Chapter 94: Recalling the VIP system in Jiangnan and the slave system in the Ming Dynasty
"How is Yi Jiangnan's situation?"

In Yuexiang Tower, Zhu Gang, who was dressed in a casual robe, looked at Chang Mao beside him and asked softly.

"That's great. I'm really making a fortune every day, and I estimate that I'll be able to make a profit in another month."

Chang Mao rubbed his hands and smiled without even thinking.

Originally, Chang Mao was still skeptical about whether Yi Jiangnan could make money.

After all, Zhu Gang is already an all-rounder who is proficient in both civil and military affairs. If he could also do business, that would be a bit too scary.

But who could have imagined that the sudden emergence of Recalling Jiangnan would attract so many writers and poets to praise it.

Especially the Huaixi nobles and the second generation Huaixi descendants, who would come more than fifteen times a month.

This made Chang Mao's eyes widen, and he admired Zhu Gang from the bottom of his heart.

"It will take another month. I can't wait."

Hearing this, Zhu Gang shook his head and said, "Chang Mao, change the business model."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Chang Mao didn't understand what Zhu Gang meant.

"Apply for a card."

The corners of Zhu Gang's mouth curled up slightly.

"Apply for a card?"

Chang Mao scratched his head, still not understanding.

"We have set up a VIP system. Guests can become VIP guests of Yi Jiangnan by paying in advance."

"At the same time, the honored guests and VIPs are established."

"A deposit of more than 1,000 guan is considered a VIP."

"A deposit of more than 3,000 guan is considered a distinguished guest."

Zhu Gang thought about it and then looked at Chang Maodao.

"To put it simply, it is a privilege, but this privilege is limited to Yi Jiangnan."

"It's similar to the imperial court's iron scroll of immunity from death, which can save you from death in the Ming Dynasty. But if you go to the Northern Yuan Dynasty, will this iron scroll of immunity from death still be useful?"

Seeing that Chang Mao was still full of doubts, Zhu Gang paused and spoke again.

"Of course it's useless."

Chang Mao showed an expression of sudden enlightenment, and then looked at Zhu Gang and thought: "I think I understand a little bit of what you mean. It's like comparing the court to Yijiangnan, and my father is the VIP of the court."

"clever."

Zhu Gang gave a thumbs up.

"As for distinguished guests and VIPs, if it were the court, it would be like distinguishing between earls and dukes, right?"

Chang Mao was still thinking.

"Yes."

Zhu Gang looked at Chang Mao, who had learned something from his experience, and nodded slightly.

But a sense of emotion also arose in my heart.

As expected, the ancients were limited by the limitations of their thinking, but that doesn’t mean they were not smart.

However, in ancient feudal dynasties, power was supreme, and except for the emperor himself, even the royal family members were full of respect towards the court.

So it’s normal that no one dares to think about it in this regard.

"What should be given to distinguished guests and VIPs?"

Chang Mao, who had figured it out, looked at Zhu Gang and asked.

To put it bluntly, the first condition for obtaining a title from the court is to make meritorious contributions. If you have made outstanding contributions, you can be awarded a title of nobility and enjoy the privileges granted by the court.

However, this privilege only exists in the Ming Dynasty, so outside the Ming Dynasty, this privilege will no longer have any effect.

For example, Emperor Qinzong and Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty.

As for Yi Jiangnan, it means using silver to exchange for privileges, but these privileges are limited to Yi Jiangnan.

However, in the imperial court system, dukes, marquises and earls all had corresponding privileges in descending order.

Therefore, distinguished guests and VIPs of Yijiangnan will have corresponding privileges.

After all, they spend more money, so why not have greater privileges?
"Discount."

Zhu Gang still smiled.

"Discount?"

Chang Mao immediately looked at Zhu Gang with some dissatisfaction and said, "Third Brother, can't you tell me something that I can understand?"

"I want to ask you, if there is a disaster, will the price of food soar?"

Faced with Chang Mao's dissatisfaction, Zhu Gang thought about it and then asked.

"This is natural. When disaster strikes, merchants will hoard food in large quantities in order to make huge profits."

Chang Mao immediately rolled his eyes.

"Then let me ask you again, in a year of great harvest, will the price of grain fall?"

Zhu Gang nodded and asked again.

“It will definitely fall.”

Chang Mao still said without thinking.

"Well, that's pretty much what a discount means."

"For example, in a year of great harvest, the price of grain plummets, and the grain merchants will lower their prices. For example, anyone who buys grain from my store can get three cents less for each stone."

"Once the news came out, neighboring villages followed suit, and although the profit per shi of grain was slightly reduced."

"But the sales volume was so large that the final profit was more than before the price reduction. I call this the 'small profits but quick turnover' approach."

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Gang looked at Chang Mao and said, "It means a discount."

"As for the discounts, the highest is 10% and the lowest is 10%."

