Chapter 41: Someone Arrives at the Palace

  In the center of Luoyang City, on the main street, there is a three-story building with a magnificent facade. On the signboard above the main gate, four gilded large characters read "Huaxia Chamber of Commerce".

  Past bookworms, upon seeing it, can't help but bow their heads in contemplation, for they have never seen such characters before. These few characters have a clear and unusual skeleton, giving people the feeling of dragons flying and phoenixes dancing, with wonderful brushstrokes blooming into flowers. Even learned scholars don't know which great master wrote them, when in fact it's Qin Feng's modern hard-pen calligraphy.

  "This Huaxia Chamber of Commerce" was opened by Qin Feng. The advertising language he wrote played a decisive role, and now the door is surrounded by people. Looking at their clothes and attire, they are all managers from various households.

  "Zhao, what are you doing here?" someone said in a strange tone.

  "Huh, so it's Wang the manager. You're really ignorant, there's a rumor that white sugar is being sold here, brought from tens of thousands of miles away in another country, my master sent me to take a look." This person also looked displeased when asked.

  "Yesterday in Luoyang city, everywhere was talking about the rumors of Huaxia Chamber of Commerce. I also heard it, my master told me that if there really is white sugar, buy two catties back to try."

  The two men were polite on the surface, but their eyes were very unfriendly. It turned out that the host was a business rival.

  At nine o'clock, the intricately carved gate opened and Zhou Shan walked out. He bowed his hands and said: "I am Zhou Shan, the master of this Huaxia Chamber of Commerce. Thank you all for coming to support us..."

  "Stop talking so much, you've been boasting about some Indian and three-country transmitted thing, does it really have white sugar? If there is, hurry up and bring it out to let us see." Someone in the crowd said discontentedly. They came here just for the sake of white sugar, how could they listen to anything else?

  "Gentlemen, please......" Zhou Shan didn't say any more.

  Crowds surged into the store, and as they looked around, all the counters were covered with white sugar as white as snow, almost making the room reflect a crystal clear brightness.

  These people have been eating coarse black brown sugar for generations. Where have they ever seen such fine and white sugar? They were stunned for a moment, like wooden chickens.

  You fool, you've never even seen white sugar. The shop assistant was smug and self-satisfied, not at all mindful of the shock he had felt when he saw it yesterday.

  "This is the secret recipe for caramel that my master obtained from afar, after going through countless hardships and difficulties. This sugar is called white sugar, it's fine and smooth, and it melts in your mouth as soon as you eat it. Men who eat it will become strong and healthy, women who eat it will have a beautiful and fair complexion..." Zhou Shan said with a tongue that was as nimble as a flute. "San Er, quickly dissolve a peck of sugar water on the spot, so that our guests can taste it."

  Inside the hall, it was packed with people, each holding a small bowl. After taking a sip, the hall was filled with the sound of smacking lips.

  "It's really sweet."

  "Yes, yes. This life has never eaten anything so sweet."

  "Sweeter than the red sugar before."

  "Shopkeeper, how much is this white sugar per catty?" Someone couldn't help but want to buy it.

  "Haha, we have three types of sugar: ordinary white sugar, fine white sugar, and refined white sugar. What everyone drank earlier was water with ordinary white sugar, which costs 10 yuan per kilogram, while the fine white sugar is 20 yuan and the refined white sugar is 30 yuan." Zhou Shan said.

  "What's this? Even the cheapest is ten yen!" someone said in discontent.

  "I apologize, but this white sugar is as white as jade and is a luxurious and noble thing, not something that ordinary people can enjoy."

  Most people who come here are ordinary onlookers, and it's hard to imagine that ten coins can weigh one catty.

  But there are also wealthy families' housekeepers, for the rich and powerful, ten taels of silver is just a drop in the bucket. This white sugar is a precious thing, it's only ten taels, they'll definitely buy it no matter what.

  "Ten coins is too cheap, the unaffordable ones are put aside, shopkeeper, wrap up a catty of white sugar for me." Zhao's manager said.

  "Heh heh, brother is absolutely right. This white sugar can only be enjoyed by noble people. Those who can't afford it, step aside! Shopkeeper, wrap up a catty of refined white sugar for me!" said the Wang family's steward.

  "What a nuisance this kid is!" Zhao's steward hastily changed his tone and said: "Refined white sugar, I want two catties."

  It's just a microcosm. The wealthy and aristocratic families attach great importance to dignity. If your family has white sugar, but mine doesn't, it would be embarrassing if word gets out.

