Chapter 98: Industry

Inside the examination compound.

Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin, wearing deep blue official robes and with their hands on their leather belts, walked side-by-side along a path between rows of examination cells. Inside the cells, scholars were writing furiously, while a group of officials quietly followed behind the two men.

After exiting the examination hall, Zhang Zhuo glanced at Chen Liqin beside him, dismissed the officials behind them, and chuckled, "Minister Chen is quite a good father. You specifically came to the examination compound on the day of the autumn examination to support your two sons. Are you afraid they'll fail? If an imperial censor found out, they would surely impeach you for the crime of not avoiding suspicion."

Chen Liqin looked a bit uncomfortable. "Your Excellency misunderstands. I was merely concerned about something going wrong during the autumn examination."

Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, patted Chen Liqin's shoulder, and whispered, "Don't worry. All the examiners for this session were personally selected by Elder Xu. They are all his former students and acquaintances, so it's a sure thing."

Chen Liqin slowly brightened. As the Prefectural Magistrate of Luocheng, he had no authority over the inner examination officials' grading; he only managed the outer proceedings. The power to select inner examination officials had always been in the hands of Grand Secretary Xu Gong. Zhang Zhuo was Xu Gong's nephew-in-law, and now he handled all external affairs. With Zhang Zhuo's promise, Chen Liqin could rest assured.

After a moment of thought, Chen Liqin hesitated before speaking, "I have another son."

Zhang Zhuo smiled, "Is that the one who beat Prince Jing in chess?"

"Precisely," Chen Liqin admitted frankly, "He made some mistakes before, and seeing that he was incorrigible despite repeated corrections, I sent him to Taiping Medical Hall as an apprentice."

Zhang Zhuo was surprised. "Oh? I observed that child's character to be quite good, steady and reserved. What kind of mistakes could he make?"

Chen Liqin hesitated for a moment. "A few years ago, he was led astray by bad friends to a gambling house in Hongyi Lane and ended up owing hundreds of taels of silver in just one year."

Chen Liqin sighed, "I never expected he could reform himself so completely in the past two years. I sent someone to ask his neighbors, and every one of them praised him as knowledgeable, reasonable, diligent, and capable." He looked at Zhang Zhuo and said, "Your Excellency, I plan to bring him back home and send him to Donglin Academy next spring. At that time, I will need your help to smooth things over."

"Smoothing things over" was actually a request for another promise from Zhang Zhuo. For ordinary people, passing the imperial examination was extremely difficult, but for Zhang Zhuo and Xu Gong, it was simple.

Zhang Zhuo stroked his sparse beard, "A while ago, Elder Xu had a cabinet proposal rejected by the Ministry of Revenue. It wasn't a big deal, just Elder Xu wanting to build a few roads for his hometown. I wonder if your esteemed father could facilitate this matter?"

Chen Liqin frowned for a long time. "I will write to my father and mention this matter to him."

Zhang Zhuo's face brightened, and he patted Chen Liqin's shoulder, smiling. "Minister Chen, you are a truly good father, worrying yourself sick over your children."

Chen Liqin sighed with emotion, "It's a pity children can't appreciate their parents' efforts. And I'm not afraid of Your Excellency laughing, but that son of mine still refuses to return home with me; he won't even call me 'father' anymore."

"No matter, no matter," Zhang Zhuo consoled, "He's just sulking with you now. Could he truly abandon the Chen family's prestige? A court physician earns only a pittance in a year. Once he's suffered enough in the common world and understands the despondency of a hero stumped by a single penny, he'll slink back home on his own."

Zhang Zhuo laughed cheerfully, "Not long ago, my third son said he wanted to become a wandering knight-errant in the martial world, learning to champion justice. As soon as he left, I sent someone to pickpocket his purse on the street. The boy left at dawn and returned home by noon, just in time for lunch. If you ask me, just cut off your son's allowance, and he'll come home on his own."

"That actually is a method..."

At this moment, Zhang Zhuo's eyes glinted, "By the way, has anyone proposed a marriage for your son, Chen Wenzong? I have a daughter, beautiful as a flower, waiting to be wed..."

"Your Excellency," an official approached to report.

Zhang Zhuo said unhappily, "What is it? Can't you see I'm discussing important matters with Minister Chen?"

The official looked troubled, "Your Excellency, the Prince has sent someone to summon you to Liujiatun, saying he has devised a solution for the refugees. Your political achievements are saved!"

"What?" Zhang Zhuo's eyes gleamed brightly. "Is that true?"

