Chapter 295

After a moment's stalemate, He Jinghui sighed, 'I'm not trying to stop you from going.'

But if you go tonight like this, the whole capital will know—what will His Majesty think?

Qi Xiu, you never used to be this impulsive—what's gotten into you now?

Mu Nan Zhao's eyes were deep and solemn, 'Rest assured, I know what I'm doing.'

I also know how I've come to be where I am today; even if I didn't care about my life and property, I'd still have to consider you.

All those who staked their lives to follow him—close allies like He Jinghui and Huo Jiang, as well as Gu Xixi and Flower Pool Ford…

He Jinghui was taken aback, 'Then what are you planning?'

Mu Nan Zhao said, 'I'm feeling down; I plan to run a few laps at the Jinwu Guard's training ground.'

He Jinghui let out a sigh of relief, but his whole body nearly went limp; he reached out to steady himself against the wall, 'Oh my heavens!'

I was thinking, what if you really went mad, your stubbornness flared up and I couldn't stop you, and I couldn't beat you in a fight—what would I do then? Thank goodness, thank goodness.

Mu Nan Zhao led his horse toward the side gate.

He Jinghui, weak and breathless, 'What are you up to now?'

Mu Nan Zhao said, 'Go home, sleep.'

He Jinghui hurried after him, 'Wait a moment! Curfew's in effect—I need to stay at your house for the night!'

……

Over the holiday these past few days, Gu Xixi's whole family has been tasting tea every day.

They finally selected the three best flavors; compared to the brick tea Gu Xixi had previously bought from tea merchants, they were slightly inferior, but after a bit more storage and fermentation, they should be about the same.

An Qinghe had long had his eye on the tea business, but now that the tea-making method has been found, he lacks raw materials.

He asked Gu Xixi, 'So your next step is to plant more tea trees, right?'

Gu Xixi nodded, 'To be in this business, having the raw materials under our own control can greatly lower costs.'

Still, we each do what we're good at—I'll handle planting the tea, you'll handle processing and selling it,

An Qinghe was very pleased, 'Exactly, that's what I was thinking.'

But developing a large tea plantation—selecting a site and buying land—won't be easy.

The Seedling Merchants Association has enough funds, but I don't want them involved, for fear that later you'll be constrained by them at every turn.

Gu Xixi recalled what Jiang Mingyuan had said earlier and mused, 'If we could persuade the authorities to have the government support us, reclaim wasteland, and add our investment, perhaps it could work.'

By then, the tea trade route could directly obtain the tea permits issued by the government office.

If we go further still, having official tea status would make it natural to enter the tribute tea selection.

An Qinghe is a businessman, so he naturally knows that the official route is not easy to navigate.

But once it's navigated, it's tantamount to obtaining a license to do business.

An Qinghe asked, 'Do you have any prospects in mind?'

Gu Xixi said, 'Jiang Mingyuan.'

She looked straight at An Qinghe and said, 'If this matter takes shape, I'll go to the capital after spring.'

'The capital?' An Qinghe frowned, then realized, 'The capital's trade routes are the most prosperous, gathering the finest goods of the Great Undertaking Dynasty. You want to go there to look around, compare, and gauge what grade our brick tea belongs to.'

Gu Xixi said solemnly, 'Exactly; after the inspection, I'll be able to decide which tea varieties to plant in the plantation.'

Only then will you be able to consider how to choose the future tea trade route.

An Qinghe said excitedly, 'I'll go with you—first, I can protect you on the road; second, I also want to learn about the capital's tea-drinking habits and tastes.'

If we speak of the northwest here, the needed brick tea must be strong-flavored, cheap, and able to withstand prolonged boiling. What are the demands of the capital's people?

Gu Xixi had no reason to refuse and agreed, 'Fine, I'll send word in spring to set a time.'

She stood up, sighed, 'Looks like my holiday ends here.'

The next morning, An Qinghe set off back to Cloud Ridge.

Thinking of future important matters, he must finish his current tasks, organize all his assets, and await Gu Xixi's summons.

Gu Xixi, meanwhile, went alone to Qing Tian County that day.

Jiang Mingyuan, then serving as county magistrate, heard that Gu Xixi had come and immediately came out from the rear hall to greet her personally.

'Xixi, you're looking for me.'

Gu Xixi nodded, 'Hmm, I indeed have a matter to discuss with Brother Zi Chu.'

Jiang Mingyuan, gentle and refined, said, 'Please come in.'

In the rear hall of the county office, Jiang Mingyuan listened to Gu Xixi's ideas for opening a tea plantation and pondered for a long time.

The northwest is barren, and the imperial court has exempted taxes for two years, so the county office's public funds are already somewhat lacking.

If the county office could gain some revenue, while establishing a local tea plantation, prospering the tea trade, opening trade routes, it would also have a spillover effect on the local economy.

But this matter……

Gu Xixi asked, 'Brother Zi Chu, what are your concerns? Feel free to speak frankly.'

Jiang Mingyuan said, 'I can mediate in front of the county magistrate, but Boss Gu needs to produce something convincing.'

Gu Xixi said, 'That's easy; I already have a small tea plantation right in the farmstead you visited last time.'

If the county magistrate is interested, he can go see for himself to prove that I can grow tea trees in the northwest.

Moreover,' she produced a tea cake, 'please invite the county magistrate to join the county governor in tasting it.

Jiang Mingyuan smiled, 'You really did think of how to persuade me, coming fully prepared.'

Gu Xixi also joked, 'Tea we make ourselves, given to our own elder brother to drink, shouldn't count as bribery, right?'

Jiang Mingyuan chuckled, 'Of course not!'

Outside the city, the farmstead.

Chen Dafu led a draft ox in his hand, laughing happily, even more so than during the New Year.

"From now on, it will be our good partner!"

Chen Dafu had earlier introduced the widow Wu, Wu Niangzi, and her two daughters, who came to look at Gu Xixi's field estate; they gathered around the plow ox, marveling, "Such a big ox, and in its prime—it must be worth a lot! Our landlord really is generous!"

Chen Dafu's wife, whose surname is Tao, also came to the field estate with her husband to work.

Chen Dafu's eyes stayed fixed on the ox, he couldn't stop feeling its firm muscles, and he laughed, saying, "The landlord says this is 'you have to give to get.'"

"If it weren't for the landlord's foresight, how could three of us manage to contract twenty-one mu of land? We simply couldn't handle it!"

"This year the landlord will use spring-sown wheat—just you wait and see!"

Adding the nearby six mu of land to the field estate, Gu Xixi deliberately spent a large sum to buy a plow ox.

She also drew up designs herself and paid people to craft several labor-saving farm tools.

These were all things she had planned to complete before going to the capital.

Those who contracted the fields take turns using the ox, and with the various labor-saving tools, plowing efficiency is greatly increased while manpower is saved.

Accordingly, Gu Xixi appropriately reduced the share per mu of land.

Although that is the case, because this kind of land is more abundant, the three hired workers ultimately receive greater total benefits than before, so they naturally have no objections.

And as the landlord, Gu Xixi's profits are also greater.

Amid the liveliness, Gu Xixi arrived and, from afar, laughed, "Uncle Chen, have you brought the ox back yet?"

Hearing the voice, everyone turned and looked delighted.

Wu Niangzi's two little maids first jumped up and ran over, shouting, "Auntie Xixi is here!!"