Chapter 39 Soap Business With Yuan Family (2/2)

The 10,000 soap bars had been completed and was loaded in the wagons to transport them to Nan Pi City again.

This time, Tong decided to accompany his father to visit the Yuan family himself. He wanted to experience how his father had dealt with the business negotiation.

Tong left Zhang Bao, Zhang Liang and Zhou Cang to administer the trench digging and fortress construction. Tong already wrote outlines, orders and processing instructions to them, so they wouldn't have any trouble continuing his project.

For almost 2 months of training, the soldiers in Tong's camp became more discipline and had more strength and stamina from everyday workout.

With Tong's generous food distribution in the camp and strict training menu, their body showed signs of muscles and body shape of healthy athletes.

From here on out, they would have to train in combat formations and weapon handling.

…

April 15th.

Zhang Jiao and Tong's caravan arrived at Nanpi City. The Yuan family men had already waited at the front gate to receive them. Their information gathering power couldn't be look down upon, they already knew about their trip here.

No official dared to block their path because of the Yuan family influences. They entered the city easily.

After they went inside the Yuan Manor, they thought they had entered a palace instead of a resident with courtyards. Their wealth was extraordinary.

Zhang Jiao and Tong was greeted by Feng Ji, the family butler.

Tong's eyes lit up when he heard his name. This person would become a thorn in the Yuan family later.

Because of jealousy, he would slander Tian Feng, a talented adviser of Yuan Shao into committing suicide after Yuan Shao lost the battle of Guandu in the year of 200 A.D.

He was not someone Tong wanted to recruit into his army because he could ruin the harmony within his ranks.

The negotiation between Zhang Jiao and Feng Ji was as Tong expected. His father was too good at this.

At the same time, Tong was astonished by the insight and the skills of Yuan family.

The 2,000 soap bars that they had bought the last deal was resold to the other nobles in the neighbor provinces with the shocking price of 60 gold for one bar and tax free.

All the noble housewives, concubines and the high-class prostitutes fell in love with the soap. They coaxed their husband and their pursuers to buy it for them in bulk.

The Yuan family had wide visions, they reaped massive profits from the last deal!

But Tong couldn't complain. He understood the nature of the business deals, it had to be a win-win conditions to both sides or else their partnership wouldn't last.

This time the caravan came with 10,000 soap bars. Zhang Jiao asked for a price of 30 gold a piece without batting an eye, yet Feng Ji just laughed and agreed without haggling the price.

However, 300 thousands gold couldn't be prepared in short amount of times. They requested that they need a month to prepare all the gold from other branch families and the head of the main family himself, Yuan Shao.

Unfortunately, Tong couldn't wait that long because the Julu Army was about to invade his camp. Tong whispered to his father if he could barter with armors, weapons and craftsmen instead of gold.

Zhang Jiao nodded and continued with the negotiation. Feng Ji squinted his eyes and smiled at Tong. Then he uttered the words which sent Tong a chill down his spine.

”Please forgive my inconsideration. I've forgotten that Lord Immortal Zhang Tong is preparing for war with Guo Dian. I shall prepare what you have requested at once.”

Tong had goosebumps all over his skins. The eyes of Feng Ji that looked at Tong just now was as if they could see through him from the skin to the bones.

The information gathering power of this family was terrifying!

Even if Feng Ji was not as smart or clever like Tian Feng, he was still one of the leading advisors of Yuan Shao. His politic skills, management and experiences couldn't be underestimated.

The deal ended in harmony. Zhang Jiao would receive total of 250,000 gold, 5,000 sets of iron armors, 5,000 spears, 5,000 swords, and 100 craftsmen recruited by Yuan family.

Furthermore, on their return trip, the Yuan family would dispatch a 500 light-cavalry to escort them back, so they wouldn't have to pay any border taxes.

Both Zhang Jiao and Tong had to rest in the courtyard that Feng Ji had prepared until the payment was ready.

…

April 30th.

The payment of the Yuan family was completed. Tong was surprised of the efficiency of the operation of this family. It was half the time of what they had promised.

After loading everything into the wagons and carriages, Tong stored 200,000 gold and half of the weapons and armors in his space inventory in secret.

Tong left a portion in the carriages as a disguise while the majority of the gold was with him. This was to prevent any mishap on their journey back.

Tong was afraid that they could get backstabbed during the trip back home. Although the guard unit of the Yuan family would escort them back, but Tong didn't let down his guard. Instead, he was wary of them.

While he was at it, he told his father about his space inventory and what he had done, causing father to look at Tong in shock again.

Zhang Jiao understood Tong's intention. He nodded and kept quiet.

Then the escort unit arrived in front of them. The captain of the unit introduce himself.

”Wen Chou greets Lord Zhang Jiao and young master Zhang!”

'W-W-Wen Chou!?'

Tong screamed in his heart and almost stumbled and fell on his buttock. This person was that Wen Chou!?