The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 103 Market Price
West Market.

On the city bulletin board, Su Fengji's wanted poster had been torn down, but Li Ye's was still there.

The imperial guards scanned every pedestrian, surprisingly without disturbing the people. Wang Yin clearly weighed the loss of public support against the threat posed by Li Ye.

Xiao Yi found it amusing to listen to people discussing how they would spend the thousand strings of cash they received.

First, we went to the silver shop. The shopkeeper calculated the total amount in the box, and the abacus rattled for a while before finally saying, "A total of two hundred and sixty-seven strings of cash. How much would you like, sir?"

Xiao Yi and Hua Nong both thought they were about the same.

Old Pan said, "That's not right. One tael of gold is worth ten taels of silver, and one tael of silver is worth 1,600 coins. That's quite a discrepancy!"

"Sir, that was yesterday's exchange method. Copper coins lost value due to the war. It's different today."

"What's the difference?"

"Haven't you heard? The imperial court spent a lot of gold to buy grain and winter clothes, and the price of gold has fallen back down."

Old Pan slapped his thigh in frustration and said, "I forgot about that. I was the first to know about the gold in the imperial treasury, but I didn't advise you to cash it out sooner."

"Brother, don't be angry. If you have the ability, it's not too late now. Take a caravan to Sichuan and Jiangnan to purchase grain and cloth. As long as you don't encounter bandits, you're guaranteed to make a lot of money."

Old Pan advised Xiao Yi to temporarily exchange some of his gold and silver for cloth to prevent the value from dropping further.

Xiao Yi knew that Guo Wei had already begun to stabilize prices, so he wasn't in a hurry. He only exchanged thirty strings of copper coins and had Lao Pan and Hua Nong carry them.

I went to the Golden Hook Clinic first and bought the rest of the medicine.

The old doctor, having some free time today, saw him bring money and remarked with a sigh, "The soldiers under Lord Guo's command are quite different from others."

Xiao Yi deliberately said, "It is because Lord Guo is different from other emperors."

"These words won't scare this old man. I've seen many emperors in my life. Let's not talk about it."

"May I ask, sir, who should I consult if I wish to have two clear... um, lenses polished?"

The old doctor probably didn't understand either, and said, "Sir, just go find Liu the coppersmith. On Ma Xing Street, cross the bridge, turn right into the alley, and it's the third small shop. He doesn't have a sign; he attracts customers with his craftsmanship."

When Xiao Yi arrived at the copper shop, he saw that the shop was full of copperware and his first thought was that he had come to the wrong place.

But when he saw the old coppersmith sitting on a low stool polishing a bronze mirror, polishing it until it was as smooth as water, he felt that he was indeed a mirror polisher.

Xiao Yi looked around the shop, picked up a few bronze items and examined them. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and he was amazed.

"Did the master craftsman make all of these?"

"No need for nonsense."

"Your craftsmanship is excellent."

The old coppersmith, without even looking up, said, "Young man, just tell me, what do you want?"

Xiao Yi pointed to a bronze mirror and asked, "Can this mirror be ground so that the middle is thinner and the edges are thicker?"

"Look down on me? Go ahead and try to force me, but that will only make me look deformed, what good will that do?"

“I want a transparent material, to make a lens so I can read through it… He has poor eyesight, so I’m making this for him.”

"A crystal mirror, huh? It's not that rare. It has to be thick in the middle and thin at the edges, embedded in a copper ring to read the words. You've got it backwards."

"I didn't say it backwards. If we can grind it, the wages will be double the usual amount."

"That object has a lot of impurities inside, so it's hard to see clearly and it's useless."

"Is there any way?"

"You need to find clear material. You find it yourself, I'll just grind it. There are crystal materials sold in the East Market, and there's a shop in the West Market, the Treasure Pavilion in front."

Xiao Yi knew that crystal was expensive. He wanted to make glass, but he had no clue where to start, so he had to take it one step at a time.

Sure enough, a piece of crystal smaller than a fist was priced at over 2,300 coins. Hua Nong practically knelt down to persuade Xiao Yi not to waste the money, but she couldn't stop him.

Back at Liu's Copper Shop, Xiao Yi paused when he took out the blueprints, saying, "Master, you must keep this design a secret."

"You little rascal, you're really something... a military man."

The old coppersmith looked up and saw the plaque hanging at Xiao Yi's waist. A fawning smile appeared on his face as he said, "Sir, you're right. It's a military secret, and I'll keep my mouth shut!"

Xiao Yi handed over the blueprints and asked, "How long will it take to make?"

"Come back in eight days to pick it up. The labor cost is eight hundred coins, and the copper frame is five hundred coins... Sir, four hundred coins is also acceptable. The material is too hard and difficult to polish."

"Four days, the wages are 1,600."

"This... Thank you, General!"

"Who else in the city has good skills?"

"Huh? No, this old man claims to be number one. Well... if the officer asks, Wang Xiaochui from the east of the city is decent, but most of the goods in his shop are made by his apprentices, unlike this old man who makes everything by hand."

“Okay, I’ll give this job to Wang Xiaochui too. Whoever does it faster and better will get a big business deal.”

"Three days! Even if I don't sleep, I'll finish it a day earlier than that old tortoise."

"Don't stay up all night, think of other solutions."

"Yes, just you wait, sir..."

