The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 074 Jiaozi
After leaving the government office, Tang Shen waited for a while in Qinzheng Hall before getting into Wang Zhen’s carriage, and the two left the palace together.
In ancient times, there were also discussions about whether officials should work overtime or not. Just like in the modern world, superiors didn’t need to work overtime, and Wang Zhen rarely did. However, for someone like Tang Shen, a fourth-rank official in the Secretariat, it wasn’t only up to him when he could leave the office; he had to wait for his superior.
Would you dare to leave if your superior hasn’t left?
Fortunately, Tang Shen’s superior, the Right Vice Prime Minister Xu Bi, rarely stayed late at the government office due to his advanced age, so Tang Shen didn’t often need to work overtime.
The two didn’t go to Baibao Pavilion immediately but instead returned to their respective residences to change out of their official robes.
Wang Zhen came to the Tanhua Residence to pick up Tang Shen, and after Tang Shen finished tidying up, he walked out. When he saw Wang Zhen’s sedan chair, he was slightly surprised. After getting on the sedan chair, Tang Shen asked, “Senior Brother, weren’t we originally taking the carriage? Why are we now taking a sedan chair?”
Wang Zhen, dressed in white brocade, looked elegant and refined, holding a folding fan in his hand. As he tapped the fan handle on his palm, the red bloodstone hanging from it swayed gently.
“It’s not far from here to Zhengyangmen Street. Little Junior Brother, you don’t like to take a sedan chair?”
Tang Shen replied, “Not exactly.”
It’s just that the carriage was spacious, and with two grown men sitting inside, it wasn’t cramped at all. Now, the sedan chair felt rather crowded, forcing him to sit close to Wang Zhen. Tang Shen silently grumbled in his mind, but his attention was gradually drawn to Wang Zhen’s fan.
Wang Zhen noticed his gaze and asked, “Do you want to take a look?”
“En.”
Wang Zhen handed the fan to Tang Shen. Instead of opening it, Tang Shen held the red gemstone attached to the fan.
“Its color is like chicken blood, and its luster resembles fine jade. The texture is pure and smooth, like mutton-fat jade,” Tang Shen said, looking up. “Senior Brother, could this be Changhua chicken blood stone?” (TN: a rare and valuable gemstone unique to China. Found primarily in the Changhua region of Zhejiang Province, this stone is distinguished by vivid red markings that resemble splatters of blood, hence the name "chicken blood.")
Wang Zhen immediately laughed.
With a soft sigh, Wang Zhen took the fan back. “It is indeed Changhua chicken blood stone.”
Tang Shen smiled confidently.
Having been in the ancient times for five years, ever since Tang Shen started doing business, he inevitably came into contact with rare antiques and gemstones. In the past, he wouldn’t have recognized a chicken blood stone, let alone the Changhua variety. But since Baibao Pavilion had plans to sell gemstone products recently, Tang Shen had read a few books and learned a bit. Now, he felt rather pleased to put his knowledge to use.
With a “snap,” Wang Zhen opened the fan and said softly, “I thought, Junior Brother, that when you took the fan, you wanted to look at the painting and calligraphy on it.”
“Huh?” Tang Shen was taken aback and looked at the fan.
On the white surface of the fan was a painting of a beauty feeding fish, with a verse written beside it.
“With messages sent through couriers and letters wrapped in fish motifs, this endless sorrow has been laid brick by brick, too numerous to count,” Tang Shen read aloud. (TN: from a poem by Song Dynasty poet Qin Guan (秦观), which expresses a deep, lingering sorrow tied to the ache of separation and the enduring hope of reunion.)
It was a scene of a beauty in sorrow, feeding fish while longing for a lover.
Tang Shen’s eyes flickered, and he began to flatter Wang Zhen. “Senior Brother’s calligraphy and painting are truly exquisite.”
The painting and calligraphy were both signed by Wang Zifeng.
Wang Zhen smiled but said nothing more.
Soon, they arrived at Baibao Pavilion.
Baibao Pavilion attracted all sorts of customers: officials’ wives, commoners—they could all be found in the store. However, when Wang Zhen and Tang Shen entered, many people gave them a second glance. Tang Shen thought they were looking at Wang Zhen and half-jokingly complimented, “Even in ordinary clothes, Senior Brother’s aura is still different from others.”
