With the establishment of the Royal Trading Company, Cao Song and Lü Qiang immediately transferred the factories, workshops, and shops under construction to the company's name.
Zhao Zhong also personally dispatched reliable eunuchs with good business acumen to be stationed in every workshop, factory and shop to be responsible for maintenance and operation, so as to ensure that the money bag of the merchant guild could be firmly held in the hands of the emperor.
Meanwhile, many astute individuals outside the company recognized the terrifying nature of this trading firm, as even salt, wine, paper, and glass had become part of its business.
With such strong support from the imperial court and the emperor, it's likely that the royal trading company will eventually gain a foothold in all industries of the Han Dynasty, and the profits involved will be absolutely unimaginable.
Immediately afterwards, all the families that received orders to rush-produce farm tools received messages from the imperial court and the merchant guilds. The imperial court had transferred the matter of purchasing farm tools to the royal merchant guilds, which would then sell them back to the imperial court.
It also stated that the imperial court's future commercial needs would be addressed directly through dialogue with the Royal Trading Company.
Furthermore, the Royal Trading Company has announced that it will consider granting membership to any merchant or family that excels in manufacturing agricultural tools.
This news immediately excited all the merchants and powerful figures. Being able to become a member of the Royal Merchant Guild and cooperate with them, not to mention anything else, the benefits brought by simply sharing channels and products were unimaginable.
Immediately, all the merchants and powerful families who received orders to manufacture agricultural tools increased their investment once again, trying every means to increase production in order to gain the approval of the Royal Trading Company this time.
Since Zhao Ning urgently returned to the family from Luoyang, he has been constantly traveling between various workshops, urging the manufacturing process of various agricultural tools.
Especially after receiving Cao Song's message informing him that he had been internally selected and accepted by the Royal Merchant Guild, Zhao Ning felt deeply honored, but also felt an immense pressure.
Early this morning, Zhao Ning got up early and rushed to the warehouse to check.
"How many farm tools have been produced in total so far?"
Looking at the mountain of farm tools piled up in the warehouse, Zhao Ning showed no sign of relaxation.
“According to the Lord, in the past nine days, our twenty workshops, plus the forty workshops we acquired and built, have produced a total of thirty thousand curved plows, one thousand waterwheels, and fifty thousand hoes…!”
"It's not enough...!"
Hearing the long list of numbers reported by his butler, which was less than a third of the quantity required for his order, Zhao Ning couldn't help but frown.
It doesn't matter if the quantity is insufficient or the profit is low, but if it delays the affairs of the court and embarrasses Cao Song, then my hopes of joining the merchant guild will be dashed.
Zhao Ning then thought for a moment, made a decision, and said:
"Sell all the coal we have in stock immediately, and sell all the grain we have in stock as well. Invest all the money into expanding the workshop as soon as possible."
Furthermore, immediately notify all workshop owners and the heads of the other households to increase their working hours from five hours to seven hours per day!
"This... such long hours of labor, the bodies of those craftsmen and laborers won't be able to take it. What if they quit?"
The steward looked at Zhao Ning with a worried expression. Currently, the people in their workshop were all recruited at a cost according to the requirements of the imperial court, and they were all on an employment relationship.
Furthermore, there are now far more family workshops in the Sili region than before, leading to a labor shortage. To compete for labor, each workshop is constantly raising prices, and if you don't meet the requirements, the workers will leave immediately.
Zhao Ning thought for a moment, then said:
“It’s alright. Go and tell those craftsmen and laborers that from today onwards, we will take care of their meals, and for every extra hour they work, we will pay them an extra twenty coins.”
Hearing Zhao Ning's words, the butler hesitated and said:
"Isn't that too much? Just two extra hours of work, plus meals provided, means we'll need to put in twice the effort as before..."
Zhao Ning glared at the butler. "What's a little extra... Can't you do math? Compared to the extra output, what's the little bit of input?"
"What the patriarch says is true! I am foolish! The patriarch is truly wise; this is simply the best of both worlds!"
The steward did a quick calculation and realized that with two more hours of output, they would indeed earn more than before. He looked at Zhao Ning with admiration.
Zhao Ning smiled and said, "Besides, as long as we can join the Royal Merchant Guild, even if the whole family is involved, we can earn it back in no time! You've been with me for so long, how come you still can't see the light?"
The steward replied respectfully, "What the master says is true, I understand...!"
Then Zhao Ning thought of the crossbow manufacturing order he had received before, and felt that this could also maximize his manufacturing speed.
Zhao Ning then looked at the butler, "And...aren't there many small workshops popping up lately? Go find them, give them the simple parts to make, and we can buy them back and assemble them!"
"Patriarch's idea is excellent! This way, we can free up our resources to speed up the manufacturing process..."
Zhao Ning's idea immediately caught the butler's eye, and he looked at Zhao Ning with great admiration.
Zhao Ning smiled and waved his hand, "These are all things His Majesty has already done. We are just the first to get involved."
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and get on it!"
Upon noticing the butler still standing in the same spot, Zhao Ning gave him an annoyed look.
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