A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 78 The big fake
As the sun rises over the eastern hills, the twelve gates of Chang'an City are bustling with activity as people come and go.

In previous years, once the first frost had passed, the fields were bare, and the people of Guanzhong would enter a long wintering period. When the city opened in the morning, apart from merchants and travelers, almost no farmers went in or out.

The situation is different now. Before the city gates even open, large groups of people are already waiting inside and outside the city gates with their oxen and plows to leave or enter the city.

"Uncle, you're carrying a ceramic jar and a bamboo basket. Are you going to town to buy coarse salt and salt cloth?"

"Yes, I heard that if we don't buy it now, we won't be able to buy it anymore."

"How can you not buy salt?"

"If it's too expensive to afford, then you can't buy it at all?"

"Uncle, don't be fooled. I've heard that salt is cheaper now."

“Young man, where is salt cheap? Yesterday, my lad bought some salt cloth and it cost him several tens of coins. Salt isn’t expensive, so why is salt cloth expensive?”

"Do you know Dongguo Saltworks, old man?"

"That's the largest and best saltworks in Chang'an. What? Is the salt there cheap?"

“It’s cheap, one stone of salt costs one hundred coins.”

"Young man, who are you trying to fool? This price can't even buy salt cloth."

"Old man, who's lying to you? Dongguo Saltworks is right there. If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself when you get to the city."

"Do not believe."

"you……"

"Why argue with the villagers? If he wants to eat salted cloth, let him eat salted cloth. We'll eat fine salt. When the emperor is in power, he can't finish the cheap salt."

Waiting for the city gates to open is the same as waiting; watching the excitement is human nature. The back-and-forth argument had already drawn the attention of everyone around.

Many people knew that salt prices had risen, but when they heard that a stone of salt cost 100 coins, they didn't take it seriously and thought the young man had been fooled. However, when the villager, who looked older than his age, stopped the argument, the people who didn't believe that salt prices had dropped suddenly began to waver.

A clever person took the earthenware pot and poured it full into the earthenware bowl, then brought it over, saying, "Fellow villager, have some tea."

The man seemed extremely thirsty. Without any ceremony, he took the earthenware bowl and gulped it down in one go. Perhaps he drank too quickly, because he burped, and those around him immediately smelled a strong earthy smell mixed with the scent of dry leaves.

"Fellow villager, is salt really that cheap?"

"It's cheap."

"Why is it cheap?"

Do you know who's in charge of the court now?

"That must be the emperor."

"Nonsense. The emperor made a mistake, disregarding the lives of ordinary people, and went off to have fun. The one we're talking about is the crown prince, the emperor's son. Let me tell you, the emperor is a good man. He dealt with all those wicked and corrupt salt merchants, iron merchants, and grain merchants so that we poor people could have enough to eat and wear."

"Does the villagers mean that iron and grain prices are also low?"

"You're cheap! You're cheap!"

"Could you give me directions, folks? After I buy the salt and grain, I'll treat you to some mutton."

"Why bother? If you want to buy salt, go to Dongguo Saltworks; if you want to buy ironware, go to Zhuo Family Ironworks or Kong Family Ironworks; if you want to buy grain, go to Ren Family Grainworks. You all know these places; they're all top-notch. Am I kidding you?"

"No, no, fellow villagers, after you buy the salt and grain, just wait here. We'll go back and slaughter the sheep."

The twelve city gates of Chang'an were bustling with activity, both inside and outside each gate. Salt, iron, and grain prices were all cheap, and key phrases like "Dongguo Saltworks," "Zhuo Family Ironworks," "Kong Family Ironworks," and "Ren Family Grainworks" were deeply ingrained in people's minds.

"It's time of 9 AM! The city gates are open! The city gates are open! Come in! Come in!"

Upon entering the city, the soldiers guarding the city informed everyone that the opening and closing times of the city gates would be changed. Starting tomorrow, the city would open an hour earlier and close an hour later.

The people who came to the saltworks, ironworks, and grain depots were shocked.

Salt costs one hundred coins per shi (a unit of dry measure).

Ironware and farm tools, depending on size and quality, range from tens to hundreds of coins.

The prices of grains such as millet, hemp, wheat, beans, glutinous rice, and sorghum all fell below sixty coins.

Such prices seemed to be reminiscent of the late reigns of Emperors Xiaowen and Xiaojing. Some of the older people even shed tears, exclaiming, "How good is Your Majesty!" and then joined the ranks of those buying salt, kitchen knives, farm tools, and grain.

The recent fluctuations in Chang'an City's Cao County were quickly dispelled, and the rumors of shortages of salt, iron, and grain were debunked without any further evidence.

Zhuo Family Ironworks, upstairs.

Bai Xue, Dong Guo Xianyang, Kong Jin, and Ren Quan were all there. Looking out the window at the bustling crowd, they couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Ironworkers have been considered the most skilled craftsmen since the Warring States period. The Zhuo family, as the wealthiest family in the Han Dynasty, had tens of thousands of ironworkers scattered throughout the country. When the demand for iron tools suddenly increased, the Zhuo family temporarily mobilized basic iron tools such as farm implements and kitchen knives from ironworks in the capital and Guanzhong regions, but they still could not guarantee that they could fully meet the demand.

