"It cost a lot of money to develop the glass in the beginning, and now is the time to show its value. This technology can only be found in Taoyuan County, and there is no other company like it!"
Emperor Jing took advantage of the situation and said: "That makes sense!"
"But... if you want to make money, then just make money. Why do you come to me on your own initiative?"
Fang Zhengyi flattered, "My emperor has a keen eye. How could such a trick be hidden from your majesty?"
"Minister, I came here this time to make an unreasonable request!"
"Go ahead!" Emperor Jing had just received 20,000 taels of silver and was in a good mood.
"Your Majesty has also seen that in just one night, I earned tens of thousands of taels of silver from the rich families in the capital with my glass ring. This shows that...there is no shortage of silver in the capital."
"But why do the people live in such a hardship? I think it is probably because the rich and powerful hoard their silver at home. In addition, the nobles have many businesses and advocate thrift. As a result, the silver and money accumulate more and more, and it cannot be circulated in the hands of the people. This leads to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer."
"Through the tea leaves and the diamond ring from last night, Your Majesty should also know that Taoyuan County's products are very popular in the capital."
"I have ordered Taoyuan County to build a large-scale road to connect to the capital. Then all kinds of goods from Taoyuan County will be popular in the capital."
"So I would like to ask Your Majesty to allow the Crown Prince to govern a district as a pilot project to help Taoyuan County's goods circulate better among the people. This will allow silver to flow and the people will benefit from it."
"Secondly, if the pilot is successful, the money will be able to flow, and the court will be able to collect taxes more easily, alleviating the urgent need for the treasury."
"Thirdly, the prince can also learn and train in this process. This is the best of all worlds."
"In addition, I would like to give you 20% of all the properties in Taoyuan County as a token of my gratitude to Your Majesty for your kindness. Please grant me your approval!"
After saying this, Fang Zhengyi felt relieved. This plan had been brewing in his mind for a long time.
The relationships in the capital are complicated. Although the products of Taoyuan County are good, it will probably encounter a lot of trouble when opening up the market in the capital in the early stage.
If there is a piece of territory that he can fully control, then everything will be easy. He is even confident that he can build this place into an important center in the capital and then radiate to the entire city.
As for the 20% dry stock, even if he surrendered, this was a society with imperial power. With so much money, who knows when someone would covet it, it would be safer to hand it over early so he would have a backer. Moreover, 20% dry stock could get him the biggest backer in the world. Is there any better deal?
Fang Zheng spoke so sincerely that Emperor Jing's eyes widened.
Taoyuan County's 20% stake...how much money would that be? Wouldn't the treasury no longer have to worry about running out of money?
besides.........
Emperor Jing carefully weighed the pros and cons. He thought that the prince had done too many unconventional things, so it would be okay for him to do business with Fang Zhengyi.
Then he hesitated and said: "I have no problem agreeing to your request, but I am worried that you will not be able to grasp it!"
"Let's not talk about anything else. Just take this diamond ring as an example. Have you ever thought about what the consequences would be if people knew the truth?"
"Also, although the things in Taoyuan County are good, they can't always be priced so high!"
Fang Zhengyi smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, do you know that there are two hands in this world, one can see, and the other can't see..."
Emperor Jing frowned and asked, "Tell me in detail, what are these two hands?"
"This visible hand is your majesty, and it represents the power of the world."
“But this invisible hand…is the way of the economy, the way of the market, and it represents the will of the people.”
"I am far less knowledgeable than Your Majesty at court affairs, but I am good at using the invisible hand to help me get things done."
"Take a diamond ring for example. It is cheap to make, but the problem can be solved by setting a different position."
“It’s the same ordinary diamond ring, but with a little more thought put into the packaging, exquisite carvings, and overwhelming publicity to give it special meaning, it can still be sold to the richest people at a high price.”
"The second-rate ones can be made into simple carvings, and with the second-rate packaging and price, they can be sold to middle-class families."
"At the very least, as long as they are genuine products, we can sell them to the public at a price slightly higher than the cost."
"In this way, the same item can be sold to everyone, and no one will complain. This is called price discrimination."
"Those diamond rings that were first sold were ordinary, but I have had special appraisal certificates made to increase their collectibility, so I don't have to worry too much about them later."
A luxury goods company can sell a snakeskin bag for thousands of dollars. When we sell a glass ring, we also give a certificate with it. We can be considered the conscience of the industry!
Emperor Jing blinked, seeming to be confused.
This Fang Zheng's words sound like he is trying to trick people...
After a long while, Emperor Jing finally managed to utter a few words: "Fang Qing is a great talent."
Fang Zheng sighed when he saw this: "Your Majesty must think that I am a money-grubber and that everything I do is just to make money, but as a scholar, how much can I like money?"
"I am not good at court affairs, but I am also thinking about helping Your Majesty. Fortunately, I also have some skills in business."
"Every time I hear Your Majesty talk about the empty treasury, my heart aches. I thought hard for a long time before coming up with this idea. Although the success or failure is still unknown, I am willing to give it a try!"
Hearing this, Emperor Jing was moved and a little emotional, and said, "I am deeply comforted by Fang Qing's kindness."
"But you must keep an eye on the prince. If anything unexpected happens, I will call a halt at any time."
"Minister! Thank you, Your Majesty!"
A barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of Fang Zhengyi's mouth.
Now that I have left Taoyuan County, how can I, Young Master Fang, sit idle... I want to transform the capital into Taoyuan County!
.........
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