"Then when will it be ready?" the Chief Clerk said, "The court usually drags its feet. If it takes two years to gather what we need, won't that mean we can't start for two years? Besides the paper workshop, there's also the bookshop. You're fine in Guangzhou, but if you leave your post and the next inspector isn't competent, what will we do?"
Where can we find another official who can both appease the native people here and have a strong voice at court? Zhao Shen is the emperor's cousin. He's well-connected at court, making things easier to handle. The next inspector may not have his abilities or even his status.
In fact, the Chief Clerk and others privately discussed that it would be best for Zhao Shen to settle in Guangzhou for life.
Zhao Shen lowered his eyes in thought, "There's another way—to spend heavily to lure people from other paper workshops and bookshops."
