Chapter 2094: Taizong Arc 36: The Great Han Under a New Era (Part 1)

In Zhengsu Ward, on Changping Street, a teenage boy walked along with light, brisk steps, his cheerful gait speaking of a good mood, greeting neighbors and passersby he met along the way.

It was already evening, the sky dimming. Along the street, shops and stalls were closing up for the day, while others lit their lamps to welcome customers. The renewed clamor was like a sonata marking the beginning of Luoyang's nightlife—even in Zhengsu Ward, where poor commoners mostly lived, people still had their night lives to lead.

The boy strolled along as if viewing flowers from horseback, but stopped before a building called "Barbarian Lady Tower." At a certain distance, the figure of that barbarian madam soliciting customers under the flickering lamplight still made the boy's mouth go dry.

The quality of the brothels in Zhengsu Ward naturally could hardly be called top-notch, but they specialized in a "barbarian style" that was unique throughout the entire district. Even customers came from farther wards, including no small number of wealthy and noble families. The word "novelty" explained it all—after all, within the Western Capital, truly high-quality "barbarian exotic charm" was not something ordinary wealthy families could afford.

The building was brightly lit, and the sounds of toasting and drinking could already be heard, but the boy had no mind to guess or investigate what kind of flowery world or heavenly paradise lay within. All he could see was the madam's constantly swaying secondary sexual characteristics.

He instinctively reached for his chest, then instinctively regained his senses—the little money in his pocket probably wasn't even enough for tea. Perhaps his prolonged lingering had caught the madam's attention.

Though she was called a "madam," this barbarian lady was only somewhat older, her looks somewhat faded. But that mature charm was, for a hot-blooded youth, truly a fatal temptation.

Seeing the boy lingering across the street, the madam seemed to recognize him. Speaking in pure, standard Mandarin, she called out: "Young lord, you've paused here several times now. Since you have such refined interest, why not come in and take a look?"

As she spoke, she even flashed the boy a bright smile, startling him into a shiver, as if this barbarian woman might eat him alive.

Not daring to linger any longer, he stumbled away in panic, and in his carelessness, even tripped and fell. His green, inexperienced behavior and flustered figure made the barbarian woman laugh uncontrollably, rocking back and forth with mirth.

The unrestrained laughter reached the boy's ears, and his still-youthful cheeks flushed even redder. But all the way to the end of the street, he couldn't help turning back to steal two glances. Seeing that the barbarian woman's attention had already shifted to other customers, the boy finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He took one more look at that voluptuous figure, imagined the singing and dancing within the building, and only then reluctantly left.

After several turns, he arrived before a row of civilian dwellings in the northwestern part of Zhengsu Ward. With a single glance, he ducked into one of the alleys—he lived here.

Though Zhengsu Ward was regarded by the wealthy and noble families of the capital as a gathering place for the lowliest classes, it was not without its hidden depths. For instance, right next to this boy's home was a great household surnamed Su, whose patriarch was named Su Jiancheng.

The boy often climbed the courtyard wall, peeking from atop it at the Su family's young granddaughter, who was around his age. Compared to that barbarian woman with her full breasts and plump rear, this girl was his true dream lover.

And compared to ordinary wealthy merchant households, the Su family had quite the background—their ancestor was the founding chancellor Su Fengji. Though that time was long past, Su Fengji could truly be considered a remarkable man.

In the Qianyou era, he was dismissed by Emperor Shizu for insatiable greed, and he and his family's descendants were nearly cast into hell. But by stubbornly raising horses for the court in Longxi, he spent over a decade, and finally, having scattered all his family wealth, obtained Emperor Shizu's forgiveness and moved his entire family back to the capital.

Not only did he personally have the honor of participating in Emperor Shizu's grand Kaibao ceremony for unifying the realm, but his descendants' official careers were also unsealed.

The current patriarch of the Su family, Su Jiancheng, was Su Fengji's legitimate grandson. He had once served as County Magistrate of Jincheng, then resigned from office to go into business. Relying on various connections and outstanding business acumen, he amassed a considerable fortune.

Thus, in the eyes of the neighboring families, the Su family—both official and merchant, with deep foundations—was already unattainably high, regarded with extraordinary awe.

