Chapter 63: Stir-frying (Seeking Recommendations and Bookmarks)
Everyone who knows the news clearly understands that Xuan Mo's family originated in Northern China, and most of his personal guards are northerners. This thousand-strong army's style shouldn't be fake. At this time, someone from behind walked forward and whispered a few words into Meng Zhuangui's ear. Meng Zhuangui nodded, smiling and said:
"Director Li Qian, all of you colleagues from Jining want to take a look at the goods on the boat. Why don't you open the canvas and let everyone see it, and make an assessment!"
The boat was already moored at the dock, and the sailors were on shore tying the ropes to the stone bollards. On the other side, Li Qianzong was shouting orders at the guards on the boat to start removing the canvas cover.
The crowd on the dock was shocked, and what was on the boat was not the expected salt bags, but neatly stacked porcelain jars. The weather was sunny and the light was sufficient, these porcelain jars were extremely old. Some people even took a closer look, and found that the mouths of those jars were sealed with wax.
Someone asked in puzzlement:
"What's in the jar, Lieutenant?"
"Damn it, they're transporting fine salt. Those scoundrels could smuggle anything, saying they broke into several large estates in Shaanxi and dug up these salts from underground cellars. How about those silk fabrics, gold, and silver instead?"
What? The cellar of a wealthy family, in Shaanxi they all eat green salt, why is it so solemnly sealed in jars and buried in the cellar, but that old man keeps muttering and can't explain clearly, the more he does this, the more ideas people have.
That thousand general impatiently answered, directly took the jar to the dock, drew out a knife and scraped off the wax, opened the lid, and indeed it was fine salt like white snow.
It is said that it was a cargo ship of the governor's mansion, and it is said that it was salt goods confiscated from bandits. It is also said to have been excavated from the cellar of a wealthy family in Shaanxi Province. None of this has been confirmed, but all the merchants present discovered business opportunities in it. In Jining City, news spreads fastest at the canal wharf.
It's likely that these things have already been seen by many people, and afterwards there will be those who come to understand the truth. This news can almost certainly be confirmed as being spread far and wide. The news of Qingyan condensing spirit and quieting energy circulating in Jining City, who spread it out? Everyone has a number in their heart.
Today, this army and salt almost came to the door, that clever one was pondering when he heard that Qian Zhang shouting in a loud voice:
"Four thousand jars of salt, all good quality green salt. I also brought ten ships of loose salt, all seized from the enemy's hands. They say old salt is good and new salt is bad, so I'll mix this ceramic jar salt with the loose salt and sell it at market price. Our lord is still waiting for money to pay military salaries!"
Everyone was anxious when they heard this, the salt in the ceramic jar and taking it out is not the same, if taken out, the price would plummet, and there's no concept of speculation.
The shopkeeper on the shore repeatedly explained that the salt in the jar is the salt in the jar, and the scattered salt is the scattered salt. We bought this salt jar at a high price, and the scattered salt is priced according to the public price.
Everyone knows that Meng Zhanggui and this soldier are also familiar with each other, the price advantage won't be too great, just ask to buy it at a slightly lower price than the public price, and you will definitely not lose money. At this dock, the soldier has already made enough noise, everyone shouted together, and the price was raised.
There was also an accountant on the boat, who counted with the military officer for a while. Li Qianzhang shouted loudly again:
"A ceramic jar of salt costs six taels of silver per jar, loose salt costs six taels per carrying pole!"
If the price is really for green salt, it's not too expensive. The porcelain jar is something that can't be clearly explained, and the price can be high or low. However, since the seller has already quoted a price, that's the limit for bargaining.
The dock was crowded for half a day, and there were also temporary merchants who came in a hurry. Meng Zhuanggui from Wenru Shanghang didn't say anything, but everyone knew he was avoiding suspicion. However, seeing this, they couldn't help but believe it even more.
The final price was set at five taels per ceramic jar, five taels per dan of loose salt, and nearly three thousand shi for ten ships. Adding the four thousand jars of salt, it was a deal worth 35,000 taels of silver. Although the taxes in Jining City could not be collected, the merchants' silver was clear and unmistakable, and everyone present inspected the goods and weighed them on the spot.
Allocated by the Chamber of Commerce and several major merchants, the share is determined by the size of the warehouse. Each household brings in accountants and workers, carts and boats start loading, with more people and money, the strength is also greater, and the salt is transported before nightfall. Those porcelain jars are all inspected and weighed, really not sloppy, each jar is about ten kilograms, and they are all high-quality refined salt.
The silver goods were settled, and then he did something that made many people's eyes widen in shock. He actually took out these salt certificates for selling salt in Shandong!
Everyone thought it was private salt smuggling, but the salt administration is lax, and at the dock, these have the background of official dignitaries, who cares, who would have thought that this salt is actually legitimate, looking at the salt certificate, it's really a genuine certificate issued by the Salt Transport Commissioner's Office, it seems that this is indeed salt goods for military rations.
Most people have already believed four or five parts of it and then they believe a few more parts again.
Before nightfall, some well-informed wealthy families already knew that a batch of good quality green salt had arrived in the city and they rushed to buy from familiar shops. Seeing these antique jars and hearing the rumors spreading on the dock, everyone was eager to buy. As a result, the salt that came in in the morning was sold out at a price of 10 taels per jar by nightfall, with over 1,000 jars sold, and many people who knew the news late came to book in advance.
In Jinan city, there are only about 2,500 jars left, the rest have been bought by merchants from other places. Everyone is sighing that their business has been worthwhile and deciding to raise prices the next day.
On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the ceramic jars of Qingyan salt purchased by local and foreign merchants in Jining City had all been shipped north and south. Along with the goods, there was a pamphlet that seemed to be a popular commentary on the streets, which was easy to understand. It is unknown who started it, but someone hired a declining literati from within Jining City to write this explanation.
There is no elaborate language or strict antithesis, only that this green salt was dug up by bandits from the cellars of wealthy families around Xi'an Prefecture, intercepted by government officials and soldiers, and then brought to Jining Prefecture for sale. There are also attached salt certificates, which say that after storing the green salt for a period of time, it not only has the effect of calming the mind and clearing the air, but can also detoxify and clear the heart, making it a rare product for nourishing life and beauty.
There were people who doubted, but there were more believers. It had only been three days since the goods arrived, and the price of each jar of green salt had already risen by three taels of silver. In other words, if you bought it for five taels of silver at that time, you could sell it back for a profit of ten taels. Who wouldn't do such a good deal?
