Chapter 80: Eight-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill

Feng Xiaobao realized that his life was perpetually busy; learning new techniques and revisiting old ones in weaponry and martial arts consumed much of his time. He was enjoying the thrill of courting two women at once, but that pleasure came at the cost of effort—he had to nurture those relationships, dine and amuse them, and treat them not as NPCs summoned at will, but as living, breathing individuals. This was a game with real people.

Friendships also demanded time—drinking and feasting together, sharing camaraderie. Only afterward came business. As it happened, Boss Huang, his business partner, hurried in, anxious and exclaimed, “Brother, how did you get involved with the Cui family?”

“The Cui family?”

“Yes!” Boss Huang explained the situation: they were preparing to invest copper coins to purchase raw materials for their pharmacy, but upon reaching the marketplace, found that much of the needed ingredients had been bought out by someone else.

Without raw materials, how could they make medicine? Worse still, a new product called “Eight-flavor Rehmannia Pill” had appeared, boasting two additional ingredients over the traditional “Six-flavor Rehmannia Pill,” with claims of improved efficacy and remarkable effects.

Whether those claims were true or not, what was certain was that business for the Six-flavor Rehmannia Pill had become difficult, since the Eight-flavor variant was sold by “Anrentang,” an established and prestigious brand in Luoyang.

In this world, there was no patent law; Boss Huang could not sue them for infringement.

He had some connections and investigated, only to discover, to his dismay, that the power behind these machinations was none other than the illustrious Cui family. The Cui clan was a towering presence; their scions held high office, wielded power without corruption, and enjoyed a sterling reputation, all thanks to the family’s thriving businesses.

Their commercial empire spanned countless industries, their resources vast. To crush Feng Xiaobao’s modest pharmacy would be a trivial feat—perhaps even unknown to the family patriarch, merely set in motion by Cui Yuxiu’s casual remark, eagerly acted upon by those seeking favor.

Boss Huang knew this wasn’t his own doing (otherwise, the Cui family would have targeted his silk business directly); it must have been Feng Xiaobao’s trouble.

Having provoked the Cui family, even the powers backing Boss Huang declared their inability to help, at most reaching out to the Cui family in hopes of leniency.

Boss Huang produced a box of Eight-flavor Rehmannia Pills: exquisitely packaged, with astonishing claims of efficacy, covering even those of Feng Xiaobao’s Six-flavor version, and priced thirty percent lower.

The common people, seeing apparent superior effects, lower prices, prettier packaging, and even better taste, naturally favored the Eight-flavor pill. Feng Xiaobao’s homemade medicines could not compare to the flavor perfected by the seasoned artisans of Anrentang.

Thus, business for the Six-flavor Rehmannia Pill suffered greatly; monthly revenue plummeted, and only thanks to wealthy, loyal customers did they have any sales at all.

“The Cui family!” Feng Xiaobao gritted his teeth; the Cui clan was truly impossible to contend with.

For ordinary folk, encountering the Cui family meant bowing their heads, surrendering their business share, or simply closing shop.

How could Feng Xiaobao possibly fight them? His only hope lay in the Princess of a Thousand Gold.

A wise wife at home—what a blessing! The princess partnered with him in the soap business, granting shares to a certain mistress in the palace for cosmetics expenses, and to some officials. Once opened, the soap shop yielded immense profits, unchallenged by competitors due to her backing. Feng Xiaobao benefited greatly, saving countless troubles.

Moreover, thanks to the princess and her rapport with the palace mistress, when the Cui family targeted his pharmacy, they refrained from dirty tricks—no medical scandals or staged accidents—which could have ruined Feng Xiaobao.

Their use of economic measures was a gesture of respect, slow and costly, but allowed room for maneuver. Big families had many methods; fortunately, he had the princess on his side.

“Being under someone’s protection makes all the difference!” With the Cui family bearing down, his tiny business boat seemed ready to capsize at any moment.

“No worries!” Feng Xiaobao reassured Boss Huang, writing a note and instructing him to send someone to the princess’s estate to fetch raw materials from her warehouse, where he had stored a year’s supply.

Originally intended for business expansion, this stockpile now served as an emergency reserve.

As a businessman from modern times, Feng Xiaobao was well-versed in his trade, always preparing a year’s supply for contingencies and expansion. His foresight had paid off unexpectedly.

After some thought, he sought out the princess and spoke of his pharmacy’s plight. She laughed, “How can the Cui family do such a thing? These imported pills—do they not fear causing harm?”

Soon after, envoys from the palace delivered to Feng Xiaobao’s pharmacy an imperial plaque: “Six-flavor Rehmannia Pill!” signed below with the character “Wu.”

The princess was close to Lady Wu; it was a simple matter for her to request a calligraphy inscription.

Though technically a personal favor, who dared treat it as such?

Feng Xiaobao admired Lady Wu’s handwriting; delicate yet bold, reminiscent of a man’s, revealing her strong character.

With the plaque in hand, Feng Xiaobao organized a grand ceremony, with music, flowers, and familiar business owners as witnesses, and hung it up with proper pomp.

Lady Wu’s calligraphy was valued at six hundred guan per character; for the six characters, the fee was three thousand guan!

This was the friendship rate; for anyone else, except perhaps Lady Wu’s closest friends, the price would be ten thousand guan or more, and even then, money might not suffice.

Watching the plaque being mounted, Feng Xiaobao was filled with emotion.

With this plaque, palace physicians were instructed to procure medicine monthly from this pharmacy, with written proof. Thus, it became the most authentic “Six-flavor Rehmannia Pill” in the world, supplied to the palace, while all other “Eight-flavor” variants were deemed counterfeit.

In theory, the Eight-flavor pill might have some effect and could fool ordinary folk, but for palace supply, they dared not.

With authenticity established, the reputation of Anrentang plummeted; everyone knew their product was fraudulent. With the princess intervening, she sent a polite letter to the Cui family, explaining the situation and inquiring if there had been some misunderstanding.

Once Lady Wu’s calligraphy appeared, the Cui family, like the Pei clan when they tried to corner the gold market, refrained from causing trouble and replied, “It was merely the mischief of younger kin, who have been punished. Please do not take it to heart.”

Soon after, the Eight-flavor Rehmannia Pill vanished from the market, and the supply of raw materials for the Six-flavor pill resumed.

Ordinarily, the Cui family would not be so conciliatory, and could have fought even powerful rivals, but behind Feng Xiaobao stood Lady Wu.

Lady Wu harbored deep resentment toward the aristocratic clans; as a daughter-in-law of the Li-Tang household, she sought long-term peace for the family, which required limiting the power of such clans. As a daughter of the Wu family, she felt inferior to the aristocrats; her father, a merchant, was looked down upon and mocked, always called “daughter of a merchant”—and she remembered it well.

Even with power in her hands, Lady Wu could not act as she pleased; unless given a reason, she refrained. But if anyone she protected were targeted by a great clan, it would only give her cause to retaliate.

“Whether I wish to rely on others or not, I must!” Feng Xiaobao mused, realizing he was living off the favor of two beautiful women—especially Lady Wu, with whom he was destined to become entangled.