Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 182 New Year’s Eve
On New Year's Eve of the second year of Qianfu (768 AD).

Zhao Huai'an invited his newly sworn brother Yang Fuguang to live with him in his Baoyi Army.

Yang Fuguang gladly accepted the offer, leading his thirty adopted sons and a group of officials, along with a hundred large carts, to the Baoyi Army camp outside the city.

This trip attracted the attention of many people both inside and outside Bianzhou. It turned out that the military supervisor had canceled the grand banquet held by the government to attend a banquet at Zhao Huai'an's place.

While they were envious, they were also puzzled. Wasn't Zhao Da Gao Pian's man? How did he end up siding with the Yang family?

How can someone be so good at changing their stance depending on the situation? I want to learn.

……

When Yang Fuguang's convoy arrived, Zhao Huai'an was cooking red bean porridge in a large pot.

This is a custom from the Tang Dynasty, said to ward off evil and prevent disease. He didn't quite understand why this red bean porridge was related to warding off evil. Was it because the red color of the red beans made them positive?
It doesn't matter if you don't understand, just do it. It's all about adapting to local customs.

Zhao Huai'an started getting busy this morning. In addition to personally cooking a pot of red bean porridge, he also supervised hundreds of cooks to make braised pork.

The braised pork belly of today is an improved version, very close to the taste of later generations.

The key to this is that Zhao Huai'an created red soy sauce. The Tang Dynasty had sauces, but most of them were fermented black bean sauces, and red soy sauce was not available. However, Zhao Huai'an knew that the key was to create red yeast rice.

This is the key to coloring.

Red yeast rice is made by fermenting glutinous rice at around 35 degrees Celsius. However, there were not many ways to control the temperature in the Tang Dynasty, so Zhao Huai'an could only rely on sensing the temperature to be close to that of the human body and then control it by increasing or decreasing the amount of fuel.

This method naturally resulted in low yields, so even though red soy sauce was produced, it was still too expensive for most people.

Zhao Huai'an only adds a little soy sauce when making braised pork.

On this trip north, Zhao Huai'an brought with him almost all the red soy sauce he had made during this period, so that he could easily make braised pork when rewarding the troops.

Since Zhao Huai'an developed the dish of braised pork, it quickly became popular in the army. A reward feast would be incomplete without a serving of braised pork.

And today is Lunar New Year's Eve, so it is even more so.

Starting in the morning, each camp began slaughtering pigs and sheep and preparing ingredients.

Because Zhao Huai'an personally prepared the New Year's Eve dinner, the entire Baoyi Army, from top to bottom, was busy with the preparations.

Those buying firewood went to buy firewood, those slaughtering pigs went to slaughter pigs, and those preparing vegetables went to prepare vegetables; each camp was already bustling with activity.

As Zhao Huai'an was tasting the braised pork, feeling it was too hot to spit out, he said to the plump cook in front of him:

"Xiao Li, this meat is bland. Add some more salt. We people from Huainan are reluctant to add salt. It's such a disgrace to the people of Huainan!"

Chef Li nodded hurriedly. He was a famous master chef in Guangzhou. Because of his excellent pork cooking skills, he was recruited by Zhao Huai'an to serve in the army, where he was responsible for cooking small banquets for the main tent.

In fact, Chef Li had told Zhao Huai'an that his specialty was making beef. In the past, people in the village would send their sick or injured cattle to him for slaughtering and beef making, especially his braised beef, which was a specialty of Ding County.

Although Zhao Huai'an hadn't eaten beef in a long time, he still refused.

He knew that although eating beef was forbidden at this time, there were many ways to prevent it, namely, any cow that had died from exhaustion or was injured could be slaughtered and eaten.

If the ban on cattle has such a loophole, it will basically be dead in name only, since how can you know whether the cattle were deliberately maimed or were genuinely injured by accident?
But Zhao Huai'an cannot do that.

Compared to satisfying his appetite, he valued the grain harvest more, for that was the most important matter for the country. If even the governor of Guang Prefecture led the way in eating beef, wouldn't his subordinates follow suit? If they eventually exhausted the cattle supply and the grain harvest declined, who would be responsible?
However, with my guidance, Chef Li's braised pork was now just as good as mine, so it wasn't a waste of my good taste.

