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

Unfriendly, blaming, disdainful... all sorts of gazes were cast at him. Qi Yuejin's boss stood up, smiled wryly, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Fellow practitioners, we at July Brocade are truly at our wits' end. The old cotton is already selling for ninety coins, and that's last year's stock. Such a high price, yet they're still hoarding it and refusing to sell. If we don't quickly secure this year's new cotton, I'm afraid we at July Brocade will be completely unable to deliver our goods by the end of this year and the beginning of next year."

"Do you think you can make a profit on goods worth 103 coins?" someone said sinisterly. "The cotton hasn't even been harvested yet, and the merchants haven't even shipped the goods, and it's already grown like this. What if the price of cotton drops after it's harvested and shipped over?"

"I'm begging for a living... Manager Xu," the owner of July Brocade said with a bitter face and a bowed back, "It's not about making money now, it's about begging for a living... I'm begging Brother Meng, and all my colleagues in Suzhou, Songjiang and Jiaxing," he bowed to the many cotton merchants in the room, "...can you give us cloth merchants a way to survive?" The old man, who was nearly sixty years old, spoke with a weak voice and a hint of pleading.

"Gentlemen, prices really can't keep rising like this!" he said with a heavy heart, bowing deeply.

Too fast...

It's rising too fast.

In the past, when disasters occurred, negotiations would often take at least a month or two, waiting for the cotton to be harvested slowly. As news of the disaster was confirmed, the patience of both sides would gradually run out in the tension. Only after a number of orders, large and small, were signed would prices rise.

But this time, there was no such process.

Cotton prices seemed to have skyrocketed overnight.

The cotton merchants looked somewhat embarrassed, but a hint of joy and mockery crept into their expressions.

As a representative of the cotton merchants, Meng Shichen stood up, bowed to the heads of various cloth shops, and gave a wry smile.

Fellow countrymen, we are also helpless. We do not want to hoard cotton and have been selling it. But strangely, it is not only cloth shops that are buying it now, but also big merchants from other guilds who visit us to ask about cotton.

Many people placed orders, and Shi Chen naturally asked, "You don't own a cloth shop, so what will you do when the cotton is delivered?" But they were wealthy and generous, saying that Chen's company didn't buy cotton, so they would wait until the cotton price increased twelvefold before selling it to them.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yangxuan's face turned ashen, and he couldn't help but snort.

Meng Shichen's face paled, and he quickly bowed and apologized, saying that Elder Chen was very understanding and that the rapid rise in cotton prices was detrimental to both the country and its people.

As the head of the cloth merchants' association, Mr. Chen suppressed cotton prices, and we cotton merchants supported him.

Moreover, those big merchants didn't buy much, only tens of thousands of kilograms, which is insignificant. Mr. Chen and his colleagues can rest assured.

That's what they say.

But in the way the cotton merchants looked at the cloth merchants, there was a hint of smugness that was hard to hide... Ha, let's see if you won't buy.

Chen Yangxuan said, "Gentlemen, cotton merchants and cloth merchants are inextricably linked, sharing weal and woe, and their fates are intertwined. If cotton prices really skyrocket, we cloth merchants won't be able to afford it. Even if your cotton is transported here, it will probably just rot in the warehouse."

"Yes, yes, yes, what Old Chen said makes sense, makes sense." They were all tough guys, no one refuted him, and Meng Shichen's expression was particularly solemn. They all nodded in agreement, saying that what Old Chen said was right.

Chen Yangxuan glanced around at everyone, sighed inwardly, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Dou Yuan, saying, "I am but a humble person with little influence. Please, Mr. Dou, preside over this matter."

Everyone stood up and clasped their hands in greeting, saying that Elder Chen was too kind.

Dou Yuan stood up with a smile, said to Chen Yangxuan, "Old Chen, you're too kind. Please don't be angry." Chen Yangxuan remained silent and sat back down.

Dou Yuan gestured to the crowd with his hand and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, I believe that we should deal with the important matters first before discussing anything else." He gestured for everyone to sit down.

Everyone nodded in unison, looked around, and slowly sat down, saying that Mr. Dou was absolutely right and that they should talk about business first.

Dou Yuan said slowly, "I presume—you all already know about this matter. Yesterday,..."

He raised his voice slightly and said...

"The people from Sujin Pavilion spread the word among the five major flower shops that their master... well... Leng Leng Qing... plans to sell the millions of catties of cotton he previously bought at one hundred coins per catty."

Dou Yuan picked up a newspaper, unfolded it, and said, "The location is in Baiyufang, not far from Xianyue Pavilion. It's a newly opened flower shop, a flower shop that Leng Lengqing opened himself. He even wrote in yesterday's mundane newspaper that he sincerely invited those who were interested to come today."

"Of course," Dou Yuan smiled, cupped his hands to Chen Yangxuan and the owners of the cloth shops, and said, "Since you colleagues from the cloth shops are here today, it means that we are still in this together and have not gone to keep this cold and deserted appointment."

