Feng Jiutian shook his head and said, "A few court officials and royal relatives advised against it, but the king dismissed them one by one and exiled them to distant prefectures. Those officials and common people who could not get purple robes had to temporarily dye their clothes purple with dye. Later, even dye could not be bought anywhere, so they had to use purple mud to dirty their new clothes. Those in high positions indulge in momentary pleasures, while those in lower positions waste resources and cause hardship to the people. The commander should keep this in mind."
Li Jun fell silent. The ruler's personal preferences could have such a profound impact. He had always wondered why, when the ruler was merely a person with his own mouth, every good thing in the country was sent to him. His food was the finest delicacies, while the common people ate grass roots and tree bark; his clothes were made of silk and satin, while the rest of the people were barely clothed; he had hundreds and thousands of concubines, while the common people were separated from their families. All of this was simply because some people wanted to curry favor with him, to be generous with the resources of others, in order to advance their own careers.
"And then what?" Lü Wubing asked, finding the story intriguing.
"Later, during the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, the entire country wore purple. The king was initially pleased, but later found it monotonous and boring, so he was the first to wear a different color," Feng Jiutian said.
Aside from Lü Wubing, who laughed, no one else could find it funny. They could all imagine the countless joys and sorrows caused by the king's momentary whim at the time. Lei Hun, who had been sitting upright, couldn't help but lean further into his seat. This past event reminded him of his own background. His father was one of the royal family members who had been exiled for advising against the king's actions. By seniority, he should address the current King of Su, Li Gou, as his uncle, but since his father's exile, he had abandoned the surname "Li."
“Although it’s not a good method, we only have one chance to use it now,” Li Jun said slowly. He knew that he was the decision-maker and had to put aside his personal aversion to this method for the sake of the bigger picture. Sometimes, people really do have no choice but to act in a way that is not their own.
"Jiang Tang, go to the largest tailor shop in the city and ask them to make two hundred sets of plain silk robes within three days. Tell them that these are the robes I will wear when I go on stage to pay homage to the scholars."
“That’s easy,” Jiang Tang replied. “This business isn’t difficult.”
"As for the expenses these days, you'd better figure something out first." Li Jun understood that what he meant was that he only had enough money for three days' expenses, but he couldn't think of a solution at the moment. The silver mine in Leiming City couldn't resume production for ten days either, so he could only rely on Jiang Tang.
"I knew it would be like this..." Jiang Tang muttered. Feng Jiutian then said, "There's one more thing. Miss Mo Rong, please build a recruitment platform for us. What do you think, Commander Li?"
Upon hearing Mo Rong's name, Li Jun and Lei Hun exchanged an awkward glance, a strange feeling rising within them for no apparent reason. After a brief look, Lei Hun turned his face away again. Just as Li Jun was about to speak, Jiang Tang interjected, "No, no, this deal can't be done. I will never waste a copper coin on that useless building!"
“It is indeed not advisable to undertake too much construction now,” Li Jun said. “The inauguration ceremony will be held in the city’s cemetery square, so that the brothers who died in battle can have a good time.”
That afternoon, two related pieces of news spread like wildfire throughout Kuanglan City.
The first piece of news was that Li Jun and Feng Jiutian, disguised as commoners, visited the "Danglu Restaurant" by the dock and took away a rude scholar from the restaurant. Just as people were wondering what would become of this scholar, the second piece of news followed immediately: Jiang Tang, the finance officer of the Peace Army, urgently visited the three major tailor shops in the city, asking them to prepare two hundred sets of plain silk robes within three days. He claimed that these robes would be used for Li Jun's upcoming ceremony of paying homage to scholars, and would be the formal attire for the main generals of the Peace Army and the scholars invited by Li Jun.
"Bai Shi?" The listeners were all surprised; the word was indeed quite novel.
"Indeed, Commander Li Jun is seeking the assistance of a renowned scholar. Consider this: both Commander Li Jun and the scholar were dressed in silk robes, handsome and refined, like celestial beings." The messenger, dangling his satchel, revealed himself, as a scholar, a deep longing for the glory of being valued and invited by a ruler. Thus, his tireless efforts in spreading the word were tinged with a hint of envy. But who exactly was this renowned scholar whom Li Jun so earnestly sought to invite?
"What kind of sage do you worship?" the listener asked, as expected.
"Oh, it's Lu Yuan, the scholar whom Commander Li invited from the tavern. It's said that he's eloquent, has a silver tongue, a broad mind, and wisdom as deep as the ocean." Although he felt a pang of envy, the messenger still praised Lu Yuan extensively, and finally said seemingly casually, "I have also read Mr. Lu Yuan's works. He is like me, a man of talent who has not been recognized. Now he has finally met a wise ruler."
"Haha, sir, you can also wear a plain silk robe to the square to watch the ceremony that day. Perhaps Commander Li Jun will also ask for your help." The listener laughed, with a hint of mockery.
But his words reminded the disseminator that he should certainly attend the ceremony that day, and wearing a plain silk robe would indeed show his aspirations.
As a result, the cloth and silk shops in Kuanglan City were overwhelmed with customers buying plain silk. Clothes could be made at home by the women of the household, but plain silk had to be purchased from outside. The price of plain silk skyrocketed, from two gold coins per bolt to ten gold coins, and it seemed poised to rise further. Jiang Tang, understanding the principle that extremes inevitably lead to their opposites, promptly sold 50,000 bolts of plain silk from the treasury under the pretext of "stabilizing the market and curbing prices."
The major fabric and silk shops, recognizing that plain silk would become the trend in Kuanglan City this summer, rushed to buy up the plain silk that Jiang Tang was offering. Although the price was much higher than that of silk transported directly from the production area, the merchants were shrewd and knew that time was money. Therefore, Jiang Tang's 50,000 bolts of plain silk were sold at almost ten times the original price, and the income from this sale alleviated the urgent needs of the Peace Army.
"Why don't we come to Baishi every month and change our clothes every month? That way our business will be booming!" Jiang Tang said, tapping on his abacus, his eyes shining.
“It is only a last resort to compete with the people for profit; how can we do it again and again?” Li Jun resolutely refused.
"Haha, just kidding. In business, you have to think long-term to last. Don't I know that?" Jiang Tang said without looking up. Just then, a guard came to report: "The big merchant Jia Tong and the money shop owner Zhuang Heng from the city have come to visit."