Chapter 46: Selling Glass

Chapter 46 Selling Glass

Feng Shaoping awoke the next morning feeling much calmer. Recalling his drunken antics from the previous night, he couldn't help but feel a wave of shame.

Fortunately, by breakfast time, he had managed to compose himself. After finishing the last sip of plain congee from his bowl and eating a piece of pickled radish, he finally stated the purpose of his visit: "I heard from Zhang Wei and the others that your kiln has produced some new fine pieces again. Could you show them to me?"

Zhao An also set down his bowl, pondered for a moment, and considering Feng Shaoping's friendship with Hu Sheng, nodded in agreement. "Those glass pieces are stored upstairs in the study. If you'd like to see them, follow me upstairs. However, I don’t plan to sell them for now, so please don’t mention it to anyone else after viewing."

As Zhao An stood up to head upstairs, Feng Shaoping remained seated at the table and said, "Are you truly not planning to sell this glassware? The reason I came here is actually to discuss a business proposal with you. If you give me these glass items along with a few jars of grape wine, I can use Ruyi Restaurant’s existing wine distribution channels to sell them in the capital. I’m sure many people, enchanted by the idea of 'fine wine in luminous cups,' would flock to buy wine served in glass vessels."

Zhao An sat back down at the table, looked at Feng Shaoping, and said, "But you must be aware of how the emperor views me. Last time, when I successfully grew strawberries but failed to present them as tribute to the Imperial Household Department, I was accused of having something good without thinking of the Noble Consort. If they find out I’ve produced another valuable item this time, it likely won’t just be a verbal reprimand. To be honest, before returning to Zhaojia Village, I endured considerable physical punishment."

Thinking about the strawberry incident, Zhao An still couldn’t help but seethe with resentment inwardly. He had encouraged the villagers to grow strawberries to sell in the prefectural city for profit. According to his estimates, the price of strawberries had already been driven up by Ruyi Restaurant's promotions at that time, and a single strawberry plant could easily sell for no less than one tael of silver in the prefectural city.

However, when the Imperial Household Department came to procure, the price they offered was far below Zhao An’s expectations. Moreover, due to the urgency of the order, they had to rush the production of clay pots, which incurred additional costs. There were also unavoidable expenses in dealing with the government. He felt that this single transaction had cost the entire Zhaojia Village over a thousand taels of silver. Even though this amount, when divided among the villagers, only amounted to a few taels per person, it still left him feeling resentful whenever he thought about it.

It was because Zhao An regarded Feng Shaoping as a true friend that he revealed such genuine emotions in front of him. He sighed, spread his hands, and said, "I also know that premium goods can fetch better prices in the capital, but I must find a channel that can keep my involvement hidden. I won’t hide it from you—Hu Sheng has already secured a territory in Nanyue. I plan to transport these items there first, rebrand them as foreign goods, then ship them by sea to ports in Fuzhou or Jiangnan to sell to tea or salt merchants."

Glass products made using local methods are inherently more fragile than those produced with modern techniques. If they were to be shipped abroad and back, transportation costs would significantly increase. Coupled with the cost of raw materials and their transport, each glass item would cost at least thirty taels of silver to produce. If they couldn’t be sold for several times that amount, he felt it would be less profitable than selling grape wine.

It was also due to these costs that Zhao An’s available funds were nearly depleted. After one more batch of glass production using the remaining raw materials, he would have to stop production.

Thus, he was quite interested in Feng Shaoping’s proposal. As long as Feng Shaoping could help conceal his identity, the transaction could proceed.

However, after a moment of thought, Feng Shaoping shook his head. "The connections I have are limited to my father’s former classmate from the Imperial Academy, Marquis He Boxing of Yongding, and the seventh son of the Wang family in Jiangzhou, whom I met during my travels. I can ask them to help sell the goods and temporarily keep your identity hidden, but the profits from both the wine and the glassware are enough to tempt people's greed. If someone decides to investigate, it would be easy to trace it back to you."

Zhao An nodded, not particularly disheartened by the failed proposal. He already had a plan and would simply proceed accordingly.

But Feng Shaoping said, "The method you mentioned earlier—having them shipped by sea—sounds excellent. So, I’ve decided to make the trip on your behalf and, while I’m at it, see what kind of territory Hu Sheng has secured in Nanyue."

"Ah—" Zhao An was surprised for only a moment before asking, "But are you free to go?"

Although the road construction project had ended and Feng Shaoping had seemed quite idle lately, the end of the year was approaching, and the county government must have many matters to attend to.

Unexpectedly, Feng Shaoping stroked his chin and said, "Didn’t I tell you? Someone has taken a fancy to this young master’s handsome appearance, but I refused to comply and chose to flee the marriage instead."

However, the reality was far from as lighthearted as Feng Shaoping made it sound. For him, this marriage was nothing short of humiliation.

According to County Magistrate Feng, the woman was the daughter of a wealthy merchant family from the prefectural city, the Shens, and was more than a suitable match for a mere son by a concubine like him.

