The whole family died tragically? The eldest daughter is the most powerful in the capital after her

Song Zhenyu said directly: "Zhennan, what are you talking about? This is a great opportunity, why don't you agree?"

Song Zhennan was not shaken by this. Instead, he said calmly, "The Third Prince is a member of the royal family. Since ancient times, the struggle among the royal family has never stopped. The competition among the princes for the throne will bring bloodshed no matter who wins in the end. The Song family is just a merchant family. Once something happens to the Third Prince, we will be the first to be pushed out to take the blame. By then, the Song family will be destroyed."

His words were powerful and each one stung the two brothers' eagerness for quick success.

Song Zhennan's eyes were firm as he continued, "It is only because our Song family has been doing business honestly over the years that we have been able to gain a foothold in the capital. Instead of blindly pursuing power, it is better to hold on to what we have. Protecting ourselves is the most important thing."

After hearing this, Song Zhenhao and Song Zhenyu immediately showed displeasure on their faces.

Song Zhenhao said dissatisfiedly: "Zhennan, are you too timid? Do you know that this opportunity is rare? If the third prince ascends to a high position, our Song family will be able to move to a higher level! You are too timid!"

Mr. Song's eyes slowly swept over his three sons, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

As the patriarch of the Song family, he has witnessed the growth of his three sons, each of whom has his own unique strengths and weaknesses.

But now, he had to make a decision for the future of the Song family.

When it comes to who will inherit the Song family, one should not only consider the legitimate or illegitimate status, but more importantly, the overall view and the ability to handle affairs.

Mr. Song's gaze lingered on his three sons for a while, and finally waved his hand gently: "Okay, you all go back. Remember what happened today and think about it carefully."

The three of them stood up silently, saluted, and then retreated.

The next morning.

It was just daybreak, and a thin layer of morning mist was still lingering in the courtyard of the Song Mansion, with a fresh and moist scent in the air.

Song Zhennan was washing up in the room.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Song Zhennan's voice was not loud, but it was steady.

The door was gently pushed open, and a servant walked in, whispering respectfully, "Young Master, the master asks you to go with him to inspect the shop later."

Song Zhennan's hand paused, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, he almost thought he had heard it wrong.

My father always took my eldest brother or second brother with him when he inspected the shops, and he never asked me to go along.

As a bastard son of the Song family, although he also helped with some household affairs, important tasks such as inspecting shops have always been the responsibility of the eldest son.

Today, his father actually asked him to go with him, which was beyond his expectation.

"Inspecting the shop with my father?" Song Zhennan repeated it with some doubt.

He calmed down and began to guess his father's intentions, but he didn't ask any more questions. He nodded and said, "Okay, I understand."

When the servant saw Song Zhennan's response, he retreated respectfully.

Song Zhennan stood there, thinking quickly in his mind.

Probably related to what his father said in the study yesterday, Song Zhennan vaguely realized that Mr. Song might have begun to think more about himself.

After tidying up his clothes, Song Zhennan walked out of the room. The cool air outside in the early morning refreshed him.

He went straight to the front hall, where Mr. Song was already waiting.

Song Zhennan immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully: "Father."

When Mr. Song saw Song Zhennan, he showed a hint of approval in his eyes and nodded slightly: "Zhennan, come with me to inspect the shop today. You should also learn about the family business."

Song Zhennan pursed his lips, the doubt in his eyes dissipated slightly, and he felt more confident.

Mr. Song's attitude was calm, but his words were full of obvious trust and consideration.

He knew that inspecting the shops was not a simple task, but also a test from Mr. Song.

He said no more and respectfully followed Master Song into the carriage.

The carriage drove away from the Song Mansion and passed through the bustling streets. Song Zhennan sat silently in the carriage, looking at the passing scenery outside the window, feeling a little complicated.

Soon we arrived at the charcoal shop.

The shopkeeper's face was full of smiles. He held a thick account book in his hands. He walked excitedly to Master Song and handed it to him with both hands. He couldn't hide his pride in his tone: "Master, take a look. The account book for the past one or two months is really beautiful! Business is so good that almost all the charcoal sold every day can be sold out. The profit is several times more than in previous years. The profit has doubled or tripled."

Mr. Song sat on a wooden chair in the shop, took the account book, and frowned slightly.

He felt vaguely uneasy. Having run a shop for many years, he knew too well how stable the supply and demand of charcoal was every autumn. Although there was a high population mobility in the capital, it was not winter yet and it was impossible for such a large increase to occur.

He opened the account book and scanned it line by line. The account indeed showed that the shop's profit figures were very considerable. Recently, charcoal was in short supply and was basically sold out every day. The sales volume far exceeded that of previous years.

On the surface, this account book is indeed surprising.

The shopkeeper stood nearby, watching Master Song flipping through the account book, the smile on his face growing deeper and deeper, he was looking forward to Master Song's praise.

However, to his surprise, not only did Mr. Song's expression not show any joy, but his brows became more and more furrowed, and his face gradually became serious.

Mr. Song closed the account book with a snap, raised his head, looked at the shopkeeper with cold eyes, and said with obvious displeasure: "How can this business be right?"

The shopkeeper was stunned, and his smile froze on his face. He didn't understand why Master Song suddenly got angry, and hesitantly said, "Master, it's clearly written in the account book that our profits have increased several times during this period, and the goods are selling so fast, this is a good thing."

Mr. Song's eyes flashed with impatience, and he said coldly: "Think about it carefully. In the past ten years, the supply and demand of charcoal in the capital has always been stable. Every winter, no matter how much the sales of charcoal increase, the difference is only a thousand taels of silver. But this year, look at this account book, the number has increased so many times, do you think this is normal?"

The shopkeeper was stunned by what Master Song said. He stood there in a daze, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

He subconsciously lowered his head and glanced at the account book again, trying to find an explanation, but the more he looked, the more confused he became.

The shopkeeper hesitated for a long time, but couldn't explain the reason, and he looked obviously guilty.

Mr. Song frowned even more tightly, and his tone became even more stern: "You haven't seen the problem behind it. Although sales have increased, have you noticed that the purchase price will also increase? The price of charcoal given by the supplier is much higher than in previous years. On the surface, our book profit has increased several times, but in fact, all this profit has been swallowed up by the higher purchase price!"