Chapter 522: A Visit From The Zhong Clan

Yan Liqiang sat in one of the chairs at the parlor, watching Steward Zhou’s disappearing silhouette while planning his next course of action. Some things just couldn’t be stopped once started.

Yan Liqiang didn’t send people to collect wool just for fun, but for use.

Ever since Yan Liqiang arrived in this world, he found it strange when he realized that wool spinning and weaving techniques didn’t exist here. Nothing in the Great Han Empire was made of cotton wool fabric. People were wearing materials like coarse fabric, linen, satin, silk, all sorts of yarns, brocade, and even animal leather. There were all kinds of clothing made out of brocade, linens, and silk to meet the needs of people with different social statuses. Yet, the supposedly most common type of clothing made out of cotton wool fabric was never seen.

Yan Liqiang had seen many people wearing sheepskin, but he had never seen anyone wearing wool clothing.

At first, Yan Liqiang thought this phenomenon was only observed in the Great Han Empire. It was only later he realized otherwise. So far, it seemed like the people of this world were not knowledgeable about the basic wool processing technique. The first process required to produce something out of wool, which also required most skills to execute, was scouring the wool. This process was like an insurmountable mountain that blocked wool from being recognized as raw material for fabric.

Yan Liqiang heard that some tribes that reared sheep had products made of wool fabric, but not many. Since not many people wore them, it wasn’t widespread or made popular. In fact, Yan Liqiang had seen something like that once. Putting aside the rest, if someone wore a jacket made of that kind of wool fabric, its strong stench could be smelled from several meters away. This was what would happen to items made out of wools that were not scoured. Not only that, but the clothes wouldn’t be aesthetically pleasing. The attempt to refine the wool was probably lacking as the clothes ended up looking grayish and dirty. The wools were all bunched up on the surface, looking worse than even the lowest grade of coarse fabric. It would have been better to just wear sheepskin instead.

Scouring wool might be an impossible task to the others, but to Yan Liqiang, he could take advantage of the knowledge from his previous world that he retained in his brain. Therefore, scouring wool to him was an extremely simple task.

If wools weren’t scoured, they were nothing more than balls of useless trash. However, the scoured wools could be turned into yarn with a simple treatment. Yarn could then be easily made into beautiful and warm wool fabric, as well as a mixture of linen. With that, the wool fabric industry would be able to develop.

Based on the potential level of development and profit alone, this industry would no doubt be able to develop into an extremely profitable one with just some little techniques to improve the production efficiency. This wasn’t Yan Liqiang’s subjective opinion, but something which had been proven in the history of his previous world.

The Great Han Empire was a huge market! He would be the first to enjoy this crab before the wool scouring technique would be spread out in just the blink of an eye.

There weren’t many places in Gan Province and the northwestern provinces to rear sheep. A lot of places were barren wilderness, so only a limited number of sheep could be reared. However, the Gulang Plains that was close to the northwestern region would make a nice natural ranch!

One side was scarce in wool resources and huge profits awaited there, while the other side was the Gulang Plains that could rear many sheep and by right should belong to the Great Han Empire, but was occupied by the Shatu Seven Tribes. This was indeed conflicting!

‘Capital is said to fly turbulence and strife, and to be timid, which is very true. Capital eschews no profit, or very small profit, just as Nature was formerly said to abhor a vacuum. With adequate profit, capital is very bold. A certain 10 percent will ensure its employment anywhere; 20 percent certain will produce eagerness; 50 percent, positive audacity; 100 percent will make it ready to trample on all human laws; 300 percent, and there is not a crime at which it will scruple, nor a risk it will not run, even to the chance of its owner being hanged. If turbulence and strife will bring a profit, it will freely encourage both.’

This was a famous quote from Marx. Capital was driven by human nature. Humans would make the most appropriate decision in the presence of conflict.

All he needed to do was make preparations, push the button, and step on the gas. The train of history would then move forward powerfully…

The perspective and insight that no one else in this world had were Yan Liqiang’s trump cards.

While Yan Liqiang was organizing his thoughts, Yu Qing had silently entered the parlor. She stood in front of Yan Liqiang, looking slightly apprehensive and shy.

