Chapter 30: Casting a Brick to Attract Jade

"Second Prince, please, by all means, escalate this matter further! Take it straight to the Emperor. No matter who wins or loses, I, your official, shall be the one to reap the rewards."

While Zhao Pu secretly gloated, Zhao Dezhao, his face masking fury with a cunning smile, thought to himself, "Second Uncle, hurry and take me to see my Imperial Father. Once we are before him, I promise you a truly grand surprise."

Regrettably, events unfolded in a way that defied both Zhao Dezhao’s and Zhao Pu’s expectations. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhao Guangyi suddenly spoke: "Nonsense! To stir up such a trivial, sesame-sized matter before your Imperial Father? What kind of behavior is this? Do you take your father for a commoner with all the time in the world?"

Caught completely off guard by this response, Zhao Dezhao was flustered, yet he refused to give up. Pointing at Wang Zhifa, he said indignantly, "Second Uncle, what of my personal attendant then? Your men slandered him, claiming he stole and sold palace tributes. If he truly dared to do such a thing, I am naturally to blame! I cannot bear the rumors of me indulging my servants in violating state laws!"

"Nonsense! Do you think your uncle is such a muddled fool?"

Zhao Guangyi’s response once again caught Zhao Dezhao off guard. Before the countless onlookers, Zhao Guangyi spoke with ringing clarity and righteous conviction: "What kind of person you are, does your uncle not know? You have always been upright and incorruptible, never greedy for wealth. How could you possibly indulge your attendant in stealing palace tributes?"

Having said this, Zhao Guangyi turned to Chen Congxin nearby, and with a darkened face, reprimanded him loudly: "Chen Congxin, what is the point of you being the magistrate of Kaifeng Prefecture? How could you be so confused as to suspect my nephew’s household of stealing palace tributes? Let me tell you clearly: if my nephew had done anything to betray his Imperial Brother or the imperial court, I would be the first to disbelieve it!"

Pausing for a moment, Zhao Guangyi continued with a look of fury: "Especially regarding today’s incident—if Dezhao’s household has indeed stolen any palace tributes, I am willing to share the same punishment as my virtuous nephew!"

As Zhao Guangyi’s most capable henchman, Chen Congxin was naturally quick-witted. Even without understanding the motive behind Zhao Guangyi’s actions, he immediately bowed to Zhao Dezhao to offer his apologies: "Your Highness, please forgive me. This was entirely due to my own momentary confusion and a misunderstanding regarding your esteemed servant. I beg you not to take it to heart."

As he spoke, Chen Congxin bowed repeatedly to Zhao Dezhao. Finding himself with no recourse, Zhao Dezhao could only respond with a cold snort. Zhao Guangyi then spoke up: "Virtuous nephew, why don't you take your attendant to see a physician for his injuries? I will personally investigate this case and ensure your name is cleared."

Not expecting Zhao Guangyi to swallow his pride to such an extent, Zhao Dezhao could not continue his assault. He exchanged a few polite words with Zhao Guangyi and left with Wang Zhifa, who had sustained minor injuries during the scuffle. Zhao Guangyi then exchanged pleasantries with Zhao Pu before ordering, "Everyone disperse. Take those involved back to the Kaifeng Prefecture; I shall interrogate them myself."

And so, through Zhao Guangyi’s active retreat, a looming crisis was temporarily quelled. However, naturally, upon returning to the Kaifeng Prefecture, Chen Congxin immediately asked, "Your Highness, why were you so humble today? Why were you unwilling to escalate the matter?"

"Because I cannot discern if there are hidden motives behind this, nor can I guess if this is a trap set by that little brat," Zhao Guangyi replied.

"A trap?" Chen Congxin asked, stunned. "Your Highness, do you suspect this was a snare laid by the Prince?"

Zhao Guangyi nodded, his tone icy: "Having underestimated that brat before, I have already suffered several major losses. This matter is both complex and strange, so I must be extremely cautious. Otherwise, I might be duped by that little scoundrel once again."

"But what if that eunuch, Wang Zhifa, really did collude with palace servants to steal tributes?" Chen Congxin persisted. "If that is the case, have we not missed a golden opportunity?"

"How have we missed it?" Zhao Guangyi retorted with a cold laugh. "We have already secured the evidence. If that little eunuch Wang Zhifa really stole tributes, we only need to follow the trail to investigate thoroughly. We can still bring him and that little brat to justice. At worst, I will simply have to apologize in public again, admitting that I misjudged the lad."

Chen Congxin suddenly realized the truth and flattered him: "Your Highness is brilliant. To take a step back is to open the sky; by staying out of it first, we can watch the fire from the other side of the river. This way, we remain invincible."

"But I have still lost a great deal of face," Zhao Guangyi said with a dissatisfied huff before ordering: "Hurry and investigate the matter thoroughly. With such a commotion, the spies from the Wude Division will surely report it to my Imperial Brother. If I am not mistaken, he will soon summon me to the palace to inquire."

