The normal price of soda ash was 500 wen per catty, but this guy directly asked for 2 taels, he really was asking for an exorbitant price.
However, Huang Daoqing had stockpiled so much soda ash, and came to her specifically to sell it, which showed that he had not yet found a way to make soap.
"Too expensive, I don't want it."
"Expensive?" Huang Daoqing sneered, "Miss Li, don't you know what the situation is now? All the soda ash in the entire Yizhou Prefecture is in my hands. If you don't buy it from me, your soap workshop can only wait to close down. But seeing that you have good faith, I can give it to you for 1 tael and 5 wen per catty. Miss this village, then miss this shop."
"I don't want it."
Li Yao turned around and left. She didn't really take him as a fool.
Huang Daoqing, who was originally full of confidence, was refused rudely at the door, and couldn't help feeling annoyed.
"Unappreciative wretch!"
"Master, don't worry," Xiao Quanzi said, "With Prefect Hu watching, soda ash from other places can't come in. Unless her workshop closes down, she can only buy from us. In a few more days, she will come looking for us!"
Huang Daoqing snorted, by that time he would sell it to her for 3 taels of silver per catty!
But after a few days, Li Yao still hadn't come to Huang Daoqing.
He had hoarded all the soda ash in Yizhou Prefecture, which had cost him 4500 taels of silver. Plus greasing Prefect Hu's palm, the total was 5000 taels!
So much money invested, but he still didn't see any return. He couldn't help feeling a little anxious.
He sent Xiao Quanzi to investigate He Wan Village, only to find out that Li Yao's soap workshop was operating daily, and the output of soap was not small.
This news made Huang Daoqing break out in a cold sweat: "Where is she getting the soda ash?"
"Maybe it's her previous stockpile," Xiao Quanzi didn't seem to realize the severity of the situation, and casually replied, "When her inventory runs out, she will definitely come looking for us."
Really?
Then wait a few more days.
Another ten days passed, the soap workshop was still operating daily, and the output seemed to have not decreased at all.
Huang Daoqing could no longer sit still. He took a carriage to He Wan Village, wanting to find out what was going on.
"Making soda ash herself?"
"At least 20 catties a day?"
Huang Daoqing was suddenly dumbfounded.
It's over, it's over, now it's really over.
How could he have thought that Li Yao would have this up her sleeve?
If Li Yao makes her own soda ash from now on, wouldn't what he had hoarded be wasted?
"No, this matter must be dealt with as soon as possible, otherwise I will definitely lose money."
Realizing this, Huang Daoqing immediately informed Prefect Hu about the matter. Prefect Hu also attached great importance to it. After all, he could also get a lot of silver after the deed was done. So he sent people to Baichuan County.
...
"Mother, Madam magistrate, Magistrate Song is here!"
Li Yao was having tea and chatting with the magistrate's wife when three carriages had already passed through the gate and stopped in Li Yao's yard.
The magistrate's wife recognized at a glance that two of the ornately decorated carriages did not belong to the county yamen.
"Sister Li, some important people seem to have arrived. You need to be careful in how you deal with them."
Li Yao was not worried at all.
As a transmigrator, all these big shots looked the same to her.
Magistrate Song was the first to get off the carriage, followed by a richly dressed man from the second carriage.
"This is Lord Hong," the magistrate's wife whispered, "he is the household registration officer of Yizhou Prefecture, in charge of the population, ancestral worship, agriculture and sericulture."
Li Yao understood in her heart.
For a big official from Yizhou Prefecture to come to this remote countryside, he certainly didn't come sightseeing.
And when Huang Daoqing got out of the third carriage, she was even more certain of this.
It looked like it was because of the soda ash they had hoarded. She just didn't know what means Prefect Hu, behind the scenes, would use to deal with her, a commoner.
After getting off the carriage, Lord Hong stood arrogantly, while Huang Daoqing shouted loudly: "Where is the village woman Li Yao? Hurry and greet Lord Hong from the household department!"
Li Yao came forward and bowed slightly.
At the same time, she saw the thick worried look in Magistrate Song's eyes.
"This village woman Li Yao greets my lord."
"Hmm, so you are Li Yao?" Lord Hong said, "Do you know what crime you have committed?"
"I don't know."
"How bold, you shrew!" Huang Daoqing scolded, "You ordered the villagers without reason to recklessly fell trees, and pretend not to know? Do you know those woods are the property of Yizhou Prefecture, and cannot be cut down without permission?"
The forests were the property of Yizhou Prefecture?
Li Yao was also drunk.
She had checked Great Ling's laws before, and although ownerless land could not be occupied for private use, it did not say that timber could not be harvested.
Moreover, she did not cut down indiscriminately. She only had the villagers cut tree branches, dead trees, and more bushes, vines and weeds.
"Lord Hong," she replied, "There is nothing in Great Ling's laws that does not allow me to cut down trees, right?"
"You... you still dare to be stubborn?" Huang Daoqing threatened, "Do you believe I will punish you severely for your crime?"
"I admit to any crime you convict me of. But before that, my lord, can you tell me which article of Great Ling's laws you are convicting me under?"
Huang Daoqing was instantly rendered speechless.
They had come this time just to intimidate Li Yao. He didn't expect her to not only be unafraid, but also cite Great Ling's laws.
Seeing this tactic did not work, Lord Hong spoke up: "It is true that Great Ling's laws do not explicitly prohibit cutting down ownerless trees. However, the Prefect issued a decree yesterday, stipulating that from now on, all trees on ownerless land belong to Yizhou Prefecture. If logging is required, it must first be reported to the local county yamen for approval before use."
Li Yao sneered.
For her sake, Prefect Hu had specially issued a decree. She really felt honored.
"This village woman understands," Li Yao said. "This village woman will now call back the villagers and no longer fell trees in the future."
Having achieved his goal, Lord Hong was unwilling to say more.
Coming to He Wan Village this time, he was extremely unhappy.
He could understand the Prefect wanting to make money, but to make money without giving him a penny, and ordering him to set off in the middle of the night last night to come to this remote countryside, could he feel happy?
"Magistrate Song, please monitor things more in the future. I will now take my leave."
"Farewell, Lord Hong."
After Lord Hong left, Magistrate Song sighed and shook his head.
"Miss Li, it all happened too suddenly, I didn't have a chance to give you advance notice."
"It's nothing."
"Alas," the magistrate's wife sighed lightly. "Now that logging is prohibited, how will your soap workshop survive?"
"Don't sigh," Huang Daoqing put on a smile and came over. "Miss Li, if you can't make your own soda ash, you can still buy it from me. I, Huang, am not a petty man. I don't mind your previous bad attitude towards me, and am still willing to do business with you."
Li Yao looked at him with a half smile. "Oh? You're not petty?"
"Definitely not." Huang Daoqing said. "Businessmen, we value harmony."
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," Li Yao replied. "Because I am."
