As representatives from various merchant groups successively took the stage to deliver speeches, the foreign merchants initially thought themselves to be the highlight, only to realize they were mere supporting roles.
In a country reputed as weak and incapable, its merchants demonstrated remarkable depth and resilience. Evidently, these merchants cared little about who became Emperor, as long as it didn't hinder their ability to make money.
The foreign merchants were well acquainted with the Min merchants and Cantonese merchants but had always found the Jin Shang and Hui merchants from the mainland to be strong adversaries in their memories.
Next to take the stage was the representative of the Zhejiang merchants, Liu Yong from the Huzhou merchant group. He was one of the three wealthiest magnates in Zhejiang, alongside Hu Xueyan of Lin'an and Ye Chengzhong of Mingzhou.
