Liangzhou official mansion.

Zheng Tong walked quickly on the corridor, as if there was a fire behind his buttocks, and even when he met those officials on the way to salute him, he turned a blind eye, didn't care about any etiquette and demeanor at all, and rushed directly into Zhao Zhiman's office.

This time, without waiting for him to speak, Zhao Zhiman said: "You came just in time, I was about to look for you, you hurry up and go to the workshop to count the accounts." ”

Zheng Tong was stunned for a moment, and said: "Xiaguan has been counting the accounts these days, and it has just been counted, and Xiaguan is also here for this matter, the jar vegetables and pickles produced by our workshop have only received less than 20% of the money, and I can't even pay the monthly money of the workers now." ”

Zhao Zhiman was stunned when he heard this, and said: "How is this possible, who dares to owe money to the government." ”

"The Imperial Court." Zheng Tong replied.

Zhao Zhiman was stunned and said, "The imperial court? ”

It is true that no one dares to owe money to the government, but except for the imperial court.

Zheng Tong nodded and said: "The jar vegetables and pickles produced in our workshop have basically been sold, but eighty percent of them have been sold to the imperial court. ”

Zhao Zhiman exclaimed: "Eighty? ”

As the assassin of Liangzhou, he has too many things to manage, where can he take care of the production of the workshop every day, he will leave these things to the people below, and Li Yifu over there also sent people to supervise this matter.

Zheng Tong nodded and explained: "At the beginning, these jar vegetables and pickled vegetables were mainly sold to those merchants who came out to do business, how could the people eat these dishes every day at home. In the past, when businessmen went out, they ate all those cakes, which were dry and difficult to swallow, so as soon as the jar dishes of the Xiaopang Group came out, they were immediately loved by the businessmen, and there were more and more businessmen who came out to buy and sell at that time, especially the businessmen who went south, so the Xiaopang Group is getting bigger and bigger.

But now because of the imposition of tariffs, the merchants of Chang'an have reduced the number of people who go out to do business, and then, the merchants have left Chang'an, most of the workshops are taken over by our government, and now the people who go out to trade, that are all people from the imperial court, they are all holding Li Zhongshu's token to get goods from our workshop, and the workshop has Li Zhongshu sent people to supervise, there are many transactions between them, I don't know yet, but so far there has been no settlement, I just looked for them before, but they said they were just ordered to do things, The money didn't go through their hands, so let us settle the account with Liu Yuanzhen, and as for the less than 20% of the money, it was all from the businessman. ”

Zhao Zhiman blinked, and he couldn't come back to his senses for a long time.

After they took over the workshops at that time, they almost all followed the production standards of the merchants, and did not cut corners at all, they thought that the merchants could sell, and they could not sell them, and Zhao Zhiman was still worried about this at that time, and ordered those workshops to produce in strict accordance with the quantity produced by the merchants, and they must not produce more, and even reduced the production a little.

But they ignore an important process, and that is the market formation process.

How did Han Yi build the market at the beginning, he didn't mean blindly encouraging businessmen to build workshops and vigorously produce, he first slowly formed consumer groups, formed markets, engaged in entertainment, built amusement parks, and went south to trade, according to the expansion of the market, and expand productivity. Of course, some smart businessmen are able to calculate people's needs in advance according to the situation, and often such businessmen can make a fortune.

But there are also some stupid people, regardless of the needs of the market, and they produce on a large scale, and this kind of businessman does not know the ironclad mother.

Today's situation is worse than ignoring market demand, if you just can't sell it, this goods are still in your own hands, and now Liangzhou is not in your own hands, and you can't collect money.

Since the imperial tariffs were imposed, merchants closed their doors, curtailed production, or fled Chang'an, and the workers either returned home to continue farming or sold their pieces to the imperial court with the workshops.

This market has shrunk a lot, before Liangzhou trade developed, businessmen in an endless stream, the sales volume of jar vegetables is very amazing, Xiaopang Group is making a lot of money, so people Xiaopang is very atmospheric, go very decisively, the workshop to you can be OK, anyway, I have earned enough.

And now the officials are in charge of transportation, and the leaders are all officials, these officials and officials are all working for the court, how can there be any reason to pay for dry food, if you don't give food, I won't work, it's very simple, if you want to settle the bill, you have to ask my boss to ask for it, I'm just an errand runner, my boss is Liu Yuanzhen, Li Yifu's son-in-law.

