Chapter Fifty-Four: Partners, Old Wang Next Door

Wang Wanzi’s body stiffened for a moment. Wasn’t this obvious? Doing business was all about making more money, amassing great wealth so that the family could survive for generations. He deeply yearned for the goal the Emperor spoke of, but he remained extremely cautious—after all, the ordeals he had suffered at Liu Bei’s hands had left him wary. The Wang family had once held the right to mint coins, but that privilege was stripped away by Liu Bei, who also seized three of their mines—a grievous loss indeed.

But what could be done? Such was the fate of merchants, whose low status left them with nothing but wealth as their sole advantage. Their private guards were powerless before Liu Bei’s iron cavalry, like helpless children before seasoned warriors.

The right to mint coins and the three mines—he regarded them as the price of survival and a ticket to keep his family safe. For that same peace, he had married his daughter to the Emperor. Though wealthy, he lived in constant anxiety; if the Emperor or the Prime Minister one day claimed military funds were insufficient and resorted to forceful measures, he would have no means to resist.

The old master had played the bandit and gained much from the Wang family; it was likely his son would do the same. Thus, Wang Wanzi was exceedingly careful. As they walked, he pondered silently, then cautiously asked, “May I ask, Your Majesty, what exactly is your intention?”

Liu Tan smiled. It seemed that painting grand prospects was not effective on everyone—merchants truly were shrewd! When the entourage reached the Wang family’s reception hall, Liu Tan seated himself at the head and said, “Then I’ll speak frankly. I have come today to discuss a business deal with my father-in-law!”

“A business deal?” Wang Wanzi’s heart skipped a beat. He glanced at his two sons, whose expressions had also turned somewhat uneasy, likely thinking the same as he was.

The Emperor wanted to do business with him? Surely, this was just another pretext to extract even more from him. He only hoped His Majesty’s appetite would not be excessive. At the same time, he wondered—he already contributed gold and silver each year, so why had the Emperor come in person? Was it not enough?

Observing their reactions, Liu Tan understood what they were thinking. He added, “Father-in-law, you need not worry—I truly have a business proposition for us to collaborate on!”

Having his thoughts laid bare, Wang Wanzi forced a smile and asked, “May I ask, Your Majesty, what kind of business is it?”

Liu Tan replied, “For now, a paper mill and a printing house. Later, there could be more—perhaps a distillery, for example. In short, I have the technology, and you, Father-in-law, have the capital, connections, and sales channels. Working with me, you will reap countless benefits without harm.”

“A paper mill?” Wang Wanzi shook his head. “Caihou paper is not practical and has no market. And Your Majesty, what is this printing house you speak of?”

Liu Tan had come prepared. He drew from his breast the copy of the “Memorial to Expedition” he had transcribed in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and handed it to Wang Wanzi. “What if it were paper like this?”

“This…”

As Liu Tan expected, both Wang Wanzi and his two sons were quite astonished as they examined the sample.

“If it’s paper of this quality, it should sell very well,” Wang Wanzi said. As a successful merchant, he could accurately judge the value of a product.

“The printing house would use some of the paper produced for sale, and some for printing. We would reproduce the ancient classics and wise writings onto this paper, bind them into books, and sell them. Do you think there’s a market?” Liu Tan explained and then asked.

“Books have always been valuable yet scarce. If they could truly be mass-printed, they should sell extremely well!” Wang Wanzi answered.

Indeed, in ancient times, scholars prided themselves on vast learning, but books inscribed on bamboo slips or silk were limited in capacity and extremely expensive—collecting them required great effort, and ordinary people simply could not afford to read.

“So, Father-in-law, do you think this is a venture worth pursuing? No need to worry—if you’re not interested in cooperating, I can always seek out another merchant,” Liu Tan said nonchalantly.

This time, Wang Wanzi did not look to his sons, for his mind was already made up.

“Of course we can cooperate! But, Your Majesty, how will the profits be divided?” he asked.

Indeed, a merchant’s concern was always profit!

If you want the horse to run, you must feed it well.

Liu Tan said, “After deducting costs and taxes, the remaining profits will be divided—sixty percent for me, forty for your family.”

He could see Wang Wanzi sinking into thought, calculating gains and losses.

So Liu Tan continued, “Father-in-law, this is not a small venture. Eventually, I intend to expand business across all of China. Even if your family’s share drops to twenty or thirty percent in the future, you’ll still be making fortunes. All you need invest now is a trivial amount at the outset.”

With that, he produced a piece of silk from his sleeve and handed it to Wang Wanzi. “This is the draft contract. Take a look. I won’t stay longer today—you’ll surely want to examine it carefully. I’ll give you time to discuss it. When I return, give me your answer.”

He then took his leave, both because other matters awaited him and to give the Wang family time to deliberate; pressing too hard would be counterproductive.

Departing the Wang estate, Liu Tan made his way to the Shen family’s rice shop.

It had been several days since he’d seen Yuan Yuan, the young widow there. By now, she must be missing him. They say women in their thirties are as fierce as wolves and tigers—Yuan Yuan was nearly thirty herself!

Sure enough, when he arrived at the shop and saw Yuan Yuan, she didn’t say much, but her delight was evident in her expression.

He followed Yuan Yuan into the back courtyard, but did not see her son, Shen Hongzhi.

Upon asking, Yuan Yuan told him the boy had joined the Death Corps under the old Shen clan leader.

“You were willing to let him go?” Liu Tan asked.

Yuan Yuan’s expression darkened. “The old leader said the Death Corps would be recruited primarily from our Shen family’s group.”

This left Liu Tan with mixed feelings. Though the Shen clan had once produced an assassin, he had ultimately gained their loyalty—it was, all in all, a net gain for him.

“Don’t worry! My Death Corps is not a force sent to die for nothing,” Liu Tan reassured her.

Yuan Yuan nodded, setting aside her concerns. “The old leader came by yesterday with a message. Because the operations must remain secret, both corps are recruiting only a small number for now, but training has already begun. Most of the recruits are from the Shen clan. To meet your desired quantity and quality, it will likely take about half a year.”

“I understand. Tell the old leader there’s no need to rush; it’s better to have too few than too many. When the recruitment is nearly complete, I’ll come in person to instruct them,” Liu Tan said.

Yuan Yuan agreed. Then Liu Tan asked, “Do you know anything about the wine shop next door?”

“The shopkeeper next door is surnamed Wang—everyone calls him Old Wang. His family has brewed wine for generations and has a good reputation on this street. By the way, Your Majesty, will you be returning tonight? Would you like me to fetch some wine?”

As she spoke, Yuan Yuan’s cheeks flushed with color.

“Of course I won’t go back. I chose this time so I wouldn’t have to! Isn’t that obvious?” Liu Tan said with a grin.

“I’ll go get wine then, and later I’ll prepare a few dishes for you,” Yuan Yuan replied, rising to leave.

“Wait!” Liu Tan stopped her. “You said the shopkeeper next door is Old Wang?”

“Yes, Your Majesty—is something the matter?” she asked, puzzled.

Liu Tan frowned. “Go ask Old Wang if he’s willing to sell his wine shop. I want to buy it.”

He couldn’t help but feel uneasy having Old Wang living next door to his beloved.