Chapter 138 – Business

“A foreign merchant from the Qinsil Kingdom? What does he want with me?” Xu Chun asked curiously, “How did you come to know him, Jiang Mei?”

Jiang Mei explained, “This foreign merchant’s name is Wright. Your subordinate was working at the Guangdong Port Office when I met him while handling goods from foreign merchants. A few days ago, when I accompanied you to the port, he recognized me. Today, he suddenly sought me out, saying he wanted to purchase a batch of precious porcelain. Such porcelain can’t be obtained through ordinary channels. He heard that Your Excellency is deeply favored by the Emperor and holds a high position. He’s willing to pay a large sum to have Your Excellency facilitate the deal and is also willing to let you take shares in the business, with substantial profits that will surely satisfy you.”

Xu Chun chuckled, “You’ve always been cautious in your work. Since you dare to recommend him to me, it means this man is reliable and there’s profit to be made?”

Jiang Mei smiled, “I wouldn’t dare make a hasty recommendation to Your Excellency. Let me tell you about this person. I’ve met him three times. The first time was when I was receiving foreign merchants and their ship’s worth of goods at the Guangdong foreign goods market. He was around twenty years old and wore the most shabby clothes among the foreign merchants. He only brought three hundred silver dollars and some not very valuable tobacco goods, which were of rather mediocre quality. With his small capital, he carefully calculated profits on every item, cautious and careful. He was loudly ridiculed by his fellow foreign merchants, but he just laughed and didn’t get angry, still asking the interpreter detailed questions repeatedly.”

“When foreign merchants arrive in our dynasty, they are naturally received by local merchants from the Cantonese Guild of Brokers. They are all wealthy, and the guild hosts grand banquets in their gardens to entertain them, with singing girls and maidservants to serve them. However, he didn’t even glance sideways, refusing to spend the night with a singing girl even after dark. Despite being mocked and belittled by fellow merchants, he wasn’t ashamed, only smiling but still refusing.”

Xu Chun sat up, intrigued. “So, among these overseas foreign merchants, there are those with the character to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens? I thought they were all straightforward, ready to pull out handkerchiefs to challenge each other to duels whenever they got angry. When I was young, I witnessed such an event in Minzhou, right on the streets, but the other party didn’t accept the challenge, so no duel took place. They speak loudly and indistinctly all the time.”

Jiang Mei said, “The merchants Your Excellency speaks of are from Luciania, right? In Xiangyuan Country (Spain), they have similar customs.”

Xu Chun commented, “They all look pretty much the same… I can’t really tell the difference.”

Jiang Mei smiled gently. “Their hair color, eye color, nose shape, skin color, etc., do have some distinctions.”

Curious, Xu Chun asked, “Then, which country did you say this foreign merchant is from?”

Jiang Mei replied, “Qinsil Kingdom. At that time, I felt he had the demeanor of a gentleman, so I took the initiative to recommend that he purchase tea, embroidery, and fans—three items that are easy to transport and have a range of prices, allowing him to choose cheaper options. Foreigners actually can’t discern the subtle differences, only knowing that these are things from the mysterious Eastern Empire, which sell well. I heard that they could fetch high prices in their own countries, and I introduced him to merchants who provided good-quality goods at reasonable prices. He adopted my advice and even told me about his family situation. His family had fallen on hard times, leaving only an estate. He was living with his sister, unable to even afford her dowry, so he risked coming to our shores on a ship, hoping to carve out a future.”

Xu Chun laughed. “So, it seems there’s more to this story?”

Jiang Mei continued, “The second time I saw him was three years later. He was dressed in fine clothing, his bearing vastly different from before. But upon seeing me, he recognized me immediately and specifically brought me a gift from Qinsil—a pair of ivory tortoiseshell crystal glasses. The ones Your Excellency sometimes wears when reading are the ones he gave me. Not only is this object precious, but he also discovered during our brief contact over a few days that my eyesight was impaired due to extensive reading from a young age, resulting in blurry vision. He came a long way and brought me an appropriate gift. Your subordinate feels that this person, who knows gratitude and returns favors, has keen insight and a broad perspective, is composed, and should be seen by Your Excellency.”

Xu Chun laughed. “In that case, his circumstances have greatly improved since then, and now he’s a rich man. That’s why he dared to tell you that he wants to give me a chance to make a fortune?”

