Chapter 28: A Chain of Vicious Schemes

The processing technology for white sugar could not serve as a long-term, stable source of income for Zhao Dezhao. The reason was simple: the process of purifying sugar using yellow mud was far too easy—so simple, in fact, that anyone could master it at a glance.

Under the watchful eye of Zhao Guangyi, hoping to make a fortune from this technique was even more difficult. Given Zhao Guangyi’s character and habits, there were likely countless spies monitoring Zhao Dezhao’s every move. If Zhao Dezhao showed even the slightest activity, it would immediately be reported to Zhao Guangyi. Once his uncle discovered that his nephew was using white sugar to turn a profit, he would undoubtedly spare no effort to sabotage the business and ruin Zhao Dezhao’s trade, all to weaken his economic standing.

Furthermore, the profit margins for white sugar were quite limited. While it was true that Kaifeng was filled with wealthy families and a sudden supply of high-quality sugar could fetch an astronomical price, as time passed and more sugar flooded the market, this commodity—which was not yet a daily necessity—would inevitably see its price plummet, causing profits to shrink sharply.

With Zhao Guangyi lurking nearby like a tiger, the moment he saw his nephew profiting from sugar, he would certainly find every possible way to steal the purification technique and then drive the price down as quickly and forcefully as possible, ensuring Zhao Dezhao made nothing.

Considering these circumstances, Zhao Dezhao was secretly disappointed. He had no choice but to put the financial troubles aside for the moment and turn his attention back to the banquet, clinking glasses with his cohorts to deepen their bond and encourage them to serve him more diligently.

After night fell, the banquet finally concluded. As everyone headed home, Zhao Dezhao personally saw his guests out. It was only when the carriage carrying General He Huaipu and his son disappeared around the street corner that Wang Zhifa suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly said, "Your Highness, did you forget something? You asked us to prepare a thousand strings of cash to compensate your uncle, General He. Why didn't you ask him to take it?"

"I didn't forget. My uncle insisted on refusing, so I didn't force him. I will find another way to compensate him when there is an opportunity later," Zhao Dezhao replied casually.

"Then I must have someone move it back to the treasury," Wang Zhifa said urgently. "To make it convenient for the General, I already had the household staff load the thousand strings of cash onto a cart—a whole cart full of copper coins. It cannot be left in the courtyard overnight."

Once again, the speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. As soon as Wang Zhifa finished speaking, Zhao Dezhao’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly asked, "What did you just say? Say it again."

"I said a whole cart of copper coins cannot be left in the courtyard overnight. Why?" Wang Zhifa asked, feeling bewildered.

"Take me to see that cart of coins, immediately!"

Zhao Dezhao issued this strange command. Wang Zhifa was even more confused, but seeing Zhao Dezhao turn and stride toward the house, he had no choice but to follow, saying, "Your Highness, wait for me, I will lead the way."

Guided by Wang Zhifa, they arrived at the place where the carriage was parked. Seeing the cart truly loaded with a thousand strings of copper coins, and thinking of the paper currency that had yet to appear in the early Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Dezhao’s face lit up with joy. He thought to himself, *I have a way to make a fortune! Open a bank, issue paper currency, and use finance to make money grow!*

Unfortunately, after returning to his study and sitting down to calculate carefully, the heat in Zhao Dezhao’s heart cooled quickly. He realized that while the financial industry offered huge profits, his current strength was not enough to swallow such a large cake.

First, his financial resources were far from sufficient. In the four years since he moved out of the palace, his only income had been the salary from his post as the Prefect of Guizhou. No matter how frugal he was, he hadn't saved much. Apart from the real estate granted by Zhao Kuangyin, he would struggle to scrape together even three thousand strings of cash.

Second, there was still the threat of Zhao Guangyi. Even if Zhao Dezhao managed to get the money to open a bank and discovered how lucrative it was, Zhao Guangyi would surely set up a larger competing bank. Given his economic power, crushing Zhao Dezhao’s bank through capital would be effortless.

Faced with these problems, Zhao Dezhao couldn't help but scratch his head in frustration. Wang Zhifa reminded him kindly, "Your Highness, it is late. You should rest. You have to work at the Censorate tomorrow."

"I don't want to sleep yet. Wait a while," Zhao Dezhao replied. He then asked casually, "Zhifa, if I wanted to get a large sum of money, what method should I use?"

"Ask the Emperor," Wang Zhifa replied without hesitation. "Your Highness, you are the Emperor's son. If you need money, of course, you ask the Emperor."

