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

Chapter 296 What? Zhang Shiyuan did it too?
"They're all just profit-driven bastards! I know perfectly well that merchants are unreliable; they only care about short-sighted gains and have no vision!"

In the study, Wang Xijue cursed loudly in front of Wang Shizhen, seemingly trying to vent his pent-up frustration.

He had planned everything meticulously, but he never expected that these merchants would "turn against him at the last minute," simply for the sake of a few tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

Wang Shizhen sighed heavily. He used to be an impatient man, while Wang Xijue was more composed. But after the "Wang Heng" incident, the situation completely reversed.

“Merchants have no fixed abode; they travel only for profit.” He recited a line of poetry and said with emotion, “Since ancient times, merchants have always prioritized profit. If there are ten or a hundred times the profit, these people can turn their backs on even their closest relatives.”

It is obvious that merchants are profit-driven.

However, since both of them came from Confucian backgrounds, they would gradually overlook these things.

Especially after Chang Tingyu and Fan Ruzi left, many merchants who had originally relied on the Jiangnan gentry wavered.

In fact, they were part of the Jiangnan gentry themselves.

Everyone knows the threat posed by Xishan and Zhang Shiyuan, but not everyone can feel the threat at all times. After all, for most people, the long-term threat is not so obvious.

Compared to that, the immediate benefits are what truly matter.

“The most critical issue right now is,” Wang Shizhen sighed. “These people only have money in their eyes. If we can’t make them see the money, then we’ll be in trouble.”

"For months, we have been doing everything we can."

Wang Xijue said helplessly.

"Everyone has limited money. They can't just sell their fields and land and then hoard grain, cloth and other goods in the market, can they?"

Silver won't spoil if you just store it, but storing grain and cloth requires silver, and losses also require silver.

Uniting the various factions in Jiangnan is already difficult enough; if we were to escalate the situation further, some might harbor resentment.

The families in Jiangnan were not a monolithic entity. Before the imperial court intervened, they had fought tooth and nail to the death. They only came together because they were united in their fight against the imperial court and Zhang Shiyuan.

The biggest fear right now is internal conflict arising from the chaos.

"How about we loosen the restrictions a bit?" Wang Shizhen asked tentatively. "It seems that the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and Xishan Bank are also about to go under. Loosening the restrictions a bit wouldn't hurt. While the prices are high, let some people sell some of their stock to fill the gap."

"No! They can't be extinct!"

Wang Xijue stared wide-eyed as he spoke.

"This is a path to death. The struggle for Jiangnan is a matter of life and death, just like a battlefield confrontation, where there is no room for carelessness or compromise."

Once this loophole is opened, it will be unstoppable. Everyone will panic and sell, and we will truly be doomed!

Wang Xijue may not understand economics, but he does understand business. They were determined to fight against Zhang Yunxiu with sheer determination.

In order to deliberately raise the prices of goods, the gentry in Jiangnan engaged in a tacit hoarding and speculation, in order to put pressure on the textile bureau and the imperial court.

They kept prices high until Xishan could no longer sustain them, then gradually lowered them, making huge profits from the price difference in the process.

If they were to loosen their grip even slightly, the massive amounts of silk, cloth, and coal from Xishan would completely overwhelm the goods market in Jiangnan.

All the money they had invested in the past would be completely lost.

Wang Xijue said with red eyes, "How good is Zhang Shiyuan? How much silver can he throw at the soldiers in the fields? With winter approaching, the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and Xishan Money Exchange will surely go under this winter. Then we will not only defend Jiangnan, but also make back all the silver we lost in the past, and even make a profit!"

“I am aware of this matter,” Wang Shizhen said with a bitter face. “But we did have an agreement to give the merchants some compensation. These merchants will not act seriously if they don’t see the silver. The most crucial thing right now is where to find this silver.”

This is the most critical issue right now.

"The only solution now," Wang Xijue said, his face showing a conflicted expression, "is to raise funds from various sources, mortgage some shops and land, and then go to sea to contact some 'sea merchants' so that we can supply more goods to fill this gap."

"Go to sea?"

Wang Shizhen was taken aback. The gentry and merchants of Jiangnan were all very clear about the matter of going to sea.

