"It's fake, that old man is definitely trying to trick us..."
Zhang Heng refused to believe the absurd truth, because the truth was too cruel, too cruel for the entire Marquis Estate to bear.
Zhang Wanning, as if grasping at a lifeline, quickly echoed:
"Yes, Xiao Heng is right."
The shopkeeper's eyes darted around; he was clearly dishonest.
"If we go to other places, surely we can't find a single business owner in this vast Capital City who is genuinely interested in doing business?"
Qin Xuehua's face was frighteningly pale, her lips were pressed tightly together, and her nails were almost digging into her palms.
She knew in her heart that Shopkeeper Hu's last words were most likely true.
But as the mistress of the Marquis Estate, and someone who had always enjoyed and tacitly approved of such low prices, she now had to grasp at this last straw.
She nodded heavily, her voice hoarse. "Let's go to Xingshenglong. Shopkeeper Zhao has some old ties with my Qin Household. Let's see if he dares to fool us like this."
Jiang Luohan followed silently to the side, without saying a word, but the cold premonition in her heart grew clearer and clearer.
She looked at Zhang Heng's blustering yet cowardly rage, at Zhang Wanning's feigned composure and agreement, and at Qin Xuehua's wavering persistence, and felt nothing but utter irony.
The group then visited Xingshenglong, a larger and more reputable merchant.
This time, Zhang Heng skipped all the formalities and went straight to the door, stating the ridiculously low purchase price recorded in the Marquis Estate's Freight Station ledger, demanding a long-term, large-volume supply at that price.
Shopkeeper Zhao, a chubby, always smiling old man behind the counter, froze for a moment upon hearing this.
He carefully examined Zhang Heng and his companions, and after confirming their identities, his smile became somewhat subtle, carrying an undisguised surprise and... a hint of pity.
"Heir Apparent Master..."
Shopkeeper Zhao carefully chose his words, but the meaning behind his words was even colder:
"The price you mentioned... Hehe, I've been doing business in the Capital City for forty years, dealing in everything from silk in the south to furs in the north, and I also know a little about medicinal herbs."
Your price... even twenty years ago, when the weather was good and trade was smooth, it wouldn't be enough after deducting all costs, let alone the current market price."
He paused, looking at Zhang Heng's face which flushed instantly, and added tactfully but firmly:
"Heir Apparent Master, you seem to have been... fooled by the person who handled things in the manor before?"
At this price, you couldn't even find it by buying it directly from the source, let alone purchasing it from elsewhere.
If we sell the goods at your price, not only will my small shop go bankrupt, but even the Imperial Merchant would be ruined.
This couldn't be clearer, and it even carried a hint of the helplessness of an elder pointing out to an ignorant junior.
Zhang Heng was struck dumb, standing there in a daze.
Zhang Wanning was trembling as she held Qin Xuehua's arm.
Qin Xuehua closed her eyes, her last shred of hope utterly crushed.
They visited several more places, big and small, familiar and unfamiliar... and received largely the same responses.
At first, there was surprise and doubt, then a polite refusal.
In the end, several of the more straightforward shopkeepers didn't even bother with polite formalities, simply waving the customers away, their eyes clearly saying, "Where did this spoiled brat come from? If you don't understand the market, don't cause trouble."
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the group on the cobblestone street, making them look particularly desolate and disheveled.
The distraught group finally accepted this cruel reality.
Without Zhang Yu, they would never again be able to obtain such incredibly cheap goods that defy market principles.
Zhang Heng, who had just been making grand pronouncements about how to make the Freight Station great, now looked as if his spine had been removed, his face ashen and his eyes vacant.
His ambitions were cut short by his untimely death; he hadn't even had a chance to put his skills to use before reality struck him down at the starting line.
This was not just a failure, but a complete denial of his abilities and understanding, which was even harder for him to bear than a direct slap in the face.
Everyone felt as if a weight was pressing down on their hearts.
They were silently calculating:
If goods are purchased at the true market price, even at a price as reasonable as Hundred Herbs Pavilion's, the profit of the Freight Station will shrink by 80% or even more than 90%.
This is no longer a question of how much money we make, but rather whether we can continue operating and whether we will incur losses.
The Alchemy Room has collapsed, reduced to ashes and left behind enormous debts.
Now, the profits of this second largest economic pillar, the Freight Station, are also about to plummet, and may even become a burden.
This was like adding insult to injury for the Marquis's Marquis Estate, which had already been depleted of its wealth; it was practically a harbinger of utter destruction.
At the same time, a question that chilled them to the bone began to surface uncontrollably in everyone's minds.
Zhang Yu... how did he manage to do what they considered an ordinary, seemingly useless First-Rank Martial Artist?
Where did he get such extensive connections and skills to conjure up goods at half the market cost price out of thin air?
At that moment, they suddenly remembered Zhang Yu's words: the entire Marquis's Marquis Estate was supported by Zhang Yu.
When Zhang Heng, Zhang Wanning, and others heard this, they found it laughable, believing that Zhang Yu was arrogant and mistook the platform for his own ability.
But now it seems that this statement is absolutely true; Zhang Yu is indeed supporting the entire Marquis Estate.
Zhang Yu has only been gone for five days, and the Marquis Estate is already on the verge of collapse.
Jiang Luohan's shock and regret reached their peak as she once again clearly recognized Zhang Yu's hidden power and skill.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness I found out early, thank goodness he still has feelings for me."
If I can salvage the situation, if the engagement can be reinstated, perhaps all of this... can still be salvaged.
He is still mine; his energy, his secrets, will ultimately be mine.
She told herself this, as if grasping at a thorny piece of driftwood in despair.
This regret spread like a plague in their hearts.
Zhang Wanning, who had always been quiet and reserved, looked at her mother's pale face and her Brother's dejected appearance, and finally couldn't hold back anymore. She whispered with a sob in her voice:
"If only I hadn't let my Eldest Brother take the blame."
If he were still alive, the Alchemy Workshop wouldn't have collapsed, the Freight Station would still have a smooth supply of goods, and the Marquis Estate would still be the same prestigious Marquis Estate.
Normally, these words would have drawn a stern rebuke from Qin Xuehua and a furious outburst from Zhang Heng.
At this moment, Qin Xuehua only swayed slightly and moved her lips a few times, but did not utter a word in rebuttal.
That silence was more like a powerless acquiescence.
Because she also regretted it, regretted letting Zhang Yu take the blame.
Zhang Heng naturally sensed the barely concealed resentment and regret in his mother and sister's words, their regret for driving Zhang Yu away.
This made him feel more embarrassed and angry than any direct accusation.
All the frustration, fear, and helplessness instantly transformed into a deeper and more venomous hatred for Zhang Yu, gnawing at his heart like a poisonous snake.
"It's all Zhang Yu, it's all that bastard's fault."
He roared inwardly, "He deliberately concealed it, he schemed meticulously, he put the Marquis Estate's mansion in such a precarious position. Without him, I can still make the Marquis Estate's Freight Station thrive!"
Zhang Heng's face was contorted with malice, his heart filled with malice. He refused to be outdone by Zhang Yu, a piece of trash.
"Someone, gather all the experts from the Marquis Estate. I need to go and talk to the suppliers at the Freight Station."
He had Qi Deviation, for there was no turning back.
The Alchemy Workshop is closed. If the Freight Station also shuts down, the Marquis Estate's economy will collapse completely, a consequence he cannot afford.
Zhang Heng's tone was grim. "The price we pay to the Marquis Estate's residence isn't something he can just raise as he pleases. Whatever price we pay Zhang Yu, he has to pay me the same price."