Laozi said: "The best governance is when nearby communities can see each other, and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking can be heard, the common people are satisfied with their food, like their clothes, content with their customs, happy with their occupations, and live out their lives in peaceful isolation." We must aim for this to correct the practices in society that confuse the people; otherwise, it will be almost impossible to achieve.
Sima Qian said: We do not know what happened before the time of Shennong. As for what is recorded in poetry and books since the time of Yu and Xia, people have been pursuing the pleasures of the senses, always on the lookout for the next delicious bite, seeking comfort and pleasure for the body, and chasing the glory brought by power and fame for the mind. This materialistic mindset has been ingrained in people for generations; even the best arguments will ultimately not change this. Therefore, the best approach is to go with the flow; next, try guiding them; then, teach and advise; after that, clean up the social mess; and the worst thing you can do is fight them.
The Shanxi region is rich in timber, bamboo, grains, hemp cloth, oxtail hair, and jade; the Shandong region is abundant in fish, salt, lacquer, silk, and all sorts of entertainment; the Jiangnan region produces nanmu, zizi, ginger, cinnamon, gold, tin, forsythia, cinnabar, rhinoceros horn, tortoiseshell, pearls, agate, ivory, and leather; the area north of Longmen and Jieshi is rich in horses, cattle, sheep, fur, tendons, and horns; copper and iron mines are often visible within a thousand miles. These are things Chinese people love and need to live. Therefore, farmers are responsible for cultivating crops, and hunters and fishermen for catching food, craftsmen for making tools, and merchants for trading goods. Does this really need any special political training? Everyone should use their talents and strengths to obtain what they desire. Therefore, cheap things become expensive, and expensive things become cheap. Everyone works hard in their profession, happily doing their own thing; it all happens naturally, like water flowing downhill, continuously, without the need for urging, and without forcing the common people to produce. Isn't this in line with the laws of nature and a reflection of natural phenomena?
The book says: "If farmers do not go out to cultivate, there will be a shortage of food; if craftsmen do not work, there will be a lack of goods; if merchants do not go out to do business, the essentials—food, wealth, and weapons—will be cut off; if hunters do not go out to hunt, wealth will decrease." If wealth decreases, the mountains, forests, and swamps will be left to rot. These four things are what people need to live. With abundant resources, the country and the people will be prosperous; with scarce resources, the country and the people will be poor. Rich and poor isn't about stealing; smart people get rich, dumb people don't.
So Jiang Taigong was sealed in Yingqiu. The land there had poor soil, and the population was sparse. Therefore, Jiang Taigong encouraged women to develop handicraft industries, strive for excellence, and expand the fishing and salt industries. As a result, goods poured in, making it a bustling hub. The people of Qi were the best-dressed in the land, and people from the Hai Dai region flocked to Qi to pay homage. Later, the state of Qi weakened. Guan Zhong reformed the government, overseeing the collection of taxes and establishing nine government offices. As a result, Duke Huan of Qi held nine meetings of the feudal lords, bringing order to the land. Although Guan Zhong was just a courtier, he owned three fiefdoms, and his wealth surpassed that of many feudal lords. Therefore, the state of Qi remained prosperous until the reigns of King Wei and King Xuan.
Thus, it is said: "When the granaries are full, good manners emerge; when clothing and food are sufficient, honor and disgrace are recognized." Good times breed good manners; hard times breed bad ones. When a nobleman is wealthy, he is happy to practice his own morality; when a villain is wealthy, he only cares about satisfying his desires. Deep waters attract fish, deep mountains attract animals, and when people are wealthy, benevolence and righteousness follow. Wealth and power bring prestige. Lose them, and you're vulnerable, unhappy, and at the mercy of even the barbarians. It is said, "A wealthy man's son doesn't die in the streets." This is not an empty saying. Therefore, it is said, "Everyone scrambles for wealth; everyone chases after gain." Even the feudal lords with a thousand chariots, the ministers with ten thousand households, and the rich with a hundred houses still worry about poverty, let alone the ordinary people!
