After handling private affairs, Zhu Wencong officially met with the Hui merchants, who had brought with them the most promising Jiangnan scholars.
Most of the scholars came from impoverished backgrounds and lacked the sponsorship of merchants; it was impossible for them to afford repeated attempts at the Imperial Examination without financial support.
In return, once they attained official titles, they were expected to marry daughters of merchants, thereby becoming new forces within aristocratic families.
"The Hui merchants seem to have completely declined!" Su Yanqiao, accompanying Zhu Wencong to the banquet, commented. Currently, the only prominent figure among the Hui merchants was Hu Xueyan.
"Primarily, the salt law reforms by the Qing court had stripped them of their advantage in the salt trade. Then the wars brought by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom even cost them their lives.
