In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 645 The Grand Event on Anhe Street

At the end of December, heavy snow fell and strong winds howled!

As the Lunar New Year approaches, various "Fu" characters and couplets are posted in every corner of the city.

In front of shops, in front of houses, even some shacks near the city walls
The military governor's office sent people to post a couplet as a sign of their concern.

Despite the heavy snowfall, the entire city of Daning was filled with joy.

The four city gates opened wide, and groups of people gathered in Daning City at this time.

They were the chief officers or deputy officers of various garrisons in Daning.
They came to report to the commander on the recent situation of the garrison over the past year.

Horses and men walked through the wind and snow, the strong winds blowing them askew.

The horse's muscles were tense.

He leaned to one side and tried to move forward.
The streets were nearly deserted; most people were sheltering at home from the strong winds.

However, a long queue had formed in front of Kang Le Trading Company on Anhe Street.
Everyone was wrapped in thick clothes and wearing heavy hats.
Stomping their feet incessantly in the wind and snow.

I hope this activity can bring me a little warmth.

They would occasionally tiptoe forward to look, their faces filled with anticipation!
Today is the day that Kang Le Trading Company sells white sugar at a fair price.

Kang Le Trading Company won the bid for the right to sell white sugar at a flat price for three years for 90,000 taels of silver.

The news has already spread like wildfire throughout Daning City.

Even ordinary people have heard about it.

After a month of preparation, it's finally time to go on sale.

Most of those queuing here today are business people with very specific goals in mind.

Ordinary people wouldn't brave such wind and snow to come here and suffer from hunger and cold.

Finally, after waiting for less than fifteen minutes,

The doors of the Kang Le Trading Company, which had been tightly closed, were now open.

It cast out the orange-yellow candlelight and billowing heat.

The shopkeeper, Ya Rong, stood inside, wearing a dark blue robe.
She was pretty, with a faint smile on her lips.

The cold wind blew her hair back and forth, adding a touch of elegance to her appearance.

A long table had already been set up in front of the shop.
On the long table were baskets, each containing a cloth bag filled with a pound of white sugar.

To the side, there stood a conspicuous sign.

[Fine white sugar, one pound, fifty coins]
[One bag per person]
The people in line held their breath and looked on with fervor when they saw the price.

In the interior of the Ming Dynasty, a pound of high-quality white sugar cost about the same, between thirty and sixty wen.
Brown sugar, on the other hand, is much cheaper, ranging from ten to thirty coins.

But this is outside the pass.
It is Daning City, far from the heart of the Ming Dynasty!
Rice and flour are several times more expensive than in the interior, not to mention rare things like white sugar.

In the grain shops south of the city, a pound of high-quality white sugar could easily cost one hundred wen, which is equivalent to one qian of silver.
If it were sold to the Duoyan Sanwei, it would cost three hundred coins!
If you go further north, to the vicinity of Buyur Lake, then it's one tael of silver per catty.

Now, white sugar in Daning City costs fifty coins per catty!
As long as it is sold to the northern grasslands.

Excluding shipping costs, ten times the profit!

Just as his thoughts were racing,

The foreman opened a bag of white sugar and poured it into a basket.
"Come and see, this is top-quality white sugar!"

The shouts were faint in the strong wind.
But that didn't stop everyone from rushing forward!

Everyone stared wide-eyed; the white sugar was as smooth as snow.
As white as snowflakes accumulated on the ground.
When the wind blows, you can see the fine sand gently floating up.

Pairs of eyes widened like saucers, staring intently, hoping to find some impurity.
But even with their eyes strained, they couldn't find a single speck of color!
The best, no! The finest, the very finest white sugar!

"I'll take a bag!"

One person spoke first, slamming the banknotes in his hand onto the table.
The waiter looked up, remembered his face,

He took the money and handed over a bag of white sugar, while shouting:

"Line up, everyone line up, one bag per person."

Bags of white sugar were taken away.
The shop assistant restocked the shelves several times, but the line outside remained long.
The shopkeeper, Ya Rong, stood to the side, quietly watching the scene unfold before her, her smile growing ever wider.

