Inside the Examination Hall.
Zhang Zhuo and Chen Liqin, dressed in deep blue official robes with leather belts around their waists, walked side by side along the narrow paths between rows of examination rooms.
Inside the rooms, scholars were furiously writing, while behind the two officials, a group of subordinates followed silently.
Once they stepped out of the examination area, Zhang Zhuo glanced at Chen Liqin beside him, dismissed the officials behind them, and chuckled lightly, "Minister Chen, you're quite the devoted father, coming all the way to the Examination Hall on the day of the Autumn Exams to support your two sons. Are you worried they might fail? If the Imperial Censors find out, they'll surely report you for not avoiding conflicts of interest."
Chen Liqin's expression turned slightly awkward.
"You misunderstand, Minister. I'm just concerned about potential disruptions during the exams."
Zhang Zhuo laughed heartily, patting Chen Liqin's shoulder and lowering his voice.
"Don't worry. This time, all the examiners were personally selected by Elder Xu. They're all his disciples and old acquaintances. It's a sure thing."
Chen Liqin's face relaxed.
As the Deputy Magistrate of Luocheng, he had no authority over the examiners' grading process, only over the external affairs.
The power to select the examiners had always been in the hands of Xu Gong, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.
Zhang Zhuo, being Xu Gong's nephew-in-law, was now in charge of all external matters.
With Zhang Zhuo's assurance, Chen Liqin could rest easy.
After a moment of thought, Chen Liqin hesitantly spoke up, "I have another son at home."
Zhang Zhuo smiled.
"The one who beat Prince Jing in chess?"
"Exactly," Chen Liqin admitted.
"He made some mistakes a while back, and since he kept repeating them, I sent him to work as an apprentice at the Taiping Medical Clinic."
Zhang Zhuo raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? I always thought the boy had good character, calm and reserved. What kind of mistakes could he have made?"
Chen Liqin hesitated before replying, "A few years ago, he was led astray by some bad friends and ended up gambling at the Red Lantern Alley. In just a year, he racked up hundreds of taels of silver in debt."
Zhang Zhuo chuckled.
"Is that all? Who hasn't made mistakes in their youth? Why send him off to be an apprentice? Look at my dozen sons—how many of them are truly worry-free?"
Chen Liqin sighed.
"I never expected him to turn over a new leaf these past two years. I had people ask around his neighborhood, and everyone praised him for being well-mannered and hardworking."
He looked at Zhang Zhuo and said, "Minister, I plan to bring him back home and send him to Donglin Academy next spring. I might need your help to smooth things over."
By "smooth things over," he was essentially asking for another favor from Zhang Zhuo.
For ordinary people, passing the imperial exams was extremely difficult, but for Zhang Zhuo and Xu Gong, it was a simple matter.
Zhang Zhuo stroked his sparse beard.
"A few days ago, Elder Xu had a proposal from the Cabinet rejected by the Ministry of Revenue. It wasn't a big deal—he just wanted to build some roads in his hometown. Do you think your father could help with that?"
Chen Liqin frowned for a long moment before replying, "I'll write to my father and mention this matter."
Zhang Zhuo beamed and patted Chen Liqin's shoulder.
"Minister Chen, you're such a devoted father, always worrying about your children."
Chen Liqin sighed.
"It's a pity that children rarely understand their parents' efforts. I'm not afraid to admit it, but my son still refuses to come home with me. He won't even call me 'Father.'"
"No worries," Zhang Zhuo consoled him.
"He's just upset with you right now. Do you really think he'd abandon the Chen family name? How much can a medical apprentice earn in a year? Once he's had enough of the hardships of the common folk and understands how difficult life can be without money, he'll come crawling back."
Zhang Zhuo chuckled.
"Not long ago, my third son said he wanted to become a wandering knight-errant, roaming the land to right wrongs. The moment he left, I had someone steal his purse. The boy left at dawn and was back by noon, just in time for lunch. If you ask me, just cut off your son's allowance, and he'll come home on his own."
"That might work..."
At this point, Zhang Zhuo's eyes gleamed.
"By the way, has anyone proposed a match for your son, Chen Wenzong? I have a daughter who's as beautiful as a flower and still waiting for a suitable match..."
"Minister!" An official hurried over to report.
Zhang Zhuo frowned.
"What is it? Can't you see I'm discussing important matters with Minister Chen?"
The official hesitated.
