Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Li Chengqian didn't bring many people with him, giving the impression of him traveling incognito.

Princess Yuzhang was taken aback when she saw Li Chengqian arrive.

"Brother?"

Li Chengqian had visited before, but only a few times.

Zhang Jinhe and Zhang Erya had almost forgotten, but when they heard Princess Yuzhang call out "brother," they dared not take it lightly.

This is also a prince!
Li Chengqian smiled and first went to pay his respects to Li Yuan and Empress Xiao as a junior.

Xiao Yu ran to another book called Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi.

Li Lizhi was stunned when she saw that it was Li Chengqian.

Xiao Ran had almost forgotten about this person; he hadn't come very often.

"Young master, Fifth Sister." Li Chengqian smiled.

"Big Brother!" Xiao Ran called out casually.

Calling Li Ke and Li Tai "Third Brother" or "Fourth Brother" is acceptable, so calling Li Chengqian that way is also understandable.

Xiao Ran was older than Li Chengqian.

"Brother, it's rare for you to have time to come!" Li Lizhi smiled.

"I really can't leave."

Zhang Erya walked in quietly with a tea tray in hand. When she placed the teacups in front of Li Chengqian and Xiao Ran, her fingertips trembled slightly with nervousness.

After all, the person in front of her was the Crown Prince, so she didn't dare to linger. She only whispered "Enjoy your meal" before leaving. Only Xiao Ran, Li Chengqian, and Li Lizhi, who was sitting to the side, remained in the living room.

Li Chengqian picked up his teacup and took a sip. His gaze first drifted to the glass workshop outside the window, and he said with a smile, "A few days ago in the palace, I saw Mother using a glass lamp made by Zhang Dalang. It was so bright that you could see the wick. Mother even told me, 'This craftsmanship is truly rare.'"

"I heard before that the young master got this glasswork for the purpose of having a clairvoyant ability, but it still doesn't work now?"

"The 'Thousand-Mile Eye' system has high requirements for the quality of glass. Right now, it's still not quite there yet. We can only stably fire out clear glass blanks. We still need to work on grinding the lenses slowly."

Xiao Ran said calmly, "There are many things we don't understand; we have to take it slowly."

"That's right, good skills take time to hone."

Li Chengqian nodded, then changed the subject, "And printing technology. Last time Grandpa told me that the agricultural books you print are clearer and faster than handwritten ones."

Li Chengqian was aware of the importance of printing technology.

Therefore, Li Tai's willingness to stay in Kaolao Village made Li Chengqian somewhat wary.

Li Chengqian and Xiao Ran were indeed not familiar with each other, but now they are like old friends.

Li Chengqian was quite interested in the affairs of Kaolao Village and they talked about it for a long time.

Feeling that things were about right, Li Chengqian said, "Young master, I'd also like to do something. Do you know of any suitable options?"

Li Chengqian spoke very frankly.

Li Chengqian was willing to forgo making money; he just wanted to get closer to Xiao Ran.

After saying "I want to do something," Li Chengqian unconsciously stroked the rim of the cup with his fingertips, his gaze falling on the shallow lines at the bottom of the cup.

While seemingly waiting for Xiao Ran's response, her mind was already racing with thoughts, every calculation revolving around "winning Xiao Ran over."

He first thought of how much his grandfather valued Xiao Ran.

Last time at the Lizheng Hall, Father held Lizhi's letter and mentioned that Xiao Ran had decided to release the prisoner a year ago. His admiration was impossible to hide.

Thinking further, one would think of the "treasures" in Xiao Ran's hands.

Glass can be used to make lamps, and luxury goods are priceless. It can also be used to create "long-range vision." If it is successfully made, it will be of great use whether in the palace or in the army.

Not to mention printing technology. My grandfather mentioned it several times, saying that this technology could spread agricultural books and laws throughout the world, enabling people to learn to read and understand principles.

Li Tai stayed in Kaolao Village for so long, wasn't it all just keeping an eye on these things?
If I could get involved—even just by helping to coordinate the paper, ink, and craftsmen in Chang'an, or by delivering the printed agricultural books to various prefectures—the credit would go to someone else.

There's also the hidden worry about Li Tai.

He knew that Li Tai was close to Xiao Ran and Li Zhi. Last time, Li Tai even brought back a printed copy of the "Thousand Character Classic" from Kaolao Village to the East Palace, his tone full of pride.

Li Tai is talented, and his father dotes on him. If Li Tai were to use Xiao Ran's abilities to build up his reputation, it would be a bad thing for him as the crown prince.

Xiao Ran seems easygoing and doesn't curry favor with the powerful.

This was true for Li Tai, and it was also true for himself. The casualness with which he called him "Big Brother" just now made Li Chengqian breathe a sigh of relief.

Such a person, as long as you treat him sincerely and don't act arrogantly, he won't easily take sides.

