Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Oh, it's also possible that it won't happen tonight either...
The moment Lin Yan stepped into the Imperial Study, a cool breeze swept over him, instantly washing away the summer heat outside, making him feel so comfortable that he almost sighed.
Ah, even though it's been over twenty years, I still miss the air conditioning of modern society.
Xiao Che was sitting on the couch by the window reading a memorial when he heard the noise. He looked up and saw that Xiao Che's forehead and nose were covered in fine sweat, and his cheeks were flushed. He put down what he was holding and beckoned to Xiao Che: "Come here."
Lin Yan readily walked over and sat down next to Xiao Che. He picked up the untouched glass of chilled plum soup on the small table in front of him and gulped down half of it. The cool, sweet and sour liquid slid down his throat, and he exhaled with satisfaction: "I'm alive again."
Xiao Che looked at his utterly unseemly appearance, a smile appearing in his eyes. He picked up a fan and slowly fanned him, saying, "The sun is so strong outside. I wonder if you could come back later."
"I was just eager to use His Majesty's ice." Lin Yan said matter-of-factly, taking another sip of plum soup and feeling the cool touch of the cup. His gaze lingered on the ice chest in the corner of the hall, where wisps of white steam rose. "It's still more comfortable here at His Majesty's."
Lin Yan thought about her own family's situation.
After Emperor Xiao Che ascended the throne this year, he showed consideration for his subjects and the amount of ice bestowed upon them was much more generous than in previous years.
He and his father, Lin Chengji, both received a share, but ice was a rare commodity at this time of year and quite expensive. So he had his mother, Wen Yun, keep most of his and his father's shares for his mother and sister, Lin Mo. Anyway, he and his father were on duty at the government office during the day and could always get some ice from the government office. He himself could also come to Xiao Che's place to cool off from time to time. No matter how you looked at it, it was a win-win situation.
Xiao Che knew exactly what he was planning, and gently tapped his forehead with his fan: "Careful calculation."
Lin Yan chuckled and leaned closer to Xiao Che, enjoying the double benefits of being a human-shaped ice fan and incense. He lazily said, "On my way here, I saw that the shops selling drinks on the street were doing incredibly well. Wealthy families had their waiters carry food boxes and hurriedly pour ice into them to make chilled drinks. A bowl of these drinks could sell for an astronomical price, while ordinary people could only afford those chilled with well water."
As he spoke, his thoughts drifted away.
The Great Yu Dynasty was one of the most economically developed ancient societies, with a thriving commercial sector. There were even specialized ice shops in the market, though they were extremely rare and their prices were exorbitantly high.
Even their family, before the father and son were promoted, would never have been able to afford such luxuries regularly.
Lin Yan vaguely remembered that in books like "Dongjing Menghualu" that he had read before his transmigration, there were records of various cold drinks sold in the streets of Song Dynasty, such as "Bingxue Lengyuanzi", "Shengyan Shuimugua", and "Gancao Bingxue Liangshui", which were quite popular among the people.
Why is it that those corrupt members of the imperial family who were dealt with by Xiao Che could squander ice and enjoy it, while the people of Dayu couldn't even taste it?
Hearing the slight discontent in his tone, Xiao Che shifted his gaze from the folded document to the man's slightly furrowed brow: "What are you thinking about?"
Lin Yan sat up straighter, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xiao Che: "Your Majesty, I was thinking, the amount of ice and charcoal expenses incurred by those dismissed members of the imperial clan in previous years was not small. Now that this expense has been saved, besides using it to increase the welfare of officials, there should be a considerable surplus, right?"
Xiao Che nodded, signaling him to continue.
Cleansing up the royal family was one of his important measures after ascending the throne, which indeed freed up a lot of resources.
"I was thinking, could we make this ice available to the common people?" Lin Yan's tone was unclear about the ice administration system of Dayu, but he simply put forward his idea, "So that the people of Dayu can also enjoy a bit of coolness in the hot summer? Even if not every household can afford it, at least let the iced drinks no longer be the exclusive privilege of the rich."
He recalled the drink he had with Xiao Che outside the palace on the Dragon Boat Festival. Although it was chilled with well water, it was still quite thirst-quenching, but it was worlds apart from the drink with ice.
If ice could be available to the general public, even if it was a little more expensive, it would give people something to look forward to and make the summer more comfortable.
He was just an ordinary person, unable to change this feudal society, but he still wanted to do something.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che's expression shifted slightly.
He grew up in the palace and, although he knew of the hardships of the common people, he never thought deeply about these minor pleasures.
Hearing Lin Yan mention it now, and recalling the extravagant lifestyle of the imperial family members whose allowances had been reduced, while his own people couldn't even afford a bowl of chilled drink, the resentment in his heart was stirred up.
"Why should my people be inferior to those parasites?" Xiao Che's tone was calm, but his eyes deepened. "Hanzhang's idea is quite interesting. Explain it in detail."
Seeing his interest, Lin Yan's spirits lifted, and he counted on his fingers, saying, "Your Majesty, look, we have an existing ice storage facility, responsible for storing ice in winter and supplying it to the palace in summer. In the past, ice was either used within the palace or given as rewards to nobles and officials. Now that the imperial family has been reduced, there must be a surplus of ice. We can take a portion of it and, in the name of the government, set up several sales points in the capital to sell it in limited quantities to merchants in need, such as large beverage shops, restaurants, and eateries, at prices lower than those of private ice shops. At the same time, the Ministry of Works' Water Conservancy Bureau can be responsible for surveying and seeing if it is possible to dig new ice cellars in suitable locations to expand the ice storage capacity. The Ministry of Revenue will be responsible for calculating costs, pricing, and revenue and expenditure. As for the Ministry of Rites... well, ice administration was originally under their jurisdiction, so coordination and communication are indispensable."
