Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 184 Coal Price Drop! Savior or Spendthrift?

“In the past, windows were nothing more than rattan paper coated with tung oil, or wooden boards. Wealthy families could use seashells or ram’s horn tiles, but all of these were time-consuming, laborious, and not very practical.”

Zhang Yunxiu, like a product manager, demonstrated everything to Emperor Wanli one by one.

"Your Majesty can see that our Xishan glazed windows are bright and clean, more luminous and durable than rattan paper, and just as transparent as skylights. They are even cheaper and can be mass-produced."

Zhang Yunxiu squinted and said, "Your Majesty is exceptionally intelligent; surely you understand how much silver these glass products can earn for Xishan?"

Emperor Wanli was stunned for a moment. He had been completely drawn into the other party's idea, but after looking around at the glass artifacts, the emperor's mind went blank for a moment.

He looked slightly embarrassed and asked in a low voice.

"How much silver can we earn?"

Zhang Yunxiu's expression froze. Why was the emperor completely unwilling to use his brain? This was simply a tragedy!

He took a deep breath and spoke with a smile on his face.

"With just the production of glass, if we expand production in the future, I can guarantee a minimum annual income of two million taels of silver."

Two million taels!

"This glass can actually earn two million taels!"

Emperor Wanli's eyes were a little red as he continued to inquire.

"And what about briquettes? Tell me the details, how much can you earn from briquettes in a year?"

"Coal briquettes?" Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile. "Recently, some suckers have been causing trouble, sending us a sum of money. They helped us drive up the price of coal briquettes and even bought them with their own money. This doesn't happen often."

As production increases further, the price of briquettes will inevitably decrease.

"So that's how it is."

Although he said this, Emperor Wanli was clearly disappointed and a thought began to form in his mind.

Or should we incite those Shanxi merchants to cause Zhang Yunxiu another problem? Let Zhang Yunxiu swindle them again, wouldn't that be a legitimate way to make money?

However, if that's the case, we'll have to visit Cining Palace less often in the future.

Zhang Yunxiu added, "However, given the current rate of increase in Xishan's production, an income of 700,000 taels a year is not a problem!"

It's not much money, but it's better than nothing.

Not making much money?

Emperor Wanli's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. How could Zhang Yunxiu say that? That was a full 700,000 taels of silver, which was the amount of the Imperial Treasury's annual income.

For a moment, the emperor felt as if he were floating on air.

In total, this amounted to nearly three million taels of silver.

Zhang Juzheng devoted himself to the cause precisely so that the court could collect more silver from the gentry in order to make up for the court's deficit.
Emperor Wanli still remembered that a few years ago, after reforms such as the land survey, the annual revenue of the imperial granary had reached around seven million taels of silver. If calculated as a whole, the annual revenue of the court was only around fifteen million taels of silver.

However, the Xishan workshop alone could bring in one-fifth of the imperial court's annual revenue.

All the officials under heaven are not as good as Zhang Yunxiu!

In the past, if someone told him that the Xishan workshop could earn a million taels of silver a year, the Wanli Emperor would have twisted his head off and used it as a football.

But today, witnessing all the novel things in Xishan, he has to believe that it is a future that can be achieved.

The emperor stammered, "Shiyuan, oh dear, I... I really don't know what to say, you've done a wonderful job at the Xishan workshop."

Zhang Yunxiu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise. This is not the achievement of this humble servant alone. With Your Majesty's support above, the efforts of tens of thousands of refugees below, and the efficiency brought by the development of science and technology, science and technology are the primary productive forces if we want to get rid of the predicament of our Great Ming Dynasty!"

Emperor Wanli didn't quite understand his rambling words, but what reached the emperor's ears was—"Science and technology are the greatest treasure trove!"

A gold vault is great!
The Wanli Emperor slammed his hand on the table and said, his face flushed.

"Development! We must develop! Whether it's the Great Ming Medical College, the Great Ming Mechanical College, or the Great Ming Academy of Sciences that it governs, they all need to be established!"
"Science and technology, isn't it? I'll immediately arrange for several Hanlin scholars to come over!"

Zhang Yunxiu's face darkened, and he spoke without any mercy.

"Your Majesty, I do not need this group of bookworms."

"Aunt Qi, give me ten catties of coal. If you have briquettes, give me three catties as well. If not, I won't insist."

In Qipan Street, Yang Tiancheng found the familiar stall again. Making a living in the capital was not easy, so he naturally frequented Aunt Qi's family's stall more often.

But today, Aunt Qi seemed to be in a good mood. She grinned, took out a dozen lotus root coals from under the stall, and said with a smile.

"Dr. Yang, I've stopped selling coal lately. All my coal is pure lotus root coal from Xishan, thirty coins a pound. If it's yours, I'll sell it for twenty-five coins."

"Coal briquettes?"