By taking the initiative to talk about "what he wants to do," he wanted to establish this connection so that he would be the first to know about any developments in Kaolao Village and to make Xiao Ran feel that "the Crown Prince genuinely wants to do something" rather than "fighting for power."

Thinking about all this, Li Chengqian looked up at Xiao Ran, his tone more sincere than before, deliberately avoiding words like "cooperation" and "interests".

"I also want to lend a hand, instead of always staying in the East Palace like a bookworm."

When Li Chengqian said this, there was a hint of deliberate softening and intimacy in his eyes.

He neither acted like a prince nor showed any eagerness to win people over; he simply seemed like a prince who wanted to get things done.

But she knew in her heart that as long as Xiao Ran nodded, this first step would be taken.

By getting to know Xiao Ran, one can gradually build up goodwill with one's father, exert control over Li Tai, and even gain support in the court in the future.

Xiao Ran didn't respond immediately, but just glanced at him while holding his teacup. Li Chengqian's heart tightened slightly, but he didn't rush to speak.

He knew that Xiao Ran wouldn't fall for that kind of "coercion" approach; he'd have to wait for him to figure it out himself.

He had already made up his mind: even if it didn't work this time, he would try again next time. He, as the crown prince, could not let Xiao Ran, this "treasure," go to anyone else.

"Big Brother, are you able to manage?" Xiao Ran smiled.

"I am indeed quite busy, but I can still find the time."

"Let's go into business together!" Xiao Ran suddenly had an idea.

Upon hearing the suggestion of "doing business together," Li Chengqian lightly tapped his teacup on the edge of the table, and his previously tentative gaze instantly lit up.

As if he hadn't expected Xiao Ran to be so decisive, even upgrading "lending a hand" to "cooperation," the smile on his lips became more genuine than before, and he quickly asked:
What kind of business do you do?

He leaned forward slightly, his fingertips unconsciously pressing on the corner of the table, even the "composure that a crown prince should have" he had shown before seemed to have faded.

After all, he originally wanted to build a closer relationship through doing things together, and Xiao Ran took the initiative to propose cooperation, so how could he suppress his expectations?

Xiao Ran put down his teacup. "The salt from the Tang Dynasty is lacking. We need to refine it into fine salt."

Li Lizhi, who was standing nearby, immediately leaned over, her eyes full of curiosity:

"Purify coarse salt? Could it be that you can turn this astringent and rough coarse salt into the fine salt we eat now, which is not bitter?" Li Lizhi knew about the fine salt used in the house because she usually helped Zhang Erya with housework.

The quality is even better than that used in the imperial palace, but the quantity has always been limited.

Xiao Ran had forgotten to make this a bigger deal.

"Exactly."

"The impurities in the coarse salt can be removed, and the extracted salt is fine and white, with a pure taste. It's not as good as the salt at home, but it's much better than before."

Li Chengqian's smiling face instantly darkened—not with displeasure, but with shock.

Her breathing slowed down, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened their grip on the teacup.

I knew before that Xiao Ran's food was better than the Imperial Cuisine of the Imperial Kitchen, not just because of his cooking skills, but mainly because of his seasonings.

One of them is the fine salt technique.

“The quality of fine salt is so high that it can fetch an astronomical price in Chang’an City. I just don’t know how difficult it is to obtain!” Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Ran.

It was the right decision for me to come. Li Chengqian now regrets that he came too late; he should have come earlier.

Xiao Ran waved his hand, smiling as he broke down the process even more clearly, his tone still relaxed, as if he were explaining how to tend a vegetable garden:
"It's not difficult, it just requires a couple more filtering steps, you can understand it after reading it once."

"The first step is to remove the mud and sand from the coarse salt—pour the coarse salt into a large earthenware jar, add enough warm water and stir until all the salt grains dissolve in the water."

"Find a piece of fine linen cloth, cover the mouth of another earthenware jar, and slowly pour the salt water over it."

“The linen cloth can filter out all the undissolved mud, sand and pebbles, leaving only salt water without residue in the jar. This step can remove the root of the ‘roughness’.”

"For better salt, you can filter it twice more."

Xiao Ran paused, tapped the corner of the table with his fingertip, and continued, "The second step is to remove the bitter alkali from the salt water—that is, to make the coarse salt taste astringent."

"Add some old brine to the filtered brine, stir well, and let it sit for half an hour. The bitter alkali will clump together and sink to the bottom of the vat, separating from the brine."

"This step has to be done patiently; we can't rush it. We need to let the brine extract all the bitter and alkaline substances."

"Once the fuzz settles to the bottom, replace it with a new piece of fine linen cloth and filter the clean brine on top again—this time, the fuzz that has settled to the bottom will be filtered out, and the brine that leaks into the jar will be pure brine without any residue or bitterness."

He explained the last step more simply: "Pour pure salt water into a large iron pot, put it on a low flame and simmer it slowly. You don't need to heat it vigorously. Just keep an eye on the side of the pot and wait for the water to evaporate little by little. White salt crystals will form on the bottom of the pot. Scrape them off and you'll have fine salt."