After leaving the coppersmith's shop, he went to the East Market and found it to be more upscale than the West Market. He quickly found a piece of clear crystal material and took it to Wang's Copper Shop. Originally, it was an apprentice's job, but after hearing that Liu the coppersmith from the west of the city had taken on the same task, Wang Xiaochui came out personally.

Hua Nong squinted at him and exclaimed in surprise, "His name is Xiao Chui, and he's so old?"

"I've been called Little Hammer since I was a child. Once I make this lens, I'll open your eyes!"

In this way, a pair of glasses cost more than four guan, and two sets were made. Hua Nong was so heartbroken that she shed tears.

Xiao Yi didn't take it seriously and said, "You don't understand, technology requires a lot of money."

After that, they decided to look at the fabrics.

Xiao Yi looked around and saw that in the best location in the East Market, there was a cloth shop with the four new characters "Song Family Cloth Shop" on the lintel, still smelling of paint.

He strode in, the talisman at his waist jingling.

The waiter was taken aback when he saw him, and hurriedly ran behind the curtain.

“Young Master Ying…”

"A new employer has arrived?"

Soon, an old shopkeeper came out with his men, hurriedly knelt down, and said, "This old servant greets the Prince Consort..."

Before he could finish speaking, he rubbed his old eyes, saw the words on Xiao Yi's talisman, and quickly stood up, a welcoming smile appearing on his face.

"What do you need, sir? Our shop only sells the finest silk tapestries, Shu brocade, and Wu silk; we do not sell hemp or ramie. This piece of Shu brocade with auspicious beast patterns is made using the brocade technique, resulting in a dense and durable texture, perfect for making spring clothes."

"Do you have cotton cloth?"

"Yes! You know about this fresh material, you must be a distinguished guest. Please... This batch of cotton cloth is from Sichuan or Jiangnan. Why? Because it's not available in the Bianliang area. Touching this material, it's softer than silk, not delicate and doesn't sweat easily, and it can withstand scrubbing. In winter, it's warmer than a fox fur coat, and in summer, it's comfortable even when sweaty."

"It's rare to see cotton cloth."

Xiao Yi's inner garment was made of fine linen, which was quite uncomfortable. This was the first time he had touched cotton since he opened his eyes, and it was indeed much more comfortable.

Seeing his expression, the shopkeeper clapped his hands and exclaimed in amazement, "A distinguished person, a truly distinguished person! It's obvious that you always wear cotton clothes, unlike others. Are you buying a few bolts of cloth to make spring clothes today?"

"how much is it?"

"Eight strings of cash for one bolt of cloth."

"What?!" Old Pan jumped up in surprise and said, "A bolt of cloth... eight thousand coins?! Even the finest linen costs only eight hundred coins."

The shopkeeper smiled faintly and remained silent.

Xiao Yi shook his head and said, "Too expensive."

When faced with Xiao Yi, the shopkeeper's demeanor was quite different, even though he said the prices were high. He praised, "Sir, you are knowledgeable. You must have worn cotton cloth before. But the prices in Kaifeng have risen so much. Moreover, the cost of transporting goods over a long distance and passing through checkpoints is not low either."

He picked up a piece of cotton cloth and handed it to Xiao Yi.

“Choose this piece. It was made by the exquisite hands of a Jiangnan embroiderer, using a double-warp and double-weft technique, making it as smooth as jade. Look at the color. It’s dyed with the most precious dye in Lingnan, sappanwood dye, the purest red. Even after being exposed to the sun for half a year, it will never fade.”

"Good fabric."

"Then select a piece of white cloth, feel the tenderness of the women of Sichuan, and weave it into threads. Each thread is made of three strands of cotton twisted together, resulting in a fine and dense fabric that can block out the wind. After being desizing with lime and floating in well water, it undergoes seven processes, resulting in a pure white color without any impurities."

"Good fabric."

"Give this to our esteemed guest." The innkeeper gave a light scolding to the waiter, then took out a bolt of cloth. "This cloth is fine, the color is beautiful, like apricot blossoms in the misty rain, so lovely, my lady loves it..."

"Stop."

"Yes." The shopkeeper was very confident and smiled, "Sir, you can buy this apricot color again next time you come."

How many bolts of cloth are needed for a set of clothes?

"That depends on whether it's an inner garment or an outer garment, spring clothes or winter clothes. For someone as tall and handsome as you, the outer garment would require one and a half to two bolts of cloth."

"Three bolts of red and three bolts of white." Xiao Yi asked, "Is this shop now Zhongjian's business?"

The shopkeeper glanced at his talisman again, hesitated for a moment, and said, "How would I know about these things?"

Xiao Yi didn't press the matter, but asked, "Can you deliver the goods to your residence?"

"That's natural."

"Three white horses, delivered to the Guo residence."

"Which Guo family is it?"

"Not far from Daxiangguo Temple."

The shopkeeper's face paled in shock, and he hurriedly said, "I'll give it to you at cost price..."

Xiao Yi said calmly, "No need, just go by market price."

The shopkeeper thought for a moment, then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I dare not lie to you, sir, but my shop is not registered under the name of the Prince Consort's residence."

"understood."

"Please, sir, agree to settle at cost price. It's not easy for me either."

The purchase is complete. The white cotton cloth will be sent to the Guo residence, and Xiao Yi will take the red cotton cloth to the Li residence himself later.

(End of this chapter)