As soon as white sugar appeared, it caused a sensation throughout the Five Cities. In just three days, several shops sold out one after another, leaving people struggling to find even a little sugar.
The Liang Family and the Sun Family wanted to sell off all their stockpiled white sugar at once and make a fortune, but Gu Zhengchen stopped them. Ample supply was no match for scarcity marketing; only a limited supply could keep the excitement alive.
This business strategy, which ran against conventional wisdom, left Sun Bing and Liang Fengyang deeply impressed.
The Sun and Liang families bought black sugar in bulk at very low cost and signed long-term contracts with several merchants in Xuzhou for large purchases at low prices. After carefully calculating transportation, shop expenses, checkpoint duties, commercial taxes, sugar refining, operating costs, and other expenditures, they finally priced white sugar at sixty-six copper coins per jin, equivalent to the market price of two jin of black sugar.
Scarcity made things precious, so a somewhat higher price was only natural. Yet despite demand far exceeding supply, Juren White Sugar never raised its price by so much as a single coin, earning endless praise from wealthy households and ordinary people alike.
Merchants chased profits. Whenever buyers grew numerous, prices rose, whether for grain or cloth. Though they could not sell a single steamed bun for five hundred thousand, they would feel no heartache over someone starving outside because they could not afford one.
In these times, Juren White Sugar alone managed to keep its price unchanged despite having no shortage of buyers.
It was not that the Liang Family and the Sun Family had never considered raising prices. Gu Zhengchen simply would not allow it.
Gu Zhengchen's consideration was that this was not the Late Great Ming, when commerce was relatively prosperous. These were the early years after the dynasty's founding, and the Great Ming as a whole suffered from shortages of goods. Commerce itself had been born with inherent weaknesses.
Old Zhu had set very low salaries for officials. That was partly a matter of his own wishes, but more importantly, it rested on the conditions of the Early Ming. The country was struggling, and the people had only just emerged from war. Production had yet to recover, so the state could not afford to pay its officials so much.
If white sugar prices skyrocketed, first, they would lose their reputation and the people's goodwill, making it difficult to reach ordinary households later. Second, white sugar would become a luxury reserved for wealthy families and the nobility.
Old Zhu was a frugal man who would never allow extravagance to blow unchecked through the land. Back when he was fighting to conquer the realm, he had banned alcohol brewing to prevent grain from being wasted. If he decided white sugar tasted the same as black sugar but cost far too much, and then imposed a ban on white sugar, they would be in a real bind.
Doing business quietly and properly was still the safest course.
Once the white sugar business was underway and its framework and basic strategies had been established, Gu Zhengchen stopped concerning himself with business matters. He seldom went to the county town, remaining in Dayan Village to read and listen to Elder Yan's ramblings.
Though Elder Yan's health was poor, he was very talkative. Taking Gu Zhengchen's hand, he began explaining, "What are manners and customs? Among the people under heaven, their firmness or gentleness, their leisurely or hurried ways, and their voices all depend on the character of the local land and water. These are manners. Their likes and dislikes, choices and rejections, movements and stillness have no fixed form. These are customs. Manners arise from the region; customs are promoted from above and take shape below..."
In ancient times, including the Great Ming of that day, the elderly were treasures. The longer they lived, the more precious they became. There was no need to pay into a pension for decades; if you could not afford food, the court would support you.
For instance, those over eighty received not only rice and meat every month, but wine to drink as well.
The elderly were treasures, and the court supported them. This did more than embody the principle of founding a nation on filial piety. More importantly, elders had lived long lives, seen much, and accumulated rich experience, giving them authority within their families and local communities.
Elder Yan knew a great deal. A lifetime was distilled into his words as he taught Gu Zhengchen to be upright as a man, loyal as an official, and thorough in all he undertook.
Dusk.
A fine horse came from the south, kicking up dust as it raced straight toward the Teng County Yamen. Upon reaching the express courier station, its rider swung down and shouted urgently, "An official document from the court! Notify the county magistrate at once!"
