Chapter 62 Weaving a Story

Yet once Zhou Hao departed, what would they have left to use?
Standard items, and ordinary ones at that, indistinguishable from what anyone else could get.
How could such commonplace things showcase their peerless and unique elegance?
"Your Highness, when you are over at Chishan, could you do us a favor and craft some custom floral cleansing bars for us?"
Custom-made?
Zhou Hao would certainly love to do custom orders; not only were such items immensely profitable, but the raw materials hardly needed any second thought either.
To Zhou Hao, the more customized the product, the greater the profit.
However, the distance was far too great. Even if they managed to gather genuine flowers and transport them all the way to Chishan, it would be impossible to extract any essential oil from them by the time they arrived.
Let alone retaining any floral fragrance.
Even if a custom batch were made, the final result would turn out far inferior to the non-customized ones produced right from the start.
"From the imperial capital to Chishan, how fast can you make the journey?"
"Disregarding large caravans and traveling along the official post road, going at top speed with one person and one horse."
If the speed were fast enough and the distance close enough, Zhou Hao could genuinely assist with custom orders.
But if the distance was too great?
Forget it; there was simply no way for him to make that money.
Hu Xiaoxia pondered for a moment before arriving at a conclusion.
"If it's one person and one horse without changing mounts along the way, it would still take at least eight or nine days. But if we change horses without changing riders along the route, three days would suffice."
Three days?
Even three days was far too long.
From the moment the flowers were plucked until they were transported into Chishan, followed by the shipping and processing—
allocating three days for this entire logistical chain was simply way too long.
Not to mention that the quantity of flowers sent over by these aristocratic ladies would be quite meager.
If they were to distill essential oils from such a small amount, almost nothing could be extracted.
"No, the time frame is far too long. If it were two days, or even a single day, there might be room for discussion. But as things stand now—"
Zhou Hao did not completely shut the door on the idea, but even Hu Xiaoxia could hear the implication.
It was not that Zhou Hao was unwilling, but that it was genuinely impossible.
"Then could these flowers be processed here in the imperial capital first, and then sent to Chishan?"
"Or perhaps Your Highness could simply keep your original staff and workshop stationed right here in the imperial capital?"
Instead of answering Hu Xiaoxia, Zhou Hao simply gave her a look as if she were a complete fool.
How could he not realize that this person's brain must be somewhat diseased?
Could she not see that if his original staff and equipment were left behind in the imperial capital without the protection of the First Prince's Manor, their craftsmanship alone, along with the leftover distillation apparatus, would be enough to plunge the entire imperial capital into a frenzy of looting and seizure?
Nobody would leave anything at all for Zhou Hao.
Because the vast majority of people would tear apart and devour everything Zhou Hao left behind down to the very last scrap.
Then, they would launch their own version of the floral cleansing bars, merely changing the name and the packaging. And what could he do then, even if he was the First Prince?
Would he rush back to the imperial capital from thousands of miles away in Chishan just because his business had been stolen, only to fight it out in the streets against these gorged and influential nobles?
How could that possibly happen?
What Zhou Hao needed to do was ensure that only he could produce these floral cleansing bars.
Nobody else could do it, save for him alone.
Only by maintaining this monopoly could he secure greater benefits for himself.
"Special customization is out of the question, but I can make something different for you."
Zhou Hao understood that Hu Xiaoxia had simply failed to think things through in the heat of the moment; she did not genuinely wish to ruin his floral cleansing business entirely.
Moreover, Zhou Hao knew very well that what these aristocratic ladies truly desired was not customization itself, but rather the aura of higher nobility and greater distinction that custom items conferred upon them.
As for the customized floral cleansing bars themselves?
They were merely a form of adornment.
"What you ladies really want isn't a custom-made floral cleansing bar, is it?"
Zhou Hao fixed his gaze straight on Hu Xiaoxia, a faint smile flashing across his eyes.
"Yes, but if there are no custom orders, what does Your Highness propose to do?"
At this, Zhou Hao smiled calmly before slowly beginning to speak.
"It is very simple. We will introduce four seasonal varieties of floral cleansing bars based on spring, summer, autumn, and winter, available in limited quantities and for a limited time only."
"Peach blossom fragrance for spring, lotus fragrance for summer, chrysanthemum fragrance for autumn, and plum blossom fragrance for winter. These specific floral scents will no longer appear in the regular, everyday cleansing bars."
"They will be exclusively reserved for the seasonal editions."
Hearing this, Hu Xiaoxia no longer cared whether custom-made options would be available or not.
She understood that with this single move, Zhou Hao was dividing the floral cleansing bars into distinct tiers.
At the same time, this elevated the concept of customized floral cleansing bars to an even loftier height.
Only those who maintained a close and favorable relationship with the First Prince would be able to approach him and commission their very own exclusive cleansing bars.
Just listening to Zhou Hao's words, Hu Xiaoxia's mind was already racing with these thoughts.
She suddenly felt a reluctance to use her own cleansing bars for ordinary bathing anymore.
These items were clearly destined to become the ultimate conversation pieces of high society in the days to come.
*I, Hu Xiaoxia, am quite close to the First Prince, which is why I was able to obtain my own exclusive, custom-made floral cleansing bars directly from his hands.*
Just the thought of this made Hu Xiaoxia's cheeks flush.
That would be simply wonderful!
Zhou Hao, however, was somewhat perplexed, failing to understand why Hu Xiaoxia's face had suddenly flushed crimson as if she were slightly drunk.
Fortunately, Bi Ruoxue noticed the anomaly and spoke up directly.
"Young Master Zhou, if you calculate it this way, what shall we do about the packaging?"
At this point, Zhou Hao grew spirited.
He realized that what these aristocratic ladies sought was not merely the practical utility of these products, but the narrative woven around the floral cleansing bars.
In other words, the added value brought by the cleansing bars was precisely what they pursued.
Driven by this desire, they were even willing to pay a heavy markup to acquire cleansing bars with virtually identical practical effects.
Since Bi Ruoxue had already raised the question, Zhou Hao signaled the surrounding attendants to withdraw, then slowly outlined his considerations.
"Hu Xiaoxia, if you listen to what I am about to say next, it will be equivalent to stepping onto the same pirate ship with me. Tell me first whether you can handle the Fortune Firm."
"If you can handle them, then listen closely and we can discuss this properly."
"But if you cannot manage the Fortune Firm, you would be much better off not knowing any of this."
Hu Xiaoxia furrowed her brows slightly upon hearing this.
Dealing with the Fortune Firm was certainly manageable, but trying to carve such a massive piece of fat meat out of their mouths—
would require conceding even greater and more lucrative benefits in exchange for monopolizing the distribution of these floral cleansing bars within the imperial capital.
Hu Xiaoxia understood this all too well.
The crucial question, however, was whether the concessions she would have to make would be sufficient.
Or rather, whether this venture with Zhou Hao would turn out to be a losing proposition.
"Your Highness, can you not tell me first?"
Zhou Hao shook his head, his expression entirely indifferent.
"No, this matter is of the utmost gravity. Once you hear it, there is no turning back. If you fail to resolve the issue with the Fortune Firm, it will inevitably spell disaster for us."
With the stakes stated so gravely, Hu Xiaoxia understood the reality of her position.
If she refused now, she would have no room for maneuver left in the future.
Even if she watched the Fortune Firm rake in vast fortunes with burning envy, she would be completely helpless.
Whose fault would it be if she let such an opportunity slip right past her eyes after it had been placed directly before her?
"I will listen! Your Highness, you must trust me—my family is fully capable of securing the entire distribution rights for the floral cleansing bars throughout the imperial capital!"