"If you want it to be evenly ground, let it cool completely and then grind it a couple of times with a stone mortar and pestle, and you will get snow-white fine salt."

As soon as he finished speaking, the shock in Li Chengqian's eyes deepened, and even his voice became somewhat urgent:

"Can brine really remove all the bitterness and alkali? If it's filtered twice more, will only salt remain in the brine?"

He only knew that fine salt was precious, but he never thought that the key to purification was actually "two filtrations", and that he used only common farmhouse earthenware jars and linen cloth, without using any special tools.

"If we use this method, how much brine can a workshop filter in a day? How much fine salt can it boil?"

The more he thought about it, the clearer it became—such a simple process didn't require "rare items" at all; as long as there were craftsmen and iron pots, it could be mass-produced!

When the salt is transported to Chang'an, even if it's sold at half the price, let alone at an exorbitant price, it will still revitalize the entire salt market in Chang'an.

Li Lizhi, standing nearby, wasn't as agitated. She simply tapped the edge of the table lightly and murmured to herself:

“I knew it. When Xiao Ran said ‘not difficult,’ he was definitely referring to one of those methods that ‘looks simple, but no one has thought of’.”

"Previously, coal washing involved printing, glassmaking, and ice-making techniques. This time, salt purification involves 'double filtration.' Just how much of this kind of 'ingenious approach to daily life' has been put into your head?"

She turned her head to look at Xiao Ran, her eyes no longer showing surprise, but only a helpless resignation that she had grown accustomed to.

Xiao Ran observed their reactions and said, "It was just a thought that came to mind to 'remove impurities,' nothing complicated."

"If you want to make it in batches, just find a few quick-handed villagers, set up a few earthenware jars and a few iron pots, and you can produce fine salt very quickly."

This method can make a lot of money; both Li Chengqian and Li Lizhi could think of it.

"Young master, how should we divide the profits?" Li Chengqian asked hurriedly.

Upon hearing the words "profit sharing," Xiao Ran paused for a moment, then waved his hand and smiled, his tone as light as if he were talking about a trivial matter:
"I don't need to share the profits. I have enough money here—the daily expenses at home are not much, and the village's printing and glass workshops also bring in income. I don't need any more."

"If you can master this method of making fine salt, Da Lang, whatever money you make is yours."

Xiao Ran's household expenses were basically covered by money sent by Li Shimin and others.

It's true that there are many people in the family, but these people who live here don't live there for nothing; they send over a batch of things all the time.

Li Lizhi knew that Xiao Ran was telling the truth.

Li Chengqian didn't respond to that, but instead sat up straight, his tone instantly becoming serious, even his previous intimacy turning into a more solemn one:
“Young master, that won’t do! This method of making fine salt was your idea. Without you, no matter how many craftsmen or how many earthenware jars I have, I can’t make fine salt—how can the profits not be shared?”

He leaned forward, his eyes serious and unyielding: "I know you don't care about money, but this isn't about 'having enough to spend,' it's about 'the rules of doing things.'"

“Let’s work together. You provide the fundamental solutions, and I’ll provide the manpower and resources. We should share the profits, otherwise what am I?”

"I've become the one taking advantage of you! If word gets out, not only will Grandpa say I'm being unreasonable, but I'll also feel terrible about it myself."

He didn't say he needed money to win people over, but he subtly hinted at the meaning of "forming a bond".

He knew that only by getting Xiao Ran to accept this benefit could their cooperation not be considered "one-sided request for help," and only then could they truly bring their relationship closer.

“Alright!” Li Chengqian made the decision without hesitation: “I will arrange the salt workshop. Young Master only needs to visit the workshop occasionally and give some pointers to the craftsmen.”

“Once we make a profit, we’ll split it 50/50. I know you’re not short of money, but we must take the profits!”

Xiao Ran looked at Li Chengqian's stubborn expression, then glanced at Li Lizhi beside him who was nodding with a smile, and smiled helplessly:

"Okay, it's up to you."

When Li Chengqian saw that he had relented, a smile returned to his face, and the weight that had been on his mind from trying to win him over was lifted.

He knew that once the "50/50 profit split" was finalized, his relationship with Xiao Ran would truly transform from "polite friends" to "partners who could work together."

This time, Li Chengqian also witnessed Xiao Ran's 'power'.

There's a reason why my grandfather values ​​it so much.

Giving them just a little something can be a huge help.

We should have come sooner!

I'm too late!

This is what Li Chengqian regrets most now.

Previously, it was out of fear that Li Shimin would be angry, but Xiao Ran was a 'treasure' discovered by Li Shimin.

Li Chengqian had previously spoken to Empress Zhangsun about this, and Empress Zhangsun assured him that Li Shimin would not blame him, which gave Li Chengqian the courage to come.

They were afraid Li Shimin would overthink things, afraid he would get angry! (End of Chapter)