Dantai Ji said, “Speak freely.”
Cui Huaihao glanced at the emperor’s niece beside him, then quickly looked away and said, “This commoner begs Your Majesty to issue an edict allowing the merchants of Great Zhou to ride in sedan chairs and wear silk garments, and permitting the sons of merchants to sit for the imperial examinations and enter officialdom.”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Since ancient times, merchants had been considered lowly. Without permission, they were forbidden to ride in sedan chairs or wear fine silk clothing and could wear only plain cloth garments. Their children were likewise barred from taking the imperial examinations and entering officialdom.
Today, Cui Huaihao had only been able to come to the imperial palace by sedan chair after receiving His Majesty’s approval.
Cui Huaihao continued, “All commoners are Your Majesty’s subjects, and we merchants are Your Majesty’s subjects as well. We earn money through trade to support our families, pay our taxes, and obey the laws. This commoner believes that we are no different from the common people or the scholar-officials!”
Cui Yeping’s face changed drastically with fright. He rebuked Cui Huaihao, then hurriedly knelt on the ground. “My son has lost his senses and is speaking nonsense. I beg Your Majesty to forgive him.”
The Minister of Works said, “He truly is mad! How can a mere merchant compare himself to the scholar-officials? This is utterly preposterous!”
“Merchants are inherently sly and treacherous. They should be restrained and disciplined. Since Second Young Master Cui is the son of Lord Cui, Vice Minister of Revenue, he should keep himself in check and cease trading from this day onward. He ought to stay home and study properly—that is the true path.”
“Exactly. A merchant is still a merchant. Unless he gives up trade altogether, he must remain beneath others! In my view, only when there are no merchants left in the world will peace and prosperity prevail.”
“No merchants in the world?” a childish voice suddenly asked.
Everyone turned to look and realized that it was Princess Fuxi, standing beside the emperor. She gazed at the several officials who had just spoken, her brows furrowed, and continued in her clear voice, “But these golden potatoes came here precisely because my Second Uncle is a merchant who traveled far and wide. If there were no merchants in the world, where would these things come from?”
The officials who had just condemned merchants all frowned. One of them said, “It is an indisputable fact that merchants forget all righteousness in the face of profit!”
Rongyao tilted her head back to argue with him. “I don’t believe that! My Second Uncle is a good merchant. He has never abandoned righteousness for profit! How can you slander him without evidence?”
The official’s face flushed faintly green with anger. “I was not speaking of Second Young Master Cui, but of the majority of merchants, who are contemptible.”
Rongyao said, “If merchants are useless, then why mint money at all? Is the money in our hands not meant to be used in trade, so that we may exchange it for the things we lack?”
The Minister of Works, Han Xuan, said, “Princess, do not assume that every merchant in the world is a good person simply because Second Young Master Cui is one. Merchants value profit above all else. To raise grain prices, they would rather watch the people starve than take out their stored grain or money to save them! Most merchants in the world are like this! The people live in hardship largely because of the merchants’ misdeeds!”
Rongyao frowned and shook her head in disagreement. “You’re wrong! How can the people going hungry be the merchants’ fault? If the people are suffering and some merchants refuse to provide relief, can the officials give up their own family fortunes to help impoverished strangers?”
Several officials lowered their heads unconsciously.
But Rongyao grew more and more puzzled. She turned to the officials who had spoken earlier. “Your families should own plenty of farmland, shouldn’t they? You must harvest more grain in a year than you can possibly eat. I wonder—have you ever given any of it to the poor and hungry?”
The Minister of Works’ face turned completely red. He opened his mouth, then turned his head away and refused to speak.
Grand Secretary Zhang, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke. “Does Grand Princess Fuxi believe that the people’s hardships have nothing to do with merchants?”
Rongyao turned to Grand Secretary Zhang. “How could they have anything to do with them? Merchants travel far and wide, bringing back goods unavailable in a particular place. The people spend money to buy the things they want, while merchants can spend money to purchase the surplus goods from the people and sell them elsewhere. Both sides benefit from these exchanges, and the taxes collected from trade also enrich the national treasury. Since this is such a good thing, why do all of you insist that merchants are despicable and base?”
“Even so, I still think it is not enough! If there were more merchants and more goods being traded, then the taxes collected would increase. With more money in the national treasury, we could dredge the great rivers and repair the roads, provide relief to the people, and ensure that those affected by disasters had enough to eat! Perhaps many more merchants would even be able to bring back fine seeds from other places, just as my Second Uncle brought us the golden potatoes!”
“If that happened, everyone in Great Zhou would surely live well, happily, and in peace!”
Rongyao’s voice echoed throughout the estate, reaching the ears of everyone present.
Even the Grand Secretary was stunned for a long while. After a prolonged silence, he finally asked, “If the sons of merchants are allowed to take the imperial examinations, is Grand Princess Fuxi not afraid that officials and merchants will collude?”
Rongyao looked at him in confusion. “But officials and merchants already collude everywhere. Why do they collude? Fuxi believes it is because the sons of merchants have no path to take the imperial examinations. That is why they resort to bribery, ingratiate themselves with officials, and curry favor with the powerful.”
Quite a few officials were startled by her words and began discussing it quietly among themselves.
