Chapter 82

Chapter 83: A Big Deal

As the third year of the Daguan era drew to a close and the New Year approached, the Empress had recently passed away, and the Zhao family decided to keep the Spring Festival celebrations simple, without the usual decorations and extravagant purchases. However, the servants' wages, bonuses, and benefits were more generous than the previous year. Despite this, they all had a lingering sense of worry. Since the Prince returned from the capital, he had fallen seriously ill, and they had not seen the cheerful young Prince for a long time. They only occasionally heard from the inner courtyard that the Prince's condition was fluctuating, and he rarely went out.

In the fourth year of the Daguan era, the servants finally saw the Prince, but only briefly. The first time was during the ancestral worship, when they saw the Prince's pale face and emaciated figure, confirming the rumors that he was indeed unwell. The second time was when the imperial envoy from the capital delivered an edict. Only then did the servants learn why the Prince's health had deteriorated. They heard about his misfortunes in the capital, but there was also good news. Although the Prince was penalized with a year's loss of salary for disobeying the imperial edict, he was appointed as the Governor of the Dingguo Army. Huang Jingchen was promoted to the Chief of the Inner Service and given the title of Palace Envoy. Jianxi, who accompanied the Prince to the capital, was promoted to the Head of the Inner Service, while the guards Pan Long and Xue Bao were appointed as Eighth-Rank Military Commanders, and the rest were made Eighth-Rank Junior Commanders, all receiving official positions.

Although Zhao Cheng's health was poor, his mind remained active. Despite the substantial investments made last year, the household still had a surplus of nearly 500,000 strings of cash, with the wine shop alone contributing 300,000 strings of cash in net income. The workshops, though not profitable, had been fully operational and expanded. The greenhouse vegetables had increased their planting area and generated over 100,000 strings of cash in revenue, making the land rent of several thousand strings of cash seem insignificant in comparison.

As for how much the glass workshop earned, he did not say, and no one dared to ask. However, everyone noticed that Chief Manager Huang Jingchen had become much more generous, frequently visiting relatives and friends. Whenever there was a wedding, a birth, or a death in the families of the officials, he would contribute a share. The old acquaintances in the palace used to say that Tong Guan was generous and extravagant, but now they praised Huang Jingchen for being wealthy yet unselfish, always willing to help. Even a small tip was a large silver ingot of five taels. He would not return from the capital without spending at least 20,000 to 30,000 strings of cash!

As soon as the Spring Festival was over, he assigned tasks for the year to the managers. The main focus was on expanding the workshops, adding an iron smeltery and a textile factory, and building several water wheels to partially mechanize the operations, aiming to produce 5,000 agricultural machines, 20,000 pounds of refined steel, and 10,000 bolts of cloth annually. He also planned to vigorously develop livestock farming, aiming to have over 10,000 pigs, chickens, and ducks by the end of the year. He emphasized strengthening the local militia, training the estate guards during the off-season, and recruiting and training commercial talent to establish his own shops.

While Zhao Cheng was busy with his projects, the court was also bustling. In the fourth year of the Daguan era, the capital region experienced a prolonged drought and the appearance of a comet, which prompted the ministers to once again collectively impeach Cai Jing. In May, the censor Zhang Kegong submitted dozens of memorials, accusing Cai Jing of wielding power arbitrarily and causing widespread discontent over his eight years in office. He listed dozens of charges of disloyalty and misconduct. The Chief Censor Shi Gongbi also impeached Cai Jing for his crimes. The censor Mao Zhu accused Cai Jing of deep-seated evil, stating that even after his dismissal and retirement, he continued to abuse his privileges and commit crimes in the capital, leading to divine and public condemnation. He urged the Emperor to expel Cai Jing from the capital to appease the people and avert disaster.

Under pressure from public opinion and the celestial and natural disasters, Emperor Huizong reluctantly ordered Cai Jing's exile to Hangzhou. He appointed Zhang Shangying as the Left Chancellor. Strangely, on the night of his appointment, the comet disappeared, and the next day, the capital received much-needed rain. The Emperor was delighted and personally wrote the characters "Shang Lin" (Prosperous Rain) and bestowed them upon Zhang Shangying, changing the next year's era name to Zhenghe.

Upon taking office, Zhang Shangying was determined to serve the Emperor loyally and leave a good name in history. He wrote a poem to express his sentiments:

"Virtuous governance harmonizes with the Dao,

The imperial edict allows me to resign my cap.

My loyal heart hangs in the imperial court,

The annals shine brightly in the Jade Wall.

In my later years, I warm to the company of the wise,

In my old age, I worry about the world, cold as the valley.

The peace of the realm is a mirror,

The younger generation looks up to me with admiration."

Knowing that the people hated Cai Jing, Zhang Shangying firmly corrected his policies. He changed the currency from ten coins to three, making it unprofitable for private minting. He restored the salt voucher system of Emperor Shenzong, with the government buying and transporting salt in the six southeastern regions. He revived the transfer warehouse system to make the grain transport more efficient. He regulated the methods of purchasing, exchange, and relocation to reduce the tax burden on the people. He also advised the Emperor to emulate Emperors Taizong and Shenzong, avoiding grand palace construction and extravagance, and setting an example of frugality.

The political struggles between the old and new factions, and within the new faction, had lasted for over forty years, with shifting alliances and complex dynamics, truly stirring the hearts of people. Officials, feeling uncertain about their futures in the political whirlpool, learned to adapt and follow the wind. They knew that He Zhizhong and Zheng Juzhong were the Emperor's confidants and acted with impunity, while Zhang Shangying had no political backing, no faction, and lacked political acumen. Who would be willing to work hard for him? Moreover, Cai Jing had spent years building a network of officials, and they all feared his return, so they were reluctant to push Zhang Shangying's reforms too far.

