Entrepreneurship in the Late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 99 Debate (Thanks to Alliance Leader Yu for the umbrella)

As Zhao Da led Wang Jin out, they saw a convoy of vehicles at the foot of the pass, with villagers everywhere carrying supplies from the carts into the warehouse.

Zhao Da immediately spotted his big spender in the crowd—oh, no, his angel investor, Lao Dong.

Zhao Da thought Old Dong looked even whiter and fatter than he thought, so he went over and greeted him.

Behind Dong Gongsu were several other people, all dressed in unusual attire, who were now sizing up Zhao Da together with Dong Gongsu.

As soon as Zhao Dayi arrived, Dong Gongsu pulled him aside and introduced him to the group, saying warmly:
"My old brothers, this is the hero I often mention to you, Zhao Huai'an, the Righteous Protector!"

Then Dong Gongsu and Zhao Da introduced the next few people, starting with one wearing a royal blue robe:

"My lord, this is Luo Yuanbao, a tea merchant from Chengdu. Several mountains in Yazhou belong to Luo Yuanbao's family, and he is very close to me."

Zhao Da nodded, and unlike the people of the time who clasped their hands in greeting, Zhao Da directly grabbed Luo Yuanbao's arm with one hand and held his hand with the other, repeatedly saying "good, good, good".

The wealthy merchant named Luo Yuanbao paused for a moment, then looked at Dong Gongsu beside him. Seeing Dong Gongsu nod, feeling Zhao Da's warm and strong hand, and the sticky sweat on his palm, a smile appeared on his face.

Dong Gongsu was used to this, and then introduced Zhao Da to the person behind him. This person was wearing a black robe and a stiff turban, but the belt around his waist looked exquisite, which enhanced the overall quality of his attire.

"Brother, this is Du Zonghan, the big broker in Mianzhu. You could say that half of the brokers in Chengdu listen to him. If you want to buy any kind of slaves, servants, or even retainers, you can go to him. There's nothing he can't do."

This man named Du Zonghan, after being praised by Dong Gongsu, repeatedly expressed his humility, and then formally introduced himself to Zhao Da:

“Zhao Dalang, a few of us often associate with Old Dong, and recently we’ve heard him talk about you a lot. He even said he wanted to marry his daughter to you. We were curious to see who this hero of Sichuan was. Today we meet you, and indeed you are a magnificent and heroic figure, unlike anything we’ve ever seen in our lives.”

Actually, Zhao Da had just finished training and was covered in sweat and looked disheveled. How could anyone see him looking heroic and dashing?
However, one thing was certain: Zhao Da was exuding a strong masculine aura at this moment. His masculine and imposing presence had a powerful impact on the several wealthy merchants who had seen many weak men.

Upon hearing that Du Zonghan was a broker, Zhao Dayi's heart stirred, and he asked:
"Old Du, do you have any skilled riders? Like, those who used to be cavalrymen in the vassal army?"

Du Zonghan paused for a moment, thought for a while, and then asked cautiously:

"Zhao Dalang, these are the kind of cavalrymen that most feudal lords and armies wouldn't recruit. How did we manage to find them?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Da sighed:
"Pity."

Du Zonghan paused for a moment, then glanced again at the burly warriors behind the gate, rubbed his hands together, and asked in a low voice:

"I wonder how many people Zhao Dalang needs. If it's one or two dozen, I can search all over Sichuan and definitely gather enough for you, Dalang."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dayi stopped mentioning that he needed five hundred men and immediately grasped Du Zonghan's hand, exclaiming:

"Alright, alright, a dozen or twenty people it is, but not from Nanzhao, because I don't have enough of those myself!"

As he spoke, Zhao Da pointed to the fence and said:

“I also have two or three hundred skilled cavalrymen on my side. If they weren’t all loyal Nanzhao warriors like the Bai and Wu Man, I would have had many more cavalrymen.”

Upon hearing Zhao Da's words, Dong Gongsu, Luo Yuanbao, and Du Zonghan glanced at each other and then burst into laughter, leaving Zhao Da bewildered.