Jiang Mei said, “Foreigners speak directly, but considering Your Excellency still owes ship payments and now needs to recruit sailors, clerks, and secretaries, there are indeed many places where money is needed. Although Your Excellency is an official and shouldn’t personally engage in business, with Master Sheng present, he can act on your behalf.”

Xu Chun nodded and smiled. “Since Mr. Jiang recommended him, of course, I must see him. Moreover, since he’s bold enough to claim he’ll make me rich, I’m truly interested in hearing what kind of opportunity he has.”

Wright walked under the fiery red maple trees and golden yellow ginkgo trees, stepping over a carpet of red and yellow leaves, and climbed up a newly renovated building. The stairs and railings were freshly painted with pure, bright red lacquer. Intricate carvings and paintings were customary in the homes of the wealthy here, and the winding pavilion and ancient paths calmed the mind. They ascended the stairs and entered a hall.

Unlike the halls he’d seen in the gardens of wealthy merchants in Guangzhou, this one had unusually spacious glass windows, demonstrating the owner’s wealth. The whole hall seemed remarkably airy, with the opposing long windows open, letting in the cool autumn air. The lush tree crowns in the nearby courtyard and the distant river and tower, visible through the long windows, resembled a beautiful landscape painting.

The hall was fragrant. Upon entering, he saw a black and gold lacquered table on the right, adorned with a mountain incense burner. This was a popular decorative piece in this Eastern Empire, carved from precious aromatic wood into exquisite sculptures, placed indoors to emit refreshing fragrance.

The mountain incense burner was entirely black and oil-soaked, made from expensive high-grade agarwood. It rested in a splendid gold lacquered tray, the body painted with intricate, vivid flowers in white powder lacquer. The rim opened like petals, holding the simple yet dark animal sculpture in the center.

Such a large piece of agarwood would be worth millions of coins in the market. The craftsmen intricately carved it into a strange creature with a dragon head and fish body. He recognized the dragon totem, symbolizing royalty in this mysterious empire, but the fierce, glaring, dignified dragon head was connected to the tail of a carp. The fish body was robust, scales layered upon layers, fins spread like wings, leaping out of the majestic sea waves, splashing water.

He glanced at it twice. Jiang Mei smiled and quietly explained to him, “It’s called a Fish Transforming into a Dragon.” Leading Wright forward, Xu Chun sat in the central seat, looking up as Wright entered. Seeing Wright’s brown hair and blue eyes, he clearly paid attention to his appearance.

Jiang Mei introduced, “This is Lord Xu, the Director of the Jinhaiwei Port Office.” He spoke in the language of Qinsil. Wright, however, approached and bowed, saying in fluent Chinese, “Greetings, Lord Xu.”

Xu Chun smiled warmly. “No need for formalities, please sit down, and have some tea.”

Wright observed that he looked very young, not dressed in official robes like other officials he’d encountered, but in loose robes. A green jade crown adorned his head, and the wrist holding the light blue teacup was delicate and smooth, reminding him of the most precious ivory he’d seen on the market.

Unlike wealthy merchants, his robe lacked lavish patterns and gold or silver threads. Layer upon layer of loose robes, the inner layer was snow-white silk, covered by a pale green outer robe. The wide sleeves hung down like water, revealing the exquisite silk unique to the East, shimmering with the luster of beautiful pearls. This was an expensive material he’d never seen on the market.

His belt was a green jade belt, the jade as clear as spring lake water. Hanging from his waist was a deep green jade cicada.

Apart from these, he wore no other adornments. Yet, precisely because of this, this overly young official appeared more like a noble youth pampered at home, with soft, delicate fingertips that had never labored, possessing an enviable natural dignity and superiority.

Behind him stood a guard with a long sword, wearing brocade clothes and boots, tall and broad-shouldered. The guard’s gaze toward him was filled with alertness and intimidation.

The hall contained black sandalwood and mother-of-pearl tables and chairs. Hanging on the walls were several calligraphy and paintings. One side featured a scholar’s cabinet with many antique artifacts and miniature ship models, along with several bookshelves filled with books. Next to the bookshelf was a huge, magnificent porcelain vase containing scrolls.

Not only did the hall have the scent of agarwood that he smelled upon entering, but on one side was a long table with a red-lacquered base, atop which sat a green jade incense burner burning incense. A thin, straight thread of smoke rose, lingering without dispersing, filling the hall with fragrance.

