novelSusiti Chapter 20 You can call me Master Chai
Chapter 20 You can call me Master Chai
Time flies, and four years have passed in the blink of an eye.
The Southern Yu Kingdom was peaceful and prosperous. Emperor Li Jing had both victories and defeats in his foreign military campaigns, but fortunately, the wars were all fought south of the Yangtze River, and the Jianghuai region enjoyed four years of peace.
Since establishing connections with the Jinling court, Li Xuan's business has flourished. Whether it's fine salt, coarse salt, or refined salt, the trade is conducted under the guise of lantern transport, secretly delivering it to all parts of the Great Zhou. From Chuzhou in the north to Jinling in the south, and Luzhou in the west, Li Xuan and Li Chang always deliver on their missions, bringing the goods to people's doorsteps. The reputation of the powerful and resourceful Li Xuan spreads ever wider along the rivers and streams.
Under Feng Niaoniao's leadership, the entire village, young and old, devoted themselves to the lantern-making industry. Every year, the river lanterns for the Qixi Festival and the flower lanterns and palace lanterns for the Lantern Festival brought the villagers a substantial income. Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao naturally benefited even more, and their lives became prosperous.
Over the next four years, Li Xuan expanded his house again and took the initiative to fund the construction of a rammed earth wall around the village, 23 feet high and 12 feet thick. With this sturdy wall, everyone could finally earn money and live in peace, no longer worried about being harassed or attacked by thieves.
In the Li family compound, about twenty boys, around fifteen or sixteen years old, were training with Li Chang and his six earliest retainers. These were all pitiful children that Li Xuan had taken in during his travels over the years; he had picked them up on the road and brought them home to train.
Feng Niaoniao meticulously cared for their daily needs, taught them to read and write, and even adopted each of them as her godson. Four years later, thanks to Li Xuan and Feng Niaoniao's hard work, the Li family's foundation had become much stronger. Once these adopted sons had grown up and achieved success, Li Xuan and Li Ji would have the resources to venture out and make their own way in the world. Watching the intense training in the martial arts arena, Feng Niaoniao smiled and turned to go inside to make clothes.
After Feng Niaoniao became the mistress of the house, all the clothes worn by her husband Li Xuan and cousin Li Ji were made by her. Every time Li Xuan and Li Ji went out, Feng Niaoniao would make a set of fine clothes for each of them from the best materials, pack them up and give them to them, instructing them to dress richly and formally when meeting guests, and not to treat them casually.
After taking in more than a dozen adopted sons, Feng Niaoniao meticulously mended and sewn clothes for them, checking on their clothing and food daily. Although she wasn't much older than them, they all willingly called her "Mother," grateful to have found a home in this chaotic world. Deeply moved by such kindness, the adopted sons were all willing to die for her.
Li Xuan and Li Ji went out to transport salt with four retainers and have not yet returned. Two of the retainers were with Li Xuan, and two were with Li Ji. Li Ji is eighteen years old and officially joined the salt transport industry last year after graduating from the clan school.
Two days ago, an old customer came from Haizhou to tell Li Xuan that a big customer from the north had come to the south to buy salt. Because the quantity he wanted was so large, the Haizhou Saltworks and the Chuzhou Saltworks could not handle the order. So he introduced Li Xuan to him to see if he could find a solution.
The salt production at the salt fields is rationed, and the various channels have long since divided up the entire supply. Furthermore, the production capacity of the Chuzhou Saltworks has been severely hampered by the front lines, so it's quite normal that large merchants from the north couldn't buy salt even when they tried to squeeze in.
Upon receiving the news, Li Xuan and Li Ji took four retainers on a long journey to Haizhou Township to meet the wealthy merchant from the north.
In the manor of a wealthy man in Haizhou, the brothers Li Xuan and Li Ji entered a courtyard under the man's introduction. Outside the courtyard stood a row of burly warriors, their cold eyes devoid of any emotion, looking at living people as if they were stones or pieces of wood. Despite their lack of expression, simply noticing them instilled in you a chilling sense of being targeted by a natural enemy.
The new retainers recruited by Li Xuan and Li Ji in recent years also came from the Black Cloud Longsword Capital. The moment the warriors' gazes fell upon them, they reacted instinctively, rushing forward to protect Li Xuan and Li Ji with their bodies.
