110. A Discussion Between Mrs. Shen and Her Son on Matters of the Heart

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Shen Residence, Creek Garden.

Confronted with the awkward situation between his father-in-law and elder brother-in-law, Lu Jin did not leave them much time to dwell on it. He continued:

“Whether we are discussing business or a nationwide upheaval, the principle is the same. We have already lit the first fire, and more ventures will follow. If turmoil breaks out as well, some clans will inevitably decline while others rise. The aristocratic clans of Jiangnan are our foundation, so we cannot abandon them unless absolutely necessary. As for the northern clans, we must win over some, strike at others, and divide and dismantle them, completely breaking the balance in which the southern and northern clans stand opposed. In the future, the shape of the world must be decided by us.”

Shen Hao was utterly dumbfounded. His son-in-law’s vision was far too vast. It seemed that even the entire game of Great Liang was too small for him; with only a few words, he had already determined their strategy. Could he truly be some celestial star descended to earth?

Lu Jin, meanwhile, thought to himself: This is the advantage of having seen and heard a great deal. I may not necessarily be good at handling specific matters, but if you ask me to boast, I can go on for three days and three nights without stopping.

“Actually, these words may be somewhat premature. But Father, Elder Brother, and the two of us are the people closest to one another. In particular, Father is the head of the Shen clan, so I must explain this in advance. Otherwise, if our overall plans are not aligned, the entire situation could collapse.”

“But at present, all we can control is wine—and even that is nowhere near enough!” Shen Hao said.

That was the truth. To control the great clans, one needed a decisive weapon. The Shen clan was powerful, but the other families were not without their own strengths.

Lu Jin turned toward his wife in confusion. Shen Yanxi hurriedly produced two small pouches from her sleeve and handed them over. She should have sought out her father earlier, but these past two days she had been too busy entwined with her husband in marital bliss.

“What is this?” Shen Hao asked, accepting the pouches with a puzzled look.

“Father, Elder Brother, try it,” Shen Yanxi said eagerly.

The two men stared at the snow-white powder, restraining themselves from asking questions. But once they tasted it, neither could remain calm.

“Salt?”

After their shock, Shen Yanxi explained the production costs and other details. The two men sat there, their breathing disordered. Even the usually composed head of the Shen clan possessed little self-control in the face of this revelation.

“How many people know about this?” Shen Hao asked.

“Only the four of us,” Lu Jin replied frankly. He had refined it himself.

“Excellent, excellent. Jin’er, you have acted with great caution, and I am very pleased. What do you intend to do?”

“Father, according to my husband’s design, we shall establish the Jiangzhou Salt Bureau following the precedent already set. Its total capital will be ten million taels of silver…”

Shen Yanxi spoke with confidence. After several days of study and instruction from her husband, she had already mastered a great deal. Lu Jin was also happy to let her display her abilities. This had nothing to do with indulging his wife; it was primarily a matter of risk management. Apart from himself, there had to be someone else capable of controlling the larger situation, and Shen Yanxi was naturally the best choice.

The father and son did not dare interrupt. They merely listened in silence. When had their daughter ever taken an interest in such matters? Yet now she spoke with assurance and precision.

“So how many shares do you intend for the Shen clan to take?” Shen Hao asked when she had finished.

“Three million taels for twenty percent. The payment may be made with the Shen clan’s salt wells,” Shen Yanxi replied.

Shen Hao stared at her in astonishment. How could she exploit her own family even more ruthlessly than her husband did? In the past, one tael of silver had bought two shares. Now three taels were required for the same two shares?

Lu Jin said nothing. He had originally thought that one tael per share would be sufficient, since the main purpose was to raise money from the other great clans. But as his wife had made the proposal, he had no objection.

“In a few days, this price may no longer be available,” Shen Yanxi said, completely confident in her judgment.

Shen Hao gazed imploringly at Lu Jin. Lu Jin merely chuckled.

I listen to my wife.

“Cheng’er, have someone calculate how many salt wells our family possesses and how much they can offset,” Shen Hao said helplessly.

