Chapter 90: Mid-Autumn Festival was also the first reunion festival they spent together.
Chapter 90
The tea produced in each state and county is of course of various types, including green tea, black tea, and oolong tea.
Each type of tea has a different flavor, some are mellow, some are elegant, some are long-lasting, and some are strong and overbearing.
Lin Zhiyi decided to imitate the current method of making milk tea and first improve several milk teas with different flavors, so that people in Dayan Chaojing City would gradually realize that tea tasting is not just about tasting pure tea and flower tea, there is also milk tea mixed with milk.
Oh, not only milk, but also some seasonal fruits, and lemon tea is also a new flavor.
In addition, the combination of jasmine and tea, and the combination of fruits such as watermelon, grapes, and mango and tea are also very popular.
Lin Zhiyi spent five days to mix five kinds of milk tea, and then asked his colleagues in the Ministry of Revenue to taste them and collect their opinions for improvement.
Of course, she also knew that it would be a disadvantage to submit the milk tea recipe to the court. If she handed it directly to her elder sister, the Lin and Mu families would definitely make a lot of money.
However, a big tree attracts the wind, so she might as well bear a small loss and let Emperor Longshun know that she can make money and is not shy about it. Maybe she will get better benefits than just making money.
Now that her fate is tied to Jingyue's, it would be more cost-effective to lay a foundation for their future to be "save death".
If you can raise the tea tax revenue for the department under your jurisdiction, it will be easier to reward them in the future.
It would be more foolproof if I could get a golden medal of immunity from death someday.
Letting colleagues from the Ministry of Revenue taste it was to better understand the tastes of people of that era.
Lu Chengjie, Zhang Yaozong and other colleagues in the department tasted the five types of milk tea out of curiosity and then gave different suggestions.
In order to prevent them from telling the truth, Lin Zhiyi specifically asked them to submit written suggestions anonymously and to use different fonts that they usually use in daily life.
Lu Chengjie privately sighed to Zhang Yaozong: "Don't look at Lord Lin's young age, he is really flawless in his work."
Zhang Yaozong was already half a fan of Lin Zhiyi, and he praised him generously, "That's right, Lord Lin is so amazing, otherwise why would His Majesty send him here?"
During the five days of selecting tea leaves and mixing milk tea, Lin Zhiyi also taught Lu Chengjie and Zhang Yaozong the basics of Arabic numerals and tables.
These two have stronger comprehension abilities, otherwise they wouldn't be so impressed after seeing the account books she compiled.
"Arabic numerals are good, but you also have to prevent others from making changes. You can use Arabic numerals when doing your own accounting, but when copying it into the account book, you still have to write the amount in capital letters in the text version." This is what Lin Zhiyi reminded me.
Lu Chengjie and Zhang Yaozong both agreed and kept it in mind secretly.
Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon.
Both the Imperial College and the Ministry of Revenue had three days off, from August 13th to August 15th.
On August 13, Lin Zhiyi and Jing Yue entered the palace to pay their respects to Emperor Longshun, the Empress, and Concubine Lan.
Lin Zhiyi brought several popular milk tea recipes into the palace and handed them to Emperor Longshun.
"Father, please don't laugh at my recipe." Lin Zhiyi reported clearly, "This milk tea has modified the flavors of pure tea and scented tea. As everyone knows, some high-quality teas can refresh the mind. The milk tea I modified can also be enjoyed by children and teenagers, so they won't be unable to sleep at night. The fruit tea can be enjoyed by ladies and their sisters at banquets. If noble ladies and elderly ladies want to try something new, there is also milk tea with tonic ingredients such as red beans and longans, which has a similar effect to medicinal food."
Emperor Longshun handed the recipe to the eunuch beside him and said, "Make a copy and send it to the Imperial Kitchen and Imperial Pharmacy. Have them prepare it according to the recipe and send five copies to each palace."
"yes."
Emperor Longshun had long heard about what Lin Zhiyi had done in the Ministry of Revenue, and naturally knew that she had developed this new milk tea.
"Your method may be novel, but can it really make money?"
