"Is Lu Situ really going to host the merchants of Xuzhou?" Cao Cao added...
Zhao Yun replied truthfully, "It is absolutely true..."
Cao Cao's eyes fell into thought, contemplating Lu Yu's purpose. After all... merchants are driven by profit; no merchant is without guile. If one wanted to extract even a small amount of money or grain from them, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven!
Before Cao Cao could figure it out.
"Reporting to Cao Sikong, Commander Lu has instructed me to deliver this brocade pouch to Cao Sikong!" Zhao Yun's words followed immediately. "Commander Lu has stated that the pouch contains the plan to defeat Yuan Shao at Cangting!"
Huo... The plan to defeat Yuan Shao at Cangting?
As the words left his mouth, not only Cao Cao, but even Xi Zhicai standing beside him, his eyes narrowed.
What a familiar recipe?
What a familiar taste?
Could it be... that this is another continuation of the story of 'strategizing within the command center to achieve victory a thousand miles away' by Lu Yu... Ah, no, he has a courtesy name now, one should say, by "Zi Yu"?
Thinking of this, Xi Zhicai blinked repeatedly.
At the same time, Cao Cao had already opened the brocade pouch and unfolded the paper strip within.
Just such a small strip of paper, Cao Cao's eyes suddenly widened...
"Yuan Benchu is impetuous!"
"The Long Xiao Camp will lure the enemy deep!"
"Cao Sikong will lay an ambush on all sides!"
With a whoosh, Cao Cao's eyes flew open!
Yuan Benchu, Long Xiao Camp, Cao Sikong... a string of words pieced together in his mind!
He seemed to have understood the brilliant stratagem offered by Yu'er!
...
...
In Xuzhou, Donghai Commandery, within the yamen courtyard.
Dozens of tables were neatly arranged, and merchants hurried in, chattering amongst themselves. As each person sat down at one side of the table, a servant would place a cup of warm water on the table beside them.
Before long, these merchants were seated.
They were all merchants from Xuzhou, some from the administrative capital of Xiapi City, others local to Donghai Commandery, and of course, there were those from Langya, Dongguan, Guangling, Pengcheng...
Everyone cautiously looked around. They all knew that the banquet hosted by the Marquis of Baima today was deeply significant. The "Han Welfare Lottery" alone made everyone's mouths water!
Not to mention the large amounts of yellow croaker that they had witnessed being transported by the boatload recently, as if falling from the sky!
Hundreds of merchants had gathered here! Their eyes gleamed with ambition.
... Who would ultimately cooperate with the Marquis of Baima and the government? No one knew.
But...
Everyone knew that once a merchant cooperated with the Marquis of Baima, they would undoubtedly have found a great patron, and their status, reputation, and wealth would skyrocket!
Without exaggeration, they had all made thorough preparations... even if it meant paying a great price, they were determined to win the favor of the Marquis of Baima.
After everyone was seated, it wasn't long before...
Lu Yu, dressed in a black scholar's robe and with the official seal of the Grand Situ tied to his waist, walked in from outside!
Dian Wei and Cao Xiu escorted him on either side.
"Extremely handsome, radiating heroic spirit..."
This was the merchants' first impression of Lu Yu.
Yet, Lu Yu kept smiling as he walked into the courtyard, adding an extra touch of approachability to his handsome face.
What a handsome man!
No wonder... rumors had spread in Xudu City that prominent officials and nobles often invited people to the Situ's mansion to arrange marriages for their daughters. With such looks and status, what young lady of a noble family wouldn't love him? What young lady could resist him?
Lu Yu walked at the front, with Cao Xiu and Dian Wei behind him, followed by several Long Xiao armored soldiers, each holding a wooden box, seemingly containing something!
As he walked, Lu Yu scanned the crowd around him.
The merchants who were seated had already risen, heads bowed, hands slightly cupped in greeting, displaying the posture of inferiors encountering superiors.
Today... it seemed to be about vying for cooperation in the "Han Welfare Lottery."
But in reality, everyone knew!
The "friendship" of a Marquis of Baima, who held great power, was more precious than a thousand pieces of gold!
Without exaggeration, as a merchant in Xuzhou, offending Lu Yu with a single word could completely ruin one's business within a day. Conversely, pleasing Lu Yu with a single word might even allow one's business to flourish throughout the Central Plains.