Since the imperial court completely eradicated the Japanese pirates, it has not been so easy for people from Jiangnan to go out to sea. The imperial court has garrisoned troops in the garrisons. Although trade will not be interrupted, it is not as easy as before.

Furthermore, in order to maintain a high price, the Jiangnan gentry also made an agreement to limit the export of goods such as porcelain, silk, and tea.

These hard currencies of the Ming Dynasty were highly sought after by both Southeast Asian merchants and Portuguese, who naturally waited for the best price to sell them.

In order to break the deadlock, Wang Xijue has no choice but to break this tacit understanding.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Shizhen finally nodded in agreement.

"Maritime trade is risky, but it brings in money faster, which is a solution. It just means earning less and spending more money to grease palms."

Another half month passed.

Wang Xijue and his companion kept a close eye on prices in various parts of Jiangnan every day, but the more they looked, the more alarmed they became.

"The daily fluctuations aren't obvious, but they're steadily declining. What kind of tricks is Zhang Shiyuan up to?"

Wang Xijue looked rather angry, and after looking at the information sent by the servants in his mansion and merchants from various places, he slammed his hand on the table and said.

"Xishan hasn't taken any action. They're still promoting that 'Heavenly Weaving Machine' everywhere. Many people have joined in, but it's hard to influence the overall situation."

Wang Shizhen said with great certainty.

"Then why have prices kept dropping since winter started?!" Wang Xijue was somewhat flustered. This wasn't just a simple fluctuation of tens or hundreds of coins; it involved real silver.

It can be said that if the overall price of goods in the market drops by ten coins, Wang Xijue alone could lose tens of thousands of taels of silver. No matter how much he values ​​"indifference to fame and fortune," he still cannot tolerate it.

Wang Shizhen's face stiffened, and he tentatively said.

"Is this what they call the way of economics?"

Clearly, thanks to Zhang Yunxiu's influence, the term "economics" has become a well-known buzzword in the Ming Dynasty.

"It's nothing but utilitarianism; it's a minor path!"

Wang Xijue, somewhat dismissive yet deeply puzzled, asked, "Logically speaking, the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and the Xishan Money Exchange should have gone bankrupt long ago. How have they managed to survive until now? Where did Zhang Shiyuan get so much silver?"

Wang Shizhen was also somewhat puzzled and was about to analyze the situation when she heard a rapid knocking on the door.

Wang Xijue frowned and called in the disturbing butler. Just as he was about to reprimand him, he heard the butler complaining incessantly.

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Our fleet has set sail!"

The butler clearly knew Wang Shizhen and spoke frankly.

Wang Xijue's heart skipped a beat as he said, "Have we encountered a shipwreck?"

As if things weren't bad enough, if the fleet were to suffer a shipwreck, he would truly lose everything. The sea is unpredictable, and accidents are inevitable.

"No, the situation is better," the butler quickly explained, letting out a heavy sigh. "The Portuguese are trying to lower the price, saying they'll adjust it from the usual rate, and they've cut it in half."

"Price negotiation?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xijue was even more incredulous. He preferred to believe that the fleet's supplies had encountered storms rather than believe that the Portuguese dared to lower the price.

Goods from the Ming Dynasty have always been hard currency. Foreign merchants would only beg them to do more trade; there was never any reason for foreign merchants to try to lower prices.

Wang Xijue stepped forward, grabbed the butler, and questioned him.

"what is going on?"

The butler hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed and said...

"At first, I didn't quite believe it, but after asking around, I learned from some Portuguese merchants that two forces have recently appeared at sea. One is in Jiangnan, and the other is near Yuegang. They both have huge quantities of high-quality silk and cloth, and can also sell top-grade glass."

The Portuguese said their goods were more affordable and of higher quality than ours, therefore they were unwilling to continue buying at the original price!

Wang Shizhen quickly stepped forward and asked, "How much did they negotiate down?"

The steward hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "The Portuguese said they want to buy our goods at half price. The servants accompanying us don't dare to make the decision, so I thought I'd come and inform them so that you, sir, can decide. The ship is still docked in the port, so you should make a decision as soon as possible."

Upon hearing the words "high-quality silk," "cloth," and "superior glass," Wang Xijue immediately understood what was going on, and he said angrily.

"It must have been that brat Zhang Shiyuan who did this!"

Wang Shizhen pondered and said, "In this world, only Xishan has such ability."