"Minister, Prince Jing has summoned you to Liujiatun. He says he's come up with a solution for the refugee crisis, and your political achievements are saved."
"What?" Zhang Zhuo's eyes lit up.
"Is that true?"
"Absolutely," the official replied, then turned to Chen Liqin.
"And Minister Chen, Prince Jing has also summoned you to Liujiatun's kiln factory."
"What for?"
"The Prince says your river embankment can also be saved."
Chen Liqin was stunned.
Liujiatun's kiln factory? Wasn't that the place he had gone to look for Chen Ji? How could there be a solution for the river embankment there?
...
Inside the kiln factory, everyone was still celebrating.
"Chen Ji, we did it!"
"When Chen Ji said we'd make history, I didn't believe it! But now, with our cement being used to build river embankments and city walls across the provinces, history won't be able to forget us!"
The Crown Prince excitedly asked, "Will the history books really write: 'In the autumn of the 31st year of Jianing, Chen Ji, She Dengke, Liu Quxing, Liang Mao'er, Luo Zhui Sajia, Zhu Baili, and Zhu Yunxi invented cement, leaving a legacy for generations!'"
Baili smiled.
"Once the kiln factory's work is done, I'll treat everyone to a feast at Yingxian Tower. We'll eat whatever we want and drink until we drop!"
The Crown Prince looked at Baili in confusion.
"Didn't your father confiscate your allowance?"
Baili replied confidently, "I still have some stashed away!"
Amid the laughter, Liang Gou'er, who was lazily lying on a straw mat, peeked through the gap between his nose and his straw hat at the group of cheering young men.
One of the happiest things in youth is doing something with your friends.
And if there's anything happier than that, it's succeeding at that thing.
Seeing the smile on Liang Mao'er's face, Liang Gou'er's lips unconsciously curled up, as if he were reliving his own youthful days.
But as he watched, the light in Liang Gou'er's eyes dimmed.
He tugged at the brim of his hat, completely covering his face.
"Chen Ji."
At that moment, Prince Jing spoke, and like a royal decree, all the laughter and chatter ceased instantly.
The Crown Prince and Liang Mao'er gently set Chen Ji down on the ground.
Chen Ji straightened his disheveled clothes and calmly said, "Your Highness, please speak."
Prince Jing held a brick in his hand, his fingers rubbing the cement stuck to it.
"Let's talk business. Since you, Yunxi, and Baili are close friends, I won't take advantage of you. I'll offer you five thousand taels of silver for the cement formula."
Chen Ji fell into deep thought.
Seeing his hesitation, Prince Jing added seriously, "The annual tax revenue from the Lianghuai salt administration is only nine hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver. The imperial court's annual tax revenue is only five hundred and fifty thousand taels. Five thousand taels is enough to ensure a lifetime of wealth for an ordinary person. Don't miss out on this golden opportunity."
She Dengke slowly turned to Chen Ji, his voice trembling.
"Chen Ji, five thousand taels of silver!" Liu Quxing was also visibly excited.
What did five thousand taels mean? Even for an official, after accounting for all the social expenses and bribes, their annual spending rarely exceeded a hundred taels!
Not only were the two apprentices tempted, but even Baili felt his father was being unusually generous this time.
However, Chen Ji just smiled.
"Your Highness is setting a trap for me."
Prince Jing raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
Chen Ji began to explain, "Your Highness mentioned the imperial court's annual revenue of five hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver, but you didn't mention that the court's revenue is primarily in grain, which, when converted to silver, amounts to tens of millions of taels. You also mentioned the Lianghuai salt administration's annual revenue of nine hundred and fifty thousand taels, but you didn't mention the long-standing corruption and tax evasion issues there."
Prince Jing's smile gradually faded.
Chen Ji continued, "Your Highness also didn't mention that in the Ning Dynasty, there are powerful families like the Liu clan who control entire provinces, with seventy percent of the province's revenue going to the Liu family and only thirty percent to the imperial court. Your Highness is playing with numbers, and I can hear the abacus clicking from five thousand miles away."
He looked at Prince Jing and said sincerely, "Your Highness and I both know the true value of cement. Let's speak frankly."
Prince Jing stared straight at Chen Ji, as if trying to see through the young man's soul.
But Chen Ji didn't flinch, waiting calmly for his response.
Suddenly, Prince Jing laughed and turned to Wang Kezhi.
"Did you memorize the formula?"
