The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 245 Give Him a Surprise

"Min Tie is one of the best quality in China, and its market price is 1.6 qian per jin."

"Therefore, the cost of making a matchlock gun is no more than one tael."

Listening to the craftsmen's words, Wang Xin nodded from time to time. Putting everything else aside, based on what he knew, these craftsmen should be right.

The price for a single musket made by the Ming Dynasty's Armory Bureau was nine qian of silver.

However, the Ming Dynasty levied taxes from the common people.

Not only did local areas have to hand over iron materials, but also other materials, and craftsmen were required to serve in shifts at the Beijing Garrison.

Therefore, the prices set by the Ming Dynasty Armory Bureau can only serve as a reference.

A single breech-loading cannon weighs about 200 jin (approximately 100 kg). Based on the price of the best iron in the Ming Dynasty, the cost price is 32 taels of silver. However, it costs 240 taels to buy it from foreigners. Why can't we manufacture it ourselves?

After listening to the craftsmen's words, Wang Xin no longer hesitated.

“I will contribute five hundred taels of silver to purchase raw materials for the craftsmen to use in making firearms.”

Upon hearing Wang Xin's words, Liu Er and the others immediately began to calculate.

Five hundred taels of silver can buy more than three thousand catties of iron.

Although it was a bit tight, it should be enough. Liu Er nodded, and the other three masters had no objections. However, now that the conversation had reached this point, they began to worry about their wages.

"Before we came, Manager Xue promised five taels of silver a month," one of the chefs said.

Five taels of silver a month, that's sixty taels a year.

In ancient times, butchers were among the highest-paid ordinary people. A butcher's annual income was about thirty taels, or two to three taels per month.

Therefore, an annual salary of sixty taels of silver was almost twice the income of a butcher.

Many small business owners, after a year of hard work, can't even earn sixty taels of silver.

Especially in the north.

The people barely managed to fill their stomachs, and they didn't see much money throughout the year.

Wang Xin shook his head.

The masters were shocked when they saw this.

Liu Er's eyes widened. They had come all the way from the south to this place with great difficulty. How could they go back on their word? They couldn't help but look at Xue Yan.

Xue Yan remained silent.

Although Xue Yan heard that Wang Xin's methods of dealing with the Hu people were completely dishonest, he never doubted Wang Xin's character.

That's strange, isn't it?

Xue Yan was simply curious about Wang Xin's plans, and he was quite interested.

This person's actions and behaviors often open people's eyes and provide them with unique insights.

Wang Xin smiled and reassured everyone.

“I will set aside another thousand taels of silver as a reward. Whoever replicates the arquebus first will be rewarded with two hundred taels of silver, and whoever replicates the breech-loading cannon first will be rewarded with another eight hundred taels of silver.”

The craftsmen were stunned.

When Liu Er heard about the reward of eight hundred taels of silver, he almost forgot to breathe.

Actually, there was something Liu Er hadn't revealed: some members of his clan had escaped conscription and somehow ended up in Haojing, working for the Red-Haired Devil. The Red-Haired Devil kept a close watch on them, but he still managed to reveal a few details.

Having had experience with breech-loading machines, Liu Er was quite confident about this.

Five taels of silver a month is a generous sum, but if one cannot replicate firearms, no one will support someone who does nothing. Without a certain level of confidence, no one would travel thousands of miles to this place.

Leave professional matters to professionals.

Wang Xin agreed wholeheartedly and would never make a decision on a whim. After explaining his thoughts, he sincerely asked a question.

"The army urgently needs muskets, but I think that muskets are easier to imitate than breech-loading cannons, so I set a reward of two hundred taels of silver. However, whether it is fair or not will be judged by the masters in the end."

"How to judge?"

"Based on the total amount of one thousand taels of silver, what percentage should the arquebuses account for, and what percentage should the breech-loading cannons account for? The masters can discuss and come up with an idea. As long as you all reach a consensus, then we will proceed according to your ideas."

Wang Xin then continued.

