Chương 137: Harmony in the Harem, Peace Throughout the Land

A few days later, the town gate of Zhuoxian was bustling with activity.

The Zhen family's large entourage has arrived.

The caravan stretched for miles, with dozens of horse-drawn carriages, hundreds of oxcarts carrying goods, and several hundred guards and servants.

The scene was so grand that anyone who didn't know better would think it was a prince moving house.

Liu Ce personally went to the city gate to greet him.

The carriage stopped, and Zhen Yi got off first.

Upon seeing Liu Ce, he quickly bowed and said, "Zhen Yi greets the Marquis of Champion!"

Liu Ce stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Father-in-law, there's no need for such formalities! Welcome to Zhuo County!"

That address of "Father-in-law" filled Zhen Yi with joy, and his face beamed with happiness: "My dear son-in-law, you're too kind! It's an honor for the Zhen family to have you come to Youzhou!"

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao also came over to pay their respects.

After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Ce's gaze drifted to the carriages behind them—those were the carriages of the five Zhen sisters.

He walked over and greeted them one by one.

In the first carriage, Zhen Jiang lifted the curtain, her face slightly flushed, and said, "My lord..."

"Call me husband, the imperial decree has been issued, why call me lord?" Liu Ce laughed.

Zhen Jiang blushed even more and whispered, "Husband."

In the second carriage, Zhen Tuo was more outgoing: "Husband! We're here!"

In the third carriage, Zhen Dao asked with a grin, "Husband, did you miss us?"

The fourth one, Zhen Rong was a little shy, but still called him "husband".

The fifth car appeared. Zhen Mi poked her head out, blinking her big eyes: "Husband!"

Liu Ce chuckled and shook hands with each of them, saying, "It's good that you're here, it's good that you're here."

The convoy entered the city in a grand procession.

The people of Zhuoxian County all came out to see the excitement.

"Good heavens, whose house is this? Such a big fuss!"

"I heard it's the in-laws of the Marquis of Champion, who moved here from Ji Province."

"No wonder... the Marquis's relatives are indeed extraordinary!"

Upon arriving at the Zhen family's new residence—a mansion that Liu Ce had already arranged for, smaller than the Zhen family's mansion in Wuji County.

After settling in, Liu Ce took the five Zhen sisters to the Liu residence in the afternoon.

Cai Yan, Zhang Ning, and Ren Hongchang had been waiting for a long time.

The scene of the meeting... was a bit awkward.

Cai Yan was the principal wife, dignified and generous; Zhang Ning was heroic and imposing; Ren Hongchang was gentle and charming.

The five Zhen sisters, five beautiful young women, stood in a row like they were in a beauty pageant.

The eight women sized each other up, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Liu Ce's heart pounded: Could a fight break out?

Fortunately, the women quickly broke the deadlock.

Zhen Jiang spoke first, bowing to Cai Yan: "Younger sister Zhen Jiang greets elder sister."

The other four sisters also bowed.

Cai Yan quickly helped them up, saying, "Sisters, there's no need for such formalities. From now on, we're family."

Zhang Ning laughed and said, "I've long heard that the five Zhen sisters are all beautiful, and seeing them today, I can confirm that their reputation is well-deserved."

Ren Hongchang said softly, "Welcome..."

The atmosphere quickly became harmonious.

Eight women sat in the pavilion in the backyard, drinking tea, chatting, and laughing.

Liu Ce breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the harem was harmonious and the world was at peace.

In the evening, Liu Ce hosted a banquet at the governor's mansion to entertain Zhen Yi and his two sons, and also invited Shen Wansan to join them.

The banquet was lavish, but the focus wasn't on the food, but on the wine.

Liu Ce took out his own distilled high-proof liquor.

"Father-in-law, try this." He poured Zhen Yi a glass.

Zhen Yi picked up his wine glass, took a sniff, and his eyes lit up: "It smells so good!"

Then I took a sip and savored it.