"It's true," the official turned to Chen Liqin. "Coincidentally, Minister Chen is also here. Prince Jing has summoned both of you to the Liujiatun Kiln Factory."

"Why summon me?"

"The Prince said your river embankment is also saved."

Chen Liqin was startled. Liujiatun Kiln Factory—wasn't that where he had gone to look for Chen Ji earlier? How could there be a method to save the river embankment there?

Inside the kiln factory, everyone was still in high spirits.

"Chen Ji, we did it!"

"When Chen Ji first said we could go down in history, I didn't believe it. But from now on, our cement will be used to build river embankments, and to construct city walls in every prefecture and province. History won't be able to forget us!"

The Prince's heir excitedly asked, "Will history truly record it this way: 'In the autumn of the 31st year of Jianing, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, Liang Mao'er, Luo Zuisajia, Zhu Baili, and Zhu Yunxi created cement, leaving a legacy for ten thousand generations'?"

Baili smiled, "Once the work at the kiln is done, I'll treat everyone to a banquet at Yingxian Tower. Eat whatever you want, and drink until you're completely drunk!"

The Prince's heir looked at Baili, puzzled. "Didn't Father confiscate your monthly allowance?"

Baili said righteously, "I still have some hidden away!"

Amidst the laughter.

Liang Gou'er, lounging on a straw mat nearby, secretly watched the cheering young men through the gap between his nose and straw hat. One of the happiest things in youth is doing something together with friends. If there's anything happier than that, it's succeeding at that very thing. He saw the smile on Liang Mao'er's face, and unknowingly, his own lips curved slightly upward, as if his youthful days were passing through him once more. But as he watched, the light in Liang Gou'er's eyes dimmed again. He tugged at the brim of his hat, completely obscuring his face beneath the straw hat.

"Chen Ji."

At this moment, Prince Jing spoke, and his words, like an imperial decree, brought everyone's laughter to an abrupt halt.

The Prince's heir and Liang Mao'er gently set Chen Ji down. Chen Ji smoothed his disheveled clothes and calmly said, "Your Highness, please speak."

Prince Jing held a broken brick in his hand, his fingers rubbing the cement stuck to it. "Let's discuss this business. Seeing as you are close friends with Yunxi and Baili, I won't take advantage of you. A flat price of five thousand taels of silver for you to sell me the cement formula."

Chen Ji fell into contemplation.

Seeing his silence, Prince Jing said earnestly, "The annual tax revenue from Lianghuai Salt Administration is only 950,000 taels of silver, and the imperial court's annual tax revenue is merely 550,000 taels of silver. Five thousand taels of silver is enough to secure a lifetime of wealth and glory for an ordinary person. Do not miss out on this immense fortune."

She Dengke slowly looked at Chen Ji, his voice trembling, "Chen Ji, five thousand taels of silver!"

Liu Quxing was also stirred. What did five thousand taels mean? A typical official, even with entertaining and managing social connections, only spent about one hundred taels of silver a year. Not only were these two apprentices tempted, even Baili felt that his father's offer was quite generous this time.

However, Chen Ji laughed, "Your Highness is trying to trick me."

Prince Jing raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Chen Ji calculated carefully, "Your Highness said the imperial court's annual income is 550,000 taels of silver, but you didn't mention that the court's tax revenue is primarily in kind—grain—which, if converted to silver, would likely amount to tens of millions of taels. Your Highness said the Lianghuai Salt Administration's annual tax revenue is only 950,000 taels, but you failed to mention the long-standing abuses in the Lianghuai Salt Administration and the embarrassment of being unable to collect taxes."

Prince Jing gradually stopped smiling.

Chen Ji continued, "Your Highness also didn't mention that in this Ning Dynasty, there are aristocratic literati families like the Liu family who control entire provinces, with seventy percent of a province's finances going to the Liu family, and only the remaining thirty percent to the court. Your Highness is swapping concepts by using the court's tax revenue. I can hear your abacus clicking from five thousand *li* away!" He looked at Prince Jing and said sincerely, "Your Highness and I both know the true value of this cement. Let's be frank with each other."

Prince Jing stared directly at Chen Ji, as if trying to see through the young man's soul, but Chen Ji neither dodged nor avoided his gaze, simply waiting for his answer.

Prince Jing suddenly smiled and turned to Wang Kezhi. "Have you memorized the formula?"

Wang Kezhi replied honestly, "Yes, we have. Young Doctor Chen also didn't deliberately keep it from us."