Two elite forces, one from the south and one from the north, faced off with a tense standoff. However, in terms of morale, the four retainers were clearly no match for the fierce warriors who had crawled out of piles of corpses on the other side.
Li Xuan stepped forward and patted his brothers on the shoulder. They were just men making a living on the salt road. No matter how rigorous their training was, they couldn't compare to the true warriors who had triumphed on the battlefield. There was no need for them to compete with these men here. The people opposite them were clearly elite soldiers; their masters were probably not respectable merchants.
Li Xuan said to his men, "Don't be nervous. We're here to discuss business. Business is business; if there's something to do, we'll do it. Even if it doesn't work out, we can still maintain good relations. Harmony is the key to making money." He was initially trying to comfort his own men, but his tone grew louder as he spoke, clearly addressing those inside.
Those inside heard it, of course, and a steady voice came out: "Ah Fu, we are guests, so please tidy yourselves up and don't frighten them. The brothers outside are right, we are all businessmen, so let's be friendly and make money together. Mr. Li, please come in."
Li Xuan and Li Ji straightened their clothes and solemnly followed the path cleared by the warriors into the gate. Their retainers were stopped behind them. Li Xuan turned to them and said, "Brothers, please rest for a moment. We'll come out after we've finished our business."
The retainers bowed and retreated, standing face to face with the surrounding samurai, glaring at each other. They were clearly furious at these murderers from the north and were determined not to back down.
Li Xuan was not worried about the troop's ulterior motives. High morale was ultimately a good thing, so what was there to worry about?
To Li Xuan's surprise, there were only two people in the courtyard. One was a dark-skinned, medium-sized man in his early twenties with piercing eyes, who immediately made a strong impression. The other was dressed like a scholar, around thirty years old, with a refined demeanor and an air of confidence. Oh no, both of them were very confident.
Because they were well-nourished from a young age, both Li Xuan and Li Ji grew up to be tall and strong. Li Ji, being younger, received meticulous care from Feng Niaoniao, who treated him like a son. Even though they both underwent rigorous martial arts training, he looked much fairer than Li Xuan.
The younger man looked at the Li brothers as they walked in and exclaimed, "Truly fine men! The two Li brothers are truly men of honor, heroes of Huaizuo, their reputation is well-deserved!"
The scholar was quick-witted and immediately said, "I've heard that he comes from a family of prime ministers, an outstanding descendant of the Li family of Guangling. I have studied for more than ten years and have long admired the former prime ministers Li. Today, to meet their descendant, I should drink three cups of wine in celebration."
Li Xuan smiled and said, "As the saying goes, when one gives a gift, there must be an ulterior motive. You two are both dignified and imposing, clearly important figures from the north. To bestow such high praise upon us upon our first meeting suggests that things may be difficult to handle. I am truly humbled. Li Xuan of Guangling, a wanderer who makes a living on the rivers and lakes, greets you two heroes."
Li Ji then clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Li Ji of Guangling is young and inexperienced, and does not deserve your praise. Greetings to the two heroes."
The one in charge on the other side was clearly a younger, robust man. He laughed heartily and said, "No problem, no problem. My name is Chai Jin. I'm grateful to my friends in the Jianghu for calling me 'Master,' as they all wish to make friends with heroes from all over the world. What Master Li said outside was right. We're here to discuss business and make friends. Friends in Huai River region all say that only Master Li can handle this matter, so I'm sure he's right. Come, come, I'll offer you some wine and dishes as a token of my appreciation. Please don't find them offensive, and let's talk as we go."
The scholar introduced himself: "My name is Wang Yong, and my nickname in the martial arts world is Iron Pen Scholar. These are all insignificant rumors. Please, both of you."
Master Chai, the Iron-Pen Scholar? I've never heard of such a name in all these years and places I've traveled. Could he be someone from Hebei or Hedong? Li Xuan and Li Ji followed them into the living room and sat down, completely bewildered.
"What?! 100,000 shi of salt?" Li Xuan was so shocked that he could barely hold the cup.