"Once the imitation is successful and I am rewarded with silver, the technique will belong to me. I will make it public so that the other masters can use this technique."

Hearing this, the group was puzzled.

Xue Yan also frowned.

It wasn't dissatisfaction, but rather a deep contemplation of Wang Xin's strategy—what kind of tactic was this?
"General Wang, please speak frankly about your plans."

Liu Er, being the most straightforward, couldn't help but ask.

However, Liu Er had a much better impression of the general in front of him than before.

The act of offering a thousand taels of silver as a reward is a thousand times, ten thousand times, more impressive than mere words.

Full of confidence, Liu Er was already quite impatient.

"Once the technology is successfully developed, each craftsman will provide their own quote: how much does a single shotgun cost, and how much does a single breech-loading cannon cost? I will then decide the amount of orders to be distributed among you based on the quotes you provide."

"There are four master chefs now. The one with the lowest price gets 60% of the orders, and the others get 25%, 10%, and 5% respectively."

"For example, I would order five thousand bird guns."

"The bartender with the lowest bid will receive an order for 3,000 bird guns, while the bartender with the highest bid will only receive 250 bird guns. However, the difference between the highest and lowest bids cannot be too large to avoid quoting excessively high prices."

What do you gentlemen think?

We need to compete, but avoid cutthroat competition, while ensuring everyone has work to do and avoiding wasting manpower.

Actually, there is an even simpler method.

He directly pays me money every month.

However, this is the least efficient and least proactive method.

no matter who.

You only put your heart into things that concern you.

As for the patent law, Wang Xin dared not introduce it yet, as he currently lacked the strength and could not afford it, but he still wanted to motivate the craftsmen.

Another reason is to prepare for the future.

No matter how many craftsmen come, they can easily join later.

Either you lack the ability and join someone else's team to work, or you are capable and build your own team to work.

The former, for their own benefit, would not let go of capable craftsmen.

The latter can bring competition, increase efficiency, and is also very beneficial.

Of course, many things are still immature.

For example, the security deposit in a contract.

The delivery date, quantity, and quality are agreed upon. Breach of contract will result in hefty penalties, but we haven't reached that point yet. We'll take it one step at a time; there's no need to rush.

Wang Xin's method was both familiar and unfamiliar to the craftsmen.

It is said to be no different from a private workshop, as if it were one's own business, but it is not entirely similar.

It wouldn't be accurate to say they were completely unfamiliar.

If it's just a half-baked skill, an unskilled craftsman might feel uncertain.

Without some serious skills, one wouldn't dare to go to Liangshan.

These people were all confident in themselves, so instead of frowning, they started to calculate their own benefits.

"it is good."

Liu Er no longer hesitated.

He couldn't understand why he had refused, and he had only one question: "What if I get an order for three thousand shotguns, but I don't have the money?"

Wang Xin couldn't help but laugh.

“There are many ways.”

"Now that we've secured the orders, I believe many businessmen will be willing to lend us money. If you're not comfortable with businessmen, you can borrow from me. I won't charge interest the first time, but I'll charge some interest the second time."

The benefits of a mature and healthy business society.

If you have an idea, it's easy to get start-up capital, which accelerates societal progress.

Wang Xin needed more than just arquebuses and breech-loading cannons, so he needed to encourage the craftsmen to take initiative.

Xue Yan understood the reasoning behind it. After raising his head, his eyes were full of admiration. The more he got to know this person, the more he learned about him, which often made him feel amazed.

Especially this person's way of thinking.

Why do I always feel like I'm at a very high level?

Xue Yan was completely baffled.

Once you have a clear idea, the rest is simple.

The craftsmen can purchase the materials they need directly from JUZHONGCHAN.

Good iron requires many processes, starting with selecting the coke. It's impossible for just a few master craftsmen to handle this, but with Juzhongchang, it's different; you can directly purchase good iron.

Not to mention the craftsmen.

Wang Xin himself purchased goods from Juzhongchang.

