Chapter 41

"Shopkeeper!"Just as Jiang Yinyu was sitting by the second-floor window looking out at the peaceful street scene with a furrowed brow, racking his brains over how to resolve the predicament before him, the second shopkeeper came upstairs, an abnormal look in his eyes as he called out to him.

His expression was also suspicious, with even a hint of strange panic.

Jiang Yinyu's heart skipped a beat, and his face tightened: "What's the matter?"

Though he looked relatively calm on the surface, his heart was actually pounding.

The second shopkeeper stammered, "Shopkeeper, go down...quickly, there's a...distinguished guest..."

Jiang Yinyu let out a breath, saying "Alright," as he got up and walked towards the stairs, instructing the second shopkeeper as he went, "What distinguished guest can't you receive properly? Why the fluster? Be calm, don't let the customer think Ruiyun Pavilion has lowered its standards... Oh right, who has come?"

He had just lifted his robe and stepped down one stair when he heard the second shopkeeper tremble out, "It's...it's the regional commander of our Dengzhou, m'lord."

The head shopkeeper felt his leg go soft and nearly stumbled down the stairs!

Thankfully he grabbed the railing in time!

He glanced at the second shopkeeper.

The second shopkeeper looked back at him innocently.

Ruiyun Pavilion was a renowned silk shop. Naturally, Yefu Outpost was one of its clients too.

It was just that purchasing matters were the responsibility of Yefu's stewards, and Miss Yefu didn't really enjoy shopping. Now that she was the de facto controller of Dengzhou, raising troops and stockpiling supplies, one could imagine she was even busier than before, so how could she have come to browse a silk shop personally?

The head shopkeeper clattered and clambered down the stairs, striding swiftly towards the VIP reception room.

Silk shop patrons were mostly female customers, so apart from the main hall, there were also many private rooms inside for female customers to make their selections alone.

Since the regional commander had come, Jiang Yinyu headed straight for the highest-standard VIP room without a second thought. He guessed the second shopkeeper wouldn't have dared arrange another room either.

Sure enough, as soon as he entered, he saw there was someone inside.

A woman sat in the seat of honor, flanked by several men in green shirts, each wearing a blade, exuding a killing aura. The shop's attendant had just served tea and was just tremblingly trying to exit.

Jiang Yinyu strode over swiftly, bowed and greeted, "This little one is Jiang Yinyu, I pay my respects to the honorable regional commander."

Ye Suijin had just picked up the teacup and blown on it, then raised her eyes.

"Jiang Yinyu," her voice was cold. "Do you know your crime in hoarding goods and manipulating the market?"

Jiang Yinyu's heart lurched, and his face tightened.

These days he had been vexed over that batch of coarse hemp goods, to the point of muddling his mind a little. To suddenly have the Dengzhou regional commander slap such a huge accusation on him, his mind buzzed blankly for a moment, and his legs went soft, about to kneel...

When suddenly a thought struck him, wait no, how have I hoarded goods and manipulated the market?

So-called hoarding refers to absorbing goods from the existing market, causing scarcity of that type of goods on the market.

As for manipulating the market, it means not selling when people need the goods, jacking up the price and profiteering.

He hadn't done either!

Admittedly the quantity of this batch was somewhat larger than usual, but he had transported it in through Ruiyun Pavilion's channels from outside, not impacting Dengzhou's original market supply at all.

Moreover, he hadn't intended to do business with the common people at all. He had aimed this batch of goods at the purse of the present Dengzhou regional commander.

If commoners needed to buy coarse hemp, there was plenty on the market for them to buy. Those who could afford it definitely wouldn't lack supply. As for the penniless refugees...they couldn't afford it anyway.

He hadn't disrupted the market at all. He had just spotted an opportunity, and wanted to take a gamble.

Jiang Yinyu forcibly steadied his knees to avoid kneeling, and bent his waist even lower. "Esteemed commander, this subordinate truly does not understand. This subordinate keeps the law and lets the market take its course, never having disrupted the market before, so where does this talk of 'hoarding goods and manipulating the market' come from?"

Ye Suijin saw that he wasn't cowed, and let out a chuckle. She sipped some tea, smiling amiably as she said, "What do you think? Have you gotten your hands on that batch of coarse hemp?"