After a few drinks and some pleasantries, and as the atmosphere became more relaxed, the scholar with the iron pen made his purchase request—100,000 shi of Huai salt.
Isn't this ridiculous? Who buys smuggled salt like this? Don't be fooled by Li Xuan's seemingly thriving business; it's all built on the sale of coarse and fine salt. Their actual coarse salt business only involves a few hundred shi (a unit of dry measure) a year. Now, the big boss has suddenly placed an order for 100,000 shi, far exceeding the Li brothers' financial capacity. No wonder the smugglers in Chuzhou are shifting the blame further and further, ultimately pinning it on Li Xuan of Guangling.
Li Ji was also taken aback and gasped, saying bluntly, "Thank you both for your high regard. We brothers have always considered ourselves important figures, but 100,000 shi (12 million jin) of salt is simply too much. We brothers really can't handle such a large order. Even all the salt merchants along the route from Chuzhou to Yangzhou combined couldn't handle it."
Lord Chai calmly said, "Gentlemen, don't rush to refuse. Every deal requires an offer first. If it doesn't work out, it's because the offer wasn't enough. I think you can understand that this isn't ordinary salt smuggling. We have powerful figures behind us. Do you two really want to spend your lives as country bumpkins in Yangzhou? You are different from other salt merchants. You are from the Li family of Guangling, a scholarly family, descendants of a prime minister. Your demeanor and style are not associated with vulgarity. If you can help us achieve this, the rewards in the future will be substantial. Gentlemen, the division between North and South won't last long. The Huai River region is a strategic location that military strategists must contend for. It's wiser to leave yourself a way out, isn't it?"
Li Xuan and Li Ji exchanged glances and remained silent for a moment. Li Xuan made up his mind and said, "Indeed, all business in the world is determined by price. As long as you can afford the price, wealth will naturally flow in. I've learned from Master Chai's wisdom. My price for this deal is one hundred strings of cash."
Chai Da Guanren and Wang Tiebi were startled. "You really dare to set such a price? One hundred strings of cash per shi! Do you believe the Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou will just come and rob us of the salt?"
Seeing the surprised looks on the faces of the two men opposite him, Li Xuan had achieved his goal. From the very beginning, the pace of the meeting had been controlled by Master Chai, making it seem as if Brother Li Xuan was a fish caught in a net. Well, now the fish is telling you, leaping out of the net isn't difficult.
Li Xuan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Please don't be angry, gentlemen. I'm not joking. The one hundred strings of cash I mentioned is a total of one hundred strings. My brothers and I simply cannot afford one hundred thousand shi of salt. Only the Hailing Saltworks can complete this deal. Fortunately, I have quite a few connections there and am willing to act as an intermediary, taking you two to the Hailing Saltworks to discuss the matter with the elders. The Hailing Saltworks is located right by the sea, with a large ship dock. Fleets can sail directly from Hailing to your country's coastal ports without anyone noticing. If the deal goes through, I will only charge one hundred strings as an intermediary fee. What do you two think?"
Lord Chai's words make a lot of sense. In chaotic times, there's hardly any loyalty or righteousness. The Zhou Kingdom and the Yu Kingdom have only been established for a few years, and everyone's sense of identity is quite confused. The Huai River region is located north of the Yangtze River, and most officials and wealthy commoners are naturally inclined to waver. If they could leave themselves a way out, no one would refuse. This includes the Hailing Supervisor whom Li Jing trusted so much.
The only question is whether the two people in front of me have the guts to openly buy salt in the Yu State government office?
"How dare you, Master Chai!" Without the slightest hesitation, he stood up with delight and said, "Young master, you are indeed a righteous man. Please accept my bow."
As they spoke, Master Chai and Scholar Wang bowed deeply. Li Xuan and Li Ji stood up and returned the bow: "We dare not accept such a compliment. Master Chai, you are too kind. Scholar Wang, you are too kind. We brothers are deeply grateful for your great courage."
In February of this year, the military governors of Hezhong and Zhaoyi, who occupied Hedong, rebelled against the Zhou state. The Zhou emperor mobilized a large army to quell the rebellion. However, the war did not go smoothly. The rebellious regional military governors were not weaklings, and although outnumbered, they could not defeat the Zhou army head-on. However, these garrison troops successfully resisted by relying on fortifications to defend their territories. The Zhou imperial guards were once caught in a fierce battle, unable to advance or retreat.