"On the surface, I'm only currently boosting sales and tax revenue from tea. Over time, I can also increase sales of jasmine flowers, fruits, red beans, and longans, thereby increasing tax revenue," Lin Zhiyi said. "Of course, tea is centrally managed by the court, and other items can be paired with tea to increase the people's income. With more income, the people will be more likely to spend money, and the amount of silver circulating in the market will increase, which will naturally increase the tax revenue generated."
After hearing what she said, Emperor Longshun understood everything more clearly. He laughed and clapped his hands, "Excellent! Xiuyuan! I was right about you! You are indeed very smart."
"Thank you for the compliment, Father."
Emperor Longshun looked at another tray again. The senior palace maid beside him lifted the lid, revealing several small plates of pastries in various colors, such as green, pink, and purple. Compared with some pastries made in the imperial kitchen, these were smaller, more delicate, and more tempting.
"These...are mooncakes?"
"Yes, the principle is similar to milk tea. I feel that although some teas may not be good enough for making tea, after being ground into powder and mixed with flour, cornstarch, flower petals, taro powder, etc., the mooncakes made have a very unique taste, so I tried making these. Currently, the tea production is still insufficient. When the tea production increases in the future, these cakes will become more diverse and delicious. They are suitable for promotion among the people. This will also bring in another source of income."
Although Emperor Longshun was happy, he did not take Lin Zhiyi's two suggestions too seriously.
——In his opinion, these are all a bit childish. Considering that the prince consort is not yet eighteen years old, it is understandable that the ways he comes up with to make money are a bit childish.
"Okay, then you can continue to try." Emperor Longshun encouraged, "I will wait for your good news."
Although Lin Zhiyi's way of making money was naive, the accounting method he promoted in the Ministry of Revenue had been reported by Emperor Longshun's secret guards. Emperor Longshun was very satisfied with this and was also happy that he had chosen such a son-in-law with clever ideas to work in the Ministry of Revenue.
"Thank you for your trust and love, Your Majesty. I will do my best." Lin Zhiyi said with a smile.
She was the one most favored by Emperor Longshun among all the princes-in-law.
Emperor Longshun felt that he was close to him, and his relationship was similar to that of an ordinary father-in-law and son-in-law. The young prince consort did not treat him as a superior emperor and distance himself from him. Instead, he was calm and respectful, but not afraid.
He speaks nicely, but without any fawning or obsequiousness, and sounds very friendly.
Emperor Longshun was almost at the age of knowing the destiny. He looked at Lin Zhiyi as if he were a younger generation who he liked, and was happy to give him some of the warmth as an elder from his imperial majesty.
Similarly, he also loves his youngest daughter Jingyue very much.
Of course, this is also because of Concubine Lan.
Lin Zhiyi and Jing Yue stayed with Emperor Longshun for half an hour and then took their leave.
They turned around to pay their respects to the Queen, and happened to meet the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, Princess Duanyang, her husband Duanyang, and a little girl of three or four years old.
Lin Zhiyi guessed that this little girl must be Princess Duanyang's daughter.
The Crown Princess's figure is not yet clear. Only when she is sitting can you see her round belly outlined by her thin shirt. She must be more than four months pregnant.
The queen was filled with joy. She was the mistress of the imperial palace and the mother of a country. Her son was the crown prince, and the crown princess was finally pregnant. Her daughter, son-in-law, and little granddaughter lived in harmony with the family. When her daughter-in-law gave birth to a royal grandson, her son's position would be even more secure.
"Yuer and the prince consort are here too, please sit down." The queen said with a smile.
Going back to the palace is like going back to one's mother's home. The Queen is Jingyue's biological mother. She has always been known in the palace for liking quietness, but that doesn't mean she can't handle interpersonal relationships.
He congratulated softly, "Mother is so blessed. She will soon be able to enjoy the company of her grandchildren. Congratulations, Prince. I'm sorry for the trouble."
The Crown Prince was also very pleased: "Yu'er and Prince Consort will have a child someday, and then their younger brothers and sisters will have a good companion."
Jing Yue put on a shy expression: "There's no rush for this kind of thing. It all depends on fate."
Princess Duanyang said, "That's right, there's no rush. Yue'er is still young. It would be nice to have a child in two or three years. First, you and your husband can enjoy the loving days of a young couple."
