Chapter 49: Three Years Later

Chapter 49: Three Years Later

Three years had swiftly passed. Zhao Family Village's enterprises had expanded across several southwestern provinces, dealing in strawberry seedlings, sweet potato vermicelli, fresh eggs, cured salted eggs, and preserved chicken and fish.

Beyond these simply processed agricultural products, the kilns churned out a continuous supply of bricks and tiles. While these items might seem unremarkable at first glance, the village had directly acquired a large mining area in Qianzhou to extract coal, ensuring a steady fuel source for their kilns.

Establishing large-scale farms and fishponds also demanded immense effort. Rigorous multi-layered protection and disinfection protocols were implemented to prevent the spread of plagues and diseases.

Furthermore, merchant caravans from distant foreign lands arrived punctually every month, setting up stalls to sell a variety of exotic overseas treasures.

Indeed, after three years, Zhao Family Village had undergone a profound transformation. A small hill at the village entrance was leveled and converted into a bustling marketplace.

Changxi County, too, presented an almost entirely new facade. The roads leading to the county seat were now smoothly paved with concrete, and the town's streets had expanded to include three new, prosperous avenues. Annual tax revenues had surged, bringing in an additional hundred thousand taels of silver.

Such rapid development, however, inevitably gave rise to conflicts. For instance, County Magistrate Feng was keenly interested in the waterproof cement that facilitated swift road construction. He desired to obtain the cement formula, hoping to present it to higher authorities and advance his political career. Yet, Zhao An consistently maintained that the cement had been brought back by the horse caravan from abroad and that he did not possess the formula.

But how could County Magistrate Feng possibly believe this? Nevertheless, he genuinely feared the power of that horse caravan—a formidable group of several hundred strong men, along with their livestock and mules. Should they assault the county town, the constables of Changxi County would be utterly defenseless.

County Magistrate Feng, being pragmatic, abandoned his ambition to capitalize on the cement. He could only gaze at the road connecting Zhao Family Village to the county town, often sighing with a sense of futility.

Despite the lack of cement, County Magistrate Feng still secured an opportunity for promotion. Over the past three years, Changxi County's tax revenue had significantly increased, and its population had doubled. These tangible achievements constituted a solid record of his governance, leading to his transfer to a northern prefectural city as its governor.

Feng Shaoping, however, did not accompany him. After his departure to Nanyue Country, Zhao An ceased glass production in their village. Instead, he relocated the kilns and technology to Nanyue Country for manufacturing.

Glassware had now become a common sight in the homes of all upper-class families in the State of Xu. With mass production techniques mastered, they began to consider producing more affordable items for a broader market.

While everything appeared to be progressing in a flourishing direction, Zhao An and Hu Sheng increasingly sensed an approaching danger.

That evening, as Hu Sheng held Zhao An in bed, he confided, "Today, I again spotted the emperor's covert agents in the village market. Their activities are growing more frequent. They must have confirmed your indispensable role in the changes here in Changxi County."

Regardless, all of Zhao An's endeavors could be lauded as beneficial to both the nation and its people. Yet, the emperor's response was to continually dispatch secret agents to investigate, rather than directly ordering Zhao An to surrender the formulas and techniques he possessed. This clearly revealed the emperor's stance toward Zhao An.

If Zhao An were to offer his technology, the emperor would be obliged to bestow upon him substantial rewards and a noble title. However, the emperor was unwilling to grant either wealth or official position, proving notoriously parsimonious. This attitude mirrored County Magistrate Feng's initial thoughts almost perfectly.

While they acknowledged the utility of the craftsmen's creations, they harbored a deep-seated disdain for the status of artisans. They believed Zhao An should have proactively offered his knowledge, and that waiting until he was asked, only then to consider presenting it, was an act of presumption.

However, the emperor was not County Magistrate Feng; he would not recoil out of fear of a few hundred men in a horse caravan. Ostensibly, the newly appointed County Magistrate Zhang Hui was a direct protégé of the emperor, having passed the imperial examinations just last year.

His demeanor toward Zhao An was always polite, yet underscored by a profound aloofness. Furthermore, he would periodically bring constables to the market, sometimes demanding to inspect accounts, other times to verify identities.

Although Zhao An and his people managed to repel them through various means, Zhang Hui's presence was like a persistent splinter, causing constant physical and mental discomfort.

Then came the various clandestine investigations. On one occasion, someone even attempted to infiltrate their room. Hu Sheng discovered the intruder, snapped his neck, and then, under the cover of night, carried the body to the mountains for burial.

Zhao An could only sigh helplessly, "In this situation, even if I were to hand over all the formulas I know and kneel before the emperor begging for mercy, he probably still wouldn't spare me."

Hu Sheng gently stroked Zhao An's head and asked, "Have you still not understood why they are so shameless?"

Zhao An softly hummed in affirmation, his voice tinged with a resentful nasal tone.

Hu Sheng had to meticulously explain it to him: "Because the emperor believes he is the Son of Heaven. Under the vast sky, all land belongs to him; within the four seas, all people are his subjects. Everything in this world should rightfully be his. And besides the emperor, all other officials and gentry despise you because, over the past three years, you have continuously promoted high-yield crops, which has greatly harmed their interests. By ensuring the common people have enough to eat, they no longer need to sell their children or their land. They might offer grand, righteous excuses for their actions, but the truth is rooted in the most selfish greed."

Zhao An never truly belonged to this world, but after finding Hu Sheng, he yearned for a stable and peaceful life. Thus, he spared no effort in transforming their environment, teaching the village children to read, and ensuring those around him would not suffer from famine. Yet, the current outcome seemed far from ideal. Feeling dejected, Zhao An bit Hu Sheng's pectoral muscle.

In a seductive voice, he murmured, "I want you." He yearned to use this pleasure as a defiance against the coldness of the surrounding world, hoping to forget all his troubles in a brief moment of blissful oblivion.

However, even this hope of escape was shattered. The hidden dangers lurking in the shadows eagerly launched their first attack. Just as they embraced each other, more than a dozen individuals stealthily ascended to the second floor of their house, storming in simultaneously through the windows, door, and roof.