After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Participating in these activities might actually have the opposite effect.

As long as he doesn't do anything reckless and deliberately challenge the authority of the county magistrate and the prefect, they naturally won't deliberately dismiss him and leave behind a reputation for being jealous of talent in the official circles.

This is not without precedent. Li Linfu, a hypocrite in the Tang Dynasty, was like this. When he was in charge of the imperial examinations, he could refuse to admit any candidates, saying that there were no worthy people left out. He has been criticized by scholars for more than a thousand years.

The prevailing social norms nowadays are to encourage promising young scholars to become mentors and mentors, and then support each other in the court. Therefore, Ning Nan is not enthusiastic about this.

To avoid overshadowing someone else and incurring their jealousy.

The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the Prince Xin's Mansion next door was the same. A large group of officials and scholars gathered together, and there was even a debate about the literary styles of the North and South, which was quite frightening.

This morning, Cui Cui's wife was saying that the Prince Xin's mansion was holding a grand Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and as a clerk in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she would be on duty that night. She asked if she should attend.

Cui Cui's wife had a hint of anticipation in her eyes, perhaps wanting to go and see what was going on, but since she couldn't go, she wanted him to go and see for himself and then tell her about it. He resolutely refused, saying he needed to study and prepare for the imperial examinations.

Cui Cui's wife wasn't too disappointed; she just nodded and said, "Never mind, I won't go."

Chu Pangzi and the others were somewhat disappointed at this point.

"Brother Bai Xuan, it would be such a pity if you didn't go."

"With Leng Lengqing's name already mentioned, who wouldn't make way for us?"

Zuo Yong's face fell immediately: "Brother Bai Xuan, if you go, we might be able to get a seat of honor. If you don't go, it's questionable whether we can even get in."

Tang Lianbin waved his hand with a wry smile and said, "Alright, alright, Brother Bai Xuan is known for only writing poems for courtesans, and I'm not exactly a top courtesan..."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Ning Nan's face darkened... Just for writing poems for the courtesan? ...Where did this reputation come from!

Zhao Jing was older than them and more mature. He smiled and said, "If we leave in such a desolate place, none of us will be able to write anything. Brother Bai Xuan is thinking of us."

Everyone naturally knew this, and what they said earlier was all in jest. However, they still felt a little regretful. If they had gone with Leng Leng Qingqing... that would have been quite prestigious!

Ning Nan said helplessly that his home was on Datong Street, and he would have to go to the outskirts of the city first before returning to Datong Street. He smiled and said that if everyone was indeed stopped outside the literary gathering, he would invite everyone to his home for a drink.

"I can't afford to offend the King of Qi. If he won't let us in, I won't join in the fun," Ning Nan said with a shrug. "But I can afford to treat him to a few jars of good wine."

Everyone burst into laughter, saying they were actually hoping we wouldn't be allowed in.

The students called out as they went to the carriage shop at the front of the alley to rent horse-drawn carriages and head to Datong Street.

Ning Nan then packed his things, intending to go to the cloth shop outside the city and then return before the city gates closed.

Sujinge's cloth shop is located in a manor three miles south of the city, which is quite close.

Fabrics from Suzhou weaving workshops would gather here, and then some would go to shops in Nanjing, some would be transported by water to the north, some would be sold to places like Songjiang Prefecture, and some would go west along the Yangtze River to the two lakes, and so on.

The manager of the cloth shop was named Liu Xin. He was around fifty years old, but perhaps due to overwork, his hair was almost completely white and his face was covered in deep wrinkles.

Liu Xin stood nervously in front of Ning Nan, and a female worker served Ning Nan tea.

Ning Nan picked up the teacup, smiled, and said, "Steward Liu, please don't be so formal, please sit down."

Liu Xin lowered his head and said meekly, "Yes, Master."

In the morning.

Cui Cui's wife sent two accountants to the cloth shop to check the accounts.

One was named Tian Gui, and the other was Fang Hongcai.

Ning Nan knew both of them.

At that time, in Lijia Village, there were two people in the accounting office that Zhu Yuanwai sent to Lijia Village to serve him.

Tian Gui said that his wife invited him and Fang Hongcai from Master Zhu's place, and they were put in charge of the cloth shop's accounts.

Accountants have also been sent to the two weaving workshops in Suzhou.

It turned out that his wife had recruited this talent... Ning Nan smiled gratefully, shook their hands, and said thank you both.

Tian Gui and Fang Hongcai immediately relaxed. They had actually prepared themselves for this; for example, they had anticipated being scolded by their son-in-law, told not to interfere, etc. His Highness had directly assigned them to manage the cloth shop's accounts, and their son-in-law might feel that His Highness was behaving arrogantly. Before His Highness revealed his identity, it was unlikely any man could tolerate being dominated by his wife.

Unexpectedly, the son-in-law showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever and even inquired about their salaries. The two told him the truth, and Ning Nan immediately waved his hand and said he would give them an additional 30%!

The two men's eyes lit up, and they were initially delighted. Then they looked at each other and couldn't help but regret it... Anyway, His Highness dotes on his son-in-law so much... Why not say more... The two men thanked their employer repeatedly.

