Chapter Fifty: The Launch of the Grand Plan (Part Four)

“It’s nothing, nothing, Steward Deng, don’t be nervous. I just remembered something amusing, that’s all.”

Seeing Deng Cheng looking so awkward, Li Xian suppressed his laughter and reassured him with a gentle tone. The reason he gave, however, was rather forced. The real explanation was simple: after closely observing Deng Cheng’s words and expressions, Li Xian was now completely convinced that the man before him was truly a person of the past, not some pretender or transmigrator from the future. Earlier, while wandering around the manor, Li Xian had already noticed the absence of a biogas digester in this so-called “eco-farm.” Now, after a little probing, it was clear that Deng Cheng had never even heard of biogas. The conclusion was obvious—biogas was discovered at the end of the eighteenth century by the Italian physicist Volta, and the first practical biogas digester was invented in the nineteenth century by the French. It wasn’t introduced to China until the early twentieth century and only became widespread domestically during the “Red Flag” era. Naturally, no one from ancient times could have known about biogas, and besides, in a true “eco-farm” system, the biogas digester was absolutely essential; only with its construction could the farm’s efficiency be maximized. Clearly, Deng Cheng knew nothing of this, so the answer was self-evident.

“Your Highness, what exactly is this... biogas?” Deng Cheng was clearly a curious man with a thirst for knowledge. Seeing Li Xian’s kindly manner, he mustered up his courage to ask further.

“Well, Steward Deng, have you ever noticed how the pit where you store manure sometimes bubbles, with a rather foul smell? If you throw a flame into it, it ignites—this gas is what I refer to as biogas.”

The composition of biogas is complex and not easy to explain, and Li Xian couldn’t very well launch into a modern chemistry lesson. He could only offer a simple explanation.

“Ah, so that’s what it is! I do remember—some years ago, a child in the manor was playing with fire near the manure pit and nearly caused a disaster. At the time, I thought it was odd but didn’t understand why. Now, after hearing Your Highness, it’s much clearer. But this gas disperses easily—how can it actually be put to use?” Deng Cheng’s eyes lit up with sudden realization, but then he frowned again, puzzled over how to harness the biogas.

“I’ve come across mention of this in some old notes, but I’ve never seen it in practice. It’s been a long time, and my memory is hazy. I’ll have to check again before I can say more.” The principles and design of a biogas digester aren’t difficult, and Li Xian had personally overseen their construction as a rural official in the future, so he knew it all by heart. Even without modern materials like steel pipes or valves, he could devise substitutes. But explaining it all would be long and tedious, and Li Xian had no intention of wasting words on such a minor matter, especially when his true ambitions here were far greater. So he casually brushed it off and, before Deng Cheng could respond, smoothly shifted the subject: “I’ve heard that Steward Deng has traded far and wide and is highly skilled in business. I have a question that puzzles me and wish you could enlighten me.”

“I wouldn’t dare, Your Highness. If you have any requests, I shall do all I can to oblige.”

Deng Cheng had been pondering how to make use of biogas, but as soon as Li Xian changed the subject, he snapped out of it and quickly bowed in reply.

“Well then, if I were to give you a sum of money to conduct business, how much profit could you expect to make in a year?” Li Xian raised his eyebrows and asked thoughtfully.

“To answer Your Highness, it depends on the amount of capital. A large sum has its uses, and a small sum has its own paths. There’s really no fixed answer.”

As soon as Li Xian asked the question, Deng Cheng’s eyes brightened. He had an inkling of Li Xian’s true purpose in coming to Binger Manor, and his spirits lifted. He answered confidently without hesitation.

“Heh, that’s true. But what if it were forty strings of cash?” Li Xian smiled, setting a specific limit.

“With that amount, trading goods between the north and south, one round trip a year might double the investment. If times are good, profits could reach fivefold. But anything more would depend on luck, and if one judges wrongly, it’s not uncommon to lose everything.” Deng Cheng considered for a moment before replying calmly.

“Oh? And if it were four hundred strings?” Li Xian smiled noncommittally, instantly increasing the sum tenfold.

“With such a sum, the options multiply. For safety, one could open a shop. I once dealt in silks; with this much, it would just suffice to set up a silk shop. Managed well, annual profits might reach threefold. If one were to join a caravan to the Western Regions, the round trip would take over two years, but profits could be tenfold. Still, the journey is perilous and full of uncertainties. Other businesses, like restaurants or taverns, are more stable, but don’t yield windfall profits.”

