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

Sun San, Wu Langzhong, and Lin Xiuniang looked at each other in bewilderment.

This isn't "joining the group"; it's clearly "inviting a bodhisattva."

Zhu Zhanji added at the opportune moment: "Your craftsman status will still be retained, and you will continue to receive your salaries. You are only temporarily assigned to assist with affairs at Mingyue Tower."

These words were spoken lightly, but everyone present understood: retaining the craftsman's status meant retaining a way out and an official position; being temporarily transferred to Mingyue Tower meant that he would henceforth be under the patronage of the Crown Prince.

Sun San was the first to kneel down: "This humble servant is willing to serve Your Highness like a dog or a horse."

Physician Wu knelt down as well: "Your Highness, my life is now yours."

Lin Xiuniang knelt down, said nothing, and kowtowed heavily.

This time, Zhu Zhanji did not make them kneel for long.

He jumped off the chair himself, helped Sun San up, and then said to Chun Tao, "Help me help Doctor Wu and Madam Lin."

Then he stood before the four men—Qian Lai, Sun San, Wu Langzhong, and Lin Xiuniang—and, looking up, said earnestly:

"I am not your 'Little Prince,' and you are not my 'subordinates.'"

Master Sun is the chief engineer, Doctor Wu is the medical consultant, Madam Lin is in charge of the incense shop, and Manager Qian is the head manager. We work together.

Qian Lai remained silent for a moment, then suddenly bowed deeply and changed his form of address: "Master."

Sun San followed suit, clasping his hands in a fist salute and awkwardly mimicking, "Master, Master."

Doctor Wu smiled and said, "Master, that's a good way to address you."

Lin Xiuniang pursed her lips and said softly, "Master."

Zhu Zhanji sat back down in the raised chair, his back straight.

"Alright, let's talk about what Mingyue Tower should do from now on."

Zhu Zhanji asked Chuntao to spread out a sheet of paper, and then took out a charcoal pencil from his sleeve. It was one he had sharpened himself, and it was more suitable for drawing sketches than an ordinary brush.

He first wrote down three words:

Drunken Immortal Wine

"This is our signboard," he said, pointing to the words.

"Master Sun, is the high-efficiency distillation method from the old kiln factory stable now?"

Sun San immediately replied, "Reporting to the master, it's stable. Fifty catties of base liquor yielded twelve catties of essence in two hours, doubling the liquor yield. I've tried it seven times, and it's the same every time."

"Okay." Zhu Zhanji drew an upward arrow next to "Drunken Immortal Wine".

"From today onwards, Mingyue Workshop will go all out to produce highly efficient distilled Drunken Immortal Brew, with quality superior to that of Craftsman's Workshop, and with even more exquisite packaging, Manager Qian!"

Qian Lai responded, "Yes."

"Drunken Immortal Brew is divided into three grades," Zhu Zhanji said. "The top grade is called 'Immortal Grade,' and only fifty catties are produced each year. It is not sold, but given away. You know who it is given to."

Qian Lai's eyes lit up: "The boss means..."

"Grandfather, Father, several true connoisseurs of wine, and those whose words carry immense weight at crucial moments," Zhu Zhanji said. "You're good at this."

"The second tier is called 'tribute,' which is what the palace needs now. It has a production of 100 catties and is exclusively for the inner court, nobles, and officials of the fifth rank and above. The price is set at five times the market price."

"The third category is called 'Elegant Brew,' which has no production limit, is affordable, and is sold through the Shen family's trade routes to Jiangnan, Lingnan, and even Southeast Asia."

He finished speaking in one breath and looked at Sun San:

"Master Sun, the wine is actually the same across the three grades. The only differences are the packaging, the story behind it, and who's selling it. Just focus on maintaining the quality; you don't need to worry about anything else."

Sun San nodded repeatedly, then hesitated, "But boss, I've already efficiently produced the twenty catties the palace requested, but what about the workshop?"

"That batch of wine should be recorded in the workshop's ledger," Zhu Zhanji said.

"Zhao Kang is pressing us hard. If you don't help him, he won't be able to finish his task. Helping him is helping Uncle Yang and Father."

Sun San suddenly realized: "I understand."

Zhu Zhanji then wrote three more characters:

Cleanse the wound

"Dr. Wu," he turned to Physician Wu, "the Cleansing Dew has been verified; the border troops recognize it. Now you have two things to do."

"First, the formula will be tiered," Zhu Zhanji said. "Seventy percent concentration will be given to military doctors, fifty percent to ordinary people, and thirty percent...you said last time it could be taken internally to dispel cold?"

Doctor Wu exclaimed excitedly, "Yes! A 30% concentration of wound-cleansing lotion, with a little ginger juice added, has an excellent effect in dispelling cold, more than three times faster than ginger soup!"

