Chapter 47, First Release on Jinjiang (Updated) "Let me see..."

Chaolu had never thought about making money before. As a Taiji, he naturally had money to spend every month, and his hobby was hunting. His mother and older sister took care of all his food, clothing, and daily necessities, so there was nothing for him to spend money on.

But things were clearly different after he got married. Girls' things were nicer and more expensive. Afu had given him a heads-up. Chao Lu was thinking of asking his second brother when he got back.

My second brother seems to have some kind of business that's quite profitable.

Chaolu temporarily put the matter out of his mind and accompanied Ruan Yu for a stroll before returning to the tribe together.

It was already afternoon when they arrived. Chao Lu escorted Ruan Yu back to his tent, when suddenly someone from the Khan's side came to deliver a message: "The Khan requests that the Fourth Prince go to the Golden Tent after his return."

Chao Lu nodded: "I'm coming right now."

Ruan Yu also said, "Your Highness, please go ahead with your work. I'll tidy up the house."

Chao Lu: "Okay, wait for me tonight, we'll have dinner together."

After Chao Lu left, Ruan Yu led Xuan Niang and Qing Guo back to their tent. Qing Guo couldn't help but sigh, "I didn't realize it when we were here, but now that we're back, it feels so warm and familiar. Home is the best!"

Xuan Niang laughed as well: "I feel the same way."

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Alright, you've all been working hard for days. Pack your things, then tell the kitchen to prepare dinner, and then go and rest."

"Would you like to take a bath first?" Qingguo asked.

Ruan Yu shook her head: "No rush, I have other things to do."

As she spoke, she took out all the things she had bought in Yunqi Town. When she went to the cloth shop, Chao Lu thought she was only picking out needlework that girls liked, so he didn't look closely. But Ruan Yu actually bought a lot of five-colored silk threads.

Qingguo smiled and asked, "Is the Khatun going to sew something for His Highness?"

Ruan Yu blushed: "No."

"Really? It doesn't look like it to me..."

Ruan Yu sighed helplessly: "Don't tell him, lest he get smug again. I was just thinking that he's given me a lot of gifts, so it's only fair to return the favor."

Qingguo covered her mouth and laughed: "Don't worry, Lady, I definitely won't let it slip. But what are you doing, embroidering a purse?"

Ruan Yu shook her head: "I couldn't find any particularly suitable fabric. We'll talk about the purse later." Since Chao Lu had given her a bracelet and hairpin, she reciprocated by braiding him a peace bracelet. She also hoped that Chao Lu could resolve the problem of the wolf poison as soon as possible.

After sitting down, Ruan Yu began to organize the threads and quickly became engrossed in it.

...

Back at the Golden Tent, Hurile called his sons over, firstly to discuss the arrangements for the White Festival, and secondly to inquire about the situation in Chaolu.

"Chaolu, how have you been feeling these past few days?"

Chaolu: "Father Khan, I'm feeling pretty good these past few days."

Bayar: "Fourth brother, don't you feel any discomfort?"

Chao Lu shook his head.

"It seems this wolf venom is truly miraculous; could it possibly cause an attack only on the night of a full moon?"

Hurile: "Chaolu, you can't let your guard down either. The people I sent out will be back soon. Don't go out during this time. Stay home and enjoy the festival."

"yes."

After leaving the golden tent, Chaolu walked to Bayar's side.

"Second brother, I have something to ask you."

Bayar laughed: "Tell me! There's no need for us brothers to be so polite!"

Chao Lu coughed lightly: "Do you own any businesses? What do you do?"

Bayar paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Fourth brother, why are you suddenly interested in making money? I thought you only liked running around in the mountains and forests."

Chao Lu: "..."

Before he could speak, Bayar suddenly burst into laughter: "Second brother understands, understands! As for me, it's not really a business. Our grassland cattle are good, so I set up a cattle farm. We can't even finish drinking all the fresh milk every day, so we send it to town to sell. Sigh, this was actually your second sister-in-law's idea. She loves to eat it, but she can't finish it all, so she just thought of exchanging it for some money."

"There's a market for cow's milk?"

"Yes! Fourth brother, we occupy the best grassland, and our milk is incomparable to that of the cows raised at home by farmers."

Chaolu understood.

Bayar continued, "Besides this, there are also beef cattle, and we make some jerky for holidays and festivals."

Chao Lu nodded.

"Fourth brother, if you have any ideas, I'll show you a way."

Chaolu looked at him.

"You're such a good hunter, you could go into the fur business. Do you know how much a wolf pelt costs outside?"

Of course, Chaolu knew that a minister in the tribe once offered five hundred taels of silver to buy his snow wolf pelt, but Chaolu refused to sell it. Top-quality animal pelts were priceless and unavailable.

"There weren't that many wolf pelts; it was all just a coincidence."

Bayar: "Anything is fine, it depends on what kind of business you're in!"

