The Rise of the European Emperor

The world of children is very simple, not as complicated as the world of adults. Caesar had told many interesting fairy tales to little princess Margaret under the instigation of Marin before, so little princess Margaret had long regarded Caesar as a great good person.

It should be pointed out that there is a difference between a good person in the eyes of a little girl and a good person in the mouth of an adult woman. The good person in the mouth of an adult woman is hopeless who has been issued a good person card, but the good person in the eyes of a little girl is the kind who can "grow up and marry you".

Today, Caesar sends hundreds of beautiful purple satin dresses, which will surely increase Caesar's popularity with the little princess Margaret.

Also, it doesn't cost a lot. The little princess Margaret was only 10 years old, and her clothes were small in size, a pair of purple satin, and could make several dresses. 100 sets of purple skirts are only about 20 pieces of purple satin. Counting the processing fee, it's not much.

Of course, this is talking about the cost on Marin's side. Marin imported purple silk and satin from the Ming Dynasty for only 2 taels of silver, equivalent to 1.74 gold coins. Shipping to Europe will definitely cost no more than 5 gold coins. In addition, in order to meet the clothing requirements of Angela, Ferris and other women in the family, Malin specially selected young girls who are particularly talented in tailoring and cultivated them as royal tailors. Now, a few years later, these girls don't say they design their own clothes, at least they have done a good job of many princess dresses and lady dresses that Marin brought from later generations. There is a group of professional tailors at home, and the labor cost of making clothes for the little princess Margaret is not high, and it is very fast.

But in the market, purple satin skirts are very expensive. Silk and purple dyes are precious and rare in Europe, and Europe doesn't have as many costume designers as it does in later generations. If the purple satin skirts in the Marin Palace were circulated on the market, they would cost at least twenty or thirty gold coins each, and they were very expensive.

In England, although Marin also sent people to sell silk and porcelain a few times, very few purple silks were sold there, and they were basically eaten by the English royal family. Because, little princess Margaret likes purple very much. However, there are not many.

In fact, purple in the East was much cheaper than in the West in this era. Because European purple dyes, mainly derived from fuel extracted from a conch in the eastern Mediterranean, are very rare and precious. Until the advent of the synthetic dye aniline violet in the 19th century, purple was something that the royal family, the great aristocracy, and senior church officials in Europe could only afford to wear. Moreover, purple dye is certainly not used on "low" fabrics such as linen and wool, only on expensive silk.

But the ancient Chinese purple dye is much cheaper, because the ancient Chinese purple dye is extracted from a plant called comfrey. Although its printing and dyeing process is complicated (it needs to be fixed), the cost is indeed much cheaper than that of European purple dyes.

However, instead of importing purple silk in large quantities, Marin imported enough and then a little excess.

This is so because purple is too revered in Europe. If he looks at selling purple silk and satin to ordinary people, it may arouse the resentment of other royal families who respect wearing purple, as well as the top leaders of the church.

This is not difficult to understand. Now many members of the royal family in Europe, as well as high-level church leaders, are proud of wearing purple satin clothes. If Marin imported a large number of purple satin clothes, sold them to the wealthy commoners, and let the commoners wear purple satin clothes, it would be strange if the kings and archbishops who were proud of wearing purple silk clothes did not annoy Marin. Therefore, Marin can not dump purple silk in Europe, so as not to offend people for no reason.

However, there is nothing wrong with using purple silk as a barrier for weddings and sending purple satin clothes to little princess Margaret. Because after all, she is also a king now, and little princess Margaret is also the heir to the kingdom of England, and her identity is sufficient. As long as you don't sell purple satin clothes to ordinary people, you won't be hated at all.

Moreover, in the future, Marin intends to use purple satin as a gift for mutual gifts between monarchs. If there is a major event between the various royal families in Europe, it is also necessary to congratulate and give gifts to each other. For example, when the king or crown prince of a certain country gets married, and other countries whose relationship is good or at least not bad, they must send congratulatory gifts. Moreover, the delivery can not be shabby. Otherwise, you will be laughed at.

Sending too expensive gifts is too expensive. But it was too cheap, and people laughed at it. Therefore, this purple satin, which is not suitable for private sales, has become a very suitable gift.

This thing was only 2 taels of silver in the Ming Dynasty, and even if it was a high-end product in the Ming Dynasty, it was only 5 taels of silver. But in Europe, a piece of such purple satin costs at least 50 gold coins, and it is not even available. Marin sent 100 pieces of purple silk and satin as a gift, and the cost was only 200 taels of silver, but the market price in Europe was 5,000 gold coins. This gift is very precious no matter where it is placed. And, it's pretty fun.

In this way, Marin later became a madman who gave purple silk and satin. When a king or a feudal lord has a wedding, Marin will send 100 pieces of purple silk and satin over there, and give nothing else away. The cost is only a few hundred taels, but it is the most arrogant and dazzling gift among all the guests...

Especially on the birthdays of some princesses of small countries, in order to get purple silk and satin, they often deliberately invite the royal family of Beihai to a birthday party. But not every princess is eligible for Beihai Kingdom to send someone there, so in many cases, it's just a matter of courtesy. But those princesses didn't care either, because Beihai Kingdom would send 50 pieces of purple silk and satin as a gift, even for a low-level celebration like a birthday banquet. Exactly, can be used to make beautiful clothes...

Those small vassal states, whose economic conditions were not very good, could not afford such expensive purple silk. Moreover, even if you can afford it, there is no market for it. Because, purple dye is too scarce. Therefore, many princesses of small vassal states invited Prince Caesar and William of the North Sea to attend the birthday party to deceive purple silk. Anyway, whether the two princes come or not, 50 pieces of purple satin will also be sent. In the words of those princesses - it doesn't matter whether people come or not, the gift of purple satin must come...

Marin knew this, but he was also amused. Because, this thing was only 2 taels of silver in the Ming Dynasty. Ordinary landlord families can afford it, let alone local tyrants.

In the early Ming Dynasty, because of Zhu Yuanzhang's strict rules, maybe small families were not allowed to wear purple clothes. Even the sons of merchants were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. But in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the rules were relaxed a lot. Businessmen's children can also participate in the imperial examinations, and ordinary small households can also wear purple clothes. Right now is the middle of the Ming Dynasty, when the rules began to relax, purple clothes have begun to enter thousands of households, and they are easy to buy in the market.

Like the purple satin that Marin gave to various royal families and princesses as a gift, it was actually a popular commodity worn by ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty market. However, in Europe, it has become a very popular luxury. Moreover, there is actually a princess who has the idea of ​​​​playing it, which is really dumbfounding.

In fact, the price of 50 pieces of purple satin in the Ming Dynasty was only 100 taels. And what is 100 taels of silver? Liu Jin received the gift, and he couldn't get it without 10,000 taels of silver. Of course, on the bright side, the Ming Dynasty magistrate's annual salary was only 45 taels of silver. Therefore, 100 taels is actually quite a lot in this era. However, it is too shabby to use as a gift between countries.

But considering the high price and scarcity of European purple silk, 100 or 50 pieces of purple satin can be considered a great gift...

Therefore, later, the royal families in Europe liked to invite the royal family of Beihai to participate in their various celebrations and banquets, not for anything else, but for the purple silk and satin that the kingdom of Beihai sent. And Marin, who was also privately named "Europe's most popular gift giver"...