The Red Chamber: Starting from Saving Xue Baochai

Chapter 130

"Can Huaizhong increase the production quantity of these glass mirrors?" Emperor Yuanzhen looked at him with burning eyes.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan knew that the emperor was also tempted by the huge profits.

"Your Majesty, things are valuable because they are rare."

After listening to this, Emperor Yuanzhen thought about it and gradually calmed down.

Shen Yuan continued to explain: "A glass mirror can be used for several years or even longer. If it is manufactured in large quantities, it will inevitably affect the price. It is better to supply it in moderation and keep the price high. Calculated at 20 taels per mirror, it can be sold to tens of thousands of wealthy people in Shenjing in a year, and it can earn more than one million taels."

Mirrors are not fast-moving consumer goods and are replaced very rarely. The total demand is limited, so the quantity must be limited and the price must be high to maximize profits.

The reasoning was not complicated, and the emperor could understand it.

"What Huaizhong said makes sense, but I am a little anxious." Emperor Yuanzhen pondered for a moment and continued, "Can we sell it to other wealthy places in the Great Zhou?"

Shen Yuan nodded and said, "I think it's not advisable to promote it in too many places at the same time, and we also need to limit the supply to stabilize the price."

"Well, Huaizhong, please discuss this matter with Yue'er. I will ask him to cooperate with you." Emperor Yuanzhen obviously hoped that Tianyuan Trading Company would participate more.

Shen Yuan responded respectfully. He could understand the emperor's desire for money as the national treasury was too poor.

It seems that fast-moving consumer goods such as soaps and perfumes also need to be planned, but we cannot give Emperor Yuan Zhen too high expectations at this time. Sometimes surprises are more useful than expectations.

In addition, Shen Yuan also needs to find a way to convert these into achievements. Money is not that important to him.

After leaving the palace and returning to the Shen Mansion, Shen Yuan went to the study.

The training results of the new army guards exceeded his expectations. Within half a year, the soldiers had mastered all subjects.

The new military drill manual should also be modified appropriately to increase its difficulty, mainly by conducting more actual combat drills to enhance the ability of grassroots generals to deal with emergencies.

Just as Shen Yuan was organizing his exercises, Ying'er came over holding a porcelain cup.

"The kitchen has just cooked some bird's nest. Please have some, uncle."

"Send some to Madam as well." Shen Yuan said, "Also, Ying'er should keep an eye on her so that Madam doesn't keep looking at the account books."

"The young lady just sent over a bowl." Ying'er smiled softly and said in a gentle voice, "Young Master and the young lady are really a perfect match. They always say the same thing and care about each other all the time."

Shen Yuan smiled, took the bowl of bird's nest handed to him by Ying'er, and took a bite.

"Mm, sweet but not greasy." He raised his eyes to look at Ying'er and said, "Ying'er, have some too."

"This is for my uncle."

"I can't finish this much." Shen Yuan looked at the girl's rosy lips and suddenly felt a little amused. He smiled and said, "Be good, come and sit down. I will feed you."

Ying'er: “.”

The girl did not notice that there was an embroidery cushion behind the desk and misunderstood Shen Yuan's meaning.

She pursed her pink lips, blushed her pretty face, and walked closer. After hesitating for a moment, she sat directly on her brother-in-law's lap.

Shen Yuan: “.”

Shen Yuan was slightly stunned, then joked: "Ying'er is really greedy for your son-in-law's body."

"Son-in-law." Ying'er lowered her eyes and noticed the embroidered cushion beside her. Her face became even more red with shame. She was about to get up, but Shen Yuan reached out and held her in his arms.

"Just sit like this." Shen Yuan hugged the pretty girl.

As he spoke, he picked up the bowl, scooped a spoonful of bird's nest and put it to Ying'er's mouth.

Ying'er hesitated for a moment, opened her mouth slightly, and ate it slowly, feeling the doting of her brother-in-law. Her heart felt warm, sweeter than honey.

