Daqin: The Greatest Sage of Confucianism and Taoism

"This calming fragrant tea tastes smooth and has a long aftertaste. What's more rare is that the tea maker added Polygonum multiflorum vine into it, so that the soaked tea has the effect of calming the mind and spirit." Su Xuan tasted it carefully and praised it highly.

"I wonder if Miss Zi Nu could come back and give me some tea?" He looked sincere, with a faint smile in the corners of his eyes, and stared at Zi Nu intently.

He actually knows pharmacology?

Many people have drunk the calming tea she prepared, but no one noticed that Polygonum multiflorum was added to it.

He was the first to discover it and the first to speak out about it.

She was surprised in her heart, but smiled back, "Since you like it, I will prepare it for you later."

"Ha, thank you very much, Miss Zinu." Su Xuan thanked.

"You're too polite, sir. To be honest, you have helped Zinu a lot." Zinu is very smart and always able to strike up a conversation at the right time, making people feel very pleasant to communicate with her.

Su Xuan was a little confused when he heard this.

"Sir, you may not know that I also like Go. Your book Tianyuan Go has helped me a lot. It is you who should thank you."

Zi Nu immediately explained.

Yan Lingji curled her lips when she heard this and said, “You’ve been talking for a long time, but you haven’t gotten to the point yet.”

Don’t you feel tired of thanking people all the time?

"is it?"

"Then I'd like to play a game of chess with Miss Zi Nu if I have a chance. Only by communicating more can we improve our chess skills faster."

The two of them became more and more excited as they talked, from Go to pharmacology, from pharmacology to business, completely forgetting themselves.

It was not until Yan Lingji poked him secretly that Su Xuan came back to his senses. He turned around and saw Yan Lingji with a dissatisfied look on her face. She reminded him, "Don't forget the business."

During the whole process, she sat there in silence, unable to join in the conversation, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

There were clearly three people in the room, but she felt like an extra person.

She didn't like this feeling.

This guy, I've never seen him having so much fun chatting with me?

She looked at Zi Nu and didn't feel that she was inferior to her.

So what exactly is the problem?

For some reason, she felt a hint of hostility towards Zi Nu in her heart.

Chapter 47 Papermaking

"It was really enjoyable to have a good chat with Miss Zi Nu today." Su Xuan ended the topic with a feeling of being unsatisfied.

The more you communicate with Zi Nu, the more you will discover her good qualities.

Perfume making, tea brewing, chess, pharmacology, wine making, business... She knows almost everything and has excellent martial arts skills.

She is a beautiful, intelligent and restrained woman. Compared with her charm and sexiness, Su Xuan feels that the things she possesses in her heart are more heart-warming.

She is like a treasure, with endless surprises waiting for you to discover.

"We come here this time to do business with Miss Zi Nu." Su Xuan said with a serious expression.

"I wonder what business this is?" Zi Nu asked curiously, her eyes flashing.

Su Xuan took out a piece of rice paper as smooth as jade from his sleeve and handed it to Zi Nu. "What do you think of this, Miss Zi Nu?"

Zi Nu took the rice paper, rubbed it lightly with her fingertips, and looked at it repeatedly in her hand. "The paper is as thin as a cicada's wing, with a fine texture, excellent flexibility, and not easy to break. It is as gorgeous as silk."

“This is the best rice paper.”

In the original world, there was no paper during the Warring States Period. It was not invented until the Eastern Han Dynasty.

But in the world of Qin Shi Ming Yue, there are even stockings and high heels, and the existence of rice paper is not a rare thing.

However, Xuan paper is expensive and has a very low success rate. Even the royal families of the seven countries rarely use it. Most people still use bamboo slips and silk cloth.

"Xuan paper is expensive and difficult to produce, so few people use it. If I say that I have solved the problem of the high cost of Xuan paper and can produce it in large quantities, what do you think of this business, Miss Zinu?" Su Xuan looked at Zinu with a smile.

"Are you serious?" Zi Nu's eyes brightened and she looked at Su Xuan with burning eyes.

Before Zi Nu ran Zi Lan Xuan, she started her business. She had an extremely keen business sense. If the cost problem of Xuan paper was solved and it could be mass-produced, the profits would be difficult to estimate and would definitely be a huge fortune.

"Since I'm here to seek cooperation with Miss Zi Nu, I'm naturally here with sincerity." Su Xuan nodded and continued, "I can tell Miss Zi Nu another piece of news. The cost of making rice paper is much lower than Miss Zi Nu thought."

