Chapter 104: Where to find the fulcrum?

Seeing this scene in front of him, Tang Cheng thought secretly. It seemed that Lin Ming had contacted these people a long time ago. In his identity, he was indeed the best leader of the tung oil merchants in Shandong Dongdao. He joined forces with a tung oil merchant to bid for the fatty and oily maritime merchants. This was a common but extremely effective commercial method in later generations.

Thinking of this, when Tang Cheng turned his head to look at Wu Yujun, he saw him smiling bitterly, yes! If he was a solid person here, the more he had the business, the harder it would be to go in.

As Lin Ming coughed twice and began to speak, the vague information that Tang Chengyuan saw in the court newspaper gradually became clear. The first thing that can be confirmed is that the losses of the maritime merchants are far greater than the vague information recorded in the court newspaper. Since the beginning of spring this year, it is wrong. In fact, it has started from the end of last year. The pirate gang led by the Shen family in Chunzhou, Lingnan, became extremely active. In the past, they used to grab ships one by one, but now they are robbing in batches. This has directly stimulated the pirates of the surrounding foreign countries, and for a while, the original Maritime Silk Road of the Golden Waterway became a daunting road. Hufan sea merchants represented by Persia and Hu had suffered heavy losses.

What made these foreign merchants angry was that these pirates changed their previous rules and morality of robbing goods but not robbing ships. After robbing goods, they even burned the ocean-going giant ships. If the goods are gone, they can do it again. After all, these wealthy maritime merchants have accumulated a lot of foundation for many years and can still withstand it for a while, but the ships are burning to death. After all, these ocean-going giant ships that are often as deep as six or seven feet deep are not those short-distance transport ships, and they say that they can build them well.

The merchants of the Hu merchants were like this, and the Tang merchants were not having a good time. Although the Feng family established strict family rules and never robbed Tang ships, and the pirates of the surrounding small Fan Kingdom feared the might of the powerful Heavenly Kingdom and did not dare to attack the Tang ships rashly, they could not withstand the storms and chaotic currents on the sea, which caused many Tang merchants to suffer losses.

The addition of these two buildings adds a bit of bleakness outside the Yangzhou Port, which was originally full of sails and sea ships, adds a bit of bleakness outside the Yangzhou Port. This is why tung oil merchants gather in Yangzhou. According to Lin Ming's introduction, not only tung oil merchants, but also famous timber merchants from all over the world and shipbuilding craftsmen in the southeast half of the river gather in Yangzhou like a market. Now the sound of jingling in the large and small docks on Hu Douzhou at the mouth of the Huai River is day and night.

When Lin Ming said this, the tung oil merchants present were all in high spirits. But what puzzled Tang Cheng was that Lin Ming, who was the largest tung oil merchant in Shandong Dongdae, did not look much joy on his face.

Tang Cheng touched Wu Yujun with his arm, then signaled Lin Ming with the corner of his eyes. After a while, Wu Yujun came back with a puzzled look. Obviously he didn't understand what was going on.

If Lin Ming's performance was abnormal, then the regulations he proposed later made Tang Cheng feel inexplicable. Therefore, the leader of the tung oil merchant actually wanted to group the tung oil merchants from Shandong Dongdao, and then wrote a letter to the Yangzhou Municipal Shipping Bureau to take over the tung oil transaction with the sea merchants.

As soon as he said this, he was shocked. Why did these tung oil merchants come to Yangzhou? They are not here to find out the news like Tang Cheng and others. In addition to exploring the market, the main thing they inquired about was the attitude of the local government of the market.

Yangzhou Maritime Warehouse is a special yamen, which is special. It is not managed by any yamen in the imperial city's temple and prison, but is directly under the palace city. In short, it is like the Jiangning weaving yamen in Cao Xueqin's family in later generations. It was originally designed to supply overseas treasures and treasures to the royal family. It then developed to register goods carried by ocean-going merchant ships and store tariffs. It also bans the goods not allowed to be exported in the Tang Dynasty, and the income of the Maritime Warehouse did not enter the treasury of the Ministry of Revenue, but directly entered the royal treasury of the palace city.

The Maritime Trader does have no right to interfere in local affairs except for managing maritime traders, but the special nature of this yamen determines that its influence is very large. This is why the tung oil merchants are so concerned about the attitude of the Maritime Trader. As long as it intervenes, it doesn’t need to be protected by maritime traders. No one can argue with the maritime traders at that time. Of course, this is also the reason why the maritime traders jointly wrote a letter to ask the Maritime Trader to preside over the tung oil transaction.

