The Empress Wants It All: The Empire and Me - Chapter 39.1

Chapter 39.1

Lin Yanran had no idea she was being targeted by the villain again. She was feeling quite proud of herself—Lin Dahai had taken the bait, and next, she would start pulling in the net.

She shook her legs even more vigorously, squinting at him sideways. “Uncle, in this wild, remote mountain range of ours, how much can a few patches of broken land be worth? Miss Gu wants to open a workshop, and the Prefecture City has plenty of fertile land waiting for her. The government is even willing to give her a large plot of land for free! That’s because once her pharmaceutical workshop opens, food stalls, inns, grain and oil shops, clothing stores, pharmacies, and pawnshops will all swarm in. Her one workshop creates an entire street. She isn’t short of land at all!“

Lin Dahai was so anxious his mouth went dry. He hurriedly nudged Lin Dashan. Lin Dashan spoke with a tone of deep concern: “Yanran, this workshop must be built in our Phoenix Town. Look at it this way: building a workshop is a way to make big money, and since you’re making precious things like medicine pills, you’ll definitely need to keep things secret, right? If someone stole the secret formula, wouldn’t that be a huge loss? But we are different; we are your own people, and we are of one heart with you. Besides, the men of Phoenix Town are battle-hardened. When work needs to be done, we’ll work for you. If bandits come, or if the Northern Barbarians come, we can pick up our bows and arrows and take the field to kill the enemy. Even if we lose limbs, we will keep that workshop as solid as a fortress!“

Lin Yanran thought to herself: Lin Dashan is indeed a man who has seen the world; he hits the nail on the head. However, she deliberately let out a snort. “If it’s opened in the Prefecture City, there are plenty of the Governor’s soldiers for protection. Why fear bandits or Barbarians? But then again—”

Lin Dahai and Lin Dashan leaned their heads in simultaneously. “Yanran, tell us quickly, ‘but’ what? Whatever you need, we’ll get it for you!“

Lin Yanran said slowly, “Uncle Dashan has a point. I am a native of Phoenix Town after all; I should look out for everyone.“

Lin Dahai nodded like a woodpecker. “Right, right, right! Yanran, you’ve finally seen sense.“

Lin Yanran rolled her eyes. “Uncle, I’ll put the ugly words first: if you aren’t sincere enough, don’t get involved in this business, or else I can’t afford the embarrassment. Something Uncle Dashan said just now reminded me—this workshop is a business for generations. Giving one or two plots of land simply won’t suffice. Even if you took all the land in Phoenix Town, it wouldn’t be as large as the plot the Prefecture City is giving away.“

“All the land?” Lin Dahai was suddenly troubled, his brow furrowing. “Yanran, the land belongs to everyone. If you take it all, what will everyone eat and drink in the future?“

Lin Yanran said nonchalantly, “I said, since you are of one heart with me, could I mistreat you? I will find a good way out for everyone. The land will be treated as everyone’s ‘share’ (investment). Anyone who provides land will hold a share in the workshop. Shareholders can receive a dividend at the end of every year. Beyond that, all people from Phoenix Town will have priority for recruitment into the workshop. This way, everyone gets an annual dividend and a monthly wage. Only someone like Miss Gu can afford such a sweet deal.“

“I’m telling you now: this must be a mutual agreement. If you hesitate, regret, or are afraid, don’t get involved. I’ll just go to the Prefecture City with Miss Gu to make a fortune!“

Lin Dahai panicked upon hearing this. “How can that be? You’re a Phoenix Town native; how can you get rich without bringing everyone along? Yanran, hey Yanran, you can’t forget your roots!“

Lin Yanran rolled her eyes. Lin Dahai was truly a nuisance; she had laid it all out, yet he was still playing the “roots” card.

Lin Dashan looked at Lin Yanran. She had specifically sent someone to invite him, so she clearly wanted his support. This child was clever and magnanimous; just the incident of selling game in the county town showed she would achieve great things. Helping her would definitely pay off.

However, selling land had been a major affair since ancient times. For common folk, unless they were at a dead end, who would be willing to part with their fields?

