The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 111: Striving to Suppress Tea Prices
"Dad." Shang Wenshu knelt upright in front of Shang Jinliang, facing the surprised and scrutinizing gazes of her two younger sisters. "Dad is in his prime, and as a child, we really shouldn't talk about the family business. Please forgive me for speaking out of turn today. As the eldest daughter, older than my two younger sisters, I should shoulder the responsibilities of the eldest sister and tolerate, protect, and give way to the younger ones.

This is how her father taught her since she was little, and she has always taken on the family's responsibilities, striving to be thorough in everything. This year, so much has happened that she feels overwhelmed. She's been assigned to sort out the Yao family's accounts, and the books are piling up. She fiddles with the abacus every day until her knuckles ache, physically exhausted but mentally not...

My daughter is not here to manage the family business. I know my father is worried that my third sister will marry out. As the head of the business, she doesn't need to stay at home. I will run the family business myself.

With my third sister here, I feel at ease."

Shang Wenshu spoke from the bottom of her heart. The incident with Wen Yan did make her feel timid and she began to question herself. She remained silent for a long time, and it was Shang Mingshu who took on the task entrusted by the Yao family for her.

While sorting out Yao's accounts day and night, she regained her self-confidence, and at the same time she finally understood that her previous exhaustion in managing Xiang Ming Zhai's livelihood was not because she lacked energy, but because it was not her forte.

After observing the past six months, Shang Mingshu is the one who is most adept at making a living at home, and is no less capable than his father.

"What my elder sister said is also what I think in my heart." Shang Zishu simply helped Shang Wenshu to "force the palace". "Father, the emperor is still superstitious about indecision in appointing a crown prince. It is the root of trouble. If you give us a firm answer earlier, we sisters will understand and each of us will fulfill our responsibilities and not overstep the line. Only then can we work together to build a family."

Shang Jinliang looked at his two daughters with deep eyes. He turned to look at Shang Mingshu, his eyes filled with so many emotions. There was admiration and pride in Shang Mingshu's ability to convince her two sisters to give in and even assist her, but also fear and worry about the unfathomable depth beneath Shang Mingshu's calm exterior.

He was not afraid that Shang Mingshu would undermine him as a father. He could feel Shang Mingshu's filial piety. If Shang Mingshu wanted to take over the family business early, he would be happy to travel around the beautiful mountains and rivers while he was still in good health.

What I fear is Shang Mingshu's indifference towards her clan members...

The three daughters had very little affection for their clan. He knew that it was because the clan members had become increasingly greedy in recent years. However, as merchants, one tree cannot make a forest. Those who did not value their clan would not be able to make any progress no matter how capable they were.

Even close relatives with the same surname can be so ruthless, so how many people would be willing to do business with them?
This cannot be compensated by strong ability. Perhaps judging it this way may seem pedantic and foolish, but this is the general trend of the world.

What he is worried about is whether Xiangmingzhai will be inherited by the descendants of the Shang family in the future. This is the foundation passed down from his ancestors. If it is broken in the hands of his children, he would be letting down his ancestors.

"Dad, I can promise you that Xiangmingzhai will always belong to the Shang family." Shang Jinliang's expression was indistinct, but Shang Mingshu could see through it at a glance. "As for the rest... if someone shows me respect, I will return the favor."

She would never give in like Shang Jinliang to maintain a huge family.

"Dad, if a big tree is not pruned, it will only rob the nutrients. The towering tree will rot from the roots and eventually collapse." Shang Mingshu added.

"You're right." Shang Jinliang nodded. "Mingshu, you've been intelligent since childhood. You read people's expressions, plan carefully before acting, and consider the overall situation. You're no less capable than a man. I have no reason to be worried about handing Xiangmingzhai over to you. I just want to see who you marry..."

Cheng Mian has not proposed marriage yet, and the Cheng family has not expressed any interest in the marriage. Shang Jinliang has to wait and see, so he can probably hold on for a few more years.

Shang Jinliang did not make a clear promise. The three sisters all knew what he meant and understood his concerns, so they did not press him too hard and insisted on getting an answer today.

As long as Shang Jinliang has a clear idea in mind, the next step is to pave the way for Shang Mingshu to take over the family business.

"Someone's dead, someone's dead—"

"The soldiers are coming, the soldiers are coming--" The voices outside came one after another, and Shang Jinliang, Shang Wenshu and Shang Zishu were shocked to realize that at such a critical moment, they did not pay attention to the development of the situation, but rushed to the window.

Shang Mingshu still sat upright, drinking tea calmly.

There was chaos below. The father, daughter and their two daughters tried to find several windows, but they were all blocked by the people coming and going. There was a lot of blood on the ground, and several people were knocked down. Shang Jinliang picked up his skirt and hurried out.

Shang Zishu took two steps and caught a glimpse of Shang Mingshu, who looked calm and composed. She turned her eyes and sat down next to Shang Mingshu. Since everything was under her sister's control, she didn't want to squeeze into a noisy place.

Shang Wenshu paused, but still followed Shang Jinliang.

By the time the father and daughter hurried over, the officials who had come in with great force had already taken control of the situation. They had captured all the people who needed to be captured, and took away nearly a hundred people at once.

"You have such a good timing, Third Sister. You should have informed the prefect long ago." Shang Zishu turned to look at Shang Mingshu with a firm tone.

Shang Mingshu gave her a gentle smile in response.

Shang Zishu saw this smile as mysterious and meaningful. She understood what Shang Mingshu meant: "This tea tree pest in Guangdong and Guangxi is an inevitable natural disaster. Tea markets everywhere will be in chaos. Tea is not like grain or salt. As long as no one is killed, the government should not intervene. After all, buying and selling is a matter of mutual consent. If the government interferes arbitrarily and cuts off the people's financial resources, it will inevitably cause public resentment.

If we let it go unchecked, the tea market will sooner or later become a mess. As you imagine, the imperial court has already intervened. These people can't make money, and they will pour their resentment on the government, thinking that they are doing nothing and allowing them to waste their hard-earned money. The government is bound to be in trouble both inside and outside.

Things are different now. Shang Mingshu has given the government another reason to intervene. These people are gathering to cause trouble, so it is not excessive to lock them up. All they need to do is wait for Cheng She to return, and everything will be solved.

The dream of speculating on tea prices was shattered. Some people stopped losses in time, while others could not blame the government even if they suffered losses.

"I wonder when Second Brother Cheng will return." Shang Mingshu's eyes were filled with worry as thin as smoke. Today was already the third day...

She can only hold on until today, and even Magistrate He can only hold on tonight. If Cheng She cannot come back tomorrow, or cannot come back with good news, they will all be in a greater disadvantage.

"Quite a few people have gathered at the yamen, demanding that Lord He open a court for questioning. Those who deserve punishment will be punished, and those who deserve release will be released." Shang Jinliang and Du Zhong returned into the night. "No one was killed, but some people were still forced into the situation. It's a chaotic mess, noisy and chaotic."

I don't know who spread the rumor, but they insisted that they were caught for maliciously speculating on tea prices, which has caused panic among the people and the tea merchants' shops have gone from being crowded with people to being deserted.

Getting rich is important, but life is more important.

Shang Zishu heard this and turned her head to look at Shang Mingshu.

She dared to swear that it was definitely Shang Mingshu who spread the rumor.

　I've been a bit busy lately, but I'll update it properly when I'm done. There's still a climax of 40,000 to 50,000 words, which will mean the end of the story is halfway through, and it's tentatively scheduled to be completed on the last day of April.

　　(End of this chapter)