While asking the craftsmen to make glassware in batches, Li Zhi prepared how to market this high-end item. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

In this era, there were very few glass products in the Ming Dynasty, although there were Venetian merchants in Europe who could produce glass, but glass was also an expensive luxury in the West, and the purchase price was expensive, and it may not be profitable to sell it to China. Second, it is very difficult to ship glass from Europe to Daming, and it is very easy to break the glass when the sea ship shakes the windy waves, so it is rare to see glass products in Daming.

If you see less and use fewer people, the demand will not be strong. If Li Zhi sells glasses in the store, he may not be able to sell a few in a month.

Li Zhi decided to take the initiative and let the people of the Ming Dynasty try it out and learn about the benefits of this commodity.

Specifically, Lee Sik decided to give glassware to respected people so that they could use it in front of others, thus creating a trend of buying glassware.

The so-called respected person was originally a good candidate for the emperor, but unfortunately everyone in the world knew that Emperor Chongzhen had always been frugal and not luxurious. The glassware paid tribute to the Son of Heaven may be hidden, and maybe it will be used once or twice a year.

So who should I give it to? Li Zhi has been through the Ming Dynasty for more than a year, so he naturally understands some basic officialdom knowledge, and he thinks of Wen Tiren, the first assistant of the cabinet, and Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin party: the first assistant of the cabinet is the prime minister of the dynasty, and naturally has extensive influence, as long as he uses it, others will definitely follow suit. Although Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin Party, is now idle at home, his protégés and former officials are all over the world, and his natural influence is not small, and he is also a candidate.

For other objects, the official will send the glass. When these big officials all use glassware, those petty officials and wealthy businessmen will definitely follow suit.

At the end of April, Li Zhi brought ten sets of newly made glass tea sets and ten sets of glass wine cups to the capital to give gifts.

The capital has a population of more than 300,000, which is much larger than Tian0jin. Li Zhi entered the capital from the Chongren Gate, only to see that the inner city wall surrounding the capital was more than ten meters high, and there was a four-storey gatehouse on the city gate.

However, the sanitary condition of the capital was as bad as other Ming cities in this era, and before entering the city gate, Li Zhi smelled a strong stench. The smell is even stronger when you enter the city gates, where the roads are full of beggars, sewage flows on the streets, and garbage and feces accumulate on the corners, making it an indescribable mess.

The pedestrians on the road are also ragged and have vegetables, and it is obvious that the economy under the feet of the Son of Heaven is not very good.

Li Zhi rode a horse, took his family and a carriage, and carefully navigated the dirty streets, first landing at a large inn in the east of the city.

After finding a place to live, Li Zhi went to give gifts. He took two family members with a set of glass tea sets and wine utensils, and a few boxes of ginseng and deer antler velvet, and inquired all the way to the house of Wen Tiren, the first assistant of the cabinet.

Walking to a relatively clean street, Li Zhi found Wen Tiren's house. It's a three-way courtyard, and it's quite beautiful, but as the mansion of Shousuke, it seems to be a little shabby. The door of the house was closed, and a few idlers stood next to it. The entrance of the whole courtyard was very deserted, and there seemed to be no guests.

Li Zhi walked up and patted him on the side door. After all, this is the prime minister's house, and Li Zhi is a little nervous.

I waited for a long time, but I didn't hear any movement.

Li Zhizheng hesitated to shoot again, but heard the idle man next to him laugh: "There is no guest in the Prime Minister's Mansion for a day, Wen Qi, who is guarding the door, is asleep, sir, you knock hard!" ”

Li Zhi was stunned, and then knocked the door panel of the side door. Sure enough, someone opened the side door. A sleepy-eyed servant stuck his head out of the door, looked at Li Zhi and asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Li Zhi hurriedly sent his name card and said, "Xia Guan Li Zhi has a few gifts for the Prime Minister, and he also asked the door official to help Xia Guan send the name card and gifts in." ”

After saying this, Li Zhi took out an ingot of five taels of silver from his bosom and stuffed it into the servant's hand.

But the servant who guarded the door took his hand back like an electric shock, and scolded loudly: "Don't give me money, let the lord know that I accept money, and I will be driven out of the house." ”

Li Zhi had no choice but to send the name card and the brocade box containing the gift.

The servant put away Li Zhi's name card, but refused to accept Li Zhi's gift box. He closed the door and walked into the courtyard.

Li Zhizhi, the style of the Wen family's servant, was a little overwhelmed, and looked at the idle men next to him. The idle men smiled and said: "There are many strange things in the Prime Minister's Mansion, the first thing is that you never accept gifts, sir, you have come in vain!" ”

Li Zhi secretly said that it was not good.

Sure enough, after a tea time, the side door opened again. The servant who guarded the door seemed to be in good spirits, looked at Li Zhi and said, "Master has something to do today, I don't see a guest, you can go!" ”

Li Zhi hurriedly said: "The lower official has a few small gifts, and I also ask the door official to transfer them to Lord Shoufu!" ”

The servant who guarded the door waved his hand and said, "The prime minister of the Ming Dynasty does not accept gifts, don't you know?" Let's go! ”

When he had said this, the servant snapped the side door shut, and refused to open it again.

Li Zhi ate a closed-door soup, slandered his stomach, and scolded in his heart, why is this Wen Tiren so unsympathetic and looks down on himself as a petty official? Li Zhibai took a trip, eager to kick the door. However, no matter how unhappy Li Zhi was, he also knew that this song could not be offended, so he could only leave with a gift.

Li Zhi was frustrated on his first trip to give gifts, regrouped his spirits, inquired all the way, and walked to the house of Qian Qianyi, the leader of the Donglin Party.

Walking to a decent alley in the west of the city, Li Zhi only saw that both sides of the road were full of high gates and deep courtyards. Walking all the way to the innermost part of the alley, Li Zhi found Qian Qianyi's mansion.

Although he has no official position at home, Qian Qianyi's mansion is still very magnificent. The gatehouse is carved and painted, and there are two big stone lions at the door, with fangs and claws vivid, far more imposing than Wen Tiren's Prime Minister's Mansion. I don't know why, but there is also an idler standing at the door.

Li Zhi tapped on the door, and a doorman opened the door.

Li Zhi sent his name card up, and said with a smile: "In the next day, Li Zhi, the military attache of Jin, asks to see Mr. Qian Qianyi!" ”

The man looked Li Zhi up and down for a while, frowned and said, "The master is very busy today..."

The man deliberately dragged the word "very busy" for a long time, and Li Zhi immediately knew what he meant, and hurriedly took out two taels of silver from his arms and sent them to the servant.

The servant got the silver, and Zhengse said, "Then I will report to the official." However, there are still two groups of guests waiting in front of us, so the official and I will go to the West Wing and wait together. ”

Li Zhi was stunned, too lazy to waste time here, so he simply stuffed two taels of silver into the servant's hand. The servant got the money, and said with a smile, "The official is waiting here, and I will go in and send your name card." ”