Chapter 337: Playing the Part

Chapter 337: Playing the Part

The negotiations concluded with a lengthy process, and after signing four or five documents, the Great Wei was flourishing in peace and harmony, while the Japanese pirates were shrouded in gloom.

Qiao Hui, with a wounded arm, took Xianjin, Hengxi, and Li Sanshun out to sea, under the pretext of “experiencing the exotic flavors of the South Seas and the life at sea.”

It sounded like something straight out of a senior citizen travel brochure.

The itinerary was also very senior citizen-like.

At six in the morning, even before the roosters had crowed, they set out to sea; visiting three sea routes and a small island in one day, with a seashore expedition in the evening; returned to the official inn in the middle of the night, only to continue the next day; waking up even earlier the next day, at five in the morning, to attend a sea market, where large breams longer than the forearm, clams bigger than the palm, and many never-before-seen shells and conchs were sold, followed by paying respects to Mazu, drinking tea, and listening to Min opera and Liyuan opera…

The three-day itinerary was packed full.

Hengxi was nearly dead.

Already suffering from motion sickness, she had drained her energy on the first day when they rapidly switched sea routes.

For the next two days, Hengxi trailed behind, looking pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. Xianjin suggested she return to the inn to rest.

Hengxi exhaled longer than she inhaled, “Since I’ve come all this way.”

Xianjin chuckled, “Ha ha, tough luck!”

After three days, the true senior tour participant, Li Sanshun, was full of energy and vigor, his skin tone now matching the locals. Licking his lips, he said, “Can I stay here and not go back? Fishing in Xuancheng is really difficult. At most, you catch a few small, spiny crucian carp. Here, there are so many fish that you could throw a stone into the sea and hit three.”

Xianjin nodded, “Alright then. I’ll award Dog Ye the title of top expert in the Xuancheng Paper Industry Chamber of Commerce.”

Li Sanshun exploded in frustration, “What a load of bull! He still has a lot to learn! Giving him the ‘top expert’ title, isn’t he ashamed?!”

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

As long as a fisherman can’t let go of his worldly desires, he will never catch the big catch that brings glory to his ancestors.

The night before departure, Grand Princess Baian hosted a banquet on her treasure ship. Perhaps due to the success of the Xuan paper again, Xianjin was seated at the third table instead of the far end, surrounded by officials in crimson robes, like a skinny bug that had fallen into a vat of red dye.

The old men were drinking wine, and Xianjin seized the opportunity to eat greedily.

An old man with a dark blue sachet on his official robe belt tremulously raised his cup to Xianjin and asked, “Are you a little princess who ran away from a royal household?”

Xianjin hurriedly helped the old man steady his cup, afraid that if he trembled, the wine would spill on her.

Xianjin shook her head.

“Is she from a princess’s household?”

Xianjin shook her head.

“Is she from a county household? A noble lady? A young…?”

Xianjin pursed her lips.

Look, I’m twenty-one years old, a fully grown woman with long limbs and mature features, dressed appropriately for the occasion. Men, no matter how old, always like to call women 'sweetheart,' 'honey,' or 'little one.'

Even in modern times, at her age, she wouldn’t be called 'little anything.'

Why do men always feel the need to add 'little' before everything?

Because "small" contrasts with "big," and woman contrasts with man.

Xianjin shook her head, unable to bear the thought of the old man pondering so deeply that he might lose sleep. Out of kindness, she said, "Others call me Chairwoman He."

The old man furrowed his brow even more tightly, lost in thought.

"Chairwoman"?

Is this a new imperial title? It sounds more senior than a county princess or court lady.

After her exchange with the old man, Xianjin glanced over to see Grand Princess Bai'an raising her cup in a toast at the main table. "General Ashikaga, you must firmly hold the reins of government in Japan—after the twenty-year agreement expires, I hope it will still be you who goes to Wei to renew it."

Grand Princess Bai'an wore a satisfied smile, a sense of fulfillment as if all her desires were met. "By then, we won’t be in Fujian anymore. Your countries—Japan, Goguryeo, Java, and Ryukyu—will all come to the Capital City to pay homage!"

