Raising chickens and pigs and digging for wild vegetables, the county magistrate's promotion wa

Chapter 1093 If you had met your brother-in-law earlier, you two would have been crippled long ago!

There is a very simple concept in economics: "The value of a commodity is determined by the market supply and demand relationship."

Theoretically speaking, since Yang Shaofeng proposed a price of five strings of cash per thousand catties, it means that the Ming Dynasty has a great demand for oil.

Demand is so high that oil shouldn't be worth only five strings of cash.

Manlahafis didn't really believe that Yang Shaofeng would ever have a change of heart.

However, Manlahafis had never experienced the deception of "selling crutches," "selling wheelchairs," or "selling stretchers," and he had no idea what economics was.

Malakhafis only knew that oil was worthless in the Timurid Khanate and the Ottoman Empire.

Thus, Manlahafis was successfully fooled by Yang Shaofeng.

Of course, the reason why Manlahafis was fooled was partly because he did not understand the relationship between commodity value and market supply and demand, but more importantly, it was because Yang Shaofeng led Manlahafis into the mindset of the tributary system.

What is the true core of the tributary system?

The most crucial part of the tributary system was the power to set prices.

I said your oil is worth five coins a pound, and it is worth five coins a pound.

I said my plate was worth ten taels of silver, and it was worth ten taels of silver.

To put it bluntly, it doesn't matter how much your oil is worth, because you can't beat me, and I might beat you up at any time. So, if you don't want to get beaten up, you have to obediently accept my pricing.

This is why when the Central Plains Hall was at its most powerful, it always had "all nations coming to pay tribute"—because those who did not come to pay tribute were buried.

Manlahafis told himself, almost like self-hypnosis, that the price set by the prince consort was fair and just for the Khanate.

Compared to Mahalafish, Mosha thought of another aspect.

The price of oil is five strings of cash per thousand catties.

The price of an Ottoman laborer was five strings of cash.

In other words, one Ottoman laborer was equivalent to one thousand kilograms of oil?

Then the problem is coming.

If a ship can carry 2,000 catties of cargo, then carrying 2,000 catties of oil will only earn 10 strings of cash, while carrying 20 laborers will earn 100 strings of cash.

The difference here is huge!

While calculating, Mo Siha cautiously asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, what are the Ming Dynasty's requirements regarding the number of laborers and the amount of oil?"

Yang Shaofeng smiled and said, "The more the better—whether it's oil or labor, the more the better."

"And you don't have to worry about not making enough money from oil."

"After all, it was the Ming Dynasty that was responsible for the maritime transport from the Khanate to the Ming Dynasty."

"All you need to do is figure out how to get the oil to the port."

"In fact, oil extraction may be more profitable than capturing laborers."

"..."

Mo Siha hid to the side to ponder, while Manlahafis bowed to Yang Shaofeng and asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, what was the third thing you just mentioned?"

Yang Shaofeng picked up the small dragon ball again, took a sip, and said, "The third thing is that the Ming Dynasty should select several ports in the Khanate to serve as transit points between the Ming Dynasty, the Timurid Khanate, and Europe, and set up distribution offices there."

If we talk about other things, Mahabhas might not be able to understand them.

But when it comes to the point of drawing lots, Manlahafis is a completely different story.

That's specifically used for collecting taxes!

So, you, Yang the Madman, are clearly planning to go to the Khanate to collect taxes?

Isn't this like defecating on the neck of a Khanate?!

Manlahafis grew angrier the more he thought about it.

However, Manlahafis perfectly exemplified what it means to "get angry in a fit of rage."

Manlahafis suppressed his anger and bowed to Yang Shaofeng, saying, "Your Highness, the Khanate is already in dire straits. If we were to establish additional tax collection offices..."

Yang Shaofeng smiled and waved his hand, saying, "You've misunderstood."

"The tax collection office I'm referring to isn't the one that collects taxes from the Khanate, but rather, it's the one that collects taxes from those barbarians in Europe, along with the Khanate itself."

"I will have the Western Fleet dispatch several warships to protect the distribution center and crack down on the maritime smuggling activities of those barbarians from Europe."

"Anyone who tries to break through the checkpoint without paying taxes will be sunk by the West Sea Fleet."

"This is equivalent to helping the Khanate reclaim the tariffs that it couldn't collect in the first place."

"..."

Manlahafis was completely bewildered, utterly bewildered, and even the cube was bewildered.

That seems to be the case!

But something seems off?

Yang Shaofeng intensified his deception: "Don't overthink it."

"You can ask the Ryukyu envoys, the Japanese envoys, the Goryeo envoys, the Srivijaya envoys, and the Annam envoys to see if the Ming Dynasty has also set up tax collection offices in their countries' ports."

"Therefore, the establishment of the tax collection offices is not targeted at your Khanate, but applies to all vassal states."

"As the ruler of the world and the hope of all people, the Ming Dynasty has always been fair and impartial, without bias or favoritism."

"..."

Zhu Biao couldn't help but glance at Yang Shaofeng, who was talking eloquently, and then at Manlahafis and Mosiha, who looked completely bewildered.

Seriously, you two are lucky you didn't meet your brother-in-law sooner.

If you had met him sooner, you two would probably be crippled by now!

After Manlahafis and Mosiha left, Zhu Biao looked directly at Yang Shaofeng and complimented him, "Brother-in-law, you're amazing, amazing!"

Yang Shaofeng picked up the small dragon ball, took a sip, shook his head slightly, and said, "It's not that I'm so great."

"In fact, anyone would have gotten the same result if they had been in this situation today."

"Because what they fear is not me, but the Ming Dynasty behind me."

"Without those rounds of cannon fire at the foot of Jiming Mountain, even if I talked myself hoarse, those two would not have agreed to become vassals and pay tribute."

"Without the Ming Dynasty's fleet traversing the seas, no matter how much I intimidate them, they will not agree to the Ming Dynasty establishing a branch office in the Timurid Khanate."

After a slight pause, Yang Shaofeng said with a touch of emotion, "I remember a gentleman once said that what you can't get on the battlefield, you shouldn't expect to get at the negotiating table. The territory is always within the range of artillery, and right and wrong are often determined by the caliber of the artillery."

"If the Timurid Khanate were stronger than the Ming Dynasty, they would be demanding that the Ming Dynasty submit to them and pay tribute, and that a tax collection office be established in the Ming Dynasty."

At this point, Yang Shaofeng couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Can anyone tell me how much of the true history of the Ming Dynasty has been hidden?

Or rather, how many good things did Qian Long destroy when he compiled the Siku Quanshu?

I only mentioned the concept of a cannon mil, but the craftsmen of the Ming Dynasty actually created a triangulation device specifically for measuring mils.

The moment I proposed the concept of gunpowder purification, they immediately took explosive shells to blast the mountaintop, and even pulled off a "Xu Jin's barrage" stunt.

No, are you guys planning to use calculus to mock me for being a math dunce?