Duke of Zhenguan

In the first few days after the incense shop opened, it was packed with customers every day.

Lin Chuan had no choice but to send Zhao Gui and his men to keep a close watch in secret to prevent anyone from causing trouble.

When Lin's Noodle Shop first opened, Mr. Li was worried that the shop would not survive.

When Lin's noodle shop could earn nearly five hundred coins a day, Li once even woke up laughing in the middle of the night.

On the first day of the incense shop's opening, the money earned needed to be transported by Zhao Fu and his men in a horse-drawn cart.

That night, Li and Er Ya counted the copper coins in the cart until midnight, and it came to a full one hundred strings of cash.

Another portion consisted of loose silver, which amounted to more than twenty strings of copper coins.

Looking at the glittering copper coins in front of her, Li's face was not happy, but rather worried.

The next morning at breakfast, Li asked Lin Chuan in a low voice:

"Brother, this money came too fast, will we be okay...?"

"Mother, we earned this money honestly, so what could possibly happen? Don't worry. Besides, we can only earn this much in the first few days of business; we'll earn less later!" Lin Chuan comforted her with a smile.

"I was worried that calling your Uncle Wang and the others over would cause you trouble, but now I'm relieved!"

"Brother, should we increase the wages a bit?" Li nodded and asked softly.

Lin Chuan glanced at Li Shi and asked with a smile:

"Did Uncle Wang and the others suggest it?"

Li shook her head and said softly:

"No, Dalang, don't misunderstand, it was my own idea!"

Although the wages Dalang pays them aren't low, this stuff is too profitable. I'm afraid they'll become suspicious if they find out..."

Lin Chuan nodded, pondered for a moment, and then said softly:

"Mother, Uncle Wang and the others are already paid very well. It's not appropriate to pay them more."

The reason why Uncle Wang and the others were paid such high wages was because of their past relationship.

But once we find a suitable place, I plan to build a workshop. We'll need other people to do the work in the future, so how will we pay them?

Let Uncle Wang and the others do it for now. Once our workshop is built, let Uncle Wang and the others set up a small workshop to supply the workshop with goods.

If they do it seriously, they can definitely make a living from it, which is much better than working in a workshop!

"That's good! That's good!" Mrs. Li nodded repeatedly.

Since a group of guards were added to his household, and Lin Chuan also went to Cheng Yaojin to get more than ten horses, his expenses have increased dramatically.

With the incense shop bringing in a fortune every day, Lin Chuan no longer had to worry about expenses for the time being.

On the eighth day of the sixth lunar month, Liu Zhengqi's grandson got married. As his master, Lin Chuan followed Liu Zhengqi, who had come to invite the guests, to the Liu family home early in the morning.

Almost simultaneously with the decline of powerful families in terms of grain prices, thanks to the sanitation regulations implemented by Lin Chuan, the dysentery outbreak at various city gates in Chang'an was effectively controlled, with the number of cases only reaching a few hundred.

Although more than twenty people inevitably died, the Imperial Medical Bureau made a great contribution in controlling the spread of the epidemic in time.

The greatest credit goes to Liu Zhengqi.

Because of this achievement, Liu Zhengqi was promoted to Assistant Physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau at the end of May, a promotion that was made exceptionally.

Liu Zhengqi repeatedly wrote letters stating that the health manual was written by Lin Chuan and that the credit should belong to Lin Chuan.

However, Li Shimin still credited Liu Zhengqi with the greatest merit.

Liu Zhengqi was always uneasy when facing Lin Chuan because of this.

Instead, Lin Chuan had to comfort him.

Lin Chuan didn't care about this small contribution. When Liu Zhengqi became his apprentice, he only gave him a set of writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone as a gift, and a hygiene manual as a gift as well.

The Liu family had been practicing medicine for generations. Although their family background was not particularly distinguished, they were still quite wealthy and owned a three-courtyard house in Baoningfang.

Upon entering the Liu family home, which was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, Liu Zhengqi's sons, along with their wives and children, came over to pay their respects.

Seeing a group of middle-aged and young people kneeling and bowing to him, Lin Chuan awkwardly helped them up one by one and took out the gold leaves he had prepared from his pocket to distribute them.

Liu Zhengqi's sons remained calm, while Lin Chuan, though young, was of a higher generation.

Moreover, it seems that, apart from his age, the master their father apprenticed to was truly deserving of the title of "mentor."

Around noon, the wedding procession brought back the bride. After a lively celebration, the newlyweds were taken to their bridal chamber, and the wedding banquet reached its most festive moment.

Lin Chuan, being the most senior among those present and also quite young, became the focus of special attention.

Liu Zhengqi didn't avoid it either, and accompanied Lin Chuan to socialize.

Fortunately, the wine used by the Liu family was not strong liquor, but rather fine rice wine, which prevented Lin Chuan from getting drunk too quickly.

Liu Zhengqi, who wasn't a big drinker, became noticeably more talkative. After a few rounds of drinks, he raised his glass to Lin Chuan and said:

"The hygiene manual was originally written by my mentor, but I, the disciple, have taken the credit. I am so sorry to have failed my mentor..."

"This was originally intended for you, Zhengqi. Whether it's a merit or a disaster, you should bear the consequences. Zhengqi, there's no need to hold a grudge!" Lin Chuan advised.

Seeing Lin Chuan's sincere tone, Liu Zhengqi stopped mentioning the matter, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then smiled and said to Lin Chuan:

"Jiulang's marriage has been arranged, it will be in the twelfth lunar month, and we will invite our esteemed teacher to come and visit then!"

"Isn't Jiulang still young?" Lin Chuan asked, frowning as he held up his wine glass.

If he remembered correctly, Liu Zhengqi's grandson was only fifteen years old.

"Master, Jiulang married the daughter of my sister. My sister is now suffering from a serious illness that is incurable."

I know that it is not appropriate for my sister to marry and have children at such a young age, but seeing her daughter get married is my sister's only wish, and I would like to grant her wish.

"I'm thinking that we'll consummate the marriage a few years after the two children get married," Liu Zhengqi explained softly.

Lin Chuan paused, holding the wine glass, hesitated for a moment, and then put the glass back on the table.

"Master, did I do something wrong?" Liu Zhengqi asked awkwardly.

Lin Chuan nodded.

"Master, I know it's inappropriate, but my sister only has this one thought in her heart..." Liu Zhengqi explained softly.

"Zhengqi, I'm not saying that it's wrong for you to let them get married first and then consummate their marriage a few years later, but that it's wrong for them to get married in the first place... or rather, it's not right!" Lin Chuan sighed.

Liu Zhengqi looked bewildered, racking his brains for a long time but unable to find anything amiss. He stood up and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Lin Chuan:

"Please enlighten me, my esteemed teacher!"

Lin Chuan waved his hand and said softly:

"You should investigate this matter yourself. I'll give you a direction: look into the children of cousins ​​who have married into the family. Find as many as possible; you might find the answer!"

"yes!"

Liu Zhengqi bowed in response.

Lin Chuan eventually got drunk and was taken back to Tonghuafang by Liu Zhengqi's son and his men.

The next morning, Lin Chuan was still fast asleep when he was woken up by Mei Xiang from the outside room:

"Young master, Lord Cheng is waiting for you in the front yard!"

Why did Cheng Yaojin come to see me so early in the morning instead of attending court?

Lin Chuan frowned as he got up.

After dressing and washing up with Meixiang's help, he went to the front yard and bowed to Cheng Yaojin.

"Uncle Cheng!"

"Come with me to the palace, His Majesty summons you!" Cheng Yaojin said with a heavy expression.