Fang Liu 'er came to Xingqing Palace the next day. She went to Wannian County to arrange the spring clothing exhibition yesterday and didn't make it back in time.
Other than Zhang Zhong, none of the officials invited by Li Longji had seen Fang Liu 'er before. Even Zhang Jiuling had only seen her portrait, which was drawn by that old butler of his who didn't do his job properly.
The current Fang Liu 'er couldn't find the weak and pitiful appearance she had when she was escaping. She had turned into a slender young lady. She wore a light yellow long dress with a slanted lapel, and half of her exposed calves were covered by a pair of light blue leather boots. Her hair was let down, and there was only a large butterfly clip at the top. Weiwei's curled eyelashes fluttered occasionally, giving off a serene and dignified feeling. However, there was a string of bells on her wrist, which jingled when she moved, adding a hint of liveliness to her appearance.
Two different styles appeared on the same person, giving a huge visual impact. All the officials, including Li Longji, were stunned.
"Sanshui Tuqiao Village's Zhang family's deacon, Fang Liu 'er, greets Your Majesty and all the lords. Greetings, Old Master. Spring is here, and the grass is green and the flowers are blooming. It's just right for me to wear a long dress. Please take a look, Your Majesty and all the lords."
Fang Liu 'er bowed to Li Longji and the other officials generously. The address of' Old Master 'was naturally for Zhang Zhong. After she finished speaking, she started walking in front of everyone. She would turn around or pose, showing the dress she was wearing to others.
"It's indeed very beautiful. I'll get someone to order a few sets later. Alright, Fang Liu 'er, you don't have to continue advertising. You're really dedicated. Even when you see me, you didn't forget to promote your spring clothing."
Li Longji watched for a while and suddenly realized that he wasn't looking for Fang Liu 'er to buy clothes. He had something important to discuss, so he quickly stopped Fang Liu' er from performing.
"Oh, okay. Your Majesty, you'll get a 20% discount." Fang Liu 'er stopped and stood there, not forgetting to give Li Longji a discount.
Yuan Qianyao took over the conversation and asked Fang Liu 'er, "Fang Liu' er, have you noticed that garlic has increased in price recently?"
Fang Liu 'er nodded. "Yes. Moreover, as soon as the price was raised, I had my men purchase a lot of garlic from other places and told Uncle Song about it. That's why the Between the Clouds and the Water and the Blue Sea Silversand Restaurant don't lack garlic. They'll be able to last until new garlic is harvested. Lu Zhou's Between the Clouds and Seas Restaurant won't be affected for now."
Yuan Qianyao's mouth twitched, not knowing what to say. Du Xian, who was standing at the side, stood up and asked, "Fang Liu 'er, since you already found out, why didn't you tell us? Did you only tell your master? Do you know how serious your crime is? "
"Ah? Why should I tell you? I'm a deacon of the Zhang family, not a deacon of the imperial court. I'll tell you now, children often have runny noses during spring. We've specially made clothes for this. There's a pocket in the front, and there's a tissue in the inside. When the adults see their children's runny noses, they'll be able to find a tissue to wipe it off. It'll be all the rage for a while.
Fang Liu 'er looked at Du Xian in confusion. She gestured with her hands and recommended a new product.
"Uh!" Du Xian was taken aback by the question. He thought to himself, 'My children don't need these clothes anymore. What's the use of telling me this?' Hence, he asked, "It's useless to tell me about this."
"Then, I'll tell you. Now that the spring river in Gyeonggi Province and the surrounding areas has thawed, there'll be plenty of fish. However, the price will still be high. This is because many people are sick of eating other kinds of meat during winter. It's a good opportunity to taste the freshness of fish. I reckon that within a month, the demand for fish will skyrocket. If you want to earn money, you should buy more fish as soon as possible and send your men to catch them."
Fang Liu 'er told Du Xian another thing.
After Du Xian heard this, he replied, "This has nothing to do with me."
"Alright then. Because the Yellow River has opened up, most of the consumables have been used up due to transportation difficulties in many places. We need to prepare some as soon as possible. When the first transport fleet sets off, we can send them over and make a lot of money."
Fang Liu 'er continued to give Du Xian ideas.
After the others, including Li Longji, heard this, their eyes lit up. It was indeed as Fang Liu 'er had said. If they really followed her suggestion, they would definitely be able to make a lot of money. There was no empty seat under her great reputation. The mastermind behind the number one person on the top list was indeed amazing. Just a random idea and there was hope for them to make money.
