Thousand-Leaf Workshop

"It isn't expensive, but we'll have trouble coming up with three hundred thousand taels all at once," Tang Wen said.

"Of course it isn't expensive. Two years ago, it would have taken at least five hundred thousand taels to buy the Thousand-Leaf Workshop.

"The workshop is in a good location, close to Jingluo Street, one of Yanling's bustling districts.

"The owner's surname is Li-Li Dawang.

"Besides the Thousand-Leaf Workshop, he owns quite a few shops in Yanling," Bu Feng said with a nod.

"I imagine business isn't very good at the Li Family's shops either?" Tang Wen said.

"You really are sharp, Master. You hit the mark with one guess. That's right, the Li Family deals in tea and various little trinkets, and business really hasn't been very good.

"Mostly because other shops sell the same things. Competition is fierce, and the goods in the Li Family's shops have nothing distinctive about them.

"Recently, they've even started buying mirrors and perfume from Miss Li Chun'er at the Floating Fragrance House to resell.

"But those things are expensive to begin with. A mirror costs one tael of gold, and after passing through the Li Family's shops, it sells for two taels of gold.

"That's too expensive. Naturally, hardly anyone can afford them," Bu Feng said.

"Two taels? How does he dare raise the price that high?" Even Tang Wen was taken aback.

"Exactly. A full doubling of the price. Who would buy them?" Bu Feng nodded.

"No! You've got it wrong." Tang Wen shook his head.

"Wrong? What have I got wrong?" Bu Feng asked.

"Raising the price makes those things harder to sell, but I imagine he can still sell some. I'm thinking he probably has very little stock on hand. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare raise the price so high," Tang Wen said.

"Could Li Chun'er have raised the price behind our backs?" Bu Feng asked, startled.

"It's possible! For instance, if Li Dawang buys his stock from Li Chun'er at one tael and five mace of gold per mirror, he'd have no choice but to raise his price to two taels," Tang Wen said with a nod.

"That Li Chun'er has the gall of a dog that dares defy heaven! How dare she deceive you, my lord? Let's not give her the next shipment." Bu Feng immediately bristled with murderous intent.

"Of course, we still need to get to the bottom of this. How about this? I'm not busy these next couple of days, so let's set out for Yanling Commandery now and take a look at the Thousand-Leaf Workshop while we're there," Tang Wen said.

Qiao Xiao selected a few guards and personally accompanied Tang Wen to Yanling City.

After arriving in Yanling, Tang Wen sent Ge Ziyun and Bu Feng out to gather information.

Bu Feng was capable, but he could barely read and wasn't as adept at handling people as Ge Ziyun.

Tang Wen was considering stationing Ge Ziyun in Yanling. However, Ge Ziyun was needed to manage the accounts on Su Mei Island and couldn't leave for the time being.

That evening, Tang Wen took Qiao Xiao straight to the Floating Fragrance House.

When Li Chun'er saw Tang Wen arrive, she personally welcomed him into the rear courtyard, which was her own domain.

It was even a private little courtyard, though not a large one. Including the open space outside, it covered only about a hundred square meters.

"Not bad. Made a fortune, have you? Otherwise, why would the madam give you a private courtyard?" Tang Wen asked with a smile as he walked.

"She wouldn't dare refuse. Otherwise, I'd stop giving her a share of the profits," Li Chun'er said with a smug smile.

"Even the madam has to beg favors from you now. Haha, Li Chun'er, with a mind as nimble as yours, it's a shame you aren't in business." Tang Wen smiled teasingly.

"This is her territory, after all. If I make a little money, I have to give her some too.

"For instance, I need to use her people. Without them, it would be hard to get anything done.

"Of course, all this is thanks to you, Lord Tang. I can't thank you enough." Li Chun'er dipped in a curtsy.

"So you had no choice but to raise the prices? Selling mirrors for one tael and five mace, for instance?" Tang Wen's expression suddenly hardened as he looked at Li Chun'er.

"I didn't, my lord! How would I dare disregard your instructions? You'd skin me alive!" Li Chun'er's face turned deathly pale, and she dropped to her knees.

"You didn't? I heard that Li Dawang of the Thousand-Leaf Workshop raised the price of the mirrors to two taels of gold each. That might earn a little more, but in the long run, it does more harm than good. If you ruin my business, do you understand the guilt you'll bear?" Tang Wen asked, staring coldly at Li Chun'er.

"I really didn't, my lord. Now that you've mentioned it, I understand what happened.

"Li Dawang didn't buy his goods from me. He bought them from some of my sisters.

"My sisters saw that mirrors and lipstick could make money, so they all bought stock from me.

"When they resold it, a mirror cost one tael and two mace.

"And the goods Li Dawang bought might have passed through another two or three hands, so the price kept climbing.

