Three Kingdoms: Daily settlement helps Liu Bei revive the Shu Han dynasty.

Chapter 93 A Win-Win Choice

As evening fell, Lu Yong and Mi Zhu led Yang Hong to a newly opened restaurant in the city.

Yang Hong stopped and looked up at the three characters "Zui Xian Ju" on the plaque, and couldn't help but praise, "What beautiful calligraphy! The strokes are powerful and vigorous, with clear structure. I wonder which master penned it?"

Lu Yong laughed and said, "It was made by Zhang Yide, my sworn brother."

"?" Yang Hong's mouth dropped open as he asked, "General Zhang Fei, Zhang Yide?"

"That's right." Mi Zhu explained, "Don't let General Yide's rugged appearance fool you, he's an expert in both calligraphy and painting."

Yang Hong's lips twitched, but he didn't reply.

He found it hard to connect the dark-faced giant with the beautiful calligraphy before him.

The three entered the restaurant.

The hall was spacious, with several landscape silk paintings hanging on the walls, and a few wild plum blossoms in vases beside the paintings.

The ground is paved with blue bricks, with broken porcelain pieces embedded in the gaps between the bricks, creating a simple yet artistic cloud pattern.

Yang Hong's gaze swept around the hall, finally landing on the tall square tables and bamboo chairs with armrests, a hint of surprise and curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"These are—" he asked, pointing to the tables and chairs.

Mi Zhu laughed and said, "These are all the brilliant ideas of the strategist. In the past, kneeling on those mats would make your legs go numb after a long time, but now that you're sitting on these high chairs, you won't have that problem anymore."

My buttocks still hurt, but it was a bit unseemly, so Mi Zhu didn't say it out loud.

Yang Hong walked to a table, pressed the seat of a chair, sat down and tried it out, then nodded and said, "It's definitely more comfortable than kneeling. If word gets out, this will surely cause a frenzy among everyone."

Mi Zhu smiled and said, "Our Wanling Trading Company has already begun preparations for sale. If you like it, Chief Secretary, I will send you an even more exquisite set."

"Then thank you for your kindness, Zizhong." Yang Hong accepted it without hesitation.

When the waiter saw that both bosses had arrived, he quickly went to inform the manager.

The shopkeeper hurriedly came out and led the three to the innermost private room on the second floor.

The private room was more exquisitely decorated than the outside. A slender-necked porcelain vase with seasonal flowers was placed on the high-legged table in the center.

The three sat down, and the waiter brought tea and several dishes of dried fruit before leaving.

Yang Hong picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and looked at Lu Yong's face: "Lu Yi, what was your intention in winking at me in the hall? If it was just about drinking, there was no need to hide it like that."

Lu Yong smiled and said, "I did not agree to the suggestion made by the Chief Secretary in the hall just now."

It wasn't because I was unwilling, but because this could be done in a more interesting way.

"How exactly is it interesting?" Yang Hong asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Lu Yong gave Mi Zhu a wink.

Mi Zhu put down his teacup and said seriously, "The Chief Secretary should know that our production of fine wine is very limited."

If we only sell wine, even if the profit per jar is extremely considerable, the volume is ultimately too small, and it seems too low-end.

After a pause, Mi Zhu continued, "If the Chief Secretary could cooperate with our business, we could open a Zuixianju restaurant in Shouchun, specializing in this wine."

"When the food, entertainment, and other consumption are combined, the profits will be far greater than just selling alcohol."

Yang Hong stroked his beard and muttered, "To open a restaurant in Shouchun under my name?"

"Chief Secretary, there's no need for you to come forward. My Wanling Trading Company will handle all the manpower, wine, menu, and decoration. We'll split the profits 50/50."

Yang Hong stroked his beard more vigorously, clearly calculating in his mind just how lucrative this was.

The Mi family has been in business for generations, and he trusts their ability to run restaurants.

If such a restaurant could truly be opened in Shouchun, those aristocratic and wealthy families would surely flock to it.

We're going to make a killing!

The key point is that you can get 50% of the net profit without spending a penny of your own money or having to manage it.

