bullyxtreme Chapter 29 How did my son-in-law manage to conjure up 5 bushels of salt?
Chapter 29 How did my son-in-law manage to conjure up 5 bushels of salt?
And so, outside Gu Family Village, the furnace fires burned brightly day and night, and salt was continuously produced from the pots like surging quicksand.
In less than a month, Gu Cheng had refined nearly five thousand dan of high-quality salt.
This morning.
Five thousand bushels of salt were loaded onto horse-drawn carriages and prepared to be transported to the Gu family's salt shop in Xuchang City, where they would officially go on sale at the same time.
"My lord, what price do you plan to set for our batch of salt?"
Cao Jie asked in a somewhat tentative tone.
As Gu Cheng's first wife, she naturally hoped that her husband could earn as much money as possible.
But as Cao Cao's daughter, she was eager to share her father's burdens and worries, fearing that Gu Cheng, like the Mi family, was only thinking about making huge profits during the salt shortage.
Gu Cheng counted on his fingers for a moment and then said, "Let's sell our salt at 30% above the normal market price."
Cao Jie was both surprised and delighted, and couldn't help but ask in astonishment, "The price of salt on the market has increased more than fourfold, yet my husband only asks for 30% more than the usual price?"
"Madam, you don't understand. The raw material we use for this batch of salt is brine ore that nobody wants, so the cost is extremely low. Even if it's 30% higher than the usual price, the profit is still very considerable!"
Gu Cheng explained in this unhurried manner.
Cao Jie shook her head and said, "That's not what I meant. I wanted to ask why you don't sell it for four times the market price, wouldn't you make more money that way?"
"A gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way."
"Salt and grain, which are fundamental to people's livelihoods, are not like ordinary commodities; they are things that directly concern the lives and livelihoods of the people."
"Your husband wants to get rich, and he has plenty of ways and means to do so. Why would he want to make such blood-stained, black-hearted profits?"
Gu Cheng spoke with a disdainful expression.
Cao Jie immediately understood after hearing this.
"Father was right after all. Although he may seem to value money, he always kept the concepts of morality in his heart!"
"Such a talented and virtuous man is a rare blessing in this world. It is truly a great fortune that I, Cao Neng, am fortunate to marry him."
Cao Jie felt secretly gratified and moved, and her gaze towards Gu Cheng subtly gained a touch of heartfelt respect.
"Liu Bei, you must have already made the Mi family stockpile a lot of salt, right? Sorry, this time I'm going to make you lose everything."
After Gu Cheng gave a cold laugh, he raised his hand and waved his sleeve to give the order. The carriages immediately set off in a grand procession, heading straight for Xuchang.
Cao Jie, under the pretext of going into the city to check on the market, left the Gu residence and headed straight for the Sikong Mansion.
...
Inside the Sikong Mansion, in the main hall.
"The Mi family has audacity! They dare to take advantage of the salt shortage to inflate salt prices! They dare to plunder our government during this crisis!"
Cao Cao, his face contorted with rage, slammed his fist on the table and roared in fury.
Xun Yu said in a deep voice with a solemn expression, "The Mi family's actions must have been instigated by Liu Bei. He knows that our Hedong salt route has been completely cut off, and he wants to take advantage of the opportunity to use Xuzhou sea salt to make a huge profit from military funds!"
Cao Cao clenched his fists, his face burning with rage.
Xi Zhicai sighed and said, "Liu Bei's move is really too ruthless. The price of salt has skyrocketed, and it is all ordinary people who are suffering. I have secretly investigated and found that many people in Xuchang have not tasted salt for nearly half a month. This is not a solution at all."
"It's not just Xuchang that's experiencing a salt shortage."
"More than a dozen prefectures, including Yanzhou and Yuzhou, sent urgent documents, claiming that there was a severe shortage of salt in their jurisdictions."
Xun Yu added from the side.
"Father!"
Cao Ang suddenly leaped up from his seat and said sternly, "Please allow me to personally lead a large army to Hedong, immediately wipe out the remaining rebels of Baibo, and reclaim all the salt lakes."
Cao Cao's eyes flickered slightly.
"No!"
Xun Yu immediately spoke up to deny it.
"Hedong Commandery is located north of Bingzhou and west of Guanzhong, making its geographical location quite unique."
"Now that Yuan Shao has already taken over Bingzhou, and the Western Liang generals such as Ma Teng and Han Sui are also occupying Guanzhong, if the court sends a large army into Hedong, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance of both sides. If it triggers an unnecessary war, it will be a loss rather than a gain."
"Therefore, the remnants of the Bai Bo rebellion can only be extinguished by the Hedong County itself."
Cao Ang sighed and said, "But if we rely solely on Hedong County, who knows how long it will take to reclaim the salt lake? The salt shortage is already urgent, and we simply cannot afford to delay any longer."
