Chapter 2 Recruitment Order

Once a decision is made, its implementation requires careful consideration.

If they wanted to leave the capital, a place rife with trouble, they needed to resolve their household registration issues; without travel permits, they would be virtually unable to move an inch.

To get the officials in Beijing, who are only interested in personal gain, to approve the application in a short period of time, the only option is for someone with even greater power to put pressure on them.

After all, pressure can be a driving force, and that works everywhere.

The original text actually has a main storyline, aside from the restricted plot.

In short, the Jiang family used the Third Young Master to gain countless riches and honors. The organizer and the biggest beneficiary was Zhou Ao, who would later become the Crown Prince but was currently the Second Prince.

His position as crown prince was not secure after he became crown prince. From distant feudal lords to nearby princes like the eldest princess, all of whom were of suitable age, he coveted the crown prince's position.

Therefore, after discovering that the Jiang family was using the Third Young Master to curry favor with various people, Zhou Ao colluded with them. He granted the Jiang family even greater wealth and honor, and in return, the Jiang family handed over Jiang Xi to him for his disposal.

Since then, Jiangxi has fallen straight into hell, unable to escape.

The story has not yet unfolded, and the eldest princess, who can rival the second prince, still holds power and influence. She is also the greatest external force that Shang Yuji can rely on.

The Princess's residence is currently issuing a recruitment notice. Regardless of social status, anyone with unique ideas or remarkable achievements is welcome to apply. If the results are successful, the Princess's residence will offer generous rewards, whether in the form of money or land, depending on the extent of the achievement.

Shang Yuji planned to start with the recruitment order, using her knowledge from her previous life to obtain household registration and a travel permit to leave the capital.

As for money, they had saved a few pieces of silver over the past year, which they could use for emergencies when leaving the capital, and then see if they could earn some more on the way.

If all else fails...

She took Jiangxi to catch fish in the water and pick fruit from the trees, which was better than staying in the capital and being used as a tool by a group of people.

As the sun rose, the door to the narrow, dark side room opened, and Shang Yuji was cooking white porridge in the kitchen. She added chopped green vegetables and sprinkled a few grains of salt into the porridge, which was their daily breakfast.

Before the porridge was even cooked, Jiang Xi walked into the small kitchen that the two of them had built together, sat down on a small wooden chair, and started adding firewood to the fire.

The porridge was steaming when it was served, and Shang Yuji urged him to wash up before coming over to drink it.

Jiang Xi meticulously followed the washing and brushing steps she had been taught. When she returned, she sat blankly at the bamboo table, holding her bowl and chopsticks, her gaze fixed on Shang Yuji.

"It's not so hot anymore, drink it."

"Mmm." After responding, Jiang Xi lowered her head and carefully finished the porridge in her bowl.

Shang Yuji had a poor appetite because she was preoccupied with something on her mind, and she planned to leave the rest for Jiang Xi, but she saw him fill her bowl to the brim: "Aji, eat. Eating more will make you taller, stronger, and more energetic."

She chuckled. These were the words she had said to coax him into eating more, but he had taken them as gospel and was now using them to persuade her.

Without refusing his kindness, Shang Yuji ate a few more bites. After finally finishing her meal, she saw him eagerly wanting to add more porridge for her, so she quickly said that she was full.

Jiang Xi was enjoying his simple daily breakfast when Shang Yuji said at the right moment, "I have to go out today. Young Master, stay in the room and remember our agreement. Don't open the door for anyone unless you hear my signal."

The porridge in the bowl suddenly tasted unappetizing. Jiang Xi bit her bamboo chopsticks and hesitated, "When will Aji be back?"

"If you're lucky, the young master can come back when he sits on the first step outside and sees the sun hanging over the bamboo."

Converted to roughly noon, Shang Yuji added, "If I don't come back on time, there's a package on the top shelf of the box under the young master's bed. You can take some food from there if you're hungry."

Jiang Xi didn't say anything, her pair of affectionate fox eyes looking at her pitifully, as if tears would burst out at any moment.

Shang Yuji explained, "Young Master, Aji is going to resolve the issue of us leaving the Jiang residence. Once things are settled, we can stay together forever."

It's unclear which sentence convinced Jiang Xi, but his sorrow vanished instantly: "Aji, go and come back quickly, I'll stay in the house obediently!"

Ignoring the tender reluctance of the beauty behind him, Shang Yuji picked up the seawater salt-making method she had written down earlier and the one tael of silver she had counted that she could use, and headed to the dog hole leading out of the mansion with practiced ease.

Walking along the wooden corridor and past the lotus pond with its babbling water, Shang Yuji passed behind the artificial hill and no longer heard the maids' chatter.

Instead, it was a textbook-perfect, deep, husky, and magnetic voice that spoke: "Does eldest brother know what third brother likes?"

