The Treasure-Gathering Trading Company

Princess Jing'an and Princess Ningyuan were both dumbfounded.

Princess Jing'an said, "Wasn't it said that one of them would enter the palace and the other two would be concubines? Why has the imperial edict been changed again?"

Princess Ningyuan also frowned and said:

"And they even bestowed so many gifts upon us."

"This room is filled with gold, silver, and fine silks. How did this happen?"

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict was also quite dumbfounded; he had been startled when he saw the rewards listed in the edict that morning.

But since it was an imperial edict, he dared not ask any further questions.

They delivered the rewards directly according to the imperial edict.

The eunuch laughed and said, "Now that the imperial decree has been read, I'll go back and report."

Noble Consort Ning was drinking tea in the palace. She was in a great mood. The imperial edict should have arrived by now. She just didn't like Zhou Wanwan, and she hated the Eldest Princess even more.

In this way, their family won't get any benefit.

The Empress Dowager was just as happy as she was, and ate three bowls of rice early in the morning.

The eunuch returned to the palace and reported, "Your Majesty, the imperial decree has arrived, and everything you asked us to move has been moved."

Noble Consort Ning nodded in satisfaction and asked, "How did those families look?"

The eunuch thought for a moment and said, "Everyone is quite happy, and they even say that the Emperor is wise."

"What?" Noble Consort Ning's eyes widened in disbelief.

Their reaction surprised Noble Consort Ning. Princess Jianing, eating grapes, said, "These people seem quite opportunistic. They just want to become concubines, trying to climb the social ladder. How disgusting!"

Noble Consort Ning snorted coldly and said, "Once they marry into this family, they'll suffer the consequences. Just wait and see!"

Noble Consort Ning didn't care about any of that; she was only thinking about her grand ambitions.

She needs lots and lots of money, and lots and lots of power.

Princess Jianing said, "Mother, the Empress has been in the Cold Palace for so long, why don't you just kill her?"

Noble Consort Ning said calmly:

"Her? She's nothing to worry about. Life in the Cold Palace is tough, especially since she's already gone mad."

"What I want is not the position of empress."

Princess Jianing stared blankly at her and asked, "Then what do you want?"

Noble Consort Ning smiled slightly and said, "And you! Just be happy every day and live a good life with Xie Cheng'en."

Princess Jianing sneered, "I'm not going to live a good life with him! Xie Cheng'en is utterly useless, I don't like him at all."

Noble Consort Ning said helplessly, "He's just one man. If you don't like him, then keep a few more. There's bound to be one you like."

Princess Jianing stared blankly at Noble Consort Ning and asked, "Mother, is this feasible?"

Noble Consort Ning chuckled and said, "My daughter deserves the best. Not just a few, but any man you desire, I can provide."

Princess Jianing blushed and said, "I like Gu Sinian, Mother. I really think Gu Sinian is quite good."

Noble Consort Ning smiled and said, "Who is Gu Sinian? I've never heard of him before."

Princess Jianing said, "Anyway, he's quite capable, and I really like him, but he's also very aloof."

Noble Consort Ning said thoughtfully, "His aloofness is not a problem. As long as he has no one to rely on, he will willingly submit."

Princess Jianing's eyes lit up and she said:

"Your subject understands what you mean. It means that if he loses everything, he will have no one left to rely on but me."

That's a very simple matter. I heard he's from Dongshan Prefecture, and his family is very poor.

Noble Consort Ning frowned and said:

"Why is it Dongshan Prefecture again? I really dislike Dongshan Prefecture now."

Alright, I still have a large amount of supplies to transport out!

Noble Consort Ning's business now spans the entire country.

Money is the most terrifying thing; she could be said to be richer than a country.

The things stored in the national treasury are just a drop in the ocean.

Noble Consort Ning looked at her subordinates and said, "Are we facing a critical shortage of food, cotton, and medicinal herbs at the border?"

The subordinate beside her nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

Noble Consort Ning smiled faintly and said, "Then let all our shops at the border raise their prices. That way we can make a fortune."

The subordinate nodded and said, "I heard that medicinal herbs are in short supply over there right now."

Noble Consort Ning smiled and said, "Then let's make it ten times!"

The subordinate nodded and withdrew.

Soon, the prices of grain, cotton, medicinal herbs, and cloth all rose in some border cities.

The people complained bitterly:

"This is unbearable! Grain prices have tripled or quadrupled, and medicinal herb prices have increased more than tenfold. Do you know how much a ready-made garment would cost if I went to buy one?"

Two taels of silver for a simple, coarse cotton coat!

After leaving Yanmen Pass, prices in all the other cities had increased. Zhou Wanwan looked around and said, "These prices are not right! They've obviously increased many times over."

The Old Scholar Tree sighed and said, "This was all Noble Consort Ning's doing; she wanted to take this opportunity to make a fortune."

Zhou Wanwan's lips twitched as she said, "Ordinary people are already living like this, and they still want to make money?"

Qin Shan couldn't help but interject:

"Where do you think she got all those assassins, secret guards, and troops from?"

It's all the people's hard-earned money; she doesn't care about their lives.

They only care about their own interests.

The Old Ancestor said, "This Noble Consort Ning is no simple woman. It seems she doesn't want the Empress's position, but rather the Emperor's."

Zhou Wanwan never expected Consort Noble Consort Ning to be so audacious.

She snorted coldly and said:

"Whether she can become emperor or not depends on whether she has the ability. We will lower the prices of all our shops by 30%."

Shops near the border have reduced their prices by 50%.

The Old Ancestor nodded; they certainly had the means to do so.

Noble Consort Ning's goods were sold all over the country, but Zhou Wanwan's goods were no less successful.

Moreover, Noble Consort Ning doesn't have that many trees under her command, while Zhou Wanwan has countless trees.

All the shops in Yanmen Pass opened, and in just two days, the goods in the shops were piled up like mountains.

In particular, grains, all kinds of rice and flour, filled the warehouses.

Her shop relies solely on its low prices, high quality, and door-to-door delivery.

Gradually, more and more people and caravans gathered at Yanmen Pass.

Why did the Great Qi want to seize Yanmen Pass? Because Yanmen Pass was extremely important.

All caravans had to pass through Yanmen Pass.

The merchants arrived at Yanmen Pass and asked, "When did Yanmen Pass become like this?"

"Holy crap, is this still the Yanmen Pass I know? I remember it was dilapidated the last time I came here?"

"Yeah! It's like a dream."

Countless caravans poured in, creating a scene of bustling crowds and vibrant activity.

There were three inns and two restaurants on the street, and they were all fully booked.

The merchants were stunned when they saw the Treasure-Gathering Trading Company: "Treasure-Gathering Trading Company? We didn't expect there to be Treasure-Gathering Trading Company at the border! That's amazing!"

"I heard that Treasure-Gathering Trading Company now has branches in every city, making it super convenient to withdraw money."

"I've put all my money into Treasure-Gathering Trading Company, mainly because it's safe, and it also earns interest."