As soon as Chen Liejiu arrived in the capital with my, he went to real estate agents to look at houses.
The capital truly lived up to its name as the heart of the Jin Dynasty. The magnificent buildings with their upturned eaves and painted corners dazzled Chen Liejiu.
When he had visited Suzhou Prefecture before, its painted pavilions and vermilion towers were also unique, but among those multi-storied buildings with flying eaves, there were always hidden brothels, the air thick with the scent of powder and makeup, which he never liked.
Coming to this grand, imposing capital, walking its numerous streets and alleys, filled with majestic residences and thoroughfares, Chen Liejiu felt it was the right fit.
This was the place where his little husband should be.
Whether in Suzhou Prefecture, teeming with literati, or the quiet Xinghua Village, Xu Huaiqian always seemed out of place. Only this prosperous, wealthy capital, where people lived in comfort and goods were abundant, suited him. It was as if he was born to belong in such a place.
Chen Liejiu didn't quite know why he felt this way, but finding a place that suited his little husband made him very happy.
The only downside was that the houses were too expensive.
At least the several residences he had his eye on for his little husband were very pricey.
He carried eight thousand taels in banknotes. He hadn't even considered ordinary places, opting instead for those spacious, deeply-set compounds with carved beams and painted rafters. He thought that amount would surely be enough.
But upon asking the prices, they started at over ten thousand taels.
Chen Liejiu: "..." Are they built of gold?
Unable to afford a good residence, Chen Liejiu had no choice but to turn his attention to lesser properties. But these were too ordinary, and the people living around them were too mixed, unsuitable for his little husband.
Unlike the compounds he first saw, which were surrounded by influential official families, with strict security, living in such a place would benefit his little husband's well-being, whether he became an official or not.
But he lacked the funds to buy a beautiful house in a good location.
After half a month in the capital, almost all the major and minor real estate agencies knew of him.
They knew there was an unconventional man with limited funds who insisted on buying a property in a prime location. Agents with such listings then showed Chen Liejiu some dilapidated, long-neglected houses.
These properties weren't bad in terms of location, but for various reasons—like bad feng shui, where officials or wealthy families who moved in would inexplicably be dismissed, demoted, or bankrupted—they had been abandd and remained unsold.
Chen Liejiu was no fool. He might have no connections in the capital, but he was, after all, the president of the Changnan Chamber of Commerce. Although Changnan was poor and remote, it had members doing business in the capital.
He inquired with the Chamber members in the capital and soon learned what kind of houses these were.
Initially, he didn't take these properties seriously, looking at them just for the sake of curiosity. But then he saw that had been damaged by a fire, and he was somewhat moved.
Although burned, the main structure remained intact. Probably abandd for many years, the once-scorched plants and trees inside had regrown. Among them was a large tree that showed signs of burning, but over the years, it hadn't died; instead, it flourished lushly, almost healing its burned scars. It looked full of vitality.
It reminded him of the little husband he nurtured—a withered tree meeting spring, reborn with the spring breeze. A good omen!
And it was really cheap!
Three thousand taels!
This was much lower than his estimated budget.
Chen Liejiu inquired further. This wasn't a haunted house or where people had died in the fire. It was simply that in the early years of the dynasty, many wealthy families from the south moved to the capital. Unaccustomed to the northern cold, they overused charcoal in winter, which led to the fire that burned down the house.
At that time, only the wealthy masters of the house could afford charcoal. The masters were rescued, but they found the burned house inauspicious. They promptly moved elsewhere, and this property was left abandd.
Over the years, much of the house had fallen into ruin. Restoring it would be a major project. Importantly, its location wasn't prime either, surrounded by lower-ranking officials. Even if repaired, it wouldn't fetch a high price, so it remained as it was until now.
"Buy it!" After confirming there were no issues, Chen Liejiu bought the house without hesitation. High renovation costs didn't matter; he was buying it to live in, not to sell. Building it himself meant he could design it according to his little husband's preferences. Nothing could be better.
After purchasing the house, Chen Liejiu immediately gathered a team to start the renovations.
Here, his role as President of the Changnan Chamber of Commerce proved its worth. For others, just finding reliable workers would be a headache, let al managing the rest. But Chen Liejiu simply announced it within the Chamber, and naturally, members familiar with the trade came to his aid.
He easily gathered materials like timber, st, and manpower. Within days, the sounds of renovation echoed from the property.
My makes the mare go.
With his spending, the house improved day by day, but his wallet grew thinner day by day.
It couldn't be helped; the house was in terrible condition. Apart from the still-intact st structures, everything else crumbled at a touch and was unusable.
His three thousand taels were essentially spent on the land; everything else needed rebuilding.
Even being cautious, he was slightly cheated, treated as a cash cow.
Worried the renovations wouldn't finish before his little husband arrived and truly short on funds, Chen Liejiu had to find a way to make my quickly.
The only fast my scheme he could think of was selling the method for producing imitation silver charcoal.
Xu Huaiqian had said the production method for "Frost Silver Charcoal" was identical to theirs for imitation silver charcoal; the only difference was the raw materials.
Frost Silver Charcoal used high-quality fragrant wood, while their imitation silver charcoal used ordinary hardwood from the mountains.
With the Yong'an Chen family's imitation silver charcoal becoming hugely popular in the capital, Chen Liejiu noticed other charcoal shops in the capital also started selling their own versions of imitation silver charcoal.