The Wei family of Wei Hong in Chenliu Commandery, Yan Province, and the Zhen family in Wuji County, Zhongshan, Ji Province, were prime examples...
It was heard that the fifth daughter of the Zhen family also had an entanglement with the Marquis of Baima...
It truly made everyone envious.
Lu Yu, standing at the main position, did not sit but looked at everyone before him.
"Everyone, please sit, sit... drink water, drink water..."
Lu Yu made a gesture of invitation, his tone still exceptionally friendly.
The merchants all sat down, picked up their teacups, and took a sip... It really was just water, they didn't even bother to add some tea leaves?
However...
Hiss...
The merchants felt a tingle on their taste buds. The water was a little salty... like the taste of the sea!
But it was different from seawater...
It wasn't bitter, nor was it so exceptionally salty that it made one uncomfortable!
It was perfectly salty!
Of course, the merchants knew that seawater could not be drunk. Drinking too much would lead to poisoning! It could even cause dehydration.
Many fishermen had drawn a conclusion: fishermen who encountered disasters at sea and drank seawater were far more likely to die than those who did not.
This was because the concentration of various substances in seawater was too high, far exceeding that of fresh water. Excessive amounts of certain elements entering the human body would cause poisoning.
Besides, in order for the human body to excrete the salt contained in one hundred grams of seawater, it often had to expel one hundred and fifty grams of water. Those who drank seawater not only failed to replenish the body's required water but also dehydrated faster, accelerating death!
"Slurp..."
The merchants smacked their lips, and inexplicably, they felt that the saltiness of the water was just right, incomparably better than the extreme saltiness of seawater, as if it had been mellowed many times over.
Just then.
Lu Yu spoke, "I believe everyone is wondering why I, Lu Yu, have invited the merchants of Xuzhou to a banquet, for tea... no, for water!"
"The reason is that the soldiers of our Cao camp at Guandu can now only afford to drink water... Grain is in short supply, and I, Lu Yu, have been ordered to Xuzhou to gather grain. This... I believe everyone is well aware of."
Gathering grain!
Lu Yu was forthright about his intentions.
Such frankness, in fact, made the merchants feel more at ease.
Lu Yu continued, and with a clap of his hands, a Long Xiao Camp soldier opened the first wooden box and placed it on the table before Lu Yu. Inside, it was filled with salt, common salt!
"People say business is business! I know it's harder to ask you merchants to donate grain than to cut off your own flesh. Therefore... I have invited you here today to show you a few things, and after you have seen them, we will discuss the matter of grain!"
Lu Yu picked up the box full of salt and walked past each merchant.
While displaying them, Lu Yu spoke again, "I believe everyone is familiar with this. This is the refined salt I have extracted. I don't mind telling you that this refined salt is different from the coarse salt refined by the government on the market. Its price is extremely low, to the point where it can be popularized among thousands of households!"
"Imagine, a cup of plain water with this refined salt added will have some flavor. What about dishes? If refined salt becomes widespread, the cuisine of the entire Han dynasty will undoubtedly become more delicious! This refined salt will also become a necessity for the common people's lives!"
Heh...
As Lu Yu spoke, the merchants repeatedly blinked their eyes.
Refined salt?
They had never heard such a term before. Previously, they had mostly heard of coarse salt, or the poisonous salt from Longxi. Of course... adding coarse salt to dishes would improve the taste tenfold; no merchant was unaware of this.
But the crucial problem was that coarse salt was too damn expensive.
Even today, the price of coarse salt was a hundred times the price of millet!
Furthermore, even at such exorbitant prices, selling contraband salt was illegal in ancient times. Only the government's salt bureaus could refine and sell it.
And the purpose of the coarse salt refined by the government was not for cooking, but for "preservation," to preserve food items like vegetables, meat, fish, and milk that were prone to spoilage.
Without exaggeration, salt in ancient times was equivalent to a "refrigerator" in later generations!
If it were to be truly popularized among thousands of households as Lu Yu suggested, then... to what extent would the price have to be lowered?
"Marquis of Baima..." Steward Zhao from Xiapi City was the first to speak, asking, "I have a question, and I hope Marquis of Baima will answer it. How does Lu Situ plan to price this refined salt?"