"This white sugar is a rare commodity."

She now understood why the general had asked her to run a legitimate business.
Even selling like this, you can still earn a lot of money every day.

The Mi family mansion on Yiren Street, once a quiet and deserted place, is now teeming with people.

They were all prominent figures and merchants in the city.
Even Hu Chongyi, who was somewhat unhappy, sat quietly among them.

A cup of tea sat beside him, steaming gently.

He kept glancing towards the gate of the mansion, his face showing urgency.

Mi Chen, sitting at the head of the table, remained quite calm, quietly sitting there.
He has recovered from the defeat a month ago.

He suddenly became otherworldly and ethereal, as if he had transcended worldly affairs.

Mi Bin, the second manager of the Mi family, sat to one side.
His face still showed scabs that hadn't fallen off, and he exuded a fierce aura.

Just as the atmosphere inside the room was tense,

Several figures suddenly appeared in the courtyard, hurrying towards the main hall.

"Sir, it's back! It's back!"

"Fifty coins a bag."

Mi Chenteng stood up abruptly.
They had completely lost their previous air of otherworldly grace, and Hu Chongyi and the others were no exception.

The waiter rushed into the house, carrying more than a dozen cloth bags in his arms.
Place them all on the round table in the very center.

"Quick, open it and see how it is."

Mi Chen quickly gave the orders, and the waiter did so without hesitation.
They simply opened the two bags of sugar and poured them onto the table.
"hiss--"

A series of gasps of astonishment rang out.
All the shopkeepers crowded around,
Wang Ze, the manager of the Wang family's business on Daliang Street, only glanced at it.
His pupils contracted slightly, and he spoke first:
"Its color is pure white, without a trace of impurity, even better than the white sugar from the Taixue Trading Company in Beiping!"

"More than that, this quality is far superior to what I saw in Yingtian."

Hu Chongyi had a bandit-like air about him, his eyes wide open.

Mi Chen stared blankly at the white sugar in front of him.

A sudden wave of regret washed over me.
If I had known it was in such good condition, what would have been an extra ten thousand taels?
If this quality were sold to the grasslands...
That means supply can't meet demand, so prices can be set arbitrarily.

He knew that the purer the sugar, the more effective it was at saving lives, and the lower the chance of it causing the wound to fester.

Some powerful figures on the grasslands,
He was never stingy with money when it came to his trusted and elite subordinates.
After a flurry of chatter, everyone present came to believe it.

Wanshou Sugar Workshop is able to consistently produce these white sugars with high quality.

Taking a deep breath, Mi Chen waved his hand, his voice hoarse and aged:
"Please be seated, everyone. We need to discuss the follow-up."

After sitting down, Mi Chen looked at the waiter and asked:

What are the rules for purchasing white sugar?

The man answered honestly:

"Reporting to the shopkeeper, each person is limited to one bag, which is one jin (500 grams)."
Some people had previously returned wanting to buy more.
But the guy had a sharp eye and recognized him immediately.

"Alright, you've worked hard, you can go now."

"Yes."

After the waiter left, Mi Chen glanced around and spoke calmly:
"Gentlemen, you are all influential figures in Daning City. What is your opinion on this matter?"

Wang Ze, the elegant shopkeeper in his thirties, chuckled softly, his voice refined:

"Fifty coins for a bag of this quality white sugar,"

Not to mention selling them on the grasslands, they made a fortune even in other border towns.
We have to earn this money, no matter what.

"Yes, that's right. It would be a waste to just eat such good candy like this."

Someone chimed in, it was Huang Huai, the manager of the Huang family's main street in Daning City.

They were punished for maliciously inflating grain prices, which severely damaged their business.

"Don't be too happy about things too soon."

Mi Bin spoke in a hoarse voice, then bent down slightly.

He took out a metal box from under the table and opened it.
The waiter stepped forward and placed the tin box on the central table. "Take a look, everyone. This is white sugar bought from Beiping, and it's almost identical to the white sugar here."

I checked it carefully.
No matter what they did, they couldn't find the person behind it, leading them to suspect that the Prince's Mansion was involved in the sale.

