The Young Dragon of the Ming Dynasty: Bound to an Industrial Blueprint from the Start

Fifty "Xishan coal briquettes" were delivered to the British Duke's Mansion overnight.

The craftsmen in the mansion followed the blueprints and quickly built a new stove at the old lady's residence for testing.

Within just two or three days, the effects were evident: the old lady's cough and wheezing were greatly reduced, she slept soundly, and the room was warm but not stuffy.

The Duchess of England was overjoyed and praised the eldest grandson's "filial piety" and his maid Chun Tao's "attentiveness".

The news spread like wildfire, and soon the Duke of Cheng's mansion, the residences of several ministers and vice ministers, and even the wives of several generals guarding Beiping, all inquired about it, either openly or secretly.

Following Zhu Zhanji's instructions, Chuntao humbly claimed to the outside world that "the peasant accidentally obtained the method," that "the young prince is kind and allowed him to present it," and that "she was merely acting as a messenger."

But privately, faced with more and more urgent requests to purchase coal, she began to selectively "allocate" a small amount of coal briquettes after consulting with Zhu Zhanji.

The price was based on the market price of high-quality charcoal in Beiping at that time, which was about one tael and two mace of silver per hundred catties. It was increased several times and set at ten taels of silver per hundred catties.

This price is negligible for the wealthy and powerful, but it clearly defines the threshold for users.

Demand grew like a snowball, and Chun Tao alone could no longer handle the increasing number of contacts and "orders".

Zhu Zhanji felt the time was ripe, so one day he called Chun Tao over and spread out a simple sketch of the streets and alleys of Beiping.

"Sister Chuntao, more and more people are looking for you these days. It's not a good idea to keep sending messages between the manor and the various mansions. I think it would be better to find an inconspicuous but easily accessible small shop in the city and hire two honest, reliable, and discreet employees."

"You go check on it every few days, collect orders, and arrange deliveries. Let's call the shop 'Xishan Charcoal Shop,' it's simple and clear."

The goods will still come from the estate. Have Sun San and Han Shitou expedite the process, but make sure the quality is guaranteed. You will personally manage the accounts and report back to me every ten days.

He pointed to a point on the map that was not very conspicuous but connected several noble residential areas near the west side of the city, "Let Li Wei help you find a place like this."

Chun Tao took a deep breath. "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will do her best to handle it well."

Zhu Zhanji nodded and added, "The opening of the shop doesn't need to be publicized. The first customers should be those who have already inquired."

In addition, please note that besides coal briquettes, we can also provide regular processed coal blocks at a price negotiated based on quality if someone needs a large quantity and doesn't mind a little bit of smoke.

Also, inquire about the specific market prices for different grades of coal and charcoal, especially the prices and channels through which the palace procures them.

"Yes." Chun Tao kept these instructions firmly in mind.

After several days of running around the city, Chun Tao, through reliable connections Li Wei had made in his early years as a street urchin, managed to rent a small street-front shop in a quiet alley not too far from the Prince of Yan's mansion, but not on any major bustling street.

The shop was originally a closed-down general store. After some tidying up, a simple wooden plaque that read "Xishan Charcoal Shop" was hung up, and it was considered to be open for business.

The shopkeeper was a distant cousin of Li Wei. He was in his forties, looked honest and simple, and had some literacy. He was known as "Shopkeeper Guo".

There was also a clever young waiter in the shop, someone we knew well.

The charcoal shop opened quietly, without firecrackers or fanfare, but those who needed to know, naturally knew.

Three days before the opening, reservation invitations were handed to Manager Guo one after another through the stewardesses of various households.

These were all small, exploratory orders, ranging from one or two hundred kilograms.

Manager Guo accepted all the orders respectfully as instructed by Chun Tao, explaining that due to the complexity of the process, it would take ten days before small quantities of goods could be supplied in sequence.

Behind Xishanzhuang, Sun San, Han Shitou, and others began their first "formal production."

Based on the existing practices, Zhu Zhanji had Chuntao convey several suggestions for improvement: standardize the size of the coal briquette molds and mark the coal briquettes with a simple "Xishan" mark; strengthen the management of the drying area to prevent moisture and contamination.

The transportation was handled by a few guards personally selected by Li Wei, who traveled by night and rested by day to ensure safety and secrecy.

Ten days later, one morning, several mule carts covered with thick thatch drove into the secluded alley and delivered the first batch of about 500 catties of "Xishan coal briquettes" to the coal shop's back warehouse.

On the same day, several of the earliest orders from the noble families received coal briquettes wrapped in blue cloth with simple instructions.

The day after the first batch of coal briquettes was delivered, Beiping City welcomed its first decent snowfall of the winter.

The snowflakes were small, but fine and continuous, and soon covered the rooftops and streets with a thin layer of white.

