The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Chapter 176 Sun Luban Can't Be Idle

Sun Luban didn't really want the money; she was just reminding Guan Xing not to forget her kindness.

Guan Xing laughed and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I, Guan Anguo, am not an ungrateful person. It's just that my gift of thanks for the matchmaking is a bit special. I wonder if you would be interested?"

Sun Luban's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "What is that? Let me see."

Guan Xing snapped his fingers, and Zhu Chao behind him took out a piece of silk from his bosom and unfolded it. Zhou Xun and Sun Luban looked up and saw a spinning machine they had never seen before drawn on the silk.

Sun Luban asked unhappily, "What do you mean? You want me to stay home and weave cloth?"

You, Guan Anguo, are really looking down on me. Do you think I'm the kind of person who stays at home obediently spinning thread and weaving cloth?

Guan Xing laughed and said, "No, that would be a waste of your talents to have you weave cloth. I want you to be the director of the textile factory."

"This is a new type of loom that I gathered craftsmen in Wushang to develop. It is several times more efficient than a hand-cranked loom. Sister-in-law, just think about it, one loom can weave one bolt of cloth in ten days. How much can ten thousand looms weave in ten days?"

"I want you to build a large textile factory with tens of thousands of looms. The factory will operate on a shareholding system, with me owning 51% of the shares and you owning 49%. Are you interested?"

In fact, even without matchmaking, Guan Xing had planned to invite Sun Luban to be the director of the textile factory. The reason was simple: Sun Luban was a busy, career-oriented woman who couldn't sit still. If you didn't give her something to do, she would give you something to do.

Giving her a job in a factory is better than letting her stay at home all day thinking about a coup, right?

Moreover, the Han Dynasty's productivity is too low. To quickly increase productivity, we must use all available resources and fully unleash the Han Dynasty's potential.

We are currently facing a severe shortage of personnel, so there's no reason not to use an outstanding talent like Sun Luban, is there?

As for whether there would be any problems if he revealed the loom technology to Sun Luban, Guan Xing was not worried at all. First of all, the loom was not technically difficult to make; any carpenter could easily copy it after taking a look.

Secondly, the Han Dynasty was too poor, with many people running around naked. Therefore, the most urgent task at present was to make the pie bigger, rather than fighting over how to divide it.

Don't forget that Guan Xing is now the ruling class that sets the standards, and he has countless marketing techniques that will become classics in later generations. Once he makes the pie bigger, it won't be difficult for him to plunder it. With just a few tricks, the textile factory will belong to Guan.

But the premise of capitalists' plunder is that there is something for them to plunder. If the common people are so poor that they are urinating blood, who are they going to plunder?

So we need to make the cake first, increase the variety of goods on the market, and then plunder it when everyone becomes rich. How satisfying would that be!

As for whether the textile machines would be stolen by Cao Wei if they were spread out like this, there is even less to worry about. Jiangnan was the production base of the textile industry. The productivity of the Ming and Qing dynasties was more advanced than that of the Han dynasty. Weren't the three major textile bureaus (Jiangning Textile Bureau, Suzhou Textile Bureau, and Hangzhou Textile Bureau) all in Jiangnan?

Moreover, the most popular products in the Han Dynasty are silk and Shu brocade. Neither of these are produced in Jiangbei. As long as Sun Luban can produce silk, he can continuously exchange it for grain or other goods from Cao Wei.

You should know that in those days, silk fabrics could be used directly as currency.

"Build a textile factory and become the factory manager?" Sun Luban envisioned the wonderful scene of becoming a factory manager.

The textile industry is a labor-intensive industry. Ten thousand looms require at least ten thousand female workers. If I were to become the factory manager, wouldn't I be the leader of ten thousand female workers?

This has potential!

Sun Luban pondered for a moment and then made up his mind. He asked with dissatisfaction, "Why am I forty-nine and you are fifty-one? It should be split in half."

Guan Xing said speechlessly, "Sister-in-law, isn't this just for easier management? Is it really necessary to haggle over that one percent?"

"How about this, I'll provide the blueprints for the loom and the management plan for the textile factory, and I'll also provide two mansions as the factory grounds. Is that alright with you?"

What he has in abundance now is mansions; Sun Luyu provided several as part of her dowry, and Guan Yu also confiscated those from the gentry.

