Chapter 38
The spring rain fell outside the window, nourishing all things. The newly sprouted buds grew vigorously, unfurling tender new leaves. The warm spring wind rustled, and the petals of the early-blooming pear blossoms fell. The raindrops on the petals dripped down, wetting the branches.
The wind died down and the rain stopped, and all was quiet.
Yuli lay in the crook of Xie Yao’s arm, her eyes slightly closed, drowsy.
Xie Yao’s palm covered the back of her neck, gently patting.
Xie Yao’s chest, however, heaved from time to time. Just now, he had lost all reason, unable to control himself, and had released everything deep inside Yuli. He was suppressing the impulse to tell her his identity and immediately welcome her into the Imperial Palace.
But Yuli would definitely connect him with the regent of the rumors. She was so kind and would surely not be able to stand him being stained with blood. She might fear him and distance herself from him as before.
And she would ask about his parents, his youth. He could fabricate a perfect him, but as long as she came into contact with anyone from the Duke’s Residence, any rumor, it would always be full of loopholes.
Xie Yao finally suppressed the impulse, held her, and washed her carefully. She could not get pregnant yet. He wanted her to truly stand with him, to accept the kowtows of the subjects of the world with him, and to be the most honored mother.
Even so, as Yuli lay peacefully asleep against him, a trace of lingering desire still stirred within him.
After the court meeting the next day, Xie Yao immediately summoned the Vice Minister of Rites to inquire about the regulations for the ceremony of enfeoffing a consort. When he heard that his parents needed to be present, he completely cooled down.
He would wait a little longer. When he became the emperor, Yuli would not have to kowtow to so-called parents when she was enfeoffed as the empress, and absolutely no one would dare to gossip about the emperor in front of the empress.
*
After Huayan Fang became famous, Yuli’s fame in the circle was even greater than her velvet flowers.
From the upstream silk thread workshop owners, to the fellow jewelry shops, to the stewards of large households who bought in bulk, and the passing individual customers, everyone knew that there was a Shopkeeper Song on Zhuque Street who always wore men’s clothing but was more beautiful than the flowers sold in her shop.
Yuli rarely showed her face in the shop, but people would always see her when she went in and out. Sometimes, in order to catch a glimpse of the legendary Shopkeeper Song, some people would even wait outside Huayan Fang, but they only dared to watch from a distance due to the occasional appearance of two guards full of killing intent.
Huayan Fang was a sensation in the capital. Many silk thread workshops came to seek cooperation. After the first batch of orders with Wanhua Fang expired, Yuli planned to take this opportunity to negotiate a discount with Wanhua Fang and also to prepare two more suppliers. One couldn’t put all their eggs in one basket, and one could never have too many suppliers.
Yuli and Jingyu met with the suppliers, coming into contact with all kinds of people and gazes. In comparison, Shopkeeper Liu and Chu Hong of Wanse Fang were considered good. Some of the male bosses, when they looked at her, their eyes seemed to want to stick to her face. Whenever she encountered this, she would only maintain a faint smile and not say another word to them.
But besides a few extreme cases, the vast majority were normal people. They knew that Huayan Fang, from the inside out, from the quality of the flowers themselves to the shopkeeper’s way of dealing with people, was not simple. They first treated her with respect, and after hearing her talk, they gradually came to value her.
After Yuli had reached a preliminary agreement with two other silk thread workshops, Shopkeeper Liu of Wanse Fang suddenly became too busy to be seen. Jingyu went to his door several times but was sent away with the excuse that the shopkeeper was not in.
Wanse Fang had a richness of colors that other silk thread workshops could not match. In Huayan Fang’s latest order, half of the colors could not be replaced.
At this juncture, Shopkeeper Liu avoided her. There must be something fishy.
Yuli guessed that perhaps Shopkeeper Liu knew that she was looking for other suppliers and was unhappy, so he was playing hard to get. Or perhaps the other party saw that Huayan Fang’s business was booming and knew that she was making a lot of profit, and wanted to take the opportunity to raise the price.
Yuli was still at ease with difficult clients. She was not very worried about this. She found a time when Shopkeeper Liu was sure to be in, had Jingyu prepare a set of pastries from Xiangfu Zhai, and personally went to Wanse Fang.
Yuli brought Jingyu and Xiyun, plus a guard that Xie Yao had given her. The four of them were invited to a private room on the second floor. After drinking two cups of tea, Shopkeeper Liu came in late, cupping his hands.
“Madam Song, I have kept you waiting,” Shopkeeper Liu said with a perfect and kind smile. “I was just receiving the Director of Colors from the Palace Clothing Bureau. The people from the palace cannot be neglected, which is why I was delayed. Madam Song, please don’t be offended.”
Hearing this, Yuli knew that Shopkeeper Liu was using his high-level client to show his strength. She guessed that he was probably going to raise the price. Although she was not very satisfied with their profit-seeking ways, the market was like a battlefield, and it was normal for there to be no personal feelings.
