more. This …… will not be considered deceiving the king, right?”

Forbidden Guard: “……”

Thinking carefully, he did figure it out, and said with an enlightened look, “Understood, then I will look for it again.”

Zhang Anshi, however, was in a hurry, “Lao Er, Lao Er ……”

Zhu Yong, who was on the side, came up, “Yes, yes, big brother, what’s the matter?”

Zhang Anshi anxiously said, “Hurry to go and rip Qiu Song out of the auction house for me, His Majesty is also there, Qiu Song this guy …… is there, I don t feel at ease.”

Zhu Yong said with a sudden realization, “Oh, oh, it’s still big brother’s thoughtfulness, I’ll go now.”

After waiting for a while …… again, I saw that today s auction was almost over.

It was only then that Zhang Anshi got his spirits up and first took off his shoes, thereafter tugging at his lapel to make his clothes look a little messy, and finally wiping his long hair to make it loose in a bun before he ran towards the bidding arena in a hurry.

Many merchants and businessmen, still not satisfied after the end, came out in twos and threes.

Zhang Anshi waited at the door, but for a long time did not see Zhu Di out, then took Zhang Yoking again, a smoke into the venue.

In the meeting hall, the merchants who had made the deal had long since been asked to go elsewhere to make up the deeds and deliver the final payment.

The merchants who didn’t buy it also left.

There were only a few shadows in this empty venue, a few shadows starring around one person.

And the man, seated at the end of the dimly lit meeting place, didn’t move a muscle.

Zhang Anshi hurriedly stepped forward barefoot and said, “I, Zhang Anshi ……”

The man sitting on the stool remained still.

Zhang Anshi then looked up strangely.

Zhu Di eyed Zhang Anshi’s disheveled appearance, and saw his bare feet, actually at this time, stiff face, slightly became gentle: “Like what?”

“Ah ……” Zhang Anshi immediately said, “Ten thousand deaths, ten thousand deaths, minister …… minister… …have lost my courtesy, ten thousand deaths ……”

“Sort it out.” Zhu’s voice was a little hoarse.

Zhang Anshi hastily nodded: “Yes, yes …… that minister went.”

After freshening up, he reentered the meeting place, where the guards had long since left Zhu to hold the place.

Only Yiluoha stood silently, like a wooden statue, at Zhu Di’s side.

Zhu looked preoccupied and didn’t say a word.

Zhang Anshi was a bit puzzled, so he said with concern; “Your Majesty ……”

Zhu nodded with effort.

But no sound was made in response.

Zhang Anshi then looked cautiously at Yiluoha.

Yiluoha gave Zhang Anshi a shut-the-hell-up look.

Zhang Anshi would understand and stood respectfully.

On the contrary, Zhu Di suddenly stood up, paced a few steps, and then suddenly heaved a sigh.

Only then did he turn his head to look at Zhang Anshi and said, “Today’s auction, the sale is only spices, do you know …… how much silver was sold?”

Zhang Anshi truthfully said, “I …… haven’t looked at the accounts yet, later ……”

“I’ll tell you.” Zhu Di said in a calm tone, “It’s a total of one million one hundred and thirty four thousand seven hundred taels of grain silver ……”

“Ya …… actually have this much!” Zhang Anshi said.

Who knew that Zhu then added, “This is still just spices. Tomorrow, there will be all kinds of exotic treasures, and two more in the future, yes?”

Zhang Anshi said, “Yes, the first scene is an appetizer, tomorrow to attract merchants may be a little more, of course, the actual effect, I still do not know ……”

Zhu nodded, “It’s not easy, these merchants and traders, a thousand pounds of spice, even if it’s more than 30,000 taels of silver, they’re still grabbing for it.”

Zhang Anshi said: “Merchants and merchants to profit, so they are the most price most sensitive, since they dare to 30,000 taels of silver to collect, then surely …… these people have their own retail channels, to ensure that they can earn back, but also can profit a lot. In fact, I don’t know much about the price of spices, didn’t how to inquire, precisely because I don’t know. So only opened this auction, after all, the merchants understand.”

Zhu Di looked closely at Zhang Anshi at this time and said, “Then you say, will others, like you, be ignorant of the prices of spices, these Western specialties?”

Zhang Anshi thought about it, “This is not good to say, although I do not understand the price in the end how much, but also know that this is rare, ordinary people …… can not afford to use. There is a saying, said a good …… have not eaten pork, but also seen a pig run, right?”

Although the emperor’s surname was Zhu, there was no avoidance of pigs in the Ming Dynasty during this period, however.

Only to the Zhengde years, Zhengde Emperor felt that you always pig ah pig seems to be scolding me, which is the decree, ordered to change the pig to dolphin.

Of course, this kind of change, but also only at the official level, often used in the imperial decree and official documents, as for the ordinary people how to call it, that is not in the scope of the change.

When Zhu Di heard this, he said, “Do you mean that if one does not know how valuable this thing is, he is a fool?”

Zhang Anshi laughed heartlessly and said, “It should be considered.”

Zhu Di suddenly said in an unusually calm tone, “Then …… you mean that I am the fool?”

Zhang Anshi: “……”