Time flew by, and the year quickly passed. Zhao Cheng's business grew even more, and he took full advantage of Zhang Shangying's favorable policies to achieve the goals set at the beginning of the year. He built a tavern and inn by the dock, which had transformed from a small to a large port. Although it was not bustling with merchants, there was a steady flow of ships, and the silk, agricultural machinery, livestock, and distilled spirits from the Zhao family attracted many traders. The low taxes further drew merchants to conduct business there, forming a wholesale market. Zhao Cheng had already decided to launch a real estate project to build shops and warehouses to meet the growing demand.

As May approached and the weather grew warmer, Zhao Cheng's health had long since recovered, but he still rarely went out. He spent his days either reading books in his room or practicing martial arts in the rear training ground. He had grown taller and stronger, and he could easily draw a stone bow.

"Prince, take a break, you're making me dizzy!" Huang Jingchen shouted, watching Zhao Cheng jump and flip on a bed made of ox sinew.

"Ah, Uncle Huang, are you feeling weak or low on sugar? I'll have Doctor Wang get you some ginseng tomorrow!" Zhao Cheng jumped a few more times, then did a somersault and landed in front of Huang Jingchen.

"Prince, I'm old and my eyesight is failing. What do you mean by low sugar?" Huang Jingchen wiped the sweat from Zhao Cheng's face with a silk handkerchief.

"That's hard to explain. You look so healthy, maybe you ate too well during your trip back to the capital and your blood pressure is high!" Zhao Cheng said, drinking a large cup of cooled tea.

"What are you talking about? Prince, I can't understand you anymore!" Huang Jingchen shook his head in exasperation.

"Uncle Huang, there's a chance to make a fortune. Do you want to do it? We'll split it 20-80, I'll provide the capital, and you'll do the work. How about it?" Zhao Cheng stopped teasing Huang Jingchen, sat down, and fanned himself.

"I need to know what the deal is first. Last time, I sold a set of cups and only made less than 10,000 strings of cash, but you sold them to me for 100,000 strings of cash. I did all the legwork for nothing!" Huang Jingchen, now familiar with business, replied.

"Tsk, Uncle Huang, you can't even see 10,000 strings of cash anymore. When I gave you 5,000 strings of cash, you were over the moon!" Zhao Cheng pouted.

"Ha, I didn't know you could make so much money back then. Last year, the workshops alone earned nearly a million strings of cash, plus the wine shop's share, the smelly feed mill, and the livestock you sold. You made a fortune, and I only got a tiny bit!" Huang Jingchen said, lifting his finger.

"Uncle Huang, be content. As Chief of the Inner Service, your monthly salary is only 30 strings of cash, but I give you at least 100,000 strings of cash in public expenses every year. Do you want to do this deal or not? If not, I'll find someone else!" Zhao Cheng said dismissively. The two of them were more like old friends than master and servant.

"Alright, I'll do it, but you can't cheat me and make me do all the work!" Huang Jingchen blushed, knowing that although he was Chief of the Inner Service, it was only a nominal position with no real power, and he relied on the Prince to maintain his connections in the capital.

"Deal, it's a big deal, and you'll get at least 100,000 strings of cash!" Zhao Cheng leaned in and whispered, "Old Zhang is about to step down, and we'll take this opportunity to make a fortune!"

"How do you know Zhang Tianjue is stepping down?" Huang Jingchen was surprised, as he had just returned from the capital and had not heard this news.

"How do you think I know? You don't understand!" Zhao Cheng rolled his eyes.

"Right, right!" Huang Jingchen immediately understood. The Prince had received guidance from a sage and could foresee the future. "But Zhang Tianjue's performance in office has been average. He shouldn't step down so quickly, right?"

"Uncle Huang, what do you think of Old Zhang?" Zhao Cheng asked.

Huang Jingchen thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Shangying has high aspirations but lacks depth. He is ambitious and underqualified, looking down on his colleagues and acting as if he is the only one capable. Though eloquent, he is prone to empty talk and lacks strategy. He is like a cannon, revealing his plans to his colleagues before new policies are implemented, giving his opponents ample time to obstruct and sabotage, making his work very difficult."

"Right," Huang Jingchen, who had often engaged in underhanded dealings, added, "Another issue is his poor interpersonal skills, which have strained his relationships with his colleagues. The six chancellors in the Secretariat, though incompetent, are the Emperor's confidants, especially Left Chancellor He Zhizhong and Chief of the Military Council Zheng Juzhong. They are skilled at jealousy and framing others. They wanted to remove Cai Jing and share the chancellorship, but now Zhang Shangying has taken the position, and they are furious. Zhang Tianjue's policies, such as restoring the salt voucher system of the Xining and Yuanfeng eras, have caused significant losses to the Zheng family's voucher shops and the He family's salt business. They won't let him off easily."

"Uncle Huang is right. The main issue is that he doesn't know how to make money!" Zhao Cheng said, rubbing his fingers.

"Prince, are you planning to help Zhang Tianjue make money to secure his position?" Huang Jingchen perked up, realizing this could be a huge deal.

"Ah, Old Zhang is a man of principle. He wouldn't collude with us to make money. Besides, colluding with officials is a serious crime. I'm not ready to die yet. We can't help him!" Zhao Cheng shook his head.

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