A jar of snow-white salt, finer than sand, was placed before them, and everyone's faces were filled with shock and joy. The unprecedented refined salt had brought a tremendous impact, especially in terms of production volume. This jar weighed a full ten pounds, and this was just the first batch.
Ten large iron pots produced this much at once, and the yield will be even higher once the lake water is used for boiling. The iron pots are still under production; Qin Mu estimates that at least two hundred large iron pots will be needed to barely meet the demand. Because coal is used as fuel, one person can easily manage ten pots, so not much labor is required.
Of the 1,000 households, over 3,000 are able-bodied. Because they don't need to farm, the elderly can help with cooking, tending the hearth, and watching over the stove. They can also keep warm by the fire and don't have to worry about getting cold. More walls and awnings are still under construction. Once everything is fully operational, daily production should exceed 500 jin (250 kg)!
A month's production will reach nearly 20,000 units, which will be a huge fortune. Qin Mu calculated it in his mind and was shocked by the amount of wealth. Refined salt is not cheap. The best green salt currently costs two strings of cash per pound. And that's in the Central Plains; in remote areas, the price will be even higher. For a moment, Qin Mu felt a bit overwhelmed.
After thinking about it, he couldn't help but chuckle. Even if production had increased, wouldn't it be easier to lower the price? Even with a monthly output of 20,000 jin, it was still a drop in the ocean compared to the vast population of the Tang Dynasty; it wouldn't be enough to feed them all. Trying to lower the price was simply unrealistic.
Thinking of the somewhat greedy dragon in Chang'an, Qin Mu couldn't help but have a brilliant idea.
"Work hard, and once the goods are sold, everyone will have a good life," Qin Mu said with a happy smile.
"Understood!" Wang Erhu grinned. He was actually having a very happy smile, but the single eye covered by a black cloth next to his forehead somewhat ruined his image.
After staying for two days and settling in as much as he could think of, Qin Mu returned to the city with two jars of salt. Although Shuofang had been reclaimed a year ago, it was still in a state of near ruin. Last year, the people spent more than half a year just building houses and farming. Some families didn't even have enough food left.
It just so happened that Shuofang needed a large amount of ceramics, so most of the brick and tile kilns were shut down, and various ceramics were started to be fired instead. Plates, bowls, jars, and pots were all practical household items, and they didn't need to be too beautiful, so it was still possible to find enough people to make them.
Although there are many things to do in winter, he doesn't need to lift a finger. He only needs to set a plan, and someone else will carry it out. Especially with Baili Bing's help, he doesn't actually need to do much.
Everything is progressing in a positive direction, including my own cultivation, which is steadily increasing. The only downside is my complete lack of understanding of the Dao and the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.
The only way is to follow Li Gang's teachings and read books! Read as many books as possible, think about each word and sentence carefully, and perhaps a flash of inspiration will make you understand.
Spring in the North always seems to end a bit too soon, and Qin Mu, having some free time, welcomed back a good friend. Han Chen, unwilling to remain in Chang'an as an official, volunteered to return to Shuofang, replacing Qin Mu as the Chief Constable of the Six Doors in Shuozhou. Of course! Baili Rou also returned. This tall but delicate-faced "muscle Barbie" is now completely devoted to Han Chen. The two often openly display their affection, even when Baili Bing looks displeased.
"Hey! Take it easy, your sister will get married eventually!" Qin Mu said with a smile, gently patting Baili Bing's shoulder.
Baili Bing is the kind of person who pays great attention to etiquette, so she disapproves of Han Chen and the others being too intimate in front of others, believing that Han Chen has corrupted her sister.
"You brat! Rou'er used to be so obedient, he's the one who corrupted her."
Pretending not to hear Baili Bing's sour tone, Qin Mu actually wanted to tell him that a woman in love never sees anyone else, not even her brother.
Two others returned to Shuofang: Pei Xingjian, who was slightly younger than Qin Mu, and Fang Yi'ai. Pei Xingjian was Zhang Gongjin's subordinate, whom Qin Mu had recruited, while Fang Yi'ai had come of his own accord. According to him, Chang'an was no fun at all.
Of course! Fang Xuanling was more than happy for him to leave; he practically sent his son away like a plague carrier. In the three months since returning to Chang'an, more than ten sons of noble families had been beaten by Fang Yi'ai, some so severely they were still bedridden. He completely disliked his former friends. Those who had bullied him had all gotten their revenge.
Qin Mu also had a headache with Fang Yi'ai. He was hopeless at studying! He'd fall asleep almost instantly if he picked up a book. But he was cultivating the Righteous Qi and had opened up the Tanzhong acupoint!
Forget about spiritual techniques; he'll just imbue his weapons with righteous energy and chop people down like a martial artist. There's some good news, though: his strength is steadily and continuously increasing.