Because he had asked Yang Fuguang before and knew that he was from Fujian, he even asked the camp to prepare a clam omelet.

The most difficult thing to get here is actually the clams, because they are now in Bianzhou in the Central Plains, not on the coast.

So he went to the West Market of Bianzhou City with the attitude of trying to buy some, and finally managed to get a batch of clams from several large merchants from Fujian. They were all delivered chilled with ice.

Those maritime merchants would fill earthenware jars with seawater to hold clams, then thoroughly freeze them with ice before sending them to Bianzhou. Some seafood was transported to Bianzhou in this way.

Especially now, on New Year's Eve, the wealthy and powerful in Bianzhou have a strong demand for these rare items, but this is the first time anyone has wanted clams.

They originally brought their own food.

Knowing that it was the Prefect of Guang Prefecture who wanted to buy it, these large Fujian merchants didn't even ask for money, only saying that they admired Prefect Zhao's reputation and it was a small token of their appreciation.

Zhao Huai'an did not refuse and gave the group a business card, telling them that they could visit Guangzhou on their return voyage. He said that the Xiaoguangshan tea from Guangzhou was in high demand and they could distribute it in Fujian.

These wealthy businessmen were incredibly excited. They knew the reputation of Xiaoguangshan tea all too well. Whenever they came to Bianzhou this year, no matter which partner they visited, they would be served this tea.

This tea is refreshing and perfect for these sea merchants who spend their days on the sea. The old oil tea was too greasy, and if they drank it before going on board, even a slight storm would cause chaos.

Therefore, they valued Xiaoguangshan's commercial value more than the merchants from Bianzhou. Moreover, these merchants from Quanzhou, Fujian, who traded overseas for many years, had a high demand for porcelain.

In foreign trade, porcelain is a highly sought-after commodity because it is an everyday necessity. Everyone needs bowls and basins to eat and drink, so porcelain is always a top-quality item, no matter which island or foreign country you are trading with.

In particular, they had heard that in Japan, porcelain was used as burial goods, and many nobles were buried with large quantities of porcelain, so high-end porcelain had a good market in Japan.

Another advantage of porcelain is that it can be stacked in layers inside the ship's hold, often in packs of tens of thousands, and can be used directly as ballast to withstand the waves of the open sea.

Now, the emergence of Xiaoguangshan directly combines the two products that maritime merchants need most. These wealthy merchants have enough business acumen that they all believe that Xiaoguangshan will not only create a wave of praise in Fujian and Vietnam, but also throughout Southeast Asia.

If an ordinary person were to possess such a hot commodity, these wealthy merchants would certainly deceive and manipulate the situation to maximize their profits.

But they dared not deceive Zhao Huai'an, because this man truly had soldiers under his command. If they offended him, even in Minyue, their lives would be difficult.

So they told Zhao Huai'an about the situation, which piqued his interest. He hadn't initially considered Xiaoguangshan's user base to be the maritime merchants of Fujian and Guangdong, since he didn't have much contact with them.

But now, hearing these Fujianese merchants confidently assert that Xiaoguangshan would be a hit in Fujian and Southeast Asia, Zhao Huai'an realized that an opportunity had arisen.

That is to conduct maritime trade with the local chieftains of Southeast Asia.

Maritime trade was already quite developed during the Tang Dynasty. Zhao Huai'an had cooperated with the Pei family of Annam in grain trade, so he also had some understanding of the current maritime trade.

Currently, there are basically three major seaports for foreign trade: Guangling, which is next to Yangzhou; Guangzhou; and Quanzhou, where these Fujianese merchants are located.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an immediately asked for the business cards of these merchants. This group of people came from prominent families in Quanzhou, the Lin and Chen families, and the leaders were Lin Chao and Chen Jingliang.

Zhao Huai'an asked them to go to Guangzhou to act as agents for Guangzhou tea in Fujian, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia. They were to take a batch of goods to test the waters first. If it was good, they would come to Guangzhou and work together to expand and strengthen the business.

Zhao Huai'an also learned about the local products in Southeast Asia from the two of them.

Knowing that various spices, pepper, gold, silver, gemstones, sugar, amber, tortoiseshell, and Kunlun slaves could be sold in Southeast Asia, their eyes lit up.

