Because the matter was of great importance, and the mission also had various tasks before arriving in Yan, such as meeting the Yan Emperor and learning about the Yan state, the formal negotiations between the two sides were not rushed into place, but were scheduled for several days after the mission's arrival in Yan.
He Yunxiao had no important duties in the group, so he was much more relaxed than Ruobao and the others. When Ruobao and the others were busy, He Yunxiao would go with Sister Du to investigate the market and investment targets of Yan Kingdom.
The economic structure of the Yan state was not exactly the same as that of the Qi state in the south.
Qi was primarily an agricultural state, while Yan was a hybrid of agriculture and animal husbandry. The areas near Qi and Wei were mainly agricultural, while the north and northwest were primarily pastoral. Compared to Qi, Yan's horses were stronger, so Yan naturally excelled in cavalry.
The warhorse business was lucrative, but He Yunxiao knew his place. In Qi, he could operate with Meng Bao's protection; at worst, he'd be fleeced and suffer some losses, but he wouldn't die. But in Yan, dealing in military supplies was a life-or-death matter. Earning money but not being able to enjoy it was unacceptable.
Before coming to Yan, He Yunxiao and Du Yinyun had established some luxury goods businesses in Qi. Therefore, their first investment target in Yan was some "raw materials for luxury goods".
For example, items such as "ceramic clay" and "animal fur".
Inside the carriage, He Yunxiao and Du Yinyun were discussing the news of opening a branch of the Orchid Bank in Jingtian City.
“Yinyun, Nangong Yu’er has already agreed to invest 200,000 taels in the Yan Kingdom Orchid Bank branch and take half of the profits. What are you still worried about?”
Du Yinyun shook her head and said, "Yinyun will listen to Young Master."
"No." He Yunxiao became serious. "Don't try to lie to me. You have something to say, don't you?"
"No."
"Really not?"
Du Meimei bit her lip lightly, looking like she wanted to say something but didn't want to.
He Yunxiao reached out and pulled Du Yinyun into his arms. To outsiders, the aloof female CEO of Orchid Bank was like a docile kitten being held by He Yunxiao.
“Yinyun, we’re all grown up now, we should have our own ideas. Yunbao, why do you think I set up a bank in the first place?”
Du Yinyun immediately replied, "Because the young master cares deeply for the common people and foresaw the conflict between Qi and Yan, he established a bank in advance to leverage a small investment for a large return, thereby obtaining military funds from the Chu family army. Then..."
He Yunxiao: ...
I'm too embarrassed to tell Yunbao the truth after hearing what she said.
"Ahem, Yinyun, I didn't think that much about it at first. My initial purpose in establishing this bank was actually to provide a betrothal gift for you, Sister Jiang. Do you know what my purpose was after that?"
Du Yinyun shook her head.
He Yunxiao stroked her hair and said softly, "It was all for you after that. I was thinking of letting you stand on your own and not have to listen to me in everything. I didn't expect you to be so useless, so fierce in front of outsiders, but so cowardly at home?"
Du Yinyun was moved by He Yunxiao's words and couldn't help but say, "Yinyun will always be your little maid."
"Stop, stop," He Yunxiao said. "I don't need any maids, I want Miss Du, the female president of the bank."
He Yunxiao released his left hand from Yunbao's waist, but saw that she was still lying on top of him and didn't want to move.
"Slap." A large hand gently patted the soft flesh.
The woman felt pain in her buttocks and reluctantly straightened up.
Looking at Yunbao, who still had a bright smile despite being spanked, He Yunxiao said with a headache, "Yinyun, the Orchid Bank is yours, and it's mine too. If you keep stammering and don't get to the point, we'll be the ones who suffer later. Does Yinyun want your son to suffer?"
Du Yinyun thought for a moment, and seemed to understand. So she boldly said, "Young master, the situation between Qi and Yan is still unsettled. Although we can gain some benefits by investing in Yan in advance, if the peace negotiations fail and war breaks out again, our investments will be lost by at least half. The risk is too high."
He Yunxiao laughed and said, "That's more like it. Yin Yun needs to express her thoughts clearly. But there's no need to worry about this. I have inside information that Qi Yan will definitely hold a meeting and stop the war."
Since He Yunxiao was so certain, Du Yinyun had no objections, and the two focused on discussing the investment project.
...
Baiyuxuan is a well-known fur shop in the Yan Kingdom.
It may not be large in scale, but its quality and reputation are both top-notch.
These are shops that can expand production and generate substantial profits with minimal investment.
Moreover, fur was considered a luxury item in both Qi and Yan. Ordinary families would not spend a lot of money to buy a beautiful but difficult-to-care-for garment. Only royalty and nobles who valued their reputation could afford it.
The State of Yan was famous for its furs, but it did not have as many wealthy people as the State of Qi.
Furthermore, Qi's winters are relatively warm, so thick fur coats are sufficient for warmth. Therefore, it's entirely possible to lower the standards and let wealthy people in Qi spend more money on less elaborate clothing.
He Yunxiao's eyes lit up as he looked at the suede coats displayed in Baiyuxuan.
Investing in furs in the State of Yan, rebranding them and selling them in the State of Qi—Yan gains jobs, Qi gains clothing, and you profit. It's a win-win-win situation! You're ecstatic!
He Yunxiao glanced at Du Meimei beside him, "What does Yinyun think?"
Du Yinyun nodded calmly.
So He Yunxiao shouted, "Waiter, bring your manager to see me."
Seeing that He Yunxiao and his companion were dressed in fine clothes, the waiter dared not be negligent and quickly went to fetch the manager.
In the backyard of Baiyuxuan, the sweating manager apologized profusely for refusing He Yunxiao and Du Yinyun's offer.
“It’s not that I don’t want to make money, it’s just that Baiyuxuan is an ancestral business, and I really have no intention of going to Qi.”
He Yunxiao and Sister Du exchanged a glance, then compromised and said, "How about this, we'll open another shop here, and our two businesses will cooperate more closely. You just need to expand production, and we can handle the rest."
"This, I'm afraid that won't work either. The furs in our shop are all bought from hunters. Even if we wanted to expand production, there aren't enough hunters to buy them all at once."
"We can take it slowly. If all else fails, we can also raise them for their skin..."
No matter how much He Yunxiao tried to persuade him, Manager Li simply wouldn't listen.
Du Yinyun said in a low voice, "Young master, I'm afraid there's no hope for this family."
He Yunxiao sighed, thanked him, and left.
Fortunately, there are more than one fur shop in Jingtian City. If Baiyuxuan doesn't work, we can try another one.
To He Yunxiao's surprise, not only Bai Yuxuan, but also the other shops were extremely wary of him and Du Yinyun. No matter how generous the cooperation terms he proposed, they simply refused.
After a day of searching, He Yunxiao and Du Yinyun finally discovered that not only the fur industry, but also other businesses, such as porcelain making and carving—any shops even remotely related to "luxury goods"—were unwilling to cooperate with him. On the contrary, shops unrelated to "luxury goods," such as restaurants and dried goods stores, indicated they were willing to cooperate.
This unusual scene made He Yunxiao wonder if he was being targeted.
However, since I have joined forces with Nangong Yu'er, what power in the Yan Kingdom can surpass Tingfeng Tower?
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