Chapter 34: The Benevolent Empress Ma

Once white sugar was introduced, it caused a sensation across the five cities. Within a mere three days, it had sold out at every shop, creating a situation where it was hard to come by. The Liang and Sun families wanted to sell off their entire stock at once to make a massive profit, but Gu Zhengchen stopped them. He argued that supplying the market in full was not as effective as "hunger marketing"—limiting supply was the only way to maintain the heat.

Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang were filled with admiration for this counterintuitive business strategy. The two families had purchased brown sugar in bulk at a very low cost. After carefully calculating expenses for transport, shop operations, customs duties, commercial taxes, the refining process, and management, they set the price of white sugar at sixty-six wen per jin, equivalent to the market price of two jin of brown sugar.

Goods are valued for their scarcity, so a slightly higher price was to be expected. Yet, despite the situation being one of demand far outstripping supply, the price of "Juren White Sugar" never rose by a single wen. This earned the praise of countless wealthy households and commoners alike.

Merchants are inherently profit-driven; whether it be grain or cloth, prices usually rise as demand increases. While they might not be able to sell a single steamed bun for half a million, merchants generally do not care if the poor cannot afford food and starve on the streets. In these times, "Juren White Sugar" was the only commodity where demand was high, yet the price remained constant.

It was not that the Liang and Sun families had not considered raising prices; it was simply that Gu Zhengchen would not allow it. Gu Zhengchen considered that this was not the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, when commerce was relatively prosperous. This was the early days of the founding of the Ming; the country was generally plagued by a scarcity of supplies, and commerce itself suffered from inherent weaknesses.

The stipends Emperor Zhu set for officials were very low—partly due to his own subjective will, but more importantly, based on the reality of the early Ming. The nation was struggling, and the people had just emerged from the chaos of war and had yet to restore production; the government could not afford to pay officials high salaries.

If the price of white sugar were to skyrocket, they would lose public favor and reputation, making it difficult to integrate into the common folk in the future. Furthermore, it would turn white sugar into a luxury item, reserved exclusively for the wealthy and the nobility.

Old Zhu was a frugal man and would never permit an atmosphere of extravagance to spread. Back when he was fighting to conquer the realm, he had once banned the brewing of alcohol to prevent the waste of grain. If he were to decide that white and brown sugar tasted the same and that white sugar was too expensive, he might well issue a ban on it, which would be disastrous. It was safest to conduct business in a low-profile manner.

After the white sugar business was underway and the framework and basic strategy were established, Gu Zhengchen stopped involving himself in business affairs. He rarely went to the county seat, choosing to stay in Dayan Village to study and listen to the old man, Yan, chat.

Although the old man was in poor health, he was quite talkative. Taking Gu Zhengchen’s hand, he would begin: "What are customs? The people of the world differ in their rigidity and softness, their pace, and their voices; all are tied to the spirit of the water and soil—this is 'wind' (local character). Their likes and dislikes, their choices, their actions and stillness—these have no constant state; this is 'custom.' The wind arises from the region, and customs are promoted from above and take form below..."

In ancient times, including the current Ming Dynasty, the elderly were considered treasures. The older one lived to be, the more precious they were. One did not need to pay into a pension for decades; if one could not afford to eat, the imperial court would provide for them. If someone lived past eighty, they were provided not only with rice and meat every month but also with wine.

The elderly were treasured and supported by the court, which not only embodied a nation founded on filial piety but, more importantly, recognized that the elderly had lived long lives, experienced much, and possessed vast wisdom, giving them a voice in family and local affairs. Old man Yan knew much, and he distilled a lifetime of wisdom into his words, teaching Gu Zhengchen to be upright in character, loyal as an official, and thorough in all endeavors.

At dusk, a swift horse galloped in from the south, kicking up dust as it raced toward the Teng County government office. Upon reaching the express courier station, the rider leaped from his mount and shouted urgently, "Imperial document, report to the Magistrate at once!"

