The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 28: Dressing for Those Who Please Themselves
The eldest sister may not be very cunning, but she is good at following orders, and Shang Mingshu is very satisfied.

She began to read the Tea Classic, wanting to help Shang Zishu overcome the difficulties of making the new tea.

That day, Xiao Yu came hurriedly to look for her: "Your father met a few people the day before yesterday, and he's been drinking with people these past two days and coming home late at night. I heard him talking while drunk last night, and he said someone wants to send tea to a noble in the capital for him. If he arranges it well, he will definitely be included in the tribute tea ceremony next year!"

Xiao Yu didn't believe it. She had heard Shang Mingshu say many times that their Shang family's tea was of high quality and made with rigorous production processes, but the only thing missing was a unique secret recipe.

There are countless tea merchants in the world, and the annual tribute from various places is only more than 2,000 kilograms. How many people are scrambling for it? There are so many good tea merchants, so how could they get a turn?

Shang Mingshu raised her eyebrows. She hadn't received the letter from Longxi yet, but she had encountered a swindler first?
"How much does Dad plan to give?" Shang Mingshu asked inconspicuously.

"I took advantage of his drunkenness last night to get some information out of him: 100,000 strings of cash." Xiao Yu said with gritted teeth.

This is a huge amount of money, it would be 130,000 taels of silver!
No matter how wealthy the family is, it cannot withstand such squandering. Xiao Yu suspected that the other party was a liar. Even if he was not a liar, she did not say that she could not return the money!

"Don't worry, auntie. I will get to the bottom of it." Shang Mingshu spoke softly to comfort Xiao Yu, the cold light in her eyes almost overflowing.

She regarded every penny of the merchant's money as her own. If Shang Jinliang wanted to spend such a large amount of money, he had to ask her for her consent.

After coaxing Xiao Yu's worries away, Shang Mingshu ordered Hemu to investigate the people who had contact with Shang Jinliang.

Shang Wenshu arrived before Hemu replied. She looked anxious, "Third sister, you need to think of a solution quickly. Dad has taken out a large sum of money from various sources. With all this money gone, the teahouse's account is stretched to the limit. A little trouble could ruin it!"

Shang Mingshu leaned against the waterside bench. It was particularly hot today, so she held her forehead with her hand. "Eldest sister, all the family business belongs to Dad. If Dad wants to take the money from the teahouse, no one can stop him."

"I'll go find the clan leader?" Shang Wenshu twisted her handkerchief. This was the last resort.

If she went to the clan leader, wouldn't the family discord be exposed to everyone in the clan? If she used the clan leader to suppress her father, how would her father view her?

"One hundred thousand silver coins, can Dad cover it up? He can't." Many of the clan members worked as accountants or shopkeepers in tea shops. Shang Mingshu reminded Shang Wenshu, "Have you seen anyone from the clan come forward to stop us? Do you want to come to Dad to discuss it?"

"Dad has already convinced the clan!" Shang Wenshu looked incredulous. "Are we just going to sit there and watch?"

Shang Wenshu was in charge of the household accounts and knew best how dangerous it would be for the tea company to withdraw the 100,000 coins. She did not suspect that there was anything wrong with those people, but she felt that the competition for Gongcha was fierce and that this amount of money might be a bit too much.

She was short-sighted and didn't have much ambition. She couldn't imagine how far-reaching the benefits of becoming Gongcha would be for their family. All she could see was the current crisis, and she didn't support taking risks.

"The journey of trade and migration is like a game of chess." Shang Mingshu slowly fanned her round fan, her gaze fixed on the koi fish hiding under a rock in the pond. "If you encounter an opportunity, but don't take the plunge, how can you know if your chances of winning are narrow or wide?"

"Third sister supports father?" Shang Wenshu was discouraged.

Shang Mingshu shook her head slightly. "Whether I agree or not, I can't stop Dad or even the other members of the clan from wanting to give it a try. Sister, have you ever considered that now everyone in the clan is determined to win the tribute tea? If you disrupt this situation, and these people turn around and help others succeed, what will happen to you?"