He recognized the expensive gray ambergris aroma, a precious secretion from a whale in the sea, known as dragon’s drool (ambergris) in the East, an incense tribute said to be reserved for the esteemed emperor alone.

Uncontrollably, Wright thought about the ruler of this mysterious empire he’d heard of before—a very youthful monarch who had become the ruler of this vast nation since infancy. He hadn’t previously cared much about the ruler of this great nation, but now, seeing this overly young and energetic official deeply favored by the emperor, he suddenly became curious about the mysterious emperor on the dragon throne.

Contrary to the elegant physical demeanor and tranquil noble gestures formed through strict upbringing, this Director Xu had cat-like bright and lively eyes, indicating that this official indeed possessed a soul full of vitality matching his young appearance.

He scrutinized him with curiosity but didn’t offend, for there was no fear or vigilance in his eyes. This was the arrogance deeply hidden behind his polite demeanor, belonging to the Celestial Empire, as well as the superiority stemming from confidence in his own strength. Of course, a larger reason was that he was indeed handsome. Even by Wright’s personal standards, this young official’s striking features and luxurious yet low-key attire were pleasing to the eye.

Xu Chun smiled and asked him, “I heard that Mr. Wright has a chance to make a fortune to introduce to this official?”

Wright had traveled back and forth between his homeland and this mysterious Eastern empire several times. Initially, he could only meet with leaders of local merchant guilds for negotiations, but later began contacting lower-level officials here. He’d seen their cunning, worldly eyes, familiar with their slightly hunched backs, worn down by life, and their always smiling faces. They were refined and courteous, alert and experienced in matters of profit, yet they spoke in roundabout, literary ways, which made it difficult to understand each other’s intentions even after translation. As a result, they required more skilled intermediaries to bluntly state what the other party wanted.

Therefore, he deliberately spent some time learning the language of this country and understanding their preferred culture and expression habits. This noble-born adult before him, he’d asked Jiang Mei before coming, was the eldest son of a noble duke and heir to the title. He was deeply loved by the young emperor on the dragon throne, sent to Jinhaiwei to hone his abilities in anticipation of taking on more important tasks and attaining a higher status in the future.

Upon entering, he judged that this nobleman cherished the refined culture of their literati, pursuing simplicity, solitude, and the tranquil beauty of austerity, with artistic tastes transcending the ordinary. This made him inwardly pause.

He’d met this type of scholar before. Some were rigid and stubborn, disdainful of money and business, leaving everything to their stewards to handle, stewards who couldn’t make decisions, ultimately wasting business opportunities. Others appeared refined on the surface but were actually greedy inside, unwilling to yield any profit, only crazily seizing all benefits. Once their greed wasn’t satisfied, even if they weren’t officials, they could influence local officials through the power of their clans to expel them, monopolize the market, depress prices, and achieve their goals.

These people weren’t suitable for doing business. In his heart, he’d already decided that he’d likely leave empty-handed today, but fortunately, this official was young and handsome, at least making conversation with him not tiresome.

He didn’t expect the clear-eyed noble youth to speak so bluntly.

Seeing Wright’s surprise, Xu Chun smiled smugly. “I heard you speak very directly. My time isn’t too plentiful either. Tell me about your opportunity, and we can save the pleasantries.”

Wright suppressed his astonishment and smiled. “Your Excellency, in my homeland, I am the descendant of a baron. Because I couldn’t inherit the family business, my parents passed away one after another, and my family situation has always been humble. I believe Mr. Jiang mentioned my past to you. I had to bring a meager capital across the seas to your country, gaining a chance to rise again. After returning, I married my sister off with a generous dowry, and after selling the goods, I had some capital to network. These past few years, I’ve shuttled between my homeland and your country, accumulating a decent capital.”

He looked at Xu Chun, seeing that this young official hadn’t interrupted him or shown a hint of contempt or mockery for his somewhat awkward speech and overly direct words that didn’t conform to their expression habits. Instead, he focused intently on him, seemingly genuinely interested in the rags-to-riches story of this poor boy.

His desire to express himself returned, wanting to appear better in front of this handsome nobleman: “At this point, my distant relative, who inherited the baron title, suddenly fell critically ill. Before he breathed his last, his several heirs all met with accidents. As a distant relative, I suddenly had the possibility of inheriting the baron title.”

