Chapter 110: Salt Merchants

Jingchun Tower was a restaurant located in the western part of the capital. Thanks to its wide variety of dishes, all delicious and appetizing, business was extremely brisk. Unless one reserved in advance, the private seats upstairs were never free.

Approaching noon, Jingchun Tower was bustling with activity. The broad square before the building was already packed with all manner of carriages, and more were still arriving.

Salt merchants great and small from Shuntian, Baoding, Zhending, Hejian, Yongping, Daming, and Xuanfu — some coerced, some voluntary — came to Jingchun Tower to see whether there truly existed salt as white as snow and cheaper in price.

Zhao Sihai, a salt merchant from Zhending Prefecture, stepped down from his carriage. Gazing around, he saw few familiar faces. Just as he was about to head into the restaurant, he suddenly heard someone call out: "Brother Zhao! Wait for me!"

Zhao Sihai turned to look. A man climbed down from a carriage that had just come to a stop — dressed in a brown cloth robe, wearing a six-in-one unified cap, holding a folding fan, and walking toward him with a beaming smile.

Zhao Sihai laughed: "I wondered who it was — so it's Brother Li! Haha!"

The newcomer was called Li Youjin, a salt merchant from Baoding Prefecture. The two had met several years earlier while purchasing goods at the Lianghuai salt fields. Zhending and Baoding were adjacent, but since the two men distributed in their own prefectures respectively, there was no competition between them. Add to that their congenial conversation, and they had become friends.

On this trip to the capital for the gathering, Zhao Sihai had originally planned to stop by and invite Li Youjin to come along. Only upon reaching Baoding did he learn that Li Youjin had already entered the capital several days earlier. He never expected to run into his old friend the moment he stepped off his carriage.

After the two exchanged greetings with cupped fists, Zhao Sihai looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then said in a low voice: "Brother Li, tell me the truth — you only came to the capital this time because the Embroidered Uniform Guard came knocking on your door too, right?"

Zhao Sihai had been selling salt in Zhending Prefecture for many years and had amassed a considerable fortune. He had little ambition — he simply planned to keep running his business and pass it down to his descendants.

Some time ago, two strangers with capital accents had come to his door, saying they wanted to discuss business with Zhao Sihai. The Zhao family servants hurried to the inner residence to report to their master.

Zhao Sihai was enjoying the cool in the garden pavilion. Upon hearing the report, he told the servant to send the visitors away. He was quite satisfied with his current life and had no interest in getting involved in other ventures.

Who would have thought the visitors would come straight into the garden without permission? Furious, Zhao Sihai was about to call for men to throw the two out of the estate.

Quite a few of the wealthier salt merchants had started out selling smuggled salt. Many had blood on their hands and kept a few desperadoes under their command. After earning their first pot of gold from smuggling salt, they would then ingratiate themselves with officials, purchase salt certificates, obtain goods from the official salt yards, and then sit back and distribute the salt. The distribution territory was, of course, the ground they had carved out themselves through bloody, blade-licking struggle.

Zhao Sihai's territory was mainly the northeast of Zhending Prefecture — the counties of Zaoqiang, Wuqiang, Wuyi, and Shenzhou. He was a native of Zaoqiang. As a child he had studied martial arts under his second uncle, and when he grew up he followed his second uncle in selling smuggled salt.

When he was eighteen, his second uncle had his head chopped off during a gang fight with another group of salt smugglers. Zhao Sihai himself was stabbed through the right ribs by a spear. He only escaped by leaping into a river, and it took him over half a year to recover from his wounds.

During those months he dreamed countless times of the scene of his second uncle's beheading. He swore he would avenge his second uncle, and that he would place his enemy's head as an offering before his second uncle's grave, so that his second uncle could rest in peace.