In the past, King Goujian of Yue was totally wiped out by the Wu Kingdom in Kuaiji, and he took Fan Li and Ji Ran's advice. Ji Ran said, "To win a war, you gotta be ready and use your resources smart. Get that right, and you'll understand how goods work. Some years are good for crops, some are bad, and some are downright awful. You gotta adapt. In years of the gold element, there will be a good harvest; in years of the water element, a poor harvest; in years of the wood element, famine; and in years of the fire element, drought. During droughts, use boats more, and during floods, use carts more. This is the market's rhythm. After six years of good harvests, there will be six years of poor harvests, and every twelve years, a major famine will strike. If food prices get twenty times higher, farmers are screwed; ninety times higher, and the merchants are toast. No money moving, no crops growing. Keep prices between thirty and eighty times the normal price, and everyone makes money, the market's happy, and the country's good. The secret to getting rich is in improving goods, not hoarding currency. Trade goods, don't hoard food that goes bad, and don't try to jack up the prices. Based on the surplus and shortage of goods, you can figure out the price levels. When prices are high, sell it all! When they're low, snap it up! Keep the money flowing!" Following Ji Ran's methods for ten years, the country got strong, and he rewarded his soldiers handsomely. The soldiers fought like demons, ultimately avenging the humiliation of Kuaiji and even flaunting their strength in the Central Plains region, becoming one of the Five Hegemons.
After Fan Li avenged the humiliation of Kuaiji, he sighed and said, "Jiran's strategy had seven points, and the Yue Kingdom succeeded by using five of them. Since they have already been applied to national governance, I also want to use them at home." So he disappeared to the rivers and lakes on a small boat, changed his name and identity, first went to the Qi Kingdom and became Chi Yizi Pi (a name that signifies his new identity), and later went to the Tao region and became Zhu Gong (which means "Lord Zhu"). Zhu Gong believed that Tao was at the center of the world, with convenient transportation and was the hub of trade. So he engaged in business, played it smart and didn't push his luck. Therefore, those who are good at management can choose the right talent and seize the opportunity. Over nineteen years, he amassed a fortune three times over and twice shared it with needy friends and family. That's what we call being rich and giving back! Later in life, he listened to the advice of his descendants, who inherited and expanded the family business, ultimately accumulating a huge fortune. So when people mention wealthy individuals, they will call him Tao Zhu Gong.
After Zigang studied with Confucius, he returned to the Wei Kingdom to serve as an official. Later, he resigned from his official position and engaged in business, becoming wealthy by trading between the Cao and Lu Kingdoms. Among Confucius's seventy-two disciples, he was the richest. Yuan Xian was content with simple fare and lived in a modest alley; Zilu rode around in a fancy carriage, bringing lavish silk gifts to visit the princes. Wherever he went, the rulers of those countries treated him as an equal. It was Zi Gong's clever moves that made Confucius a household name. See? Connections are everything!
Bai Gui was a guy from the Zhou Dynasty. During the reign of Wei Wenhao, Li Ke always worked hard in farming, but Bai Gui was a whiz at reading the market. He'd buy low and sell high – the classic strategy. For example, during a good harvest, he would purchase grain and exchange it for silk and lacquerware. After the silkworm cocoons were harvested, he would buy silk and cotton fluff and trade them for grain. A morning moon meant a bumper crop next year, followed by a lean one. A noon moon brought drought, but the following year would yield a good harvest. An afternoon moon indicated a good harvest next year, followed by a poor one. A midnight moon signaled severe drought, but the next year would bring plenty of grain and abundant water resources. When the moon was in the Mao position, the accumulated wealth would double every year. To make a killing, he'd buy cheap grain; to grow his grain stores, he'd plant the best seeds. He lived simply, kept his wants in check, wore plain clothes, and shared the tough times with his staff, pouncing on opportunities like a hawk. Therefore, he said, "I run my business like Yi Yin and Lü Bu planned their campaigns, I fight the market like Sun Tzu and Wu Qi commanded their armies, and I govern my affairs like Shang Yang laid down the law. So, those lacking in intelligence to adapt to changes, courage to make decisions, compassion to make choices, and ability to maintain success, even if they want to learn my methods, I will not tell them." Bai Gui became a legend, the OG of business success. His success wasn't luck; it was the result of countless experiments and learning from his mistakes.
