Chapter 99: Can't Take It Back

"Hey, She Dengke, what would you do if you had money?" Liu Quxing mumbled his question, sitting on the edge of the stone millstone platform and eating the wrap his master had brought.

"Of course, I'd first buy a house for my family! I want a two-courtyard house: my father, mother, elder brother, and sister-in-law would live in the back, and my second brother and his wife, and third brother and his wife would live in the front. They've worked so hard all these years, with the whole family squeezed into one room, sleeping on the floor, making it hard even to turn over."

"What about you? Where would you live?"

She Dengke stuffed the last of the wrap into his mouth. "I'd live at the medical hall; they don't need to save a room for me at home. Liu Quxing, what would you do if you had money?"

Liang Gou'er, who was lazily lying on a straw mat nearby, secretly observed the cheering young men through the gap between his nose and his straw hat.

Liu Quxing thought for a moment and said, "I want to bring my mother out of Liujiatun. That way, she won't have to face scrutinizing looks anymore. Every time she brings me money or food, she gets sneered at when she goes home, and is sure to be ridiculed."

"Having money is truly wonderful," She Dengke said, lowering his head. "Money is like an old immortal, capable of helping people realize their dreams."

Liu Quxing suddenly asked, "If you had money, would you still be an apprentice at the medical hall?"

He noticed the smile on Liang Mao'er's face, and without realizing it, his own lips also curled slightly, as if his youthful days were passing by him once more.

She Dengke paused, hesitating a little. "Yes, if I had money, would I still be an apprentice?"

*Whack!*

The bamboo stick landed on She Dengke's back, a stinging pain blossoming there.

She Dengke turned to see Old Man Yao had appeared beside him, glaring furiously at Liu Quxing. "You brat... you son of a gun, you're setting another trap for me!"

However, as he continued watching, the light in Liang Gou'er's eyes dimmed. He pulled down the brim of his hat, completely obscuring his face beneath it.

Old Man Yao sneered at them both. "Oh, so if you have money, you won't be apprentices at my Taiping Medical Hall, eh?"

Liu Quxing quickly jumped down from the stone millstone, flattering him with a smile. "Master, that's what She Dengke said, it has nothing to do with me! I'll definitely study medicine diligently here at the medical hall, and become as respected as you are in the future!"

Old Man Yao scoffed, "Why bother coming to my Taiping Medical Hall to suffer hardships, you rich young masters?"

The Prince and Liang Mao'er slowly laid Chen Ji on the ground. Chen Ji adjusted his disheveled clothes and calmly said, "Your Highness, please speak."

She Dengke hastily said, "Master, please don't misunderstand, we definitely want to stay at the medical hall to serve you. We remember all your kindness to us over the past two years."

At this moment, Liang Gou'er, lying on the straw mat not far away, bit on a blade of grass and swayed his crossed leg. "Five thousand taels of silver, eh? How do you plan to divide it? Haha, throughout history, many brothers have turned against each other, not because they shared hardship, but because they shared wealth."

Liang Mao'er raised his hand. "I was just here to help out; I don't need a share."

Liang Gou'er suddenly sat up, lamenting his disappointment. "Besides Chen Ji, you've worked the hardest these past few days. Why shouldn't you get a share?"

Liang Mao'er shot him a glance. "Brother, just don't talk for now. Anyway, you're not getting a share."

Liang Gou'er: ...

He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word for a long time. Finally, he simply lay back, pulled his straw hat over his face, and his crossed leg began to bounce faster than anyone else's.

The crowd gradually quieted down, looking at each other, none daring to speak first.

How should they divide the five thousand taels of silver? Equal distribution might seem like a good idea, but everyone knew it wouldn't be fair to Chen Ji.

In this silence, Bai Li started to step forward to speak, but Prince Jing reached out and pulled her aside.

He observed the young men with keen interest: "Under heaven, all come for profit, and all go for profit. Only when faced with true gain can you truly see a person. Don't speak yet; let's see if your friends can withstand this test."

The Prince excitedly asked, "Will history books truly record this: 'In the autumn of the 31st year of Jianing, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, Liang Mao'er, Luo Zhui Saja, Zhu Bai Li, and Zhu Yunxi invented cement, leaving a legacy for ten thousand generations'?"

