Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 173 Laughter
As a master salt maker who had dedicated his life to the craft, Old Yu knew perfectly well that such methods were closely guarded secrets passed down through generations by prominent families! They could even determine the rise and fall of a family! And this magnanimous man was willing to share such an excellent secret recipe with them, these unrelated old folks. He was truly, truly moved beyond words…

"My lord, from this day forward, whatever you command, just say the word. If I, Old Man Yu, and all my descendants ever utter a word of dissent, we shall all be disowned as Yu!"

"what?"

Jiu Que really didn't understand why this rather arrogant old master would say such a thing. It could be said that she was more shocked this afternoon than in the past three days.

But oh well, she could actually understand everyone's shock. If she saw something ahead of its time, she would be just as astonished. If she ever thought of anything groundbreaking in the future, she'd better get it done quickly. These past few days, her awareness of being a citizen of Dajing had grown stronger, and she had come to increasingly identify with this nation on the verge of collapse. Although this country had many disappointing people, and even more like Binyang King Chunyu Shuang, Xie Mingchen, Wei Yuan… and even the old emperor.

Many of them held high positions yet were willing to humble themselves and consider the needs of ordinary people. They placed the country in the highest position and were willing to contribute their life's knowledge and skills to it. Spending a long time with these people, Jiu Que also felt himself becoming more and more upright.

Of course, it must be admitted that the sense of accomplishment from standing up for the people and punishing corrupt officials is far greater than imagined. And now, with the new salt-making method, the entire population of Dajing can eat clean table salt, no longer having to eat that awful vinegar cloth, which makes Jiu Que very happy. She never considered herself noble; if she hadn't been lucky enough to obtain this status that at least ensured she had enough to eat and drink, she might still be a struggling commoner at the bottom of society.

Although she was lucky enough, she had no reason to be complacent. Ensuring that everyone had enough to eat and wear was something that people like her, who were able to eat and wear well, should do.

After Xie Mingchen solemnly tested the newly produced salt and confirmed that it was perfectly safe to eat and posed no harm, everyone was overjoyed. Capitalizing on this excitement, the Prince of Binyang personally led a team to reopen two larger salt pans and held a grand bonfire party that very evening.

As evening fell, with everything else taken care of, Jiu Que, along with Chunyu Shuang and the others, went to the nearby beachcombing area. It must be said that at this time of year, the unpolluted and unfished sea was quite abundant in seafood. They quickly filled several baskets. The Prince of Binyang, even worried that roasting the seafood would be too bland, specifically ordered his guards to hunt in the distant mountains, eventually bringing back a large herd of wild animals.

That evening, the warm fire crackled around them, and the aroma of food wafted far and wide, accompanied by the cheerful laughter of the people. Unexpectedly, everyone was quite talented. Old Yu sang a melodious folk song. Chunyu Shuang played a tune on the flute, and the Prince of Binyang and Wei Yuan even put on a sword dance, mimicking a few moves. Even Senior Cui performed a feat of "fishing from a distance" for Jiu Que.

Watching them laugh and joke, Jiu Que gazed at the shimmering sea under the moonlight and suddenly felt as if something was missing. Usually, when they played at the beach and had bonfire parties, they would set off fireworks. This time, however, they didn't have any colorful fireworks. Jiu Que had made many signal flares and firecrackers beforehand, but unfortunately, he hadn't brought any with him on this trip south.

After all, that thing was newly made and its stability wasn't very good. If it exploded while I was carrying it in my pocket, I would be left with nothing but bones.

"Once we get to the capital, we'll hold another bonfire party. We'll set off fireworks for everyone; it'll be lively, festive, and spectacular."

Fireworks? What kind of flowers are those?

The Prince of Binyang had been in a coma for three years, and he was quite surprised, thinking that some flower he had never heard of had appeared in the outside world. However, judging from the expressions of the younger generation around him, they were clearly unaware of it as well. It seemed that this was another thing only Jiu Que knew about. Seeing everyone's blank expressions, Jiu Que quickly reminded them.

"That's the one, Chunyu Xie Mingchen and Wei Yuan, you guys clearly saw them before! The one that explodes with a loud bang and a blinding light! Something similar to a signal flare or a Thunderbolt, have you forgotten?"

Upon hearing those two familiar names, the group from the capital immediately shuddered. Chunyu Shuang looked at Jiu Que with a half-smile.

"Is that thing something you can just show off? Aren't you afraid it'll blow us up?!"

"How could that be? Fireworks are similar to them, but they look much prettier and can fly very high. If you could set them off by the sea, you'd see them reflected in the sky and the sea, creating a unique spectacle."

As Jiu Que was talking, he became quite engrossed in his conversation, when Chunyu dropped the meat skewers in his hand and slowly rushed over to give him a good massage.

"Speaking of which, you always manage to come up with these strange yet useful things. When are you going to come up with something that can make me rich and powerful? You know me, I'm just a poor, lowly official with no family to help me. My salary is barely enough to keep me from starving. So, Your Excellency, if you have any money-making opportunities, please give me a hand. I also want to live in a big house, eat delicious food, wear expensive silk, and adorn myself with sparkling jewelry!"

"My nest is not like..."

With her cheeks being pinched and squeezed, Jiu Que mumbled a few words, looking helpless, but she didn't resist. With her strength, even just two fingers would be enough to make Chunyu Shuang suffer.

However, her mention of it reminded Jiu Que of something. Sparkling things didn't necessarily have to be gold or silver jewelry, did they? She did know of one particular contraption that transmigrators always liked to create—something that shone brightly enough in the sunlight and attracted attention. Most importantly, it was very inexpensive to make, perfect for siphoning money from powerful families, high-ranking officials, and royalty.

However, since it hasn't been built yet, we can't guarantee anything, so we could only nod in humiliation and agree to this unfair treaty.

That night, everyone's laughter carried far, far away...

However, while everyone was laughing and joking, rumors gradually spread throughout the capital. No, it wasn't just the capital; rumors began to circulate in various counties and prefectures, and they were even escalating, causing some unrest among the people.

I've heard that the Prince of Binyang in Yancheng failed in his defense. The salt that was prepared to be sent to the border was sunk, along with the boat! Not only that, but the entire Dajing salt wells and salt lakes, upon which the entire region depends for its survival, have been poisoned and will be unusable for eighty years!
So, everyone's going to run out of salt!
(End of this chapter)