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

The tea room fell silent for a moment.

Yang Pu suddenly put down his teacup, took out a thin contract from his sleeve, and gently pushed it to Zhu Zhanji's side.

"Your Highness," his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, "just now, His Highness the Crown Prince has purchased this Bright Moon Pavilion."

Zhu Zhanji was taken aback.

Yang Pu continued, "His Highness said that you have been studying hard lately and have been going to the estate frequently. It is inconvenient not having a place to stay. Although this house is not big, it is quiet and peaceful. From now on, it will be at your service."

He spoke calmly, as if he were explaining an ordinary household chore.

The silk merchant, unaware of the situation, chuckled and chimed in, "Oh, young master, you're so lucky! You already have your own house at such a young age!"

Zhu Zhanji lowered his head and looked at the contract.

The ink on the three characters "Mingyuelou" on the cover is still fresh.

He didn't reach out to take it, but turned to look at Yang Pu:

"Uncle Yang, is this house mine now?"

"Yes."

"Then I can use it however I want?"

Yang Pu replied, "Of course."

Zhu Zhanji thought about it seriously for a moment, then suddenly smiled, revealing two newly erupted baby teeth.

"Then I'll lend it to Manager Qian! His tasting event was fantastic; it would be such a shame if he lost the house."

The room was completely silent.

Looking at the child laughing innocently in front of him, Yang Pu suddenly felt a tension ease in his heart.

"Your Highness is kind and benevolent." He bowed respectfully. "Manager Qian, why don't you thank Your Highness?"

Qian Lai immediately stood up and bowed deeply to the ground: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

Zhu Zhanji waved his hand, "No need to thank me, I don't need it anyway."

He made it sound so casual, as if he were simply giving up a toy room that he didn't need.

But everyone present knew that from this moment on, Mingyue Tower was no longer just a thriving restaurant.

It is the private property of the Crown Prince.

And from then on, the smiling shopkeeper had a "protective charm" on his head that no one could touch.

The tea party ended.

Qian Lai saw the guest to the door. The clerk from the Ministry of Revenue was a step behind. Before getting into the carriage, he turned back and whispered to Qian Lai, "Manager Qian, your master has some powerful connections."

Qian Lai smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, but didn't reply.

The official said no more, climbed into the carriage, the curtain fell, and the sound of hooves faded into the distance.

Qian Lai turned around and met Yang Pu's calm gaze.

"It's all taken care of," Qian Lai said in a low voice. "When that official goes back, he will mention the method of preventing moisture in the canal transport to the merchant Li Qing. The old merchants have also agreed to help try out the name 'Jingchuanglu' in the southern goods channel."

Yang Pu nodded without saying anything more.

He bent down and lifted Zhu Zhanji onto the carriage.

Chuntao quickly stepped forward to take it and straightened the young prince's clothes.

Before the carriage curtain was lowered, Zhu Zhanji turned back one last time and glanced at the Mingyue Tower, which was just beginning to light up.

The plaque is newly replaced, with black background and gold lettering, and it is upright and elegant.

He withdrew his gaze, leaned against the carriage, and gently closed his eyes.

"This saves a lot of trouble," Zhu Zhanji thought to himself.

That evening, in the Crown Prince's study.

After listening to Yang Pu's report on the cooperation with the Shen family, Zhu Gaochi remained silent for a long time.

"Three thousand taels as a deposit," he murmured. "The Shen family is quite generous."

"Your Highness, what the Shen family wants is nothing more than exclusive distribution rights," Yang Pu said.

"What they are after is the exorbitant profits from floral perfumes in Southeast Asia. I have inquired and found that noblewomen in Southeast Asian countries love such perfumes and they are more valuable than gold."

Zhu Gaochi looked at Zhu Zhanji sitting beside him: "Zhanji, what do you think?"

Zhu Zhanji looked up, seemingly bewildered: "Father, I don't understand these big businesses. I just think that if we had this money, Master Sun and the others could focus on making wound cleansing lotion without worrying about materials every day, and the uncles at the border could use more good medicine."

Zhu Gaochi was filled with emotion.

