In the Three Kingdoms period, the opening scene features the killing of Huang Gai, shocking Zhou Yu!

Sun Shangxiang, on the other hand, led the female soldiers to maintain order outside.

"Line up! Everyone line up! Anyone who dares to cut in line, this princess's blade doesn't discriminate!"

Until evening,

The gates of the Zhao residence were finally closed.

A sign that read "Sold Out Today" was also hung outside the door.

In the warehouse.

It was basket after basket of copper coins.

Cao Jie laughed even more wildly than yesterday.

The kind that has absolutely no regard for appearances.

"It's finally here... This time it's really going to be a big hit."

"Hehe, this is more profitable than selling to those wealthy ladies!"

Zhao Yu wasn't too happy. He rubbed his shoulder (commanding was too tiring).

Because when it was sold today,

He discovered it too.

Because of the low price, production can't keep up with sales.

It's only Ye City now. Once the news gets out, the caravans in Xuchang, Luoyang, and even Jingzhou won't be fools.

Naturally, I'll come to Ye City to see what this thing is.

It actually has that kind of effect.

And there is,

Among the people queuing up today

Ding Yi recognized several members of prominent families; they likely wouldn't use the money they bought.

It was made to imitate.

Although the core technology was in Zhao Yu's own hands, it was a low-barrier-to-entry technology that could be figured out with a little trial and error.

Zhao Yu definitely couldn't eat such a big cake by himself.

To grow a business,

To achieve a monopoly, or even to become a "state-owned enterprise," one must find the strongest backer.

That's not the most important thing.

This directly contradicts Zhao Yu's original intention.

I came here to enjoy life, but somehow I ended up as a deliveryman.

Therefore, it is even more important to find a powerful backer.

"Ma Jun! Work overtime tonight."

"Tomorrow morning, let's take the best 'military-grade boards' to the Prime Minister's residence!"

"This time, I'm going to discuss a big business deal with my father-in-law!"

……

Early the next morning.

Zhao Yu, accompanied by Ma Jun, swaggered into the Prime Minister's residence, pushing a small cart.

Inside the study.

Cao Cao was worried about military expenses.

Although the north has been pacified

But supporting an army of hundreds of thousands, feeding the people and horses every day, puts enormous pressure on the national treasury (and his own personal savings).

"My dear son-in-law,"

"I heard your soap business is making a fortune. Are you here to show off?"

Zhao Yu cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"No, Prime Minister, uh, Father-in-law (in the Three Kingdoms period, we called him 'father-in-law' or 'maternal uncle,' which sounds a bit strange, so let's just call him 'father-in-law.') I've come here today not for personal matters, but to discuss the fate of the nation and to help you solve your problems."

"Oh?"

Cao Cao became interested.

"What right do you, a mere jade seller, have to talk about the fate of a nation? Do you think your jade can wash Sun Quan to death?"

Zhao Yu lifted the black cloth covering the car.

It revealed those dark yellow, pungent-smelling "military-grade soft jade" (sulfur soap).

"Father-in-law, please take a look."

Zhao Yu picked up a piece,

"This is a military-grade soft fragrant jade, which contains antibacterial herbs such as sulfur, mugwort, and sophora flavescens."

"Father-in-law, you have led troops for many years."

He knew full well that the greatest taboos in the army were not swords and spears, but plague, sores, and lice.

"Soldiers march for long periods without bathing or washing clothes, making them highly susceptible to 'invisible enemies'."

Speaking of the Battle of Xiliang alone, if it weren't so cold, I would have jumped into the river to wash myself.

And regarding the defeat at Red Cliffs, besides the fire attack, wasn't the plague also a factor?

Cao Cao's expression instantly turned serious.

The plague at Chibi killed countless of his soldiers.

"But this bar of soap!"

"It can stop itching! It can get rid of lice!"

If it were adopted throughout the army, soldiers would use it for bathing and washing, keeping them clean and greatly reducing their chances of getting sick!

This is equivalent to having tens of thousands of fresh troops appear out of thin air!

"Isn't this the foundation of a strong military? Isn't this the destiny of the nation?"

Cao Cao took the soap, smelled it,

As a commander, he naturally knew the pain of non-combat casualties.

Seeing that Cao Cao was tempted, then the matter was settled.

Zhao Yu continued to add chips.

"The larger the production volume of this kind of thing, the lower the cost. Yesterday, I sold it for less than two coins, and when I sold it for five coins, I made more than double the price."

"If costs decrease in the future, three times the amount is not a problem."

"At that time, we'll not only strengthen our military, but also make a fortune. We'll make money off Liu Bei, Sun Quan, and everyone in the world!"

"but……"

Zhao Yu sighed; this was the most pressing issue of this trip.

"My son-in-law's family is poor and has few people."

"We can't get them out! Besides, those powerful families are watching us every day; I simply can't handle it."

Cao Cao squinted his eyes:

"So, you want me to send troops to escort you?"

"No."

Zhao Yu shook his head and took out a scroll of silk from his robes.

"I have decided—to hand over the entire core formula of 'Soft Fragrant Jade' (including the alkali ratio and sulfur proportions) to the Prime Minister's residence! To the Han Dynasty!"

Why did you hand it in?

It was a bit too sudden.

This caught Cao Cao completely off guard.

"Hand it over? You don't want it anymore?"

This is a treasure trove! Has this kid lost his mind?

Zhao Yu chuckled:

"Father-in-law, we're family, why are you distinguishing between you and me?"

"I've thought this through very clearly: this business can only grow big in your hands."

"You have the Han Dynasty's postal system for logistics, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry for bodyguards, and official documents from the imperial court for endorsement."

"With your order, this is the Han Dynasty's military supply. Who dares to counterfeit it? Who dares to rob us?"

"I am willing to transplant this money tree to the Prime Minister's residence."

Zhao Yu held up three fingers.

Smiling like a little fox:

"The son-in-law only wants 30% of the profit."

"This is called 'technology equity investment' or 'copyright fee'."

"The remaining 70% belongs to the nation, but it's also yours! You can use it to support the army, build roads, or reward meritorious officials! That's what we call a win-win situation!"

Cao Cao was calculating rapidly in his mind.

Zhao Yu played a brilliant move.

It seems like they gave up the lion's share,

In reality, all the costs, risks, and management pressures were shifted to Cao Cao.

Production? Cao Cao had plenty of military farms and artisans.

Transportation? The relay station system is readily available.

Sales? Once a government order was issued, local governments were put in charge of sales.

All things considered, no matter how much he wasted, Cao Cao still made a huge profit.

Although the profit margin is only 70%, it's for the benefit of people all over the world!

This is much faster than collecting taxes or grain!

Moreover, with the formula in hand, this is a national strategic resource.

Anyone who dares to imitate it, come and try.

Let's see if Cao Cao's fist is bigger, or yours.

not to mention,

Who manages the money in the Zhao household? It's Cao Jie.

When the Prime Minister's office runs out of military funds,

Go and cry to Jie'er, surely she'll give it to you.

It's just a different way of saving.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Cao Cao laughed loudly.

"Great! What a great family! What a great copyright fee!"

"Zhao Yu, you may be lazy, but your vision and perspective are just like mine."

"I'll take this deal!"

Cao Cao immediately summoned Xun Yu and made the decision:

1. The Great Han Military Supplies Manufacturing Bureau was established to produce soft fragrant jade.