Chapter 86 Wise Old Mrs. Sheng
The eunuch standing beside him took the paper and handed it to Sheng Wei.
Sheng Wei took the paper and read it. He saw words and pictures on it, which made him confused.
“Of these two pieces of paper, the one with the picture is a still. After distilling the wine with this, it can make the wine stronger. The other one shows the method of making soap balls, which is more expensive than the current soap balls. It’s low, but it’s more useful,” Zhao Xing said.
The ancients loved wine, and many poets wrote about wine in their poems.
Just reading those poems, you will feel that the ancients had a very good drinking capacity.
But in fact, the alcohol content in ancient times was not high. For example, the best shochu on the market during the Song Dynasty only had more than ten degrees of alcohol content.
The alcohol content of rice wine and fruit wine is even lower.
However, Zhao Xing made distilled wine not to sell it in the Song Dynasty, but to sell it to the Liao Kingdom.
The Liao Kingdom is located in the north and the weather is cold. It is very good at wine. The stronger the wine, the more I like it.
The Liao people restricted the flow of war horses into the Song Dynasty. If they could produce some spirits, they would definitely be very popular among the Liao nobles. It would not be impossible to exchange wine for horses.
As for soap, it’s just to make money. Song Dynasty now has something called soap dough.
However, according to Zhao Xing’s understanding, the soap balls are made from mashed natural acacia, fine salt, spices and other substances. The cost is not cheap, and only wealthy families can afford it.
If you make soap and sell it cheaper than soap balls, you won’t have to worry about selling it.
And this thing is a consumable item, which can make money continuously.
"Your Highness, the imperial court has a ban on alcohol." Sheng Wei reminded.
"This Gu naturally knows that since Gu asked you to do it, he will naturally have a solution." Zhao Xing said.
Wine making requires the consumption of grain. In ancient times, grain output was low. Dayu even called wine ‘a thing that will destroy the country’. Therefore, various dynasties have laws limiting or prohibiting alcohol.
Of course the Song Dynasty also had it, but the prohibition on alcohol in the Song Dynasty was different from other dynasties.
Other dynasties were trying to reduce wine production, but the Song Dynasty was trying to monopolize it.
The imperial court strictly prohibited people from making wine for sale, and also prohibited the purchase of privately brewed wine.
You can make your own wine, but you can only buy it from the imperial court.
Zhao Xing has no intention of selling wine in Song Dynasty, so there is no need to worry about this.
But now that nothing has been produced, he did not tell Sheng Wei about his plans.
Sheng Wei smiled bitterly when he heard this. Although he didn't know what Zhao Xing was going to do, he already knew some of Zhao Xing's plans. Is it still possible to refuse?
He regretted accepting the two pieces of paper. Originally, he asked Zhao Xing what kind of business he wanted to do. He wanted to wait for Zhao Xing to tell Zhao Xing that it would not work, so as to dispel Zhao Xing's idea and achieve the purpose of rejection.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Xing gave him two pieces of paper directly, and what was written and drawn on them was completely new.
Sheng Wei didn’t know where Zhao Xing got it from, or whether it could be made.
But he saw it, which meant that he had no room to refuse.
"Your Highness, the common people can give it a try, but the common people have never heard of what Your Highness is talking about, and they don't know if they can make money." Sheng Wei said.
"Haha, don't worry, you just need to do what Gu said." Zhao Xing said with a smile: "Gu has prepared a house for you, as well as an imperial manor outside the city, and I will use the people from the imperial manor."
After Zhao Xing moved out of the palace, his father gave him more than a dozen imperial villages, and the output of these villages was used to supply the expenses of the East Palace.
In ancient times, there was no patent protection law, so confidentiality was particularly important.
"Yes." Sheng Wei responded.
Next, Zhao Xing explained to Sheng Wei in detail the methods of making distillers and soaps and what needs to be paid attention to.
He only knew the theory about these things. How to do it specifically required Sheng Wei to find someone to test it over and over again.
After chatting for more than an hour, my mouth was dry and I stopped. "I've said everything that needs to be said. It depends on you whether you can make something." Zhao Xing said.
"The grassroots people have written it down."
Sheng Wei couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this, always feeling that it was a bit childish.
But now that he has agreed, he can only go on.
......
On the way back, Sheng Changbai did not ask Sheng Wei what Zhao Xing said to him.
Since Zhao Xing sent him away, he just didn't want him to know. If he asked, it would embarrass Sheng Wei.
Back at Sheng’s house, it was almost noon.
During lunch, Sheng Hong also asked Sheng Wei how he was playing.
Sheng Wei was a little absent-minded and dealt with it casually.
After finishing the meal, the servant pulled off the leftovers and served tea.
"Second Aunt, I plan to return to Youyang early tomorrow morning." Sheng Wei said.
When Mrs. Sheng heard this, she was stunned and said in surprise: "Didn't you agree to go back after Hua Lan comes home? But you are not happy at home?"
As he said that, he looked at Mrs. Wang.
Madam Wang has always looked down on the big room. She thought it was the lady who said something that made Sheng Wei feel uncomfortable, so she left in a hurry.
“That was my original plan, but seeing how prosperous Bianjing is, I plan to come to Bianjing to do business and arrange my family when I go back. Maybe my mother will come to Bianjing with me, and we can often come to Bianjing. Come and talk to Second Aunt," Sheng Wei said with a smile.
Ms. Wang was a little happy when she heard that Sheng Wei was leaving.
Now that I heard that Sheng Wei was coming to Bianjing to do business, his face immediately fell.
She felt that the reason why Sheng Wei came to Bianjing to develop his career was simply because Hualan had married into the Earl's Palace, and Rulan was also the crown prince's designated concubine.
Seeing that the second house has become prosperous, I want to take advantage of it.
"It would be a good thing if eldest brother can move his family to Bianjing. Then we brothers will be close to each other and we can move around frequently." Sheng Hong said with a smile.
For him to be where he is today, the help of the Wang family is important, and it is also important for Sheng Wei to provide money to help him manage.
If Sheng Wei could come to Bianjing, it would be more convenient to help him with things in the future.
Mrs. Sheng's eyes moved slightly. She could tell at a glance that there must be some problem, and she was not as optimistic as Sheng Hong.
"You have business, so it's not good to keep you any longer. Since you are leaving tomorrow, just talk to me more. Hong'er, please ask someone to help you pack up and arrange the boat." Mr. Sheng said the wife.
"Yes." Sheng Hong bowed and left with Mrs. Wang and brothers Sheng Changbai.
"You two go take a nap." Mrs. Sheng looked at Rulan Minglan and said.
After sending everyone away, Mrs. Sheng and Sheng Wei were the only ones left in the room.
"You're not telling the truth, are you?" Mrs. Sheng looked at Sheng Wei and asked.
Sheng Wei smiled bitterly when he heard this: "I knew I couldn't hide it from my second aunt."
"This is not the first time you have come to Bianjing, but you suddenly asked to go out for fun. When you came back, you said you wanted to go out for fun. My family moved to Bianjing. Although I don't know much about business, I also know that business in Bianjing is not that easy. You and Brother Bai went out to meet His Royal Highness, right?" Old Mrs. Sheng said.
"Yes." Sheng Wei nodded and told him what Zhao Xing asked him to do to help him with business.
But he did not say what Zhao Xing asked him to do specifically.
(End of this chapter)