Bai Li hesitated, then whispered, "But why test human nature? It's not fair to those being tested."

Prince Jing paused, then chuckled, "My silly child, there's no such thing as fairness in this world. You must learn to protect yourself."

Just as he finished speaking, a carriage slowly pulled to a stop outside the kiln factory.

Zhang Zhuo was seen pulling back the curtain, clutching the hem of his official robe as he jumped down. After landing, he didn't forget to turn back and help Chen Liqin, before they both strode briskly into the kiln factory.

The two approached Prince Jing. Zhang Zhuo cupped his hands and bowed. "Your Highness."

Prince Jing raised a hand to stop him. "Don't speak yet and disturb them. Let's see how they divide the money; the division of wealth among brothers is always a good show. You two have arrived at just the right time, you've caught it perfectly."

Zhang Zhuo was surprised. "Divide money? What money are they dividing?"

Prince Jing smiled and said, "I'll explain it slowly to you later. Oh, and Minister Chen, Chen Ji is among them."

At this moment, Zhang Zhuo squinted slightly, carefully distinguishing each person in the crowd. He pulled Chen Liqin aside and whispered, "Hmm, why is your son here too?"

Chen Liqin hesitated, then said softly, "I knew he was here yesterday, and I came specifically to pick him up and take him back to the manor, but he didn't come with me."

Zhang Zhuo said, surprised, "That child has such spirit! He'd rather do heavy labor at the kiln factory than return to the Chen Manor with you?"

Chen Liqin sighed, "It was my oversight as a father earlier. After he went to Taiping Medical Hall, I instructed the steward to send a servant each month to deliver his allowance. Who would have thought that the servant secretly embezzled it, changing three taels of silver a month to three hundred *wen* a month, and later simply delaying or not giving it at all? He probably came to the kiln factory to earn some money for his studies."

Zhang Zhuo gave Chen Liqin a significant look. "Minister Chen, what happened to the servant?"

Chen Liqin replied, "He was beaten to death."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard and asked again, "What about the steward? Was he beaten to death?"

Chen Liqin shook his head. "No, he was given ten strokes as a slight punishment."

Zhang Zhuo smiled meaningfully. "Your son is more resilient than mine. He'd rather suffer hardships than endure such humiliation. He must have frequented the gambling dens because he was led astray by bad company. Listen to my advice: first, give your son two hundred taels of silver to ease his anxiety, then beat your foolish steward to death to vent his anger. That will surely bring him back."

"Beat the steward to death?" Chen Liqin looked at Zhang Zhuo in surprise. "Why go that far? This steward is also an old family retainer I brought from the capital. He's diligently managed everything for over ten years; even if he hasn't achieved great merits, he's certainly put in a lot of hard work."

Zhang Zhuo chuckled. "When the late emperor was on the throne, wasn't General Hu Guang's merit great enough? He recaptured Chongli Pass and held back Jing Dynasty cavalry for over a decade. His achievements were so great that he dared to wield military power and roar in court. What was his ultimate fate? The late emperor first promoted Liu Wencheng to Minister of War and into the cabinet, then allowed Grand Secretary Liu to clip General Hu Guang's wings, confiscating his family's property and exterminating his clan. When Grand Secretary Liu was reviled by everyone as a treacherous minister, the late emperor issued an imperial decree banishing him back to his hometown, and was immediately praised as a sagacious ruler."

Chen Liqin's expression changed. "Minister, mind your words."

Zhang Zhuo chuckled, speaking with certainty. "You're a righteous gentleman, so you certainly wouldn't report me to the eunuch faction. You're just too pedantic."

Chen Liqin, displeased at being called pedantic, emphasized his words. "Minister Zhang, you don't sound like a scholar; you sound more like a scoundrel."

Zhang Zhuo casually cupped his hands, unconcerned. "You flatter me, you flatter me."

The biting wind blew, and Liu Quxing and the others were red with cold but didn't notice. All were silent, pondering how to divide the five thousand taels of silver.

Everyone looked at each other, no one willing to speak first.

Chen Ji broke the silence. He looked at Liu Quxing and the others and said with a smile, "I won't be modest with you all. I'll take thirty percent of this money each year, and you can divide the rest."