What truly chilled Feng Shaoping was the contemptuous expression on County Magistrate Feng’s face when he said this. No matter how much Feng Shaoping had done for him, in County Magistrate Feng’s eyes, he would always be a son by a concubine not fit for proper occasions. Unlike his eldest brother, who could uphold the ancestral temple in their hometown, or his second and third brothers, who could go to the capital to study and take the imperial exams, Feng Shaoping could only help handle the family’s business matters. Marrying a wealthy wife would merely add to the family’s resources.

Even someone like County Magistrate Feng, who had earned his position through scholarly merit, looked down on merchants. Yet, to gain financial support, he was willing to marry his son to a merchant’s daughter.

This made Feng Shaoping realize that earning more money was essential. If he could become as wealthy as the major salt or tea merchants, he might even be able to donate for a titular fourth-rank court appointment. Although it would be a sinecure, even a seventh-rank county magistrate like County Magistrate Feng would have to pay him respects as a subordinate.

Unaware of Feng Shaoping’s burning determination to distinguish himself, Zhao An agreed to let Feng Shaoping take the newly produced glassware and grape wine to Nanyue to find Hu Sheng.

At the very least, this would help get the capital circulating, allowing him more money to improve glassmaking techniques. There was also the previously discussed plan to produce cement for building houses for the people on the mountain, which had yet to materialize.

After settling all the details, Zhao An took Feng Shaoping upstairs to his study to see the glassware stored in the cabinet.

Among the items was a pair of large double-handled square vases, shaped like ancient bronze vessels but displaying a beautiful lake-blue hue. Feng Shaoping couldn’t see the obvious bubbles and impurities that Zhao An noticed, only the transparent glass gleaming with treasure-like radiance under the sunlight.

Aside from this pair of vases, which stood over a foot tall, the rest were smaller items. For example, there was a set of scholar's objects, including a water dropper, water holder, and brush rest, each exquisitely crafted and charming. There were also many small bottles that could be held in the hand for admiration or used to hold water. At the bottom of the box lay a layer of perfectly round glass beads.

Because lead had been added during the glassmaking process, Zhao An was concerned about potential harm to humans and thus refrained from producing tableware.

This aligned perfectly with Feng Shaoping’s preferences—or rather, the preferences of people in this era—as decorative items always fetched higher prices than utilitarian ones. This was evident even in porcelain: an ordinary white porcelain Guanyin statue could sell for several times the price of a full set of white porcelain tableware.

Feng Shaoping gazed entranced at the glassware for a long time before finally closing the cabinet. After sending his daughter home, he returned to Zhaojia Village that very afternoon. He asked Zhang Wei to gather a group of workers from the mountain, pack the pieces securely in straw-padded baskets, and similarly pack the Stone Pond grape wine. Then, with over twenty mules loaded with goods, he set off on his journey.

The villagers, seeing the straw baskets carried by the mules from the Zhao household, speculated about what valuable goods Zhao An had sold this time. However, none felt envy, as they had long since accepted that Zhao An was a capable man operating on a different caliber altogether from them.

What concerned them more was what each household had prepared for the Laba festival the previous day. They eagerly discussed the matter, some boasting a little, others simply sharing in the joy.

By the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, this atmosphere had yet to fade. However, another incident occurred on that day.

A dozen military men on large horses rode into the village from outside and immediately asked for Scholar Zhao’s house.

Upon hearing the news, Scholar Zhao was so frightened that his legs trembled. He carefully reviewed his recent actions, wondering if he had written any anti-establishment poetry during his last gathering with scholars in the city or violated any naming taboos during the recent annual exams.

Unable to figure out what offense he had committed to warrant a visit from soldiers, he mustered his courage and went out to meet them. Bowing respectfully, he said, "I am Zhao Wenju, at your service, esteemed soldiers. May I ask the purpose of your visit to my humble home?"

Though he usually lived in the countryside and wasn’t above cursing in daily conversation, his nervousness made his speech unusually formal.

The leader, clad in light armor and holding the rank of fifth-rank General of Suppressed Might, had no patience for the pedantic scholar. Raising his horsewhip, he pointed at Scholar Zhao and said, "Are you the clan leader of the Zhao family? Zhao Tongming plotted to assassinate Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince. His entire family has been executed."

He then lowered his whip and saluted the sky. "By the emperor’s grace, your clan will not be held accountable. However, all of Zhao Tongming’s land and properties are to be confiscated. Produce all your land and property deeds immediately."

Scholar Zhao’s mind was filled with thoughts of the empress, the crown prince, and the execution of an entire family. He could scarcely think of anything else. Like a puppet on strings, he complied with the general’s orders and handed over all the land and property deeds. It was only after the soldiers had ridden away that he finally came to his senses.

Realizing he needed to discuss the matter with someone, the first person he thought of was Zhao An.

He mounted his small donkey and hurried to the school where Zhao An was teaching. Before the school was built, Scholar Zhao had considered Zhao An’s teachings unorthodox, so he had never visited the place after its completion.

Today, however, he not only went there but barged directly into the classroom, pulling Zhao An outside. "Zhao Tongming has caused a disaster," he said urgently. "He attempted to assassinate the empress and the crown prince and was executed. What should we do now?"