My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 126 Honeycomb Briquettes and Soy Sauce
Zhang Hong looked at Su Ze with worry, fearing that Su Ze would refuse the Crown Prince's request, which would ruin his mission.

Su Ze thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:
"We'll do it! We'll hold the Hundred Entertainments Festival too!"

Zhang Hong looked up at Su Ze. Su Hanlin had actually agreed?
Su Ze continued:

"The Hundred Plays Festival can be held, but whether it can be held in the end depends on His Highness the Crown Prince."

"what?"

Su Ze said:

"I will write a letter to His Highness the Crown Prince. If His Highness can accomplish what is in the letter, the Hundred Plays Festival can be held."

Zhang Hong quickly helped Su Ze spread out the paper and then helped Su Ze grind the ink.

Su Ze wasn't used to being waited on like this, and quickly said to Zhang Hong:
“Eunuch Zhang is the one who serves His Highness. How could I, Su, be worthy of that position? I will do it myself.”

Zhang Hong smiled and said:

“Serving the Crown Prince is the same as serving him. So, Hanlin Su, let Xiao Hongzi do his best as well.”

Su Ze felt that this eunuch had high emotional intelligence and knew how to speak. He had also heard about Zhang Hong being arrested and imprisoned in the Eastern Depot, but refusing to reveal any information about the Eastern Palace. He also had some respect for him.

Su Ze also said:
"In ancient times, Li Bai composed a poem while a strongman held his boots; today, I, Su, offer my humble opinion to the eunuch who grinds ink. So today, I, Su, will not stand on ceremony!"

Zhang Hong rubbed his hands even more happily. Su Ze compared him to Gao Lishi. Who was Gao Lishi? He was the most trusted eunuch of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang!

After writing the letter at length, and because it was addressed to Zhu Yijun, Su Ze used colloquial language. He then handed the letter to Zhang Hong and said:

"If Your Highness finds my plan feasible, I will submit a memorial to support the Crown Prince."

Zhang Hong quickly said:

"Thank you, Su Hanlin! Xiao Hongzi will go back and report right away!"
-
In the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yijun finished reading the letter Zhang Hong brought back, then paced back and forth before turning to Zhang Hong and asking, "Master, is Master's plan feasible?"

Zhang Hong had already read Su Ze's letter, but he didn't dare to express his opinion casually. He simply said:

"Your Highness, this is a very important matter, and I am not familiar with it."

Zhu Yijun sighed and plopped down on the dragon bed.

The content of Su Ze's letter was actually very simple, which can be summarized in one sentence: "We will organize the Hundred Plays Festival ourselves!"
The emperor paid for the lectures himself, so the court officials did not object.

If the Crown Prince wants to hold a variety show, he should pay for it himself, then the emperor and his ministers will not object.

Organizing a variety show would require a lot of money.

The crown prince of the Ming Dynasty had no money.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was the Crown Prince's educational institution, and its finances relied entirely on government funding.

The eunuchs and maids in the Eastern Palace were all sent by the palace.

The Eastern Palace Guards were also part of the Imperial Palace Guards.

The little bit of money that Little Fatty Jun had was all given to him by his father and mother.

This amount of money is far from enough to host a variety show.

Fortunately, Su Ze thoughtfully offered the Crown Prince a suggestion: set up a workshop.

"I have observed that there are many imperial properties and shops lying idle in the capital. The Crown Prince may request these imperial properties and shops from Your Majesty to operate and make money, and then hold a variety show to celebrate Your Majesty."

Su Ze's suggestion was simple: the Hundred Plays Festival should be presented as a display of Zhu Yijun's filial piety, intended to please his father and mother.

The expenses for the Hundred Plays Festival were earned by Zhu Yijun using the profits from the idle royal workshops and shops during this period.

"Xiao Hongzi, do those workshops and shops make money?"

Zhang Hong lowered his head and said:
"I have heard from the eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Warehouse that the workshops and shops in the capital are divided into several types."

"Those well-located, profitable properties are never hard to rent."

"But those vacant properties are mostly in poor locations or are not profitable."

The imperial family naturally possessed imperial property in the capital.

What Zhang Hong didn't say was that these profitable imperial assets were basically divided up by the palace's chief eunuchs, nobles, and relatives of the emperor.

For example, Xiao Pangjun's maternal grandfather, who was also Consort Li's father, Marquis Wuqing Li Wei, owned several royal properties.

Su Ze actually made it very clear in the letter that these old interest groups are not something the current crown prince can touch.

Therefore, Su Ze suggested that the Crown Prince should request those unprofitable, remote, and backward workshops, and then use them to make money.

Of course, Su Ze, the teacher, also gave the students some advice.

Su Ze provided three types of workshops in the letter.

The first type is honeycomb briquettes.

Winter is approaching in the capital, and ordinary people in the capital will buy coal from Shanxi for heating. There are also many coal mines around the capital.

However, there are many problems with coal heating, such as unpleasant odors and unstable combustion.