This was Lu Jin’s way. Unless one was blind, it was impossible to turn down such an opportunity.

“We must retain a portion of the salt wells for ourselves. The Salt Bureau will also purchase crude salt directly. In acquiring salt wells, we should mainly consider their scale and the quality of the salt. This will also prevent anyone from strangling us by cutting off our supply,” Lu Jin added.

“What about sugar?”

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Shen Yanxi took several sheets of paper from her sleeve and handed them over.

“Your son-in-law’s gift to you.”

Shen Hao accepted them and opened them. To his astonishment, they contained the method for producing sugar. He was completely stunned.

“Should we not establish a separate trading house for this?”

“I must consider the family as well. As clan head, if Father suddenly spends such a large sum without being able to show immediate results, it will certainly be difficult for you to answer to the clan. At present, the cost of producing white sugar in Great Liang is still too high, while the number of people who can afford it is limited. The family can use this period to secure a unique source of income…”

“My worthy son-in-law, your filial devotion leaves me at a loss for words. If you have any other requests, name them freely…”

He had considered everything so thoughtfully. Where could one find another son-in-law like this?

“If Father feels embarrassed, you may transfer the family’s cargo ships to me.”

Shen Hao fell silent.

He had spoken too soon.

“I have already established the Jiangzhou Freight Bureau, formerly known as Favorable Wind Freight. I intend to gradually open up all of Great Liang’s freight routes and undertake cargo business throughout the realm. If Father is interested, you may also invest.”

“Jin’er, are you not moving too quickly?” Shen Hao asked worriedly.

First there had been the Brewing Bureau, then the Salt Bureau, and now the Freight Bureau.

“Has Father considered this? Our wine must be purchased from other breweries, and after it is produced, it must be sold throughout the realm. Salt is the same. All of this requires a great number of cargo ships and wagons. Rather than let others handle it, we should do it ourselves. Most importantly, this gives us the initiative. We will not only be forced to let others earn the money, but also be held hostage by them.”

Lu Jin did not reveal the full extent of his ambitions, lest he frighten his father-in-law.

The group talked late into that tranquil night. None of them knew that the meeting they held would influence the realm for many years to come, changing not only the structure of Great Liang but the shape of the world itself.

After that night, one new trading house after another would appear in Jiangzhou, carrying Lu Jin’s ambitions and spreading across Great Liang.

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Shen Residence, Plum Garden, Tranquil Heart Hall.

The old madam had only just fallen asleep when a maid woke her, informing her that the clan head had arrived.

Leaning on her cane, White Dew came to the reception room and saw her son sitting there, holding a teacup and staring blankly into space.

“Hao’er, it is so late. Why have you come here?”

The old madam naturally knew that if her son had come at such an hour, he must have encountered some difficult matter.

Hearing his mother’s voice, Shen Hao hurriedly rose to pay his respects. He then helped her onto the couch and sat beside her.

“Leave us,” Shen Hao ordered the maids and attendants.

The servants withdrew one after another, including the old madam’s personal maid.

“What is the matter?” White Dew asked in puzzlement. Shen Hao would never send even her closest maid away unless something serious had happened.

“Mother, my heart is somewhat troubled…” Shen Hao lowered his head.

No matter how steadfast a man might be, there were times when he felt lost. Shen Hao was lost now. But he had a wise mother, and whenever he hesitated, she was able to offer him guidance.

“There is no need to hurry. Have some tea and tell me slowly. It is only the two of us; there is nothing you cannot say,” the old madam replied calmly.

“Mother, tonight I spoke at length with my son-in-law, Cheng’er, and Yanxi. I am now somewhat hesitant. My son-in-law’s ambitions are immense, and I do not know whether they will bring blessing or disaster to the Shen clan.”

Shen Hao chose his words carefully.

The old madam paused for a moment before asking, “Can you tell Mother what you discussed?”

Shen Hao then recounted everything that had happened that evening. The old madam listened intently, occasionally asking a question.

“You mean your grandson-in-law refused to cooperate with the Jiang clan simply because of what happened to Yun’er?” the old madam asked in astonishment.

“Yes.”

