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The items Cui Hou presented truly startled Fei Qian. Despite being just a few thin sheets of paper, they contained detailed records of officials from the highest provincial governors to the lowest county magistrates, including their names, ages, and preferences. Though each entry was brief, they collectively sketched out a comprehensive network of local officials.
Cui Hou explained, "This information is from several years ago. Currently, the Cui family's business has slightly declined, so there might be some discrepancies. I wonder if this can still be of help to you, my friend?"
Fei Qian, flipping through the pages in astonishment, asked, "Brother Yongyuan, where did you get this from?"
Cui Hou smiled wryly, "It was out of necessity. In business dealings, one inevitably encounters troublesome situations. The laws and regulations vary from one prefecture to another..."
Though Cui Hou didn't finish his sentence, the implication was clear. Since the era of Emperor Ling of Han, when corruption became rampant, officials everywhere followed suit, finding ways to extort money, with merchants being the easiest targets. Thus, merchants prepared such booklets to better understand the preferences and temperaments of local magistrates, ensuring they could bribe their way through if needed.
Even if merchants had this reason, it was enough to shock Fei Qian. This booklet was akin to a modern-day official's protective talisman, and it also resembled the embryonic form of intelligence gathering. Could it be that the merchants of the Eastern Han Dynasty had already extended their influence to such an extent?
Fei Qian felt he had grasped something in his mind but couldn't quite recall what it was, which troubled him.
Fei Qian asked, "Does every merchant have something like this?"
Cui Hou replied somewhat sheepishly, "Not exactly. For instance, the four major merchant families must have more comprehensive records than mine. As for ordinary traveling merchants, they probably wouldn't buy this, as it's quite expensive."
"Oh, so who is selling this? They're actually in this business?"
Cui Hou chuckled, "Brother, it's not just one person. These are sold privately by clerks in various prefectures and counties. Don't be fooled by its small size; it's actually compiled from purchases across more than a dozen prefectures and counties..."
Fei Qian suddenly understood. No wonder the handwriting varied between pages. It was similar to how personal privacy was sold in later generations—public servants exploiting their positions for personal gain. It seems our ancestors left us with quite a few "fine traditions."
"By the way, Brother Yongyuan, you mentioned the four major merchant families earlier. Does that mean the Cui family isn't among them?"
Cui Hou laughed self-deprecatingly, "Our Cui family is at best mid-tier, perhaps slightly above average, but still far from those top-tier families..."
Speaking of the business world, Cui Hou became more animated and began to elaborate to Fei Qian.
Fei Qian listened carefully, finally matching the current merchant families with the information he remembered.
There were only four families considered top-tier:
First, the well-known Mi family.
If the Mi family modestly claimed second place, no one would dare claim first. The Mi family of Xuzhou and the Zhen family of Hebei were roughly on the same level, making them the wealthiest families in the land.
The Mi family had been in business for generations, thriving effortlessly. By Mi Zhu's generation, they had "ten thousand servants and assets worth billions." Although there was another prominent family, the Chen family, in Xuzhou, they were nowhere near the Mi family's level.
It could be said that nearly half of Xuzhou either belonged to the Mi family or was closely related to them. From daily necessities to military supplies, the Mi family dealt in almost everything.
On par with the Mi family was the Zhen family.
The Zhen family of Hebei was most notable not for their wealth but for Zhen Luo, who was later deified as the Goddess of the Luo River. The Zhen family had also been in business for generations. Unfortunately, by this generation, Zhen Luo's father had died young, and the family was managed by her mother, Lady Zhang.
These two families were indisputably the top tier.
However, the next two families in the "four major merchant families" were more controversial. First was the Wu family of Shu. The Wu family's business covered almost every aspect of Shu, and their specialty, Shu brocade, was highly prized by the elite. A single piece of Shu brocade could be worth a fortune, contributing to the Wu family's immense wealth. However, some argued that the Wu family's influence was largely confined to Shu, limiting their scope and thus disqualifying them from being considered among the top four.
Then there was the Wei family of Chenliu.
The Wei family had been accumulating wealth since the time of Wei Qing. By now, in Chenliu, their influence rivaled that of government officials. When Cai Yong was selecting a husband for his daughter Cai Yan, he chose the Wei family after much deliberation. However, due to their close ties with the imperial court, some argued that the Wei family wasn't purely a merchant family and should be excluded from the top four.
But in terms of sheer wealth, these four families were undoubtedly the richest.
Slightly below them were families like the Ma family of Jingzhou—known for the "Five Constants of the Ma family"—and the Lu family of Jiangdong—famous for Lu Xun, who later dealt a devastating blow to Liu Bei.
Further down were families like the Lu family of Jiangdong—associated with the honest Lu Su—and the Yang family of Hongnong—which included Yang Biao, the Grand Commandant.
As for the Cui family—Cui Yi regretfully admitted that before Cui Lie's downfall, they might have been considered notable, but now they were far from their former glory.
Fei Qian noticed Cui Hou's evident envy while discussing these families and comforted him, saying that the Cui family would surely rise to the top again someday.
Cui Hou, though verbally modest, clearly harbored hopes of achieving this dream.
Fei Qian pondered for a moment. After all, Cui Hou was the first person he had met since arriving in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Although Cui Hou's father had initially intended to manipulate Fei Qian, various circumstances had prevented it. Now, Cui Hou treated Fei Qian with respect due to the liuli formula, though Fei Qian's changed status also played a part.
After careful consideration, Fei Qian decided that Cui Hou was a decent friend. While not someone to confide in completely, as long as their statuses didn't diverge too much, they could maintain a good long-term relationship.
Therefore, Fei Qian offered Cui Hou more detailed advice on liuli artifacts, delighting Cui Hou, who eagerly took notes. After all, having seen countless designs from a thousand years in the future, Fei Qian's suggestions were the latest trends in the Eastern Han era.
After sitting for a while longer, Fei Qian bid farewell and left the Cui residence. Though Cui Hou sincerely invited him to stay for a meal, Fei Qian felt it inappropriate to feast while Cui Hou's elderly father was ill, so he insisted on returning to the city. Cui Hou reluctantly agreed.
Cui Hou personally escorted Fei Qian almost all the way to the gates of Luoyang before reluctantly parting ways. Upon returning to the estate, Cui Hou reported the events to his father, Cui Yi. Though Cui Yi's speech was slurred due to illness, his mind remained sharp. With great difficulty, he said, "This young man... will surely... achieve greatness... in the future... You must... treat him... with care..."
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A/N: The Mi family of the Three Kingdoms was indeed wealthy... Pity they followed Liu Bei to the unfamiliar lands of Shu.