The head of the courier station, hearing this, dared not delay. He processed the handover and immediately sent it up. Magistrate Li Yi received the document, his eyes filled with eager anticipation. The Assistant Magistrate Jin Dache, the Registrar Sun Ang, and the advisor Yan Bin all waited in silence.

This was an official document from the Ministry of Personnel! It went without saying that this must be the appointment letter for the recommended candidates!

*Rustle.*

The document was abruptly closed.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the Ministers of War, Sun Keyi and Liu Ren, and said with authority, "The barbarians of the Ping Teng Great Stronghold refused to heed the royal command, and were finally quelled by Yuan Hong and his men. They should be rewarded according to their merits: the Commander-in-Chief and the Commanders shall each be rewarded with four bolts of silk and damask; the leading commanders shall each be rewarded with three bolts. From the rank of Thousand-Household downwards, reward them according to their duties. For the soldiers who took the stronghold, reward them with two taels of white gold; those injured, three taels; and those who died in battle, four taels. Make the arrangements."

Sun Keyi and Liu Ren accepted the order and withdrew. As dusk fell and official business was concluded, Zhu Yuanzhang rose and headed toward the Kunning Palace. The palace maids bowed as the Emperor arrived.

"Where is the Empress?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

A maid hurriedly replied, "Returning to Your Majesty, the Empress has gone to the Imperial Kitchen."

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was about to ask more, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Empress Ma walking slowly toward him.

"Your Majesty, you have returned a bit earlier today." Empress Ma bowed, a warm smile on her face.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the woman before him. She did not possess peerless beauty—her features were even somewhat plain—but the kindness and gentleness that radiated from her bones gave him a sense of comfort that words could not describe.

She was his life. Without her, there would be no "Zhu Yuanzhang" today.

Looking at that old, large yellow gown, the deep green ceremonial cape already somewhat faded, Zhu Yuanzhang was momentarily lost in thought. When Empress Ma approached, he smiled and said, "Sister, there are so many servants in the palace responsible for meals; why must you check them every single time?"

Empress Ma smiled gently. "I know there are many people in charge of the palace diet, but caring for your meals and daily life is my duty. Besides, if a problem were to arise with the food and you were to punish them, I would not be at ease in my heart."

"You don't need to call me 'Your Majesty' every other word; it is much more comfortable for you to call me Chongba," Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.

Seeing that he was in good spirits, Empress Ma teased after entering the hall, "What has made our Chongba so happy?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down, took the cold tea handed to him by the Empress, and drank it in one gulp. "This is something I really must tell you, Empress. Today, a messenger sent a treasure from Teng County in the Jinan Prefecture of Shandong."

"A treasure?" Empress Ma looked at the joyful Zhu Yuanzhang and couldn't help but advise, "In this world, the greatest treasure is your people."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hands and gestured: "Sister, back when my parents were planting and harvesting wheat, they used sickles. Their backs would break, and they couldn't even harvest two mu of land in a day, yet they were still scolded by the landlord. But with this treasure, our people can harvest wheat while standing upright, and they can harvest as much as six mu in a single day!"

"Chongba, is that true?" Empress Ma was pleasantly surprised.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded earnestly. "When have I ever lied to you, sister? The thing is called a 'lüe-zi' (reaping hook). According to the report from the Magistrate of Teng County, it was created by a Juren named Gu Zhengchen. He even taught the local villagers how to use it, and the summer harvest was much faster than in previous years."

Empress Ma rose and bowed. "I congratulate Your Majesty. Not only have you gained a tool that benefits the people, but you have also discovered a talent. It is a double blessing."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily and nodded. "Indeed, I am in great need of talent right now. The brothers who fought to conquer the world with me cannot govern the country, and the scholars who can govern are mostly former officials of the Yuan Dynasty, filled with bad habits that are hard to change! I am now hoping for more talent to serve the imperial court..."