"Thirty percent?"

Zhang Zhuo instinctively looked at Chen Liqin. He counted; there were six or seven people present. Chen Ji was proposing to take thirty percent right off the bat? How would the rest be divided?

Chen Liqin's brows furrowed. He bowed to Prince Jing. "Your Highness, your humble servant has failed to properly guide his son. From now on, I will definitely take him back to the manor and discipline him strictly, teaching him humility and deference."

"Ha..." Prince Jing laughed loudly. "Minister Chen, don't be anxious. Even those dividing the money aren't anxious, why are you?"

Chen Liqin was startled.

The next moment, She Dengke was heard saying in a muffled voice, "No."

Chen Ji fell into thought.

The kiln factory fell silent once more. Chen Liqin frowned, watching, fearful that Chen Ji might fight with the others over the money, which would be undignified.

"Earlier, when Chen Ji said we could go down in history, I didn't believe him. But in the future, when dikes are built with our cement, and city walls in various prefectures and provinces are built with our cement, history books won't be able to ignore us!"

However, She Dengke suddenly said, "Chen Ji, we all know very well that without you, this money wouldn't exist at all. Although we also put in effort, it was really just two days of being cold and two days of manual labor. You could hire strong laborers from the East Market for a few taels of silver to do this kind of work. Take half, and we'll divide the rest. Liu Quxing, what do you think?"

Liu Quxing's expression changed. "Why are you looking at me? It's as if I'm extremely greedy."

She Dengke pressed him, "Just tell me if you agree or not!"

One of the happiest things in youth is doing something together with friends.

Liu Quxing gritted his teeth. "Agree, agree! You big fool, he's already offered to take less, couldn't you have just accepted it? Do you know how much money two fewer tenths is?"

She Dengke glared. "You brat, you finally spoke your mind!"

At this moment, Prince Jing spoke, his voice like an imperial decree, causing all laughter to cease abruptly.

The Prince laughed heartily. "Good, good, good! If everyone kept it bottled up, resentment would fester over time. Now that you've all spoken your minds, it's quite straightforward. To be honest, even I'm envious of this money. Bai Li shouldn't treat us to dinner tonight; Chen Ji must be the one to pay. The best private room at Yingxian Tower, and order their most famous 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea'. If Chen Ji dares to frown, we'll beat him up!"

Liu Quxing said, heartbroken, "Right! He's got so much money; if he dares to frown when paying, we'll beat him up!"

Chen Ji laughed. "Don't worry, I won't frown at all. The little monk observes the money precept, so he can't touch money. As for the rest—the Prince, Princess Bai Li, Brother Mao'er, Senior Brother She, and Senior Brother Liu—the five of you can divide the rest equally."

Bai Li smiled: "Once the kiln work is done, I'll treat everyone to a feast at Yingxian Tower. We'll eat whatever we want and drink until we're drunk."

The Prince looked at Bai Li, puzzled. "Didn't Father confiscate your monthly allowance?"

The little monk put his palms together, asking curiously, "After dinner, shall we go to Hongyi Lane?"

Everyone burst into laughter. "You philandering monk!"

Bai Li smiled, looking at Prince Jing. "They didn't fight as you wished."

Prince Jing sighed regretfully, "I thought I'd get to see a good show. But they all have pure hearts, which is truly precious. I only hope these pure hearts aren't forged into blackness by the crucible of this world."

At this point, Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin gradually began to sense that something was amiss.

Seeing no answer, Prince Jing said earnestly, "The salt administration of Lianghuai yields only nine hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver in annual revenue, and the imperial court's annual tax revenue is merely five hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver. Five thousand taels of silver is enough to grant an ordinary person a lifetime of wealth and glory. Don't miss out on this immense fortune."

Before, they thought they were just dividing the wages from this hard labor at the kiln. But if it were just wages, how could they afford Yingxian Tower and Hongyi Lane?

Zhang Zhuo looked at Prince Jing and asked in confusion, "Your Highness, how much money are they dividing?"

Prince Jing explained with a smile, "Five thousand taels of silver annually."

Zhang Zhuo instinctively gasped. "So, that boy Chen Ji alone takes two thousand five hundred taels of silver?"

