The Great Tang's King of Provisions

Chapter 47: Membership Fee—10,000 Guan per Family

The merchants spoke in unison, their tone brimming with arrogance. Li Xuanba showed no sign of anger; instead, he narrowed his eyes and chuckled inwardly. “Excellent! This is exactly what I want—for you all to need this collectively, and for every single one of your families to be wealthy!” “Since so many of you need these toothbrushes, I’ll give you two options.” “First, a collective bidding war—the highest bidder wins.” “Second, you can collectively participate in the production and sale of these toothbrushes. Everyone chips in for the costs, and the proceeds are distributed according to your share of the investment.” Having said this, Li Xuanba looked with a faint smile at the crowd before him, each harboring their own thoughts. “I wonder which option you’ll choose?” The moment Li Xuanba finished speaking, the room fell instantly silent. The merchants and the outer-sect stewards exchanged glances, none daring to voice the first option. The “highest bidder wins” option seemed to offer the chance to reap the vast profits all by oneself. However, this gathering included ninety-nine percent of Chang’an’s elite merchants and high-ranking nobles—people bound by intricate networks of connections. If anyone were to monopolize the profits, that person would likely be ostracized from their circle! Noticing the signal Cheng Huai Mo gave him, Cheng Shizu bowed his hands to Li Xuanba once more, stepping forward as the leader again. “Your Highness, we will collectively acquire the manufacturing rights to these toothbrushes and proceed exactly as you propose!” “Your Highness! We’ll pool our funds!” “Right! We’ll pool our funds, and we’ll set a very fair price for the products!” “Good! *Slap! *” Seeing that Cheng Huai Mo had grasped his meaning, and that the group before him—despite their differing motives—had united, Li Xuanba’s eyes lit up. He slammed his large hand down on the table, knocking a corner right off, and—as everyone stood there gaping in astonishment—uttered words that filled them with both surprise and delight. “You should consider yourselves very fortunate for the choice you’ve made. This is merely the first product I’m selling to you. In the future, whenever there’s a new product, I’ll continue to produce and sell it to you—because I don’t care about this petty sum, and I have no interest in competing with you for profit!” “This Prince has his sights set on the world beyond the Great Tang—a realm ten or even a hundred times larger than our own! That is where my gaze is fixed!” As he spoke, Li Xuanba’s eyes shone as brightly as the sun as he stared straight at the crowd before him. “Do you understand?” “Whoosh!” The moment Li Xuanba finished speaking, the merchants and the outer-gate steward before him all instinctively crouched lower, then immediately performed a deep bow before Li Xuanba. “Your Highness, what a noble vision! We are eager to accompany you to see that world beyond!” “Your Highness is so benevolent! We are eager to accompany you to witness those vast territories!” With Li Xuanba having made his intentions so clear, how could the crowd not understand? His goal was to unite them as one, setting their sights directly on the outside world to seek out its vast wealth—rather than keeping their eyes fixed on the narrow confines of the Tang Dynasty, merely shuffling the empire’s own wealth back and forth. Looking down at the crowd standing a head shorter than him, Li Xuanba narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the sky outside and said calmly, “It’s good that you understand! Take these toothbrushes for now; the instructions for making them will be sent to you. Go back and consult your family heads—tell them I, Li Xuanba, said this: from now on, we’ll all get rich together. Each family must prepay a portion of the funds—there’s no minimum, but the maximum is ten thousand guan; it must not exceed ten thousand guan!” “Go pay after noon. When you pay, deliver the money directly to the Xiande Hall in the East Palace. Now, you may all leave!” After Li Xuanba finished speaking, he turned and walked straight to the window, quietly watching the passersby coming and going on Suzaku Street. Bai Juyi described Chang’an as “thousands of households arranged like a Go board, twelve streets resembling vegetable plots. From afar, I make out the faint lights of the court assembly; a single line of