The rustling sound of pages turning filled the air. Ning Nan carefully examined the accounts that Tian Gui and the other man had compiled over the past six months.

The current bookkeeping method is the "Dragon Gate Account," invented by Shanxi merchants, which is close to the double-entry bookkeeping of later generations. He doesn't intend to make any innovations, so as not to confuse his subordinates.

After taking a quick look, he was quite satisfied. According to the figures in the ledger, the cloth shop was not losing money at all, and the profit for half a year was about 40,000 taels of silver!

This doesn't even include the three shops in the city and the two weaving workshops in Suzhou.

Ning Nan smiled and said, "You two have done a very good job with the accounts, very clear. According to Su Jin Ge's annual income, if the upstream... well, that is, the cotton supply is stable, then our cloth shop can earn about 100,000 taels of silver a year..."

Tian Gui and his companion exchanged a glance, slightly surprised. They had thought the son-in-law was just going through the motions; usually, those in power would just listen to the numbers and be done with it, not read through page after page like the son-in-law. And, to make matters worse, he actually understood it? That was truly astonishing.

The two were not ordinary accountants; they had some discernment.

The two men were even more surprised when their son-in-law casually mentioned the stable supply of cotton. They hadn't expected him to see through the cloth shop's secrets at a glance.

Cotton from upstream.

Ning Nan then smiled at Steward Liu and said, "Old Liu, you've worked hard too. I'll talk to my wife about it, and your salary will be increased by 30%."

Liu Xin immediately stood up in alarm and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much, sir!"

After giving him the raise, Ning Nan frowned again: "Old Liu, if I may say something, please don't take offense."

Liu Xin quickly bowed and said, "No, no, please speak frankly, sir."

"I've observed that over the past six months, the purchase price of cotton from the north has been relatively stable, but the distance is far, resulting in higher prices. Cotton purchased from Songjiang Prefecture in Jiangnan is relatively cheaper, which is why you significantly increased the proportion of cotton purchased from Songjiang Prefecture three months ago, even reaching 80%! You also signed numerous purchase contracts. Furthermore, as imperial merchants, we have many supply contracts and have received substantial deposits, resulting in considerable profits. However," Ning Nan asked doubtfully, "if there's a flood or insect infestation in Songjiang Prefecture, then our upstream cotton supply could be severely affected… Hmm… Isn't this a recurring pattern?"

Ning Nan frowned slightly; August was the cotton-picking season.

If there's a problem with the cotton in Songjiang Prefecture, and the Northern Dynasty can't procure it quickly, then the cloth merchants will face enormous risks.

As a royal merchant, with no shortage of orders, the most important thing is a stable supply of raw materials.

There should have been similar situations in the past, and appropriate risk control measures should have been taken. At the very least, the cotton should have been sourced from multiple locations, such as Suzhou Prefecture or Jiaxing Prefecture. But it seems that Sujinge has placed all its bets on Songjiang Prefecture.

Upon hearing Ning Nan's words, Liu Xin's mouth gaped open, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he took a step forward. But quickly, the light in his eyes dimmed, and an anxious look appeared on his wrinkled face. He hurriedly said, "Master, Master, you have such discerning eyes, such discerning eyes... Oh dear!..."

……

……

In a bright red carriage adorned with dragons and phoenixes, the imposing King Qi, accompanied by his advisor Mr. Dou, was heading to Datong Street to attend today's poetry gathering.

"Mr. Dou, does that mean we've really gotten rid of a mess?" King Qi said with a chuckle.

Dou Yuan tapped his white fan and laughed, "Twenty percent of the cotton-growing land in Songjiang Prefecture belongs to the Prince's Mansion, and the remaining thirty percent mostly belongs to the Qin family's officials. The heir of the Prince of Gui's Mansion also owns three thousand acres of land there... Purchasing cotton from Songjiang on a large scale is one way to curry favor with the court officials... It's just that I never expected..."

Dou Yuan shrugged and laughed, "This year, Jiangnan suffered a disaster, and cotton production has decreased by at least 30%, possibly even 50%. Songjiang Prefecture is the worst affected, followed by Suzhou Prefecture, and cotton prices have skyrocketed by at least 50%. The court is currently suppressing this news, but it won't be able to for much longer."

"...I had anticipated such a thing. Half a year ago, I contacted all the major merchant groups in Shanxi and Shandong and signed contracts. If there is a natural disaster in Jiangnan, cotton from the Northern Dynasty will be transported across the river at a fair price... However, I need to purchase cotton from them for the next five years. In addition, with the cotton under the control of my trading company in Suzhou Prefecture, the mission of becoming an imperial merchant can naturally be accomplished."

"But for now," Dou Yuan smiled knowingly, "Your Highness should just wait and see how Prince Xin... pleads with His Majesty on behalf of her husband... Perhaps..."

Dou Yuan's smile widened: "Whether it's Sujin Pavilion or anything else... after going through Prince Xin's hands, it's back in Your Highness's hands..."