If he hadn't had to go back for New Year's Eve, he would have definitely held a candlelit talk with the two of them to help them learn more about the treasures of Southeast Asia.

Knowing that Governor Zhao would be hosting a banquet for distinguished guests on New Year's Eve, the two wealthy merchants, Lin and Chen, offered three bags of pepper as a gift.

Zhao Huai'an had someone collect the items, patted the two men on the shoulder, and said they would meet again in Guangzhou.

……

Upon hearing that Yang Fuguang had arrived, Zhao Huai'an instructed Lao Mo to continue to coordinate the cooks, ensuring that he tasted every dish. Then, he led a group of Baoyi generals and staff to welcome Yang Fuguang.

Zhao Huai'an knew that on New Year's Eve, as the number one or two figures in Bianzhou, he had to turn down countless invitations to come to the Baoyi Army's camp to spend the New Year's Eve with them.

Therefore, Zhao Huai'an was also very moved, feeling that although Old Yang was a eunuch, he was a man of great loyalty and righteousness.

After Zhao Huai'an invited Yang Fuguang and his staff under the military supervisor to the camp, the hundreds of carts of goods and New Year's gifts they brought were sent to the rear camp by the soldiers of the Baoyi Army, where they were registered.

As for Zhao Huai'an, he and Yang Fuguang walked into the main tent side by side, and then took their seats on the left and right.

The generals of Baoyi sat below Zhao Huai'an, while Yang Fuguang's aides and the Shence generals sat opposite him.

As soon as they sat down, Yang Fuguang smiled and said:

"Old Zhao, what are you cooking in your camp? It tastes quite different!"

Zhao Huai'an was secretly pleased with himself and told Lao Mo to go and see if the braised pork was ready. If it was, he should send a jar to the military supervisor first.

As Lao Mo left, Zhao Huai'an began to boast:

"Lord Yang, why don't you try my Zhao family's braised pork? What delicacies are not available in the palace? But unfortunately, Lord Yang, you really can't get this taste anywhere else except here."

Yang Fuguang's staff were all under the military supervisor system.

Among them, apart from the deputy military supervisor representing Yang Fuguang who was attending the New Year's Eve banquet of the Xuanwu government, who was not present at the time, there were also the judge, junior envoy, clerk, retainer, Yuan Sui, his thirty adopted sons, and the guards of the more than one thousand Xuanwu personal soldiers he had recruited, all of whom were present, filling the tent to the brim.

Most of these people were meeting Zhao Huai'an for the first time, and they couldn't understand how a governor of a fallen Guang Prefecture could be on such friendly terms with their military supervisor.

Already indignant, they were further angered by Zhao Da's arrogant words, and they thought he was a conceited fool. One of them, the most naive of them, immediately burst out laughing.

Zhao Huai'an pretended not to see it, but the Baoyi generals opposite him glared angrily. Even Yang Fuguang, who had just been smiling and responding to Zhao Huai'an, turned around and pointed fiercely at the man:

"Pull it out and chop it!"

Yang Fuguang was never an ordinary eunuch who just loafed around in the palace. When he was very young, he showed great integrity and asked his adoptive father, Yang Xuanjia, to let him serve as a military supervisor in the local area. Moreover, he participated in every battle in the region. Therefore, his way of employing people and doing things was entirely that of a military man.

The one who dared to laugh in public was a servant whom Yang Fuguang liked and was responsible for guarding the medicine storehouse.

What was the most crucial and vigilant thing for these palace women? It was medicine. How many emperors, empresses, and powerful eunuchs, no matter how noble they appeared in public, ultimately succumbed to a cup of poison?
Therefore, those who could serve as guards for medicine for powerful eunuchs must have been their confidants.

But at this moment, Yang Fuguang ordered his men to drag Zhao Huai'an out and behead him simply for laughing at him in public.

At this moment, all the generals, adopted sons, and staff below held their breath, understanding the supervising envoy's attitude.

Two Shence soldiers came in, one on each side, and were about to perform their magic on the limp Yuan Sui when Zhao Huai'an stopped watching the spectacle and smiled at Yang Fuguang, saying:
"Master Yang, why spoil the fun for such a fool? It's not good to see blood on New Year's Eve."