And no one thought about this question at the beginning, how should the left hand of the imperial court do business with the right hand. Because Zhao Zhiman didn't expect that eighty percent of it was sold to the imperial court, because the official camp should also be a business with the people! He has never worked in the official camp, and he doesn't know that the cost of this official camp must be very high, even if he doesn't pay taxes, it can't be lower than that of a businessman, because there is no non-corrupt official camp, this public thing, it's a fool not to take it, and no one will save, what one person can do, three people will do it, after all, everyone has relatives and friends, and those who have no ability and no food come to seek a position, and this officialdom talks about human feelings, especially Chinese officialdom.

Not only that, other goods are also not selling well, very simple, no one buys, Chang'an as the largest market, Chang'an people can't buy things with silk cloth, businessmen can't sell the goods with goods, they are embarrassed there, everyone doesn't dare to spend a penny now, as long as they are fed and clothed, it is completely in line with Wu Meiniang's new policy, thrift is a virtue.

But if everyone doesn't consume, the market becomes smaller.

In fact, even if the imperial court didn't take it, it would definitely not be able to sell it.

Zhao Zhiman slumped in his chair and said with a dull gaze: "It's over!" Finished! It's all over! ”

Zheng Tong was stunned and said, "Zhao Zhiman, what do you mean by this?" ”

Zhao Zhiman glanced at him and said: "Now the wealth that we have accumulated in Liangzhou in the past few years has been spent completely, and I just received news that the caravan from the northwest is rushing to Liangzhou, and this time the scale is as much as five times that of previous years, what should we do to trade with them then?" ”

Speaking of the back, he picked up an official document on the table and raised it.

"Five times as much?"

Zheng Tong almost didn't bite his tongue.

Zhao Zhiman said: "Have you forgotten that in order to solve the difficulties in the northwest, Han Shangshu lent money to those merchants on the one hand, and on the other hand, let our merchants in the Central Plains sign hundreds of trade cooperation contracts with the merchants in the northwest, so that they can plant medicinal materials, produce camel hair, wool, and so on. ”

Zheng Channel: "Wasn't it a trade between a merchant and a merchant at that time?" ”

"But now that the merchants in Chang'an have almost gone, the imperial court has taken over everything for them, so naturally they have to afford these contracts, and at that time, the imperial court was the guarantor in the middle." Zhao Zhi spread his hands and said: "But now we have nothing in Liangzhou, not to mention the monthly money of the workers, I am afraid that we will not even be able to pay the monthly money of our government officials." ”

At that time, the merchants of the northwest spontaneously organized and donated all kinds of money to protect the capital, which was able to resist the invasion of Tibet, but at the same time they suffered huge losses. After that, Li Zhi adopted Han Yi's suggestion, on the one hand, he lent them money to grow cash crops and produce wool and camel hair, and on the other hand, he urged the merchants of the Central Plains to sign contracts with them to buy their goods and help them recover.

The businessmen in the northwest followed Han Yi's advice and started full-scale commercial production in the northwest, which is definitely much more than family production, and the scale can be imagined.

It's just that the market was better at that time, and the merchants of the Central Plains were willing to sign contracts with them, because they thought that these goods would definitely be sold, but now the merchants don't even dare to sell their own goods outside, how can they still help you sell, which is equivalent to helping the court make money, and they are almost gone, and now the merchants of Chang'an are either going south or going to Shandong.

Similarly, the merchants of the Northwest dare to produce on such a large scale, mainly because there is a big market in the Central Plains, and they are not afraid that they will not be able to sell it, otherwise, which area around them can accept so many goods, but now the entire market in the Central Plains is sluggish, and their goods plus freight, who can afford it!

"This is terrible!" Zheng Tong was stunned for a while, and said: "Zhao Tingshi, now we have to hurry up to the imperial court and let the imperial court allocate funds." ”

Zhao Zhiman frowned and thought for a while, and said: "I'm afraid that the imperial court won't be able to allocate so much money at once, even if the imperial court can allocate it, I'm afraid it won't be a matter of a while, if it is messed up, the consequences are unimaginable, and we can't afford it." In this way, let's explain the matter of our Liangzhou workshop, let the imperial court quickly settle the bill, and as for those merchants in the northwest, let's let them go to Chang'an to trade. Hmph, Li Yifu did all of them, so naturally they have to remedy it. ”

Zheng Channel: "But part of the trade is used for the production of our workshop, if we don't buy anything, then what will our workshop produce?" ”

This salt and meat are supplied from other places, but they are not produced locally in Liangzhou, and Han Yi built Liangzhou only as a processing plant and transit station, not a raw material production area.

Zhao Zhiman laughed angrily: "It's already like this, what else is it producing?" How much is the amount of production, how much is lost? Whether Li Yifu can settle the bill with us in time is still a question. ”

Zheng Channel: "But if you don't produce, what will happen to the workers in those workshops?" We can't keep them for nothing."

