"Alas, Grand Tutor, you are mistaken. It is always better to be cautious in some matters. Although the quota has been increased, it cannot all be poured into the foreign lands in a short period of time!"
Afterwards, Liu Hong and the others discussed in detail how to use the border markets and trade to gradually encroach upon and annex the Northeast. They did not disperse until sunset.
Soon, the imperial court ordered the reopening of the trade market and extended its duration from one month to six months, from late September to late March of the following year.
As for why Liu Hong and the imperial court extended the duration of this trade agreement, in addition to using the trade to amass wealth from the grasslands, the main purpose was for the Chengde New City project.
However, the rules were slightly different: 40% of the share went to the imperial court, 20% went to the royal trading companies, and the remaining 40% was distributed by the imperial court.
Those who received a quota could still only purchase salt and grain from the national treasury and local government treasuries.
Although grain and salt were restricted, the imperial court only set commercial tax standards for other commodities without limiting their quantities, so the profit margin in the mutual trade was still very large.
Upon hearing this news, powerful families and influential clans in Sili, as well as Ji, Bing, Qing, You, Yan, and Liang provinces, were all excited and mobilized. Even families in Jiangnan, such as Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Xuzhou, who received the news, sent people northward.
Local governments also began to purchase grain from ordinary people and powerful families at a high price of twenty coins, and then sold it to royal merchants and various families at a price of thirty to forty coins, which was then transported to the border.
As for the price of grain within the Great Han territory, it was still controlled within ten coins, so that the common people, the imperial court, and powerful families could all profit from the trade.
Liu Hong also dispatched the Royal Engineering Team and cement factory personnel to Youzhou to begin planning the construction of the new city of Chengde.
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