Chapter 514: The Ascent Card, Warmth

The upheaval at the eunuch residence had far-reaching effects, but for most merchants, despite the shock, making money remained the priority. Coming all the way to Xuanfu in such cold weather, they surely couldn’t just spend money without achieving anything. Thus, after hearing the news and expressing sighs, complaints, or anger, the vast majority of them returned to diligently studying the document they had received from the military commander, racking their brains to figure out how much salt they could buy with their grain and what price to set.

At this point, the original managers in each family were replaced by true family leaders. Although decisions were still made through discussions among regional authorities, once they returned to their own homes, they set aside their public statements and focused solely on how to make more profit, forgetting any agreements. However, the families from Lu’an Prefecture were an exception—not only were all their family heads present, but they also abandoned their previous reliance on the Fang family’s leadership, showing remarkable unity.

Since the official submission date was approaching, early that morning, Fang Qing’s house was once again filled with people. Even in broad daylight, to ensure better visibility, Fang Qing ordered a lamp to be lit. Seeing everyone’s gaze fixed on him, he naturally wouldn’t admit that no message had come from Zhang Yue. Instead, he wore a confident expression.

“Since everyone wants me to reveal the details, I’ll spare no words. This is the draft document I’ve prepared.” He placed a sheet of paper on the table. Seeing several elderly elders stretch their necks to look up, he smiled faintly and said, “This price isn’t extremely high. As a businessman, even though I’m on good terms with Lord Zhang, I won’t lose money over this. The Fang family’s commercial estates in Lu’an cover only a few hundred hectares—far smaller than those of you all. So, at a price of seven dou and five sheng, I plan to purchase three thousand loads of salt, which amounts to just over two thousand dan of grain.”

With ample grain supplies in the capital’s defense forces and Xuanfu able to sustain itself through military farming in peacetime, things would be different in times of war. Conscripted laborers, mules, horses, and soldiers all required grain. At such a critical moment, even money was less valuable than grain. Hence, when Fang Qing mentioned two thousand dan of grain and seven dou and five sheng, everyone took a deep breath.

This was already more than double the base price—wasn’t that high enough?

“All of you are my uncles and elders in terms of age. If you think my price is too high, you’re free to go your own way. But don’t forget—previously, the court set a fixed price; as long as grain was delivered, warehouse coupons would be issued, and there was never a shortage. This time, however, the quantity of salt permits has been specified. In other words, if some wealthy family bids too high and buys it all, we’ll end up with nothing at all! Regardless of whether it’s Huai salt or not, obtaining it is easier now, and we can immediately recoup some profit. Even if it’s just seven dou and five sheng of grain, how much is that worth? Huai salt comes in large batches—400 jin per batch—so how much would that be? You can do the math. As long as we can get the salt, even if it costs us two shi, we definitely won’t lose!”
The people present were all seasoned businessmen, and having their unspoken concerns exposed by Fang Qing made them somewhat annoyed. At that moment, the oldest among them, Lord Qin, cleared his throat before asking, “Young Master Fang, you should know that the court has one set of rules here, but another set applies when it comes to obtaining salt in Lianghuai. At the Salt Transport Administration, Lord Zhang’s authority might not hold much weight.”
“I was in the south last year and had the fortune to meet the head of the Salt Transport Administration in Lianghuai. I’m sure most of you have also dealt with him frequently. But have you all forgotten who Lord Wang Xunliang is?”
Glancing at the people deep in thought, Fang Qing remembered what he had heard afterward. Since the court’s main policy for salt distribution was the Kaizhong system, most of the authority of the Salt Transport Administration had been taken away by military commanders, leaving the head of the administration with little real power in front of merchants. Wang Xunliang’s son, Wang Quanbin, failed to recognize his own family and got into a conflict with Zhang Yue. Later, Wang Xunliang personally apologized to Zhang Yue. Thanks to this connection, Fang Qing faced smooth sailing when obtaining salt, and he naturally understood that the head of the administration, who had risen through his ties to the Duke of Ying, would surely not make things difficult for him this time.
The Shanxi merchants were sharp-minded, and soon someone realized this connection. After whispering among themselves for a while, they all stood up and bowed politely to take their leave. Fang Qing saw them to the door, closed the outer doors, then turned back to the table and threw the document into the charcoal brazier. It caught fire instantly and was completely burned up in no time.

He gave them some advice, but those guys might not remember it by then; the price would likely be far more than just a little bit. It is said that Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, has been imprisoned, and now Guo Zi, who is in charge, is old. Moreover, fewer and fewer merchants are willing to participate in the salt allocation system, which is why the court has set such a low price of three dou and five sheng. When the salt allocation system was first introduced in the capital, one dan of salt was exchanged for one shi of rice. Xuanfu is only 350 li away from the capital. If the price really is three dou and five sheng, then it makes no sense not to allocate salt—otherwise, the court must be insane.