Yi Dun became rich by selling salt, while Guo Zong from Handan made his fortune by smelting iron. Their wealth was comparable to those of princes and kings. Wu Shiluo started out as a herder, but as his livestock increased, he sold some and used the profits to buy fine silks to present as tribute to the King of Rong. The King rewarded him tenfold and gifted him more livestock, so much so that his livestock had to be counted in bushels. Emperor Qin Shi Huang enfeoffed him as a prince and had him pay their respects alongside other ministers. As for Ba Widow Qing, her ancestors discovered cinnabar mines, and she has managed the mining business for generations, amassing great wealth. Despite being a widow, she protected her wealth and herself, remaining untouched. Emperor Qin Shi Huang deemed her a virtuous woman and treated her as an honored guest, even constructing Widow Qing's Terrace for her. Wu Shiluo was just an ordinary herder, and Ba Widow Qing was a widow from a remote mountain area, yet they were treated with imperial courtesy and gained fame, a testament to the power of wealth.
After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, the nation was unified, trade routes and bridges were opened, and restrictions on mountains and swamps were lifted. This led to wealthy merchants spreading across the land, with goods being plentiful and readily available. Consequently, powerful families, princes, and heroes were relocated to the capital.
The Guanzhong region, stretching from the Qian River and Yongzhou in the east to the Yellow River and Mount Hua, is fertile land, renowned for its rich soil since antiquity. From the times of Emperor Shun and Yu the Great, the grains from this region have been offered as tribute to the court. Duke Liu settled in Bindi, King Tai and King Ji developed Qishan, King Wen founded Fengyi, and King Wu established Haojing; thus, the people of Guanzhong have preserved their ancestors' traditions, favoring agriculture and cultivating various grains and crops in the fertile land. It truly is a land of prosperity.
Under Qin Wengong, Qin Degong, and Qin Miaogong, they moved the capital to Yongzhou, trading the resources of Longxi and Shu, and earning a large amount of wealth. Qin Xiangong then moved the capital to Liyi, which could ward off Rongdi raids from the north and was connected to the Sanjin region in the east, thus boosting trade. Qin Xiaogong and Qin Zhaoxiang Wang moved the capital to Xianyang, where the Han Dynasty later established its capital as well. Chang'an, with its surrounding imperial tombs, drew merchants from far and wide. But Guanzhong, though small, had a large population, so the common people were skilled in various handicrafts.
To the south of Guanzhong is the Bashu region. Bashu is also fertile, producing various resources such as brew starter, ginger, cinnabar, stone, copper, iron, bamboo, and wood. Bashu's southern border was constantly threatened by the Dian Kingdom and the Bo people, while the west is near Qiongdu and Zuodu, which produce fine horses and cattle. Although the Bashu region is surrounded by mountains and has inconvenient transportation, extensive plank roads connect various areas, making it well-connected. Only the Baoshe Road, a crucial link between Bashu and Guanzhong, radiated outwards like the spokes of a wheel, facilitating trade in surplus goods for those in short supply.
The customs and habits of Tianshui, Longxi, Beidi, and Shangjun are similar to those of the Guanzhong region, but with Qiang specialties in the west and the livestock of the Rongdi people in the north, pastoralism flourished, making it one of the richest regions in the country. However, these areas are rugged, with only the main routes to the capital being well-maintained. Therefore, although Guanzhong only accounts for one-third of the country and its population is only one-tenth of the country's total, yet it controlled the lion's share of the nation's wealth.
So, back in the day, during the Tang Dynasty, the capital was in Hedong, the Yin Dynasty was in Henan, and the Zhou Dynasty was also in Henan. These three river regions, right in the heartland of China, were as stable as the three legs of a tripod. Emperors throughout history loved building their capitals there, and each dynasty lasted several hundred years. The territory might not have been large, but the population was significant, making it a gathering place for nobles. Life was simple, and people were hard workers.
Yangdi, Pingyang, and Chendi bordered Qin and Zhai to the west and Zhao and Dai to the north. Zhao and Dai were on the northern fringes and often faced invasions from nomadic tribes. The folks there were rough around the edges, always showing off, and loved to gang up on each other. But being close to the nomadic tribes meant they often got a little something extra when the army shipped supplies through. The local people were a mixed bag, known for their toughness since the Jin Dynasty, and it only got worse under King Wuling – they were practically Zhao 2.0.
Wen and Zhi counties bordered Shangdang to the west and Zhao and Zhongshan to the north. Zhongshan was cramped and overcrowded, still clinging to the wild ways of King Zhou. The people there were impatient, always chasing after wealth. The men were always up to something – singing loud, fighting louder, and when they weren't doing either, they were robbing graves or melting down gold. Women played the zither, wore flashy shoes, and tried to charm the wealthy and powerful. Some ended up in the harem, while others roamed from one feudal state to another.
