Chapter 32: The Zhao Family’s Timely Help

Jiang Yi and Shen Rong saw several ox carts parked outside their fence, laden with numerous wooden barrels. The couple stepped out of their main room to see what had been delivered. As the carts stopped, men began unloading the barrels.

"Steward Zhao, what is inside these barrels?" Jiang Yi asked.

"Our Master sent these for you. They are soybean oil, twenty liters per barrel, thirty barrels in total," the steward replied. Zhao Guangxian had heard that Jiang Yi failed to source oil, so he mobilized all the soybean oil from the Zhao family’s oil shop to deliver it here. "Our Master said that if you ever need anything, just send word to the Zhao estate. These are not a gift; they are fifty wen per liter."

Jiang Yi had been in urgent need of oil for soap production, and now it had arrived. In Hanyang City, soybean oil sold for sixty wen per liter, so Zhao Tuo’s price was indeed a bargain.

"Rest assured, this is fresh oil," the steward added. "The Master hopes you can produce more high-quality soap and give the Zhao family priority in purchasing it."

Zhao Tuo’s request was reasonable, and he hadn't even asked for a discount. Jiang Yi suspected that the Zhao family was backed by powerful figures and intended to use their influence to support him. He recalled that the family of the former Crown Princess, Zhang Yan, had been secretly aiding him, and the Zhang family held a grudge against the Cao family. While the Wang family of Hanyang relied on the Cao family, the Zhao family was aligned with the Zhangs.

*The Zhang family of Haojing wants me to grow stronger so we can join forces against the Cao family,* Jiang Yi thought. The Zhangs were likely seeking a capable ally to help the Crown Princess’s son reclaim his position, and Jiang Yi was the perfect candidate.

"Please thank your Master for me," Jiang Yi said. "I will certainly give your family priority for all future soap production."

Although he was being used, the current situation favored him. To the Zhang family, he was a worthwhile investment. *If I’m not mistaken, the Zhangs are using the Zhao family to bolster me so I can help them defeat the Cao family,* Jiang Yi mused. *The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Once the Cao family is defeated, we can worry about the Zhangs.*

"Come inside and have some hot water," Jiang Yi offered. The delivery was a timely rescue that solved his supply crisis.

"No, thank you. You must keep this oil safe; don't let it be stolen or destroyed," the steward replied.

"Many thanks, Steward Zhao! I’ll treat you to a drink another time."

"Very well, when you have time in a few days. We must be heading back now."

With dozens of barrels, the couple had enough oil for a vast amount of soap.

***

Shen Rong retrieved silver from the inner room and paid for the oil. Their initial anxiety vanished; the Zhao family had truly done them a great favor. Wealth and power certainly made solving problems much easier. After Steward Zhao left, the couple moved the dozens of barrels into the main room and the bedroom, leaving barely any space to walk.

"I’m so happy! This much oil will last us a long time," Shen Rong said, though excitement was quickly followed by worry. Keeping so much oil at home felt unsafe.

"We must finish the new brick-and-tile house as soon as possible and build a high perimeter wall," Jiang Yi decided. He planned to stay home for the next few days to guard the oil. He would write to Qian Muyun in a couple of days and have her send shop assistants to collect the soap.

"Once the house is finished, should we buy a few servants to guard the house and run errands?" Shen Rong asked. Now that they had some money, she felt it was time.

"I already spoke with the slave agency today. They told me to come back in five days, as they will have a new batch of laborers arriving." Many people were forced into servitude due to poverty. In the Great Liang Dynasty, this was legal.

Given their current financial status, hiring servants was no problem. "You’ll have to work hard these next few days and sew some uniforms for them. The colors should be uniform. I intend to buy ten servants." Jiang Yi had checked the prices; young, ordinary-looking people without special skills cost no more than ten guan each. He planned to buy those under twenty who were capable of hard work.

Chang Youliang arrived at their home to invite the couple to dinner. Seeing the dozen barrels in the main room, he asked, "What is in these?"

"Soybean oil for making soap," Jiang Yi replied.

"I see. You must be careful not to let any fire near them. Anyway, my family is moving to the city this afternoon, so I’ve come to invite you to a farewell meal."

"Congratulations on your new home!" Jiang Yi cheered. He wished Chang Youliang a smooth career ahead.

"I hope you two can move to the city soon, too," Chang Youliang said. He worried about their safety, especially as the area outside the city had become unstable. "The Fire Lotus Sect has been causing trouble in several counties in Hanzhou. You should move to the city to avoid the danger."

"Thank you, Brother Liang, but we don't want to be a burden," Jiang Yi politely declined. Renting in the city was expensive, and they had their own home. Besides, the countryside offered an opportunity to build his own private force. If the sect came, he could recruit local youths to resist.

"If we are ever in real danger, we will retreat into the mountains," Shen Rong added.

"If those cultists find out you have money, you’ll be in grave danger," Chang Youliang warned, particularly concerned for Shen Rong.

"Don't worry about us, Brother Liang. Take care of yourselves in the city. If they invade Funiu Village, we will take up arms to resist," Jiang Yi said. He refused to believe the villagers were all cowards.

Chang Youliang shook his head, knowing the true nature of the villagers all too well. "Don't trust others too easily. I suggest you hide your valuables in the mountains."

"That is exactly our plan," Shen Rong agreed. They had heard that wherever the Fire Lotus Sect occupied, they looted the wealthy, then distributed some grain to the poor to recruit them, enslaving those who refused.

"Did the Prefect mention what position you will hold?" Jiang Yi asked, changing the subject.

"He told me it would likely be a ninth-rank or junior ninth-rank official post. He told me to work hard and said I could be promoted in a year or two," Chang Youliang said. For him, this was already a significant achievement, as he hadn't earned the position through imperial exams or bribery.