The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Not only brown sugar and sugar cane, Yan Chengjin asked Wang Busui to buy all the honey and sugar cane in the capital.

Monopoly first, then launch new ones.

It will take some time for the sugar to be shipped from other places.

Yan Chengjin ordered people to put white sugar into large earthen jars.

When Wang Busui saw these candies, his eyes flashed, "Master, I can guarantee you that even Your Majesty has never seen such white and fine candies!"

Most of the sugar used in the capital is brown sugar, which is not only dregs but also has a faint odor.

Even so, ordinary people cannot afford it.

The white sugar is shiny and looks ten times better than refined salt. The most important thing is that it has no smell.

Wang Busui had never seen such good candy before and thought it was just big grains of salt.

"Master, how much silver do you want to sell it for?"

The Liangxiang Chamber of Commerce is short of money. It needs to pay wages in the workshop, pay taxes, and purchase raw silk and other materials.

Sixty thousand taels of silver bought 30,000 pieces of raw silk and it was gone.

After three days,

The brown sugar in Beijing is sold out.

Restaurants and inns used up their reserves of sugar, only to find that there was no more sugar to buy.

The gentry were cursing each other, who even bought all the candies? So damn generous!

Shouning Houfu,

Zhang Heling was drinking corn porridge and felt something was wrong as soon as he took it into his mouth: "Bah! Why isn't it sweet?"

Polenta with a little brown sugar has become a meal enjoyed by wealthy families.

The housekeeper said with a sad face: "Sir, all the candy in the capital has been sold out, and we can't even buy candies.

Those selling candied haws on a stick have not left their stalls for several days and cannot buy candies. "

Candied haws, is to soak hawthorn in boiled brown sugar.

Zhang Yanling drank the porridge happily. This porridge came from her brother's house and it didn't cost any money. "Brother, it tastes good without sugar. If you don't want to drink it, just pour it to my brother."

Zhang Heling slapped him and called him over: "You are as greedy as a dog! You live in my house, eat my food, drink my food, and still miss me."

Zhang Yanling drank the porridge aggrievedly, then picked up the spoon from the pot. While Zhang Heling was in a daze, he quickly drank a few more sips.

Zhang Yanling was confused: "Can it be that the Zhou family can buy all the sugar in the capital?"

Sugar is more expensive than rice. Anyone who can buy all the sugar in the capital must have a lot of money.

The housekeeper said, "I heard it's Yan Chengjin."

Yan Chengjin?

Zhang Heling murmured, put some salt and drank the porridge.

Liu Mansion,

For breakfast, Liu Jian picked up his chopsticks and picked out a piece of sweet and sour carp. He ate rice for breakfast, so that he would not be hungry until noon and be ready for His Majesty's summons at any time.

"Why is today's sweet and sour fish only sour but not sweet? Call the chef."

After a while, the chef said nervously: "Master, we can't buy sugar in the capital."

There are hundreds of shops selling sugar in the capital, large and small. Winter has just passed and it is the time to make candy. How could there be no sugar?

Liu Jian was full of disbelief and shouted angrily: "Where did all the candy in Beijing go?"

"I don't know either. I know that the master likes sweet and sour fish. I even went to inns and restaurants to ask. Now I can't buy it in the whole capital." The chef was confused.

Outside the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, Wang Busui tremblingly asked his soldiers to build a high platform.

This is not a palace, but it can be regarded as a forbidden place for the people.

If you are caught by the guards here, you may be thrown into jail and convicted of picking quarrels and provoking trouble.

But what can Wang Busui do? Master Yan insists on selling white sugar. Ordinary people can't afford it, so it's useless to sell it in the vegetable market.

The Meridian Gate is where dignitaries come and go. It was time to go to court. Wang Busui seized the opportunity and urged the soldiers to get up quickly.

Four Jin Yiwei came over, and the leader of the hundred households rebuked: "You are just hawking in the forbidden area of ​​the imperial city, but you dare to set up a stage here, do you want to eat in prison?!"

No noise is allowed in the forbidden areas of the imperial city.

Wang Bu Sui humbly said: "Master, my young master asked the villain to ride with you."

Jin Yiwei sneered with a crooked mouth and caught someone who was not afraid of death: "Who is your young master? Catch them all!"

It is a strict family rule of the house that the young master's name is not allowed to be mentioned.

Wang Busui was anxious and reported the young master's name. He might die tonight. If he didn't report, he would be put in jail and he could live for a few more days.