As long as there's money to be made, there's nothing these Datong merchants wouldn't dare sell. They even dared to sell iron pots, which were considered beneath the imperial court's control, to the Hu people, let alone something as trivial as gunpowder, which they sold to their own army.

Transfer from left hand to right hand, and from right hand to left hand.

Wang Xin was the first to benefit from the establishment of Juzhongchang.
-
"seen?"

"seen."

"How about it?"

"My eyes were glued to it."

"Hahaha."

Zhou Shiming couldn't help but burst into laughter. The steward in the manor also looked smug.

The young ladies in the family are all beautiful. Although they are not as beautiful as the Xue family's daughter, the Xue family's daughter cannot be compared to ordinary women; she is a rare beauty in the whole world.

Xue Dongjia was also an extraordinary person.

She actually took her daughter out on a trip; has Jiangnan become so open-minded?

The rites and music have collapsed.

There are absolutely no rules.

Since it wasn't his own young lady, the steward didn't care. He took a portrait of his young lady to Weiyuan Pass for Tang Ping to see, and sure enough, Tang Ping's tone changed.

Zhou Shiming didn't care.

The new schools in Jiangnan were unacceptable to them; they were simply too shocking and lacked any discipline.

However, my family is not a rigid or pedantic person.

Showing someone a portrait is a minor matter as long as it benefits the family. Tang Ping comes from a poor background, so he probably doesn't know any rules or etiquette.

Zhou Shiming said, "Since he has agreed, we still need General Wang to be present for the next part of the betrothal ceremony."

“What you say is absolutely right, sir.”

Neither the master nor any other family wanted a powerful figure to emerge from Datong.

When Feng Yong first started out, he distributed many benefits to various families, and they reciprocated by supporting him. However, after Feng Yong grew powerful, he began to secretly suppress these families, and they dared not resist him.

Now it's Wang Xin's turn, and he's even more generous.

More importantly, this person's ideas are truly imaginative, yet contain immense potential benefits.

The steward had served the Zhou family for generations, and he himself had been the master's servant since childhood.

Although she was a servant, she was like half a householder in the Zhou family and knew the master's thoughts.

Zhou Shiming also harbored no hostility towards Wang Xin.

For the sake of profit, Zhou Shiming was willing to cooperate with this person.

However, no one wants Wang Xin to become the next Feng Yong.

Zhou Shiming valued Wang Xin but didn't want him to stay. However, he believed in Wang Xin's abilities. Therefore, regarding the marriage between the Zhou family and Tang Ping, Zhou Shiming hoped that Wang Xin would act as the backer behind Tang Ping to solidify the alliance between the two families.

Having confirmed Tang Ping's stance, Zhou Shiming no longer hesitated and personally went to Zhenlu City.

Coincidentally.

Just as he was about to leave, the Zhou family's manager in Zhenlu City sent someone back to inform him that General Wang of Zhenlu City had proposed another big business deal and invited everyone to discuss it.

Wang Xin's ability to turn stones into gold has convinced everyone in Datong.

Therefore, none of the major businesses that received the invitation refused, and they all set off immediately.

Zhenlu City is changing every day.

By September, the manpower had increased, but the pace of change had slowed down. More people were assigned to work inside the city, while most of the earthen walls outside the city had been completed.

The city is located south of the Hun River.

There are already several small boats, half new and half old.

barracks.

Wang Xin's main tent.

"You have all seen the current state of Zhenlu City."

"I believe you can all see the future of the musket."

While the demand for muskets from their own army was relatively small, the majority of market demand came from civilians.

If the Zhenlu City model is promoted, then it will not only be Zhenlu City, but the entire Hetao region, and all the herdsmen will be controlled by the trading companies.

Like Russia's eastward expansion.

In the early stages of development, the tribes and forces along the route were controlled by merchants.

The Stroganov family and other major Russian salt and mining magnates, for their own benefit, instigated and funded Yermak's eastward expedition. The funds and weapons were provided by merchants, and the military operations were carried out according to the merchants' demands.

