Chapter 417: Big Business

The powerful Gan Provincial Governor who was able to eliminate the Ye Clan was someone who could make countless influential clans in Gan Province tremble just by hearing his name. At this very moment, the proud Tiger Lei was reduced into nothing but a rambling poor old man.

Yan Liqiang finally realized his own mistakes. He had never been a materialistic person in his previous or this life. He never thought that money could dictate everything even when he was at his poorest, and this was especially true in this lifetime where he could easily obtain wealth. His dream of getting rich quick and achieving financial freedom had been realized when he plundered the Shatu men last time. Although he possessed an unfathomable amount of wealth, he didn’t really see how the few hundred thousand taels of silver brought any changes to his life. Therefore, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or even a million taels of silver, they didn’t make much of a difference to him. Yet, Yan Liqiang forgot that the value of money held different meanings to different people. It wasn’t only the poor that fancied money. Very often, the more influential the individual, the more they could feel the power of money. After all, money was a necessity to achieve many great things.

Looking at Lei Sitong’s knitted eyebrows and miserable expression while lamenting about his poverty, Yan Liqiang pinched himself hard on his own thigh to wake himself up.

“…Gan Province has more than a hundred thousand troops to feed. Money is needed for wages and for covering the costs of maintaining the troops, stables, barracks, and transportation. Our men’s socks, boots, and every thread on their uniform cost money. I am the one responsible for obtaining this sum of money. The Gan Province’s army require an annual expense of more than three million taels of silver, which isn’t exactly a small amount. Everyone can only see the great authority I hold in my hands as a provincial governor, but no one knows the difficulty of being in this position without being in my shoes. Uncle Lei isn’t afraid to tell Liqiang that I nearly chose to do wretched things like the Blackwind Bandits for the sake of money…”

Unbeknownst to Yan Liqiang, his hand was already in Lei Sitong’s grasp. The latter was patting on his hand affectionately while talking. That sent shivers down Yan Liqiang’s spine and his scalp was tingling.

Yan Liqiang swallowed audibly and laughed dryly. He used drinking tea as an excuse to quickly pull his hand out from the grasp of Lei Sitong’s tiger claws. “Oh… Well, I didn’t know things have been so tough for you, U-Uncle Lei!”

“Isn’t it? No other province would keep this many troops — they would’ve cut the size down to half long ago! However, the Shatu people and the Dark Ram Tribe have been eyeing Gan Province covetously. It worries me if we don’t have a large number of troops! As the Gan Provincial Governor, I must protect our citizens at all costs and keep enemies at bay. Apart from that, it has also been a long time since we last performed any maintenance on the city walls and a few important checkpoints at the borders because we are short on money…” Lei Sitong spoke while looking at Yan Liqiang helplessly.

“Well… Things are difficult indeed when you don’t have money!”

“Isn’t it? Other provinces can do anything because they are wealthy, but it is the opposite in Gan Province! I wonder if the business Liqiang mentioned just now can bring in more profit than the four-wheeled carriage? If not, it’s alright. The four-wheeled carriage business looks decent enough. That spring of yours… is fantastic indeed as no one else can make it. Since we’re a family, I will speak bluntly — if you give me half of your carriage business and let me earn three or five hundred taels of silver out of it every year, I can even give you the position of a prefectural governor. In any case, the imperial court did not state that a protectorate general cannot hold the post of a prefectural governor. Therefore, you can become the prefectural governor of any prefecture you wish! Just leave everything to me! If anyone has a problem with that, I shall crush them…!” Lei Sitong declared boldly.

Yan Liqiang nearly spat out the mouthful of tea when he heard Lei Sitong, but fortunately he was able to swallow it in time. This man was behaving more like a mafia boss than a provincial governor.

“Well, please forgive me Uncle Lei. I have already promised half of the profit from the four-wheeled carriages to the craftsmen in the manufacturing bureau. I can’t possibly go back on my word!”