Then Dong Gongsu smiled and said:
"Brother, you're begging for food while guarding a mountain of gold. With these two or three hundred captive Wuman knights, what are you worried about?"

Hearing Old Dong speak so vulgarly, Zhao Da thought to himself, "Won't this corrupt his daughter?" This Old Dong is strange; he used to be so refined and polite. What's wrong with him now?
I'd better stay away from him; you become like those you associate with!

Old Dong didn't mince words and went straight to the key point:
"Brother, if you can't use these two or three hundred Wuman knights, then sell them to the Crown Prince of Nanzhao. Now that his retinue has been disbanded, he'll be ecstatic to have these hundreds of Wuman knights. He'll pay whatever price you ask for! That's true wealth!"

Zhao Da was stunned for a moment, then clapped his hands. No wonder Old Dong and his group of wealthy merchants could make so much money. He, Zhao Da, was too short-sighted and only knew how to sell to some merchants accompanying the army.

Long Shun is a great buyer. Now that he has been stripped of his position as crown prince, he can only rely on Gao Pian and hope that he can lead him back to restore the country.

But even relying on Gao Pian is not as good as having troops under his own command! If he were to sell these Wuman knights to Long Shun, wouldn't he be able to ask for as much as he wanted?
But Zhao Da's joy was short-lived. He suddenly remembered Long Shun's pitiful state when he captured him. This man was penniless now. Did he have the money to buy anything?

So, Zhao asked this question with suspicion:

"My price isn't low, can Long Shun afford it?"

This made Dong Gongsu and the others laugh again, and then they told Zhao Da about something that had happened recently.

It turned out that after Gao Pian supported Longshun's restoration of the country, the wealthy merchants in Chengdu went crazy and flocked to Longshun to provide various forms of sponsorship.

Those who could build such large businesses all regarded Lü Buwei as their teacher; his saying "rare goods are worth hoarding" made them blush with embarrassment.

Do they have confidence in Gao Pian? Just the fact that Gao Pian borrowed 100,000 strings of cash from them with just a word, without any collateral, tells us whether they have confidence in him or not.

So the wealthy merchants in Chengdu were all a bit obsessed, and they all regarded Longshun as a "rare commodity," eager to give him money.

So Longshun may not have anything else, but he has as much money as he wants!
Zhao Da listened with great envy. Gao Pian, this old warrior, has such a powerful reputation that he can borrow 100,000 strings of cash just from that name?

The thought of Long Shun possessing mountains of gold and silver filled Zhao Da with excitement.

“This Longshun is a fool with lots of money. If I don’t sell my Wuman cavalry to him, who else can I sell them to? I must do this deal.”

However, Zhao Da was busy with military affairs and couldn't leave, so he wanted to ask Lao Dong to help make the connection. Zhao Da was also knowledgeable in the business and said that the brokerage fee was one-tenth, so he asked Lao Dong to make sure that things were done well.

Upon hearing this, Lao Dong, Luo Yuanbao, and Du Zonghan were all stunned. They hadn't expected Zhao Da to be so generous. They knew that if this deal went through, it would be worth at least forty or fifty thousand strings of cash.

And they can earn four or five thousand strings of cash just by relaying a message? This business is too easy!
Old Dong was one thing, but Luo Yuanbao and Du Zonghan finally understood why Old Dong thought so highly of Zhao Da—this man was truly generous!

Originally, Lao Dong was going to decline, but he told Zhao Huai'an that they were actually happy to do the deal because they also wanted to get involved with Long Shun.

In front of Zhao Da, Dong Gongsu was not embarrassed at all. Although they were also wealthy merchants in Chengdu, they were just nouveau riche. How could they possibly have a chance to sponsor Longshun's business? It had already been divided up by the big families in Chengdu.

So helping Zhao Da do this business was exactly what they wanted. They knew very well how much Zhao Da's hundreds of Wuman knights were in demand. As long as they mentioned it to Long Shun, they would immediately become honored guests. Then, discussing the matter of sponsorship would be a natural outcome.

