Chapter 19: The First Confrontation
After stepping out of the carriage at the county office, Empress Ma prepared to enter and inquire about the land tax issue with Li Fan. She couldn’t understand why, despite increased farming costs, wealthy merchants were offering to rent land to tenants at very low rates, which seemed illogical. Since the emperor was reluctant to intervene, she decided to handle it herself. Just as she was about to walk into the office, she saw a carriage leaving through the side gate.
Inside the carriage were Li Fan and Xu Miaoyun. Following Xu Da’s suggestion, they planned to visit Longzi Lake. A gentle breeze lifted the curtain, and Xu Miaoyun suddenly noticed Empress Ma. Despite the Empress wearing plain peasant clothes, her perfect aura was unmistakable. Recognizing her instantly, Xu Miaoyun was shocked. Why was the Empress here in such attire? She quickly stopped the carriage and hurried to the Empress, bowing:
“Greetings, Your Majesty!”
Empress Ma recognized Xu Miaoyun and was surprised to see her here. Seeing her descend from the carriage, she curiously asked:
“Miaoyun, what are you doing here?”
Xu Miaoyun couldn’t reveal the truth to the Empress, so she hastily explained:
“I came to Fengyang with my father. Why are you here, Your Majesty?”
“I came with His Majesty in disguise for a private visit. We wanted to see Li Fan.”
As the Empress spoke, a handsome young man alighted from the carriage. His refined features and commanding presence immediately marked him as extraordinary. Li Fan, curious about Xu Miaoyun’s respectful greeting to an unknown woman, approached and bowed:
“I am Li Fan, the county magistrate of Fengyang. Greetings, Madam!”
Empress Ma had already guessed that this young man was the county magistrate. To be selected as the top scholar by the emperor, one needed not only talent and ability but also a striking appearance. Appointing someone unattractive would be a disgrace to the royal family. Seeing Li Fan’s respectful bow, she nodded in satisfaction and said softly:
“I am Miaoyun’s distant aunt. You may call me Aunt as well.”
Li Fan, recognizing that the woman didn’t want to reveal her identity, chose not to inquire further.
“It is hot out here. Why don’t we go inside the office and talk?”
Empress Ma curiously asked:
“I see you two were in a carriage. Were you heading out?”
“With the autumn harvest coming, I planned to inspect the fields outside the city,” Li Fan explained smoothly, without missing a beat.
Xu Miaoyun looked at Li Fan in amazement, surprised at his audacity. They were actually planning to visit Longzi Lake, but Li Fan had turned it into an autumn harvest inspection. Truly, those who achieve great things must be shameless. She felt reassured in her choice of a partner.
Empress Ma, meanwhile, was very pleased with Li Fan’s response. As the local official, it was his duty to care about agriculture. She decided not to let a minor issue delay the important matter of the autumn harvest.
She hurriedly suggested, “Let’s go outside the city together and talk on the way.”
Li Fan didn’t expect Empress Ma to want to accompany him, but since the invitation was already extended, he couldn’t refuse. “If Aunt wants to come along, then let’s go together. It’s a good opportunity to see the scenery of Fengyang!”
Empress Ma boarded the carriage with Li Fan, and they smoothly arrived outside the city. Seeing the fields of wheat stretching far and wide, Empress Ma asked her question directly, “Fengyang Prefecture collects such heavy agricultural taxes. Why are there still so many people farming?”
Li Fan looked incredulously at Empress Ma, surprised by her question. Curious, he asked, “Aunt, why are you interested in this matter?”
Empress Ma had anticipated Li Fan’s question and had prepared an excuse. “I do some small business in Jinling and heard that there are many new things here. I came to investigate and see what business opportunities are available. With such heavy taxes here in Fengyang, I’m concerned about potential losses!”
Seeing Empress Ma, Li Fan knew she wasn’t just a small business owner. Although she was dressed plainly, her aura revealed her extraordinary status. Xu Miaoyun’s attitude toward her also indicated that this lady was no ordinary person! Li Fan had been wanting to tap into the Jinling market, and this lady could be his breakthrough.
To cooperate with her, he needed to establish a good relationship first. Since she asked about Fengyang’s taxes, he explained, “Aunt, Fengyang County mainly collects commercial and agricultural taxes. If you’re just passing through Fengyang, you only need to pay a toll and nothing else. If you want to do business here, I recommend buying sugar!”
He then took out two jars of sugar from a drawer, opened them, and introduced, “Here we have refined sugar and rock sugar! Aunt, you can taste them!”
Empress Ma had seen sugar before, but it had never been so pure, especially the translucent rock sugar. She picked up a piece, examined it carefully, put it in her mouth, and savored it. “Wow! It’s so sweet!” she exclaimed in amazement. “Is this also produced in Fengyang?”
Li Fan was very confident in his rock sugar. Everyone who tasted it couldn’t resist its allure. After all, rock sugar had a huge appeal to everyone in Ming Dynasty, regardless of their status. With a smile, he said, “It’s priced at one hundred wen per catty. What do you think, Aunt?”
Empress Ma was surprised by the price. Although sugar wasn’t a rare item, it wasn’t something ordinary people could easily afford. One hundred wen per catty wasn’t expensive, even if it were doubled to two hundred. If she could transport it to Jinling, it would definitely be a profitable business. However, she found it difficult to admit, “I came here in a hurry and didn’t bring that much money with me!”
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