To mobilize such a large amount of resources and still be able to sail overseas under the imperial court's maritime ban, apart from the various powerful families in Jiangnan, only Xishan could do so.

Wang Xijue slammed his hand on the table and said, "I almost forgot about the maritime trade, but Zhang Shiyuan took advantage of the situation!"

The butler, looking trembling, asked cautiously.

"Sir, what should we do now? The ships in the harbor can't stay docked for too long."

The local garrisons in Jiangnan are still keeping a close eye on things. They might turn a blind eye for the time being to save face, but they can't ignore it for long.

"We have to sell it even at half price!" Wang Xijue suddenly shouted, veins bulging on his forehead. "It's still some income! Make it clear to the people at sea that we need to clear the cargo and return to port immediately. Also, find out exactly who pulled strings at sea and what methods they used. I need to find out everything right now!"

The steward immediately kowtowed and replied, "I'll take care of it right away! I'll take care of it right away!"

After the steward hurriedly left, Wang Shizhen continued with a sigh, "We still fell for Zhang Shiyuan's scheme. His tactic of feigning one thing while secretly doing another fooled everyone."

To many, Zhang Yunxing's actions were simply following the arguments he presented in books such as "Principles of Economics" and "The Wealth of Nations." Using economic principles, he on the one hand imported massive quantities of cheap goods into the Jiangnan region, and on the other hand, relying on the wealth of Xishan, he used a method akin to relief to get ordinary people to join his textile bureau.

Finally, the futures market will be used to regulate prices throughout the Jiangnan region.

However, theory is theory and practice is practice. The theory may seem wonderful, but putting it into practice is extremely difficult.

Therefore, under the three-pronged approach of the Jiangnan gentry, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the Jiangnan Textile Bureau and the Xishan Money Exchange were merely at the end of their rope.

But things are very different now.

If the Jiangnan Textile Bureau were to open up sales channels at sea, the huge amount of silver it could actually drag Wang Xijue and his associates to their deaths.

Furthermore, the Jiangnan Textile Bureau has another advantage: with the title of imperial merchant and the support of the Yingtian Governor's Office, it would be much easier for it to conduct its own maritime trade in secret than for the Jiangnan gentry to do so stealthily.

Wang Shizhen sighed and said, "It seems we underestimated this young man's cunning. With the court and the emperor backing him, he naturally has the upper hand over us."

"There has never been such a principle since ancient times. Those who act justly will find many supporters, while those who act unjustly will find few," Wang Xijue said firmly. "Report this matter to Lord Xu immediately. Whether it's reporting the Japanese pirates' incursions or exposing the textile bureau's expansion into the sea, we cannot allow them to succeed!"

Three days later, the news reached Taicang Prefecture again.

However, an old man appeared in the glass tea room in the backyard of the Wang family.

Today was a sunny day, and a ray of warm sunlight shone on Xu Jie's old and somewhat decaying body. He slightly opened his eyes, looked at the glass floor-to-ceiling window behind him, and couldn't help but sigh.

"It's quite interesting that we're discussing how to deal with this kid within this glasswork created by Zhang Shiyuan!"

Wang Xijue said with some anxiety, "We are in a critical situation right now, yet Master Xu still has the leisure to talk about glass houses. If Master Xu likes them, I will give him a few in the future."

"You have quite the nerve to say that you're sending money to Zhang Shiyuan again?" Xu Jie said, raising an eyebrow.

Wang Xijue looked somewhat embarrassed.

Xu Jie exhaled, his face appearing rosy and his complexion much better than usual.

“I am different from you. I am old and cannot withstand too much stimulation. Only when I am in a more peaceful state of mind can I get things done.”

Wang Shizhen asked with some doubt, "Master Xu, you seem to be in excellent spirits lately."

Not long ago, Xu Jie looked like he was on his deathbed, about to pass away, and had even arranged all the affairs of his family. But in the blink of an eye, the old man seemed to have obtained some kind of magic pill.

Xu Jie laughed, his voice hoarse: "You two are unaware of this, but I recently obtained a prescription called 'Calming the Mind and Stabilizing the Will Pill.' There's a story behind this prescription. It has always been used exclusively by the imperial palace, and ordinary people would never have the opportunity to access it."

(End of this chapter)