Chapter 140
In the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, on the eastern section of Yinque Street, a new shop opened quietly. There was no fanfare, no guests to congratulate them, and apart from the shop assistants, all of whom were dressed in uniform, which was quite eye-catching, it was really not in line with the prime real estate of Yinque Street.
However, as time went by, a strange smell gradually wafted out of the shop. Ordinary people might not be able to smell it, but those in the know would never be mistaken.
A plump, wealthy-looking middle-aged man walked into the "Huang Family Shop" and immediately asked, "Do you sell pepper here? ... Hmm... I also smell star anise."
Unlike other shop assistants, the Huang family shop assistant wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Instead, he said in a humble yet assertive manner, "Sir, you are right. Our shop specializes in spices, and we offer genuine products at fair prices, treating everyone fairly, young and old."
"Well, I'm the owner of Yuelai Restaurant. I use dozens of kilograms of spices every year. What kinds of spices do you use?"
After finishing his business, the fat man wanted to find a place to sit down. Then, as usual, the manager would come out to discuss the deal. He was the owner of a big restaurant! A fat sheep, come and slaughter him!
The fat man walked around for half a day but couldn't find a seat, and he became annoyed, shouting, "Hey! How do you do business? There aren't even any seats!"
The shop assistants exchanged glances and said helplessly, "Please don't be offended, sir. Our shop sells spices and we never thought of serving tea and snacks. Our spices are sold in batches of 30 catties. For orders of 10 dan or more, please go upstairs to the second floor where the manager will personally serve you."
The fat man's face began to tremble, and he raised his finger shakily, pointing at the shopkeeper, "Ten loads...you have ten loads of spices?"
"Yes, we have sufficient stock of every type of spice in our store."
After hearing what the waiter said, the fat man felt reassured. In previous years, although the spice merchant treated him very well, the price he paid was also extremely high, and he was stingy with the supply. So many restaurants need spices, how could he give them all to him?
"I want thirty catties of pepper, what's the price?"
"Pepper costs ten taels of silver per pound, or one string of copper coins."
"Deal. Deliver it to Yue Lai Lou on Huajie Street in the east of the city. I'll pay in person." The fat man was overjoyed, but he didn't show it on his face. This price was practically the lowest in the entire capital.
"We do not deliver goods; payment is due upon receipt of payment." The fat man was almost furious. Even though you're selling in-demand goods, you can't be so unreasonable, acting like government officials. But considering that his year's supply of spices was secured, he swallowed his anger.
When the fat man returned with the money, Huang's shop was already packed with people, and shouts of "I want a load! I want to go up to the second floor!" could be heard from time to time.
Just as the fat man was jumping up and down in a panic, a waiter called out to him, "Did this customer order thirty catties of pepper? If so, he can go to the back warehouse to pick it up."
"Yes! Yes!" The fat man was overjoyed and quickly followed the shop assistant to the backyard, where he saw a warehouse piled high with cloth bags reaching the roof.
"These...are all...spices?" The fat man was startled. What was pepper? Pepper could be used as currency in the capital, which showed how scarce it was.
"These are peppercorns, and over there in the barn are nutmeg, cloves, star anise..."
The fat man didn't care about anything else; he first checked the quality of the thirty pounds of peppercorns he had been given. Every single peppercorn was plump and had a pure, spicy flavor, which immediately put his mind at ease.
"Your boss...does he have powerful backers? You should know that spice merchants in the capital are not to be trifled with. Selling like this will offend them..."
As the portly boss carried the peppercorns out, he hesitated before reminding his employee that the owner of the Huang family shop was a bit reckless in his business dealings, and was on the verge of offending all the spice merchants in the capital.
"Oh! Rest assured, our host isn't afraid of offending anyone... anyone!"
Not far from the Huang family's shop is the imperial palace of the Great Xia Empire. The magnificent halls and gorgeous decorations all display the unique nobility of the royal family.
"I heard you recently opened a spice shop?"
The man placed the white chess piece on the board, temporarily blocking the fierce attack from the black pieces.
"Yes! No matter how much money you have, it's never enough. It's always good to earn more."
Wang Yushi casually placed her stone; the black pieces were domineering and sharp, completely different from the soft and supple white pieces.
"Heh, you're ruthless. You've even offended the Wang family. The spice business is the lifeblood of the Wang family."
Wang Yushi didn't even look up. "It just meant they earned a little less. It's not like we offended them. The Wang family doesn't only have the spice business."
"Some ignorant people submitted a memorial at the morning court session today, claiming that the spices in your shop have a mysterious origin and may be in cahoots with foreign countries. The court is requested to investigate this matter thoroughly."
Wang Yushi finally raised her head, her face cold and deep, and said in a deep voice, "Daxia does not produce spices. Which spice merchant does not sell their goods through Hu merchants?"
"Well, I don't care, and I can't manage it all, but you have to tell me where those spices come from!"
"If His Majesty suspects me of having disloyal intentions, he can simply send someone to investigate. Why bother asking me?"
Wang Yushi pressed her black pieces hard onto the chessboard, forcing the white pieces into a desperate situation.
"Heh, many years have passed, and you still have this headstrong temper... As for me... well, I will never interfere in your affairs. I will send the official who submitted the memorial to go fishing in Yazhou."
Emperor Zhaowu immediately abandoned his pawn and conceded defeat. He struggled to his feet, and Wang Yushi quickly helped him up.
"Actually, you don't need to attend court every morning... and you shouldn't take too much medicine."
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