Chapter 742: Endless Business Opportunities

Foshan is located southwest of Guangzhou Prefecture, just over twenty li away. It takes little more than an hour to reach there by fast horse. Due to the thriving maritime trade in Guangzhou during the Tang and Song dynasties, Foshan, being adjacent to Guangzhou, reaped the benefits and became a famous town for silk and porcelain in the Lingnan region. Although it declined for a while at the beginning of the Ming dynasty due to the ban on maritime trade, the resumption of such trade during the Yongle era brought about a prosperous scene filled with weavers and merchants.

Though this was not his first time here, as he strolled along the town’s main weaving street and listened to the loud noises of the looms, Zhang Zhuo couldn’t help but recall his previous visit to Suzhou Prefecture. Naturally, this place couldn’t compare to Suzhou, where weavers lined the streets and nobles wore exquisite silk and embroidery. Yet, the scale of this industry in Lingnan was already astonishing. After witnessing authentic Guangzhou embroidery with Chu Fatty, he realized the huge business opportunities involved.

Just Guangzhou embroidery alone could compete with those from Ningbo’s maritime trade office! His son was still too inexperienced, and even he, an experienced businessman, had greatly underestimated the quality of local embroidery because he had never been to Lingnan before. According to Chu Fatty, Chaozhou embroidery was also highly renowned, with most embroiderers being men who would sometimes spend months working on large-scale pieces. With such skill, how could there be a shortage of goods to ship out from Guangzhou’s maritime trade office?

At that moment, Chu Fatty, observing his expression, shouted, “Sir, it’s too noisy here, and these are just ordinary weavers who can’t make decisions. Let’s move forward. I’ve already arranged with them—everything from silk to porcelain to traditional Chinese medicine pills and powders, they have it all!”

Even though Chu Fatty was speaking loudly, Peng Shisan took a long time to understand what he was saying before nodding in relief. Only after leaving the noisy weaving street did he sigh in relief, “Thankfully, it was just for a while. If I had stayed longer, my ears would have suffered. How many looms are there here?”

“Just this street alone has at least a few hundred looms; there are even more in the town, and quite a number in the villages outside as well. After all, if a woman is skilled at weaving, she can earn far more from it than a man working in the fields!” Chu Pangzi said with enthusiasm, adding with a smile, “If the esteemed sir has time later, he might as well come with me to Shiwan. Most of Foshan’s porcelain comes from there. Though it’s not as good as the imperial kilns in the north, the craftsmanship of the artisans is top-notch. Whenever foreign ships arrive, they always take back a lot of porcelain. As the saying goes, ‘Shiwan porcelain is the best in Lingnan.’ All of Guangdong and beyond rely on it!”
For Zhang Zhuo, who had always been in Kaifeng and the two capitals in the north and south, such words seemed somewhat boastful. But at this moment, he truly hoped Chu Pangzi wasn’t exaggerating. After all, silk and other goods alone couldn’t fill the ship’s holds—Zheng He’s treasure ships also needed many weight-stabilizing items. The problem was that no good kilns were known in the south. In the past, the porcelain taken back by the treasure ships had all been fine products from imperial kilns. If the quality was too poor, not only would sales be difficult, but it might also arouse criticism in the court.
You see, many of those elders believed that greed was the root of all corruption.
Zhang Zhuo walked slowly along the street, observing the shops and houses on both sides. There were silk shops, gold and silver stores, soy soup shops, salt shops… everything one could imagine. This only strengthened his resolve to expand his business here as soon as possible.
With so many attendants and guards accompanying him, it was natural that they attracted the attention and curiosity of passersby. When they reached an intersection, a manager who had been waiting there hurried forward. As he prepared to kneel in greeting, he saw Zhang Zhuo shake his head slightly, so he quickly bowed deeply and said, “The four largest weaving mill owners in Foshan Town, the two largest porcelain kiln owners in Shiwan, along with the owners of the two medicine shops in Foshan, are all waiting ahead. As per the esteemed sir’s instructions, only I have come to greet you.”
Zhang Yue had been busy with official matters these days and also had to keep an eye on Gu Xingzu, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, who had suddenly appeared along the way. So Zhang Zhuo took on this task he was best at and quickly arranged everything. After following the guide for a short distance, they arrived at a rather spacious mansion. As soon as he entered, he saw seven or eight people waiting in the courtyard, all calling out to him as “esteemed sir.” Even though Zhang Zhuo was now used to this title, he still felt somewhat exasperated.

