Chapter 19: Money Can Work Miracles

The midsummer breeze carried a hint of heat, causing the willow branches along Zhuque Street in Beiping City to sway gently. The incessant chirping of cicadas grated on the nerves, making one feel restless.

Wu Tiande followed closely behind his uncle, Wu Xindeng, as they entered the headquarters of the Capital Garrison Commander. His expression remained relatively calm.

Yet the sound of Wu Xindeng’s footsteps was somewhat erratic and hurried, and the hand hidden within his sleeve clenched involuntarily.

There was no other reason—Wu Tiande had stirred up a terrible mess.

The combined forces of the two noble houses of Rong and Ning, the hereditary first-class General Jia She and the hereditary third-class General Jia Zhen, were not to be taken lightly.

In fact, even Lady Wang of the Rong household, upon hearing the rumors, hinted to Wu Xindeng and Wu Tiande that it would be best to spend money to avert disaster and keep the peace.

Her implication was clear: she would never step forward to support the two of them.

As for whether Wu Xindeng and Wu Tiande would heed her advice, she could not care less; after all, it was of no concern to her.

According to Wu Xindeng’s view, one must bow under the eaves they live beneath.

He believed there was no need for Wu Tiande to be stubborn. Even if they accepted the conditions proposed—transferring the flagship store of Zheng Youwei Fast Food to the Ningguo Mansion, and selling off the other two branches—the accounts would still not show a loss. In fact, there might be a profit of several hundred or even more than a thousand taels of silver.

Using that as capital, Wu Tiande could marry a good wife, have a warm home with children—a life quite pleasant indeed.

“You’re not young anymore. After marriage and children, once you mature in character, you can steadily advance in the garrison. One day, you might attain a position equivalent to a hundred-household head, which would honor our ancestors,” Wu Xindeng said with some emotion.

As a servant of the Jia family, whose descendants were all servants, Wu Xindeng felt a deep sense of shame before their ancestors. Only through his nephew could the Wu family hope for the future. Naturally, he did not want Wu Tiande to be ruined by this matter.

But Wu Tiande replied that before conceding to benefit those two turtle-like bastards in the Jia family, they must first seek the opinion of their old master. If the Wang family of Jinling did not intervene, it would not be too late to surrender to the Jia family later.

That was a fair point.

No matter how urgent the matter, a day or two made no difference. Wu Xindeng agreed to his nephew’s request and, swallowing his pride, secured an audience with Young Master Wang Ren.

Wu Xindeng’s family had originally served as attendants to Lady Wang, and as an old hand in the Capital Garrison Commander’s mansion, he was very familiar with the place and needed no maid to guide him.

Now, he was leading Wu Tiande to the western side annex, where Wang Ren handled daily affairs.

“Remember, when you meet Young Master Wang Ren, speak steadily and don’t show any weakness,” Wu Xindeng whispered as he pushed open a wooden door carved with bamboo patterns.

Inside the annex grew two clusters of Taiping Ruisheng flowers—dozens of petals forming a single bloom, pure white as snow, densely packed, emitting a faint and elegant fragrance that refreshed the soul.

Wang Ren lounged on a rattan chair beneath the corridor, playing with a jade thumb ring. His gaze was unfocused, clearly just sobered from drinking, carrying the languid air typical of aristocratic sons.

“Young Master Ren, this is my nephew, Wu Tiande,” Wu Xindeng stepped forward and bowed. “He recently opened several fast food shops in the city but has encountered difficulties. He hopes you might lend a hand.”

Wang Ren glanced at Wu Tiande lazily and gave a noncommittal hum. “What difficulties? With your uncle Wu Xindeng’s influence, if you’re short on money, just have the accounts department advance you some silver. Why trouble me?”

To be honest, the circle of power in Beiping wasn’t large. The four great families of Jinling were closely connected. With Jia She and Jia Zhen making such bold moves to seize Wu Tiande’s fast food business, Wang Ren had certainly heard some whispers.

In his current position, he had no standing to wrestle with Jia She and Jia Zhen. Even his father, Wang Zida, would lack the courage to stand up for Wu Tiande.

Yet, Wu Tiande was not an ordinary man. His father and brothers had died on the battlefield shielding Wang Zida. This was well known within the four great families of Jinling.

