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

Upon hearing this, Boss Li sighed and looked helpless: "Sir, you don't know that the supply situation this year is really not as good as in previous years."

"It's winter now, and charcoal, fox fur, cotton and other southern goods are in short supply. If we want to get them back from the south, the price has increased several times. The journey is long, and the freight has increased a lot. What's more, making these cloaks, coats, fox fur clothes and other winter clothes requires a lot of labor, and now the wages of craftsmen have also increased a lot. Even if we have the goods here, we can't supply them at the previous price."

Boss Li also said: "We are not raising prices intentionally, it is just that the supply is tight. The current price increase is a general trend, not just ours. Even if we can provide enough goods, the price is ridiculously high and the ladies will not pay for it."

Lord Wu was silent for a moment, his face gloomy.

What Boss Li said was not without reason, but it still made him feel embarrassed.

If this continues, the Wu family's reputation may be difficult to maintain.

Boss Li slowly advised, "Master Wu, in my opinion, the situation this year is so difficult, why not close the clothing store for a while, especially this winter. Other merchants are facing similar situations. Anyway, the goods cannot be sold, and it is a waste of time and effort to open the store. It is better to close the store for a while, wait until the winter is over, and then resume business when the prices stabilize. This way, you can save some energy and will not affect too much."

After hearing Boss Li's proposal, Mr. Wu frowned even more.

He sat in a chair with a complicated look in his eyes. Although he understood Boss Li's good intentions, the Wu family's shop was not just for making money, it was also an important channel for maintaining relations with dignitaries in the capital.

After thinking for a moment, Lord Wu said firmly: "Closing the store is absolutely not an option. No matter what, you must find a way to ensure the supply. You can accept price increases, but the supply must be stable. Even if the purchase price is higher, the Wu family can afford it."

Boss Li nodded and agreed: "Okay, sir, since you have decided, I will try my best to find a way to secure the supply. However, I must remind you that the price has risen very sharply."

Lord Wu nodded calmly: "As long as the supply of goods is not a problem, we can afford the price increase."

After he left Boss Li's shop, he returned home and immediately summoned the owner of the clothing store, instructing him to take immediate action.

“Immediately adjust the prices in our store back to the prices before the price increase.”

The shopkeeper was embarrassed when he heard this, and he stepped forward and advised: "Sir, if we change the price back to the original price, I'm afraid we will lose three hundred taels of silver for one cloak. If this continues, our finances will not last long!"

Lord Wu had a heavy expression on his face, and he was well aware of the interests involved.

He pondered for a long time, a hint of hesitation flashed across his eyes, but he soon became determined.

If we care about the immediate gains and losses at this time and offend these noble families, our future business will probably be even more difficult.

"I understand what you mean," Lord Wu said slowly, his tone firm and decisive, "but we can't just look at the immediate profits."

The shopkeeper advised again: "Sir, now it's not just the clothing shops that are affected, all the major shops are affected by the price increase, you can't restore all the prices to the original price."

He knew that it was useless to just reason like this, so he prepared to speak with facts: "Each piece of clothing has a loss of 300 taels. According to the current silver in the account, we can't hold on for much longer. We will definitely close the shop in a month."

Lord Wu held his forehead with his hand. He really didn't know what to do.

The shopkeeper discussed with him again, "Sir, if you must raise the price, see if you can change it to the price you raised last time. This way you can lose less. The loss for one item is nearly 150 taels."

"Let's do as you say. Even though there will be losses, let's just consider it as expanding our network."

The shopkeeper was still uneasy, and nodded helplessly: "Then I will arrange to change the price right away."

Lord Wu sighed and watched the shopkeeper leave.

Lin Ruoxuan naturally would not sit idle. Her plan against the Wu family was already half successful this time, but it was far from enough.

To ensure that the Wu family cannot quickly turn things around, it is also necessary to cooperate with the imperial merchant Zheng family.

The Zheng family's business empire is huge, and its clothing shop is also a frequent destination for dignitaries in the capital.

Recently, due to her suppression of the Wu family, the prices of the Zheng family's clothing store have also been affected. Although they have increased, they are not as exaggerated as those of the Wu family.

Although he can still maintain his costs today, business is obviously not as good as before.

And this is the key step in Lin Ruoxuan's plan. She thought about it carefully and had an idea in her mind.

She wants to cooperate with the Zheng family to bring down the Wu family.

But if she just came forward, her words would not be powerful enough and she might not be able to ask Mr. Zheng from Zheng's Trading Company to come out.

After much thought, she went straight to Gu Nanyuan and asked him to make an appointment with Mr. Zheng to meet at "Jinxiu Huayun" on behalf of the Gu family.

After the two of them agreed on the details, Gu Nanyuan immediately arranged for someone to meet with Mr. Zheng in his name.

After accepting the invitation, Mr. Zheng came to "Jinxiu Huayun".

The surrounding environment is elegant and the air is filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Mr. Zheng has an upright posture. Although he is over fifty years old, he is still energetic.

When Master Zheng sat down, Lin Ruoxuan smiled gently and spoke her mind directly. "Master Zheng, let's not beat around the bush. We invited you here this time for cooperation."

"I know that the Wu family is your biggest competitor. It is winter now and prices are rising, and the Wu family took the opportunity to raise prices significantly, causing a lot of controversy. I can provide you with enough supply and guarantee that the price will be the same as before the price increase."

Mr. Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised by her suggestion.

Lin Ruoxuan continued, "But my conditions are very simple. All you have to do is use this opportunity to suppress the Wu family until they can no longer hold on. If the Wu family closes down, your clothing store will naturally occupy the entire market."

After Mr. Zheng heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he chuckled: "Miss Lin, your proposal surprises me."

He paused for a moment, carefully examining the woman in front of him, secretly marveling at her courage and strategy.

"This condition is too simple for me," Mr. Zheng said slowly, with a bit of admiration in his tone, "With your intelligence, you should know that given the current situation of the Wu family, whether you seek cooperation from me or not, I will do my best to suppress the Wu family."

"The Wu family is indeed my biggest competitor. You are still willing to provide the supply at the old price, which is equivalent to letting you suffer a loss. It is really unreasonable."

He paused and said solemnly: "Doing business requires honesty and fairness. My Zheng family cannot take advantage of this."