The tenth day of the first lunar month is destined to be a day that all merchants in Daqin will remember.
Inner city of Xianyang, notice board.
Qian Dafu pinched his chin and read the black words on the official newspaper carefully. The more he read, the more shocked he became.
By the end, a strand of his beard was pulled out.
But he seemed not to feel the pain, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
The imperial court actually set up a Ministry of Commerce under the Nine Ministers?
Are you planning to open an official store in Xianyang?
Does this indicate that the imperial court will relax its control over commerce and suppression of merchants?
"Am I seeing right? The government is actually going to open a shop?"
"What does this government shop sell? Hey~ They're not trying to steal my business, are they?"
"Alas, if the people don't fight against the officials, how much less us businessmen?"
“…”
Qian Dafu stared at the last line of words on the paper and couldn't help but interrupt.
"Have you not noticed the matter of recruiting a shopkeeper?"
After he finished speaking, the merchants around him fell silent.
After a long time, an old man sighed.
"I can't even manage my own shop, so how can I find the time to be someone else's shopkeeper?"
"Yes, besides, this is a government-owned property, how dare we, the common people, interfere?"
"That's absolutely right. If anything goes wrong, you'll lose your head!"
“…”
Qian Dafu could hear the sighs of his colleagues, but he did not waver in his thoughts.
He has a strong intuition.
This newly established business department is definitely not simple! Perhaps there are huge surprises waiting for him.
Qian Dafu trusts his intuition very much.
It was precisely because of this keen business intuition that he became the largest garment merchant in Xianyang City.
The next day, Qian Dafu went to the government office early to sign up for the interview for the position of shopkeeper.
Yes, it is not easy to become the owner of a government shop. First, you have to pass the assessment of the Minister of Commerce.
After Qian Dafu filled in the basic information, the official told him that the interview time would be tomorrow at 9:00 PM and gave him a small wooden sign.
He tightly grasped the wooden sign that symbolized unknown opportunities, feeling uneasy.
Will tomorrow be as he wishes?
On January 13th, in the outer hall of Zhangtai Palace, Chu Yuening and Ying Zheng sat at the top.
The businessmen performed the ceremony tremblingly and sat on the chairs, some of their legs still shaking.
Qian Dafu in the crowd also looked dazed.
He never expected that the Minister of Commerce would be the Queen!
As a mere businessman, I can enter the palace and meet the emperor in my lifetime. This is really a great honor for my ancestors!
Chu Yuening imitated A Zheng and squinted her eyes slightly, trying her best to highlight the majesty and dignity of the queen.
"Do you all want to be the shopkeeper of the Xianyang shop?"
"yes..."
"yes..."
The merchants below answered respectfully, fearing to displease the emperor and empress.
Seeing that everyone was so active and enthusiastic, Chu Yuening smiled slightly and planned to draw a pie for them to eat first.
"I believe you are all aware of the newly established Ministry of Commerce. My goal is to open Daqin Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, or official shops, in every county."
"I invited you here because I hope someone with business talent can help me manage and develop."
"If you perform well in the evaluation for five consecutive years, I will grant you an official position in the Ministry of Commerce."
As soon as Chu Yuening finished speaking, all the businessmen gasped.
Conferring an official title! What does this mean?
It was like a quick ascent to heaven, a leap in social class to become an official family!
Not only can they escape from their lowly status and become superior people, but they can also have the political right to discuss state affairs with the emperor and his ministers.
They have never even had such a beautiful dream!
You must know that in the Qin Dynasty, which emphasized agriculture and suppressed commerce and had rigid class structures, merchants' household registration would continue from generation to generation.
So what if you have money?
You can't enjoy yourself as you please, and if you meet someone with some background, you dare not offend him.
"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I am the largest grain merchant in Xianyang, and I am willing to do my best for the Great Qin!"
Zhang Hai stepped forward without hesitation to recommend himself.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, and I..."
“…”
The remaining merchants also reacted and rushed to recommend themselves, fearing that they would miss this great opportunity to change their fortunes.
Qian Dafu looked around at the familiar faces in the crowd, gritting his teeth.
Okay, okay, you old guys are so cunning.
Yesterday I swore that I couldn't come, but thanks to my strong will, I almost fell into your trap.
"Don't worry, I need to explain the details of the supply and marketing cooperative to you."
Chu Yuening glanced at the excited crowd with satisfaction, the corners of her mouth raised proudly, like a little fox stealing some fish.
Ying Zheng, who was standing by, supported his head with his hands. He glanced at this scene and couldn't help laughing, but he didn't say anything.
Today is Yue Ning's home game, he just came here to help keep things going.
"First, the Ministry of Commerce will grant official qualifications to operate supply and marketing cooperatives and will also provide some goods, but all profits will belong to the court."
“And you need to provide the shops and manage them.”
"As for wages, there is a monthly salary, and corresponding commissions will be given at the end of the year."
Although such treatment requirements are definitely regarded as unfair clauses in modern times, in ancient times, official shops were a golden signboard!
Although merchants can only get a portion of the profits, it is still a lot compared to what they earned before after paying business taxes.
And the most important point is that this is a precious ticket to have the chance to win an official position.
"Your Majesty, may I ask how far the supply and marketing cooperative must be developed before I can be granted an official position?"
In the silence, Qian Dafu asked calmly.
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