As Zhao Guangyi had predicted, over an hour later, an imperial decree arrived from the palace, demanding he immediately go to see Zhao Kuangyin. Having prepared himself, Zhao Guangyi was not surprised and set off at once. It was only upon reaching the gates of the Chongzheng Hall that he discovered his unworthy nephew, Zhao Dezhao, had arrived first. However, he had not been summoned into the hall to see Zhao Kuangyin, but was instead left waiting outside.

It was clear that Zhao Kuangyin still valued his own brother more; thus, although Zhao Guangyi arrived late, he received an immediate summons. After the brothers met, Zhao Kuangyin went straight to the point: "What is the situation with today’s events?"

"Reporting to Imperial Brother, it is like this: agents from the Kaifeng Prefecture received information a few days ago that eunuchs in the palace were stealing white sugar—a tribute from overseas—and selling it to the public. I took this matter seriously and instructed my men to keep a close watch and uncover the truth..."

After briefly explaining the situation, Zhao Guangyi presented some of the white sugar that Wang Zhifa had sold to the He Family Southern Goods Store. Zhao Kuangyin picked up a small pinch and examined it closely, then immediately asked with suspicion: "This is not the tribute from overseas, is it? Even I have never seen such fine white sugar. How could it have been stolen from the palace?"

"Imperial Brother, please forgive me, I do not understand the reason either," Zhao Guangyi replied with a wry smile, adding with rare honesty: "However, it was precisely because the quality of this sugar was so high that I immediately believed it to be a palace tribute when I saw it."

"It seems this question can only be answered by Dezhao," Zhao Kuangyin said, seeing the crux of the matter. "Summon Dezhao into the hall."

The Chief Eunuch, Wang Ji'en, acknowledged the order and went out to call Zhao Dezhao. During this time, Zhao Guangyi naturally braced himself, thinking, "Come then, you little scoundrel. I want to see what tricks you have up your sleeve today."

Having been waiting outside, Zhao Dezhao soon entered the hall to pay his respects. Zhao Kuangyin was in no hurry to lash out; he simply pointed at the sugar and asked, "Where did this sugar come from?"

"Reporting to Imperial Father, it is something I refined myself."

Zhao Dezhao’s frank answer stunned the brothers. Zhao Kuangyin asked in surprise, "You know how to refine white sugar? And the sugar you refined is even better than the tribute from overseas?"

"Reporting to Imperial Father, it is like this," Zhao Dezhao answered confidently. "About two or three years ago, while I was roaming Kaifeng, I happened to see an old, tattered book at a book stall. It recorded a method for refining white sugar—a technique that the Great Tang official Wang Xuance had brought back from India. I committed the technique to memory."

After a pause, Zhao Dezhao continued with an earnest expression: "Before this, I was skeptical and had never tried it. But a few days ago, when Imperial Father bestowed upon me some local white sugar from the Wuyue Kingdom, I noticed its quality was far inferior to the overseas tribute. I suddenly recalled that old Tang book, and for certain reasons, I tried refining sugar using that technique. The result was this sugar, which even the overseas tribute cannot rival."

"Is there such a thing?" Zhao Kuangyin was half-convinced.

"I dare not deceive Imperial Father. If you still do not believe me, I humbly request that you visit my residence, where I will refine sugar for you to see with your own eyes."

Zhao Dezhao’s reply was unequivocal. Seeing his son speak so boldly, Zhao Kuangyin chose to believe him for the moment and asked, "If so, why did you not report this to me? And why did you arrange for the eunuchs in your household to lie and claim this was stolen palace tribute, selling it privately to the public?"

"Reporting to Imperial Father, because I wanted to make a huge profit! I wanted to make a lot of money!"

Zhao Dezhao answered even more righteously, continuing fluently: "I dare not deceive Imperial Father. The refining technique I saw in that ancient book is actually very simple—so simple that an ordinary person could learn it at a glance. If I had made this public, within a few days, countless such sugar would appear on the market, driving the price down to nothing."

"As the saying goes, rarity is what makes things valuable. To ensure this sugar could be sold at a high price and earn a massive profit, I acted mysteriously, having my eunuchs use the guise of stolen tribute to sell it quietly at a high price. And as I expected, with the 'tiger skin' of palace tribute as a banner, and given that the quality was unprecedented, I could easily earn double the profit on every catty of sugar sold!"

It was only when Zhao Dezhao said this that Zhao Kuangyin, who had been trying to maintain his patience, slammed the table and roared: "You have the gall to speak so righteously! As an imperial prince, it is bad enough to compete with the people for profit, but you also lied about it being tribute to swindle others, ruining the reputation of the Imperial House. What kind of conduct is this?"

For some reason, after finally waiting for his brother to explode, Zhao Guangyi, who hated his unworthy nephew to the bone, felt no joy. Instead, a thought subconsciously crossed his mind: "Brother, there is no need for anger. Since your wicked son dared to do this, he will surely give you a grand surprise."

Just as Zhao Guangyi expected, facing his father's fury, Zhao Dezhao showed no panic. Instead, he calmly asked, "Imperial Father, I humbly ask: do you remember? I once told you that when I saw the Khitan merchants running rampant at Zhou Bridge, I hated them to the bone, yet I could do nothing about them."

