Chapter 93

Chapter 94: Expansion

With Cai Jing's rise to power and the promotion of the 'New Policies,' the granaries of the Song Dynasty were bursting at the seams. The Left Treasury was piled high with silver and copper coins, making the national treasury more prosperous than ever. Father had made a fortune, and he did it in a 'refined' manner. Just by changing the prime minister, he solved the financial crisis, a truly wise decision. As for the voices of the common people at the bottom, they never reached his ears, and even if they did, he would pretend not to know.

Zhao Cheng, the son, was naturally not to be outdone, but his actions were more aggressive. The implementation of the Fangtian Law increased the burden on small landlords and independent farmers, making them unwilling to farm. He immediately sent people to buy their land at fair prices, never taking advantage of their weakness. The increase in miscellaneous taxes forced many small and medium-sized workshops to close down. He promptly resolved the unemployment issue by hiring the laid-off workers in his own workshops. When merchants went bankrupt and sold their shops at reduced prices, Zhao Cheng, without hesitation, bought them if they were in good locations, changed the signs, and continued business.

After a few months of the New Policies, Zhao Cheng's land holdings increased by nearly 100,000 acres, and he had 2,000 tenant households. His workshops had to be expanded several times to accommodate the new craftsmen. He relied on his products' monopoly in the market, where demand always exceeded supply. With the money, Zhao Cheng diversified his business. He now had shops and taverns in Gongzhou, Yingzhou, Daming, and even in the capital, mainly selling products from his workshops. This made the former agents very unhappy. Zhao Cheng constantly thanked his father for the good policies. He had planned to send a trade mission abroad last year but lacked experienced personnel, so the plan remained on paper. Now, with a 'snap,' he bought three trade caravans and a fleet of ships, and everything was in place as if in a dream.

"Huang Bo, do you think that by acquiring so many businesses at once, I might attract too much attention and face impeachment from the censors?" Zhao Cheng asked, feeling a bit uneasy. The money he had spent, though not as much as his father's, was still quite noticeable.

"Hehe," Huang Jingchen laughed. "Your Highness, you worry too much. Cai Jing alone owns over 500,000 acres of land and shops all over the country. Even Zhang Shangying, who constantly advises the Emperor to be frugal, owns more than ten shops in the capital. Every official in the court is richer than you. Zhu Mian, who oversees the Southeast Supply Bureau, has so much land that it takes two days to walk from one end to the other. Not to mention the princes and dukes, none of whom have less land than you. You can rest assured!"

"Oh?!" Zhao Cheng nodded, thinking that compared to them, he was just a nouveau riche, not even ranking on the list of the wealthiest in the Song Dynasty.

"Your Highness, the money from the salt bills has been deposited in the treasury, and you've spent it all. Shouldn't I get my commission now?" Huang Jingchen moved closer and smiled.

"Sure!" Zhao Cheng agreed. Jianxi quickly brought over the ledger and then tactfully left, dismissing the two eunuchs on duty and standing a few steps away. When the two big shots were settling accounts, it was best to stay far away, who knew what secrets might be revealed.

"I invested a total of 200,000 guan. You collected 248,326 old salt bills and exchanged them for 140,000 new salt bills. The rest were exchanged for items from the Left Treasury, correct?" Zhao Cheng flipped through the ledger.

"Yes, the accounts are accurate!" Huang Jingchen nodded in agreement.

"Good, let's continue!" Zhao Cheng picked up the abacus and quickly reset the beads. "You sold 8,000 new salt bills at 6 guan each and 23,200 at 8 guan each, right?" Zhao Cheng checked each item with Huang Jingchen. "The items exchanged from the Left Treasury are worth 840,000 guan, correct?"

"Your Highness, the salt bills are correct, but the items from the Left Treasury were all discounted at 65%. They should be worth 1,000,000 guan. You can't calculate it this way!" Huang Jingchen immediately objected.

"How should we calculate it? I've already covered the expenses for bribing the officials. Also, why didn't you follow my instructions and sold the items privately? If you had waited until now, how much more could you have sold them for? The loss should be on you!" Zhao Cheng countered.

