The Big Hand of Peixian (2) — Sorry, I Majored in Liberal Arts
I have returned.
“Oh, you’re back. Good work.”
When I arrived home, Liu Bang was, as always, sprawled lazily across the wooden bench.
The sword rolling beside him told the whole story—he had swung it a few times under the pretense of training, quickly grown bored, and flopped down.
“How was your visit to your parents’ house after so long? Did Mother-in-law pack you some delicious food?”
“……”
I stared silently at the man who was scratching his belly and yawning.
To think this fellow will one day become Emperor Gaozu of Han. Is this not the greatest mystery in human history?
I let out a deep sigh and approached the bench.
Then, without a word, I tossed a heavy money pouch beside his face.
Clink—
“Hm?”
As expected of a rogue. The moment he caught the scent of money, Liu Bang sprang up like a coiled spring.
He stared at the indigo pouch, whose considerable bulk was obvious at a glance, then looked up at me with a dazed expression.
“This is…”
“It is money.”
“Where on earth did you get money from?”
“I borrowed it.”
“Huh?”
Liu Bang tilted his head and loosened the pouch’s string.
The instant he saw the glittering mountain of coins inside…
“Huk!”
His mouth fell open.
It seemed that even the heroic spirit he occasionally displayed could not withstand cold, hard cash that easily surpassed his annual salary.
I plopped down beside the stupefied Liu Bang and hugged the money pouch protectively.
“I borrowed it from Father.”
“H-how much?”
“Two thousand coins.”
Liu Bang’s eyes bulged as if they might pop out.
“Two thousand coins?!”
“Yes.”
I placed the heavy pouch between us.
“It is capital to repay our debts, repair the house, stabilize our livelihood… and secure our future as husband and wife.”
For a long while, Liu Bang simply stared at the pouch in a daze. The tips of his fingers trembled faintly.
Then he slowly lifted his gaze to me.
“You… just what did you tell your father…?”
His voice was a mixture of worry, astonishment, and gratitude.
I met his wavering eyes and answered calmly.
“I spoke of investment.”
“Investment… that word again.”
Liu Bang let out a hollow laugh and nodded.
“So… you used my future as collateral to pull in money?”
“Yes. Father believes that, having read your physiognomy, you will become the Son of Heaven. Therefore, I persuaded him that we must begin preparing funds now to support that future emperor. After all, for a dragon to ascend to heaven, it needs clouds and rain.”
“……”
Liu Bang pressed his lips together and fell silent.
His expression was complicated—surprise, bewilderment, and some heavy emotion I could not quite read.
Only after a long pause did his voice return.
“You really are… an incredible person.”
Liu Bang looked at me.
“No matter how close the blood tie, to entrust such a huge sum…”
“Do not worry about the amount. Since I was the one who borrowed it, I will take responsibility for repaying it.”
“…No.”
Liu Bang shook his head firmly.
“This is a debt belonging to us as husband and wife. Therefore, we should repay it together.”
It was an unexpectedly dependable statement.
I looked at him with genuine surprise.
“Together…?”
I had assumed this uncle would naturally say something like, ‘You’re the one who borrowed it, so you handle it. I don’t want to know~’
Liu Bang seemed to read my expression; he gave a bitter smile and gently took my hand.
“Yes. Together. Are not husband and wife one heart and one body? You went through such trouble to borrow this money. I cannot possibly pretend not to know.”
With a rather manly look in his eyes, Liu Bang gazed at me deeply.
Faced with this serious, masculine expression I had never seen before, I…
Ugh.
I recoiled and yanked my hand away.
I could tolerate a shoulder hug as camaraderie between comrades, but holding hands while staring with such profound eyes was on another level. The goosebumps were so intense I felt as if feathers might sprout.
Besides… the phrase “one heart and one body” somehow sounded suspiciously lewd.
“Ah… sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
Liu Bang, whose hand had been shaken off, scratched his head awkwardly.
“No… I was simply a little startled.”
I bowed my head awkwardly as well and hastily changed the subject.
“Ahem. In any case, please go and settle the debts immediately, sir.”
I took out two hundred coins from the pouch and handed them over.
“All right, I will,” Liu Bang said with a nod, but after counting the coins his head tilted.
“This amount seems insufficient?”
“It is only to extinguish the most urgent flames.”
“The most urgent flames?”
“Yes. If the ever-slippery Constable Liu suddenly clears all his debts in a single day, would that not spark strange rumors?”
“Ah…”
“Boasting about money brings nothing but harm. Therefore, first repay the urgent debts owed to your friends—including Lady Cao—and settle the tavern tab little by little.”
Besides, leaving some debt outstanding would make it more likely that Liu Bang would remember the “once every three days” promise he had made with me.
“That makes sense. As expected, you have a good head on your shoulders.”
Liu Bang scratched his head with a hollow laugh, then readily nodded.
“Fine. When it comes to money, I will trust your judgment.”
With that, Liu Bang rose from his seat.
He stretched languidly, tucked the coins into his robe, and headed toward the gate.