"Minister Sikong, Mi Zhu is currently in the capital. Why not just execute him?"
Cao Hong suddenly jumped up and spoke with a face full of indignation.
Everyone chimed in, advocating for the immediate execution of Mi Zhu.
Cao Cao lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "Mi Zhu is in Xuchang, and he has no say in the important matters of the Mi family. This must be because Liu Bei forced the Mi family to act this way. Killing Mi Zhu would be meaningless."
Everyone immediately fell silent.
The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became extremely heavy.
Just then, a minor official quickly entered and whispered something in Xun Yu's ear.
Upon hearing this, Xun Yu's spirits lifted instantly, and his previously gloomy face instantly lit up with undisguised joy.
"Wenruo, what exactly happened?"
Cao Cao immediately saw through the deception and couldn't help but ask.
Xun Yu, his face beaming with joy, rose and bowed respectfully: "Reporting to the Minister of Works, the magistrate of Xudu just sent an urgent report that over five thousand bushels of high-grade salt have suddenly appeared on the market, being sold off at low prices at the same time. The salt price in the entire Xudu has plummeted!"
"Is such a thing possible?"
Cao Cao was instantly overjoyed, so excited that he jumped to his feet. Five thousand bushels of salt?
They're even selling it off at a low price?
This caused the price of salt in Xudu to plummet suddenly!
The salt shortage that had been giving Cao Cao a headache for days was instantly resolved, how could he not be extremely excited?
The staff members in the hall were both surprised and delighted, and the entire hall instantly erupted in excitement.
"Wait a minute."
"Salt prices are now four times higher than before. Who has so much salt and isn't hoarding it for huge profits, but instead selling it off at a low price?"
After his initial joy, Cao Cao immediately noticed the suspicious points.
Everyone calmed down, and a look of suspicion appeared on their faces.
"Lord Xun, could it be that the Mi family has had a change of heart and has suddenly opened their granaries to sell salt?"
Xi Zhicai spoke with a hint of speculation.
Xun Yu shook his head: "The vast majority of salt shops on the market are still selling at four times the price. The only one selling at a low price is a salt shop called Gu Ji."
Gu Ji?
"Could it be...?"
Cao Cao's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he abruptly turned to look at Xi Zhicai.
A look of astonishment, exactly the same as Cao Cao's, flashed across Xi Zhicai's eyes.
Both of them simultaneously guessed that Gu's Salt Shop was Gu Cheng's family's salt shop.
"But even if it's Liheng's salt shop, how could he conjure up five thousand bushels of salt out of thin air?"
A cloud of doubt clouded Cao Cao's face, and he couldn't make a decision for the time being.
Xun Yu smiled and said, "No matter which merchant sold at a low price, it has broken the monopoly of Xuzhou sea salt. Now that the price of salt has plummeted, the salt shortage in Xudu has finally been relieved."
These words were a wake-up call for everyone, and they all breathed a long sigh of relief. Immediately, discussions arose, with everyone speculating about the background of this righteous businessman surnamed Gu.
After the meeting concluded, everyone took their leave.
Xi Zhicai, however, did not leave. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Does Master Sikong also suspect that these five thousand bushels of salt belong to Young Master Liheng?"
"Exactly."
Cao Cao nodded, but then said, "But now the salt route in Hedong has been completely cut off, and all the sea salt in Xuzhou is in the hands of the Mi family. I really can't figure out how they got these five thousand bushels of salt."
"Sikong is right. Even if Young Master Liheng has the most ingenious schemes, he cannot conjure five thousand bushels of salt out of thin air. Could it be that there is someone else at work?"
Xi Zhicai's original guess was now somewhat shaken.
Just then, Dian Wei rushed in to report that Miss Cao Jie was outside requesting an audience.
Cao Cao was full of questions, and when he heard that Cao Jie had returned, he quickly ordered her to come in so that he could find out the truth of the matter.
A moment later, Cao Jie slowly entered and gracefully curtsied to Cao Cao.
"No need for such formalities, Jie'er."
Cao Cao quickly helped her up and eagerly asked, "Jie'er, I ask you, were those five thousand bushels of salt sold at a low price on the market your husband's doing?"
"So Father had already guessed it."
Cao Jie nodded: "That's right, those five thousand bushels of salt are indeed my husband's."
It truly is Gu Cheng's masterpiece!
The truth has now come to light.
Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai were both startled and exchanged a glance.
"Jie'er, where exactly did your husband buy five thousand bushels of salt? Was it local salt from Youzhou, or well salt from Sichuan?"
Cao Cao quickly pressed for an answer.
Cao Jie smiled faintly and said, "Father is joking. Yuan Shao has completely cut off the supply of local salt in Youzhou, and Zhang Lu has blocked the supply of well salt in Shu. Even if my husband has mountains of gold and silver, he will not be able to buy it."