Wang Zhen glanced at him and asked, “Do you think it’s just me?”
Tang Shen was confused.
Wang Zhen smiled quietly and changed the subject. “Now that we’re here, what should we do?”
The staff, recognizing Tang Shen, approached to greet them, but Tang Shen waved them off, signaling that he would personally assist this guest. Tang Shen said, “Take a basket, and when you see something you want to buy, put it in. We’ll settle the bill at the other door.”
Wang Zhen picked up a basket, his movements smooth and effortless.
But Tang Shen frowned as he watched Wang Zifeng, adorned in gold and jade, carrying a basket like he was at the market. It didn’t sit well with him. Tang Shen promptly took the basket from Wang Zhen’s hand. “Senior Brother is a guest. I’ll carry the basket.” Sure enough, without the basket, Wang Zifeng regained his ethereal grace.
That’s more like it.
Wang Zhen saw through Tang Shen’s thoughts but found them endearing. But he didn’t comment and instead said, “Let’s go, then.”
The two began to browse through Baibao Pavilion.
The first floor mainly sold daily necessities, so most of the customers were ordinary citizens of Shengjing. As Wang Zhen and Tang Shen walked side by side, people instinctively turned to look at them. Tang Shen was unaware that it wasn’t just Wang Zhen they were looking at—they were also looking at him.
After three years as an official, Tang Shen had developed a certain aura of authority.
Beyond that, without realizing it, his constant companionship with people like Wang Zifeng had influenced him. His demeanor now carried a touch of aristocratic grace. Though not learned from childhood, it set him apart from ordinary people.
As the saying goes, "Near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black." Spending time with ruffians gives one a streetwise air, while reading and writing cultivates a noble bearing.
Wang Zhen was in a particularly good mood today. He leisurely browsed the entire first floor before moving on to the second.
The two then strolled around the second floor and eventually arrived at a shelf displaying mirrors. In the first two days after Baibao Pavilion opened, customers eager to buy mirrors had completely blocked this shelf. Now, the rush had died down; those who wanted mirrors had already bought them, and those who couldn’t afford them wouldn’t linger.
Wang Zhen showed a rare expression of surprise and took a closer look. “It’s clearer than a silver mirror.”
Tang Shen smiled.
In ancient times, mirrors were mostly made of copper or silver.
For an ordinary household, owning a copper mirror was already a luxury, but the reflections were often blurry. A high-quality copper mirror could reflect its owner’s image clearly, while silver mirrors were reserved for wealthy families. Silver mirrors were expensive and beautifully crafted, with reflections nearly as clear as glass mirrors. However, silver mirrors still weren’t as transparent as glass, nor as affordable. So when Baibao Pavilion introduced glass mirrors, the wives and daughters of Shengjing’s elites immediately bought them in bulk.
Tang Shen said, “The hardest part of making these is the glass. In the future, Baibao Pavilion will also produce simpler mirrors for sale on the first floor, so that commoners can afford them too.”
As they were about to leave, Tang Shen signaled to a shop assistant, who brought over a full-length mirror.
The mirror clearly reflected both Tang Shen and Wang Zhen’s images. Wang Zhen looked at Tang Shen with mild surprise, and Tang Shen smiled. “This mirror is a gift for Senior Brother. His Majesty ordered my Tang family to replace the windows in the Chuigong Hall with glass panes, and our workshop struggled for a long time to create such large pieces of glass. Afterward, I had three large mirrors made from the leftover glass.”
Tang Shen coughed slightly. “One mirror is for His Majesty, and the other two are for Senior Brother and Sir. The two mirrors for you and Sir aren’t as well-crafted as the first one, since I was the one who designed them, and the patterns aren’t as refined either.”
Wang Zhen was silent for a moment, then smiled. “This one is perfect.”
Tang Shen thought to himself, did I finally pick the right gift this time?
This little shopping trip ended on a high note.
At some point, Tang Shen had developed the habit of giving gifts to Wang Zhen. At first, it might have been just to curry favor, but gradually, seeing Wang Zhen’s pleasure when receiving gifts put Tang Shen in a good mood as well.
Wang Zifeng treated him well, so Tang Shen wanted to return the favor, and gifting was one way to do that.
That night, Tang Shen had a pleasant dream, though he couldn’t remember what it was when he woke up—only that it had been very warm.