Inside the Earl's mansion in Andingfang, the elderly Countess, who was over sixty years old and suffered from a chronic cough, was sitting around the newly renovated coal stove.

Inside the stove, two coal briquettes from Xishan burned with a steady, soft light.

The room was warm and cozy, yet there was no trace of smoke.

The old lady took a few deep breaths, a long-lost look of comfort appearing on her face, and sighed to her daughter-in-law standing beside her:

"This charcoal is truly amazing. The silver wire charcoal I used to burn was good, but it always felt a bit stuffy and made my throat dry. This is different; it's warm and clean," she added.

"It's a bit pricey, but if it can really help this old woman get through the winter comfortably, it's worth it."

Smokeless, warm, and long-lasting—these qualities are amplified rapidly in the harsh winter.

This item is especially favored by families with elderly people, young children, or patients.

Of course, there are also some doubts.

There was a censor's wife who was very particular. After receiving the coal briquettes, she specifically asked a retainer who knew some about epigraphy to examine them.

The retainer twirled the coal briquettes in his hand, then examined the ashes from the burning coal, and pondered, “This is undoubtedly coal, but it seems to have undergone extremely fine sieving and has been mixed with some clay to shape it. The impurities have been removed quite thoroughly, which is why it burns so completely and produces so little smoke.”

The craftsmanship is indeed unique.

These words indirectly endorsed the quality of Xishan coal briquettes.

Half a month after the charcoal shop opened, the first batch of 500 jin of coal briquettes delivered received almost unanimous praise after being tested.

Despite the high price, the reputation of "smokeless charcoal heating" spread far and wide among the upper-class circles of Beiping City through word of mouth among these women from wealthy families.

Orders began to come in like snowflakes, no longer tentative orders of 30 to 50 kilograms, but "large orders" of hundreds of kilograms or even long-term supply.

Following Chun Tao's instructions, Manager Guo strictly implemented the strategies of "limited supply" and "pre-order queuing".

They consistently claim that "the raw materials are carefully selected, the process is complex and time-consuming, and the number of artisans is limited," and that they sell a fixed quantity each day, requiring reservations at least five days in advance.

The more this is the case, the more scarce and rare this charcoal becomes.

Chun Tao became even busier, becoming the key link between Xishan Manor, the charcoal shop, and the wealthy housekeepers behind them.

She was cautious in her actions and modest in her speech, never overstepping her bounds. All financial transactions and order transfers were handled through Manager Guo of the charcoal shop; she never touched the money herself, only conveying the production capacity of "the young prince's estate" and the requirements of the "craftsmen."

Her special status—the personal maid of the eldest grandson of the emperor and the agent tacitly approved by the crown princess—gave this deal an unspoken "guarantee" in the eyes of others, reducing the troubles that ordinary merchants might encounter.

As snowflakes fluttered down, outside the unassuming storefront of Xishan Coal Shop, respectable figures draped in cloaks and accompanied by servants began to stop occasionally, either asking questions in hushed tones or leaving deposits, seemingly bringing a touch of life to the alley.

Inside the West Mountain Villa, Zhu Zhanji listened to the sales report and market feedback brought back by Chun Tao, but his face did not show much pride.

He knew this was just the first step, relying on scarcity and the competitive mentality of the upper class to open up the market.

The real test lies in maintaining stable quality, ensuring a continuous supply, and dealing with potential counterfeits.

He instructed Chun Tao to tell Sun San and Han Shitou to ensure that the quality of each batch of coal briquettes is consistent, and to retain samples of different batches of coal briquettes, recording the mining location and processing details for inspection.

At the same time, he began to consider the next step: the existing manual production was nearing its limit, and to expand, a more stable labor force and a production site of a certain scale were needed. The cave and scattered shacks in the back mountain were clearly not enough.

"Perhaps it's time to openly and legitimately build a 'charcoal yard' on the estate," Zhu Zhanji thought to himself, looking at the increasingly heavy snow falling outside the window.

"Under the pretext that 'the eldest grandson of the emperor is considerate of the peasants and has hired them to make heating products using local coal to supplement their livelihood,' Sun San was the 'foreman' of the coal yard."

In this way, production can be partially brought into the open, absorbing more rural laborers, and also reserving space for possible future technological upgrades, such as trying to improve the blower or using water power for larger-scale crushing and washing.

Of course, the core formula and key processes must still be firmly controlled by a few absolutely core individuals such as Sun San.

The snow fell silently, covering the fields and houses of Xishan Village.

This winter, the farmers had a much better time than in previous years because of the rent exemption and the work at the charcoal yard.

Han Shitou's house has had its roof renovated, and Old Han's face is now more cheerful.

They might not understand what the young prince was planning, but they knew who had made their house warmer and their bowls of porridge thicker in this cold winter.

Zhu Zhanji stood there for a while, then reached out and caught a few cold snowflakes, watching them melt quickly in his palm.