The fragrance of stir-fried dishes filled the restaurant.
After the stir-fried dishes at Wei Family Restaurant became popular, stir-fried dishes also appeared in other restaurants in Qingzhou Province.
Although the taste of these stir-fried dishes was not as good as those at Wei Family Restaurant, they were still much more delicious than before.
When the food arrived, Shangguan Yong continued to press, “Brother Wuliu, what do you say?”
After some thought, Zhu Wuliu said, “It’s just that we don’t have ships, so we can’t transport the cloth to Goryeo at all. Even if we could, we’re not familiar with Goryeo, so we must find Goryeo merchants to cooperate with.”
“Alas, so the profits from Goryeo this time will once again be taken by those big merchants. They have ships and can go directly to Goryeo,” Shangguan Yong sighed.
As the two were speaking, a tall, thin young man from among the four academy students came up to them.
With a smile, the young man cupped his hands and said, “Are you two discussing trade in Goryeo?”
Zhu Wuliu and Shangguan Yong glanced at the student’s attire. Zhu Wuliu said, “Precisely. May I ask what advice you have, my friend?”
“I dare not offer advice. My name is Lu Yichen. My father was formerly the county magistrate of Wannian County in Chang’an. He has now resigned from his official post and is engaged in trade in Qingzhou Province, specifically in water transport. Just now, I overheard that you two need merchant ships to transport cloth to Goryeo, so I came to inform you,” Lu Yichen said.
“Your water transport merchant ships can also go to Goryeo?” Zhu Wuliu asked, puzzled. “Not all water transport ships can travel on the sea.”
Lu Yichen said, “Since I dare to say so, I can naturally transport your cloth to Goryeo. If you need, you can inquire at Lu Ji Shipping.”
Zhu Wuliu and Shangguan Yong exchanged glances. There were many merchants in Qingzhou City, and quite a few unscrupulous ones among them. They had a lot of cloth that they sold but couldn’t collect the silver for.
Therefore, they were wary of traveling merchants. Shangguan Yong then deliberately bluffed, “I’m not afraid to tell you, this Zhu Wuliu’s elder brother is Zhu Sansi, a captain in the Qingzhou army. If you dare to deceive us, we won’t let you off.”
Lu Yichen said, “I naturally wouldn’t dare.”
Zhu Wuliu nodded. The merchant ships of large merchants were expensive, and their business already had thin profits. If they used those ships, there wouldn’t be much to gain.
So they could only use the merchant ships of these smaller merchants. However, he wouldn’t believe Lu Yichen based on just a few words. He would compare prices and services from three different providers; he always had to find the right merchant ship.
Ding Mansion.
Ding Wanqian and his son, Ding Wu, also received the news immediately.
The sharp-sighted Ding Wanqian said, “This matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later. You should go and inventory the merchant ships now and see how many can set sail for Goryeo.”
“Yes, Father,” Ding Wu said, his face excited. He also clearly saw the business opportunity.
Before Ding Wu could leave, Ding Wanqian continued, “Wait. Also, send someone immediately to purchase goods like cloth, white sugar, and perfume. This time, we’re going to make a fortune in Goryeo. The Emperor has now made this public, and other merchants must surely know about it, especially the Cao family. They must be overjoyed.”
“Father is absolutely right. Now, a large number of merchants have gathered around the Cao family. It’s said they are even going to establish the Cao Family Trading Company. The commotion is quite significant. Now that this news is out, they will surely band together to snatch this business,” Ding Wu said.
Ding Wanqian was also a weathered figure. He said calmly, “This Cao Zhengyang’s tail is wagging now. He has forgotten whose Great Yu Empire this is, and who gave us merchants our current status. He has also forgotten how people like Prince Wei, Prince Yan, and Prince Zhao died. Ding Wu, remember, no matter what the Cao family does, we must not overstep. Merchants are merchants, after all; dealing with money is enough. Power is poison to merchants; one must not touch it.”
Ding Wu nodded. “My son has always kept Father’s teachings in mind and dares not harbor any extravagant thoughts.”
“Hmm, that’s good. I’m old. I’ve thought long and hard about the Ding family, and I believe only you are suitable to inherit my position. However, your two older brothers probably won’t agree. But don’t be impatient. Just diligently manage the Ding family’s business. At the appropriate time, I will settle this matter.”
“Yes, Father,” Ding Wu secretly rejoiced.
From being an illegitimate son to now a prominent figure in the Ding family, his journey had not been easy. Now, he had finally gained his father’s appreciation.
At the same time, dozens of merchants gathered at the Cao Mansion, which was Cao Zhengyang’s residence.
“Mr. Cao, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. We should immediately set sail and transport goods to Goryeo.”
A pot-bellied merchant said.
“That’s right. Didn’t we gather together precisely to break free from the Qingzhou Chamber of Commerce and gain greater profits? We cannot miss this opportunity now.”
Another person said.
“…”
Merchants chattered, one after another, while Cao Zhengyang watched the newspaper and listened.
After a long time, he slowly said, “What business is most profitable? Cloth? White sugar? Neither. The highest profits come from monopolies. No matter what it is, as long as you can monopolize it, you can arbitrarily acquire silver.”
“Do you mean for us to monopolize trade with Goryeo? But is that possible? All merchants are aware of this matter now,” a merchant said.
Cao Zhengyang said with a smile, “Nothing is impossible, as long as we find a way.”
After a pause, he said meaningfully, “Actually, the sea is not safe at all. Pirates are rampant. If goods are plundered, merchants will lose everything. We can spread this news. Merchants who are timid will naturally not dare to give their goods to those small merchants.”
“That’s right! Our merchant ships have guards!” A merchant was overjoyed. He said, “Mr. Cao’s idea is brilliant! We can really make something of this!”
Cao Zhengyang nodded proudly, his eyes flickering. The Cao family’s rise to prominence had involved many unscrupulous methods.
As a core member of the Cao family, he naturally understood this clearly. He knew very well that to expand a business, one had to use any means necessary.
The Goryeo affair made him see the future direction of the Great Yu Empire’s commerce. Now there was only Goryeo. If Japan were added later, the profits would be even more substantial. He had to plan ahead and find ways to extract the maximum benefit.
While the merchants were scheming against each other over this matter, Li Kaiyuan was summoned by Xiao Ming to the imperial study.
With countless knowledge accumulated in his mind, no one understood the nature of merchants better than Xiao Ming. So, from the very beginning, Xiao Ming had no intention of letting merchants extend their reach indiscriminately into Goryeo.
After all, once commercial trade spun out of control, monopolies and commercial giants would emerge. He had long had his own plan in mind. This time, merchants traveling to Goryeo must obtain a travel permit from the Qingzhou Chamber of Commerce.