What's wrong with me, a powerful minister, supporting a few female officials?

Chapter 237 Su Mo's attempt to outmaneuver the Empress failed!

Su Mo knew, of course, that there were many steps involved in turning wool into finished garments.

However, labor is cheap in this world. No matter how many processes are involved, the huge profits involved are enough to make everyone envious.

According to Su Mo's estimate, a profit of ten times is an understatement; it could even be dozens of times!
Seeing the Empress looking at him expectantly, Su Mo fell silent.

Clothing, food, housing, and transportation have always been among the four most lucrative industries, comparable to salt, iron, and paper.

He was preparing to enter the paper manufacturing industry, and had already offended the Wang and Cui families, two of the five prominent families.

Getting involved in the fabric industry again...

I'm afraid even the Empress couldn't protect herself.

He naturally has ways to speed up the process of weaving wool into garments.

Of all the processes, the spinning process is the most difficult.

The output of spinning yarn directly affects the efficiency of subsequent weaving and garment making.

The invention of the spinning jenny could increase the efficiency of knitting wool sweaters several times over.

But Su Mo was somewhat reluctant to give up such a lucrative invention that could change the world.

Seeing that Su Mo had fallen silent, the Empress clapped her hands lightly.

An Wu appeared out of nowhere, holding a brocade box in both hands. He placed it on the table in front of Su Mo and then silently retreated.

Inside the brocade box was a cashmere cloak made of wool.

Su Mo picked it up and looked at it.

It feels soft to the touch, and the warmth seems to rush towards you, making you realize how warm it would be to wear this cloak.

The cloak must be made from the softest and highest quality wool.

The knitting, craftsmanship, and style are all top-notch, with incredibly fine stitches that are so dense that not even a single thread can be seen. It is highly likely that it was made by a court artisan.

In later generations, such a top-quality handmade cashmere cloak would cost more than six figures.

The Empress watched as Su Mo carefully examined the cashmere cloak and couldn't help but pout: "Does my lord know how long it took to make this cloak, from spinning the thread to weaving the fabric, and then to cutting and sewing it?"

Su Mo put the cloak back into the brocade box and asked with some curiosity, "How long did it take?"

The Empress gave a wry smile: "Ever since I returned from the artisan camp at Lonely Peak, I have had the needlework bureau weave this, and it has taken a full seven days!"

Su Mo smiled and said, "It's ready."

"If we expand the scale and adopt an assembly line model, we can shorten the time even further."

"In addition, the needlework bureau produces garments with the utmost care and meticulous craftsmanship. If it is to weave an ordinary warm robe, it will not take seven days."

The Empress's eyes lit up instantly, and she exclaimed excitedly, "I knew my lord had a way!"

"I will rely entirely on you, my lord, for these 300,000 catties of wool. Once the wool sweaters are sold, the new army will certainly have enough funds, and I will no longer need to borrow money from you."

Upon hearing this, Su Mo immediately felt a black line appear on her forehead.

What do you mean, 300,000 catties of wool all depended on oneself? Does she think it's 30 catties, not 10,000 catties?
It was all a routine after all!

He looked at the Empress with a dark expression: "Lord Leng!"

"By manufacturing paper, I have offended the Wang family to the point of no return, even losing my position as Military Supervisor. In the future, the Cui family may also become my enemy!"

"Don't tell me you don't understand this matter of wool sweaters."

"Even if I truly understood, I dare not interfere!"

Su Mo took a deep breath: "Spinning and making clothes is nothing more than a matter of human hands."

"The Great Wu Dynasty is full of talented people. I believe there are capable people who can offer advice and solutions to Lord Leng and relieve his worries. Please forgive me for being powerless to help!"

The Empress snorted and said angrily, "They are the worst at embezzling and accepting bribes!"

"Even in the trade of refined salt, they can only make a few thousand taels of silver in profit. How can I trust them?"

As she spoke, she blinked and added, "I can make the decision that all 300,000 catties of wool will be given to you, my lord. After the clothes are made and sold, you will receive 10% of the profits!"

Su Mo glanced at the Empress speechlessly, then suddenly said, "Lady Leng, you are so beautiful."

Leng Liuxi was stunned.

Then her pretty face suddenly turned red.

I don't know why Su Mo suddenly said such a thing!
Is it appropriate to say such things in front of outsiders?
Can't you just sleep with me tonight and we'll see?

The empress's pretty face grew even redder.

Princess Baicheng, who was standing to the side, trembled slightly and glanced at Su Mo subconsciously before sitting up straight again with a serious expression.

The Empress blushed, pursed her lips, and gave Su Mo a sidelong glance. She said softly, "Why does my lord suddenly say that I am beautiful?"

