Shen used to be one of the richest men by doing foreign commerce and he took the most advantage of the convenient waterway in Suzhou.But the Hongwu Emperor was envy of his property and concerned about the threat posed by this fabulously wealthy man. Shen was finally exiled to Yunnan and spent the rest of his lifetime there. The people liked Shen very much and they preferred to believe that Shen would became an immortal.
Background
After exiled to Yunnan, many friends of Shen's went to visit him. They found a new route to earn money: they could transport tea,china, handcrafts and so on to the North-eastern area and Tibet. The route is now called Ancient tea route. Although the weather there were chilly and the passes were scaling rough and rugged, Shen thought it had potential to be developed. With his rich experience and strong suit, he transported the things peculiar to the South of the River to Tibet, India, Burma and other places.
Education
Shen Wansan was а mischievous bоу. Не was not interested in his studies and always made fun of his teachers. Shen Wansan was very close to his nаnnу and hоusеkеереr who taught him mathematics and cultivated his habit of saving. The housekeeper gave Shen Wansan a wine jug and showed him how to save and record his money. The wine jug was called the treasure bowl, and it followed Shen Wansan wherever he went.
Career
He started his career with farming in Zhouzhuang. Zhouzhuang has the warm climate and easy irrigation which is suitable for farming. Shen followed his father to here and raised wealth through agriculture. "Shen liked buying lands and houses to grow wealth" There was a moneybag called Lu Deyuan in Suzhou. He appreciated the talents of Shen and trusted him. He passed large amounts of money to Shen. With the help of Lu, Shen had more ability to create more money. "Shen Wansan has the fortune passed by a man named Lu who was one of the richest men in this area."Shen developed the farming as well as silk and tea business. As water road is quite convenient in Zhouzhuang, he exported tea, silk, china and food to other places and imported jewels, ivories, spice. By this way, he accumulated lots of wealth. There goes a tale that Shen had a treasure trove so he had countless money. He helped to build the walls and other concerning facilities with countless money. It is said that the Xuanwu Lake used to be his back yard garden.
Three views on how Shen Wansan built his fortune:
1. Cultivation
Although this claim was mentioned in many historical records, only Chen Zhaohong clearly stated that Shen Wansan built his wealth through cultivation in his paper entitled The Rise and Fall of Shen Wansan of the Early Ming Dynasty. He claimed that Shen Wansan grew up in a farmer’s family. He liked to purchase farms and build residences. Consequently, the size of his farm and his wealth increased tremendously. Shen Wansan became a prestigious rich man by developing his farming business.
2. Inheritance
Some people think that Shen Wansan inherited his wealth from Lu who was a very rich man. Alternatively, some believe that Shen Wansan was one of two men who received monetary gifts from Lu Daoyuan. Either way, they believe that Shen Wansan became rich because of the money given to him by Lu.
3. Foreign trade
According to the historical records of Wujiang County, Shen Wansan had residences in Zhouzhuang. The famous historian, Wu Han, pointed out that Shen Wansan made his fortune through foreign trade. It is believed that Shen Wansan sold his goods to foreign states and became rich.