"The Prince's Mansion?"

Many people were startled and rushed forward to check.

When the two types of white sugar were placed side by side and carefully compared, they were found to be almost identical!
“Same as before!”

Hu Chongyi dipped the food in the water twice, tasted it, and said thoughtfully.

He recalled Lu Yunyi's words that day, about not being able to sell to Beiping.
Suddenly he understood something, and his expression changed slightly.

Many people present had also thought of this.

Wang Ze murmured:
"This technique of making white sugar should have already spread among the most powerful and influential people in the Ming Dynasty."
Lu Yunyi prevented white sugar from being sold in Beiping in order to avoid suspicion.

Could it be that the territory has already been divided up?

Mi Chen frowned slightly and pondered for a moment:
"Manager Wang is right."

The cloth transported from Jiangnan to the north was handled by those few large merchant houses.
They were distributed sequentially along the northern front, without interfering with each other.
And white sugar today is similar.

These words suddenly filled the quiet hall with a wave of sorrow.
They gritted their teeth and rubbed their palms together slightly.

They wished they were one of those major merchant guilds, or a top noble in the Ming Dynasty!
However, they were merely powerful and influential figures in Da Ning City, and were still far from reaching that level.

The deathly silence made the cold wind outside howl even more fiercely.
The tightly closed doors trembled slightly, revealing the unease in everyone's hearts.

After a long while, Hu Chongyi murmured:
"It seems that selling to the grasslands is the only option."
How will you sell them? Through my channels?

The shopkeepers present remained silent.

She simply glanced silently at Mi Chen at the head of the table, waiting for him to speak.

Mi Chen chuckled softly:
"Manager Hu, your channels are too dangerous, and those grassland bandits are not trustworthy either."

Use my channels to deliver it directly to Baisongbu.
Using the white pine as a base, spreading northward is both time-saving and labor-saving.

Upon hearing this, Hu Chongyi instantly flew into a rage.
He slammed his hand on the table and stood up straight!

"What did you say about not being trustworthy? Are the things you do trustworthy?"

"Borrowing money from all over the place days in advance, aren't you just trying to empty our cash reserves so we won't have to compete with you?"

Mi Chen merely glanced at him indifferently:
"In the business world, everyone relies on their own methods."

If Mr. Mi knew about the news in advance and did not take action, wouldn't that be a waste of resources?
If Manager Hu continues to bring up the arrogance of the grassland bandits...
He could easily give up his business and continue being a bandit.

Everyone's eyes flickered; this was the first time Mi Chen had admitted that he had received advance notice.

Hu Chongyi persisted, letting out a cold snort:
"To know the news in advance and still let it fall into the hands of others is truly shameful."

"If I, Mi, am disgraced, then Manager Hu is no better off."

Mi Chen coughed lightly, ignoring Hu Chongyi, and looked at the shopkeeper Wang Ze:

"Manager Wang, what have you thought about it? Do you want to cooperate?"

Wang Ze chuckled and said with a smile:
"I would be extremely happy to do so; Mr. Wang will arrange for someone to come as soon as possible."

How much money can be made depends on Manager Mi's abilities.

After saying that, Wang Ze stood up lightly.
He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the crowd, his smile warm and friendly.
"Wang left first, saying goodbye."

Shopkeeper Huang Huai watched his figure disappear into the wind and snow, his expression unreadable.

"Manager Mi, how will this collaboration take place? I wonder if Mr. Huang could be involved?"

A fierce glint suddenly flashed in Hu Chongyi's eyes, but Huang Huai ignored it.

Mi Chen looked at him, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, and spoke loudly without any hesitation:
"Since Kang Le Trading Company has imposed purchase restrictions, I plan to mobilize some of my close relatives and friends to make the purchases."

By employing more people and accumulating resources over time, a considerable amount can be saved.

Anyway, sugar doesn't spoil, so you won't lose money holding it.

If you shopkeepers wish to cooperate...

I want as much as you have in your possession.

Minimum order is 100 coins per bag, the more the better, price is negotiable.
Of course, we can also cooperate.

After the goods are sold to the northern grasslands, the profits will be divided, and Mi will only take a small share.