"Well, let me explain it to you this way. It's like you go to buy a stone of grain, which costs one kan of money, but this grain store is offering a 10% discount today."

"So the boss only charges nine dou of money and can give you one shi of grain, and this is a 10% discount."

After a pause, Zhu Gang explained to Chang Mao again.

"You mean, a hundred taels of silver with a 10% discount, that is ninety taels."

"If we give you 20% off, 80 taels can be used as 100 taels, and 70% off. Then we can reduce the amount in order?"

Chang Mao thought about it and understood Zhu Gang's meaning, then he spoke.

"Yes."

Zhu Gang nodded.

"Then you have to teach the accountants, otherwise, others really won't understand."

Chang Mao spread out his hands.

"I will ask the accountant in your house to go there in a few days."

Zhu Gang didn't expect Chang Mao to fully understand it, so he nodded.

“How should it be implemented?”

Chang Mao asked again.

"One thousand guan to become a VIP of Yi Jiangnan, enjoy a 10% discount."

"Three thousand yuan to become the distinguished guest of Yi Jiangnan, enjoy a 30% discount."

“And enjoy exclusive services of Yi Jiangnan, such as priority, customized herbal formulas, private rooms and other VIP services.”

"Another idea is to set up a points system. For every dollar you spend, you can get 1,000 points, which can be used to redeem services and gifts."

"Furthermore, during festivals or on guests' birthdays, Yi Jiangnan will also offer special gifts to meet the needs of guests."

Zhu Gang immediately handed over the VIP system to Chang Mao, which stunned Chang Mao.

But subconsciously, Chang Mao felt that Zhu Gang was right. Although it would be a bit troublesome to implement, it was not a big deal.

After all, doing business is like fighting a war, and winning a war is not that easy, so Chang Mao is never afraid of trouble.

And as long as you can survive this trouble, that will be a lot of money.

"By the way, Third Brother, can I use this VIP system you mentioned in other places besides Yi Jiangnan?"

Chang Mao looked at Zhu Gang thoughtfully again and said, "As long as you dare to think, this VIP system can be used anywhere."

Zhu Gang patted Chang Mao's shoulder gently and smiled.

"Then we need to implement it quickly and figure it out as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Chang Mao's eyes suddenly brightened.

"Well, Yi Jiangnan already has a stable customer base, so launching this VIP system at this time will definitely make a lot of money."

"We can use the money we earn to do something else. Our business will grow like a snowball, and we will earn more and more."

The smile on Zhu Gang's face widened.

"However, Yingtian Prefecture has also shown signs of wanting to get a piece of the pie recently."

But unlike Zhu Gang's smile, Chang Mao looked at Zhu Gang with a gloomy face and said, "Do you want me to come out and scare them? Let them know that if they taste this bowl of soup, their teeth will break."

As he spoke, Chang Mao revealed his side as the top playboy in Yingtian Prefecture.

"No need."

In response, Zhu Gang waved his hand and said with a smile: "They are jealous and of course they want to join the party, so let's give them a share. But whether they can eat it or not has nothing to do with me."

"That's right. Behind Yi Jiangnan are you and your brother-in-law. The furnishings in it, even the cheapest calligraphy and paintings, are priceless."

"And this is not something you can have just by having money."

Chang Mao then smiled as if he suddenly understood.

Why can "Remembering Jiangnan" attract so many literati, nobles and ministers?

Firstly, the woman had a good appearance, skilled massage technique, and was an expert in tea and music.

Secondly, among the treasures in Memories of Jiangnan, there are mostly calligraphy and paintings, and their value is inestimable, so they can only be viewed and not touched easily to avoid damaging the treasures.

Thirdly, the rules are strict. You can only do massage. If you have other ideas, please go somewhere else. As for who dares not follow the rules, Yi Jiangnan will make him understand what the rules are!

And to this day, no one has dared to challenge Yi Jiangnan’s rules.

After all, they are not stupid, and just based on these priceless calligraphy and painting treasures, they can understand that there is definitely a huge background behind Yi Jiangnan.

Then there are the rules. If you were an ordinary businessman, how could you dare to set such strict rules?
That's why he can behave himself and not act rashly in Yi Jiangnan.

As for Yingtian Prefecture building another Yijiangnan?

Even if ordinary businessmen really want to do this, they have to consider their own weight.

Is it possible to find so many rare treasures, and do you dare to show them to people?

Therefore, from the beginning to the end, Zhu Gang was not worried at all that someone could reproduce Memories of Jiangnan.

"By the way, why did you suddenly come to the brothel today?"

Afterwards, Chang Mao looked at Zhu Gang curiously and asked.

"Could it be that you're a little lonely because you haven't gotten married yet?"

As he spoke, Chang Mao looked at Zhu Gang again and narrowed his eyes.

"To extort some money."

Facing Chang Mao's vulgarity, Zhu Gang picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip and said.

