Chapter 19

When Zhao Junchen arrived at the hall, he saw that over a dozen people were already quietly waiting inside.

These dozen or so people were among the top merchants in Shanxi, some being leaders of the salt trade, some heads of the camel caravans, and some owners of draft banks. In this era, they all shared a common name: "Jin merchants"!!

The hall was very quiet, and the Jin merchants were very well-behaved, not making a commotion. Most of them were just quietly drinking tea, and when they occasionally conversed, it was in hushed tones.

The behavior of the Jin merchants pleased Zhao Junchen greatly.

Therefore, Zhao Junchen was also very courteous. As soon as he reached the door, he clasped his hands and said, "Apologies, apologies, I have kept you all waiting, and I have arrived late!!"

"Pay our respects to the imperial envoy!"

Upon seeing Zhao Junchen, the Jin merchants all showed respect and knelt to pay their respects.

"There's no need for such formalities. This is Liu Zhifu's private residence, and I have invited you all here in a personal capacity. There's no need for such official formalities!!"

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen personally helped each of the Jin merchants to their feet, his demeanor warm and friendly.

Although Zhao Junchen was now highly favored by the emperor and had power and influence, he was not afraid of the Jin merchants. However, this meeting was for cooperation, so he would not treat them with disrespect.

After everyone was seated, Zhao Junchen picked up a cup of tea from the table and said with a smile, "I have just arrived here with a light entourage and haven't brought much. This West Lake Longjing tea is a gift from His Majesty, and it is my favorite. I brought it with me to entertain you all. Please don't laugh at my frugality."

The Jin merchants all hastened to say that they dared not.

One of the older Jin merchants even said with a smile, "Sir, you are too kind. If I am not mistaken, the tea you are drinking is the finest Lion Peak Longjing. It is said that only a few dozen pounds are produced each year. Its color is green, its aroma is rich, its taste is pure, and its shape is beautiful. It is both rich and sweet, and its aftertaste is long-lasting. Such fine tea can only be found in the imperial palace. We may only taste it a few times in our lives. How could we think it frugal? If this is considered frugal, then we would not know what to use to entertain you in the future."

Zhao Junchen nodded and smiled, saying, "You have explained it clearly, but I don't understand it. I have always drunk it like a bull, just finding it delicious. If those who love tea saw how I drink it, they would probably scold me for chewing ginseng like a bull and wasting a precious gift from heaven."

Hearing Zhao Junchen's self-deprecating remark, the Jin merchants all smiled.

Zhao Junchen continued, "You all know my identity, but I have just arrived in this place and am not familiar with you. Qingyan, why don't you introduce them to me?"

These Jin merchants had been received by Xu Qingyan, who had done a lot of work beforehand and thus knew more about their backgrounds than Zhao Junchen.

Xu Qingyan nodded and first pointed to an elderly man sitting on the left side of the guest seat, saying, "This is Mr. Guo Linxiang, the head of the largest draft bank in the north, Tongrui Draft Bank."

Although he had already paid his respects, when Xu Qingyan introduced him, Guo Linxiang stood up again and bowed to Zhao Junchen, saying, "Guo Linxiang pays his respects to Sir."

"Please sit, please sit."

Zhao Junchen gestured with his hand.

Xu Qingyan then pointed to a middle-aged man on the right side of the guest seat and said, "This is Mr. Chen Xinggong, the largest salt merchant in the north. For many years, the salt trade in the northwest provinces has been managed by Mr. Chen."

"Chen Xinggong pays his respects to Sir."

Like Guo Linxiang, Chen Xinggong also stood up and bowed to Zhao Junchen.

"This is Mr. He Zeng, the owner of the largest boat and camel caravan in the northwest."

"He Zeng pays his respects to Sir."

...

Seeing the respectful and orderly demeanor of the Jin merchants, Zhao Junchen nodded in approval, feeling that the cautious and disciplined style of the Jin merchants was indeed well-deserved.

In later times, people often grouped the Jin merchants with the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants, considering them representatives of the merchants during the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, in Zhao Junchen's view, the Jin merchants were fundamentally different from the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were many Jin merchants with businesses that lasted for a hundred years, but it was rare to hear of Huizhou or Zhejiang merchants with such longevity. Why?

On the surface, compared to the high-profile and luxurious Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants, the Jin merchants were always low-key and disciplined. It was common to hear of Huizhou merchants networking with officials and Zhejiang merchants clashing with officials, but there were few such rumors about the Jin merchant group. Instead, they often donated money and goods to assist the government.

As a result, when the Ming and Qing dynasties cracked down on merchants, they would subconsciously overlook the Jin merchants and target the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants.

During the Qing dynasty, this situation became even more pronounced. The Qing rulers clearly treated the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants like pigs, squeezing them for money whenever they needed it, and then cultivating the next batch of Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants. Meanwhile, the Jin merchants continuously received various trade privileges from the court.

This differential treatment was fundamentally due to the different business strategies and profit-making methods of the Jin merchants compared to the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants.

The Jin merchants were rich enough to rival the nation because they were "privileged merchants" or "bureaucrat merchants," possessing many trade privileges. Although few of them became overnight millionaires, they could steadily develop over time.

The profit-making methods of the Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants, apart from geographical and local product advantages, were mainly based on smuggling. In fact, the famous Huizhou and Zhejiang merchants of the Ming and Qing dynasties were basically the largest smugglers of their time.

Although the Jin merchants also engaged in smuggling, such as He Zeng, who was a well-known smuggler in the north with his camel and boat caravans, it was not the mainstream.

This was also why the Jin merchants were more courteous to officials, as they were more dependent on the court. In terms of influence, whether at the local or central level, the Jin merchants had a greater impact than other merchant groups.

...

"Thus, we have all met," Zhao Junchen said with a smile after some pleasantries. "I believe you have all heard the news and can guess why I have called you here."

Upon hearing Zhao Junchen's question, the Jin merchants exchanged glances, and Guo Linxiang, representing the group, stood up and replied, "Sir, are you referring to disaster relief? We know that the locust plague in Luan Prefecture is severe, and the people are suffering. Although the court has allocated disaster relief funds, they are still insufficient. As merchants, we owe our success to the support of the court and the help of our fellow townspeople. We cannot stand idly by at this time. If Sir needs it, my family is willing to donate a thousand dan of grain."

As soon as Guo Linxiang finished speaking, Chen Xinggong also stood up and said, "What Mr. Guo said is reasonable. My family's business is also willing to donate a thousand dan of grain."

He Zeng also said, "My family is also willing to donate a thousand dan of grain."

"The Zhang family's business is willing to donate seven hundred dan of grain."

"My Fuhuo business is willing to donate five hundred dan of grain."

"My Wang family is also willing to donate eight hundred dan of grain."

One after another, Zhao Junchen counted in his mind that in a short moment, the Jin merchants had already donated nearly ten thousand dan of grain. Although this amount was just a drop in the bucket for the disaster relief needs and a small fraction of the Jin merchants' resources, it was a significant show of respect for Zhao Junchen.

In fact, from the perspective of the Jin merchants, Zhao Junchen's invitation was a routine extortion by the government. Because of Zhao Junchen's high status, they had even doubled the amount of grain they were willing to donate.

However, this time they were mistaken.

Zhao Junchen shook his head and smiled, saying, "You have misunderstood. This time, I have come to do business with you."

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PS: My computer suddenly restarted, and I need to rewrite half a chapter. The update is delayed, please bear with me.

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