Chapter 366: Every Thousand Take One

Chen Ji bid farewell to Chen Lizun. When he returned to Ginkgo Garden, he saw a middle-aged man and four maids blocked outside the gate.

The middle-aged man was dressed in a dark blue scholar's robe, while the four maids wore light green *ruqun*, with ribbons tied in their hair and plain silver earrings.

According to Xiaoman, third-class maids in the Chen estate were only allowed to wear wooden hairpins, second-class maids could wear at most one silver hairpin, and only first-class maids were permitted to tie their hair with ribbons, wear droopy-ear knots, and adorn themselves with plain silver earrings.

Only concubine-maids were allowed to have jewelry or jade embellishments on their silver earrings.

The hierarchy was clearly defined.

Xiaoman's voice drifted from a distance: "My young master never told me about new maids arriving. While it's fine to arrange maids, it needs to wait until my young master returns."

The middle-aged man calmly said, "Miss Xiaoman, I am the head steward of Qinzhong Garden. You are merely a maid in this estate. Whether or not to arrange servants in Ginkgo Garden is not something that needs your input."

The middle-aged man was Wang Duo, the head steward of Qinzhong Garden.

Chen Ji walked up to the gate: "What's going on here?"

Seeing him, Wang Duo smiled, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Chen Ji, the Second Master just remarked that you are a pillar of the Chen family and should focus your mind on family affairs, not be distracted by daily trifles.

"Before he left, he specifically instructed me to arrange four first-class maids to serve you diligently. These four maids are very obedient; they will do whatever you tell them."

Chen Ji realized that the Second Branch was getting serious.

First, he had caused Chen Wenren to be exiled to Lingnan, then he had caused the Wang family, Prefect of Shuntian, to have their property confiscated and their family annihilated. Now, he had also taken over the salt business, causing them to lose hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

Now, Chen Lizhi was truly angered. The other party had first planted spies in Ginkgo Garden, and it was likely they would soon seek an opportunity to destroy him.

Seeing Chen Ji remain silent, Wang Duo continued with a smile, "Young Master Chen Ji, these four maids are named Yushui (Rain Water), Lixia (Start of Summer), Xiaoshu (Minor Heat), and Dashu (Major Heat). Xiaoshu and Dashu are even twin sisters, which are very hard to find outside."

Chen Ji shook his head: "Ginkgo Garden doesn't need any more maids."

Wang Duo's expression turned serious: "As the saying goes, 'one does not decline a gift from an elder.' This is something the Second Master specifically instructed. How can you refuse? If you don't want them, then I will sell all four of them to the Eight Great Hutongs."

Hearing this, the four maids lifted their skirts and knelt piteously before the gate of Ginkgo Garden, pleading, "Young Master Chen Ji, please keep us."

Chen Ji walked through the gap between them and slammed the door shut with a clang, saying, "Remember to sell them for a good price."

Inside the gate, Xiaoman, carrying a small black cat, followed Chen Ji: "Young Master, what if they kneel at the gate and refuse to get up? The Second Branch must know your temperament. Perhaps they've already made arrangements with these girls' families and are determined to make them kneel to their death at the gate, to brand you as 'inhumane.' They are absolutely capable of such a thing."

Chen Ji didn't reply. He turned around and closed the inner door, keeping Xiaoman outside. "I'm going to change my clothes," he said.

Xiaoman muttered by the door, "I'm just afraid this will ruin your future. Why not let them into the courtyard? I'll make sure they don't enter the main house. Otherwise, if an imperial censor impeaches you, you'll be pestered with inquiries..."

Chen Ji finished changing, fastening his belt as he walked out. "Let them impeach me," he said. "Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver have been spent; it needs to be worth it."

Xiaoman froze: "Hundreds of thousands? What do you mean?"

Chen Ji emerged from Ginkgo Garden. As expected, the four maids were still kneeling at the gate, as if they would remain there indefinitely unless Chen Ji agreed.

Wang Duo stood behind them, calmly clasping his hands, his eyes closed as if resting.

Xiaoshu tearfully began, "Young Master, when I was twelve, my parents both succumbed to the plague and passed away. My sister and I had no choice but to live as dependents with our uncle. But our uncle unexpectedly sold us to the Chen estate as maids.

"Now, my sister and I are forlorn and helpless. If you don't take us in, Steward Wang will truly sell us to the Eight Great Hutongs."

Chen Ji looked down at her: "What's your uncle's name?"

Xiaoshu hesitated.

Chen Ji started walking away. "Xiaoman," he called, "throw Wang Duo into the Blue and White Pond in Little Penglai to clear his head." Xiaoman responded with an "Aiyou," then grabbed Wang Duo and started dragging him away. Wang Duo cried out in panic, but it was useless.

