"Did you make this?"
Yu Mohan picked up a bar of red rose-shaped soap. A faint rose fragrance wafted into her nose.
Instantly, Yu Mohan wore an expression of enjoyment.
"Uh..."
As Du Ziteng was still struggling whether to admit he made it, Xiao Rang spoke up directly, "He invented it. This thing is called soap. It can be used as a sachet, and also for washing your face and bathing!"
"Really?"
Yu Mohan looked somewhat disbelieving at Xiao Rang's introduction.
"Why don't you try it and see?"
Upon hearing Xiao Rang’s words, Yu Mohan didn't hesitate. She strode back to her room, drew a basin of clean water, and began washing her fair and tender cheeks.
"Wow, it feels so refreshing!"
Feeling the cleanness on her face after washing, a faint floral scent drifted out. Yu Mohan couldn't help but exclaim.
After washing with the soap, Yu Mohan looked like a water lily emerging from the water, stunning the Du Ziteng beside her.
"Keep staring and see if I don't throw you off this third floor!"
Yu Mohan glared fiercely at the dazed Du Ziteng, scaring him into taking several steps back.
"Speak, how do you want to cooperate?"
Yu Mohan looked at the drooling Du Ziteng with a face full of disdain.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!"
Xiao Rang couldn't help but kick Du Ziteng, who then snapped back to reality.
"I plan to divide the products into two tiers: a lower-end tier consisting of ordinary soap, sold to ordinary wealthy merchants and commoners, priced at ten taels of silver per bar!"
"The high-end tier is mainly for officials and nobles, like this perfumed, specially shaped one, focusing on uniqueness, priced at fifty taels each!"
When it came to making money, Du Ziteng instantly became confident. He looked at Yu Mohan and spoke eloquently,
not only praising the high-end products to the skies but even explaining a method of scarcity marketing. Yu Mohan listened, dumbfounded.
Xiao Rang watched as he had only given him a simple hint, yet Du Ziteng had grasped the idea and expanded on it so much.
He couldn't help but secretly think again: "This little fatty is truly a talent!"
"As for the profit sharing, the Prince gets fifty percent, the Yu family gets forty percent, and I'll be satisfied with just ten percent!"
Upon hearing that Du Ziteng only wanted ten percent, Yu Mohan looked at him in a new light.
"Not greedy, with moderation!"
This was the most important aspect for their Yu family when cooperating with others in business.
Who would have thought this fatty in front of her possessed both qualities!
"And what is the cost of production?"
Yu Mohan held the not-so-large bar of soap. She had used it to wash her face earlier, and it had visibly shrunk.
If she used this every day, it would likely be gone in less than half a month. At this price, it was a surefire money-making machine.
"Less than one tael!"
Du Ziteng glanced at Xiao Rang, then extended a single finger.
In fact, let alone one tael, the materials were the cheapest, and the total cost wouldn't even reach ten qian.
Saying one tael was to increase the perceived value of the soap.
"Okay, we'll do as you say. We cooperate!"
"I know you won't give us the Yu family the secret formula for this treasure. You provide the goods, and once we receive the money, we'll split it as you proposed!"
Yu Mohan saw the immense profit potential here and walked to the table.
Soon, a contract was written up. The two signed it, and the business deal was settled.
Du Ziteng looked at the contract in his hand, still stunned.
He sat aside, staring at the contract and chuckling foolishly, his mind already calculating how soon he could buy a house.
"Miss Yu, there's one more thing I need your help with!"
Xiao Rang ignored the foolishly chuckling Du Ziteng and walked up to Yu Mohan, handing her a stack of invitation cards.
"Please deliver this to Miss Changsun and ask her to do me a favor – have the Crown Prince write his name on them!"
Yu Mohan looked at the invitation cards, which were for the Mansion Inauguration Banquet of a Prince's Mansion. She said with a hint of mockery,
"Do you really think anyone will come to your Mansion Inauguration Banquet?"
"Even if the Crown Prince himself writes his name, I doubt anyone will show up!"
Although Yu Mohan's words were blunt and unpleasant, they were indeed true. Xiao Rang was not only being targeted by the Crown Prince alone; more importantly, there was Emperor Qian's attitude.
From the moment he was bestowed with this dilapidated Hidden Prince's Manor of the former dynasty, Emperor Qian’s attitude was clear.
It was one of disdain, even disgust!
"It doesn't matter, as long as the Crown Prince's calligraphy is on it!"
"It’s getting late, and we still need this little fatty to prepare the soap. Du Ziteng will be your point of contact from now on. We'll be going now!"
Xiao Rang kicked the dazed, smiling Du Ziteng and pulled him along.
As for the several cartloads of gifts he had brought, they were naturally handed over to the Yu family for sale.
The money from his previous sale had just arrived.
Xiao Rang took out a large sum and had Du Zhenyuan send it directly to the Veteran/Disabled Soldiers Camp of the Left Garrison Command.
He had promised the soldiers resettlement fees, and giving it would bring peace of mind and help gather support.
After Xiao Rang and Du Ziteng left,
Changsun Wugou slowly emerged from the room on the third floor.
Yu Mohan held up a rose-shaped soap and waved it in front of her, saying, "Miss, look, this is truly a wonderful thing!"
"I heard. Do you really think that little fatty came up with this?"
Changsun Wugou took the soap and smelled it. Another osmanthus-scented soap was even more pleasing.
"Hmm? Could it be that Xiao Rang made it?"
Yu Mohan looked at Changsun Wugou, puzzled. She couldn't believe Xiao Rang could create such a miraculous item.
"I heard your conversation just now. We, the Changsun family, have investigated Du Ziteng. He is talented in business!"
"But he only has a knack for it; he's definitely not someone who could create something like soap!"
Changsun Wugou had clearly investigated Du Ziteng's background.
She walked to the window, looking at Xiao Rang and his companions leaving, mumbling,"What books did you read in Baichuan Pavilion? To be able to create something unprecedented like this?"
"Miss, should we agree to his request for the Crown Prince's name?"
Upon hearing Changsun Wugou's analysis, Yu Mohan also felt she couldn't understand Xiao Rang.
"Why not agree? Coincidentally, the Crown Prince is visiting my father at the manor today!"
Changsun Wugou smiled, picked up the stack of invitation cards, and gracefully walked downstairs.
Xiao Rang, after completing the business with Du Ziteng, believed that with the Yu family's influence, the soap would soon become popular throughout the Imperial City.
It might even become popular throughout Great Qian.
At that time, he would have a large influx of funds and wouldn't have to worry about money.
On his way back, he passed Du Zhenyuan's blacksmith shop and saw that five or six more iron-smelting furnaces had been set up.
Over a hundred bare-chested strong men were forging glowing iron ingots, the scene was bustling!
"Your Highness!"
The men who had been with Du Zhenyuan saw Xiao Rang approaching and quickly stepped forward to greet him.
"What's the speed now?"
Xiao Rang looked at the busy craftsmen. In one day, over a dozen Modao (Long Saber) blanks had been forged.
"Following your method, we now have assembly-line production, and the speed has increased significantly!"
"It’s just that these Modao still waste too much fine iron. The money you provided has been mostly used up!"
Li Kun, the leader, pointed to the saber blanks in the corner and the scrap iron on the ground, explaining with some embarrassment.
He was afraid that his rapid spending would displease Xiao Rang.
"That's fine. This King is here to deliver money this time!"
Xiao Rang waved his hand, and Li Shun handed over twenty ten thousand tael banknotes.
"If you have the capacity, don't waste this scrap iron. Use it to forge some shields for me. I'll give you the blueprints!"