Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 259, Section 258: Stable Assets, Stable Mind
Snowflake Salt has now made a name for itself.

Ji Heng didn't even need to show off; such delicious and fragrant food, paired with various milk teas, sweet drinks, and even rice wine, was enough to satisfy the ministers.

The king and queen, who were above them, saw this and felt a sense of relief, as if they had finally made money.

After exchanging another glance, Qin Shi smiled and leaned closer: "Your Majesty, although coal prices are low, thanks to the two merchants' hard work in promoting it, the national treasury should be able to cover the costs, right?"

Ji Heng nodded immediately.

Although coal sales were exempt from taxation, since it was originally state-owned (belonging to the King of Qin alone), the mines in the mountains, forests, roads, and marshes should also be included in the private treasury of the Imperial Household Department.

However, since coal reserves were abundant and it was a commodity essential to people's livelihoods, Ji Heng ordered it to be nationalized.

Although the time has been short, the sales have accumulated little by little, and the products are widely available, so they have brought in some income, which has relieved the Prime Minister of financial difficulties.

If there are any expenses next year, this snow salt will cover them first. The former is low-profit but high-volume, while the latter is valuable because it is scarce. This has greatly eased Ji Heng's worries.

However, the surprises Qin's Moon offers don't stop there.

The Red Maiden presented a glass cup.

The crystal-clear glass shimmered brilliantly in the firelight. Inside were pickled green plums, prepared in early summer. They were tangy, refreshing, and mouthwatering.

At this moment, the green plum was cut in half, with a thin layer of brown sugar inside.

"Your Majesty, please have a taste."

Ji Heng put one in his mouth, and the sour and fragrant taste of the green plum was as usual.

But after a moment, brown sugar granules melt in your mouth, the rich, sweet cane sugar blending with the tart plum, leaving a lingering fragrance that you can't stop eating.

Qin Shi held the glass cup, turning it from side to side, watching the shimmering light reflected off its irregular facets:
"Let's use this dazzling glass to decorate the King's Zhangtai Palace after the New Year."

Ganquan Palace was, after all, the residence of the imperial harem, and officials and ministers could not visit it frequently.

If one were in Zhangtai Palace, where bright sunlight could shine in everywhere, how could those officials and ministers, accustomed to such things during the day, not be tempted when they returned to their residences?

And then there's this brown sugar—

"Since the Baiyue region has not been completely conquered, the scattered taxes from places like Xiangjun can be offset entirely by sugarcane."

Human beings' craving for salt and sugar has never disappeared for thousands of years.

Since the Qin Dynasty, people have been talking about "sugar control," but it's not clear that anyone has actually given up milk tea and sugar.

Even nowadays, royalty and nobility still rely on honey to savor a taste of exquisite sweetness.

These nobles' obsession with sugar will likely surpass even their passion for snow salt.

When there is demand, there is market.

Ji Heng was overjoyed!

He was not a demanding person. After a moment's thought, he simply said, "The planting of various crops requires the use of farmland during the farming season, and income tax and trade revenue will still fill the national treasury."

"The glassworks were arranged by the Queen herself, so let's put the glassworks into the Queen's private treasury."

His queen, who had traveled thousands of years to reach the Qin Dynasty, should finally have a place to settle down and make a living here.

The emperor governs the people, thus ensuring they have a stable livelihood.

When people have stable property, they will have stable minds.

If you have perseverance, you won't cause any trouble.

And the same applies to nobles, even queens.

Qin Shi was immediately overjoyed!

Ji Heng has never been stingy, and she has already sensed that.

She had originally thought that this plan, which included its own industries, would be arranged when the country's strength began to improve.

Unexpectedly, the king's private treasury was still empty, yet he had already generously promised to give up the glass workshop. If he treats his officials with such an attitude, why should he worry that they will not serve him to the death?

She often uses rewards to motivate others' initiative. Now that she has her own business, she immediately starts thinking about the uses of glass in future generations and various marketing strategies that are not currently needed.

Although the custom of giving red envelopes during the Lunar New Year is no longer practiced, it must be said that the holidays are still wonderful!

All her hard work rehearsing the ritual and her perseverance throughout the day have paid off at this moment.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

She then took Ji Heng's hand, and in front of everyone, slightly tilted her head and gently pressed the back of his hand against her cheek:

"Your Majesty treats me very well."

Ji Heng's fingers stiffened, and he suddenly felt uneasy.

It's strange, really. In the past, when the kings and nobles held banquets, with wine, women, and beautiful concubines all around, what kind of dissolute scenes hadn't they witnessed? Yet now the queen, so full of affection for him, only touched him lightly…

That's it.

He thought to himself: Compared to her previous reckless behavior, the Queen has become much more restrained in Zhangtai Palace now.

The officials below the stage took in this scene, and at that moment, they exchanged glances, none of them uttering a single discouraging word.

Wang Xueyuan took another sip of the sweet fermented rice wine, and sighed with a hint of pain:

No wonder his own demotion and Qin Ba Zi's exile came so swiftly. Given the Queen's deep affection for the King, how could she not urge him to protect her?
Their king has always been someone who responds better to gentleness than force!
The officials could see that the women of the harem were also fully visible.

At this moment, everyone felt a mix of bitterness and helplessness, yet also a sense of regret.

Because of the Queen's actions, the King would feel impatient even if they were to be so intimate in private, let alone in public.

It's only natural that she now enjoys exclusive favor in the emperor's harem.

Such a warm and harmonious moment between husband and wife would normally go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, Prince Qian wasn't born with that inclination. His precious treasure, which he had suppressed all night, now found itself quieter as the singing and dancing ceased and the entertainment came to an end…

What a God-given opportunity!
If we don't speak up now, are we going to wait until the banquet is over? Who will know about the prince's intelligence and wisdom then?!
Therefore, he immediately seized the opportunity and stood up:

"Father! Your son has a treasure to present!"

Zhangtai Palace fell silent once more.

Ji Heng glanced at him, but at this moment he couldn't even muster any anticipation—the Queen always gave orders openly and frankly.

Everything inside and outside the palace was under his control.

Would the subordinates deliberately keep the task that Prince Qian received from him from reporting back?

This includes his foolish act of directly asking the Queen how to present the treasure.

Ji Heng put down his wine cup, his expression calm: "In that case, present it here."

Prince Qian bowed with delight: "Yes!"

He hesitated as he straightened up—why wasn't his father excited? When he was rehearsing in the palace, he clearly started with, "Oh? What treasure is it?"

But Zhou Ju had already stepped down the stairs and then took the small box from his hands.

Seeing this, Qin Shi laughed and said, "The prince is willing to share the king's burdens and deserves a reward. May I ask what kind of treasure you have made?"

Oh dear, if she had known the young man was taking this so seriously, she would have arranged a better project.

The use of this simple signal mirror is now quite limited, and compared to the various features mentioned before, it's almost embarrassing.

　"When people have stable property, they will have stable minds." This saying comes from Mencius.

　　This means that only when ordinary people own fixed assets such as land will they have a stable mindset and will not easily cause unrest or do anything outrageous.

　　(End of this chapter)