There is no doubt that the wealthiest group of people in the Tang Dynasty were these maritime merchants who did ocean trade. Their ships sent out and transported back were not goods, but money, and Huang Chengcheng’s money! The wealth of maritime merchants not only wrote poems, but also had more folk jokes. In the past few years, the maritime merchants donated at least 1,000 yuan when they donated incense. One of the maritime merchants was unable to understand the situation and donated 200 yuan, but they were laughed at so much that they couldn’t raise their heads. What’s even more outrageous is that Persian maritime merchants traded jewelry. The taxes were only paid at one time. This shows the wealth of maritime merchants.

It is rare to encounter an opportunity to slaughter those wealthy maritime merchants. The tung oil merchants who have received news from all over the world are ready to fight. They are afraid that the intervention of the Maritime Manager broke the opportunity, and they are glad that the Maritime Manager did not think so, and of course this is related to the fact that the Yangzhou Maritime Manager has just replaced the person. But the merchants here did not expect that the Maritime Manager had not yet moved, but Lin Ming proposed such a constitution.

If you have money but don’t make money, what are you doing? After Lin Ming’s charter was put out, there was a lot of needles in the house. The merchants were confused, but they were worried. Lin Ming’s identity was unusual after all!

No one spoke. After Lin Ming proposed such a charter, the house that was so lively that it was just now uneventful, until the whole banquet ended.

With the other tung oil merchants, he walked out of the restaurant silently. After Wu Yujun followed Tang Cheng into his house, he immediately slammed the door with his backhand. "A snake jumped out of the turtle's nest, and Lin Ming suddenly became a monster. The shop business cannot be done." After a pause, he said again: "Acheng, you have a good brain. Think about what happened to Lin Ming? Could it be that he was afraid that he would bite his hand if he had too much money?"

"Those tung oil merchants in various states are not angry, why are you anxious?" Tang Cheng poured two cups of tea and sat down. "Things are abnormal, there must be strangeness, but the tricks here are not so easy to guess. No matter what Lin Mingqi is, the more chaotic the situation is, the more beneficial it will be for us. As for whether this shop business can be done, let's take a look, don't be anxious."

"What he said makes sense," Wu Yujun carefully savored Tang Cheng's words, "Hey. No wonder my sister repeatedly told me to think more about you when I was leaving, and I wouldn't say anything else. Your silence skills alone are better than me."

"I'm anxious in my heart, I'm really going to hide it from you. I'm also pointing out that this shop can make a fortune in business, so that I can buy a good house for the two elders in my family." Tang Cheng smiled when he heard this, "But in this shop's big business, we are barefoot compared to other people, and barefoot people are afraid of wearing shoes and floors?"

"This is fresh, but what you said is true." Wu Yujun, who smiled, got up from the couch lying bend, "I don't want to do it anymore, let's go, my brother will take you to the tram behind you to open your eyes."

"I have a good intention, and I have no time to take the boat all the way. I want to sleep and raise my spirits first. If it's still early to get up, I want to put the boat to Hu Douzhou to see the docks. After all, it's a good idea to see it." Tang Cheng said while pushing Wu Yujun out. "You can do it yourself, remember to cherish your body."

"Acheng, you are all good, it's just boring, it's too boring. OK, I'll go and explore the road first, and prepare for you two good things first." He was still slow in the room, but when Wu Yujun left the room, he suddenly slipped and before he finished speaking, he was already in a hurry to walk south.

Tang Cheng was mentally prepared for this, and he had no hope of Wu Yujun for inquiries.

After a night of sleep, Tang Cheng looked at the sky and went out of the inn and hired a fastboat to release it directly from the canal waterway in the city. After entering the Huaihe River, he headed east towards Hu Douzhou.

Hu Douzhou is a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. Its terrain is connected to the Huai River on the left and the East China Sea on the right. It is actually the ideal dock location, with mountains of wood piled up and busy craftsmen. The sound of hammers and the smell of wood flower floating in the air all show the busyness on Hu Douzhou.

Looking at these piles of wood, Tang Cheng thought that the ground was not a ship, but a tung oil! How much tung oil did he need to use to build so many ocean-going giant ships at once? How much does it cost!

After seeing that it was true, Tang Cheng did not stay here anymore. Even so, the speed of sailing against the current was slow. When he rushed back to the inn in Yangzhou City, it was already dark and it was already so late. Wu Yujun had not come back yet. Judging from this attitude, he might not be able to come back tonight.

Tang Cheng's guess was indeed correct. Wu Yujun had not come back until the next morning when he got up.

Seeing this, Tang Cheng didn't wait for him. After breakfast, he left the door. While searching for a tung oil shop in the city, he was able to find the current market and visit the scenery of this city. It was a killing two birds with one stone.

After returning from noon, Tang Cheng simply did not go to Wu Yujun's room anymore. Instead, he ran to knock on the door during the lunch break.

Tang Cheng opened the door unhappily when he was disturbed by the lunch break. Seeing that Wu Yujun was also a thin man with a bamboo pole in front of him. At first glance, this man really looked like Ma Sanli, a crosstalk master in later generations.

