"So, what do you think? My idea isnât bad, right?"
"Hmm, itâs great." Chu Heng leaned down and kissed her soft lips.
Ye Muyu helplessly glared at him, "This matter needs you to approach the Emperor for collaboration."
"The Emperor doesnât need to contribute any silver, asking for this Imperial Decree is like getting the Emperorâs backing. Then we can find others for collaboration."
"Forget about the capital, we donât need partners there. In the local areas, we still need them. In the Prefectural City, we can find two or three; in the county, maybe one or two. In any case, in the end, our share must reach fifty percent to have control." After all, itâs her familyâs business, and she doesnât want to end up working for someone else.
If itâs Emperor Xuanming, she could still tolerate it because he holds control over her familyâs fate. Currently, she and Chu Hengâs power arenât enough to confront him independently. If they can be friendly, it will mean fewer troubles in their work.
But for others, itâs different. They canât take too much advantage. Whatâs deserved is deserved. Otherwise, if they get greedy, the entire collaboration becomes unstable.
"In this case, giving the Emperor thirty to forty percent is necessary." Chu Heng assessed Emperor Xuanmingâs thoughts as a higher authority.
If it were small business, it wouldnât be a problem, but if it were big business, he certainly wouldnât ignore it. Besides, the Emperor currently dislikes the noble family the most.
"That should be enough." Ye Muyu smiled slyly, "The remaining ten to twenty percent can be distributed among the other partners. With the Emperor as a shield, even if they are unwilling, they wonât dare to oppose, and theyâll be cautious, not daring to act rashly."
"After all, by choosing to join, theyâll earn something, quite a bit. If they get tempted by pirated books, thatâs a capital offense deserving of execution. Thereâs no need to risk a good path for a bit of profit. They probably wonât even have thoughts of greed, and instead, theyâll feel satisfied while envied by others."
People are like this. If the gap isnât too big, theyâll feel envious, but when facing an opponent where they have no chance of winning, theyâll be happy to earn something along the way, far from choosing a futile fight.
"Thank you for your hard work." Chu Heng kissed her on the ear.
Ye Muyu felt a bit ticklish on her ear and quickly leaned back, reaching out to cover his mouth, but her palm was instead kissed wet, making her angrily pinch his face hard.
Chu Heng swiftly caught her hand but didnât stop her from pinching him, indulgent with no response even though his face turned red.
"Alright, I wonât say anymore."
"Obviously, donât kiss recklessly." Ye Muyu rolled her eyes, noting that he was willingly letting her pinch him a few times, which relieved her anger.
"Itâs not reckless; I was being very serious." Chu Heng argued.
Ye Muyu glared, "You still have something to say."
"Alright then, everything my wife says is right."
Ye Muyu kept a straight face, "Are you suggesting that Iâm too authoritarian? Actually, our family follows freedom and democracy. If you have anything on your mind, just say it."
At this moment, how could Chu Heng go along with her words? He hurriedly embraced her waist, repeatedly explaining his innocence in a gentle voice.
"Hmm, alright, Iâll let you off." Ye Muyu could clearly see he was being submissive.
But since he was yielding, she wouldnât press further.
"Iâm going to bathe and wash up, you should rest early too."
Chu Heng responded with a hum, "Go ahead, Iâll help you pick out clothes and bring them over to you later."