Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

In the early morning, not long after Li Tai got up, he heard constant noise from the front hall.

When he walked over to take a look, he suddenly saw his father-in-law, Dugu Xin, walking around the courtyard with his hands behind his back, surrounded by a crowd of people. From time to time, he raised his hand and pointed at some buildings in the courtyard.

"How can we use pine wood for the porch of this front yard? Pine wood is easy to scratch and crack, and the wood is dry and not moist. If there is a slight amount of rain, it will deform and become decayed. We will tear it down, tear it down! Replace it with nanmu and build it again..."

Dugu Xin pointed at the corridor and pronounced his fate, and the entourage behind him quickly nodded in agreement, and separated several craftsmen from the team, immediately rolling up their sleeves and preparing to start the demolition work.

Li Tai was a little surprised when he saw this scene. He hurriedly stepped forward and said, "My father-in-law is going to..."

Dugu Xin ignored him at all, and just waved his hand to signal him to go aside and not stand here to block his sight. He then walked towards a building that looked like a turret and looked at it: "This pavilion is also going to be demolished, so we need to choose the materials. Create something new in the same place!”

When Li Tai saw this, he was really speechless. What do you mean by bringing people to demolish my house?

But when he saw that Dugu Xin ignored him completely, like a selfless demolition director, he kept demarcating the areas that needed to be demolished and rebuilt in the courtyard. He also understood that he might not be able to persuade him anymore, so he could only let it go, so he simply Went back to the room to have breakfast.

After breakfast here, Li Tai heard banging sounds coming from various places in the front yard. It seemed that the father-in-law would not stop until he demolished the house into a mess.

While sighing in his heart that his father-in-law was so strong on this issue, he walked into the central hall. Before he could sit down, Dugu Xin also walked in and quickly glanced around the hall. His eyes quickly changed. Lock the main beam in the nave.

When Li Tai saw this, he hurriedly said: "These beams are thick and large, and they are more than enough to carry the hall. If we want to replace it, the entire nave will have to be demolished and rebuilt. Even if we spare no effort, if the construction period delays the ceremony, It’s not beautiful either!”

In ancient times, the most important building in a house was the nave. It was the main place for family members to gather and receive guests and other daily activities. It was also the facade of the house, so it was often the most expensive and occupied half of the entire house. Even more construction costs.

The most important thing in the nave is naturally the beam. The more grand the hall, the thicker and tougher the beams are, and the higher the price.

The wood itself is already precious and hard to find. It also has to go through various processes such as fumigation, dipping with oil and paint, and the most important transportation cost, making every piece of wood that can be used as a beam expensive. It is not just an adjective. Or a quantifier.

Taking advantage of his position, Dugu Xin was the largest timber cargo owner between Guanlong and Guanlong. Even if he didn't personally inquire about it, he knew all about it. After all, they are the first generation who have worked hard to gain prominence. Of course, they will not completely break away from the understanding and management of the industry.

That's why he belittled and criticized the various buildings in the house after he moved in. This was not just looking for trouble. The various problems may not be as big as he said, but they did exist.

Hearing what Li Tai said, Dugu Xin raised his head again and looked at the beam for a few times, and then slowly withdrew his gaze.

The layout of this nave building is already very impressive. Naturally, Dugu Xin cannot allow himself to tear down the new one and build a new one that is smaller than the original one. However, this level of aniseed wood also needs to be searched carefully, and it will take a lot of time to find suitable ones. It took a lot of time and effort to transport it to Beijing, and it was very likely that a few months would pass. It's not a big deal if you delay your residence, but it's not good if you delay your marriage.

After no longer planning to demolish the house, Dugu Xin looked at Li Tai again. After a moment, he frowned and said, "Why are you still here?"

If I'm not here, where should I be?

Li Tai was even more speechless when he heard this, but he really had to go out today, so he said to Dugu Xin: "Just leave the garden repairs to others. When my father-in-law returns to China, there will probably be many admirers competing for it." When you visit, you really don’t have to get stuck on these trivial matters..."

Dugu Xin waved his hands impatiently and said: "They are all boring things, you can see them or not. You can do whatever you have to do, and there is no need to come here again in the near future. It is inevitable to be noisy when it is old and new. It is not too late to go back after the repairs are completed."

"I don't often stay in the capital. This residence will probably be idle in the future, so there is no need for extravagant decorations with many goods."

