Continuing the Discussion
Even if Kang Shilin and Wu Zong can protect her, they will inevitably have to confront their clansmen and even relatives. In that case, not only will she not help them make money, but she will also cause them to be hurt by their own family members, which is unacceptable.
Therefore, people like Kang Shilin and Wu Zong cannot be employed.
The Earl of Suiping's Residence, being poor, couldn't afford to support many people; they only had essential servants and guards. Even if Zhao Yuanxun had any usable men, there were only two or three. And whether these men could be trusted was another matter entirely. The Earl of Suiping's Residence had been poor for so long; if someone bribed them and sold them out, they would still be counting the money for the other party.
Zhao Ruxi asked, "You actually have people you can use?"
Xiao Lingyan and she transmigrated at the same time. She hadn't had time to cultivate her own confidants, so how could Xiao Lingyan? Trust is something that can't be built quickly; it requires a long period of cultivation and testing through a series of events. Even if the original Fifth Prince had a group of people under his command, could Xiao Lingyan really entrust them with important responsibilities?
"Xiao Lingpu was a very responsible older brother. When he started training his own people at the age of twelve, he also helped the original owner buy a group of assassins. To avoid suspicion, he never had any contact with these people. He only taught the original owner how to train people and let the original owner train them himself. I went to see them. Because these people were orphans before they were bought, they had no ties and, in addition, they had been brainwashed for a long time, so they were very loyal."
He shrugged. "Besides, what other options do we have now? We have no choice but to try it out. But we definitely can't put all our eggs in one basket. Feicui hasn't attracted much attention, so buying a mine won't be too expensive; the hard part is mining. But if we get some machinery, mining shouldn't be too difficult. Therefore, the investment in this area won't be too large, and we'll have to go into other industries."
This was also Zhao Ruxi's idea.
"Other businesses are possible, and I've been thinking about it myself," she said.
"But if you put all your business here, isn't the risk too great for me? The foundation of the Earl of Suiping's Residence is too weak. If the business grows too big, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect it. I don't care, I'll definitely keep some trump cards and a way out for myself. If things go wrong, I can always cut my losses and retreat to Jiangnan. But your losses will be much greater."
"In this world, the only person I can trust wholeheartedly is you," Xiao Lingyan said earnestly.
Although he knew perfectly well what the guy meant by saying that, it was because they were from the same hometown, shared the same outlook on life and values, and knew each other inside and out in modern times.
But seeing Xiao Lingyan's serious, even somewhat solemn, expression, Zhao Ruxi still felt quite pleased.
It feels great to be trusted wholeheartedly!
A smile played on her lips; she was pleased. "You have good taste."
Xiao Lingyan her a deep look and remained silent for a moment.
He paused for a moment before saying, "I will do everything I can to protect you. Just do what you're supposed to do. Besides, with your intelligence, it won't be difficult for you to avoid attracting unwanted attention."
Zhao Ruxi smiled confidently and remained silent.
She would naturally use many methods to distract others and mitigate risks.
Why didn't these ancient aristocratic families, who built such large businesses, become merchants? They all had their secrets. She could not only imitate others but also devise many ways to mitigate risks. Any other forces that dared to lay a finger on her would have to cut off one of their fingers first.
"Alright then. Aside from the Feicui, you don't need to get involved in anything else. Just give me the money. Also, research the things Empress Shengyao invented, as well as the blank spots, and see which ones can still make us money. Time waits for no one; we need to get our business up and running as soon as possible."
"After you've investigated, have someone send me a message. We can't keep meeting here or at Gathered Treasures Studio anymore; we need to find a different place every time we meet," Zhao Ruxi said.
She trusted Xiao Ruotong, but not the Prince of Zhennan. Xiao Ruotong treated her as a close friend and allowed her to meet people at Gathered Treasures Studio, but if the Prince of Zhennan and Princess of Zhennan found out about this, they would definitely investigate the "Fifth Prince" in front of them thoroughly.
The Prince of Zhennan currently shows no factional affiliation; he seems to operate independently, loyal only to Xiao Ge, appearing to be a typical royalist. But what is truly going on inside? Who knows?
Take her for example. She has no connection with anyone, yet she's now aligned with the Second and Fifth Princes' faction. She's Xiao Lingyan's trump card, and their relationship must never be discovered.
"Alright. From now on, we'll just hit and run," Xiao Lingyan. "I'll have someone rent some houses, and I'll have someone notify you where we'll meet. The underground party has so many secret codes for rendezvous; it'll be a piece of cake for us to avoid being discovered."
Zhao Ruxi laughed, "There's no need for all that flowerpots on the windowsill and vendors meeting up. Just have someone give Qingfeng the meeting place. She's the person I trust most right now."
Because of the trust she places in Qingfeng, she now always takes Qingfeng with her when she goes out, ignoring all the other maids and servants. In return, she occasionally buys Qingfeng small pieces of jewelry from the Gathered Treasures Studio as a reward for her hard work.
Of course, she would also have Qingfeng give Ma Sheng and Uncle Lu some money as a reward from time to time. Their monthly reward was more than twice their monthly allowance. Therefore, they followed her around all day without any complaints.
That's how you win people's hearts.
Seeing her sitting opposite him, smiling and chatting, Xiao Lingyan felt a warm glow in his heart. He suddenly felt grateful to heaven for giving him a different place. Otherwise, he would have had to work much harder to sit down and discuss matters with Xu Xi so calmly.
"I'll send someone to the south tomorrow. You should also make preparations here in the capital. I'm going to the Ministry of Works on business tomorrow and will try to build good relationships with the craftsmen there. When they have good apprentices, I'm telling you, you should offer them high salaries to come to your workshop to prepare for the Feicui's return."
"Okay." Zhao Ruxi nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be prepared. You can look at the steel smelting process yourself. Whether you want to build weapons, transport vehicles, or some machinery, you can't do without steel. And rubber, I don't know if it exists in this world; if not, eucommia gum will do. I don't have access to these things now, but you'll be fine once you join the Ministry of Works."
Xiao Lingyan nodded. "Don't worry." This was also his purpose in joining the Ministry of Works.
"Given my current identity, I can only cower in the shadows, not stand out. I have to lie low for at least three years. I'll find out as soon as possible what opportunities there are to make money, or what the Empress Shengyao has invented, and then I'll let you know. Invent whatever you can, and then have your master negotiate with the higher-ups to get you the rights to sell it to the public."