"The Chinese Valentine's Day is just a few days away. Are you looking forward to it, Ying'er?"

"Yeah." The girl nodded. She had been looking forward to that day these days.

After feeding her a few more spoonfuls, Shen Yuan put the bowl down, looked at the remaining juice at the corner of the girl's lips in his arms, and leaned over to kiss her.

"Hmm~"

Ying'er hummed softly, and her beautiful eyes were tightly closed under her trembling eyelashes, cooperating with her son-in-law to absorb.

After a long exchange of sharp words, Shen Yuan slowly raised his head and looked at the girl with blurry eyes and watery face. His brother had already become furious.

Ying'er felt the heat coming from her roundness, and suddenly images flashed through her mind.

Shen Yuan was originally suppressing his heat, but suddenly he heard a slight movement beside his ear, and the sweet and charming voice of a young girl came, with a bit of the gentle and charming voice of an oriole.

"Ying'er helps her uncle~"

Shen Yuan looked at that fiery face and saw a pair of charming eyes with rippling autumn water, and was stunned for a moment.

He chuckled, tapped the girl's nose, and asked, "How do you plan to help?"

Ying'er did not answer, but squatted down with a red face. The girl's youthful, beautiful, petite and soft figure seemed like a swaying willow.

At this moment, the girl was wearing a floral skirt, with her hair tied up with a jade hairpin, hiding under the desk.

Shen Yuan noticed something was wrong, his expression paused, and he frowned and said, "You girl, you really love to make trouble."

He wondered how to help, it was like a lilac entanglement.

At this moment, Ying'er had no time to respond. Her beautiful black hair hung down, she buried her head and got busy.

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the paper and pen on the desk. He felt that in this situation, he should write something.

He slowly picked up the pen, stroked the rice paper, and wrote a poem.

Intoxicated by the red makeup and jade dew flowers, I sit and watch the beauty playing the jade flute.

I have to say that the handwriting style is quite good, warm and vivid.

Shen Yuan lowered his eyes slightly, and a strange feeling surged in his heart. He reached out and lifted the strands of hair that hung on Ying'er's cheeks to her ears. He saw that pretty face with a slightly coquettish look was already flushed, and the blush spread to her delicate earlobes and smooth pink neck.

But at this moment, the sound of light footsteps was heard.

Shen Yuan's expression froze, he looked up and saw Daiyu had already walked into the study.

"Brother Shen."

hiss!
Hearing Lin Daiyu's call, Shen Yuan suddenly felt something like a bump, what a sharp-tongued person.

Shen Yuan calmed himself down. Fortunately, the tablecloth was quite large and stretched all the way to the ground, so the scenery under the table could not be seen from outside.

"What's wrong with Brother Shen? Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing. I just burned my mouth while drinking porridge." Shen Yuan suppressed his surprise and remained expressionless.

Upon hearing this, Daiyu glanced at the cups and bowls on the desk with her bright eyes, still feeling a little confused.

Shen Yuan asked in a gentle voice: "Sister Lin, do you want to talk to me about something?"

Daiyu nodded, put away her thoughts, and said in a delicate voice, "The first volume of the manuscript has been written. I'm bringing it to Brother Shen today to help him take a look. Is there anything that needs to be revised?"

The girl said this and handed the stack of rice paper in her hand to the boy.

Shen Yuan had previously narrated the story of the Legend of the White Snake to Daiyu orally. After discussion, they decided to divide it into three volumes. The first volume, "The Origin of the White Snake", mainly tells the story of how Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian met and fell in love.

Shen Yuan took the manuscript and roughly flipped through it when he suddenly felt movement under the table again, the scent of lilacs circling around the pillars.

How could she concentrate on reading? She stroked Ying'er's delicate head and said in a clear voice, "It's difficult to finish reading the manuscript in a short time. Just leave it here and I'll reply tomorrow. Is this okay, Sister Lin?" Daiyu didn't doubt it. After all, it was impossible to finish reading dozens of pages of manuscript in a short time.