Li Tai was not a person who liked extravagance and waste. He was worried that Dugu Xin would be extravagant and wasteful because of his grudge, so he spoke again.

When Dugu Xin heard this, he glared and snorted: "Even if you don't live here forever, the house is always crowded with guests before and after weddings. Isn't it a courtesy to welcome guests in a humble house? You don't need to worry about it right now. After you get married, you don’t have to worry about running out of money. If you spend half your life’s savings on things and don’t pay them to your children, who will leave the money?”

Although his tone was unkind, the meaning he conveyed was heart-warming. If Li Tairuo said anything more, he would be a bit ignorant, so he thanked his father-in-law who personally supervised the decoration of his new house. people, and then went out with a group of soldiers.

As the New Year is approaching, the city of Chang'an is becoming more and more lively, especially when it successfully resisted the attack from the Eastern Wei army not long ago, making this New Year even more joyful and peaceful. There are already many personnel arrangements in the streets and alleys to celebrate the festival.

Li Tai and his party walked through the houses for more than a quarter of an hour before arriving at a residential area surrounded by high walls.

It is said that this place used to be the Jingzhao mansion in a certain period. Later, the government moved to another place, and this area of ​​government buildings was gradually occupied by private households in Beijing and became residences.

Originally, the tall walls of the government office surrounded this place into a relatively independent space, separated from the surrounding huts with mixed fish and dragons. It looked a lot like the self-contained space in Chang'an City in the future.

When Li Tai was about to get married, his eldest brother Yu Wentai directly gave him a wedding room, while his father-in-law Dugu Xin, who was unwilling to be left behind, took care of the decoration himself, without him having to worry about it at all.

But his little brother Li Licheng is not as protected as him. He is about to get married, but his cousin Li Tai needs to help with some things.

Li Tai had previously arranged for Li Licheng to buy a mansion in Chang'an City, so he chose this area. There are also many courtiers and dignitaries living in this area, and they even have to conduct an inspection when entering, which shows that the public security situation is good.

When Li Tai arrived at the new house, Li Licheng, Prince Feng Yi's son Yuan Heng and several other young people from the capital were standing here waiting, and together they welcomed Li Tai into the house in a noisy manner.

"We are almost married and moving in, why is it still so messy? This courtyard is still a bit cramped."

After Li Tai entered the house, he scanned it and pointed at some debris accumulated in the courtyard and frowned. In fact, the house was well-kept, but his father-in-law had just picked on him, so he didn't like Li Licheng's somewhat ordinary house.

Li Licheng didn't care about this and just laughed and said: "It is already very rare to have walls and tiles to protect you from the wind and rain, and a building to gather with relatives and friends. Even though your big house is nice, Boshan, it was rewarded for your merits." Gift. Now that I only rely on your influence, I no longer need food, clothing or shelter. If I continue to be dissatisfied, how can I avoid being cast aside by the masses?"

He was content, but Li Tai was still a little dissatisfied after walking around the house. This mansion covers an area of ​​five or six acres, with more than ten halls and houses in front and back, which is more than enough to house twenty or thirty masters and servants.

But the biggest fear in everything is comparison. Compared with the mansion given to Li Taina by Daxingtai, this mansion is nothing compared to the mansion. Not to mention that my father-in-law, Duguxin, is still gearing up to make major renovations. I can imagine that the finished product will be even better. Gorgeous.

Although what Li Licheng said makes sense, outsiders don't see it that way. They are cousins ​​who are getting married not far away, so there must be a lot of overlap in the guests coming to congratulate them. If the gap between the two is so obvious, it is inevitable that there will be material disputes.

The family member responsible for this matter saw that Li Tai was just wandering around in the house with a frown on his face, and he quickly said: "There are many houses in Beijing, either occupied by people or kept by officials. There really aren’t many available to visit and buy…”

Today's Chang'an City is already quite small. After Xiaowu moved westward, a large number of Luoyang dignitaries and court officials followed him here, occupying a large area of ​​​​living area. There is indeed no good location to choose from.

"I know you are generous and righteous, Boshan, but I chose this house myself, so I don't have to blame my family. You have been outside Beijing for a long time, and you don't know how hard it is to make a living here. I am a single householder who enjoys this mansion of several acres. It is very well-off, but now there are still other relatives, friends, grandparents and grandchildren living together in the same house, and they don’t dare to grow up.”