But the boy was different. Where others only felt envy, he constantly fantasized: if he could marry the young lady of the Su family in the future, what kind of world would that be?

The boy's name differed from Cao Mengde's by only one character—he was called Cao Meng. Before he was five, he had moved with his parents to Luoyang, becoming one of the many "capital drifters."

Over the years, his mother took care of the children and did needlework to supplement the family income. His father, Cao Yong, had originally been a mason, but after injuring his back while working for others, he now worked as a broker in the various markets, earning commissions by selling information and arranging deals for people. He ran around constantly, working very hard, but at least they had a stable foothold in the capital.

But clearly, this was a family that could not afford any more mishaps. Otherwise, they would either be devoured whole by the Western Capital's prosperity, or driven back to the countryside to be exploited in a different way.

When the boy Cao Meng carefully pushed open the family door and tiptoed into the simple but tidy courtyard, before he could even take in his surroundings, a stern voice shouted him down: "So you finally deigned to come home!"

Noticing his mother seemingly hiding in the shadows under the eaves, Cao Meng cowered and called out: "Mother!"

A single candle flame flickered in the autumn wind, its dim light revealing four figures. His younger brother and sister sat by the square table, staring hungrily at the two dishes on it, especially the plate of cucumber stir-fried with meat. Mother Cao also sat hunched over, head turned aside and buried low, not making a sound.

Cao Meng stood properly at the door. Seeing his mother's dejected and sorrowful expression, he felt at a loss. His hands, with nowhere to rest, reached into his chest. His eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled out two strings of copper coins, presenting them to his mother like offering treasure: "Mother, look!"

Facing her attentive eldest son, Mother Cao came back to her senses and took the coins from Cao Meng's hands. That rough hand only needed a quick weigh to quickly judge that there were at least twenty or thirty coins here.

Mother Cao's gaze sharpened instantly, especially when she noticed that several of the coins still bore dark, unwashed bloodstains on their surfaces.

She slapped the coins hard onto the table, then got up and went outside. In a moment, while Cao Meng was still stunned, she came back in holding a bamboo strip and, without a word, lashed it viciously across Cao Meng's arm.

Facing his mother's beating, Cao Meng dared not dodge. He only knelt, shrinking his neck and enduring it. Meanwhile, his younger brother and sister beside him, seeing their eldest brother being beaten, began to cry.

Mother Cao paid them no mind. She struck Cao Meng five times in a row before tossing the bamboo strip onto the table, and demanded of him with a tearful voice: "Speak! Where did this money come from?"

So this was the reason for the beating. Cao Meng rubbed his beaten arm and said with some grievance: "I earned it!"

"Still daring to lie!" Mother Cao was clearly enraged. She picked up the bamboo strip and moved to strike again.

After being struck two more times, Cao Meng hastily said: "At noon, two big officials were killed at the South Market entrance. I helped Uncle Yang collect the corpses. The master was generous and gave wages and a reward—"

Hearing this explanation, Mother Cao was stunned for a moment: "Truly?"

"Absolutely true!" Cao Meng nodded repeatedly.

But immediately, another round of beating followed. His mother clearly wasn't holding back—one could tell from the crying of his younger siblings. But Cao Meng endured it all, breathing rapidly but not making a single whimper.

Gradually, though, Mother Cao's strength lessened. Finally, she threw the bamboo strip away, walked to the table, covered her face, and sobbed.

Seeing this, Cao Meng felt unbearable pity. He crawled on his knees to Mother Cao and said through gritted teeth: "Mother strikes so hard, and I haven't even cried—so why are you crying? I know I was wrong. At most, I won't go earn this corpse-wrapping money anymore."

Hearing Cao Meng say this, as if a hundred flavors surged into her heart at once, Mother Cao burst into loud weeping. This thoroughly panicked Cao Meng. He turned his head and glared at the two tearful figures beside him, who were equally at a loss, and rallied his three siblings together before they managed to console their crying mother.

Father Cao Yong came home late as usual, dragging his weary body. The moment he entered the door, he sensed something was off about the atmosphere.

The food had already gone cold. Mother Cao silently went to reheat it. Cao Yong also noticed the two strings of coins laid out on the table, and his gaze immediately fixed on Cao Meng, who was still gasping for breath over there. He asked what had happened, how he had angered his mother.