"blackmail?"

Chang Mao looked around, then stared at Zhu Gang with wide eyes and said, "Are you blackmailing even this brothel?"

"Ah."

In response, Zhu Gang nodded slightly.

The prostitute from Yuexianglou cheated Ma Nanshan of his money and then disappeared without a trace.

With Ma Nanshan's rough personality, he naturally wouldn't think too much, but Zhu Gang was different. He had been a thoughtful person since he was a child and thought more than ordinary people.

Moreover, it is not so easy to take away this money from the court.

So no matter whether Yuexianglou swallowed up the money or the prostitute really took the money and ran away.

Zhu Gang would hold Yuexianglou responsible for this matter.

What's more, how could a prostitute who had been defiled by slavery run away?

Under the household registration system of the Ming Dynasty, prostitutes were classified as entertainment households, also known as lowly households, and their status was often hereditary.

That is to say, once a person is classified as a musician, his descendants and blood relatives will also follow the same household registration, and it will be difficult for them to make a breakthrough.

After all, they were relegated to the status of a slave, so not only could they not take part in the imperial examinations, but even their human rights were sometimes deprived and restricted.

So this system is really unreasonable, and Zhu Gang has made up his mind to find a suitable time to have a good talk with Zhu Yuanzhang about the household registration system.

"Third Master."

At this moment, a voice sounded from the door.

"come in."

Zhu Gang put down the teacup and said softly.

After that, the door of the wing room was slowly pushed open, and Mao Xiang, dressed in a Feiyu suit, walked into the wing room and knelt on one knee in front of Zhu Gang. He said, "Third Master, the commander has asked the Jinyiwei to surround Yuexiang Tower."

"Yes. Go and clear the area. Get all the outsiders out."

Hearing this, Zhu Gang glanced at Mao Xiang and waved his hand gently.

"As ordered."

Mao Xiang took the order and withdrew.

"Chang Mao, keep an eye on him."

Just looking at Mao Xiang's back, Zhu Gang slowly turned his head and looked at Chang Mao and said softly.

"Understood."

Chang Mao's heart trembled, and he clasped his fists in a serious manner.

After a while, the Yuexiang Tower, which had been a little noisy, became quiet, and Zhu Gang slowly stood up and walked out of the room.

In the lobby of Yuexiang Tower, the atmosphere was solemn. Amid the mottled light and shadow, dozens of Jinyiwei stood tall, each with a straight posture and a cold and sharp embroidered spring sword on their waist.

Their faces were calm and their eyes were as sharp as hawks, revealing a coldness that should not be underestimated, as if the air around them had suddenly cooled down because of their presence.

There was an invisible sense of oppression in the hall.

Even the slightest sound is infinitely amplified in this solemn environment.

In this tense atmosphere, the daily scene in Yuexianglou seems particularly abrupt.

The prostitutes were either heavily made-up or simply beautiful, but at this moment they had all put away their usual sweet smiles and charm. Their expressions varied, some were frightened and uneasy, while others were trying to remain calm.

Even the guys were trembling with fear, kneeling on the side, at a loss, obviously frightened by the sudden scene.

As for the madam, she could not hide the panic on her face. Although she tried hard to maintain her composure on the surface, her eyes flickered from time to time, and she was quickly thinking in her mind, whether she had offended some powerful person.
"Third Master."

It was not until Zhu Gang and Chang Mao stepped down the stairs that Mao Xiang quickly walked over and bowed, saying, "Everyone from Yuexiang Tower is here."

"Ah."

Zhu Gang looked around and then looked at Mao Xiang and asked, "Do you have any banknotes on you?"

"Have."

Mao Xiang quickly took out a small stack of banknotes from his pocket and handed it over respectfully, saying, "There are probably several dozen strings of cash. If Third Master doesn't need them, you can bid for more."

"Commander Mao, that's not necessary."

Without waiting for Zhu Gang to speak, Chang Mao stepped forward and pushed the banknotes in Mao Xiang's hand back. Then he turned to look at Zhu Gang, took out a thick stack of banknotes from his pocket and stuffed them into Zhu Gang's hand.

"Ah."

After Zhu Gang received the banknotes, he sat down in front of the madam of Yuexianglou, threw the banknotes on the table and said, "I am drinking tea in Yuexianglou, and I don't know how much I should pay you, so just pay as you like."

"I dare not! It is a great honor for Yuexianglou to have you visit us. How can we accept your money?"

The madam's face froze for a moment, and she quickly knelt down, her voice full of respect.

Just by lowering his eyes, he was already filled with panic!

"solitary!"

In this world, anyone who can claim to be alone is the only one. Thinking of this, the old procuress trembled again and buried her head even lower.

"I want to ask you, where is the girl that Ma Nanshan likes?"

Zhu Gang's leisurely voice sounded again.

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere became even more tense!
(End of this chapter)