"The Xuan paper in my hand is made of bamboo. In addition, not only bamboo, but also tree bark, straw, and reeds can be used as raw materials for making Xuan paper."

The five most commonly used materials for papermaking in ancient times were hemp, mulberry, rattan, mulberry tree and bamboo.

Among these five materials, bamboo and tree bark are the most widespread, the cheapest, and the most suitable for use as production raw materials.

Papermaking uses plant fibers. After knowing the principle, Su Xuan would naturally not be limited to bamboo, bark, straw, and reeds. Raw materials containing long cellulose could naturally be used.

Zi Nu looked at Su Xuan in disbelief.

How can this be?

Plants such as bamboo, bark, straw, and reeds can be found everywhere. They grow in large quantities but no one pays attention to them because few people can use them. Most people use them as fuel in stoves.

But now Su Xuan actually told her that these things that others don’t want can actually be used to make rice paper?

If what he said was true, then this was a very profitable business. The materials did not cost anything, only some labor was required, which was just like picking up money!

No businessman could refuse such a business deal, even Zi Nu could not help but be excited.

But she remained sober from beginning to end and was not blinded by interests.

"Sir, you are a disciple of Confucianism, and Confucianism is one of the most prominent schools of thought. If Confucianism handles this matter, it will surely bring both fame and fortune."

"Zi Lan Xuan is just a gang force in South Korea. The huge profits generated by Xuan paper will inevitably attract countless people. Zi Nu has no confidence in protecting this wealth." She expressed her concerns and was also puzzled as to why Su Xuan came to her instead of Confucianism.

Su Xuan was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Zi Nu to be able to remain rational in this situation.

This made him look up to Zi Nu even more.

This is simply the best virtuous wife!

Su Xuan thought for a moment and replied, "Miss Zi Nu, do you know the story of Fan Chi and Confucius?"

Without waiting for Zi Nu to answer, he continued, "Once upon a time, Fan Chi asked Confucius for advice on how to grow crops. Confucius said, "I am not as good as an old farmer."

Fan Chi then asked Confucius to teach him how to grow vegetables. Confucius said, "I am not as good as an old vegetable farmer."

"There is a sequence in how to ask questions, and there is a specialization in skills."

"Miss Zi Nu is good at business, and she will definitely get twice the result with half the effort if she handles this matter. However, there are few Confucian disciples who are proficient in this matter, so it is useless to ask them for help."

"As for the issue of the interests of Xuan paper being coveted by others, Miss Zi Nu does not need to worry. I will write a letter to the teacher and let Confucianism be the backer behind Zi Lan Xuan."

“Of course, this is not free. My suggestion is to give 20% of the profits from the rice paper to Confucianism.

I wonder what Miss Zi Nu thinks?"

Backed by Confucianism?

When Zi Nu heard this, her emotions were in turmoil and she couldn't calm down.

If you can really make Confucianism your backer, the intangible benefits will be far more than you can imagine.

Zi Lanxuan's miraculous rise in recent years was due not only to her personal ability but also to the deterrence of Wei Zhuang's military force.

The relationship between her and Wei Zhuang was initially a cooperative one, with each getting what they needed. Wei Zhuang protected Zi Lan Xuan, while Zi Lan Xuan served as an intelligence organization, providing Wei Zhuang with intelligence from the seven countries.

After several years of getting along, the two gradually became friends.

Zi Nu knew that relying on the use of force to intimidate was only a temporary solution. Zi Lan Xuan seemed to be well-known in the court and the country and was in its heyday, but she knew that Zi Lan Xuan without a backer was like a rootless duckweed and could collapse at any time.

This is also the reason why the two of them hit it off immediately after Han Fei returned to South Korea.

The price Su Xuan offered was too generous, so generous that she could hardly believe it.

"Sir, can you really let Confucianism serve as the backing of Zilanxuan?" She suppressed her excitement and asked again.

Su Xuan looked at Zi Nu's dark and bright purple eyes and nodded seriously, "Since I dare to say it, I can naturally do it."

"Sir, you have arranged everything. Why should I refuse?" Zi Nu chuckled, with bright eyes and white teeth, and a graceful demeanor.

"I called you a distinguished guest before, but now it seems inappropriate."