"That is one way," Zhao Dezhao laughed, then added with regret, "But it doesn't solve the problem. If I ask for a reward occasionally, Father usually won't refuse. But if the amount is large or the frequency is too high, Father certainly won't agree."

"Then I have no idea," Wang Zhifa said with a bitter smile. "Given your status, you can't go stealing or robbing, can you?"

As if struck by an epiphany, the moment Wang Zhifa finished speaking, Zhao Dezhao’s expression changed instantly. He demanded again, "What did you just say? Say it again!"

"Your Highness, what is wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell?" Wang Zhifa was completely confused but repeated, "I just said, given your status, you can't go stealing or robbing, can you?"

Zhao Dezhao clutched his head with both hands, closed his eyes, and muttered to himself, "Stealing... stealing. Asking Father for money, opening a bank, making white sugar... stealing. If these things were connected... Wait, the yellow mud purification process can't be kept secret, and my second uncle will definitely try to sabotage me..."

After deep contemplation and working through every detail of a devious, interconnected plan, Zhao Dezhao suddenly burst into laughter. He looked up and roared, "I have a way! I have a way to make a fortune! Not only can I make money, but my second uncle will have no way to stop me!"

"Your Highness, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Wang Zhifa was completely baffled.

"Zhifa, I have a task for you. By tomorrow, clear out a vacant room in the back courtyard, arrange for the most reliable people to guard it, and prepare yellow mud, funnels..."

After detailing the tools needed for the yellow mud purification, Zhao Dezhao instructed, "Also, you and the other two eunuchs in our household get ready. Dress up like commoners and help me..."

Two days later, in the morning, Wang Zhifa, dressed in plain clothes, appeared on Gaotou Street, a famous commercial thoroughfare in Dongjing Bianliang. Behind him followed a young man pushing a single-wheeled cart. They moved slowly, looking around as if searching for something.

After walking halfway down the street, Wang Zhifa stopped in front of a shop specializing in various groceries. Looking up at the sign, which read "Gao's Southern Goods Store," Wang Zhifa showed hesitation. He wanted to enter but couldn't quite bring himself to do it.

The shop assistant, however, was very enthusiastic. Seeing Wang Zhifa stop in front of their door, he stepped out and bowed, saying, "Please come in, sir. What can I get for you? Our shop has a full range of goods and fair prices. We guarantee your satisfaction."

Knowing he had to face the music, Wang Zhifa gathered his courage and stepped into the store. He signaled for his attendant to bring the sack from the cart inside. Only then did he ask the clerk, "Is your master in? Ask him to come speak with me."

Seeing that Wang Zhifa was well-dressed and possessed an air different from the common folk, the clerk didn't dare to be slow. He went to the back and brought out a man in his forties. The man bowed upon meeting them and said, "Sir, I am the owner of this shop, Gao Yun. How may I be of service?"

"Master Gao, could we speak in the back? I have a business proposition for you," Wang Zhifa said, steeling his nerves.

Gao Yun, having already sensed that Wang Zhifa was someone of importance, quickly invited him to the back room and instructed his assistant to help move the sack. Only after ordering tea did he smile and ask, "May I ask, sir, what is your instruction?"

"Master Gao, do you accept white sugar from overseas? The quality is absolutely top-notch!" Wang Zhifa asked boldly.

"White sugar from overseas?" Gao Yun raised his eyebrows. "May I ask, what kind of quality? Could I see the goods first?"

Wang Zhifa nodded and opened the sack himself, revealing a full bag of snow-white, crystalline sugar. Even the experienced Gao Yun was taken aback. He pinched a bit between his fingers to examine it, confirming the purity, then tasted a pinch. A look of ecstatic joy quickly appeared in his eyes.

"May I ask your name, sir?" Gao Yun asked tentatively.

Wang Zhifa shook his head, saying, "There is no need for you to know my name. We are only here to do business."

"Since it's inconvenient, I won't press," Gao Yun nodded, then asked cautiously, "May I ask where this sugar comes from?"

Wang Zhifa hesitated, then stood up, skillfully loosened his belt, and pulled down his trousers to reveal his body, which lacked certain parts. He then asked, "Master Gao, do you know where this sugar comes from now?"

"I know, I know," Gao Yun nodded vigorously. "May I ask, Eunuch, how much do you have, and what price are you looking for?"