Li Licheng spoke again, and Yuan Heng and others also spoke to express that what they said was true. Don't think that you are rewarded with a big house in Daxingtai, where you can drive and run horses, and think that the daily life of others is the same.

Apart from anything else, many members of the Yuan and Wei clans did not like the cramped and messy royal residences in the city, and preferred to live in the suburbs or even in Lishan Mountain for a long time.

Li Tai also understood in his heart that even if he was dissatisfied, there were only a few days before Li Licheng's wedding. It was difficult to find a suitable mansion and arrange it properly in a hurry, so he had no choice but to give up.

The layout of this mansion is like this, and it is difficult to change it, but there is still room for refinement in the details.

After Li Tai pondered for a while, he soon had an idea in his mind. He raised his hand and ordered the servant: "Go to Longshou Yuanzhuang quickly and attract the merchants who have arrived in Longbian recently."

In the first half of the year, Dugu Xin put down the rebellion in Liangzhou, and the unrest in Guazhou was calmed down by Linghu Zheng and other local nobles, making the trade routes smooth again.

Since ancient times, businessmen have been the most sensitive group. They will react immediately once they notice any disturbance, let alone such important news.

When Li Tai returned from Longyou before, he also made a series of preparations for this, and ordered Longshou Yuanzhuang to be prepared to handle Longyou's personnel. After that, he rushed to northern Shaanxi and crossed the Yellow River to fight, but the development of the situation in Longyou did not stop because of his departure.

When he was in Longyou, he used Li Xian's camel team to mobilize the people of Qinzhou to donate materials and materials to help the army, thereby obtaining the exclusive right to trade. Now that more than half a year has passed, although it is not enough for them to go to the countries in the Western Regions, but they can go to the river It is sufficient for trade returns to places like the Watermelon State.

When Duguxin entered the court this time, many business travelers who had returned from Hexi followed them to Guanzhong with their goods, and were immediately led to settle near Longshouyuan.

Li Tai came to Beijing not long ago, and he still had many things to be busy with, so he didn't have an in-depth understanding of this, but it can be guessed that these businessmen who are full of plans to make a fortune are probably going to be in trouble right now.

First of all, Chang'an's business environment still needs to be built, and there is no ready-made, stable and prosperous market, especially the luxury goods market. Secondly, the quality of Changan's customers is far inferior to that of Jinyang, and neither financial resources nor purchasing power have been fully activated and stimulated.

In short, any kind of consumption habits and needs need to be explored and cultivated. If you just rely on a novelty mentality, it will be really difficult to take money out of the hands of the powerful people in Chang'an City, so you still have to broaden their horizons first. , increase scene demand, etc., to stimulate their desire to buy.

Li Licheng's wedding is coming soon, so it will be difficult to change his home, but he can decorate it calmly and with great ingenuity, which can also give people a refreshing and lingering feeling. After feeling the changes in the living environment and improvement in the quality of life that these Western products have made, they will naturally become interested in them.

In the past few days, Li Licheng often wandered around Longshouyuan to choose the location for the construction of the amusement park. Of course, he had also seen the business travelers from Longbian and the treasures they carried. It cannot be said that he was not interested, but after hearing the price, he was Secretly smacking his tongue, he felt that these people must be crazy to value these things that are not suitable for food and clothing.

At this time, when he heard that Li Tai seemed to be purchasing a batch of goods from these merchants to enrich his family, Li Licheng was deeply moved, but he shook his head repeatedly and said that it was not necessary.

Li Tai is planning to turn Li Licheng's wedding into a live broadcast. If the effect is good, he will be able to have such a wedding at his own wedding next year. Even if these factors are not considered, who doesn’t want their wedding to be dignified and beautiful?

"Don't worry, Xiao Xie. These merchants are all coming to me. Now that I have a request for them, they will try their best to complete it. There is no need to use up their resources."

Li Tai said to Li Licheng with a smile, and immediately went into the hall with them to wait.

Not long after, there was a commotion outside the door, and many businessmen from Longyou entered the house one after another. After seeing Li Tai in the hall, they hurriedly came in to say hello. Among these people, there was Linghu Yanbao.

I've been having a stomachache and diarrhea for the past two days. I'm going to update a chapter today. I hope everyone is in good health. . .