After laughing, someone soberly asked back: "Prime Minister, what does what you said have to do with 'Si Mao'?"
"Don't you understand yet?"
Yan Shiyue said: "Economics is a discipline, and sales is a skill. For both buyers and sellers, there is no 'exploitation' of anyone. Most of the time, it is a win-win situation, and everyone is happy. From the perspective of the 'country', this is a circulation and exchange of resources. We trade with neighboring countries to earn their money and take back what we want."
Lin Fujian finally said, "If you invest ten thousand gold in a shop, you might get ten million gold."
"Yes," Yan Shiyue said, "Let money make money, that's the way to make money."
She took a step back and said, "I want to ask Father and you all to see something."
Emperor Ming Yan nodded.
She waved her hand, and the people waiting outside came in one after another, each holding a box. When they opened it, they took out the same glassware one by one.
Even Emperor Mingyan became curious and left his throne to watch.
In fact, glass products have just begun to be trial-produced. In Yan Shiyue's opinion, the production is not very good. But for the natives, it is a groundbreaking invention. The most popular one is the mirror.
...
...
The clarity was far greater than that of the bronze mirror, and even Emperor Ming Yan was shocked when he took it.
Other small ornaments, small vases, etc. are also crystal clear, with shapes far more numerous and exquisite than those of water jade. Especially the most common glass beads, they look much more dazzling than gold, silver and jewelry.
Everyone looked at it carefully and praised it. Emperor Mingyan asked, "What is this?"
Yan Shiyue said: "This is called glass. I just asked someone to make it. The craftsman's recipe is ready. As long as there is a state-owned enterprise, it will belong to Aye. If not... oh, then I deserve to be rich?"
Emperor Ming Yan glared at her.
Yan Shiyue waited until everyone had seen it before asking, "Do you think this thing is good?"
Everyone naturally praised it.
Yan Shiyue picked up a handful of glass beads: "So, this handful, tell me, how much is it worth? Or, how much silver are you willing to spend to buy it?" She looked at Xu Mingxiu: "Prime Minister Xu?"
Xu Mingxiu said: "I don't like these things, but I think they should be worth at least two or three hundred taels, right?"
"Master Lin?"
"If you have a heart that loves something, you can get it even with a thousand taels."
Others also said, "It should be three hundred taels at least."
"If we put it in the auction house, someone will buy it for 500 taels."
Yan Shiyue smiled.
Then, she slowly walked among the crowd, raised her hand high, and lightly flicked her fingers. The glass beads immediately slipped from her fingers, and the room was filled with the sound of tinkling.
Even Emperor Ming Yan was startled, and others exclaimed in surprise, the effect was extremely shocking.
Seeing that there were many adults, Yan Shiyue bent down to pick up the glass beads, and then slowly said: "What if I tell you... such a beautiful bead, the cost price is less than a penny, would you believe it?"
The minister who was picking up beads exclaimed, "One penny?"
"Yes," Yan Shiyue smiled at them, "So, I want to build a state-owned enterprise. With such huge profits and such delicious cakes, if the imperial court doesn't eat them, who else would dare to eat them? Who else can eat them? We take a penny worth of things and go to neighboring countries to exchange them for tens of thousands of gold, hundreds of millions of gold... Isn't this kind of business worth doing?"
She smiled, not hurriedly or impatiently, but from head to toe, she was filled with silent temptation: "So, from the perspective of profit, I think the question of 'do it or not' really doesn't need to be considered... What we need to consider now is the question of 'how to do it', don't you think?"
"As for the risks... Haha, you can choke to death while eating, you can choke to death while drinking water, everything has risks, so why don't we just commit suicide right here, why bother living? You are all pillars of society, well-educated, experienced, I believe you can come up with a way to avoid the risks."
She cupped her hands and then left.
The others were still in shock and couldn't recover for a while.
Emperor Ming Yan was also in deep thought.
This is different from cement. Cement is something that looks simple and convenient for the people. In his mind, it can be given as a kind of "favor".
But this "glass" really surprised him by revealing the huge profits it contained at a glance.
As Yan Shiyue said, if the country doesn't do this business, who else dares to do it? And who can do it?
It would be a pity to take back such a deal and let it gather dust.
Seeing that the ministers below changed their tune instantly and discussed the question of "how to implement it", Emperor Ming Yan suddenly realized that he was brainwashed by his little girl.
The scene just now was too shocking, and the figures she announced afterwards were also too shocking. It was like a bolt from the blue that stunned them, and then they could not help but be led by her.
"Your Majesty," Lin Fujian stepped forward and said, "I suddenly thought of a story."
Emperor Mingyan said: "Oh?"
"I thought of Guan Zhong's story of 'subduing Lu and Liang with silk' in the past, and I seem to have a little understanding of what the Prime Minister is talking about 'economy'."
What is the story of surrendering Lu and Liang with silk?
It is said that the national strength of Qi was weak. Seeing that Lu and Liang were both good at weaving silk, Guan Zhong offered a plan to Duke Huan of Qi.
So Duke Huan of Qi and his ministers all wore silk clothes. If the emperor had a preference, the people would follow suit and wear silk.
As a result, the price of silk in Qi soared, and merchants from Lu and Liang also followed suit and shipped silk materials to Qi. The people of the two countries planted mulberry and hemp and wove silk, and then used the money they earned to buy grain from Qi at a low price, and Qi also cooperated by selling grain.
As a result, in order to develop the silk industry, the states of Lu and Liang inevitably abandoned agriculture, while the state of Qi took the opportunity to vigorously develop agriculture.
On the surface, all countries prospered. Qi's national strength increased greatly, and its army and horses were strong. Lu and Liang's textile industries were developed, and they were also rich and strong. It seemed to be a win-win situation, but the crisis was lurking in it.
A few years later, the food supply of Lu and Liang was completely dependent on imports from Qi, and the time was ripe.
Duke Huan of Qi changed to wearing silk clothes and prohibited the people from wearing silk. He then "closed the country and stopped sending envoys to Lu and Liang." Ten months later, "the people of Lu and Liang were starving."
In other words, the two states of Lu and Liang had already planted mulberry trees in their fields, and it was too late to switch to growing crops. They could no longer store grain, and agricultural production could not be restored for a long time. Under unbearable hunger, the two states had no choice but to surrender to the State of Qi.
This is indeed an excellent example of the ancients' application of economics.
Guan Zhong was definitely an expert in this regard. "The Hengshan Plan", "Buying a Deer to Control Chu", "Buying a Fox to Subdue Dai" and so on were all similar applications.
After Yan Shiyue heard Lin Fujian retell the story, she understood his intention.
He did not directly advise Emperor Ming Yan to do it or not, but indirectly said that if we carefully consider this matter, it may be very useful, and we can weaken the national strength of other countries without bloodshed...
After all, what can you say, glass is just a decoration, what's its use?
Neighboring countries cannot use them to fight wars if we sell them our useless things, so if we can exchange them for useful things... that is success. If we plan carefully, we may be able to achieve the effect of "subduing Lu and Liang".
Emperor Ming Yan seemed to be thinking about something.
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