But how to sell this white sugar?

"Our young master is a high-ranking official of the imperial court, and my master is a marquis from the border area. I can only say so much, no more!" Wang Busui gritted his teeth.

The Jin Yiwei were delighted. The leader of the Jin Yiwei waved his hand and said, "Come here, arrest him! The table has been dismantled, so be quick with your movements.

These white sugars were divided among the brothers, one for each person. "

Wang Bu Sui stamped his feet and said anxiously: "I tell you, you can't afford to offend our young master!"

The leading Jin Yiwei's voice was a little narrow: "Who is your young master? I, Qianhu, arrested him together."

Wang Bu Sui was mute and he did not dare to speak.

"This scholar knows that his young master is Yan Chengjin."

Zhu Houzhao squeezed out from the crowd and said happily.

The leader, the Jin Yiwei, looked stiff and subconsciously took half a step back. He was working as an errand at the Jin Yiwei Yamen. Who doesn't know Yan Chengjin?

He even knew more than the people in other yamen.

The nine ministers who were impeached by Yan Chengjin were either promoted to scholars or demoted.

Thinking of this, I felt scared.

Wang Busui sweated secretly, "Master, don't blame me, it's not a villain's fault."

Several Jinyi guards reacted from their fear, saw Zhu Houzhao, and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Your Highness, we are also doing business, you have to bear witness."

Zhu Houzhao smiled and waved his hand, indicating that they could get out.

Walking to the big vat of white sugar, Wang Busui hurriedly said to please: "Your Highness, this is white sugar."

Zhu Houzhao grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his mouth, which made Wang Bushui feel painful.

"It's so sweet, it will be delicious with my rice popcorn." Zhu Houzhao thought of this and ran away.

Wang Bushui began to shout at the top of his voice: "I have sugar for sale!"

As soon as he shouted, many people gathered around, just like a stage performance, it was very lively.

When the common people saw the snow-white sugar, no one dared to ask the price.

Even if they asked, they couldn't afford it.

Wang Bushui wanted to sell it to not them, but the gentry and the shopkeepers of the restaurants and inns in the capital.

After the court was dismissed, many officials came out of the Meridian Gate one after another.

There was no sugar for sale in the capital for three days. Hearing that someone was selling sugar, several chief clerks of the Ministry of Revenue came over.

They were amazed, such white sugar!

A chief clerk of the Ministry of Revenue grabbed a handful and asked excitedly, "How much silver is this candy?"

Wang Bushui smiled and said, "Four taels per pound, ten taels per pound, please try it first, sir?"

Liu Jian stretched out a hand from behind the crowd, grabbed a handful and put it in his mouth, staring at the can of candy: "Good candy!"

Scared, several chief clerks of the Ministry of Revenue quickly moved away, bowed and vacated their seats.

Liu Jian asked, "How is this candy made?"

Wang Bushui was worried: "I don't know either."

"Asshole! This is the prime minister of the dynasty, Lord Liu." Zhou Yu threatened him, he also wanted the recipe for this white sugar.

Looking at the little old man in front of him, Wang Bushui knelt down: "Even if the emperor came, I wouldn't know, this is made by Lord Yan."

Revealing a surname should not be considered a violation, right?

Liu Jian's eyes lit up: "Yan Chengjin?!"

Wang Bushui looked ashen, but he could guess it this way. More importantly, he saw Yan Chengjin standing behind Liu Jian.

Yan Chengjin said, "It is you, my subordinate. I will hold an official sale at the Liangxiang government office tomorrow to sell the recipe for this white sugar."

Official sale is an auction.

Don't read the novels of later generations, which write about various auctions with sky-high prices.

In fact, it was the first time to hold an auction in the Ming Dynasty!

There was no auction before the Ming Dynasty.

When the court raided the homes of officials, they would ask the auction houses to estimate the prices of the confiscated paintings and antiques.

While the auction houses estimated the prices, they would find buyers for the court. There was no bidding process.

When the gentry wanted to sell items, they also went through the auction houses. After the auction houses estimated the prices, they would find buyers.

Yan Chengjin knew very well that the huge profits behind the auction houses could be raised from 5,000 taels to 50,000 taels.

An ordinary item could also be sold at a sky-high price.

It is suitable for making money out of nothing and making money the fastest. Liangxiang has Shunfeng Auction House.

The most important thing in the auction business is to have goods in hand.

He planned to start the auction of the white sugar recipe at 6,000 taels. He didn't know how much silver he could sell it for.