Chapter 685: Establishing Cooperation
Li Daoxuan had just reached the entrance of the restaurant when he bumped into Bai Yuan.
Bai Yuan, clad in pristine white robes, appeared as a dashing young gentleman—no, a dashing middle-aged gentleman, without a hint of the 'greasy' stereotype. The moment he saw Li Daoxuan, he performed an elaborate bow. Only after completing the formal greeting did he lean in, chuckling softly, "So, what's our play for the Prince of Fu's Residence today?"
Li Daoxuan smiled. "It's the same approach as with the Prince of Qin's Residence. These princes, consumed by self-indulgence, control vast tracts of land and social resources. Until we completely break ties with the imperial court, these princes are useful tools."
Bai Yuan understood instantly. "It's time we extended our reach to Luoyang, then."
Li Daoxuan nodded. "Exactly! We'll just replicate our Xi'an strategy."
Bai Yuan's expression immediately became confident.
The two men entered a private room on the second floor of the restaurant. Fan Shangzheng was already seated, and beside him sat Eunuch Zheng, whom they had encountered on several previous occasions.
Upon seeing Bai Yuan and Li Daoxuan, the eunuch immediately let out a disdainful "Hmph," adopting an arrogant posture, nostrils flared toward the ceiling.
Bai Yuan chuckled and spoke, "Has the Prince of Fu's Residence sent Eunuch Zheng again to mediate today?"
Bai Yuan showed no irritation. Having grown up in a feudal society with rigid class distinctions, he was well accustomed to such behavior. He settled himself down and said, "Eunuch Zheng, I am here not out of deference to you, but to Governor Fan."
Eunuch Zheng bristled, "You!"
Bai Yuan calmly replied, "Me!"
The conversation ground to a halt.
Fan Shangzheng quickly intervened, "Gentlemen, let's not bicker over trivialities. Let's get straight to the main point. Eunuch Zheng, I have verified that Xiaolangdi is indeed the Prince of Fu's fief. It should rightfully be returned to the Prince of Fu's Residence."
At these words, Eunuch Zheng beamed with delight.
However, Fan Shangzheng immediately shifted his tone. "But when Xiaolangdi was under the Prince of Fu's control, it was plagued by rampant water bandits who frequently plundered passing merchants, making life miserable for traders on the Yellow River. It was only through Mr. Bai's management that order was finally restored. If we return it to the Prince of Fu's Residence now, I fear it won't be long before the water bandits resurface. What then?"
Eunuch Zheng protested, "How could that be? This time, our Prince of Fu's Residence will certainly manage Xiaolangdi properly."
"Certainly?" Fan Shangzheng's voice sharpened. "Are you certain?"
Eunuch Zheng's confidence wavered. "Well, that is to say..."
Fan Shangzheng continued, "Rather than letting you mess things up yourselves, wouldn't it be far better to leave it in Mr. Bai's hands, letting him manage it on your behalf? Wouldn't that be splendid?"
Seeing the Governor openly favor Bai Yuan, Eunuch Zheng knew the Prince of Fu's Residence was truly being targeted. These scholar-officials always enjoyed bullying princes, and the princes were helpless. What could they do besides weep to the Emperor? Instigate a rebellion?
He stiffened for a long moment before finally saying, "Our Prince of Fu's Residence never intended to reclaim Xiaolangdi, merely to collect a few hundred taels of silver in rent... Alas... even that small rent, they refused to pay."
Fan Shangzheng once again interjected with a biased argument. "Xiaolangdi has always been in the hands of water bandits. When did it ever pay rent to the Prince of Fu's Residence? Furthermore, Mr. Bai hasn't farmed or engaged in commerce there. He has simply built a few villages to assist refugees. He hasn't collected tenant fees from the displaced, so where would he get the rent to pay?"
This time, Fan Shangzheng's words hit the mark.
Bai Yuan had no income from Xiaolangdi, so why would he pay rent?