When she said this, Jiang Yinyu's expression became even more colorful, flushing red one moment and pale green the next.

The regional commander actually knew!

How did she know?

In truth, ever since returning from Fangcheng, after discovering Duan He among the attendant troops, Ye Suijin had begun sending people to keep an eye on these "old acquaintances" living in Dengzhou.

Jiang Yinyu bringing in such a huge batch of goods, and coarse hemp no less, was not a conventional product for a silk shop. The person watching him noticed this anomaly and naturally reported it to Ye Suijin.

When Ye Suijin heard, it became clear to her immediately.

This sly old fox Jiang Yinyu wanted to make a huge profit off her.

As expected of him.

He started out in Dengzhou supplying the Yefu Outpost with military provisions, later simply abandoned his shopkeeping career and joined Yefu Outpost, following all the way to Duan Jin's appointment as supreme commander, where he was still at Duan Jin's side overseeing military expenditures.

The finance department's people all knew him.

He had brought his bunch of accountants to blockade the finance department before, abacus beads clicking and clacking as they nitpicked over every ounce of money and grain with the finance guys. Neither side could leave the department gates to go home until everything was calculated clearly.

The finance officials were left ashen-faced by him, later all circumventing him when they encountered him on the road.

Due to Ye Suijin's status, it was inconvenient for her to meet with him directly. Come to think of it, they hadn't seen each other for years. But he never failed to summon his wife into the palace during festivals and holidays, as a show of favor.

Gifts for the four seasons and holidays always included a share for his family.

For these people who had followed from Dengzhou all the way to the end, even when she became Empress she had not forgotten them.

And after rebirth, she was also happiest to see these old acquaintances who were still alive in her previous life.

It really lifted her spirits.

Seeing Jiang Yinyu's face dye itself the colors of an opened dye shop, Ye Suijin chuckled. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴ0velFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

The oppressive killing intent around her dissipated immediately.

"Esteemed...esteemed commander..." Jiang Yinyu said awkwardly, "This subordinate was just, just not, not..."

"Not what?" Ye Suijin asked. "Not spotting an opportunity, wanting to gamble, and profit hugely off me?"

Jiang Yinyu's expression grew even more interesting.

But he soon collected himself again, and bent waist once more. "This subordinate had originally gambled on the esteemed commander's benevolence and compassion, not expecting to underestimate the esteemed commander's resourcefulness, actually finding another way that both solves the problem and saves money. The esteemed commander is truly formidable, under your governance Dengzhou will surely..."

"Alright, enough flattery." Ye Suijin set down her teacup. "Speak. What was your purchase price for that batch? I'll give you an eight percent profit margin, and I'll take it off your hands.

The thorny problem that had been causing him sleepless nights these past days was just solved like that!

Jiang Yinyu fell straight to his knees with a thud, kowtowing vigorously. "Profound thanks to the esteemed commander! The esteemed commander's kindness is as vast as the sea, this subordinate..."

"That's enough, stand up and talk properly," Ye Suijin said, rubbing her temples.

"Speak straight. I know you..." she coughed, "I know Ruiyun Pavilion has channels. Help me think of a way to transport southern goods over."

A money god had come knocking on his door!

Jiang Yinyu quickly asked, "May this subordinate boldly ask, what goods does the esteemed commander need?"

Ye Suijin said, "You look into it yourself. In short, I want my market to have things, I want people with money in hand to be able to buy anything they want. I want southern merchants to know Dengzhou is a safe place where they can transport goods to me. Consider what's needed yourself, you're surely more knowledgeable than me about what the north lacks. This is where you surpass me."

Jiang Yinyu digested the implications behind Ye Suijin's words, gaining some understanding. "The esteemed commander wishes to attract merchants?"

Naturally, the more merchants gathered in a place, the more prosperous it would become. Or rather, when prosperity and abundance was achieved, it would naturally attract merchants.

In short, to judge a place's prosperity, one need only look at whether its trade routes were smooth or obstructed, and whether many merchant companies came and went between north and south.

Ye Suijin waved her hand, and Duan Jin took out a letter from his robe and passed it to Jiang Yinyu.