After recovering, Zhao Sihai spent half a year staking out and tailing his enemy, finally learning the man's daily routine. On a dark, windy night, he gathered several sworn brothers who would die for him, climbed over the wall into his enemy's compound, slaughtered all thirty-some members of the household, young and old, seized over ten thousand taels of silver, and then set fire to the residence, burning it to ruins. At last, one wish had been fulfilled.

This shocking crime alarmed the authorities, but when the yamen constables investigated the scene they found nothing. In the end it was shelved as an unsolved case, and the Zaoqiang County Magistrate was transferred elsewhere and demoted over the matter.

Zhao Sihai lay low for another year or more. Once the matter had completely blown over, he used his silver to recruit several dozen desperadoes and led this gang in bloody fights across the region, finally carving out his current territory. He then spent heavily to launder his identity and became a wealthy gentleman.

At Zhao Sihai's shout, several burly men with bare, muscle-knotted torsos and staves in hand came running from the front courtyard and surrounded the two men, waiting only for their master's command to knock them to the ground and throw them out of the Zhao estate.

The two strangers showed not the slightest alarm. One of them bared his teeth in a grin, reached into his robe, and pulled out a wooden plaque. He waved it at the burly men and said: "If you don't want to bring disaster on your master, get the hell out of the way!"

The other, somewhat older man simply stood with arms crossed, saying nothing.

Zhao Sihai was too far away to make out the characters carved on the plaque, but he was a man who had seen the world and had dealt with officials more than a few times. He knew that men of the jianghu did not flash their identities — this wooden plaque was clearly something only those in the imperial service could carry.

He hastily ordered the burly men to withdraw, then cupped his hands and bowed respectfully: "May I ask what business brings you two distinguished guests? I am quite familiar with Constable Sun of the county yamen. How about I play host and invite Constable Sun to join you two gentlemen for drinks at my humble home at noon? And if you're short on travel expenses, I have a token of respect to offer!"

The young man holding the waist plaque sneered through his nose at the mention of Constable Sun. When Zhao Sihai finished speaking, he waved the plaque before Zhao Sihai's eyes and said slowly: "Does Squire Zhao know his letters? Constable Sun this, constable that — what status does he have to drink with us? Open your eyes and look! We are the Son of Heaven's own personal guard!"

At the words "the Son of Heaven's personal guard," all color drained from Zhao Sihai's face. Sweat suddenly burst from his head and streamed down his forehead.

Could it be that the old case had come to light? Why else would the Embroidered Uniform Guard come knocking? No, that's not right — how many years had it been? Who would still remember a matter from so long ago!

The young man tucked the waist plaque back into his robe, looked Zhao Sihai up and down, and burst out laughing: "Squire Zhao was quite the figure back in the day! At least a few dozen lives on your hands, eh? How is it that after a few years as a wealthy gentleman, you've grown so timid? Don't worry — we've come to see you today to deliver a great fortune!"

At those final words, Zhao Sihai finally relaxed. He had been overthinking things just now. If the old case had truly come to light, they would have sent a whole company of men to his door, directly seizing his property and arresting him.

Not bothering to wipe his sweat, Zhao Sihai suddenly — "Smack!" — slapped himself across the face: "This humble one had eyes but failed to see! I didn't recognize my benefactors! Please, both honored officers, do sit down! Servants! Prepare a feast! Use only the finest ingredients!"

The two Embroidered Uniform Guard officers sat down on the stone benches in the pavilion. After looking around, the young officer who had been doing the talking sighed lightly: "I've always heard people say the salt merchants of Jiangnan are fabulously wealthy, but I never imagined our northern salt merchants were not to be underestimated either! Squire Zhao's estate must have cost no small sum! The two of us, relying on our government salaries, couldn't afford this in a dozen lifetimes! Tsk tsk!"

Zhao Sihai did not dare take a seat. He picked up the teapot and poured tea for the two men, forcing a smile: "You two honored officers jest! This humble one is just a country rich man — how could I compare to your honored positions? Once you two have eaten and drunk your fill, this humble one will have local products to present!"