Even more awkwardly, Zhou's sea salt production was not large-scale; it mainly relied on salt imported from Hedong. The military governors of Hezhong and Zhaoyi were the two major military governors in charge of salt imports. After the war started, they joined forces to block salt exports, causing salt prices within Zhou to skyrocket. Not only did the common people suffer greatly, but the families of the imperial guards also generally lacked salt. Even more critically, now even the troops at the front lines were facing a salt shortage.
Therefore, the reason why Chai Da Guanren and Wang Shusheng risked their lives to infiltrate the Huaidong region of Yu State was to obtain a large quantity of cheap salt to bring back and maintain stability in the Great Zhou Dynasty. While 100,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) seems like a lot, it's still far from meeting the actual needs of the Great Zhou. Reality forced Chai Da Guanren to resolve the matter quickly; every extra day could lead to a mutiny on the front lines. These days, military men are pampered; the slightest dissatisfaction could result in the execution of generals and the selection of replacements.
A few days later, the Li brothers introduced Chai, the wealthy and powerful man, to Old Chen. Compared to the naive Li brothers, Old Chen had experienced far more in life, and he was quite surprised by the trouble the two brothers had brought him. But behind every big trouble, there was a great opportunity.
Old Chen only needed a moment's thought to come up with an idea. Another day passed, and everyone in the Hailing Salt Bureau, including the supervisor, was convinced by Old Chen. He had no choice but to persuade them. On one hand, he wanted to leave a way out for Zhou. On the other hand, if Zhou couldn't buy salt, they couldn't do anything to others, but surely they could eliminate these salt officials? The world was in turmoil; who could distinguish between assassins, traitors, and bandits? The people of the Hailing Salt Bureau weren't military commanders; who among them wasn't afraid of knives?
Seven days later, Li Jing in Jinling received news that a sudden high tide at sea had destroyed most of the salt fields of Hailing Saltworks. The supervisor, along with all officials and salt workers, was working hard to combat the disaster. It was estimated that the destroyed dam could be repaired in two months, and all the damaged salt fields could be repaired in six months. Until then, Hailing Saltworks would have to cease production.
Li Jing didn't doubt the authenticity of the tide; he was simply angry about the potential loss of significant fiscal revenue. However, Nan Yu Kingdom also had salt fields in Jiangnan, so a severe salt shortage wasn't expected. Li Jing urgently ordered other salt fields in Jiangnan to ramp up production and also to raise salt prices nationwide, striving to compensate for the fiscal losses caused by the shortage of Huai salt.
Chai Da Guanren's merchant ships, a massive fleet carrying 28,000 shi of salt from the Hailing Saltworks, set sail first from the docks of the Hailing Saltworks. For the next six months, all of Hailing Saltworks' production was supplied to Chai Da Guanren, and it was estimated that a total of 300,000 shi of Huai salt could be sold. With just the Hailing Saltworks, the Zhou Kingdom's salt shortage problem was completely solved.
This trip south allowed Chai to personally experience the formidable strength of Yangzhou's salt industry and leave a deep impression on him regarding the production capacity of the Hailing Saltworks. More importantly, he met two interesting young men.
Before his departure, Master Chai extended an invitation to the two brothers: "My two virtuous brothers, I have received a great favor from you and have no way to repay it. I hope that one day you will come to my Great Zhou to work together to build a great cause. I will do my best to recommend you and make sure you two brothers are satisfied."
Li Xuan and Li Ji bowed and thanked him, saying, "Once we are ready, we will definitely go to Bianliang for a visit. At that time, we will be very sorry to trouble you, Master Chai."
As the fleet sailed away from the coast, Chai Da Guanren said to Wang Tiebi, "There are talented men like the Li brothers in the countryside of the Southern Dynasty. The country is very large and should not be underestimated."
Wang Yong smiled and said, "Talent is not surprising. The Li brothers are not only talented, but they also uphold their integrity. They could easily obtain a fortune of ten thousand strings of cash, but they only took one hundred strings. That's not simple, it's really not simple."