Now that Wu Tiande was in trouble, if Wang Ren were to avoid him, it would seem heartless. What would the other servants think?

Therefore, Wang Ren decided to meet with Wu Tiande, setting his limits in advance—he could provide a sum of silver, but no more.

To Wang Ren, anything that could be solved with silver was not really a problem.

This answer left Wu Xindeng and Wu Tiande somewhat dissatisfied.

Wu Xindeng was about to speak further, but Wu Tiande stepped forward and said gravely, “Young Master Ren, I do not seek money, only a chance for you to hear about a business that’s sure to make a profit.”

He paused. Seeing Wang Ren did not wave him off, he continued, “My fast food shops sell at least a thousand meals daily. Originally, we used firewood for cooking, costing nearly three hundred wen a day just for fuel, and the fire was uneven, causing delays for customers. Later, we switched to honeycomb coal. Guess what happened?”

Wang Ren’s eyes brightened slightly, and he sat up straighter. “What happened?”

“Honeycomb coal is made by mixing coal dust with yellow clay. Each piece costs only two wen, and fifty pieces suffice for a full day’s cooking. This saves seventy percent of the wood cost!” Wu Tiande lowered his voice, hinting at a secret. “More importantly, the coal fire is steady, cooking is faster, customers come more frequently, and the shop’s profits more than doubled compared to when using firewood. Apart from a few employees, no one else knows this secret.”

At these words, the laziness vanished from Wang Ren’s eyes. He suddenly stood up, nearly dropping the jade thumb ring.

Though he often appeared muddled, spent his days among debauched young nobles, frequenting brothels and theaters, his noble upbringing made him keenly aware of the weight behind “saving money.” If several fast food shops could reliably turn a profit this way, imagine the endless stream of silver if this method spread.

This was no trivial matter and demanded his full attention.

“Is what you say true?” Wang Ren stepped forward, gripping Wu Tiande’s arm urgently. “Is honeycomb coal really that effective? You’re not deceiving me?”

“How could I dare deceive you, Young Master Ren?” Wu Tiande hurriedly replied. “If you don’t believe me, send someone to my shop. We’re currently cooking with honeycomb coal—you can verify it yourself.”

Wang Ren furrowed his brows, pacing back and forth, his expression shifting.

Though inept, he understood that a method to drastically cut costs was no small matter. If others found out, they would surely imitate it.

The key, of course, was the “coal.” Wang Ren had no control over the coal supply in Beiping, but his uncle, Wang Zhiteng, did.

Taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, “You two wait here. Let me visit the inner courtyard and seek Aunt’s approval first. Without her consent, I cannot easily go to the camp and speak with my uncle.”

With that, Wang Ren hurried off without tidying his clothes. This matter was too important to decide alone; he had to consult Lady Wang Zhiteng.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Wang Ren returned swiftly, his face anxious yet solemn.

“Come, follow me to the camp. My uncle is inspecting the Capital Garrison today. He must hear this in person before making a decision.”

He didn’t even greet Wu Xindeng, grabbing Wu Tiande and leaving at several times the speed they had arrived.

Outside the Capital Garrison’s main gate, banners fluttered in the wind. Wu Tiande followed Wang Ren into the central military tent, where he immediately saw Wang Zhiteng seated behind a desk.

This high minister wore a dark blue official robe. His beard and hair were streaked with gray, deep wrinkles framed his eyes, revealing exhaustion from overwork.

His complexion was pale and sallow, with faint dark circles beneath his eyes. Though seated, his posture was no longer as erect as in youth. Only his eyes remained sharp as an eagle’s, sweeping over Wu Tiande with a scrutinizing authority.

Years of handling state affairs and the inevitable indulgences of a prince and minister had clearly taken their toll.

“Uncle, please listen—Wu Tiande has a way to make money!” Wang Ren stepped forward, recounting the cost-saving honeycomb coal method in detail. He added, “If managed properly, this could become a major enterprise.”

Wang Zhiteng said nothing, simply fixed his calm gaze on Wu Tiande. “You are Wu Xindeng’s nephew? Speak then. Besides saving firewood costs with honeycomb coal, what else do you propose to convince me?”

Wu Tiande steadied himself and bowed. “General, my plan goes beyond just using honeycomb coal in fast food shops. Currently, few in Beiping know coal can be used this way. If we can secure the coal mines on the western hills outside the city before others discover the secret, monopolizing the upstream coal supply, then whether selling honeycomb coal to shops or providing heating to wealthy households, it will be a guaranteed profitable venture.”