"What do the lawless Khitan merchants have to do with this?!" Zhao Kuangyin’s anger remained unabated.

The moment that left Zhao Guangyi completely speechless finally arrived. Before his very eyes, Zhao Dezhao pulled an account book and several stamped imperial documents from his robes, presenting them respectfully with both hands. Zhao Kuangyin took them, read them for a few moments, and his expression changed drastically. He blurted out: "You donated all the money earned from selling the sugar to the Fengzhuang Treasury anonymously?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guangyi could only close his eyes in pain, for he knew exactly what the Fengzhuang Treasury was—the imperial treasury established by Zhao Kuangyin himself, specifically to accumulate military funds for the conquest of the Liao! Zhao Guangyi knew with his eyes closed how Zhao Kuangyin would react to his wicked nephew donating the sugar profits to that treasury.

At this moment, Zhao Dezhao nodded and said earnestly: "I wanted to contribute a small effort to Imperial Father's grand plan of conquering the Khitan and recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. That is why I feigned mystery, so that the sugar I refined could sell for a higher price, allowing me to donate more to the military funds of the Fengzhuang Treasury."

A gentle, kindly expression appeared instantly on Zhao Kuangyin’s face. Zhao Guangyi, meanwhile, remained outwardly calm while inwardly cursing and roaring: "What wicked deed did I do in my past life to end up with such a diabolical nephew? Not only does he vie for the Emperor’s favor, but he also uses me as a stepping stone and digs a massive pit for me along the way!"

Having finally realized the purpose of his nephew's scheme, Zhao Guangyi broke into a cold sweat: "How dangerous! If I hadn't been cautious and retreated in time, I would have been thoroughly ruined by this little beast today! How is it that this little brat has more treacherous schemes in his gut than I do?"

Meanwhile, Zhao Kuangyin had naturally softened his tone: "Then why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"Reporting to Imperial Father, I wanted to give you a surprise," Zhao Dezhao replied respectfully. "I originally planned to earn ten thousand taels of silver for the Fengzhuang Treasury first, and only then report it to you. I just didn't expect the matter to be exposed so quickly."

Zhao Kuangyin closed his eyes to calculate for a moment, then opened them and said: "Go back and prepare. Hand over your sugar-refining technique to the Inner Bureau. From now on, this white sugar will be sold exclusively by the Inner Court, and all profits will be transferred to the Fengzhuang Treasury for the Liao military campaign."

Zhao Dezhao agreed readily. Zhao Kuangyin tapped his fingers on the armrest of the dragon throne and pondered: "You have performed a great service this time. How should I reward you? I shall bestow upon you a..."

"Surely not?"

Even with his deep composure, Zhao Guangyi could not help but change color at this moment, fearing his nephew would receive a title before he did. Fortunately for him, Zhao Dezhao immediately interrupted: "Imperial Father, I do not seek a reward. I only ask that you grant me one small request."

"What request?" Zhao Kuangyin asked curiously.

"Lend me two hundred thousand strings of cash!" Zhao Dezhao finally revealed his true objective: "I am not talented, but I wish to open a bank and experiment with issuing a form of paper currency to facilitate commerce among the people, as well as to earn some profit to help relieve some of your financial burdens."

"A bank? Paper currency? What does that mean?"

The term "bank" would not appear until the Ming Dynasty, and paper currency would not be pioneered in Chengdu, Sichuan, for decades to come. Naturally, Zhao Kuangyin was filled with curiosity. Zhao Dezhao, well-prepared, immediately began explaining the specific functions of banks and paper currency, their benefits to the nation and the people, and how to derive profit from them.

As a fellow master of finance, listening to his nephew's explanation, Zhao Guangyi quickly understood the immense benefits hidden within. Yet, the more he understood, the more his heart sank: "This little brat is truly too cunning and too ruthless! Throwing out a brick to attract jade, he coaxed his Imperial Father into happiness, borrowing money to make more money. Gaining control of a massive fortune is his true goal. Flattering the Emperor and setting a trap for me were merely convenient side-tasks. Killing three birds with one stone—I have never heard of anyone as insidious as he is!"

Zhao Guangyi finally understood his nephew's true intent, but he was powerless to stop it. After listening carefully to Zhao Dezhao’s proposal, Zhao Kuangyin, having seen his son’s ability to generate wealth, did not hesitate for long and decided on the spot: "Very well, I will lend you two hundred thousand strings of cash to get this bank started! But I have two conditions: first, you cannot lose money; second, the profits will be split thirty-seventy—I take seventy percent!"

"Imperial Father, rest assured," Zhao Dezhao suddenly thought of a certain boss and replied with complete sincerity: "Once I have built this bank up and it is earning large profits, at your command, I will immediately donate it to the imperial court without compensation!"

After speaking with such brazen confidence, Zhao Dezhao added a silent thought: "Of course, I must first be named Crown Prince, and once I ascend the throne, I will simply take the bank back."