There is no shortage of female workers. There are more women than men in Dahan now, so it's not difficult to recruit some female workers.

Sun Luban, being a man of great talent, quickly realized that Guan Xingzhan's fifty-one-point offer wasn't for money. He nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, what about your brother-in-law? He can't be idle while I'm busy, can he?"

Now that I've solved my own job problem, it's time to solve my husband's too.

Guan Xing smiled and said, "My father is planning to build a port in Zhang'an, manufacture warships, and train a navy. I wonder if you would be interested in the position of naval admiral?"

Building a navy was his next priority, and he needed to find someone trustworthy and skilled in naval warfare; no one was more suitable than Zhou Xun.

First of all, the Guan family and the Zhou family are already deeply intertwined, so he no longer needs to worry about Zhou Xun's betrayal and can use it with peace of mind.

Secondly, Zhou Xun was Zhou Yu's son, and Zhou Yu was an expert in naval warfare. Even if Zhou Xun only learned one aspect of Zhou Yu's skills, it would be enough for him to serve as the naval commander.

Zhou Xun was overjoyed upon hearing this, but remained reserved and did not say much. Sun Luban, acting as the mouthpiece, happily said, "Sister-in-law has long said that Anguo is a man of great loyalty and righteousness. You guys have fun, I won't disturb you."

Guan Xing watched her leave, then turned back to play chess with Zhou Xun'an. They lingered until dark, spending the night at the Sun residence. At dawn, he returned home with his wife.

After settling Sun Luyu in, he immediately went to the military camp to meet Guan Yu.

Early in the morning, Guan Yu was leading all his soldiers in singing "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" when Guan Xing approached and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Guan Xing said, "I have something to say to you. Let's go inside the tent and talk."

After saying this, he pulled Guan Yu into the command tent, exchanged a few pleasantries, and got straight to the point: "I went back to my parents' home yesterday and saw my aunt..."

When Sun Shangxiang was mentioned, Guan Yu's face darkened; he had absolutely no liking for this sister-in-law.

Guan Xing advised, "Father, you should know that women are different from men; they are easily swayed by emotions. If they do something they'll regret in the heat of the moment..."

"Furthermore, after such a long time since our defeat, have you thought about why Mi Fang and Fu Shiren betrayed us? Their betrayal is certainly despicable, but do you really think you are completely without fault?"

"We've finally managed to gain a foothold in Jiangdong. You don't want to end up like last time, fighting fiercely with the Wei army outside the city, only to find your home gone when you turn around, do you?"

"This time we have nowhere to run. If the same thing happens again, we'll have to jump into the sea."

"Besides, why should a grown man like you argue with a woman? What's wrong with calling her 'sister-in-law'?"

These words were so hurtful that Guan Yu's face turned from red to black. He pointed at the tent flap and said, "Get out!"

Guan Xing decisively left, leaving Guan Yu alone in the tent to ponder.

Guan Yu was certainly aware of his character flaws, but he couldn't change them and was too lazy to do so. However, the lesson of being betrayed by Mi Fang and Fu Shiren was too profound for him to bear.

Now, the scene from that day has come again. What if Sun Shangxiang really takes advantage of my battle with the Wei army to stab me in the back...?

It's not a big deal if I die, but if I ruin the foundation that my elder brother worked so hard to build, then the sin would be enormous.

Guan Yu spent a full quarter of an hour mentally preparing himself before leaving the tent and saying to Guan Xing, who had been waiting, "Let me know when your aunt comes to visit, I'll be going back to the mansion."

Upon hearing this, Guan Xing breathed a sigh of relief and immediately returned to his residence to prepare. He first instructed Xiao Qiao to extend an invitation to Sun Shangxiang, and then went to the Sun residence to personally bring Sun Shangxiang back to his home.

While Sun Shangxiang and Xiao Qiao were chatting happily, Guan Yu was led into the hall. Guan Yu and Sun Shangxiang looked at each other for a moment, then Guan Yu bowed and said, "Yun Chang greets sister-in-law."

Sun Shangxiang stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "Second Uncle, you're too kind. I haven't congratulated you and Sister Xiao Qiao on your wedding yet. It's not too late to offer my congratulations now, is it?"

Guan Yu bowed again, and the two, who had been locked in a stalemate for a long time, temporarily broke the ice.