Chapter 531: Going All In (Making Up Yesterday's Post)

The reason Huang Changzong wanted to save Cao Bang was that personal friendship between the two did play a role, but in truth, that factor was not very large.

After all, they were both merchants. Friendship was something that could be useful at times, but more often than not, it had little real effect. In the face of profit, such friendship appeared fragile and laughable.

Moreover, in the current situation, if it were the Cao family alone, they would very likely drag Huang Changzong down with them. Relying purely on personal friendship, Huang Changzong would never have done this.

Huang Changzong wanted to help the Cao family — aside from personal friendship, he was also acting from the perspective of interest.

In recent years, the Imperial Household Department under Huang Changzong's management had gained a very deep understanding of domestic commerce. He also knew the Emperor's plans — after finishing with salt, maritime trade would certainly be next. This was hardly surprising.

The Imperial Household Department had already been preparing for maritime trade, and the Tianjin shipyard had already begun its operations. Under such circumstances, Huang Changzong needed someone familiar with maritime trade to go deeper into it.

Although the Imperial Household Department had made considerable preparations, some areas could not be handled just by preparing. And the Cao family, besides selling salt, also had a hand in maritime trade.

If no one helped, the Imperial Household Department would very likely run into trouble in the future. After all, in overseas trade matters, the advantage did not lie with their Imperial Household Department, nor with the Hui merchants, but with the Zhejiang merchants.

In recent years, the Great Ming's grain supply had been somewhat insufficient. If not for the Emperor's promotion of new crops, a grain shortage might well have already broken out by now.

Aside from weather and insufficient grain yields, the bigger factor was crop conversion. Regions that were originally productive grain areas — such as Zhejiang — had converted rice paddies to mulberry cultivation.

To put it plainly, this meant changing fields that originally grew rice into fields for mulberry trees, using the mulberry leaves to raise silkworms, the silkworms to spin silk, and the silk to weave cloth.

For the great households, how could growing grain compare to raising silkworms in profitability?

The various large-scale handicraft workshops that developed in the Jiangnan region existed for this very reason. This had nearly become an entire industrial chain, and the final market was not domestic. The Great Ming simply could not absorb this much silk; most of it was sold overseas.

Ever since the seas were opened in the Longqing era, the Great Ming's maritime trade had actually been in chaos. Though the court had the Maritime Trade Supervisorate, it was more often than not a dead letter. The Maritime Trade Supervisorate was even more chaotic than other government offices — everyone was essentially engaged in smuggling trade, and it was all done out in the open.

Besides these, there were also tea and porcelain. The coastal provinces all did this, and the Cao family also participated in such business.

Of course, the Cao family had no say in silk, but in porcelain, they did hold a certain amount of influence. That was why Huang Changzong wanted to win over Cao Bang.

If a man like Cao Bang entered the Imperial Household Department, he would surely have great prospects in the future. Only, he would have to abandon certain things before his eyes — such as the profits he gained from salt, and even more, much more.

With Cao Bang's current family fortune, the Emperor would certainly not permit him to enter the Imperial Household Department, so his family business would also have to be handed over.

This was a decision requiring great boldness — not everyone could give up such things.

But in Huang Changzong's view, these things were merely burdens. Since the Emperor had already set his sights on them, there was nothing more to say — handing them over willingly was the only right path; otherwise, the outcome would be even worse.

Only, this kind of matter could not be stated openly by the Emperor — even a hint was impossible. You had to offer it up voluntarily, and you also had to find a suitable justification.

What Huang Changzong said to Cao Bang today was precisely hinting at this matter, wanting to see whether Cao Bang could catch on.

If Cao Bang could catch on, then there was still hope for him; otherwise, he was beyond saving.

After hearing Huang Changzong's words, a grave expression also appeared on Cao Bang's face.

Taking a deep look at Huang Changzong, Cao Bang did not rush to speak but sank into contemplation.

Cao Bang did not know whether Huang Changzong was representing himself at this moment, or representing the Imperial Household Department, or representing the Emperor.

One had to understand — the significance was different in each case. If it were merely personal friendship, then this matter could be ignored; but if it represented the Imperial Household Department, he needed to think it over carefully; if it represented the Emperor, then there was no need to think at all.

Only, Cao Bang did not dare ask Huang Changzong. He knew Huang Changzong would not tell him. This matter could only be pondered on his own — it depended on whether he dared to gamble.

Huang Changzong looked at Cao Bang, and there was some anxiety in his heart.

One had to understand — the Imperial Household Department had reached a bottleneck. Not a bottleneck in development, but a bottleneck in talent.

Over these eight years, the Imperial Household Department had been developing continuously, but some areas were not so easy to reach into — without familiar people, things were difficult to manage. Huang Changzong had had his eye on Cao Bang for quite some time. Even if not for this incident, Huang Changzong would have begun making moves to find a way to bring Cao Bang in.

Now, he could no longer wait. Clearly, the Emperor no longer wished to tolerate men like Cao Bang. There was no choice — change was necessary.

