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Hearing Ji Xun’s words, Shen Yu’an asked, “The perfect candidate? Do I know this person?”
“Of course, you do.”
Ji Xun turned around and sat back down, and Shen Yu’an followed suit.
The two of them sat on opposite sides of a small square table, facing each other.
Shen Yu’an mentally went through all the possible options for this best candidate. Since Ji Xun ruled himself out like that, the breakthrough must not lie with him.
Then, who could this best candidate be?
The Bai family?
Or is it Ah chen?
She tentatively mentioned these two possibilities.
Ji Xun shook his head slowly and said, “Not them, not them. Since you’ve come to me, it means you’ve already ruled out these two options from your mind.”
This time, Shen Yu’an genuinely didn’t know. Ji Xun was intentionally teasing her, which only added to her impatience.
Yet, she mentally reviewed all the people she knew again, but still couldn’t come up with a suitable candidate.
Ji Xun spread his palms, taunting, “You usually have such a sharp mind. How did you forget about this important figure?”
Before Shen Yu’an could respond, Ji Xun continued, “I guess you brought this up with me because you’ve realized that the papermaking industry is a lucrative opportunity, but it’s not something you can tackle alone.”
“While the Bai family is friendly with you, they are merchants at the end of the day. None of them hold official positions in the court. While the aristocratic families in the capital may give them some face, when it comes to such a significant matter, even the Bai family can’t protect this piece of meat.”
“Then there’s Fei Yanchen. If we were talking about a year ago, making him the silent force behind this venture might have genuinely deterred others eyeing the opportunity. However, now he doesn’t even dare to reveal his own identity. Collaborating with him is essentially courting death.”
Ji Xun analyzed Shen Yu’an’s thoughts thoroughly. This was indeed something she had considered, which is why she had come to him seeking a trustworthy and influential person to partner with.
But hearing Ji Xun say that Fei Yanchen didn’t even dare to acknowledge his own identity and that any involvement with him could lead to death, it still made her uncomfortable.
Shen Yu’an attributed her sudden discontent to a sense of pity for Fei Yanchen, who was destined for an unfavorable fate in the story.
She cleared her throat, intending to refute Ji Xun’s words, but they were difficult to argue against.
Shen Yu’an puffed out one cheek, feeling a bit sour.
She urged, “Stop teasing me and just tell me, who is this best candidate?”
Ji Xun didn’t purposely prolong the suspense and revealed someone that surprised Shen Yu’an.
“Qi Family”
Shen Yu’an was taken aback and repeated Ji Xun’s words, “What? Qi Family?”
She looked at Ji Xun for confirmation, asking, “You mean the General Qi family from the capital? The General stationed here in our Southern Border, General Xiangnan?”
Ji Xun confirmed, “Yes, exactly him.”
Shen Yu’an settled down and contemplated whether Ji Xun’s suggested candidate was feasible.
Prompted by Ji Xun’s mention, Shen Yu’an recalled the incident of saving a little girl on the escape route during the famine.
The parents of that little girl seemed to be related to General Xiangnan.
They had only mentioned living in the capital at the General Xiangnan’s residence, but they hadn’t disclosed their identity. However, they had given Shen Yu’an a jade pendant as a token of gratitude.
Shen Yu’an had initially thought the token might come in handy when entering the city.
However, after arriving and encountering the influx of refugees being accepted into the city, along with the chance encounter with the Bai family, entering the city hadn’t brought her any blame. As a result, she had forgotten encountering the branch of Qi family.
Shen Yu’an had nearly forgotten about the Qi family’s matter.
Since Ji Xun brought up this candidate, Shen Yu’an began seriously considering whether she could leverage the Qi family for this venture.
However, besides the brief encounter with a few unidentified individuals from the Qi family, she knew very little about them.
So, Shen Yu’an had to dredge up distant memories, recalling the contents of the book from before she came to this world.
General Xiangnan was a man of great integrity, truly dedicated to the country and its people. He was later brought under the wing of Fei Yanchen, who returned severely injured.
After all, during that time, Great Wei faced both internal and external challenges, and General Xiangnan’s aspirations to fight for the country were constrained by the struggle among the imperial princes within Great Wei.
Moreover, General Xiangnan knew the true nature of these imperial princes better than what was commonly known among the public.
He selected the person he believed in, which was Fei Yanchen, whose family members were imprisoned in the capital.
According to the descriptions of General Xiangnan in the book, he was someone trustworthy.
However, now they were commoners, and the Qi family held official status. Whether an agreement could be reached remained uncertain and required a meeting to determine.
Shen Yu’an asked, “Who were the people we encountered initially from General Xiangnan’s family?”
Ji Xun answered, “They should be General Xiangnan’s younger brothers.”
Having followed his master in the capital before, Ji Xun had a good understanding of the officials in the court and the general situation. He continued to share his knowledge on the matter of General Xiangnan’s residence, saying, “General Xiangnan lived in the same era as King Wuding, and his reputation was widespread. If I recall correctly, there should be three branches in the Qi General’s residence.”
“General Xiangnan is the head of the main branch, his brother Qi Wenqin leads the second branch, and there’s also a third branch born from General Xiangnan’s father’s concubine. As for their relationships, it’s hard to say.”
“However, we could establish a connection through Qi Wenqin and discuss cooperation with General Xiangnan. In this southern region, no one would dare openly disrupt your workshop with his support.”
Shen Yu’an nodded, agreeing with Ji Xun’s suggestion.
She had enough financial resources, and when it came to land and labor, as long as she had enough capital, there would be no worries.
However, the papermaking industry was currently highly profitable. As someone without a significant background, Shen Yu’an knew that the chances of successfully establishing this venture smoothly were close to zero.
Therefore, she needed a partner who could deter those with ill intentions.
Now that she had identified a suitable candidate, Shen Yu’an had to figure out how to meet the Qi family members.
Shen Yu’an spent a long time discussing with Ji Xun about the operation of the workshop and finalized the plan.
Returning to her room, Shen Yu’an rewrote the content on the paper that had been scratched and altered, making it clearer and more legible.
The paper detailed the papermaking methods, the materials and steps for different types of paper, the selection of the workshop location, and considerations for the future sales points.
Shen Yu’an had meticulously planned everything.
With these preparations in place, Shen Yu’an discussed her plans with her family members and informed Ji Xun about their trip to the capital city.
However, before she could mention the trip, Song Shi smiled and said, “Coincidentally, your older brothers will have a day off tomorrow. Those matchmakers have visited our house several times, and I’ve been thinking of setting the day for the matchmaking to be tomorrow. So, when you wake up, make sure to tidy yourselves up nicely.”