Chapter 107: The Emergence of the Exchange

In the cracks of the bluestone slabs under the corridor, dense moss grew, though in this winter it showed some signs of withering. Jiang Xuening had been quietly staring at that crack for a long time.

Her gaze was steady and unmoving.

Her entire figure seemed almost still.

Zhou Yinzhi, who had escorted Jiang Xuening to the capital and was a former subordinate of Jiang Boyou, took the opportunity to visit Jiang Xuening under the pretext of delivering some local products to Jiang Boyou, which did not arouse much suspicion.

However, at this moment, it was inevitable to feel uneasy.

Since he reported the situation of the negotiations with the Tianjiao sect, Jiang Xuening had been like this, silent for a long time.

The half-letter was pressed between her fingers.

The thin page of the letter, neither new nor old, had strong and orderly handwriting.

The wind blew, making the letter and the handwriting sway between her fingers.

Zhou Yinzhi knew this matter was extraordinary. After pondering for a moment, he said, “The person has been captured, but he refuses to write a letter to notify his companions as the previous one did. He said this matter was already discussed with his companions before he came out, so even if he writes a letter, no one will take the bait. Why not go all the way and use their lives as leverage to force them to comply?”

This was the most common approach.

Few people could truly disregard life and death. As long as the threat was sufficient, even the toughest person would quickly give in.

However, Jiang Xuening gently closed her eyes and said, “It’s useless to threaten them.”

From the beginning, this was not a fair transaction.

People fear death, but the person holding the other half of the letter was not the one they captured and whose life was truly threatened, but his scattered companions. Thus, even if they threatened, the others wouldn’t care.

Moreover, no matter how you calculate it, they were more afraid.

More afraid that the remaining half of the letter would fall into the hands of the court or the Xiao family!

Fifty thousand taels of silver.

They really dared to ask for a lot!

Jiang Xuening’s expression became colder, and she felt a surge of anger, but she forced it down: having money ready from the start was precisely for situations like this. Compared to the safety of the Yongyi Marquis’s residence, material possessions were insignificant.

However…

She frowned slightly and said, “The price is high, but not unacceptable. I’m just afraid they’re lying. Now that Gongyi Cheng is missing, these Tianjiao sect members in the capital have become restless. If we give them the money and Gongyi Cheng reappears, they might still present the letter, making our efforts futile.”

Zhou Yinzhi hesitated.

Jiang Xuening noticed and asked, “Is there other news?”

There was news…

But Zhou Yinzhi’s authority wasn’t high enough to know everything clearly, so he hesitated to speak.

When Jiang Xuening asked, he hesitated and said, “This ‘missing’ Master Gongyi, there is some news in the court. There are rumors in the Jinyiwei that during the Shuntian Prefecture’s raid on the Tianjiao sect two days ago, a sect leader named ‘Gongyi Cheng’ was shot and killed. But when I came to see you, I heard from colleagues that this person is not dead but captured and imprisoned with other Tianjiao rebels.”

If either piece of news was true, the credibility of the Tianjiao sect members planning to take the money and run would greatly increase.

There was no smoke without fire!

Jiang Xuening lowered her eyes, slowly folded the letter, and said, “Whether we believe it or not, we have to act as if we do. But I can’t gather that much money right now. Tell them we are sincere about buying the letter, but they need to wait for a month. They should know that while they can present the letter to the Xiao family, Duke Dingguo may not be a good person. Even if he receives the letter, he might trace it back and uproot them, which would be a great achievement. They should not seek their own death.”

Zhou Yinzhi was slightly shocked: “But such a large sum of money…”

Jiang Xuening interrupted, “Just tell them. I’ll find a way to get the money.”

Even with the money Jiang Boyou recently gave her and her own savings, it wasn’t enough to reach forty thousand taels, let alone prepare for contingencies. The missing portion of the money was a worry.

After Zhou Yinzhi left, Jiang Xuening sat alone in the room for a long time, finally sighed, and made a decision.