"However, it's better to talk about wool now."

Su Mo said with a dark face, "This subordinate means that you're dreaming, sir!"

Upon hearing this, Princess Baicheng, who was trying her best to maintain a proper sitting posture, trembled uncontrollably again!
The Empress was also dumbfounded.

Su Mo snorted, "Wool is worthless."

"Lord Leng gave me worthless wool, and then I risked offending powerful families to have people spin the wool, weave it into garments, and then sell them."

"You make me do everything, and then you get a cut of the profits?"

Su Mo rolled his eyes: "May I ask, sir, why don't I buy the wool myself and make all the money?"

The empress was dumbfounded.

Princess Baicheng was speechless.

What they said makes so much sense!
The empress hesitated for a moment, then said, "My lord, aren't you hairless? I am!"

Su Mo rolled her eyes again: "Even if you have fur, it's useless! This subordinate doesn't have that many people to knit sweaters!"

The empress's eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately said, "I have men! I can send 100,000 men to my lord!"

Su Mo was almost driven mad with anger!
He glared at the Empress with annoyance: "Lord Leng, you're not referring to those 100,000 disaster victims, are you?"

The Empress blinked: "Disaster victims are people too!"

Su Mo's face darkened even more!

Leng Liuxi not only had a beautiful dream, but she also had a brilliant plan!
They actually thought they could solve the problems of disaster victims!

Su Mo sneered: "I appreciate Lord Leng's kindness! But I'm poor and can't afford to support so many people."

"Lord Leng can have the disaster victims knit sweaters himself, which would be a good way to provide relief through work."

The Empress blurted out, "They can't!"

Su Mo...

It turned out that she also knew that the disaster victims did not know how to weave clothes.

He looked at the Empress speechlessly: "Does that mean they'll learn it when it comes to me?"

To everyone's surprise, the Empress nodded seriously: "Yes!"

After pausing, the Empress frowned slightly as she looked at Su Mo, and said, "Even illiterate craftsmen can learn to recognize thousands of characters within a month, my lord."

"Women and children already have basic knitting and embroidery skills. Is teaching disaster victims to spin and weave clothes more difficult than learning to read?"

Su Mo was speechless for a moment.

After a moment of silence, he sneered: "This subordinate can recruit women and children from the disaster area to do the work himself!"

The Empress paused abruptly.

Something feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Just then, Princess Baicheng, who had been sitting upright, suddenly stood up, bowed respectfully to the Empress, and said in a deep voice, "Lord Leng, this general has something to say to County Magistrate Su!"

The Empress quickly said, "General Leng, please speak!"

Su Mo looked at Princess Baicheng, who had stood up, with slight surprise.

As expected, his height of 1.9 meters, his armor gleaming with cold light, and his chilling killing intent, combined with his commanding presence, created an overwhelming sense of oppression!

This Princess Baicheng must be a serial killer!
Such a wicked person would never be able to find a boyfriend!
Princess Baicheng looked solemnly at Su Mu and said in a deep voice, "Prince Su also said earlier that he was worried that getting involved in the cloth trade would invite suppression from powerful clans and aristocratic families."

"This general can guarantee that Su Xianzi only needs to make wool into clothing and sell it to earn military funds for the new army."

"I will withstand all pressure from powerful clans and aristocratic families!"

Su Mo looked at the Bai Cheng Princess, who was known for killing people, and the Grand General with some surprise!

It seems she's not only good at killing, but also smarter than the Empress!

However, if Princess Baicheng can withstand the pressure from powerful clans, this business opportunity is indeed promising.

Despite their seemingly inseparable relationship with the nobility through marriage alliances and other connections, the powerful clans and aristocratic families remained largely unchanged.

In fact, the interests of the nobles and the court officials who represented powerful clans were naturally opposed.

Most of the court officials came from aristocratic families or were promoted by them.

The meritorious nobles mostly gained their status and power by helping Emperor Wu Taizu seize the throne through military force!
The nobility can be considered the newly rich.

The fifty-year history of the Great Wu Dynasty was not enough for the newly rich to evolve into powerful clans.

Powerful clans had money and prestige, while noble families had power and military force.

The nobles and powerful people naturally want to be rich too!

This money doesn't appear out of thin air; it has to be taken from others.

What social class is the wealthiest in Dawu?
If Su Mo had the full support of the noble families, would he still have to fear the powerful clans?

Which powerful family is causing trouble? Let Princess Baicheng lead troops to raid their house!
The reason why Wu Zetian was able to deal with powerful clans was because she had troops and the support of meritorious generals.

