Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

Zhou Chuji then asked, "Monk, could you sell me the shops in your temple directly?"

"If you're going to rent it for business, fine, but why buy it?"

"I'm just afraid. What if I, Huang, owe you money in the future? Wouldn't that be the worst thing ever?"

Monk Yuanjue shook his head slightly and said, "Amitabha, you have such a sharp tongue. Huang Jin, remember this: if you ever need money, never come to me for a loan."

"This old monk is getting on in years and just wants a peaceful life. I wouldn't dare have anything to do with a scoundrel like you!"

"How so?"

"Amitabha. I'm afraid that one day you'll kidnap me and kill me, and I won't even know where I died!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chuji clapped his hands and laughed. Monk Yuanjue also laughed.

"Monk, I'm serious, I'm not joking. Your Yunju Temple is located in the heart of Xiangzhou City, in an excellent location. Even if you buy the shop, you'll still make a profit."

Yuanjue frowned: "How much capital are you prepared to invest?"

Zhou Chuji held up two fingers: "Twice the market price, buy five shops, cash only."

"Not all the good shops in the city are in my possession, so why must you come to me to buy them?"

"Who doesn't know that in Xiangzhou City, the person with the biggest business and the widest reach is Elder Yuanjue? Buying your shop is definitely the right choice!"

"Huang Jin, tell me the truth, have you been eyeing this old monk for a long time?"

"No, that's not it. We just had our eyes on the charcoal business in Xiangzhou, and we never expected to make such a splash so quickly. We certainly didn't expect to be targeted by that scoundrel Zhao Hongliang. And that's how we ended up getting to know you, sir. In Buddhist terms, it's all fate, truly wondrous!"

Monk Yuanjue thought for a moment, then held up three fingers: "I will sell the shop to you for three times the market price."

Zhou Chuji sighed, "Well, every time we meet, there's always some haggling. How about this, like last time, we each give way a little: 2.5 times the market price, how about that?"

"You scoundrel, can't you even round things up when you're doing business?"

"Whether it's a small amount or a large sum, discuss and negotiate—that's the way of a merchant!"

……

Li You strolled through Xiangzhou City, observing the local customs and culture.

Since his transmigration, he first fought and killed in Shandong, and then hurriedly fled to the south, never having a moment of peace.

It's not bad to wander around in a relatively normal and peaceful environment like today.

The instructions regarding Monk Yuanjue's plan have been given, and the operation can be completed in a few days.

They also successfully bought the five shops belonging to Zhou Chuji.

As Li You strolled, he pondered what new ventures he could make with the resources he was about to acquire to fund the military.

The daily necessities of ordinary people are nothing more than: firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.

The first person to receive firewood has already started making it himself.

Rice is the second most important crop, which the locals grow every year, and Huang Chao's army also cultivated a large number of rice paddies.

Counting down from there, we find the items for oil and salt.

As mentioned earlier, during the Tang Dynasty, the production of vegetable oil was not high, so the price was high, and it was mostly used for lighting. Those who used oil in food preparation were mostly wealthy families.

At this time, there were two main types of vegetable oil: sesame oil and rapeseed oil. Sesame oil was more common, while rapeseed oil was mainly produced in the Northwest region.

In other words, the most common uses of vegetable oil are stir-frying, deep-frying, pan-frying, steaming, and cold dishes... at that time, it was not yet widely used.

It wasn't until the Northern Song Dynasty, with its great economic and social development, that many records about stir-frying appeared, along with a variety of recipes.

Thinking of this, Li You's salivary glands began to secrete involuntarily.

Ah, I'm craving food. I really want to eat out.

Whenever he felt a craving, Li You would yearn for the China of later generations.

Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Northwest China's oil-splashed noodles and roujiamo (meat sandwich), Northeast China's pork stew with vermicelli, Sichuan hot pot and skewers, Shanxi's "Eight Bowls," Xinjiang's roasted whole lamb, roasted pigeon, and big plate chicken, and all kinds of fresh seafood and river fish from Guangdong and Fujian...

Great Tang Dynasty, Great Tang Dynasty, I, the king, have worked so hard to rebel against you, yet I can't even afford a decent meal!

Li You couldn't help but recall that he had previously promoted a soldier named Niu Qibao, who had now become a battalion commander in the army.

Niu Qibao's family owned an oil pressing shop, and he had once introduced me to the tools and methods used for pressing oil back then.

As long as oil can be extracted, it can be sold directly to the wealthy, and the booming catering industry of later generations can also be established.

Being fond of eating and lazy is human nature.

For a bite to eat, some gourmets will travel thousands of miles and spend a lot of money just to taste the ingredients and flavors of their dreams.

Li You looked around and saw all sorts of shops, but he couldn't find a shop that specialized in pressing oil.

After inquiring with many shops, I learned that there was only one family in Xiangzhou City, surnamed Wei, who knew how to press oil.

Moreover, the oil pressed by his family was only sold to a few large households, to be used for lighting at night.

Ordinary people work at sunrise and rest at sunset, and they don't need lamps or candles at night.

This simple little incident reveals the difference between the rich and the poor, the noble and the lowly at that time.

Li You felt that initially, only the wealthy could afford to consume the series of oil-pressing and frying products he had developed.

But that doesn't matter. The rich man's money is still money. As long as he earns it, he can buy other scarce goods.

The key is that it also satisfies my craving.

Well, the second purpose was the main reason why King Qi was preparing to open an oil pressing shop.

Cooking bland, watery food all day long may fill your stomach, but it gets really cloying after a while. It tastes like chewing wax and is unbearable.

Li You walked and looked around.

Two bodyguards stood guard beside him, never leaving his side.

While treating his bodyguards with the utmost respect, Li You was also deeply curious about them.

Through daily interactions with the assassins, Li You also learned about the incredibly cruel training methods used by ancient assassins.

In such an environment, those who survived were all sharp blades in the hands of their masters, extremely dangerous yet absolutely loyal.

Li You was fully aware of the cruelty and ruthlessness involved, but he still ordered his elite assassins to secretly recruit skilled men and train new assassins for him. This was inhumane, but Li You knew it had to be done.

As dusk approached, Li You decided to go back to rest.

Suddenly, one of the assassins beside him said, "My lord, someone is following us!"

Li You was startled: "Where is it?"

"It's right behind us."

"My lord, do not worry, let us hide for the time being."

Under the close protection of two bodyguards, Li You entered a nearby tavern.

"What would you gentlemen like to order?"

"I'll take the best one from your place. Do you have any private rooms upstairs?"

"Yes, yes, waiter, please take these guests upstairs."

Upon entering the building, Li You opened the window and, along with two assassins, observed the situation on the street.

It was dusk, and there weren't many pedestrians on the street.

"what?"

"That's not..."

"Brother Qin Yun!"