The prices were similar to theirs. Moreover, with the established reputation of Frost Silver Charcoal and the convenience of not needing capital residents to travel to Yong'an Prefecture to buy it, these alternatives were much more convenient for people in the capital.
In terms of manpower, resources, and capital, the Yong'an Chen clan couldn't compete with these major families. Chen Liejiu believed that within a few years, their clan's imitation silver charcoal would be overshadowed.
Rather than passively watching others rise, why not take the initiative and share the method? Let every make my together?
Furthermore, selling this production method would allow him to quickly recoup a sum of my, much faster than running around town trying to earn it.
Chen Liejiu decided to act on his idea.
His first thought was the members of their Changnan Chamber of Commerce.
Back in Changnan, these members had subtly asked if he considered opening branch kilns outside Yong'an Prefecture.
Although Chen Liejiu had built the road from Changnan to Xinghua Village, making it easier for people from other prefectures in Changnan to sell wood to Xinghua Village, convenience still couldn't compare to having a local branch kiln.
Besides, with only kiln in Xinghua Village, supply was limited. More kilns meant supplying more areas and more income.
At the time, they hadn't asked explicitly, and Chen Liejiu hadn't given a clear answer. Now, Chen Liejiu approached the Chamber members and simply asked: "Is any in the Chamber interested in buying the production method for imitation silver charcoal?"
The entire Changnan Chamber of Commerce was electrified!
Why had they agreed to let a man like Chen Liejiu become President? Not just because he generously built a road for Changnan, but also because they coveted his imitation silver charcoal kiln and its production method.
Of course, they knew he wouldn't easily part with it. But by giving him the presidency and keeping him happy, wouldn't he think of his Chamber colleagues if he ever considered sharing it?
Look, now the opportunity had arrived.
Not only was Chen Liejiu planning to set up branch kilns in Changnan, but he was also selling the production method! The news spread through the Changnan Chamber of Commerce in days, immediately attracting attention from all quarters.
Even Chen Liejiu himself didn't expect that merely selling the imitation silver charcoal method would not only mobilize all Chamber members but also prompt the Changnan government to send some to negotiate with him.
This method was desired not only by various merchants but also by the government!
The seven necessities for starting the day are firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.
Firewood ranked first, highlighting its importance.
The court wasn't without charcoal-making methods, but the official methods produced "ash-flower charcoal," which created heavy, choking smoke and posed a high risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, making it very unsuitable for daily use by common people.
The production method in Chen Liejiu's hands, however, was excellent—practical, inexpensive, and crucially, it produced little smoke, significantly reducing the risk of poisoning.
Previously, since Chen Liejiu wasn't selling the method, they couldn't just seize it. But now that he was willing to sell, if others could buy it, why couldn't the government?
This caused an uproar.
The Changnan Chamber of Commerce and Changnan officials clashed directly.
Being in the same region, if the government acquired the method, the Chamber would lose profit!
The Changnan Chamber berated the Changnan officials: "Shameless! Shameless! Competing with the people for profit!"
The Changnan officials, unaccustomed to being challenged by merchants, retorted sharply: "Profit-obsessed! Profit-obsessed! Only by controlling the imitation silver charcoal production can we, the government, ensure its proper distribution to the people!"
Neither side would yield, and they ended up brawling right on the streets of the capital.
This incident was reported to the court by the Capital Censor. Coincidentally, Changnan officials had been in the spotlight for the past two years, and some censors were already displeased. Their undignified street fight gave the censors ammunition to vehemently criticize them before the Emperor: "As court officials, brawling with merchants—utterly lacking in dignity and damaging to authority!"
The Changnan officials, already furious from the Chamber conflict, were further incensed by the censors' reprimand. They fought back, rallying supportive censors to counter-attack in court: "We are local officials working for the people's welfare! We'd even risk our lives for them, unlike some who only know how to find fault and wag their tongues!"
Their court debate caught the attention of the Ministries of Works, Personnel, and Revenue.
Earlier, when the Ministries of Personnel and Revenue collaborated on local livelihoods, they hit a major obstacle: impassable roads!
The Ministry of Works wanted to build roads, but the Ministry of Revenue lacked funds. Without roads, the Ministry of Personnel couldn't act. The situation was deadlocked.
Now, Chen Liejiu's offer to sell the imitation silver charcoal method was timely! Yong'an Prefecture's success was largely due to their booming imitation silver charcoal trade, which gave people hope and made them agree to road construction.
If local governments could master this method, produce and sell charcoal for self-sufficiency, they'd have funds. Wouldn't road construction then be feasible?
Moreover, charcoal production didn't require rare materials. Except for a few areas, the Jin Dynasty had abundant trees everywhere.
Plus, more kilns meant more coal cinder waste, which the Ministry of Works could use to build the cinder roads they desired!
The three ministries saw their respective benefits and, importantly, potential for mutual gain. Their ministers jointly petitid in support of the Changnan officials: "The Changnan officials' actions are highly commendable!"
"If we can acquire the imitation silver charcoal method from the Changnan merchant, all prefectures could operate as efficiently as Yong'an! Moreover, the people could benefit from imitation silver charcoal years earlier!"
With the three ministries speaking up, the Emperor Changsheng also nodded in agreement: "Well said."