Chapter 1768 – Public Serve Private Gain
Looking at the middle-aged and plump Huang Song, then glancing back at Zixiao, Jiang Pengji realized someone was still too thin.
Thus, she recently picked up a new hobby: feeding Wei Ci whenever she had free time.
Watching the livestream chat was like a grand dog abuse scene, yet they all seemed to enjoy it immensely, almost wanting to drown in the sweet nectar.
For example, in the following scene:
“Is it sweet?”
Jiang Pengji, seizing a moment when Wei Ci was distracted, shoved a lemon-flavored lollipop into his mouth.
Wei Ci had been adapting to his lord’s peculiar taste in bizarre sweets, looking strange but tasting quite good. He was momentarily dazed, just about to savor the flavor when suddenly, someone snatched the lollipop away and leaned in for a quick peck.
Smacking her lips, she declared, “It really is quite sweet.”
Wei Ci: “…”
His lord’s ever-changing flirtatious tactics were truly hard to bear; at first, he wasn’t used to it, but after a few times, he started to take it in stride.
Jiang Pengji returned the lollipop to him, smiling as she said, “New flavor, supposedly a Christmas limited edition.”
Despite being in his thirties, Wei Ci had an unusual fondness for sweets. Unfortunately, the sugar production techniques of this era were rather primitive; most artificial sugar was made from starch, yielding a flavor that was neither rich nor pure, and it was hard to preserve, with supply being quite limited.
Even among noble families, sweets weren’t something they could casually enjoy.
For instance, solid products made from sugar cane called “stone honey” were still considered precious tributes during the Great Xia Dynasty, with very few deserving the privilege to savor it. While production techniques had improved somewhat, the recipients remained narrow, and the common folk were disqualified from enjoying such treats.
The snacks Jiang Pengji offered were bought by the Old Commander, beautifully packaged and diverse in variety.
Initially, Wei Ci found these things odd, but after a few pieces, he developed a strong liking for them, much to Jiang Pengji’s delight.
“They sound quite precious,” he commented.
Wei Ci chose to ignore the origins of these goodies.
His lord was special; if there were any non-human means involved, it was nothing to get alarmed about.
Jiang Pengji remarked, “I’ve heard Christmas is a foreign holiday, and the products made during the festivities are produced and sold in limited quantities.”
Wei Ci asked a soul-stirring question, “Are they tastier sold like that?”
“No, they just cost more,” Jiang Pengji replied. “It’s just a marketing gimmick. They play on the scarcity mentality to inflate prices. The product remains the same; only the selling premise and packaging change.”
Wei Ci looked somewhat surprised, as if he hadn’t anticipated such a commercial tactic.
“The merchant who thought of this is genuinely talented.”
It really did sound like the strategies of a strategist!
Jiang Pengji chuckled, “Isn’t it what businessmen do? To earn the most with the least cost? If they’re not talented, how would they make money?”
Wei Ci countered, “But isn’t it unfair for the common folk who sold their goods? Such actions disturb the market price.”
Merchants making substantial profits by flipping goods could easily earn several years’ worth of income for ordinary citizens—wouldn’t the common people feel envious?
When that happens, families would start to emulate, and who’d still be able to farm in peace?
Without food production, society would spiral into chaos, with consequences that could last indefinitely.
Wei Ci understood that promoting commerce was beneficial for economic development, but merchants also needed to be throttled back, lest they threaten the nation’s stability.
“If it’s benign competition, then it could be acceptable,” Jiang Pengji stated. “I plan to support merchants, but I won’t let them grow large enough to bite the hand that feeds them. From the start, I must set intricate rules to keep them under my control. Agricultural taxes shouldn’t be too numerous or heavy, but taxes are the foundation of statehood—if agricultural taxes decrease, they’ll have to be made up from elsewhere…”
Wei Ci smiled, “Your lordship truly won’t suffer a loss.”
Jiang Pengji insisted, “I’m simply not willing to be shortchanged.”
Seeing how much Wei Ci loved sweets, an idea bubbled up in her head: she couldn’t keep relying on the Old Commander for purchases, who knows where he’d go next? What if there were no sugar? It’d be better to develop it herself and enhance the current sugar production techniques.
Upon hearing that his lord wanted to expand sugar cane cultivation, Wei Ci immediately felt a sense of déjà vu, like “Oh, so I’m a disaster for handsome guys.”
“Is it because of Wei Ci… this isn’t right!”
Jiang Pengji laughed, “Sugar should be a treat for all ages; not only do you like it, Young Boy loves it more, and so do I. If production increases, there will be plenty to go around.”
Wei Ci replied, “But it’s not a necessity; how can we waste valuable farmland on such matters?”
Jiang Pengji insisted, “Look at Wanzhou, since the common folk have become prosperous, the connoisseur circle has actually started to embrace the beauty of abundance. This shows that as the people’s lives improve, their needs go beyond simply eating enough and dressing warmly; they seek more enjoyment. What I’m aiming for is actually to include it in the private treasury. After several battles, the private treasury has become so poor that even a mouse wouldn’t glance at it; how can I raise kids without funds?”
Even if a nation wasn’t established yet, everyone knew Jiang Pengji would inevitably become an empress.
Once crowned, she’d be part of the royal lineage. Previously, emperors’ expenditures were tied to the national treasury, but from her debut to now, her private and public treasuries had been kept separate, which would continue even after the nation was founded. The royal expenditures would come from the private treasury, leaving the national treasury untouched to avoid extravagance harming the state.
Thus, whether the royal family fared well depended on the fullness of the private treasury.
Naturally, Jiang Pengji needed to find ways to ensure the private treasury maintained stable income.
She thought promoting small snacks could be great; it’d benefit the people’s tastebud and bring in a little coin.
Jiang Pengji elaborated to Wei Ci, “You can’t just look at the surface; you must delve deeper. The emergence of a new industry will also generate numerous job opportunities, stabilizing idle citizens. With something to look forward to, they won’t think of causing unrest. Just look at a little candy; it can support thousands of people. Zixiao, don’t you think I’m right? I’m truly not seeking personal gain through public service.”
At most, she’d be gaining inspiration from him, benefitting the people while satisfying a little man’s cravings!
Wei Ci: “…”
Deep down, he knew his lord was spouting nonsense, yet she had a way of making her nonsense seem so believable.
In this era, so-called sugar primarily consisted of maltose, commonly known as syrup; another type was indeed malt sugar.
While sugar could be made from sugar cane, it was exceedingly rare due to the cane’s preciousness and limited production, making it accessible only to the nobility.
Jiang Pengji’s decision was a spontaneous one, yet her subordinates could only bitterly execute it.
There was no way they could compete with their lord.
She detailed everything from how to cultivate sugarcane and the yield per acre to how to extract sugar juice and the production process for various flavored candies, all meticulously outlined, followed by extensive analysis on how many jobs this industry could create and how many commoners could find work, with rough estimates of profitability. With reasoning, evidence, and support, they had no room for rebuttal.
