Cotton prices will rise, but the increase will be limited; wool spinning is on the rise and the export prospects are good.
Through conversations with customers, Zheng Ren obtained two pieces of useful information, both related to the cotton spinning industry.
After calculating, he found he still had some money to spare, so he immediately called his staff, got in the car, and headed out to buy some goods. Raw materials had to be secured, not to mention the price increase!
Moreover, he knew that he was not the only one who could think of the problem of cotton. With the prosperity of the cotton textile industry, the price of cotton had been rising slightly in recent times.
Of course, the price of exports was also rising. The Western Yi had silver, so they didn't really care about price fluctuations. Even if they cared, there was nothing they could do. If you didn't want it, there would be others who would!
Since the Ming Navy defeated the Dutch in the near sea, it began to patrol the South China Sea. Together with the armed merchant ships of the Maritime Merchants Association, the already weak pirates were defeated.
The Dutch also signed an agreement in which the Ming Dynasty guaranteed the safety of their East Asian shipping routes and prohibited the Dutch from plundering merchant ships in the South China Sea.
The safety of maritime navigation was guaranteed, and Ming Dynasty's export trade became more prosperous.
In particular, after signing an agreement with the Portuguese, navigation in Malacca became unobstructed, and Ming merchant ships had already sailed into the Indian Ocean to trade with the various states there.
The three major trading houses in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Mekong were all put into operation. Merchants from Western countries, small countries in Southeast Asia and East Asian countries gathered here. Key commodities such as silk, porcelain and cotton cloth were sold in no time at all.
Zheng Ren knew a little about these things, having learned them from the newspaper.
The imperial court has approved the four major chambers of commerce to publish newspapers, which can publish domestic and international business news.
"Da Ming Forum" also opened a business column, publishing some of the court's policies and providing guidance on industry and commerce.
Let the industrialists and businessmen of the Ming Dynasty open their eyes to the world, and not just limit their vision to the country, or even to a single state or province.
The emperor's purpose was clear, and he made no secret of his emphasis on industry and commerce over agriculture. While he reduced agricultural taxes, he did not despise agriculture. On the contrary, investment in agriculture was substantial and would continue for many years.
Zheng Ren stopped the car on the road and bought a newspaper, "Business Information" published by Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, and read it while sitting in the car.
"Boss Zheng." A greeting made Zheng Ren look up from the newspaper.
Chen Heshun, also the owner of a cotton spinning workshop, was waving to Zheng Ren with a smile.
Although they were competitors and Chen Heshun had poached weavers from Zheng Ren, Zheng Ren still returned the greeting with a bow and signaled his servant to slow down the car.
"Congratulations, Boss Zheng, your new loom will surely bring you a booming business and lots of money." Boss Chen had a smile on his face, but his words made Zheng Ren feel a sinking feeling in his heart.
This bastard is so well-informed, could it be that he has been keeping an eye on me?
Zheng Ren forced a smile and said, "Thank you, Boss Chen. Your workshop has already added a new loom. How can my small workshop compare?"
Chen Heshun waved his hand and said, "The saying 'competitors are enemies' is outdated. Brother Zheng, you may not know this yet, but the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce is planning to establish a cotton spinning guild, and the Maritime Merchants Association seems to have the same idea."
"Guild?" Zheng Ren asked doubtfully, "Don't we already have one?"
"That's different." Chen Heshun shook his head and said, "The specific provisions haven't been released yet, but they will be soon. This concerns all cotton spinning workshops, so we can't take it lightly."
"Is that so?" Zheng Ren didn't believe it completely, but he kept it in mind. After chatting for a while, he bowed and said goodbye.
Capital and monopoly, no one needs to teach them. In order to maximize profits, they will figure it out on their own and then start to implement it.
Integrate small workshops, unify procurement, production, and pricing. This may be the purpose of the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, to maximize profits when exporting.
The Maritime Merchants Association hopes to obtain a stable and continuous supply of goods and try to keep prices within an affordable range.
The emperor had long foreseen the profit-seeking nature of capital, but he did nothing about it.
As time went on and society progressed, industry and commerce were definitely better than agriculture, although even he did not know how to determine the strict boundary between capitalism and feudal society.
Therefore, he could only let things take their course and make changes if problems arose.
The Ming Dynasty was now essentially free of external threats, leaving ample room for error. This gave the emperor confidence, and he no longer needed to be as conservative as he had been a few years prior.
……………….
In many cases, policy bias is more effective than capital investment. It's not just businessmen who pursue profit; who doesn't live for profit?
The grasslands in winter are usually covered in withered yellow, but a light snowfall has just added a touch of color to the withered yellow.
Bumbutai breathed in the cool air, her eyes filled with the vast scenery, and her mood became relaxed.
Although Hailanzhu did not have the same excitement as Bumbutai while riding on the horse, her gaze as she looked out showed that she was in a restless mood.
"Is everyone having an easy time this winter?" Bumbutai casually asked the people who came to greet her. "There are letters, but I don't believe them. My brother is also hesitant about some things and doesn't dare to speak out, right?"
Zhahemu bowed on his horse and said, "My lady, I don't know about the letter, but this winter should be the best year ever. There will be no shortage of food, salt, tea, and ironware."
"Trading cattle and sheep with the Ming Dynasty?" Bumbutai let out a long breath and said, "Since we have submitted to the Ming Dynasty, at least the horse market trade has become more relaxed."
"Besides cattle, sheep, and horses, we also have wool," Zhahemu said with a smile. "It used to be practically trash, but now it can be exchanged for a lot of money. Furthermore, the Zasak has an agreement with the Ming people to only accept wool we purchase. We can make a fortune just from the tribes and herders."
Hai Lanzhu said calmly, "Why don't we buy some machinery and produce wool ourselves? When I was in the capital, I saw woolen cloth. Many people bought it, and the price was not cheap."
Zhahemu gave a wry smile and said, "Looms are available, but they still need craftsmen to maintain them and weavers to operate them. But those are all Han Chinese, and they're not very willing to come here."
"A big reward always brings out brave men." Bumbutai rolled his eyes and spoke the idiom skillfully. "What's wrong with the Han people? Don't they want to make a lot of money?"
Hailanzhu smiled and said, "As for weaving, our Mongolian women may not be very skillful, but they are not stupid either. Let's send them to learn!"
After a pause, she added, "It's too narrow-minded to just make a small profit from wool. If you had a weaving workshop, the profit would be ten times greater!"
Zhahemu nodded repeatedly and praised: "Young lady is indeed more knowledgeable and shrewd than the Han people."
"If we have knowledge and culture, the money won't all go to the Han people." Bumbutai curled his lips and said proudly, "How can we not learn? We must know ourselves and the enemy, so that we can win every battle."
Hailanzhu smiled and glanced at the girl. She felt that her words and actions were somewhat contradictory, and she probably didn't mean what she said.
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