The cloth merchants bowed and said, "Mr. Dou is too kind. Since Mr. Dou has invited us and we have agreed to stand together, we would never do such an unrighteous thing..." Only the owner of July Brocade looked embarrassed.

The quiet cotton market is the best news the cloth merchants have heard in recent days.

Although I was extremely reluctant to admit it, seven days ago, Leng Lengqing made a bold move by directly paying five times the price, which was indeed a stroke of genius.

At the time, they all thought the other had lost his mind, but just a few days later, both cotton and cloth merchants felt complicated emotions and even a chill down their spines at the man's boldness that night.

No one really knew whether the other party had already calculated that cotton prices would rise so quickly this year, or whether it was precisely because of his intervention that cotton prices rose so uncontrollably.

Whether it was the former or the latter, everyone felt a chilling terror in their hearts, a chill that even seeped into their bones.

You can only secretly believe in your heart that the other party did it unintentionally and that it was not a setup.

He was just too worried about not being able to complete the imperial merchant mission, so he desperately tried to solve the mission by paying five times the price.

As for the other party buying up cotton from Suzhou Prefecture, Old Man Liu mentioned this yesterday.

It is said that his employer believed rumors that there would be a war this winter and that the imperial court would impose heavy quotas on imperial merchants, which is why his employer went on a large-scale purchase of cotton from Suzhou Prefecture.

Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a rumor, and the pressure on the employer suddenly increased. They thought they could sell off this part of the order while the cotton price was good.

Yes.

That must be it.

It wasn't something that was planned perfectly from the start... Everyone tried their best to think this way, and the chill that rose from the depths of their hearts gradually dissipated.

"Gentlemen,"

Dou Yuan's voice was deep and powerful as he slowly spoke:

"As you all can probably see, this Leng Leng Qing Qing has ulterior motives. Now that cotton prices have reached this level, he's come out to sell cotton, clearly trying to cheat our Jiangnan Cloth Shop. He bought cotton for 100 coins, but he won't sell it to us for 120 or even 150 coins. He must be unable to swallow this insult."

The cloth merchants all nodded in agreement.

Suppressing the chill in his heart, he calmed down and thought about it, and realized that this was indeed the reason why they did not keep the appointment.

The other party had too much cotton; apart from selling it to large cloth merchants like them, no one else could buy his goods.

In July, Jin could buy 30,000 catties of goods for 103 coins, but he certainly wouldn't dare to buy 100,000 catties at once.

What if cotton prices fall?

The reason I bought 30,000 jin was simply to give myself peace of mind and to prepare for any eventuality.

This time, as long as everyone unites and negotiates a price, they can make a hefty profit off the company.

At the same time, with several million kilograms of cotton as a base, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and put downward pressure on the prices of other cotton merchants.

Chen Yangxuan stood up again and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, don't say I didn't warn you. Leng Lengqing has created a huge hole this time."

"He has five million catties of cotton and a debt of five hundred thousand taels of silver!"

"Apart from the two million jin he needed, there were still three million jin left."

"Whether he's testing us or genuinely trying to sell some of his cotton orders to reduce his debts, we absolutely cannot let him succeed. We must drive the price of his cotton down to below one hundred coins, making him lose money!"

When buying cotton, cotton merchants can hoard their stock.

If cotton is sold, cloth merchants can naturally choose not to buy it.

This is what we call a game.

Regardless of who holds the cotton, it will ultimately be sold to these cloth merchants.

If they stick together and completely crush Leng Lengqing's arrogant attitude this time, forcing him to sell at a loss, even if it's only 90 or 95 coins, a small loss will prevent him from getting carried away and hoarding these orders to raise prices later.

Once the three million catties of cotton that had been sitting quietly in their hands were sold, these cotton merchants present would become restless. The purpose of inviting them here was to give them a warning.

Chen Yangxuan explained the consequences, then said sternly, "Let me make this clear: anyone who ignores this warning and tries to talk to Leng Lengqing privately will be punished severely, even if it means my own death, and I will make sure they suffer a bloody defeat in Nanjing!"

Everyone turned pale, their hearts skipped a beat, and none of them dared to utter a word of assurance.

At this moment, Manager Jiang, one of Dou Yuan's subordinates, knocked on the door and said that he had returned from Baiyufang.

Dou Yuan nodded and asked, "So? Is Ning Baixuan really selling cotton?"

Jiang Heng stood with his hands hanging down, his eyes filled with complex emotions, his mind a jumbled mess.

He came back from there in a daze.

Even after more than a decade in business, and having handled countless thorny issues for his exceptionally talented master, what happened today far exceeded his expectations, and could even be said to be beyond his comprehension.

Even now, he remains in a bizarre state where he cannot describe the situation there.

"It's for sale." Jiang Heng said, his face pale and his voice hoarse.

Upon hearing this, the cloth merchants breathed a slight sigh of relief. They had thought the quiet atmosphere was just a test, and that no one was actually selling cotton. It was good that they were.