The Chen family had diverted Jade Spring water into the estate to create the "Little Penglai" garden. The Blue and White Pond's bottom was paved with fragments of blue and white porcelain, and under the sunlight, the water shimmered with a porcelain gleam, like a cascading river of stars.

Without looking back, Chen Ji said, "Xiaoman, if they don't leave, throw them into the Blue and White Pond too. Steward Wang, go back and tell Second Uncle that I appreciate his kind intentions."

Chen Ji exited through the side gate. A rare smile appeared on Si Caogui's face. "Young Master, please get in the carriage."

Chen Ji climbed into the carriage. "Such prompt news?"

Si Caogui drove the carriage onto Fuyou Street. "In these deep compounds, news travels fast. With so many servants coming and going, there are always some who can't hold their tongues. I was a bit worried when I saw Chen Yue entering the estate during the Hour of the Tiger, but I never imagined you'd dig such a huge pit for them.

"They say a nephew resembles his uncle; you truly possess some of Lord Lu's demeanor. Once you take charge of the Chen family, you will certainly help Lord Lu accomplish his great cause."

Chen Ji leaned against the carriage wall without responding. "To Meihua Ferry," he said.

Si Caogui looked puzzled. "Not going to the Governor-General's Office to report for duty?"

Chen Ji grunted. "No need to diligently report for duty anymore."

The carriage passed through Zhengyang Gate. More and more scholars were entering the capital for the imperial examination, carrying bamboo book baskets on their backs, with sunshades tied to the top.

The street vendors' shoulder poles no longer carried *aiwowu* but were now laden with *dingsheng* cakes (victory cakes) and *zhuangyuan* biscuits (champion biscuits).

The silver-ingot shaped champion cakes were pressed with the characters "dingsheng" (definite victory), while the date-paste champion biscuits were stamped with "Kuixing" (God of Literature). Every scholar who passed by would buy a few to taste, hoping for good luck.

On the Sky Bridge, there were also shops selling *jidi* porridge (success porridge), brewed with pig liver and intestines; "liver" sounded like "official," and "intenstines" like "long," signifying a long official career.

Countless similar items were sold, such as "Azure Cloud Jelly," "Flower Hairpin Biscuits," "Fifth Watch Chicken," and "Three-Trial Buns."

A vendor loudly shouted, promoting his wares: "Do you know Mr. Wang Daosheng? He didn't become the top scholar back then because he didn't eat our champion biscuits!"

The scholars laughed and playfully chided, "You can only make fun of Mr. Wang! Anyone else would have had you thrown into prison long ago!"

The carriage passed through the lively atmosphere and slowly stopped in front of Wenchang Inn.

Si Caogui lifted the carriage curtain with a purple bamboo pole. "Young Master, we've arrived."

Chen Ji lifted his robe, jumped off the carriage, and headed straight for the inn's counter.

"Which room is occupied by Young Master Huang Que from the south?"

The innkeeper, used to such requests, pointed upstairs without asking for a reason. "The 'Earth Character B' room."

Chen Ji ascended the wooden stairs and knocked on the door of the 'Earth Character B' room.

Knock, knock, knock.

Huang Que opened the door, saw Chen Ji, and then expressionlessly closed it again.

Chen Ji wedged his foot in the door crack and politely said, "Brother Huang, I've come to apologize to you."

Huang Que cast a cold glance at him. "Brother Chen Ji, there's no need for such courtesy. You are a noble young master from the Chen family on Fuyou Street, and I am the son of a small salt merchant from the south. You focus on results, while I insist on preserving some dignity. We walk different paths; we cannot conspire together."

Chen Ji bowed deeply. "Since Brother Huang desires dignity, I shall grant Brother Huang dignity. If Brother Huang desires silver, I can also give Brother Huang silver."

Huang Que froze. He had faced nothing but disdain since arriving in the capital. Aside from Qi Zhaoyun and Shen Ye, this was the first time anyone had bowed so formally to him.

Chen Ji straightened up and sincerely said, "Earlier, there was a salt merchant with a Chen family salt shop employee near you. I was putting on a show for them, so I hope Brother Huang won't take it to heart."

Huang Que was silent for a moment. "So, the salt license is still the agreed-upon two taels of silver?" Chen Ji smiled slightly. "Four taels."

Huang Que pushed Chen Ji away and slammed the door shut. "Please leave. I, Huang, have the imperial examination in a few days and need to review my studies."

Chen Ji looked at the closed door and spoke to himself, "I know what business Brother Huang is in, and I know the most difficult aspect of it. However, from now on, if Brother Huang purchases my salt licenses, he can use my Chen family's shipping documents to pass through mountain passes and ferry crossings. I wonder how much those documents are worth?"

