Chapter 48

Unconsciously, it had already been twenty days since Zhao Junchen and Zhu Heyu made their bet.

Although the deadline was drawing near, Zhao Junchen still showed no signs of action. To many, Zhao Junchen's behavior suggested that he might have already conceded defeat.

Conceding defeat would mean that Zhao Junchen admitted to the crime of deceiving the emperor, a charge that was no laughing matter. Naturally, Zhao Junchen would not admit defeat.

In fact, on the fourth day after the establishment of the Yu Rong Workshop, the soap that Zhao Junchen mentioned had already been successfully manufactured by the craftsmen.

However, Zhao Junchen did not rush to implement his "money-making plan." Instead, he had the craftsmen continue their efforts and produce several different types of soap according to his design.

After receiving the reward, the craftsmen were highly motivated. After another ten days, the other types of soap were also successfully produced.

Now, in the Zhao residence, these different types of soap were laid out before Zhao Junchen.

Xu Qingyan stood beside him, explaining the different functions of these soaps.

"Master, look at this yellow soap," Xu Qingyan pointed to the soap on the far left and said, "This soap was the first to be produced according to your formula. I tested it, and among all the soaps, it has the strongest cleaning power."

Zhao Junchen picked up the soap and examined it closely, finding it quite similar to the soap used in later times, with a slightly translucent appearance, square shape, and a light yellow color.

Zhao Junchen asked, "How much does this soap cost to produce?"

Xu Qingyan replied, "Master, it costs less than half a tael of silver, which is very cheap. If the production scale is increased, the cost can be further reduced."

Zhao Junchen nodded, indicating his satisfaction.

The cost of half a tael of silver was indeed not high, even lower than the cost of ordinary soap nuts.

Zhao Junchen planned to sell this type of soap to the common people in the future. Although the specific price had not been decided, due to the low cost, he believed that ordinary people could afford it. After all, this soap was much more effective than soap nuts.

Seeing Zhao Junchen put down the yellow soap, Xu Qingyan pointed to the several soaps of different colors in the middle and said, "Master, these soaps were made according to your instructions, with the addition of milk and flower juice. The craftsmen have not yet mastered the exact proportions, so their cleaning power is not as strong as the first type. However, using them for bathing is very comfortable and leaves a faint fragrance that lingers for a long time. The craftsmen call it 'fragrant soap.'"

Zhao Junchen picked up the soaps, which emitted various faint floral fragrances, and found them to be more attractive and smooth than the first type of soap.

After putting down the soap, Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "This fragrant soap will be sold to the wealthy in the future. It doesn't matter if its cleaning power is a bit weaker. These people don't do dirty or tiring work, so how could they have so much dirt on their bodies? It's fine as long as it can be produced. The exact proportions can be studied later, no need to rush."

After a pause, Zhao Junchen asked, "How much does this fragrant soap cost to produce?"

Xu Qingyan replied, "Because it requires a lot of concentrated flower juice and is more difficult to produce, the cost is higher, about one tael of silver."

Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "That's already quite low. The future selling price of this fragrant soap will likely not be less than half a tael of silver."

Then, Zhao Junchen picked up the last soap, which was different from the previous types. This soap was dark brown, not smooth or translucent, and had a strong medicinal smell.

Seeing this soap, Xu Qingyan's face showed a pained expression and said, "Master, this is the medicinal soap you asked the craftsmen to make, with the addition of ginseng, angelica, and polygonum. Because it's difficult to control the proportions, its cleaning power is the weakest, only comparable to ordinary soap nuts. However, each piece costs no less than two taels of silver, and the cost is hard to reduce."

Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Don't complain about the high cost. Selling one piece of this soap will earn more silver than a thousand ordinary soaps, and there won't be any worry about selling it."

After a pause, Zhao Junchen asked, "Have you consulted a doctor?"

Xu Qingyan replied, "We consulted a famous doctor in the capital. The medicinal soap contains tonics, blood-activating, and moisturizing herbs. They said that while they can't guarantee the benefits of long-term use, it definitely won't harm anyone."

