Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 75 Master Zhang's Little Expectation

Qingmei and Rena looked embarrassed and awkward.

Regardless of whether they were willing or not, the two of them argued for quite a while, their faces red and necks bulging.

The little green plum had even discussed with Rena what positions to use to seduce Yang Can, but...

Doesn't this make us seem a bit presumptuous?

Shame to death!

Yang Can is still single-mindedly planning his business blueprint.

While his mind was completely focused on building his business empire, he overlooked the changes in the two girls' expressions.

“Qingmei, since you can manage the affairs of the mansion well, then managing the merchant group will be no problem.”

I don't want you to be in charge of the specific operational matters; leave those to Rena.

You're in charge of managing people and accounts; these things aren't complicated, and even the most complicated ones are simpler than the scheming in the Grand Mansion.

"You can handle even those old women and maids, this kind of thing is a piece of cake."

Qingmei smiled slightly and said, "Thank you."

When Yang Can praised her for the first time, she didn't feel happy at all, but rather ashamed and indignant.

Yang Can then looked at Rena Baier: "And you, Rena. You should be very familiar with the situation in the Western Regions and be skilled in commerce and trade, right?"

Rena said confidently, "Of course. I've been doing business with my father between the East and the West since I was a child. Even a camel would understand after watching for so long."

"Very good!"

Yang Can was used to making empty promises, so he casually drew one for her as well: "As long as you can help me manage the business and make it a big success."

"Then I promise that in three years you will be stripped of your slave status, and in five years you will be allowed to leave freely."

Rena's eyes lit up when she saw the carrot he was holding up in front of her.

Yang Can continued to talk about his business ideas, and as he spoke, Rena's eyes lit up even more.

According to Master Yang, this is no small business.

Rena is not only very knowledgeable about business, but she is also very passionate about management.

Even as an infant, she was already traveling with her father between the East and the West.

Her childhood was spent on the back of a hunchback, listening to the camel bells and feeling the wind of the vast sea.

However, she never had the opportunity to become the leader of a caravan.

Because at this time, the status of women in the Persian Empire was similar to that of women in Eastern countries.

Although they had more personal rights compared to many later dynasties, such as the Song and Ming dynasties.

However, these rights are mainly focused on their marital relationships, family relationships, and family finances.

Even for aristocratic women, their political rights were quite limited.

In the public sphere of the Persian Empire, women rarely had the opportunity to appear in public and take charge of affairs.

Although Rena is passionate about running a business and has always been eager to try,

But her father never indicated that he would let her take control of the Hu merchant team that he had built from scratch.

Moreover, the foreign merchants in those caravans would not willingly submit to a young girl.

Unexpectedly, this Master Yang is now willing to grant her such great power, allowing her to fully realize her life's ambitions.

Rena was immediately filled with fighting spirit. She wanted to try and take advantage of the opportunity Yang Can had given her to see if she had the ability.

“Alright! Master Yang, I’m willing to manage your business for you. However, you need to sign a contract with me and write down your promise.”

Yang Can was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Okay, if it's in black and white, then no one can go back on their word. I agree."

Qingmei stared wide-eyed with curiosity as Yang Can asked someone to bring pen and ink, and he and Rena Baier began to carefully draft the contract.

A written agreement?
is that useful?
Little Green Plum pouted. "Have you forgotten that you're his slave girl? Your indenture is still with him."

Even if you have a written agreement, if he tries to renege on his promise, who can you complain to?
This is the Yu family's territory.

A scene quietly surfaced in Qingmei's mind:
Rena, her face filled with grief and indignation, knelt before the court. Yang Can sat behind the desk, his face stern as he looked at Rena, who held up the petition.

"Who is kneeling here, and why are you accusing this official?"

Oh dear, how tragic!
Qingmei looked at Rena with pity. Were all those old women from the barbarians so simple-minded?
Yang Can pressed his fingerprint on the drafted contract and then waved to Qingmei.

"Qingmei, come here and be our guarantor."

"I?"

Qingmei pointed to the tip of her nose, and only after receiving an affirmative answer from Yang Can did she walk over.

