If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

An accident at the freight station is a serious matter.

Qin Xuehua was ultimately worried about leaving Zhang Heng to handle the matter alone, so she took Zhang Wanning and Jiang Luohan with her.

Little did they know that their journey was destined to be in vain.

Because when Zhang Yu was in charge of the freight station, all the procurement channels were owned by Li Dagang.

At that time, in order to complete his "sycophant" mission, Zhang Yu had to earn a huge amount of wealth for the Marquis's mansion to squander.

He couldn't just take out the money directly, otherwise he would be suspected.

So they used the freight station as a middleman to make it seem like the freight station was the one making the profit.

At this point, Zhang Yu had already turned against the Marquis's mansion, so Li Dagang naturally wouldn't be a sucker anymore, and the Marquis's mansion would definitely not be able to find another sucker.

Meanwhile, the Hou family deliberately bypassed the several merchant guilds controlled by Li Dagang and arrived at Baicaoxuan, a well-known shop in the south of the city that specializes in wild medicinal herbs from the north.

Upon entering, Zhang Heng immediately revealed his identity, his tone carrying his usual condescending air:

Where is the shopkeeper?

Zhang Heng, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Yong'an's household, has come to discuss a large-scale purchase.

The shopkeeper, a lean middle-aged man surnamed Hu, immediately came out from behind the counter upon hearing the noise.

His face beamed with enthusiasm: "Oh my, it's a distinguished guest from the Marquis of Yong'an's residence! My apologies for not recognizing you."

Manager Hu's attitude pleased Zhang Heng greatly. He glanced at his mother and sister, his eyes saying, "See? I told you so."

Qin Xuehua's tense expression eased slightly, Zhang Wanning breathed a sigh of relief, and Jiang Luohan also showed a hint of anticipation.

After the guests and hosts were seated, Manager Hu personally poured tea, his attentiveness bordering on obsequiousness.

"Young Master, Madam, and Miss, what brings you here?"

But the Marquis's warehouse needs to import a batch of medicinal herbs from the north.

The reputation of Houfu Goods Station is well-known throughout the northern trade routes; it's a golden brand with an astonishing throughput!

"If we have the opportunity to cooperate with the Marquis's Mansion, it would be an immense blessing for our small shop."

That's true. The Yong'an Marquis's warehouse is indeed famous, and the manager has the ambition to become a supplier for the Marquis's household.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng's gloom caused by the previous supplier's betrayal vanished, and his sense of superiority returned to its peak.

He took a sip of tea and said slowly and deliberately:

Manager Hu is a sensible man.

Indeed, my Houfu Goods Station has extensive distribution channels, large sales volume, and an excellent reputation.

"As long as the price is right and the quality is excellent, it wouldn't be a bad thing if we became your 'Bai Cao Xuan's' biggest customer in the future."

"Yes, yes, Your Highness is absolutely right."

Shopkeeper Hu nodded repeatedly, his back almost bent under the table. "Being able to board the Hou Mansion's ship is an opportunity my shop could only dream of. As for the price, I will definitely give the Hou Mansion the most favorable price."

Seeing that he was so sensible, Qin Xuehua also spoke gently, "Manager Hu, you are too kind. My Hou Mansion has always treated its merchants well. As long as we are honest, we will surely benefit in the long run."

"Your words of wisdom are invaluable and I will remember them well."

Manager Hu patted his chest and assured him, then gestured for the shop assistant to bring the price list:

"Young Master, Madam, Miss, please take a look. These are the current market prices for various medicinal herbs in our shop."

Since this is our first collaboration with the Marquis's household, I am willing to offer an additional 50% discount as a token of my sincerity.

Zhang Heng took the booklet and opened it with a smug look on his face.

Zhang Wanning and Jiang Luohan also leaned closer to take a look.

However, after reading only the first few lines, Zhang Heng's smile froze.

He suddenly looked up at Manager Hu, his voice rising abruptly: "Manager Hu, what do you mean by this?"

Qin Xuehua and the others were puzzled. Zhang Wanning took the booklet and looked at it carefully, and her face turned pale instantly.

The price offered by Baicaoxuan was almost the same as, or even slightly higher than, the prices quoted by the other suppliers who had joined forces to raise prices.

