Da Ming: Father, step aside, I'll be the prime minister!

Chapter 329 Is it really that amazing? Soap can make a fortune!
Emperor Wanli was momentarily stunned when he saw Zhang Yunxiu and Yu Xiangdou performing in the center of the square.

Selling soap? What is Zhang Yunxiu up to now? What's so good about selling a soap-like toiletries item that can make money?
On the contrary, Consort Zheng's eyes lit up when she saw this scene.

She couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "Your Majesty often visits the Western Hills, but do you know what this soap is, and whether it truly has the miraculous effects these two people have described?"

Emperor Wanli thought for a while before finally remembering and saying, "I do have some recollection of it, but this soap is made from wood ash and grease, it's disgusting, what's so good about it?"

The emperor's interest in Xishan was mostly limited to gunpowder, various novel inventions, or greenhouse vegetables. Compared to these, the soap seemed insignificant.

In the laboratory in Xishan, Emperor Wanli witnessed the soap-making process several times, but after understanding the general process, he completely lost interest.

The Wanli Emperor added, "These are merely washing utensils, things women use regularly. What's the big deal? Shiyuan, is this really worth all this fuss about?"

He waved his hand.

"How boring. Madam, come with me quickly and let's choose some girls from the brothel. In a few days, we'll form a fairy music troupe. I have a bold idea in mind."

Consort Zheng's face immediately stiffened. If it were an ordinary mistress of a household, and her husband were to act so absurdly, she would not only teach him a lesson, but she would at least cry, make a scene, and threaten suicide.

But unfortunately, this was not an ordinary family, and she was not even the mistress of the house; at most, she was just a concubine in an ordinary household.

Consort Wan dared not speak her anger, but she still tried to comfort her.

"Why do you say that, Your Majesty? This soap is very different from soapberry. It is not just for women. Not to mention washing clothes and removing dirt on a daily basis, it is used by both men and women for bathing and cleansing."

She intentionally guided the conversation.

"Your Majesty just heard that there is also a scented soap that leaves women with a wonderful fragrance after using it. I think it would be wonderful if everyone in the harem could use this soap."

These words struck a nerve with the Wanli Emperor, causing his small eyes to widen involuntarily.

"It has a fragrance?" But then, Emperor Wanli shook his head and said, "I already have enough rouge and face powder. Do I really need this soap to provide extra fragrance?"

Logically speaking, because of Consort Wang, Consort Zheng was indifferent to Zhang Yunxiu from the bottom of her heart, and usually looked down on the things in Xishan.

But today was different. On one hand, she was genuinely interested in soap, and on the other hand, she was trying to stop the Wanli Emperor's madness.

If I really let those sluts from the brothel enter the palace, I can only handle one, how can I handle dozens?
The women in the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment institution) were there to serve men. What did Consort Zheng have to compete with them for the emperor's favor?
The emperor's favor was the foundation of Consort Zheng's survival in the harem, more important than anything else. When interests align, past grievances become insignificant.

Rather than sending the emperor to the brothel, it would be better to "shift the blame eastward"!
Consort Zheng racked her brains, using all the knowledge she had accumulated in her life, and spoke with great emotion.

"Your Majesty is mistaken. Soap is not merely for cleaning and entertainment. I wonder if Your Majesty has read the Wanli Newspaper? I recently saw a study by a medical school that many diseases in the world originate from filth. If people could clean themselves thoroughly and wash their hands frequently with soap, the risk of contracting diseases would be greatly reduced! How many lives could be saved!"

This impassioned speech surprised even the Wanli Emperor, who turned his head to look at it.

"My beloved concubine has such a deep concern for the country and its people?"

Consort Zheng lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, I have only been influenced by what you see and hear."

Their heated conversation drew the attention of the surrounding crowd, especially the way they addressed each other—it was practically outrageous!
Consort Zheng realized she had somewhat lost her composure, so she immediately lowered her head, feigning ordinariness, and said in a sweet, coquettish voice, "My lord, this soap looks quite interesting. Would you please accompany me to take a look?"