Yang Fuguang nodded, then said to the two Shence soldiers:

“Listen to my brother, in a little while you take this filthy thing out of the camp and find a place to bury it.”

The staff members under the military supervisor were all stunned.

No, is that how Zhao Da understood "not easily drawing blood"?
Even so, no one present came forward to beg for mercy for Yuan Sui. Even though Yuan Sui was weak and submissive when he was dragged away, he didn't utter a single word of pleading.

These details made Zhao Huai'an realize that he roughly understood this older brother's way of doing things.

He is decisive and ruthless; once he says he'll kill you, he will. Even if someone tries to persuade him, he will only kill you in a different way.

This military supervisor is capable of great things.

……

Yang Fuguang dealt with the minor matter and then smiled at Zhao Huai'an:
"Old Zhao, you've got it all wrong. I was sent from the palace to the countryside when I was just over ten years old. I spent most of my time living and eating in the army, so I really haven't had much time to enjoy delicacies."

Zhao Huai'an believed this, because when he pulled Yang Fuguang in, he felt that the lining inside Yang's sleeves was old.

Moreover, he had previously inquired with his thirteenth uncle and learned that this military supervisor was known for not liking money.

According to the custom of Xuanwu Army, each new military supervisor and military governor could take a sum of money from the treasury as a subsidy after taking office. The corrupt ones would usually take hundreds of thousands of strings of cash, while the honest ones would take tens of thousands of strings.

After Yang Fuguang arrived at Xuanwu Army, he took 100,000 strings of cash from the treasury, keeping none for himself and using it all to support the army.

If a eunuch doesn't love money or seek pleasure, what does he want?
Thinking this through, Zhao Huai'an understood why he had been able to sway this powerful eunuch simply by offering the promise of protecting the nation. This military supervisor, beneath his imposing physique, harbored an ambition more masculine than any man's!

As Zhao Huai'an was sighing, Lao Mo had already entered with two nimble attendants. He himself was carrying a food box, while the two attendants carried a small charcoal stove with a red clay pot simmering on it.

As soon as they entered, without even lifting the lid, everyone could smell the rich aroma of meat.

The generals who protected the righteous were alright; although they also swallowed their saliva, they had eaten there several times before, so they could remain composed. But the military supervisors and the generals from the Shence and Xuanwu divisions opposite them stared wide-eyed, completely unable to tear their eyes away from the red clay pot.

What kind of meat is this? It smells so good!
Of course it smells good! It's either roasted or boiled in water. Who can resist the sight of braised or stewed dishes?
Yang Fuguang became a little less reserved, beckoning Lao Mo to come over quickly, then grabbed a corner of his robe and used it as a cloth to lift the lid.

When the glistening, trembling braised pork appeared before everyone's eyes, countless people swallowed hard.

Old Mo bowed and handed Yang Fuguang chopsticks and a plate, and then Yang Fuguang picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

Then, in the next instant, he spat the meat onto the plate.

Old Mo's expression changed. He had tasted this meat before; it tasted the same. Did the military supervisor not like it?

But the next moment, he saw Yang Fuguang swallow the meat he had spat out back into his mouth, and then look satisfied.

This way of eating stunned the staff, generals, and adopted sons who were familiar with Yang Fuguang. Was this the same stern and serious military supervisor they knew?

Does this meat possess magical powers?
At this moment, Yang Fuguang did not offer any praise, but instead picked up another piece and put it in his mouth.

This time he was more experienced and knew to blow on it, but even so, it still burned him so much that he grimaced, completely losing his image as a powerful official.

After eating three pieces in a row, he finally felt full and picked up a small piece of camellia from the side of the table to soothe his throat.

Then he gave Zhao Huai'an a thumbs-up and praised him:

"Old Zhao, I now know you're not one to exaggerate. If you say you can't find this anywhere else, then it's absolutely unparalleled. Your Zhao-style braised pork is simply amazing!"

Zhao Huai'an laughed heartily.

This older brother is truly straightforward, completely lacking the affectation of a eunuch.

Then Yang Fuguang saw that the old Mo was also holding a food box, and he was overjoyed. He snatched it from him and smiled at Zhao Huai'an:
"Old Zhao, this is a real surprise! Haha!"

As he spoke, Yang Fuguang smiled and opened the food box, then froze.