Shen Hao himself did not truly approve of this. How could one sever ties with a great clan over such a minor matter?

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The old madam, however, was extremely pleased, a smile filling her eyes.

What a fiercely protective grandson-in-law!

“So these are the salt and sugar?” The old madam looked at the two small pouches Shen Hao had placed on the table.

“Mother, try them. Once you have tasted them, you will understand what sort of salt we have been eating all these years.”

“It is indeed excellent,” the old madam said approvingly after tasting it.

Shen Hao gazed at his mother in amazement. Even faced with such things, she had not shown any great surprise.

“So you agreed to everything he proposed?” the old madam asked again.

“I could hardly refuse. Not only might it create a rift between him and our family, but anyone who refused over these two items would be a fool,” Shen Hao replied.

“Mm. My son, you have done well. But there is no need to indulge him excessively and thereby lose all propriety. He is young, and his temperament may not yet be settled. As his father-in-law, you also bear a responsibility to guide him.”

The old madam narrowed her eyes slightly.

“My son, you worry that he may bring either blessing or disaster to the Shen clan. But have you considered this? He has told you everything without reservation and even entrusted you with treasures of such value. Has he ever considered whether that might bring him blessing or disaster?”

The old madam looked at Shen Hao.

Shen Hao suddenly understood. He rose at once and knelt on the floor.

“Mother, I was wrong!”

“Rise. There is no need for such formalities between us. I am old, and I may not be able to see clearly everything that happens in this world. But I know one thing: my grandson-in-law is no ordinary man. Therefore, none of the treasures he has produced surprise me in the least. Have you ever seen or even heard of the knowledge he possesses? He is merely a scholar from Jiangzhou, yet he can discern the state of the nation and the balance among the great clans in only a few words. He can casually produce treasures capable of affecting the livelihood of the entire realm. I do not know who he truly is, but I know this much: so long as he has the Shen clan in his heart, what harm is there in having the Shen clan wager everything on him just once?”

Listening to his mother, Shen Hao felt many things suddenly become clear. The knot that had tormented him throughout the evening was gradually loosening. Yet a new question arose.

“Mother, you said you do not know who he is?” Shen Hao asked in confusion.

There were many things about Lu Jin that he could not understand either, but that did not prevent him from hearing his mother’s thoughts.

“Do you truly believe that child could have been raised by an ordinary minor landowner of Upper Pure County? Or that anyone in Jiangzhou could have taught him what he knows?” the old madam asked indifferently.

“But…”

Shen Hao’s thoughts became even more confused. That line of speculation opened too many possibilities.

“The affairs of this world are strange and varied. Not every matter has an answer. So long as he has Yanxi and the Shen clan in his heart, that is enough.”

The old madam was utterly confident.

“As for tonight’s affairs, my son need not worry. Every one of these ventures is sure to bring profit. Once they show even the slightest success, those clans will come swarming. There is no cat in this world that can resist the scent of food. Even setting aside the turmoil that has yet to come, these few things alone will allow our Shen clan to lead the Jiangnan aristocratic clans for another century.”

“Using these seemingly insignificant objects both to draw people in and to strike at them—such strategy is truly subtle. You must study it carefully.”

“I will remember, Mother,” Shen Hao replied.

As the chief deputy of the Directorate of Revenue and the head of an aristocratic clan, Shen Hao was not incapable of understanding such a scheme. The problem was that he had never imagined it could be used in this way—not on a battlefield, nor in the imperial court, but through the supposedly lowly trade of merchants to shape the destiny of the realm.

That was precisely what made this strategy so terrifying and so astonishing.

“Raise an upright army and undertake grand, righteous deeds. Yet your grandson-in-law’s forces are like shadows—formless and unseen, nourishing all things without a sound. My son should count himself fortunate that he is the Shen clan’s son-in-law. Have you ever considered what might happen if he belonged to another great clan?”

Shen Hao did not dare imagine it. The best outcome would be to follow behind and receive a share of the spoils.

Or perhaps… kill him?

Shen Hao shuddered violently. In an instant, cold sweat spread across his entire body.

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