Shang Wenshu's face instantly lost all color.

She hadn't considered the fact that if she really interfered and someone else succeeded in "arranging" the tea for tribute, she would have no place in the clan. With her father around, she wouldn't be severely punished by the clan, but her father would have to give up many interests to protect her.

With her mother around, she wouldn't be randomly married off, but her mother still had to withstand the pressure and find a husband for her quickly.

Shang Wenshu had never felt so powerless before. She said dejectedly, "I understand."

Shang Mingshu could feel Shang Wenshu's frustration. On normal days, she would have comforted Shang Wenshu, but she was suffering from the summer heat and felt dizzy. She had exhausted all her energy to give Shang Wenshu some advice, and at this moment she didn't want to say a word.

"Thank you, third sister, for waking me up." Shang Wenshu was still grateful to Shang Mingshu. She saw that Shang Mingshu looked tired, so she tactfully said goodbye.

Shang Wenshu's figure gradually became blurred under the scorching sunlight as she walked away. Shang Mingshu retracted her gaze, grabbed a handful of bait and threw it into the waterside pavilion. The fish, avoiding the sun, swam over lightly with their tails. Shang Mingshu picked up a leaf and used her wrist to exert strength.

The leaves flew out, cutting off the lotus stems. The huge lotus leaves fell down, and the gathered koi fish fled in fright.

Shang Mingshu watched this scene, her voice tinged with sarcasm as she muttered to herself, "The world's treacherous and deceitful people succeed because of greed. Even if one is incredibly intelligent, wealthy, or powerful, once greed strikes, they're like moths to a flame or flies to a stink, snared. At best, they'll be ruined, at worst, beyond redemption."

Throw the remaining bait in, and the frightened fish will forget their fear and gather around the food again.

Shang Mingshu turned and went back to her boudoir. "He Sui, go find out if Second Master Cheng has returned to the city. If he has, please arrange a meeting with him for me tomorrow. If he hasn't returned or isn't free tomorrow, then forget it."

"Madam, if the Second Master asks you why you invited me, how should I answer?"

"I want to do a deal with him that is sure to make a profit." Shang Mingshu raised an ambiguous smile.

Ever since she heard about the tribute tea, Shang Mingshu had a plan in mind. No matter if this man was a liar as Cheng She said, or was really capable, she would not let the Shang family take such a big risk. If she wanted to become the tribute tea, she would find a safe way.

She knew clearly that she could not stop the ambitions of Shang Jinliang and the Shang family. Not to mention that she was a girl, even Shang Jinliang's only son could not stop them.

In that case, it would be better if the money fell into her hands.

It would be difficult for her to do it alone without leaving any traces. Even if she went to hire someone outside, she would not be able to hide it from Shang Jinliang. She had no choice but to ask Cheng She for help. She could get 10,000 silver coins for just her help, so why not do it?
Shang Mingshu never expected that when she arrived at the teahouse, she would not only see Cheng She, but also Cheng Mian.

Cheng Mian first stood up with a face full of joy when he saw Shang Mingshu, but then he thought about the fact that Shang Mingshu was meeting her brother, and felt a little aggrieved: "Third Madam, I heard that you and my second brother had made an appointment, and you specifically begged him to take me along. I hope you can forgive my impulsiveness. If it is inconvenient for me to stay here, please let me know."

The young man wore a moon-white Hangzhou silk undershirt and a royal blue brocade robe. The cuffs and collar of the brocade were decorated with pearl orchids outlined in gold thread. A lustrous mutton-fat jade pendant hung from a black silk sash around his waist. Next to it was a navy blue sachet, also decorated with pearl orchids outlined in gold thread.

The young man is like a beautiful jade, gentle and soothing.

Dressing up to please oneself, Cheng Mian can be seen to have dressed up carefully.

(End of this chapter)