They didn't know that this was the true market price.

The purchase price recorded in Zhangjia's freight station ledger was already lower than the cost price of goods on the market, which they could not find.

Nobody does business at a loss.

"Are you taking advantage of me because I don't know anything about market prices? Your price is almost double what our freight station usually pays."

Zhang Heng slammed the booklet shut and glared at Manager Hu.

Upon hearing this, Manager Hu's fawning smile froze instantly, replaced by a strange expression of disbelief.

His lips moved, but he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He seemed to want to say something, but he swallowed it back.

For the first time, his gaze towards Zhang Heng and the others revealed an undisguised look of astonishment, as if they were idiots.

He subconsciously turned his head to look outside the door, then looked at Zhang Heng, as if he doubted that he had misheard.

"It's twice as high as your usual purchase price?"

Manager Hu repeated himself, his respectful tone almost faltering, "Young Master, this 'regular purchase price' you mentioned...when, where, and from whom are these purchases made?"

Without waiting for Zhang Heng's reply, and disregarding any sense of impoliteness, he picked up the price list directly from the table.

He turned to a page, then pointed hard at the numbers with his finger, almost gritting his teeth, and whispered, word by word:

"A 100-year-old northern snow ginseng, even if purchased directly from the farmers in the producing area, costs at least this much after deducting losses and selection fees."

He pointed to a number with force.

"The costs of escorting goods from the north to the capital, the bribes at checkpoints, the losses in storage, the wages of the workers... all these things add up to at least this much more."

He then selected an even higher number.

"My Baicaoxuan is a business that needs to pay taxes, support a large family, and bear the risk of unsold goods. I have to make some money, right?"

The price I quoted you was already a barely profitable "entry-level price," given the prestige of the Marquis's residence.

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his face flushing slightly, and his tone carrying a hint of a businessman's bluntness and sarcasm:

"Young Master, the purchase price you mentioned that is half the price of my 'sincere price'... Forgive my ignorance, but in my thirty years as a shopkeeper in this business, I've never even heard of it, let alone seen it."

He took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, but the meaning of his words was crystal clear:

"Or perhaps your cargo station encountered a bodhisattva in the past, a living deity who specializes in doing charity and selling goods at a loss."

Or...?

He paused, then gave Qin Xuehua a meaningful look.

"...The numbers on that ledger are not the market price."

I dare not presume to know the intricacies of this matter.

"If you don't believe me, you can take this booklet to any pharmacy or warehouse in the capital and ask."

Shopkeeper Hu straightened his back, the enthusiasm on his face completely vanished, leaving only a distant calm:

"Let's see if there's a supplier that can provide you with goods at the 'weekday purchase price' you mentioned."

If that's really the case, forget half price, even if you cut it down another 30% from my price, I'll immediately close down and eat up the 'Bai Cao Xuan' signboard.

Having said that much, it's tantamount to a formal invitation to leave.

Zhang Heng was stunned by the barrage of barbed and undeniably factual words. His face flushed red and then turned pale, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Even though he knew nothing about business, he understood.

The price quoted by Manager Hu was the absolute lowest that a normal businessperson could possibly offer.

The ridiculously low purchase prices recorded in his manor's warehouse ledger simply do not exist in the normal business world.

Qin Xuehua's face had turned from ashen to deathly pale.

She wasn't Zhang Heng; she understood the unspoken meaning behind Manager Hu's words.

It's not that others are raising prices; it's that the Marquis's residence has been enjoying an abnormally low price that is impossible to exist.

Where does this low price come from?

The answer is almost obvious.

Jiang Luohan lowered her eyes, her heart feeling icy cold.

As expected... Zhang Yu.

Only he could have so quietly and unobtrusively supported the Marquis's enormous expenses in such an incredible way.

Now, the Marquis's mansion has personally severed this pillar.

Zhang Wanning was at a loss. Looking at her mother's pale face and her brother's embarrassed expression, and then at Manager Hu's cold and distant manner, she felt dizzy.

Manager Hu stopped looking at them and turned to the shop assistant, saying indifferently, "Our distinguished guest is leaving. See him off."

The intention to dismiss them was obvious.