C28. Jian Shaoning Arrives.
The lamb leg had not been roasted yet when Chu Hechao sent another message through a soldier.
The soldier solemnly conveyed, "The General mentioned that your military achievements were reported to the court a month ago. Just as you requested, the General also asked the Emperor to reward your father with your military merits."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Li's frustration turned into a mix of laughter and tears, leaving him speechless and unable to contain his anger.
Provoking someone first and then attempting to placate them before completely provoking them - Yuan Li had to admit, Chu Hechao really knew how to push someone to the brink without offending them.
Yuan Li decided not to bother sending the roasted lamb leg back to Chu Hechao and instead proceeded to enjoy a hearty meal with his subordinates.
A few days later, Chu Hechao assigned five hundred soldiers to accompany Yuan Li and the wounded soldiers all the way back to Ji County.
During the journey, Yuan Li discussed plans for establishing livestock farms with Liu Jixin.
Liu Jixin suggested, "My lord, if you want to raise livestock, cattle, sheep, and horses are most suitable in You Province. The grasslands in You Province are ideal for grazing them. Pigs, on the other hand, are expensive and produce strong odors, making them a wasteful choice."
After careful consideration, Yuan Li agreed, "You make a valid point."
Back in Ruyang, cattle and sheep were considered more valuable than pigs, almost forgetting that the situation was different in You Province. Grazing cattle, sheep, and horses in the grasslands of You Province was the most cost-effective approach.
This led Yuan Li to question whether pig fat, used in soap-making, could be substituted with other animal oils. Despite considering this, he realized that pig fat was indispensable.
The rewards from the system included books on livestock farming, such as "Post-Natal Care of Sows", offering methods to increase pig production which would eventually lead to a decrease in pork prices.
The demand for pork far exceeded that of other livestock throughout history. While not everyone could afford cattle and sheep, pigs were a staple in households.
Pigs were relatively easy to raise as they consumed a variety of food and were not picky about taste. In fact, the Chinese character for "home" (豕) includes the character for pig (豨), emphasizing the significance of pigs to the people.
This proverb, 'princes eat cattle, nobles eat sheep, meat consumption reflects social status,' reflects the vast disparity in diet during ancient times. Ordinary people rarely had the opportunity to eat meat.
Cattle were essential for agriculture, and killing them was often discouraged or even punished. Furthermore, people were generally reluctant to slaughter these valuable work animals.
To improve the lives of the common people and ensure a strong military, it was crucial to prioritize the breeding of pigs as a more sustainable source of meat.
Although Yuan Li didn't share these thoughts with Liu Jixin at the moment, upon returning to Ji County, he first visited the captives working on tasks assigned to them.
Zhao Ying and Wang, in charge of supervising the captives' activities, had been diligent in their duties during Yuan Li's absence. They had overseen the establishment of the soap factory, livestock farm, and even cultivated barren land.
Impressed by their progress, Yuan Li rewarded them and instructed them to build rows of houses for the wounded soldiers, serving as their dormitories.
Upon hearing Yuan Li's plans, even the regular soldiers escorting the wounded soldiers began to envy them. The wounded soldiers were overjoyed, feeling reinvigorated with energy as they eagerly joined the captives in the construction work to expedite the completion of the facilities.
Some of the wounded soldiers also quietly wiped away tears as they, too, approached to take a last look at the place where they had been staying, reluctant to leave.
After completing these tasks, Yuan Li finally returned to the Prince Chu Estate.
"My lord, after you left, the Prince Chu Estate received many letters from people wanting to visit you," Guo Lin said, handing Yuan Li a stack of envelopes. "Most of them are from merchants."
Upon hearing Liu Jixin and Wu Kai refer to Yuan Li with respect, Guo Lin and the others also quickly adjusted their manners.
Yuan Li browsed through the letters and raised an eyebrow as he read, "Zhang from You Province, Liu from Yan Province, and Yu from Yi Province?"
These were all prominent merchants from the three provinces of You, Yan, and Yi.
Intrigued, Yuan Li asked, "When were these letters delivered?"
"They arrived a few days after you departed for Shanggu County," Guo Lin replied.
Yuan Li pondered for a moment and asked, "Are they still in Ji County?"
Guo Lin nodded, "They have not left."
Having waited for a whole month while Yuan Li was away, these merchants clearly had a strong desire to meet with him.
Yuan Li could guess their intentions - it was likely about the soap.