His adopted sons and subordinates, unable to see the contents of the food box, only saw the military supervisor suddenly freeze in place. If it weren't for the lesson Yuan Sui had just taught them, they would have already started cursing.

Then they were immediately glad that they had learned their lesson, because the next moment, their military supervisor shakily picked up a small plate from the food box, on which was a golden fried egg.

Yang Fuguang took a deep breath and gently bit down.

So it turns out that childhood memories are things you can never forget.

As he ate, Yang Fuguang's gaze became unfocused.

……

His surname was Qiao. He was born in a small fishing village in Changle, Fujian. He had a father, a mother, and an older brother.

His family was very poor, so poor that they had never eaten rice or worn clothes, but he was happy because his mother often fried clams for him and his brother.

He and his brother collected these clams together on the beach. Every time the tide goes out, a large number of clams are left on the mudflats.

So the ebb and flow of the sea brought joy and delicious food to the brothers.

His second happiest moment was sitting at his doorstep, gazing at the distant sea in a daze.

Whenever he saw a large ship passing by at sea, he would stand up and wave frantically.

Because Amu told them that Aja was on the ship.

They hadn't seen Aye for a long time, and he wished he would never have to see him again!
That day, it was pouring rain, and the sea outside was churning up huge waves. Then a group of people carried a bamboo plank wrapped in white cloth and headed straight for their house.

Then Am rushed toward the white cloth and started crying.

Then he learned that Aye was dead, that he had died on the ship.

Soon Aye's money ran out, and the family couldn't support themselves any longer. At that time, he would always see Amu wiping away tears, and he and his brother never ate delicious fried clams again.

Later, a man came to the house. He first looked at his elder brother and said, "You're getting old," then looked at him, and with a delighted expression, said:
"He's quite clever and decent-looking; he might actually have a good life ahead of him."

Then he was taken aboard the ship, with his mother and brother on the shore; that was the last time he saw them.

Soon, after weathering many storms, they arrived at a large port, filled with huge ships and people of different skin colors, eyes, and hair. He later learned that this was Quanzhou, the place his father often talked about.

They changed boats again from here, and once again the wind and waves were fierce, and one of the boats was even capsized by a huge wave.

He was originally assigned to that ship.

At that moment, something different appeared in the eyes of this child surnamed Qiao.

Later, they arrived in Yangzhou, which was a bustling scene he had never seen before. He had never seen so many people in his entire life.

After arriving here, the ships left, along with the people who had brought them. They handed them over to a group of bearded men and then sailed away.

After that, they continued on the boat, and they didn't know how long they traveled. In short, the road was very long, there were many people, and the scenery around them was never the same.

Finally, one autumn, they arrived at a huge city that towered into the sky, as if it were the abode of gods.

It was also in this autumn that he stepped shakily into this city and into that palace; he was seven years old that year.

He still remembers the last words the old eunuch who performed the surgery on him said as he touched his skin:

"Kid, don't blame your parents, it's all fate! It's not that your fate is bad, it's that you've lost your offspring, and that's why you're destined for wealth and honor."

Then everything went black, and he couldn't remember anything from the pain.

For the next five years, he did the most menial work in the deep palace. Only one Shence Army soldier in the palace liked him and often taught him martial arts, telling him that a great man's ambition lies in his will, not in his eggs, and encouraging him to practice martial arts diligently.

Even though he had learned a lot and possessed excellent martial arts skills, he was still doing the same old job and remained the most humble person.

Until that day, he encountered a powerful eunuch who had returned victorious. The eunuch saw him wielding a spear, asked his name, and finally asked if he would like to be his son.

At that moment, having long experienced the harsh realities of palace life, he shouted out that sentence:
"Aye!"

After that, he had a new surname, Yang, and a new given name, Fuguang.

Yang Fuguang.

……

Zhao Huai'an panicked because from his perspective, he saw Yang Fuguang shedding tears.

He didn't understand why Yang Fuguang was crying while eating fried eggs and clams. Was it really that delicious? To be honest, if he hadn't known that Yang Fuguang was from Fujian, he really wouldn't have wanted to do this. He was just too scared of being ripped off when he was in Gulangyu, Xiamen.

However, when he later ate it on Xiamen Island, he found that it was actually quite good, and it was even said to be aphrodisiac, though he didn't know if it was true or not.

