Chapter 1016: A Twenty-Percent Stake

Zhao Jin's rapid-fire barrage of questions left Wang Ziyang speechless. In the end, he simply knelt on the ground — not out of terror this time, but sheer dejection. Everything Zhao Jin had said was true. Wang Ziyang had colluded with government troops, hoping to reap enormous profits, but after the fact, the troops only needed to pin a charge of "bandit collusion" on him, and his home would be confiscated and his head would roll. His family assets, his family members, and the trade routes for liquor, livestock, and specialty goods — all of it would instantly be seized by others.

No matter what benefits he had promised others beforehand, in the end, nothing was more profitable than seizing his entire estate. Moreover, Wang Ziyang had no truly solid backing. Aside from Zhao Jin, those so-called "patrons and backers" of his were either the very people coveting his wealth or utterly insignificant in the face of real power. After so much time had passed, Wang Ziyang had managed to figure this out himself. But saying it aloud was far too humiliating — he could hardly admit that his own foolishness had nearly dragged Zhao Jin down with him, and that in the end, he himself would have been ruined too. Now that Zhao Jin had laid it bare, he was so ashamed he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground.

"When you went to the Datong area of Shanxi, the border troops gave you trouble more than once. You brought people from there to Xuzhou and let them witness the strength of the Zhao Battalion firsthand. Only then did they treat you with a measure of restraint — isn't that right?" Zhao Jin asked another question. Wang Ziyang's body trembled again. This was something that had happened back when the distillery was first built and he had just started transporting and selling the liquor.

This was about the earliest shipments of liquor to the grasslands. When the first and second batches of liquor were transported to the grasslands and passed through the border garrison checkpoints, they simply followed the customary fees. No one paid much attention. But once Hanjing Famous Liquor became wildly popular on the grasslands and commanded exorbitant prices, word quickly traveled back to the Datong Garrison. The border officers began to take notice, and mere customary fees were naturally no longer enough to satisfy them.

Wang Ziyang understood the principle that amiability brings wealth. These checkpoint levies were standard practice anyway, so he immediately increased the bribes and gifts. At the time, everyone was happy. But no one had imagined that this Xuzhou liquor would sell so well on the grasslands. The price skyrocketed — one jar of liquor could be traded for one fine horse, and later even two. Each jar of this liquor was a pot of gold and silver. The appetites of the Datong border officers grew larger, and they demanded more and more.

Having traveled between the grasslands and the Great Ming so many times, Wang Ziyang naturally knew the appetites of these border garrison officers. To him, the profits from the liquor were so enormous that as long as the business could continue, giving others more benefits was no big deal. But greed knows no bounds. In the end, a battalion commander in Datong proposed taking a stake in Wang Ziyang's business — and he wanted seventy percent. This was essentially a complete takeover.

A battalion commander was nothing special in the border garrison, but behind this commander stood two brothers who were both colonels in the Datong Garrison. Their father had once been the supreme commander of Datong, and their family was practically the local emperor of the entire Datong Garrison. Who would dare defy their word? Wang Ziyang knew that if he refused, he would most likely encounter "horse bandits" on the grasslands — his goods would be plundered and his life would be forfeit.

Faced with such coercion, Wang Ziyang had no choice but to bluff and bluster, claiming that this business wasn't just for himself — it was the enterprise of several powerful figures in Xuzhou. Powerful figures in Xuzhou? To the military aristocracy of Datong, that title was a joke. With Henan and Shanxi provinces in between, could they even reach you?

But once he invoked the name of powerful figures, that implied official status. Dealing with such a household required a bit more caution. So the battalion commander came directly with Wang Ziyang to Xuzhou to see for himself the powerful figures backing him. If it turned out to be just some local thug, even one with a provincial graduate degree or something similar, they would simply use their authority to crush him, cast Wang Ziyang aside, and then take a few shares of the Xuzhou operation themselves. The border garrison military families had entrenched themselves for so many years that they had plenty of connections among civil officials as well.

That visit happened to coincide with Zhao Jin's defeat of the roving bandits besieging Xuzhou and his recruitment drive. When that battalion commander saw the several hundred household guards of the Zhao Battalion, his arrogant bluster subsided considerably. The elite quality of those several hundred household guards was in no way inferior to the personal guard corps of Datong Garrison officers. With military force like that, one truly deserved to be called a powerful figure. To sustain such a force, there had to be at least a supreme commander-level figure backing it. A conflict with such a power — while it wouldn't necessarily escalate to both sides mustering full forces for a pitched battle — would mean bloodshed if things turned ugly. For mere money, it wasn't worth going that far.

Furthermore, Wang Ziyang's father, Wang Youshan, was also in Xuzhou. Upon learning that an esteemed and incorruptible censor was also tied to this distillery, the battalion commander immediately turned amiable. He wasn't foolish enough to broach certain topics. Some words, once spoken, would create a true blood feud. Now that he knew the real situation, it was better to simply go back and know how to act properly in the future.

The military aristocracy of the Datong Garrison were seasoned officials, thoroughly versed in the ways of the world. Once they knew that Wang Ziyang had such power behind him, and a prickly censor to boot, they immediately began following the rules. The customary fees along Wang Ziyang's route were slightly higher than those of other merchant caravans, but not excessively so. The Datong border troops would even offer him certain conveniences.

After that, Wang Ziyang's wings gradually grew fuller. He opened shops in the Datong area and entered into joint-stock partnerships with the local military families. Through the liquor trade, his standing among the various Mongol tribes also grew, and no one could touch him anymore.

