Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 122 Chen Shameless
On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, Chen Siyuan was sitting idly in his study when he heard the news that Shen Yunxiang came running in excitedly, saying, "Master, Master, the people from Liaodong Zhuangzi have come to give us New Year's gifts! There are more than ten carts full of things!"

Hongyu brought a feather duster and frowned, saying, "What a fuss! Every year, Liaodong Manor doesn't send out New Year gifts. If you want to see something strange, go to the ceremonial gate and take a look yourself. Don't disturb me."

Yunxiang muttered, "At least tens of thousands of taels of silver worth of treasures."

"What does it have to do with you?"

"Isn't it almost the New Year?"

There will be double rewards during the Chinese New Year, Yunxiang can get another three hundred dollars this time!
Chen Siyuan couldn't help but smile. It seemed the little girl was here to remind him that it was time to prepare the reward. Yunxiang was about to start nagging, but Hongyu gave her a sidelong glance, and she immediately backed away like a quail.

Chen Siyuan was now in high spirits. He reached out and beckoned Hongyu over, whispering, "Does the Liaodong manor send 10,000 taels of wealth every year?"

Hongyu said, "It's about the same. With eight manors, in a good year, I can get a little over 12,000 taels, and in a bad year, I can get around 8,000."

In addition to the silver earned from the sale of grain, the annual gift also included various kinds of rice, grains, sheep, pigs, deer, roe deer, musk deer, various kinds of fish, bear paws, seafood, dried vegetables, firewood and charcoal, and so on.

The carts that came to the capital were no ordinary carts; not only were they much larger, but their front and back halves were connected, requiring four mules and horses to pull them. Because of their heaviness, they could only reach the capital during the first freeze of the year, and had to return before the thaw.

Chen Siyuan wanted to find out about the Rongguo Mansion's income, so he asked, "Does the mansion only have eight farms in Liaodong? How much land do they have?"

Hongyu frowned and thought, "That's hard to say. Some of these farms are 420 acres, some 720 acres. They were originally set aside by Emperor Taizong. In recent years, wasteland has been reclaimed, and some good farms are 2,000 acres. However, the farms in Liaodong are only part of it. The government still has some land in Zhili, most of which is rented out.

The old ladies, wives, and grandmothers all have their own money, but just taking the public income into account, including the rent of the land, houses, and shops, it can probably reach 20,000 to 30,000 yuan a year."

Chen Siyuan was about to ask something else when Yunxiang suddenly called out from outside, "Master, someone's coming to the back door again!"

Back door? No need to ask, it must be Third Sister You.

Chen Siyuan simply put down his books and let Hongyu and Xiangling help him get dressed. He leisurely left his courtyard and came out the back door. Sure enough, he saw a carriage parked nearby. The curtains were parted, revealing a pretty face, the size of a palm. Who else could it be but Third Sister Yu?

Chen Siyuan nodded slightly with a smile on his face. Just as he was about to step forward, he heard a shout from behind. He stopped and turned around, and saw Hongyu quickly chasing after him.

"Master, the maid in front has sent a message saying that the guards of the palace have sent a message asking you to go to the Prince of Yanping's palace."

Tsk, how come you all are gathered together?

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment, thinking he couldn't let Third Sister You go for nothing, so he said to Hongyu, "Go and tell them I'll be there in a while."

Hongyu agreed, glanced at the carriage, and then turned around and went back.

After Chen Siyuan had given his instructions, he finally found the carriage. It was obvious that the carriage was rented. The driver brought a footstool from the back. Chen Siyuan climbed the steps and parted the curtains. He saw Third Sister You happily sitting in the carriage, still dressed in men's clothes.

There was a smoker inside, using the finest silver frost charcoal, so it was warm like spring.

Chen Siyuan went in and sat down beside Third Sister You without hesitation. Then he said with a smile, "I thought you would come to see me after the New Year."

Perhaps because they were shoulder to shoulder, Third Sister You looked a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. Upon hearing this, she said, "My mother went out to buy New Year's goods today, and I ran out when I saw a chance." After a pause, she added, "The maid was looking for you just now. Is there something going on up there?"

Chen Siyuan smiled and said, "I have made the acquaintance of an important person, and he happened to be asking me to go there."

"That--"

"Let's go to Prince Yanping's Mansion first. If we get out early, we can go to Shichahai for a stroll."

Chen Siyuan made the decision, and Third Sister You obediently agreed: "Okay."

She didn't care whether it was for fun or not, as long as she could stay with Chen Siyuan for a while longer.

At that moment, Third Sister You gave orders in a gruff voice, and the carriage rumbled on, heading towards Prince Yanping's Palace in the northeast corner of the inner city.

Third Sister You was dressed in a wide-sleeved gown, a scarf on her head, and a light application of powder on her face and rouge on her lips. She looked truly rosy-cheeked and white-toothed, even prettier than the young man at the Xianggu Mansion. With great effort, she leaned her upper body toward the car window, her right leg still pressed against Chen Siyuan, and for a moment she was reluctant to separate.