“Huh? You’re saying that you’re giving half the profit of a business that’s potentially worth one million taels of silver annually with the craftsmen from the former weaponsmiths quarter?” Lei Sitong was truly shocked now. He might’ve been exaggerating in his acting when he was lamenting earlier, but he was really surprised after listening to Yan Liqiang. The profit Yan Liqiang shared was definitely a huge sum of money. If Yan Liqiang really shared half the profit from the four-wheeled carriages with the several hundred men in the weaponsmiths quarter, these struggling craftsmen would become wealthy men in less than a year.

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“Yes!” Yan Liqiang nodded. “Since I requested His Majesty to transfer them under me, I must make sure they lead a good life instead of the opposite. I do understand Uncle Lei’s trouble. By right, the manufacturing bureau’s business belongs to the Qiyun Protectorate, so it works differently than other business organizations. His Majesty has also given his approval for no taxes to be imposed on us. However, I shall give one-tenth of the manufacturing bureau’s profit to support Uncle Lei! That’s the most I can do!”

Once the four-wheeled carriage business was established, it would definitely make many jealous. However, good things being monopolized by one party wouldn’t last long. Since the manufacturing bureau was located in Pingxi Prefecture and conducted all sorts of transactions with other places within the prefecture, Yan Liqiang had already planned to pay taxes. A good environment could only be created for the manufacturing bureau by paying taxes and letting the bureaucracy enjoy the benefits in Gan Province. Now that Yan Liqiang had met Lei Sitong and the opportunity had presented itself, Yan Liqiang might as well sort it out with him.

“Good, Uncle Lei didn’t misjudge you after all!” Lei Sitong seemed rather touched. Yan Liqiang’s words had just guaranteed him another ten thousand taels of silver annually. This was a considerable sum of money, definitely more than enough for a bribe. “Well then, the business Liqiang mentioned just now which is more profitable than the four-wheeled carriage is…”

Yan Liqiang cast a glance at Lei Sitong, then took out a black and a white porcelain bottle from his chest. He first removed the white bottle’s cork then poured a small amount of its contents on the table.

Looking at the sparkling white particles on the table’s surface, Lei Sitong creased a frown. “This is…”

“You will know once you get a taste of it, Uncle Lei!”

Lei Sitong glanced at Yan Liqiang, then pinched a small amount between his fingers and put it in his mouth without any hesitation or concern that it might be poisonous. His eyes instantly widened. “Salt…”

“Yes, it’s salt!” Yan Liqiang smiled.

“How can salt be this white? Even the quality of the blue salt imported by Gan Province and the finest lake salt produced in Lan Province pale in comparison. Not only that, the bitter aftertaste is absent too! Is this a new type of imperial tribute salt you’ve brought back from the capital?” Lei Sitong asked in surprise.

Yan Liqiang smiled and shook his head. “This is neither blue salt, lake salt, nor some new type of imperial salt from the royal palace. It is produced by our Gan Province!”

“Impossible!” Lei Sitong almost stood up in shock as he shook his head. “We only have earth salt in Gan Province! If we could produce this kind of salt, we would have been rich ages ago and I wouldn’t be this dirt poor as a provincial governor!”

Yan Liqiang smiled, then removed the black porcelain bottle’s cork and poured out its contents.

The black porcelain bottle contained the earth salt produced in Gan Province, which was yellowish brown in color. It looked more like crystalline sand rather than salt. Apart from the salty flavor, it also had a strong astringent and a bitter aftertaste. It was the lowest quality salt, commonly consumed by the poor and average families. Despite its quality, it came with quite an expensive price tag. A jin of earth salt cost more than 120 copper coins, while a jin of fine blue salt cost more than a tael of silver, and a jin of Lan Province’s lake salt cost more than 600 copper coins. As for the rumored ‘imperial salt’, unfortunately, those were not for sale and normal people wouldn’t even get to see it no matter how rich they were…

“If I can turn the earth salt in this black bottle into the type of salt in the white bottle and also reduce the production cost by half, do you think this business will work, Uncle Lei?”