The merchants' eyes lit up; they were eagerly anticipating the award.
Just because of the Emperor's seal affixed to this, those petty scoundrels would have to think twice about their own worth. This is extremely important for merchants.
Having wealth but lacking the power to protect it often leads to various forms of extortion and blackmail. If one possessed this item, everything would be fine.
Thinking about this, the grain merchant surnamed Huang couldn't help but ponder.
Previously, aristocratic families received imperial rewards for donating money, so perhaps I should also have the opportunity.
Lin Yi noticed their eagerness and a smile flashed in his eyes.
He smiled and said, "You are all exceptionally intelligent people. Why do you think I have sought you out this time?"
Grunt!
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere froze.
Wang Hui and the others exchanged glances, and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Here they come, the Emperor is here with his extortion scheme! The opening lines are exactly the same.
It would be strange if this banquet for the whole country wasn't for this purpose; it's the only thing that requires the use of these people. Other military funds would have been allocated long ago.
The group exchanged glances and finally made a decision.
Bang!
Wang Hui gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, this great victory in the southwest is a momentous occasion for the Great Liang. We have heard that you are preparing a three-day All Under Heaven banquet for the entire nation, so we also wish to contribute our efforts. We are willing to accept the payment!"
Holy crap!
The merchants on the side were dumbfounded. Were these powerful families suddenly so conscientious, starting to acknowledge their debts right away?
The boss surnamed Huang glanced at them and couldn't help but whisper, "What's going on? These powerful families are so eager; could it be a trap? Should we contribute some money too?"
"That makes sense. Let's wait and see." Several people nearby nodded and whispered.
Hahaha!
Lin Yi couldn't help but laugh, waving his hand and saying, "I am very touched by your kindness, my dear minister. However, I promised you benefits this time, and I will certainly not go back on my word!"
However, this is a lucrative opportunity; it depends on whether you can handle it!
Fatty meat?
Upon hearing this, Wang Hui and the others felt a chill run down their spines. Could it be that the Emperor was truly offering them a benefit?
Multiply your wealth many times over!
However, since it's about giving benefits, and the Emperor has brought so many people this time, how big must the benefits be to multiply the income of everyone here several times over?
"Etc!"
At that moment, Liu Kun suddenly realized something and couldn't help but exclaim, "My God, a huge piece of fat meat, could it be the Zhennan Dynasty?"
Perhaps only a national-level market could feed so many people.
"Haha, Minister Liu is clever. I intend to hand over the market of the Zhennan Dynasty to you, which is now the Great Liang Southern Liang!" Lin Yi looked at Liu Kun approvingly and affirmed.
That's right, he wanted to hand over the Southern Liang market to them.
The reason is simple: to use these aristocratic families and merchants to manage the Southern Liang Southern Liang and promote its rapid development.
It's unrealistic for Southern Liang to recover quickly by relying solely on the infrastructure development of Great Liang, but it would be a different story if merchants and powerful families were to fully support it.
With merchants as intermediaries, goods from multiple locations can circulate, connecting various resources and products to achieve a win-win situation.
This was enough to drive the rapid development of Southern Liang, far exceeding the typical development model.
Under this trend of development, the original forces and beliefs of Zhennan will be swept away by the tide.
Faced with the overwhelming tide of history, everything else is insignificant.
"The entire Southern Liang, the wealth of a nation!"
Upon hearing this, not only Liu Kun but even Wang Hui was taken aback, never expecting it to be like this.
No wonder the Emperor said he wanted to multiply their wealth several times over; with such a huge market, it would be paradise for them.
This is so tempting! No wonder the Emperor called it a piece of fatty meat; it's practically a giant fat pig!
The merchants' eyes lit up; a blank market was exposed before them, and that meant piles of silver and banknotes.
Once we enter the Zhennan Market, we'll definitely make a fortune.
So the question is, why did the emperor seek out people like them?
Grunt!
Zhang Wanhao swallowed hard, muttering to himself, "There's no such thing as All Under Heaven free lunch. The Emperor suddenly threw out such a huge cake; I feel a chill down my spine."
He knew in his heart that this was an absolutely tremendous benefit.
Generally, the states that were destroyed by the Great Liang were conquered by sweeping through them, which meant that their internal hierarchy was completely destroyed, and their development was completely monopolistic.
In this situation, the value could increase several times, or even tenfold.
"Yes, one shouldn't accept rewards without merit; there's something fishy going on here!" The group exchanged glances. There was definitely something wrong here, otherwise the Emperor wouldn't be so generous.
He also owns many caravans and could easily make the money himself, but instead he's distributing it to these people. There's definitely something wrong with that.
fear!
However, they found it difficult to refuse such an enormous fortune, which filled them with inner turmoil; it was truly a difficult dilemma.
Finally, Wang Hui took a deep breath, stepped forward, and asked frankly, "Your Majesty, what do we need to give up to take over this Southern Liang market?"
All Under Heaven's no such thing as a free lunch; everything comes at a price.
Moreover, this is a national arena of wealth and interests, and the emperor would not so easily hand it over to these people; there must be conditions.
"Hahaha!"
A smile flashed in Lin Yi's eyes; talking to smart people was that simple.
He glanced at everyone and smiled, "This development of Southern Liang is a top priority for our Great Liang, so there are certain conditions required to participate."
My demands aren't high: I only require Great Liang of all profits; how much of the rest you get is up to you!
50%!
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts skipped a beat. No wonder the Emperor was so generous; he wanted everyone here to work for Great Liang.
They couldn't help but start discussing it. The emperor had taken half the profits at once; this was definitely an outrageous demand.
This means that I also have to bear the costs and expenses, which means I don't even have 50% of the money, so it hurts a bit.
However, being difficult to accept does not mean being unacceptable.
"One should be realistic. If the emperor didn't take anything, that would be problematic. Taking half the profits now actually puts us at ease."
"This is a whole country's market. If we go in, we'll make a killing. That little bit of money is just protection money for the Emperor."
"Indeed, without the Emperor's protection, we cannot safeguard our own interests."