As he spoke, his thoughts became clearer and his eyes brighter: "At first, it may only be piloted in the capital. If the results are good, it may be possible to promote it to other prosperous cities. Even if not everyone can use it, at least this precious summer item will no longer be so out of reach. If people have spare money, they will be happy to spend a few coins to buy a bowl of real iced drink."
As Xiao Che listened to Lin Yan's well-organized explanation and looked at his flushed cheeks, Xiao Che felt a surge of tenderness in his heart.
His character is always so good.
“Alright.” Xiao Che made the decision almost without much hesitation. “This matter can be done.”
He was by nature a decisive person, and since he thought it was feasible, he did not want to delay, so he immediately called out, "Li Defu."
Li Defu entered in response.
"By imperial decree, summon the Minister and Vice Minister of Rites, the Minister and Vice Minister of Works, the Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau, and the Minister and Vice Minister of Revenue to the palace immediately for a meeting." After giving the order, Xiao Che added, "The weather is hot, so have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some chilled drinks and seasonal fruits, and move a few ice chests to the side hall for the meeting."
"This old servant obeys the order." Li Defu accepted the command and hurried away.
Lin Yan was taken aback by Xiao Che's swift action and asked in a daze, "Should we call them here now?"
“Since we’re going to do it, the sooner the better.” Xiao Che pulled him up. “Let’s go, Minister Lin. Let’s go to the side hall and wait there. Tell me all about it.”
The two moved to a side hall.
Before long, the summoned officials arrived one after another. Upon hearing of His Majesty's urgent summons, the officials were somewhat apprehensive, but upon entering the side hall, they were first calmed down by the ample coolness of the ice chest and the chilled fruits and drinks placed to the side.
Xiao Che didn't beat around the bush and directly stated Lin Yan's idea of releasing some of the official ice for sale among the people.
Upon hearing this, the ministers all looked surprised, and then began to discuss it enthusiastically.
Since it was Lin Yan's idea, Xiao Che didn't say much, only letting Lin Yan discuss it with others. He would only occasionally add a word when Lin Yan needed support, or make the final decision when officials couldn't reach an agreement.
Although the side hall was somewhat noisy due to the discussion, the ice chest exuded a slight coolness, and there were chilled drinks and fruits specially prepared by His Majesty at hand. The ministers did not feel annoyed at all; on the contrary, the more they discussed it, the more feasible the matter seemed.
As Xiao Che watched his ministers go from initial surprise and doubt to their current engagement, and then looked at Lin Yan sitting among them, his eyes shining and his words full of confidence, a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
It is fitting that he should display his talents and ambitions.
An afternoon passed by in such a lively and efficient discussion.
As the sun set, a preliminary plan for piloting the sale of official ice in the capital had taken shape, with clear division of responsibilities among the various departments. Subsequent details would be refined by the respective departments upon their return, and then compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites for overall coordination.
When the ministers took their leave, although they looked tired, their eyes still held a hint of excitement for their work and career.
Emperor Xiao Che was stricter with his ministers than his predecessor, but he also gave them more opportunities to achieve tangible results.
After everyone had left, only Xiao Che and Lin Yan remained in the side hall.
Lin Yan's mouth was dry from talking. He picked up the cup of drink, which was no longer so cold, and took a big gulp. He let out a long sigh of relief, but his face was full of a blush of accomplishment.
Xiao Che walked to his side, picked up a fan, and gently fanned him: "Thank you for your hard work, Minister Lin."
Lin Yan turned his head to the side, his eyes curving into crescents: "It's not hard work. I'm happy just thinking that the people of the capital will be able to use ice conveniently in the future. Your Majesty, how well did I handle this matter?"
"Hmm." Xiao Che responded, reaching out to brush away a strand of hair stuck to his forehead with sweat, his gaze gentle. "It's good that my people can enjoy a cooler summer because of you."
The heat outside the hall had not yet dissipated, but inside the hall, this action seemed to have brought a refreshing coolness.
Lin Yan felt her ears burning under Xiao Che's gentle gaze. She instinctively wanted to look away, but she was also tempted by the approval and affection in his eyes. So she lowered her head and pretended to straighten her neatly arranged sleeves, muttering, "Your Majesty, please don't look at me like that. It's embarrassing."
Xiao Che's smile deepened. He handed him the fan and got up to pour himself another glass of water: "Soothe your throat. After talking for so long, drinking something ice-cold is too stimulating."
Lin Yan took the fan and fanned himself haphazardly a few times, then took the teacup and sipped it slowly.
Room temperature water feels much more comforting than an iced drink when it glides down a parched throat.
Lin Yan looked up at the deepening twilight outside the window and began to feign concern again: "Your Majesty, it's almost time for dinner. Shouldn't I go back?"
"Why go back?" Xiao Che sat down next to him again, his posture relaxed. "You have performed a great service today, how can I let you return home on an empty stomach? Besides, Hanzhang doesn't want to spend more time with me?"
Lin Yan put down his fan, grasped Xiao Che's hand, and intertwined their fingers: "Since Your Majesty insists on keeping me here, then I will reluctantly stay in the palace to accompany Your Majesty."
In fact, Lin Yan had already told his family that they didn't need to wait for him to come home for dinner. If he didn't come home at dinner time, it meant he wouldn't be coming home for dinner.
Oh, it's also possible that they won't go home to sleep at night.
-----------------------
The author's note: I did some research and found that ancient people started storing ice very early on. The book *Tiangong Kaiwu* (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature) details the entire process of ice harvesting and storage. It's truly amazing; the creativity of the working people should not be underestimated.
By the way, the main story is coming to an end soon. What kind of side stories would you like to see? [Let me see]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com