Chapter 126 Businessmen must obey politics! (First update)
At dusk.
Across the street, a familiar teahouse.
Luo Gan, Zhang Yuan and other salt merchants have all arrived.
Sitting in a private room on the third floor, looking at the flow of people at the Kyoto Salt Shop below, my eyes were full of resentment and unwillingness.
They should have had a share in all this.
Now everything falls into the hands of Xia Zhibai.
Taking someone's money is like harming someone's parents, how can they not hate it in their hearts? It's just that this is in Yingtian Mansion, at the foot of the emperor, the best place, not to mention that Xia Zhibai still has the title of number one scholar, and is still doing business under the orders of the court. Although they have grievances, they dare not show it at all.
Drinking a large bowl of tea, Zhang Yuan slammed the tea bowl onto the table.
He raised his eyes and looked around, and said angrily: "What does Xia Zhibai want to do again? Does he still want to see our jokes? We gave him enough face last time, and now the salt market in Yingtian Mansion has already He gave it all away, what else does he want?”
"You've already forced us to this point, why did you ask us to come here? Do you just want to humiliate us again?"
"The clay figurine still has three points of fire, let alone us. If we are really brought here, I'm getting anxious."
A sharp look flashed in Zhang Yuan's eyes.
There is no such thing as a good person in business these days. People with good intentions cannot do business and cannot achieve anything.
Of course they are no exception.
Now it's just that Xia Zhibai is powerful, so they have to endure it, but if Xia Zhibai bullies others too much, they may not dare to retaliate.
The salt merchant on the side also chimed in and cursed: "This Xia Zhibai is going too far to bully others."
"Do you really treat us as weak persimmons? Come as soon as you call them, and leave as soon as you wave them away. , you still want to pinch?”
“It really makes me anxious, I’m not afraid of him.”
“.”
The salt merchant in the box was cursing.
Venting out dissatisfaction.
Just as Luo Gan and Zhang Yuan kept complaining, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door.
The sound in the wing was instantly silenced.
Creak.
There was a sound of pushing the door open.
Xia Zhibai entered the box steadily.
He calmly swept over the salt merchants. There was still a bit of anger and dissatisfaction on the salt merchant's face, but he did not dare to explode in front of him.
Xia Zhibai knows it well.
Xia Zhibai entered the wing and looked around a few times.
Another idea flashed in his mind. In later generations, many gangs met on the rooftop, but he seemed to meet people in teahouses.
Xia Zhibai came back to his senses, slightly cupped his hands towards Luo Gan and others, and took the initiative to say: "I have invited you all here this time because there is something I want to discuss with you. It is related to the salt market and the To your future livelihood."
Hearing this.
The expressions of Luo Gan and others changed slightly.
They stared at Xia Zhibai coldly with livid faces.
Zhang Yuan, however, had a bad temper and couldn't help but sneer: "Salt market, what does the salt market have to do with us? It seems that our salt shops in Yingtianfu are still open, but now the salt market in Yingtianfu is not Are you the one who has the final say?”
“As for livelihood”
“Then don’t worry about it, Mr. Xia”
“Since Yingtian Mansion doesn’t. If you welcome us, then we can go somewhere else. I just hope that Mr. Xia will be more noble in the future and not do things too badly."
"Be a good person so that we can meet again in the future."
Zhang Yuan snorted coldly, not giving Xia Zhibai a good look.
The expression on his face was surprisingly ugly.
Other salt merchants also looked indifferent.
Xia Zhibai said: "Because of this, I specially called you here, because the court has made new arrangements, asking me to open salt factories throughout the north. According to my previous plan, next The first branches to be built will be Shouzhou and Chuzhou.”
“The salt markets in these two prefectures are all in digital hands.”
Bang!
The tea bowl fell to the ground and broke into pieces.
"What does Xia Zhibaiqian mean?" Zhang Yuan slapped the table angrily and stood up, glaring angrily, his pupils filled with endless anger.
Luo Gan also stood up, stared at Xia Zhibai with an unkind expression and said, "Master Xia, what do you mean? Do you really want to drive out all the salt merchants like us? Yingtianfu Salt Market is occupied by you. We admit that your skills are indeed inferior to others, but I also advise you not to bully others too much."
"We will not make it easy for you if we push you to a dead end."
"Rabbits will bite when they are anxious, and dogs will jump over the wall when they are anxious. We can do anything if we become anxious."
"Master Xia, I advise you to be cautious."< br>
Luo Gan couldn’t sit still either.
They are not the only ones in the salt market in the world.
Their salt can only be sold to a few nearby prefectures. Now the Yingtian Prefecture in Datou has been occupied by Xia Zhibai. Relying on the salt markets of Shouzhou Prefecture and Chuzhou Prefecture, although they have some difficulties, But they can barely survive. If the markets in these two prefectures are also occupied by Xia Zhibai, then they will really be forced to a dead end.
There is no way to survive.
Then don’t blame them for the dead end.