"There is a little over thirty-eight catties here," Wang Zhifa pointed to the sack. "I'll count it as thirty-eight catties. Three taels of silver per catty. Only cash, no copper coins."

"Three taels of silver?" Gao Yun looked troubled. "Sir, the price is too high. The retail price for sugar on the market is only one tael of silver per catty. If I buy your sugar at three taels, won't I lose a fortune?"

"Do the sugars on the market deserve to be compared to mine?" Wang Zhifa scoffed arrogantly. "Master Gao, I can see you are a man of taste. You must have seen the so-called white sugar from Tianzhu or the Dashi. Can it compare to what I've brought?"

The so-called white sugar he had seen before was actually yellow rock sugar. Gao Yun had no choice but to stay silent. Wang Zhifa lowered his voice and added, "To tell you the truth, even in the Imperial Palace, only the Emperor and the Empress get to taste this kind of sugar. Almost none of it reaches the common people. Many high-ranking officials and nobles in Kaifeng haven't even seen such sugar!"

Indeed, having never even heard of such high-quality sugar, Gao Yun nodded in admission. He then said, "Eunuch, could you lower the price? Two taels of silver per catty, and I'll take it all."

"Not a single coin less. This was traded for with my life," Wang Zhifa replied solemnly.

Gao Yun was a decisive man. After a moment of calculation, he said, "Fine, three taels of silver it is. But you must agree to one condition."

"What condition?" Wang Zhifa asked.

"In the future, if you have more of this stock, please offer it to me first," Gao Yun whispered with a smile.

Wang Zhifa laughed, "Of course, it's a deal."

Unfortunately, under the instigation and arrangement of someone else, Wang Zhifa did not fulfill his promise. After successfully selling thirty-eight catties that day, he went to two other commercial hubs in Bianliang the next day and sold over eighty catties more. By the third day, he took a carriage out of the city and went south to Zhuxian Town, where the canal wharf was located, and quietly sold another hundred catties.

Although Wang Zhifa was cautious, the Zhao Guangyi faction was deeply rooted in Bianliang. On the same day Wang Zhifa was selling sugar in Zhuxian Town, a small amount of this sugar appeared before Chen Congxin, who was responsible for managing Zhao Guangyi’s finances, with an astronomical price tag of one tael of silver per tael of sugar. Accompanying this report was the rumor that the sugar originated from the Imperial Palace.

Chen Congxin was a man who knew how to seize an opportunity. After a brief calculation, he took the sugar to see Zhao Guangyi. When he presented the sugar and explained its origin, Zhao Guangyi was stunned. "There is such good sugar in the palace? Why haven't I heard of it?"

"Your Highness, that is not the point," Chen Congxin sneered. "The point is, could a mere palace eunuch have the ability to steal such fine tribute and sell it for profit?"

"Makes sense," Zhao Guangyi realized immediately. "To have the ability and the courage to steal such tribute, he certainly cannot be an ordinary eunuch. Without sufficient status and power, he wouldn't dare do this even if his life depended on it!"

"Your Highness, I would like to use this opportunity to make the acquaintance of this high-ranking eunuch. What do you think?" Chen Congxin suggested with a cunning smile.

Zhao Guangyi laughed, "Go ahead. If you think it's necessary, you can bring him directly to see me."

"Your Highness, that might require a bit more silver," Chen Congxin said. "Since it concerns his life, I worry that without enough bait, this big fish won't take the hook."

Zhao Guangyi laughed aloud, "Do you need to ask me about such trifles? Spend whatever it takes. Go do it."

Coincidentally, at almost the same time, some of the sugar Wang Zhifa sold anonymously was placed before Zhao Pu, Zhao Guangyi’s number-one political rival. While Zhao Dezhao had been in the spotlight recently, his strength and foundation were still far behind that of the Zhao Pu faction.

"This is white sugar from overseas? So sweet, so white?"

Like Zhao Guangyi, even Zhao Pu was shocked by the purity of the sugar. He added sourly, "It seems the Emperor is becoming less and less fond of me. Overseas has sent such fine tribute, yet he couldn't spare even a bit for me."

"Father, I think there is something even more critical," his eldest son, Zhao Chengzong, said in a sinister tone. "Someone with the courage and ability to secretly sell such fine tribute to the public is definitely not an ordinary eunuch. If we can find out his identity and obtain ironclad proof of his illicit sales, we might be able to make him serve us."

Zhao Pu, naturally wishing to expand his faction, nodded. "You handle this personally. Spare no cost; you must find out who this audacious eunuch is!"