In his letter, Su Ze described a method: crush coal, mix it with red clay and straw, and then use a mold to make a hollow coal block.

These honeycomb briquettes produce less smoke when burned, burn for a longer time, and are a daily necessity for residents, so they are sure to be profitable.

The second type is soy sauce.

Soy sauce is nothing special; there's a famous brand in Beijing called Liubiju pickles, and Yan Song even wrote a plaque for Liubiju back in the day.

However, Suze's soy sauce is not the kind made by fermenting soybeans for 180 days; it is an industrial soy sauce.

In essence, soy sauce converts protein into various amino acids and starch into glucose.

The traditional brewing method is to use various microorganisms for transformation. It is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also very unstable, and sometimes the impurities produced are toxic.

Modern industrial soy sauce production uses dilute hydrochloric acid instead of microorganisms to hydrolyze and transform proteins, which greatly shortens the preparation time.

As for dilute hydrochloric acid, alum oil is also one of the raw materials for gunpowder. There are large gunpowder workshops like Wanggongchang in the capital, so it is not difficult for the crown prince to obtain it.

By mixing alum oil and salt, and then heating and condensing the mixture, dilute hydrochloric acid can be obtained. This brewing method can even save soybeans, as it can be made using agricultural product residues containing protein, such as soybean meal and rice bran.

Finally, mix wood ash with water to neutralize the acidity, and soy sauce can be made in a few days.

This industrially produced soy sauce can be prepared in just a few days, and its taste is not much different from naturally brewed soy sauce.

Moreover, industrialized production is a hundred times more efficient than brewing soy sauce, and the cost is also lower.

The third type is the cottonseed soap that Su Ze mentioned in the Yuefu Xinbao.

Soap is made by pressing cottonseed into oil and then saponifying it with wood ash.

The capital city was the starting point for the transportation of goods in the north, so it was not difficult to obtain cottonseed. Although this cottonseed soap had an unpleasant smell, it was extremely effective at removing dirt, and it was made from scraps from cotton production.

These were the three money-making schemes Su Ze gave Zhu Yijun: honeycomb briquettes, hydrochloric acid soy sauce, and cottonseed soap. And these three schemes were precisely what Zhu Yijun, as the Crown Prince, was capable of managing and implementing.

If given to ordinary merchants, things like alum oil from gunpowder factories, coal from specialized businesses, or large quantities of cottonseed are not easy for ordinary people to obtain.

Zhu Yijun naturally couldn't understand the underlying principles, but Su Zexin not only wrote a detailed account of the process but also included diagrams, leaving Zhu Yijun completely bewildered.

Honeycomb briquettes and cottonseed soap are alright, but this hydrochloric acid soy sauce is truly absurd. Alum oil, wood ash, and rice bran are not edible materials, so how could these things be used to make soy sauce?

However, out of trust in Su Ze, Zhu Yijun still said to Zhang Hong:
"My lord, find two reliable people and try to make soy sauce according to the master's method. If we can really make soy sauce, I will ask the Emperor to take over those workshops and shops!"

"only!"
-
Just as Zhu Yijun was busy experimenting with the production of hydrochloric acid soy sauce in the Eastern Palace, a new issue of the Yuefu Xinbao was published.

This issue of the newspaper has added a new page, which Su Ze calls a "supplementary issue"—more content for the same price.

After the publication of "Journey to the West", the newspaper put up an advertisement in the corner of the newspaper. Now, "Yuefu Xinbao" can accept private subscriptions. For an extra fee, it can even be delivered to your home every time.

Su Ze never expected that his newspaper's first clients to expand its reach would be the major temples in the capital. The first major clients to crowd into the newspaper office were these monks from the capital.

These monks were very generous; a single temple would order a dozen or even several dozen portions!

Su Ze talked with these monks and realized that it was perfectly natural for the temple to subscribe to newspapers.

Temples in the capital city all had monks' quarters, which served not only as lodging for wandering monks but also as lodging for students traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations.

Su Ze's predecessor had stayed at a temple when he was preparing for the imperial examinations.

The food and lodging in the temple were cheap. Scholars could earn money by helping the temple with some tasks. Some scholars who failed the imperial examination would continue to live in the temple and wait for the next examination three years later.

Besides scholars, temples also served as lodgings for traveling merchants.

Some devout believers also regularly stay at the temple for a period of time, and together with wandering monks, the number of visitors to the temple is quite large.

These people all have a need for the Yuefu Xinbao.

Scholars preparing for the exams needed to study the eight-legged essay, merchants needed to know the latest news, and believers were also interested in the novels and operas in the newspapers.

Meanwhile, these temples in the capital were all extremely wealthy. As a result, the temples quickly surpassed the guild halls in the capital to become the newspaper's second largest client after the major government offices.

Su Ze couldn't help but sigh, "Bald guy is really rich!"
Lengyan Temple, on the outskirts of Beijing.

A middle-aged man dressed as a farmer is flipping through a newspaper in his hand.