The Zhuo family's ironworks has been transformed into a state-owned enterprise, and they are now seeking ironworkers. All the ironworks are now smelting, but it will take time to produce the finished products.

"Manager Bai."

Despite the cold winter, Ren Quan still followed ancestral custom and wore thin clothes, reminding everyone: "The imperial court has hereditary positions in the Hundred Schools of Thought. Putting aside other matters, the disciples of the Mohist school, the Zhuo family's national achievements, and the Confucius family's national achievements will surely be of use."

Ironworkers are easy to find, but skilled craftsmen are hard to find. In terms of tool identification, iron forging, quenching, and hammering, it is difficult to master without several years or even more than ten years of hands-on experience.

The Mohists were most skilled in hand techniques.

Bai Xue and Kong Jin were delighted, but then hesitated. "The court has summoned them to serve as officials. Would they still be willing to work as blacksmiths?"

“If you’re unwilling, then you’re not a member of the Mohist school. Besides, what harm is there in asking?” Ren Quan said with a smile.

The Mohist school had a large number of people serving in government, but there was only one hereditary position, which was not enough to support so many people. Given the Mohist character, most people would choose to earn their own living through their own abilities. In the eyes of the Mohists, this was not a lowly profession and would be the choice of many.

Bai Xue and Kong Jin nodded in agreement. Regardless of success or failure, it was worth a try.

Noticing Ren Quan's gaze, Dong Guo Xianyang spread his hands and said, "I have no problem with that."

Salt comes in coarse and fine varieties, but neither is inherently good or bad. Simply put, once mined, it can still be consumed after a few years or decades of processing. The Dongguo family has been deeply involved in the salt industry in Qi for hundreds of years, accumulating a vast amount of stored and unmined salt. To put it more clearly, the Dongguo family's salt, of course, now belongs to the imperial court. Even if mining ceases, it would be enough to feed tens of millions of people in the Han Dynasty for more than ten years.

"There's nothing wrong with getting to know a variety of talented people."

Ren Quan said with a smile, "Now we can say that we are in the same boat. No matter what happened in the past, I still say the same thing: no matter how big the problem is, we will rely on each other to get through it together."

Bai Xue nodded in agreement, and Dong Guo Xianyang and Kong Jinmo nodded after a moment of silence.

From the Emperor's faction to the Crown Prince's faction, from family business to national business, it takes a while to get used to it.

A chaotic sound could be faintly heard downstairs; it was people sent by Chang'an merchants who couldn't withstand the price war to cause trouble.

Dongguo Xianyang and Kong Jin finally relaxed, realizing the benefits of having powerful backers. They said with a touch of wickedness, "Manager Bai, please ask the Minister of Justice to deal with them."

Leaving aside other benefits, the fact that they could command Zhang Tang was something that Dongguo Xianyang and Kong Jin genuinely thought was quite good.

"Is it okay?" Bai Xue asked hesitantly.

The group of scoundrels downstairs, shouting that they'd buy all the iron tools from the Zhuo family's blacksmith shop, were clearly a bunch of ruffians. Why bother with the Court of Justice? The Zhuo family had plenty of ways to deal with them. None of the merchants of the Han Dynasty were kind people.

"Manager Bai, we're different now. We can't think like we used to," Ren Quan reminded him again.

Whether it's age or seniority, he, Dongguo Xianyang, and Kong Jin can all be considered Bai Xue's fathers. By chance and fate, they are seated in the same row, and Bai Xue's position is even slightly higher than theirs. But she is still young and doesn't understand many things.

The Zhuo family is good in every way, except that their descendants are not prosperous. In the third generation, women have to take the lead.

Once you're involved in the national cause, you become a member of the imperial court, holding a position equivalent to a prefect. How can you lower yourself to fight with scoundrels and ruffians?

Dongguo Xianyang chimed in, "Manager Bai, these scoundrels were clearly sent here on purpose. Perhaps that person is the manager of the blacksmith shop across the street."

Just across the street is the Cheng family's ironworks.

The two "Iron Kings" of Linqiong, one from the Zhuo family and the other from the Cheng family, not only had the same profession, but their families also had very similar rise to prominence.

The Cheng family has been iron merchants for generations. It's hard to say exactly how far back they can go, but it definitely dates back to the early Warring States period.

The Cheng family's ancestral home was in Guandong. After Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, during the Qin Dynasty's forced migration, the Cheng family moved from Shandong to Linqiong, Sichuan, as surrendered people.

Unlike most immigrants, the Cheng family went to Linqiong on their own initiative, having set their sights on the region's iron ore and salt resources.

When the Qin Dynasty organized the migration, the Cheng family voluntarily chose the then remote Bashu region.

After arriving in Linqiong, Cheng followed the example of Zhuo's metallurgical business and started a metallurgical business, secretly selling the iron tools he made to the southwestern barbarians.

Over time, together with the Zhuo family, they developed Linqiong into an iron smelting center, expanding production scale time and again, and their wealth became comparable to that of the Zhuo family.