It was clear that the quality of this refined salt was superior to coarse salt, and Lu Yu had proactively brought out the refined salt. What did this mean? The merchants understood perfectly!
Since "business is business," they might as well ask clearly.
At that moment, all eyes were focused on Lu Yu... Clearly, it wasn't just Steward Zhao; every merchant was very curious.
Lu Yu did not answer immediately, but extended his hands and formed the shape of "ten"!
Hiss...
The merchants exchanged glances. Ten times the price of grain, while not low... it was still acceptable compared to the current coarse salt, which was one hundred times the price of grain...
If it were widely promoted, there might still be an opportunity.
As the merchants were just thinking this, Lu Yu's voice rang out again.
"The price of refined salt will be one-tenth of the price of grain!"
"Only at such a price can we ensure that all common people can afford it! Only then can refined salt become an inseparable part of life! I, this young master, intend to sell this refined salt in volume!"
This...
As Lu Yu's words came out, the merchants were dumbfounded!
Refined salt, at only one-tenth the price of grain, had completely overturned their understanding.
This... this...
Everyone's mouths gaped open, wanting to speak, but the words stuck in their throats, filled with astonishment and shock.
"Then... at such a low price, is there any profit?"
"Yes!" Lu Yu smiled slightly. "The price I offer you is one-tenth of the grain price. You can mark it up, but the extent of the markup will need to be determined later, ensuring both your profits and the promotion of this refined salt throughout the Han dynasty! You must not arbitrarily raise the price of salt!"
So that's how it is...
Upon hearing this, the merchants' eyes rolled continuously. Marquis of Baima meant... he would provide the salt, and the merchants would sell it?
This was equivalent to these merchants selling not contraband salt, but official salt...
If, coupled with such a low price, this... was immensely profitable! And this salt... was simply a gold mountain!
Upon realizing this, the merchants' eyes began to sparkle... extremely bright, extremely impatient.
However...
This was just the beginning.
"Marquis of Baima, are you asking us to assist the government in selling salt?" Steward Zhao could no longer contain his excitement and asked urgently.
He even thought further... Was the purpose of Marquis of Baima inviting them merchants here to bid for grain in exchange for "selling official salt," thereby alleviating the urgent situation at the Guandu front line?
If so, it was not impossible!
Steward Zhao's thoughts began to run wild...
Lu Yu merely smiled slightly. "Don't be in a hurry, let's continue!"
As he spoke, Lu Yu gestured, signaling the Long Xiao Camp soldiers to bring out the second box.
--Yellow Croaker!
Two yellow croakers...
One was cured salted fish, and the other was sun-dried fish jerky!
In addition, there was a porcelain bowl containing a thick layer of oil; this was fish oil!
"Most of you are likely familiar with these. My fleet can bring back two hundred thousand yellow croakers every three days. Some I will cure into salted fish, some I will dry into fish jerky, and some I will extract into fish oil for use during wartime!"
"Furthermore, I plan to establish a fishery department in Donghai Commandery to conduct offshore fishing, process yellow croakers locally, and sell them to various places! In the entire Han dynasty, there is no one else who can achieve such scale and harvest, except for me, Lu Yu!"
Upon saying this, Lu Yu blinked his eyes, and his voice abruptly stopped.
This...
Precisely because Lu Yu's voice stopped abruptly, the merchants began to fantasize again.
Was the Marquis of Baima looking for cooperating merchants to help him sell and promote these salted fish, dried fish jerky, and fish oil?
As they were pondering...
Lu Yu had already exchanged glances and signaled someone to open the third wooden box.
There was nothing else in the wooden box but a round disk...
And this disk, all the merchants were too familiar with it. Wasn't this... wasn't this...
"Marquis of Baima, is this... the Han Welfare Lottery?"
Some merchants could no longer hold back their questions...
Wasn't the ultimate goal of their coming here this welfare lottery?
"Indeed..." Lu Yu smiled slightly. "This is the 'Han Welfare Lottery,' guaranteed by the court, jointly issued by the Grand Situ, Sikong, and Sinong of the Han dynasty. Unlike ordinary gambling, this is guaranteed by the credit of the empire and the court. It is fair, fair, and damn fair! The great success of the Xiapi City Welfare Lottery clearly illustrates this point..."
Heh heh...