However, after hearing the explanation, Cao Yong was silent for a long while. He walked to the door of the main hall, looked at the busy figure before the stove, and his deep gaze was exceptionally resolute.

Night had grown deep. At the dinner table, the family of five ate in silence. Cao Yong stuffed the last piece of flatbread into his mouth and said to his wife: "Prepare me some dry rations, and one set each of autumn and winter clothes. I'm going on a long trip!"

Mother Cao's expression shifted slightly at this. She asked: "Going where?"

Cao Yong didn't hide it. He explained: "I've been thinking for a long time. Relying only on soliciting customers at the brokerage won't make money. I've discussed it with a few old brothers—we set out in three days, heading to Jiangnan to buy goods, trading in cotton cloth!

These past few years, cotton cloth prices have risen every year, and the market can't meet the demand. I've already negotiated with several cloth shops and dye works—as long as I bring the cloth into the capital, I can sell it and make money!"

Hearing Cao Yong say this, Mother Cao couldn't help but say: "Then there's no need to go so far. Isn't there cloth to be bought in the capital's outskirts or Henan?"

Cao Yong shook his head: "Cloth is expensive in the north. Jiangnan's cloth is abundant, good in quality, and cheap in price. I've been investigating for a long time—this time I'll go to Xiuzhou first!"

"It's foreign soil and water after all. If something should happen..." Mother Cao could hardly hide her worry.

Cao Yong cut off his wife: "We're not nobles. We can't make money lying down. We can only gamble for wealth and honor—even if it means risking our lives, it's worth it!"

Though Cao Meng kept his head down, his ears were pricked up, listening carefully to his parents' conversation. Much of it was somewhat vague to him, but his father's words—those he remembered deeply in his heart. And seeing her husband so resolute, Mother Cao knew that persuasion was useless. She asked: "How will you solve the capital problem?"

Cao Yong said: "The old brothers will pool thirty strings together, and I'll borrow another fifty strings from the brokerage."

As for the interest on the loan, Cao Yong didn't say, but clearly, it wouldn't be low. Though the court had newly added lending regulations, strictly controlling private usury among the people and imposing severe punishments on many lenders, one undeniable fact remained: the cases investigated and prosecuted were but a drop in the ocean compared to the overall scale of private lending among the people.

Hearing this, the hidden worry in Mother Cao's eyes deepened. But seeing her husband's firm attitude, the words of dissuasion simply couldn't be spoken. She could only say, "Be careful." After all, Cao Yong was the one who made the decisions in this family.

He could sense his wife's unease, but Cao Yong didn't want to explain further—the more he said, the more it would only add to her worry.

He reached out and pressed his wife's hand to comfort her, then looked at his eldest son Cao Meng and said: "Before I leave, I'll arrange things for Dalang!"

Hearing himself mentioned, Cao Meng immediately looked up and asked his father in confusion: "Father, what about me?"

Cao Yong said, "You're already thirteen—you can't keep idling away your days doing nothing. I'll find you a shop to apprentice at!"

Hearing this, Cao Meng looked thoroughly displeased and immediately refused: "What future is there in being an apprentice? If Father is going on a long trip, I'll follow along—that way I can look after you, and Mother won't worry!"

"If you follow along, that's exactly when your mother WILL worry!" Cao Yong snapped at once. "Besides, if you come with me, can you carry the bales, or do you know how to work a boat?"

"You already know how to use the abacus. I'll arrange for you to learn bookkeeping, accounts, and inventory management at the Zhang family rice shop, and pick up more characters while you're at it! Study hard—if I can get the cotton cloth business off the ground on this trip, in a few years you can come home and help!" Seeing the unconvinced look on his eldest son's face, Cao Yong urged him with heartfelt sincerity.

As he spoke, he reached out and pressed his hand on Cao Meng's shoulder, as if entrusting him with something, and said with great solemnity: "When I'm away from home, you'll be the only pillar left in the house. You need to take good care of your mother and your younger siblings!"

Hearing his father say this, Cao Meng's stubborn expression finally softened. Meeting his father's gaze, he nodded seriously in acceptance.