Du Xian was a little tempted. Suddenly, he realized that they were talking about garlic now. It had nothing to do with anything else. He immediately asked, "Then, what does it have to do with me? I'm asking you about garlic. "
Fang Liu 'er glanced at Du Xian. "You don't think it's okay to talk to you about this now. Back then, when the price of garlic increased, what could you do if I talked to you about garlic? You said that garlic had nothing to do with you. Anyway, you don't eat much garlic.
You're in charge of discussing important matters. You didn't mention it, so it has nothing to do with you. However, there are many things in the world that are unpredictable. It's hard for the master to understand, so the servant should think about it first. It's a responsibility. Clouds change constantly, water is formless. Only after the rain does the master know that the sky is cloudy.
It has nothing to do with what you said about opening up the river to transport goods. If I want to do it, I'll transfer the river boats of the Zhang Family and Wang Family. If they don't send out the goods, the price of goods up and down the Yellow River will definitely increase. Does it have anything to do with you? "
Fang Liu 'er's voice grew louder and louder. Du Xian kept retreating. His face was red from the scolding. Especially when Fang Liu' er mentioned transferring the river boats of the Zhang Family and Wang Family to hold the goods, he was shocked. If he really did that, the impact would be greater than the Wind Logistics.
Yu Wenrong saw that Du Xian was at a loss for words. He coughed and said, "Miss Fang is indeed extraordinary. The Zhang Family and Wang Family do put the people's livelihood first. Otherwise, the Tang Empire will definitely be in chaos. I've heard that Miss Fang is smart and knowledgeable in astronomy and geography when she was young. You were even valued and nurtured by the Zhang Family and Wang Family. Now that I've met you, you live up to your reputation.
Official Du is also anxious and has offended you with his words. Please don't blame him. However, now that the price of garlic is increasing, I'm afraid that His Majesty will not stop it. Later on, other things will continue to increase in price. I've called Miss Fang here to ask about a plan. Miss Fang, do you have any ideas? "
Du Xian looked at Yu Wenrong gratefully and secretly wiped the sweat on his forehead. He just remembered that Fang Liu 'er was not an ordinary girl. She was chosen by the Zhang Family and Wang Family since she was young and carefully taught. She was no less knowledgeable than him. It was said that she had a photographic memory and was good at calculation. If no one else spoke up for him, he would probably have to apologize to His Majesty after she finished speaking.
Zhang Zhong smiled faintly at the side. He was very satisfied with Fang Liu 'er and thought to himself, "That's right. Let them think that they can do whatever they want just because they're officials. How dare they threaten the Zhang Family. Humph, how can the deacons of the Zhang Family be so simple?"
After thinking about it, Zhang Zhong said to Fang Liu 'er, "Liu' er, since His Majesty asked you to come here and ask about it, tell us if you have any ideas. We can't let the people who hurt our people be proud."
Fang Liu 'er respected Zhang Zhong more than Li Longji. Without the Zhang Family and Wang Family, she wouldn't be where she was now. Even if she didn't starve to death, she wouldn't be able to live the life she had now. When she heard Zhang Zhong's words, she bowed respectfully and said,
"I know that it's Wind Logistics who did this. They used the logistics as a starting point and didn't sell the goods. They also set up a three-month payment cycle. I've seen the copy of the contract. It says three times the payment, but it doesn't say that they have to pay three times the amount.
In less than three months, the new garlic will come out. If the price of the garlic is high, they will sell the goods in advance and then buy cheap new garlic to compensate others. If the price of the garlic is still high, they will use money to compensate. I think that in the end, the price of the garlic will be too high and they will lose money. In this way, they can gain a lot of benefits from this.
No matter what I do, they will definitely profit from this. Unless the merchants who see the 'benefits' will stop gathering money to buy the garlic, the people will definitely suffer. "
"Can't we stop them?" Gao Lishi asked with a frown.
Fang Liu 'er didn't say anything for a moment. She lowered her head and thought about it. The others looked at her, hoping that she could come up with a good idea. This was the first time they encountered such a situation. Moreover, it was a situation where they wanted to suppress it. If they didn't suppress it, they wouldn't have to worry about it. However, everyone was gradually becoming more and more concerned about the economy. If they didn't suppress it, they would definitely be letting the people down.
After a while, Fang Liu 'er raised her head and said helplessly, "I can only ask them to stabilize the price at the current level. When the new garlic comes out, they will still be able to make money. As for making them lose money, I can't do it."