Xia Zhibai had a calm face, and calmly glanced at Luo Gan and others, without the slightest panic, and said slowly: "I can understand your dissatisfaction, but this matter has been settled. , there won’t be any changes.”
“I might as well tell you in advance.”
“Not only Shouzhou, Chuzhou, but also Kaifeng, Shuntian, etc., all in the north. The Political Department and the Salt City in the Zhili area will fall into my hands."
"What I want to monopolize is the entire northern salt market." Luo Gan and other salt merchants' expressions suddenly changed.
Xia Zhibai continued: "I know it is difficult to monopolize the salt market, especially in the north where there are many salt merchants, such as Shanxi merchants, border merchants, and many others who have opened Merchants in China and France who have made profits will not agree easily and will stand against me. You may even unite to target me."
"Salt merchants from all over the country have been operating in the local area for many years. A huge network of relationships.”
“ Deeply rooted.”
"And it's not difficult to sell salt."
"The price is low, and the transportation is rare."
"The north is vast, and salt merchants in various places have their own salt transportation routes. I am the only one who If outsiders want to get involved, they will definitely encounter a lot of obstacles. Even if I produce and sell it myself, I still can't escape the high cost of transportation. As long as you hinder transportation, even if my cost of making salt is very low, the final price will still be I will carry it up."
"Although I have an official status, I am doing business after all."
"The court will not interfere too much."
"Conflict and competition between merchants are inevitable."
"As long as no murder occurs, the power of the northern salt merchants is enough to suppress me."
See Xia Zhi Bai Dong understood so clearly that Luo Gan's face softened a little and he said coldly: "Master Xia, since you know that we are salt merchants, you should know that the livelihood of our whole family depends on this. You want to cut off our How can we remain indifferent?"
"If Master Xia wants us to give up this time, then Master Xia can go back."
"Impossible. ”
"It's about livelihood, don't give in even an inch!"
Luo Gan's eyes were cold and extremely determined.
Xia Zhibai raised his eyes, shook his head and said: "I don't want you to give up, and I know you won't give up, but all this is in vain."
Zhang Yuan He sneered: "Xia Zhibai, do you really think you won in Yingtian Mansion?"
"I admit it."
"Your attack did catch us off guard and prevented us from reacting. But since we have experienced this kind of thing before, we will naturally be prepared in advance and take countermeasures in advance. Next time , but it may not work.”
“And the reason why you can win this time”
“The most important thing is that you wear an official uniform and take advantage of the government. , otherwise even if you win, it won’t be so easy.”
“We have endured it in Yingtian Mansion, but in other places, we have been running the salt market for so long, how can you win so easily? When the fish is dead and the net is broken, no one can think about it."
Zhang Yuan's eyes were red.
Since Xia Zhibai didn't give them a way to survive, they had no choice but to risk their lives.
What about officials?
They can't live anymore, who cares? !
Xia Zhibai picked up a tea bowl, filled it with tea, and pushed the tea bowl to the center of several people.
He chuckled and said: "There is no need to be so angry."
"Everything is easy to discuss."
"There is no need for the fish to die and the net to fall apart."
"Since you are so unwilling and so aggrieved, I will tell you some things about the court. I believe that after hearing the court's decision, you will be able to calm down and sit down and talk calmly."
"The northern salt market will definitely be run by salt companies."
" There is no doubt about it.”
“No one can stop it.”
“No one can stop it.”
“As I said before, the biggest problem in transporting salt is transportation, and in this link, it is also It is most likely to go wrong, and this matter is not a problem in my hands."
"The imperial court has decided to use part of the transportation capacity of the Northern Station for commercial salt transportation."
" The merchants did open up new transportation roads in the past, but they were still far behind the inns that occupied the transportation hub. ”
"In the past, you used mules, horses, donkeys, and ox carts to transport salt. But do you have as many livestock as at the post station? Are the post stations well taken care of? You need to send a lot of guards to protect the safety of the salt transportation. Being escorted by the post station can significantly reduce expenditures."
"Salt merchants, do you dare to take action against the post station?"
"You are all responsible for the cost of salt production, transportation, and escort. If you can’t compete, what will you win?”
“Also.”
“The salt in your hands”
"It won't last long in the north."
"It can't be mixed with salt."
"Because the kitchen households in the north will enter my salt factory, and the salt they produce will They will all fall into my hands, even if there is no salt, how can you fight and win?"
Luo Gan and others' pupils trembled slightly, and they felt fear for the first time.
Xia Zhibai sighed softly and said slowly: "You may have realized long ago that I have never regarded you as opponents because we are not on the same level."
"You are the ones who follow the rules, and I am the one who designed the rules."
"How can you win?"
"Not only you, but also other salt merchants. ”
“Even all businessmen in the world”
“Without exception”
"No one or any organization can be defeated in front of the state machine."
"Businessmen must obey politics!!!"
"Now you should calm down and sit down. Come down and have a good talk, okay?" Xia Zhibai looked at the shocked and stunned people and said calmly.
(End of this chapter)