That officer praised him: "Squire Zhao knows how to read a room! It's no wonder the two of us picked you! I am Li Liang, Squad Leader of the Third Chiliarch's Office of the Northern Provost Bureau of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and this brother is Officer Zhao An. The two of us have been ordered to come find you, Squire Zhao, to discuss a salt business matter!"

Just then several maidservants filed in carrying dishes of food and wine, setting them on the stone table in the pavilion. Li Liang and his companion washed their hands in the brass basin, took their seats, picked up their chopsticks, and without the slightest ceremony began eating with gusto.

Zhao Sihai stood to one side, mulling over Li Liang's words.

Since when did the Embroidered Uniform Guard go into business? Could it be they had discovered his old background and were using it as leverage to muscle into his salt business and swallow up his family fortune?

Li Liang looked up at Zhao Sihai, chewing a piece of braised beef as he said indistinctly: "Squire Zhao, why aren't you sitting? Don't stand on ceremony! Make yourself at home here!"

The officer named Zhao An buried his head in the food, not sparing Zhao Sihai a single glance.

Zhao Sihai sat down on a stone bench with a wry smile and said: "This humble one just finished eating. Please, you two honored officers, enjoy yourselves at leisure! We country folk have no fine fare — I beg your indulgence! Why aren't you two honored officers drinking?"

Li Liang set down his chopsticks, swallowed the piece of rib in his mouth, picked up his tea and took a sip: "Fine tea! Very quenching!"

Zhao Sihai sneered inwardly: This is top-grade Biluochun! How can you Embroidered Uniform Guard types be so uncouth? As if you haven't eaten in eight lifetimes!

He had assumed the Embroidered Uniform Guard lived on fine food and clothing daily and were picky eaters. What he didn't know was that lower-ranking officers and regular guardsmen of the Embroidered Uniform Guard lived on their salaries to feed their families — they had no opportunity to feast on meat and fish every day. Especially after Luo Yangxing's internal rectification campaign, the previously lax and undisciplined atmosphere within the Guard had been completely transformed. Some veteran officers who came from families that had served in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for generations, with tangled webs of connections and mutual collusion within the Guard, had dismissed Luo Yangxing's rectification and continued in their old ways, assuming it was merely a passing whim of their superiors to put on a show for the Emperor. These men were made targets by Luo Yangxing — after repeated warnings went unheeded, they were directly struck from the rolls. Those who dared to plead on their behalf, or who bore grudges from old grievances and abused their power under the guise of official business to ruin the Guard's reputation, were all expelled and thrown into the Imperial Prison of the Northern Provost Bureau, where they soon died of illness.

After this iron-fisted purge, everyone throughout the Embroidered Uniform Guard finally understood that the Guard Commander meant business. Anyone who still failed to read the writing on the wall could only be seeking their own death.

Chongzhen further allocated two hundred thousand taels from the privy purse to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. From Luo Yangxing on down, everyone's salary was doubled, with officers from the Southern Provost Bureau sent to supervise monthly distribution into each man's hands. With these twin measures, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's atmosphere was completely renewed.

Li Liang spoke up: "Squire Zhao, I know your salt comes from the Lianghuai salt fields. You obtain salt certificates from the government, then buy salt from the fields and distribute it. With layers of levies and deductions along the way, plus transport costs, your cost per catty of salt should be over two qian of silver — am I right?"

Zhao Sihai cupped his hands with a wry smile: "What the honored officer says is correct! After it reaches my hands, each catty costs two qian and four fen of silver, and it's still coarse bitter salt of poor quality. But since the common folk cannot do without salt at any meal, it still sells."

Li Liang stared at him and spoke slowly: "Then what if there were a salt as white as snow, as fine as flour, requiring very short transport, needing no salt certificate, available in any quantity, priced at under a hundred wen — Squire Zhao, would you be interested in selling it?!"