After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Wang Shouren raised his hand in return, smiling warmly: "You're too kind, shopkeepers."

Yang Shen laughed and said, "Director Wang, you've come at the perfect time. Now it's your turn to speak!"

Wang Shouren did not refuse, stood still, and looked at the crowd.

"I am already aware of the matter. I welcome you all to invest and develop businesses in Wuqing County."

He paused, then continued, "Young Master Yang's land is newly reclaimed wasteland. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, taxes on newly reclaimed land are halved for the first three years."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Taxes halved!

This is a real and tangible benefit.

Wang Shouren added, "There is one more thing. Wuqing County is preparing to build a road, a gravel road leading to the capital, three zhang wide, which can accommodate four large carts side by side. The measurement is currently underway and is expected to be completed within three months."

Zhou Youcai's heart skipped a beat: "Director Wang, after this road is completed, we can get ashore from the canal..."

Wang Shouren nodded: "Manager Zhou is right! This route is specifically designed for the Grand Canal. In the future, goods will land in Wuqing County and travel directly to the capital by land. They can reach the capital within a day."

The group began whispering amongst themselves again.

The section of the canal from Wuqing to Tongzhou has a rapid current and a narrow channel, making it prone to traffic jams.

This is the most stressful place every time I ship goods.

If a main road were built, it would save a lot of trouble to go directly from Wuqing to Beijing!

Yang Chunhua stood up, her face flushed.

"Gentlemen, I'd like to say a few words!"

He walked over to Yang Shen and patted him on the shoulder.

"Young Master Yang is a genius I've never seen before! You haven't seen his improved spinning wheel and loom; they increase efficiency tenfold!"

The crowd gasped in surprise.

"ten times?"

"Impossible, right?"

What kind of spinning wheel can increase efficiency tenfold?

Yang Chunhua waved his hand: "It involves trade secrets, and the details cannot be revealed yet. I can guarantee with my life's reputation that Young Master Yang will definitely lead everyone to make the business bigger and stronger. In the future, Songjiang Prefecture and Southern Textile Bureau will all have to step aside!"

He looked at everyone present and raised his voice a few decibels.

"Now that we have the land, the technology, and with Wang Sizhi's strong support, what are you still hesitating about?"

The private room was quiet for a moment.

Manager Sun suddenly stood up and slammed his wine glass on the table.

"Let's do it! I, Sun, am willing to work for Young Master Yang!"

With one person taking the lead, others also stood up.

"I'll do it too!"

Count me in!

"Following Young Master Yang is the right choice!"

In the end, only Zhou Youcai remained sitting.

Everyone looked at him.

Zhou Youcai kept his head down, staring at the project proposal on the table, motionless.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head.

He looked at Yang Shen with a complicated expression.

"Young Master Yang, this matter concerns the lives and fortunes of everyone present. I still want to ask, what if we don't make any money in the end?"

Yang Shen looked at him and said seriously, "If I don't make any money, I won't take a single penny!"

Zhou Youcai then said, "Then I have no problem. I'm willing to follow Young Master Yang's... no, I mean Chairman Yang's orders. You tell us what to do, and we'll do it!"

When the banquet ended, it was nearly dusk.

Wang Shouren followed Yang Shen into the carriage, left the city gate, and headed east along the official road.

The road was difficult to travel, and we bumped along for about half an hour before a cluster of lights appeared ahead.

Wang Shouren lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. In the darkness, the outlines of a large factory were faintly visible, and two large red lanterns hung at the door of the tallest building, illuminating it brightly.

"arrive."

Yang Shen jumped off the carriage, and Wang Shouren followed.

As I approached, I looked up and saw that the gate was newly built.

Two thick wooden pillars stood upright, with a large plaque hanging horizontally on top of them.

Under the candlelight, five large gilded characters on the plaque read: Zhu Ji Trading Company.

Wang Shouren stared at it for a while, then turned to Yang Shen: "Is it really that direct?"

Yang Shen said, "There's nothing we can do; they're the major shareholder."

Wang Shouren looked up at the plaque again, clicked his tongue, and said, "I still think it's too vulgar. With Yang's talent, why not give it a more elegant name? Like Yunjin Pavilion or Tianqing Workshop?"

As Yang Shen walked inside, he said, "Doing business isn't like writing an article. Why bother with fancy names? When ordinary people see the name 'Zhu Ji,' they know it's a business run by the Zhu family. It's simple, straightforward, and effective."

Wang Shouren thought for a moment and nodded: "That's true!"

The two walked inside.

Facing us was the residential area, with three rows of neatly arranged blue brick houses. Some windows emitted dim yellow light, and one could vaguely hear people talking inside.

Wang Shouren glanced at it and asked, "Is this for the workers to live in?"

Yang Shen nodded: "Currently, it's one room per household, but it will be expanded to three rooms per household in the future."

Further ahead, on the left is a newly built large factory, lined up in a row, with at least a dozen buildings.

Even from a distance, you could hear creaking sounds coming from inside, like a spinning wheel turning.

Wang Shouren pointed over there: "Is this the textile workshop?"

Yang Shen said, "Yes, it's just getting started, and production capacity hasn't been expanded yet."

To the right is the direction of the old riverbed, and in the distance you can see the chimneys of several brick kilns, emitting wisps of smoke.

There was a large open space between the brick kiln and the factory, with a newly dug ditch in between.

Wang Shouren looked around and noticed the layout: "The factory and the brick kiln are so far apart?"

Yang Shendao said, "The brick kiln is firing bricks and tiles, and the smoke and fumes are heavy. If we're too close, it will affect the textile production. By keeping a distance, we can avoid interfering with each other while working, and then go back to the living area after work."

Wang Shouren nodded and looked further into the distance.

In the darkness, one can vaguely see a large open area stretching to the horizon.

There were people in the field, with torches lit, bending over and busy with something.

"What's that over there?"

"Ditches are being built on the newly reclaimed land."

Yang Shen pointed ahead and said, "Cotton will be planted in the spring, so the ditches need to be dug before the ground freezes."

Looking at the lights, Wang Shouren couldn't help but exclaim, "In just two months, you've transformed vast tracts of saline-alkali land into arable land. Yang Ban Du, your contribution is truly remarkable!"

Yang Shen waved his hand: "I only talk the talk; it's the ordinary people who do the hard work. Only when they are willing to risk their lives can the land be cultivated."

As they talked, they arrived at the largest room.

Lanterns hung at the entrance, illuminating the area brightly.

Yang Shen pushed open the door: "Come in and sit down. This is my place, a public residence that also serves as my duty room."

Wang Shouren followed him inside and looked around.

The room was quite large, with a desk against the wall piled with account books and blueprints.

On the other side was a bed, with the bedding neatly folded.

There was a square table and several chairs in the middle.

Laifu brought in the brewed tea: "Director Wang, please have some tea."

Wang Shouren accepted the teacup and thanked him.

Laifu brewed tea for Yang Shen as well, then closed the door and left.

Wang Shouren held his teacup, his expression somewhat complicated: "Yang, I won't hide anything from you. Recently, I submitted three projects to the court, and they were all rejected."