Handan, a large city situated between the Zhang River, connects the Yan State and Zhuo County to the north, and the Zheng State and Wei State to the south. Zheng and Wei, while similar to Zhao in customs, showed more restraint and formality due to their proximity to Liang and Lu. The Pu Shang people, resettled in Ye Wang, were also known for their aggressiveness, factionalism, and self-interest.
Yan, another large city between the Bo Sea and Jie Shi, connects the Qi State and Zhao State to the south, and borders the Hu people to the northeast. The vast expanse from Shanggu to Liaodong, sparsely populated and frequently raided by the Hu, had customs resembling those of Zhao and Dai, but the people were simpler and less concerned. The region boasted abundant fish, salt, dates, and chestnuts. Luoyang bordered Qi and Lu to the east, and Liang and Chu to the south.
Qi, vast and resource-rich, with fertile land for mulberry and hemp, nestled between mountains and sea, was known for its intelligent and skilled people, producing abundant textiles, fish, and salt. Life in Linzi was relaxed; its people were cheerful, open-minded, shrewd, and fond of debate, enjoying a strong, stable society. However, while individuals were brave, a fear of large-scale conflict led to a higher incidence of robbery – a common problem in large states. Qi was a land of contrasts, home to all sorts of people.
Zou and Lu, situated near the Zhu and Si rivers, preserved much of the Zhou Dynasty's traditions. The people were largely Confucian, emphasizing etiquette and appearing rather reserved. While they cultivated mulberry and hemp, resources were scarcer. Their small land and large population fostered a frugal lifestyle, a respect for the law, and a strong aversion to wrongdoing. Yet, in their later decline, their pursuit of profit in commerce outstripped even that of the Zhou.
From the east of the Honggou River, north of Mangdang Mountain, all the way to Juye Marsh, that is the territory of the Liang and Song states. Taoqiu and Suiyang are also major cities. Back in the day, Emperor Yao farmed in Chengyang, Emperor Shun fished in Leize, and King Tang built his capital in Bodi. They still held onto the values of the old kings; folks were honest, hardworking farmers, and gentlemen were plentiful. Despite lacking rich resources, they were hardworking and thrifty, building up their wealth.
The Yue and Chu states were more complicated, falling into three categories. North of the Huai River, in Peixian, Chenxian, Runan, and Nanjun, lay the Western Chu region. Folks there were hot-headed, the land was poor, and they didn't accumulate much wealth. Jiangling, the old capital of Ying, bordered Wudi and Badi to the west, and the resource-rich Yunmeng Marsh to the east. Chen State is located at the border of Chu and Xia, with a developed fish and salt trade, and many common people engaged in commerce. People in Xuzhou, Tongxian, and Qulu County were rough, arrogant, and not to be trusted.
East of Pengcheng, in Donghai, Wu, and Guangling counties, lay Eastern Chu. The customs were much like those in Xuzhou and Tongxian. North of Xu and Zeng counties, the customs were similar to those in Qi. As for Wu, after Heliu, Chunshen Jun, and Wang Bi attracted top talent from all over the world, there were abundant sea salt resources to the east, copper mines in Zhangshan, and a well-developed waterway system in the Sanjiang Wuhu region, making it a major city in Jiangdong.
So, places like Hengshan, Jiujiang, Jiangnan, Yuzhang, and Changsha—all part of Nanchu—had customs much like Xichu. After the capital of Chu, Yingdu, moved to Shouchun, Shouchun also became a big city. Hefei, located at a key north-south junction, is a gathering place for leather, seafood, and timber. It also has a mix of people from the Min and Yue regions, so people from Nanchu are smooth talkers, but not always the most reliable. The Jiangnan region is humid, and life expectancy for men was shorter, but bamboo and wood resources are abundant. Yuzhang produces gold, Changsha produces lead and tin, but although these resources are plentiful, mining them was hard work. From Jiuyi Mountain and Cangwu Mountain in the south to Dan'er, the customs were much the same as in Jiangnan, only with more bayberry trees. Panyu was a major trading hub, drawing in pearls, gems, rhino horn, tortoiseshell, fruits, and fabrics from all over.