She sent someone to deliver a message to Ren Weizhi.

The next morning, merchants and brokers frequenting the Shuxiang Inn noticed something unusual—a large sign had been hung in the inn’s lobby, stating that 40% of the silver shares in the Ren family’s salt fields in Zigong, Sichuan, had been sold out, raising twenty thousand taels. The Ren family would soon return to Sichuan to manage the salt fields. Information about the Zhuotong Well would be regularly sent to the capital by fast horse. The silver shares purchased by various people could be resold without the Ren family’s approval!

The prices and amounts of resales would be recorded on this sign for public display.

This sign caused a huge stir among the merchants and traders in the capital!

*

Ren Weizhi and You Fangyin’s “engagement” was quickly settled.

After You Fangyin told Jiang Xuening her plan and learned that she did not oppose it, Zhou Yinzhi from the Jinyiwei ordered her release.

That afternoon, Ren Weizhi went to propose marriage.

You Fangyin, being a concubine’s daughter, had been ignored during her days in prison. When she returned home, she faced disdain from everyone, from the marquis and ladies to the servants.

You Yue resented You Fangyin for almost attacking her in a fit of madness and wanted to take the opportunity to retaliate.

Who would have thought that someone would suddenly come to propose marriage?

This surprised everyone in the household.

When someone comes to propose, the Earl of Qingyuan couldn’t possibly turn them away and invited them in for a discussion according to etiquette.

Ren Weizhi had no relatives in the capital and no acquaintances, so he came by himself.

When the Earl of Qingyuan inquired, he found out that Ren Weizhi was a scholar but had no official title, not even a juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), and was a merchant. The marquis immediately looked down on him. After all, they were a marquis’s household, and although You Fangyin was an insignificant concubine’s daughter, she was still of official descent. How could she marry a merchant? But then he heard that Ren Weizhi’s family ran a salt field and had just raised a sum of money to return to Sichuan, which piqued his interest.

He asked, “How much dowry will you offer?”

Ren Weizhi said, “Three thousand taels.”

The marquis was not satisfied and sent him away with tea.

However, You Yue, who had recently been sent back from the palace, heard about this and boldly invited Ren Weizhi over for a talk—

Few people knew that she was acquainted with Ren Weizhi!

That day, after the marquis spent over thirteen thousand taels of silver to bring her home safely, she had a big fight with her family. Ignoring her sister You Shuang’s advice, she took her savings and went out.

She went to buy shares in Ren Weizhi’s salt field!

Unexpectedly, Ren Weizhi wanted to marry You Fangyin.

You Yue hated Jiang Xuening for overshadowing her and making her lose face, and she hated You Fangyin, a concubine’s daughter who dared to fight her with a bench. She wished she could find a way to get rid of both of them.

After thinking it over, she couldn’t help but sneer.

It was simple. You Fangyin rarely left the house, so how could she have met any men? Ren Weizhi must have proposed because they had an affair when You Fangyin went to inquire about the salt field.

Shameless woman!

Of course, she didn’t need to say this out loud.

You Yue saw this as an opportunity. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the marquis’s household and had some influence.

She hinted to Ren Weizhi.

Ren Weizhi was very “understanding” and respectfully asked You Yue to speak on his behalf, giving her a thousand-tael red envelope and promising more after the matter was settled.

You Yue was delighted with the money.

She had spent over two thousand taels of her savings on shares in the salt field, so the thousand taels were a welcome relief.

And there was more to come?

If You Fangyin married into the family, she would be a lady from the marquis’s household, and her investment in the salt field would be more secure.

So she pretended to reluctantly agree to speak for Ren Weizhi.

Although the Earl of Qingyuan still held a title, he had no real power in the court. Recently, he had spent a large sum to get You Yue out of prison, almost emptying the family’s coffers.

Three thousand taels was not much, but it was not insignificant either.

The marquis regretted sending Ren Weizhi away.