Zhao Zhiman said: "This can only wait for the imperial court to allocate funds, even if we lose our lives, we can't come up with so much money." ”

Zheng Tong thought about it, if this court didn't allocate funds, they would die here.

At the beginning, they bought too fiercely, and the imperial court did not allocate funds to them, because the treasury of the Tang Dynasty was actually not very rich, and when Han Yi was in office, he did not bring much income to the treasury, they all allocated money from the treasury of Liangzhou.

......

Changan.

First floor!

"Old Shen!"

I saw a middle-aged man with a big belly, staggering to the counter, patting the table, and shouting at Shen Gui, who was settling accounts.

Shen Gui looked up and sighed, "Master Xu is here." ”

Hurriedly walked out of the counter.

This person's surname is Xu, and his name is Wei.

It is a person from Xu Jingzong's own family, and now he is installed in the Commercial Taxation Bureau, serving as a salt official, in charge of salt, iron and wine.

After all, with such a big profit in the workshop, it is impossible for Xu Jingzong to let Li Yifu monopolize it.

Xu Wei said: "Lao Shen, you haven't gone to me to buy wine on the first floor for a long time, didn't you buy it from somewhere else?" ”

Shen Gui hurriedly said: "Master Xu, you are really wronged!" How dare I buy wine from anywhere else, but the last time I bought wine, I haven't sold it yet. ”

"Nonsense!"

Xu Wei said: "I am very clear about the business on your first floor, you look at the wine on the table of those guests, is it brought by themselves?" ”

Shen Gui said: "Master Xu, you are really right, most of them are brought from their own homes." ”

Xu Wei frowned and said: "Who are you blinding, who went to the restaurant and brought wine from home." ”

As soon as the words fell, I saw a young brother walking in with two entourages, one of whom was holding a jar of wine.

This slap in the face seems to have come a little too quickly.

Shen Gui hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile: "Master Li, don't always bring wine from your own house, the wine in the small shop can't be sold." ”

That Li Gongzi snorted: "Your wine is so expensive, I might as well bring it from my own house." As he spoke, he waved to a bartender and said, "Help Ben Gongzi find a good table, Ben Gongzi has a treat today." ”

"Yes, yes, Li Gongzi is here, please."

Shen Gui returned to Xu Wei and said, "Master Xu, you have seen this." ”

Xu Weiwei's face was embarrassed, and he said, "Even so, you can not let you bring wine." ”

Shen Gui cried and said with a sad face: "If you don't let me bring it, the food in the small shop can't be sold, and now not only the wine can't be sold, but even the tea can't be sold, if you don't believe it, I'll take you to the wine cellar to have a look." ”

Xu Wei really believed it this time, and said: "That's it, I don't ask you to buy more, you can buy more or less Baiguan Bar." ”

"But ----!"

"It's nothing, I'll have the wine brought over later."

After Xu Wei finished speaking, he turned around and left.

Shen Gui was stunned for a while, and couldn't help but sigh.

An account room came over, and said with a gloomy face: "This Xu Ye is really standing and saying that he doesn't have a backache, our wine can't be sold, not all of them made it, the wine shop of the imperial court, from the princes and nobles, down to the officials and officials, everyone can get some money from it, who still comes to us to drink!" It really doesn't make sense. ”

In the past, people who could go up to the first floor were rich people, but in Chang'an, in addition to merchants, the rich people were officials, their sons, and relatives.

Nowadays, the businessmen are almost gone, and those who don't go are saved. The rest of the gentlemen are the big customers of the restaurant, but the problem is that now the imperial court is producing wine on a large scale, and everyone in this system can enjoy it, and Li Yifu in order to get the support of the officials, take the goods of the imperial court to do their own favors, and tie everyone's interests together, and now the officials are very supportive of the official camp, very supportive of Li Yifu, because everyone has the benefit to take, it has been the case throughout the ages, even if it is bought, it is definitely the cost price, not to mention that this is the first official camp in the Tang Dynasty, and the rules and regulations are not standardized. It's not mature, but the process is fast, and you don't need to use your brains to get the benefits from it.

Li Yifu took care of one thing, and took advantage of the fact that Han Yi had not yet returned, and hurriedly built up the official physique, what rules and regulations, I will talk about it later.

The wine on the first floor was also bought from there, the same wine, people don't drink it for free, and they spend money to buy wine from you, is it crazy?

Not to mention the first floor, the wine in Deyue Building can't be sold, because it is very popular to bring your own wine nowadays.

Shen Gui sighed: "This deal can't be done. ”