Huang Huai frowned slightly, a flash of understanding appearing in his eyes.
She immediately understood what Mi Chen was planning, and a secret sense of envy welled up inside her.
It's true that he's rich.
But he didn't have a stable and reliable channel like Baisongbu.
"It seems that cooperation is the only option."
"When the time comes, we should get everyone in the household to buy it; perhaps we can hire some people."

Silently to himself, Huang Huai looked at Mi Chen and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:
"Thank you for your insightful advice, Manager Mi. I need to go back and discuss this further. Farewell."

"No need to see me out." Mi Chen nodded with a smile.
Hu Chongyi sat there, his brows furrowed, his expression shifting rapidly.
When everyone had almost left, he finally spoke:

"Manager Mi, we both have distribution channels."
"Why don't we team up and eat all the sugar in Daning City!"

Mi Chen was slightly taken aback and looked at Hu Chongyi with some surprise.

He hadn't expected Hu Chongyi to be so flexible and adaptable.

However, he shook his head slightly and said with a smile:
"Manager Hu, we businessmen can't forget about the Commander."
If you and I join forces, would the Commander still allow us to do this business?
That Lord Lu is ruthless when it comes to arresting people.

Hu Chongyi's expression changed slightly.
Thinking about the recent major moves by the Commander-in-Chief, I felt lingering fear.

"I understand, farewell."

After saying that, Hu Chongyi got up and left.
The remaining shopkeepers also left, seemingly lost in thought.

In the end, only the Mi brothers remained inside the house.

Mi Bin considered for a moment and asked:

"Brother, how much money do you want to buy sugar from the people?"

Mi Chen tapped the table with his finger, pondering for a moment.
"Ten extra coins for each bag."

"So many?" Mi Bin exclaimed in surprise.
“Brother, add three more coins and someone will be willing to do it.”

"Three coins?" Mi Chen glanced at him, his voice suddenly rising:

“People are willing to do it even for a penny, but do you think the Commander-in-Chief would want to see this situation?”

"Commander?" Mi Bin frowned.

Mi Chen sighed deeply, a hint of lingering fear on his face:
"The people who returned from Beiping brought back some news."
Some of these are examples of Lord Lu's actions in Yingtian.
It's no exaggeration to say that, besides being ruthless killers,

He truly deserves to be called a good official who serves the country and its people.

Yingtian Trading Company had such a large business, who knows how much money it could make, and yet it was just handed over like that.

You don't know this, but everyone in Beiping is talking about it now.
The villages in the eight counties of Yingtian that cooperated with the merchants lived like gods.
Making a fortune every day, every family has a new house!

Mi Bin was stunned, his expression somewhat strange:
“Brother, these are just rumors circulating in the streets and should not be taken seriously.”

"It doesn't count, but even if it wasn't that much, it's true that the trading company distributed money to those villages."

Mi Chen pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes:
"I only recently figured it out myself."
Whether it's raising pigs, buying mink furs, or even the sugar in front of them, the company's goal is always to make money.
The purpose was to revitalize the stagnant city of Daning.

It's just a different way of doing it.

"Give me money?" A look of doubt flashed in Mi Bin's eyes.

"Hmm, there's a limit of one bag of white sugar per person, and the price is so cheap."
They were practically shouting through a megaphone, urging us to get the locals to buy their products.

At this point, anyone who offers too little to buy the sugar is committing suicide.

Mi Chen's expression remained calm, but his eyes held a confident air.

He glanced at Mi Bin and chuckled softly:
"Just wait and see. We should be fine raising the price by ten coins."

But those who add a penny or two to the price will inevitably run into trouble sooner or later.
Especially that idiot Hu Chongyi, just wait and see.

"By the way, prepare more silver at home during this period."
Spend more time interacting with the officials in the military governor's office.
If someone's family goes bankrupt and they have to sell their property...

We need to rush up immediately and take a big bite out of the flesh.

This is a sure-fire way to make money; why not take advantage of it?

Mi Bin hesitated for a moment, but still nodded slightly:

"I understand, brother."

(End of this chapter)