"This is my cousin Tang Cheng and Acheng who came with me. This is my old friend Ma Yi whom I made in Xiangzhou that day."

"Good to meet, lucky to meet!" Ma Yi didn't say much, and nodded to Tang Cheng, and said to Wu Yujun not forget the appointment in the evening, and then got up and left.

"I heard from the waiter that Ah Cheng, you just returned late last night. I went out early this morning. Thank you for your hard work." Despite the struggle all night, Wu Yujun was very energetic, "It's a relaxation and relaxation, the way of civil and military affairs. Otherwise, my brother will take you to Fengfan now. A group of young men have just arrived in the tram behind, Fusangdi, Silla, and five heavenly beings."

Tang Cheng didn't answer him at all. According to his experience, as long as he followed the conversation, Wu Yujun would be out of the way, "Why did Ma Yi look for you just now?"

"What else can he do? Let's help people build a bridge! It's said that there is a merchant from the north who comes to recommend it." Wu Yujun, who was originally going to walk out, sat down with Tang Cheng, "This person is interesting. He can't study or do economic business. There is a benefit. He has a good memory and is familiar with people. After he failed to do economic business in Xiangzhou that day, he made a living. I haven't seen him for several years, but I didn't expect him to go to the north."

"North? Where is the north?"

"It's the imperial capital Chang'an," Wu Yujun smiled and said, "It's so precious time tonight! I wasn't happy to go there. Since you are interested in it, let's go and take a look. It's the big merchant who posted a lot of posts to invite people to the banquet."

"Send a whole sky?" Tang Cheng, who was originally just asking casually to change the topic, was really in love this time.

"Well, I just talked to him for a few words, and the tung oil merchants from our Shandong East have basically answered the post. It seems that the one who treats tonight is also interested in the tung oil business."

After hearing this, Tang Cheng asked, "Ma Yi also sent a post to Lin Ming?"

"I have been talking for a short time, so I didn't ask about this," Wu Yujun hesitated and said, "It should be given away, right? No one can leave him alone."

Wu Yujun guessed wrongly!

The northern merchants in the evening banquet were a fat man named Zhou Lirong. Compared to Wu Yujun, this man was fatter and better maintained. Of course, his every move was much bigger than Wu Yujun. The place where he was greeted was not chosen in the front hall restaurant, but in the tram behind him.

This is the largest flower hall in the tram. There are three incense burners in the room, and the smell of powder on the ground on the house of a group of belles and prostitutes, the whole room is filled with fat. Fortunately, there are six large ice basins in the room, otherwise it would be so hot that they can't be fooled.

After Zhou Lirong came, he said nothing, but just ordered the girl to come and drink wine. Tang Shi Lu Lu was an important place for interpersonal communication. The merchants invited were used to it. I would soon have a companion around you. Tang Chengyuan didn't have this idea, but since he had arrived in such a place, he couldn't be too rigid.

At this moment, the prostitute sitting beside him seemed to be of similar age as him, and could be arranged by the brothel to such a prosperous away scene. The prostitute's appearance is naturally good. Unfortunately, her body is not as graceful as it is not plump enough. This has become somewhat in line with the aesthetics of the times, and she is inevitably neglected. Seeing that the sisters who came with him were picked up one after another and were hung up, the prostitute's face was inevitably a little embarrassed.

Tang Cheng saw her embarrassed expression. Since she had to choose, who would not choose? What's more, this prostitute looked graceful among a group of rich and graceful people, which was actually in line with the aesthetic concept he had cultivated in later generations. He immediately went forward to choose this prostitute, which solved her embarrassment.

"Thank you, young master!" The prostitute avoided Tang Cheng's hand and held the wine cup to his mouth. Her whole body also snuggled into Tang Cheng's arms with the movement of holding the wine. The sister was pretty, not to mention that the young man in front of her relieved her embarrassing person. The prostitute's watery eyes rarely showed a bit of true love.

Seeing that Tang Cheng was about to reach out to receive the wine cup again, the prostitute immediately became coquettish, and her body shook and pressed against Tang Cheng's body more and more closely and could not be separated.

"So this is how to drink flower wine in the Tang Dynasty?" Seeing that it was like this, Tang Cheng no longer held on his side. He drank the wine in the cup with the hand of a prostitute. "What's your name?"

"Guanguan!" After Tang Cheng finished drinking, Guanguan held the wine cup and wrapped his hands around the man's neck, "Guanguan is singing in the river island. The beautiful lady is the best for gentlemen."

"Guan Guan? Good name", Tang Cheng put his hand on Guan Guan's slender waist, controlling it so that she would not make further intimate moves, "It turns out to be a graceful lady."