Hearing Lu Yu mention "fair," the merchants all chuckled!
Where in this world was there absolute fairness? On the first day, five hundred people bought lottery tickets, and one person won. It seemed fair...
But on the second day, with two hundred thousand lottery tickets, only one person won!
On the third day, with three hundred thousand lottery tickets, it became three winners...
No need to mention later. On the surface, it seemed fair, but in reality... those who understood, understood!
And it was precisely this "understanding, which could be grasped but not expressed in words!"
It contained immense wealth. The more one "understood," the more they knew... how deep the water was, and how terrifying the profits were!
Next...
The fourth wooden box made its appearance.
The Hu Ben armored soldiers opened it, and everyone looked on with curiosity.
And in the wooden box was not anything else, but a neat stack of paper, paper that was pure white and flawless!
Lu Yu waved for someone to bring brush and ink, and then personally wrote the character "商" (shāng) on the paper.
--The 'shāng' in 'shāng rén' (merchant)...
He then held up this paper and brought it before everyone, "What you are seeing now is called paper. A hundred years ago, Marquis Cai invented 'Cai Hou Paper,' but whether it was its texture or quality, it was impossible to write text on it, and the manufacturing cost was expensive. However, I have fundamentally improved upon 'Cai Hou Paper.' Today, the price of a sheet of this paper is less than one-hundredth of the former Cai Hou Paper!"
"You should all have seen the newspapers published by the Imperial Academy. On a small sheet of paper, infinite content can be recorded. From now on, with this, whether they are scholars or literati in the entire Han dynasty, they will no longer have to record their writings on bamboo slips. It is more convenient to carry and easier to preserve!"
As he spoke, Lu Yu signaled for people to distribute this brand new paper to every merchant present.
Each merchant's eyes showed surprise.
Marquis of Baima... Has this Marquis of Baima become a god? How could he create so many new things, so many unbelievable things!
And Lu Yu had already stood up and was demonstrating to everyone how to fold the paper for easier carrying...
At this moment...
Countless merchants were moved...
Strangely enough, when they saw the refined salt and heard its price, they were already moved.
But the yellow croaker and the lottery that followed, and even more so, this paper... this pure white paper, made their hearts tremble again and again. Now, it was no longer a simple matter of being moved!
Their hearts were pounding wildly! It was a surge of excitement!
Without exaggeration, any of the four items displayed by Lu Yu could be exchanged for a mountain of gold. How immense was the wealth contained within?
At this moment, all the merchants lowered their heads, their eyes narrowed, and they began to calculate the profits involved.
Merchants are driven by profit; this has never changed in thousands of years.
In the end, it was Steward Zhao who reacted.
The most crucial thing was that the Marquis of Baima hadn't even said anything yet. What was the point of calculating profits now?
A mountain of gold... was before them, but whether they could seize it was another story.
"Marquis of Baima, we have seen these things. May I ask... why has Marquis of Baima summoned us to this banquet today?"
Steward Zhao started the conversation...
The merchants, realizing their oversight, chimed in.
"Yes, Marquis of Baima, if Marquis of Baima wants us to sell these, then we are one hundred and twenty percent willing!"
"Marquis of Baima, this humble one... is from Guangling City... and I have three unmarried daughters! Here are their portraits..."
Most merchants' eyes were focused on the boxes.
A minority were concerned about Lu Yu's well-being for their daughters.
Of course, that was a minority!
Now, with the four boxes displaying four types of items, it could be said that the curiosity and desire in the hearts of all the merchants in this courtyard had been ignited.
Lu Yu smiled as he looked at them, and then beckoned them, signaling everyone not to rush.
Selling and distributing the businesses represented by these items was impossible!
In Lu Yu's view, every merchant in this courtyard today, without exception, was a green leek, and a very vigorous one!
Most importantly, even if Lu Yu cheated them, they would still thank Lu Yu!
With this thought, Lu Yu finally spoke.
"Everyone, I, as the Grand Situ of the Han dynasty, oversee the agricultural policies, commerce, water conservancy, and river embankments of the Han dynasty..."
"However, there has always been one issue that has troubled me greatly! That issue is..."
At this point, Lu Yu paused.
His tone became exceptionally solemn!
"It is said that scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants are the four classes of society. Why are merchants considered inferior!"
...
...