The princess was not speaking falsely. This was indeed the current state of affairs.
Even Grand Secretary Zhang lowered his head in thought.
“Excellent! Excellent! What a fine understanding of the relationship between officials and merchants!” Dantai Ji beamed as he watched his daughter render several old ministers—who were usually so skilled with words—speechless. His heart swelled with pride. If these old fellows had not been present, he would have praised his daughter to the heavens!
He put an arm around his daughter’s shoulders and looked at her seriously. “Yaoyao is right. Great Zhou truly lacks money, and if this method works, it could fill the national treasury. But if merchants are given too much freedom, unscrupulous merchants may gain both wealth and influence, which could threaten the imperial court.”
Rongyao pressed her lips together and pondered.
Everyone watched the Grand Princess Fuxi with her head bowed in thought. Without exception, they fell silent and began thinking as well.
Suddenly, Grand Princess Fuxi raised her head. Her eyes shone as she looked at her father. “Allowing merchants to wear silk and ride in sedan chairs is a small matter. But permitting the sons of merchants to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom is far more significant, is it not?”
Dantai Ji said, “Yaoyao is clever.”
Rongyao said, “Then establish rules. Anyone who wishes for their descendants to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom must be a respectable, honest merchant who can withstand investigation; or someone like my Second Uncle, who has found strange and valuable things capable of changing the lives of the people of Great Zhou; or someone who has spent many years donating money to build bridges and repair roads; or someone who has supplied grain and provisions to the soldiers guarding the borders; or someone willing to surrender a prescribed portion of their family fortune to the state; or someone who has performed good deeds and assisted the imperial court…”
As she spoke, Rongyao paused. Her bright eyes glittered as she looked at the assembled officials. “Yaoyao cannot think of anything else for now. In any case, small merchants should have rules suited to small merchants, and large merchants should have rules suited to large merchants. We must give merchants a path forward. All of you should think of a solution as well. Surely we can come up with an even better system.”
Everyone present drew a heavy breath.
Even the emperor stiffened and stared straight at his daughter.
“I believe the Grand Princess Fuxi’s proposal is worth trying,” the Grand Secretary said in his aged voice.
“Good!” the emperor suddenly declared. Beaming at everyone, he said, “Transmit My oral decree. Cui Huaihao, son of Cui Yeping, Vice Minister of Revenue, has offered the golden potatoes and rendered great service. His descendants shall be permitted to take the imperial examinations. From this day forward, merchants in Great Zhou may wear silk and ride in sedan chairs. If they wish for their descendants to take the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, they shall have a path to do so!”
Cui Huaihao hurriedly approached the Emperor and performed a grand kowtow, thanking him for his imperial grace. This outcome was a hundred times better than he had imagined! His risky venture today had certainly not been in vain.
The Emperor then ordered several ministers to discuss the specific regulations concerning the eligibility of merchants’ sons to sit for the imperial examinations, with a result required by the following day.
Next, the Emperor commanded that the number of golden sweet potato seeds be counted. He immediately ordered that all the golden sweet potatoes obtained be planted in the fields for seed propagation. He entrusted this important task to Vice Minister of Revenue Cui Yeping, commanding him to cultivate the crop properly so that enough seed stock could be produced the following year and distributed to every prefecture and county.
Cui Yeping knelt at once to accept the command, his heart brimming with excitement.
To receive such an assignment, he had his son and granddaughter to thank!
The Emperor returned to the imperial palace with Princess Fuxi.
Some of the ministers left together for their offices, while others returned home.
Once everyone else had gone, Cui Yeping stepped forward and grabbed his second son by the ear. “You unfilial wretch! How could you fail to discuss such a major matter with me? You kept this old father in the dark for so long!”
Cui Huaihao hunched his neck and gave his father an ingratiating grin. “When Yaoyao and I first obtained that clod of earth, neither of us knew what it was. We merely tried planting it, never expecting it to be such a valuable crop. Once we grew high-quality seed stock, didn’t we present it to His Majesty immediately?”
“Besides, I even received a reward from His Majesty for it.”
Cui Yeping said, “At least you weren’t foolish enough to ask for an official position just now. Otherwise, you would have harmed your younger sister and Yaoyao and Lin’er!”
Cui Huaihao’s smile faded, and he said solemnly, “When would I ever ask for an official position? Our family already has a Noble Consort, a Grand Princess, a prince, and you as Vice Minister of Revenue. Though Eldest Brother has been sent away, he is still the chief examiner for the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination. How could we possibly add another official to the family? If I took office as well, wouldn’t that create trouble for Little Sister?
“I’m much smarter than Third Brother. And what I asked for wasn’t an official position anyway. Being an official is so boring—how could it compare with being a merchant? As a merchant, I can travel far and wide, see the world, and visit places the likes of you will never reach in your lifetime.”
Cui Yeping smacked Cui Huaihao on the head without the slightest hesitation.
“You certainly know how to run your mouth. If you were truly clever, why did you ask for such a thing just now? Look at those ministers—they were practically ready to charge you with a crime. If Yaoyao hadn’t been there to argue circles around them, do you think you would have gotten off so easily today?”
Cui Huaihao rubbed his head and muttered with his head lowered, “That was Yaoyao’s idea.”