After a long silence, he put down his glass and exclaimed, "Excellent wine! Clear and bright, mellow and lingering, with an unforgettable aftertaste! Much better than the wines on the market!"

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao also tried it and praised it repeatedly.

Liu Ce laughed and said, "This is wine I brewed myself. Father-in-law, what do you think about selling it on the market?"

Zhen Yi, being a businessman, immediately began to do the math: "The quality of this wine is comparable to that of tribute wine. In Luoyang, a dou (a unit of volume) could easily sell for three to five hundred coins. In Youzhou... although the common people are poorer, wealthy households, officials, and military camps are all potential buyers."

He paused for a moment: "How does my son-in-law plan to cooperate?"

Liu Ce had already planned it out: "I'll entrust the brewing and sale of this wine to Shen Wansan. The Zhen family will provide the sales channels and take 20% of the profits."

Zhen Yi quickly calculated in his mind: This wine is of superior quality and will definitely sell well. A 20% profit margin may not seem like much, but with the Marquis of Champion's influence and the quality of this wine, the sales volume will be astonishing. In the long run, it will be a huge fortune.

"good!"

Zhen Yi readily agreed, "Don't worry, son-in-law, the Zhen family's trade routes cover every state; we'll definitely be able to sell this wine all over the world!"

Liu Ce then pointed to Shen Wansan: "You can discuss the specifics with Shen Wansan. He also has fine things like fine salt and paper, which we can cooperate on."

Shen Wansan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Patriarch Zhen, I have long admired your name. I am new here and hope to receive your guidance."

Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao quickly returned the greeting: "Mr. Shen, you're too kind!"

Next, Shen Wansan and the Zhen brothers started chatting. From the pricing, packaging, and transportation of wine, to the sales network of salt and the marketing of paper... the more they talked, the more they clicked.

Liu Ce listened from the side, secretly amused: Shen Wansan's business acumen, combined with the Zhen family's distribution channels, makes this combination invincible.

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was slightly tipsy.

Liu Ce began his "performance".

Holding a wine cup, he staggered over to Zhen Yi, put his arm around Zhen Yi's shoulder, and slurred, "Father-in-law... you have no idea... being the Governor of Youzhou is... so hard..."

Zhen Yi, who had also drunk quite a bit, said with a hint of intoxication, "Why do you say such a thing, son-in-law?"

"Youzhou... suffered heavy losses..."

Liu Ce looked distressed.

"The Yellow Turban Rebellion has just ended, and everything needs rebuilding. Now, over a million refugees are flooding into Zhuojun... We're running out of food..."

As he spoke, he wiped away non-existent tears.

Zhen Yi's heart skipped a beat: Here they come! They want the money!

Liu Ce continued to complain, "I'm so worried I can't sleep... Father-in-law, you have to help me..."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yi, drunk, slammed his hand on the table and said, "Don't worry, my dear son-in-law! If you don't have enough provisions, just tell your father! How much do you need?"

Liu Ce was secretly delighted, but stammered, "Two million shi..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhen Yi waved his hand dismissively: "Two million shi of grain? No problem! We'll send the rest of the Zhen family's supplies to our son-in-law as soon as they arrive!"

Liu Ce: "..."

He almost choked on the alcohol.

Two million koku! That's so generous?

Liu Ce cursed inwardly: Holy crap! I ordered too little! What a huge loss! A massive loss!

But he had to maintain a smile, feigning drunkenness and overwhelming gratitude, saying, "Thank you... thank you for your support, father-in-law! I will never forget your great kindness!"

Zhen Yi laughed heartily, slightly drunk, "We're all family, why are you speaking like that! Come on, let's drink!"

That evening, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

After the banquet, the Zhen family father and son returned to their new home.

Zhen Yi entered the study, and the drunkenness on his face vanished instantly. Zhen Yan and Zhen Yao asked, "Father, you're not drunk?"

"I'm drunk," he said slowly, "but my mind is clear."