Zhu Changwang was examining the blueprints when he heard a series of "Big Brother" calls before even hearing the footsteps. He simply closed the blueprints and set them aside to wait.
The commotion quieted down as it reached the door. The door was gently pushed open, and a head peeked in. Seeing Zuo Qing smiling and paying respects by the bed, she knew her big brother was awake, so she pushed the door open and pattered in.
"Big Brother, we've struck gold!"
Zhu Changwang couldn't help but laugh, "If outsiders saw you acting like this, you'd hardly look like a young lady from a noble family. You're more like someone who's lived in poverty suddenly coming into unexpected fortune."
"It IS unexpected fortune! Big Brother, believe it or not, when I tell you, your eyes will light up too!" Zhu Changle spread her ten fingers in front of her eyes, and since her face was so small, she ended up covering her entire face. She then moved her face to the side and grinned at her brother.
Zhu Changwang never dismissed his youngest sister as childish despite her playful nature. He nodded with a smile, "You've never been wrong before, so we must indeed be coming into great fortune. Quick, tell me so I can share in the joy."
"Blood trees, those extremely valuable blood trees - Yunbei has two mountains of them!" Zhu Changle spread her arms wide in a circle to show him just how many there were.
Zhu Changwang sat up straight, "How big are the mountains? Are they far from the county town? Can we still find them?"
"First tell me, Brother, isn't this striking it rich?"
"Yes, we've struck gold!"
Seeing his little sister's smugness, Zhu Changwang couldn't resist patting her head as she leaned closer. "The value of blood trees isn't just in their selling price. Their presence gives Yunbei leverage. After decades of blockade, everything needs rebuilding, and Father has been worried about where to start. We can't sell rice anymore, and selling wine alone isn't enough. With blood trees as a supplement, once it becomes established, Yunbei will gradually find its footing. That's why I need to know how many trees there are and how long they can sustain us."
Zhu Changle lay on the edge of the bed and explained in detail, "There are many! One mountain is very large, and the other is just slightly smaller. If we're using them for furniture, they could sustain us for a long time. However, they're deep in the mountains where ordinary people can't reach, so we might need to cooperate with the Dragon-Breaking Sect. Aunt Feng and I searched the surrounding area and only found these two mountains. We haven't been to other places yet. I'll go look again right now..."
As she was about to stand up, her brother held her back.
"There's no rush." Seeing the sweat on her forehead, Zhu Changwang handed her a handkerchief. "Knowing about these two mountains is enough for me to make many arrangements."
"Oh right, it's not just blood trees - there's also Chinese fir! That's good for shipbuilding, isn't it? Big Brother, are you planning to build large ships? With Chinese fir and blood trees, we could build any kind of ship!"
Zuo Qing couldn't help but say from the side, "Fourth Young Miss, you truly are our lucky star. The Young Master had just ordered us to look for suitable shipbuilding timber, and you've already found it."
Zhu Changle nodded in agreement, "I also think heaven treats me especially well."
Zhu Changwang opened the blueprints to show her, "You're right, I do want to build large ships. Yunbei is coastal, and our shipbuilding technology was quite advanced in the past. Although we've fallen behind these years, people have still been studying it for survival, so we should be able to find quite a few skilled workers."
"Big Brother, this is amazing!" Zhu Changle flipped through the blueprints, where each part was broken down so clearly that even someone like her who didn't understand could grasp some of it. "Wait, Big Brother, when did you draw these? Weren't you supposed to be resting well during this time?"
"I didn't draw them," Zhu Changwang laughed. There was no need to hide this. "The Great Xia's shipbuilding technology is wasted on those small boats, though they're sufficient for inland rivers. In their view, sea transport isn't worth developing, and they need to guard against pirates, so inland waterways are safer. Naturally, no one wants to do this thankless task. But just because no one's doing it doesn't mean no one's thinking about it. After deciding to come to Yunbei, I collected many such blueprints. Before leaving the capital, I arranged for people to look for suitable workers. Hopefully, by the time the workforce is in place, Yunbei's problems will be resolved."
"Many issues have already surfaced, it won't be long now." Though she knew her brother hadn't drawn them, Zhu Changle was still in awe. Planning a hundred steps ahead - when it came to preparing for the future, few could match her brother's abilities.
That's why her brother could be Father's advisor, while she could only be the fighter.
Hehe, no need to compare herself with Big Brother, at least she was more useful than Second Brother.
Having cheered herself up, Zhu Changle bobbed her head as she continued flipping through the blueprints. When she reached the end, she was completely absorbed. "Big Brother, is this ship really this big?"
"The sea is different from inland rivers. A small boat would capsize with one wave - we must build ships of sufficient size."
That made sense. Zhu Changle nodded, "Once these ships are built, where will they go?"
"Zuo Qing, bring the map."
Zuo Qing quickly brought out the map, folded the unnecessary parts, and spread the rest before the Young Master. Zhu Changle's eyes lit up - it was new and complete!
"I only have one copy, don't take it."
Zhu Changle's eyes wandered. Well, she hadn't said she would take it!
Zhu Changwang gave her a knowing smile and pointed from the seas beside Yunbei upward. "If we can build large ships, Yunbei's goods can be transported by sea to Fuxing, and from there to various places. Geographically, Yunbei is isolated in this corner and too far from everywhere. If it weren't for this location, Gu'an wouldn't have been able to blockade us. Of course, we still need inland waterways - with two lifelines, we'll never fall into such dire straits again."
"We'll need to clear the seas first."
"Naturally." Zhu Changwang smiled, "The pirates have almost been spoiled rotten by Luo Ding, and as for those fake pirates - well, don't we have you and the disciples you've trained?"
"Hehe, I'll beat them until even their parents won't recognize them - though they don't show their faces anyway." Zhu Changle rested her chin on her hand, tapping her fingers against her face as she thought of something. "In such situations, casualties are inevitable, and this has become a blood feud. I can control myself, but the Yunbei people might not. What if there are too many deaths?"
"Isn't killing pirates during combat perfectly justified?" Zhu Changwang said calmly. "Should we just stand there and wait for the pirates to kill us? They haven't shown any mercy to Yunbei's people all these years."
"Big Brother, I have an idea."
"Let's hear it."
Zhu Changle looked sneaky, like a thief: "What if I capture more of them alive? They could be useful later when confronting Gu'an."
Zhu Changwang suddenly remembered what Ban Lian had once said about how 'Changle gets bloodied but doesn't take lives.' She wouldn't ask the Yunbei people to show mercy to the pirates - their hatred ran too deep, leaving only a fight to the death. But she had no such hatred, so she sought better solutions.
This approach might seem unnecessary or too soft-hearted, but she didn't care about that. She only did what she felt was right.
As her brother, he loved this aspect of Changle. Though he already had his own plans, he still reminded her of another fact with a smile, "They won't survive once they return to Gu'an - they'll be silenced permanently."
"That's exactly what we're fishing for!" Zhu Changle's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "Then we can wait for them to turn on each other, and the masterminds won't be able to hide anymore."
Zhu Changwang patted her head, "Good idea. Let's do it."