  White sugar was only available at Qin Feng's place, so from the second day on, all the wealthy families in Luoyang came to Qin Feng's place to buy white sugar.

  Right after Qin Feng's powerful advertising campaign, a wave of sugar-coated winds swept through Luoyang.

  If your family doesn't have white sugar, you are a poor person. Only if your home has pure and snowy white sugar can you be considered a noble and wealthy household. At that time, any rich and affluent family would buy some to take back home. When guests come to visit, they would bring out some to entertain them, which is very prestigious.

  Luoyang City was the center of politics, economy and culture in Eastern Han Dynasty, with the largest number of wealthy households in the country. At that time, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce was crowded with people coming and going, and the buyers were endless.

  "Your Honor, in just five short days, our white sugar has been sold out, a total of 5,000 catties, earning us 110,000 taels." Zhou Shan said this with his whole body trembling. He had been in business for over a decade and never before had anyone accumulated such wealth in such a short period of time.

  "One hundred and ten million yuan, that's one billion one hundred million yuan. Does Luoyang City have such a large purchasing power?" Qin Feng was secretly delighted in his heart, it seemed that he had made the right move.

  One billion one hundred million, only Zhou Shan who had the ability to calculate numbers heard it and felt a little dizzy. How much money is this? It's really scary. Upon hearing this, he said: "Master, Luoyang is the gathering place of merchants from all over the world. Many wealthy businessmen have businesses here and buy in bulk to sell back...".

  "So that's the benefit of monopoly. Zhou Shan, you immediately gather trustworthy people and go to Jiaozhou again, still to locally refine white sugar, this matter must be kept secret, we want to form a trade route..." Qin Feng instructed.

  "Your Excellency can rest assured, last time I went to Jiaozhou, there were several loyal and righteous men who could be entrusted with this matter. I will immediately organize them to go to Jiaozhou again..."

  At this time, a fellow outside the door said: "Master, there is a customer outside who wants to buy our sugar..."

  Zhou Shan slightly furrowed his brow, bowed and left, whispering to himself: "What's going on? If it's just buying sugar, selling it to him would be enough, why bother disturbing the master?"

  "Ah, Lord Zhou. So, the person who came is... a eunuch! He brought several men from the Imperial Guard, fierce and menacing..."

  Eunuchs? At this time, it was the sixth year of Guanghe, and Emperor Ling's eunuchs were in power. The people who could not be provoked at that time were the eunuchs. The party was oppressed by these eunuchs, and the sons of the aristocratic families were all messed up by them.

  It's gone, could it be that the tree is too big and has attracted the attention of these eunuchs who are only attached to money? Qin Feng hastily said: "Zhou Shan, you go ahead, speak carefully, and invite the guest to come here."

  "Yes!" Zhou Shan hastily walked forward.

  Just as Qin Feng was feeling anxious, a young eunuch wearing the uniform of a Han Dynasty imperial guard, accompanied by four attendants, swaggered in.

  He hastily got up and went out to greet him with a bow: "I didn't know the master had arrived, I'm sorry for not welcoming you from afar, forgive me, forgive me."

  "Hmm, so you're Qin Feng? You look quite pale and clean." The newcomer's sharp voice was accompanied by a small, pale face with powder on it.

  Qin Feng heard these ambiguous words, saw this androgynous appearance, and felt a chill in his heart. His face still maintained a respectful expression, smiling: "You're overpraising me, sir."

  "Cut to the chase, a certain household comes here to buy sugar from you, how much are you planning to sell it to them for per kilogram?"

  "This... is naturally half price for adults." Qin Feng cursed in his heart, no matter how much he calculated, he still couldn't avoid these corrupt people, and whenever there was something good, they would come to grab it. Although he scolded the eunuchs shamelessly, on the surface he maintained a respectful appearance, which didn't faze him at all since he came from an acting background.

  Who would have thought that the eunuch who came was ungrateful, "Hmph, Qin Feng, someone told you that someone's family came this time to buy this white sugar for the emperor and the ladies in the palace. This is your great fortune..." The person said that the emperor had a face of a slave, and when he said the last sentence, it became a scolding.

  Qin Feng's heart chilled, and he hastily said: "Sir, what do you say?"

  "Need I say more... it's all I can do." The newcomer said with a sly smile.

  "Ah!" Qin Feng was shocked, this son of a bitch is going to take his life, and he usually can't even afford to spit out blood.