The cruel little princess

When Shen Youyou returned to the barracks after morning training, she saw Liu Jianye waiting outside her tent with the signed contract. Thanks to the one hundred carts of food and fodder, Liu Jianye was well-respected by the soldiers. Those older than him called him Brother Liu, and those younger than him called him Brother Liu. He looked like someone who enjoyed his position. Of course, this was inseparable from his eloquent nature as a businessman.

General Shen and his men were a step behind. Upon hearing that the weapons battalion had forged the Zhuge Crossbow, they rushed over, but despite their haste, they were still a step behind. They heard that the first Zhuge Crossbow had been taken back to Prince Jin's tent. General Shen and Lieutenant General Zhang looked at each other, neither of them having the courage to approach Prince Jin's tent to request the crossbow. So they urged Master Wang and his men to forge another Zhuge Crossbow, so they could test its power and see if it lived up to its hype. General Shen had also heard that the Zhuge Crossbow had been designed by his beloved daughter. The old father was somewhat bewildered. Despite the constant stream of congratulations and compliments, he remained calm, saying with a smile, "It's just a toy made by my little girl. It's not worthy of formal display. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you all. We'll test it out once it's finished. Who knows, maybe she just uses it to pass the time in the mountains!"

Amidst the constant stream of praise, Master Wang, upon seeing the first Zhuge Crossbow taken by His Royal Highness Prince Jin, hurriedly crafted a second one, so they could showcase the immense power of this astonishing weapon to the crowd! Filled with immense excitement, they felt no sign of fatigue and once again began hammering the iron. Having mastered the first process, the second attempt seemed even more seamless and effortless. Working together, they completed the Zhuge Crossbow in less than two hours.

General Shen and Lieutenant General Zhang took the lead, carefully accepting the Zhuge Crossbow. After consulting the blacksmith, they eagerly took the crossbow to the training ground, first dispersing the scoundrels to avoid accidental injury. Lieutenant General Zhang then took the crossbow and arranged ten arrows vertically in the quiver, allowing gravity to drop them into the firing track at the bottom. He then attached the front end of the quiver to the front of the crossbow, and the front and rear ends were connected to a handle with an axle. The handle's pivoting axis was connected to the crossbow's long arm.

Lieutenant General Zhang pushed the handle forward, and the quiver slid forward with it until the corners of the L-shaped slots on either side of the track caught the bowstring, just enough for one arrow. The bottom arrow in the quiver dropped into the track. Lieutenant General Zhang gently pulled back on the handle, and the quiver slid back with it. As the quiver moved, the corners of the L-shaped slots gradually caught the bowstring, slowly extending it. Meanwhile, the second arrow had quietly slid into the track, ready for the next shot.

Lieutenant Zhang continued to pull the handle back, and the hooked bowstring struck the thimble on the crossbow arm, instantly pushing it out of the corner of the L-shaped groove. At that moment, the released bowstring launched the arrow at astonishing speed. With a sharp sound of breaking through the air, the arrow flew away like lightning.

This cycle repeated itself, each movement smooth and precise, as if practiced countless times. The crossbow in Lieutenant General Zhang's hand emitted a continuous whirring sound, and each arrow was like a deadly bullet, hitting the target with unerring accuracy.

Lieutenant General Zhang stared in disbelief at the arrow pinned to the target ten meters away, his heart filled with shock and astonishment. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "How...how is this possible?" Then, turning to look at General Shen with a dazed gaze, he asked in a trembling voice, "General, you said this was just a toy my niece used to play with while in the mountains? Is this...is this really just something she did for fun?"

Shen Duanfang was equally shocked, but even more surprised and excited. He couldn't help but exclaim, "I never thought this girl could make such a powerful weapon. Where on earth did she learn how to make something like this? This is truly eye-opening!"

Faced with this result, the onlookers fell silent. They couldn't imagine that a woman could create such a powerful weapon. This required not only exquisite craftsmanship, but also a deep understanding of weapons and innovative thinking. At this moment, they felt a surge of admiration for Shen Youyou, and at the same time, they felt incredibly lucky to have witnessed this scene. Moreover, this Zhuge Crossbow could also make an unparalleled contribution to the upcoming campaign! This was the way it was in the era of cold weapons: whoever had the most advanced weapons had the final say in war. This saying is equally true in modern times.

