Tang Dynasty: After living together with Chang Le, Li and his companion were dumbfounded.

Lu Chen suddenly stood up.

His eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Sell!"

Li Lizhi was startled by his sudden reaction.

"You...you agreed?"

"Of course I'll sell!"

Lu Chen paced back and forth in the room a couple of times.

His mind was completely out of control.

Sugar is just the first step.

Later on, you can also sell refined salt, glassware, mirrors, soap, etc.

Any one of these would be a game-changer in the Tang Dynasty.

The gold and silver they received in exchange are now considered hard currency.

He no longer needs to work as a pharmaceutical representative for that lousy pharmaceutical company.

No more having to keep an eye on your bank account balance every month.

No more holed up in this rented room with a monthly rent of 1,200 yuan, eating instant noodles.

They don't even have to worry about the cost of buying medicine for Li Lizhi anymore.

"Chang Le." Lu Chen turned his head, his eyes burning.

"Please thank Her Majesty the Empress for me."

"I'm determined to do this business."

Li Lizhi was a little confused when she saw him suddenly become excited.

She didn't quite understand why Lu Chen was suddenly so agitated. In her view, it was just about selling some candy—

But it's good that he agreed.

"So... what do you need to prepare?"

Give me three days.

Lu Chen had already turned on his phone and started searching on Taobao.

"I'll give you a batch of presentable finished products in three days."

……

The next three days.

Lu Chen went into a frantic stockpiling mode.

First is white sugar.

The supermarket bought ten bags, weighing fifty pounds.

The cashier looked at him as if he were a shady business owner.

Then comes the packaging.

Search for "wooden gift box" on Taobao.

He flipped through more than twenty pages and finally chose a small, dark brown wooden box.

Made of walnut wood, it is finely crafted with natural and clear wood grain on the surface, and has a warm and smooth feel to the touch.

The lining is red silk.

Ten yuan each.

Free shipping.

He bought fifty.

The package arrived the next day.

Next comes the mold.

I bought a silicone cube mold online; it has ten squares.

Then comes the most crucial step – boiling the sugar.

Add a small amount of water to white sugar and simmer over low heat.

This step looks simple, but it's actually extremely difficult to control the heat.

If the temperature is too low, the syrup will be too thin and won't set in the mold.

If the temperature is too high, the syrup will turn yellow or even caramelize, ruining its appearance.

The optimal temperature range is 115 to 118 degrees Celsius.

Lu Chen checked the guide and tried three more times before he finally mastered it.

The first attempt failed; the whole pot turned caramel color.

The second time the temperature wasn't high enough, and it all crumbled when it was unmolded.

The third time—

It became.

The syrup slowly cools and solidifies in the mold.

After unmolding, fifty sugar cubes were neatly arranged on the cutting board.

Each one is a translucent milky white.

The surface is smooth with distinct edges.

It has a slightly warm glow under the light.

Like miniature pieces of white jade.

Lu Chen placed the sugar cubes one by one into the wooden box.

On the red silk lining, ten white sugar cubes are arranged in two rows of five.

The combination of white and red is simple yet sophisticated.

Close the lid.

The dark brown wooden box has just the right texture and weight.

Not too light, not too heavy.

Neither fancy nor shabby.

A kind of understated yet exquisite design that makes you want to take a second look.

The first batch of finished products – five boxes.

Lu Chen carried it to the bedroom.

"Chang Le, come and take a look."

Li Lizhi was flipping through the medication instructions on her bed—she had practically worn them out from looking at them so many times.

Upon hearing the sound, he immediately stood up and walked to the dividing line.

Lu Chen handed over a box.

Li Lizhi took it and carefully opened the lid.

The moment I saw it inside—

Her mouth opened into a small "O" shape.

"So beautiful..."

Her fingers hovered above the sugar cube, afraid to touch it for fear of breaking it.

"It looks like...it looks like it's made of jade."

"It's made of sugar."

"I know it's candy!" Li Lizhi rolled her eyes at him. "I meant it looks as beautiful as jade."

She held the box up to the candlelight.

The sugar cubes refracted a soft glow in the firelight.

It does indeed have a jade-like texture.

"How much should I sell this for?"

"The cost is twenty yuan RMB." Lu Chen calculated, "Converted to Tang Dynasty currency, it's about fifty wen."

Fifty coins.

Less than half a string.

Li Lizhi did the mental calculation.

Fifty coins. That's three days' wages for a porter in Chang'an.

That's all the cost.

The price set by the Empress Dowager was—

One box contains one tael of gold.

Fifty coins are worth one tael of gold.

Although Li Lizhi didn't quite understand what "profit margin" meant.

But she's good at math.

The difference was so great that it made her scalp tingle.

"Let's do as Mother decides," Lu Chen said.

"Okay." Li Lizhi solemnly put away the five boxes of candy.

It was like holding five boxes of real treasures.

"I'll send it over tomorrow."

---

Lizheng Hall.

When Empress Zhangsun saw the finished product, she looked at it three times over.

"Exquisite craftsmanship".

A four-word evaluation.

Then put the lid on and get to the point.

Five boxes are enough. The first batch should be diluted, not too much.

She picked three boxes out of the five.

"This box belongs to Consort Wei."

"This box contains Yin Fei."

"This box is for Consort Yang."

