Chapter 277: Restlessness Is Inherent by Nature

Among the four classes—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—scholars hold the highest status, while merchants are the richest. In contrast, farmers and artisans, caught in between, find themselves in an awkward position. Although emphasizing agriculture has been a fundamental principle throughout history for over five thousand years, farmers, working back to back to the earth, can at best achieve a modest standard of living no matter how hard they work, far falling short of the wealth of merchants and the prestige of scholars. The status of artisans is even lower than that of farmers; in the Ming Dynasty’s tax registry, once classified as artisans, one’s descendants would remain so forever, with little chance of changing this status.

Liu Da was not born an artisan, but by chance he became a disciple of a highly skilled craftsman who mastered many trades. Intelligent by nature, he not only inherited his master’s skills but also innovated upon them at a young age, surpassing his teacher by the time he was thirty. Yet, he offended a local gentry member over trivial matters, who then bribed the authorities, nearly costing Liu Da his life. Unable to stay in his hometown, he took advantage of the mass migrations at the beginning of the Yongle era to move from Guangxi to eastern Fujian, then to Hubei, and finally to Shandong. After building a canal with local villagers, he offended someone else through rude words and nearly lost his home again, leaving him lame.

After such experiences and spending ten years in Gaoshan Tun, Liu Da’s rashness and vigor from his early days had faded. Yet even though his edges had been smoothed, he still refused to waste his life in such a small place. Having witnessed a murder from afar that day, he couldn’t hold back at night and went straight to find Zhang Yue.

Facing Liu Da’s earnest expression, Zhang Yue thought for a moment before smiling and saying, “Come, let’s talk inside.”

Having lived in thatched huts, stone houses in the mountains, and even the grand tiled houses of the prefect’s office, Liu Da found the rooms of this post station rather shabby when he entered with Zhang Yue. Seeing the Lian Sheng and Lian Hu brothers, who always followed Zhang Yue closely, sleeping soundly on the kang with loud snoring, he was taken aback, thinking that Zhang Yue was quite indulgent toward those around him.

Turning around with his crutch, he saw Zhang Yue personally lifting the curtain to the inner room, waiting for him. He hurried over, feeling flattered. Upon entering and seeing the furnishings inside, he was even more surprised.

“As long as my lord gives an order, there are plenty of wealthy families in Qingzhou willing to vacate their homes—why insist on staying at this post station? To speak frankly, even if my lord doesn’t care about these things, he still needs to consider others. That Lord Lu must be quite influential in the palace; outside, he’ll surely try to seek benefits. If my lord insists on staying here, won’t it block others’ paths to wealth?”
Knowing Liu Da was offering good advice, Zhang Yue had his own plans and couldn’t reveal them right away. He was well aware that just three days after arriving in Qingzhou, Lu Feng had already made numerous connections with local wealthy families—some offering favors, others wanting to send beauties to the palace, and still others seeking wealth through connections… in short, everything imaginable.
“I’m aware of this. But are you truly willing to leave here and return to Beijing with me? I certainly need someone like you for help, but there are a few things I must say first. Though the Duke of Ying is my uncle, there’s still a distance between us. After this incident, my official position upon returning to Beijing is uncertain, so you’ll have to brace for hardships if you follow me. As the saying goes, ‘Leaves return to their roots.’ You’re of an age now; if you truly want to return to your hometown, I can provide some funds to send you back.”
Liu Da saw only one chair behind the desk in the room, along with a bed by the wall. Initially hesitant, he sat down awkwardly on the single chair only after Zhang Yue gestured for him to do so. It wasn’t until Zhang Yue casually sat on the bed that he remembered how unpretentious this young lord had been at the Zhang Li family’s home in Gaoshan Tun, and he felt relieved. Yet he remained uneasy, unsure whether Zhang Yue would agree. Hearing his words, his emotions surged.
“As for returning to my roots, I certainly want to go back too. But I was driven away by a local wealthy family. There’s little point in returning there, and my relatives back home are long dead. Being alone might not be as good as it is now. My lord just mentioned hardships, but I’ve already endured every kind of hardship and faced every kind of scorn in my life—so I’m not worried about these anymore. Besides, I’m not flattery, but with your confident demeanor now, you don’t seem worried about your future at all.”
Realizing Liu Da was determined, Zhang Yue stopped beating around the bush and agreed outright, “In that case, I’ll send someone to pack your things later. When I return to Beijing, I’ll surely take you along.”
This was exactly what he had been waiting for!

