Chapter Thirty-One: Preparing to Increase Revenue and Reduce Expenditure
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Excitement came quickly, but it faded just as fast.
Zhang Li suddenly came to his senses. Did the First Prince’s residence really want him?
“Old Li, tell me honestly—does the First Prince’s residence really want me?”
“They do. The First Prince is recruiting disabled soldiers from the imperial capital. Otherwise, why would someone like me be here?”
Li Tie raised his arm and showed Zhang Li the empty sleeve.
“You know perfectly well that my injuries are far worse than yours. You merely lost a few fingers, while I lost an entire arm. If even someone like me is wanted, then of course they’ll want you too.”
Seeing that Zhang Li still seemed unconvinced, Li Tie grabbed him by the clothes and pulled him straight toward the door.
“All right. No matter how much more I say, you won’t believe me. I might as well take you directly before the First Prince. Then you’ll know.”
The First Prince? Zhang Li was instantly stunned.
Li Tie could actually meet the First Prince directly.
What an extraordinary honor that was!
Even though the First Prince had only just returned from the barbarian lands, he was still a prince of the imperial family!
How could he possibly let them go hungry?
What was more, he and Li Tie had shared life-and-death comradeship in the army. Li Tie would never deceive him about something like this.
After thinking it through, a trace of excitement appeared in Zhang Li’s eyes.
“Are there any requirements for serving the First Prince?”
Li Tie shook his head.
“No. But we’ll have to follow him to his fief. Once we arrive, we’ll be responsible for training new recruits.”
If that was all, Zhang Li’s heart had already begun to stir.
That was it? Wasn’t this a fortune dropping straight from the heavens?
Having realized this, Zhang Li seized Li Tie’s hand.
“Brother, you truly are a wonderful brother! I’ll bring my family to the First Prince’s residence at once and pledge my life to his service.”
Li Tie had no reason to deceive him—or rather, there was little to be gained from doing so.
Zhang Li knew that he was merely a disabled soldier, and the silver in his household had nearly been exhausted.
Even if Li Tie were a swindler, how much could he possibly cheat from him?
Upon hearing this, the smile on Li Tie’s face nearly overflowed.
As expected, recruiting Zhang Li had been the right choice. This was an auspicious beginning!
“Good. In that case, come with me to the First Prince’s residence!”
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Within the First Prince’s residence, Zhou Hao sat above them with an air of calm composure.
“You’re Zhang Li, the man Li Tie mentioned? Your injuries don’t appear particularly severe. How is it that you can no longer remain in the army?”
Zhang Li knelt trembling on the floor, not daring even to raise his head.
Those garments could only be worn by a prince.
If anyone else wore them, it would be a grave act of presumption.
So this truly was the First Prince! Li Tie had not deceived him after all.
“Your Highness, my injuries are indeed not severe, but the fingers I lost were rather important.”
Zhang Li extended his hand and showed the wound to Zhou Hao.
“Without those fingers, I can still wield a weapon, of course, but I can no longer exert nearly as much strength. That is why I had to leave the army.”
Zhou Hao nodded, gaining a clear understanding of Zhang Li’s background.
Then he said slowly, “Since that is the case, I’ll entrust you with a task. Like Li Tie, bring over every soldier you know.”
“No matter how many disabled soldiers there are, I want them all. As for their wives and children, they need not worry. They may remain here in my residence.”
With that, Zhou Hao clapped his hands. A servant approached carrying a box. Inside lay a fine set of clothes and ten ounces of silver.
“These are provisions for you. Li Tie is someone I have taken a liking to, and the fact that he has taken a liking to you means you must have your own merits. Still, anyone working in my residence must demonstrate what he can do.”
How could Zhang Li fail to understand Zhou Hao’s meaning?
“This humble one will do everything in his power and willingly give his life in Your Highness’s service!”
With that, he took the box of clothing and hurried out of the hall.
Zhou Hao nodded, gaining a clear assessment of Li Tie’s ability to get things done.
Though Zhang Li and Li Tie appeared to be close, Zhang Li truly met Zhou Hao’s standards.
He possessed solid strength. Though disabled, he could still train soldiers.
He even handled matters in a disciplined and methodical fashion.
“Young Master Zhou, aren’t you afraid that promising to take as many as there are is too grand an undertaking?”
Bi Ruxue was somewhat puzzled. It would be enough to recruit a few disabled soldiers and support them in the army.
Why recruit so many? News might spread quickly from one person to two, then from two to four, but it would also place a serious burden on the finances of the First Prince’s residence.
And if he meant to recruit soldiers from throughout the entire imperial capital, what an enormous expense that would be.
Could Zhou Hao truly bear it?
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Bi Ruxue had been following Zhou Hao everywhere these past few days, to the point that he had to take her along no matter what he was doing.
Naturally, meeting Zhang Li had been no exception.
“Ruxue, you haven’t thought this through. How many disabled soldiers could there possibly be in the entire imperial capital?”
“Those who are physically sound are still serving in the army. Those whose disabilities are too severe have long since died at home. Only those who are disabled yet still capable of supporting their families remain alive.”
“Under such circumstances, how many people like that could there be in the capital? Even if we recruited every last one of them, how much would it cost?”
“It’s a very simple calculation. No matter how you work it out, I won’t lose money.”
Though he claimed it would not be a loss, Zhou Hao had already begun considering how to increase his sources of income.
Cutting expenses was impossible.
Not a single thing he planned to do could be omitted. He would have to spend vast sums of silver.
But he had come from another world, after all. Tomorrow, he would survey the imperial capital and see whether there were any things people needed but which had yet to appear.
Soap, perhaps—or lipstick and foundation?
All of these things were highly profitable, and their production would not require a large workshop.
The materials needed would not be particularly numerous, yet every one of these products would be valuable.
He could give some to Bi Ruxue, of course, while also setting off a craze for beauty throughout the capital and emptying the purses of every official’s daughter!
You become beautiful, and I become rich. Zhou Hao adored this sort of win-win arrangement.
“Ruxue, suppose there were something that made washing the body especially convenient. It was fragrant, and it also cleaned exceptionally well. How many people in the capital do you think would buy it for their homes?”
Bi Ruxue was slightly taken aback. A hint of astonishment entered her gaze as she looked at Zhou Hao.
“Young Master Zhou, does the item you describe truly exist?”
Zhou Hao merely smiled and said nothing.
Soap naturally existed, but first he needed to see how Bi Ruxue reacted.
He would investigate what the people of the entire capital needed most. Only then could he introduce the right products more effectively.
And let the silver flow into his own purse.
“If it did exist, how many daughters of official households do you think would buy it?”
Bi Ruxue gave a light laugh and replied calmly, “Young Master Zhou, you truly know how to jest. If such a thing really existed, the question would not be how many people would buy it, but how many would refuse to do so.”
“Everyone possesses a desire for beauty. This item would not only cleanse the body, but also leave behind a delicate fragrance. In this world, how many women could possibly reject something like that?”
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