Su Xuan looked at her intently, only to see her red lips slightly parted, smiling like a flower, "Because you are not only a distinguished guest, but also a distinguished person of Zi Lan Xuan."

"On behalf of the many girls in Zilanxuan, Zi Nu would like to thank you, sir."

Su Xuan glanced at Zi Nu's red lips and felt that this cherry mouth looked as if it was covered with honey.

I just don't know if it tastes sweet.

Chapter 48 Papermaking (Part )

"Sir, you entrusted the paper to me to sell. I wonder what the profit margin is?" Zi Nu took the initiative and threw the topic to Su Xuan.

Su Xuan pretended to be silent for a while before saying, "I will provide the formula, and Miss Zi Nu will provide the manpower. We will run the business together, and the profits will be split 50-50 after deducting the costs. How do you think?"

Zi Nu was a little surprised and took the initiative to remind her, "Sir, don't you want to ask me about the size of the caravan and other situations?"

Su Xuan smiled slightly and asked, "Miss Zi Nu, do you know what I value most when doing business with others?"

“When I do business with others, what matters most to me is the person with whom I am doing business.”

“Only with mutual recognition and trust can transactions continue for a long time.”

"The size of the caravan is indeed important, as it determines how much profit we can make. However, a trustworthy partner is even more important, as it determines how far we can go."

"It doesn't matter if the caravan is small. It will grow bigger sooner or later. It's only a matter of time before it spreads across the seven countries."

"I don't need such a short time. The reason why I chose Miss Zi Nu is mainly because I trust her."

His eyes were clear and sincere, which touched Zi Nu's heart.

Zi Nu, who had experienced the ups and downs of life and could handle conversations with anyone perfectly, was inexplicably dazed under such a gaze.

She concealed it very well, her beautiful eyes blinked slightly, and she said seriously, "Sir, you trust me so much, I am very grateful."

"Also, I think it's necessary to talk about the size of the caravan."

"Zi Lan Xuan's caravans are mainly active in South Korea. The caravans of Wei, Qin, Chu, Zhao, Qi and Yan are relatively small, but it is not a problem to organize them to sell."

Su Xuan was a little surprised. He didn't expect that Zi Lan Xuan's caravan had already spread across the seven countries.

After thinking about it, he felt it was normal. Zi Lan Xuan itself was an intelligence organization, using Feng Yue Land as a cover to collect important intelligence from South Korea and even the six countries. If it was said that other countries did not have the manpower, it would be impossible at all.

However, the scale of the caravan must not be too large, otherwise in the original book, they would not be unable to come up with even ten thousand gold coins in the gambling fight with the Emerald Tiger.

"Regarding the distribution ratio, I would like to readjust it." Zi Nu suggested, "The profits from the sale of paper will be divided into 50% for you, 20% for the Confucian School, and 30% for the Zi Lan Xuan."

"What do you think, sir?"

Instead of making any progress, she regressed and even took the initiative to reduce her share of the profits.

Su Xuan was shocked. Is this how business is done? He had no doubt that if he wanted to lower the price by half or ten percent, it would be no problem.

But in the end he did not lower the price, nor did he force a 50-50 split.

"In that case, it's a deal." Su Xuan stretched out his hand, palm facing Zi Nu.

"It's a deal!" Zi Nu spread out her hands, and the two of them clapped their hands as an oath.

Yan Lingji frowned slightly, looking a little impatient.

After the agreement was made, Su Xuan taught Zi Nu the method of making paper. After a few brief greetings, Su Xuan prepared to say goodbye and leave.

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu asked Su Xuan to wait for a moment and walked out of the private room.

After Zi Nu left, Yan Ling Ji spoke up immediately, "Is this what you meant by dealing with the Emerald Tiger?"

"Are you lying to your sister?"

Her pair of deep blue eyes narrowed slightly, a smile appeared on her face, and she looked at Su Xuan with ill intent.

Su Xuan glanced at her and explained, "Merchants pursue profits. One times the profit is enough to make them eager to make a move. Five times the profit is enough to make them risk their lives. Ten times the profit will make them dare to trample on all laws."

"What do you think Emerald Tiger would do if he knew about this kind of business that makes a lot of money without any investment?"

Yan Lingji's eyes lit up, "Are you saying he will try to snatch it away?"

"That's right," Su Xuan nodded and said in a deep voice, "When a gold mine is placed in front of the Emerald Tiger, even with the support of Confucianism, the Emerald Tiger will never give up easily."