If the Prince of Fu's Residence forcibly collected rent, and Bai Yuan abandoned the refugees and fled, the refugees would surely have to move again, or worse, turn into water bandits themselves. Then Xiaolangdi would revert to its former dilapidated state.
The Prince of Fu's Residence wasn't oblivious to this reality; they were simply pretending to be.
Eunuch Zheng could only spread his hands. "Alright, then. How do you propose we resolve this matter?"
Bai Yuan took out his fan and flicked it open with a flourish. "Actually, this matter is quite simple to resolve. I am but a humble individual, and I certainly do not wish to be on bad terms with the Prince of Fu's Residence. From the bottom of my heart, I wish to be friends with the Prince of Fu's Residence."
Eunuch Zheng scoffed, "Hmph! I can't tell."
Bai Yuan continued, "In truth, I am quite adept at business. How about this: I can help the Prince of Fu's Residence manage some enterprises, guaranteeing a significant increase in your profits. At that point, it won't be a mere few hundred taels of silver; perhaps the Prince of Fu's Residence could make a truly enormous fortune."
At the mention of making a lot of money, Eunuch Zheng's interest was piqued. Princes had no political prospects, so their greatest joy was accumulating wealth, and the Prince of Fu was no exception. If Bai Yuan truly had a way to help the Prince of Fu's Residence rake in substantial sums, then Xiaolangdi was genuinely not an issue.
There were no eternal enemies in this world!
Profit was king.
Eunuch Zheng immediately shifted his stance. "Our Prince's Residence is certainly interested in methods for making money, Mr. Bai. Do tell."
Bai Yuan replied, "It's not self-flattery, but I have some business dealings with the Prince of Qin's Residence in Xi'an and have helped them earn a great deal. The Prince of Fu's Residence need only send a letter and inquire with the Prince of Qin's Residence to confirm this."
Eunuch Zheng exclaimed, "Ah!"
Now that was impressive!
He believed it instantly, because no one would lie about something that could be verified with a simple letter. If this man had already helped the Prince of Qin's Residence make money, then the Prince of Fu's Residence couldn't afford to fall behind.
Bai Yuan stated, "About seventy li southwest of Luoyang city, there's the Yiluo Coal Mine. That's an asset of the Prince of Fu's family, correct?"
Eunuch Zheng replied, "Yes! That is our Prince's coal mine, but it suffered a flood a while ago. The mine shafts are submerged and still filled with water, so it hasn't been reopened. What is Mr. Bai's intention in bringing this up?"
Bai Yuan said, "How about our cooperation with the Prince of Fu's Residence begins with this unassuming little coal mine? I can send people to manage it, clear out the water and silt from the shafts, and then resume mining operations. The final profits will be split seventy-thirty: seventy for us, thirty for you."
Eunuch Zheng scoffed, "That's His Highness's coal mine, and you get it for free, then only offer a seventy-thirty split? How dare you even suggest that? Do you take our Prince of Fu's Residence for a fool?"
Bai Yuan smiled. "That coal mine is just like Xiaolangdi. If we don't go, the Prince's Residence can't use it. Do you have a way to clear the accumulated water and silt from the mine shafts? If you can't restore it to use, you won't get even thirty percent, let alone one percent."
Eunuch Zheng spluttered, "Uh!"
Fan Shangzheng interjected, "He has a point! Eunuch Zheng, while the Prince of Fu's Yiluo Coal Mine isn't large, it could provide a significant amount of coal for Luoyang. Many households rely on coal from Yiluo. Since the flood in early June, it's been nearly half a year without production. Now that winter is upon us, coal is even more critically scarce..."
Eunuch Zheng felt a little awkward.
In winter, the imperial concubines in the Prince's Residence also enjoyed having charcoal braziers in their rooms for warmth. With the Yiluo Coal Mine paralyzed, the Residence was also short on coal. The concubines couldn't light their braziers, grew cold and irritable, and would snap at anyone below them.
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