When the officials heard this, they all looked regretful. What they wanted to see the most was Wind Logistics losing money from this incident. They wanted to see if they still dared to casually make a move. However, even the person who ranked first couldn't think of a way, let alone them.
Li Longji glanced at Gao Lishi. Gao Lishi said, "What's the plan?"
"Order the Tang Bank to lower the collateral fee of the goods as much as possible and not to lend to Wind Logistics. Also, order the Military Arms Control Department to not collect sulfur in the near future. I investigated when the garlic price was rising. Their deposit was exchanged with silver and sulfur shipped from Japan. Now, they are still holding a lot of goods.
As long as the deposit is not enough, other merchants who want to get benefits from it won't dare to let them continue to ship the goods. They will be forced to sell the garlic slowly now and wait for the new garlic to come out before buying the new garlic to compensate. The profit will be slightly lower. "
Fang Liu 'er wanted to mobilize the two main departments as soon as she opened her mouth. This was the plan she thought of.
Yu Wenrong thought for a moment and asked, "Then what if they use the garlic, silver, and sulfur themselves to engage in usury in private?"
"If the bank changes the collateral ratio, the private lenders will do their best to lower the price. They won't dare to accept sulfur, but who would dare to give garlic a high collateral price? We can spread the news and let other merchants know that Wind Logistics doesn't have enough funds. "
Fang Liu 'er replied.
"Then what if they would rather lower the price and engage in usury, then go and collect the garlic themselves to raise the price?" Yu Wenrong asked again.
Fang Liu 'er smiled this time. "If they dare to collect the garlic themselves, I will make them suffer losses. Once they directly participate in this business, I have many ways to deal with them. I'm just afraid that they won't interfere."
The officials were slightly relieved. They felt that it was good to control the price of the garlic to the current level. When the new garlic came out, the price would naturally fall. As for how the other party would lose money if they directly bought the garlic, there was no need to worry. They thought that Fang Liu 'er had the ability to do what she said.
Only Li Longji wasn't happy. He didn't want the current price to be stable, but he wanted Wind Logistics to suffer losses so that they wouldn't dare to make a move again.
Thus, he asked Fang Liu 'er hopefully, "Is there really no way to make them lose money?"
Fang Liu 'er shook her head regretfully. "Your Majesty, I can't think of a good idea at the moment. However, if I tell the Young Master and he takes action, there definitely won't be a problem."
"Sigh ~! Looks like I have to send a message to Xiao Bao. Hopefully, he's not so busy and has time to deal with this matter. "Li Longji sighed and looked at Gao Lishi.
Gao Lishi nodded and was about to send a telegram.
At this moment, the little eunuch Luo Bin rushed in and reported to Li Longji, "Your Majesty, the chefs from Savant's Restaurant suddenly came. They're just outside the palace, saying that they want to cook for Your Majesty. The one leading them is Master Ni, the head chef of the flagship restaurant Between the Clouds and the Water in Tuqiao Village, Sanshui County."
Li Longji looked up at the sky. It's still early to noon. Why are they here to cook at this time? He looked at Zhang Zhong.
Zhang Zhong was confused. He also didn't know why the chefs from Savant's Restaurant were here. If Master Ni wasn't in Savant's Restaurant, then when did he come back?
Seeing Zhang Zhong's eyes, Li Longji knew that he didn't know either. He asked, "Who sent them here?"
"They said that it was Zhang Jiedushi. They said that he could solve Your Majesty's problems," Luo Bin replied.
"Xiao Bao sent them? Solve my problems? I'm thinking of how to deal with Wind Logistics now. Do you think you'll know the solution after eating? Go, bring them to the imperial kitchen. "
Li Longji didn't know what Zhang Xiaobao was up to, but he still agreed.
"Your Majesty, they said that they want to cook in front of you at Xingqing Palace," Luo Bin said.
"Then bring them to Xingqing Palace. Did they bring tools and ingredients?" Li Longji agreed according to Zhang Xiaobao's wishes.
"No, they said to ask the imperial kitchen to do it. I'll go arrange it now." Luo Bin didn't need the emperor to tell him to go to the imperial kitchen. He came in a hurry and left in a hurry.
They waited for about half an hour. During this time, Li Longji had been talking to Fang Liu 'er. He asked her what he needed to pay attention to since it was the beginning of spring, what kind of goods had the biggest price fluctuation, whether it needed to be suppressed, how the preparations for the clothing exhibition were going, what was strange about making clothes for children, and so on.
