All Hail Cousin Brother

389 Bold

Yu Youyao picked up a spoonful of loquat paste and dissolved it into the water. Holding the loquat water, she moved closer to her cousin ingratiatingly, as if presenting a treasure. “The loquat paste is a little sweet, but after mixing into the water, the taste should be light and refreshing. It’s good to nourish the lungs in spring and autumn. Drinking more loquat honey water is good for the body. Cousin, try it. Do you like it?”

The little girl looked at him eagerly, her eyes so bright that they dazzled his eyes. How could Zhou Linghuai bear to refuse? He immediately took the drink from the little girl and lowered his head to taste it. She had promised him for a long time, but she had delayed making the loquat honey water.

The loquat honey water was sweet and refreshing. It indeed tasted good.

Zhou Linghuai put down his teacup and looked at her with a faint smile. “You specially took the time to come over today. You don’t visit unless there’s something important, right?” He changed the topic. “Tell me, what’s the matter?”

When Yu Youyao heard this, she was a little unhappy. “Cousin, what are you saying? Can’t I look for you when I’m fine?”

Although she had indeed come to look for her cousin for something.

Uh, but she felt embarrassed to hear her cousin say that!

Zhou Linghuai picked up the loquat honey and drank it again. “In that case, I’ve wronged you. Did you really come to look for me for nothing else?”

Yu Youyao looked guilty. She leaned closer to her cousin and held his arm. “Uh, I can’t say that there’s nothing. I-I just have a small…” She stretched out two small fingers and gestured. As she narrowed her eyes to observe her cousin’s expression, she giggled. “It’s really a small matter but I have to trouble you.”

Seeing that her cousin was calmly drinking the water without even raising his eyebrows, she did not say anything.

Yu Youyao’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly took the teacup from her cousin’s hand. “The loquat honey water tastes good, right? I specially mixed it according to Cousin’s taste. Whether it’s sweetness or sourness, it’s strictly controlled by me. I guarantee that it is honey water adjusted to your taste.”

“It’s indeed not bad.” Zhou Linghuai nodded. Seeing the little girl’s anticipation, he couldn’t help but laugh but he didn’t show his emotions.

Yu Youyao said solicitously, “I’ll make another cup for you. It’s summer, and your throat is congested. Cousin, drink more loquat honey water to clear your throat.”

With that, she quickly went to the table again. A cup of loquat honey water was quickly brewed and handed back to her cousin.

Zhou Linghuai took the teacup and placed it on the desk. He smiled helplessly. “I’m listening!”

Seeing that her cousin had finally smiled, Yu Youyao moved closer to him and said coquettishly, “Cousin, all the civil and military officials in this dynasty have the tradition of raising guards. There’s a ‘Protection Command Department of the Wang Residence’ in the royal family’s residence. It’s in charge of the guards’ honor guard, the guards of the Wang Residence, and the king’s residence. It’s guarded by five households each.”

“In that case, there are at least 2,000 soldiers in the residence. Some of these soldiers are in charge of the safety of the residence, while others are in charge of the safety of their masters when they go out. When there’s a battle, they will go to the battlefield with their masters and follow them. They won’t prioritize killing the enemy, but will their masters’ safety.”

Even Zhou Linghuai, who had always been meticulous, was stunned when he heard this.

Why had Yu Youyao suddenly mentioned this?

Yu Youyao shook her cousin’s arm gently and blinked. She looked innocent and cute as she looked at her cousin. “Cousin, where did all the soldiers from the You Residence go?”

She did not believe that all the soldiers of the Prince of You’s Residence had died in battle.

The young lady had designs on the soldiers of the Wang Residence. Zhou Linghuai was curious about what she was up to. “Why are you asking this?”

Yu Youyao did not hide it. “I want to set up an escort business in Liangjiang, Huguang, Liangguang and Minzhe from all directions and form business relationships.”

When Zhou Linghuai heard this, he smiled and flicked her forehead. “You’re still young, but you have a big ambition. If you really manage this business, at least 40% of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s trade lifeline will be in your hands. Do you like to earn money so much?”

He had originally thought that since the little girl had too many businesses under her name, she should spend some effort to reorganize and manage them.

Unexpectedly, he had underestimated the little girl’s ambition to earn money.

Liangjiang: Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Huhai (Shanghai). This was the most prosperous area in Jiangnan. Commerce was very developed, and it was a place where the Imperial Court paid taxes.

Huguang: Hubei and Hunan. These two places have been important food producers since ancient times. Half of the Great Zhou Dynasty’s food was produced in Huguang.

Liangguang: Guangdong and Guangxi. These two places were vast and abundant in resources, and were rich in ores and beautiful jade.

Minzhe: Fujian and Zhejiang, needless to say, are prosperous places for maritime trade.

These four places were the hinterland of the Central Plains.

Not only was she ambitious, but she was also smart and bold.

Even back then, he did not dare to get involved in the business path of the four lands. His elite troops had become bandits.

However, things were different now.

What he couldn’t do, Yu Youyao was the most suitable to do.

Yu Youyao nodded heavily. “Who would complain about having too much money? Of course, the more the better. I have the ability to earn more money, so why shouldn’t I? Moreover, it’s not just these four lands. When the time is right, I want to use the escort business to open up trade routes in the east, west, south, and north. The pearl coral in the east, the precious medicinal herbs and wood in the south, the ores and jade in the west, and the coal and charcoal in the north are all precious items of the Great Zhou Dynasty. However, as I’m more involved with the vassal lords guarding them, they haven’t reached a large scale. There’s a lot of business opportunities inside.”

This was her real goal.

Since ancient times, only by mastering the business path could one earn a huge profit. Others did not dare to do it because their backers were not strong enough. However, she had her cousin. In terms of backing, no one in the Great Zhou Dynasty could compare to her.

Since she had a strong capital, of course she had to do something big.

Zhou Linghuai rubbed the top of her head. “Not only do you have a big appetite, but you’re also bold. The so-called escort business is just a tool for you to transport supplies from the four lands. Your true goal is to do business with the vassal states and earn money, food, and things from them. How can you dare to think so much?”

Yu Youyao’s lips curled up. “Who asked Cousin to have such a strong backing? The Imperial Court owes money to the army every year, and Youzhou lacks resources. Naturally, the other vassal states also lack resources. They also work with merchants. I have money, people, connections, and channels. There’s no reason for the four vassal states not to do business with me.”

If the world was in chaos, who had the most resources would be able to establish their foundation in this chaotic world.

Whoever obtained the trade path would be able to control the flow of resources. Only then would they be invincible.

Who had the most money…

Yu Youyao narrowed her eyes slightly to hide the many emotions in them. “Cousin, we have connections now, but we still need to use your name to intimidate those bandits, so…”