The young official’s eyes sparkled, genuinely happy for him. “That’s truly an excellent opportunity.”

Wright said, “Indeed. Of course, there are many candidates with the same qualifications as me in our country. At this time, determining the successor requires our queen to decide.”

Xu Chun asked curiously, “Queen? Women can also inherit the throne?”

Wright replied, “Yes, in our country, women also have inheritance rights, but their priority is after their brothers and before other collateral blood relatives. Widows also receive certain inheritance rights. Now, my problem is that I need a precious and special gift to impress our queen.”

Xu Chun said, “So you came to find me today because I can provide this precious gift?”

Wright said, “I noticed that before the imperial edict banning opium was issued, the Jinhaiwei Port Office had already preemptively intercepted opium-related goods, prohibiting customs declarations. Merchants were discussing it, and some even found me, hoping to sign a petition against Your Excellency. Of course, I didn’t sign it, since my goods passed without hindrance.”

Xu Chun remained silent…

He touched his nose awkwardly. “Forgive me for my indiscretion.”

Wright saw the young official’s face show a hint of embarrassment or distress. In his heart, he felt a sense of condescension as an elder. Although he knew that the noble background of the person before him was powerful and his position hadn’t been shaken in the slightest by the joint petition, not needing his comfort, he still softened his tone. “I noticed that although merchants jointly filed complaints, Director Xu was not affected in the slightest, and subsequently, the edict banning opium was issued.”

“This indicates that Your Excellency holds a high position, has reliable sources of information, and at such a young age, possesses extraordinary influence and an extremely well-informed network.”

Xu Chun recalled Jiang Mei mentioning that this merchant had keen insight and meticulous observation skills, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Mr. Wright, after all this praise, what exactly do you intend to ask for?”

Wright took out a very exquisite light-colored landscape figure vase from his backpack and handed it to Jiang Mei.

Jiang Mei presented it to Xu Chun, who took it and examined it in front of him.

Wright saw him raise the vase to check the seal on the bottom. The wide sleeve slipped, exposing a clean forearm. His fingers, set against the pure, even porcelain, were smooth and glossy, complementing the graceful curve of the vase. This was a very difficult-to-describe tranquility and beauty. Wright had a fleeting thought—no wonder the people here referred to vases as ‘beautiful ladies’.

Xu Chun smiled. “This is a pink porcelain vase from the royal kiln in Changjiang. It’s amazing that you could buy it; it’s hard to find on the market, made exclusively for the palace. This lady depicted is by a palace painter. It’s indeed a precious gift.”

Wright said, “Your Excellency has a keen eye. I searched for a long time before purchasing this vase at a high price. Look at the glaze and enamel colors, shimmering with the iridescence of pearl shells, soft and restrained, with a pinkish glaze. This is astonishing craftsmanship, something you won’t find in civilian kilns.”

Xu Chun remarked, “Although rare, it’s not unattainable. Is Mr. Wright seeking me out merely to buy porcelain from the royal kiln?”

Wright shook his head. “Not just that. I want custom-made royal kiln porcelain featuring portraits of our queen—a complete set of dinnerware and decorations, not just vases and display plates. Such customized porcelain can’t be done without a noble adult mediating on our behalf. After all, that’s the royal kiln reserved for the esteemed emperor.”

However, Xu Chun smiled and asked, “Just burning a set of custom-made royal kiln porcelain doesn’t sound like a chance to make a fortune, does it? Mr. Wright is thinking long-term?”

Wright was amazed by the acuity of the young official before him and smiled. “Next, what I naturally want to discuss is the hope of partnering with Your Excellency to specialize in burning custom-made royal kiln light-colored figure vases. You might not realize how popular they are in our homeland. They’re willing to pay precious gold coins for such precious oriental porcelain that can bear their own portraits, using it as a tool to flaunt power and status at luxurious banquets and as heirlooms passed down through generations.”

Xu Chun followed up immediately. “Especially since the queen herself will be using this vase?”

Wright looked at this young, handsome Eastern official, his eyes like blue gemstones narrowing slightly, revealing a smile capable of intoxicating countless noblewomen in his homeland. “Yes, Your Excellency, the esteemed.”

“This will be a business with incredibly, incredibly lucrative profits.”