Fang Liu 'er answered him fluently and emphasized that the most likely problem was in the logistics. She told the emperor not to worry. Zhang Family and Wang Family would make corresponding adjustments to the daily necessities. As long as others didn't specifically target a certain item to create hype, then according to the law, the price fluctuation would naturally remain within a certain range without the need for Zhang Family and Wang Family to do anything.
Even if someone did something, they didn't need to do anything about the daily necessities, such as canned food and drinks. Of course, condiments like garlic were an exception. Although it wasn't a necessity, many people liked it. As for the price rise of meat, they didn't need to do anything about it. They could still eat other things.
As Li Longji and the other officials listened, they realized that there were still many dangerous aspects in Tang. It seemed stable, but in fact, it was constantly changing. It was just that the extent of the changes was within an acceptable range. The only way to control it was to go with the flow and adjust it from the side.
Li Longji sighed in his heart. 'In this era of technology explosion, the country is at its most unstable period. If it weren't for the Zhang Family and Wang Family controlling the price of daily necessities like salt, tea, oil, cloth, rice, flour, medicine, and so on, there would definitely be merchants taking advantage of the situation to gain a lot of benefits.
At that time, the members of the imperial clan and the various clans would also reach out and try to stop the situation when they noticed that something was wrong. However, they wouldn't even be able to kill all of them, and the throne might not be as stable as it is now.
From the looks of it, I can only wait for more people to understand technology, for more children to become more knowledgeable and not so easily deceived. After this period of explosion and stabilizing, I won't need the Zhang Family and Wang Family to worry about controlling the situation.
If it weren't for the garlic incident, I wouldn't have thought so much about it. At such a crucial time in Tang, the Zhang Family and Wang Family are actually doing so silently. Perhaps this is the true meaning of boundless love. No, boundless love. They are only loyal to Tang. '
While Li Longji was thinking about this matter, the others were also thinking about their own matters. It wasn't until Master Ni led the team of cooks to Xingqing Palace that the crowd became lively again.
All kinds of cooking tools and ingredients were delivered at the same time. Master Ni and the others had clearly changed their clothes and were probably taking a bath. One was to be clean, and the other was to be afraid that someone would carry poison with them.
The officials also understood that the other party didn't bring anything with them because they were afraid that it would be troublesome to check.
At this time, Zhang Zhong stepped forward and nodded to the cooks in his family. He didn't stand back, and it seemed that he planned to taste each dish first after it was done. There was no need to check for poison since his cooks couldn't poison him.
Master Ni didn't say much. After bowing, he began to organize the people. Those who were in charge of the knife were in charge of changing the knives, those who were in charge of preparing the dishes, and those who were in charge of cooking stood in front of the stove to wash and pick the vegetables. Those who were good with knives took out a set of knives and prepared to carve.
Li Longji was looking forward to the taste of the dishes specially sent by Zhang Xiaobao. The eyes of the other officials also lit up. They knew that the cooks in front of them represented the top culinary skills of the chefs Between the Clouds and the Water.
Usually, even if they went to Between the Clouds and the Water or Blue Sea Silver Sand, they wouldn't be able to eat. Now that they didn't need to eat, they felt honored just by looking at the lineup.
The team led by Master Ni naturally wouldn't let the Emperor wait for half an hour before the dishes were served. Not to mention the Emperor, even Between the Clouds and the Water or Blue Sea Silver Sand wouldn't let the guests wait for half an hour. The rule was that if the dishes weren't served in half an hour, the next dish would be served free of charge. If the dishes were still not served after the other people finished eating, they would have to deduct a little more from the price of the dishes. Only in this way could the difference between the dishes Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand be reflected.
Therefore, the dishes were served faster for the Emperor. As soon as the oil was poured into the pot, two plates were served.
Ginger Ice Prawns. Other than the simple shredded ginger, there was only ice prawns. There was no vinegar, soy sauce, or any other nonsense.
Because the ingredients were all taken from the imperial kitchen, this dish didn't have any special taste. The ice prawns were still ice prawns, and the ginger was still ginger. Li Longji didn't eat it. If he wanted to eat this kind of dish, he could eat it at any time.
The second cold dish was clams mixed with scallions. Only a little oyster sauce was sprinkled on top. The third cold dish was cucumber peeled with scallions and sesame sauce. The fourth cold dish was shredded chicken with ginger sauce. Only the shredded ginger was stir-fried with a few other seasonings. The chicken was originally prepared.