In the adjacent room.

Zhu Youxiao leaned back in his chair, expressionless, reaching out to pick up his teacup and take a sip.

Beside Zhu Youxiao stood several eunuchs, and the expressions on their faces were not pleasant to behold.

The words Cao Bang had just spoken were enough to make them feel the man harbored treacherous intentions. Only, since His Majesty had not yet shown his stance, they could not say anything.

If it were permitted, they would have dearly loved to drag Cao Bang over and kill him on the spot. How dare he say such things — were those words fit to be spoken?

Wei Changsheng also stood to one side, secretly breaking out in a cold sweat for Huang Changzong.

If Cao Bang chose to refuse at this moment, then there would be no room left for turning this matter around. Even Huang Changzong himself would be implicated — His Majesty would certainly be displeased with him.

If Cao Bang agreed, that was not certain either — perhaps His Majesty would also be displeased with Huang Changzong.

Sometimes, it was not the case that once you accomplished the task, your master would be satisfied. Such things had been common throughout history — perhaps your master would say nothing when you succeeded, but a nail had already been driven in, and trouble would certainly come looking for you afterward.

After a long silence, there was finally movement from the other side.

Cao Bang raised his head, looked at Huang Changzong, and said slowly: "If I join the Imperial Household Department, then what about my family's business? Such a large family enterprise, with so many people depending on it for their livelihoods — it would be difficult after all."

Huang Changzong knew that Cao Bang was negotiating terms. Even as he breathed a sigh of relief, he grew even more tense.

One had to understand — if they truly began negotiating terms, His Majesty would certainly be angered.

Huang Changzong understood very well in his heart that before the Emperor, no one could negotiate terms; those who negotiated terms with the Emperor all died miserably in the end.

Huang Changzong said: "Then what are you thinking?"

In fact, Huang Changzong had already begun to pull back with this question. If Cao Bang said anything excessive, Huang Changzong would have no way to continue. If he continued further, he would drag himself in as well. Having gone this far, it was already quite dangerous.

Cao Bang looked at Huang Changzong and said: "How about handing my business over to the Imperial Household Department? As long as the family has enough money to get by, that's fine. As for me personally, I have actually always wanted to serve the court, only I did not study well when I was young and never had the opportunity."

"Back then, you know how the imperial examinations were — nothing like the Imperial Academy of today. If the Imperial Academy had existed then, perhaps I too would be an official at court today. There was no choice — now I can only stay home and inherit the family business, being a merchant that no one respects."

"His Majesty the current Emperor advocates equality among the four classes, and I am very pleased in my heart. If I could have the opportunity to serve His Majesty the current Emperor, it would be the smoke of green incense rising from my Cao ancestors' graves, and it would be my Cao Bang's great honor."

"My family's properties are many, and the hands employed are also many. If I abandon them in order to join the Imperial Household Department, many people would likely lose their means of survival. These people all depend on the Cao family for their rice bowl. To take away their food would weigh heavily on my conscience. If the Imperial Household Department is willing to take over, then of course there is no problem."

After hearing these words, Huang Changzong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Though this was also negotiating terms, it was not seeking conditions for himself, but for the common people under him — for those who depended on him to make a living.

This point was truly very important. To the Emperor, one Cao Bang did not matter — even if he died, it would not matter, and the Cao family was of no consequence either. Rather, it was the common people attached to the Cao family that mattered greatly.

Those were ordinary commoners, after all — also subjects of the Great Ming. The Emperor certainly could not be indifferent to them.

This was a very good outcome.

"Then what do you wish to keep?" Huang Changzong said with some excitement.

"The salt business — I'll give that up, and hand it over to the Imperial Household Department to manage." Cao Bang said after thinking for a moment.

This was the first business Cao Bang threw out, and in truth, it was because he had been scared out of his wits.

Whether it was the Han family or the Ye family, they had both already fallen over this matter. If you tried to say it had nothing to do with salt, that would be utterly impossible. There was no guarantee that the next target wouldn't be oneself, so the salt business could not be kept.

Money earned was only worth anything if one lived to spend it. Cao Bang had now come to his senses and continued, "There's still some porcelain business in the family that can also be handed over to the Imperial Household Department to manage. Aside from that, there are some fields—quite a few of them, actually—which can also be converted directly into public fields."

In truth, among these various portions, the one Cao Bang cared least about was the fields.

The land in Huizhou was not even worth mentioning—it was a long story. Although his family did have some elsewhere, those were ultimately not the foundation.

Having said this, Cao Bang stared intently at Huang Changzong, wanting to see his reaction.

After all, that reaction could represent a great many things.

Sure enough, Cao Bang saw the look of relief on Huang Changzong's face, and a rather ominous premonition immediately arose in his heart.

Faced with Cao Bang's all-or-nothing gamble, Huang Changzong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just at that moment, the sound of knocking suddenly came from outside the door.

A person pushed the door open and entered, smiling at the two of them—though there was something rather meaningful and inscrutable in that smile.