The Three Great Han Dynasties: Awaken Liu Bei with a scolding; you weave mats and sell sandals.

"Practice it."

With a single glance from Liu Hong, Liu Zongran stepped out from the crowd.

I've spent a lot of time in the military.

He had completely transformed from a refined scholar under the tutelage of Confucianism into a ruthless soldier.

"I apologize, Master."

After Liu Zongran cupped his hands in a fist salute, he made another move in the next moment. He lightly flicked the spear in his hand, took three big steps forward, and swung the spear with great force. With one swing, he cleaved down heavily from above.

Liu Zongran was quite capable to serve as the commander of these three hundred volunteers.

Upon seeing this, Liu Hong's smile faded slightly.

With a powerful slash, the spear trembled and the tip suddenly stood upright. He then swung it around in mid-air, intercepting Liu Zongran's spear before slamming it down hard.

Liu Zongran's hand went numb, and Liu Hong took advantage of this moment to flick his spear upwards along the shaft, causing the spear to tremble continuously.

It was just a subtle movement.

The powerful force coming from above still caused Liu Zongran's tiger's mouth to hurt again.

His expression hesitated slightly, and his movements slowed down for only a moment.

At this moment, Liu Hong had already arrived in front of him, his spear held upright, the gleaming tip of the spear already pressed against his throat, and if it moved forward another half a step, it would kill him.

They won so easily.

"My lord, you have excellent marksmanship."

A series of exclamations suddenly rang out from the martial arts training area.

Liu Zongran took the opportunity to loosen his grip on the tiger's mouth, and only then did he feel a little better.

Seeing that he had no power to fight back, Liu Hong put his weapon away, looked at the newcomer, his face resolute, and revealed a faint smile: "You two still know to come back? Tell me, why did you take so long to go to Bohai County this time?"

As soon as Liu Hong finished speaking, Zhang Shiping stepped forward and replied, "It is of course for the sake of the lord. We have already discussed it with the governor of Bohai Commandery. Now that the lord is the Marquis of Weining, the governor no longer dares to underestimate him, which is why he agreed to the relevant matters of the salt business."

Zhang Shiping had a fleshy face and a prosperous appearance. He had a round belly and wore light armor, covered by a long robe made of fine silk, which showed his wealth as a wealthy merchant from Zhongshan.

Another prominent businessman from Zhongshan was Su Shuang, a close friend of Zhang Shiping, who also joined Liu Hong's ranks.

The two frequently traveled to and from Zhuoxian County.

Historically, he had already interacted with Liu Bei. Now, seeing Liu Hong's extraordinary talent and his status as a member of the Han imperial family, he recruited Liu Hong into his ranks after several days of conversation.

More than a year has passed since then.

The two men worked tirelessly for the Liu family, and although they felt somewhat constrained because their influence was not yet at a certain level, they still managed to secure considerable assistance for the Liu family over the years.

Even though highly profitable businesses such as salt production and horse trading have not yet been launched on a large scale, a solid foundation has been laid, and relationships and channels in various places have been initially established.

However, times have changed.

Now Liu Hong has real power in Zhuo County, and also holds the title of Marquis of Weining. Most importantly, he has the backing of being a member of the Han imperial family.

Although he bought his marquisate, it was of considerable value, fundamentally different from the marquisates within the pass that ordinary merchants purchased with silver donations.

Otherwise, why would the governor of Bohai Commandery have so easily agreed to Zhang Shiping's deal?

"My lord, on this trip to Liaoxi, I also purchased quite a few horses through the Wuhuan tribe. Although it was only a small order, I believe that when we arrive in Zhuojun, we will be able to compete on equal footing with them, and then we can purchase a large quantity."

Su Shuang continued, "We should select a place in Zhuojun to raise horses, under the pretext of purchasing them for the military and state. This will surely lead to great achievements. In addition, we can also contact the Xianbei tribes and the northern pastures, thus pursuing a three-pronged approach."

"Two great talents, please take your seats."

Liu Hong laughed heartily.

Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang both breathed a sigh of relief. Now, the Liu family of Zhuo County was about to become a prominent family in the prefecture, and also had the title of relatives of the Han imperial family.

Although these two merchants were not as wealthy as the Mi and Chen families of Xuzhou, they had already begun to plan their next step: transforming their merchant family into a noble family.

Although they were middle-class merchants, they had accumulated connections and channels over many years. Now that they had managed to attach themselves to the Liu family of Zhuo County, it seemed like they had made some sacrifices, but in reality, they had gained a great deal.

We must be more careful and cautious than ever before, taking each step with care, so that the merchant family behind us can achieve something in the future.

Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—this was the order of precedence in ancient dynasties, and Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang were equally ambitious.

Liu Hong personally offered their seats to the two of them.

The two were flattered and quickly thanked him, saying, "Thank you, my lord."

Liu Hong waved his hand, disregarding formalities, and after taking the seat of honor, he discussed other businesses of the Liu Family Fortress Manor with the two men.

"Currently, the salt industry permits have been obtained from the Bohai Prefect. Although a special franchise has not been granted, it is a good start, under the guise of supplying military needs and stabilizing salt prices."

Zhang Shiping looked thoughtful and then gave a specific solution.

"During that period, salt and iron were state monopolies, and only through official channels could they be converted into private profits; ordinary people and even small merchants had absolutely no chance."

"My lord has the mountains of Zhuo County, which can be used to transport salt from Bohai to Zhuo County and sell it extensively throughout Youzhou. Even after accounting for the losses during the journey, the profit can be tenfold."

Su Shuang added from the side, "We can also form transport teams that are not subject to inspection, with volunteers acting as guards."

Previously, there were already two hundred followers at the Fortress Manor Martial Arts Arena. Of the other one hundred followers, fifty were responsible for protecting the clan's safety near the Liu family, while the remaining fifty followed the two of them on their journey.

Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion has not yet broken out, bandits have already ravaged the surrounding counties and several prefectures. Without guards, these carts of goods would probably have been looted long ago, and in more serious cases, their lives would be in danger.

"Salt production can take place in Zhuo County, but horse breeding must take place in Zhuo Prefecture."

Liu Hong also spoke up.

He came from a later era and had his own unique understanding of economic doctrines.

"My lord's wonderful words."

Zhang Shiping's eyes brightened slightly, and he loudly agreed, "Zhuojun is located in the northern frontier and is close to horse-breeding areas, which is truly a win-win situation."

Besides the textile trade, the trade in high-quality horses and salt permits, Liu Hong also revealed other businesses of the Liu family during his conversation with Zhang Shiping and Su Shuang.

With loyal guards, one can open a sword-making workshop; one can also establish a镖行 (escort agency), which is the logistics of later generations. In their spare time, they can take on business from other merchants, and at the same time train soldiers and suppress bandits along the way, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

In addition, they could open pawnshops, which were called pawnshops during that period, to convert ill-gotten gains from bandits into cash. Without middlemen taking a cut, the Liu family's power could be further doubled.

"My lord possesses the talent of Fan Li."

"The Chengping wine brewed in the garden has been sold in large quantities in Bohai County, and has already made a profit of nearly 100,000 coins. I imagine that if we expand the distribution channels and sell it to various prefectures and counties in the future, we will probably make a profit of 10 million coins in just over a year."

"This may only be the beginning."

When Zhang Shiping spoke these words, his eyes shone brightly, and his heart was filled with emotion.

But what Liu Hong saw was the hidden danger behind this prosperity.