This matter was something of a secret for Wang Ziyang. Because this act of borrowing influence — the fox borrowing the tiger's might — had been done on his own initiative and had nearly offended the Datong officers on behalf of Zhao Jin and Wang Youshan, it was best left unspoken. He never imagined Zhao Jin would bring it up. Wang Ziyang froze for a moment, then felt a chill run through his heart. He didn't dare say a word.

Watching Wang Ziyang's reaction below, Zhao Jin smiled. This matter of borrowing influence was indeed a secret, but it was also one of Wang Ziyang's proudest maneuvers. After drinking, he had boasted about it a few times in the inner quarters. But within his inner quarters, there were eyes and ears of the Zhao Battalion, and the words had been passed along.

Having finished his harsh and severe reprimand, having intimidated Wang Ziyang to this degree, Zhao Jin's expression softened. The warning was sufficient here — any more and he might frighten Wang Ziyang to death.

"When I first came to He Village and was besieged by the monk soldiers, you sent men to help. Many of the riders in my Zhao Battalion's cavalry and household guard started as your employees. The horses were all procured by you. That this liquor could sell so well, that the entire northern route was established — it was all thanks to your tireless efforts. I remember all of these things clearly," Zhao Jin said, his tone easing.

Hearing Zhao Jin say this, Wang Ziyang's nose stung, and tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes. He simply kowtowed several times and said through sobs, "Master Jin, your great kindness is immeasurable, yet this lowly one repaid it with ingratitude. It is truly... truly..."

"What are you crying for? Sit down there. I called you here and was willing to scold you — that means I consider you one of my own!" Zhao Jin said with a laugh, though his words were a rebuke.

The moment he said this, Wang Ziyang, still kneeling on the ground, went limp and nearly collapsed. Hearing Zhao Jin speak this way, he knew he had passed the test. He no longer needed to live in constant fear of being purged. With that release of tension, not only could he not stand up, but tears also streamed down his face. He knew he was losing composure but couldn't control it. He could only wipe at his eyes with his sleeve — a pity, for that fine embroidered silk robe was already a mess at the cuffs.

Zhao Jin narrowed his eyes slightly, the smile still on his face. He waited for Wang Ziyang to recover, stand up, and seat himself back in the chair before speaking: "You can't do business the way you used to. You grew rich relying on the Xuzhou Zhao Battalion, yet you stand apart on your own. Even if you don't act recklessly, plenty of people will still have designs on you. Sooner or later, disaster will strike again."

Seeing Wang Ziyang about to speak, Zhao Jin raised a hand to stop him and continued: "I want a twenty-percent stake in your business. I will also send people into your ranks — into your managers, stewards, accountants, and even the junior staff. With people watching over you, helping you, and protecting you, only then can you be truly secure and keep this going. As for dividends and such, don't worry. You know how I do things — not a single cent... not a single copper coin of what's owed to you will be shorted."

After saying this, Zhao Jin let out a brief, involuntary laugh, though no one knew what he was laughing at. Wang Ziyang's mind, however, was quick on this subject, and he immediately grasped the implications. On the surface, it seemed he would have to give away twenty percent of his earnings and be surrounded by Zhao Battalion people at every turn, constantly constrained. But this also meant the Zhao Battalion would pour massive resources into the venture — the supply of liquor, the supply from the cattle and horse markets, and those rumored other businesses. What he could earn would far exceed what he gave up. As for who controlled the business, what did that matter? Cold hard cash in hand was what truly counted. In a place like Xuzhou, if Zhao Jin simply reached out and demanded it, wouldn't he still have to offer it up with both hands?

"This lowly one is willing. This is Master Jin looking after me. Whatever Master Jin commands, this lowly one will do," Wang Ziyang said hastily, his tears not yet dry.

"Your youngest son is already eight years old, isn't he? I hear you've spoiled him rotten. Send all three of your boys to the academy. I'll arrange for student guards to look after them. They need to learn some real skills — do you want to raise them into wastrels who'll squander your family fortune?" Zhao Jin said with a smile.

When Zhao Jin mentioned the youngest being eight, Wang Ziyang instinctively moved to explain that his youngest son was actually thirteen. But when he heard the word "three," he immediately realized that Zhao Jin was counting the illegitimate son from his outside mistress as well. This time, he felt no fear or chill — only heartfelt submission. He rose and said, "Many thanks for Master Jin's arrangements. This lowly one will send them over at once. And my daughter — though no great beauty, she is of proper appearance. I am willing to send her to serve the madams."

"Let's skip that. Your daughter is sixteen. Our Zhao Battalion has so many young and talented men — pick one as a son-in-law. It won't disgrace your family," Zhao Jin declined with a smile.

This meeting had laid everything bare and settled all the arrangements. If Wang Ziyang still harbored disloyal thoughts after this, he would have to be insane. With matters discussed to this point, there was nothing else to say, and the guest was seen off with a farewell.

Once Wang Ziyang had left the room, Zhao Jin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Wang Ziyang's trade route is critical for us. Neither Xuzhou, Henan, nor Shandong has pastureland suitable for raising horses. We still rely on him to procure and transport cattle, horses, and livestock. Moreover, sooner or later, we will have to deal with the various grassland tribes. The connections he's built using Hanjing Famous Liquor will be of great use."

Bonus chapters today! This is the first bonus chapter! Will there be a second, a third, or even more? It's double monthly tickets — if you've got them, cast them!

Thanks to "The Long Road, Mu Ming, User Kele, User Cold Night, Dragon King in the Wind, Teacher Akai" and other old friends for the tips. Thank you all for your subscriptions and monthly tickets — thank you for your support!