Chao Lu nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Hunting was just a hobby for him; he would never kill all the animals. But hunting was rampant on the grasslands, and if it became a business, it was hard to say whether he would ever see wolves again.

However, Bayar did provide Chaolu with some new ideas. He stroked his chin, turned around, and went back first.

Ruan Yu had been braiding a bracelet in the tent for almost two hours, and finally felt a little tired. She rubbed her eyes and glanced at the time.

"Xuan Niang".

Xuanniang came in: "Kudun, is the meal ready?"

Where is His Highness?

As soon as Ruan Yu finished speaking, they heard Chao Lu's footsteps outside.

"Prepare the meal," Ruan Yu instructed, then put everything into the embroidered basket and locked it in the cabinet.

"Your Highness is back."

Chao Lu walked quickly, somewhat excited.

As soon as he entered, he went straight to Ruan Yu's side and pulled her aside: "I have something to discuss with you!"

Ruan Yu was startled: "What's wrong, Your Highness..."

The small kitchen delivered the meal, and Chaolu pulled Ruanyu to sit down directly at the table.

He didn't even bother to eat, excitedly saying, "Yu Yu, let's raise more sheep!"

Ruan Yu was stunned. She never expected that Chao Lu, who had excitedly pulled her to sit down, would suddenly tell her that he wanted to raise sheep.

"Your Highness, you..."

Chaolu: "We have a lot of land at home, how about we set aside a piece to raise sheep? Sheep are great! In winter, we can make wool felt and wool blankets from their wool, and we can sell their meat at the market! I was so focused on the horse farm before, but now I suddenly think raising sheep is a good idea! Anyway, we have plenty of land!"

Ruan Yu was stunned for a while before she realized what was going on: "Your Highness wants to raise sheep, is it to start a business?"

Chao Lu coughed lightly, "I just think the place is empty anyway, and we're supporting so many people."

Ruan Yu looked at the person, as if she was thinking about something.

Chao Lu felt a little guilty under her gaze, "Why are you looking at me like that..."

Ruan Yu chuckled and burst out laughing.

"Your Highness, if you want to do business, would you like to hear my opinion?"

Chao Lu paused for a moment, then said, "Go on."

Ruan Yu was well aware that the Taiji of the grasslands could certainly have their own businesses, just like the princes and nobles of Chang'an. Who didn't have shops and land under their control?

She had thought about this when she first got married, but too many things happened in the short time she was here, so she didn't put it on the agenda.

Now that Chao Lu has brought it up, Ruan Yu doesn't intend to be polite with him.

"Your Highness understands the grasslands better than I do. Does Your Highness find beef and mutton lacking in Yunqi Town?"

"It's alright, they do sell quite a lot, but my second brother said their quality isn't good."

Ruan Yu shook her head: "That's for the Taiji, but for ordinary people, price is also a core consideration. So even the best quality beef and mutton will have a small market. But salt, iron, cloth, and tea are different. These are specialties of the Central Plains and are often snapped up quickly at the market."

Chao Lu was taken aback.

Salt iron cloth...

That's absolutely true.

"For the Central Plains, the grasslands also have things they need: horses, cattle, sheep, furs, cheese... Instead of selling these things to the grasslands, it's better to sell them directly to the Central Plains, where the price will at least double."

Chao Lu gradually began to listen.

"Use the readily available furs and cheese from the grasslands to exchange for tea, coarse cloth, and grain. The people mainly eat meat and dairy products. Tea is a valuable commodity. Coarse cloth is lighter than animal hides and suitable for daily wear. Grain can help cope with snow disasters that cause pastures to wither and livestock to starve, leading to food shortages."

Furthermore, the nobles of Chang'an have a strong demand for tanned leather from the grasslands. Sheepskin coats and fox fur hats are highly sought-after items in winter, with prices increasing three to five times. Finally, there's ironware. Your Highness should know from your wartime experience that stirrups, saddles, and knives all rely on transportation from the Central Plains. Actually, iron smelting and forging aren't particularly difficult; as long as the raw materials are sufficient, it can be done here as well.”

Ruan Yu spoke at length, and Chao Lu's eyes grew brighter as he listened. When he finally looked up at her, he seemed a little off.

"Does Your Highness think... this is feasible?" Ruan Yu asked tentatively.

Is it feasible? Chao Lu's expression was complicated.

It's feasible, absolutely feasible!

Chaolu regretted it; he shouldn't have consulted his second brother at all!

"Yu Yu, you're amazing."

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "But these are all just theories; it would be very difficult to put them into practice."

Chaolu suddenly thought of something: "Today, Father Khan seemed to have mentioned something, namely that he wants to establish a Protectorate in Chang'an." Ruan Yu seemed to be thinking about something.

I see...

That explains why Pei Du came here.

"What does Father Khan mean?"

"The Protectorate is for defending against foreign tribes, and Father Khan is a little unhappy about it."