Yingchuan and Nanyang are territories of the Xia people. The Xia people were known for their honesty and simple ways, holding onto their old traditions. The people of Yingchuan are especially kind and honest. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the Qin moved all the troublemakers to Nanyang. Nanyang is connected to Wuguan and Yunguan in the west and is close to Hanshui, the Yangtze River, and the Huai River in the southeast. Wancheng is also a big city with complex customs; they loved a good time and had many merchants. They were a lively bunch and were fiercely loyal, maintaining close interactions with the people of Yingchuan, so they are still known as "Xia people" to this day.
In general, resources and lifestyles vary widely across the country. People in Shandong eat sea salt, people in Shanxi eat well salt, and some places in Lingnan and northern Shaanxi also produce salt. So, you see, life and resources varied widely across the land.
In conclusion, the Chu and Yue regions are sprawling but sparsely populated. People mainly eat rice and fish soup; in some areas, they practice slash-and-burn agriculture, use water for irrigation, and supplement their diet with fruits, shellfish, and snails, without the need for buying or selling. The land is fertile and food is abundant, so there is little worry about famine. Therefore, people live relatively comfortably, with little accumulated wealth and widespread poverty. South of the Yangtze River, there are no reports of people freezing or starving to death, but there are also not many extremely wealthy families. North of the Yi (沂) and Si (泗) Rivers, it is suitable for growing crops, mulberry trees, and hemp, as well as raising livestock. With less land and more people, they often suffer from floods and droughts. Common people like to save money, so those from the states of Qin (秦), Xia (夏), Liang (梁), and Lu (鲁) are diligent in farming and value the well-being of the populace. The same goes for the regions of Sanhe (三河), Wan (宛), and Chen (陈), along with those involved in commerce. People from Qi (齐) and Zhao (赵) are relatively clever and tend to cut corners; those from Yan (燕) and Dai (代) make a living from farming and silk farming. Look, those wise men advising the court, officials discussing political affairs in the court, and recluses upholding integrity while living in seclusion in the mountains—what are they ultimately pursuing? Ultimately, it is wealth and fortune! Therefore, those upright officials, the longer they serve, the wealthier they become; those honest merchants eventually also become prosperous. The desire for wealth and prosperity is innate; it's a fundamental human drive, requiring no learning.
Those warriors on the battlefield, always the first to charge during a siege, killing enemies, capturing flags, braving arrows, stones, and fire, not fearing difficulties and obstacles—it's all for the loot! Those young people in the streets and alleys, robbing, looting, grave robbing, and flashin' the cash, seeking revenge through friends, oppressing the weak, disregarding the constraints of the law, risking their lives—they're after the money! Look at those beautiful women of Zhao and the singers of Zheng, dressed up attractively, playing the strings, raising their long sleeves, wearing exquisite shoes, seducing men with their eyes and gestures, going the distance, any age—it's all for the good life! Those idle young gentlemen, dressing brightly, showing off their grandeur—it's all for the finer things! Those hunters, regardless of day or night, braving frost and snow, roaming between valleys, not fearing attacks from fierce beasts—they're after delicious food! Those into gambling, horse racing, cockfighting—they're all about the winnings, right? Those doctors, chefs, and craftsmen, busting their humps, striving for excellence—they're in it for the generous rewards! Those officials, bending the rules, faking documents, and not giving a damn about the consequences—it's all for taking bribes! Farmers, craftsmen, businessmen, those who raise livestock—don't they all just want to get rich? Bottom line? Everyone's chasing the money, and nobody's gonna turn down a buck.
As the saying goes, "You can't make a living selling firewood a hundred miles from home, and you can't make a living selling grain a thousand miles from home." This means that in business, penny-pinching doesn't pay. Think about it: if you live in one place for a year, you can grow some crops; if you stay for ten years, you can plant some trees; and if you remain for a hundred years, that's when you can accumulate a good reputation. This reputation refers to a person's virtue and status. Nowadays, some people can live a prosperous and happy life without the income from official salaries and titles; this is called living off their own means. Living off their own means means relying on rent and taxes—two hundred taxes per household adds up to a tidy sum—two hundred thousand from a thousand households—enough for worshipping the emperor, attending banquets, going out for leisure, and so on. Ordinary people, including farmers, craftsmen, and merchants, can also earn tens of thousands a year, with interest of two thousand, and those with a million in assets can also earn two hundred thousand a year, but various corvées and taxes need to be deducted. They could live high on the hog—eat, drink, and be merry! That's why some people raise two hundred horses, over a thousand cattle, sheep, pigs, tens of thousands of fish, and countless trees. Anyi was known for its jujubes, Yan and Qin for chestnuts, Shu, Hanzhong, and Jiangling for oranges, while vast quantities of lacquer, mulberry, bamboo, and other produce were grown throughout the land. These folks were as rich as Croesus.
