Chương 153: Living Off a Woman

"I've got it!" He stopped in his tracks.

"The wine!"

He turned to Shen Wansan and asked, "Wansan, have we started selling our wine yet?"

Shen Wansan, who had been listening quietly, quickly replied when Liu Ce asked, "It has already begun. According to the lord's previous pricing, a liter of 'Jade Liquid Spring' sells for four qian, and sales are quite good." (The name of the wine)

"it is good."

Liu Ce said, "Starting tomorrow, the price will be raised! Raised to... ten coins per liter! No, twenty coins!"

Shen Wansan was startled: "My lord, isn't this... too expensive? Sales might plummet."

Liu Ce waved his hand and said, "Our supplies are running low. We'll tell the outside world that we were selling at a loss for four coins before to open up the market. Now that the market is open, we'll restore the original price. We'll focus on selling to wealthy families and merchants—they have plenty of money."

He continued, "Think about it, do those powerful families and wealthy merchants care about spending a few extra dollars on wine? No! They only care about whether the wine is good enough and whether it shows off their status. We'll make the packaging more exquisite, make the story more appealing... We'll use a secret ancient method, and production will be limited, first come, first served."

Shen Wansan understood and said, "Does my lord mean... to raise prices and fleece the people?"

"Don't put it so harshly."

Liu Ce said in a serious tone, "This is called 'differentiated pricing to serve high-end customers'."

Shen Wansan's eyes lit up: "My lord, you're brilliant! This way, we can not only make more money, but also create scarcity, making wealthy people scramble to buy!"

"right!"

Liu Ce nodded and said, "Also, come to me tomorrow and collect one hundred million coins. Talk to the Zhen family's merchant caravan and have them buy grain in the south. Grain production is high in the south, so prices are relatively cheap, and prices shouldn't have risen too much yet."

Shen Wansan replied, "Yes!"

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui both nodded in agreement. While these methods couldn't completely solve the food supply problem, they could alleviate some of the pressure.

But Liu Ce knew that these measures combined would at most solve the shortfall of a little over one million shi. What about the remaining shortfall of six or seven hundred thousand shi?

He stroked his chin and muttered softly, "Looks like I'll have to sacrifice myself... and become a kept man."

"Sacrifice the lord for what?"

Fang Xuanling didn't hear him clearly, "What do you mean by 'eating a gigolo'?"

Du Ruhui also looked at Liu Ce with a puzzled expression.

Liu Ce snapped out of his daze and laughed, "Oh, it's nothing. I've thought of a way that should solve the remaining gaps."

Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance. Although they were curious, they didn't want their lord to say anything, so they didn't press him for details.

"In that case, the matter of provisions will be left to our lord."

Fang Xuanling said, "Keming and I will fully cooperate with Shen Wansan to do a good job in other ways to increase revenue and reduce expenditure."

Liu Ce nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

The meeting ended, and everyone dispersed.

Liu Ce sat alone in the study, tapping his fingers on the table, pondering how to bring it up.

That night, instead of returning to his own room, he wandered over to Zhen Jiang's courtyard.

Zhen Jiang is the eldest of the five sisters in the Zhen family, and also the most steady and capable one.

She now manages most of the Zhen family's business affairs.

When Liu Ce arrived, Zhen Jiang was still awake and was looking at account books under the lamp.

Upon seeing Liu Ce arrive, she quickly stood up: "Husband, why are you here? You didn't even tell me beforehand so I could prepare..."

Liu Ce waved his hand: "We're family, what's there to prepare?"

He sat down next to Zhen Jiang and glanced at the account book: "Still busy?"

"Okay, let's check this month's accounts."

Zhen Jiang said, "Mr. Shen's wine has already started selling, and it's doing very well. The fine salt and paper are also almost ready, and it will be available next month."

Liu Ce nodded without saying anything.

Zhen Jiang noticed that he seemed preoccupied, so she put down the account book and asked softly, "Is something wrong, my husband?"

Liu Ce scratched his head, a little embarrassed to speak.

To directly say, "Wife, I'm out of food, please take care of me"? That's too embarrassing for a time traveler.

If word gets out, where will we put our face?

But then I thought, how much is face worth? Can it feed us? Can it support six or seven hundred thousand people?

Besides, Zhen Jiang is his wife, and it's only natural for a wife to help her husband!

Thinking of this, Liu Ce steeled his heart and said, "Jiang'er, um... I want to be a kept man."