When Dong Gongsu said these words, Luo Yuanbao and Du Zonghan looked rather displeased. What was wrong with Old Dong? Why would he refuse money that was already on his lips? But because of their usual relationship with Old Dong, and because Zhao Huai'an was there, they didn't say anything.

But Zhao Da shook his head upon hearing this. In front of Luo and Du, he said:
"Old Dong, I, Zhao Da, always handle things one thing at a time. If you help me negotiate a deal, then you need money. I'll give you one-tenth of the money, so how could you not work hard to negotiate for me? And what kind of deal you close as a result has nothing to do with me, Zhao Da; that's your skill. If I really want to thank you, then help me find some warriors and heroes later."

Finally, Zhao Da patted his chest and declared confidently:

"I, Zhao Da, have no interest in money; my only love in life is the Han!"

Luo Yuanbao and Du Zonghan nodded repeatedly at Zhao Huai'an's words. This Zhao Da was truly extraordinary! He was a man of action!

Upon hearing this, Dong Gongsu could only smile wryly. Suddenly, he pulled someone out from behind and said:

"Brother, it's quite a coincidence. When we were escorting supplies south, we met a fine man. I thought he was so strong that I wanted to introduce him to you."

After saying this, Old Dong pushed the man forward, and the man bowed to Zhao Da.

Zhao Huai'an stared at the man, who was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. He was tall and a head taller than Luo Yuanbao and the others. He was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted. Although his face was dark, his eyes were large and bright. The thick black beard around his chin was thick and black.

This man called himself Huo Yanchao. He used to be a water carrier at Huayan Temple on the Golden Summit of Mount Emei. He had always followed Zen Master Huitong and earned his living by doing vegetarian meals.

However, a fire broke out on Mount Emei some time ago, burning down two of the six major temples on the mountain. As an unofficial member, Huo Yanchao naturally had nowhere to go and was sent down the mountain.

Initially, Huo Yanchao managed to get by for a while at the foot of the mountain, relying on the name of Zen Master Huitong. However, it was later discovered that he was a fake monk who knew nothing about scriptures, so the believers naturally drove him away. Then, for some reason, he caught the eye of Dong Gongsu, who decided to take him to Zhao Da's side to try and secure a better future for him.

Before Huo Yanchao could say more, Zhao Da stopped him and asked:
"What skills do you possess?"

Huo Yanchao glanced at the righteous generals behind Zhao Da and said somewhat modestly:

"I know a little bit of martial arts, and I'm quite good at using sticks and spears. I used to run back and forth between the mountains and valleys, and I can also ride donkeys and horses."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dayi was suspicious. Could such talented people really come from temples in the Tang Dynasty?

Despite his thoughts, Zhao Da did not send any of his warriors to test the man.

If he wins, Old Dong will look bad; if he loses, his men will look bad. So why bother?

As for Huo Yanchao's true worth, we'll see on the battlefield. Whether he's incompetent or a good-for-nothing is irrelevant; after all, he was brought in by the investors, and they can afford to pay him a salary.

So Zhao Da patted Huo Yanchao on the shoulder and told him to follow behind Beiwei and act as an armored soldier.

Huo Yanchao was naturally grateful and then followed behind Zhao Da on his own, which made Zhao Da glance at him sideways.

However, these were all interludes. The three wealthy merchants, Zhao Da and Dong Gongsu, couldn't just stand there chatting. Old Mo had also prepared a feast at the gate, so he invited them to come and have some wine.

Dou Pangzi and Zhao Liu were all excited and called all the officers in the camp to keep them company. On Dong Gongsu's side, in addition to several wealthy merchants, there were also some other heroes from Sichuan and Chongqing who had previously followed Dong Gongsu.

Needless to say, it was another big drinking session, and everyone drank until their friendship deepened.

During the drinking session, Zhao Da learned that Dong Gongsu and his group had come to Jidong Pass on orders from the Mufu military to concentrate all the transported supplies inside Jidong Pass.

Dong Gongsu only learned that Zhao Da was in the pass when he saw Lao Liu on his way there.

They told Zhao Da that the shogunate had now designated Jidong Pass as a supply depot, and more supplies would be transported there in the future. Since Zhao Da had not yet been appointed as the supply officer, it was clear that he would soon be transferred away from Jidong Pass.

