Chapter Twenty-Seven: Economic Issues

After Zhao Dezhao personally reported the background of An Deyu and An Shouliang to Zhao Kuangyin, the Emperor was overjoyed, beaming with delight and repeatedly expressing his approval.

This was only natural. A son who follows the path of filial piety, even without violating state law, voluntarily observes a three-year mourning period for his foster father—choosing to delay his entry into officialdom to repay the debt of upbringing—possesses a virtue that rivals the legendary "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars."

Furthermore, when the son, at the urging of others and for the sake of honoring his foster grandfather, his father’s reputation, and serving the court and the people, stepped up to compete and captured the title of top scholar (Zhuangyuan) in one stroke, such a feat would be destined for the history books.

Every emperor hopes to see such legends unfold under their reign, and Zhao Kuangyin was no exception. In his elation, he patted his son on the shoulder and said, "Well done! That I have gained such filial and talented men as the An family is entirely to your credit!"

Overcome with joy, he added, "Continue your efforts. Strive to be ennobled alongside your second uncle in the future and bring more glory to me!"

Hearing this, Zhao Guangyi’s expression shifted slightly, his wariness and hostility toward his nephew deepening. Zhao Dezhao, however, remained unsatisfied and asked, "Thank you, Father Emperor. There is one more thing: I implore you to issue an edict posthumously conferring an official rank upon An Deyu’s foster father, Qin Xi, to honor his loyalty and righteousness in raising a friend's son to greatness. I hope for your gracious approval."

"Granted!" Zhao Kuangyin replied decisively. "Issue an edict: posthumously confer upon Qin Xi the rank of eighth grade, no—the regular eighth grade Tongzhi Lang! Order the local officials of Luoyang to erect a monument in his honor!"

"Thank you, Father Emperor," Zhao Dezhao said. Zhao Kuangyin laughed heartily, while Zhao Guangyi chimed in with sycophantic praise, though his cold eyes darted toward his nephew with intense jealousy.

However, Zhao Dezhao’s victory was not absolute. On the day the results were posted, as he prepared to visit Jinming Pool to observe the public reaction, Liang Zhouhan approached him, stating bluntly, "Your Highness, we may have some trouble. I have just received news that the Second Prince has used this provincial examination as an opportunity to seize four of Minister Zhao’s subordinates."

"What exactly happened?" Zhao Dezhao asked urgently.

"When your uncle confiscated the materials from those who tried to infiltrate the exam hall," Liang replied, "we were too preoccupied with supervising the exam to worry about how to handle them. The Second Prince seized the chance, extracted confessions from them, and identified four of Minister Zhao’s followers who attempted to cheat. Today, he suddenly moved to arrest all four of them."

"Dammit," Zhao Dezhao cursed. "Wang Yisun had already interceded on their behalf, begging us to spare them. We were so focused on exam discipline that we completely forgot about it. Minister Zhao will surely hate us for this."

"Given Minister Zhao’s character, he will almost certainly resent us," Liang said helplessly. "With this rift, even if they don't actively target us, they will no longer cooperate with us as they once did. If Minister Zhao deems it necessary, he might even stab us in the back."

Still lacking a strong power base and having accidentally offended his greatest political ally, Zhao Dezhao was filled with regret. Yet, the deed was done. He could only console himself, thinking, "It’s fine. If there’s a rift, so be it. Minister Zhao’s faction is full of greedy and corrupt men; keeping a distance from them might actually benefit our reputation."

Liang Zhouhan did not agree. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Your Highness, regarding wealth, I believe you must pay more attention to this. Otherwise, you will always be in a passive, inferior position compared to the Second Prince, and you will never gain an advantage."

Zhao Dezhao felt a chill. "Brother Yuanbao, please speak plainly," he urged.

Liang nodded. "You may not know that the reason Chen Congxin became the Second Prince’s absolute confidant, beyond his wit and planning, is his financial acumen. He secretly manages many profitable businesses for the Second Prince in Kaifeng, generating wealth day and night. While the Second Prince never takes bribes, he is always able to be generous, using this advantage to recruit many officials and ensure his subordinates are willing to die for him."

Liang paused before continuing, "You are different. You only have the stipends from your posts as Defense Commissioner of Guizhou and Censor, which is enough for yourself, but far from enough to reward others. I have my family’s wealth to rely on, and General He Huaipu is your uncle—he is willing to sacrifice everything for your future. But what about others? You cannot rely on empty praise forever to encourage them to serve you."

Coming from a logistics background in a modern hospital, Zhao Dezhao understood the harsh reality of these words. Unable to think of a solution immediately, he thanked Liang, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Yuanbao. I will keep this in mind and find a way to resolve it soon."

***

Liang Zhouhan knew this problem could not be solved easily. After a few humble words, they departed for Jinming Pool as planned.

Due to traffic, they arrived to find the area packed with people. The list of successful candidates was already posted, and the handsome An Shouliang, dressed in the red robe of the top scholar, stood beneath the list, the center of everyone's attention.

Notably, Chai Chengwu, whom Zhao Guangyi had highly touted, was indeed no mere pretender; even with the names hidden during grading, Zhao Kuangyin had personally selected him as the runner-up, saving some face for Zhao Guangyi.

To Zhao Dezhao’s relief, the scholars were generally praising the fairness of this examination, calling it the most just since the founding of the Song Dynasty. Many even praised his eye for talent, noting he had selected scholars regardless of their background.

