Chapter 78: Attempting to Make Cement

Watching Lan Wei’s disheveled state, Bingyu couldn’t help but want to laugh. “Young Master, the more I look at Lan Wei, the more I feel like laughing!”

Li Yi narrowed his eyes, chuckling softly. “Heh, some people are simply destined for certain things. Take this chubby Lan—he seems lazy, gluttonous, and unambitious on the surface. Yet beneath that simple exterior lies a hidden wisdom. This fellow is born for business. These past few days, he gives the impression he’s only indulging in food and entertainment, but he’s investigated every detail of my plans to form a commercial alliance. Even the basic mathematics book I compiled has been tampered with; judging from the greasy stains, it must be him! Cunning in disguise, sharp in observation, quick to spot opportunity, and able to seize it precisely. Though his methods are still childish, with some training, he’s a prime candidate for a shrewd merchant.”

“A shrewd merchant? But didn’t you say we should become scholarly merchants?”

“Who says a scholarly merchant can’t be shrewd? Let me tell you, there’s a saying in business: the marketplace is a battlefield. Here, deception and trickery are everywhere. Without a keen and agile mind, you’ll be ruined. The scholarly merchant I speak of is merely an image—a group of merchants with Confucian upbringing who can benefit the nation. Do you think donning the hat of a scholarly merchant and studying arithmetic for a couple of days makes you invincible in business? Nonsense. Once you enter business, you must deal with intrigue.”

“If that’s so, why do you want those young nobles to become scholarly merchants?”

“Heh, every matter has both surface and substance. Those spoiled youths are the outward image of scholarly merchants—they’re the signboard of my Golden Cauldron Commercial Alliance. The actual management must be entrusted to professionals, and those nobles have no say in it. Honestly, my initial claim to purify the business world was nonsense. Commerce is inherently filled with intrigue; without it, merchants wouldn’t be merchants! My aim is to wrap this world of intrigue in a bright, respectable cloak. No matter what happens beneath it, with this facade, the nation and the people will benefit.”

“Master, your words are so profound!”

Li Yi stretched out his arms and yawned lazily. “Girl, everything in this world is a matter of opposites. Merchants too have both good and evil. In the past, for self-preservation, they compressed their kindness into a tiny space, so others only sensed their coldness. The scholarly merchant is like a sharp blade, cutting through the constraints on their goodness and letting it shine forth, so outsiders may feel their warmth.”

“Master, you sound so impressive!”

“You little rascal, what do you mean ‘sound impressive’? Isn’t what I do impressive too?”

Bingyu covered her mouth, laughing. “I don’t know about anything else, but I do know that, with your current image, you’re nowhere near the standard of a scholarly merchant!” With that, Bingyu dashed off, leaving the young master Li alone, indignant and melancholy.

Half an hour later, Tie Yan and the servants had gathered enough limestone. Li Yi ordered them to search the riverbank for clay, then had the limestone crushed and mixed with clay, before sending it to the brick kiln for firing.

“Tie Uncle!” Watching the limestone being fired in the kiln, Li Yi felt anxious and hopeful that it would succeed.

“Master, you wanted to see me?”

“Tie Uncle, after the limestone and clay have been fired for several hours, have the men retrieve them, grind them into powder, and mix with water. Once dry, it should become extremely hard, but I don’t know the correct ratio or whether other ingredients are needed. So, for the next couple of days, I need you to stay and experiment, and find the best method to make cement. Time is not an issue, but it must be the best!”

Tie Yan straightened his back and said solemnly, “Don’t worry, young master. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll help you make cement!”

Li Yi scowled. “No need for that kind of talk. Your life is much more precious than any cement. Just do your work diligently; don’t overdo it.”

Tie Yan’s eyes reddened with emotion. “Rest assured, young master. Old Tie’s body is still strong!”

“Good! Be careful!” Li Yi gave a few more instructions, then led Bingyu and Lan Wei home.

Half an hour later, the three returned home only to find a crowd of unexpected visitors.

As soon as Li Yi entered, he saw a group of people gathered at the gate, most dressed as laborers and all carrying tools.

Puzzled, Li Yi looked for Uncle Qian. “Uncle Qian, what’s going on here?”

Uncle Qian was equally confused. “Young master, I don’t know, but they say you sent for them.”

Li Yi thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead. “Oh, I’ve been so busy I forgot! These are the people I called for. Leave this to me, Uncle Qian—you go about your business.”

Uncle Qian glanced at Li Yi in doubt, then withdrew.

Li Yi looked at the dense crowd, his head spinning. Pulling Bingyu with him, he squeezed to the front, found a tall spot, and climbed up.

“Quiet, quiet!” To his credit, Li Yi’s words worked; though the crowd wasn’t highly educated, they were orderly.

“Cough, cough—now, don’t rush! Who here is the person sent by the King of Shu to manage the finances?”

No sooner had Li Yi spoken than a smiling, chubby man stepped forward. Li Yi couldn’t help but laugh; this fellow was practically Lan Wei’s twin, with the same formidable presence—a human missile!

The fat man stood at Li Yi’s feet, grinning. “My name is Luo Kaiyuan, formerly the bookkeeper at the King of Shu’s residence.”

“Very good. Have the funds from the other ten households been collected?”

“To answer the young master, all have been gathered.”

Li Yi nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. Now, I have a few tasks for you.”

Luo Kaiyuan bowed respectfully. “Please instruct me, young master. Before I left the palace, the King told me that from now on, I no longer belong to his household. From today, I will follow you loyally.”

Li Yi was taken aback—so, Li Ke had made a clever move! Judging by Luo’s manner, he was clearly capable. Perhaps he’d end up as CEO of the main company. This way, Li Ke would have a presence in the Golden Cauldron Commercial Alliance, since Luo came from his household.

“Well, that’s fine! I was just worried about a shortage of talent. But if you think you can plant a spy in my alliance, you underestimate me, Li Yi! A bunch of kids always scheming… Ah, today’s youth!” Li Yi sighed theatrically, then glanced at Luo, narrowing his eyes.

“Here’s what you need to do: First, regarding these laborers—soon, someone will teach them how to make furniture. You must provide enough materials, proper lodging, and excellent food—here, I’ll give you a chef. Handle logistics well. Also, choose their accommodation carefully, as we might expand the workshop there later. There should be builders among them; send them to the Cheng family’s brick kiln by the Wei River to find my construction foreman, Tie Yan. All expenses come from the main account—keep the books in order. That’s it for now. Go ahead!”