flstandardbreds Chapter 140 Who is the oriole?
Chapter 140 Who is the oriole?
The items in these grocery stores were not only exquisite but also affordable, making them easily available to ordinary people. Therefore, they attracted a large number of guests and became very popular for a time.
However, everyone soon discovered that half of the items sold in the grocery store overlapped with those produced in Nanping Prefecture where Yan Wanwan was located. Was this an accident or intentional?
What is even more unexpected is that after comparison, people found that the quality of items in grocery stores is obviously better.
This situation spread quickly, and many merchants from Nanping Prefecture were attracted there, making the originally bustling Nanping Prefecture Street instantly deserted.
When people walked on the streets, they had the illusion that they were in a deserted city, which made people wonder: how could those once bustling crowds disappear without a trace overnight?
However, the court officials were happy to see this phenomenon, and soon even the emperor heard about it.
"My dear ministers, have you heard of the grocery store that is all the rage right now?" asked the emperor.
The ministers below glanced at each other and said, "Your Majesty, of course we have heard about it. That grocery store has a wide variety of goods, the prices are low, and the quality is even better than what is produced in Nanping Prefecture, the home of County Lord Yan. It is truly a good store that benefits both the country and the people, and we should strongly support it."
As soon as he finished speaking, other ministers echoed his words, recommending the grocery store to the emperor and praising it highly.
The emperor looked at them with a puzzled expression and asked, "Are you talking about Yan Wanwan?"
"Your Majesty, that's right. County Lady Yan is currently engaged in a price war with the grocery store, and merchants in Nanping Prefecture are slashing prices on a large scale."
Upon hearing this, the emperor secretly tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth that were about to rise.
But whenever he thought about the heavy losses Yan Wanwan would suffer in this fight, the joy in his heart was like a surging tide, about to burst the dam.
But in a flash, he suppressed his inner surge of emotion. With a wave of his hand, he spoke loudly, "My dear ministers, you are absolutely right. The court needs merchants like these who benefit the country and the people. I hereby decree that all local governments must fully support any merchant who contributes to the people's livelihood. For those who do not yet have shops, the government will set aside special areas to provide them with shops, free of charge. As long as the shops can open and operate smoothly, they will be given a three-year tax exemption. We will ensure that these shops will grow and prosper in a short period of time!"
In the court, ministers knelt on the ground and shouted "Your Majesty is wise."
The voice was uniform and loud, echoing in the empty palace for a long time.
The Minister of Rites was the first to step forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty's action is truly a blessing for all the people. The people can live and work in peace, and the country can prosper."
The Minister of Revenue also stepped forward, his face full of respect. "Your Majesty's grace is profound. Although this will reduce the national treasury in the short term, in the long run, the prosperity of business will surely bring in more generous tax revenues."
The emperor accepted the flattery of his ministers with a smile on his face, as if he had witnessed the beautiful mountains and rivers and prosperous times of the Great Xia Kingdom in the future.
The emperor's oral order spread quickly throughout the streets and alleys of the capital as if it had wings.
Those merchants who had been hesitant due to lack of funds and limited space were all eager to try after hearing the news.
For a time, a wave of entrepreneurship swept across the country.
At the same time, in the county lady’s mansion.
After hearing the emperor's decree, Yan Wanwan frowned slightly.
Xiao Tao was good at observing people's expressions. Seeing this, she asked softly, "Miss, could it be that the Emperor's decree has an adverse impact on our Nanping Prefecture?"
Yan Wanwan smiled faintly and said softly, "No, I'm just worried that he will regret it in the end."
Under the new policies implemented by the emperor, local government offices naturally did their utmost to implement them.
With strong government support, enthusiastic new entrepreneurs from the public were able to obtain free shops one after another. For a time, the streets and alleys were bustling with activity, brimming with vitality.
Entrepreneurs are busy day and night. Some are busy decorating their shops and making them look brand new; some are running around to purchase goods and carefully selecting all kinds of commodities; and others are posting notices and recruiting employees.
Among these new businesses, grocery stores were in the greatest demand. However, to the surprise of the government, these grocery store owners refused to accept the free shops and insisted on purchasing them, with no room for negotiation.
In order to retain these grocery stores with great potential, the government weighed the pros and cons and finally decided privately to sell the stores they were interested in at a low price.
This move made both parties happy. The grocery store owners saved a lot of money on purchasing shops, and the government also consciously won over the grocery stores that were highly praised by the emperor, adding highlights to the smooth implementation of the new policy.
As grocery stores expanded rapidly like mushrooms after rain, those who had originally been waiting to see Yan Wanwan make a fool of herself gradually realized that something was wrong.
Everyone was surprised to find that the goods sold in the grocery store were becoming more and more high-end. The quality of many goods was comparable to the tributes from the court, but the price was only one tenth of the tribute.
This situation frightened the ministers involved in the tribute industry.
They had always relied on their connections to purchase tributes, and in order to make huge profits, selling inferior goods as good ones had almost become an unwritten practice in the industry. But now, if the emperor knew that these items were so cheap, their heads would be in danger.
"Who is the owner of this grocery store? How dare he..." A minister exclaimed in a low voice, his face full of panic.
"Shh! Keep your voice down. Are you afraid others won't hear you?" the person next to him interrupted anxiously. "The most urgent thing is to find a way to close these shops. We can't let them sell at this price anymore!"
They quickly colluded and put pressure on local officials, demanding that the grocery store be closed down on trumped-up charges such as "unclear source of goods" and "disrupting market order." However, the grocery store was well prepared to face these groundless accusations.
When the other party claimed the goods were of unknown origin, the shopkeeper immediately produced his passport and other necessary documentation. Accusing them of disrupting market order, the shopkeeper generously published the product's formula, upholding the principle of "shared wealth is worse than one person's wealth" to ensure everyone could benefit. Seeing this plan fail, the other party attempted to force the shop to close, but the shopkeeper flatly refused. The shopkeeper righteously argued that the imperial decree forbade unauthorized closure of the shop. Were they attempting to defy the order? The ministers were at a loss as to what to do.
Soon, someone came up with an idea: the grocery store was lent to them for free by the government, so why not force the grocery store to close by taking back the premises.
Soon they sent officials to forcibly take back the grocery store on the grounds that it did not meet the standards.
"Sir? You want to take over our shop?"