Moreover, there's a trick to it.

Buying wine at a low price from Wanling was Yuan Shu's idea.

But he didn't use it to buy or sell; he used it to show off.

If I cooperate with the Mi family business, I can obtain a continuous supply of fine wine produced in Wanling.

At that time, he would secretly make a deal directly with Yuan Shu.

They'll be able to profit from both sides, and the kickbacks will be huge!

The profits here are far greater than those from jewelry and calligraphy back then!

Yang Hong had absolutely no reason to refuse.

But is there really such a good thing in this world?

Even if you beat him to death, he would never believe that the other party had no ulterior motives.

"Speak, what are your conditions?" Yang Hong said with a half-smile.

Now let's get down to business.

Mi Zhu then picked up his teacup and said nothing more.

Lu Yong then spoke up at the opportune moment: "To be honest, Chief Secretary, the profits from restaurants are ultimately small. The real big profits lie in the trade routes."

With the recent pacification of Danyang and Wujun, the lord's rule now has hundreds of thousands more people. In addition, there is the need to support the army and deal with the Yue tribes and bandits. The daily consumption of grain, ironware, and medicine is enormous.

We need to open up trade routes and sell Danyang's mountain products, medicinal herbs, fine wines, and local specialties. This will help alleviate some of the economic pressure.

"Our collaboration with the Chief Secretary to open a restaurant is just our first step."

The next step is to establish trade cooperation with General Yuan and sell our products to Huainan and even other regions of the Han Dynasty.

"We'll open a trading company together then. General Yuan has prestige, and we have the goods. We're sure to make a fortune!"

Yang Hong suddenly realized that Lu Yong's cooperation with him was probably just a stepping stone.

His real intention was to curry favor with Master Yuan Gonglu and then use Master Yuan's reputation among the aristocratic families to sell his goods to other aristocratic families.

The profit margin here is much higher than that of a simple restaurant.

How could Yang Hong possibly let such a huge opportunity slip by?

"Solving a partnership between Liu Yuzhou and my lord to establish a trading company—that's feasible." A smug smile crept across his lips. "But I also want a share of the profits!"

"Of course!" Lu Yong laughed and said, "The specifics of how to divide it will be discussed between the Chief Secretary and Zizhong later."

"It's a deal!" Yang Hong laughed out loud, a rare occurrence for him.

"A joyous occasion for all!" Lu Yong raised his glass. "Come, let's drink to this together!"

Liu Bei got the supplies, Yuan Shu got face, and Yang Hong got the money.

Isn't that a win-win situation?

The three raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Mi Zhu got up, went to the door, called the waiter, and ordered the dishes to be served.

Before long, dishes were served one after another.

Steamed sea bass, braised pork belly — and a newly developed baijiu called Zui Xian Niang.

Yang Hong picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks. It was fresh and tender, with no fishy taste at all.

I took another sip of "Drunken Immortal Brew". It was smooth and mellow on the palate, initially refreshing like a spring, then warming up, with a sweet aftertaste and a fragrant finish.

"Delicious food and fine wine!" Yang Hong couldn't help but exclaim.

Mi Zhu smiled and said, "These dishes are all made using the methods taught by the strategist, with the addition of some secret seasonings."

Yang Hong tasted the braised pork again; it was tender, flavorful, and not greasy at all.

He put down his chopsticks and sighed, "Lu Junshi and Lieutenant Mi, it seems that every restaurant you open is bound to be a hit. Congratulations to you both."

"Yang Changshi is also a partner in the restaurant, so congratulations to you as well!" Lu Yong said, raising his wine glass again.

"Partner—that's the perfect word!"

"I immediately began arranging this matter upon returning," Yang Hong said, clicking his tongue twice in admiration after finishing his drink. "Lu Jun is truly a genius!"

"You flatter me, Chief Secretary. Come, drink!"

"drink!"

[System Log: The host successfully persuaded Yuan Shu's Chief Clerk Yang Hong to establish business cooperation and intelligence channels. Today's achievement +1.]

[Current Achievements Pending Settlement: 1 item.]