This is how she and her husband are.
As a princess, she only gave birth to a child when she wanted one. In the previous few years, she didn't want to have a child, and her husband didn't dare to say anything.
The little princess snuggled obediently in the queen's arms, her big, bright black eyes darting between Jing Yue and Lin Zhiyi.
Looks cute and well-behaved, very endearing.
Jing Yue and Lin Zhiyi both smiled at her and gave her gifts.
"Thank you, auntie, and thank you, uncle." The little princess Baoer thanked them obediently.
Lin Zhiyi and Jing Yue did not stay with the Queen for long. They talked for a while and then left.
Naturally, the queen didn't keep them for long.
Chengqian Palace.
Concubine Lan waited for almost an hour before they arrived.
Fortunately, Concubine Lan was able to pass the time on her own - this was thanks to Lin Zhiyi, who had swapped bodies with Jing Yue - and she taught her many new ways to pass the time.
"Is Xiuyuan doing well in the Ministry of Revenue?" asked Concubine Lan.
"It went smoothly, don't worry, mother." Lin Zhiyi replied with a calm smile.
"That's good." Concubine Lan was relieved. He was indeed the good husband she had carefully chosen for Yue'er.
Even if they cannot perform the ceremony of husband and wife, it is a good thing for Yue'er to have an extra capable assistant and close friend.
On August 14, the two returned to Ding'an Mansion early in the morning to reunite with the Lin family.
Lin Zhiyi also gave Lin Zhiqin the recipes for milk tea, green tea powder, and mooncakes. "Big sister, research them privately and don't put them on the market yet. Wait until similar products come out on the street, then mix them in and sell them together."
"That won't be a problem, right?"
"No," Lin Zhiyi said, "Later, I will propose that the Ministry of Revenue issue a decree. Interested shop owners can complete the formalities and start selling. They only need to pay taxes on time and there will be no problem."
"That's great. I'll do as you say." Lin Zhiqin said cheerfully, "We'll sign the contract later, and I'll split the profits with you 50-50."
Lin Zhiyi's peach blossom eyes curved: "I'll take 30%, big sister has worked hard and has to invest money."
Lin Zhiqin: "You took 30% of the business from the previous shops. This time, listen to me and split it 50-50. Otherwise, I will be too embarrassed to cooperate with you."
"Okay then, thanks!"
"I should thank you!"
Lin Zhiyi took some time to discuss with Lin Zhishu some ways to market the storybooks: "...For example, if Third Sister has the time and interest, she could draw portraits of the main characters in the story and sell or give them away with the storybook. She could also write a shorter story about the supporting characters and compile a booklet to give away to increase sales...Also, if there's a suitable storybook, you could ask the opera troupe if they're willing to perform it. That way, not only the capital, but other counties and towns will also learn about the story through the performances of the troupe that frequently tours the streets...and thus increase the sales of the storybook. Selling the storybook to the opera troupe can also bring in some money."
Lin Zhishu smiled gently at her and said, "Okay, Yuan'er, such a brilliant idea will surely set off a wave of enthusiasm among booksellers..."
"Then I'll go talk to my fourth sister." Lin Zhiyi said goodbye with a smile.
As soon as Lin Zhihua saw her coming, she knew that she must have some new ideas.
Lin Zhiyi does have a new idea—the pen one.
After listening to her, Lin Zhihua took the drawing she had drawn with great interest: "Okay, I understand what you mean. I will study it carefully during this period of time."
On August 15th, Emperor Longshun held a simple family banquet in the palace, attended only by concubines and a few of his children who were still in Beijing.
Unlike previous years, some important officials and their families did not receive the imperial edict to enter the palace to join in the celebration.
After all, the flood problem had not been completely resolved, so Emperor Longshun had to set an example himself.
The important ministers who were second only to the emperor naturally understood the emperor's intentions, and they all celebrated the festival at home, and no one dared to be extravagant.
Lin Zhiyi and Jing Yue spent the first half of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the palace, and then returned to the princess's residence to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival as a young couple again.
It was also their first reunion festival together.
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The author has something to say: I beg you to collect it~ muah!
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