Ruan Yu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. The relationship between the grasslands and Chang'an is already quite good. It depends on how you look at it. You can see it as resisting foreign tribes, or you can see it as strengthening exchanges between the two places. Your Highness... you might suggest to the Khan that he take the initiative to negotiate with Chang'an to establish an agency in the Protectorate. This agency could be specifically used to strengthen trade between the two places. As I just mentioned, private trade should be conducted under the supervision of officials. You could designate some people, who are called 'brokers' in Chang'an. They can help the Central Plains purchase goods from the grasslands and also help the grassland tribes purchase goods from the Central Plains. They can be allowed to earn the price difference, but they need to pay taxes. In this way... wouldn't all parties benefit?"

Chaolu fell into deep thought.

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness, there's no rush. Let's eat first."

When Chaolu looked up again, his eyes held a mixture of admiration and astonishment.

“I understand, I will advise Father Khan.”

Ruan Yu smiled and said, "Your Highness is wise. If this matter succeeds, the people of the grasslands will surely remember Your Highness."

...

During the meal, Chaolu was still pondering this matter. Seeing that he was really concerned, Ruanyu did not disturb him.

After dinner, Chaolu suddenly got up and said he was going out, "You go to sleep first, I'll be back later."

Ruan Yu smiled and let him go.

After Chao Lu left, Xuan Niang helped Ruan Yu take a bath. "Khatun, your suggestion today was excellent. I think His Highness really took it to heart."

"Whether he makes a final decision or not is up to him; I was just offering a suggestion."

"But if this matter is accomplished, it will be a great achievement, and Chang'an will surely remember the Khatun."

Ruan Yu didn't care about Chang'an's reaction at all. Suddenly remembering something, she said, "Oh right, call Afu in. I have something to ask him."

After taking a bath, Ruan Yu sat in front of the mirror combing her hair. Not long after, Afu came in and said, "Greetings, Khatun."

Ruan Yu glanced at him and smiled, "Afu, before I came, His Highness's account books were all with you, right?"

Afu was stunned for a moment, "Yes..."

"Now that I am a Khatun..."

Afu immediately understood: "Khwarazm, wait a moment, this servant will bring it to you right away."

I'm so sorry, Your Highness!

But since Khatun had spoken, he had no choice but to hand it over.

Ruan Yu soon received the ledger she wanted, and after flipping through it for a while, she gradually frowned.

Ah Fu secretly groaned in his heart.

Ruan Yu suddenly closed the ledger at the end and returned it to him, leaving Afu stunned.

"Khedun, you..."

Ruan Yu smiled at him: "Starting today, you will bring the account book to me every ten days. You can keep it on other days. His Highness does not need to deduct money if he needs it."

Afu was bewildered. What did this mean? "Khedun, aren't you going to manage the accounts yourself...?"

Ruan Yu: "...I could calculate this with my eyes closed, do I need to worry about it?"

Afu: "..."

-

After Afu left, Xuanniang and Qingguo couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Before marriage, the noble ladies of Chang'an all learned needlework and accounting. With her young lady's abilities, managing a prince's mansion would be no problem. It seems that the Fourth Prince's accounts may not look very good.

"What are the plans of the Khatun?" Xuanniang asked.

Ruan Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

Xuan Niang understood her; the suggestion she gave to Chao Lu was about something important on the surface, and if it succeeded, they could naturally benefit from it.

"Yunqi Town is quite prosperous. Go and take a look for a few good shops for me tomorrow. I'll ask my mother-in-law about it later."

She didn't believe that her mother-in-law hadn't had her own property after all these years; it was very likely that Chaolu simply didn't know.

Xuan Niang smiled and agreed.

After a busy day, Ruan Yu prepared to rest. Chao Lu hadn't returned yet; she wondered if he had gone to see his father or something else...

When Ruan Yu was asleep in the middle of the night, she was suddenly woken up by a weight pressing down on her.

Chaolu had already returned and taken a bath, and he hugged her and kissed her several times.

He said with a hint of excitement, "I just went to see Father Khan and told him your idea. Father Khan was very happy and said he'd talk to me tomorrow morning..."

Ruan Yu was exhausted and could guess the outcome, so she didn't want to listen.

Chao Lu leaned in and chattered for a while, but Ruan Yu finally covered his mouth and said, "I'm sleepy. Let's talk tomorrow."

Chao Lu looked at the person, his expression softening, but he wasn't sleepy at all. So he hugged the person and leaned forward, asking for favors...

His stubble was a bit prickly, and Ruan Yu's face turned slightly red from his rubbing. Her drowsiness was also abruptly reduced by half. She sighed helplessly in her heart, and suddenly felt her belt gradually loosen. She let Lu Da's hand slide down...

Five days have passed since the full moon...

Chao Lu suddenly sat up, panting excitedly, "Yu Yu, let me see, is she all better yet?"

Ruan Yu: "..."

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Laughs out loud]