After the four cold dishes were served, the first hot dish was served. Sliced chicken with scallions, bean sprouts, chicken, and a few other supplementary ingredients were served.
Only then did Li Longji pick up his chopsticks. Without waiting for Zhang Zhong to taste first, he directly picked up his chopsticks and ate. As soon as the dish entered his mouth, Weiwei nodded, "Not bad. When the earthy taste of the bean sprouts and the light taste of the chicken are mixed together, it actually became fresh. Adding the scallion oil, it's very appetizing. Everyone, try it."
When the officials saw the emperor directly eat a mouthful, they couldn't help but glance at Zhang Zhong. The meaning behind their gazes was self-evident. How big of a face did the emperor have to have him eat directly without letting anyone test for poison? Although it was impossible for the chefs to carry poison with them, it was still possible to make poison out of things that counteracted each other.
Who didn't know that when someone wanted to send a dish to the emperor, the hot dish would become cold when it entered the emperor's mouth? It seemed that other than Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan personally coming to cook, there had never been a time when the emperor immediately picked up his chopsticks. Now, Zhang Zhong was the second person to do so.
Zhang Zhong was also very excited. He was the second person to pick up a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. He didn't care whether it was delicious or not, he swallowed it as fast as he could.
The others also came to taste one by one. Fortunately, there weren't many people invited by Li Longji, so there was enough for each person to take a bite.
When the first plate of sliced chicken in scallion oil was finished, the second dish, braised mackerel with scallion and ginger, was also served. Following that, the third dish, shredded pork with sweet noodle sauce, was also immediately served. It was actually shredded pork with sweet noodle sauce, but it wasn't called that yet.
From then on, one dish after another was served. Some dishes that took a long time were also prepared and would be served in a while. When it was time to eat the tenth dish, a box filled with a mixture of scallion, beef, and pork was also served as the main dish in front of Li Longji.
Li Longji only tasted two mouthfuls of each dish and didn't eat more. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to eat the next dish if he was full. After eating two boxes and drinking some wine, when the stir-fried pork ribs with scallion oil were served, Li Longji and the other officials finally discovered the problem.
In all of the dishes, whether it was the main ingredient or the supplementary ingredients, there was no garlic. There were scallions, ginger, cloves, and even flowers and spices, but there wasn't a single bit of garlic. However, the taste wasn't affected at all. On the contrary, it made people feel that garlic shouldn't be added, otherwise, the taste would become worse.
When the last dish of stir-fried crab meat with ginger was served, Master Ni bowed to Li Longji and said, "Your Majesty, the young master sent a telegram asking us to cook for Your Majesty. He also said that these dishes won't be a secret dish Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand. I reckon that they've already been sent by telegram to various places in Great Tang and sent to various restaurants.
In addition, the north is warm and cold in spring. Deyi Medical College has already developed tonics that will be sent to various places in the north. However, I heard that the tonics can't be eaten with garlic. Your Majesty must remember when eating them. "
"Oh, oh, okay, not eating garlic. Good, not eating garlic." Li Longji's eyebrows rose as he repeatedly agreed. If he still didn't know Zhang Xiaobao's method at this time, then he would really be a fool.
"Good method. As long as people don't eat garlic and like to eat other things, the price of garlic won't rise. Especially when these dishes are taught by Between the Clouds and the Water and Blue Sea Silver Sand, they will definitely become popular. What a good method to take the firewood from under the cauldron. Xiao Bao's strategy is indeed extraordinary."
Zhang Jiuling immediately felt that the dishes he just ate were incomparably delicious and praised.
Yu Wenrong also nodded. "Not bad. Once the Wind Logistics is used, there's no other way. Unless they also have a brand like Between the Clouds and the Water and Deyi Medical College."
"One move, is it just one move?" Li Longji suspiciously asked. He understood Zhang Xiaobao very well. He didn't just lose in one confrontation. As someone who was familiar with Zhang Xiaobao's way of doing things, he didn't think that Zhang Xiaobao only thought of this method.
Gao Lishi interrupted, "Your Majesty, this subject thinks that this subject's son, oh, this subject's adopted son won't be so simple. Xiao Bao's strategy has always been stacked. This time, the Wind Logistics is in trouble. I just don't know how Xiao Bao found out about this matter. Xiao Bao seems to have accompanied Mo Jianchang to San Shui County. "
Gao Lishi had already treated Zhang Xiaobao as his own son and habitually spoke. When he found that the other person's father was still standing at the side, he could only change his words. However, he was also happy. An adopted son was also a son. In the future, when he died, he would also have to send him off.
