Soap Demand.

The following month, word spread fast about Shen Yuan's soap. Its quality, the way it lathered smoothly and left skin feeling clean and refreshed, had made it a coveted luxury among the merchants and nobles who had the chance to use it. With both the Ji family and Li family caravans having sampled the first batch, demand was already high.

But the soap was limited.

In the bustling streets of the capital, Li Cang paced back and forth inside his well-decorated home, his expression a mix of frustration and amusement. He had been eagerly awaiting the next shipment of soap from Shen Yuan, but now he had a new problem on his hands—his friends.

One of those friends, Gu Junli, Marshal of the Empire, and a man not easily impressed, had come storming into his estate just yesterday, all because of the soap. It had all started innocently enough when Li Cang gifted five bars to his close circle, including Gu Junli and the Second Prince.

Now, things were getting out of hand.

Li Cang sighed, rubbing his temples as he thought back to that fateful evening.

--

A few days earlier, Li Cang had been relaxing in his study when his best friend, Gu Junli, barged in without so much as a knock. His heavy boots thudded against the wooden floors, and Li Cang looked up in mild annoyance.

"Gu Junli, do you ever think about knocking?" Li Cang asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow as the tall, imposing figure of the Marshal strode into the room.

Gu Junli, dressed in his usual military garb, shrugged. His sharp, dark eyes glanced around the room, but there was a peculiar glint in them that Li Cang had never seen before.

"No time for pleasantries, Cang. I need more of that soap," Gu Junli said bluntly, folding his arms across his broad chest.

Li Cang blinked, confused for a moment. "Soap? You mean the bars I gave you last week? What's so urgent about soap?"

Gu Junli narrowed his eyes. "Urgent? That soap is a treasure. It works like magic—my skin has never felt better. The soldiers in my barracks are already asking me where they can get some. And don't even get me started on the Second Prince; he's practically demanding more."

Li Cang stifled a laugh. The idea of the stoic, battle-hardened Marshal fussing over soap was too absurd. "Junli, it's just soap. You're making it sound like I handed you a weapon."

"It might as well be," Gu Junli replied, his voice firm. "Do you have more or not?"

Li Cang sighed, shaking his head. "Not at the moment. I've got an order coming next month, but we're limited."

"Limited?" Gu Junli frowned. "You're telling me I can't get more until next month?"

"That's right," Li Cang replied, smiling a little. "You'll just have to wait like everyone else."

Gu Junli didn't look pleased with that answer. Without warning, he walked over to the small wooden chest where Li Cang kept his remaining soap and threw it open. Inside were about 20 bars, neatly wrapped and stored away for Li Cang's personal use.

"What are you doing?" Li Cang demanded, rushing over as Gu Junli started stuffing the bars into a satchel. "Those are mine!"

"Consider it a loan," Gu Junli said calmly, tucking the last of the soap into the bag. "I'll pay you back when I get my own supply next month."

"Loan? You mean robbery!" Li Cang protested, watching helplessly as Gu Junli made his way toward the door. "That's all I have left!"

Gu Junli glanced back, a faint smirk on his lips. "You'll survive, Cang. I'll make sure you get your next shipment first."

"That's not the point!" Li Cang shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "At least leave me some!"

But it was too late. Gu Junli had already left, the door closing behind him with a soft thud. Li Cang stood there for a moment, incredulous at what had just happened. Marshal Gu, the man who could conquer cities, had just stormed into his house and stolen his soap.

Li Cang sighed heavily. He couldn't really be mad; Gu Junli was his oldest friend, and he knew the Marshal would pay him back. But now he had a new problem: he was out of soap until Shen Yuan's next shipment.

After being cleansed by soap, he will feel dirty if he use those previous weeds...

The next day, Li Cang sat in his study, staring down at his empty soap chest, when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter," he called, not looking up from his papers.

A young servant hurried in, bowing respectfully before speaking. "Master Li, there's a letter for you."

Li Cang raised an eyebrow and took the sealed letter from the servant's hands. Breaking the seal, he unfolded the paper and quickly read through its contents.

His face paled.

"The Second Prince… wants more soap…"

The letter was short but to the point. The Second Prince, notorious for his high standards and love for luxury, had tried the soap that Li Cang had gifted him and was now demanding more. Li Cang knew better than to refuse the Prince, but he had no more to give. Not until next month.

"Damn you, Gu Junli," Li Cang muttered under his breath. "Why did you have to take everything?"

The Second Prince had been given five bars, just like Gu Junli, but now the demand was growing exponentially. Even the Marshal had taken an interest. It wasn't just a luxury anymore—it was a commodity everyone wanted.

Li Cang set the letter down and groaned. "I should have saved more for myself."

He didn't have a choice now. He'd have to wait until Shen Yuan could produce the next batch. There was no way around it.

--

Meanwhile, in the camp outside the capital, Shen Yuan was blissfully unaware of the chaos his soap had caused among the upper class. He and his siblings were hard at work making more, refining the process, and trying to increase their production.

They had grown more efficient, and with each batch, they improved the quality. They still didn't have the resources to make a large-scale production, but they were getting better.

"How many bars do we have now?" Shen Xiaomei asked, wiping sweat from her brow as she carried a bundle of freshly made soap to the storage area.

"About 500," Shen Jiuyuan replied, counting the bars carefully.

Shen Yuan, overseeing the operation, smiled at the sight of his siblings working together. "We'll get there. Just keep working steadily, and we'll have enough for both the Ji family and the Li family caravans."

Shen Zhen, who was organizing the wrapped soap into neat piles, glanced up at his older brother. "Do you think that they want more brother?"

Shen Yuan smiled. "They will beg for more."

Shen Zhi, who was stirring the next batch of lye, grinned. "You're turning into a real businessman, Brother Yuan."

Shen Yuan laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Back in the capital, Gu Junli leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his face as he scrubbed his hands with one of the soap bars he had "borrowed" from Li Cang. He had to admit, these soaps are quality products.

The clean scent lingered, and his skin felt smoother than it had in weeks. He wasn't usually one to care about such luxuries, but there was something about this soap that was different. Even the soldiers had started asking where they could get some.

"Looks like I'll have to stock up next month," Gu Junli mused to himself, glancing at the remaining bars in his satchel. "Maybe I should order extra… just in case."

He knew that as soon as word spread about the soap, everyone would want it. And Gu Junli was not the type to be caught unprepared.