It all depends on a wealthy family, not needing to go to the market to make a living, living comfortably without needing to work, yet having no worries about food and clothing. But if the family is poor, the parents are old, the wife and children are weak and sickly, and there is not even money for sacrifices and gifts throughout the year, then food and clothing become a problem. If you're still shameless in that situation, that's a different matter entirely. Therefore, if you have no money, work hard; if you have little money, use your brain; if you have a lot of money, seize the opportunity to develop well. That's the key to getting rich. These days, you don't have to risk your life to make a living. Talented people should strive to get rich. Therefore, it is best to get rich by inheriting the family business, followed by working hard on your own, and the worst is getting rich through improper means. It's pretty embarrassing for talented people to be poor and still go on about morality all day.
As for ordinary people, ten families, one will look down on you; a hundred families, one will fear you; a thousand families, one will command you; and ten thousand families, one will make you a servant. This is a very normal phenomenon. If you want to get rich, farming is not as good as working, working is not as good as doing business, and embroidering and weaving cannot compare to setting up a stall at the market entrance to make money. These are small businesses, perfect for someone starting out with little money.
Imagine those big cities – shifting thousands of jars of wine, pickled vegetables, and soy sauce, countless hides (cattle, sheep, and pig), thousands of bushels of grain, carts overflowing with firewood, long boats, trees, tens of thousands of bamboo poles, hundreds of luxurious carriages, and thousands of carts. There are also thousands of pieces of lacquerware, tons of copperware, wood, iron, dyes, cloth, and horseshoes, along with countless cattle and sheep, servants, and various minerals and dyes in the thousands of pounds. Fabrics, bed sheets, and leather are measured in the thousands of pounds, while lacquer and seasonings are counted in the thousands. Fish, seafood, dried fruits, and fur come in the thousands of pounds and pieces, and various vegetables are measured in the thousands of bushels. Borrowed money amounts to thousands of guan. During festivals and gatherings, greedy merchants can earn three times their investment, while cautious merchants can make five times. It's the same story for the mega-rich. Forget the small stuff – nine out of ten fail, so I'm not even looking at them. Now, let's talk about how smart people make their fortunes – lessons for all of us.
The Zhuo family in the Shu region, originally from the Zhao kingdom, made their fortune through iron smelting. After the Qin kingdom destroyed the Zhao kingdom, the Zhuo family was forced to relocate. During their journey, the Zhuo couple had all their belongings stolen, leaving only the two of them to push a cart and trudge to where they were supposed to go. Other displaced people who had some money bribed officials to find a nearby place to settle, and eventually all ended up in Jiāméng (a town in modern-day Sichuan). Only the Zhuo couple said, "This place is too small and poor. I heard that at the foot of Wenshan, the land is fertile, there's good hunting, and the people like to do business at the market." So they chose to move to a more distant place. They arrived in Linqiong and were very happy. They immediately built a smelting factory on Tie Mountain, carefully planned their operation, bringing in workers from across Dian and Shu, and eventually became wealthy, with over a thousand servants, fields, ponds, hunting, and leisure activities, living like kings.
Cheng Zheng, a person displaced from Shandong, also engaged in iron smelting and the hair ornament business, reaching a level of wealth comparable to the Zhuo family, and they all lived in Linqiong.
The Kong family, originally from the Liang kingdom, made their fortune through trading iron goods. Later, when the Qin kingdom attacked the Wei kingdom, the Kong family moved to Nanyang. They threw money at it, built large furnaces, dug ponds, traveled with caravans, and made money through trade, even receiving support and appreciation from some wealthy young nobles. They earned so much money, more than ordinary people, yet remained frugal, accumulating a fortune of several thousand gold. The Nanyang business community looked up to the Kong family's lavish lifestyle.
