In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

"Your Highness, where are you kissing me?"

"Your Highness!!"

This night was a first for Qin Keyu, and it was no less painful than the night she had been drunk.

……

Time flies, and a month later, on March 21st.

As the harsh winter passed and early spring arrived, tender buds sprouted on countless trees and grasses, bringing a touch of life to the impoverished and disaster-stricken Liangzhou.

After a month of fermentation and spread, the distilled spirits completely exploded!

First it ignited the entire city of Liangzhou, then the entire prefecture. The highest single-day sales volume in Liangzhou alone reached nearly 30,000 jin!

To put this into perspective, the entire Liangzhou region, according to official records, had only a little over 17,000 households and a total population of just tens of thousands.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to distilled spirits. Through years of business experience, the Qin family had already sent distilled spirits to the twelve neighboring states a month ago.

And it became a huge hit at the beginning of the month, selling well throughout Sanam Road!

Distilled spirits were bestowed the title of "the most extraordinary wine under heaven" by literati and scholars, causing a sensation throughout the western part of Shanxi, and the aftershocks are radiating towards the Central Plains.

This month is Li Yuanchang's lucky month.

The Prince of Han's mansion earns a fortune every day. With an 80% cut, he can earn about four coins for every pound of wine.

Multiply by the total sales, then by the date, then by the twelve states, and the Han King's Mansion instantly went from a fiscal deficit to immense wealth!

If the Tang Dynasty had a wealth ranking, the Prince of Han's mansion would probably have instantly squeezed into the wealth ranking of Shannan West Circuit.

His good fortune was not only reflected in his wealth, but also in his politics. Thanks to the chain reaction and benefits brought about by the success of his distilled spirits, his prestige among the people grew day by day.

The number of merchants in Liangzhou City is more than twenty times that of previous years. Merchants who want wine need lodging, food, and transportation, which has brought more livelihoods to many people in Liangzhou, or what is commonly known as employment opportunities.

In less than six months, Li Yuanchang had accomplished what no previous governor had ever been able to do, and this would all be counted in his political achievements.

Finally, it's Situ Lan!

Szeto Lan was diagnosed with pregnancy on March 15.

Upon hearing this news, Li Yuanchang was so happy that he couldn't sleep that night. He ordered the servants of the Prince of Han's mansion to remove all the steps and cover them with straw.

A dozen servants followed Situ Lan, forbidding her from doing any work.

This is his first time being a father in his second life, how could he not be happy?

In the 21st century, with preventative measures in place, he has never been infected.

But where could one find those things in the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era? Moreover, given Situ Lan's naturally beautiful, dignified, and radiant appearance, even if Li Yuanchang had them, he wouldn't need them!

"Your Highness, Your Highness!"

"The calculations are done." Fang Weng ran all the way to the backyard, panting, but his face was flushed, and he even spoke somewhat unnaturally.

"Your Highness, the Qin family has sent over the accounts. After the household has calculated the figures, the total income for last month, after deducting costs, was 33,122 guan."

boom!

The moment this number was revealed, it was like a thunderclap, causing a huge uproar. Everyone in the backyard widened their eyes in shock.

boom! !

Two crisp sounds of porcelain shattering rang out.

The soup bowls in the hands of Situ Lan and Qin Keyu fell to the ground almost simultaneously.

"How much?"

"Thirty, thirty thousand..."

Their minds went completely blank, and for a moment they thought they had misheard.

To put this into perspective, Liangzhou Prefecture's annual tax revenue is less than this. Although the amount handed over to the imperial court last year exceeded this figure, most of it came from confiscating the property of corrupt officials.

When Fang Weng repeated it again, Qin Keyu screamed excitedly, her face turning bright red.

Li Yuanchang smiled calmly, because he had already roughly estimated the number.

Distilled spirits are not expensive to produce, and the new supply-based business model has reduced the cost of setting up stores across the province, with the biggest costs concentrated on raw materials and transportation.

However, Li Yuanchang stole a chicken from the raw materials. He bought them at the average price in advance. Sorghum during the Zhenguan period was known to be cheap and was not a staple food for ordinary people. It was 80% cheaper than sorghum during the Wei and Jin periods.

Therefore, its biggest cost is transportation.

Qin Keyu, a woman with extensive business experience, couldn't help but murmur, "Is this the new business model? Is this His Highness's business acumen?"

Li Yuanchang said with a broad smile.

"Go and fetch two more bowls for the lady."

"Yes, yes." The maids were still in a daze and couldn't even find their way around.

I knew that distilled spirits were all the rage in Shannan West Road recently, but I didn't expect it to be this exaggerated.

"etc!"

Situ Lan came to her senses, her proud chest heaving, and she forced herself to calm down.

Pregnant with her pregnancy, she was becoming more and more like a matriarch, her gaze sweeping over everyone: "The family business must not be discussed with outsiders."

"If I, the Princess Consort, find out that you have leaked your household accounts, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

She was unusually serious, displaying the dignity of a Han princess, and was extremely solemn, contrary to her usual demeanor.

All the women in the backyard stiffened: "Yes!"

"Fang Weng, go and take out the money in the house. Give each servant a red envelope of fifty, one hundred, or two hundred coins, according to their duties. Tell them to work hard in the Prince's mansion, and the Prince of Han will not mistreat them." Immediately afterwards, Situ Lan made another statement, showing his maturity.

Li Yuanchang's eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of affection. He had sighed more than once that Situ Lan was also a virtuous wife.

There's too much money involved; it's definitely not something to be shared. After all, people are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat.

"What the princess says is what I say," Li Yuanchang asserted.

"yes!"

"We thank the King of Han and the Queen Consort of Han!"

The servants in the entire backyard were filled with gratitude and joy.

It would cost at least fifty coins, which means about forty catties of coarse millet and more than ten catties of refined grains, an astronomical figure for ordinary people.

Even at the level of the Prince of Han's mansion, generally only the staff and military officers would receive these gifts; I've never heard of them being given them.

"Hahaha, go ahead." Li Yuanchang laughed heartily, in high spirits.

"By the way, Mr. Fang, go and inform Yuan Tong to send someone to help escort the copper coins."

Li Yuanchang has only received revenue from Liangzhou City so far; he hasn't received payments from other places yet. Furthermore, the currency of the Tang Dynasty is copper coins, which are inherently inconvenient to carry and transport.

Although the Tang Dynasty had money shops where flying money could be stored, it was not safe.

Could a small money exchange be as safe as Liangzhou, Li Yuanchang's stronghold?

"Yes, Your Highness, rest assured, I will go immediately."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"That's all. Just slaughter some poultry and sheep, and let the whole government have a good meal. Also, give some mutton to the five ministries."

"yes!"

After speaking, Li Yuanchang looked at his two beautiful and charming young wives, each with a different style, who were both no more than thirty-four or thirty-five years old combined.