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

In the Wang family villa where the Daliang delegation was temporarily staying, there was a secluded wing room in the backyard.

Outside the side room.

The two men, Erlai and Sanzhuang, stand guard on the left and right sides, respectively.

The Imperial Guards were stationed all around to prevent eavesdropping.

Several bright oil lamps were lit in the side room.

Master Ning, dressed in a moon-colored robe, sat at the head of the table.

Qian Sijin was standing behind him.

They were in front of the two of them.

The three people stood there, looking somewhat uneasy.

The two people on the left are quite plump, while the one on the right is rather thin and stands very stiffly.

Ning Nan smiled and looked at the two fat men, one old and one young, on his left, saying:

"Uncle Ruhai, Brother Feixiong, thank you both for your hard work."

Chen Ruhai, who was rather overweight and in his early fifties, quickly shook his head and chuckled:

"You flatter me, son-in-law. You're the one who's truly worked hard."

The portly owner, who was ordered to come north early to pave the trade route, had a kind smile and was wearing a melon-shaped hat.

In order to be able to travel in the Northern Dynasty, the other party and Chu Feixiong next to him even shaved their heads.

Sending the two north was, in part, to pave the way for a southward retreat.

On the other hand, Ning Nan glanced at the third person—this unfamiliar face with a slender build… who was naturally there to prepare for the future Northern Expedition.

The collapse of the Former Liang dynasty and the rise of the Eight Banners were aided by the wealthy merchants of the Former Liang.

Now, the opposite approach might not be impossible.

Ning Nan smiled and asked Qian Sijin to bring out stools for everyone to sit down.

Chu Pangzi's face had lost a lot of fat compared to before, making it look much firmer.

The fat man's voice was gentle, and his face showed much more confidence than it had a few months ago. He smiled and introduced the third person:

"Bai Xuan, this is Dong Ang, the head of the Chuzhou Chamber of Commerce."

Dong Ang had something on his face and deliberately lowered his voice. He stood up and bowed, saying, "Dong Ang greets the Grand Prince Consort of Liang."

Ning Nan quickly raised his hand and smiled, "Chairman Dong, please don't stand on ceremony, please sit down."

He pointed upwards, raised an eyebrow, and asked in a puzzled tone, "I've heard that this residence belongs to the esteemed Wang of your merchant guild..."

Dong Ang slowly sat down: "That's right. The residence where your delegation is staying was provided by Mr. Wang of the Chuzhou Chamber of Commerce."

"Chairman Dong, please convey my gratitude to Master Wang on my behalf."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency," Dong Ang said, his voice slightly excited. "This mansion is a place where the people of our former kingdom can reside. Wang Qiaosheng has certainly gained prestige in Chuzhou. I should thank Your Excellency on his behalf."

Ning Nan sighed, "What Chief Dong said truly moved me, yet also made me ashamed. Chuzhou has been a prosperous place for the Han people since ancient times. Back then, our founding emperor rose to power here, and six dukes were dispatched from Chuzhou five times! The unparalleled hegemony of the Northern Expedition against the Tartars was thus established..."

Upon hearing this, Dong Ang's face immediately turned slightly pale, and he inwardly groaned.

He had come here at great risk, and what he feared most was that the other party would use these words to belittle him for working for the Southern Dynasty... If you want Chuzhou to return to Liang, why don't you launch a northern expedition if you're so capable? Why make things difficult for a small merchant like me!

Fortunately, the other person interrupted them as soon as they started talking.

Ning Nan tried not to make it seem like he was deliberately stopping the conversation. After a pause, he smiled and said, "Let's keep business as it is. I won't lament about my lost country in front of Chairman Dong."

Dong Ang smiled apologetically and said, "We are both descendants of the Yellow Emperor, and Dong Ang will forever be grateful for the kindness of Emperor Taizu of Liang."

Ning Nan glanced at the other man's expression and got to the point: "Chief Dong, is your meeting with me today about that Du Kang Ruler?"

