Chapter 21 Going to the Capital

Ye Tao called his father, Ye Laogeng, and Qi Zhentao together to express his desire to go to the capital soon.

"What are you going to do there now?" Qi Zhentao felt that the clock research and development was progressing steadily. Having a finalized sample meant that Ye Tao's departure for a while would have some impact, but it wasn't unacceptable. However, what exactly was Ye Tao going to do? In Qi Zhentao's opinion, this Yi Zhan Lou business was far less ambitious than the clock business. It wasn't worth going to the capital to supervise the construction of those buildings for Yi Zhan Lou.

Ye Laogeng, however, had a different idea. Knowing that the "Miss Zhuo" had sent someone with a letter and even brought an eagle as a messenger, Ye Laogeng became increasingly curious about her identity. Just being able to train an eagle to deliver messages was something that probably eight out of ten wealthy families in Dongping couldn't do. Ye Laogeng knew that to make a big business, one needed skills, but also a strong backing. Before, when the Ye family hadn't risen, they couldn't rely on anyone, and skills were the most important thing. But now that the Ye family's business had reached this point, it wasn't just about money and skills. Having a backer who could help them at a crucial moment was always a good thing. Even if it was just to build a courtyard for "Miss Zhuo," Ye Laogeng felt it was only right.

Qi Zhentao was already over 60, but Ye Laogeng was only in his early 40s. It could be said that Ye Laogeng had grown up listening to Qi Zhentao's legends. Although Qi Zhentao now treated the Ye family as partners, Ye Laogeng was still somewhat apprehensive in front of him. When Qi Zhentao questioned Ye Tao, Ye Laogeng didn't say a word.

"Grandpa Qi, I reckon the second and third clocks will be out tomorrow or the day after, right? Actually, with a few clocks, it doesn't make much difference whether I'm there or not. But don't you think it's a good opportunity to show this clock off in the capital at this time?" Ye Tao said. "Go to the capital, find an opportunity to show it off at the banquets of the dignitaries, and let them bid for it. It's both a business deal and a boost to the reputation of the clock business, isn't it good?"

"Aren't you afraid of those dignitaries in the capital?" Qi Zhentao was somewhat tempted by Ye Tao's idea, but he also had concerns.

"After entering the capital, first visit the Zuo family to collect the money, and then go see Miss Zhuo to start the Yi Zhan Lou project. Since my wood carvings are in the hands of Lord Situ Huang, it's only right to visit Lord Huang as well. Grandpa, do you think anyone would dare to make trouble after all this? If there really is, then they're probably someone we can't deal with." Ye Tao said nonchalantly.

Qi Zhentao snorted and asked, "What other tricks are you up to, kid?"

Ye Tao shrugged and said, "Actually, Miss Zhuo sent a messenger, even an eagle, and isn't in a hurry about the Yi Zhan Lou matter. But she also said that there are indeed things I can help with now. Being able to lend a hand at this time is better than doing business lukewarmly in the future, right? I know Grandpa looks down on the petty business of Yi Zhan Lou, but the Ye family's foundation is thin, and we can't compare with those wealthy families. Yi Zhan Lou and Army Game may not be a way to find a new path to wealth, and I really dare not underestimate it. And Miss Zhuo's face is really hard to refuse."

Qi Zhentao pondered for a moment, then looked at Ye Laogeng and asked, "Ye boy, tell the truth, what exactly is the background of that Miss Zhuo?"

Ye Tao thought for a while and said truthfully, "That Miss Zhuo's real name is Tan Weixin, the most beloved daughter of the current emperor, Princess Zhaohua. As for the one who came to find my sister to return to the capital later... unfortunately, it was the Crown Prince."

Ye Tao's expression and tone were absolutely genuine. After dealing with Ye Tao for several years, Qi Zhentao also knew his temperament. If he didn't want to say it, he could hide it to the end, but he wouldn't make up outrageous lies to perfunctorily answer him. Because of this, the fact that the Crown Prince and Princess had secretly come to Yicheng one after another, and that Princess Zhaohua had become Ye Tao's business partner, seemed even more incredible. And Qi Zhentao understood that it was best to let Ye Tao go to the capital. Otherwise, if something went wrong with the Yi Zhan Lou that Princess Zhaohua and Ye Tao were partnering in, who knows who would be implicated. Although the current emperor's family was famous for being reasonable, the standards of being reasonable for people in that position were different from ordinary people.

Ye Laogeng was so surprised that he couldn't speak. Of course, when he knew that his child was getting along well with the princess, and that his business would definitely be taken care of by the princess when he arrived in the capital, Ye Laogeng didn't have too many thoughts other than joy. After inviting Qi Zhentao to a meal together, Ye Tao's trip to the capital was settled.

A few days later, Ye Tao, along with ten skilled workers and twenty apprentices from the Ye Family Workshop, and two clocks, set off for the capital in a mighty manner under the escort of ten guards each from Min Yue and Qi Zhentao, led by Lu Dan of the Imperial Guards.

Lu Dan was becoming more and more curious about Ye Tao. Although he only stayed in Yicheng for a few days, being able to personally enter the top floor of Yi Zhan Lou and participate in the research and development of the Army Game's grand strategy gameplay, personally experiencing the feeling of commanding a large army on a huge sand table, was a good experience for Lu Dan. Although he, as an Imperial Guard, was likely to go to the border army as an officer in a few years, he didn't think that he would be able to become a general or commander with his qualifications. However, he vaguely felt that the feeling of commanding chess pieces representing the army on the sand table, watching the arbitrator calculate the losses according to the strength of both sides when the chess pieces collided, and forcing the opponent into a desperate situation or being forced into a desperate situation by the opponent, must have some similarities with real command of a large army. Otherwise, this tabletop game wouldn't have made Lu Dan so obsessed that he forgot about food and drink, and almost all his thoughts were on how to defeat his opponent. But how could Ye Tao, at such a young age, know what the war was like?

And Ye Tao, who had never left Yicheng since he was a child, was very thoughtful in preparing various things for the trip. It was also very curious, is there really someone who is born knowing things?

Traveling was not just a matter of one day. With Lu Dan, an Imperial Guard, leading the way, the journey was smooth, at least there was much less harassment from those petty officials who would try to make money from traveling merchants. In Dongping, although Yicheng didn't have a large population, it was one of the most prosperous. The urban style that intertwined busyness and leisure was extremely suitable for people to indulge in. The novelty brought by the large and small towns along the way was really limited. After walking slowly for 10 days, they arrived at Danyang City, the capital of Dongping.