However, a bizarre scene unfolded. As soon as the results were announced and the scholars dispersed, a swarm of wealthy men leading servants rushed into the crowd. Without a word, they grabbed the scholars and forced them into carriages, as if kidnapping them.

Zhao Dezhao, who had graduated from a lackluster university, could not believe his eyes. "What is this? Why are they kidnapping the scholars?"

"They are kidnapping them to be sons-in-law, of course," Liang smiled. "Has Your Highness never heard of the 'Snatching the Son-in-Law from Under the List'? Every time the results are posted, the powerful and wealthy seize the scholars they fancy, using coercion and enticement to force them into marriage."

Zhao Dezhao was stunned. As he watched, he noticed that because An Shouliang was both the top scholar and exceptionally handsome, several powerful families were scrambling for him, even coming to blows.

Finally, a middle-aged man with a large retinue of sturdy servants prevailed, dragging An Shouliang into his carriage and speeding away. Liang Zhouhan remarked in surprise, "Fu Zhaoyuan? Why is he here to snatch a son-in-law?"

"That is Fu Zhaoyuan?" Zhao Dezhao grew alert. He knew that Fu Zhaoyuan was the brother-in-law of his "kind" second uncle, Zhao Guangyi. If he had taken An Shouliang, it was a clear attempt to poach his own talent.

Liang nodded, adding meaningfully, "Now we must see what An Shouliang decides. If he cannot resist the temptation of wealth and status, he may well change his allegiance."

In desperate need of loyalists, Zhao Dezhao felt anxious but helpless. "It’s up to fate," he thought. "If he can pass this test, I can trust him completely. If not, then so be it."

Fortunately, by the next afternoon, An Deyu brought his son to visit. When asked about the incident, An Shouliang replied shyly, "Your Highness, General Fu did indeed want me as a son-in-law. But my father taught me that I must not decide on marriage without his consent, so I firmly declined."

Zhao Dezhao breathed a sigh of relief and turned to An Deyu. "Brother Deyu, what are your thoughts?"

"We shall see," An Deyu smiled. "Shouliang is still young; there is no rush."

At that moment, He Huaipu, his son, and Song Qi arrived for the banquet. Zhao Dezhao welcomed them inside.

To his surprise, He Huaipu already knew about the incident. "Shouliang, I heard the Fu family kidnapped you to marry you to their daughter. Did you agree?"

"It is true," An Shouliang replied calmly. "But without my father's consent, I refused. Even though General Fu promised a dowry of ten thousand strings of cash, I politely declined."

"A dowry of ten thousand? That’s a bold offer!" He Huaipu snorted. "Good thing you didn't agree. Don’t worry about this, I will find you a good match with a dowry that won't be any less than the Fu family's! It’s just a pity I don't have a daughter, or I would have married her to you myself."

***

An Shouliang smiled bitterly, while Zhao Dezhao asked, "Uncle, Cousin, I heard you spent your own money to reward the soldiers to boost morale. How much did you spend?"

"Why do you ask? Does your uncle need you to reimburse him?" He Huaipu replied testily.

"Uncle, don't be modest," Zhao Dezhao said sincerely. "You only hold the rank of Commander, your stipend is less than mine, and you have a large family to feed. I cannot let your family suffer because of me..."

"It has nothing to do with you!" He Huaipu cut him off. "Don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing. You have big things to accomplish and need money far more than I do. How could I ask you for anything?"

Moved by his uncle’s sacrifice, Zhao Dezhao felt even more burdened by his own financial constraints. Just then, a servant entered, "Your Highness, someone from the palace says the Emperor has sent a reward."

Zhao Dezhao greeted the eunuch and received the imperial oral decree. It turned out that Qian Chu, the King of Wuyue, had sent a tribute of cane sugar to the Song court to curry favor. Zhao Kuangyin, pleased with his son’s recent performance, had sent fifty pounds to Zhao Dezhao as a reward.

Knowing the value of cane sugar in this era, Zhao Dezhao shared it with his guests. He was surprised to find the sugar was dark red, much like modern brown sugar. He Huaipu was disappointed, remarking, "This is the tribute from Wuyue? It’s far inferior to the sugar from the Abbasid Caliphate."

Hearing the mention of the high-quality Persian white sugar, Zhao Dezhao’s eyes lit up. "Zhi-fa, I recall we have some of that Abbasid sugar the Emperor gave us. Bring it here."

Wang Zhifa brought the imported white sugar. Zhao Dezhao opened the box, only to find it resembled common yellow rock sugar, though darker, indicating the refining process was far behind modern standards.

Yet, to He Huaipu and the others, this was the finest luxury. "Excellent sugar! It truly is top-quality Abbasid sugar, rare in this world."

Zhao Dezhao’s heart leaped. He asked, "Uncle, Brother Yuanbao, do you know how much this Abbasid sugar sells for on the market?"

An Deyu answered, "It is very expensive. Lingnan and Wuyue sugar cost one string of cash per pound. This Abbasid quality costs at least two strings of cash per pound."

Song Qi, recently returned from Shaanxi, added, "It’s even more expensive in the Guanzhong region—at least two or three times the price in Kaifeng. Most commoners have never even seen such fine sugar."

Zhao Dezhao’s face lit up with joy. Knowing that yellow mud could be used to decolorize sugar to create pure white granulated sugar, he saw a mountain of silver and gold before him. He immediately began plotting to produce white sugar for massive profit. However...

As he calculated the logistics, he realized that succeeding in this venture was far from easy, and relying on this process as a stable source of income would be an incredibly difficult task to accomplish.