Chapter 73: Reviving Luzhou’s Economy

The dried sweet potato candies were firm and ready. Deputy General Chen used a specially designed tool to extract two small pieces from the wooden barrel, handing them over to the Marquis and Qi Qige respectively.

Qi Qige held the candy up to examine it closely. It was translucent, free from any impurities. He popped it into his mouth, and the sweet flavor melted on his tongue.

“Hmm, sweet but not cloying. Truly a fine product,” he praised.

Only after seeing Qi Qige taste it did the Marquis take a piece himself. As expected, the quality was superb, just as Qi Qige described.

“Was this your master’s idea?” the Marquis asked Banli.

“No, sir. It was Madam’s idea. The production process, however, was carried out jointly by our master and General Zhang,” Banli replied earnestly.

“Oh? Zhang Meng can do more than just fight? My grandson’s truly showing promise,” the Marquis chuckled, his spirits lifting at the mention of his grandson.

Banli nodded affirmatively. “Yes, General Zhang was involved throughout the entire process.”

The Marquis laughed heartily. “Well, since it’s my grandson’s effort, leave ten barrels for me.”

Banli was taken aback. “Ten barrels? That’s enough to last for years!”

The Marquis frowned, his eyes narrowing. “What, you have objections?”

Banli immediately bowed and apologized. “Not at all, sir. I was just worried you might not finish it all.”

“Who says I can’t finish it? If there’s any left, I’ll set up a stall and sell it!” The Marquis had already made up his mind to divide his book stall in half—one side for books, the other for selling sweet potato candy.

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Meanwhile, Cao Xi’s belly grew larger by the day, resembling an inflated balloon. Qin Zhao couldn’t help but worry, wishing he could stay by her side every moment to ensure nothing went wrong.

Leaning down, Qin Zhao pressed his ear against Cao Xi’s belly, listening intently to their little one.

“I think it’s time we hire a midwife,” he suggested.

“There are still two months to go. Isn’t it a bit early?” Cao Xi replied, slightly hesitant.

“It’s not too early. I’d rather be prepared than risk scrambling at the last minute,” Qin Zhao insisted.

“Alright, as you say,” Cao Xi relented. But just as she spoke, there was a knock on the door.

From outside, Xing’er’s soft voice called, “Master, Madam, the meal is ready.”

Qin Zhao stood up, helping Cao Xi to her feet. “Come in,” he responded.

Xing’er entered with a tray of dishes, just in time to see Qin Zhao carefully settling Cao Xi into a chair. Her heart couldn’t help but fill with admiration for their bond. She placed the dishes neatly on the table.

“Is there anything else you need, Master, Madam?”

Qin Zhao said, “This isn’t urgent. You sit down and eat first.”

Cao Xi steadied herself in her seat, and Qin Zhao personally served her rice. These days, he wished he could stick to her side every moment, unwilling to let even a maid intrude upon their space.

He picked up a dish and offered a bite to her.

Cao Xi: “I can feed myself. I’m pregnant, not ill.”

Although she refused with her words, her actions betrayed her as she ate each bite Qin Zhao fed her with great relish.

As she ate, Cao Xi murmured through her full mouth, “The sugar caravan should be returning soon, right?”

Qin Zhao: “The message came through—they’ll arrive in town tomorrow. They bought twenty carts of coarse grains, mostly from Qi Qige’s granary, and sold the sugar to him as well.”

Cao Xi: “Did Qi Qige haggle the price down?”

Qi Qige was no fool and rarely gave anyone a good deal.

Qin Zhao: “He did, but Deputy General Chen held his ground. We still managed to sell the sugar for 1,000 taels.” As he spoke, he picked up another spoonful of rice and fed it to her.

Cao Xi: “Ah, I didn’t think we’d manage to get the better of that sly fox Qi Qige.”

She was surprised. Qi Qige was as shrewd as a monkey.

Qin Zhao: “Our sugar is cheaper than the market rate and of higher quality. It’s a headache for him since he’ll have to distribute it. As for the grain, part of it was practically a gift.”

Qin Zhao let out a deep breath. He owed Qi Qige another favor.

Cao Xi: “Having a wealthy friend is truly a blessing. In the future, when our situation improves, we’ll sell all our goods to him at a 20% discount.” She understood that friendships couldn’t be built on one-sided taking.

Qin Zhao: “Mm.” He said no more, simply ensuring she got the best portions of every dish.

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The next morning, as Qin Zhao arrived at the government office, a bailiff rushed in to report, “The sugar caravan has returned with plenty of grain!”

Qin Zhao immediately stood up and strode outside. “Has General Zhang been informed?”

Bailiff: “Yes, someone has already gone to notify him.” The bailiff smiled broadly, wiping the sweat from his brow.