Furthermore, Princess Baicheng represents more than just the noble class!
She's still royalty!
Hmm... That's strange. How come such a powerful and influential woman didn't activate the romance system?
Is my level not high enough, or are all the targets temporarily full?

The system definitely needs further optimization!
Su Mo started to let her thoughts wander.

Princess Baicheng frowned slightly when she saw that Su Mo remained silent. She stared straight at Su Mo and said coldly, "Does County Magistrate Su have other concerns? Please tell me!"

Su Mo then came to her senses.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Even so, this humble servant must take at least 50% of the profits!"

A sharp glint flashed in Princess Baicheng's eyes as she coldly said, "Doesn't County Magistrate Su think his appetite is a bit too big?"

Her voice turned cold, and her murderous aura surged forth like a tidal wave towards Su Mo: "Sometimes, having too much money can be a path to disaster!"

Su Mo was not afraid of the murderous aura that Bai Cheng Princess was pressing down on him like a mountain.

His biggest backer was watching from the sidelines.

Could the Empress really make this Princess Baicheng kill her?
He smiled and said, "If that's what the Grand General thinks, then I won't do this deal."

Princess Baicheng's voice abruptly stopped.

Now that the other party has stopped playing with her, what other way can she threaten Su Mo?

She could only look at the Empress.

The Empress hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Let me speak the truth..."

Su Mo...

That makes me want to punch someone!

The Empress thought for a moment and then said, "The court has provided the wool, and the people have also been found for my lord. General Leng will also bear the pressure from the aristocratic families and powerful clans."

"With profits shared among the wool, could you possibly offer a little more, sir?"

Su Mo sighed, "Since Lord Leng says so, this humble servant cannot refuse to give you face."

"How about this, I'll make a bet with you, Lord Leng."

The Empress and Princess Baicheng were taken aback: "A bet?"

Su Mo nodded: "As long as Lord Leng can guarantee that the wool supply will be sufficient, I will take care of everything else."

"Within a year, I can send General Leng 100,000 taels of military funds, and do so every year."

"If the silver is insufficient, I will make up the difference!"

Su Mo was worried that the Empress and Princess Baicheng wouldn't understand the profit-sharing bet, so he simply set a fixed return, treating it as protection money for the Empress and Princess Baicheng.

One hundred thousand taels a year is not much; it's just the revenue that Baiyujing and Yanyulou share.

This small amount of silver is enough to get Princess Baicheng, a Grand General of the State, to stand on my side. It's a very good deal!

Leaving aside the wool business...

The Wang and Cui families are challenging me over papermaking. Do you think I would dare not consider Princess Baicheng's attitude?

Upon hearing Su Mo's words, Princess Baicheng's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "Good!"

What cost is there in wool?

It's just the cost of transportation.

Three hundred thousand catties of wool, transported from the northern frontier to the capital, cost less than five thousand taels of silver, which could then be exchanged for one hundred thousand taels of military funds.

The twentyfold return left Princess Baicheng speechless with shock!
No wonder the Empress is so important to and indulgent towards Su Mo.

This guy is practically a genius at turning lead into gold!
Before she could finish speaking, the Empress suddenly exclaimed, "No way!"

Princess Baicheng stared at the Empress in disbelief.

How could His Majesty say something is wrong with such a good thing? No matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't figure out the reason!
Su Mo frowned as well: "Does Lord Leng think there's a problem?"

The Empress nodded and said very seriously, "One hundred thousand a year is too little!"

Su Mo gritted his teeth, finally taking a deep breath: "Fifteen hundred thousand taels is fine too!"

Empress: "It's still not enough!"

Su Mo glared angrily at the Empress: "Two hundred thousand taels at most! Any more than that, and I'd rather quit!"

Princess Baicheng gasped!
Finally unable to hold back her words, the Empress chuckled and said, "I think it's best to split the profits 50/50 with you, my lord. It's impossible for you to suffer a loss."

Su Mo's anger vanished instantly, and he looked at the Empress with great frustration.

He thought that selling a wool sweater for 100 coins was already a high price.

Now, hearing the Empress talk about the difficulty of manufacturing wool sweaters and seeing the quality of cashmere cloaks, I can finally understand why.

Especially after I learned that in the clothing shops, a slightly better brocade robe would cost two or three taels of silver!

A sweater and robe cost far more than a hundred coins.

Make the sweater design look good, find some good-looking models to showcase it, and you could even get the Empress to endorse it.

A woolen robe that is both beautiful and warm must sell for at least ten taels of silver.

Three hundred thousand catties of wool, calculated at three hundred thousand sets of robes, at ten taels per garment, that's three million taels of silver.

After deducting all costs, making 1.5 million is not unreasonable, right?

