While Xu Chengdong was wondering why Feng Ziying had met the Shanshan merchants and Hui merchants first, Feng Ziying was also thinking about how to talk to these merchants.

And Shanxi merchants, Hui merchants are mainly based on merchants and sit on the business slightly different, perhaps Suzhou has always been an important economic town, Suzhou's silk weaving industry is the best in the world, and has also formed a very professional division of labor, and Suzhou silk marketing at home and abroad, even in the territory of the Great Zhou is also the most popular goods, although Hangzhou, Yangzhou, Jinling and other places of the silk industry is also quite prosperous, but compared with Suzhou is still inferior.

The role of Dongting merchants here is very large, including the tea industry in Nanzhili and the porcelain industry in Jiangxi.

Because of this, Feng Ziying has to take a high look at this group.

After all, sea trade still depends on the growth of several major export industries to last, although from the current point of view, the overseas market will not grow indefinitely, whether it is the Francophone or the red hair fan or the English, and even the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean are hungry for silk, porcelain and tea of the Great Zhou, but the real consumption of this part of the people in Europe and the Mediterranean coastal areas is still limited.

However, Feng Zi feels that for at least five to ten years, Da Zhou's exports to the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean region will not need to worry about the market, and all that needs to be worried is the production and transportation factors.

Dongting merchants have good strength and influence in these major industries, which made Feng Ziying also come up with the idea of meeting and talking with the leaders of this group.

He wanted to see if the leaders of this group had a broader vision, or whether they could form some kind of tacit understanding with him and do certain things according to some of his own intentions under his own inspiration and reminders.

So when Xu Chengdong stepped into Feng Ziying's study, he was also taken aback, because the other party did not choose the living room, but chose the study, and this treatment made Xu Chengdong a little scared.

The conversation seemed very casual and casual, first Feng Ziying asked, Xu Chengdong answered, and then gradually evolved into Xu Chengdong taking the initiative to introduce the current situation of the Dongting merchants, and in which aspects he made what contributions to the imperial court.

But soon Xu Chengdong found out that Feng Ziying's interest was not in how much the Dongting merchants had donated to the imperial court, and he had taken over a few times, and he was not even interested in the Dongting businessmen's business in Beijing and Yangzhou in Jinling.

He realized that his guess was correct, this Xiao Feng Xiu was really not interested in making a living in such a trading house, and in this regard, the Dongting merchants were inferior to the Shanshan merchants in the north and the Hui merchants in the south.

"My lord, although we Dongshan and Xishan businessmen are more often working hard, but we also have a lot of people staying in Suzhou, such as Gusu silk is our pride, the output of frightening incense is also increasing year by year, and we are also in Songjiang and Songjiang local businessmen cooperation, Songjiang dyeing workshop and seventy percent of our Dongting businessmen opened, Yangzhou printing workshop we and Hui merchants equally,......"

Feng Ziying looked at the other party a few points.

This guy has a very keen sense of smell, and he quickly senses what he is interested in, and he can adjust the topic in time, and it is not in vain that he takes time to meet him.

"What Mr. Xu said this official has also heard, Dongting merchants are all over the south of the Yangtze River, and Suzhou silk tea is prosperous because of Er, which can be said to be indispensable, but the imperial court opens the sea, and the demand for silk tea porcelain will increase greatly, I don't know if you have any thoughts about this?"

Xu Chengdong's heart moved slightly, and he came.

"We have also heard of the strategy of the imperial court to open the sea, but the specific strategy is not clear, but we also think that if the sea ban is released, this foreign goods will definitely increase greatly, the red hair fan and the Francophile have always admired our Great Zhou silk tea porcelain for a long time, but it is a pity that the court has a sea ban, they can only be greedy, or get a small amount through some other methods, and now the court is released, it will definitely usher in a surge, and we are also discussing this matter,......"

Feng Ziying also knew that it was impossible for people to cater to their opinions as soon as they came up, such businessmen and leaders were all taking one step at a time and seeing three steps, what they had to do now was to guide and encourage, but in the final analysis, they had to do it themselves, and it was impossible for the imperial court to replace it.

Feng Ziying has always been reluctant to approve of that kind of official model, with the current situation of the Great Zhou court, its official ability, efficiency and official quality can not be reassured, and business is the best.

If some emerging industries have difficulty starting, then the government can give policy and financial support and supervise them in a timely manner, but this is nothing more than that, and must not be mixed in.

"It seems that the Dongting merchants are worthy of their reputation, everyone only sees the prosperity of sea trade, but you can see that the prosperity of sea trade will bring about the growth of demand for several major industries, compared to you, you also have some preparations?" Feng Ziying asked with interest.