Emperor Wanli stroked his chin, glanced at the growing crowd, and finally nodded and spoke.

"Then let's go take a look."

After all, everything Zhang Yunxiu created was basically of great use.

But when he left, he still looked reluctant to part, turning his head to take one last look at the flamboyant courtesans.

Just like Consort Zheng, once the effects of this soap and scented soap were explained, many of the women present became interested.

After all, compared to men, women have an extraordinary pursuit of cleanliness and fragrance.

In ancient societies where resources were scarce, such pursuits would be even more intense. Soapberry had been used for thousands of years with almost no improvement. How could people not be interested when Zhang Yunxiu suddenly proposed a cleaning agent that far surpassed the effects of soapberry?

These young ladies and wives, accompanied by their families and husbands, gathered one after another and formed a long queue in front of the stall.

Even ordinary people who couldn't afford it were curious and wanted to come up and try it out.

Zhang Yunxiu's arrangement for the trial was very thoughtful. The wooden tub was even filled with hot water, and two large bars of soap and bar soap were provided for the trial. A cloth was also prepared to make the cleaning effect more obvious.

At first, the participants were somewhat afraid, and no one came up to try it out.

Yu Xiangdou specially sought out a woman from Xishan to assist with the demonstration.

The woman wasn't shy at all; she casually picked up a handkerchief and showed it to everyone.

"Please look, everyone. This is my husband's handkerchief. He works on the western mountain every day, and in just half a day, he can make this handkerchief filthy. Even if he washes it with soap a dozen times, it is still filthy and black."

But with this soap, things are different.

The woman moved quickly, and with a few rubs, she created countless bubbles.

The white foam covered the entire wooden basin, and many people stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, eager to see what was inside.

Many people in Xishan were still unaware of the existence of soap. Upon seeing the foam produced by rubbing the soap, some women couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

“This stuff is really that magical. We’ve been using soapberries to make clothes for over thirty years. Where can we find better soapberries? If this soap really has amazing effects, we’ll definitely buy two.”

In the past, ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty basically used a combination of soapberry and wooden sticks to wash clothes. If they put in some effort, they could still clean their clothes.

However, this washing method creates a problem: clothes often get wrecked and torn after only a short time, and after a few washes, they may fade, deform, and become loose and baggy.

Whether they are high-ranking officials or poor people, they all inevitably encounter this problem.

Clothing is extremely easy to wear out, and given the scarcity of resources in ancient society, the price of cloth and silk naturally skyrocketed.

She then worked swiftly, and her concise, clear, and down-to-earth explanation convinced almost everyone of the soap's effectiveness.

After all, seeing is believing. The handkerchief became exceptionally clean right before her eyes, and any woman with housework experience could see the difference.

"These bubbles are much more numerous than those from soapberry."

"It's not just a lot, it's the first time I've ever seen a basin full of bubbles."

"It looks quite impressive, but I wonder how effective it will be."

The white bubbles made many people widen their eyes, everyone craning their necks, some even unconsciously moving closer to see the soap's true effects. "Your Majesty~ this also has a fragrance~"

Hiding among the crowd, Consort Zheng couldn't help but curiously peek out and sniff the faint fragrance that filled the air.

Emperor Wanli sniffed and couldn't help but sigh.

"I didn't expect this soap to have a fragrance, and it doesn't have the bitter taste of soapberry at all."

Contrary to later rumors, the Ming emperors did not wear their clothes once and then throw them away. In reality, even the emperors could not afford to be so extravagant.

I wear the same set of clothes two or three times a week. Even after being scented, they still have a spicy and bitter smell, which is the smell of ordinary soapberry.

If even the emperor was like this, what about other people?

In an instant, the fragrance drew more and more people's attention to the washbasin.

The woman from Xishan didn't keep anyone in suspense; she was extremely quick and efficient, and in no time at all, she had wrung out the towel.

Immediately afterwards, she used a gourd ladle to scoop out clean water from a bucket and rinsed it on a towel.

At that moment, almost everyone held their breath and didn't want to look away for even a moment.