Thinking of this, Fang Qing took out a blank document and dipped his brush in thick ink, writing: 3,000 dan, with one shi of rice per dan.

The price for the salt allocation was set by the Ministry of Revenue and had nothing to do with Zhang Yue. Yet he instinctively felt the price was too low. After calculating the approximate amount of Huai salt that could be allocated this year, he slightly altered the regulations, thinking that this way it would at least be 10–20% higher than the base price. Though busy, he still had a little time before the Shanxi merchants submitted their proposals. So he took Xiao Wu, who had never been to Xuanfu before, for a walk around the city, returning to Bajinzhen Street only at dusk.

As soon as he entered, Lian Sheng rushed over quickly, bowing and saying, “Young master, you’ve returned just in time! Uncle Peng has just come back from the capital, bringing plenty of things for winter!”

Hearing that Peng Shisan had returned, Zhang Yue was naturally happy. He quickly told Xiao Wu to go back to his room while he went to the meeting room. Pushing aside the thick cotton curtains, he saw Lian Hu preparing a basin of hot water to help Peng Shisan wash his face. The usually bold man was scolding people while washing his face.

“Lian Hu, this time when the young master came to Xuanfu, you two brothers actually didn’t need to follow. After all, this isn’t like taking up an official position! Remember back in Xinghe, although the young master was in danger, he still had Liu Bao to protect him. But you two were in grave danger several times! This time, when I went to the Yangwu Bo’s residence to report safely, your wives both rushed to see me, asking right away if you two were okay. I didn’t even dare tell them! You’ve just gotten married—you should stay at home.”

“Uncle Peng, my brother and I really can’t help with other matters, but with us here, we can surely take good care of the young master. After all, we’ve been with him for so many years. Even if we weren’t here, there would be others, but they surely can’t be as close to the young master as we are, right? Besides, the young master just had a son, and yet he had to come to Xuanfu as soon as the imperial edict arrived. The most dangerous times have passed; now, stop worrying about such trivial things. Instead of talking about us, you should find a new wife for yourself!”
“Go away, you brat! Trying to tease me!”
Peng Shisan threw the towel he was holding. When Lian Hu caught it with his shoulder, the towel hung loosely on it, and then he quickly ran outside. Peng Shisan shook his head in annoyance before noticing Zhang Yue who had already entered. Lian Hu also saw him and hurriedly put down the washbasin to bow. Realizing Zhang Yue was examining him from head to toe, he grew even more uneasy.
Zhang Yue smiled as he looked at Lian Hu, thinking that everyone has their strengths. Although the Lian Hu brothers weren’t as capable as Hu Qi and the other three in handling various confidential tasks, they had grown up with him since childhood. After going through the battles at Xinghe, their bond had become even stronger. At that moment, he nodded and said, “I really underestimated you two before. You’ve done well. Once this matter is settled, I’ll give each of you six pieces of high-quality silk as a gift for your wives to help calm their nerves!”
Lian Hu immediately refused, but Zhang Yue’s words made him very happy, and he left with a smile on his face. Peng Shisan, who was standing by, noticed that Zhang Yue used the word “gift” rather than “reward,” which made him feel warm. After they left, he stepped forward.
“Those two brothers are so picky. They finally managed to get wives at the beginning of the year, and it’s said they obey their wives completely at home. Some even laugh at them for being too submissive. But it’s admirable that they still have such thoughts in times of crisis. By the way, the Duke of Ying only asked me to convey a message—that the document will be submitted at the right time. The third master also said that the old lady’s illness isn’t a problem for now, so there’s no need for the young master to worry. I even went to see the old lady personally; she indeed seems quite energetic.”

As the matter at hand was brought up by Peng Shisan, Zhang Yue set aside all other thoughts and listened attentively. Although the message from Duke Zhang Fu was brief, its meaning was clear, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. As for his father Zhang Zhuo’s instructions, though they sounded like mere words of comfort, with Peng Shisan’s confirmation, he had no choice but to believe them. The two discussed further, and once Peng Shisan had said everything he needed to, Zhang Yue told him to return to his room and rest well before planning to leave. Noticing that Zhang Yue still seemed preoccupied, Peng Shisan narrowed his eyes and smiled, saying, “Also, the young mistress saw me as well. She was quite straightforward—she just asked me to convey a message: to remind the young master not to forget what he said before leaving.” The words said before leaving… The moment Zhang Yue stepped out of the room, he couldn’t help but look up at the gray evening sky before clenching his fist. They say a promise made is worth its weight in gold. Since the most dangerous times had already passed, there was no reason now to break that promise.