karlmaks
Stories
7
Chapters
3,346
Words
5.8 M
Comments
20
Reading
20 d, 5 h
-
After the auction for the agency rights of various prefectures and counties concluded, the merchants dispersed. At this moment, Pang Yukun stood before Xiao Ming, a rare smile on his face, and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness. This time, Your Highness has collected seven million taels of silver. Truly a cause for celebration." Qian Dafu and Li Kaiyuan also wore expressions of wild joy. When had Qingzhou ever seen so much silver? Qian Dafu said, "Your Highness, with this sum of silver, our mines,…-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
The influx of merchants made Qingzhou more bustling than ever before. The streets and alleys were filled with traders who had traveled from afar. After waiting in Qingzhou for three days, the merchants were greeted with an announcement that sent them into a frenzy. A proclamation was posted throughout the city: "All merchants in Qingzhou may obtain the method for producing soap from the Patent Office. Further details can be discussed at the Patent Office." As soon as the news spread, the merchants…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
"Brother Han, what do you think of this trade guild?" After Xiao Ming’s summons, the merchants of Qingzhou gathered in groups at the Weijia Restaurant. The waiters were so busy they barely had time to catch their breath—business had boomed thanks to the influx of merchants. "All I can say is that Prince Qi is a master strategist. With this move, even though he remains in Qingzhou, he has effectively put merchants across the entire empire under his control. Any merchant who joins the guild must follow…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
"Your Highness, is this soap?" Wang Shijie’s eyes lit up as he reached out to take one of the soap bars. He had seen yi zi (traditional soap), but those were dark and dull, completely unlike this clean, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing soap. "Wait, don’t touch it yet," Xiao Ming reminded him. "The soap hasn’t fully solidified; it still needs a day or two." This time, Xiao Ming had used a soap-making method similar to traditional handmade soap rather than full-scale industrial production.…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
Wang Shijie had been in Chang’an for seven or eight days, bringing soap with him. Initially, this novel product did not attract much attention from the noble ladies. However, today, everything changed. Overnight, a long line had formed outside the Wang family’s shop in Chang’an. The people waiting at the entrance were housekeepers, maids, and attendants from various prestigious households, all with one purpose—purchasing soap. At the same time, word spread throughout Chang’an that the imperial…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
The workshop area officially began construction during the cold winter, and Xiao Ming suddenly found himself responsible for feeding over 900 additional mouths. With new recruits also joining the military camp, the number of people to feed quickly rose to around 3,000. The continuous drain on silver reserves made Xiao Ming feel immense pressure. Moreover, aside from commerce, he had no other means to quickly amass wealth. Therefore, whether it was setting up his own trading company or leveraging the Wang…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
The day after Li San returned, the imperial grant arrived in Qingzhou. With the court’s silver and the palace concubines’ down payments, Xiao Ming now had a total of 500,000 taels of silver at his disposal. In Qingzhou, this was an enormous sum, but for Xiao Ming’s development plans, it was a mere drop in the ocean. Moreover, 200,000 taels were deposits for perfume orders from the concubines, which meant a large portion had to be spent on purchasing raw materials for production—effectively…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
Qingzhou Eastern Military Camp. This was the barracks where the Qingzhou Army was stationed. Compared to its peak strength of three thousand soldiers, the camp now housed only a little over three hundred troops. Many barracks in the camp had been left vacant. In the past, these rooms were covered in cobwebs and thick with dust. But now, they had been cleaned out, and recruitment notices had been posted. Lately, a steady stream of people had been coming to enlist. In just half a month, new recruits would…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
Qingzhou City, Wang Residence. Wang Chengchou and Sun Yuanzhi sat facing each other in the main hall, with Wang Shijie seated below them. Ever since Wang Chengchou’s visit to the Prince of Qi’s residence, Sun Yuanzhi had been waiting at the Wang estate for news. Now that Wang Chengchou had returned and briefly recounted what had transpired, he slowly said, “Brother Wang, that was truly a close call. His Highness did not punish the Wang family, which shows that he still values your…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
-
"Any kind of edible oil will do." That was the last thing Xiao Ming said to Wang Shijie before sending him off. Right now, he had no intention of wasting too much time on the four major families. The only reason he was sharing profits with them was to maintain the illusion that they were still allies. In reality, Xiao Ming could not tolerate the existence of powerful aristocratic clans within his fiefdom. Such factions posed a severe threat to his rule. The Great Yu Empire was already suffering under…
-
1.2 M • Ongoing
-
- Previous 1 … 329 330 331 … 335 Next