General Shen said excitedly, "Great! Great! Great! Pass the order down immediately and have the weapons battalion hurry up and forge the Zhuge Crossbow! Have the brothers practice with the crossbows so they can be ready for the battlefield!"

The generals were also extremely excited and expressed their willingness to accept the order. One of the generals shouted, "Yes! I accept the order!" The others followed suit, saying that they would convey the order and organize the soldiers' training as soon as possible.

After General Shen left, the generals and officers immediately rushed forward, surrounding Lieutenant General Zhang. Someone eagerly shouted, "Old Zhang, let me try!" Another rushed in, "Old Zhang, give it to me first! Let me calibrate it and see if I can get further!" Everyone clamored to try this new weapon.

"Give it to me! Give it to me!"

"Give it to me first!"

Lieutenant General Zhang was surrounded, his Zhuge Crossbow snatched from his grasp before he could react. He looked at the chaotic scene and smiled helplessly. Everyone was filled with curiosity and anticipation for this new gadget, eager to experience it for themselves. The scene was bustling with activity, with everyone eager to be the first to try out this powerful weapon.

On this side, Shen Youyou also invited Liu Jianye into the tent. After Chuntao served tea, she sat obediently behind the screen and continued to make clothes for her young lady.

The weather was too hot, so Liu Jianye picked up the teacup and took a big sip without hesitation. Then he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "County Lady, I have fulfilled my mission and have already reached an agreement with His Royal Highness Prince Jin yesterday. Thank you for your introduction! Secondly, I have already written the contract and will bring it to you for your review immediately." As he spoke, he took out the contract from his arms and respectfully held it in his hands and presented it to Shen Youyou.

Shen Youyou took the contract and began to read it. The first part was all standard, old-fashioned talk, but she saw only one clause: Shen Jianye would buy everything she made, selling it on her behalf, not distributing it. Furthermore, regardless of the price, Liu Jianye would only take a 10% commission. The remaining 90% would belong to Shen Youyou! The payment would be made monthly. Furthermore, Shen Youyou could make whatever she wanted and how much she wanted to sell, and Liu Jianye would never rush for delivery. She was a little incredulous.

For example, Shen Youyou sold a small jar of scar-soothing cream to Hongyan Pavilion for ten taels of silver. If the cost of the cream was five taels of silver, Shen Youyou would have made a net profit of five taels of silver. However, the price Hongyan Pavilion sold the cream for was irrelevant to Shen Youyou. If Hongyan Pavilion sold the cream for twenty taels of silver, they would have made a net profit of ten taels, earning more than Shen Youyou.

If Shen Youyou gave the scar-removing cream to Liu Jianye, Liu Jianye wouldn't pay for it first, but would keep a record of all the goods he received. Then, the goods might be shipped throughout the Golden Dragon Kingdom for promotion. If a can of scar-removing cream sold for twenty taels of silver, like the Hongyan Pavilion, Liu Jianye would keep two taels for transportation and promotional expenses, and the remaining eighteen taels would be paid to Shen Youyou. You have to understand, with the current situation of horse-drawn carriages, shipping the goods across the entire Golden Dragon Kingdom for only two taels of silver would be like giving her money for free! That's why Shen Youyou was so surprised.

There's a modern saying: From Nanjing to Beijing, it's better to be a good seller than a good buyer. But Liu Jianye's move can only be described as a waste of money promoting Shen Youyou. Shen Youyou thought for a moment and said, "Brother Liu, I know you're trying to make more money with good intentions, but as the saying goes, a gentleman loves money but earns it in a proper way. Your 10% commission is really too low. How about this, I'll take 60% and you get 40%."

"County Lady, please don't underestimate this little bit. The medicines you make are all extremely effective, far superior to what we have now. They were originally intended for use by the wealthy, so we'll price them higher. Creams like Shuhen Cream, my wife says, are also excellent for smoothing the face. Everyone who's used them says they work wonders! Even if you sell it for thirty taels of silver a small jar, my wife will buy it without blinking an eye. So, I'll still make some money! Please don't alienate me just for a few taels of silver."

After several rounds of extreme negotiation, the contract was finally redefined: Liu Jianye's share was 20%, and Shen Youyou's was 80%. Liu Jianye then rewrote the contract in three copies, with each party keeping one copy and the other being submitted to the government for recordation. This ensured the contract's formality and legal validity.