Cao Cao suddenly realized that his guess was completely unreasonable.
"That's strange. Where did he get these five thousand bushels of salt? He couldn't have made it himself, could he?"
Cao Cao's doubts grew stronger.
"Father is right."
Cao Jie smiled slightly: "This salt was indeed made by my husband himself, bit by bit, over a month."
"Making it yourself?"
Cao Cao's expression of surprise and doubt only deepened, and he quickly asked, "Then where did he get the raw materials for boiling salt?"
"There are many brine mines near Xuchang, so my husband naturally used those ores to refine it."
Cao Jie raised his hand and pointed in the direction outside the palace.
"impossible!"
Xi Zhicai immediately objected, "The salt mines near Xuchang only produce brine, which is poisonous to eat. How could they possibly produce non-toxic edible salt from that salt!"
Cao Cao was also skeptical, and turned to look at his daughter, wanting a reasonable explanation.
Cao Jie then stopped keeping him in suspense and recounted to his father in detail how Gu Cheng used his self-created salt-making method to filter out all the toxic impurities in the brine and then boil it to produce high-quality green salt.
Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai both gasped in astonishment, their eyes swirling with a mixture of emotions, as if they had just heard a fantastical tale.
"Throughout history, I've never heard of such a miraculous salt-making technique. Jie'er, are you sure this was truly Liheng's doing?"
Cao Cao asked with a serious expression.
Cao Jie sighed and said, "At first, I was also full of doubts, but after I saw the whole salt-making process with my own eyes and tasted the high-quality salt that was made, I was completely convinced."
Cao Cao gasped again, stroking his long beard as he fell into deep thought, unable to calm down for a long time.
"I originally thought that Young Master Liheng not only possessed extraordinary medical skills, but also had unparalleled strategic acumen like Zhang Liang."
"It seems I greatly underestimated Young Master Liheng. I never imagined he was so skilled in salt-making!"
"This young master Liheng, he really is, he really is..."
Xi Zhicai was filled with emotion and sighs, but he couldn't find the right words to describe and evaluate Gu Cheng's extraordinary talent.
"Gu Liheng is truly a gift from heaven to me, Cao Cao, a worthy son-in-law! With such a son-in-law, how can I not pacify the world!"
Cao Cao snapped out of his deep thought and burst into laughter.
Seeing that Cao Cao was no longer troubled by the salt shortage, Cao Jie also breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes full of satisfaction.
Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, her eyes became conflicted.
After hesitating for a moment, she suddenly knelt down in front of Cao Cao.
"Jie'er, what's wrong with you?"
Cao Cao's smile vanished, and he looked at his daughter with suspicion.
Cao Jie said with a serious face, "Although my husband is a rare genius, he really only wants to live in seclusion in the countryside. I would like to ask my father not to force him to take up an official post anymore, so that my husband and I can live a carefree and leisurely life."
Cao Cao's body trembled slightly, clearly not expecting his daughter to suddenly say such a thing.
After a moment of silent contemplation, Cao Cao finally understood his daughter's deep affection and couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
"Jie'er, you should get up first."
Cao Cao reached out and helped Cao Jie to his feet, a hint of helplessness slowly appearing on his face.
"Now that you have married Liheng, it is only natural for you to think of your husband, and it is also the duty of a wife."
"If it were possible, I would gladly agree, so that you two could stay away from the strife of this world and live a carefree life."
"But now the Han dynasty's fortunes are waning, the world is in chaos and war, and the common people are suffering in hell every day."
"My father has spent half his life fighting in the east and west, only wanting to quell this chaotic world and give the people of the world a peaceful and prosperous era."
"Looking across the entire world, only your husband has the ability to assist your father in realizing this lifelong ambition!"
"The life, death, fortune, and misfortune of all living beings in this world rest on your husband's shoulders!"
"As your father, I have no other choice but to beg him to come out of seclusion and help me. Jie'er, I hope you can understand my predicament."
Cao Cao poured out all the helplessness he had been hiding in his heart to his daughter.
Cao Jie remained silent.
After a long silence, she let out a soft sigh.
"How could I not know my father's lofty ambition to turn the tide, rebuild the Han dynasty, and save the people from suffering?"
"Father wishes to earnestly request that my husband take up an official post, and I have no reason to forcibly stop him. I only hope that Father can respect my husband's own wishes. If he insists on not taking up an official post, I hope that Father will not use his authority to force him."
Cao Jie understood Cao Cao's predicament and ultimately made some concessions.
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction: "Jie'er, you can rest assured. Your husband is an unparalleled genius who can govern the world. As his father, I will try my best to win him over with the utmost sincerity. I will never presume to use my status to force him in any way."