"Yeah." The girl nodded her head slightly and responded, but she didn't show any intention of leaving.

"Sister Lin, do you have anything else to say?" Shen Yuan asked.

"Brother Shen"

Seeing that the girl was hesitant to speak, Shen Yuan smiled and said gently, "Just tell me what you want to say. Sister Lin calls me Brother Shen, so there's no need to be so formal."

Daiyu was silent for a moment, but still took out an envelope from her sleeve, which was obviously filled with stationery.

He whispered, "I have read my father's letter a few days ago. This is my reply. I would like to trouble Brother Shen."

As the girl spoke, her fair cheeks were already flushed. It was obvious that she was still a little embarrassed for bothering Shen Yuan for a long time.

"It's okay, Sister Lin." Shen Yuan smiled warmly, "It's also a happy thing that you can communicate more with Uncle Lin. Don't be afraid of trouble. Just write a letter to me anytime."

After Shen Yuan's consolation, Daiyu finally felt relieved, and there was gratitude in her eyes as she looked at the young man.

After chatting for a few more words, Daiyu left the study.

Shen Yuan stroked his bangs under the table, watching Lin Daiyu's back as she left, his thoughts drifting away.

His brows were wrinkled and relaxed for a long time.
A greedy little cat then came out from the desk and tidied up.

Shen Yuan pulled up his robe, turned the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Ying'er, whose cheeks were slightly puffed up.

He whispered, "Have some tea."

Ying'er took it and drank a few sips of tea to suppress the greasy feeling.

Shen Yuan didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that this girl was becoming more and more charming. Although she didn't talk much, her behavior was becoming more and more bold.

Perhaps it was because of her previous experience and wide knowledge that some hidden interests of the girl were unlocked.

The sweet, gentle, and silly girl in the original novel has now learned to show her eloquence.

Moreover, he is quite talented, it seems that he has only practiced it a few times, but he has gone from being clumsy at the beginning to being proficient now. He becomes more skilled and versatile, and can handle it with ease.

Shen Yuan took out a silk handkerchief and wiped the whiteness of the girl's mouth, and said softly: "Go and close the door, the fire that Ying'er lit has not been extinguished yet."

Ying'er's heart trembled when she heard this. Perhaps because she had been squatting for too long, her legs were shaking slightly.

After being stunned for a moment, the girl went to close the door, then returned to the desk, raised her charming eyes and looked at her tender son-in-law.

"Ying'er, take a look at the manuscript on the table."

Ying'er: “.”

Although she was not very literate, she still listened to her brother-in-law, turned around, held the edge of the table, lowered her eyes to look at the manuscript on the table, lost in thought.

Before I understood a single word, I felt the hem of her skirt lift up. The girl seemed to sense something and stood up slightly, bending forward.

Before long, the manuscripts on the table were scattered all over the floor.

In the next few days, the popularity of the glass mirror continued to grow in Shenjing.

Jingyue Tower launched another batch of 200 glass mirrors. This time the price of each mirror increased to thirty taels, but they were still sold out within half an hour.

Prince Zhongshun’s Palace, backyard.

King Zhongshun was half lying on a spacious couch, surrounded by women on both sides, nodding his head as he listened to the opera.

On the brightly lit stage, the young female actor has a graceful figure, wearing flowing sleeves, an enchanting posture, and light steps. Every step seems to be telling an ancient and beautiful story.

Prince Zhongshun retracted his somewhat straight gaze, turned around and kissed the concubine in his arms, his face full of fat, and said with a smile: "When it comes to watching opera, you have to watch Qi Guan. When it comes to the actors in the capital, Qi Guan is second, and no one dares to claim to be first."

When the concubine heard this, a strange look flashed in her eyes, but she smiled and said in agreement, "Thanks to your majesty for finding such a good actor, we concubines are so lucky to listen to the music."