This large compound was the residence of the Liang family, the largest textile manufacturers in the town. Since they didn’t hold official status, their main hall consisted of only three rooms, yet its height was no less than that of official residences, and its furnishings were equally magnificent. Zhang Zhuo was invited to take the seat of honor. As the host, Liang Zhou cleared his throat before saying with a smile, “A few days ago, we received invitations from the Provincial Administration and the Maritime Trade Office, which made us all very happy. But what exactly does the governor mean by ‘clear path’? Our goods are all purchased by local merchants in the market streets for trade with foreign merchants. After all, they have been our regular clients for years; offending them could make it difficult for us to do business in the future.”

Zhang Zhuo understood well that merchants sought profit and would never be satisfied with taking a smaller share while others reaped the greater benefits. He had convinced his son to change the original plan, reducing risks while still yielding substantial profits—turning out he was right. Seeing everyone looking at him with hopeful eyes, he deliberately asked, “If that’s the case, why don’t you try to secure a spot in the market streets?”

“We don’t have that much capital!” said a short man in the middle, glancing at Fat Chu before sighing. “Most of us have only five or six hundred looms—how can we compare to those merchants whose businesses span Guangdong and even Fujian? So, even though we know the profit from silk, porcelain, and medicinal herbs is minimal, we still have no choice but to sell to them. After all, how many people in Guangzhou can afford silk and are qualified to wear it?”

“Soon, more people in Guangzhou will be able to afford silk.”

Recalling what Zhang Yue had said the previous day about gradually introducing a two-crop-per-year or even three-crop-per-year system in Guangdong, Zhang Zhuo smiled slightly but didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he got straight to the point: “Eunuch Zheng’s ship is expected to arrive in Guangzhou around December. Since the Jiangnan Textile and Dyeing Bureau can’t supply silk for now, and there won’t be much porcelain either, the high officials in the court are reluctant to waste too much on the treasure ships. So they’ll wait until the ship is in Huangpu Port in Guangzhou before loading another batch of goods. As for what price these goods can fetch in foreign countries, I’m sure you all have an idea. Moreover, unlike ordinary merchant ships, the court’s treasure ships are sturdy and large, and their sailors have experience from previous voyages abroad, so they’re unlikely to capsize easily. What I want to discuss today is this batch of goods.”

The crowd nodded as they listened. Though they were in Guangzhou and unable to witness the grandeur of those massive ships setting sail, they had heard from those foreigners and their ships about the hundreds of Western treasure ships. When they heard Zhang Zhuo’s last words, many exclaimed in surprise, finally understanding what “great profits” Chu Fatty had meant when he sent someone to talk to them earlier.

A piece of plain silk now cost only two dou of rice per shi, which was about a thousand wen. High-quality woven silk fabric was worth at least four thousand wen, but when exported abroad, its price could reach twelve to sixteen taels of silver! As for other silk products from the Central Plains, their prices varied depending on the type, but they were still several times higher than those available domestically. At this point, someone couldn’t help but swallow hard before asking, “So, what the elder means is using those treasure ships to transport our goods abroad?”

“That’s right!” Zhang Zhuo glanced at the faces filled with excitement before explaining, “However, while treasure ships are safe, their construction and operation are extremely costly. Therefore, part of the profits from transporting your goods must be used to repair the ships in the future, part must be paid to the imperial court, and part must be given to the officers and crew on the ships. Only then will what remains be your profit.”

Everyone present was shrewd, so they understood immediately that the unmentioned portion would go to the Maritime Administration and the Provincial Administration. Yet, the prospect of earning much more money than at home without having to bear the risks of buying ships or hiring people—even at the cost of losing everything—was still a huge temptation. Thus, ignoring the fact that they were in Zhang Zhuo’s presence, they exchanged glances, and some said they needed time to think it over. Zhang Zhuo hadn’t expected them to agree on the spot, so he naturally agreed. After chatting for a while, Zhang Zhuo brought up the matter of the private kilns in Shiwan. Immediately, the owners of two porcelain kilns stepped forward, eagerly inviting him to visit Shiwan.

Foshan had the Fen River and Dongping River connecting directly to Guangzhou, and Shiwan, being adjacent to Foshan, took advantage of this waterway to sell its porcelain throughout Guangdong and Guangxi. Porcelain kilns here originated in the Tang Dynasty, but back then the porcelain was thick and loose, producing no truly fine products. During the Song Dynasty, when the northern imperial kilns were at their peak, this area remained unknown. It wasn’t until many craftsmen from the Central Plains migrated south during the Southern Song Dynasty that significant changes occurred. Although no unique style emerged, these kilns were renowned in the south for their skill in imitation—replicating styles from Ding, Jun, Ge, Ru, and other kilns with remarkable accuracy, among which Ni Jun and Guang Jun were especially famous.