"Even so, everything you gave me has sold out. I was just about to send someone to Su Mei Island to ask you to come settle the accounts," Li Chun'er said.

"Sold out so quickly? There was quite a lot in the second shipment. Could Yanling City really absorb that many goods?" Tang Wen didn't believe it at all.

"It wasn't Yanling City. A while ago, I ran into an old client, Shen Xihe. He has quite a reputation in the provincial capital, Jiangzhou, and owns around a hundred shops dealing in antiques, jade, and the like.

"Whenever he comes to Yanling, he books me for the night. He noticed the mirror, lipstick, and perfume in my room and immediately became curious.

"Later, he took a small batch back to the provincial capital, and it was snapped up in just a few days.

"So he hurried back to Yanling. Just a few days ago, he came and bought every last item I had.

"That's why there's no stock left in Yanling City," Li Chun'er said. She opened a cabinet and took out the accounts and gold. "This shipment sold for a total of seven hundred and eighty-five taels of gold. Please check it, my lord."

"Hmm. I'll have to look into your account of things. If you dare deceive me, you won't get the next shipment." Tang Wen nodded and gave her the banknotes for her commission, which amounted to over a thousand taels of silver.

"My lord, you're my benefactor. I've earned quite a lot too. How could I dare deceive you? If even half a word I've said is false, may my entire family die and my line end with me!" In her desperation, Li Chun'er knelt and began swearing an oath.

Recently, she had earned more than a thousand taels of silver through Tang Wen, more than she made entertaining clients.

After all, these were famine years. Li Chun'er charged fifteen or sixteen taels for a night, so naturally she had fewer clients. What she earned from them was less than her commission from Tang Wen.

Thus, in Li Chun'er's eyes, Tang Wen was a god of wealth.

If he refused to give her the next shipment, the duck already at her lips would fly away. Having tasted the sweetness of profit, Li Chun'er was naturally terrified.

"Very well. Once I've investigated, I'll decide whether to keep supplying you." Tang Wen nodded and stood.

"My lord, I'm unclean and wouldn't dare attend to you. Take care as you go. But please do look into it as soon as possible," Li Chun'er said.

The next morning, Tang Wen took Qiao Xiao to the Thousand-Leaf Workshop, accompanied by Bu Feng. Wu Nong, the Li Family's second steward, received them.

Qiao Xiao suddenly frowned, but said nothing.

Tang Wen found that the Thousand-Leaf Workshop was indeed large. Besides the dilapidated work sheds, there was even a residential compound covering three mu.

The buildings were two stories high, built of brick and timber, but were quite run-down.

Beside them stood rows of shabby single-story rooms, their floors covered in thick layers of rice straw.

Some tattered bamboo mats lay on the straw. These were probably the workers' quarters, and there were no fewer than three hundred rooms.

"Steward Wu, you used to have quite a few laborers working here, didn't you?" Tang Wen asked.

"Of course. We didn't just weave and dye cloth here. We had other workshops too, weaving straw mats and bamboo mats, for instance.

"We even had workshops for smelting iron and making ironware. At our busiest, we had over eight hundred craftsmen and workers, and could produce many bolts of cloth in a single day.

"The Thousand-Leaf Workshop's cloth wasn't just used in this province. It was sold in the neighboring province too," Wu Nong replied.

"Where are those workers now?" Something stirred in Tang Wen's mind as he asked.

"We stopped work more than ten days ago. Once the cloth and everything else had been cleared out, they all dispersed," Wu Nong said.

"Dispersed? I heard your employer still owes them quite a lot in wages. Have they given up on collecting them?" Tang Wen asked.

"Of course they haven't. It's just that our employer has no money at the moment.

"So he's urgently waiting to sell the workshop to pay them.

"But the sum involved is rather large, so it's difficult to find a buyer right away.

"Otherwise, he would never sell it for just three hundred thousand taels," Wu Nong said.

"Haha, I heard those craftsmen even made trouble and surrounded your employer's residence. In the end, he had to give each of them a dou of rice to settle things down," Ge Ziyun said with a smile.

"That was all Tang Jun's doing! That troublemaking wretch nearly enraged our employer to death. But he's been thrown in jail now. It really warms the heart," Wu Nong cursed.

"How much silver do you owe the workers?" Tang Wen asked.

"A few tens of thousands of taels," Wu Nong said.

"How many workers are left now?" Tang Wen asked.

"A little over five hundred," Wu Nong replied.

"How about this? I'd like to meet your employer tomorrow for a detailed discussion," Tang Wen said.

"Very well. I'll go back and report to him." Wu Nong nodded.

After they came out, Qiao Xiao drew closer and lowered his voice. "Master, something seems wrong."

"What's wrong?" Tang Wen asked.