The door abruptly reopened. Huang Que stood inside, staring directly at Chen Ji, no longer concealing his surprise. "You dare lend the Chen family's shipping documents to a private salt smuggler? Aren't you afraid of death?"

Chen Ji smiled and said, "If anyone says Brother Huang is a private salt smuggler, I will be the first to disagree."

Huang Que fell silent, unsure how to react for a moment.

Chen Ji walked downstairs. "Let's go to Meihua Ferry together. There are some new rules regarding salt license transactions."

Huang Que watched Chen Ji's figure disappear at the staircase and eventually couldn't help but follow.

The two got into the carriage. As usual, Si Caogui covertly searched Huang Que, exercising extreme caution.

Inside the carriage, Huang Que couldn't help but ask, "Brother Chen Ji, do you know what you're doing? Why would a noble young master from a prominent family like yourself choose to associate with us... us salt merchants?"

Chen Ji looked through the carriage curtain at the scholars coming and going outside. "Brother Huang, I am different from you. I cannot participate in the imperial examinations step by step like you, entering the Hanlin Academy, then the Six Ministries, then the Grand Secretariat, and only then doing what I want. I cannot wait that long, so every step I take must be quick."

Huang Que let out a self-deprecating laugh. "We... I am also different from them. Brother Chen Ji, you probably don't know that I started my studies after four years old, and at nine, my father spent a fortune to send me to Yunyueyang Academy. The master there praised me for being able to write beautiful essays at nine, but once he learned I was the son of a salt merchant, he wouldn't even give me a second glance.

"Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants – my father spent a fortune and pleaded with everyone to change my registration to 'farmer' so that I could participate in the imperial examinations."

Chen Ji smiled. "You are the son of a salt merchant, and I am the illegitimate son of the Chen family. So, neither of us has reason to look down on the other."

They arrived at Meihua Ferry.

Chen Ji led Huang Que into Meirui Tower. As soon as they entered, amidst the sound of abacus beads clicking, Huang Que looked at the wall opposite.

The wall was covered with bamboo plaques, each bearing a red paper. On the red paper was written: "Gongyi, 100 licenses, 380 taels."

"Yuncheng, 100 licenses, 450 taels."

"Guyuan, 100 licenses, 280 taels."

"Jinling, 100 licenses, 460 taels."

Huang Que stopped in front of the wall, puzzled. "Brother, this is...

"This is the first time I've seen salt licenses sold this way."

Chen Ji asked with a smile, "Brother Huang, how many salt licenses would you usually buy from large salt merchants at one time?"

Huang Que replied, "As I mentioned, ten thousand licenses."

Chen Ji then asked, "And out of those ten thousand licenses, how many were what you actually wanted?"

There had always been a hidden cost when trading salt licenses: a salt license was also a travel permit, and it could not be resold to another location. If a license specified that a batch of salt was to be transported to Guyuan, it could not be transported elsewhere.

Transporting salt incurred extremely high losses. Therefore, large salt merchants would often bundle and sell licenses for remote or undesirable destinations to smaller salt merchants. These smaller merchants had no choice; they simply had to take whatever they bought.

It was common for a small salt merchant from the far south to purchase a license for the far north. They couldn't realistically travel from south to north to sell salt, so they could only hold onto the licenses or find middlemen to resell them.

Chen Ji looked at Huang Que. "How many salt licenses are currently backlogged in your family's possession, Brother Huang?"

Huang Que considered. "Roughly three thousand licenses."

Chen Ji pointed to the wall. "Here, Brother Huang, you can select the exact salt licenses you want, without spending unnecessary money. Furthermore, any salt licenses you possess can also be sold here to me. The gates of Meihua Ferry are always open to all salt merchants."

Huang Que looked at the bamboo plaques on the wall, perplexed. "If I pay 460 taels of silver right now, I can immediately buy one hundred salt licenses for transport to Jinling?"

Chen Ji nodded. "Yes." Huang Que then asked, "And if I want to sell one hundred salt licenses for transport to Jinling, how much silver would I get?"

Chen Ji pointed to the plaques. "According to the current price, it would also be 460 taels of silver."

Huang Que was confused. "Normally, a middleman would take at least twenty percent. Aren't you just doing charity for others, Brother? What do you earn?"

Chen Ji unhurriedly explained, "I, of course, also take a cut."

"How much?"

"One per thousand."

A commission of one part per thousand.

Huang Que pondered. A commission of one per thousand was, by all accounts, far more cost-effective than a twenty percent cut, practically negligible. He looked at Chen Ji suspiciously, unable to fathom what Chen Ji stood to gain from this business.