"Then this is the third tier," Zhu Zhanji said. "It's called 'Warmth-Preventing Drink,' and it'll be sold through the Shen family's pharmacy channels, specifically to the people in the north. The price will be a little higher than that of spirits."

"The second thing," he thought for a moment, "Dr. Wu, have you considered that wound-clearing lotion can treat more than just external injuries?"

Dr. Wu was taken aback.

"You mentioned last time that farmers used wound cleaner to wipe their instruments and found that the instruments didn't rust easily," Zhu Zhanji said.

"Could we try this direction?"

Wu Langzhong's mind went blank for a moment.

Rust prevention of machinery, tool maintenance, and even post-war repair of weapons.

"And another thing," Zhu Zhanji added, "have you tried using wound-cleansing lotion and the tools for treating postpartum women? And the scissors for cutting the umbilical cord?"

Dr. Wu was completely stunned.

He has practiced medicine for thirty years and has seen too many women die from puerperal fever.

His master said it was "wind evil entering the body," and he believed it for most of his life.

But now, the young prince casually shattered the illusion he had never dared to imagine for thirty years with a single sentence.

"Master!" His voice trembled slightly. "I want to go back to the manor and try it immediately."

"No rush," Zhu Zhanji said. "First, sort out what you're doing. Master Sun will set aside some people to help you with the production of Jingchuanglu. Just tell Manager Qian what herbs or equipment you need."

He wrote down the third word:

Floral Dew & Perfume Balm

"Madam Lin," Zhu Zhanji said, looking at Lin Xiuniang, "the cooperation with the Shen family is finalized. The three thousand taels deposit is in the account. When will the first batch of floral dew be delivered?"

Lin Xiuniang took a deep breath: "Returning to the master, the flower dew technique is now complete, but the perfume balm still needs to be tested a few more times. I dare to ask for two more people."

"Granted," Zhu Zhanji said. "You're familiar with the village. Pick two quick-witted and discreet women, and double their monthly allowance."

"And one more thing," he thought for a moment, "about the bottles for the floral water. You tried using our own anti-counterfeiting design before, how did it go?"

"Good." Lin Xiuniang's eyes lit up. "I had the kiln fire twenty samples according to the master's drawings. The cloud pattern on the bottom of the bottle is very clear and cannot be imitated."

"Then let's use this," Zhu Zhanji said. "Floral Dew is not the Drunken Immortal Wine, so it doesn't need to be 'scarce.' We'll produce as much as the Shen family wants, but every bottle must be genuine, and every bottle must have a secret mark."

He looked up at Qian Lai: "Manager Qian, how do we proceed with the negotiations with the Shen family?"

Qian Lai was already confident: "Boss, Madam Shen has given us the word: exclusive distribution rights, a minimum of 5,000 bottles per year, with prices depending on the market, and profits split 50/50."

"Exclusive distribution rights can be granted, but on two conditions," Zhu Zhanji said.

"First, it is limited to floral water and perfume, excluding Drunken Immortal Wine and Wound Cleansing Dew. Second, the minimum annual quantity is increased to 10,000 bottles."

Qian Lai was taken aback: "Boss, ten thousand bottles, for Madam Lin's side."

"Madam Lin will expand production," Zhu Zhanji said. "Moreover, we won't just sell to the Shen family."

He wrote the fourth word on the paper:

Mingyue Trading Company

"Drunken Immortal Wine, Wound Cleansing Dew, and Floral Dew Balm—these are the three legs," he said, pointing to the paper. "But legs alone aren't enough; you also need a body."

"Mingyue Tower is the face of the business, used to receive distinguished guests, gather information, and conduct high-end tastings."

"Mingyue Workshop is the heart, responsible for research and development, trial production, and core production."

"We're still missing one thing: a channel to sell our goods throughout Beiping, Beizhili, and the entire Ming Dynasty."

He looked at Qian Lai: "This channel is called 'Mingyue Trading Company.' Manager Qian, you will be the head manager."

Qian Lai's pupils constricted slightly.

He was the restaurant owner, not a stationary merchant.

Let him manage a building, and he'll handle it with ease; let him manage an entire trade route,

"Master," he said with difficulty, "I'm afraid I can't bear the responsibility."

"You are capable of taking on this responsibility," Zhu Zhanji said. "What you lack is not ability, but recognition. You were the one who built Mingyue Tower, you were the one who negotiated the cooperation with the Shen family, and you were the one who secured the material channels for Steward Guo."

"You only lack one thing: legitimacy."

Qian Lai remained silent for a long time.

Then he got up, walked to Zhu Zhanji, knelt down solemnly, and kowtowed three times properly.

"Master," he said, without uttering any grand pronouncements like "I'd give my life for you," simply adding three words, "Qian is here."

Zhu Zhanji did not evade and accepted his three kowtows.

This is trust, and it is also responsibility.