Zhang Zhong was faintly jealous in his heart. His good son had to be recognized as an adopted son by others. He always felt that it was a loss. That was the son of a god. This Gao Lishi was not afraid of shortening his life.
He said a little angrily, "Since Xiao Bao has a plan, why didn't he tell me, his father, earlier. He should have told the Emperor earlier. It's too unreasonable."
Others didn't answer him. Don't look at how he said it. He was Zhang Xiaobao's father. If others followed him, it would be easy for Zhang Xiaobao to know about it.
At this time, Master Ni explained, "Please forgive me, Master. Last night, the little gongzi sent the news. We have been busy thinking about how to arrange the dishes, so we didn't have time to tell you. I also rushed back from Wannian County overnight. The little gongzi should have another plan to tell others and is in the process of implementing it.
As for how the little gongzi knew about the garlic, the news has already said that when the little gongzi arrived at Sanshui County, he casually asked the county magistrate and found that the price of garlic had increased. He felt that something was wrong, so he asked people to investigate overnight and made a plan with the fastest speed. It's all my fault. It has nothing to do with the little gongzi. "
"You are loyal. Isn't it because your family was too honest and was bullied? Then Xiao Bao found you to be the head chef and helped you solve the problem. He said to you, 'You can't do this kind of calculation, and I can't cook. Whether the success of Between the Clouds and the Water will be successful depends on you.' You even know how to cover for him. "
Zhang Zhong said another sentence to Master Ni, but his words were full of praise. Naturally, he didn't know that his son was learning from the story of how the man surnamed Jiang bought people's hearts when he was defending the front line of the Yangtze River.
When Master Ni heard his master mention this matter, his eyes immediately turned red. He lowered his head and said to Zhang Zhong, "Master, please don't worry. As long as I'm here, the dishes of Zhang Zhong and Wang Family's restaurants will definitely be unique in Tang."
"Okay, okay, you two master and servant don't talk about your daily life. Xiao Bao is really not ordinary. He can find the problem by just asking about the situation of Sanshui County. I just don't know what other plans he has. We'll wait and see."
Li Longji stopped Zhang Zhong and Master Ni from continuing to talk. Then, he said to Master Ni and the others, "Good, the dishes are good. They are even better than my imperial chef. Shi, Lishi, go and find out what Xiao Bao's next plan is. I want to know."
After Master Ni left, Gao Lishi was also busy finding out things. He didn't need to ask others and directly sent a telegram to Zhang Xiaobao.
Fang Liu 'er didn't leave after she was full. She blinked her eyes and thought hard about what should be after this plan of taking drastic measures. If she could figure it out, she would go further.
*****
On the day Li Longji tasted the dishes made by Master Ni, all the restaurants and restaurants in the Tang Empire that could receive the telegram knew about the new dish. Because it was Between the Clouds and the Water, it received a lot of attention.
Especially in the areas that were affected by the increase in the price of garlic, they found that all the dishes didn't need garlic. Apart from saving some money on garlic, the smart people faintly felt that the increase in the price of garlic was resisted by Between the Clouds and the Water and Bihai Yinsha.
This was not a small matter. Between the Clouds and the Water was supported by the Zhang Family and Wang Family of Sanshui County, the provincial governor and deputy provincial governor of Bohai County, and the minister of the Ministry of Works. If they took action, didn't it mean that the current emperor also acquiesced in this matter?
Therefore, these smart people immediately started to follow the steps of Between the Clouds and the Water. The dishes made at noon that day made them happy again. Many people who came to eat said that the new dish was good after tasting it. One was novel, and the other was not bad. Who said that one had to use garlic to cook?
Fengqiao Zhenger and Yamamoto Yuji also tasted the new dish at noon on the fifth floor of Between the Clouds and the Water Restaurant. When the waiter specially introduced that the new dish didn't need garlic, Fengqiao Zhenger was stunned, and Yamamoto Yuji was dumbfounded.
"It's over. I said that this won't work. It's only been a few days, and Zhang Xiaobao already knows. Fengqiao, hurry up and sell the garlic. If you sell it now, when the new garlic is sold, you can buy it to compensate others. We can earn less."
Yamamoto was in a daze for a while, and then he advised Fengqiao Zhenger, who was still stunned, with a pale face.
