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

Chapter 330 This soap has a wonderful use? Fireworks festival!
"Cough cough~"

Yu Xiangdou coughed and said, word by word.

"Speaking of which, our soap is quite sophisticated. The oils used are all extracted from poultry and livestock, and the ingredients are all genuine spices: osmanthus, agarwood, borneol, and citron."
Our products from Xishan are guaranteed to be of the highest quality. Since production hasn't been fully ramped up yet, they'll naturally be more expensive.

The emergence of new products like soap meant that ordinary people could never afford them in the first place.

Even if Xishan sets a low price, if production doesn't increase, unscrupulous merchants will eventually resell it for profit.

Given the large production volume of briquettes, Xishan can only maintain the price within the Beizhili region. Once outside Beizhili, in some remote areas, they are comparable to gold.

The merchants below couldn't wait any longer and began to speak loudly.

"Manager Yu, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us the price of this soap. Even if you sell it for ten taels of silver a piece, we'll still want it!"

"That's not necessary."

Zhang Yunxiu stood aside and smiled. If he really wanted to make soap a luxury item, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

The goal is to establish brand awareness for the soap. As demand and production increase, we can then launch more cost-effective products so that the people of the Ming Dynasty can afford to use soap. That would be the natural course of action.

He glanced at Yu Xiangdou and said.

"Manager Yu, why don't you tell everyone the truth?"

"Yes."

After receiving the instructions, Yu Xiangdou smiled and cupped his hands to the merchants present.

"Esteemed shopkeepers, Xishan has always been committed to benefiting the people, so the price of our soap will naturally be reasonable. Our initial price is 500 copper coins for one bar of soap and 1 tael of silver for one bar of scented soap."

Upon hearing this, the merchants present fell silent, their breath coming in ragged gasps as if they were about to suffocate.

In the blink of an eye, the merchants went into a frenzy, like firecrackers that had been set off.

It's not that it's too expensive, but rather that the price is incredibly cheap.

"Manager Yu! How many do you have? I'll take them all!"

"I'll offer 30% more!"

"You scoundrel! You dare to offer 30% of the price? I'll double it and take it all. From now on, I'll be a Xishan person in life and in death!"

"Pah! You old codger, you want to get all the benefits? I've already given my concubine to Manager Yu, and I haven't even become a Xishan resident yet!"

The merchants were arguing so loudly that they looked like they were about to come to blows.

Zhang Yunxiu turned his head and scrutinized Yu Xiangdou, his eyes full of questioning, as if to say, "What's going on with your concubine?"

"My lord," Yu Xiangdou stammered, "this is all business dealings. How about I send it to you later?"

Zhang Yunxiu didn't have such a hobby, but he wasn't a petty or pedantic person, and he reminded him.

"If things are done well, everything will be fine."

"Yes."

Yu Xiangdou wiped the sweat from his brow, nearly wanting to tear the talkative merchant apart. He was furious and couldn't help but shout.

"enough!"

Once everyone present had calmed down, he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please be aware that our soap supply is extremely limited. We are currently operating at a loss to gain market share, so each person is limited to purchasing ten bars. There is absolutely no way we can buy more."

Upon hearing this, the merchants present immediately fell silent. They wanted to argue, but Xishan's style was always to keep his word.

With the merchants no longer causing trouble and driving up prices, many ordinary people now have the opportunity to come and buy.

"Give me ten yuan!"

"Just give me one."

My wife really likes this soap.

This price is clearly not something an ordinary person could afford, but because of the purchase limit, this soap seems even more precious, especially considering its amazing effects.

Those with a decent financial situation, after watching and trying it out, about 70-80% of them choose to buy a few.

Merchants clearly had other ideas, buying up soap from ordinary people at inflated prices.

Zhang Yunxiu did not intend to stop them. Firstly, each person was limited to ten yuan, and with more wolves than meat, the merchants simply couldn't compete for it.

Secondly, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that merchants are crazy about this product, so keeping the soap in hand and waiting for a better price is clearly a better choice.

Not far away, the Wanli Emperor watched as pack after pack of soap was taken away, feeling both surprised and angry.

The good news is that Xishan will open up a brand new source of income, and the emperor's treasury will become even fuller.

What's infuriating is that Zhang Yunxiu treats money like it's nothing; anyone can see the commercial value in this soap.

Purchase restrictions are indeed a brilliant idea, but what does price control mean?
Such a magical thing would be more than a royal item in the palace, and you just gave it away for five hundred coins?
Five hundred coins is a lot for ordinary people, but for high-ranking officials and nobles, it is just a sum to be spent at will.

