In Jinyang City.
Zhou Dequan, Bai Shouren and Wang Pan looked ashen as they faced the ruins of the fireworks workshop which had been reduced to scorched earth.
Hu San knelt on the ground, trembling.
He was originally a hero, but in the blink of an eye he became a sinner.
"Waste! All of you waste!"
Zhou Dequan kicked Hu San and said, "Who are these people you're looking for? Not only did they not develop cigarettes, but they all disappeared."
Wang Pan was relatively calm and held the furious Zhou Dequan back, "Brother Zhou, calm down. How about we go to the capital and try our luck?"
"The capital city also has many skilled craftsmen. When Shuozhou's fine salt became available, the Salt and Iron Bureau summoned craftsmen and spent a month figuring out how to purify it."
Zhou Dequan frowned. "The capital? When His Majesty was still the Crown Prince, wasn't he not interested in us?"
"Times change and things change. I heard that in the capital, the court signed an alliance with the Tartars to pay tribute and pay compensation. They are so short of money that even the palace is selling off its belongings." Wang Pan said with a smile.
"Now the outcome between Prince Jin and His Majesty is still undecided. When we go to the capital, we can only bet on one side." Zhou Dequan has a longer-term perspective.
"Your Majesty has already ascended the throne and reached an alliance with the Tartars. I heard they're going to attack the Prince of Jin," Bai Shouren interrupted. "The Prince of Jin is merely using the blood edict to quell the rebellion. Who knows if it's true or not?"
Zhou Dequan's eyes lit up: "You two mean...our cigarettes?"
"Yes! How much stock is left? Take them all! Go to the capital! Present this thing to the emperor! This is a hen that lays golden eggs! Maybe it can be exchanged for a fortune!" Wang Pan gritted his teeth.
"Brother Wang is so decisive, how can we two show weakness?"
"Let's go to the capital!"
The three men then packed up all the remaining cigarettes and carefully preserved tobacco leaves, sold part of their property, hired guards, and ventured to the chaotic capital.
Zhou Dequan had been introduced once by the prince's groom before, so he easily found the people from the former prince's mansion, and soon they got a chance to meet the emperor.
Although the palace was still magnificent, it could not conceal an air of dilapidation and panic.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Yin Zhao looked haggard and his eye sockets were sunken.
When Zhou Dequan presented the cigarettes and tried hard to describe how huge the profits were, a glimmer of greed suddenly lit up in Yin Zhao's drowsy eyes.
He had long forgotten his initial contempt for this, and now he only saw the white silver!
The imperial court's finances had long been exhausted, and the reparations, military expenses, and royal family expenses were like a bottomless pit. These cigarettes were like a blessing from heaven.
"Good! Good! This thing is very good!"
Yin Zhao rarely smiled, "I approve! I will set up a 'Royal Tobacco Shop' under the Ministry of Internal Affairs to handle this matter!"
"Since you have contributed so much to the treasure, I will appoint Zhou Dequan as the Ambassador of the Tobacco Shop of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Bai Shouren and Wang Pan as Deputy Ambassadors, with the same rank as the Sixth Grade!"
"Make sure to produce this tobacco in large quantities, expand your financial resources, and help me relieve my worries!"
Zhou Dequan and the other two were overjoyed and kowtowed profusely. In an instant, they were promoted from impoverished merchants to "royal merchants."
As soon as they took office, they used chicken feathers as their orders and urged the craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department to study the method of making cigarettes day and night.
Originally, Zhao Muyun just wanted Zhou Dequan and others to help promote it and penetrate into Dayin's upper class.
But what no one expected was that Zhou Dequan and the other two directly brought the cigarettes into the palace.
......
In the Tatar camp thirty miles north of the capital, revelry continued day and night.
The weather was getting colder, and Dayin's compensation had not yet been paid in full, so the Tartars were unwilling to leave.
Zuo Xian Wang, who had gained huge benefits for Beidi by signing the Hejian Alliance, was officially established as the successor to Chanyu and was very proud of himself.
At the celebration banquet, the fat from the roasted whole lamb dripped onto the fire, sizzling.
The liquor was poured down like a river.
A bearded Di general hugged the kidnapped Dayin girl and shouted drunkenly:
"Your Highness! The Emperor of the Yin Dynasty is now your dog. He will bite whoever you tell him to bite."
"I heard that in the Yin Dynasty's palace, the women are more numerous and more tender than the flowers on the grassland!"
"Why not ask him to send one hundred... no, three hundred of the most beautiful palace maids to entertain the brothers!"
Another general laughed even more obscenely:
"What's a palace maid? I heard the old emperor had a concubine named Xiao, she was stunningly beautiful, known as... the most beautiful woman in the world?"
"Why not have that bastard emperor send her over here too, to warm the Crown Prince's bed. That's what makes her worthy of His Royal Highness's status!"
Suddenly, crazy and obscene laughter broke out in the tent, and the barbarity and desire brought by the war were completely released.
Prince Zuo Xian was intoxicated by alcohol and flattery. Thinking of the wealth and beauties in the Yin Dynasty's palace, especially the world-famous Concubine Xiao, his lust mixed with the desire for conquest brought by power burned fiercely.
He waved his hand and laughed wildly, "Good! Well said! Come on, send an envoy to the capital now!"
"Tell Yin Zhao to immediately select three hundred young and beautiful palace maids, and...that Imperial Concubine Xiao, and send them to my camp."
"If it's too late, or if the goods are not good, don't blame me for personally leading the troops to his palace to select them."
The envoy rode to the capital at full speed, carrying this extremely insulting order.
When Yin Zhao heard this request in the court, it was like being struck by thunder.
His face instantly turned as pale as paper, his body shook violently, and he suddenly swept everything on the dragon table to the ground!
"You beast! How dare the Tartar insult me like this! How dare you!"
He roared angrily, but his voice was trembling with fear.
Asking for a palace maid was already a great humiliation, and asking for Concubine Xiao was simply trampling the dignity of the royal family into the mud.
His Highness and his ministers were silent, their faces pale, their heads bowed and their necks hunched.
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