Zhao Junchen nodded and said, "That's good."

After understanding the functions of all the soaps, Zhao Junchen patted Xu Qingyan's shoulder and said, "You've worked hard these days. Take a few days off and go play. If you want to, you can get money from the accounting office."

Xu Qingyan shook his head and said, "I still want to follow Master."

Zhao Junchen laughed and scolded, "What's good about being a follower? No wonder Mr. Xu said you have no ambition."

Xu Qingyan just smiled without saying anything.

Xu Qingyan was undoubtedly a small person, but at this moment, he smiled very innocently.

Zhao Junchen suddenly remembered something and said, "When we accompany His Majesty on the southern tour and pass through Yangzhou, we can take the opportunity to bring Mr. Xu to the capital to enjoy his retirement. Mr. Xu has done a great favor for me and is also your father. We should show filial piety."

Xu Qingyan grew up being scolded by Mr. Xu. Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, his eyes showed reluctance, but more so, nostalgia. He lowered his head and said softly, "Thank you, Master."

Zhao Junchen shook his head and said softly, "What are you thanking me for? Without Mr. Xu, there would be no you or me today. It's only right."

Just as the master and servant were conversing, a servant from the Zhao residence hurriedly arrived and reported to Zhao Junchen, "Master, Minister of Rites Zhan Shanchang and Chief of the Board of Communications Tong Huan are here to see you. They say it's an urgent matter."

Zhao Junchen nodded and said, "Let them in."

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen returned to his seat, and Xu Qingyan put away the various soaps.

...

Not long after, under the guidance of a servant from the Zhao residence, Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan quickly arrived at the main hall of the Zhao residence.

Under Zhan Shanchang's persuasion, Tong Huan, the Chief of the Board of Communications, had already joined Zhao Junchen's camp half a month ago.

Unlike the humble Zhan Shanchang, Tong Huan was older, nearly fifty, with a stern face and a serious demeanor, giving the impression of being deep and calculating.

"Pay respects to Master Zhao."

After arriving before Zhao Junchen, the two bowed together.

Zhao Junchen did not rise to greet them, but his expression was quite gentle. He raised his hand and said, "Didn't I tell you that you and I are of the same rank, so there's no need to be so formal? Sit down and talk."

After sitting down, Zhan Shanchang smiled and said, "Master Zhao, in ten days, you will be promoted to Minister of Revenue. It's only right for us to pay our respects in advance."

Zhao Junchen was slightly taken aback, looked at Zhan Shanchang for a moment, and then smiled lightly, "Now, everyone in the court and the country believes that I will definitely lose the bet with the Crown Prince. I didn't expect your view to be completely different."

Zhan Shanchang's expression became even more respectful, and he said, "They don't understand Master Zhao, but I do. These days, Master Zhao has been calm and composed, clearly confident of victory. We firmly believe in your abilities, so we are also very confident."

Zhao Junchen smiled and shook his head, then asked, "You two came to see me in such a hurry. Has there been any progress in the investigation of the three provinces' autumn examination cheating case?"

In fact, after arriving at the Zhao residence, although Zhan Shanchang was talking and laughing with Zhao Junchen, his anxious and urgent expression was obvious to anyone.

Seeing Zhao Junchen bring up the matter, Zhan Shanchang also reined in his smile and replied, "Master, indeed, according to the information I have, due to the joint efforts of the three departments, the three provinces' autumn examination cheating case has been confirmed. The memorials from the officials of the three departments have likely already been presented to His Majesty."

Zhao Junchen said calmly, "It's been a long time, so it's about time for a result."

At this point, Zhao Junchen asked Zhan Shanchang, "Have the three provincial education officials implicated you?"

Zhan Shanchang shook his head and said, "Not yet. I have already told them that if this matter involves too many people, it will be bad for everyone. If they can take the blame, their families will be safe. They have no other choice, so they have been keeping silent. However, under strict investigation, they may not be able to hold out for long."