Qingmei chuckled as she signed and pressed her fingerprint on the document, and Rena Baier quickly took it over like a precious treasure and carefully folded it.

She inhaled, tightened her stomach, and tucked the note into her belt...

"Oh!"

As expected, the rope tied to the back of the herb snapped.

A sharp cry, like that of a Persian cat, came from the small flower hall, followed by the flickering red candlelight.

……

In the flickering candlelight, the strands of hair at Yu Xinglong's temples shimmered with a silvery brilliance.

Despite his careful attention to his health, the mental and physical strain of managing a declining family business was too great, and his temples had turned white.

In front of him were some parts of the two-piece armor that Kang Zhengyang had presented.

Yu Xinglong's expression was very solemn.

Given his current physical weakness, his head would throb with pain if he thought about things for too long.

However, he could not help but think about it and consider it carefully.

Who is trafficking armor?
Are they members of the Yu family?
How did he manage to manufacture so many suits of armor without me knowing?

How long has his armor been on the market?
How many of these suits of armor does the buyer currently possess?

Kang Zhengyang discovered these armor parts in Canglang Gorge, so...

These armors were probably sold to a Xianbei tribe, right?
Is a hungry tiger quietly growing up beside my bed at home?

The Xianbei people are now fragmented, their power even more scattered than that of the Eight Clans of Longxi.

Therefore, even the four most powerful Xianbei tribes no longer possessed the ability to challenge the Eight Great Clans of Longshang.

However, once a Xianbei tribe possessed a large number of armors, they could quickly disrupt the balance among the various Xianbei tribes.

Its effectiveness is much faster than that of Yu Jiazhang.

By improving the plow and the high-powered waterwheel, the Yu family broke through the constraints of farmland, freeing up a large amount of labor and thus benefiting greatly.

However, this transformation process is quite lengthy, which is why the other powerful families did not immediately regard the Yu family as a major threat.

But the steppe tribes were different; their conquest and expansion were much faster. Once someone unified the Xianbei tribes, they would inevitably expand eastward.

At that time, their family will be the first to be affected.

The current external and internal troubles have already left Yu Xinglong overwhelmed. But unexpectedly, the Xianbei people, whom he considered to be no threat at all, have now joined in the fray.

Yu Xinglong frowned and anxiously held his forehead.

"Kang Zhengyang, how many suits of armor do you think they're trading?"

Kang Zhengyang replied in a deep voice, "They have four large carts."

If all four vehicles were equipped with this type of armor, then there would be nearly a hundred sets this time alone.

Yu Xinglong felt a chill run down his spine.

If a single transaction involves one hundred sets, and this isn't the first transaction...

The tiger beside his bed had clearly grown up.

No! Impossible! I've never heard of any Xianbei tribe launching a large-scale invasion of other tribes.

If a tribe already possesses a large number of armored vehicles, it's unlikely they'll remain so content.

Besides, are a hundred sets of armor really that easy to get?

The elite troops of the Eight Clans of Longshang had an armor coverage rate of only 20% to 30%, which was comparable to that of the elite troops of the Southern Dynasties.

As for the Northern Dynasties, their elite troops had a higher rate of armor wear, but only 30% to 40% were armored.

Private workshops could not have produced so many suits of armor and kept them undetected for so long.

If it was stolen from the military...

It's almost impossible that nearly a hundred sets of armor disappeared out of thin air.

Not that many, there shouldn't be that many...

Yu Xinglong secretly comforted himself and said in a deep voice, "I already understand this matter. Kang Zhengyang, you have done very well."

Kang Zhengyang was immediately overjoyed.

Yu Xinglong pondered for a moment and decided to send the Second Steward, He Youzhen, to investigate the matter.

He would remain uneasy until he got to the bottom of this matter.

However, Kang Zhengyang need not know about this arrangement.

He glanced at Kang Zhengyang and asked, "How is Yang Can doing in Feng'an Village?"

Kang Zhengyang replied respectfully, "Master Yang cherishes the people and governs effectively."