Yang Tiancheng was somewhat surprised. He examined the honeycomb-like shape and concluded that it was impossible to fake. He said with some doubt.

"Can the old lady buy those briquettes now?"

Aunt Qi's face regained some of its radiance.

"You practice medicine at the clinic all day long, but you don't know? Something big has happened in the capital. The coal production at Xishan Workshop has increased! Even the emperor went to Xishan Workshop to investigate, and he is said to have come out with a radiant face."

There are more and more briquettes on the market now, and even we small vendors can get our hands on some. As I always say, that Magistrate Zhang is a good man who is rewarded; he is truly blessed with immense fortune!

"Is that so?"

Yang Tiancheng carefully examined the lotus root coal, and only after confirming that the other party had not been deceived did he speak.

"In that case, ma'am, could you give me twenty catties of briquettes?"

"Alright~ the briquettes are quite heavy, Dr. Yang, you'd better take good care of them~"

After saying goodbye to Aunt Qi, Yang Tiancheng wasn't in a hurry to go back.

He strolled along Qipan Street, chatting and asking questions of the vendors along the way, and soon discovered that what Aunt Qi had said was true.

Not only did her stall have more briquettes, but with the increase in production and supply, the price of briquettes in the capital also decreased, making it possible for many ordinary people to purchase them, and the number of vendors on the street also increased.

As one thing rises and the other falls, the inferior coal that was once again unwanted becomes unwanted again.

I don’t know if it’s an illusion.

As Yang Tiancheng walked along the chessboard-like street, he saw that not only were there vendors selling briquettes, but also restaurants, teahouses, and street-side wonton and snack stalls, all of which were thriving.

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

He thought of a term that had been frequently mentioned in the clinic lately: "the way of commerce".

At Renmin Medical Clinic, many researchers have recently expressed their dissatisfaction, stating that Zhang Yunxiu is "fickle and fickle."

With the Xishan Workshop, we forgot about the elderly people at Renmin Medical Clinic.

Over time, these researchers also began to understand Xishan's business philosophy.

Even recently, several articles have appeared in the Wanli Xinbao newspaper specifically introducing the "way of commerce".

Yang Tiancheng had some knowledge of this, and his mind started to wander.

"It seems that with the price of briquettes dropping, vendors who cook and sell food will also benefit. With lower fuel costs, the operating costs will also decrease, leading to higher profits."

With higher profits, vendors can offer slightly lower prices, benefiting customers who come to their shops.

Is this what they call the 'economic cycle'?

He walked down the street with a half-baked understanding, nearly bumping into many pedestrians.

"However, one thing is certain."

Yang Tiancheng continued to think.

"This briquettes are far better than the coal blocks of the past. Even if coal blocks sell for more than ten coins a pound, they don't burn well and the fire isn't strong enough. So even if briquettes sell for forty or fifty coins a pound, it's still more beneficial to the people than before."

Thinking of this, Yang Tiancheng couldn't help but sigh.

"But Magistrate Zhang sells it for twenty coins a catty. I really don't know if he's a living bodhisattva for the common people or just a spendthrift son of the Zhang family!"

As he walked, he suddenly realized that the increase in coal production and the decrease in price were not something everyone was happy about.

Along the way, we saw many merchants, who were also selling briquettes.

However, these people were unwilling to lower the price to sell. Outside, a pound of briquettes cost thirty coins, but here they wanted to sell it for a full fifty coins, and they still seemed reluctant to sell it here.

Many merchants set up stalls on the street, hanging up signs that read "Superior quality briquettes," "Authentic Xishan briquettes," or "Guogong's selected briquettes," hoping to deceive the ignorant masses, but to no avail.

There is an abundance of coal in Xishan.

The people spread the word and didn't fall for their tricks at all.

Yang Tiancheng also learned a piece of news from many ordinary people.

Originally, coal briquettes would be transported from the Western Hills to the capital every morning, but now the trip has been changed from one to two, and there are even trips at noon.

"Zhang Tongzhi's methods are truly going to be the death of the merchants!"

Yang Tiancheng sighed, but he showed no sympathy for the merchants.

These people originally thought they were just "hoarding goods and speculating," hoping to follow the backers of the Shanxi merchants and make a living off the blood of the people in Xishan, but they never expected to become the meal themselves.

Even with his mouth hidden behind his mask, Yang Tiancheng couldn't help but let out a mocking smile.

He deliberately took a long detour and arrived at the entrance of the Shanxi Merchants Guild Hall in Beijing, hoping to discuss the situation.

But as soon as they got closer, they heard a deafening shout.

"Fan Yongdou! You filthy scum!"

"Wang Dengku, give me back my money! We agreed to weather this storm together, how could you be so treacherous?"

"Li Mingxing! You old dog!"

A group of merchants held up wooden signs, looking ready to fight and kill, as if they were about to break through the Shanxi Merchants Guild Hall.

(End of this chapter)