The road surface in the capital was not smooth, and they had not walked far when they hit a pothole. Yu Sanjie, who was struggling to support herself, cried out and immediately fell into Chen Siyuan's arms.

Chen Siyuan was not one to follow the rules, so he took Third Sister You's shoulder and whispered, "Third Sister, be careful."

"Yeah." Third Sister You's face flushed, she lowered her head and was speechless.

Chen Siyuan reached out and captured her left hand, teasingly saying, "Just look at your tenderness. Someone who doesn't know the inside story might think I found a young husband somewhere."

Third Sister You spat, "Stop mentioning that little husband! Last time I saw Rong'er's servant, he was wearing all sorts of makeup, looking neither man nor woman, and he was pinching his fingers... I almost vomited after just one look."

Chen Siyuan laughed heartily and said nothing else. He played with her soft hands with one hand and slid his other hand down from You Sanjie's shoulder, groping around. When he touched her waist, You Sanjie moaned and snuggled in Chen Siyuan's arms.

She was a virgin, and she felt shy, yet secretly delighted. After a long while, she mustered up the courage to raise her little face, meeting Chen Siyuan's burning gaze.

Chen Siyuan let go of his soft hands, reached out and stroked her pretty face twice, then put his arms around her neck and leaned over to kiss her.

Third Sister You gasped twice, then fell silent. A moment later, feeling the suffocation was unbearable, she opened her mouth and let Chen Siyuan suck on her clove.

It was unknown how long, until Third Sister You could no longer bear it, that Chen Siyuan finally let her go. Third Sister You was now curled up in Chen Siyuan's arms, breathing evenly, and then she chuckled, "Those few days I was so upset, but I couldn't forget you... I thought that if you didn't come to find me before the New Year, I would come to find you anyway. If you really are sincere, then I wouldn't mind being your mistress."

After she said this, she heard Chen Siyuan sigh.

Third Sister You raised her little face and looked over in confusion, and saw that Chen Siyuan was indeed frowning, and it was obvious that he was worried about something.

Third Sister You's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked, "Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Chen Siyuan then said, "It's hard to say what will happen to the Lin family's joint succession in the future. You know the situation in my family. Even if I'm lucky enough to pass the imperial examination one day, it would be like a tree without roots and water without a source. If the joint succession is indeed carried out, everything will be easy.

Daiyu's father is a top scholar in the imperial examination, and the Lin family has been a noble family for generations. With the Lin family's help, I will surely rise to prominence. But if something unexpected happens to this matter—ah, I'm afraid it will be difficult."

Third Sister You said, "What's so difficult about it? You've only been in the capital for a short time, and you've already made the acquaintance of Prince Ping of Yan. You'll definitely prosper in the future. Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who despises the poor and loves the rich. I can live through the days of wealth and the days of hardship. If you never succeed, I'll do some needlework and laundry to supplement the family income. I won't make it difficult for you."

Facing the hopeful gaze of the girl in his arms, Chen Siyuan no longer had the heart to tease her. He felt a surge of pride in his heart and said, "Sister, you're right, but I can't let my ambitions down."

After saying this, he leaned over and began to ask again. Third Sister You was experiencing the pleasure for the first time and naturally enjoyed it very much. In just a moment, she felt her soul flying in the sky and her body floating as if it was falling on the clouds.

A short while later, the carriage stopped near the corner gate of Prince Ping's mansion. Chen Siyuan left Third Sister You waiting inside the carriage, then disembarked, announced his name, and followed the servants inside. Ding Daolong greeted him at the ceremonial gate again. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ding Daolong led him to a large hall in the eastern courtyard. Entering, Chen Siyuan saw Prince Ping seated in the center, surrounded by four other people, most of them in their forties, dressed in official robes. There were both doctors and officials.

When King Ping of Yan saw Chen Siyuan coming, he leaned over and smiled, "The master is here. Feel free to ask any questions you have."

As soon as the words fell, the four people looked at Chen Siyuan sideways. One of them asked, "Excuse me, Mr. Chen, why do you have one department store in the inner city and one in the outer city?"

Chen Siyuan bowed and said, "Reply to this person——"

Ding Daolong said, "This is Zhai Kui, the Imperial Household Doctor."

"To Doctor Zhai, the inner city is mostly inhabited by dignitaries and nobles, so they must be distinguished from the dignitaries in the outer city."

Another person said, "Friend Chen, I see the key point in the book is to use benefits as inducement. Friend Chen, what do you think should be used to attract the people to come in droves when building momentum?"

"We should look for items with high profits and use the size of the inner court to lower the purchase costs—"

"Friend Chen, why don't you be more specific?"

Chen Siyuan thought for a moment and said, "For example, an iron pot."

At that time, ironware was very profitable. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, an iron pot made in Foshan was sold for three hundred wen, and could be sold for one or two taels of silver when shipped to Japan.

After the founding of the Dashun Dynasty, new mines were discovered in Leting and the price of iron dropped slightly. However, an ordinary small iron pot cost at least eighty wen, and a large iron pot would cost one hundred and fifty wen. If it was produced in Foshan, it would be even more expensive, nearly two hundred wen for a large iron pot.