Another voice, equally familiar to Shang Yuji, rang out beside him: "When did a son born of a concubine ever become someone my second brother would worry about?"

"Don't you think that face is incredibly alluring, brother?"

"The only thing he's good-looking about is his face, which inherited his mother's vixen-like features. What, you've taken a fancy to him?"

The two people behind her gradually quieted down. Shang Yuji stood quietly behind the artificial hill until they left and she saw that they were heading in the opposite direction from Hongyun Garden. Only then did she quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

The eldest and second young masters of the Jiang family had their eyes on Jiang Xi even earlier than she had imagined. Time was running out, and they had to leave the Jiang family as soon as possible.

After waiting a while longer and seeing no one return, Shang Yuji went to the dog hole and crawled out.

Brushing the mud off her clothes, Shang Yuji headed straight for the Princess's residence.

Two doormen stood in front of the Princess's residence. They seemed to be used to the endless stream of applicants after the recruitment order was issued. The applicants came from all walks of life, and some even used this opportunity to rise to the top. So when Shang Yuji came, they did not neglect her.

Since the recruitment notice had been issued for some time, and Shang Yuji arrived early, she was welcomed into the mansion as soon as she explained her purpose.

The attendant led her to the council chamber where the examination was to be conducted, and then asked someone to invite the examiner, a middle-aged man with a decent appearance and a slightly tired expression familiar to working people.

After the eldest princess issued the decree to recruit talents, all sorts of strange and wicked people flocked to the scene. Finding those with genuine talent among them was undoubtedly like finding gold in the sand.

His inventions, such as "a giant rice bowl that increases the amount of food," "Hercules liquor diluted with water," and "a fishing rod that guarantees a 100% catch rate," were a series of bizarre and ineffective creations that had tormented him for a long time.

The inspector gave a wry smile: "What do you need to submit?"

"Your Excellency, it is the seawater salt production method."

Shang Yuji stepped forward and handed a piece of paper with the method of seawater salt production written on it to the servant standing to the side.

The inspector didn't have high expectations. Salt was a national policy, so how could an ordinary citizen offer any useful suggestions?

Those who can read are considered educated among the common people, and he didn't expect there to be many legible words on the paper; he would be fortunate if the drawing could be clear.

The handwriting on the paper was awkward, with a few typos, but fortunately, the meaning was understandable when combined with the context. However, this did not prevent the examiner's expression from becoming increasingly serious as he read the content.

In general, seawater evaporation relies on sufficient sunlight to evaporate water from seawater and obtain sea salt.

Large, flat tidal flats can be selected on the coast with a mild climate to construct salt pans, and seawater can be introduced into evaporation ponds. The water is evaporated by wind and sun, and when the seawater is concentrated to a certain extent, it is introduced into crystallization ponds for further sun exposure, and slowly salt crystals will precipitate out of the seawater.

Coastal residents commonly extract sea salt using the "frying" and "boiling" methods, frying in a pan and boiling in a pot. These methods produce low-yield, low-quality salt that is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

But the method she submitted...

The inspectors astutely realized that if successful, they could not only save a large portion of the labor force but also produce far more salt than the current market.

What does this represent?

This represents a larger workforce that can be used by the princess, and a workforce that is strong and capable after consuming salt.

Furthermore, salt has far-reaching implications. The salt issue alone is enough to enrich the Princess's account. With more money, the power that can be won over will also increase. In the end, wouldn't the Princess's goal be easily achieved?

The inspector composed himself, cleared his throat, and said, "Wait a moment."

He then stood up and whispered a few words to his attendant, who respectfully took the papers and left the council chamber with a nervous expression.

The inspector then asked, "Where did you learn of this method?"

Before coming, Shang Yuji had prepared a reason: "Your Excellency, when I was fleeing famine, I saved an old man, and it was the old man who verbally granted me this favor."

Upon hearing that she had a knowledgeable elderly man behind her, the inspector couldn't help but slam his fist on the table in excitement: "Where is that old gentleman now?"

"The old gentleman's illness relapsed, and he passed away while fleeing famine. Because the old gentleman believed that he was born of nature and should return to nature, he ordered me to cremate him."

Shang Yuji replied in a calm voice, secretly thinking: After cremation, not a single ash will remain, saving the trouble of making up another burial site. If she were asked to lead people to dig up the grave, she would be speechless with regret, since she couldn't possibly conjure up a mysterious old man who knew about "Tiangong Kaiwu" out of thin air.

It would be impossible not to be disappointed. The inspector's tone was clearly downcast: "Born of nature, returning to nature is good. You are indeed a master. Your ideas are beyond the reach of ordinary people like us."

"Old Sun! Where is such a great talent? Have you been neglecting him?"

Before anyone could see her, they heard her loud voice, and a fragrant breeze swept by. In the blink of an eye, a noblewoman appeared in the hall.

