She was about to make a tactful exit, but Consort Lu impolitely stopped her.
For the moment, Song Yunzhao couldn't guess why Consort Lu had sought her out, so she simply smiled. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"
Consort Lu looked at Song Yunzhao. "The silver you all contributed has been spent on coarse cloth, but there's still some remaining."
Song Yunzhao paused. 'There's money left over... That must mean they couldn't find any more cloth to buy.'
Her heart sank at the thought. She had long suspected that in a situation like this, merchants would surely hoard their goods and wait for the right moment to sell at exorbitant prices.
Consort Lu looked at Song Yunzhao. "It can't be helped. Some cloth and silk shops have fabric but are refusing to sell, and the court can't very well just take it by force."
Song Yunzhao nodded slightly. 'Of course not. The Right Minister wouldn't offend the powerful people backing these merchants just for the sake of some disaster victims.'
