Even in the twelfth lunar month, the Lingnan region is still bathed in bright sunshine.
The temperature is slightly lower in the morning and evening, and the snakes, insects, and rodents in the mountains and forests are not as rampant as in the summer.
The miasma in the deep mountains seemed to have been somewhat diluted by the low temperature.
Helian Jue seized the opportunity, reorganized his troops, and set off for Huangzhou.
"Your Highness, the army has been assembled!"
Huang Jia respectfully reported back to Helian Jue.
"Set off!"
Helian Jue sat on his horse and coldly uttered two words.
This was his first time leading troops, and also his first battle after arriving in Lingnan.
The enemy was not a regular army, but just barbarians from a tribe.
However, Helian Jue was well-prepared and went all out.
In order to travel quickly, he did not prepare much food or provisions.
Previously, when Xie Yuan chatted with him, he had mentioned "using war to sustain war".
After thinking about it, Helian Jue felt that it made a lot of sense.
As long as his army is strong enough, he will not have to worry about food supplies!
"yes!"
Upon hearing Helian Jue's command, the five thousand soldiers behind him roared like tigers released from their cages.
With the soldiers' morale soaring, Helian Jue felt increasingly confident.
Target: Huangzhou! Attack!
...
While Helian Jue was off to "double-cross" someone, Xie Yuan was also busy with his own affairs.
"Your Majesty, the auction preparations are all complete."
Zheng Yurong was indeed capable; she got things organized in just a few days.
“Not only He County, but also Liang County, Feng County, Su County and Ding County, I have sent people to contact them all.”
The sugar shops had long been thriving in Lingnan and had even spread to the capital.
As for the other prefectures and counties in Lingnan, those powerful and influential people were far away, and the sugar shop had the mark of the Prince of Yan's mansion, so those powerful and influential people couldn't reach out to them, nor dared to.
The sugar shop was making a fortune every day, but they could only watch helplessly; these people were already getting restless.
Just then, the Yue King's Palace announced that it would auction off the secret formula for making sugar, shocking all the powerful and influential people.
Amid their excitement, they all wondered if the Princess Consort of Yue was mentally ill.
However, soon, someone who knew the inside story came to the rescue:
“The Yue Prince’s mansion was seized by the Third Prince in the capital long ago, and even Helian Jue has become a puppet, let alone a woman like Xie.”
"I heard that even the sugar-making secret recipe was secretly obtained by the Xie family after Xiao Zixiu left Yuezhou."
"Others who get the recipe can make sugar and open shops. But Xie, well, she has neither the guts nor the capital."
"Exactly. Even if she manages to open a shop, won't it still belong to the Third Prince when Xiao Zixiu returns?"
"The Xie family isn't stupid; why would they be willing to do something that benefits someone else?"
“If I were the Xie family, I would do the same. If I couldn’t open a shop myself, I would sell the secret recipe.”
"Right! Let's grab the money first, and then we can ignore everything else!"
Although these rumors are all unfounded speculations, upon closer listening, they actually make some sense.
For example, Madam Zheng was initially worried that Xie's sale of the secret recipe might be a scam.
Hearing what was being said outside, Madam Zheng couldn't help but nod. "That's right! That makes sense."
With her worries relieved and the opportunity to buy the sugar-making secret recipe at hand, Madam Zheng was in high spirits and even had the leisure to "pity" Xie Yuan.
"What's the use of a woman being strong if the man she marries can't stand up for her? She can only suffer in silence."
A wife's status rises with her husband's; this is the proper way.
"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, how many women in this world are as fortunate as you, Madam?" (Reading the book)
Madam Zheng's personal maidservant seized every opportunity to flatter her, which only made Madam Zheng happier.
"Alright! Considering how pitiful Xie is, I'll buy her secret recipe!"
Mrs. Zheng spoke of charity at every turn, as if she bought the sugar-making secret recipe simply to do good.
Instead of longing for it and being envious for a long time!
There were all sorts of criticisms from the outside world, with some even portraying Xie Yuan as a pitiful, brainless, and stupid woman.
Xie Yuan: ...It doesn't matter! As long as you're willing to bid a high price for my secret formula!
The sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month was an auspicious day, and the auction held by the Yue King's Mansion was held in the largest restaurant in He County.
This restaurant is owned by Madam Zheng, so a private room on the second floor has always been reserved for her.
Madam Zheng sat in her private box, looking down at Zheng Yurong on the stage on the first floor.
She curled her lip. "An auction? Humph! The Xie family only knows how to pull these fancy stunts."
"I heard that a few months ago, she recruited one or two thousand new soldiers?"
This time, the person guarding behind Madam Zheng was not her head maid, but the "spy within a spy," Zhao Jinxiu.
"Yes! It should not exceed three thousand; they were all sent to the salt fields on the beach."
Zhao Jinxiu bowed her head, her attitude very humble.
"saltworks?"
Madam Zheng raised an eyebrow; she also owned salt fields in Yuezhou.
However, unlike the discarded junk in the Yue King's mansion, the salt fields managed by Madam Zheng's Prefectural Office were the best in the entire Yue Prefecture.
The beach is wide, with tenant farmers along the shore, and it is very close to the mountains and forests.
Whether using manual labor or firewood, it is very convenient.
The key point is that it's also close to Guangcheng.
Once the salt is boiled, it can be loaded onto a seagoing vessel and transported directly to Guangcheng.
Every year, the governor's mansion earns hundreds of thousands of strings of cash from selling salt.
However, boiling salt was still somewhat costly, since salt, although a necessity, doesn't fetch a very high price.
Moreover, salt is not only produced in Yuezhou.
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