That night, Cao Yong and his wife both tossed and turned, unable to sleep through the night, but neither said anything more. Early the next morning, they both had to drag themselves up with heavy dark circles under their eyes and set the whole family to work.

Cao Yong took Cao Meng to the Zhang family rice shop in the ward for an "interview." Thanks to their close relationship, it was basically just a formality. Cao's mother, meanwhile, led the youngest son and little daughter in packing her husband's luggage.

It wasn't until three days later that, at the front gate, the mother and her four children huddled together, silently seeing Cao Yong off. Cao's mother still said little—a thousand words all condensed into a single "Take care."

The young Cao Meng stood to one side. Having grown this old, this was the first time he had ever looked at his father's back with such seriousness—slightly stooped, yet as solid as a mountain. His father's parting words echoed once more in his ears, and in that moment, the boy seemed to have grown up all at once.

Those who worked with Cao Yong were all peddlers who traveled between the various markets. Besides him as the broker, there were stall keepers, bookkeepers, and laborers—all with years of dealings between them, knowing each other's backgrounds through and through.

The group of four chose to travel by water. They boarded a boat at Mengjin, passed through the Yellow River into the Bian Canal, then traveled by way of the Si and Huai Rivers, through the Grand Canal into the Yangtze, and thence eastward—a journey of over twenty days before finally reaching their destination, Xiuzhou.

Xiuzhou lay southeast of Suzhou and northeast of Hu and Hang. It was the center of cotton cultivation and textile production in Jiangnan, and thanks to its complete command of river and sea transport advantages, it had gradually become a nationwide trade hub and distribution center for goods.

From the Qianyou era through Kaibao, for most of Emperor Shizu's reign, the court had consistently supported the development of the cotton industry—continuously recruiting talent from Central Asia, India, and elsewhere, cultivating superior seed strains, offering tax incentives and rewards, and vigorously developing cotton spinning techniques. It took several decades before a large industry gradually matured.

It can be said with certainty that the vigorous introduction and promotion of cotton and Champa rice was the most meaningful attempt by Emperor Shizu's court to solve the people's "food and clothing" problems, and the results and achievements obtained were, to a certain extent, even greater than those illustrious military feats—it's just that such contributions are not easily remembered, and are even more easily forgotten.

However, the development of the cotton industry and the spread of Champa rice greatly alleviated the pressure on the common people of the Great Han in terms of basic survival—this was also one of the important factors behind the explosive population growth of the Great Han over the past few decades.

Such benefits ultimately fell to the court, to the ruling class, because they in fact strengthened their grip on power and extended their vitality.

At first, the Great Han's key cotton-growing regions were unquestionably the two circuits of Henan and Hebei. From the introduction of cotton seeds, cultivation, selection, and promotion, to the spread of cotton spinning techniques—all this foundational work was continuously pushed forward in those two circuits, right under the court's nose.

The Great Han's cotton textile industry truly entered its period of major development around the fifteenth year of Kaibao. By then, cotton cultivation and spinning techniques had both matured and been widely promoted. In particular, Qiongzhou Prefectural Administrator Zhou Renjun led the way in improving the spinning looms, greatly increasing cotton cloth output, which gave an even stronger boost to the development of the cotton textile industry.

It was from that time that the cotton industry in Jiangnan began to rise. With suitable climate and soil conditions, plus the tradition of silk weaving and dyeing, it easily caught the fast track of the Great Han's cotton industry development.

Now, another twenty years had passed. The northern cotton industry still centered on the capital region and the two circuits of Hebei and Henan, supplemented by the Guannei and Gaochang circuits. As the main cotton-growing areas, under official government support, they still held a dominant position.

But the rapid development on the Jiangnan side was visible to the naked eye. It might not have overtaken the north yet, but the momentum to catch up was obvious. To be fair, aside from output, whether in talent, technology, or market vitality, the southern cotton industry centered on the Jiangnan Circuit had already surpassed the north.

Especially in terms of cotton cloth production efficiency and quality, the large and small workshops and mills of the Jiangnan Circuit, which used large numbers of new-type spinning looms, far exceeded their northern counterparts. For this reason, practitioners in the Jiangnan cotton trade had already sounded the bugle to "attack" the north.

