Zhao Zhong, who was in charge of proclaiming the imperial edict, was escorted by several Imperial Guardsmen. After several days of travel, he finally entered the territory of Jizhou and headed towards Wuji County, where the Zhen family lived.
"The commerce in Wuji is truly extraordinary; it's almost as bustling as the East Market of Luoyang."
Looking at the groups of merchants transporting goods, Zhao Zhong sincerely praised them.
A guide sent by the prefect laughed and said, "The Zhen family is one of the top merchants in Ji Province. It's not surprising that they can boost the local economy!"
Zhao Zhong nodded, his mind racing. This time, the Emperor had assigned him and Zhang Rang different tasks. Zhang Rang was in charge of supervising the selection of students for the Imperial Guard. If he selected a few good candidates, he would surely win the Emperor's favor. If he simply read out the imperial edict and went back to report, he would probably be at a disadvantage.
Zhao Zhong couldn't help but ask, "Are there any outstanding figures among the younger generation of the Zhen family?"
The guide thought for a moment and said, "Zhen Yi is the only son of the head of the Zhen family. He is quite talented. He is only fourteen years old now, but he has already begun to take over part of the family business and is doing a great job."
Hearing this, Zhao Zhong was slightly disappointed. So what if someone was good at business? Did the emperor need business people? In Zhao Zhong's opinion, probably not.
As they spoke, the group arrived outside Wuji City. Zhen Yu, the head of the Zhen family, who had known the news long before, was waiting outside the city gate with his wife and children.
Upon seeing Zhao Zhong leading the way and the several Imperial Guards behind him, Zhen Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately greeted them with a broad smile.
"I, Zhen Yu, hereby respectfully welcome the angel!"
"Patriarch Zhen, you are too kind. His Majesty is pleased that your family, despite your wealth, has not forgotten the nation's well-being! Therefore, he has specially ordered our family to come and reward you!"
Zhao Zhong looked Zhen Yu up and down. Although he was a bit bloated and overweight, he exuded shrewdness from the inside out. If he were to enter the court as an official, he would definitely become a court jester.
"As citizens of the Han Dynasty, it is our duty to share His Majesty's burdens!" Zhen Ming said with a smile.
"Good, you have a clear conscience! People like you who are concerned about the affairs of the country are the true good merchants of our great Han Dynasty!"
Kind words cost no money, and Zhao Zhong was not stingy with them. Moreover, he could see that the emperor seemed to care a lot about these two families, otherwise he would not have sent him personally to deliver the imperial edict.
"You flatter me, angel! I have already ordered my servants to clean the courtyard, and I am just waiting for your arrival."
"Okay, let's go!"
After saying that, Zhen Yu led the group towards the city, while Zhen Yu intentionally or unintentionally always lagged behind Zhao Zhong by one step.
Among the Zhen family members, a young man caught Zhao Zhong's attention. The young man had delicate features and an air of nobility about him, suggesting that he would be extraordinary in the future.
"Patriarch Zhen, may I ask who this young man is?"
"Reporting to the angel, this is my son, Zhen Yi, who is fourteen years old this year."
Zhen Yu began to introduce his son to Zhao Zhong with a smile. He had also found out some of the purpose of Zhao Zhong's visit and naturally hoped that his son could gain the favor of the angels and enter the Imperial Guard.
Zhao Zhong nodded without speaking. Whether this Zhen family member truly possessed any skills remained to be seen.
Although the emperor granted the Zhen family a spot, not just anyone could be accepted. If he were to accept someone who lacked ability, even if the emperor wouldn't blame him, he would likely incur Zhang Rang's ridicule.
Upon entering Wuji City, Zhao Zhongcai discovered that the Zhen family of Jizhou truly lived up to its name. The roadsides were almost entirely lined with Zhen family shops, offering almost all daily necessities except for salt and iron.
"The Zhen family's business is really diverse; they must make a lot of money every year!"
Zhao Zhong seemed to have said it unintentionally, but Zhen Yu was slightly taken aback, somewhat unable to fathom the thoughts of this eunuch.
As for demanding money, Zhen Yu thought it was unlikely. The eunuch faction had only been wiped out a few days ago. This favorite of the emperor wouldn't be so unwise.
Still unable to figure out the key point, Zhen Yu said, "Reporting to the envoy, the Zhen family's business mainly deals in ordinary civilian goods, and the profit is not high. Although there is a surplus, it is not much!"
Although Zhao Zhong was dissatisfied with Zhen Yu's ambiguous answer, he did not show it. He certainly did not believe that merchants like the Zhen family had never engaged in hoarding and price gouging.
Seeing that Zhao Zhong had stopped talking, Zhen Yu felt uneasy, wondering if she had overlooked something.
Soon the group arrived at the Zhen residence's living room.
At this moment, in addition to the main branch of the family, the second and third branches also brought their descendants to the living room, all hoping to gain Zhao Zhong's favor.
"The Zhen family only has one spot. Although anyone can go, I think it's better to have a competition first, since those who come out of there will become the emperor's personal guards in the future!"
Seeing Zhao Zhong's businesslike demeanor made the second and third branches of the Zhen family very happy, at least they still had a chance to compete.
Zhen Yu quickly replied, "The angel has traveled a long way and must be tired. I have already arranged a banquet. How about we arrange the competition tomorrow?"
"Alright!"
Feeling hungry, Zhao Zhong did not refuse.
Soon, under the arrangement of the Zhen family's butler, the banquet was prepared and was quite sumptuous.
"I have official business to attend to and cannot drink alcohol. Please, everyone, make yourselves at home!"
When the Zhen family offered him a toast, Zhao Zhong pushed his glass forward and refused outright.
The banquet fell into a brief silence, and Zhen Yu had no choice but to put down his wine glass and give an awkward smile, "Since Attendant Zhao doesn't drink, then eat more."
And so, the banquet ended on a sour note.
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