Prince Jing nodded, "Very good. We can modify the kilns ourselves and produce the cement ourselves. There's no need to trouble Young Doctor Chen further."

Baili's eyes widened. "Father!"

Prince Jing clasped his hands behind his back and laughed cheerfully, "Baili, do not interfere. Cement involves national policy; how can it be controlled by a few young men? The imperial treasury is currently in dire straits. Offering five thousand taels of silver is my utmost sincerity. It's best if you accept; otherwise, there's nothing more to be done."

A powerful prince, unable to outwit a mere apprentice, resorted to behaving like a ruffian.

Chen Ji said sincerely, "Your Highness, this matter is too significant. I need to go back to the Chen family and ask. If Minister Chen Liqin cannot make up his mind, then he should write to the Chen clan head and ask what price they think I should sell it to you for, or if they are interested in this business at all."

Prince Jing's smile faded again. "Didn't you say you didn't want to return to the Chen family?"

Chen Ji's eyes were sincere. "I can return."

Prince Jing remained silent, carefully weighing the pros and cons. After a moment, he looked at Chen Ji and asked, "What did you say just before that?"

Chen Ji: "I need to go back to the Chen family and ask..."

"The sentence before that."

Chen Ji: "Let's be frank with each other."

"Good."

Chen Ji: "..."

Prince Jing paced a few steps with his head down inside the kiln factory. When he looked up again, he candidly laid out the pros and cons: "Chen Ji, you are very intelligent, so you must know that you cannot make this business succeed on your own. You could even lose your life over it."

Baili frowned, "Father, don't scare him..."

Chen Ji raised a hand to stop Baili. "His Highness is right. Wealth moves hearts, and the path to profit is always bloody and cruel."

Prince Jing nodded, "It's good that you haven't been blinded by greed. Then you should also understand that even if you take this cement back to the Chen family as a concubine's son, this foundation will not fall into your hands, but will be divided among the Chen family's first and second branches. Therefore, your best choice is actually Prince Jing's Estate. At least my Prince Jing's Estate conducts affairs more fairly than they do."

Chen Ji acknowledged, "I understand."

Prince Jing looked at Chen Ji, just about to say more, when he saw a carriage slowly pull up outside the kiln factory entrance. Everyone looked and saw Old Man Yao being helped slowly out of the carriage by the driver.

Old Man Yao slowly walked up to the crowd, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces before he asked, "What are you discussing, looking so serious?"

Liu Quxing quickly said, "Master, His Highness wants to buy Chen Ji's cement formula."

Old Man Yao said, "Oh? How much did His Highness offer?"

Liu Quxing replied, "Five thousand taels, but Chen Ji didn't agree. They're in a dispute right now."

Old Man Yao said "Oh" again, then took six copper coins from his sleeve, threw them on the ground, and turned to Prince Jing. "Five thousand taels annually."

"How much?!"

Liang Gou'er suddenly sat upright, his straw hat falling to the ground.

Baili was stunned. The price of this cement had actually changed from five thousand taels of silver to five thousand taels *annually*?

Old Man Yao looked at Prince Jing and slowly said, "Your Highness won't lose out by purchasing this." Having said that, he looked at Chen Ji, "This is enough. You wouldn't be able to hold onto any more money anyway."

Everyone silently looked at Prince Jing, afraid that such an audacious demand might anger the powerful prince. But Prince Jing suddenly smiled. "Deal."

Chen Ji was frozen. A deal? It's just... done?

Chen Ji abruptly looked at his master. He didn't know what kind of relationship his scrawny master had with Prince Jing, to be able to persuade him with a single sentence, changing the price from five thousand taels to five thousand taels annually. Such a relationship could certainly not be explained in a few words.

"Master," Chen Ji asked, "Did you come specifically to help me?"

Old Man Yao gave him a sidelong glance, "Why are you so full of yourself? I just came to see what you were up to."

Chen Ji: "...Oh."

At this moment, Liu Quxing looked at She Dengke in disbelief. "I'm not dreaming, am I? Five thousand taels *annually*?"

She Dengke punched Liu Quxing on the chest, making him cough several times. "Does it hurt?"

"You son of a gun!"

Liu Quxing was about to pounce on She Dengke but was stopped by Prince Jing raising a hand. "Don't rush. Let me finish. Five thousand taels annually is not without conditions. Besides the cement formula, I also want the carbonization method for making steel."

Chen Ji smiled, "Alright." He wasn't greedy. He simply wanted to secure a stable enterprise to support the Mountain Lord's Gate.