The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 439 Let the Rich Get Rich First
Emperor Qianwu wholeheartedly supported all policies aimed at strengthening the country and enriching its people.

Isn't it just about opening a trading city at the westernmost part of the nine Kansai regions, in the middle connecting the north and south of the snow-capped mountains?
You Kansai people are powerful.

Go ahead and open it!
When he returns to the capital in triumph, there will still be a large group of unruly people to deal with.

General Gan can gather the free labor force he wants in less than six months!
A powerful nation.

This is not something Gan Minglan could accomplish on her own.

As for enriching the people, she could certainly make the 100,000 Kansai soldiers rich first.
After the spring planting season in Kansai is over.

When the snow and ice of the Tianshan Mountains converge to form streams.

The 20,000-strong Kansai army that went on the expedition has finally returned with their "spoils of war".

I just arrived at the First Guard of Kansai, Guazhou.

Gan Minglan then learned the good news that she had been promoted to General of the Western Garrison and First-Class Earl of Zhaoyi.

Then, the 20,000-strong army was caught up in a grand welcoming ceremony arranged by the commander of the Guazhou Guard.

The crowd was bustling:

Congratulations on the promotion of the General Who Guards the West!

"Welcome back in triumph, all our soldiers!"

"."

The head of the garrison, the commander of a thousand men from Guazhou, had a mouth as sweet as honey, constantly praising Gan Minglan.

The intention to curry favor was quite obvious.

Not all military generals are simple-minded or straightforward.

When it's time to flatter, they don't hold back at all.

A month ago, an imperial envoy arrived in Hami City to inform the middle and upper-ranking officers that the General of the Western Garrison had saved the imperial army in a critical moment.

Good news travels fast.

In the Nine Guards of Guanzhong, everyone is proud to be called the General Who Guards the West.

Some well-informed individuals have already received definitive information.

General Xiong, who was promoted to General Zhaowu and Marquis Zhongyong, will be transferred back to Shangdu at the end of the year.

He entered the Ministry of War and then the central government.

How could the commanders of each garrison not know who the big and small kings are?
The commander of the Guazhou Guard declared, "Today we will slaughter sheep and cattle, offer fine wine, and welcome our heroes!"

Twenty thousand cavalrymen stood upright on horseback.

Their armor gleamed coldly.

His face was cold and stern.

It has an inherent menacing aura.

It was this iron-willed demeanor that caused the young women lining the road to greet him to scream in surprise.

"Young man with the square face, are you married? If not, could you send someone to my house to propose marriage? My family lives in the third immigrant village of Guazhouwei."

"Hey you with the thick eyebrows, big eyes, and double swords, look up and see if my daughter isn't beautiful? If you want to be my son-in-law, I don't need any betrothal gifts!"

"Ah, General on the white horse, you've stepped on me! No, you've stepped on my heart!"

"."

The women and women on the border are just that simple and warm-hearted.

Women love heroes.

And the image of the hero is thus brought to life.
in the crowd.

Even the most astute and discerning businessmen were whispering among themselves.

"The one we're passing by ahead is the famous Vanguard Battalion! Undoubtedly General Gan's elite force."

"Don't get it wrong again, General Gan has been promoted to General Who Guards the West!"

"I heard she's only twenty-six! At that age, she's young and strong, and could easily fight on horseback for twenty years."

"With the General Who Guards the West stationed at the border, Guanzhong can be kept at peace for at least thirty years!"

Amidst the chorus of praise for the General Who Guards the West, a discordant voice emerged:

"Why don't you say that she chose the right time to achieve her merits? The dynasty has been established for less than half a year, and she has just caught up with this round of imperial rewards. His Majesty has the courage to appoint a woman as a general, and he is also very generous in his rewards."

"Young man, you must have just arrived in Guazhou to do business not long ago, right?"

"Brother, you have a good eye! You can even tell that?"

"Hmph! If you had been in Guazhou for more than half a month, you wouldn't have said such an infuriating thing. The General of the Western Garrison is no ordinary female general; her military rank and title are well-deserved and not faked in the slightest." The young merchant, who had only been in Guazhou for three days, blushed and slunk away from the encirclement.

Extremely loud laughter erupted from all around.

The Qi family, who had been driven out of Hami City and moved their business to Guazhou, were fortunate enough to hear this story.

There is nothing we can do.

This group of people blocked the entrance to the Qi family's embroidery shop and mocked them.

Turning her head, Qi Dongyu whispered to the head of the Qi family, "Mother, let's move back to the interior of the pass, or at the very least, to Hexi."

No one in the entire Kansai Nine Guards could stay.

If this person really becomes the number one person in Guanzhong, how will the Qi family survive?

The head of the Qi family: "."

Is there any way for her family to survive?
There's a lingering sense of foreboding.

Soon, they knew where this premonition came from.

Because the General Who Guards the West brought back two hundred embroiderers from Sichuan.

These people quickly opened a fairly large Shu embroidery workshop in Guazhou.

On the day of its opening, it took on all kinds of embroidery work.

The Qi family had the opportunity to visit the embroidery workshop.

Then, I saw hundreds of large double-sided embroideries.

Shu embroidery is also one of the four famous embroidery styles of the time.

Previously, there was no opportunity to leave Sichuan and establish oneself in the commercial capital.

Some exquisite Shu embroidery pieces are only found in Southwest China.

The Qi family represents the Yue embroidery school, which mainly features flowers, birds, insects, fish, and animals.

The themes and color schemes of Shu embroidery are even richer.

Flowers, birds, fish, insects, landscapes, figures, animals, religious myths, and even scenes of daily life and calligraphy can all be incorporated into embroidery.

Embroidery workshops with government connections offer a wide variety of embroidery themes and prices.

It was a huge hit as soon as it opened.

Hundreds of large embroidered pieces were snapped up.

What terrifies its peers most is that the embroidery workshop receives enough orders in a single day to keep two hundred embroiderers busy for two months.

For a small embroidery workshop like the Qi family's, which was supported by just a mother and her daughters, this was a complete blow!
There is nothing we can do.

There was a General of the Western Garrison who was determined to make his 100,000-strong Kansai Army rich first; it would be hard for him not to get rich.

Following the embroidery workshop.

On the same day, several large restaurants serving Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine opened on the main streets of each garrison.

Uniform decoration, uniform menu, uniform service.

Right after the renovation was completed, during the trial and promotion of the dishes.

The main dining department of Bashu Flavor Restaurant has launched a membership card program for all military personnel and civilians in the Kansai region.

The activities include:
Sixty-six taels of silver can buy a copper membership card, which entitles the holder to a 10% discount and complimentary snacks when dining at the Grand Restaurant.

Eighty-eight taels of silver bought a silver membership card, which offered a 20% discount and included complimentary snacks and a fruit platter.

For 99 silver dollars, you get a thin gold membership card that offers a 40% discount, a variety of gifts, and private room access.

Top-tier members are, of course, the distinguished Supreme Card holders.

It is said that the membership card is used by facial recognition.

No one knows the exact amount of the membership fee.

A commercial tactic commonly used by later generations amazed these ancient people.

Especially among merchants and middle- and upper-ranking military officers who traded in the Kansai region.

After trying the food at the Bashu-style restaurant, everyone was eager to buy a membership card.

It's not officially open for business yet.

They made a net profit of over 20,000 taels of silver just from selling membership cards.

The embroidery workshop, the restaurant, and the brewery under construction will all be incorporated into the Kansai Army's logistics and revenue-generating center, with all profits going to the Kansai Army.
(End of this chapter)