Wang Kezhi replied honestly, "Yes, Young Doctor Chen didn't hide it from us."
Prince Jing nodded.
"Good. We can modify the kiln ourselves and produce the cement without bothering Young Doctor Chen anymore."
Baili's eyes widened.
"Father?!"
Prince Jing clasped his hands behind his back and chuckled.
"Baili, stay out of this. Cement involves national policy. How can it be left in the hands of a few young men? The imperial treasury is in dire straits. Offering five thousand taels is already my greatest show of goodwill. If he accepts, fine. If not, there's nothing I can do."
A powerful prince, unable to outwit a mere apprentice, resorted to playing the fool.
Chen Ji said earnestly, "Your Highness, this matter is too big. I need to return to the Chen family and consult with Chen Liqin. If he can't decide, he can write to the Chen family head and ask if they're interested in this business or how much they think I should sell it for."
Prince Jing's smile faded again.
"I thought you didn't want to return to the Chen family?"
Chen Ji's eyes were sincere.
"I can go back."
Prince Jing fell silent, carefully weighing the pros and cons.
After a moment, he looked at Chen Ji and asked, "What did you say earlier?"
Chen Ji replied, "I need to return to the Chen family and ask?"
"Before that."
Chen Ji said, "Let's speak frankly?"
"Good."
Chen Ji: "..."
Prince Jing paced around the kiln factory, then looked up and laid out the situation plainly.
"Chen Ji, you're smart, so you must know that this business won't succeed in your hands. It might even cost you your life."
Baili frowned.
"Father, don't scare him..."
Chen Ji raised a hand to stop Baili.
"Your Highness is right. Wealth stirs greed, and the path to profit is always bloody and brutal."
Prince Jing nodded.
"It's good that you're not blinded by greed. You should also understand that, as a concubine's son, even if you bring the cement back to the Chen family, this enterprise won't fall into your hands. It will be divided among the main and secondary branches of the Chen family. Your best option is actually the Prince Jing's estate. At least we're fairer than they are."
Chen Ji acknowledged, "I understand."
Prince Jing was about to continue when a carriage slowly stopped at the entrance of the kiln factory.
Everyone turned to see Old Man Yao being helped out of the carriage by the coachman.
Old Man Yao slowly walked up to the group, his eyes scanning everyone's faces before he asked, "What are you discussing so seriously?"
Liu Quxing quickly replied, "Master, Prince Jing wants to buy Chen Ji's cement formula!"
Old Man Yao nodded.
"How much did the Prince offer?"
Liu Quxing answered, "Five thousand taels, but Chen Ji refused. They're at a standstill."
Old Man Yao nodded again, then pulled six copper coins from his sleeve and tossed them on the ground.
He turned to Prince Jing and said, "Five thousand taels a year."
"What?!"
Liang Gou'er sat up abruptly, his straw hat falling to the ground.
Baili was stunned.
The price of cement had just gone from five thousand taels to five thousand taels a year?
Old Man Yao looked at Prince Jing and said slowly, "Your Highness won't regret buying this."
Then he turned to Chen Ji.
"That's enough. Any more, and you won't be able to handle it."
Everyone nervously watched Prince Jing, afraid that this bold demand would anger the powerful prince.
But Prince Jing suddenly smiled.
"Deal."
Chen Ji was dumbfounded.
A deal?
Just like that?
Chen Ji suddenly looked at his master.
He had no idea what kind of relationship his skinny master had with Prince Jing, but with just a few words, he had convinced the prince to raise the price from five thousand taels to five thousand taels a year.
This kind of relationship wasn't something that could be explained in a few sentences.
"Master," Chen Ji asked, "Did you come here just to help me?"
Old Man Yao gave him a sidelong glance.
"Don't flatter yourself. I just came to see what you were up to."
Chen Ji: "... Oh."
At that moment, Liu Quxing looked at She Dengke in disbelief.
"Am I dreaming? Five thousand taels a year?"
She Dengke punched Liu Quxing in the chest, making him cough several times.
"Did that hurt?"
"You bastard!"
Liu Quxing was about to lunge at She Dengke when Prince Jing raised a hand to stop him.
"Hold on, let me finish. The five thousand taels a year comes with a condition. In addition to the cement formula, I want the carburizing steel-making technique."
Chen Ji smiled.
"Deal."
He wasn't greedy.
He just wanted to secure a stable business to support the Shan Jun Sect.
(End of Chapter)