It was precisely under this trend and background that Cao Yong and his partners had conceived the idea of going south to purchase goods.

Many things are better seen once than heard a hundred times. Only after actually arriving in Jiangnan did Cao Yong and the others realize just how far cotton and cotton cloth had developed there.

It could be said that cotton products had already replaced silk and hemp, conquering countless households across the southeast, helping ordinary scholars and commoners of the southeast solve their "warmth" problem. Of course, the Jiangnan silk industry was still thriving vigorously—after all, the powerful and noble still favored fine, luxurious silks and brocades to flaunt their status.

The crisp autumn season was also the harvest season in Jiangnan—not just for late rice, but also for cotton picking. Of course, compared to those unpalatable Champa rice, what filled Cao Yong and his companions' eyes were those snow-white cotton bolls.

Only upon reaching Xiuzhou did they truly have their eyes opened. If the southern cotton industry was centered on Jiangnan, then the Jiangnan Circuit was centered on Xiuzhou. Throughout Xiuzhou, nearly half of all households and farming families were engaged in cotton cultivation or cotton cloth production. For most of Xiuzhou's residents, this was even their main occupation—their sole source of livelihood.

Of course, Xiuzhou's ability to achieve such development was thanks not only to its suitable growing conditions and its unique river-and-sea transport advantages, but also to Zhou Renjun's driving influence.

It could be said that in the Great Han, Zhou Renjun was a founding-father-level figure in the cotton textile industry. Not only did he lead Danzhou's craftsmen in improving cotton spinning techniques, he also made major contributions to the subsequent spread of cotton spinning technology and the development of the cotton textile industry.

Zhou Renjun had once risen to the post of Administration Commissioner of the Hedong Circuit—though he hadn't served two years before retiring on grounds of illness. After retiring, Zhou Renjun returned to Danzhou, where he had first risen to prominence, and learned of the difficulties facing the local cotton textile industry. Many of the elders couldn't help complaining to Zhou Renjun that, as the birthplace of the "Dan loom" (cotton spinning loom), the local cotton industry's development couldn't even match other places—it couldn't even secure the Liangguang market, with profits being snatched away by practitioners from other regions.

After subsequent investigation and research, Zhou Renjun discovered that the root cause was still geographical limitation. Danzhou was located in the northwest of Qiongzhou Island. Although it was separated from the mainland by only a narrow strip of water, and southern water transport was well developed, its position was still too remote. For the cotton industry to truly develop, the market lay in the vast inland circuits and prefectures—and new techniques and spinning looms had long since spread elsewhere. With no advantage to be gained in technology or quality, how could it grow and thrive?

In Danzhou, one could basically rely only on the Liangguang market—enough to keep from starving, certainly. But to achieve greater development, one had to break free of Danzhou's limitations.

And so, under Zhou Renjun's leadership, more than a dozen Danzhou cotton textile practitioners relocated from Danzhou to Xiuzhou, opening workshops, organizing production, spreading technology, and simultaneously researching newer spinning techniques in an attempt to achieve more efficient cotton cloth production.

As a former Administration Commissioner of Hedong, Zhou Renjun's political prestige carried enormous weight in Xiuzhou. With his endorsement, the Xiuzhou authorities naturally gave their full support.

With that, the rise of "Xiuzhou cotton" became unstoppable. And when Cao Yong and his companions arrived at Shanghai Port in Xiuzhou, they truly witnessed just how awe-inspiring the sight of "Jiangnan cotton cloth comes from Xiuzhou" really was.

The existence of Shanghai Port was, of course, also a major reason Zhou Renjun had chosen Xiuzhou back then. As early as the second year of Kaibao, the court had established the Shanghai Office at the mouth of the Yangtze, building and widening the harbor to meet the needs of the gradually rising overseas trade.

In the fifth year of Kaibao, Shanghai County was established; in the tenth year of Kaibao, the prefectural seat of Xiuzhou was also moved from Jiaxing to Shanghai County. By now, Shanghai had become the Great Han's most important commercial port—a thoroughfare connecting river and sea, a center of commerce and trade.

In foreign trade, it was in no way inferior to Guangzhou, and at the same time, it was also closer to the heart of the Great Han!