"Bring this to your eastern family[business backers], tell them this is a handwritten letter from Dengzhou's new regional commander, bearing the seals of both prefect and regional commander. It is my, Ye Suijin's, promise to him. Tell him what I want, have him think of ways to accomplish it. Tell him Ye Suijin of Dengzhou will not shortchange those who aid me."

When a new power is established, being able to gain effective ties with it was crucial. Moreover, this emerging power had always had a reputation for benevolence and righteousness, with no signs of excesses or tyranny.

This was the Dengzhou regional commander delivering a money god to Jiang Yinyu's doorstep.

Jiang Yinyu was simply overjoyed. When receiving the envelope, his hands even shook a little, full of reverence. "The esteemed commander may rest assured, this letter will surely reach our eastern family."

The present Jiang Yinyu was still just a shopkeeping manager of a business in this place after all.

Ye Suijin nodded, and added, "Oh right, there is one particular item I really want."

Jiang Yinyu's spirit lifted. "Please instruct this subordinate, esteemed commander."

"There is a certain cloth called white folded floral cloth..." Ye Suijin asked, "Are you familiar with it?"

Jiang Yinyu had worked his way up from apprentice, over twenty years in the business already. When it came to any cloth, it was his field of expertise.

He immediately said, "Is the adult referring to the kind of long nap cotton spun fabric? That cotton is also called jibei, similar yet different from the cotton in Central Plain."

In fact, that thing could not just be called cotton. Later it had its own specialized name, called cotton. Just not yet at present, still only able to continue using the ancient term.

Ye Suijin said, "That's right."

Jiang Yinyu said, "This white cotton cloth, was once tributary to the Anxi Protectorate during Northern Wei's heyday. But afterwards it was no longer seen."

That was because Northern Wei declined, connections were severed, and each protectorate was isolated and lost contact.

But Ye Suijin knew, that thing was not limited to the Anxi Protectorate alone.

"The south also has it." She said, "Should be in the Dali Kingdom."

Jiang Yinyu as a merchant, interacting with people coming and going, saw himself as a worldly wise man, yet had never heard of any Dali Kingdom, and could not help feeling confused yet curious, "Where is this Dali Kingdom? I have never heard of it before."

Ye Suijin immediately realized she had slipped up.

That place was too far, and the frequency of regime changes was no less than Central Plain. Ye Suijin also could not be certain whether it was Great Tianxing Country or Great Yining Country over there right now.

So she simply said, "It's chaotic over there, constantly changing. It's the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom." Hearing Nanzhao Kingdom, Jiang Yinyu suddenly understood, "Oh, Nanzhao!"

He said, "Perhaps it has been a long time since we've seen goods from Nanzhao."

That was certain. In these years the times were too chaotic, and many commercial routes from Northern Wei era had been severed.

Jiang Yinyu said, "Does the noble lady want white cotton cloth?"

"No." Ye Suijin said, "What I want is that kind of long nap cotton. Either the seeds or saplings will do. Can it be found?"

Jiang Yinyu said, "I dare not guarantee, but can only say I will try my best."

But he cautiously asked, "Is the noble lady thinking of... cultivating long nap cotton in Dengzhou?"

Ye Suijin admitted, "Yes, that is my intention."

"Noble lady, I have only heard of the white cotton cloth, and have never actually seen it." Jiang Yinyu was very curious, "Is it that good?"

Good enough that Ye Suijin had only ruled Dengzhou for a short time, yet already thought of introducing cultivation. This could not have been a sudden idea, she must have had this thought for a long time, and now finally had the ability to do so.

Yet Ye Suijin said, "It's not better than silk, damask or linen. But it does have its benefits."

In her previous life, it was the current Southern Chu Emperor still suppressed by his elders who brought cotton from south of Lancang River. Or maybe it wasn't him. In any case, by the time they took over Jingchu region, cotton had already been successfully cultivated in Chu lands.

The yield was astonishing.

The biggest benefit of that stuff was not in weaving cloth, but in stuffing jackets and winter clothes, with warmth comparable to fur.

But the cost was much lower.

Cotton and grain were Zhao Jingwen's confidence in repeated northern expeditions.

This was a long term plan. Ye Suijin had been reborn, how could she not want to take advantage of this opportunity!