At the end of April, the Tang family’s workshop produced dozens of large glass panes, which were sent to the palace to replace the windows in Chuigong Hall.
Zhao Fu had originally mentioned in passing that Tang Shen should replace his windows, so that he would have an excuse to reward Tang Shen and elevate the Tang family to imperial merchants. Who would have thought that after installing the glass windows, Zhao Fu was so enamored with them that he enthusiastically had a new plaque inscribed for the inner hall of Chuigong Hall—
"Celestial Glass Dwelling"!
All the windows were made of glass; in the heavenly courts where the immortals resided, surely only such craftsmanship could be found!
Zhao Fu, in a great mood, rewarded Tang Shen with a heap of gifts. He also issued a new task: "Jing Ze, why don’t you replace the windows in my Zichen Hall, Daqing Hall… all with glass windows!"
Tang Shen inwardly groaned, but outwardly he said, "I am deeply honored and will not fail Your Majesty's trust!"
Large glass panes were extremely difficult to make, and now the Tang family's workshop would have to work overtime again.
The business of Baibao Pavilion gradually stabilized, and Tang Shen started to hand over the business affairs step by step to Tang Huang and Shopkeeper Lu.
In late May, Tang Shen was in Qinzheng Hall reviewing memorials. He opened one sent from a province and began to read. Slowly, Tang Shen's expression grew serious. By the end, he started over and read it again.
After much deliberation, Tang Shen made up his mind and took the memorial to Xu Bi's residence.
Tang Shen greeted him with a bow and said, "Xu xianggong, lower official Tang Shen has come across a memorial today and wishes to report it to you for your review."
Xu Bi put down his book. "Oh? What memorial? Let me see."
Tang Shen respectfully handed over the memorial.
Xu Bi opened it and after reading it, he laughed. "I didn’t expect such an interesting matter from Shu province. Using paper to replace silver and copper—this is indeed a clever idea. The roads in Shu are treacherous, and communication with the outside world has always been sparse, almost like an autonomous, self-governing country." After a pause, Xu Bi added, "Let’s keep this conversation between the two of us; it stays in this room."
Tang Shen naturally said, "Yes."
Xu Bi continued, "The idea of replacing currency with paper may seem strange elsewhere, but in Shu, it is not surprising. This memorial is indeed intriguing. Leave it with me. I will personally deliver it to His Majesty today. You may go."
"Yes."
Tang Shen left Xu Bi’s residence, but his mind was preoccupied and he couldn’t calm his thoughts.
At this moment, the paper currency emerging in Shu province was not yet called "jiaozi" like in Tang Shen’s memory. It didn’t even have a name yet. But Tang Shen knew that paper money replacing copper and silver was an unstoppable historical trend. If this was handled well, it could lead to a grand success, perhaps even elevating the prosperity of the Song Dynasty’s economy to a new level!
According to the history of his old world, the promotion of jiaozi across the country didn’t happen overnight. It wouldn’t be possible, at least not during Zhao Fu’s reign. Even for Tang Shen, he wouldn’t see it in his lifetime.
How could he accelerate the national adoption of paper currency?
Should he consult Xu Bi?
Although Xu xianggong had once been an ambitious and capable figure, in recent years he had taken a backseat, staying out of worldly affairs and rarely offering opinions on court matters. He no longer sought great achievements, only avoiding mistakes. Discussing it with him would surely lead to nothing.
After much thought, Tang Shen decided not to return to the fourth-rank officials' office but instead went to the room shared by the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Rites.
The Minister of Rites, Meng Lang, was instructing his subordinates on preparations for the end-of-month sacrificial ceremony. When he saw Tang Shen, he raised an eyebrow.
Tang Shen knocked on the door first. Wang Zhen, who saw him, looked surprised.
Wang Zhen: "Enter."
Tang Shen walked up to Wang Zhen's desk, bowed, and said, "Lower official Tang Shen realized I forgot to mention something important to you yesterday. I wonder if the Minister has time now?"
Minister Meng deliberately laughed out loud, "Judging by your official robes, you seem to be a fourth-rank attendant secretary of the Secretariat, not a Ministry of Finance official. So, what business do you have with the Minister of Revenue?"
AN: Minister Meng: Wang Zifeng hasn’t called me out in three days, three days! I’m feeling restless! Just watch how I tease his little lover!