The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 53 Inviting Gongshu

When the two heard what Ying Zheng said, their eyes lit up and they bowed, "Please give us your instructions, sir. We will do our best."

"You have followed Mr. Lu for many years and have been in charge of the affairs of the mansion for many years. You should know how to open a store, right?"

The two nodded, and Chang Lu said, "Opening a shop is easy, I know it very well, but I don't know what you want to sell, sir?"

Ying Zheng nodded and said, "Okay, as long as you understand. What we sell is naturally good stuff, so there is no need to worry about sales. The following are my requirements. Please listen and calculate for me how much capital is needed."

"We need to open a shop in every city with a population of more than 10,000 households in the seven kingdoms. Each shop should be larger and more upscale, not shabby. The location doesn't matter, as long as it's not too remote. We won't have trouble selling the shops anyway."

"Everyone has to use reliable people. It's a highly profitable commodity, so people have to be reliable."

"Don't worry about the nobles causing trouble. This can be done in the name of Daqin and Mohism. Mohism is also involved in this matter and will provide security. Any small matters in daily life can be handed over to Moxia to do."

"You guys should follow the rules and manage the relationships. Let's calculate how much it will cost just to open these stores in the early stages."

The two men discussed it silently and said, "Sir, if this is the case, we only need to prepare the shop in the early stage, and 1,200 gold will be enough."

"The subsequent specific operations still depend on what we sell, production and transportation."

"Don't worry about the production and transportation. Leave these to the Mo family. The workshop will also be managed by the Mo family. When the things arrive in your hands, they are finished products. You just need to sell them."

Changlu said: "If that's the case, then things are too simple. At most, we can prepare all the shops for 1,200 gold."

"Okay, go and prepare first, gather some people, and make sure they are reliable. Wait for my news in two days and come over to get the money."

"Pay attention, this is very important, you must do it with all your heart."

The two of them nodded yes and left for the time being.

It’s a pity that without paper, it’s impossible to develop movable type printing, and the main problem is that it’s impossible to explain.

But you still need to make preparations in advance and prepare the people who will do the work first.

"Yanjin, come here."

Yan Jin came in quickly from outside the hall and knelt on one knee: "Sir, I am here."

Ying Zheng waved his hand, motioning Yan Jin to stand up, and asked, "Yan Jin, do you know Gong Shujia?"

"I know that the founder of Gongshu School is Gongshu Ban, also known as Gongshuzi. He was from Lu, so he was also called Lu Ban. Like Mohist school, he was good at mechanical engineering."

"It is said that Mohists have the same title: Mohists have the mechanism of wood and stone moving; bronze can speak, and we should ask Gongshu."

"The Gongshu family and the Mohist family have been enemies for generations. For more than two hundred years, they have been fighting with the Mohist family. The hatred between the two families was passed down from the generation of the founder."

"The current head of the Gongshu family is Gongshu Chou, a rare genius in the Gongshu family. He is not even thirty yet, and is extremely talented in mechanical engineering. Compared to the previous generations of heads, he is even better than his predecessors. There are even rumors that his proficiency in mechanical engineering is close to that of the Gongshu family's ancestor - Gongshu Zi."

"As far as Luowang knows, Gongshu Chou's original name was not 'Chou'. He changed it to Chou when he took over as the head of the Gongshu family, which meant that he vowed to defeat the Mohist school and avenge his ancestors." "Gongshu Chou has always been brooding over the duel in which Gongshu Zi lost to Mo Zi. After taking over as the head of the family, he devoted himself to building weapons and military equipment, vowing to defeat the Mohist school militarily. Gongshu Chou called this the Tyrannical Mechanical Arts."

“However, although Gongshujia is known for his mastery of mechanical arts, he is actually very good at both daily civilian and military equipment. After all, Gongshujia’s background is in daily civilian equipment.”

Ying Zheng nodded:

"Gongshujia is just a pure craftsman. He has no doctrine and no martial arts skills. He is not a man of the world. Since its establishment, Mohism has been the top school in the world. How can Gongshujia fight with Mohism for more than two hundred years? It is impossible to rely on mechanical skills alone. Mohism heroes are not easy to mess with. The gap in hard power between the two families is too great."

This question stumped Yan Jin: "My lord, I have never thought about this matter, but it is indeed strange. In the past two hundred years, I have never heard of a Mo Xia attacking Gong Shujia."

"It may also be that he has the protection of the vassal states. After all, the Mohist School never gets involved in the struggles of the vassal states, and has always tended to help the weak. Gongshujia doesn't care about any country, and will build whenever there is a need. For the sake of powerful military equipment, the various countries may provide protection to Gongshujia."

Ying Zheng shook his head: "It doesn't make sense. This doesn't explain why no Mo Xia attacked Gong Shujia."

Yan Jin continued, "I am also very surprised by what you said, sir. Everyone knows that the Gongshu School and the Mohist School have been fighting for more than 200 years. But if you think about it carefully, according to the intelligence from Luowang, the two schools seem to be fighting only over mechanical techniques, not life and death."

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "There must be something hidden in this matter. We will know it once we have the chance to ask."

"Where is Gongshu Chou now?"

"Now in Yan State, Yan State attacked Zhao some time ago and invited disciples of Gongshu Chou. According to the rules, they should be protected from retaliation by the enemy country before the war is over. Normally, they would not retaliate against a group of craftsmen. As the head of the family, Gongshu Chou should not have left Yan State yet."

Ying Zheng frowned: "Who is in charge of Luowang now? Who is the leader?"

"Some time ago, the king handed Luowang over to Gangcheng Jun Cai Ze. Luowang is now leaderless and everything is subject to the orders of Gangcheng Jun Cai Ze."

"Luowang personnel are divided into eight levels: Heavenly Killer, Earthly Absolute, Demons and Goblins. Among them, the fourth level of Heavenly Killer and Earthly Absolute are directly under the supervisor, and Demons and Goblins will be divided under the fourth level of Heavenly Killer and Earthly Absolute according to different tasks. There are also some special tasks that are directly managed by the supervisor."

"How many top-ranked assassins do you have in Luowang now?"

"My lord, it is extremely difficult to become a Tianzi First-Class. One must be a top-notch expert and have made great contributions. Both are indispensable. Currently, there are only two Tianzi First-Class masters in Luowang."

"One is Yanri, the other is Xuanjian."

"Gangcheng Lord Cai Ze is very busy, and Lord Yanri can make decisions on some minor matters now."

Ying Zheng nodded and said, "Okay, go find Yanri right now and tell him that it is the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Instruct him to invite Gongshu Chou to Daqin. Invite him to come to me. Please note that it is an invitation. Be respectful. The sooner the better."

Yan Jin knelt on one knee: "I obey your command."

After Yan Jin left, Ying Zheng went to Zhao Ji's palace. Zhao Ji looked much better in the past few days. She was truly more beautiful than peaches and plums.

Zhao Ji had just returned from the State of Zhao. She had been exhausted from the long journey by boat and carriage. She had not been idle since her return. She had been busy for several days in a row and only had some free time today.

(End of this chapter)