"Ordinary people may not know what the national cause is all about, but how could that old fox Cheng Zheng not know?"

Kong Jin also spoke up, "When we were a family business, we had countless ways to kill scoundrels, so even scoundrels wouldn't dare to come and provoke us."

Now, scoundrels have appeared, demanding to buy all the iron tools from the blacksmith's workshop. They're even deliberately pushing and shoving people who come to buy iron tools, because they're sure we won't take direct action.

We represent the imperial court and the emperor.

We are business people; we open our doors to do business. How could we possibly turn people away?

If word gets out that the Emperor is forbidding commoners from entering his palace, even a hundred deaths wouldn't be enough to atone for our sins.

Bai Xue felt less like she was in a shopping mall and more like she was on a battlefield, with many twists and turns to navigate. She humbly asked, "Then what good would it do to find the Minister of Justice? The Minister of Justice can't stop people from buying things."

"The Minister of Justice is here to clean up the mess."

Ren Quan smiled and patiently instructed, "You can buy things, as many as you want, but there's one thing: you have to pay for them."

If they come up with money, it's a deal; if they can't, well, the Minister of Justice can just throw them in the Ministry of Justice's jail. Once they're there, the mastermind behind it all will probably be in trouble.

"If the mastermind behind this is really the Cheng family, then my ironworks might actually be taken over," Bai Xue said helplessly.

Having been rivals for decades, the Zhuo family knew the Cheng family well. They were a family that would do anything for money, so the Cheng family was not short of money.

“Then let’s see just how much money the Cheng family has.” Ren Quan looked at Dongguo Xianyang and Kong Jin, “Let’s broaden Manager Bai’s horizons.”

"Serve it."

The voice fell.

They were two dark, crescent-shaped objects.

Out of habit, Bai Xue picked up one, held it with one hand, and felt that it was heavy and icy cold, which was very unusual!
It was made of a single piece of raw iron, as if it were a natural piece of iron. However, Bai Xue had practiced swordsmanship for many years and instinctively felt that this was a sword, and a famous one at that.

This is even stranger. Most valuable swords have clearly defined scabbards and blades, but this cold iron object is completely natural, which does not conform to the usual rules of sword shape.

From three feet away, it is difficult to distinguish between the hilt and the blade. Only when you hold it will you feel that there is a circular dividing line with a little more width at the slightly smaller end, followed by a cylindrical section, which is the "hilt".
A dark, heavy object, full of strangeness yet possessing a sense of power and mystery.

"This is?"

"Heavenly Moon Sword!"

Ren Quan laughed and said, "Manager Bai can also call it the Chi You Sword."

"An ancient divine sword?"

"Do not."

Dongguo Xianyang laughed heartily, "It's the Divine Sword from this morning."

"fake?"

“How could it be real?” Ren Quan continued, unable to suppress a smile, pointing to the cloud-like patterns on the sword's blade that were both black and gray. “But it really is forged from celestial iron.”

"This 'Ancient Heavenly Moon Sword,' selling it for 100,000 gold, isn't that cheap?"

"It's cheap," Bai Xue exclaimed.

Meteorite from outer space, aged by a master craftsman, transformed into something ancient in the morning—no one can prove it's fake.

“If the mastermind behind this can still withstand it, then take a look at this one.” Ren Quan uncovered the cloth covering another sword, a strange and ancient bronze sword.

Bai Xue put the Heavenly Moon Sword back, but didn't take the new sword. She had heard from the elders of her clan that handling old things too much could stunt a person's growth. She asked from afar, "What is this one?"

"The Yellow Emperor collected copper from Shou Mountain and cast the 'Xuanyuan Sword' at the foot of Jing Mountain."

"The Emperor's Sword?"

"The Sword of Yellow Man!"

Bai Xue was still shaken and very glad she hadn't tried to take it. How could these counterfeiters have come up with such a thing?

"how much is it?"

“Selling it for 500,000 gold coins is not expensive at all.”

One hundred thousand gold coins, five hundred thousand gold coins, plus the iron tools from the blacksmith's workshop, worth six hundred thousand gold coins. If the Cheng family were to come up with that much money, they would probably go bankrupt.

"Someone is coming."

"Go and invite the Minister of Justice."

"Wrap up all the ironware and these two divine swords for the guests downstairs. Don't forget anything."

The sound of snow falling.

The entire ironworks was bustling with activity.

The rogue was initially flustered when he saw the government officials arrive, but he felt reassured when he saw the "noble person" beside him. However, this reassurance only lasted until the "Human Emperor Sword" and "Chi You Sword" appeared in the world.

When the news spread, Bai Xue, Ren Quan, Dong Guo Xianyang, and Kong Jin clearly saw from upstairs that someone from the ironworks across the street had fled in a carriage.

Zhang Tang, who was ordering the arrest, also noticed it, and a strange light appeared in his eyes. He said, "We have to run fast! If we run too slowly and get caught, we'll be executed along with our families. Of course, if we run fast, we'll also be wiped out along with our families."

(End of this chapter)