The farmers and common people of Feng'an all said that their lord was wise, for he had sent them a good lord.

A faint smile appeared on Yu Xinglong's face.

Kang Zhengyang added, "If it weren't for Yang Zhuang's alertness this time, I'm afraid my subordinates would not only have failed to discover the armor, but would have also suffered heavy losses."

Yu Xinglong nodded: "Hmm, it seems my son has good judgment. This Yang Can is indeed quite talented."

Kang Zhengyang continued, "Currently, Master Yang is preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival in May. At that time, he will gather all the managers of the six major estates and three major ranches to win over the hearts of the people for the clan leader."

Yu Xinglong nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and thought to himself, "My son hired him as a consultant, and it's definitely not just because he saved my life."

This person is indeed quite capable.

My son has excellent taste, it's just a pity...

Thinking of his son's untimely death, Yu Xinglong felt a pang of pain in his heart.

He thought again, Yang Can has now made great contributions to improving the plow and waterwheel, and he can also win people's hearts in Feng'an Village, so he can't be touched.

Otherwise, the subordinates will become disloyal, and the second-in-command and the restless third-in-command will likely jump out and stir up trouble.

Hmm... I sent someone to summon Li Youcai back, but I don't know where he is now.

When he returns, let him go to Feng'an Village with He Youzhen.

That way, we can find an opportunity to make him take the blame!
……

Feng'an Village, Zhang Xiaomi's residence.

Under the cover of night, Wan Tai stood with his hands at his sides in a quiet corridor, as still as a statue.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Zhang Yunyi slowly walked out of the room.

This is the bedroom of the young mistress Chen Wan, and Zhang Yunyi is her father-in-law.

However, no one in the mansion dared to utter a word about it.

Even Wan Tai, Zhang Yunyi's confidant, never dared to discuss this topic.

Zhang Yunyi now seems to have broken free of all the shackles in his heart, and is acting more and more recklessly.

Moreover, his personality became extremely sinister, and even Wan Tai often felt intimidated in his presence.

On the couch, a beautiful body lay sprawled, tears welling in her eyes.

Chen Wan'er lay there silently and motionless, her eyes devoid of light, as if she were dead.

Her husband died, and her dignity and innocence were also destroyed by her grandfather.

She is now living a life worse than death.

The door slowly closed, preventing Wan Tai from stealing a glance.

Zhang Yunyi stood in front of him and asked calmly, "Did Yang Can and the others catch up with Master Shan's men?"

Wan Tai bowed and said, "News has come from the village that they caught up with Master Shan's men in Canglang Gorge. However..."

"Ok?"

Wan Tai stepped forward, lowering his voice even further.

"However, when they arrived, they encountered a group of Xianbei people and Shanye's men fighting."

They didn't dare to fight the Xianbei people and withdrew in time.

However, Kang Zhengyang's men said that, judging from the situation at the time, it seemed that Master Shan and his men were likely in grave danger.

"Oh? The Xianbei people are involved too? Which tribe are they from?"

Zhang Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly: "Heh, this is getting more and more interesting..."

Wan Tai reminded him, "Master, if it was the Xianbei who killed Master Shan's men, then the blame won't fall on Yang Can."

Zhang Yunyi shook his head and smiled, "They can spread rumors that the Xianbei killed Shan Ye's men, and we can spread rumors that Yang Can's men killed Shan Ye's men."

Master Shan will definitely investigate this matter. How can he dare to continue doing business if he doesn't get to the bottom of it?

"Once he investigates, I have a way to make him suspect Yang Can, and then Yang Can will be doomed."

"Your move is brilliant, sir!"

"Just wait and see. Yang Can wouldn't dare not report this to the clan leader, and the clan leader will send someone over then. Feng'an Village is about to get lively."

Zhang Yunyi said with a smile, "Yang Can just defeated me, turning from a foreign dragon into a local snake."

Soon, a new, powerful dragon will emerge to challenge this local tyrant.

Hehe, this old man is actually quite looking forward to it.

(End of this chapter)