Liu Da’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said with a smile, “Though I’ve spent most of my life wandering, I’ve never been to the capital before. I never thought I’d have such good fortune at my age. But since Lord has taken me in, I have a few things to say. Lord comes from a noble family and never lacks food, clothing, or money. Yet as the saying goes, too much money can be a problem. Relying solely on one’s family’s wealth, it’s hard to guard against unforeseen circumstances. Although officials look down on merchants, saying that making money is a lowly pursuit, when in this world, when do we not need money?”
At that moment, the loud snoring of Lian Sheng and Hu Tu could be heard clearly through the thin bamboo curtains, but the two people in the room paid no attention. Suddenly, the oil lamp on the lampstand in the corner made a crackling noise, and the flame flickered up and down twice, as if disturbed by Liu Da’s words. Zhang Yue was surprised that Liu Da had changed his address right after he agreed and said such things. Beyond his surprise, he felt admiration.
Although wealthy families were involved in some business activities, they generally despised them. Du Zhen was a typical scholar who valued integrity over wealth and didn’t care about money at all. His grandmother owned numerous land deeds and had opened a few shops in Beijing, but rather than to support the family, it seemed more like providing work for idle servants. Even his father, who secretly must have had some businesses, always told him to focus on legitimate pursuits and avoid improper ways.
At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, when the country had just emerged from chaos, wealthy families valued land more than making money through business. Due to the Kaizhong system, there were no towering salt merchants in later generations. In the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, there were only small workshops-like businesses. Merchant groups such as those from Shanxi, Anhui, Qin, and Fujian were not yet prominent… After all, even Shen Wansan, who was once the richest man in the world, was dead. How many wealthy merchants would dare to show off their wealth? If Zhang Yue had shown interest in money before, he would have been criticized for not focusing on proper pursuits, at the very least.
After all, the current era was completely different from the Ming dynasty’s focus on getting rich.

Seeing Zhang Yue deep in thought and silent, Liu Da mistakenly thought his words had not moved him and grew anxious. “I’ve heard a bit about the situation in your family. Although you are now in officialdom and will surely rise high in the future, the salary from the court is limited after all. If the family splits up, how much income can those lands generate each year, and how much support can you expect from your family? I’m not trying to urge you to focus on this, but rather hope you can recruit a few reliable family members to manage some businesses properly.”

As he spoke, he stood up, leaned on his crutch, and walked over to Zhang Yue, saying earnestly, “Have you seen the sugar-making recipe I used before? There are several types of sugar available on the market—black sugar, brown sugar, rock sugar—whose prices differ by more than ten times due to their color and purity. Even today, the sugar used by high-ranking officials and wealthy families in the capital, though called white sugar, is actually red sand sugar with a yellowish tint. This recipe isn’t ancient; I discovered it by chance while making sugar in eastern Fujian. This method can produce five grades of sugar, with the highest grade being as white as frost, free from any impurities.”

Salt was a monopolized commodity in those days, but sugar was not. Poor people often didn’t even use such a seasoning. Yet, there were many wealthy families in the country, especially in the two capitals, plus the princes and royal clans, who naturally preferred fine and delicate foods. Therefore, after listening carefully, Zhang Yue understood the value involved.

“Though this method is good, once production and sales begin, who knows if others won’t copy it?” Zhang Yue was never indifferent to money. He simply couldn’t make things like glass, soap, or mirrors, so he had to keep such ideas to himself. But now he became interested. “A secret can’t be hidden forever. No matter how good the recipe is, it will eventually be leaked. But if we can gain an edge for a year and establish a reputation, so that the nobles and even the royal family in the capital remember us, we can then sell the recipe openly after dominating most of the market.”

“You truly think far ahead.” Seeing that Zhang Yue had hit the mark, Liu Da felt extremely inspired and realized his efforts hadn’t been in vain. “Making sugar requires sugarcane. There’s plenty of wasteland in Fujian and Guangdong. Unlike other crops, sugarcane doesn’t need much care after planting—it grows on its own, with continuous harvests regardless of weather, and its cost is very low. There are countless sugar-making workshops in Fujian and Guangdong, but most are small-scale operations.”

By this point, Zhang Yue was completely moved, but he still couldn’t help asking, “Min Guangyuan is in the south. Didn’t you just say you wanted to go back to the capital with me?”
Liu Da then chuckled and said, “I simply don’t want to stay in Shandong any longer. But if I go back to the capital with my lord now, wouldn’t that mean I’m just freeloaders? Though my legs are not very good, I can still move quickly with my crutches! My lord can choose a few reliable family members to help manage the funds. As for that girl Xi Er, I can’t drive her away—her grandfather has declared he doesn’t want her as his granddaughter, and I can’t force her to leave either, so I just let her come south with me.”
This arrangement was naturally thorough and meticulous, yet Zhang Yue was at a loss—where could he find reliable family members? Hu Qi and the others were being trained by Yuan Fang as potential Jinyiwei members, so it would be a shame to send them on such a task. The rest were all long-time servants of the Zhang family; without any of them, how could he explain to his grandmother, Lady Gu? Needless to say, Peng Shisan belonged to the Duke of Yingguo’s household. After much thought, he decided to let Liu Da go to the south first and ask his father, Zhang Zhuo, for help.
Due to the hot weather and the bloody scene that kept appearing before his eyes even when he closed them, Zhang Yue stayed awake all night, with no sign of sleepiness even at dawn. Early in the morning, after washing his face and body with cold well water, and before even having breakfast, he received some unexpected news.
Those men he had spared under the pretense of using them as informants were now making a fuss at the Qingzhou government office, demanding to see him.