Hearing this, the station chief dared not delay. He completed the handover and immediately sent the document up.
County Magistrate Li Yi took the document, eager anticipation in his eyes. County Deputy Jin Dache, Registrar Sun Ang, and Adviser Yan Bin also waited in silence.
This was an official document from the Ministry of Personnel!
Without a doubt, it had to be an appointment document for someone recommended for office!
Rustle.
The document snapped shut.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked toward Ministers of War Sun Keyi and Liu Ren and declared sternly, "The tribesmen of Pingteng Stronghold defied the sovereign's commands and were finally subdued by Yuan Hong and the others. Rewards shall be granted according to merit. The commander-in-chief and commanders shall each receive four bolts of figured silk and four bolts of plain silk. Commanders who led troops shall each receive three bolts of figured silk and three bolts of plain silk. Battalion commanders and below shall be rewarded according to rank. Soldiers who took the stronghold shall receive two taels of silver, the wounded three taels, and those killed in battle four taels. See to it."
Sun Keyi and Liu Ren accepted the order and withdrew.
With dusk approaching and state affairs attended to, Zhu Yuanzhang rose and headed for Kunning Palace.
At the emperor's arrival, the serving maids all bowed.
"Where is the empress?"
Zhu Yuanzhang asked.
A maid hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, the empress has gone to the Imperial Kitchen."
Zhu Yuanzhang was about to ask another question when footsteps sounded behind him. Turning, he saw Empress Ma walking slowly toward him.
"Your Majesty, you have returned a little earlier today."
Empress Ma bowed, a warm smile on her face.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the woman before him. She possessed no peerless beauty; indeed, her looks were rather ordinary. Yet the kindness and gentleness that ran deep in her bones gave him a comfort beyond words.
She was his very life.
Without her, I, Zhu Yuanzhang, would never have reached where I am today.
Looking at her old yellow robe and the ceremonial stole whose once-deep blue-green had faded toward white, Zhu Yuanzhang grew a little distracted. Only when Empress Ma drew close did he smile and say, "My dear, with so many servants in the palace responsible for our meals, why must you inspect every one yourself?"
Empress Ma smiled gently. "I know full well that many people in the palace oversee the food, but caring for Your Majesty's meals and daily needs is my duty. Besides, if something went wrong with a meal and Your Majesty punished them, my heart would be uneasy too."
"Stop calling me Your Majesty every other breath. Hearing you call me Chongba feels much better."
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled as he spoke.
Seeing how pleased Zhu Yuanzhang was, Empress Ma teased him after they entered the hall. "What has made our Chongba so happy?"
Zhu Yuanzhang sat down, took the cool tea Empress Ma handed him, and drank it in one gulp. "This is something I really can tell my empress about. Today, Teng County in Jining Prefecture, Shandong, sent someone here with a treasure."
"A treasure?"
Looking at the delighted Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma could not help offering a word of counsel. "Under heaven, Your Majesty's people are the most precious treasure."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hands and began gesturing. "My dear, when my father and mother worked the fields and harvested wheat, they used sickles. They bent their backs nearly in two and still couldn't reap two mu in a day, only to be scolded by the landlord's family. But with this treasure, our people can harvest wheat standing upright, and reap as much as six mu in a day!"
"Chongba, truly?"
Empress Ma was delighted.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded solemnly. "When have I ever lied to you, my dear? The thing is called the Reaping Scoop. According to the Teng County magistrate's memorial, a juren named Gu Zhengchen made it and taught the local villagers how to use it. The summer harvest was much faster than in previous years."
Empress Ma rose and bowed. "I congratulate Your Majesty. You have gained not only the Reaping Scoop to benefit the people, but a talented man as well. This is truly a double blessing."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily and nodded. "Indeed. We sorely lack talented people right now. The brothers who followed me in conquering the realm cannot govern it, while the scholars who can govern are mostly former Yuan officials, steeped in bad habits they find hard to change! What I hope for now is more talented people who can serve the court..."
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