He was clearly an ordinary farmer, but Abbot Fayan of Lengyan Temple sat beside him, even adopting a very humble posture.

"Mr. Dazhou has been busy with political affairs in recent years, and his academic studies have actually declined."

Monk Fayan had a bit of sweat on his forehead. The peasant was commenting on an article in the supplement of this issue of "Yuefu Xinbao".

The article contains some theories of the Taizhou School of Neo-Confucianism, namely the "Daily Way" and "Innate Knowledge Achieved by Oneself," which can be considered a relatively orthodox Taizhou School of thought.

The article was signed "Dazhou," and anyone with even a little bit of inside information would know that the author of this article was Zhao Zhenji, a cabinet minister of the current dynasty.

How could the monk Fayan not break out in a cold sweat when this peasant commented on the current prime minister's article in such a way?

The farmer then said:

"Alas, Mr. Dazhou also has his difficulties. He is now in a high position, and there are some things he cannot say."

"But this newspaper is well-run. Dazhou's article is perfect for my introduction to Wang Yangming's philosophy in Taizhou."

The monk Fayan remained silent, because there were some things that the farmer in front of him could say, but he absolutely could not say.

This farmer was named He Xinyin. He was also a disciple of Wang Xue of Taizhou. In terms of seniority, he studied under Yan Jun, a disciple of Wang Gen, and was considered a fellow disciple of Zhao Zhenji.

Although both were disciples of Wang Gen, Yan Jun's lineage advocated more radical ideas than Zhao Zhenji's.

Yan Jun inherited the common people attribute in Wang Gen's scholarship and transformed Wang Gen's "Great Learning" into his own "Great Learning".

The so-called "Great Learning" refers to the so-called "Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean".

Yan Jun's "Great Learning" promoted the moral salvation idea of ​​"saving people's hearts". Great Learning is a popular Confucianism that focuses on how to "be a person" and "save the world".

Therefore, Yan Jun's school of thought placed greater emphasis on engagement with the world compared to other schools of thought.

Yan Jun once participated in the first Lingji Palace Conference, and it was through his lectures that he became famous throughout the world.

After that, Yan Jun frequently voiced his opinions on the court, and even wrote a memorial to criticize the emperor, just like Hai Rui.

Yan Jun was arrested and imprisoned in the 45th year of the Jiajing reign.

If the teacher is this fierce, He Xinyin is even fiercer.

He Xinyin, whose real name was Liang Ruyuan, returned home after studying the Taizhou School and founded Juhetang, which was a Utopia-style mutual aid society practice.

In the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign, Liang Ruyuan went north to the capital to participate in the movement to overthrow Yan Song. Because he was being pursued by Yan Song, he changed his name to "He Xinyin".

After Yan Song's downfall, He Xinyin simply used this as a pretext to lecture around the country, and he gained great prestige among the people.

During his lectures, He Xinyin advocated for teacher-student and friend exchanges, forming a kind of force known as a "society," through which he promoted social change. He opposed "no desires" and advocated "few desires," sharing the same desires as the people.

Once you reach this theoretical level, you can basically forget about becoming an official.

He Xinyin was originally working as a staff member for a friend in Chongqing Prefecture. A few days ago, his good friend, Qian Tongwen, from the Ministry of Justice in the capital, passed away. He Xinyin rushed to the capital to help his friend with the funeral arrangements and stayed temporarily in Lengyan Temple.

Actually, He Xinyin had already planned to head south, but after reading the newspaper today, he said:

"I heard that the lecture conference will be held again in the capital next year. I plan to stay in the capital and will need to bother the abbot for some more time."

Fa Yanfangzheng quickly said:

"Don't mention it, Mr. He. Please feel free to stay here."

He Xinyin asked again:

"This newspaper is good, but I don't know how to publish articles in it?"

Abbot Fayan was taken aback. "Your articles?"

Even if a newspaper had several heads, it wouldn't dare publish your article.
Abbot Fayan could only say:

"It's probably only possible to issue an article once Mr. He becomes a Grand Secretary."

"Ha ha ha ha."

He Xinyin also burst into laughter, knowing that his theories were something he didn't want to be published publicly.

But just because it can't be published publicly doesn't mean it can't be shared privately, right?

The atmosphere for lecturing in the capital had already taken hold, and He Xinyin, staying in the capital, also had the idea of ​​spreading his own ideas.
-
With the publication of this newspaper, Gao Gong's home was brightly lit by candlelight, and Gao Gong's favorite students, including Wenxuanlang Zhang Siwei, were repeatedly reading Zhao Zhenji's article.

Gao Gong's handwritten inscription "Practical Application of Classical Learning" hangs in the center of his study. Holding a brush in his hand, his originally scattered thoughts gradually transformed into a complete article with the collective wisdom and efforts of his disciples.

After Gao Gong finished writing, he looked at the article with satisfaction and said to Zhang Siwei:
"Send this article to the newspaper office first thing tomorrow morning!"

(End of this chapter)