He had anticipated this, as he had been selling soap along the way to attract these merchants to seek him out.
With the upper hand in the situation, Yuan Li was in no rush to meet with these merchants. Their visit was inevitable, given the recent developments in Ji County, and he was content to wait for them to come to him.
Setting the letters aside, Yuan Li stretched lazily and requested, "Prepare some warm water for me, not too hot, I need to freshen up."
It was summer, and the heat was making him sweat profusely. Upon his return, the residence had already arranged for cool water and refreshing fruits.
After a relaxing bath, Yuan Li sat in the courtyard, enjoying a meal and some fruit. He then played a game of chess with Liu Jixin before drifting off into a restful sleep. The next morning, as he washed his face in a copper basin, he felt refreshed and ready to face the day.
Once he finished breakfast in a good mood, a visitor arrived at the mansion.
As expected, after Yuan Li's return to Ji County, some merchants came to visit. These merchants were the ones from You Province, Yan Province, and Yi Province - Zhang, Liu, and Yu.
Yuan Li changed into fresh clothes and received them in the main hall.
The three merchants, intimidated by the grandeur of the Prince Chu Estate, cautiously entered the hall, bowing respectfully without daring to make direct eye contact and showing deference with their gestures.
"My name is Zhang Ming, this is Liu Xin, and this is Yu Fang, paying respects to Young Master," they greeted humbly.
After acknowledging their salutations, they hesitated to sit down, fearing to overstep any boundaries. However, a clear and pleasant voice from above reassured them, "Please, take a seat."
Only then did the three stand up straight and have a clearer view of Yuan Li. The rumors of the benevolent and kind-hearted new master of Chu had painted him as a compassionate figure.
Dressed in luxurious silk garments and radiating an air of elegance, Yuan Li sat with a smile, exuding a radiant charm and gentle aura.
Feeling overwhelmed by his presence, Zhang Ming, Liu Xin, and Yu Fang cautiously followed the servant's gesture and took their seats, barely daring to sit still, expressing their gratitude, "Thank you for the seat, Young Master."
As they were served cold tea, Yuan Li took a sip and inquired with a smile, "What brings you here to visit me?"
Despite the scorching heat outside, Yuan Li remained composed and cool, emanating grace and nobility in his every movement, intimidating the merchants with his aristocratic demeanor.
Steeling himself, Zhang Mi gathered the courage to stand and stated, "Young Master, I am a representative of Zhang from You Province. We have come to discuss the soap you were selling during your travels through Yan and Yi Provinces."
In sync with Zhang Ming, Liu Xin and Yu Fang also stood up, echoing the same purpose of their visits solely revolving around the soap.
Yuan Li listened attentively, his expression unchanged. He allowed the three merchants to elaborate on their proposals and intentions to collaborate and distribute soap exclusively in the three provinces of You, Yan, and Yi to the local nobles, aristocrats, and landowners.
In order to demonstrate their sincerity, all three of them brought many gifts for Yuanli. Besides the gold and silver treasures, the most eye-catching gifts were the ten war horses from Zhang Ming and the two beautiful women from Yu.
The Yu women were renowned for their beauty, and both men and women had good looks. Simply through marriage, the Yu family became the largest merchant in Yizhou. They had the backing of the Yizhou governor, Wu Shanshi, who happened to be Yu's son-in-law.
Yuan Li looked at the two beautiful women in silence for a moment before gently saying, "Thank you for Yu's kindness, but I have just lost my husband and cannot accept such kindness at this time."
Yu Fang's face changed, and he knelt down trembling, apologizing for his wrongdoing. Yuan Li, seeing his anxious expression and the pale faces of the two Yu women, smiled helplessly, comforting Yu Fang for a while before he could stand up shakily.
Surprisingly, the most unexpected gift for Yuan Li was the ten war horses from Zhang Ming. He praised Zhang Ming endlessly, even becoming quite affectionate in his words. By the time they had finalized their business negotiations, dusk had already fallen.
Yuan Li agreed to sell soap to them, but he also made a request: that they share the profits of selling soap, with him taking sixty percent and them taking forty percent. This division was not fair, but for the three of them, it was already considered a pleasant surprise.
In addition to the profit sharing, Yuan Li also requested that the silver money from selling soap be exchanged for other goods: forty percent to be exchanged for long-term storage of grain, medicine, and cloth, thirty percent for livestock like cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens, and the remaining thirty percent to be exchanged for gold and silver.
