Chapter 78 The Hard-to-Charge IQ Tax
Zheng He had just brought a few entourages to the village head of Yangjiazhuangzi, and his eyes narrowed unconsciously.
Under the big willow tree at the entrance of the village, an old man who was dressed like an old farmer was lying on a recliner and basking in the sun. Two mastiffs as big as an adult goat were lying under his feet. The Yangjiazhuang behind the old man had become a huge construction site. The young and strong people came and went, and it seemed that they were rebuilding the Yangjiazhuang.
It was still far from the old man, so Zheng He quickly got out of the saddle, then trotted to the old man, bowed and said, "Old Master?"
Zhu Laosi, who was squinting his eyes and basking in the sun, didn't even raise his eyelids, and let out a huh from his nose, then said, "Is that little bastard asked you to come?"
Zheng He bowed and said, "Go back to the emperor, it was His Highness the Grand Prince and the Supreme Prince who sent someone to call me here."
Zhu Laosi reached out to touch the big dog's head, and then said, "Then go, those two bastards are in the farm."
After saying that, Zhu Laosi didn't care about Zheng He anymore, because Ergouzi felt uncomfortable when he saw Zhu Laosi touching Big Dog's head. Not only did he keep trying to stuff his head under Zhu Laosi's hands, but he also wanted to bite Big Dog from time to time.
After Zheng He bowed to Zhu Laosi again, he led his horse and headed into the Yang family village.
Along the way, many shirtless young men were tamping in a place, and it seemed that they were laying the foundation. The collision of muscles and sweat, the symphony of slogans and tamps revealed a sense of vitality and hope everywhere.
Although I have never been to Yang's village, just based on the scene in front of me, Zheng He could roughly judge what kind of person the owner of this village, Yang Zhuangyuan, was probably what kind of person he was.
As for Young Master Yang's father, Zheng He automatically ignored it. He had drunk alcohol together back then. The old man was best at cheating and pretending to be dead after drinking too much, hoping that he could figure out a farmer's understanding?
It’s better to believe that the chastity of the noble ladies in Europa are still there.
When the people in the village took Zheng He to see Yang Shaofeng, Yang Shaofeng and Zhu Zhanji were squatting on the side of the road in a squatting position. In front of them was a guy who used to steam wine, but the fragrance came from inside was like the fragrance of flowers, not the fragrance of wine.
Yang Shaofeng was a little excited about Zheng He's arrival and couldn't help but grab Zheng He's hand and said, "Oh, after waiting for so long, I can be regarded as seeing Eunuch Zheng!"
Zheng He also grabbed Yang Shaofeng's hand and smiled: "Kaya has heard of the name of the top scholar for a long time, but he is just a matter of slack. Now he finally meets him, which is also a great honor. Speaking of which, he has met with Lingzun when he was in trouble with the emperor."
Yang Shaofeng immediately withdrew his hand without a trace. I'm going to go to your uncle. When did my father have such a wide friendship in the army? It must be another person who wants to take advantage of his seniority!
After looking at the big pot and some distilled utensils in front of him, Zheng He couldn't help but speak, "Is Zhuang Yuan Gong brewing wine? But what is coming out is the fragrance of flowers, not the fragrance of wine?"
After yelling, Zheng He said again: "It seems to be Jasmine?"
Yang Shaofeng said unexpectedly: "Can Eunuch Zheng smell it?"
Zheng He nodded and said, "Yes, although it is very light, it can be smelled. What is the Zhuang Yuan Gong planning to do?"
Yang Shaofeng took a small porcelain bottle from the table next to him, but did not remove the bottle plug, but handed it directly to Zheng He and smiled and said, "Don't try it, can you smell what it smells here?"
Zheng He exclaimed again: "It smells a little alcoholic, but it is extremely light, and it cannot cover the fragrance of flowers inside. If it weren't for the very sensitive nose, I'm afraid that this smell of wine will not be easy to detect, and I can only smell the jasmine fragrance inside."
After unexpectedly getting such a harvest, Yang Shaofeng became even happier. While repeatedly asking Gouzi to ask someone to prepare food and drinks, he took Zhu Zhanji and Zheng He to the school playground.
That’s right, it’s the school playground. There were several unfinished houses in the Yang family compound. Yang Shaofeng planned to completely push down and start over, so Yang’s mother asked someone to knock down all the houses...
While walking, Yang Shaofeng said with a smile: "Eunuch Zheng has also smelled the perfume just now. You said, what price should this thing be sold to Europa?"
Zheng He was stunned, then shook his head and said, "Europa? There are poor ghosts everywhere, they are not as good as human beings, and they are not close to human beings. They can't even say human beings. Isn't it a waste of talent to give such good things to them?"
Zheng He had never seen perfume, but when he saw a small porcelain bottle containing perfume, Zheng He keenly discovered that this thing was definitely a small porcelain bottle with such exquisite quality, and he was afraid he couldn't even hold a water or two. However, His Royal Highness and the six top scholars of the dynasty attached so much importance to it, how could it be a good thing?
Since it must be something, it is almost the same for the royal family to use. For those barbarians of Europa, isn't that a waste, what's it?