“Ah, and one more thing, sir.”
“Speak.”
“When you repay the debts, you must not appear as if you have turned over a new leaf. Rather than showing that you have changed your ways, act as if you simply ‘luckily came into some easy money and are happily treating everyone.’ Perform it that way.”
“Huh…?”
“In short, you must continue to show people the Liu Ji they know. If you suddenly become too serious, they will grow wary instead.”
This was a measure both to avoid altering the flow of history as much as possible and to evade suspicion from the Qin officials.
Liu Bang had to remain a drunken good-for-nothing who was affable and carefree. Only then would no one view him with caution.
“Hmm… so you’re saying I should keep playing and eating as usual without making it obvious?”
“Correct.”
“That is my specialty! Do not worry.”
Whistling cheerfully, Liu Bang strode out the gate.
I watched his back until it disappeared, then hugged the remaining money pouch tightly to my chest.
One thousand five hundred coins…
After setting aside two hundred coins to repay debts and three hundred coins for living expenses and emergency funds, this was what remained.
This was the seed money I could freely invest.
And in this era, there was only one way to grow that capital.
Business.
It was time to decide on the item.
Let me recall all the novels I have read.
I crossed my arms and carefully searched my memory.
The obvious clichés in which reincarnators sweep up fortunes in another world.
Soap, distilled liquor, refined sugar, gunpowder, glass, printing techniques… modern inventions that would make people of this era faint in shock.
However.
…I don’t think I can pull it off.
A deep sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
First, soap.
I knew the theory. Reacting fats and oils with alkali produces saponification.
But where was I supposed to obtain “alkali”? Even if I used wood ash, which trees should I burn? What about concentration? Temperature? Ratio?
I had graduated from business school, not chemistry. In my thirty years of life, the only time I had ever made soap was during elementary school science class.
Knowing the theory and actually producing it were as different as heaven and earth.
Then distilled liquor…
I knew the theory for this as well. Boil the alcohol, collect only the vapor, and cool it. The principle behind soju.
But how was I supposed to make a still? Would this era’s crude pottery even seal properly? Without copper pipes, how would I cool it?
Besides, I was neither a potter nor a blacksmith. The equipment investment alone would clearly cost more than the potential profit.
Gunpowder is even worse.
Saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal. The mixing ratio was roughly… seventy-five to fifteen to ten? I could not even remember the exact numbers.
And even if I managed to make gunpowder, there was nothing I could actually do with it in this era. Manufacturing firearms was utterly impossible, and at best I would only be able to make fireworks. I would be perfectly set up to be arrested by the Qin authorities for plotting rebellion and executed by lingchi.
Theory is completely useless…
That was my cold, hard conclusion.
The protagonists of those novels conveniently had settings like “I was a chemical engineering PhD in my previous life” or “I worked as a blacksmith for fun.”
But me?
I was just an ordinary Korean salaryman.
The only things I knew how to do were Excel, PowerPoint, organizing accounting ledgers, and flattering my boss.
After considering every other option for a long time, I finally let out a sigh and stood up.
Let’s go to the market.
Honestly, I had thought that having money would make everything possible.
That some revolutionary business idea would suddenly pop into my head, that I would be able to do anything.
…Reality is not so kind.
When you are stuck, seeking inspiration is important.
I sighed and headed for the market.
※※
The lowing of oxen, the calls of merchants, the clinking of coins…
The large market of Peixian, which I had deliberately taken thirty extra minutes to reach, was filled with the noises of economic activity in this era.
Chewing on a skewer of honey-preserved dates I had bought as a snack, I slowly walked through the market.
Then I spotted my first target and stopped in front of it.
“Oh, young lady. Would you like to look at some cloth?”
Piles of ramie fabric were stacked like mountains on the stall.
Roughly woven gray cloth—the cheapest fabric commonly used by commoners.
“How much does it cost?”
“Five coins per bolt. The better quality starts at ten coins.”
“I see.”
Piles of ramie fabric were stacked like mountains on the stall.
Roughly woven gray cloth. The texture felt scratchy against my fingertips. By modern standards, it would not even be fit to use as a rag.
“That one over there is the ten-coin quality. Quite decent, isn’t it?”
Yet the stall owner’s face was full of confidence.
“Ah… yes.”
I nodded awkwardly and set the cloth down.
Cloth, huh…
One possibility occurred to me.
Cloth in this era was expensive. Commoners wore a single set of clothes for years on end. When it tore, they patched it; when it wore thin, they added layers. Buying new cloth was reserved for special occasions.
Yet demand clearly existed. People simply could not afford it. Everyone needed cloth.
If I could mass-produce cheaper, higher-quality fabric…
In my mind, I recalled words like textile improvement, spinning machines, and looms.
The machines of the Industrial Revolution. Spinning wheels turning, threads being drawn out…
…As if I would know their structure.
Of course, I gained nothing. I had not majored in mechanical engineering.
“I will look around a bit more.”
I spoke the magic words to the merchant and left.
The next place I headed was the food stall area.