Yuli politely said it was no problem. Shopkeeper Liu took his seat, and after a few words of pleasantries, they got to the point. “Shopkeeper Liu has been in business for a long time and must have guessed my purpose in coming today. I will be direct. What are Shopkeeper Liu’s thoughts on the supply for Huayan Fang next month?”
Shopkeeper Liu was impassive. “Originally, in my opinion, although Huayan Fang is not large in scale, its demand is no less than that of a large embroidery workshop. The price we signed at that time was just right and did not need to be changed. But the young master has a different opinion.”
There always had to be some excuse for a price increase. Yuli was not moved at all.
Shopkeeper Liu: “It’s better for the young master to talk to you in person.”
Yuli was surprised. Shopkeeper Liu apologized, stood up, and left. After waiting for another half-moment, Chu Hong appeared, fanning himself.
The other party had a smile on his face, looking dashing and relaxed. Seeing Yuli, he first laughed twice.
Chu Hong: “The Mistress is even more calm than Chu expected. Not bad, not bad.”
Yuli did not speak, but smiled faintly.
Chu Hong took his seat. A young servant immediately came to remove the tea on the table and filled a jade cup for him.
Chu Hong picked up the jade cup but did not drink. He looked at Yuli and said, “Chu has also heard of Huayan Fang’s recent prosperity. Madam Song is original and comprehensive, and a woman at that. It really makes Chu feel a little ashamed.”
Yuli just smiled and said nothing.
Chu Hong did not get the self-deprecation and flattery he expected. He paused, then laughed twice, trying to resolve the awkwardness.
Yuli still did not take the bait. This person seemed relaxed and unrestrained, but in fact, he was a novice and probably did not understand the ways of the market. But such a person was also the most difficult to deal with, because he never played by the rules and would sometimes do things that would hurt the enemy by a hundred and himself by a thousand.
Receiving Yuli’s coldness, Chu Hong put away his smile. “Now, Wanse Fang and Huayan Fang are connected. I can supply you for free, but—”
He paused and chuckled. “I just need a 70% share of the profits at the end of the year.”
Yuli: “Is Young Master Chu joking?”
Chu Hong laughed again. “The specific amount can be discussed, but that’s the general idea. Madam Song has to take care of her husband and children. You can also leave Huayan Fang to Wanse Fang to manage. The Mistress can just collect the money. Why bother to show your beautiful face in public and attract people’s prying eyes?”
He smiled with great confidence. “If I had such a good wife, I would definitely not let the Mistress come out to suffer.”
Behind Yuli, Xiyun’s eyes were fierce, and a layer of coldness emanated from Jingyu. If not for their years of being in a subordinate position and not daring to overstep the master, they would have almost had the shadow guard tear that person’s mouth apart.
Yuli was still calm. “Let’s talk business, Young Master Chu. Don’t bring up other things. We don’t have that kind of relationship. What if I don’t agree to what you said?”
“Then Chu can only say sorry. From now on, not a single thread from Wanse Fang will be sold to Huayan Fang.”
What a familiar script.
Yuli: “You want to buy my Huayan Fang?”
“Something like that.”
“If I don’t sell, you’ll cut off the supply?”
“Exactly.”
This time, it was Yuli’s turn to laugh slowly.
Trade war. Chokehold.
It turned out that high-end business wars were really so simple and unadorned.
Yuli felt as if some bloodline had been awakened, and her blood boiled for no reason. “Absolutely not. I would rather close my Huayan Fang, smash it, than sell it!”
Yuli’s excitement was beyond Chu Hong’s expectations, but he was fully confident that Huayan Fang would not be able to find a second silk thread workshop to replace Wanse Fang.
Yuli’s face was red. Chu Hong looked at her for a moment and smiled. “Why is Madam Song so angry? Today is just to inform you. As for whether to cooperate, we can still discuss it at length. Madam Song should consider it for a few days.”
Yuli straightened her back as never before. “No consideration, no discussion. Although my Huayan Fang is just starting, it will definitely have a great future. It is Young Master Chu who should worry about himself. Without the orders from Huayan Fang, can you sell those silk threads of yours with their unique colors?”
Chu Hong fanned himself, nonchalant, with no intention of giving in.
Seeing that the other party was determined to threaten her into selling Huayan Fang, Yuli did not stay any longer, stood up, and left.
In her past life, the industry Yuli was in had not been affected by a chokehold, but it had been deeply affected by a trade war. Because a certain country, relying on its financial and military hegemony, had forcibly imposed tariffs, which had led to a sharp decline in demand in her industry, and they had gone through a not-so-short period of hard times.
Even the downward trend of the entire society’s economy was not unrelated to the trade war.