Zhang Zhuo glanced at the batch of porcelain that had just been fired, then arranged for everyone to sit in the shade. Only then did one of the porcelain kiln owners explain, “Your Excellency, please understand—our Shiwan porcelain is good at imitation. These large kilns are run under government supervision but by private owners, and most of the porcelain produced is meant for offerings in regions like Lingnan. There isn’t much for trade with other countries. However, a few days ago, a craftsman came to my kiln, and under his guidance, we’ve produced a large quantity of tile ridges and glazed tiles, all of exquisite workmanship. Few people here can afford such items. Your Excellency, do you think we could take these abroad?”
“Tile ridges and glazed tiles?” Zhang Zhuo had heard Chu Pangzi bragging nonstop about Shiwan porcelain throughout the journey, almost growing calluses from listening. Hearing such honest words, he nodded. Learning that they could even produce tile ridges and glazed tiles now, he was momentarily stunned. After thinking for a while, his eyes lit up, and he nodded immediately. “Why not? Overseas, things aren’t as strictly regulated as in our Great Ming. These are perfect—take me to see them!”
For two full days, Zhang Zhuo stayed in Foshan Town without returning. He visited every type of business, from embroidery and weaving shops to medicine stores and porcelain kilns. Having seen enough of Foshan, Guangfu, and Guangdong as a whole, he had a rough idea of the vast business opportunities in this region and was deeply impressed. Before leaving, the merchants in Foshan Town jointly presented him with a gift box wrapped in jade-colored silk. After they insisted repeatedly that it wasn’t some trivial item like gold, silver, or jade, he finally accepted it. When he opened it on the carriage, his eyes lit up.
Inside the rosewood box was a fine Duan inkstone adorned with a pattern of a carp leaping over a dragon gate in shades of blue and purple. At the top of the inkstone, a green cat’s eye pattern was faintly visible, and the entire stone featured rose-purple and blue floral patterns—purely pleasing to the eye. Seeing Zhang Zhuo staring intently, Peng Shisan, who had been running errands with him for two days and was puzzled by everything, muttered, “These people really know how to give gifts—just an inkstone? Why not give a complete set of the Four Treasures of the Study?”
“The ink, brush, paper that could match this inkstone are probably hard to find right away. Even if Zhaoqing Prefecture is known for producing Duan inkstones, getting one like this isn’t easy. It’s a shame for someone like me, a half-baked scholar, to use such a fine item. Even Yue wouldn’t need it. Once this is done, I’ll have it sent to the capital for my in-laws—that would truly be giving a sword to a hero.”

Hearing that this item was so precious, Peng Shisan was truly surprised. However, he wasn’t concerned about gold or silver, nor interested in refined items like paintings, calligraphy tools, and inkstones. Thinking of Du Zhen’s cold and reserved nature, he doubted Du Zhen would really care about such things. He chuckled quietly, then closed his eyes and said nothing more.

The group arrived in Guangzhou before sunset and headed straight to the governor’s office. As soon as they stopped in front of the building, before Zhang Zhuo could speak, someone suddenly pulled back the curtain from the outside, and a head wearing a six-in-one hat poked in.

“Your Excellency, something bad has happened! The governor was invited to the military headquarters early in the morning and still hasn’t returned! Lord Xiang sent people there, but they were stopped at the entrance, as the marquis was inside discussing important matters with them.”

Zhang Zhuo felt a chill in his heart and instinctively asked, “Where is Eunuch Zhang?”

“Eunuch Zhang is also at the military headquarters, just like the governor!”

Peng Shisan leaped out of the carriage swiftly, then turned to those in the carriage and asked, “Third Master, shall I go there to look for them?”

“Wait a moment.”

Recalling that Zhang Yue had given Zhang Qian a handwritten note and entrusted him with handling the business matters, although he spent most of his time on official duties at the governor’s office and even had time to visit Liu Da, Zhang Zhuo’s impatience and anger gradually subsided. Knowing full well that this was a provocation, Zhang Yue would never recklessly walk into a trap.

“This matter can’t be rushed. Go gather information. There’s no need to go to the main entrance of the military headquarters; just look around the area.”