Chen Dayong saw Chen Xiaobei wave goodbye with a smile. "Brother Xiaobei, let's go check out the woods. We'll be burning a lot of charcoal today!"
Chen Xiaobei quickened his pace to catch up with Chen Dayong. "Brother Dayong, save some of today's charcoal for me. I need to take it to Centipede Ridge."
Chen Dayong smiled slightly and nodded. "Don't worry, I won't send charcoal to anyone else first. We'll make sure to set aside a thousand jin for Her Highness the Princess."
"By the way, we can produce at least ten thousand jin of charcoal today."
Hearing this figure, Chen Xiaobei was quite pleased. He hadn't expected Chen Dayong to increase production capacity so much in such a short time.
"Great, with your assurance, I'm relieved. It looks like this business can really take off."
Chatting about everyday matters, the two arrived at the woods west of the village.
Upon entering the woods, they saw piles upon piles of charcoal kilns in the distance. Some were emitting blue smoke, some white smoke, and some were completely still.
Chen Dayong pointed to the charcoal kilns, his face alight with excitement as he began to explain to Chen Xiaobei. "Brother Xiaobei, look, Huang Ying and Ziyan helped us expand these kilns. Now each kiln can burn several thousand jin at a time." Su Dan Novel Network.
Mentioning Huang Ying brought a touch of sadness to Chen Xiaobei's thoughts.
But then he considered that these charcoal kilns might be Huang Ying's lasting memory for him, and he should cherish them.
Just then, Chen Dayong continued, "Brother, there's a huge demand for charcoal in the city. Should we expand our scale further?"
Chen Xiaobei's mind stirred at his words. The population of Hetou Village was limited, and further expansion wouldn't yield much. If charcoal was already in such short supply, there would surely be a shortage in winter.
He immediately thought of Guo Chuan. Centipede Ridge had existing kilns. If Guo Chuan and his men were willing, making charcoal could be a way for them to support themselves.
"Brother Dayong, let's keep it as it is for now. We'll see how things go in a few days. I want to see if Guo Chuan and his people are willing to do it."
Guo Dayong seemed puzzled. "Brother Xiaobei, if it's a profitable endeavor, why should we hand it over to outsiders?"
Chen Xiaobei looked at Chen Dayong. "Guo Chuan is not an outsider. Besides, he brought so many supplies down from the mountain and doesn't plan to take them away."
"Although the Crown Prince will send people to transport some, most of the food is left for us. How can we not consider such great kindness as being outsiders?"
His words silenced Chen Dayong for a moment. Chen Xiaobei continued, "If Guo Chuan leads his men to Centipede Ridge, with over a thousand people there, they can't just sit around and consume resources. We need to find something for them to do."
After hearing Chen Xiaobei's explanation, Chen Dayong nodded. "I understand. Now that I think about it, it would be quite good if they could make some charcoal."
Chen Xiaobei patted Chen Dayong's arm. "Don't worry, there will be work for everyone. The cabbage and radish will also need to be harvested in a couple of days."
With that, he turned and left to find Guo Chuan.
Upon meeting Guo Chuan, Chen Xiaobei explained his idea. Guo Chuan said gratefully, "I was just discussing with the men downstairs what we should do after entering Centipede Ridge. We can't just wait for food to be served every day."
"Your suggestion has clarified things for me. We can burn charcoal in the cold weather and chop firewood in the summer. We can always exchange them for money in the city."
Chen Xiaobei nodded. "We don't know how long you'll be at Centipede Ridge, but you must tell everyone to be prepared. The days might be tough."
Hearing this, Guo Chuan's face showed resolve. "That's not a problem. No matter how hard it gets, it's better than being branded as traitors." Chen Xiaobei felt a new sense of respect for Guo Chuan at this remark.
This was a man who valued his country and family. Helping him was the right thing to do.
Chen Xiaobei arranged for a thousand jin of charcoal to be loaded and set off for Centipede Ridge with Guo Chuan.
Guo Chuan brought only three or five men with him. As they walked, he still felt a bit apprehensive.
"Brother Xiaobei, I'll have to rely on you today. If the Princess doesn't take us in, I'll truly be homeless."
Chen Xiaobei shook his head. "Don't worry, the Princess will definitely take you in. Leave this matter to me."
As they approached the foot of Centipede Ridge, the sentries in the distance recognized Chen Xiaobei and signaled to him enthusiastically.
Observing the security arrangements, Guo Chuan couldn't help but praise, "The Princess is truly cautious, setting up sentries so far from the stronghold."
Chen Xiaobei handed the horse cart over to Guo Chuan's subordinate and, taking Guo Chuan with him, followed the sentry to the mountain stronghold to meet Princess Zhaoning.
Upon seeing Chen Xiaobei, Princess Zhaoning appeared very pleased. She ordered tea to be served. Sipping the warm imperial tea, Chen Xiaobei secretly marveled at the Princess's ability to enjoy life, bringing tea even on such a distant journey.
"Brother Xiaobei, I'm surprised you kept your word so quickly and came to see me."
Chen Xiaobei cupped his fist. "Your Highness the Princess..."
Before he could finish, Princess Zhaoning interrupted him. "Brother Xiaobei, don't be so formal with me from now on. Just call me by my name. I won't be a Princess anymore."
Chen Xiaobei was momentarily silent. It made sense. About to be married off to the Great Turkic Kingdom by her father, it was better to discard the title of Princess and find peace.
"Alright, if that's the case, then I won't be polite. I've brought Brother Guo here today to discuss something with you." Chen Xiaobei got straight to the point. "Brother Guo has over a thousand men living in Hetou Village, which is quite cramped. I was thinking he could bring some of them up to this mountain. They can become your subordinates from now on."
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoning's expression faltered slightly.
She said hesitantly, "I'm afraid my stronghold might not be able to accommodate so many people."
Chen Xiaobei waved his hand. "Do you remember the camp Hu Fan set up on the mountaintop before? It's large enough to house about a thousand people. You can have Brother Guo and his men stay there."
"This way, if you need assistance with anything, they can provide support. They will be separate from your operations here, so it won't interfere with your work."
Hearing this, Princess Zhaoning's face lit up, and she nodded repeatedly. "That's wonderful! Then let them come. By the way, Guo Chuan, how is your archery? You can come with me to hunt in the back mountain from now on."
Guo Chuan was speechless upon hearing this, thinking the Princess was still too fond of her pastimes.
"Your Highness the Princess, my archery is passable. It's certainly not as good as yours."
The Princess chuckled at his words.
At this point, Chen Xiaobei continued, "Jing Feng, since Brother Guo and his men are coming, they need something to do on the mountain. I suggest they start by burning charcoal. They need some income, otherwise, they'll just deplete their resources."
Princess Zhaoning nodded. "That's true, they do need something to do."
"Since you want to burn charcoal, then so be it. However, you must leave some trees in the back mountain for me. If they're all gone, I'll have nowhere to hunt."