Dong Ang's spirits lifted, and he said, "That's right! Your dynasty has found the descendants of the woodcutter who encountered the immortal in the past, and the replica of the wondrous Du Kang Ruler is famous throughout the world. Now, in Jiangbei, Huaibei, and even Beijing, people say, 'Without the Du Kang Ruler, there is no wine,' but—"

Dong Ang smiled wryly: "This Chief Chen and this Brother Chu said that the Du Kang Ruler was made by the imperial court. Merchants may occasionally carry one or two across the river, but it is not permissible to sell them northwards. I, Dong, have risked my life to come see the Grand Prince Consort today, hoping to ask him for a reward..."

He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "I, Dong, am willing to offer a thousand taels of silver for each Du Kang foot from the Grand Prince Consort!"

"Yes." The prince consort on the other side nodded calmly.

"Huh???" Dong Ang was taken aback.

agreed?

So you agree?

Ning Nan tucked his hands into his sleeves and smiled, "Chairman Dong has taken a great risk to come and see me. Although he has no intention of serving my Great Liang, his courage is commendable, and I sincerely admire him."

Upon hearing the words "Though they have no intention of serving my Great Liang," Dong Ang blushed slightly.

But you absolutely cannot accept that.

Once he accepted the bribe, if the court found even the slightest clue, his entire family would be ruined. The person behind him was the prefect, and the prefect's person was the Governor-General of Jiangnan. They only had financial ties with the Southern Dynasty, so the higher-ups could cover for him, since the lion's share went to the officials.

"But Ning has one request."

Hearing this, Dong Ang felt a slight sense of relief.

Having requirements is fine; having no requirements is what's most worrying.

He quickly smiled and said, "Please speak freely, Your Highness."

Ning Nan said with some difficulty, "It's just that Chief Dong's Du Kang ruler... um... can only be sold in Chuzhou. If I find out that Chief Dong has sold the Du Kang ruler outside of Chuzhou, this business will be canceled."

"Grand Prince Consort..." Dong Ang was taken aback. "What does this mean?"

Can it only be sold in Chuzhou?

With Chuzhou so close to Jiangnan, how could there be any profit to be made?

This Dukang ruler naturally had to be sold in the north, and even by caravans to the Northeast and the Qinghai-Tibet region, in order to reap huge profits!

Ning Nan shrugged: "I can't do anything about it. Outside of Chuzhou, there's Pang in Yangzhou..."

He paused mid-sentence, pursed his lips, and said with a helpless look in his eyes, "In short, I have already handed over the sales of the areas outside of Chuzhou to other big merchants."

"Who?" Dong Ang asked alertly. He only heard the place name "Yangzhou" and the character "Pang".

Yangzhou?

Pang?

Pang Kai? Or Pang Daoyu?

Dong Ang guessed in his mind several wealthy people in Yangzhou.

Ning Nan didn't speak, she just looked at him calmly.

Dong Ang saw the other person's gaze and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly smiled and said:

"I misspoke, Your Highness, please forgive me."

Ning Nan smiled. He couldn't say who it was given to.

Dong Ang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, I don't know... I don't know how much they've offered?"

He had already bid a thousand taels, and yet someone else bid even more than him?

So many that the Grand Prince Consort of Liang would allow the other party to monopolize all the businesses in Jiangbei?

After a few breaths, Dong Ang gritted his teeth and said with a determined look in his eyes:

"Your Highness, no matter how much he offers, I...I am willing to add another hundred taels of silver to that amount!"

"Heh..." Ning Nan laughed, "Chief Dong is joking. He only has a hundred taels of silver per bundle, which is much less than Chief Dong's."

Dong Ang's eyes widened in surprise.

"One hundred taels?!" He suddenly felt like he had been ripped off. No wonder the other party agreed almost without hesitation when he offered "one thousand taels".

Ning Nan nodded and hummed in agreement: "One hundred taels."

"This, this..." Confusion filled Dong Ang's mind. After a long while, he finally said in a dry voice, "Your Highness... I don't know, I don't know why the other party only offered one hundred taels, yet Your Highness allowed them to monopolize the business in Jiangbei?"

If the other party's cost price is really only one hundred taels, then the other party only needs to sell each one for nine hundred taels, and the thousand he bought will have no profit to speak of.

Ning Nan said, "He's different."

Dong Ang was taken aback.

What do you mean? It's different? The other party clearly gave him much less money, so what's the difference?

Ning Nan said, "His heart is with Daliang."