Yamamoto Yuji's expression was not good either. It was not the first time that he and Yamamoto had fought with Zhang Xiaobao, but every time they fought, they would suffer losses. There was also the people of Xinluo. Just look at the Chamber of Commerce that was trapped in Changning. As long as they encountered Zhang Xiaobao, they would not have a good time.
Fengqiao Zhenger was stunned for a while, and then he looked at Yamamoto Yuji and asked, "Zhang Xiaobao is so free to care about the price of garlic? Was he targeting merchants specifically? As long as a businessman finds something that can make money, he will definitely stop it? "
"No, definitely not." Yamamoto shook his head.
"He doesn't care about normal business matters, but he is against any business that has a deceptive nature, especially those that affect people's lives. As for other aspects, he doesn't care. It's up to whoever can make money. But … as long as someone wants to make salt, grain, silk, medicine, oil, and other things, he will definitely persuade them. If he can't persuade them, he will immediately use thunderous means."
"Then he didn't persuade us." Fengqiao Zhenger argued.
"Because we are not from the Tang Empire. What he hates the most is people from other countries around the Tang Empire coming to find trouble with them. It is said that he has endless things to do all day long, and he is unwilling to waste his energy on this aspect. So, once he encounters someone, he will very firmly let them know what can be done and what cannot be done.
Oh, I heard that he has a special training class that he will teach personally. Even if they can't meet, they will communicate through letters. Those people should still be learning, and when they learn his skills, he will let them go. Yamamoto Yuji and I also signed up and spent a lot of money to sign up.
In the end, we found out that Zhang Xiaobao will only teach people who are loyal to the Tang Empire. Before he started teaching, there was a test. Yamamoto Yuji and I didn't expect that it was arranged by him, so we were eliminated. "
Yamamoto Yuji said to Fengqiao. He was very angry when he thought of what had happened in the past.
"What test?" Fengqiao Zhenger was puzzled. Yamamoto had never told him this before.
"It's a test of loyalty. Some people will be found by others and arranged for their families to be sent to other places. They will also give them many benefits. After they finish learning, they will secretly write down the knowledge that isn't very important to them. In the end, all those who agree to it will be eliminated."
Yamamoto Yuji explained one of the tests, and Yamamoto Yuji continued, "There is also a case where a person sent by a certain prince will be given a high position, but that person will have to help the prince do three things. The prince will guarantee the safety of the person and his family, but those who agree to it will still be eliminated.
There is also a case where the person who wants to learn is told to write down what he has learned. If he doesn't do it, he and his family will be harmed. Those who are afraid are eliminated again. In the end, they regret it when they find out that the family of those who want to learn is protected by the 10,000 Cavalry Battalion. There is no need to worry about them. "
Fengqiao Zhenger understood and asked Yamamoto Yuji, "What about you guys? How were you eliminated? "
"Us?" Yamamoto Yuji and Yamamoto Yuji looked at each other and sighed. "Sigh, we were found by the people of Xinluo. They said that they are also learning. Maybe everyone is learning something different. When the time comes, we will share it with each other and learn from each other. Yamamoto Yuji and I thought it was right. When the time comes, we will try our best not to share the good knowledge with the people of Xinluo.
"Oh!" Fengqiao Zhenger understood and suddenly asked with interest, "Then help me think of a way. I will definitely pass the test if I learn it."
"It's too late. It's only one world. I don't know when the next world will be. It's better to think about the current situation. It's probably not easy to sell garlic anymore."
Yamamoto was worried again.
Fengqiao Zhenger also returned to reality. He lowered his head and looked at the dishes on the table. He tried to think of a way. He didn't believe that he would lose so quickly and so easily. A few dishes Between the Clouds and the Water had ruined his plan. There must be another way.
Yamamoto Yuji and Yamamoto Yuji also wanted to help, but when they considered that their opponent was Zhang Xiaobao, they were confused. In their hearts, Zhang Xiaobao was invincible. If they didn't want to be fooled, the best way was to not interact with him. Otherwise, it would definitely not end well.
Now that they didn't want to interact with him, but he still came looking for them. As long as more people recognized other seasonings, garlic would not be able to sell at a high price.
Fengqiao Zhenger was like a newborn calf. He was full of fighting spirit. He was unwilling to admit defeat. After thinking for a quarter of an hour, he smiled and asked Yamamoto Yuji confidently, "Do you think garlic is really bad?"
"Of course not. Garlic is still delicious when eaten together with meat. But it's useless for us to understand. Nowadays, many restaurants don't cook dishes with garlic. It's useless for people to be picky. I know this. The power of trends in economics is also the role of brands. Zhang Xiaobao has Between the Clouds and the Water. That's enough."