Four hundred strings was not a trivial sum, but neither was it extraordinary. In business, it was medium to small-scale, and such ventures were the hardest to manage—not enough to do big business, too much for minor dealings. Even though Deng Cheng was skilled, he dared not answer lightly, so he paused to consider before speaking with caution.

“Well then, what if it were forty thousand strings?” Li Xian, though only marginally acquainted with business from his bureaucratic days, was certainly no novice. Even if he wasn’t familiar with the specifics of this era’s commerce, he could judge the essentials. Hearing Deng Cheng’s words, he knew the man wasn’t exaggerating, yet he kept his expression neutral and casually raised the amount to a staggering sum.

“Forty thousand strings?”

Upon hearing this astonishing number, Deng Cheng’s body visibly trembled. He looked at Li Xian in disbelief and muttered uncertainly.

“That’s right. If you had forty thousand strings, how would you use them?” Li Xian smiled faintly to confirm.

“This…” Deng Cheng was stunned. His expression flickered through several emotions before he finally shook his head with a wry smile. “Your Highness, forgive me. I have never considered managing such a vast sum, and truly have no confidence in my ability to do so.”

“Oh? Hahahaha…” Li Xian burst into hearty laughter at this reply.

“Please forgive me, Your Highness. I—I…” Deng Cheng grew flustered at Li Xian’s mirth, not knowing what to say.

“No matter. Steward Deng, you are truly an honest man. Good, very good.”

Capital isn’t always better in greater amounts, especially when one is not yet capable of managing such sums. Otherwise, it leads to either idle accumulation or ruin from overreaching. Li Xian understood this well and had no disappointment in Deng Cheng’s honest answer; on the contrary, he appreciated the man’s abilities all the more and praised him with a smile.

“Your Highness flatters me. I am ashamed.” Hearing this, Deng Cheng hurriedly offered a humble reply, though his eyes were bright with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.

“There’s no need to be nervous, Steward Deng. I don’t have forty thousand strings for you to play with. Let’s say it’s just two hundred strings, but within a year, I want you to return me five thousand. Can you do that?” Li Xian noticed every shift in Deng Cheng’s expression and, amused, asked teasingly.

“Ah, five thousand? That…” Deng Cheng was shrewd enough to guess that Li Xian wanted him to go into business, and he had been filled with hope. But he never expected such an outrageous demand. He was dumbfounded, staring at Li Xian in utter disbelief, wondering if his young master was simply making sport of him.

“Five thousand is just for the first year. From the second year onward, if you can’t double it annually, that counts as failure. Do you understand?” Before Deng Cheng could react, Li Xian chuckled and raised the bar to an even more absurd level.

“Ah…”

Deng Cheng was truly stunned, his mouth agape wide enough to fit a pear, sweat pouring from his brow like a waterfall. He stood there dazed for a while before raising his sleeve to wipe his face and replied bitterly, “Your Highness, forgive me. I—I am unworthy and dare not promise such a thing. Please show mercy.”

Enough, I won’t tease you anymore! Seeing Deng Cheng so flustered, Li Xian burst into laughter again, making Deng Cheng even more uneasy. After a hearty laugh, Li Xian grew serious and said, “I’m not a madman. If I dare make such a request, I have my reasons. Steward Deng, just work earnestly and there’s no way you’ll fail. I have a few small inventions here. Just follow my instructions.” As he spoke, Li Xian took out a letter from his robe, weighed it in his hand, and handed it to Deng Cheng.

“This… what is this?” Deng Cheng took the letter in confusion, opened it, and found a thick sheaf of papers filled with diagrams and written explanations. Yet he could not make out what they described, no matter how long he studied them. Puzzled, he looked up at Li Xian for an explanation.

“There are four items here. First, folding fans, adorned with calligraphy or paintings—a gentleman’s elegant accessory. Second, a distillation tower, to refine mild rice wine into something finer. Third, soap, very useful for washing. And fourth, gunpowder, which can be made into firecrackers and fireworks for celebrations. With these four, how could business not thrive? Since the weather is getting hotter, let’s start with folding fans. I’ll give you a month; you must produce them first. As for sales, I’ll handle that. Can you do it, Steward Deng?”

“If I have four hundred strings, I can just about manage a trial.”

Now that Li Xian had spoken so plainly, Deng Cheng dared not hesitate. After a careful calculation, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

“Very good, then—” Seeing Deng Cheng’s prudence, Li Xian was quite pleased and was about to say a few more words of reassurance when suddenly Gao Miao hurried in from the doorway, his face clouded with concern. Li Xian stopped mid-sentence, frowning in confusion…