"I am slim, but I don't know if my young master is a gentleman?" Because Tang Cheng was holding her waist, Guan Guan couldn't stick too tightly. After glanced at Tang Cheng in a daze, Guan Guan actually stuck out his tongue and gently licked the man's earlobe, and said vaguely: "It's rare to have a good night, how about Guan Guan accompanying the young master tonight?"

"I have been running out for days..." When Tang Cheng just said this, Guan Guan misunderstood his meaning and said in a slight voice: "I just look thin!" Guan Guan paused for a moment and saw that Tang Cheng did not answer, and lowered the volume a little bit and said: "If the young master is interested... it is the blooming of the back garden."

Hearing this, Tang Cheng was stunned!

Fortunately, Zhou Lirong coughed and started talking at this moment. At this point, the whole room became quiet. Tang Cheng also changed his mind to concentrate on listening to Zhou Lirong's words.

What Zhou Lirong said is very different from Lin Ming. This fat man has a big appetite. He said that he wanted to buy the tung oil in the hands of the merchants here. This is not only referring to the existing inventory in their hands, but also indicating that the new tung oil that is released this year must be purchased together.

Not only are there in this flower hall, but also some tung oil merchants from Shannan West Road, but also some tung oil merchants in Shannan West Road are among them. How much tung oil is controlled in their hands? This tone...is too big. When Tang Cheng and Wu Yujun exchanged glances, Zhou Lirong smiled and said, "I have been in charge of economic life for decades and have always been a matter of words. If you are still worried, I can pay a deposit of 20% in advance. As for the price of tung oil in the future! Whether the Maritime Bureau is involved or not, I can guarantee that the oil price can be at least 20% higher than this year."

As soon as he said this, the whole flower hall suddenly felt as if it had been fried a nest. It was indeed not much to add 20% of the tung oil price in this year. What caused the tung oil merchants to be restless was the words that were not restricted by the market and the market. What feared these tung oil merchants from afar? Zhou Lirong's words directly relieved their worries. Although the tung oil merchants' price increase was not high in this year's market, they were not risky after all.

For a time, the tung oil merchants from Shannan West Road in the flower hall looked lively and greeted the merchants who belonged to the same road to discuss, but the tung oil merchants from Shannan East Road, which accounted for the majority in the flower hall, looked embarrassed. It would be fake to say that they were not moved by such conditions, but the question is what to do with Lin Ming? After all, the one who was standing behind him was Lin Baiyu, who offended this person. Even if he could make a profit in front of him, should he still do his future business?

The most relaxing person in the house was Wu Yujun. Anyway, he came here mainly to explore the market movements, and he didn't feel much pressure. Seeing the people in the hall expressing joy or depression and embarrassment, Wu Yujun smiled and said to Tang Cheng with a low smile: "Is something wrong again? After hearing this, Zhou Lirong is not afraid of the Maritime Warehouse Intervening."

Although the Maritime Bureau is not clear at the moment, once they decide to take over the matter, they will undoubtedly stand on the side of the maritime merchants. The price they set at that time can be imagined. In this case, Zhou Lirong's current actions are very likely to not only fail to make money and be busy, but even the risk of losing money is even greater.

Under such a background, what exactly did Zhou Lirong do such a big trouble? Tang Cheng's mind was changing rapidly, or maybe Zhou Lirong knew that the Maritime Warehouse would not take over, so he wanted to stock up on the goods and make a big profit from it?

After Tang Cheng thought about it, these are the most likely reasons at present. If we judge this, Zhou Lirong's origin would be a bit scary. After all, he came from the imperial capital of Chang'an.

The more I thought about it, Tang Cheng thought of Lin Ming's abnormality at noon yesterday from the incident, and then naturally thought of the shadows behind Lin Ming and Zhou Lirong. The more I thought about his face, the heavier his face.

After all, I thought it was too simple. It seemed that this shop business could not be done. In the face of such a deep background, with the resources that Tang Cheng currently has, he really didn't even have the qualifications to speak. No matter whether Jinzhou itself has a strong competitor for the tung oil merchant, if he knew that he could not use this shop business to obtain high profits, Sun Envoy was willing to fight against Zhongzhen for a 20% profit business? If even Sun Envoy withdraws, then how could Tang Cheng make a mistake in Yangzhou? What money would he make and what house to buy?

With such thoughts, Tang Cheng naturally had no interest in perfunctory Guan Guan. After coming out of the flower hall, he and Wu Yujun smiled bitterly when they looked at each other. It seemed that this trip to Yangzhou was in vain.

When this tung oil business involved the battle between first-level officials, there was no room for intervention in the situation like them. Although Tang Cheng was unwilling to accept the reality, he could only accept the reality. Now that he wanted to get a share of the business, unless he could find a fulcrum to participate, this matter was just a thought.
Chapter completed!