Yan Liqiang was going to pinch the little girl’s face, but noticed her rapidly developing body and lovely rosy face when he was about to reach out. It was only then he felt that pinching her face might be a little too inappropriate, so he held himself back, cleared his throat, then smiled and asked her, “Ahem, what’s wrong? You don’t look so good. Did anyone in the Yan Clan dare to bully my Qing’er?”

Yu Qing kept her head lowered while fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. With a voice so faint that it was almost inaudible, she asked, “Young Lord. A-Are you… going to marry the lady from the Lu Clan…?”

“Oh, who did you hear that from?”

“Everyone here knew about it, including Mother Wu. They said you visited the Lu Residence to finalize this matter two days ago!”

“Yes, I have indeed finalized this wedding with the Lu Clan. I’ll marry Lady Lu in three years’ time, after my coming of age,” Yan Liqiang answered calmly.

“When Young Lord… marries Lady Lu, will I still be needed? Are you going to chase me away?” Yu Qing lifted her little face. Her worried gaze met Yan Liqiang’s eyes.

“Yes, of course. Who said I was abandoning you? Unless you wish to marry someone in the future, then I’ll prepare a grand dowry and marry you off gloriously like I would for my real younger sister!”

Yu Qing quickly shook her head. “No, I’m not marrying anyone…! I’m not going to marry in my entire life! I would like to stay by your side and serve you for life, Young Lord!”

Yan Liqiang only nodded and treated the little girl’s words as a joke. “Alright, as you wish. You may follow me forever and I’ll never chase you away!”

“You’re telling the truth?”

“How bold of you! A little girl like you dares to doubt the words of the best archer in the Great Han Empire’s northwestern region? You dare to doubt the one who has been personally appointed by the Emperor as the Qiyun Protectorate General and the great prodigy of Qinghe County’s Liuhe Town in the Pingxi Prefecture?!” Yan Liqiang pretended to look angry and tried to frighten Yu Qing. “Since when did I ever lie to you?!”

Yu Qing froze for two seconds before she managed to digest the meaning behind Yan Liqiang’s words. A smile immediately bloomed on her face like a flower. “I know you’re the best, Young Lord!” The little girl ran off like a wisp of smoke after saying that.

After Yu Qing exited the room, her lovely face peeked out of the door again. “Oh right, I nearly forgot! Mother Wu told me to ask what would you like to have for dinner tonight! She’s going to teach me how to cook for you…”

“Hahaha, it’s been so long since I’ve eaten Mother Wu’s cooking! Tell her to serve me some turnip balls and red braised pork!”

“Got it…!” The little girl ran off, leaving behind her laughter that sounded like melodious silver bells.

By evening, Yan Dechang returned with all smiles. It was evident that the opening of the mill powered by the Aquapyro Engine today had greatly pleased him. When the father and son had their dinner together, Yan Dechang suddenly recalled something. “Oh right, Liqiang. There’s something I would like to discuss with you!”

“What is it?”

“Sixth Grandfather and a few seniors came to me today. According to the tradition in Gan Province and other places in the northwestern region, since we are the one who repaired Liuhe Town’s fortress to protect everyone here, Liuhe Town should be renamed to include our surname ‘Yan’ so that people will be able to immediately tell that this is the Yan Clan’s territory!”

“Oh, there’s such a rule?” Yan Liqiang looked at Yan Dechang in shock, but immediately understood when he thought of the Lu Residence. The Lu Clan probably established their position within the Lu Residence after building a fortress for their own clan. He pondered for a moment before speaking, “Renaming the town is a major event. What do the townsfolk think?”

Yan Dechang’s face broke into a smile. “They all agree. In fact, they sent the Sixth Grandfather their behalf to tell me that. Sixth Grandfather said that given Yan Liqiang’s popularity, if Liuhe Town is to be named after the Yan Clan, the townsfolk will also be basking in the reflected glory and no one will dare to simply bully them! The few seniors from the town also expressed their wish to have you give this town a new name…”

Yan Liqiang thought for a while before he finally replied, “Let’s call it Yan Fortress. The Yan Clan will be here to protect the peace in town…”

Yan Dechang mulled over it for a moment before nodding. “Yan Fortress. Good name, good name…”

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