Zhao Da had never heard of this before. After hearing it, he placed his wine cup on the table and frowned.

"Brothers, do you know where I, Bao Yidu, will be sent next?"

They really didn't know about Dong Gongsu.

Meanwhile, Fatty Bean casually remarked:
"Big Brother, who cares where he goes? We'll still get plenty of meat from Baoyidu! With Commander Yang at the front, how could we not have a good life?"

Zhao Da was speechless. Sometimes he found that Fatty Dou could say a few words that went straight to the point, and he was quite a remarkable person.

So Zhao Da didn't dwell on it and was about to toast everyone again when he suddenly saw Huo Yanchao at the last table also eating large mouthfuls of meat and drinking large gulps of wine. He couldn't help but joke:

"Monk, you can eat meat and drink alcohol too? How about I ask Old Mo to prepare some vegetables for you?"

Huo Yanchao quickly swallowed the meat and replied:
“I’m just a water carrier in the temple, I don’t need to take any precepts. Besides, eating meat is eating meat, and worshipping Buddha is worshipping Buddha, it doesn’t matter.”

Zhao Da laughed heartily upon hearing this and asked Lao Mo to give him another serving of pork knuckle.

So, they drank until they were completely drunk, and only Dong Gongsu, Luo Yuanbao, and Du Zonghan were entertained to the point of exhaustion before leaving.

……

The three of them, including Dong Gongsu, were arranged to stay in a wooden tower inside the pass, which was considered the best lodging in Jidong Pass.

After several attendants used hot towels to sober up Dong Gongsu and the other two, they served them and then left.

Clearly, Dong Gongsu and the other two had something to say privately.

Seeing Luo Yuanbao and Du Zonghan panting, Dong Gongsu smiled and asked:
"Well? Can this Zhao Dalang be called a hero?"

Luo Yuanbao, holding a copper basin, vomited it all out, feeling much better. He nodded to Dong Gongsu and said:
"Putting everything else aside, Zhao Dalang's drinking capacity alone makes him a true hero among drinkers and a champion at banquets. I, Lao Luo, can also hold my liquor, but after drinking with Zhao Dalang today, I realized that there are always stronger drinkers out there. I've already thrown up, but Zhao Dalang didn't even blush. Impressive!"

But Du Zonghan, standing beside him, frowned and glanced at Luo Yuanbao:

“We can’t find a good drinker who can take care of our business. Business in western Sichuan is getting harder and harder, and those powerful families are becoming increasingly greedy. If we don’t find strong allies, we’ll have a tough time ahead.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuanbao did not refute it, but simply nodded.

After persuading Luo Yuanbao, Du Zonghan continued to speak to Dong Gongsu:
“Old Dong, I know you have high hopes for Zhao Da, but have you considered that Zhao Da isn’t from our western Sichuan region? He’s from Shouzhou. When he becomes rich and powerful, why wouldn’t he return home in glory? In my opinion, Zhao Da won’t stay in our western Sichuan region for long. What will we do when we’ve spent a lot of money and grain on him and he just packs his bags and leaves? So I think we should be more cautious.”

"And let me put it bluntly, so what if Zhao Dalang is a hero? There are countless heroes in the world, but how many can actually leap over the dragon gate?"

These words were undeniably insightful; judging from Luo Yuanbao's repeated nods, he was clearly convinced.

But Dong Gongsu scoffed, wiped his face again with a hot towel, and said:
"Old Du, do you know why, even though you're one of the top brokers in Chengdu, you still can't compare to the others? It's because your vision is too narrow!"

"What do you mean by 'heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river'? How dare you say such a thing? How many heroes have you met, and what heroic deeds have you accomplished, before you start making such judgments? It's only because there are only the three of us here that I won't say anything to you. But if outsiders heard you say this, wouldn't they laugh at us Shu people for being arrogant and boastful?"

Du Zonghan had also drunk quite a bit, and now that the alcohol was taking effect, he scoffed at these words and turned his face away, not wanting to argue with Dong Gongsu.