He held back the frantic Lin Dahai and asked, “Yanran, I just want to ask you two things. First, this land is our lifeblood; if the parents pass away, can the children and grandchildren inherit the dividends and the job? Second, once this land is sold, can it be bought back?“

Lin Yanran said without hesitation, “Of course. As long as you provide land, your dividends and wages can be passed down forever. We are selling the land to the workshop; if you want it back, you naturally can. But let me be clear: Miss Gu is doing business with sincerity, and business demands fairness and integrity. She is bringing you along to get rich, willing not only to buy your land but also let you use it as a share—that is kindness. Since she is being kind, we cannot benefit ourselves at her expense. If you take the land back, first, your share is gone. Second, since the workshop is built there, if you want the land back, you have to wait until she finds a suitable new location before she can vacate the land and return it to you. Uncle, don’t you think that’s reasonable?“

Lin Dashan immediately nodded. “Yes, that’s reasonable. People are bringing us along to get rich; we can’t do anything unethical. Those who want their land back must wait until she finds a new place.“

Lin Dahai asked eagerly, “Yanran, are you saying we not only get a payment for selling the land but also get dividends and wages? That’s basically three sources of income, right?“

“I think that’s what Miss Gu said, though I don’t remember clearly. Let me go ask her again,” Lin Yanran said, deliberately patting her head. “Wait, I feel like this is a bad deal for us. Let me go talk to her…“

Lin Dahai shuddered and pushed her back into her chair. “Yanran, I agree! We’ll do exactly as you said. Give all the land to you, but we want three sources of income—not a single one less!“

Lin Yanran looked at him with feigned confusion. Lin Dahai kicked Lin Dashan, so Lin Dashan could only say, “Yanran, let’s just do as you said. This land is the lifeblood of the Phoenix Town people, after all.“

Lin Yanran knew Lin Dahai was completely hooked. The conditions she offered were generous by any standard; once Lin Dahai thought it through, he would never go back on it. In fact, he’d be terrified that she would go back on it.

She squinted at them. “You two are my real uncles; you wouldn’t pit me, would you?“

Lin Dahai nodded like a woodpecker. “How could we? You’re my own niece. I could pit anyone, but I’d never pit you.“

Lin Dashan puffed on his dry tobacco and said nothing. The conditions Lin Yanran gave were truly good; he was almost worried she would lose money.

Lin Yanran took the opportunity to state her requirements: “I’ll say the ugly words first. Since you’re joining, you’ll be our own people from now on. The workshop is built at our doorstep, so it belongs to us. First, regarding the land, Uncle, you have to talk to the townspeople and bring all the land deeds at once. Miss Gu doesn’t have time to run to every single household.“

“Sure, sure!” Lin Dahai nodded.

“Second, households that use their land to join the workshop must provide someone to work there. This is to ensure the workshop is mostly made up of our own people. We are opening the workshop to bring everyone together to make money; we absolutely don’t want to see every household fighting until their heads are bloody over a bit of dividend money. Therefore, the land must be calculated per person. For every ‘head’ worth of land provided, one person can enter to work. No substitutions, no ghost names. Especially those who are lazy and slippery—we absolutely don’t want them.“

Lin Dahai’s heart jumped. He immediately thought of his son, Lin Shan. He had originally wanted to put all the land in Lin Shan’s name and then go to work himself. But under the conditions Lin Yanran set, Lin Shan wouldn’t get the dividend or the wage. He suddenly felt a bit displeased. “Yanran, how the money is split is a private family matter. Why do you care so much?“

Lin Yanran went to such great lengths precisely to rescue the Kunze and Zhongyong women of Phoenix Town, like Lin Cuicui, who suffered from domestic violence. As long as these vulnerable women had jobs, their families would care about their “face” and not dare to commit domestic violence so brazenly. Once the workshop was built, she would establish an inspection team to specifically check for abusive families. At that time, they could issue fines in the name of the workshop. She believed that for the sake of money, those people would never again dare to beat or scold those poor women at every turn.

Since Lin Dahai was trying to touch her “reverse scale” (sore spot), she immediately flipped her attitude. “Uncle, this is Miss Gu’s family secret for making money, passed down for a hundred years: ‘A harmonious family brings prosperity.‘ If you don’t agree, then let’s stop talking right now.“

Lin Dahai was stunned. If they stopped talking over one disagreement, what would happen to his three sources of silver?