The people of Lu kingdom were already frugal, and the Cao and Beng families were even more formidable, also making their fortune through trading iron goods, amassing wealth exceeding ten thousand gold. From ancestors to descendants, they were incredibly thrifty, picking up anything they could find, even things that fell from the sky, lending money at high interest, and engaging in trade across various regions. The success of the Cao and Beng families inspired many in Zoulu to abandon their studies for the pursuit of wealth.
The people of the Qi state look down on slaves, but the Daojian family really valued their slaves. Those tricky slaves, who were a pain in the neck for everyone else, were welcomed with open arms by the Daojians. They put them to work fishing, making salt, and running businesses—anything to make a buck. Some even ran their own caravans and hobnobbed with local officials. The Daojians trusted them more and more, and the slaves worked their butts off, building the family fortune into the tens of millions. So the saying goes, "Better to lose your title than your Daojians," meaning they knew how to get their slaves to work for them and make them rich.
Zhou people were famously frugal, and the Shis even more so. They had hundreds of carts, peddling their wares all over, making money hand over fist. Luoyang sat right in the middle of Qi, Qin, Chu, and Zhao. The poor folks copied the rich, always trying to outdo each other in terms of business experience. They'd drive right past a town multiple times rather than stop, their eyes only on the bottom line. The Shi family was like this, eventually accumulating a wealth of seventy million.
The Ren family of Xuanqu—their ancestors were granary managers. When the Qin Dynasty went belly up, everyone scrambled for gold and silver, but the Rens just piled up grain. During the Chu-Han war around Xingyang, nobody could farm, so rice prices shot up to 10,000 coins a stone. And guess what? All that gold and silver ended up in the Rens' hands, making them rich beyond their wildest dreams. While everyone else was snapping up cheap stuff, the Rens only bought the best, even if it cost more. They prospered for several generations. The Rens had strict rules: no farm income, no fancy clothes or food. And if the family head didn't finish his work, no fancy dinners for him! He led by example, becoming a local legend, and even the court respected them despite their wealth.
So, there was this guy named Qiaoyao out in the sticks beyond the Great Wall who somehow got his hands on over a thousand horses. He had twice as many cows as horses and ended up with ten thousand sheep. He had tons of grain—like, tens of thousands of bushels! Now that's what I call skills! When the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu started a war, the big shots in Chang'an City all followed the army to battle, unable to borrow any money because they thought the situation in the east was uncertain, and no one dared to lend money easily. Only the Wuyan family just shelled out a cool thousand gold pieces at an interest rate of only ten percent. What was the result? Wu and Chu were settled in three months, and by the end of the year, the interest for the Wuyan family went through the roof, making them as wealthy as the fat cats in the Guanzhong region!
The wealthy merchants in Guanzhong, most of whom were surnamed Tian—like Tian Se and Tian Lan—as well as the Wei family, Li family, and Anling Du family, were all loaded. These examples of getting rich were all quite unique. They didn’t rely on titles, shady deals, or crooked ways to make their fortune, but instead worked their butts off, grabbed every chance they got, and were smart with their money. They knew when to fight, when to scheme, and when to adapt, which is why they were successful. Loads of people got rich doing honest work—farming, ranching, crafts, hunting, trading—some even richer than whole counties!
Look, hard work's the key to getting rich, but those who truly become wealthy often have a special something about them. For example, Qin Yang got rich by farming in a province; although tomb raiding is not exactly respectable, Tian Shu made his fortune from it; gambling is looked down on, but Huan Fa made a killing from it; back then, business wasn't considered a man's game, but Yong Le Cheng became loaded from it; selling pork fat is a humble job, yet Yong Bo earned a fortune from it; selling soy milk is a small business, but Zhang Shi made millions of dollars from it; sharpening knives seemed like a pretty small deal, yet Zhi Shi lived a prosperous life from it; selling dried meat may seem unremarkable, but Zhuo Shi made a killing; veterinary work wasn't exactly high-tech, yet Zhang Li became filthy rich from it. These examples all show that with dedication, success is possible.
Therefore, there's no magic formula for getting rich, and wealth won't always belong to the same person forever. Some people are just naturally good at making money, while others… well, they’re not. The super-rich were just as powerful as county magistrates, and the richest families lived like kings. Forget poverty; these guys were rolling in it!