He could tell that Old Dong was truly obsessed with his future son-in-law.

Dong Gongsu pretended not to see it and simply stated this principle:
"Old Du, Old Luo, what do you think we are? Are we powerful families like the Chen and Yan families? To put it bluntly, we're just nouveau riche with a few strings of cash. Look at Zhao Da's current status. He's a top-notch general in western Sichuan, with people like Marshal Yang and Prefect Song above him, and he's associated with fierce camps like the Zhongwu Army, the Huangtou Army, and the Xishan Qiang Army. This is Zhao Da. Don't be fooled by his current rank of general; he's already soared to great heights."

As he spoke, Dong Gongsu pointed to himself:

"It's me! It's because I'm still relatively unknown to Zhao Da, so he's sentimental and invited us to drink. And then you two started picking things up!"

When Luo Yuanbao saw that Dong Gongsu was angry, he quickly tried to smooth things over, but Dong Gongsu launched another attack:

"Old Luo, do you still want your tea plantations in Yazhou? Without a powerful figure like Zhao Da backing you up, do you believe that even if Commander Yang and Minister Gao conquer Yazhou and drive out the Nanzhao people, your tea plantations will be returned to you? That's just wishful thinking."

Dong Gongsu was indeed influenced by his surroundings; now he could utter such vulgarities without hesitation. Luo Yuanbao, however, showed no anger after being insulted and instead quickly smiled apologetically.
"Old Dong is right, he's right. We were wrong. I, Luo Yuanbao, am willing to give up on Zhao Dalang. As long as he can return my three tea mountains, I will give him a thousand strings of cash every month. I don't ask for anything else, I just want to be friends."

After hearing Luo Yuanbao's words, Dong Gongsu's expression softened slightly, and he snorted:
"Old Luo, don't act all innocent after getting a good deal. Those three tea mountains of yours are like three gold mines. Every year, those teas can earn you over 100,000 strings of cash. Not to mention selling them to Tibet and then reselling them to bring in horses. That alone can easily bring in hundreds of thousands of strings of cash. You think you can be Zhao Dalang's friend with just 10,000 strings of cash a year? I..."

This time, before Dong Gongsu could continue cursing, Luo Yuanbao shouted:

"Twenty thousand strings of cash! Twenty thousand strings of cash a year! As long as Zhao Dalang stays in Shu for a year, I will give him that amount for a year. If Zhao Dalang is promoted to a high-ranking official position in the future, I, Luo Yuanbao, will give him another fifty thousand strings of cash in one go! I, Luo Yuanbao, am a man of my word, so don't worry, Old Dong."

Only then did Dong Gongsu laugh, and then he said to Du Zonghan, whose face was embarrassed:
"Old Du, I won't say much else, I'll just share my feelings! This Zhao Dalang is really promising. I met Zhao Dalang a month ago, when it was the Shence Army who made the connection. At the time, I wondered what the Shence Army was thinking, trying to win over a mere junior officer leading a rabble of a thousand men. But now I see that the Shence Army has been able to live off the imperial court for so long, they really have something to offer."

"What was Zhao Da like a month ago? And what is he like now? He captured the people of Qiongzhou, captured the crown prince of Nanzhao, and his old general Huang Jingfu was cut in half at the waist, but Zhao Da was completely unharmed. Is it because the envoy Gao is incapable of killing people? Zhao Da killed Yan Liulang with three punches, and when Yan Shihui came later, did he touch Zhao Dalang in the slightest? Did Yan Shihui suddenly become merciful?"

"You lot, don't you understand? Why does everyone love Zhao Dalang? It's simply because they fear him, respect him, and rely on him! So many important figures are betting on Zhao Dalang, what are the three of us still hesitating for!"

After hearing this, Luo Yuanbao nodded repeatedly, while Du Zonghan hesitated for a moment before nodding as well.

At this moment, He Weidao, who had been eavesdropping at the door, was also startled by Dong Gongsu's words:
"Goodness, are all salt smugglers this eloquent?"

After a while, seeing that there was no sound inside, He Weidao carefully retreated into the darkness.

(End of this chapter)