Li Lizhi understood what her mother was doing.

Consort Wei was backed by the Wei clan of Jingzhao, one of the most powerful clans in Chang'an.

Consort Yin was well-liked in the harem, and news spread quickly.

Consort Yang was the daughter of Emperor Yang of Sui, and had a complex and intertwined relationship with the long-established powerful clans of Guanzhong.

With three people, there are three lines of communication, allowing the news to reach the ears of the wealthiest people in Chang'an in the shortest possible time.

"Send it in my name," Empress Zhangsun said. "Just say it's a new tribute from the Western Regions, in very limited quantities, and ask them to appraise it."

"No price mentioned."

"Let them finish eating, then they can come and ask themselves."

It's not you who's going to sell it.

It's to let them come and make the purchase.

The initiative is completely different.

"What about the remaining two boxes?"

"I'll leave one box for Mother." Empress Zhangsun calmly stuffed a box into the quilt.

Li Lizhi pretended not to see it.

"The last box is for backup."

The arrangements were meticulous and flawless.

That afternoon.

The three boxes of candy were delivered by palace maids from Rissei-den.

Each box came with a small note handwritten by Empress Zhangsun.

"These are new tributes from the Western Regions, with a unique flavor. I'll share them with my sister."

The wording is casual and friendly.

Like sisters sharing snacks.

But none of the three people who received the gift considered it a snack.

Empress Zhangsun never sent useless gifts.

There must be a deeper meaning behind her giving gifts.

……

Consort Wei's bedroom.

When Wei Gui saw the ten white sugar cubes in the box, his first reaction was—

"Is this jade?"

The personal maid whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, the Empress's note says it's a tribute from the Western Regions, a kind of sweet."

"Desserts made like this?"

Wei Gui picked up a pill with some skepticism.

Put it in your mouth.

three seconds.

Five seconds.

The sugar cube slowly melts on the tip of the tongue.

That pure, unadulterated sweetness exploded in my mouth.

Wei Gui's expression froze.

She is a worldly woman.

The Wei family has been prominent for generations, and they have tasted all kinds of delicacies.

Persian rock candy, Indian rock sugar, Nanzhao red sand—

Nothing can compare to what's in your mouth.

They are not on the same level.

Wei Gui ate three pills in one go.

When I picked up the fourth one, reason finally prevailed over my tongue.

She let it go.

Close the lid.

"go."

She said to the maid.

"Go to the Hall of State Administration and ask Her Majesty the Empress. Is there still any left?"

The maid was about to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Wei Gui called out to her.

"Be more tactful when you ask."

After thinking for a moment, he added another sentence.

"Could you spare a few more boxes? I'd like to send two boxes to my maternal family."

……

Consort Yin's reaction was even more exaggerated.

It is said that after eating the first one, Consort Yin remained silent for a long time.

Then he had someone summon his four-year-old son, Prince Qi, Li You, and personally fed him one.

Four-year-old Li You burst into tears after finishing his meal.

It's not so bad that it makes you cry.

They wanted more after they finished eating, but Consort Yin hid the box and wouldn't give it to them again.

That very night, Consort Yin sent someone to the Lizheng Hall to inquire.

……

Consort Yang was the most composed.

He didn't say anything after finishing his meal.

But her personal maid noticed—

Consort Yang locked the remaining seven sugar cubes in her jewelry box.

It was displayed alongside gold hairpins and jade.

……

The three messages reached Empress Zhangsun before nightfall.

Consort Wei wanted to buy more, both for her own use and as gifts for her family.

Yin Fei – I want to buy her, please ask the price.

Consort Yang—she didn't come to ask, but she was already inquiring about the source.

Empress Zhangsun leaned against the soft pillows.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"They're all here."

"It's faster than Mother Empress expected," she said to Li Lizhi.

"Can we sell it now?" Li Lizhi couldn't contain herself.

"No rush. Let them wait two more days."

Empress Zhangsun's voice was neither hurried nor slow.

"The longer you wait, the higher you can offer when you finally speak."

"Go back and tell that expert to prepare more. The first batch is fifty boxes."

Li Lizhi nodded.

Fifty boxes, five hundred sugar cubes, approximately ten pounds of white sugar.

Cost – thirty-five yuan.

Price: Fifty taels of gold.

……

That night.

Consort Wei did not sleep.

Her personal maid changed into casual clothes and left the palace.

We boarded an unassuming horse-drawn carriage.

The carriage passed through the wards and markets of Chang'an City and stopped in front of the Chang'an Villa of the Wei family of Jingzhao.

The maid was led into the inner courtyard.

The matriarch of the Wei family was already waiting.

"What does Your Highness wish to say?"

The maid took a small cloth bag out of her bosom.

turn on.

Inside were two sugar cubes that Wei Gui had deliberately left behind.

"Her Majesty instructed me to bring this back for the mistress to try."

The matriarch of the Wei family accepted the two sugar cubes.

He held it up to the candlelight and examined it for a moment.

Pick one up and put it in your mouth.

A few seconds later.

Her hands gripped the chair armrests tightly.

The maid lowered her voice.

"Her Majesty also instructed me to convey a message—"

"Something a hundred times sweeter than honey has appeared in the palace."

"Of unknown origin."

"But the Empress herself is pushing it."

"Your Majesty means—"

"Let the family prepare in advance."