This was the first time Xianjin had heard Grand Princess Bai'an make such grand statements.

No, it couldn’t be called grandstanding.

It was a vision.

Xianjin looked at her with admiration. Grand Princess Bai'an sat in the center of the round table, the candlelight casting a silky, gorgeous halo over her bright and magnificent face, like a huge, luxurious golden veil hiding her.

Xianjin felt immense admiration for her.

Xianjin felt very fortunate and lucky. In this era, if it weren’t for the Grand Princess being in power, she would never have had the opportunity to sit among these important men in crimson robes.

She would have only been called "young girl" or "young He." If her luck had been slightly worse, she might have become a concubine.

The pioneers laid the foundation, and now we reap the benefits.

The next morning, the trade delegation set out, traveling from the Jian'an Sea Route to the Min River estuary, and then into the Min River waterway, heading inland.

Before making a temporary stop at the port of Yingtian Prefecture, Grand Princess Bai'an specially summoned Xianjin to ask, "When can the ten rolls of water ripple paper be completed?"

Special bamboo curtains were needed first, and the pulp could be reused and mixed. However, in the paper-making technique, a three-layer method had to be adopted to hide the light and dark patterns within the paper. Even engraving techniques could be used to incorporate the serial number into the three-layer sandwich—these were the conclusions Xianjin and Li Sanshun discussed with Qiao Hui.

Xianjin carefully chose her words, "At most three to five months, at least one to two months, depending on the craftsmanship of the masters."

Grand Princess Bai'an smiled and turned to Qiao Hui, "This girl has learned a lot of political habits on this trip."

She always avoided giving definite answers or setting specific times.

Xianjin’s face turned red, "If the masters cooperate fully, three months should suffice."

Grand Princess Bai'an nodded, "What are your future plans?"

Xianjin scratched her head, "I originally planned to open a renowned workshop in Xuancheng Prefecture, making only the best Xuan paper. Later, you designated Xuan paper as the imperial paper of Japan—thanks to you, the status of Xuan paper was elevated so high that I dared to venture out a bit."

Grand Princess Bai'an continued nodding, "Not bad, you have some courage."

Xianjin was pleased, "However excellent Xuan paper may be, if it can’t leave Xuancheng, if it can’t leave Southern Zhili, it will only be a fleeting success, confined to a corner. Now that Xuan paper has reached its peak in the last hundred or two hundred years, if I work hard and push my limits, perhaps Xuan paper can be passed down in history."

"After settling things in Xuancheng, come to the Capital City."

Grand Princess Bai'an casually rested her hand on the side table, as if it were a routine family meeting, without any makeup. There were finally faint traces of age at the corners of her eyes. "At sixteen, I was stationed at the Jade Gate Pass for a long time, briefly returning to the Capital City during the White Drunk Rebellion more than a decade ago, and now... Emperor Zhaode is no longer in good health, the cabinet hasn’t been completely cleaned up, let alone the six ministries. I plan to replace the current Jiaozi and take back control of the issuance—do you think using Xuan paper for banknotes is feasible?"

Issuing banknotes benefits the country and is convenient for the people; the principle is clear and understandable.

This is a monumental achievement.

Xianjin froze in place, stunned.

Grand Princess Bai An did not press for an immediate answer, only asked Xianjin to reflect on it.

Qiao Hui and Lian Sai Hu Liangliang escorted Xianjin off the boat and onto dry land.

Liangliang, noticing Xianjin's downcast expression, leaned in and whispered, "When the General asked Boss He what her plans were for the future, I thought she was asking about your engagement!"

Qiao Hui: ?

Now I get why you and Medic Officer Qiu have drifted apart...

"Why are you always so obsessed with love and relationships?"

Qiao Hui arched an eyebrow, "When the Grand Princess and Xianjin are together, even if they were just flirting, it would be more reasonable than gossiping about who's getting engaged or when you're planning to have kids!"