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Information transmission in the Han dynasty was notably slow. For instance, Fei Qian had set out on the Day of Ding Hai, but upon arriving in Anyi, Hedong Commandery, he discovered that grain prices here had barely fluctuated…
Cui Hou's small eyes widened, gleaming with a golden hue. Back in Luoyang on the Day of Ding Hai, even the cheapest grains like wheat and husked millet had soared past 1,000 coins per dan!
This wasn't unique to the Han dynasty. Even in later eras, before the internet, many made their first fortunes by exploiting price differences between regions.
Even in the internet age, the price gap for the same item between its place of origin and consumption could make any consumer feel cheated…
Thus, while Hedong's grain prices were about thirty to forty percent higher than those in Jingxiang, they were still significantly lower than in Luoyang!
Moreover, if this trend continued, Luoyang's grain prices would only climb higher!
"Lord Fei's meaning is…" Cui Hou blinked his small eyes, gesturing, "to profit from the price difference?"
In a flash, Cui Hou had already planned what to bring back from Luoyang. With grain prices skyrocketing, many commoners would be forced to sell their possessions. Land, goods, and shops in Luoyang, once valuable, had become worthless overnight. To acquire grain, only hard currency would do…
Fei Qian nodded, then shook his head. He stood, retrieved a document from a nearby satchel, and handed it to Cui Hou.
Cui Hou opened it with a puzzled expression, then gasped, his small eyes blinking in disbelief. "This… Lord Fei prepared this back in Luoyang?"
"Without this, wouldn't you be afraid of being conscripted outright?" Fei Qian said. "I specifically requested this from Chief Clerk Li… But for now, we can't reveal it…"
"What? Oh!" Cui Hou's eyes lit up as if a sky full of gold had sprouted wings and flown to him. He carefully examined the document several times before saying, "…This is truly worth more than ten thousand gold…"
Fei Qian chuckled, fixing his gaze on Cui Hou. "Brother Yongyuan, this is a matter of great importance. How much money can you mobilize right now?"
Cui Hou slowly raised two fingers, then, under the scrutiny of Fei Qian and the others, gritted his teeth and added a third.
Fei Qian shook his head. "Not enough, far from enough. I need at least ten billion coins!" His words stunned everyone present.
Cui Hou, startled, nearly dropped the document, hurriedly saying, "Lord Fei, I really don't have that much!"
If the entire Cui family's assets were counted, they might just reach that figure, but much of it was tied up in fixed assets in Luoyang. Without the capital's relocation, some could have been liquidated, but now, who would buy such properties?
They were practically worthless. The cash Cui Hou had on hand was largely thanks to Fei Qian. Without the astronomical value of glassware, often worth millions or tens of millions, Cui Hou wouldn't have accumulated so much.
But ten billion? That was impossible.
"Could you borrow that amount by using the glass-making method as collateral?" Fei Qian asked.
Cui Hou's face twisted in distress as he calculated, then shook his head. "At most, I could borrow three or four billion…"
"That's enough. Raise the purchase price, pay half upfront, and settle the balance within a month with one percent interest," Fei Qian said rapidly, as if ten billion coins were mere pocket change. "This way, seven billion can be stretched to function like over ten billion."
Cui Hou looked as if he were about to keel over, his face drooping, features contorted into a grimace.
"The market is a battlefield! Brother Yongyuan, whether the Cui family can reclaim its place among the top merchants of the realm depends on this!" Fei Qian injected him with a dose of enthusiasm.
Cui Hou muttered the words several times, clenched his teeth, and finally resolved himself. Standing, he clasped his hands and said, "In that case, there's no time to waste. I'll start preparations immediately!"
"Wait!" Fei Qian called him back, grabbing paper and brush to write a few lines, which he handed to Cui Hou. "Spread out the purchases as much as possible! Use this format for the contracts, and claim the grain is for trading for Xiongnu warhorses. Brother Yongyuan, if this succeeds, you'll have the greatest merit!"
Cui Hou took the paper, read it, and chuckled. "I'll instruct my men to only mention this if pressed…"
Fei Qian laughed heartily, clasping his hands. "I wish you swift success, Brother Yongyuan!"
With his orders, Cui Hou couldn't bear to waste a moment. He immediately left to organize his men and handle the arrangements.
"Zichu, I have a task for you," Fei Qian said. Originally, Du Yuan might have been better suited, but he had other duties, as did Huang Cheng, leaving Huang Xu as the best choice.
Huang Xu rose and bowed. "My lord, please give your orders!"
"Well…" Since Huang Xu was the one executing, Fei Qian adjusted slightly. "Take thirty gold and go into the city tomorrow to find Anyi's wandering knights. By suppertime tomorrow, I need the entire city to know…"
Fei Qian held up three fingers. "First, that I, Fei Qian, am Cai Yong's disciple and currently hold two scrolls of the Book of Changes, three of the Book of Documents, four of the Book of Rites, six of the Zuo Commentary, and eleven of the Analects of Qi. Second, I need manpower. Those who join me will receive court salaries, plus the chance to copy three scrolls of their choice annually. Outstanding performers can copy five scrolls, and I'll personally submit their writings to Cai Yong for review! Third…" Fei Qian gestured for Huang Xu to lean closer and whispered two sentences.
Cai Yong, a literary giant of the Han, giving feedback—could that compare to Xu Shao's monthly critiques in Runan? No contest!
Du Yuan's eyes lit up. As a man of humble origins, he knew the power of Fei Qian's tactic. For noble families, copying five scrolls was no great draw, but receiving Cai Yong's critique was monumental! In the Han dynasty, reputation was everything. Even if someone later left Fei Qian's service, such a credential would open doors anywhere. For commoners, it was an irresistible lure!
Huang Xu took his orders and left. Du Yuan, sitting to the side, wrestled with himself. Could he also benefit from this? He wanted to ask but felt it might seem greedy, given he was already Fei Qian's subordinate. Yet not asking felt like missing a rare opportunity…
Fei Qian, noticing, smiled slightly. "Wenzheng, I have an important task for you."
"Please, my lord, give your orders," Du Yuan said, setting aside his thoughts and replying earnestly.
"I plan to rebuild a fortified settlement in Beiqu. Would Wenzheng be willing to take on the task of liaising with the locals?"
Du Yuan's lips trembled, his eyes reddening. He straightened, knelt on both knees, and kowtowed. "I'll serve my lord to the death!" Beiqu was his hometown. Rebuilding a settlement there meant he could face his Du ancestors in the afterlife with pride!
Fei Qian stepped forward to help him up. "The initial settlement shouldn't be too ambitious, but it must be built quickly. Make a list of needed supplies, and if anything's lacking, buy it in the city tomorrow."
Pausing, Fei Qian added, "Once the settlement is built, Wenzheng, if you wish, I can also submit your writings to Cai Yong for review."
Du Yuan quickly replied, "I would never let personal gain interfere with duty. Please rest assured, my lord." He bowed again and left the tent.
Huang Cheng, seeing everyone else assigned tasks, grew anxious, pointing at himself. "Fei Langjun, what about me? What do I do?"
Fei Qian smiled. "Shuye, no need to rush. You have your task. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Let's take it one step at a time!"