The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

From Suzhou to the capital, even if you ride at full speed day and night, it will still take about ten days to go back and forth.

On the second day, An Lingrong brought a few people back to the workshop and told them the plan she had thought of yesterday. Fortunately, she had 200,000 taels of silver given by Shen Meiyu and Zhen Huan, which came in handy.

"Cousin, please find as many carpenters as you can in Suzhou. You can double their wages, but you must make them work day and night to build more of these new spinning machines as soon as possible."

Shen Yunfei responded: "I'll do it right away!"

An Lingrong turned her gaze to Wang Yu who had been waiting on the side.

"Master Wang, you must be very familiar with the textile industry in Suzhou City, right?"

This Suzhou merchant's eyes had been twinkling with a strange brilliance since he saw the new loom yesterday. He could sense that this spinning and weaving machine could revolutionize the textile industry of Suzhou and even the Qing Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu immediately stepped forward, his sleeves trembling slightly as he bowed. "To answer your question, Madam, three generations of my ancestors have run cloth shops in Suzhou, so I do know a thing or two about the ins and outs of each workshop."

He paused, his voice unconsciously lowered: "I stayed awake all night last night, thinking over and over again, Madam, if this new loom is promoted..."

An Lingrong looked at him with a glint of admiration in her eyes. He was indeed a man with good taste.

"The old looms only need a little modification. I want you to collect all the looms available in Suzhou and surrounding areas. Price is not an issue."

"I will do my best!" He bowed deeply, his forehead almost touching the ground.

"Okay!" An Lingrong nodded with satisfaction, turned to Liu Zhu and said, "Young Master Wang, just withdraw whatever silver you need."

"Yes!"

An Lingrong's gaze fell on Sun Heyin again. "Ayin, go to Suzhou City in the next two days and buy a shop in each of the four directions: east, west, south, and north." She paused and added, "It should be spacious."

Sun Heyin thought for a moment and asked, "Are you planning to open a spinning and weaving workshop? And then sell the cloth?"

"No," An Lingrong suddenly turned around, a sharp light flashing in her eyes, "What I want to build is not an ordinary workshop."

She spread her arms and gestured, "It needs to be large enough to accommodate at least a thousand people working simultaneously."

"Thousands of people?" Sun Heyin stared at An Lingrong with wide eyes. "The largest weaving workshop in Suzhou City only has two or three hundred people. You..."

"What I want to build is a place that can revolutionize Suzhou's textile industry."

Sun Heyin took a deep breath and suddenly understood An Lingrong's ambition - this was not to get a piece of the pie, but to redefine the rules of Suzhou's textile industry.

"I understand." Sun Heyin nodded seriously, fighting spirit burning in her eyes.

Half a month later, at daybreak, the sound of hurried horse hooves echoed across the bluestone pavement of Suzhou City. Two fine horses galloped into the city, their riders dusty and dusty, their robes still stained with the night dew.

Shen Yunfei was still asleep when he was awakened by a series of rapid knocks on the door.

He was exhausted from days of running around, and when he was woken up, he was immediately furious.

He hastily put on a coat, tied his belt, and walked to open the door while cursing: "Who is so blind as to disturb my sweet sleep so early in the morning? If it's nothing serious, I will make you pay for it..."

As the door opened, his sleepy eyes suddenly opened wide, and the anger on his face instantly turned into surprise: "Brother?! Why are you here?"

Shen Pingchuan stood outside the door, his face gloomy as steel. He glanced at the shabby guest room and frowned even more tightly: "You guys live in a place like this?"

"This is already one of the best inns in Suzhou City. Here are the rooms!" Shen Yunfei scratched his head, confused.

Shen Pingchuan said coldly, "When you're away from home, why don't you just buy a house? There are too many people watching you if you stay in an inn. What if something goes wrong?"

"Buy a house?" Shen Yunfei was stunned for a moment, then realized that this was his elder brother caring about him, and he was deeply touched. "Brother, I always stay in inns when I go out, and nothing has ever happened to me. You don't have to worry about me, I'm all grown up..."

"That's you!" Shen Pingchuan's voice suddenly rose, then he suppressed it, gritting his teeth and saying, "Now... she's traveling with you. This inn is full of mixed people. If something goes wrong, can you afford it?"

Shen Yunfei finally reacted and said awkwardly, "Brother, you know I don't have enough money to buy a house."

"Didn't your father give you any money?"

"I spent three thousand taels, but..." Shen Yunfei looked around and lowered his voice, "Brother, you don't know, our cousin spends money like water. I'm really worried that I won't have enough money when I go back..."

