Some might wonder whether Song Ankang would lose money by doing this, or at least sacrifice a great deal of profit—even draw the displeasure of certain Tang Family higher-ups.
Song Ankang could say with certainty that this basically would not happen, because several years ago, before Tang Quanli took charge of White Jade Mulberry Forest, the wages there had been at this level.
Back then, White Jade Mulberry Forest had ranked among the top three major mulberry forests in the Xia Kingdom. Business had flourished, outstanding weavers had emerged in an endless stream, and its daily profits had far exceeded those of today.
Ample wages had allowed White Jade Mulberry Forest to easily recruit excellent weavers from all over the country, and these excellent weavers had in turn produced high-quality White Jade Silkworm Silk, White Jade Brocade, and White Jade Clothing.
This was one of a kind in the Xia Kingdom—a monopoly in White Jade silk weaving. With such exceptional quality, countless nobles, dignitaries, and wealthy magnates had flocked to it like ducks to water. White Jade Brocade and White Jade Clothing had thus become famous throughout the Xia Kingdom, one of the signature brands of the Imperial Merchant Tang Family.
But after Tang Quanli took over White Jade Mulberry Forest, he had halved the wages of all hands, weavers, and others soon after taking office. Many outstanding weavers had promptly left White Jade Mulberry Forest, forcing Tang Quanli to recruit less capable weavers to fill the gaps.
Yet producing White Jade Silkworm Silk, White Jade Brocade, and White Jade Clothing demanded extremely high skill from weavers. It was not like ordinary silk, where merely passable craftsmanship would do. This move had therefore caused the quality of White Jade Brocade to decline year after year, until it gradually lost its