A World of Wealth  

Yan Shifan was bewildered. What was happening? He had only applied a bit of pressure, and the other man was ready to walk away from such a lucrative deal?

And what did he mean by "small business venture?"

Yan Shifan swallowed. A seed of doubt was planted in his mind for the first time. 'I stand second only to the Emperor in the Great Ming. I considered myself worldly and experienced. Could it be… that I'm merely a frog at the bottom of a well?'

'Damn it! What exactly is the Fan Clan Trading Company involved in? And more importantly… can I get a cut?'

A flicker of greed, quickly masked, flashed across Yan Shifan's face. But it didn't escape Fan Li's notice.

So, the bait had been taken. Fan Li calmly took a sip of his tea.

"Mengding Buyehou tea?" he remarked.

"Legend has it that there's a mystical valley in Mount Mengding, a tea garden shaped like a lotus flower. Beside the garden flows a spring of sweet dew, said to nourish the heart and invigorate the soul. Tea brewed with this dew grants mortals a decade of health and fortune, while cultivators who partake in this elixir can strengthen their Dao heart, banish inner demons, and ward off evil.

I have only heard tales of this mystical and exquisite spiritual tea. I never imagined I would have the honor of tasting it, especially not here, as Junior Grand Secretary Yan's guest."

Fan Li, shifting gears abruptly and showered praise upon the tea served at the estate.

Yan Shifan rolled his eyes. What was this fellow implying?

Everyone in the Great Ming capital knew that the Mengding Buyehou tea was sold in numerous teahouses throughout the city. And the man behind it all was Yan Shifan himself.

The legends, the mystical properties, the elaborate tales surrounding the tea – all were part of a brilliant marketing strategy concocted by Yan Shifan.

By using this exquisite tea as a subtle means of accepting bribes, he amassed a fortune every year, rivaling a month's worth of the Great Ming's tax revenue.

"Haha."

Yan Shifan let out a dry chuckle.

"It's often said that northerners discuss business over wine, while southerners prefer to talk shop over tea. Manager Fan is a Chu national, and the Chu kingdom lies in the south. So, shall we continue our business discussion now?"

A clear and direct prompt. Yan Shifan's patience was wearing thin. If Fan Li continued to dance around the subject, he would surely lose his temper.

Fan Li smiled faintly and set down his teacup. "Junior Grand Secretary, allow me to tell you about this larger business venture."

Seeing that Fan Li had finally got the message, Yan Shifan nodded curtly, assuming an air of detached amusement.

"My company's grand venture… is in Yunzhou City."

Yan Shifan's face darkened. Yunzhou City, a territory belonging to the Great Ming, was currently occupied by the allied forces of Wei, Han, and Wu.

Fan Li was playing with fire!

"How dare you!"

Yan Shifan's feigned anger was convincing. But Fan Li knew he was merely putting on an act. After all, as the Great Ming's Minister of Works, Yan Shifan had to maintain a certain facade.

"Junior Grand Secretary, please allow me to finish. If what I say displeases you, then I, Fan Li, deserve to die. I won't leave this pavilion alive."

Yan Shifan's expression remained unchanged. "Speak."

"Yes." Fan Li nodded.

"The ingredients used in our new line of cosmetics are primarily sourced from the northern regions. White dragon sunflower seeds, twin mandala flowers, black witch hazel… none of these grow in the south, not even in the Chu kingdom.

Every year, the Fan Clan Trading Company spends a significant amount of capital importing these raw materials from the northern territories controlled by Wei, Han, and Wu!"

Fan Li gestured with his hand, indicating a staggering sum.

Yan Shifan was astonished. The cost of importing raw materials exceeded the company's net profits from the entire Great Ming market?

"Then… Then Wei, Han, and Wu are making a fortune?" Yan Shifan blurted out.

Fan Li nodded, feigning distress. "Although the Chu kingdom is allied with Wei, Han, and Wu, the competition in the market is fiercer than any war."