The inspector, whose real name was Sun Wang, bowed after the woman entered the hall: "The person Your Highness is looking for is her, however..."

Sun Wang explained in detail the origin of the salt-making method, and did not forget to express his regret for the old man's passing.

Shang Yuji bowed to Sun Wang, and while Sun Wang was speaking, she quickly glanced at the woman. Someone who could act so swiftly in the Princess's residence was very likely the Princess herself.

He is unexpectedly warm and welcoming, no wonder he issued a recruitment order that does not discriminate between rich and poor. In this day and age, he has truly remarkable vision.

The eldest princess waved her hand and asked, "Since this method is useful to us, reward us! What reward do you want?"

Shang Yuji lowered her eyes, concealing her thoughts, and with a determined heart, stepped forward and bowed: "Your Highness, I dare to ask, I have always been good at remembering things since I was a child, and I still remember what the old gentleman said, but I need some time to recall it."

The eldest princess raised an eyebrow: "It seems you have grand ambitions."

The ability to offer greater value is naturally intended to exchange for more resources.

It's simply a matter of exchanging one thing for another.

The time between the arrival of the eldest princess and her enthusiastic attitude was short, but Shang Yuji had a thousand thoughts in her mind and finally decided to take the risk.

If Jiang Xi were taken away in the dead of night, the Jiang family would lose an unloved illegitimate son, but this would undoubtedly be a provocation against the Jiang family's authority.

If the Jiang family cooperates with the government, and an arrest warrant is issued, if she and Jiang Xi are discovered while disguising themselves during their escape, they will only end up in prison.

If we look at it from another angle, her departure from the Jiang residence with Jiang Xi would have been perfectly legitimate, and there wouldn't have been any subsequent bounty for her capture.

At the same time, the fact that they could not easily enter or leave the Jiang residence, where they left, also cut off their possibility of contacting the Jiang residence again.

The Princess's residence is not a place that a wealthy merchant would dare to visit lightly.

Shang Yuji raised her head and looked at the Princess, saying, "I am a maidservant of the third young master of the Jiang family in the west of the city. The Jiang family does not like the third young master. The young master wants to leave the capital, but I am worried that the Jiang family will obstruct him. I hope that I can borrow Your Highness's name to do so!"

"That's a good plan, but I haven't seen any results from the seawater salt production you submitted. How can I trust you?"

Faced with the princess's questioning, Shang Yuji said in a deep voice, "I also have a way to see results quickly, but it requires the cooperation of others."

The eldest princess acted decisively, quickly summoning her men: "They are at your disposal. Let me see what other skills you have."

Shang Yuji didn't stand on ceremony and arranged for people to prepare clean pottery, wooden buckets, well water, and high-purity saltpeter.

Saltpeter ice making can simultaneously meet the needs of a simple process, fast speed, and stunning results.

Fill the wooden bucket with water, but do not fill it completely, leaving room for the pottery. Add saltpeter and water to the smaller pottery in the correct proportions, stir, and then place it in the wooden bucket. Store it in a cool, shady place until ready to use.

To produce the finished product faster, she reduced the amount of well water used for cooling. After a cup of tea, crystal-clear ice cubes formed in the wooden bucket.

The princess watched the whole thing and noticed the ice cubes and the wisps of cold air rising from the wooden tub. She was surprised and wanted to touch them herself, but Sun Wang stopped her in time.

"Your Highness, please allow me to use this." After saying this, Sun Wang nervously touched the ice crystals on the edge of the wooden tub. The cold, even more biting than the chill of early spring, penetrated his skin. His eyes widened, and he didn't forget to indicate to the Princess that it was real ice.

"Very well!" The princess exclaimed with delight, "I grant all your requests!"

With the summer heat unbearable, the appearance of ice cubes was bound to become a sensation in Beijing, especially since colleagues who didn't want to suffer in the summer heat were definitely the main force in buying ice cubes.

How wonderful it sounds to reduce other people's wallets and fill your own!

Shang Yuji stepped aside and offered her thanks: "Thank you, Your Highness."

With the major issue of leaving the capital resolved, all that remains is to return home, pack up, and then find a suitable time to secretly depart the capital.

Watching the princess laughing heartily and patting her advisor on the shoulder, sending him flying two miles away, Shang Yuji couldn't help but smile.

When she realized she was laughing, she was momentarily stunned.

But they quickly realized their mistake and restored the respect that ordinary people showed to wealthy families.

Jiang Xi alone is enough trouble for her, yet she still wants to interfere in the future of the Princess's residence?

That's just wishful thinking...

A note from the author:

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The salt-making and ice-making methods are based on Baidu Baike (Baidu Encyclopedia), and may not be entirely accurate.

I've fixed some errors [crying emoji]

I thought it had been changed, but it wasn't posted! How annoying!