Yuli had a deep hatred for a certain country. When opposing its chokehold behavior, she had also shared a common hatred with her colleagues. Although it was now a merger between two shops, Yuli felt that such a condescending business war was no different from hegemony.
This was no longer a simple business war; it was a battle for dignity!
Yuli returned to Huayan Fang and immediately had Zhile count the remaining silk threads and had Lizhen calculate the orders to estimate the deadline for on-time delivery.
Lizhen quickly calculated that they could only maintain normal delivery for three days. The situation was not optimistic.
Yuli immediately went out, taking Jingyu and Xiyun to visit several silk thread workshops they were in contact with. She took out several colors that were in high demand and had them compare them one by one to see if they had the same colors.
It was the first time Yuli had encountered such an urgent matter. She tried her best to remain calm but couldn’t help but show her impatience.
A shrewd owner saw it. Even if he had the same colors, he wanted to raise the price on the spot. Fortunately, as long as it was not a color unique to Wanse Fang, she could find more than one place that could dye it.
As long as it was not a proprietary technology, it was easy for Yuli and Jingyu to negotiate the price down.
After visiting five or six places in a row, they still could not replace more than a dozen of the most important colors. The most important blue-purple was not even close.
And that flower, which Yuli had named “Ronghua Lihua,” the same style as Yingniang’s, was the one that sold for the highest price and was ordered the most by wealthy families.
Of the many gradient colors, half were only available at Wanse Fang.
Yuli went to a famous weaving and dyeing workshop in the capital, “Hong Fang,” with which she had had several discussions and had already reached a cooperation agreement.
The owner of Hong Fang was a tall and thin middle-aged man with the surname Sun. He had inherited the family business from his ancestors and was the third generation. He was a steady and experienced businessman.
Shopkeeper Sun was optimistic about Huayan Fang and had come to contact them early on. Although Yuli was a young lady, Shopkeeper Sun could see from many details, such as the guards of Huayan Fang, the painting on the screen, and the extraordinary air of Jingyu, that she had a deep background.
Yuli exchanged a few pleasantries with Shopkeeper Sun and explained her purpose. “I have already reached a preliminary agreement with Shopkeeper Sun the day before yesterday. Today, I, Song, am here to place an order.”
Yuli was wearing men’s clothing. Although everyone could see that she was a woman, she never referred to herself with terms like “this humble servant.” Anyway, the fact that Shopkeeper Song of Huayan Fang wore men’s clothing had become a tacitly accepted trend in the circle, and it was fine to be a little more unconventional.
Shopkeeper Sun was overjoyed at this and ordered his subordinate shopkeeper to draw up a contract. Yuli looked at it. It was no different from what they had discussed before. Shopkeeper Sun was efficient and very much wanted to take on Huayan Fang’s business. The price he offered was lower than Wanse Fang’s, and the payment terms were also more favorable, full of sincerity.
After reading it, Yuli smiled. “Shopkeeper Sun is straightforward, which I, Song, greatly appreciate. Business is about integrity and longevity. My Huayan Fang is willing to reach a deeper cooperation with Shopkeeper Sun. Besides these hundred or so established colors, I have thirty more kinds of silk threads here. If Shopkeeper Sun can dye the exact same colors, my workshop will purchase from Hong Fang from now on.”
Shopkeeper Sun took the color samples that Jingyu handed him but was not very happy. “It is not an easy matter to weave and dye new colors. From the ratio of the dyes, the amount used, the immersion time, to the number of washes, everything must be precisely controlled. If there is a slight mistake, a whole pool of silk threads will be wasted. This is a huge expense.”
Yuli’s heart sank, but her face did not change. “Hong Fang is also a famous old brand in the capital. You should have the strength to develop new colors. If Shopkeeper Sun is worried about the cost, let’s put it this way, if you can develop them, I will cover all the expenses.”
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Sun finally smiled. “With Shopkeeper Song’s words, I can also let go and prepare.” After smiling, he turned to the shopkeeper. “Draw up a contract for what Shopkeeper Song has just said.”
He was indeed an old hand in the market. Yuli chuckled twice. “It is a good thing that Shopkeeper Sun is thoughtful, but I hope you will not disappoint me, Song.”
Shopkeeper Sun smiled and flattered, “Although Shopkeeper Song is a woman and very young, your courage is extraordinary. I, Sun, greatly admire it and will definitely do my best.”
After settling this matter, Yuli did not linger. She quickly rushed to the next one and, using the same method, signed a supply contract and set the requirements for developing new colors.
From morning to night, she ran to five weaving and dyeing workshops. When she came out of the fifth one, the sky was already dark.
Yuli said “oh no,” got into the carriage in a hurry, and rushed back to the Xie Residence.
The lights in Mingyue Residence were already on. The hanging flower gate and the main hall were brightly lit. Yuli walked in quickly, went around the rockery, and saw Xie Yao sitting alone in the hall. Several dishes were laid out on the round table, but none of them had been touched.