After that, Xia Hongsheng turned his head to look at Li Chengqian again and asked, "His Royal Highness the Prince, does the imperial court know about this?" ”

Li Chengqian shook his head: "I haven't heard of it in the palace." ”

"It's okay if the court doesn't know, let's just ask the court to see the power of merchants." Xia Hongsheng smiled and asked again: "I'm afraid that your family's industries are not only us. Who trades with the countries of the Western Regions, especially grain, cloth, porcelain, etc., which are closely related to daily life? Or do you know a business in this area? ”

"Brother Sheng asked what this is for?" Liu Renshi asked, "Brother, I know a few big grain merchants. ”

"If you have your own own, or if you know them, please gather them together and tell them that whatever is sold to the countries of the Western Regions will increase the price!" Xia Hongsheng said: "It's crazy! Up to the point that they can't afford anything! ”

"Brother Sheng wants to take revenge on them?" Li Ke smiled: "If this is the case, the little brother has a way." The people we have here, even if they recognize some side industries, are still few in the end, including all aspects. Moreover, even if we come out and force the order to come, it is difficult to make all the businesses obey. This order, instead of using our identities to spread it, it is better to pass it on to the Church Association. Although these guilds were organized spontaneously by the merchants, not the imperial court, they were sometimes more effective than government decrees in their respective industries. ”

Xia Hongsheng clapped his hands: "Yes!" And the guilds, I forgot! However, I have never dealt directly with the association. ”

"I can go and finalize the grain merchants' guild." Liu Renshi said.

"Then the little brother can go to the guild of cloth and silk." The son-in-law of the Zheng family said: "I think there will be a little thin noodles. ”

Xia Hongsheng thought for a while and said: "In this way, all of you who are familiar with the guild will invite me for my little brother, and say that on the tenth day of the new year, it is still this drunken immortal building, and I will set up a banquet for them." If you can call a few guilds, you can call a few, as long as it is a business with the countries of the Western Regions, regardless of that industry. Cheng Qian, I have to come forward to help when the time comes. ”

"Brother Sheng, don't worry." Li Chengqian nodded, and said: "It's just that businessmen are pursuing profits, if they are told to raise prices so much that they can't sell them, it will damage their profits, and they will do it?" ”

"As long as there are better conditions, they will." Xia Hongsheng smiled and said, "The countries of the Western Regions are really bold, do you really think that with a distance of seven thousand miles, we can't do anything about him?" Persia is tens of thousands of miles away, don't you still have to obediently send money to Datang? The price increase is just the first move, and if he dares to block my Datang business route, I think he is killing himself. ”

Hearing Xia Hongsheng's words, Li Chengqian was taken aback and looked at Xia Hongsheng: "Brother Sheng, you ......"

Xia Hongsheng smiled and didn't speak again, but said to everyone again: "You will only invite me to bring the affairs of each guild, and leave the rest to me." I will teach the countries of the Western Regions a lesson. Alright, for the rest of the time, let's have a feast. ”

After that, Xia Hongsheng clapped his hands, only to see the curtain open, and several maids outside rushed in, each holding a plate in their hands and placing it in front of everyone.

Inside the plate, there were only two transparent glasses, a small plate, and a small spoon.

Of the two cups, one was a white liquid with a milky aroma. The other one is clear water inside. Inside the saucer, there was some milky powder.

"What's this?"

"It smells of milk, but it's not so fishy."

Everyone looked at the contents of the cup, and only felt that the milky smell was enough to make people's appetites move.

"Brothers, try it first." Xia Hongsheng said with a smile.

Needless to say, someone has already served it up and drunk it.

I only heard Duan Zan shouting: "Hey, it's delicious!" It tastes like milk, but it doesn't taste like it. We've all drunk milk and goat's milk, but it's not so fragrant or sweet. ”

"It's delicious." Yu Chi Baolin had milk powder on his fingers, licked it, and said.

"Wei Chi, you are so vulgar, how can you lick it with your fingers?" The eldest grandson Chong said: "That's it! ”

As he spoke, he picked up the spoon, scooped out a spoonful of milk powder and brought it to his mouth.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem......" Eldest Sun Chong choked.

"You're not vulgar!" Yu Chi Baolin grinned.

"Alright, alright." Xia Hongsheng waved his hand and smiled: "Everyone, this is what I said about the new business with you, milk powder." ”

"Milk powder!" Cheng Chuliang said: "This is milk powder!" Some time ago, I heard Princess Qinghe talk about it, saying that the queen made her a cup, which was very delicious, but she couldn't find it outside. It turned out to be Brother Sheng'er's stuff! ”

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "This thing is milk powder, which is the powder in the dish in front of you." It is made from cow's milk and goat's milk. It is extremely nutritious and tastes very good. This thing can naturally be drunk by adults, as a drink, or for nutritional supplements. But the main thing is for young children. ”

"Toddlers?"

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "You were born in a noble family, I'm afraid you don't know what people to feed to the baby if they have a newborn and can't afford to hire a nurse." Come on, bring it up! ”

The curtain was lifted again, and the maids brought another plate, which was the four small bowls of the four things that the emperor and the eldest grandson empress had sung together in the palace that day.

"The first bowl was milk, which only the rich could buy. Although it is unpleasant, it is very nourishing, and the children raised with this thing are healthy and strong. But this thing is too difficult to buy, the price is still expensive, and it is difficult to drink, and it is easy to make babies sick. Xia Hongsheng said: "The second bowl is batter, which is less nutritious, but it can also support people, but it must be a family that can afford to eat noodles." The third bowl is persimmons, which are only available in winter, and they are not easy to digest and are easy to make the fetus sick. The fourth bowl is leaf pulp, which is mashed into pulp with vegetable leaves and leaves that make people who do not die, and fed to the fetus, so that it does not cry, as for whether it can be fed, it all depends on the will of God. Those who eat this also carry people. ”

"Whew!" As soon as Xia Hongsheng's words fell, he suddenly heard a voice, and when he turned his eyes, it was Yu Chi Baolin who was spitting out something in his mouth there: "This thing is eaten by people?!" ”

Everyone looked at the things in front of them, and Li Chengqian and the others all tasted them, and their brows were twisted.

"Milk powder, made from cow's and goat's milk, is very nutritious and especially nourishing. Drinking milk powder is like drinking milk, and the fetus will be very strong. It is easy to digest and has a great taste. Xia Hongsheng said: "The main purpose of this business is to benefit the infants and young children of Datang, and for the sake of the future seedlings of Datang." Therefore, I plan to divide the milk powder into three grades: high-end, mid-range and regular. Ordinary people, who have never thought about making money, just keep the cost down and reduce the price as much as possible, so that the vast majority of ordinary people can afford to drink. For those who are particularly poor, the imperial court will pay for the purchase of milk powder and provide assistance. At the same time, the imperial court will also subsidize every year to help us popularize milk powder. And the high-end and mid-range, can be a place to make money, package it up, and sell it to people who can afford it. I want to build a factory near the grassland, collect milk directly nearby, and produce it locally, so as to reduce costs. This business will be nationwide in the future, and there will be the support of the imperial court, so if you want to participate in it, you can discuss it in detail. ”