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an felt a little guilty and asked in a low voice:
"Master Yang, what's wrong?"

After finishing his clam and egg omelet, Yang Fuguang neatly put the food box away, then took out a piece of silver from his purse and handed it to the old Mo who was serving him.

Old Mo couldn't possibly accept it! He quickly waved his hand, and then Zhao Huai'an said:
"Old Mexican, you just take it because I told you to. Did I give you a choice?"

Sweat beaded on Old Mo's forehead. He carefully accepted the silver, thanked Yang Fuguang repeatedly, and then retreated to the side with the food box and stove.

……

Yang Fuguang calmed himself down and called out to his adopted sons, including Yang Shouli:
"Step forward!"

The thirty adopted sons stood up and lined up according to their order of entry into the family. So often, some who were clearly older could only be considered younger brothers because they called him "father" later.

Yang Shouli was in the twentieth place, carefully hiding in the crowd, not wanting to be discovered by Zhao Huai'an, because he knew what his godfather was going to do later.

Sure enough, the next moment Yang Fuguang said to these people:

"Kneel down and kowtow to your second uncle!"

In the crowd, Yang Shouli closed his eyes in pain, and together with the other twenty-nine brothers, they respectfully greeted Zhao Huai'an, who was even younger than them.

Why is this happening? At most, he thought it was just another younger brother, but can anyone tell me why he's become an uncle?
After these people finished shouting, Yang Fuguang explained to Zhao Huai'an:

“Old Zhao, there are nine people in my generation, but we’re counting the two of us separately, so these people call you Second Uncle.”

Zhao Huai'an suddenly had thirty more nephews, and he blushed a little. He quickly said to Old Mo:
"Old Mo, take out what I prepared behind the screen."

Because there was a lot of stuff, several of his adopted sons helped Lao Mo carry it, and then it landed at Zhao Huai'an's feet.

Zhao Da addressed Yang Fuguang's thirty adopted sons earnestly:
"Since you call me Second Uncle, then you should accept this gift."

He then had these people come forward one by one to receive their swords, all of which were a batch of finely forged swords made by Pu Song, the master swordsmith of the Baoyi Army. Each sword was engraved with a sword inscription:
"Safety"

After distributing the knives, Zhao Huai'an said to the men:

"As sons, filial piety is paramount, so we always think we must achieve something great to fulfill our filial duty. But little do we know, we, as elders, never expect you to be successful; we only hope you can live peacefully and accompany us to the end. So today I bestow these peace blades upon you, hoping you will have a good beginning and a good end, always remembering the word 'filial piety,' and not becoming unfilial pigs and dogs! Otherwise, you will break your father's heart and also waste this good blade!"

These words, coming from Zhao Huai'an, were utterly shameless, but which of these adopted sons present cared? They all sang:
"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle."

Seeing so many people shouting so loudly in the crowd, Yang Shouye felt much more at ease.

Being beaten in the street by a prefect is absolutely intolerable, but being beaten by one's own uncle is just what one should do, isn't it?
People need to learn self-consistency.

……

After reviewing these documents, Yang Fuguang was extremely satisfied and smiled at Zhao Huai'an:
"Old Zhao, you're very thoughtful."

Zhao Huai'an waved his hand, indicating that it was the proper thing to do.

Just then, Zhao Liu, dressed in colorful clothes, rushed in. He first bowed to Yang Fuguang, and then said to Zhao Huai'an:

"Brother, the brothers are all ready and waiting for you."

Yang Fuguang was wondering about this when he heard Zhao Huai'an laugh beside him:
"Master Yang, may we move outside the camp? The brothers are about to perform a Nuo opera. Please, Master Yang, watch and see how well we dance?"

Yang Fuguang then realized that they were wearing colorful clothes to perform a Nuo opera for New Year's Eve.

So he nodded and smiled:

"Good, I've been wanting to see your brilliance, Zhao Da!"

At this moment, Zhao Huai'an, already dressed in colorful clothes with the help of his adopted sons, took a Nuo mask from Dou Pangzi and laughed:
"Haha, Master Yang, I, Zhao Da, am destined to be the greatest dancer in the world! Behold my dance for this New Year's Eve!"

　There will be another chapter before noon.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)