Chapter 159: Few Military Officers

Chapter 159: Few Military Officers

In Mo Jiuya's hand was a letter.

"This is from Fei Nanyu. We'll read it later in a safe place."

Convicts were not allowed to correspond with anyone. Despite Peng Wang's favor, Mo Jiuya didn't want to draw too much attention.

He Zhiran was eager to know the contents of the letter. Just then, Fifth Sister-in-law Zhao Jiajia arrived to help. He Zhiran entrusted her with their duties temporarily and led Mo Jiuya back to the tent.

There wasn't much in Fei Nanyu's letter.

First, he thanked the two for protecting Mother Fei, an important witness. He vowed that he would make sure she was well hidden. If the day came when his identity was revealed to the world, his first priority would be to clear the Mo Family's name.

The two readers went beyond the surface of the letter.

Fei Nanyu expressing gratitude for their protection of Mother Fei indicated that he was truly appreciative.

Lastly, his mention of clearing the Mo Family's name indicated that he was aware of their innocence in the matter of their exile and expressed his intention to align with the Mo Family.

Mo Jiuya had already lost all faith in the imperial court. As long as the Mo Family could be vindicated, he would be content.

Beyond that, he had never entertained any further expectations.

Both men were well-versed in this history and chose to aid Fei Nanyu, albeit with ulterior motives.

Given current developments, the means of rectifying the Mo Family's injustice might differ from historical records.

Regardless, matters were progressing favorably, a development that both Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran welcomed.

He Zhiran promptly stowed the letter away in her space, and the two continued preparing lunch for everyone as if nothing had transpired.

For three consecutive days, the city gates and docks remained closed, with increasing numbers of soldiers entering the city in search of Nan Heng.

News of Nan Heng's disappearance was swiftly conveyed to the capital by horseback.

When Nan Heng had initially left the capital, he had cited investigating the Yan Bang's strength as his reason.

Undoubtedly, in Emperor Shunwu's mind, Nan Heng's disappearance was undoubtedly linked to the Yan Bang.

The audacity of the Yan Bang, brazen enough to target a prince, was something that Emperor Shunwu could not tolerate.

As such, he decided to dispatch an army of ten thousand soldiers to the Salt Lake region, not only to search for Nan Heng but, more importantly, to utterly crush the Yan Bang's stronghold.

When this matter was brought up for discussion during the morning court session, no one stepped forward to volunteer as the commander of the mission.

In the grand Golden Throne Hall, the number of military commanders present could be counted on one hand.

With the Mo family previously guarding the borders, some military officers had the opportunity to serve in the capital city.

Now, with the entire Mo clan exiled, several border commanders had also tendered their resignations.

Seeing this vulnerability, enemies began to show signs of aggression, occasionally launching raids on the borders.

Thus, Emperor Shunwu had no choice but to select a few military officers from within the capital to reinforce the border defenses.

This left an increasingly scarce number of military commanders in the capital, with those appearing in the morning court being mostly seasoned veterans and inexperienced newcomers.

Emperor Shunwu's anger flared, involuntarily recalling the days when the Mo family patriarch and son were still around.

Back then, with just a word from him, Mo Yunfeng would promptly offer to lead troops to suppress the Yan Bang. But now, without the Mos, he found himself in a position where he had no one to rely on.

Nonetheless, Emperor Shunwu didn't feel that punishing the Mo family was unjustified.

In comparison to the Mo family's ambitious aspirations, which had left him restless day and night, he felt more at ease with the current state of affairs.

In the end, it was an old general named Jin who volunteered to rush to the Salt Lake, barely appeasing Emperor Shunwu's wrath.

Contrary to the emperor's wrath, in the outskirts upstream of the Salt Lake, joyful cries echoed incessantly.

The ladies had successfully crafted the first batch of panda, teddy bear, and duck dolls.

Which woman could resist the allure of such adorable dolls? For the first time, they laughed heartily as they gazed at their handmade creations.

Both the designs and craftsmanship of the dolls met He Zhiran's satisfaction.

She, along with Mo Jiuya, arrived at the teahouse as planned to meet Tang Mingrui.

Upon seeing the trio of dolls, Tang Mingrui's eyes immediately lit up, particularly at the sight of the incredibly adorable giant panda doll, which captivated even this grown man.

"Madam Mo, is this an Iron-Eating Beast?"

He Zhiran was also fond of the panda doll, its endearing appearance melting one's heart at first sight.

"I've come across illustrations of the Iron-Eating Beast in a book before and found it quite charming. So, I decided to give it a try and make one myself.

Moreover, I felt that the name Iron-Eating Beast might not be appealing to girls, so I gave it a new name - Panda."

"Panda, what an apt and delightful name," Tang Mingrui praised without reserve.

Next, he examined the teddy bears and the little yellow ducks, expressing his satisfaction with both.

Especially the teddy bears – He Zhiran had brought twenty of them, each dressed in a unique outfit, giving these identical toys distinct personalities.

The little yellow ducks were also endearingly soft and yellow.

After scrutinizing every toy meticulously, Tang Mingrui asked seriously:

"Madam Mo, these dolls are all acceptable. How about we discuss the details of our collaboration?"

He Zhiran knew that Tang Mingrui was experienced in business, so she decided to yield the initiative to him temporarily and listen to his proposals first.

"You're more adept at business, Mister Tang. Why don't you share your suggestions first?"

Tang Mingrui didn't decline the offer.

"Madam Mo, I believe the price of three taels of silver per doll from the Embroidery Room is reasonable. However, I'm not inclined to sell them at that rate.

After all, the materials for the dolls come from foreigners, suggesting that their supply might be limited. That means the number of dolls you can provide me with would also be restricted.

Once the materials run out, it's likely that these dolls won't be available anymore. Therefore, I propose selling them at a slightly higher price."

He Zhiran agreed with Tang Mingrui's reasoning. Although she could theoretically purchase the cloth for the dolls indefinitely on Taobao Mall, she couldn't possibly explain that to outsiders. She also understood that this doll business wouldn't be sustainable in the long term.

"In Mr. Tang's opinion, what would be an appropriate price for these dolls?"

Tang Mingrui spread out two fingers. "Younger Brother plans to sell each doll for ten taels of silver."

Ten taels?

He Zhiran truly admired Tang Mingrui. In modern terms, that would amount to ten thousand yuan.

A tiny doll was worth so much...

Seeing that He Zhiran remained silent, Tang Mingrui assumed she was startled by the price and quickly explained himself.

"Auntie Mo, there's a limited number of dolls. We can only target wealthy individuals as our customers. Such a strategy might not result in rapid sales, but the profits will certainly be substantial. Moreover, on our journey northwest, we'll pass through several cities. I believe that with their quality and uniqueness, these dolls will be in high demand."

Though He Zhiran lacked knowledge in business, she could grasp the logic behind Tang Mingrui's reasoning.

She also wholeheartedly endorsed the latter's perspective.