The carriage was spacious enough for the two of them to stay inside without feeling cramped. However, being alone with a man in such a confined space, Changsun Pingting felt a little nervous.
"Aunt, if you have something to say, just say it directly. We are a family, there is no need to beat around the bush."
Li Xiang knew that the journey would not be long, so he went straight to the point. If they were to test each other, the Ministry of War would probably arrive before he finished testing.
After hearing Li Xiang's words, Changsun Pingting felt warm in her heart.
Although there were children in the family who called her aunt, for some reason, Changsun Pingting did not feel that sense of intimacy when those children spoke. It might be because the smile on Li Xiang's face was too contagious.
"In that case, Auntie, I won't beat around the bush. This is the wine we ordered, and it's about to be delivered. Can we raise the price a bit? If so, our profits will also increase. It's not that we're raising the price for no reason, but because of social demand."
It turned out that after this pre-order meeting, Changsun Pingting also realized that for these rich people, even if the price increases a little, they don’t care and will still pay for the order. Why don’t we make this money?
Li Xiang thought about it carefully. Five taels of silver for a pound of wine was already a sky-high price in that era. Li Xiang used to think that this price had reached its peak, but Changsun Pingting had always been in charge of the Changsun family's liquor sales business. If she said it was okay, there should be no problem.
"How high does Aunt think the price should go?"
Having more money is a good thing for us, but it cannot be increased without reason. If we offend our customers, short-term profits will not make up for long-term development.
"Seven taels of silver per pound."
Changsun Pingting took a deep breath. This number was not said casually, but was based on the price on the black market. Because there were only 100 kilograms available every day, many people simply could not buy it.
The current purchase price on the black market in Chang'an City has come out, and it's between nine and eleven taels of silver. Of course, this is mainly because no one has tasted it, so the first bid was too generous. But even after everyone has tasted it, the taste of this wine is there, so seven taels of silver is still no problem. Relatively speaking, the price increase is still conservative.
Li Xiang could have agreed directly, but he hesitated for a moment. Changsun Pingting was also very nervous at the moment. Although the sales channel was in her hands, the owner of the goods was Li Xiang. Without Li Xiang's consent, she could not raise the price at will.
If the price of wine is increased by two taels of silver per catty, then one hundred catties a day will bring in an additional two hundred taels of silver. The Changsun family can get 15% of it, which is thirty taels of silver. They used to get seventy-five taels of silver a day, but now they can get one hundred and five taels of silver a day, which is nearly half more than before.
"Then let's do as Auntie says. But it's best to send more people to observe the market. If there's any objection to the price, we'll have to make some temporary adjustments."
Although Li Xiang is confident about this wine, he still doesn't know much about Chang'an City's sales capabilities, so it is better to be cautious in doing things.
"Don't worry about that. I've already sent out dozens of spies from home. They'll be gathering information in the streets and alleys of Chang'an City today. I'll have someone deliver a summary to the East Palace tonight."
Hearing that Changsun Pingting had already made arrangements, Li Xiang was relieved. Cooperating with such a person in business would save him a lot of trouble.
"I have one thing I must remind you of. One-third of the liquor market in Chang'an City is controlled by my family, and two-thirds is controlled by the Cui family, also known as the famous Qinghe Cui family. Your liquor's release won't have much of an impact on the mid- and low-end markets, but it will have a significant impact on the high-end, most profitable liquors. You should be careful of them causing trouble for you."
After discussing the serious matters, Changsun Pingting told Li Xiang another thing. Although the Changsun family is the richest family in the Tang Dynasty court, it is not the richest family in the Tang Empire. Their family only has some influence in the capital. If we talk about other regions, it is still the world of the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats.
After coming into this world, it was the first time that Li Xiang came into contact with the Five Surnames and Seven Aristocrats, and the first one was the Qinghe Cui family. According to historical records, this was the most powerful family during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
Cheng Yaojin's wife was from the Qinghe Cui family, but she was not from the main line, just a side branch. Even so, she was already considered a top-notch family in the capital.
"Don't worry, aunt. I'm never afraid of any challenge. I'll fight back if an enemy comes, and I'll block it with earth if a flood comes. Besides, this is the land of the Great Tang Dynasty. Why should I be afraid of these clowns?"
Li Xiang was full of heroic spirit for a moment, and Changsun Pingting was stunned beside him. A child who was only thirteen years old could actually say such bold words. If you didn't know this child, you would think he was talking nonsense. But his actions in recent times all demonstrated Li Xiang's wisdom and dominance.
No one has ever called the Five Surnames and Seven Families clowns, including the emperor of the current dynasty. When talking about the Five Surnames and Seven Families, he always feels very troubled.
Although their power in the court is not very strong, it has reached its peak among the people and has penetrated into every corner. If they use force, the emperor's regime may be unstable, so they can only fight each other under rules.
Li Xiang has understood this a long time ago, so there is nothing to be afraid of. As long as you don't break up and rebel, then under the rules, I am the best at having fun. Don't forget that I come from the modern era thousands of years later. How can I be afraid of you, a few country bumpkins?
"Miss, the Ministry of War has arrived."
While the two were talking, the carriage had arrived at the gate of the Ministry of War. According to Changsun Wuji's opinion, although Changsun Pingting was in a hurry to discuss business, it would be better to drop Li Xiang off near the Ministry of War and not at the gate, as this would be too conspicuous. But Changsun Pingting was stunned and actually forgot about this.
A woman's carriage showing up at the gates of the Ministry of War was a rare occurrence in itself, and it was the eldest daughter of the Changsun family, making it even rarer. Women wouldn't come to the Ministry of War on business, so who was they sending? I've never heard of the eldest daughter of the Changsun family being betrothed.
Everyone tilted their heads to see what was going on...