"It's just a preliminary idea, but the Xu family intends to do so, like our silk shop in Suzhou intends to expand the scale, the Xu family still has some advantages in this regard, and as far as I know, the Weng family also has actions in this regard,......

Since he saw the other party's intentions, Xu Chengdong naturally reciprocated the favor and befriended such a promising figure, of course, it was a big deal for the Xu family.

"Well, very good,......," Feng Ziying nodded, "The three major industries of silk, tea and porcelain should be more connected with the maritime business, judging and grasping the growth rate of export sales from their export sales, and then determining their own production scale and even expansion plans in the coming year and even in the next few years,......"

……

Xu Chengdong found it more and more interesting.

He felt that the person sitting opposite him was the editor of the Hanlin Academy, and it was completely a colleague in the hall who was well versed in this way, and he was constantly giving some industry suggestions according to his own introduction.

It's a relaxed and harmonious feeling, and you can even occasionally discuss some new trends in the industry, which is so mysterious.

"......, my lord, are you saying that the imperial court will support the manufacture of firearms in the same way as it supports the Denglai shipbuilding industry? Uh, allow businessmen to participate? ”

When he heard the news, Xu Chengdong almost couldn't believe his ears, how could this be? The manufacture of firearms is the most important weapon of the country, so how can businessmen be involved?

Da Zhou's ability in this regard is indeed very weak, only there is a firearms bureau in the capital city, whether it is dead or alive, it can produce hundreds of shoddy products such as three-eyed guns and artillery every year, and more is to maintain the existing guns for the Shenji Battalion, Feng Ziying has gone to see it once, and its erosive and decadent state is unbearable to witness, and it is no wonder that the use of firearms by the Nine Sides Division has been in a subtle semi-resistance state.

Now in the Great Zhou army, except for the Shenji Battalion in Jingying, it can barely be regarded as a pure firearms army, and everything else is still dominated by cold weapons, and it is this Shenji Battalion whose training status and actual combat strength are worrying, Feng Ziying estimates that even the military department probably does not have much confidence in his heart how useful this army will be when it goes into battle.

In fact, in Guangzhou and Quanzhou, as long as you offer a price, you can easily buy muskets and artillery in different quantities from the Franco-Rang and the Hong-haired merchants, of course, the quantity will not be very large, after all, these materials are not forbidden to the Great Zhou, but for the Nanyang natives, they still have to blockade.

However, if it is discovered that the colonization strategy of the Great Zhou in the South Seas may pose a threat to them in the future, I am afraid that the Great Zhou will also be restricted and embargoed, but at least not yet.

"The court has this intention." Feng Ziying nodded, "But there will definitely be some conditions, such as if you want to get an order from the imperial court, then what state should be achieved, scale, quality, confidentiality, the imperial court has requirements, of course, the imperial court will give corresponding support and support, such as low-interest loans from Yinzhuang, such as prepaid deposits for orders, such as incentives for new technological inventions and innovation and improvements,......"

Xu Chengdong was stunned by this sudden news.

It was so unexpected that it was far beyond what he had imagined.

He never thought that the other party would talk to him about such a "deep" question, could it be because of Shen Xuan's letter, how could it be?

There is no such thing as a pie in the world.

"......, the first heavy iron material for the manufacture of firearms, whether it is a firearm or an artillery, the quality of its cast iron determines its own quality, although we are laymen, we should also know that if Mr. Xu and you Dongting merchants are also interested in this regard, the imperial court is also very welcome,......, there are many places rich in iron ore in the north, but the imperial court does not have so much energy to explore, mine and smelt, so the imperial court intends to ......,"

"......, we are looking forward to the performance of the Dongting merchants, as for why they chose the Dongting merchants, well, the Dongting merchants performed better in the industrial sector, of course, the imperial court will not refuse other businessmen who are interested in entering, but we prefer people with experience in this area to ,......"

"......, technical requirements,......, industrial scale,......, quality assurance,......, these are decisive factors, of course we know that there is no such strength in Dazhou now, and the technology is far behind, otherwise how can we put forward such an idea, of course, it is up to you to find a way, the proprietor of Ningbo Shipbuilding is already trying to find a way to recruit shipbuilding craftsmen and technicians from Hongmaofan and Franc Jiren, one hundred taels of silver is not enough for three hundred taels, and three hundred taels is not enough for five hundred taels,......,

......, "If you can't find Luzon, you can go to Manraka, if you can't do it, just let it go and go to the hometown of the Xiyi people to recruit,......, you can do the same, what kind of way, as long as you can recruit technicians,......, regardless of black cats and white cats, if you catch mice, you are a good cat, and if you can build a ship and firearms that meet the needs of the imperial court, it is a good ,......."