Chapter 90: Continuing to Play the Role of a Western Region Merchant
Ye Wanning leaned against him, crying even harder. In her past life, she and Pei Zhi were unaware of their destiny until their deaths. In this life, a bowl of herbal tea had uncovered a secret from twenty years ago. It turned out they were destined to be together all along, only their paths took a detour before they met again.
"Don't cry, you should be happy." Pei Zhi gently patted her back, his voice so tender it could melt your heart. "This means we're a match made in heaven, even God wants us to be together!"
He picked up the assembled dried flowers, carefully placed them into a brocade bag, and kept them close to his body: "From now on, you must carry these two flowers with you, just like your mother is watching over us from heaven."
Ye Wanning nodded, leaning against him, smelling the medicine on his body, feeling particularly at ease. She knew that from now on, their union was not only in this life, but also predestined from a past life; no one could ever separate their love again.
The rain was still falling, but the tent was warm and cozy. Pei Zhi held her hand, looking at the "Double Flower Drink" on the table, and couldn't help but smile. It turns out that the best kind of fate isn't love at first sight, but discovering after many twists and turns that it was destined to be you twenty years ago.
Pei Zhi had been frowning for three days because the grain and military supplies from the border had not been delivered in time.
In the morning, the supply officer rushed into the tent again: "General, the grain in the granary is only enough for five days, and the soldiers' pay is two months overdue. If this continues, there may be problems!"
Pei Zhi slammed his fist on the table, his face even more grim than the gloomy weather: "The court should at least give us a straight answer! I've already submitted three memorials!"
"They said the Ministry of Revenue's funds were diverted by the Crown Prince to build a palace, and they can't get them out for the time being." The grain officer lowered his head and stammered, "Several soldiers also sent letters from home saying that their elderly mothers are seriously ill and they need their military pay to treat them. They are all crying and begging the general to find a way."
Ye Wanning had just come in carrying the medicine when she heard this and stopped at the door. She knew the pressure Pei Zhi was under—most of the border soldiers came from poor backgrounds, and their pay was their only source of income; any further delay would really cause trouble.
After the grain officer left, Pei Zhi sat behind his desk, one hand propped on the table, his head buried in his hand, looking extremely tired. Ye Wanning walked over and placed the medicine in front of him, saying softly, "General, drink some medicine, your health is important."
Pei Zhi shook his head, not touching the medicine bowl: "Wan Ning, what do you think I should do? We can't let the soldiers fight on an empty stomach."
Seeing him like this, Ye Wanning became anxious and suddenly remembered her spice business: "General, I have an idea."
Pei Zhi looked up at her, his eyes full of anticipation.
“My spice business has made some money recently, not much, but enough to subsidize part of the military pay.” Ye Wanning paused, then said, “Moreover, I’ve talked to several large pharmacies in the capital. They need a lot of ambergris for medicine. If I can supply them exclusively, the money I make should be enough to last until the court pays the military pay.”
Pei Zhi's eyes lit up: "Really? But it's too dangerous for you to go alone to negotiate, isn't it? Those pharmacy owners are very shrewd; they'll definitely try to lower the price."
"I'm not alone." Ye Wanning smiled and took out a jade crown from her bosom. "Boss Li, it's time to come out of seclusion."
Pei Zhi was stunned for a moment: "You! You want me to continue pretending to be a merchant from the Western Regions?"
“Okay.” Ye Wanning nodded. “You play the role of Boss Li, and I’ll play your employee. We’ll go and negotiate together. You know business, and I know about spices. We’re sure to succeed. Besides, this way we can keep my secrets and get a good price. It’s a win-win situation.”
Pei Zhi stood up and took her hand: "Okay! I'll do as you say! We'll go back to the capital tomorrow and finalize this deal!"
The next morning, the two dressed up and returned to the capital with minimal travel. Ye Wanning disguised herself as a handsome young shop assistant, wearing a gray cloth robe, and followed "Boss Li" Pei Zhi into the capital's largest pharmacy, "Jishetang".
Mr. Wang, the owner of Jishetang, was particularly shrewd. When he saw them come in, he didn't even raise his eyelids: "Are you buying or selling medicinal herbs? Our shop only accepts top-quality goods."
Pei Zhi waved his sandalwood fan, deliberately putting on an arrogant air: "Boss Wang, I am Li Mo from the Western Regions. I have some top-quality ambergris and would like to discuss exclusive supply with your store."
Mr. Wang then looked up, sizing him up from head to toe, his eyes full of suspicion: "Ambergris? There are so many fakes on the market, how can you prove yours is genuine?"
Ye Wanning quickly stepped forward, took out a small piece of ambergris from her bundle, smelled it, and then gently pinched it with her fingernail. She said confidently, "Boss Wang, look, this ambergris is pale yellow, hard in texture, with neat pinch marks, and it doesn't produce black smoke when burned. It's definitely top-quality. My boss said that if we can secure an exclusive supply agreement, the price can be 10% lower than the market price."
Mr. Wang took the ambergris incense, examined it closely, and even burned a little to test it. Sure enough, it didn't emit black smoke, and the doubt in his eyes lessened: "Ten percent lower? But how do I know if you can supply it long-term? If you cut off the supply, won't my business go out of business?"
Pei Zhi immediately replied, "Don't worry, Mr. Wang, I have a stable supply in the Western Regions, enough to supply fifty catties every month, and there will never be a shortage. Moreover, we can deliver to your door, saving you the shipping cost."
“Boss Wang, all the pharmacies are short of ambergris right now. If you can secure the exclusive supply, other pharmacies will be begging for it. You'll not only earn the price difference, but you'll also bring a good reputation to Jishetang. What a lucrative deal!” Ye Wanning pressed her advantage, her words quickening. “And…”
"And what else?" Mr. Wang was clearly interested, but still a little hesitant. "Can the price be lowered further?"
“Then we really can’t lower the price any further.” Pei Zhi deliberately frowned, pretending to be in a difficult position. “I still have to bear the shipping and customs fees, so lowering the price any further would be a loss-making business. However, if you can prepay three months’ deposit, I can give you another 50% off.”
"Really? That's great!" Ye Wanning quickly replied, "The three-month deposit is only a few thousand taels of silver. Jishetang is a large and powerful company, so this amount of money is nothing. Moreover, my boss said that if you are willing to cooperate, you will be given priority in the supply of top-quality medicinal materials from the Western Regions, such as snow lotus and cistanche."
Mr. Wang was completely persuaded and slammed his hand on the table: "Alright! We'll do it your way! We agree to supply fifty catties of ambergris every month, at a price one and a half percent lower than the market price per catty!"
Pei Zhi and Ye Wanning exchanged a glance, their eyes brimming with undisguised joy. "It's a pleasure doing business with you!" Pei Zhi extended his hand and shook hands with Boss Wang.
As Ye Wanning emerged from Jishetang, she couldn't stop laughing: "General, you're such a convincing Western Region merchant!"
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching." Pei Zhi smiled and ruffled her hair. "But seriously, my wife will be a god of wealth from now on. With you by my side, I'll never have to worry about running out of money again."
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