Soon, You Yue came to persuade him, hinting, “Father, you were foolish. That girl is of low birth. Which noble family in the capital would want her? Even as a concubine, she might not be desired. Now, this Ren Weizhi, though of low birth, is at least a scholar. The important thing is that his family runs a salt field. You may not know, but many people in the capital have bought shares in his salt field. If he succeeds, he could become a wealthy merchant. And he’s willing to offer three thousand taels as a dowry. Whether he succeeds or not, it’s free money! If he wants to marry that girl, we don’t even have to give her much dowry, and he wouldn’t dare complain!”

The marquis hesitated, “But I’ve already sent him away…”

You Yue’s eyes twinkled, “That’s easy. I’ll have someone invite him back. He won’t refuse. When you see him, just say you were testing his sincerity and then agree.”

So, the next day, Ren Weizhi visited again.

The marquis put on a show for a while and finally agreed to the marriage.

You Yue received another thousand-tael red envelope from Ren Weizhi.

The matter was settled.

Since Ren Weizhi’s family was in Sichuan and he was eager to return to manage the salt field, the wedding date was quickly set. It was scheduled for a month and a half later. Ren Weizhi would return to Sichuan first, and You Fangyin would follow with her “dowry” after a month and a half.

Jiang Xuening was relieved to hear that the matter was settled as expected, with no surprises.

But the other merchants in the capital were amazed.

No one expected Ren Weizhi to raise such a large sum of money and solve his lifelong matter so quickly.

Three days later, Ren Weizhi set off for the capital.

The innkeeper, having received some silver, continued to display the sign.

Merchants passing by couldn’t help but discuss it.

“Forty percent of the salt field shares, divided into forty thousand shares, raised twenty thousand taels. That means each share is worth five qian of silver, or five hundred wen. I never thought people would actually invest. Are there so many wealthy people in the capital?”

“Of course, didn’t you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“The owner of the Youhuang Pavilion in the capital, Master Lu, invested five thousand taels and holds ten thousand shares. He has money to spare and dares to invest!”

“Yes, but what if that Ren guy runs off with the money?”

“You don’t understand. He’s already arranged a marriage with the Earl of Qingyuan’s family. This is to assure you that he won’t run away. Plus, if the shares can be resold, those who don’t trust him can sell their shares now.”

“That’s easy to say, but who would buy them?”

“Exactly, I wouldn’t buy them even for two wen per share, let alone five qian. It’s a rundown salt field with a map no one can see. Who believes he can make the salt field profitable?”

“Strange, Master Lu only invested five thousand taels. Who invested the remaining fifteen thousand taels?”

“I know Master Liu, who deals in silk, bought a few hundred taels’ worth just for fun. He doesn’t lack money and just wanted to help the younger generation. Does anyone here want to buy? I can help negotiate.”

“Who would buy this!”

…

In short, people talked and were curious, but during the time Ren Weizhi was back in the capital, only a few shares were available, and few people were willing to bid.

Even those who did bid didn’t want to pay five hundred wen per share.

Some offered three hundred wen, others four hundred wen.

But strangely enough, after five days of no interest, a deal was made on the fifth day. Master Liu, a friend of Ren Weizhi’s father, bought six hundred shares for three hundred taels, thinking the money was lost and not expecting to get it back.

But someone did come to buy.

A young woman, whom Master Liu didn’t know, offered three hundred fifty wen per share, allowing him to recover two hundred ten taels. He was satisfied and sold the shares without much thought.

The innkeeper at the Shuxiang Inn then replaced the sign, clearly recording the number of shares and the price of this transaction.

The sign attracted a crowd the day it was put up.

The inn’s tea sales doubled, making the innkeeper very happy.

However, people pointed at the sign and laughed loudly: “Look, bought for five hundred wen, sold for three hundred fifty, a thirty percent loss! Those who invested thousands of taels must be furious!”

Someone agreed: “Yes, a big loss.”

Someone sighed: “I don’t think this Ren Weizhi is reliable. Soon, no one will buy even for three hundred fifty wen, and the price will drop further!”