The son always kept the border troops in his heart.

"Scholar Yang," he finally said, "cooperation with the Shen family is negotiable, but there are a few conditions: First, the formula must never be leaked; second, production must be controlled by the workshop; third, the price must be set by us; fourth," he added, "30% of the profits must be used specifically to subsidize the production of Jingchuanglu."

"Your subject understands."

After Yang Pu left, Zhu Gaochi called Zhu Zhanji to his side and said gently, "Zhanji, you've been going out with Scholar Yang quite often lately. What have you learned?"

Zhu Zhanji thought for a moment and said, "I have learned that doing business is not just about making money, but also about how to deliver things to those who need them in a better and cheaper way. For example, with Jingchuanglu, we probably wouldn't have been able to make so much without the Shen family's money."

"It's good that you can think of these things." Zhu Gaochi patted his head.

"But you must remember that you are the grandson of the emperor, not a merchant. You can learn business, but you cannot become obsessed with it. Your duty is to study and understand principles so that you can assist your grandfather in governing the country in the future."

"I understand," Zhu Zhanji nodded obediently.

But he knew in his heart that governing the world required more than just reading books.

Money, food, soldiers, and weapons—these tangible things are the foundation.

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and Sun San achieved his first breakthrough at the old kiln.

After several days of tireless experimentation, they created the first "high-efficiency distillation still": a copper cylinder six feet long and two feet in diameter, with internal baffles to allow the liquor to be heated more evenly.

The condenser tubes were lengthened and thickened and cooled with circulating cold water; the stove was also improved to allow for more precise control of the heat.

For the first trial distillation, fifty catties of ordinary liquor were used.

Two hours later, they obtained twelve catties of "Drunken Immortal Brew" essence, and the yield of wine increased from 1 catty and 2 taels to 2 catty and 4 taels, doubling!

"It's done!" Sun San was so excited that his hands were shaking.

The two old craftsmen were also beaming with excitement: "Master Sun, this method will work!"

"Quickly, write it down!" Sun San instructed, "But only write down the key points, not the details. This method cannot be revealed to others for the time being."

He knew that once this efficient distillation method was made public, the production of Zuixianniang would increase significantly, and its scarcity would disappear.

His Highness wants a "dual-track system" for government and civilian use: government products should be produced gradually according to the old methods, while civilian products should be produced according to the new methods to accumulate technology.

At the same time, Lin Xiuniang also made progress at Xianglufang.

She discovered that adding a small amount of honey when soaking dried flowers in tail wine not only increases the viscosity but also makes the aroma last longer.

She made her first batch of "perfumed balm" in an exquisite little porcelain box. The balm was delicate and had a subtle fragrance.

Qian Lai took the money and had several wealthy ladies try it out. The feedback was excellent: "It lasts longer than ordinary face powder and doesn't stain clothes."

Some even asked, "Could this perfume mask body odor?"

Lin Xiuniang's heart stirred.

Yes, if certain herbs were added, perhaps a "body deodorant balm" could actually be made?

She started experimenting with adding mint, cloves, patchouli...

Meanwhile, Dr. Wu was experimenting with "mite-repelling water" based on the wound-cleansing ointment.

He heard from merchants in the south that Lingnan was plagued by miasma, and that soldiers were prone to malaria.

If we could add ingredients like artemisia annua and mugwort to the wound cleansing lotion, perhaps it would have some effect?

Although it's just an initial attempt, all three product lines are quietly expanding and upgrading.

Meanwhile, the Mingyue Tower in Beijing was also quietly changing.

Qian Lai rearranged the tables and chairs in the lobby. The counter that was originally facing the door was moved to the side, leaving the center empty. A large celadon vase, about half a person's height, was placed in the center, filled with seasonal peach blossoms.

The plaque has also been changed.

After Yang Pu delivered the contract that day, within three days, a brand-new black plaque with gold lettering was hung up.

It still bears the three characters "Mingyuelou", but a small seal has been added to the signature.

Those who know their stuff will always stop and take a second look when they pass by; it is the handwriting of Yang Pu, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince's Palace.