After Chen Siyuan finished speaking, several officials and doctors murmured for a while, and then nodded.

With the size of the Imperial Household, they could negotiate with the iron factory for eighty or ninety wen for a large iron pot, and declare it to be two hundred wen. When the department store opens, if you spend eight hundred wen or more, you will get an iron pot worth two hundred wen for free, which will surely attract a large number of people.

From now on, if you deposit two taels of silver, you will get one tael of silver as a gift. The maximum discount for each purchase is one hundred coins. When the one tael of silver is gone, you can immediately go to the department store to settle the account and the two taels of silver will be returned to you.

Moreover, this department store follows the strategy of small profits but quick turnover. Chen Siyuan never expected the department store to make much profit, as long as it could break even.

His real purpose was the two taels of silver deposit!
With a population of one million in the capital, if 50,000 could join the association, that would be 100,000 taels of liquid capital. With 20,000 kept as a reserve, the remaining 80,000 could be withdrawn and either invested in the opening of Songjiang port or used as a banknote exchange for the imperial court. Within a few years, the business would be spread throughout Dashun.

These inner court officials have been very busy these days. They specially checked Xinshengkui, the largest bank in the capital, and found that the amount of silver that passed through it in the past year alone was 26 million!

If the remittance is calculated at 1.5 cents, I get 390,000 taels! Huge profit!
And according to the forecast in the book, this Neifu Piaohao will be responsible for transporting the court's silver and money in the future. The total tax collection of Dashun last year was nearly 50 million, which is a huge profit of at least 1 million silver!
If it were really as the booklet showed, the Imperial Household Bank would earn more than a million a year. I'm afraid that in a dozen years it would be comparable to the salt tax!

Several inner court officials could not help but become more and more excited and asked questions one after another. Chen Siyuan answered them fluently at first, but later he encountered some unexpected questions. However, after thinking about it, he still managed to answer them.

After a long while, the doctor Zhai Kui said with a smile, "Your Highness, we have no more doubts. This matter can be done!"

King Ping of Yan smiled and looked at the other three people: "What do you say?"

"feasible!"

"Hahahaha..." King Ping of Yan laughed triumphantly, shook his shoulders and took off the white fox fur coat, then stood up and walked away with his hands behind his back. When he got close to Chen Siyuan, he said, "Chen Siyuan, if this thing really works out, I'll credit you with a great achievement!"

Chen Siyuan bowed and agreed, then said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty, I would like to ask for a favor."

"Oh, tell me."

Chen Siyuan said, "I have three friends who were once brave soldiers in the Western Expedition Army. Now they are idle at home. I wonder if Your Highness would—"

Prince Ping of Yan waved his hand and said, "This is such a trivial matter... Zhai Kui, find three jobs in the government office."

Zhai Kui stood up and bowed in response.

Chen Siyuan continued, "Also, could I go and talk to Governor Jia about the opening of Songjiang as a port?"

Prince Ping of Yan took two steps closer, looked at Chen Siyuan with amusement, and said with a smile, "Is Miss Lin so good? How old is she?"

Chen Siyuan said seriously: "A fairy-like appearance!"

Prince Ping of Yan was at a loss for words. He was a prince, deeply favored by the emperor. During every general and minor election, he would always select the most virtuous and beautiful women and send them to the palace. He had no shortage of women; what he lacked was a soulmate.

"Young men should be wary of lust... Well, I'll do you a favor. Jia Huaguo seems to have passed away at the age of fifteen—" King Ping of Yan turned to look at Zhai Kui and said, "Doctor Zhai, when you have time, please visit him and briefly discuss this matter."

"Yes."

Chen Siyuan bowed and thanked him, but still did not say goodbye.

"Tsk, is there something else?" King Ping of Yan became a little impatient.

Chen Siyuan smiled awkwardly and said, "This... I wonder if I can get involved in this maritime trade to Fusang."

Prince Ping of Yan laughed angrily, pointing at him and the others and saying, "Look at how shameless he is! He still wants to be appointed as a Hanlin scholar!"

Several people in the hall echoed and laughed.

One of them said, "I think Mr. Chen is very good at taking advantage of situations. With such talent, he will definitely achieve great things in the future."

Another person said, "I think the reward the prince gave me earlier was too little. Friend Chen doesn't have enough to spend. Doesn't he need to find another way?"

King Ping of Yan laughed and scolded, "Nonsense! Last time I gave him two thousand taels. Twenty or so taels is enough for a small family to spend in a year. Is that too little?"

Zhai Kui just smiled and said nothing. It was only two thousand taels, but the idea they came up with could bring in millions of dollars in profits a year!
Although King Ping of Yan seemed dissatisfied, he was just laughing and complaining without any sign of anger, which showed that he was happy in his heart.

King Ping of Yan smiled and shook his head, saying, "Human greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant... Never mind, since you came up with a good idea, I'll allow you to intervene... Well, you can claim my name."

Chen Siyuan was overjoyed and bowed solemnly: "Your Majesty, please be magnanimous. I thank you!"

　This is the last small chapter. To even things out, all the chapters will be long chapters starting tomorrow, with a minimum of 8,000 words.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)