At that moment, a light snow began to fall from the sky. The pure white snowflakes drifted in from outside the shed, and as they fluttered left and right, they landed on the handkerchief.

"this!"

A gasp rippled through the crowd. To the naked eye, there was nothing unusual, but as the snowflakes drifted by, they left a glistening mark on the handkerchief, which shone almost white in the sunlight!

"Hey!"

This miraculous effect even startled the woman from Xishan who was holding a handkerchief.

She had only volunteered to help Xishan Workshop increase its popularity, but she never expected the soap's effects to far exceed her expectations, almost like a magic trick.

Feeling uncertain, the woman turned to look at Zhang Yunxiu and Yu Xiangdou.

"My lords..."

"Don't panic," Zhang Yunxiu said with a smile, trying to reassure them. "This soap is three or four times better than the soap pods of the past. It's not just for small households, but also for large households. After using this soap, it can remove dirt without damaging the fabric, and it can also save a lot of manpower. Isn't that killing three birds with one stone?"

"Exactly, exactly!" Yu Xiangdou nodded vigorously. "Fellow villagers, our soap supply is limited, so it's first come, first served. You absolutely can't miss out!"

This caused quite a stir in the crowd.

The people were eager to come up and try the amazing effects of the soap and bar soap.

The young maidservant stepped forward to try the soap on behalf of her mistress. After a quick wash, her eyes lit up. Her hands, which had been slightly dirty, became smooth and white, and even emitted a fragrance.

She looked incredibly excited and rushed to her mistress, Zhou, showing her little hands to her as if she wanted to claim credit.

"Madam, look!"

Although Zhou was dressed simply, her demeanor clearly indicated that she was not from an ordinary family. She frowned deeply, gently picked up the little maid's small hand, examined it for a while, and then sniffed it slightly.

In an instant, the wrinkles on her face smoothed out, and she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Is this thing really that miraculous?"

In an instant, the same expressions and sentiments played out among the crowd.

Some people even hold the soap in their hands after using it, as if afraid of touching something unclean and defiling its "sanctity".

Almost everyone who tried the soap had a radiant expression, adding to the festive atmosphere.

"Good guy!"

"How much is the soap? Give me ten bars!"

"How exactly is this soap made? It must be very expensive, right?"

Seeing such a great deal, many people were captivated by the soap, and many merchants got their hands on it. They rushed to the stall, crowding around without even asking the price.

"Manager Yu, we've known each other for a long time. Please save some of this soap for me today. Give me a thousand yuan! Just a thousand yuan! I'm willing to pay more!"

Merchants were so impressed by the soap's effectiveness that they could hardly bear to leave.

The idea that following Xishan could make money had become a consensus among almost all merchants in the capital.

You see how many merchants have made a fortune by cooperating with Xishan and selling all kinds of novel items from Xishan to Beizhili and even all over the country.

Unlike other businesses, the businesses in Xishan, such as briquettes and glass products, are cheap in the capital, but outside they are expensive and unavailable.

Unfortunately, the craftsmanship of these items is monopolized by Xishan, making it virtually impossible to imitate.

Therefore, being able to seize a business opportunity means seizing a golden opportunity to get rich and amass a fortune.

Merchants naturally had no contact with Zhang Yunxiu, but they all knew Yu Xiangdou.

Yu Xiangdou looked beaming with joy, and he was secretly thrilled.

"Ahem~" Zhang Yunxiu coughed lightly from the side, which finally woke Yu Xiangdou from his flattery.

Yu Xiangdou immediately became serious. He stuck out his big belly and said with his hands behind his back.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down."

At this moment, his words were very effective. The merchants, like obedient chicks, all looked up at Yu Xiangdou's big belly, their eyes filled with hope.

Among the crowd, the Wanli Emperor, who appeared "ordinary" and was surrounded by a group of "servants," was in no hurry to try the soap. After all, if the emperor really wanted the soap, he could simply go to the Western Hills later.

His attention was entirely focused on the group of merchants, and when he heard their enthusiasm for soap and scented soap, the emperor couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

This thing looks like it could make a lot of money!
(End of this chapter)