During his time back in the capital, aside from reporting to the palace and attending victory banquets, Yuntang...
The rest of the time was spent learning about the changes in the Qing Dynasty over the past two years.
What shocked him most was the popularity of soap!
Whether they were high-ranking officials or ordinary people, almost everyone owned a bar of soap, and some people even collected different styles of soap as collectibles.
This soap not only has strong cleaning power, but also has a light jasmine and mint fragrance, yet it is very affordable.
It had become an indispensable part of the lives of ordinary people in the Qing Dynasty.
Rouge and face powder can only be sold to women, but soap can be sold to men, women, young and old!
"Such a good product, how come no one thought of selling it overseas?" Yuntang sat in his study, his brows furrowed, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a promising business opportunity. If he shipped the goods to Western countries, he would surely make a fortune.
After all, those red-haired barbarians didn't even have the most basic cleaning supplies, and their skin was covered with rashes and festering wounds all year round. If they saw soap, they would probably fight tooth and nail for it.
Thinking of this, Yuntang suddenly stood up and shouted, "Someone! Summon the person in charge!"
A moment later, the steward Liu Qi rushed over, bowed, and said, "Ninth Master, you wanted to see me?"
"Liu Qi," Yuntang said coldly, his voice filled with suppressed anger, "what were my instructions to you before I left the capital?"
Liu trembled and lowered his head, saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Majesty instructed me to keep an eye on the latest and greatest things in the capital, especially the Empress's movements..."
"Then tell me, what's the deal with soap?"
Yuntang slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clink.
"Such a good deal, and you didn't even go to pick up the goods? Do you think I'm too greedy for money?!"
Liu Qi was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly: "My lord, please calm down! This servant did inquire about it at first, but the soap only sold for a few coins a piece at the beginning, with very little profit! This servant thought that my lord was a man who would do great things, and that such a small amount of money..."
"Small change?" Yuntang laughed angrily, pointing at Liu Qi's nose and cursing.
"You idiot! Soap is popular all over the country now, and you call that small change? Do you know how much money people in the Jiangnan region have made from soap?"
Wang Xifeng, a mere woman, probably has a bulging purse than I, the King!
Liu Qi's face turned ashen, and he stammered, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die! But we do have goods to sell now, it's just not as good as those in Jiangnan..."
As Liu Qi spoke, he kept an eye on Ninth Master's expression. Noticing that the other man was about to get angry again, he quickly tried to smooth things over: "Perhaps it's because the climate here is low, so we can't use too much..."
Yuntang was so angry that his face turned ashen. He kicked over the stool next to him and pointed at Liu Qi, cursing, "Get out! Useless thing, you've wasted two great years of opportunity!"
Liu Qi scrambled out of the room, afraid of angering Ninth Master again.
Yuntang took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Getting angry now won't help; the most urgent task is to secure a supply of soap as soon as possible and seize the market in Beizhili.
With that thought in mind, he straightened his clothes and walked straight outside.
——————
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation
Emperor Yongzheng was reviewing memorials when he heard that Yuntang was requesting an audience. He put down his vermilion brush and said indifferently, "Summon him."
Yuntang strode into the hall and bowed respectfully: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Yongzheng looked up at him and asked in a calm tone, "What is it that you are in such a hurry for, Ninth Brother?"
Yuntang straightened up, his eyes filled with anxiety: "Your Majesty, when I returned to the capital this time, I found that the soap business was booming. Unfortunately, my steward was dull-witted and failed to get involved early on."
Now, your humble servant wishes to request Her Majesty the Empress to grant him the right to supply goods, so that this product may be promoted in Beizhili, thus contributing further to the Qing Dynasty's trade.
Yongzheng raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him with a half-smile: "Oh? Ninth Brother has quite the discerning eye. However, the soap business is currently being managed by Wang Xifeng in Jiangnan. The Empress only provided the formula; I haven't interfered with the specific operations."
Yuntang quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I do not intend to compete with Wang Xifeng for profit. It is just that the Beizhili area has not been fully developed yet. If I could manage it, I would be able to make soap more widely available."
Moreover, my brother has connections overseas, and in the future, we may be able to sell soap to the West, earning more gold and silver for the Qing Dynasty.”
After pondering for a moment, Yongzheng felt that Yuntang's words made sense.
He nodded: "In that case, I will ask the Empress to come here, and you can discuss it with her personally."
In the inner palace, Lin Yun heard that the Emperor had come to invite her, and that Ninth Prince was also in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. She had already guessed most of the situation.
She was dressed in a light purple palace gown, with only a white jade hairpin in her hair, and walked forward at a leisurely pace.
Upon seeing Yuntang, she smiled slightly: "Ninth Master, you've returned from your long voyage. You must be tired."
When Yuntang saw Lin Yun, he was taken aback. Why was the Empress still the same as before, with no change in appearance?
He then quickly bowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty the Empress."
Yongzheng gestured for Lin Yun to sit down, and then briefly explained Yuntang's request.
Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Lin Yun's eyes.
When the soap first came out, she asked the stewards under Ninth Master to help stock it, but they didn't do it well and business was so-so. Later, she heard that they also gradually stocked some more.
So she thought she'd wait until Ninth Master came back before making a decision, since the reputation of her Yunxiang Pavilion flagship store wasn't to be underestimated.
She said softly, “If Ninth Brother wants to run a soap business, I will naturally support him. However, the Jiangnan and Guangdong areas are already managed by Wang Xifeng of the Jia family. Her business has just gotten on track. If Ninth Prince gets involved, it may cause unnecessary disputes.”
Yuntang quickly assured her, "Your Majesty, rest assured, your humble brother will never touch the markets of Jiangnan and Guangdong, and will only focus on the Beizhili area."
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