Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 250: The Sachet from the Palace?
Thinking of this, Fan Yongdou gritted his teeth in hatred and said indignantly.

"How come Zhang Shiyuan gets all the benefits in the world?"

Even he, a Shanxi merchant who dealt in salt and iron border trade, couldn't help but feel envious of Zhang Shiyuan's efficiency and skill in making money.

“I warned long ago that this man should not be underestimated,” Li Mingxing said, narrowing his eyes. “He is exceptionally intelligent and has a thorough understanding of the ways of commerce. The futures market is truly a powerful tool for promoting trade.”

He looked very regretful and shook his head repeatedly.

"It's a pity that it's in the hands of the Zhang family father and son, which makes it seem like they're being too soft-hearted and unable to unleash its true power."

Li Mingxing was already imagining what a magnificent scene it would be if he and his group established a futures market and made huge profits by manipulating market prices!
Compared to the efficient trading methods of the futures market, their previous way of doing business seemed like small-scale operations.

But Wang Dengku had different thoughts. He smiled and shook his head.

"You two managers are boosting the morale of others while diminishing your own. In my opinion, the Zhang family father and son are already a thing of the past, and their demise is only a matter of time!"

Fan Yongdou asked, puzzled, "Manager Wang has always thought that the Zhang family father and son are extremely powerful, so why today?"

Wang Dengku looked disdainful: "Times have changed. You only see the glory of the futures market, but you don't see its drawbacks."

Zhang Shiyuan attempted to use this to extort money from the gentry and wealthy merchants in the capital, but he didn't know who controlled those goods.

He thought he could manipulate market prices, but if the Jiangnan gentry came together and worked together, with large quantities of goods in hand, they could drive up or down market prices and trade them in the futures market.

If Zhang Shiyuan wants to control prices, he will inevitably have to intervene in the market, and then...

"Did Manager Wang read that economics theory?" Li Mingxing immediately grasped the key point.

Wang Dengku cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Treating them with their own methods is the principle that Professor Li taught us. I have recently been reading a lot of 'The Wealth of Nations' and 'Small Island Economics' and have gained some insights from them."

“Not bad.” Li Mingxing nodded, looking quite pleased. “The principles of economics are quite profound. We should not overlook the role of economics because of Zhang Shiyuan’s evil deeds.”

He stroked his beard and said.

"What Manager Wang said just now makes sense. I just received a letter from Grand Secretary Xu of Songjiang Prefecture, asking us to join forces with the gentry of Jiangnan to undertake a great undertaking!"

Fan Yongdou smiled and shook his head, saying, "Zhang Shiyuan's perverse actions are bound to fail. He managed to escape the matter of Liuli before, but this time we will certainly not let him get away."

He lowered his voice.

"I've heard that this time, the Jiangnan gentry are going to come up with something really ruthless!"

"Exactly!" Wang Dengku laughed loudly, raising his wine cup on the table. "Manager Fan, Elder Li, this time, with our alliance with the gentry of Jiangnan, we are sure to achieve great success."

He smiled slightly.

"The most crucial thing is that everyone must work together and not be divided!"

"That makes sense!"

"These are my heartfelt words; we are all in this together, sharing both glory and loss."

Fan Yongdou and Li Mingxing also raised their glasses, the three of them clinked glasses, and drank it all in one gulp.

After leaving the regularly held banquet, Wang Dengku, still slightly drunk, stumbled back to his home in Datong Prefecture.

Upon returning home, he sat upright in his study, appearing unusually clear-headed, and summoned Wang San, a servant in the household.

Wang San asked somewhat curiously and respectfully, "What are your orders, sir?"

It was already late at night, and Wang Dengku's summons must have been for a reason.

After much deliberation, Wang Dengku personally handed an unsigned letter to Wang San.

"Master, what's wrong?" Wang San asked, somewhat surprised.

Wang Dengku's eyes were deep: "Take these mountain goods to Xiliangzi, and take the Water Dragon Road to avoid any hidden reefs."

Only seasoned veterans who frequently travel along the Grand Canal would know such instigations.

Wang San understood the meaning, his pupils immediately contracted, and he said, "Master! What if someone finds out?" "Don't ask any more questions. Just do the job well, and you won't be treated badly."

Wang Dengku patted the other person on the shoulder and said.

"We call this taking off the black hat and putting on the red tassel. He keeps gnawing on the dice, so naturally we have to bet on the banker!"

Inside a study at Renmin Medical Clinic.

Zhang Yunxiu examined the sachet, looked at Liu Wan'er with a suspicious expression, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is this a small gift from that young lady?"

"Ahhh?" Liu Wan'er turned pale with fright and quickly waved her hands, saying, "No, no, this is..."

Her face turned bright red, the redness spreading from her neck all the way to her ears.

"This was made by me for you, sir, out of respect for your hard work and dedication, and to show my respect as your disciple."

Zhang Yunxiu bluntly exposed her, saying, "If I remember correctly, you are several years older than me, right? Besides, there is absolutely no precedent for giving a sachet as a gift of tuition."

"Ah!" Liu Wan'er didn't know how to answer this time. Her eyes darted left and right, and her hands kept tugging at the hem of her clothes.

Zhang Yunxiu looked puzzled. In the eyes of the ancients, giving a sachet was not something to be done casually.

Is it more like a token of love?

Thinking of this, he held the sachet in his hand, but smelled a strange fragrance. After a brief sniff, he discerned the secret within and said leisurely.

"Angelica sinensis, Leonurus japonicus, and Buddleja officinalis are mostly used for women's ailments. Angelica sinensis is mainly used to nourish blood and relieve pain, Leonurus japonicus is the seed of Leonurus japonicus, and Buddleja officinalis is mostly used as an adjuvant in traditional Chinese medicine."

"Furthermore, mint is used to enhance aroma, and Atractylodes macrocephala is considered the mother of the Central Plains."

“Most importantly,” Zhang Yunxiu said meaningfully, his gaze sharpening, “this Canaan incense is exclusively for the royal family. Liu Wan’er, you have quite the nerve.”

"grown ups."

Liu Wan'er was so frightened that she turned pale and knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down her face.

"My daughter didn't mean it, my daughter."

She really didn't know how to explain the origin of this Canaan incense.

Liu Wan'er was inwardly groaning. The princess had really tricked her. Didn't she say that Zhang Shiyuan would present the medical book as soon as he saw the sachet?

Zhang Yunxiu demanded sternly, "Do you know that stealing tribute from the palace is a capital offense? Tell me the truth: where did you come from, and where did you obtain this Canaan incense?"

He had already noticed the other party's unusual behavior last time, and after a quick investigation, he had already made up his mind. This time, upon seeing the sachet again, he immediately confirmed his suspicions.

Those who can accurately convey information using these medicinal herbs must be well-versed in medical principles.

The fact that someone can use this Canaan incense indicates that they are not of ordinary status. Combined with Liu Wan'er's recent furtive behavior, the answer is obvious.

But at this moment, Liu Wan'er was still lying on the ground, wailing and crying.

"Sir, it really wasn't you, sir. You must believe me. This was truly made by me. No, this sachet is a sachet, it is..."

Her stammering confirmed Zhang Yunxiu's guess once again. He glanced at her, decided to stop teasing her, and said irritably.

"Alright, you're up now. I believe you, okay?"

"Waaaaah! Ah?"

Liu Wan'er was still wiping away her tears when her voice suddenly stopped. With tears streaming down her face, she looked at Zhang Yunxiu in disbelief and said in a low voice.

"Sir, do you really believe that?"

(End of this chapter)