The three of them thought that he was simply considering the welfare of the 130,000 troops in the northern border, and without much thought, they gratefully accepted his terms.
While Liu and Yu left satisfied, Zhang Ming was asked by Yuanli to stay and have dinner with him.
During the meal, Guo Lin hesitated as he approached Yuanli and reported, "My lord, when Yu Fang left, he left behind the two Yu women, saying they could serve you or the general as maids if you wish, or they could be sent to the general as a gesture of apology to you."
Yuanli's smile faded slightly, "Send them back."
"They refuse to leave," Guo Lin said uncomfortably, "they are crying and begging not to be sent away, saying they would not fare well back home. They are asking to stay with you as concubines, willing to serve you in any way."
Yuanli rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Fine, then send them to the general's residence for accommodation," Yuanli said, "arrange it as you see fit."
Chu Henchao had no one to care for them either, and he did not seem like the type to mistreat the women. Being handsome and tall, he would likely provide them with a stable life and not make things difficult for the two beautiful women.
Yuan Li was not accustomed to the practice of exchanging women as gifts, even by the time he reached his eighteenth year in the Northern Zhou dynasty. While he could not enjoy the benefits of these beautiful women, he should not outright refuse for Chu Hechao.
After saying this, Yuan Li dismissed these thoughts and focused on chatting with Zhang Ming.
Zhang Mi felt anxious but also saw this as a possible opportunity. He nervously ate with Yuan Li, struggling to taste anything under the pressure.
After the meal, the servants cleared the table, and Yuan Li invited Zhang Ming to take a walk in the courtyard to digest.
As they walked by the lake, Yuan Li casually asked, "Zi Bo, did you purchase your horses from the Wuman tribe in the Liaoxi and Liaodong counties?"
Zi Bo was Zhang Ming's courtesy name. Zhang Ming cautiously nodded, "Indeed, these horses were bought from the Wuman tribe in Liaoxi and Liaodong counties."
The Wuman tribe was originally one of the Eastern Hu tribes, along with the Xianbei, but after being defeated by Chu Hechao, they submitted to the Northern Zhou dynasty. They migrated southward to Youzhou and were tasked with defending against the Xiongnu under the rule of the Northern Zhou.
The Wuman tribe was spread across five counties - Shanggu, Yuyang, Youbei Ping, Liaoxi, and Liaodong - and was the largest force among the Hu people who migrated within Youzhou.
Yuan Li straightforwardly asked, "I would like to buy horses from you. Is that something you can arrange?"
Zhang Ming hesitated, "Well... sir, it's not that I'm unwilling. I have a good relationship with the leader of the Wuman tribe, but the number of horses I can obtain from them is limited. I can only trade for some horses using salt, cloth, tea, and other goods, but the Wuman people are rough and uncivilized, and they may not appreciate fine products like soap."
Yuan Li chuckled, "I understand that the Wuman people may not like soap. But don't worry, I have something that will appeal to them."
Perplexed, Zhang Ming asked, "Sir, what is this thing?"
"Don't worry, Zi Bo," Yuanli said with a smile, "In the next month, try to retain as many horses as you can, and find more ways to trade horses with the Wuman people. After a month, I will surely give you something even better than soap."
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Ming finally said, "I cannot make this decision alone. Please give me some time to discuss this matter and come back with a decision."
The Zhang family in Youzhou was a prominent merchant family without any government officials or powerful connections. They understood that Youzhou ultimately belonged to the Prince Chu fiefdom, and if they relied on other local powerful figures or officials, they would eventually be targeted by the Prince Chu.
Living cautiously in this unstable environment, the Zhang family was repeatedly exploited by those in power. Now, with Chu Hechao and Yuan Li returning to Youzhou, the Zhang family immediately sought them out, not just for the soap but also in search of a strong backing.
Zhang Ming took Yuanli's words seriously. He didn't even bother to finish touring the Chu Estate with Yuan Li before hastily excusing himself to prepare to return home.
Yuan Li escorted him outside the palace gates, watching him walk away with a smile. Just as he was about to turn back to the palace, he heard the urgent sound of approaching hoofbeats.
Looking up, he saw a weary group of people riding towards him with faces covered in dust.
The leader appeared particularly exhausted, covered in black and gray, but his eyes lit up when he saw Yuan Li and called out, "Yuan Li!"
Yuan Li froze in surprise, "Jian Shaoning?!"