Chapter 751:

Iron Dynasty

The aroma of stir-fried dishes permeated the restaurant.

After the stir-fried dishes at the Wei Family Restaurant became popular, stir-fried dishes also started appearing in other restaurants across Qingzhou.

Although the taste of these stir-fried dishes wasn't as good as those at the Wei Family Restaurant, they were still far more delicious than what was previously available.

Once the food arrived, Shangguan Yong pressed on, "Fifth Brother Liu, what do you say? "

After a moment's thought, Zhu Wuliu said, "It's just that we have no ships. We can't transport the fabrics to Gaoli at all. And even if we could, we're not familiar with Gaoli, so we'd definitely need to find Gaoli merchants to cooperate with. "

"Alas, so it means those big merchants will once again snatch up all the profits from Gaoli this time. They have ships and can go directly to Gaoli. " Shangguan Yong sighed.

As the two were speaking, a tall, slender young man from among the academy students approached them.

With a smile, the young man cupped his hands and asked, "Are the two of you perhaps discussing trade with Gaoli? "

Zhu Wuliu and Shangguan Yong glanced at the academy uniform on the young man. Zhu Wuliu said, "Indeed. May I ask what insights you have, Brother? "

"I wouldn't dare presume to offer advice. My name is Lu Yichen. My father was once the county magistrate of Wannian County in Chang'an. He has since resigned from his post and is now a merchant in Qingzhou, specializing in water transport. Just now, I overheard that you two require merchant ships to transport fabrics to Gaoli, so I came to inform you. " Lu Yichen said.

"Your transport ships can also go to Gaoli? " Zhu Wuliu asked, puzzled. "Not all transport ships are suitable for sea voyages, you know. "

Lu Yichen replied, "Since I dared to say it, naturally I can transport your fabrics to Gaoli. If you two require our services, you can inquire at Lu's Transport. "

Zhu Wuliu and Shangguan Yong exchanged a glance. There were many merchants in Qingzhou City, and no small number of unscrupulous ones among them. Many of their fabrics had been sold without the silver ever being recovered.

Therefore, they were always wary of merchants. Shangguan Yong deliberately tried to intimidate him, "I'm not afraid to tell you, this Zhu Wuliu's elder brother is Zhu Sansi, a Colonel in the Qingzhou Army. If you dare to deceive us, we won't let you off lightly! "

Lu Yichen said, "I wouldn't dare, of course. "

Zhu Wuliu nodded. The merchant ships of the big companies were expensive. Their business already operated on thin margins, so using those ships would leave them with no profit.

So, they could only use the merchant ships of these smaller traders. However, he wouldn't trust Lu Yichen based on just a few words. He'd compare prices and services and find the most suitable merchant ship.

The Ding Estate.

Ding Wanquan and his son, Ding Wu, also received this news immediately.

The sharp-eyed Ding Wanquan said, "This matter brooks no delay. Go now and tally our merchant ships. See how many are capable of setting sail for Gaoli. "

"Yes, Father. " Ding Wu's face was alight with excitement. He, too, had clearly seen the business opportunity within this.

Before Ding Wu could leave, Ding Wanquan continued, "Wait, also dispatch people immediately to procure fabrics, sugar, and perfume. This trip to Gaoli will see us make a huge fortune. The Emperor has now made this matter public, so other merchants must surely know by now, especially the Cao family; they must be ecstatic! "

"Father is absolutely right. A large number of merchants have gathered around the Cao family now. It's even rumored that they're establishing the Cao Family Commerce Guild. This is quite a big move. With this news out, they'll certainly band together to seize this business opportunity. " Ding Wu said.

Having weathered many storms himself, Ding Wanquan said calmly, "That Cao Zheng Yang is getting too big for his britches now. He's forgotten whose dominion this Great Yu Kingdom is, forgotten who granted us merchants our current status, and forgotten how the King of Wei, King of Yan, and Prince Zhao met their end. Ding Wu, remember this: no matter what the Cao family does, we must not overstep our bounds. Merchants are, after all, merchants. Dealing with money is enough. Power is poison to merchants; one must not touch it. "

Ding Wu nodded, "Your son has always kept Father's teachings in mind, never daring to harbor the slightest delusion in his heart. "

"Good, that's good. I'm getting old. I've thought long and hard about the Ding family, and I believe only you are suitable to inherit my position. It's just that your two elder brothers probably won't agree. But don't be impatient. Just diligently manage the Ding family's business, and at the appropriate time, I will make the decision. "

"Yes, Father. " Ding Wu's heart secretly rejoiced.

From an illegitimate son to a pivotal figure in the Ding family, his path had not been easy. Now, he had finally gained his father's appreciation.

At the same time, dozens of merchants gathered at the Cao Estate, which was Cao Zheng Yang's residence.

"Shopkeeper Cao, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us! We must set sail immediately and transport goods to Gaoli. "

A portly merchant said.

"Exactly! Didn't we gather here precisely to break free from the Qingzhou Merchant Guild and gain greater profits? We cannot let this opportunity slip away! "

Another person chimed in.

"..."

The merchants spoke over each other, one after another, while Cao Zheng Yang listened, leisurely reading a newspaper.

After a long pause, he slowly said, "What kind of business is the most profitable? Fabrics? Sugar? Neither. Only monopoly brings the highest profits. No matter what the commodity, as long as you can monopolize it, you can arbitrarily rake in silver. "

"Shopkeeper Cao, do you mean for us to monopolize the trade with Gaoli? But is that even possible? All merchants are aware of this matter now. " A merchant asked.

Cao Zheng Yang said with a smile, "Nothing is impossible, as long as we come up with a method. "

He paused, then said meaningfully, "Actually, the sea is not safe at all. Pirates run rampant. If goods are plundered, merchants lose everything. We can spread this news, and naturally, the timid merchants won't dare to entrust their goods to those small traders. "

"That's right! Our merchant ships have guards! " A merchant exclaimed happily. He said, "Shopkeeper Cao's idea is brilliant! We can definitely make a play on this matter. "

Cao Zheng Yang nodded smugly, his eyes glinting. For the Cao family to have reached its current standing, many unscrupulous methods had been employed.

As a core member of the Cao family, he was naturally well aware of this. He knew very well that to expand a business, one had to resort to unscrupulous means.

This Gaoli affair made him clearly see the future commercial direction of the Great Yu Kingdom. Currently, there was only Gaoli, but if Jinao were also involved later, the profits would be even more lucrative. He had to plan ahead and find ways to seize the maximum benefits.

While the merchants were scheming against each other over this matter, Li Kaiyuan was summoned by Xiao Ming to the Imperial Study.

With countless pieces of knowledge accumulated in his mind, no one understood the true nature of merchants better than Xiao Ming. Therefore, from the very beginning, Xiao Ming had no intention of letting merchants freely extend their reach into Gaoli.

After all, once commercial trade spun out of control, monopolies and business giants would proliferate. He already had his own plan in mind: all merchants traveling to Gaoli this time would have to obtain a travel permit from the Qingzhou Merchant Guild.

P. S. : More updates.