"A secret recipe for making a fortune every day?"
The fourth prince's eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Could it be the secret recipe for making sugar?"
At the end of last year, Xiao Zixiu, the maternal uncle of the Prince of Yue, or rather, the Third Prince, returned to the capital from Yuezhou.
Not only did they send the Third Prince cartloads of copper coins, but they also gave him a secret recipe for making sugar.
The Third Prince instantly became a prominent figure in the capital.
Many powerful figures, even members of the imperial family, rushed to visit him.
Although the Third Prince was annoyed that he could no longer keep a low profile, he was still very happy that so many people were suddenly fawning over and praising him.
Taking advantage of this opportunity and using the secret sugar-making recipe, the Third Prince successfully won over many powerful figures in the capital.
His "Third Prince Party" was formed in the shortest possible time, standing alongside the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince like a three-way power struggle.
The three forces, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, somehow managed to create a delicate balance.
Seeing that the situation was still under control, the sage did not forcibly intervene.
The third prince pressed his advantage.
He and his followers quickly opened sugar shops in the capital and Jiangnan, and brown sugar swept the country in the shortest time.
Xiao Zixiu, because of his experience in sugar making and running a sugar shop, was kept by the Third Prince.
As for his identity as the military commander of the Yue Prince's Mansion, Xiao Zixiu himself, the Sage, and the Third Prince all deliberately ignored it.
Since everyone has already concluded that Xiao Zixiu's heart is with Liu Bei while he is in Yue Wang's mansion, it would be better to let him return to his former master.
Furthermore, the King of Yue at that time was still considered a useless good-for-nothing.
The vast Yue King's mansion has already been seized by the Queen and her officials.
Helian Jue poses no danger whatsoever, so there's no need to waste a talent monitoring him.
So, Xiao Zixiu was left behind.
When the news of Helian Jue's public execution of Cui Boyong reached the capital this spring, the emperor and the others were shocked to realize that they had been deceived by Helian Jue.
However, by this time, Helian Jue's power was already firmly established.
Even if an official like Xiao Zixiu returned to Yuezhou, he wouldn't be of much use.
If things go wrong, he might even lose his life in Yuezhou.
Tsk, Helian Jue dares to kill even a high-ranking governor without hesitation, let alone a mere military officer of a prince's mansion?
What?
You're saying Xiao Zixiu is Helian Jue's maternal uncle?
Ha, when did the royal family ever value blood ties?
When it comes to a critical moment, even the closest of fathers and sons, and brothers, can turn against each other!
Furthermore, even now, Helian Jue's mother listed in the imperial genealogy is Empress Ashina.
Xiao Zixiu was not Helian Jue's rightful elder at all.
Anyway, no matter what outsiders say or speculate, Xiao Zixiu himself doesn't dare to return to Yuezhou.
He dared not gamble his life on whether Helian Jue was kind or cared about family ties!
Xiao Zixiu dared not return, perhaps to demonstrate that he had other values, so he frantically pushed forward the sugar business.
When the fourth prince left the capital, the brown sugar business was booming from the capital to Jiangnan and then to some prosperous cities.
The thought of those sugar shops that made a fortune every day filled the Fourth Prince with excitement.
Princess Xu, however, was smarter and more clear-headed than him.
She glanced at Xie Yuan furtively and said hesitantly, "The sugar business probably won't continue to be so booming."
Xie Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly. "Ah Yuan, why do you say that?"
The fourth prince also expressed his incomprehension, "Yes, yes! The hottest business right now is brown sugar!"
Princess Xu looked serious and instead of answering, asked, "Your Highness, let me ask you, was the liquor business booming back then?"
"Fire!"
The fourth prince hadn't reacted yet and blurted out a reply.
"And now?" Seeing that her foolish prince still didn't understand her meaning, Princess Xu asked again.
"Now?"
The fourth prince paused for a moment, as if he had thought of something, and murmured, "Three years ago, Father Emperor issued three imperial edicts in succession, forbidding the common people from making wine privately."
Only imperial estates and a few imperial merchants were allowed to produce and sell wine.
No one else is allowed!
Any violation will be severely punished.
"This...this is different!"
The fourth prince finally put his mind to it and tried his best to analyze for Princess Xu, "Father Emperor forbids the people from making wine because the raw material needed for making wine is grain."
“Grain is the foundation of the nation. If it is all used to make wine, there will be a food shortage among the people.”
"Brown sugar is different. I've heard that brown sugar is made from sugarcane, and sugarcane isn't a grain, so there's nothing to worry about."
The fourth prince spoke with great conviction; at least he believed he made a lot of sense.
Neither Helian Jue nor Xie Yuan spoke, silently watching the couple "interact".
Helian Jue wore a mocking expression, while Xie Yuan simply found it amusing.
Princess Xu glanced at Helian Jue and his wife out of the corner of her eye and sighed inwardly: You see, both the Prince of Yue and Sister A Yuan think the candy shop's business won't last long.
Only their own simpleton, who thinks he's clever, is actually—
Taking a deep breath, Princess Xu slowly reminded him, "The prince is right, sugarcane is indeed not a food, but growing sugarcane requires land!"
"If the imperial court allows the sugar business to continue its rampant growth, countless nobles will rush to seize fertile land and plant sugarcane at will."
"The amount of fertile land is fixed. If sugarcane is planted there, there won't be any extra land left to grow other grains."
In fact, in some ways, sugar production is more harmful than alcohol production.
The raw material for brewing wine is grain, and the wealthy and powerful also frantically cultivate grain.
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