When Qin Zhao stepped out, the grain caravan had already arrived at the government office gates, surrounded by a crowd of townsfolk.

Every face in the crowd was lit with joy. Upon seeing Qin Zhao approach, they instinctively made way for him.

Qin Zhao pressed a hand against one of the sacks of grain and addressed the soldiers and townsfolk who had transported it: “You’ve worked hard. You are the heroes of Luzhou City.”

Zhang Meng, who had rushed over in haste, was awestruck by the sight of the loaded carts.

Circling the carts, his excitement grew until he gave Deputy General Chen a hearty slap on the shoulder. The latter staggered, nearly falling over.

Zhang Meng: “Hahaha, well done, lad! I knew I could count on you.”

Deputy General Chen grinned, his naturally dark complexion concealing the flush of pride.

The grain was moved into the warehouse, while Qin Zhao and Zhang Meng retreated to the office. Zhang Meng plopped into a chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and downed it in one gulp before wiping the corners of his mouth.

Zhang Meng: “Who would’ve thought sugar could be this valuable?”

Qin Zhao also poured himself tea, though he drank with far more restraint.

Qin Zhao: “It cost Qi Qige a hefty price to buy it.”

He chuckled softly, as if recalling something amusing.

Zhang Meng: “Qi Qige? Who’s that?”

Qin Zhao: “I have connections with the Minister of Rites, who also happens to be your maternal grandfather.”

This confused Zhang Meng even more. “Did he help us sell the sugar?”

Seeing Zhang Meng’s bewildered expression, Qin Zhao burst into hearty laughter.

Qin Zhao: “He’s the one who bought it.”

Zhang Meng: “What? How much sugar did he buy, and how much did it cost?”

Zhang Meng was dumbfounded. How did his grandfather end up with such a clueless grandson like Qin Zhao?

Qin Zhao simply smiled and said, “Although he’s an official, he’s more of a businessman at heart.” He left it at that without elaborating further.

Qin Zhao: “This time, I plan to divide the grain into three portions. One portion will go to you to support the troops, and the rest will be sold to the people at cost price.”

Zhang Meng: “Alright.”

The two discussed the arrangements further, and after Banli and Deputy General Chen delivered the grain, they returned to report.

Zhang Meng sat up straight and asked Deputy General Chen, who stood by the table, “Was the journey smooth for the two of you?”

Deputy General Chen: “General, the journey went relatively smoothly. There were some petty bandits, but when they saw it was an official convoy, they didn’t dare attack.”

Zhang Meng: “Good. You’ve worked hard on this trip. How’s the old Marquis’s health?”

After discussing the main business, Zhang Meng began inquiring about his grandfather’s wellbeing.

Deputy General Chen: “The old Marquis is in good health and high spirits. He even bought ten barrels of our sugar.”

Zhang Meng: “What? Why did he buy so much sugar?” Zhang Meng widened his eyes in confusion.

Deputy General Chen: “The old Marquis said the sugar was good and wanted to keep it for himself to enjoy.”

The deputy general also suspected that the old Marquis wouldn’t consume that much sugar. Most likely, it was because he cared deeply for his grandson.

He handed over the inventory list and the silver banknotes. “This time, we’re fortunate to have received help from the Minister.”

Qin Zhao accepted them and said, “Many people are willing to add flowers to a brocade, but few offer help in times of need. In the future, we’ll sell our new products to him at a 20% discount.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Meng quickly chimed in, “We have new products?”

Qin Zhao: “Yes. This time, to address the crisis in Luzhou City, we kept the sugar production simple. In the future, we’ll aim for more refined products, and we’ll expand into other sweet potato goods as well. Only by strengthening our economy can we avoid being exploited by others.”

Qin Zhao took out 3,000 taels of silver notes and handed them to Zhang Meng.

Qin Zhao: “After deducting your investment, the rest should be used to purchase bows and arrows and to construct watchtowers. As for the remaining 2,000 taels, after subtracting my capital, use it to buy sweet potato seedlings and to build roads in Luzhou City.”

Zhang Meng: “Understood!”

Zhang Meng happily tucked the silver notes into his chest and felt relieved that his “wife’s dowry” was back in his hands.

Eager to get started, Zhang Meng immediately instructed Deputy General Chen to gather ten carpenters for a collective brainstorming session on crossbows.

The initial blueprint for the crossbow had been drawn by Cao Xi, though she wasn’t familiar with the specific mechanics.

Zhang Meng and the carpenters worked tirelessly, day and night. After numerous failures, they finally created a prototype.

With one successful crossbow as a model, they were able to produce more. Within a month, over a hundred crossbows were made, which were first distributed to the soldiers patrolling the city and stationed at the watchtowers.