"Those three nations are newly established. Their coffers are empty. Yet they exploit their control over the production of these essential raw materials, demanding exorbitant prices. They show no regard for our alliance!"

"Cosmetics are a highly profitable industry. However, the lion's share of the profits goes to those three nations."

"The Fan Clan Trading Company works tirelessly, promoting our products across several kingdoms. But it's as if we're working for Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan. It's infuriating!"

After listening to Fan Li's passionate speech, Yan Shifan nodded in agreement. It was believable. Completely believable.

If he were in their position, controlling the production of essential raw materials, wouldn't he also demand exorbitant prices?

Yan Shifan was an intelligent man, especially when it came to making money. He immediately understood Fan Li's intention.

"Are you suggesting… that if Yunzhou City were to become a production hub for these raw materials, the profit margins for your cosmetics would increase dramatically?"

"Junior Grand Secretary, you are truly brilliant!"

Fan Li feigned astonishment. "If the northern territories of Wei, Han, and Wu can produce these raw materials, why not Yunzhou City, a northern territory of the Great Ming? My master has spent months pondering this very issue. I'm amazed that you, Junior Grand Secretary, were able to see through his dilemma with such ease."

"It's said that there are three prodigies in the Great Ming – Lu Bing, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; Yang Bo, Minister of War; and of course, you, Junior Grand Secretary Yan."

"I have not had the honor of meeting Master Yang or Master Lu, but you, Junior Grand Secretary, are undoubtedly deserving of your reputation as a prodigy!"

Yan Shifan laughed heartily. He had always prided himself on his intelligence. The saying "Three Prodigies of the Great Ming" was, in fact, something he himself had popularized.

And now, not only was his brilliance being compared to Duke Jin's, but it seemed he was even slightly superior. How could Yan Shifan not be pleased?

"Enough, enough! Flattery isn't necessary. Continue. Tell me, what's your plan?"

"Yes." Fan Li paused, as if gathering his thoughts, maintaining the pretense that he hadn't planned this conversation in advance.

"My master proposes that if the Great Ming were to retake Yunzhou City and cultivate white dragon sunflowers, twin mandalas, black witch hazel, and other essential ingredients, the Fan Clan Trading Company would be willing to relocate our production line to the Great Ming.

The costs of raw materials, transportation, and production would be significantly reduced. And since the market price for our products has already been established, we wouldn't need to lower our prices.

The profit margins would be… astronomical!

My master is willing to share this wealth with you, Junior Grand Secretary Yan."

The potential profits were unimaginable!

Even Yan Shifan, with his sharp mind, was momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the opportunity.

Then, a thought occurred to him. He asked tentatively, "Duke Jin is willing to share… the profits from the Great Ming market or…"

He didn't finish his sentence. As the Junior Grand Secretary of the Great Ming, he had an image to maintain. He couldn't appear too greedy.

"Of course, not just the Great Ming. Once Yunzhou City becomes a production hub, we'll share the profits from every market our products reach!"

Every market?

That meant the entire world!

Not just the Great Ming, but also the Great Chu, Great Ci, Wei, Han, and Wu!

The entire world's profits! And the Fan Clan Trading Company was willing to share it all with him?

'I… I could become wealthier than a nation…'

A strange thought crossed Yan Shifan's mind. He had always considered himself incredibly wealthy, but only now did he realize that he had barely scratched the surface. There was so much more wealth in the world, waiting to be claimed.

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat. "Manager Fan, you mentioned retaking Yunzhou City. How do you propose we accomplish this?"

In Yan Shifan's opinion, unless Emperor Jiajing himself led the army, it would be incredibly difficult for the Great Ming to defeat the combined forces of Wei, Han, and Wu occupying Yunzhou City.

Fan Li pretended to contemplate this dilemma.

Finally, he spoke, "Release Hu Zongxian. Let him lead the army once more and reclaim the lost territory."