"You are right. This Qi Guan is really good. Apart from singing, she is also wonderful in other aspects." Prince Zhongshun smiled and stared at the young actress on the stage who looked even more charming than a woman. His eyes became playful.

As he spoke, he grabbed his favorite concubine's soft hand and started to rub it against his pillar.

At this time, the butler Qian Gui came over and whispered behind Prince Zhongshun: "Your Highness, the second batch of glass mirrors in Jingyue Tower was sold out in less than half an hour. Two hundred were sold for six thousand taels of silver."

Qian Gui had long been accustomed to the prince's promiscuous behavior.

Upon hearing this, King Zhongshun's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not stop his hands and said thoughtfully: "This glass mirror is really a good business with huge profits."

As he spoke, he patted his concubine on the head. The concubine instantly understood, pursed her red lips and lowered her head.

"How can Jingyue Tower be left alone to handle such a good business?" King Zhongshun's thoughts became a little vague, and his eyes began to unfocus.

With a trembling sound, his brows relaxed and the flesh on his face loosened.

After a short break, Prince Zhongshun asked his concubines to leave and continued to ask the housekeeper Qian Gui: "Have you found out who is behind Jingyue Tower?"

Qian Gui said respectfully, "Your Highness, according to our investigation, the owner of Jingyue Tower is none other than the martial arts champion Shen Yuan's wife, Xue."

"Oh?" Prince Zhongshun groaned, "It really is that bastard Shen Yuan."

Of course, he didn't think that the hostess was really a woman in the inner house, and his eyes were directly focused on Shen Yuan.

"My Lord, let's..."

Prince Zhongshun stared and said, "Have someone keep a close eye on Jingyue Tower and Shen Yuan. If you investigate carefully, you will always find some illegal things. None of these grassroots officials are clean."

If it were in previous years, as a prince, he wanted to take over a mere Jingyue Tower, why would he need to go through so much trouble? He could just go there directly, and with a little intimidation, there would be no one to disobey.

But this year is different. Ning Zhiqi and the other two dukes were convicted not long ago, and the court is conducting a strict investigation. As a prince, although he is not afraid, he cannot be too unscrupulous and offend his brother the emperor.

"Go ahead and do it. Don't let this king down."

"Yes, Your Highness. Please rest assured." Qian Gui took the order and left.

Zui Xiang Lou, an elegant pavilion on the third floor.

Shen Yuan came to the banquet at the invitation of the Fourth Prince Gao Yue.

The table was already filled with various Jinling specialties, but there were only the two of them at the table.

"This glass mirror sells really well! And the profit is amazing, it's something I've never seen in my life." Gao Yue couldn't help but sigh.

Tianyuan Trading Company's business covers a wide range of areas, from north to south, but Gao Yue, the owner of the company, has never seen such a scene before: a mirror that costs less than one or two taels can be sold for thirty taels and still be snapped up.

Shen Yuan said in a clear voice: "The wealth of the people in Shenjing is beyond my expectation."

"The Great Zhou has enjoyed peace for a hundred years, and the people of Shenjing have accumulated wealth for a hundred years. There are still many people who can afford this glass mirror." Gao Yue explained.

After a pause, he said, "I know Huaizhong's strategy of high price and limited quantity, it's not easy to sell in Shenjing too quickly. I wonder when Huaizhong plans to start promoting it in other provinces outside Beijing, and how he plans to promote it?"

Shen Yuan heard this and thought for a moment.

It seems that the benefits brought by this glass mirror have touched the minds of many people.

The real owner of Tianyuan Trading Company is actually the current emperor. I wonder how much of what Gao Yue asked at this moment reflects Emperor Yuanzhen's thoughts?
The emperor was probably still too impatient, and he didn't want to put pressure on him again, so he asked Gao Yue to come and urge him.

After a moment's hesitation, Shen Yuan said, "I plan to entrust the sales in other provinces to your Highness's Tianyuan Trading Company. My Baoyuan Trading Company will only take 20% of the profits. What do you think?"

(End of this chapter)