Yang Shaofeng smiled unanimously about Zheng He's statement, and at the same time he was sweating wildly in his heart. As long as he added the words "I don't look like a human body" and "I don't hear a human voice" in Europe, there will be eunuchs everywhere!
It was not until he entered a house in the school that Zhu Zhanji pointed at Yang Shaofeng and said to Zheng He: "I heard him say before that there are many noble ladies in Europe? And it is not easy to take a bath?"
Zheng He looked at Yang Shaofeng unexpectedly and smiled: "I heard that scholars knew everything in the world if they didn't go out. I thought it was nonsense, but now I saw the priest master and found that this sentence also makes sense.
Yes, there are many small countries in the land of Europa, and hundreds of people can become a small country. There are naturally many so-called noble ladies.
And it is not just those ladies who are not easy to take a bath, but all the people in Europa are not easy to take a bath, whether they are civilians or nobles, because they feel that the dust on their bodies is a protective layer against disease, so they do not take a bath."
Zhu Zhanji suppressed the desire to vomit, turned to Yang Shaofeng and said, "You won, there is such a thing in the world!"
Yang Shaofeng ignored the pretentious Zhu Zhanji, but smiled and said to Zheng He: "Eunuch Zheng just said that selling this perfume to Europa is a waste of resources, but it can be exchanged for a large amount of gold and silver to enrich our Ming Dynasty's treasury. Do you agree?"
Zheng He nodded, then shook his head and said, "The lives of many so-called nobles there are not necessarily much better than those of ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty.
Unless those big lords or nobles can save some money by taxes, it is not easy to sell this perfume in large quantities."
Yang Shaofeng nodded and said, "It doesn't matter. Next time Eunuch Zheng goes to sea, I will bring some and try to sell a few bottles at Europa to see if it can be sold."
Zheng He nodded and said, "I just took some small porcelain bottles on both sides, so I brought them with me. But I don't know how much money the BOARD plans to sell?"
Yang Shaofeng played with the small porcelain bottle in his hand and smiled and said, "Look, this porcelain bottle is a good porcelain produced in Jingdezhen, and the annual output is only so small.
As for the perfume inside, the ingredients are dozens of precious spices. The main ingredients are collected from the essence of jasmine flowers and are made through 9981 processes. In just a small bottle, the petals of jasmine light alone consume hundreds of kilograms, which is really precious.
Such a precious thing is of course more expensive.”
Zheng He's face couldn't help but feel a little solemn, and even the sound of asking a question was trembling: "But I don't know, how much does this bottle of perfume cost? How much does it cost?"
Yang Shaofeng thought for a while, then said sternly: "Is this bottle of perfume costing about one or two silver taels.
As for the selling price, we just exchange the unit of silver for gold, then add another zero for ten taels of gold, and then sell it to those barbarians."
Zhu Zhanji unexpectedly glanced at Yang Shaofeng.
The small porcelain vase that was exactly the same as that in Yang Shaofeng's hand was simply burned from the local official kiln in Shuntian Prefecture, and the cost was less than 100 cents.
As for the so-called jasmine petals, they really consumed hundreds of kilograms, but after mixing the alcohol that has been distilled repeatedly, they filled a hundred bottles...
What about killing a pig? This is...
Obviously, Zheng He couldn't accept such a high price. After hesitating for a while, he said, "This price? Isn't it a bit high? Not to mention those barbarians, even if I am the Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that not many people can afford it?"
Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "Does Eunuch Zheng know what IQ tax is?"
Seeing Zheng He shook his head, Yang Shaofeng smiled and explained, "In the world, only I, the Ming Dynasty, cannot create this thing, but the barbarians cannot create it. This is because their IQ is not enough, and the extra money is to collect taxes on their IQ.
As for the price of this thing in my Ming Dynasty, I have been able to save ten taels of silver per bottle. Whether ordinary people can afford it or not has any impact on their livelihoods. As long as those gentry can afford it."
However, as Mr. Taosui said, ideals are full and reality is skinny.
Yang Shaofeng, who was about to accept Zheng He's admiration, did not welcome Zheng He's admiration, but was poured with a basin of cold water on his head.
Zheng He thought for a while before he slowly spoke: "There are similar things in the Europa area, and they are called Rose Water.
However, the rose water made by the Europa is much worse than the perfume made by the BOE. Whether in terms of packaging or taste, it is difficult to compare with the perfume made by the BOE.
But the 1st Yuan Gong was disappointed to use perfume to collect the IQ tax on Europa people.”
Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but point at Yang Shaofeng, who was as dark as a face, and laughed: "It's a good idea! Your eldest young master Yang plotted this and that every day, but he didn't expect that the Europa barbarian also had this thing, but this time he was going to miscalculate!"
Yang Shaofeng snorted coldly and said, "So what if it miscalculated? This thing can't be sold for ten taels of gold, can't be sold for one tael of gold?
If it really doesn't work, so what if it's a loss of money? At worst, it's better to sell it cheaper, making Europa people accustomed to buying instead of studying it themselves.
When they can't make it in the future, I want to sell 100 taels of gold, and they have to pinch their noses and recognize it!"
Chapter completed!