Chapter 1926: The Ceiling

Of course, no matter how it changed or expanded, Kang Ning never abandoned the business that built the family. Maintaining cooperation with the government and managing relationships with the powerful all required spending a great deal of money every year.

Over the past twenty years, the retinue under Kang Ning's command had always maintained its organization—far from disbanding, it had actually grown stronger. Merchant caravans flying the "Kang" banner could be seen almost everywhere, their footprints spanning the Great Han from east to west, north to south.

It was no exaggeration to say that tens of thousands of people depended on Lord Kang for their livelihoods. Of course, this kind of personal dependency built primarily on commerce was not all that reliable. Supporting so many people was no easy task—besides money, one needed grain and meat.

Many merchants of the Great Han, once their businesses succeeded and they earned a certain profit, could not resist buying fields and land, displaying to the fullest their bone-deep craving for land. Kang Ning was no exception—he was certain to hold property in his hometown of Wei Prefecture: ten thousand mu of land, and ten thousand qing of pasture enclosed at Shanyang. Many of his retainers and employees were arranged there, but this accounted for only a very small portion.

The people who followed Kang Ning came from many sources and were of mixed backgrounds, but under Kang Ning's leadership, most shared one trait: a wolf-like nature, accustomed to "eating meat."

When the realm grew stable, when the Great Han gradually halted its steps of expansion, the Kang family did not stop. On the contrary, they spontaneously developed outward, especially in overseas trade.

Among the earliest people and forces to engage in "armed colonization" in the South Seas was the Kang family. Of course, looking back later, there was some element of coincidence in the Kang family's overseas ventures.

Initially it was for the spice trade, and later for precious metals like gold and silver. Back then, Kang Ning had also secretly opened several silver mines in Hunan, reaping considerable profits. This was naturally illegal, especially after the court carried out its currency reform.

However, because of the Huazhou corruption case led by the meritorious noble Zhang Jin, which in turn exposed Zhao Kuangmei's privately opened silver mines, the affair caused a great uproar, and the court took the opportunity to crack down hard on privately opened gold and silver mines everywhere.

Even the younger brother of Duke Rong could not be protected and had to turn himself in. Kang Ning's business, however large, naturally could not withstand this either. He took the initiative to cut off his arm to save his life—surrendering his private mines to the court and spending a great sum to donate generously to the victims of the Central Plains floods. Only then did he escape disaster. That was the most dangerous moment in Kang Ning's commercial career.

But as a merchant, the most prominent trait was the pursuit of profit—frenzied pursuit of profit, especially after tasting the sweetness. Mining was hard work, but it was absolutely a business with a thousandfold return. Domestic policy was strict and restrictive, but overseas was a vast open sea, free to roam.

So Kang Ning organized several groups of people to go overseas, and the Kang family merchant fleet's footprint thus extended to broader horizons. Back when Guo Liangping attacked Srivijaya and seized Pulau Belakang Mati, the retainers and sailors of the Kang family fleet had actively supported and vigorously assisted—besides logistical help, they even brought their own weapons, going ashore to fight and kill enemies.

Of course, there was no loss in this process. A few dead and wounded meant nothing. The land seized, the mines occupied—the profits from these were severalfold, even dozens of times over. As many people felt, for the rentier class of the Great Han, overseas was simply too free—any means could be employed, with no fear of being attacked or settled accounts...

Over the past decade or more, besides the gold and silver mined and smelted domestically, a massive influx of overseas gold and silver poured into the Great Han, causing the price of silver to keep falling. But no matter how it depreciated, one tael of silver could still be exchanged for 1,058 wen of copper coins.

Although whether gold, silver, or copper, everything imported into the country was "exploited" by the court, taking a heavy cut, it was still exorbitant profit. And the cost was merely driving some natives to dig mountains and mine ore—extremely cheap.

By now, Kang Ning had more than ten gold and silver mines of various sizes overseas, with silver alone producing nearly twenty thousand jin per year—this even approached the revenue of the silver bureau the court had established in Hunan.

Kang Ning concealed most of the harvest from these gold and silver mines. The bulk of what was mined was hidden away, never dared to be exposed. It was simply too much—frightening. Even Lord Kang felt like a child carrying gold through a busy street.

However, this could not be hidden for much longer. There were quite a few people in the overseas mining business, and even if competitors could not figure things out immediately, they could make estimates. A mine that could be worked for several years or even a decade was certainly worth no small amount.

At the same time, Kang Ning also had a foothold in places rich in gold and silver like Goryeo and Japan. Of course, this required cooperation with the ruling classes of those two countries, passing through their hands and earning a "handling fee." The Kang family's merchant fleets, spread across the four seas, held no small advantage in trade and circulation.

Whether through exceptional foresight or sheer luck, over the decades Kang Ning had always walked the correct path. Even when there were bumps and twists, he always managed to cross them in the end.

Today, Kang Ning could be said to have achieved success and fame. In terms of reputation—his name was known across the four seas; decades of a "legendary career" made him a model for merchants everywhere. In terms of wealth—not to say his riches rivaled a nation's, but he certainly carried millions of strings of cash. In terms of influence—counting the native slaves overseas, a hundred thousand people depended on Lord Kang for their meals. In terms of status—he could visit most of the powerful families of the Great Han as an honored guest, and even His Highness the Crown Prince had personally received him, listening to him recount his experiences and gains in overseas colonization...

Life was already so glorious, yet Kang Ning was still unsatisfied. He had wealth and fame, and plenty of both. But precisely because the stench of copper was too strong, he suffered much criticism and contempt. Although he himself knew well that much of the targeting came only from envy and jealousy.

But the more one lacked something, the more one wanted it. In the Great Han, it was clearly not the case that money allowed one to do as one pleased. This was a society of strict, almost harsh hierarchy. Though he was called "Lord Kang," without any official rank or title, he was still in essence a commoner. Merchants had seen their social status rise in recent years, but it remained limited. In the eyes of many scholars, they were still inferior to artisans and farmers.

Even with millions of strings of cash around his waist, many behaviors were restricted. Certain clothes could not be worn, certain carriages could not be ridden, certain rituals could not be performed—doing so was exceeding one's station. And the greater one's fame, the more closely one was watched.

Therefore, behind the glory, Kang Ning was in fact deeply oppressed, especially in his heart, filled with unwillingness. Thus, for the past twenty years, what he had been pursuing was no longer wealth, but how to take a step further—how to go from rich to noble.

The more wealth he accumulated, the clearer he saw that in the Great Han, wealth without the support of power was utterly fragile—like a building on the sand, scattered by the slightest wind. Over the past decades, he had witnessed too many great merchants and magnates being slaughtered like pigs by the court...

Kang Ning had once had an opportunity. Zhong Mo, then Administration Commissioner of Jiangxi Circuit, brought him in as an aide, and later recommended him as a Counselor. Given the Kang family's strength and past contributions to the court, the Ministry of Personnel had also granted special approval. Everyone up and down was harmonious, jointly celebrating the occasion.

Unfortunately, the matter later came to Emperor Liu's attention. Of course, Emperor Liu could not have been unaware of Lord Kang's reputation—in earlier years, he had even praised him for being such a "righteous merchant."

However, when he learned of this matter, he smiled and said something that made people tremble with fear: "The post of Counselor is not a high one, but it is still a key position in the circuit administration. I have heard of that Kang Ning—very good at managing, does business very well. Once he becomes an official, I imagine it will be even more convenient for him to make money..."

Not long after, Kang Ning's official post was lost. Interestingly, the one who had secretly leaked the matter of Kang Ning becoming an official was none other than Kang Yanze, Baron of Hechuan.