stars lies west of the Five Gates.” Although Li Xuanba stood at a high vantage point, he was not looking down directly from the sky, so he could not fully appreciate the scenery described by Bai Juyi in his poem “Climbing Guanyin Terrace to View the City.” However, Li Xuanba could see the humble street vendors hawking food in the distance, the beautifully dressed young women, the scholarly scholars in their feathered caps and silk robes, the imposing and majestic street patrol guards, as well as the woodcutters toiling to sell their firewood and the farmers carrying grain home. Seeing this scene—which resembled a painting of a golden age—Li Xuanba was suddenly filled with a sense of grandeur. “This is the glorious chapter of our Great Tang Dynasty; these are the people of our Great Tang!” Since I, Li Xuanba, cannot expand the Tang Dynasty’s borders, I will lay its foundations as solid as a rock. Should any foreign enemy attack, they will be like an egg striking a stone—they will crash down, their heads split open and blood flowing. “Your Highness, they’ve all left.” Just as Li Xuanba was lost in thought, gazing at the scenery outside, Cheng Huai Mo walked over. “Huai Mo, when you get home, tell that devil of a father of yours to hand over the maximum amount—10,000 guan of copper coins. You’ll understand the benefits of this in due time,” Li Xuanba patted Cheng Huai Mo on the shoulder, gave a mysterious smile, and turned to walk down the street. Since he was out anyway, it wouldn’t do to miss the chance to stroll back and forth through the East and West Markets and broaden his horizons. Li Xuanba had left, but Cheng Huai Mo, following behind him, began to grumble to himself, “Pay the maximum of 10,000 guan? Of course I know there are benefits, but where exactly are they? Never mind—I’ll just go home and tell Dad and Mom about this and let them worry about it! I’d better just stick with His Highness and play it safe!” Li Xuanba strolled around the East Market a couple of times, then curled his lip in disdain and turned toward the West Market. The goods sold in the East Market were indeed high-end; even the cheapest items were priced in guan. What a pity! The items sold here were either gold and silverware, antiques and calligraphy, or high-end cosmetics and fine silks—all catering exclusively to the upper nobility. It wasn’t lively at all. Seated atop the “Chasing Wind Ten Thousand Li Cloud,” Li Xuanba, along with Cheng Huai Mo and the others behind him, strolled leisurely through the West Market. Li Xuanba looked around at the people and scenery lining both sides of the street. The streets of Chang’an were bustling with traffic; besides the street vendors, scholars, young ladies, and maidservants, there were also foreign merchants with curly hair, as well as people speaking the languages of Siam and Silla. Unlike in later generations, these foreign merchants all wore ingratiating smiles on their faces, and when ordinary people came toward them, they hurriedly stepped aside to clear the way, as if afraid of offending anyone. As for me—a commoner of the Tang Dynasty with a sorrowful expression—whenever I encountered these foreign merchants, I would instantly straighten my back and glance at them askance, carrying myself with the air of a subject of the Celestial Empire. This sight made Li Xuanba’s eyes sparkle. These were the proud citizens of the Great Tang—this was the true image of the Tang Dynasty’s golden age. Li Xuanba clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with determination. “In this lifetime,” he vowed, “I will ensure that all nations truly pay homage to the Great Tang, and I will make them all submit to our empire.” Overcome with excitement, Li Xuanba made his way to the Western Market, which had long piqued his curiosity. “Steamed buns! Hot, fresh steamed buns!” “The Four Treasures of the Study—brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—whoever buys them is sure to become the top scholar in the imperial examinations!” “Sir! Are you here for a quick bite or to stay the night? Please come inside!” “At Zhi Chang Tailor Shop, we offer mid-range fabrics and top-notch craftsmanship—we guarantee your satisfaction!” Before Li Xuanba had even entered the West Market, the lively shouts from within already filled his ears. Far from annoying him, he found himself listening with great interest—such a bustling scene was exactly what the prosperous Tang Dynasty should look like.