Luo Lan had guessed that soap would catch fire in the capital, but she had not expected it to blaze so quickly. The inn was only half renovated.
Yet she would not miss such a golden chance. She gathered all the craftsmen into the street-front shop for overnight work, while sending Han Feng’s men to keep stirring hype across the city.
Soap’s fame grew ever hotter. Not only noblewomen and scholars knew of it, even well-informed commoners had heard.
So on the day Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce officially opened and began sales, the doorway thronged with maids and scholars come to buy.
Two types were offered. The old model, sold around Guangyuan for five taels a box, remained five taels in the capital.
The new type, the kind sent to the palace, had richer, longer-lasting fragrance, came in finer boxes with hidden clasps, and bore soap-related poems engraved on the lid’s reverse. Priced at thirty taels a box.
Let alone Iron Hammer and Han Feng, even Luo Lan expected customers to choose the old version. The scent was similar, yet the price six times higher.
But buyers chose the exact opposite.
The five-tael old soap drew almost no interest, while the thirty-tael version was snatched up frantically.
Many maids and scholars bought several sets at once.
Maids tucked theirs away carefully, terrified of damage.
Scholars tore open boxes on the spot, reciting the verses aloud.
The street outside buzzed with clusters of scholars debating.
“Oh Liu, come see this one. ‘Unwilling to bitterly vie for spring, let all flowers envy. Fallen to mud, ground to dust, only the fragrance endures.’
Truly magnificent!”
“My father returned from court yesterday. His Majesty himself praised this ci.”
“Brother Wang, look at this one!”
“I already have that one. Ding San, buy two more sets. See if there are new ones!”
“Brother Wang, one set costs over three hundred taels. We can compare with other young masters. No need to buy more.”
“Every poem by Master Jin is an absolute gem. The chamber says there are seventy-two in total. I must collect them all! The soap can go to the women at home. No waste.”
“They say Brother Wang is exceptionally clever. No wonder.
My second brother is a Royal Guard captain. He led the search when Jinchuan Chamber arrived.
They brought few soaps. At this rate, stock will vanish soon. Next batch takes at least half a month. Buying in bulk now, Brother Wang, you will not lose money. You might even profit hugely.”
“Master Zhang, that insults me. I buy soap because I truly admire Master Jin. You make me sound like some profiteering merchant!”
“Haha, Master Zhang, you misunderstand Brother Wang. He loved Master Jin’s poetry before. Last month he urged me to travel to Xichuan seeking guidance.”
“Master Jin is remarkable. So many fine lines. I hear he is also a skilled general.”
“I have seen his poetic talent. But skilled in war? Where does that come from?”
“Master Zhang, you served in the southwest. Perhaps you missed it. The great Qingshui Valley victory was Master Jin leading the Iron Forest Army.”
“Nonsense. Everyone knows the Iron Forest Army belongs to the Qing family.”
“Master Zhang, it is a long story. Let me explain. Master Jin’s title, Baron Qingshui, commemorates that victory.”
“So Master Jin is truly extraordinary!”
“Yes. Not only literary and martial, but noble in character. Indifferent to fame, yet hating evil. My father says Master Jin, unable to abide bandits oppressing people, cleared all bandits from Jinchuan. He nearly died for it.”
…
Not only soap and poems exploded in the capital, Jin Feng, Baron Qingshui, blazed with them.
Women loved his soap. Scholars worshipped his poetry. Commoners sang his “Compassion for Farmers”, his defence of Weizhou against the Xiongnu, his bandit suppression in Jinchuan.
Jin Feng, who had never visited the capital, became a household name.
Even his grudge with Zhou Wenyuan, his past with Tang Xiaobei, were dug up and spun into a tale of scholar and brothel queen.
Storytellers in wine houses wove romances from rumours. Crowds flocked daily.
The several cartloads of new soap Luo Lan brought sold out in just one and a half days.
“The master is incredible. Just engraving poems on the box backs created this effect.”
Iron Hammer marvelled. “I saw many young masters buying soap nonstop to collect all seventy-two poems.”
“That is what the master calls the joy of card collecting. Now, in the capital’s black market, people sell soap boxes alone. Rare poem boxes fetch fifty taels each!”
Han Feng laughed. “Those who sensed the boom early and bought heavily have struck gold.”
“Fifty taels could buy a small house in a county seat. Spending it on a box? Madness?”
Iron Hammer could not comprehend.
“The master says rich people’s thoughts differ from the poor. Now I believe it.”
Han Feng smiled and asked. “Miss Luo Lan, how much have we sold?”
“Thirty-four thousand nine hundred and twenty taels in total!” Luo Lan answered, beaming.
“Th… thirty-five thousand taels?!”
Iron Hammer and Han Feng gaped. “So we have already recovered the shop cost?”
“Madam Xiao Bei said new soap profit is about fifty percent. So yes, we have broken even!”
Luo Lan’s eyes crinkled with joy.
Spending nine thousand taels on the shop had weighed heavily on her.
Now her decision was proven right.
Not six months, not several months, just one and a half days. She had recouped the shop cost with profit.
What Luo Lan did not know was that Tang Xiaobei’s fifty percent profit figure was false.
All soap shipped to the capital cost mere dozens of taels to produce. Transport was the real expense.
Escorting it from Xihe Bay, feeding men and horses, cost plenty.
But against sales over thirty thousand taels, it was pocket change. A fraction covered costs. The rest was pure profit.
This was the violent profit of monopoly and technical dominance.
“We brought too few new soaps. Honestly, even several more cartloads would sell out.”
Iron Hammer sighed regretfully, turning to Han Feng. “Old Han, Sister Luo Lan asked you to send men back for more stock. Have you arranged it?”