He quickly smiled apologetically. “Uncle was wrong, Uncle was wrong! It’s just that the conditions are too harsh. Your cousin Shan is still injured; I wanted to wait for him to get better before he enters the workshop.“

Lin Yanran thought to herself: Lin Shan is a lazy, slippery person of low character; even if his legs weren’t broken, I’d never let him in. She said in a sarcastic tone, “Uncle, a workshop is for making money, not a charity. We only want diligent people with healthy limbs. However many healthy people your family can provide, that’s how many wages you’ll get.“

Lin Dahai was stung to the heart by the words “healthy limbs.” He was very displeased and glared at Lin Yanran with a long face. Lin Dashan, puffing out clouds of smoke from the side, said faintly, “Dahai, that wasteland has sat there for so many years; when has it ever earned a single copper coin? Now there are three sources of money to take—three sources! You won’t find such a good thing even if you searched with a lantern. This is a blessing Yanran worked so hard to get for us. If you don’t want it, I certainly do.“

Lin Dahai shuddered and realized. “Yanran is right. For work, one naturally needs nimble hands and feet. My family still has Lin Feng and Lin Cuicui; they are both diligent. And there’s me—I can work too. Oh right, Yanran, we military households are going to the front soon; what about the workshop’s manpower then?“

Lin Yanran was waiting for this. She said solemnly, “To prevent a labor shortage when the military households leave, anyone on the military register cannot enter the workshop to work. The candidates for work from each household can only be the family members of the military personnel. Those without family can only receive dividend money.“

“Can’t we have temporary substitutes?“

“I said no substitutions, no transfers. Anyone who tries to cheat like that—their whole family is banned from the workshop.“

Lin Dahai immediately felt displeased again. He wanted the whole family to enter the workshop and earn wages. This way, he couldn’t enter, and his Shan’er couldn’t enter. And if the fields were all under his name for the partnership, then his wife, Lin Feng, and Lin Cuicui couldn’t work either. If those three wanted to enter the workshop, he would have to split the land under his name into four portions.

Hiss—this is truly a dilemma.

Lin Dahai gnashed his teeth, feeling extremely unhappy.

Lin Dashan puffed on his tobacco and said faintly, “Three sources of money… three sources of money!“

Lin Dahai shuddered again. He quickly tucked away his little schemes and said through gritted teeth, “Yanran, we’ll do it exactly as you say.“

Lin Yanran breathed a sigh of relief. By this point, everything was settled. No matter what conditions came later, Lin Dahai would agree.

She stretched. “That’s it for today. Uncles, you go back first. I’m going to talk to Miss Gu about this.“

Lin Dahai said worriedly, “Yanran, you must persuade Miss Gu! You must get us those three sources of money! Uncle is counting on you for the rest of his life!“

He prattled on until Lin Dashan finally dragged him away.

Lin Yanran felt as if she had been liberated. She quickly pulled back her legs, which were nearly numb from shaking, and stood up from her chair. Wang Shouchun hid a smile, stepped forward, and handed her a teacup. “Young Master, please have some tea.“

Lin Yanran was parched; she took it and drained it in one gulp.

Youqin Mingyue stood by the window and saw this scene clearly. She gently closed the window, and the moment she turned around, a terrifying gloom appeared in her eyes.

Liu Zhenzhen and her master had heard the whole exchange. At first, she thought Lin Yanran was just pranking someone, but as she listened, she realized there was a deeper mystery. She couldn’t help but walk over and ask, “Lin Yanran, you could buy up all the land in Phoenix Town if you just paid for it. Why offer three sources of money? No matter how you look at it, it’s not a profitable deal.“

Wang Shouchun shared this doubt and looked at Lin Yanran curiously.

Lin Yanran set down the teacup, her eyes circling Liu Zhenzhen’s face before spotting Feng Gu strolling over. Her heart stirred again.

Liu Zhenzhen’s identity was definitely not ordinary, and Feng Gu’s medical skill was definitely that of a Great Physician. These two were two pairs of “golden thighs.” Since she had encountered them, how could she miss out?

She immediately said with a beaming smile, “Doctor Liu, are you interested in taking a share?“

“Me?” Liu Zhenzhen looked at her in surprise.

Lin Yanran remained full of smiles. “Indeed. If Doctor Liu is willing, I’ll give you the most favorable price right now. Ten thousand taels, and you can become one of the workshop owners. As for Senior Feng Gu’s share—this junior will naturally offer it with both hands.“

Although Feng Gu didn’t care about a “share,” he found being respected by Lin Yanran very gratifying, thinking her a “teachable child.” Unexpectedly, the next moment, he heard his favorite young disciple cry out: “Why does my Master get it for free while I have to pay ten thousand taels?“

He was so angry his beard fluttered. He took his cattail fan and whacked Liu Zhenzhen on the head. “How are you talking?“

Being hit on the head in public by her master, Liu Zhenzhen was suddenly embarrassed and furious, giving Lin Yanran a vicious glare.