In fact, Wen Guanliang had also told Zhan Shanchang this before. Essentially, what Wen Guanliang did to Zhan Shanchang and what Zhan Shanchang did to the three provincial education officials were the same—sacrificing others to protect oneself. But at this moment, Zhan Shanchang spoke with a sense of righteousness.

After a moment of reflection, Zhao Junchen turned to Tong Huan and asked, "How have things been on your side these days?"

Tong Huan stood up and replied, "As Master Zhao predicted, these days I have reported all the grievances and public reactions regarding the three provinces' autumn examination to His Majesty. At first, His Majesty's comments were harsh, but in recent days, there has been no response."

Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "What you did is right. The Board of Communications is responsible for handling the suggestions and grievances of the people. This is the time for you to take action. However, after your efforts, His Majesty should have calmed down."

As he spoke, Zhao Junchen looked at the sky outside and saw that it was already afternoon. After a moment of thought, he looked at the anxious Zhan Shanchang and smiled, "You don't need to worry. Since the time is ripe, I should go to see His Majesty. If everything goes as planned, this matter will be settled by tonight."

Seeing Zhao Junchen say this, Zhan Shanchang was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

After exchanging pleasantries with Zhan Shanchang, Zhao Junchen turned to Xu Qingyan and said, "Qingyan, send a note to Grand Secretary Wen, telling him that I will meet him at Tianhai Tower tonight. He has been wanting to invite me to a banquet for some time, but I have always found excuses to decline. However, it's time to reveal everything now."

...

After sending off Zhan Shanchang and Tong Huan, Zhao Junchen did not delay. He took the soaps and immediately went to the palace to see Emperor Deqing.

As a favorite of Emperor Deqing, Zhao Junchen's audience was not hindered in any way.

As usual, Emperor Deqing received Zhao Junchen in the imperial study.

After entering the study, Zhao Junchen had a joyful expression and bowed to Emperor Deqing, saying, "Thanks to Your Majesty's blessings, I have prepared everything to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue by 200,000 taels of silver."

These days, Emperor Deqing had been in a bad mood due to the three provinces' autumn examination cheating scandal, which had caused a stir among the people and damaged the reputation of the court. Hearing Zhao Junchen's words, he was slightly taken aback, but his mood improved. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? You have everything prepared? Why haven't I received any news? You have been keeping me in suspense these past few days. Are you finally willing to talk?"

Emperor Deqing had a dignified and imposing appearance. His usual questioning would scare many people, but as a favorite, Zhao Junchen was treated differently. Although there was a hint of complaint in his voice, it was accompanied by a smile, clearly not really blaming Zhao Junchen.

Zhao Junchen smiled as he stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I was not keeping you in suspense these past few days. I was not yet fully prepared and did not want to disappoint you."

Emperor Deqing nodded and said, "I have always trusted you and have not blamed you for this. Forget it, let's not talk about this. What is your plan to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue? Tell me quickly."

In a certain sense, Emperor Deqing was a "poor emperor" and was very interested in matters related to silver.

Zhao Junchen did not delay. After Emperor Deqing's consent, Zhao Junchen had the soaps he brought sent to the imperial study.

Looking at the soaps of different colors and shapes, Emperor Deqing looked puzzled and asked, "What is this? Is this the method you mentioned to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue?"

As he spoke, Emperor Deqing's expression was strange, as if he did not believe it.

He had heard before that Zhao Junchen wanted to use soap nuts and cosmetics to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue by 200,000 taels of silver. In Emperor Deqing's view, this was just a rumor, and Zhao Junchen could not be so foolish and absurd.

But looking at the objects that resembled soap nuts, Emperor Deqing could not help but wonder if he had overestimated Zhao Junchen.

Seeing Emperor Deqing's expression, Zhao Junchen smiled and said, "Your Majesty, these objects are called 'soaps.' They serve a similar purpose to the soap nuts we usually use, but they are much more effective. I can guarantee that using them to increase the revenue of the Ministry of Revenue by 200,000 taels of silver will be easy. Of course, I will need Your Majesty's help with a