"I... I thought the price was high enough at the time. Who knew it would rise again!" Huang Jingchen said sheepishly. "Let's go with the price you mentioned!" He finally realized that the prince was not just letting him off the hook for the 'private sale' but was waiting for this moment. It was painful to think that if he had waited, the price could have risen by a third, a significant amount of money.

"Hmph, don't think you're the one losing out. I'm the one who's losing!" Zhao Cheng said, still calculating. "After deducting the 200,000 guan capital, the travel expenses, and the bribes, we have a net profit of 3,260,000 guan. You should get 650,200 guan. You've made a fortune this time!"

"Hehe, it's all thanks to Your Highness's generosity. If there's another opportunity like this, please don't forget me!" Huang Jingchen's eyes were almost closed with joy. He hadn't expected to make so much money, and he hadn't realized that the prince had almost made a profit with minimal investment.

"Huang Bo, I want to give you half of the profit. The rest will be used as shares in our taverns. I estimate we can earn 50,000 to 60,000 guan annually. This will also help legitimize the identities of Shunzi and the others. The remaining people can be placed in the trade caravans or set up shops at the border. With legal identities and steady income, they can live a peaceful life, no longer relying on your support. It's a way to repay them for their years of service to our household!" Zhao Cheng said seriously.

"Ah, Your Highness thinks so far ahead. Even if I'm gone one day, they can still live comfortably. I thank you on their behalf!" Huang Jingchen bowed.

"Huang Bo, there's no need for such formalities. We're like family, aren't we?" Zhao Cheng resumed his playful demeanor. "I think Shunzi is old enough to be sent out. Let Fengxi handle the incoming messages and training. The two gardeners can also help. They've been cooped up for years and are eager to do something."

After the autumn harvest, a new tavern, the Duck Tower, opened on Mabing Street in the capital. Although it was only a four-story building, it was not considered a large tavern in the capital. However, the signboard personally inscribed by Prime Minister Cai Jing added a lot of prestige. The interior design, reportedly supervised by palace craftsmen, was luxurious and unique, rivaling the grandeur of places like Fan Tower.

The main dish of the tavern, the hanging oven-roasted duck, was unique in the capital. The ducks were specially raised and roasted with fruitwood. More importantly, they served a special liquor supplied to the palace, served in custom-made glass cups. The clear, rich liquor paired with thinly sliced roasted duck, braised duck liver, heart, and feet, and a final bowl of duck broth, was a divine experience.

Of course, the prices were quite high. A duck that cost no more than 100 wen on the street could be sold for 5 guan here. With drinks and side dishes, a meal for four people would cost at least 20 guan. Despite this, the enthusiasm of the people in the capital was undeterred. The tavern had over 80 tables on three floors, and it was always full. To reserve a private room, one had to book five days in advance.

"Damn, I finally feel like a normal person!" In a spacious and elegant room on the fourth floor, Shunzi sighed. He was now the manager of the tavern, but he looked more like a hands-off boss. The daily operations were handled by the deputy manager, and few guests had ever seen him, let alone knew his true identity as the head of the Zhao Family's Beijing office.

Shunzi's real name was not Shunzi. He was originally a member of the Imperial City Office, which was responsible for various daily affairs in the palace, including security, gatekeeping, and cleaning. It also had intelligence and law enforcement functions, making it one of the two major intelligence agencies in the Song Dynasty.

Huang Jingchen had once been the deputy director of the Imperial City Office, overseeing intelligence work in Hebei, Hedong, and Shaanxi. Shunzi was one of his subordinates. After Huang Jingchen lost a power struggle in the palace, they were all marked as his people and were purged from the Imperial City Office. Without their special status, they were no longer protected by the law. They had committed many crimes, threatened officials, and conducted interrogations, making many enemies. Without their special status, no one would take them seriously, and they struggled to survive. Huang Jingchen, remembering their past, occasionally helped them, but he couldn't do much. Fortunately, the prince was a money magnet, always giving Huang Jingchen large sums of money under various pretenses, which allowed them to survive.