He paused, then looked up at Wang Zhiteng. “The western hill mines are chaotic, with many tunnels. No powerful families have yet claimed them. If the General takes charge, it would be easy to seize. My fast food shops would merely serve as a proof of concept, demonstrating the efficiency of coal usage.”

Wang Zhiteng was silent for a moment, his fingers tapping softly on the desk.

Since assuming command of the Capital Garrison, he often fretted over funds. The salaries allocated by the court were insufficient, and whenever troops showed signs of unrest, he had to use his own money to soothe them.

His wife frequently grumbled in private that his position was more a burden than a blessing, leaving Wang Zhiteng speechless.

Leaving aside the Jinling Wang family’s exclusive control, if the Capital Garrison could hold the western hill coal mines, they would never lack funds for soldiers’ pay. He would no longer have to dip into his assets to cover camp expenses.

Yet, this excellent fundraising method had been kept secret by Wu Tiande, who had only revealed it under duress. Evidently, Wu Tiande’s loyalty to the Wang family was somewhat compromised.

Wang Zhiteng wished to admonish him—to remind Wu Tiande not to be so presumptuous as to think he could outmaneuver the Jinling Wang family.

Thus, he spoke with a low, cold tone, “Wu Tiande, you are candid. But why do you believe I must help you to close this coal deal?”

His gaze sharpened. “If I wish to claim the western hill mines, I do not need your name. Nor would I risk offending Jia She and Jia Zhen for you. You must know there are many former Jia retainers among the troops. One misstep could cause mutiny.”

Wu Tiande had anticipated this and quickly replied, “General, you see clearly. I do not think you cannot make this deal without me. I only fear that if my fast food shops fall into Jia Zhen’s hands, it would bring great trouble.”

“Oh?” Wang Zhiteng raised an eyebrow. “Explain.”

“If my shops using honeycomb coal operate long enough, someone will inevitably discover the secret. Should Jia Zhen acquire my shops and uncover the cost-saving method, he will surely investigate the coal’s origin. At that point, the value of the western hill mines can no longer be concealed.”

Wu Tiande’s voice lowered. “Then, not only the Rong and Ning households, but other noble families would turn their eyes to the mines. If you wish to monopolize them, you would face fierce competition and costs would multiply—there is even the risk of losing the claim.”

He looked at Wang Zhiteng earnestly. “I am being harassed by Jia Zhen now. If you can protect my shops, the secret of honeycomb coal can be kept for the time being. Once you secure the western hill mines and monopolize coal supply, even if others learn the secret later, they will have to buy coal from you. By then, you will have the upper hand, and the business will truly be yours alone.”

Though Wu Tiande spoke at length, his point was simple: protect him now to keep the honeycomb coal secret safe.

Wang Zhiteng listened quietly, his expression gradually softening.

After a moment, he suddenly smiled, dispelling some of the weariness and chill on his face. “You are indeed clever, calculating everything clearly.”

He stood and approached Wu Tiande, patting his shoulder. “You come from an old servant family of the Wang household, so I owe you some favor. I will shield you for a year or so, helping you withstand the difficulties from Jia She and Jia Zhen. This is also in gratitude for the loyalty your father and brothers showed to my family.”

Wu Tiande breathed easier and bowed deeply. “Thank you, General! I will not disappoint you.”

Wang Zhiteng waved him off and looked at Wang Ren. “Ren’er, tomorrow you must go to the western hills and finalize the coal mine matter as quickly as possible. Do not let anything go wrong.”

Then, he instructed a personal guard, “Go to the Ningguo Mansion with a message. Tell them Wu Tiande is an old servant of the Jinling Wang family. It’s a minor matter; Jia Zhen need not hold onto it.”

The guard took his orders, and Wang Ren eagerly responded, hurrying to arrange affairs regarding the western hill mines.

Only Wang Zhiteng and Wu Tiande remained in the tent. Wang Zhiteng stared out the window, his gaze distant, lost in thought.

Wu Tiande stood nearby, feeling as if a great weight had finally lifted from his heart. He knew his risky move had been the right one.

From here on, it would be no more than delivering a slap followed by a sweet reward—a matter of little consequence.