Shen Pingchuan stared at him as if he were a fool, his mouth twitching a few times, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Can't you send someone back to get it?"

"Me?" Shen Yunfei's eyes widened, and he pointed at the tip of his nose. "Normally, if I ask for ten taels of silver, the accountant will interrogate me for a long time. How dare I ask casually?"

"Can you be the same as her?" Shen Pingchuan was almost laughing out of anger.

"Ah? What's the difference?" Shen Yunfei looked confused.

Shen Pingchuan choked, not wanting to waste any more time talking to his clueless brother. He turned to the attendant behind him and said, "Zhou Lin, go get the waiter to prepare some water. I need to take a shower and change my clothes."

After he changed into clean clothes, tied his hair back and put on a crown, and regained some of the noble demeanor of a young master from an aristocratic family, he said in a deep voice, "Take me to see her."

"Okay!" Shen Yunfei responded readily, turned around and walked to the door of the next room, knocking lightly three times.

The door creaked open a crack, revealing half of Liu Zhu's pretty face.

Shen Yunfei lowered his voice and said, "Liu Zhu, tell your cousin that my elder brother is here."

"Master Shen, please wait a moment." Liu Zhu nodded slightly and closed the door.

Outside the door, Shen Pingchuan was carefully adjusting his clothes and rolling up his sleeves. This was the "sleeve-flipping ceremony" in official circles - when meeting a superior, one would solemnly flip down the sleeves to salute as a sign of respect.

Shen Yunfei was confused watching from the side, and couldn't help but move closer and ask, "Brother, what are you doing?"

"Shut up." Shen Pingchuan scolded in a low voice, raised his hand to adjust his collar and the jade belt around his waist, and even brushed off the dust on his boots.

Shen Yunfei widened his eyes and wondered in his heart: Is it really necessary to be so serious?

Not long after, the door opened again.

Liu Zhu stood sideways and made a "please" gesture: "Master Shen, please come in."

"Thank you, young lady." Shen Pingchuan bowed in return and stepped in.

Shen Yunfei was about to follow, but saw Liu Zhu stretched out his arm and stopped him outside the door.

"boom--"

The door slammed shut in front of Shen Yunfei's nose, almost hitting his tall nose. He touched his nose and muttered angrily, "Is there anything else I can't listen to..."

Inside the house, Shen Pingchuan knelt on the ground as soon as he entered, his sleeves swished off, and he performed a standard official ceremony: "Your humble servant Shen Pingchuan pays homage to the Dowager Concubine Wen Gui. May the Empress be blessed with good health."

An Lingrong sat upright on a carved armchair, raised her hand, and said gently, "Master Shen, there's no need to be so polite. Please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Shen Pingchuan stood up and took out a brocade-wrapped envelope from his bosom, presenting it with both hands: "I left the capital to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager at the Old Summer Palace. This is a letter from home that the Empress Dowager ordered me to deliver."

Liu Zhu took the letter and handed it to An Lingrong.

She opened the wax seal, glanced through it quickly, and a gentle smile appeared on the corner of her lips: "How are you, sister?"

"The Empress Dowager is in good health and has specifically asked me to convey a message, asking Your Majesty to take care of yourself." Shen Pingchuan replied respectfully.

An Lingrong put the letter into her sleeve, her smile growing wider. "Since you've mentioned my sister, there's no need to be so distant, Lord Shen. Just call me cousin."

"I dare not!" Shen Pingchuan bowed quickly.

"Alright," An Lingrong waved her hand. "It's more convenient this way when we're out in the field. Just listen to me."

"Yes." Shen Pingchuan then relaxed his tense shoulders slightly.

An Lingrong gestured for him to take a seat and personally poured him a cup of tea, handing it to him. "Brother, I didn't expect my sister would send you here in person."

Shen Pingchuan took the teacup with both hands and lowered his voice, saying, "The Empress Dowager is well aware of the importance of this matter and was afraid that others might make mistakes, so she sent me here. I am now the Minister of Revenue, and what you are about to do falls within my responsibilities. The new Suzhou Weaving Supervisor will be arriving soon, but I have gone ahead to handle the handover paperwork."

"Oh?" An Lingrong raised her eyebrows slightly. "Who is the new textile manufacturer?"

"Your Majesty also recognized him. It was Song Jiashu."

"So it's him." An Lingrong's eyes flashed with understanding, "This person is quite reliable."

"Yes. The Emperor praised him highly. You can use him with confidence!"