He pointed at Lu Guanyi and said, "Just ask General Lu and you'll know how difficult life is at the border. The more profit you concede here, the better off the border soldiers will be."
It wasn't that he was trying to drive down the price further after Ye Chongming had stated it was already at cost. In reality, Dark Tea held significant implications for the relationship between the Great Jin and the Great Jin dynasties.
The grasslands could only support herding cattle and sheep, not the cultivation of grains or vegetables, so the grassland people primarily relied on meat for sustenance. They lacked essential nutrients like vitamins. Tea not only contained vitamins and other substances but also aided digestion. Although they didn't understand these specifics, they knew that drinking tea made their bodies feel better.
Hence, the grassland people would "rather go three days without food than one day without tea." For tea, they were even willing to wage war.
Although tea was transported from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan to the Great Jin, the output was limited. Moreover, those regions were inhabited by various ethnic groups who were highly exclusive, making it difficult for the court to maintain control. In the past, conflicts often arose between government troops and these ethnic groups over issues of tea smuggling and taxation.
Now, the Ye family had actually produced Dark Tea. Its flavor was superior to that of the tea from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. Moreover, it was produced by a single family, resulting in a massive output. Most importantly, this tea could be stored for long periods without deteriorating like other teas, which would turn stale by the following year. In fact, Dark Tea improved with age.
In the future, the court could transport Dark Tea to the border. When the Great Jin's economy was thriving, they could raise the tea prices; when it was struggling, they could lower them. This way, they could control the Great Jin and secure peace at the border.
Therefore, if the price of Dark Tea could be lower, the court would have more room to maneuver.
Besides, no merchant was entirely honest. Ye Chongming claimed the cost of the tea was 380 wen, but in Chen Zhen's view, cutting that price in half would likely reflect the true cost of Dark Tea.
However, Ye Chongming was as stubborn as a rock in a latrine—stinking and unyielding, leaving no room for negotiation. With no other options, Chen Zhen had no choice but to turn his attention to Ye Yaming.
The moment Chen Zhen's gaze shifted to her, Ye Yaming's internal alarms went off.
At that moment, she wore a panicked expression, as if being suddenly singled out in a room full of officials and male members of the Ye family had startled her.
She stood up, stammering, "Lord Chen, I..."
"Sit, sit down and speak," Chen Zhen said warmly, gesturing for her to sit with a downward motion of his hand.
Ye Yaming knew she couldn't overact. In the future, she would still need to interact with court officials, and after marriage, she would have to go to the capital. Overacting could easily break her character. If Chen Zhen later realized he had been fooled, the consequences would be unimaginable.
She obediently sat down, composed herself, and then began, "As you know, the natural flavor of tea leaves is bitter and astringent, and the taste of old leaves and stems is even more so. To transform these bitter and astringent old leaves and stems into the sweet and mellow Dark Tea, aside from other processes, just the step of pile fermentation alone takes two to three months. If we're even slightly careless, the entire batch of tea is ruined."
"The labor involved goes without saying, and the loss of raw materials is also substantial. Not to mention the growth, care, and harvesting of the tea leaves, even the wages of the tea processors are not cheap. What my grandfather said truly is the cost price. If we lower it any further, we will be operating at a loss."
"If it were only for this year, even at a loss, we would be happy to contribute to the court's efforts. The problem is, this isn't a matter of one or two years. Once the price is set, it must remain the same year after year. This is simply more than we can bear. Lord Chen, I beg for your understanding."Originally, Chen Zhen thought Ye Yaming was young and inexperienced, hoping to exploit loopholes in her words to drive down the price. Unexpectedly, she proved eloquent, echoing Ye Chongming’s arguments with genuine sincerity, leaving Chen Zhen gritting his teeth in frustration.
These Ye family members, one after another, were so difficult to deal with.
"Moreover, if we can’t even cover our costs, the more we produce, the more we lose. People naturally seek profit and avoid harm—we might only supply the minimum required amount each year. But surely, the court hopes for as much tea as possible, doesn’t it?"
This remark struck right at the heart of the matter.
The price of the tea mattered little, as the court would resell it to the Great Jin at a markup. However, if the quantity fell short and failed to meet the Great Jin’s demand, the court’s leverage over them would diminish.
Defeated, Chen Zhen conceded helplessly, "Fine, then 370 wen per jin, with an annual supply of 150,000 to 250,000 jin. Is that acceptable?"
The price of 370 wen was the compromise Ye Chongming had offered under Chen Zhen’s pressure. Hearing this number, he glanced guiltily at his granddaughter, his eyes filled with remorse.
Seeing this, and recalling Ye Chongming’s earlier insistence on 380 wen, Chen Zhen deduced that 380 wen must be the Ye family’s cost price.
A loss of 10 wen per jin meant a total loss of 2,500 taels of silver for 250,000 jin of tea. For the Ye family, who profited from teas like Dragon Well, this was negligible. Yet, it was the maximum concession Chen Zhen could secure for the court.
Having spoken up, Ye Yaming did not hold back. She added, "370 wen is the cost price. The court must not impose additional taxes on us. Furthermore, our tea will be produced in Lin’an, Huizhou, and Minzhou. You will send people to collect it there—we will not handle transportation or cover the Tea Import Permit fees."
Had it not been for Ye Chongming’s guilty expression and Ye Yaming’s pointed threat, Chen Zhen might have haggled further. Now, convinced that the Ye family was operating at a loss and mindful of Ye Yaming’s warning, he saw no room to press further.
If he pushed the Ye family to the brink, causing a disruption in Dark Tea supply or insufficient quantities, he would not be a hero but a criminal.
He agreed readily, "Very well, it shall be as Miss Ye says."
Thus, the contract was signed.
After sealing the deal, Chen Zhen was eager to curry favor with the Ye family.
He said, "Since you are now doing business with the court, and this tea is destined for the Great Jin, I will petition the court to grant you the title of Imperial Merchant. However, while the court shows you favor, you must always prioritize the nation’s interests. Ensure the Dark Tea is produced to the highest standards—no shortcuts or negligence. If any submitted tea is found defective, it will be considered a grave crime, punishable by confiscation of property and execution."
Watching as Ye Hongchang and the others paled at his words, Ye Yaming cast a deep, thoughtful look at Chen Zhen.
This Lord Chen was indeed a master negotiator at the national level, skilled in manipulating people’s minds.
Had he made this statement before signing the contract, Ye Chongming and Ye Hongchang might have hesitated.
Ye Chongming, a man who valued stability above all, was averse to taking risks. This Dark Tea venture offered little profit but carried significant risks. Even with the carrot of "Imperial Merchant" dangled before him, he might not have agreed to the contract.Now that the contract has been signed and cannot be altered, Chen Zhen's words were enough to intimidate Ye Chongming and the others, ensuring they wouldn't dare cut corners on quality.
Impressive, truly impressive.
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