Yamamoto shook his head, but he still couldn't think of a way. Yamamoto Yuji was worried. "Fengqiao, don't you understand? Zhang Xiaobao doesn't want to use administrative means to deal with us. Otherwise, we will be doomed. For example, he will order the Tang Bank to not give us any loans. For example, he will ask the government to strictly investigate and hoard.
Hurry up and let go. Otherwise, it will be too late. You don't understand Zhang Xiaobao. He is using food to suppress us. Soon, he will use other methods. Really, I'm not lying to you. "
Just as they were talking, the waiter knocked on the door and came in. "Sirs, our shop is taking advantage of the beginning of spring to launch a very cheap nourishing medicinal diet. We choose ordinary looking medicinal herbs and combine them with special craftsmanship. The medicinal diet will strengthen the body and strengthen the body. Please try it, but remember not to eat it together with garlic."
After the waiter finished speaking, he left the medicinal cuisine. Yamamoto pointed at the medicinal cuisine and said to Fengqiao Zhenger, "Fengqiao, did you see that? Zhang Xiaobao's second hand is out. I estimate that it won't be long before these dishes and medicinal cuisines reach ordinary people's homes. The waiter just said that the herbs are easy to find, which means that it's not expensive. "
Fengqiao Zhenger's expression became serious. He felt that he had finally met his opponent, and that was Zhang Xiaobao. As for whether Zhang Xiaobao treated him as an opponent, he didn't think about it.
He picked up his chopsticks and tasted the medicinal cuisine. He didn't know if it was because it tasted good, or if it was really good, or if it was just his imagination, but in any case, he approved of it.
After swallowing the food and putting down his chopsticks, Fengqiao Zhenger said to Yamamoto and Yamamoto, "It's impossible for Tang not to eat garlic forever. Even if it's a few months, it's impossible. The current situation is fake. Zhang Xiaobao is deliberately using this to force us to sell the garlic ahead of time.
But I definitely can't sell it. If I sell it, I will lose money. Don't just think about the three times compensation and the current price of the garlic. When we pawned the goods, the price was not the real price. Whether it was the Great Tang Bank or private loans, our silver and sulfur can only get two-thirds of the money.
In addition to the money we spent on hiring people and … public relations, if we sell it now, for every kilogram of garlic sold, we will lose two taels of garlic. We are here to make money, not lose money. "
Yamamoto nodded vigorously to show that he understood. "Fengqiao, I understand. But if we don't sell it now, we will lose more than two taels of garlic."
"Then don't sell it. Continue to find people to pawn the silver and sulfur. Also, collect the garlic and give them five times the compensation. But the compensation period will be half a year. Show those merchants our silver and sulfur and tell them that within three months, a large amount of silver will be shipped from Japan."
Fengqiao Zhenger said confidently, as if he already had the victory in his hands.
"But no silver will be delivered in three months," Yamamoto said.
"They don't know. Even if it doesn't work, we have to bribe the relevant people and make them believe us. Go, do it. Trust me, we won't lose."
Fengqiao Zhenger looked at Yamamoto and Yamamoto seriously with a firm gaze.
If it was in the past, his gaze and belief would have been useful, but not now. Yamamoto smacked his lips and shook his head. "Okay, I'll listen to you. But this time, it's Zhang Xiaobao. I won't count on him."
The three of them didn't enjoy the meal at all, even though the chef at Between the Clouds and the Water was very good.
As soon as the three of them left the restaurant, they split up. Fengqiao Zhenger went to deal with the matter of increasing the compensation by five times, Yamamoto arranged the transportation of the goods, and Yamamoto was in charge of the public relations. They wanted to get more money to operate.
Fengqiao Zhenger's work went very smoothly. As soon as he said that the compensation would be increased by five times, many merchants began to buy the garlic and gradually increased the purchase price. Yamamoto didn't have much to do. He just had to hide the garlic and find a dry place that didn't lack water.
The mountain temple was not easy to deal with. He had just eaten and had to find people to eat and drink. He also had to bribe people with money. Even so, the people did not relent. This was because the people who had lent him money had found out that Zhang Xiaobao had made a move.
In their hearts, Zhang Xiaobao was a god-like existence. Who would dare to give money to the wind when he was involved?
Even Zhang Xiaobao didn't consider this. He only needed to use his reputation to crush Fengqiao Zhenger. His plan was still in progress.
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