Seeing that Princess Baicheng had fallen into the trap, only to have it ruined by the Empress's intervention, Su Mo was extremely frustrated. He glared at the Empress fiercely, and in the end, he could only say sullenly, "Fifty percent it is!"

The Empress extended her delicate hand, hooking her little finger together.

Su Mo reached out and made a pinky promise with the Empress, feeling dejected.

"Pinky promise, a hundred years from now!" The Empress covered her mouth and laughed as she looked at Su Mo. "Three hundred thousand catties of wool, I'll have someone send them to the artisan camp shortly!"

Su Mo rolled her eyes: "Whatever!"

Seeing the puzzled look on Princess Baicheng's face, the Empress couldn't help but chuckle: "General Leng, you almost fell for Young Master Su's trick!"

Princess Baicheng frowned slightly: "This general almost fell for it?"

The Empress explained, "General Leng is unaware of Lord Su's abilities, so it's not your fault."

"Young Master Su may be afraid of death, but his skills in making a living are unparalleled!"

"He dares to say he'll give the new army 200,000 taels a year in military expenses, but the profit he makes from that is definitely more than 400,000 taels!"

As she spoke, the Empress turned to Su Mo with a half-smile: "Am I wrong?"

Su Mo snorted heavily: "Half wrong!"

The Empress looked at Su Mo curiously: "What did I do wrong?"

Su Mo said with a dark face, "It's true that I'm afraid of death, but I'm not the only one who can make a living."

Just as the Empress and Princess Baicheng were dumbfounded.

Su Mo glared at the Empress: "Lord Leng's business acumen is far superior to mine!"

The Empress chuckled and said, "It's all thanks to my husband's excellent teaching!"

"I haven't disgraced my lord, have I?"

Su Mo was both amused and exasperated!

Princess Baicheng stared in disbelief as the Empress and Su Mo spoke, as if they were flirting.
The values ​​of the female war goddess Shangzhuguo have collapsed.

This is truly a ruthless and decisive empress who commands immense awe from court officials and nobles.
Seeing Su Mo's gloomy expression, the Empress became even more smug and asked, "My lord, how profitable is this wool business?"

Su Mo was still sulking when he casually said, "If all 300,000 catties of wool were woven into garments, the profit would probably be around 1.5 million taels."

Upon hearing this number, the Empress's pretty face immediately changed color.

Princess Baicheng, this female war goddess and Grand General of the State, paled and took a half step back, staring at Su Mo in disbelief, and blurted out: "What? A profit of 1.5 million taels?"

Su Mo nodded: "Wool clothing has excellent warmth retention, far surpassing other garments."

"Even an ordinary brocade robe costs more than two taels of silver."

"With a little hype and some research on the styles, a wool coat can easily cost ten taels."

"Three hundred thousand catties of wool should be enough to make three hundred thousand garments, which would generate a turnover of three million taels."

The Empress and Princess Baicheng both stared at Su Mo in shock.

Princess Baicheng, in particular, was speechless when she realized that the wool she had brought back had become three million taels of silver in Su Mo's mouth.

What I transported was 300,000 catties of wool, not 300,000 catties of silver!
Su Mo glanced at the two of them, then said, "However, the process from wool to finished garments involves many steps and requires a great deal of manpower. I estimate that half of the cost will need to be invested."

The Empress swallowed hard and took a deep breath: "So, the profit is 1.5 million taels?"

Su Mo nodded: "That's how it is in theory."

"However, I am not absolutely certain whether we can turn all 300,000 catties of wool into garments within a year."

Princess Baicheng looked at Su Mo speechlessly.

Even if not all the wool can be made into clothing within a year, even if only half is made, the profit is still more than 700,000 taels.

What did he say earlier?

The new army was given 200,000 taels of military expenses per year, and initially even 100,000 taels.

Princess Baicheng's pretty face instantly turned ashen, and she couldn't help but glare fiercely at Su Mo!
What a cunning and treacherous merchant!
He, the invincible Marquis of Dawu Zhenbei, the Grand General of the State, and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of 100,000 troops in the Northern Frontier, almost fell into his trap!

Fortunately, His Majesty knows this cunning and treacherous man very well!
Seeing the resentment on Princess Baicheng's face, Su Mo couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

You need to cultivate a good relationship with your new patron and resolve any misunderstandings.

To confront the powerful aristocratic clans, the Empress probably couldn't directly intervene; she would have to rely on this female war goddess who was known for her ruthlessness and formidable deterrent power.

Princess Baicheng is the foremost female official of the Great Martial Arts!
He organized his thoughts before finally speaking: "Princess Baicheng, please don't be angry with me..."

(End of this chapter)