Sichuan is far from the capital, and no one had heard of the “Zhuotong Well,” so they didn’t believe it could extract new brine from old, unusable salt wells.

The price of the salt field shares continued to fall.

In the next ten days, two more transactions were made, at three hundred wen and two hundred ninety wen per share.

Since learning that the salt field shares could be freely traded, Lu Xian had been closely monitoring the news from the Shuxiang Inn. When he heard the first sale at three hundred fifty wen, he couldn’t help but curse.

When the price dropped to two hundred ninety wen, he was furious.

Although he was counting on the salt field to succeed and make a big profit, he couldn’t help but calculate his losses. He had invested five thousand taels and lost nearly half! His heart bled!

You Yue at the Earl of Qingyuan’s residence was even more shocked, unable to sleep for several days, secretly calculating her money and cursing Ren Weizhi.

No one believed in the salt field.

Previously, many people visited the Shuxiang Inn to check, but as the shares couldn’t be sold, the sign remained unchanged for days, and interest waned. Only a few persistent people occasionally checked.

Until a month after Ren Weizhi left the capital, news suddenly spread among the salt merchants—Zhuotong Well had been built!

It was said to be several zhang high, like a small building, looking very impressive. After it was erected, the hired salt workers began drilling, and by the time the news arrived, the well was already more than a zhang deeper than the old salt wells and still being drilled!

The news spread from the salt merchants to ordinary merchants.

Soon, it was confirmed: Ren Weizhi’s side sent a fast horse to the capital, and the sign in the Shuxiang Inn’s lobby announced the news of the Zhuotong Well’s construction and deep drilling!

This brought a surge of curious merchants and even ordinary people to the inn, more than ever before.

Those holding shares and those considering buying gathered, discussing the situation. Although the salt field hadn’t yet produced brine, the low prices of two hundred ninety wen or less were gone. No one sold at three hundred wen, four hundred wen, or even five hundred wen. Finally, someone offered six hundred twenty wen, or six qian two fen of silver, and a small transaction was made!

Previously, those who mocked others for “losing money” couldn’t help but look at each other in surprise.

Some sharp-minded individuals suddenly realized something more important from the price changes—

Like Lu Xian.

When he heard that even six hundred wen couldn’t buy salt field shares now, his mind was blown. Only then did he vaguely understand what “shares can be freely traded” truly meant!

It meant that the salt field didn’t need to actually make money; as long as everyone believed it could, the share prices could soar!

And those holding shares didn’t need to wait for the salt field to be profitable and receive dividends; they could sell their shares in advance for a substantial profit!

This was a completely new way to play with money and shares!

Unprecedented and unheard of!

Lu Xian couldn’t help but ponder: Did Ren Weizhi come up with this idea himself, or was it someone else who bought shares? He only invested five thousand taels, so who holds the remaining fifteen thousand taels…

*

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

The Tianjiao sect members holding the other half of the letter finally grew restless, sending messages to ask when they could get the fifty thousand taels of silver. With the agreed deadline approaching, they were clearly anxious.

Zhou Yinzhi also wondered where Jiang Xuening would find such a large sum of money.

He came to the Jiang residence again to report the news to Jiang Xuening.

As the year-end approached, it snowed more frequently in the capital.

The room was already warmed by a brazier.

Jiang Xuening, thinking that she would eventually have to return to the palace and knowing that Xie Wei was a strict person, hadn’t touched her qin for a while. Remembering this made her anxious, so she decided to play to calm her mind. She sat at the qin table, tuning the strings.

After hearing Zhou Yinzhi’s report, she didn’t even glance up, just pointed to the table and said calmly, “Take the ten thousand taels and give it to them to reassure them.”

As for the remaining amount…

Jiang Xuening lightly plucked a string, and the trembling sound resonated in the cold air. Her voice was also soft: “As for the rest of the money, it will come soon.”

Just wait a little longer.

Be patient a little longer.

The best price hasn’t come yet.

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