Dried jerky, pickled vegetables, salted meat… rows upon rows of preserved foods.
Food processing…
This was also a jackpot item.
In an era without refrigerators, the technology to preserve food for a long time was power itself.
What do I actually know?
Canning? I lacked the metallurgy to create sealable metal containers.
Glass canning? I lacked the technology to produce heat-resistant glass.
Freezing? Impossible unless I somehow became a wizard.
Smoking? The meat hanging over there is smoked meat. These people already know all about it.
…Sigh.
Another wall.
After wandering aimlessly through the market a while longer, I plopped down in the shade of a large zelkova tree in a corner.
My legs were aching. Lü Zhi’s body had terrible stamina; even a short walk left me out of breath.
Let’s organize this.
I listed the possibilities in my head.
1. Manufacturing → No technical knowledge. Equipment investment impossible. Rejected.
2. Agricultural improvement → No land. Never farmed before. Rejected.
3. Food processing → Lacking foundational technology. Rejected.
4. Textile industry → Cannot design machinery. Rejected.
I really don’t know how to do anything…
I gave a bitter smile and chewed the last date on the skewer.
To think that even after coming to the third century BCE, I still had to say “sorry, I majored in liberal arts.”
I should have read Mathematical Principles instead of Romance of the Three Kingdoms when I was young…
“…Zhi-ah?”
At that moment, a terribly familiar voice called out.
“Hm?”
When I looked up, it was Liu Bang.
He was running toward me from across the street with wide rabbit-like eyes.
Ah, that’s right… I sent him to the tavern.
It was not impossible. There were not that many taverns in this era.
“Sir.”
I sighed, brushed off my backside, and stood.
Liu Bang scratched his head and stopped beside me.
“What are you doing here? You didn’t even say anything.”
“I was looking around the market.”
Liu Bang narrowed his eyes and gestured at my empty hands.
Honestly, this uncle could be surprisingly sharp at times like this.
“Sir.”
Well, there was no particular reason to hide it. Once I decided on a business item, I had planned to report it to him first anyway.
I looked straight at Liu Bang and confessed honestly.
“I may… be more incompetent than I thought.”
“……? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“No matter what I try to do, I lack the skills. I have no dexterity to make things, and I lack the knowledge to attempt anything new. My head is full of ideas… yet I have no idea how to actually realize them.”
“……”
Liu Bang looked at me with an expression that still seemed confused.
But his face had stiffened slightly; it appeared he had at least noticed that I was deeply troubled.
He made a thoughtful “hmm” sound and looked up at the sky.
Then, without much deliberation, he tossed out casually,
“Then why not ask Xiao He, Cao Shen, or Xiahou Ying for help?”
“Pardon?”
“They are officials, aren’t they? They have power, knowledge, and connections. Couldn’t they help somehow?”
“But… are you not an official as well, sir?”
“Well, that is true, but… if you cannot do it, there is no way I could do it either.”
Liu Bang smiled awkwardly and continued.
“To begin with, I have no dexterity or technical skills either. As I always say, the only thing I have is my younger brothers.”
“…Well, that is true.”
But it was unlikely they would have any brilliant ideas either.
Xiao He was an administrator, Cao Shen was a prison official, and Xiahou Ying was a carriage driver.
They were not blacksmiths or potters. The most they could provide was information, manpower, and transportation…
…Wait a moment.
Suddenly, a keyword flashed through my mind.
Manpower, information… transportation?
I completely flipped my perspective.
Why had I been fixated on the idea that I had to make something?
Not making goods, but selling them.
Not using knowledge, but using information.
Not creating people, but moving people.
…Distribution?
A massive possibility filled my mind.
Commerce in this era was extremely inefficient.
Grain and textiles produced in rural villages passed through countless middlemen before reaching the cities.
Every checkpoint demanded tolls, and brokers took their cuts.
Producers sold at dirt-cheap prices, consumers bought at exorbitant ones.
A deformed structure in which only the middlemen grew fat.
Then what if we could omit that “middle”?
Direct trade… direct delivery from the source.
In modern terms, SCM—supply chain management and optimization.
And to realize that, only three things were needed.
Reliable transportation, connections to pass through government checkpoints, and credibility to guarantee transactions.
Isn’t this perfect?
Xiahou Ying was a coachman. He could drive a carriage like no one else.
Xiao He was the county’s chief administrator. He knew every piece of administrative information and every notable person in the county.
Cao Shen was a prison official who enforced the law. In this era, he was the most credible public servant there was.
If I could make good use of them…?
“Eureka!”
My eyes flew open.
A business plan unfolded in my mind like a scroll.
Like a child, I grabbed both of Liu Bang’s hands and shouted.
“Sir! I’ve got it!”
“G-got what?”
“The way to become rich!”
Direct Trade & Supply Chain Optimization
Objective: Eliminate middlemen. Connect producers directly with consumers.
Required Assets: Xiahou Ying (transport), Xiao He (information & connections), Cao Shen (credibility & legal enforcement).
Expected Result: Massive profit through efficient distribution.