Chapter 25: The Unexpected

"Even my Mi family cannot produce such a large quantity all at once."

Liu Feng inwardly calculated that Mi Zhu’s words were likely half-truth and half-pretext. The family could certainly afford it, but it would likely drain their entire grain reserve. After all, grain was a perishable commodity; once the season passed, it became stale, and storing large quantities was cumbersome and resulted in significant loss. Even with the immense wealth of the Mi family, it was impossible to hoard an unlimited amount of grain. Liu Feng estimated that three hundred thousand *shi* was the upper limit of their current storage.

However, even if they had that amount, it did not mean they could lend it all to Liu Feng. The Mi family maintained over ten thousand servants, and these people were not all tenant farmers; a large portion worked in the family’s workshops, salt pans, and ironworks. These people relied on the Mi family for their livelihood, and their daily rations had to be paid for by the house. Consequently, the surplus grain the Mi family could actually move at any time was likely only around one hundred thousand *shi*. Considering the Mi family’s status as a deeply rooted, wealthy merchant clan along the coast of Donghai Commandery, scraping together another one hundred thousand *shi* on short notice would not be an impossible task. Therefore, Liu Feng was certain they could produce the amount he requested.

Thus, when Mi Zhu appeared hesitant, Liu Feng did not back down, preparing instead to propose a trade. Unexpectedly, before he could speak, Mi Zhu abruptly shifted his tone: "However, my family has many friends and relatives in the region. I expect that by pooling our resources, we should be able to satisfy your request, young master."

???

Liu Feng was stunned. What was happening here? Why had he agreed to everything so readily? Liu Feng had intended to wait for Mi Zhu to complain and refuse, only to then slap a massive benefit on the table and manipulate him into compliance. Who would have thought the other party would collapse before he even exerted any effort? Although Mi Zhu had agreed, Liu Feng felt a faint sense of displeasure for some reason—perhaps this was simply the envy and jealousy one feels toward the filthy rich.

In truth, it was also a matter of Liu Feng’s immense luck. As the saying goes, "better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early." Had it been a day earlier, Mi Zhu might have hesitated, or at the very least, tried to haggle for a discount. But just last night, he had received definitive news that Cao Bao was actually willing to relinquish four thousand of his private troops to the command of the Provincial Governor. Even more startling was that Liu Bei had appointed two of his core confidants, Tian Yu and Zhao Yun, as magistrates of Donghai Commandery and concurrently as commanders of separate divisions, stationed respectively in Cheng County and Lanling County, west of Tan County. Both events had occurred in rapid succession following Liu Feng’s visit to Cao Bao.

In particular, the first event—Cao Bao’s willingness to surrender his own troops—left Mi Zhu shaken. Even Mi Zhu knew that these soldiers were the bedrock of Cao Bao’s security; even a man as magnanimous as Mi Zizhong would have found it difficult to part with them had he been in Cao Bao’s position. Yet, Cao Bao had surrendered them, and in one stroke, yielded four thousand men—nearly half of his military strength. While Mi Zhu did not know why Cao Bao had done this, he knew it must have been because of Liu Feng. More importantly, Cao Bao’s actions significantly bolstered Liu Bei’s strength. This made Mi Zhu worry: if he didn’t invest now, would such a golden opportunity ever arise again?

Mi Zhu had originally intended to increase his investment in Liu Bei, and now that Liu Feng had come seeking help, was this not a god-sent opportunity? Thus, though surprised by the young man's voracious appetite, Mi Zhu gritted his teeth and agreed. It was, after all, only a hundred thousand *shi* of grain and a few million coins worth of goods. If Tao Qian could get ten thousand *shi* from his family, it was because Tao Qian was only worth that much, not because the Mi family only had that much. Liu Bei was worth far more, so he was naturally worth a greater investment.

Liu Feng, not quite believing it, asked for confirmation: "Vice Governor, is this truly the case?"

"Naturally, it is!" Mi Zhu replied with a solemn expression. "I shall write a letter immediately, ordering my servants to deliver it to Qu County in Donghai, and have my younger brother prepare the grain and supplies to be sent to Tan County. Whatever is lacking, I will have him procure as well. I shall ensure you are satisfied, young master."

Liu Feng did not yet realize that Mi Zhu’s high regard for him was the very reason for this increased investment; he simply felt that Mi Zhu was truly devoted to his father. It was no wonder that even after Mi Fang’s future betrayal, his father still comforted Mi Zhu, and that Mi Zhu’s titles and stipends during the founding of the state were even higher than those of Zhuge Liang. It was simply because Mi Zhu was such a genuinely good and moving person. He had made an outrageous demand, and the man had agreed without a single attempt at negotiation. He truly was... it moved him to tears.

Although Mi Zhu had fully agreed, Liu Feng could not truly let the Mi family suffer such a loss. Reciprocity was the path to a lasting relationship. The better Mi Zhu performed, the more Liu Feng had to reward him; otherwise, who would be willing to treat him well in the future?

Liu Feng picked up a wooden box he had brought with him and placed it in front of Mi Zhu. "Vice Governor, do you recognize this?"

Mi Zhu had noticed the box earlier; it was too conspicuous to ignore. Pan Zhang had carried it behind Liu Feng, only setting it down once they entered the rear hall. But since Liu Feng hadn't mentioned it, Mi Zhu hadn't asked. Now that Liu Feng had finally presented it, Mi Zhu was truly curious.

Mi Zhu shook his head. "I do not. Please, enlighten me, young master."

Liu Feng smiled. "Take a look, Vice Governor."

He opened the box to reveal its contents. The box was divided in two; on the left were crystalline, translucent white granules, and on the right were snow-white, sparkling chunks. Mi Zhu looked at the items, then back up at Liu Feng. Without further explanation, Liu Feng reached out, pinched a bit of the snow-white salt, and popped it into his mouth. Then, he picked up a piece of the rock sugar next to it and did the same.

"Please, try some, Vice Governor."

Encouraged by Liu Feng’s actions, Mi Zhu had no choice but to taste them. As the salt hit his tongue, Mi Zhu instinctively frowned, but his eyes immediately widened. This was table salt? But why was the taste so pure, completely devoid of any bitterness or impurities? Mi Zhu looked at Liu Feng, but the latter offered no answer, instead smiling and pointing to the large crystals.

"Vice Governor, try this as well."

Mi Zhu, helpless, swallowed his confusion and popped a small piece of the sugar into his mouth. The next moment, a burst of sweetness erupted in his palate. With the savory saltiness still lingering, the sugar tasted even sweeter. Mi Zhu felt he had never tasted such pure sweetness in his entire life.

Historically, refined salt did not appear until the Tang Dynasty, achieved through secondary processing to remove impurities. As for rock sugar, it was produced using the most primitive methods by collecting the white crystals from the surface of sugar syrup; it was usually reddish-white and impure. Even this semi-red, semi-white sugar only began to appear during the Tang Dynasty, and due to the production methods, the yield remained incredibly small.