The cotton merchants felt a slight unease.

The moment the sparsely stocked cotton enters the market, cotton prices will likely plummet. The crowd's expressions were complex, a slight regret creeping into their hearts… five times the price was actually quite good… they were supposed to sell yesterday. If the other party's cotton is sold at a lower price, they'll probably have to sell some as insurance too.

"Good," Chen Yangxuan said with a gentle and confident smile, "It's good that he's selling. Manager Jiang, how many does he plan to sell?"

Even if the other party only sells 50,000 catties to test the waters, as long as the price is driven down to below 100 wen, it can still deter cotton merchants.

"Three million catties," Jiang Heng said in a dry voice.

Um? ? ? ? ?

The atmosphere in the room froze for a moment.

"Three million catties?" After a few breaths, an impatient merchant exclaimed, his voice filled with shock, "He's planning to sell it all?!"

Dou Yuan and Chen Yangxuan's pupils also contracted. Sold it all? Just like that, they sold it all?

Aren't you afraid the price will collapse?

How can this possibly sell for over a hundred coins?

Wouldn't we lose money if we didn't sell it for more than 100 coins?

"Yeah," Jiang Heng said numbly, "he sold them all."

Dou Yuan frowned: "Old Jiang, what price did he ask for?"

Everyone's attention immediately focused on the manager who looked somewhat mentally unstable.

"Sixty coins," Jiang Heng said, his face contorted with complex emotions and pain.

"Sixty coins?!" This time, many cloth and cotton merchants stood up and slammed their fists on the table.

The cloth merchant looked excited.

The cotton merchants looked astonished.

Sixty coins?

Didn't he suffer a huge loss?!

Dou Yuan also frowned.

When buying, I bought five times the amount at once to ensure I could get the goods.

When selling, was it a one-time discount, meant to sell everything at once?

But why is that?

In the back and forth, a loss of 40% was incurred!

After a few breaths of silence, not only the cloth merchants but even the cotton merchants began to stir, wanting to go to Baiyufang immediately to snap up a share.

"Old Jiang," Dou Yuan's pupils constricted sharply, and his voice rose, "what percentage of the deposit does he want?!"

The voice was urgent and forceful, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

Deposit?

What percentage of the deposit is required?

If a customer places a 10% deposit with another cotton merchant, what about other customers buying from him?!

A flash of insight seemed to strike Chen Yangxuan's mind, as if something was emerging from a fog. He took a few steps forward and hurriedly asked, "Yes, yes, that's right. Manager Jiang, what percentage of the deposit does he want?"

Jiang Heng's face showed an extremely complex expression: "He wants to pay the full amount on the spot..."

Dou Yuan's expression froze.

The room fell silent instantly.

The previously restless atmosphere of anticipation, fueled by the lukewarm sales of cotton at sixty coins per pound, vanished instantly.

"What?"

"Full amount? Sixty coins?"

"The cotton is still in the field! And he dares to ask for the full amount?!"

"You've blinded him!"

"He's selling all three million catties... and he's planning to get 180,000 taels of silver right now?! Liquid silver?"

At this moment, both cloth merchants and cotton merchants felt a tremendous sense of absurdity and unreality.

Everyone in the room felt a chill run through them.

It's unbelievable where this person got the audacity to say such a thing!

Chen Yangxuan sneered, "Eighteen thousand taels of silver, and he hasn't even seen a single piece of the goods, yet he wants all the money? What is he doing? Is he genuinely trying to sell?! Or is he trying to play us for fools?!"

Chen Yangxuan waved his sleeve.

"Even if we combine the accounts of all these cloth shops in the market," the old man said angrily, his eyebrows raised, "they might not even have 180,000 taels of silver in hand. Who does he plan to sell to? Who can give him 180,000 taels of silver right now?!"

"Let's go!" Someone, eyes bloodshot, slammed their hand on the table and roared, "We're going to Baiyufang to see for ourselves why they're playing us like this!!"

In an instant, the crowd was filled with excitement.

Dou Yuan's expression also hardened.

But just as everyone was preparing to set off...

"Gentlemen,"

Jiang Heng raised his hand to stop the crowd.

"No need to go."

The middle-aged manager said with a look of despair,

"It's deserted... He's sold out completely."

……

……

"Eighteen thousand taels! Eighteen thousand taels! A full eighteen thousand taels!"

"Cash!"

"Cash!"

Shangguan Xiu was so excited that he kept spinning around.

boom!

He slammed his hand on the table, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Ning Nandao.

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

Why...?

He held up a small receipt in his hand and exclaimed excitedly, "Why, why are they willing to pay cash for cotton that you don't even have, even though you've divided it into a thousand receipts like this!"

"call……"

Ning Nan sighed with a complicated expression.

"Xiuxiu Qianhu... If I weren't afraid of bloodshed in Nanjing, I would have split it into 10,000 pieces and sold them."