Not to mention those two apprentices being tempted; even Bai Li felt her father was incredibly generous this time.

However, Chen Ji laughed. "Your Highness is setting a trap for me."

Prince Jing nodded. "Indeed."

"Chen Ji, we did it!"

Zhang Zhuo slowly looked at Chen Liqin. "Minister Chen, that boy of yours, I'm afraid you won't be able to bring him back now."

Chen Liqin remained silent.

Zhang Zhuo continued, "Your Chen family's annual expenses are probably only two or three hundred taels. His annual two thousand five hundred taels of silver will be much more comfortable than living in your Chen Manor. Disregard what I said before; you can't use money to pull him back now. You'll probably have to appeal to his emotions and reason."

Chen Liqin ignored him, stepping forward to ask in confusion, "Your Highness, five thousand taels of silver is an enormous sum. Where does it come from?"

Prince Jing led the two to the brick wall and had them strike it with sledgehammers.

"They developed a substance called cement. It solidifies several times faster than glutinous rice mortar, and its cost is only thirty percent of glutinous rice mortar. My princely manor has already purchased the formula for this substance and promised to share profits with them, giving them an annual dividend of five thousand taels of silver. What do you two ministers think? Is this formula worth it?"

Liu Quxing was also stirred: What concept was five thousand taels? An ordinary official, even with entertaining and managing social relations, would spend no more than one hundred taels of silver a year.

Zhang Zhuo's eyes gleamed. He picked up a bit of cement, rubbing it between his fingers, and asked, "The cost is only twenty percent of glutinous rice mortar, and it sets faster? Worth it, absolutely worth it! Your Highness, are you saying this was developed by those young men?"

Prince Jing nodded. "Precisely. The formula was conceived by Chen Ji, and they all worked together on the project."

Zhang Zhuo suddenly realized, "No wonder when they were dividing the money, he said he'd take thirty percent, but the others insisted he take fifty percent. So, he was the one who created this thing!"

It was only then that Chen Liqin recalled Chen Ji mentioning "carbonization steelmaking technique" to Prince Jing yesterday.

Prince Jing had even intervened to prevent him from taking Chen Ji back to the manor.

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

Inside the kiln factory, Chen Liqin looked with a complex expression at Chen Ji, who was surrounded by the crowd.

He had thought that if he dealt with the servant at home, allowing Chen Ji to vent his anger, and then kindly persuaded him, he would surely be able to bring Chen Ji back.

He had also thought that perhaps if he cut off Chen Ji's money, Chen Ji would obediently return home.

But now, the son he had driven out no longer needed that home.

At this moment, Chen Ji and the others bowed to Prince Jing and said, "Your Highness, we've been working hard for several days. Today, we want to go back, change our clothes, and celebrate, so we'll take our leave now."

Prince Jing waved his hand. "Go on. I permit you to drink today."

Chen Ji replied with a smile, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Inside the kiln factory, everyone was still celebrating.

After speaking, he hesitated for a moment, then turned and bowed to Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin. "Minister Zhang, Minister Chen, farewell."

Chen Liqin remained silent.

Zhang Zhuo watched the young men get onto the ox cart and slowly rumble out of the kiln factory. His eyes gleamed. "Your son seems to have gotten in with the princely manor. If he can become a favorite of Prince Jing, you and I might be able to use him to connect with Prince Jing and get a share of the profits from the Liu family in Yuzhou before we leave."

Chen Liqin frowned slightly. "Minister Zhang, the Liu family is ruthless. You and I are already restrained and apprehensive in Yuzhou; why involve an inexperienced child?"

Zhang Zhuo rolled his eyes. "It's not like we're sending him to charge into battle. Why are you so quick to protect your cub? If you had taken care of him earlier, he wouldn't be calling you 'Minister Chen' with every other word. What are you pretending now?"

Chen Liqin's face grew darker. "You..."

Prince Jing raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

However, at this very moment, Zhang Zhuo suddenly raised a hand to stop Chen Liqin from speaking.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Minister Chen, has anyone proposed marriage for Chen Ji? I have a daughter who has just come of age and is currently awaiting marriage..."

End of chapter.