Merchants used force and trade to control the tribes along the way.

The establishment of colonies and military fortresses, such as Tyumen and Topolsk, and the control of logistics and resource development were all in the hands of merchants. Driven by profit, they expanded their businesses and ultimately achieved the actual annexation of territories.

Wang Xin has confidence in the new model, which also reflects his confidence in himself.

That's a blue ocean market.

Every herder's household needs firearms, which presents a huge business opportunity.

The key is that this business opportunity is well within JUZHONGCHAN's capabilities; it's like mushrooms growing on their own turf—why not take advantage of it?

"Is the general willing to share it?"

Zhang Hui couldn't help but ask.

He had dealt with Xue Yan quite a bit.

The Xue family has already prepared everything, including the location and the craftsmen.

Wang Xin did not answer, but asked, "I value this firearms factory, which has not yet been established, at 200,000 taels of silver. Does everyone agree?"

The army is guaranteed at least 100,000 taels of silver per year, and if business develops smoothly, 200,000 taels of silver is not out of the question.

Firearms were promoted throughout the entire army.

In addition, there is a greater demand from herders.

The firearms factory, which didn't even have a single tile, was valued at 200,000 taels of silver. Zhou Shiming pondered for a moment and thought the price was worth it. He secretly glanced at others and didn't see any signs of reluctance.

I felt a little disappointed; it would have been better if someone hadn't wanted to join.

"no problem."

Someone took the lead and said it.

Zhou Shiming nodded in agreement, saying, "Twenty taels of silver is a fair price."

"I'm the one who came up with the ideas, and I'm also the one who drove things forward. I'm personally taking half the shares this time. Does anyone have any objections?"

"No."

"General Wang took too little; I believe it should be 50%."

Zhou Shiming laughed.

Someone glared at Zhou Shiming.

Wang Xin smiled and shook his head, "I only account for half a percent."

Seeing that no one had any objections, Wang Xin continued.

"The craftsmen hired by the Xue family will contribute their labor and skills, thus holding a 10% share. They will also invest 20,000 taels of silver to hold another 10% share, totaling 20% ​​of the shares. Does everyone agree with this arrangement?"

There was silence.

The group reluctantly agreed, intending to first examine the subsequent divisions.

Wang Xin stopped with a detailed explanation and said briefly, "The military holds 30% of the shares, and the remaining 45% is worth 90,000 taels. Each family will hold shares according to their investment ratio. Does anyone have any objections?"

"There are no other opinions, except that the share capital is a bit small."

Some people complained that it was too little.

Xue Yan, standing to the side, was speechless.

Wang Xin didn't spend a single penny, and the firearms workshop didn't even have a single tile; he simply got a firearms workshop worth 200,000 taels of silver for free.

This method is already quite terrifying.

Wang Xin was not worried about the merchants refusing.

If one person monopolizes all the benefits, many people will be dissatisfied.

Building their own firearms factory was against the rules.

The imperial court will not allow it.

However, the situation is different when local bigwigs dominate.

If the imperial court wants to cause trouble, it should first target the wealthy families in Datong, as they hold the largest shares and have contributed the most money. As for himself, he only owns half a percent of the shares. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.

I'm not tall.

Half a percent of the shares.

It is worth ten thousand taels of silver.

That's enough to buy a big house in the capital and hire a few maids.

If the progress of the firearms factory were to follow the traditional pace, it would be impossible to go from imitation to production in less than one or two years. Even if it were to go into production, the craftsmen could only make one musket per month, and it was unknown when the army's needs would be met.

However, industry is different from agriculture.

No matter how much money is invested in agriculture, there is a limit to the yield per acre, and it is difficult to break through this limit in a short period of time.

The industries are different.

The more you invest, the greater your production capacity.

Every era has its own competition, and whoever is more efficient will prevail.

Ou Yanhu's approach.

It's outdated.

I hope to give him a surprise.

tell him.

What the hell is a surprise?

That's real skill; you've already won before it even begins.

(End of this chapter)