Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

The next day, after breakfast, Zhang Youtie took Uncle Ma and Nineteen to the money exchange ingots and copper coins in town.

Gao Shuanzhu banged on the copper basin and called out throughout the village, and people gradually arrived to collect their money.

Take out the register Uncle Ma made yesterday, and call people up in order to check the numbers for errors. If there are no problems, they leave their fingerprints to indicate the change. The first person to go up is Zhang Qishan. His largest watermelon weighs 815 jin, the medium one 670 jin, and the small one 230 jin. The total is 20 taels of silver and 765 copper coins. When Uncle Ma announced the amount, the people below exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing Zhang Qishan come down with two silver ingots, those below who had planted few or none had their eyes red with envy.

"If only my family had planted two more acres of land back then."

"My family has also planted fewer watermelons; only two hundred jin (100 kg) of watermelons were delivered yesterday." He then sighed helplessly.

"What do you know? Your watermelons didn't take up any fertile land; you just planted some on the edge of the field and around your house. Zhang Qishan's family planted two acres of watermelons this year." After saying this, seeing that everyone's attention was on Uncle Ma, he lowered his voice and said...

"That's taxable. If the grain from their remaining farmland isn't enough for the summer tax, they'll have to pay the difference in silver. Even if it's enough, how much grain will be left? We don't even know if it will last until the autumn harvest. The village chief is right, grain is the foundation of our livelihood."

Hearing her say that, the two women felt much better. Yes, if there wasn't enough food, they still had to spend money to buy more, right?

Soon, two names were called. One went up and received five taels and two mace of silver, and the other received four taels and eight mace of silver. Thanks to the man's words, although their earnings weren't as much as Zhang Qishan's, both were still very happy. This was all net profit, enough to save.

Three days later, in the imperial palace of the capital.

"My dear minister, the watermelons you sent to the palace are sweeter than those purchased by the Imperial Household Department! The Imperial Concubine loves them and has been talking to me about rewarding you with one. Tell me, what reward do you desire?"

"The fact that Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine are pleased is the greatest reward for this humble subject. I dare not covet any other reward," Shen Jingheng replied respectfully, bowing.

"I heard the watermelons were sent from your hometown, my dear minister?"

"Back to the Emperor, yes."

"Did you grow these?" the emperor asked again.

"Your Majesty, the watermelons sent to the palace were not grown by my family, but by someone from Zhangjia Village in my hometown. Actually, my family also grows watermelons, but they are nowhere near as sweet as those from this village. After my father tasted them, he bought all the watermelons and selected the largest and best first-harvest ones to send to me."

"Oh, does Your Excellency mean that only the watermelons in this village are sweeter, and that watermelons from other places are not as sweet as those here?" The Emperor seemed very interested in this matter.

"Regarding this, I haven't conducted any investigation, but the watermelons I bought in the capital, and those grown at home, are not as sweet as those from this place." He then glanced up at the Emperor before bowing his head again to reply.

"However, my servants once asked the people of Zhangjia Village if there was any secret to growing watermelons. The people of Zhangjia Village couldn't explain why only the ones from their village were sweeter, only saying that it might be due to the soil and water."

After hearing Shen Jingheng's answer, the emperor thought for a moment before speaking.

"Well, the soil and water conditions can explain it to some extent. It's like how an orange grown south of the Huai River is an orange, but grown north of the Huai River it becomes a trifoliate orange."

"Yes, that's what I think too," Shen Jingheng bowed and echoed.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine has arrived," a young eunuch's voice suddenly came from outside.

"Quickly, invite the Imperial Concubine in." The Emperor, seated high on his throne, instructed the eunuch outside upon hearing that his most beloved Imperial Concubine had arrived. The woman also rose from her seat.

Soon, a woman dressed in opulent palace attire, supported by two palace maids, gracefully entered.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects." The beautiful woman in palace attire bowed to the Emperor, but before she could even kneel down, the Emperor took her hand and helped her up.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Shen Jingheng immediately knelt down to pay his respects the moment the Imperial Concubine entered.

"Lord Shen is here too! Rise." The Imperial Concubine raised her hand dismissively when she saw Shen Jingheng kneeling on the ground.

"Your Majesty, have I interrupted your discussion of state affairs with Lord Shen?" The Imperial Concubine looked at the Emperor with her large, watery eyes.

"No, my dear consort, your arrival is just in time. I was just talking to Lord Shen about the watermelons he sent to the palace!" the Emperor said with a smile to the Consort.

"Oh, it's about the reward?"

"No, I asked Minister Shen what reward he wanted, and he said that our liking him was the greatest reward for him, and he didn't ask for anything else. My dear consort, what do you suggest we give Minister Shen as a reward?"

Upon hearing the Emperor's words, the Imperial Concubine's eyes darted around, and she smiled as she asked Shen Jingheng, who was standing below.

"Lord Shen is twenty-two this year, isn't he?"

"Your Majesty, I am twenty-three years old." Shen Jingheng suddenly felt sweat beading on his forehead.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that Lord Shen is still unmarried. Why don't you bestow upon him a good marriage?" The Imperial Concubine winked playfully at the Emperor after speaking.

"Oh, yes, yes, it was my carelessness. How could I forget such an important matter? My dear consort, which young lady do you think is worthy of our Lord Shen?" The two chatted happily, completely ignoring the sweat dripping from the foreheads of the people standing below.

“I have a niece on my mother’s side. She is sixteen years old this year and is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Her talent and appearance are beyond compare. Although she is born out of wedlock, she has been raised by her stepmother since childhood. She is in no way inferior to those legitimate daughters! I wonder what Your Majesty thinks?”

After hearing her words, the Emperor was somewhat embarrassed. He looked at Shen Jingheng, who was standing motionless below. He felt it was inappropriate, but he couldn't refuse the Imperial Concubine in front of his ministers.

Sensing the Emperor's hesitation, the Imperial Concubine's face showed some displeasure, but she still spoke softly.

"Or has His Majesty already chosen a better candidate?"

"I have a candidate in mind, but it's not the same person I mentioned to my beloved concubine. However, since she's her niece, she's unlikely to be unsuitable. There's no rush; allow me some time to consider it." He then glanced at Shen Jingheng standing below.

"I just remembered something. Have your hometown send some more watermelons in a few days. I think the concubines and princesses like them. Also, from now on, the watermelons for the palace will be provided to your family every year; they must be from Zhangjia Village." He then called out to the outside.

"Li Dequan, convey my verbal order to the Imperial Household Department, and you shall carry it out personally."

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant will go right away." The chief eunuch, who had served the emperor since childhood, immediately bowed and withdrew to carry out the imperial decree.

"Your Majesty, on behalf of the people of Zhangjia Village, we thank you for your great favor. Long live the Emperor!" Upon hearing the Emperor's decree, Shen Jingheng lifted the front of his official robe and knelt down to thank the Emperor.

"Minister Shen, please rise and leave. Your marriage is something the Imperial Concubine and I need to discuss further."

"Yes, Your Majesty. This humble subject takes his leave."

After leaving the imperial study, Shen Jingheng wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a headache coming on as he thought about the Imperial Concubine's suggestion. But what could he do but accept? The Emperor and the Imperial Concubine had bestowed a marriage upon him; if he wasn't satisfied, he'd be ungrateful.