Does Zhang Yunxiu have a grudge against money?

"This soap should be sold for a higher price!"

Emperor Wanli wished he could kick Yu Xiangdou off the stage and take his place to sell his wares to the merchants.

This is an insult to soap!
Consort Zheng, however, reacted differently. In order not to reveal her identity, even the emperor's concubines had to obediently wait in line.

Finally, when it was her turn, she excitedly pulled Emperor Wanli aside and said.

"Your Majesty, let's go and try it quickly, I can't wait any longer."

Seeing that many ladies and young women looked radiant after using the soap, and even their walks were filled with a fragrant breeze.

As a Noble Consort, how could Zheng Mengjing not be tempted? She no longer cared about causing trouble for Zhang Yunxiu and excitedly pulled Emperor Wanli forward.

Emperor Wanli's expression was somewhat unnatural. He glanced at Zhang Yunxiu guiltily, much like someone who had gone to the brothel and, halfway through doing business, discovered that the person in the next room was his own brother.

Emperor Wanli has one advantage: whether it's matters of the court or the management of Xishan, he may complain and grumble, but he won't easily interfere.

Perhaps it was because he was too lazy to think, or perhaps it was because he wanted to emulate his grandfather Jiajing's "laissez-faire" approach, but in the end, he made things worse and instead allowed the court and Xishan to function normally.

"Your Majesty"

When the steward saw the Wanli Emperor, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He was often in the Western Hills, so he could see the Wanli Emperor visiting, and naturally he recognized him at a glance.

Emperor Wanli slightly raised his head to signal the other party not to make a fuss, and then said with a smile.

“We’ll contribute money to buy five bars of soap and five bars of scented soap, and you can also help me get some clean water so I can try them out on the spot.”

Although the emperor didn't care much about personal hygiene in his daily life, he had seen the "microbes" in the medical school. He could easily imagine how dirty the basins of water that had been washed by countless people must be.

The steward worked swiftly, preparing water and soap in no time for Consort Zheng to try. He also sent someone to remind Zhang Yunxiu of the situation.

In fact, Zhang Yunxiu had already received the emperor's message. It wasn't that he had planted someone by the Wanli Emperor's side, but rather that the fat emperor was too big and had a group of "henchmen" with him, making it difficult not to notice him in a crowd.

It is likely that many of the court officials and nobles who came today had already discovered the emperor's identity, otherwise, how could the Wanli Emperor have reached the front of the long queue so quickly?

Zhang Yunxiu and the emperor exchanged a glance. Emperor Wanli nodded slightly, while Zhang Yunxiu bowed slightly. Both of them understood each other without saying a word.

"Please, sir and madam, try it out." The steward thoughtfully prepared everything and placed the soap in front of Consort Zheng and Emperor Wanli.

"Then I will try it out for you first, sir."

Consort Zheng was already impatient and reached out to take the light pink soap. As soon as she held it in her hand, she felt that it was different.

It has a smooth, heavy feel and a unique, subtle fragrance.

Consort Zheng had already thoroughly mastered the method of use through observation, and she gently wetted the soap.

The basin contained freshly changed warm water, and putting my hands in it felt incredibly comfortable.

Then, Consort Zheng carefully rubbed the soap and gently rubbed it on her palms and the backs of her hands.

As a fragrant aroma filled the air and more and more foam appeared in the basin, Consort Zheng's eyes began to light up.

After an unknown amount of time, Consort Zheng reluctantly put down the soap and rinsed her hands thoroughly with another basin of clean water, meticulously handling every drop of foam.

Finally, she wiped her hands with clean water using a clean cloth. Although she had only washed her hands, Consort Zheng felt as if she were clean and fresh, and smelled wonderful.

She felt as if her spirit had been shaken.

Soap, a common household item in later generations, was a divine gift to the ancients who had used soap beans for thousands of years.

Consort Zheng was extremely excited. She gently sniffed the fragrance on the back of her hand. Unlike the cloying smell of rouge and powder, this scent was indescribably refreshing.

"Your Majesty! Look at my hands, aren't they much whiter and cleaner, and they even have a pleasant fragrance?"

As they spoke, Consort Zheng, accustomed to her usual carefree life in the harem, leaned closer to Emperor Wanli, nestling in his arms as if seeking praise.

