"Grandpa, aren't you joking? How can we destroy people and a country? The old man asked.

"How can a merchant not destroy the country?" Xia Hongsheng said with a smile: "The destruction of the country by businessmen has been done in ancient times. At that time, the Duke of Qi Huan worshiped Guan Zhong as the prime minister, and the State of Qi became the overlord, leaving only the State of Chu not to listen to the order, and several generals asked the Duke of Qi Huan to fight, asking to take command to attack the State of Chu, but was opposed by Guan Zhong, Guan Zhong thought that the military conquest was a waste of money and labor, so it was better to find another way and defeat the State of Chu with merchants. ”

"Defeat the state of Chu with merchants?" Everyone looked at each other: "Didn't you drive the merchants to attack the Chu State?" ”

Xia Hongsheng shook his head and continued: "Guan Zhong sent merchants to the Chu State to threaten everywhere: Qi Huan is a good deer, and he will not hesitate to buy it. For the Chu State, the deer is a relatively common animal, the Chu State is rich in deer, people use the deer as a meat animal, and two copper coins can buy one. The merchants of Qi then began to collect deer, at first three copper coins at one end, and later increased the price to five copper coins at one end. A month later, the price of the deer rose to 40 copper coins per head, which could be exchanged for 1,000 catties of grain at that time. ”

"The high profits made the whole Chu country crazy, and the peasants stopped farming and became hunters; The soldiers stopped training and secretly went up the mountain with bows and arrows on their backs. As the days go by, there are fewer and fewer deer, and the price becomes more and more expensive, because the deer are getting more and more expensive, so they give up their main business and turn to find deer to sell, and more and more people fall into a vicious circle. A year later, copper coins were piled up in Chu, but the fields were barren and food was cut off. At this time, Guan Zhong suddenly banned trading with the Chu State, the people of the Chu State held a lot of copper coins, but could not buy food, the whole country was famine, people fled in all directions, and the Chu soldiers were thin and completely incapacitated. Chu was in trouble with internal and external relations, so he had to ask for peace with Qi and express his submission. In this way, Guan Zhong defeated the state of Chu with merchants. Xia Hongsheng said to the people below: "There is more than one such thing, and there is also the strategy of Hengshan, which is also through the operation of commerce, without using swords, and defeating the country." ”

"What does Grandpa mean is that through commercial operations, he will destroy the countries of the Western Regions without a single soldier?" The old man asked.

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "Yes, it is with your help that through the operation of commerce, we will destroy the commerce of the countries in the Western Regions, provoke civil uprisings, disrupt their national politics, and destroy their countries." ”

Everyone was already subdued by Xia Hongsheng, and when they heard Xia Hongsheng's words, their hearts were suddenly excited. When I thought that I could wait for these businessmen to give Datang the credit of expanding its territory and opening up its territory, what a glorious thing it should be!

"Ladies and gentlemen, Datang attaches the most importance to military merits, and among the military merits, it is also the most important to open up the territory and expand the territory." Xia Hongsheng persuaded again: "The so-called military strategy, if you can help the imperial court to destroy the countries of the Western Regions without spending a single soldier, what a feat, what a glory, what a feat?!" That's called a Gongzong Yaozu! In the future, who can say that we businessmen are useless in the country? Who can say that we businessmen will only exploit money and seek profits? Who dares to look down on us businessmen?! ”

Everyone was excited by Xia Hongsheng's words, and they were even more excited, their eyes were shining, but they heard Xia Hongsheng say again: "At that time, Your Majesty will see the power of our businessmen uniting, and the courtiers will see the role played by our businessmen. When the time comes, Your Majesty will greatly prosper in business, and you will benefit so much! - Of course, I won't teach you to lose too much, after all, we operate for business, but we won't let you put yourself in it. ”

As soon as these words came out, the businessmen were even more excited.

"Not bad! If we can expand the territory for the imperial court, who would dare to look down on us?! Immediately, someone shouted from below, "How are we going to operate?" But according to the orders of the grandfather! ”

"That's it, but according to Grandpa's orders!"

Merchants have a low status, and this has been the case since ancient times. Although Xia Hongsheng strongly advocated commercial development and improved the status of businessmen, the general environment was still there. The only business limit is Jingyang. When the merchants had made enough money in their hands, they would begin to try their best to improve their status, and they would not hesitate to invest a lot of money to make friends with the courtiers and nobles. At this moment, I actually heard Xia Hongsheng say that they could make a contribution to expanding their territory! If they can make a contribution to expanding the territory, then who can say that they look down on them?!

Once such a contribution is made, not only will no one dare to look down on them anymore, but also let those scholars and doctors who clamore for the lowliness of businessmen all day long see that we are not inferior to them! What scholar dares to look down on the merit of expanding the territory?

Moreover, the merchants united to exert such great power, so that the imperial court saw the benefits, and naturally commerce flourished. The imperial court will prosper in commerce, and there will naturally be countless benefits and opportunities. This point can be seen by looking at the businessmen in Jingyang.

All these emotions and thoughts were intertwined, and they instantly ignited these merchants.

"What you have to do is very simple, just a united front, when I ask you to raise the price, you will notify the industries under your guild to increase the price together, and when I ask you to reduce the price, you will notify the industries under your guild to reduce the price together. I let you run out of stock, you can't shoot even a star's face foam, I let you sell the goods, and you don't want to keep even a little grain of rice. Xia Hongsheng said: "As for the rest, leave it to me to operate." I wonder if you can trust me? ”

After that, he said: "Of course, these are only limited to the countries of the Western Regions. For the rest, I'm not going to meddle with it. In addition, because the passage of the Western Regions countries is blocked, I can also provide you with other conveniences. I wonder if you've ever heard of the name of Yiren Firm? ”

"Yiren is the largest maritime merchant in Quanzhou, isn't it also ......," the next head of the meeting asked.

Xia Hongsheng nodded: "You will definitely have some losses in the Western Regions, in order to compensate you, but all the businesses under your guild will rent a sea ship to go to sea, and the cost will be halved!" ”

"Halving?!" Everyone below was stunned again: "Grandpa is benevolent and righteous!" Please also ask my grandfather to instruct, I will do it! ”

"Okay, as the saying goes, the people take food as the sky, let's start with this grain first! Let me ask, how much does it cost to sell for a stone millet in the Western Regions at the moment? Xia Hongsheng asked.

"The Western Regions mostly barter, if it is a sheep, one stone of corn can be exchanged for a dozen sheep." The next man stood up and replied.

"It's not too expensive." Xia Hongsheng nodded and said, "After a month, if you want to exchange for one stone of corn, ten or so sheep will not be enough, at least twenty sheep." I wonder if you might be able to do it? ”

"The villain should be the general order to carry out the business." The man bowed and replied.

"Good! Joyfully! Xia Hongsheng slapped the table: "After two months, there must be thirty sheep, after May, there must be thirty sheep, and after one year, there must be sixty sheep!" In addition, all trade is no longer exchanged for cattle, sheep, horses, and other things, and such living creatures are not allowed. Either let them fold these living creatures into copper coins, or fold them into silk silk. You only need to do so, and the rest of us will run our own business. This time, let's let us businessmen make a monstrous achievement together! ”