Chapter 21: The Arrival of Mi Zhu

Lu County.

Lu Jin stood respectfully before Lu Chuan.

"My Lord, the Mi family caravan has entered the city, and the head of the family, Mi Zhu, is among them. I have already dispatched men to keep a close watch on them."

"Very well. I did not expect Mi Zhu to arrive so soon. Send Lu Shui to see me at once."

Lu Shui was the only talent under Lu Chuan’s command specializing in commerce. His background was similar to Lu Jin’s, but Lu Shui possessed a sharp mind, a high receptivity to new ideas, and a cutting wit. He offered unique insights into various matters, which led Lu Chuan to invest significant effort in cultivating him as a commercial expert. Currently, he served as the head of the Lu County Bureau of Industry and Commerce, overseeing all commercial affairs in the county and reporting directly to Lu Chuan when issues arose.

"Your subordinate greets you, my Lord!"

Lu Shui arrived quickly and stood below, equally respectful.

Lu Chuan produced a master plan he had just drawn for the outer city of the north. "Come, take a look at this."

Lu Shui accepted the document and studied it carefully. He offered no immediate opinion, instead looking at Lu Chuan, awaiting his next instruction.

"A-Shui, Mi Zhu, the head of the Mi family, has entered the city. The construction of the outer city requires a massive influx of capital. I am entrusting the task of securing investment from the Mi family to you. Can you handle it?"

Lu Shui looked puzzled. "My Lord, Mi Zhu is the head of the Mi family, a man of unique status. The construction of the outer city is of paramount importance. Why will you not meet him yourself? Entrusting such a vital task to me... the pressure is immense."

Lu Chuan walked over and patted Lu Shui on the shoulder.

"Do not feel so pressured. You must realize that what you have learned from me is already sufficient to outmatch Mi Zhu in commercial matters. As long as you perform as you normally do, Mi Zhu will not let such a golden opportunity slip by. As for me, I absolutely must not meet with him."

It was not that Lu Chuan was being arrogant; rather, he was well aware of the Mi family’s predicament. The era of warring warlords was about to begin, and as the wealthiest family in Xuzhou, the Mi family had to find a capable leader to support. Residing in Xuzhou, their best option was to align with Tao Qian, relying on his protection to secure a period of stability.

Historically, this is exactly what the Mi family did, yet they abandoned it without hesitation the moment Liu Bei appeared. It was inevitable; Tao Qian was aging, and Liu Bei, a member of the Han royal lineage, was renowned for his benevolence and gained the hearts of the people, with warlords across the land believing he was destined for greatness. To curry favor with Liu Bei, Mi Zhu had even married off his sister and prepared a dowry of two billion coins. Such actions demonstrated how desperately Mi Zhu sought a reliable patron for his family.

Lu Chuan, however, possessed exceptional talent and held the powerful foundation of Lu County. Once Mi Zhu came into contact with him and discovered his strengths, it would be difficult for him not to harbor thoughts of shifting his allegiance. While the probability was low, Lu Chuan was determined to avoid it, so he chose not to meet Mi Zhu, leaving Lu Shui in full charge.

Even if Mi Zhu had objections, what could he do? The commercial potential of Lu County was so immense that as long as Mi Zhu remained a competent merchant, he could not afford to miss such an opportunity. The massive project of building the outer city, in particular, contained unimaginable business prospects. If the Mi family could seize this chance, their future advancement would be far from difficult.

Lu Chuan offered no further explanation, and Lu Shui did not ask. Having long since developed the habit of following every one of Lu Chuan’s instructions, he felt no need to question them, even when they seemed incomprehensible. He would do as he was told; time would prove everything.

Mi Zhu entered Lu County by carriage. Even though he had heard his sister describe the prosperity of the city, he was still taken aback upon arrival. Unlike his sister, Mi Zhu had traveled extensively. In his younger years, he had frequently led caravans as far as the northern grasslands and the barbaric southern territories; his worldly experience far exceeded hers. Seeing the prosperity of Lu County, his mind immediately turned to Luoyang.

He had visited Luoyang when leading a caravan there, and he had seen its prosperity. However, the prosperity of Luoyang was not true economic vitality, but rather a reflection of political and cultural influence. The commercial atmosphere there was stifling; even the wealthiest merchants were looked down upon. Even ordinary citizens in Luoyang viewed merchants with contempt.

When Emperor Ling was still on the throne, Mi Zhu had heard that official positions could be bought. He had brought millions of coins to seek an audience with the eunuchs around the Emperor, hoping only for the position of a county magistrate. But those eunuchs had not even deigned to look at him; even the gatekeepers had been disdainful.

"You low-born wretches, daring to request an audience with my master? It is pure delusion!"

Unsurprisingly, Mi Zhu had been driven away. That incident taught him that a merchant’s status was truly rock-bottom; no matter how much wealth he had, he could not buy power. Only those with the status of the gentry were deemed worthy of purchasing offices from the Emperor. It was then that Mi Zhu realized there was no room for merchants to survive in Luoyang.

Those merchants who appeared bright and successful were merely tools in the hands of high-ranking officials and nobles. Thus, no matter how prosperous Luoyang was, it never tempted him.

But Lu County was entirely different. Here, merchants carried themselves with pride. Those who bought from them held no prejudice, and even the officials and guards treated them with great courtesy. This was a situation Mi Zhu had never dared to imagine. If only every city in the land treated merchants as Lu County did!

Seeing the commercial vibrancy of the city, Mi Zhu made up his mind to establish a foothold here. If the opportunity was right, moving the entire Mi family to Lu County was not out of the question. He had heard of Lu Chuan’s plan to build an outer city; he was determined to meet him personally, to see what kind of man he was and what plans he had for the future. If everything checked out, he would start investing!

Mi Zhu lowered the curtain of his carriage, a smile spreading across his face. He never expected that in his lifetime, he would encounter a city so tolerant of merchants.

After settling briefly at an inn, Mi Zhu went to the Lu Family Bank, exchanged ten thousand coins in commercial vouchers, and headed straight for Lu Chuan’s residence. He could not wait to meet the legendary Lu Chuan.

However...

"My Lord has said he will see no one. You may return."

Question marks appeared over Mi Zhu’s head.

No one? What was going on? He had brought ten thousand coins in vouchers as a fee for the introduction. Was his method of requesting an audience wrong?