Previously, Emperor Wanli had acted like a dissolute young man, so he was naturally unrestrained. But now he could sense that many people recognized him.

Then the emperor's airs had to be put on.

"Please wait a moment, Madam."

Emperor Wanli stopped Consort Zheng and pushed her aside, his eyes fixed on the basin of foamy water.

"Please allow me, my husband, to give it a try."

Having said that, he followed the instructions, took the soap, and put his hand into the basin of water.

It didn't matter if he didn't let go, but as the soap slid in his hand, it slipped out of his palm. Emperor Wanli was startled, but then his eyes lit up.

"This thing is so smooth!"

He sighed inwardly, and in a flash, a lot of thoughts popped into his head, and a bold idea came to him!

He carefully picked up the soap, then gently rubbed it in his palms with both hands together.

The smooth touch sent a shiver down his spine.

"Wonderful!"

He subconsciously uttered a sigh.

……

Zhang Yunxiu knew that the Wanli Emperor was somewhat licentious, but he never imagined that the emperor's licentiousness would reach this level!
It was expected that the emperor and his harem would like soap, and Xishan had already prepared all the necessary supplies for the palace. However, no one expected that the Wanli Emperor would take a different approach and make such a special request.

Yu Xiangdou chuckled and said, "I think Your Majesty's request is reasonable. This soap not only cleans things well, but also has a pleasant fragrance. What's most precious is its texture—it's so smooth, even smoother than a woman's delicate skin!"

As he said this, Yu Xiangdou's expression became increasingly lewd.

Zhang Yunxiu then declared righteously, "Nonsense! Our soap is for the benefit of all people, not for doing obscene things!"

Yu Xiangdou was quite surprised: "Sir, you don't want to earn money from high-ranking officials and nobles anymore?"

Zhang Yunxiu wanted to say something more, but his throat suddenly caught in his throat; he had almost forgotten about it.

If you want to make money off the wealthy, what could be better than sex toys?

If the price is raised sharply at that time, it will surely make the decadent noble class of the Ming Dynasty raksha lose a lot of money.

In just two hours, the tens of thousands of bars of soap that Xishan had prepared were sold out.

Yu Xiangdou looked at the empty wooden boxes, a happy smile spreading across his face.

This round trip brought in tens of thousands of taels of silver.

You know, soap is sold at a low price. I can't imagine what a terrifying amount of income it will be when the chemical and daily necessities workshops start production after the New Year!

“Speaking of which,” Yu Xiangdou asked curiously, “why didn’t you let His Majesty stay? We’ve been preparing for tonight’s fireworks display for a long time. If His Majesty could see it, he would surely be delighted!”

The weapons workshop had been preparing for a long time, all for the purpose of holding a fireworks display tonight after the promotional event, so as to give the people of the city a surprise during the "staying up late on New Year's Eve".

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head, saying, "We can guard this western suburb, but the emperor can't. No matter how unreliable His Majesty is, he can't miss the annual 'Moon Festival at Xiyue Altar' and 'Ancestor Worship at Fengxian Hall'."

Yu Xiangdou slapped his forehead and said, "My apologies, I almost forgot that the rules of the imperial family are still very important."

The Ming emperors had a lot of formalities and procedures.

Especially on New Year's Day and New Year's Day, the emperor was not allowed to wander around.

According to the rules established after Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) moved the capital to Beijing, on New Year's Eve, the emperor would worship the "God of Night" and the Twenty-Eight Mansions at the Altar of the Moon.

In this series of rituals, not only did the emperor wear the imperial robes, but all the officials also participated in the sacrifice, praying for favorable weather, peace and prosperity in the coming year.

After the national sacrifice, there is the "family sacrifice" in the Fengxian Hall, where people worship the emperors of past dynasties, perform three bows and nine kowtows, play music and read prayers to demonstrate the legitimacy of the emperor's "reverence for heaven and ancestors".

Not to mention the New Year's Day, when the imperial court customarily held a "New Year's Day court celebration".

Emperor Wanli could feign illness to avoid attending court assemblies throughout the year, but he absolutely could not miss the New Year's Day assembly.

Even the emperor had to rise at dawn and go through the entire process dutifully.

For this reason, as darkness fell, the market outside the Xishan Theater suddenly lost a lot of people.

Many officials and nobles, along with their entourages, left in haste.

"Master En, it's time for us to go."

Inside the theater's study, Shen Shixing watched Zhang Juzheng's retreating figure and couldn't help but offer a reminder.

(End of this chapter)