Zhen Jiang was taken aback and said, "I'll order someone to cook some food right away."

She got up to call for her maid, but Liu Ce quickly stopped her: "Jiang'er, I'm not hungry."

Zhen Jiang looked at him in confusion: "My husband just said he wanted to be a kept man, not because he's hungry, but what is it?"

Liu Ce stammered, "It's... it's like this. In a few months, a batch of... uh, new people should be coming to Youzhou from Jizhou. So... the food supply is... a bit... tight."

His voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, and the last few words were almost inaudible.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Jiang was taken aback for a moment, and then burst out laughing.

Her smile made Liu Ce even more embarrassed, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Zhen Jiang laughed for a while, and then, seeing Liu Ce's embarrassed look, she found him adorable.

She took Liu Ce's hand and said gently, "Is my husband worried that we won't have enough provisions and wants me to get some from the Zhen family?"

Liu Ce nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, yes! Jiang'er understands me best!"

Zhen Jiang smiled and said, "What's there to be embarrassed about? Since the Zhen family has married five daughters to you, everything in the Zhen family belongs to you. Just ask if you need anything."

"I thought it was something serious."

She chuckled lightly, "It's just provisions; the Zhen family still has some savings."

Liu Ce was taken aback: "How much savings do you have?"

Zhen Jiang stood up, took out a thick account book from the cabinet, turned to a certain page, and pointed it out to Liu Ce: "Husband, please take a look. The Zhen family has granaries in Jizhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Yangzhou, Jingzhou and other places. The two million shi we sent to Youzhou before was only part of our reserves. If we need it urgently, I can transfer another three million shi, which can be delivered in one or two months."

Liu Ce's eyes widened: "Three... three million shi? And that's only part of the inventory? Just how much grain does your Zhen family actually have?"

Zhen Jiang smiled and said, "I don't know the exact number, but my father said that if it is only enough to feed a million people, the Zhen family's grain reserves can last for more than a year."

Liu Ce quickly calculated in his mind: a million people for more than a year, if calculated at the minimum standard of one shi per month, would amount to more than 12 million shi.

"Your Zhen family must be cheating!" he blurted out.

"Cheating?" Zhen Jiang asked, puzzled.

"Oh, it means... that's amazing." Liu Ce wiped away non-existent cold sweat.

Indeed, there was a reason why the Zhen family was able to stand firm during chaotic times. Their grain reserves were greater than those of many feudal lords.

"Therefore, my husband need not worry."

Zhen Jiang closed the account book.

"I will send word tomorrow to have grain transferred from granaries in various regions. Three million shi will arrive first, and if that's not enough, more will be transferred later."

Moved, Liu Ce hugged Zhen Jiang tightly, exclaiming, "Jiang'er, you are truly my virtuous wife!"

Zhen Jiang nestled in his arms and whispered, "My husband is going to do great things, so naturally I will do my best to help. Besides, my husband is doing this for the people, not for himself. The Zhen family is willing to let my husband live off us like this. Not only will he live off us, but he will live off us to his heart's content."

Liu Ce thought to himself: This life of being a kept man is really good!

She leaned against Liu Ce's chest and whispered, "Actually, Father had already instructed us that my husband is a man destined for great things, and the Zhen family must fully support him. Let alone a million shi of grain, even if it meant the entire Zhen family's assets, Father wouldn't even bat an eye."

Liu Ce was even more moved, holding Zhen Jiang tightly and refusing to let go: "With such a wife, what more could a husband ask for! I, Liu Bolu, will forever remember the kindness of my father-in-law and two brothers-in-law!"

Zhen Jiang looked up at him, her eyes sparkling: "So, my husband isn't worried about supplies anymore?"

"I'm not worried anymore!"

Liu Ce said confidently, "With Jiang'er here, we're not afraid of any difficulties!"

Problem solved, feeling great.

Looking at Zhen Jiang's beautiful face in the candlelight, Liu Ce felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

"Jiang'er, we..." He leaned close to Zhen Jiang's ear and whispered something.

Zhen Jiang's face flushed red instantly, and she lightly punched him: "My husband is so frivolous..."

"Why be so serious between husband and wife?" Liu Ce laughed as he blew out the candles, picked up Zhen Jiang, and walked towards the bed.

That night, the bed curtains were warm, and the red waves of the quilt were stirred.

And the problem of food supplies was solved by a meal of "soft rice".