Lin Yanran blinked, her tone becoming even more sincere. “Senior Feng Gu is a master of medicine. If he joins my pharmaceutical workshop, it will immediately bring glory to the establishment. This junior would be getting a huge bargain; how could I dare ask for a joining fee from the Senior?“

Liu Zhenzhen glared at her indignantly, feeling that that smiling face looked more and more detestable. Then, a look of suspicion appeared in her eyes. “Lin Yanran, you’re trying to scam me as hard as you can, aren’t you? It must be because you’re short of money to build the workshop, so you’ve set your sights on me, right?“

Lin Yanran thought: You’ve guessed it exactly.

But on the surface, she said with immense regret, “Doctor Liu, I invited you to join because I consider you a friend. I didn’t expect you to view me this way. It truly breaks my heart. Fine, fine. Since you’re unwilling, let’s forget it.“

Having been scammed by her before, Liu Zhenzhen was now certain she was being scammed again. She raised her chin and said, “Stop acting. Is it because I hit the mark that you’re feeling guilty? Did you think I didn’t know your flowery schemes?“

Lin Yanran sighed secretly. Doctor Liu is getting harder and harder to scam.

She deliberately brushed her sleeve and turned her back, pretending she really didn’t intend to invite her to join anymore. In truth, her brain was working rapidly: How can I get her to take the bait?

Just then, Gu Yuwan hurried over. Seeing them talking, she asked what was happening. Liu Zhenzhen immediately acted as if she had found an ally, pulling her aside to complain about how Lin Yanran was trying to scam her.

After hearing the whole story, Gu Yuwan’s large, watery eyes looked at her in surprise. “Sister Liu, the Benefactor isn’t scamming you. This act by the Benefactor is truly giving you a mountain of gold!“

Lin Yanran immediately turned around, her face full of indignation. “Doctor Liu, what do you have to say now?“

Liu Zhenzhen trusted Gu Yuwan’s character, so she felt slightly guilty. But as soon as Lin Yanran spoke, she felt she was about to start inciting Gu Yuwan again, so she said crossly, “You’re not allowed to chime in.“

She then pulled Gu Yuwan aside to ask for the reason. Gu Yuwan was indeed a business genius; having only heard the gist, she had already grasped Lin Yanran’s plan to use land as shares. Hearing about the dividends, she immediately connected the dots. She said, “Sister Liu, don’t look at ten thousand taels as a lot. Once the workshop really starts making money, that ten thousand taels will be just a drop in the bucket. Yet for ten thousand taels, you get a dividend every year. I estimate that in just two years, you’ll earn back your capital, and after that, it’ll be non-stop profit. So the Benefactor really isn’t scamming you.“

At this point, she intentionally lowered her voice: “Furthermore, the Benefactor hasn’t given the title of ‘Owner’ to anyone else. Sister Liu, you are the very first!“

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhenzhen felt immensely gratified. She peeked at Lin Yanran and saw her standing in the courtyard with her hands behind her back, her profile turned toward her, her expression still indignant. She felt inexplicably guilty.

So I really did wrong her.

She felt joyful inside, yet she deliberately suppressed her rising smile, because she had been scammed by Lin Yanran several times before and didn’t want to let her feel triumphant.

She walked up to Lin Yanran and said with feigned reluctance, “Fine. Seeing as you treat me as a friend, I’ll join. However—”

Lin Yanran huffed, “Doctor Liu wouldn’t be unable to afford the silver, would she?“

The little bit of goodwill Liu Zhenzhen had just accumulated was instantly shattered. She gave her a vicious glare.

“Who told you to ask for such a high price? I can’t produce ten thousand taels of silver at a moment’s notice. Can I write an IOU?“

Lin Yanran immediately turned her face away and ignored her, making Liu Zhenzhen want to kick her. Then, she saw Lin Yanran’s eyes constantly flickering toward her master.

Flicker once, then flicker again.

She said solemnly, “It doesn’t matter if Doctor Liu can’t produce it herself. Surely you have an elder who is both wealthy and considerate of their juniors? Have your elder help out.“

This wicked thing! She’s actually starting to eye my Master?!

Liu Zhenzhen almost laughed from anger.

But for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to expose her.

She pretended to be troubled. “Oh dear, I didn’t bring any silver with me, and the elders of my family aren’t by my side. I’d better just write you an IOU first. In a year or so when I go home, I’ll send the silver to you.”

Feng Gu was stroking his beard. Hearing this, he almost pulled a clump out. He snapped, “You rebel disciple! Is your Master not your elder? What’s so difficult about a mere ten thousand taels of silver?”

With that, he reached out and handed over an object. “Take your Master’s private seal.”