Such talent is enviable! Therefore, Qin Mu could only have someone act as his sparring partner to train his martial arts skills and adaptability.
Without Xi Junmai, the Five Elements Formation's power has decreased somewhat; it would take a hundred silver-ranked constables working together to suppress Fang Yiai.
Fang Yi'ai was sent flying by the force of the impact, landing on his knees and sliding several meters. Qin Mu and the others couldn't help but look on with envy at the three stripes left on the grass. If it weren't for the fact that this guy looked similar to Fang Xuanling, they would have wondered whether he was human or beastman.
"His Majesty inquired about our methods of training soldiers, and I handed over the pill formula as well." Having had enough of the flirting, Han Chen ignored Baili Bing's angry gaze and said to Qin Mu.
"This is not surprising. It would be abnormal if we didn't attract attention when we trained so many experts who are more skilled than us."
"Giving up the pill formula is no big deal. Without the help of a secret realm and the Moon Pearl, the pills wouldn't be as effective! And the flesh and bones of ferocious beasts—it's not easy to keep cultivating them," Qin Mu said nonchalantly.
Han Chen nodded. He understood the logic perfectly. They had many resources for refining pills, and the imperial court might be able to provide that. However, the subsequent process would be much more difficult. Not to mention the ferocious beasts they obtained from the secret realm, which were fed to their subordinates bone and all, the two-month-long campaign across the grasslands had kept everyone on edge, constantly striving to cultivate and become as strong as possible. Then there were the wolf clan's mounts; from the beginning, they had acquired a large number of wolf riders, feeding them three meals a day—enough to make even an ordinary person strong.
As a physician, he knew best that under conditions of constant replenishment and continuous combat, one's strength would increase the fastest. The fear of death can be immense, but it can also easily unleash a person's potential.
Everyone who survived the ordeal gained strength, and it's no wonder that the soldiers and low- to mid-level officers who had experienced countless battles and received significant replenishment were able to grow rapidly.
To have such luxurious conditions—eating these highly nutritious meats three times a day, along with elixirs and wolf-specific medicinal herbs—would be extremely difficult even with the combined resources of the imperial court. Unless it's only a small-scale breeding operation.
Martial artists have the best appetites, especially when they are constantly engaged in high-intensity battles and traveling. Eating one person or half a wolf a day is quite easy for them. If it weren't for war, even the richest and most powerful person would be eaten out of house and home.
On the main battlefield, the number of wolf riders and warhorses killed was certainly much greater, but there were also many of them! When divided among them, it seemed insignificant.
Like cultivation, supplementation requires consistency. Only when the body has replenished its needs will it have excess energy to become stronger. Imagine if you supplemented every few days; the body would have already digested the energy from the previous supplementation, so how could it have excess energy to advance?
"Could we buy some beast meat from the secret realm?" Qin Mu asked, clicking his tongue. Those experiences were summaries he and Han Chen had made afterward, and he fondly remembered the lavish training of his subordinates.
"Don't even think about it! A huge creature appeared in the secret realm, and more than a dozen of the top experts from the four major families were killed or injured. There's no way they'd sell it to you. They're too busy cultivating their own right now," Baili Bing said, shaking his head repeatedly.
"Alright!" Qin Mu said regretfully. He was already content that the Tianshui family could continue to help catch the Triangular Cattle.
"What big thing?" Han Chen asked curiously.
"There's a behemoth a hundred meters long, impervious to swords and spears, and no one can do anything about its spiritual techniques and battle formations. There's also a gigantic flying beast that blots out the sky when it flies, its wings whipping up sand and stones. Now, entering the secret realm requires utmost caution; no one dares to provoke them," Baili Bingjie said. This was all news he'd heard from his family. Before he could even finish speaking, he learned that two of the four great families had their patriarchs severely injured.
"Why haven't we seen each other before?" Han Chen said in surprise.
"Luckily, we didn't encounter them. Perhaps the hunting was too much, disrupting the balance of the secret realm and making those big guys feel the danger," Qin Mu speculated.
"That's what my family thinks too, so right now, we're just using the secret realm to find some medicinal herbs and cultivate a bit on the edge," Baili Bing said.
"What a pity," Han Chen clicked his tongue regretfully.
"It's alright. Once the salt is available, we can trade medicinal herbs from all over the world, and then you'll be able to develop even more elixirs," Qin Mu comforted him.
"Excellent! Excellent! Especially the ginseng from Northeast China, the snow lotus from Tianshan, the red fruit from the Western Regions, and the purple-leafed orchid from the grasslands..." Han Chen said excitedly.
"Stop! Stop!" Qin Mu raised his hand to stop them, rolling his eyes as he said, "Those are all top-grade medicinal herbs, highly valued by everyone else. How could they be willing to exchange them for salt..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Mu frowned, pondered, and continued, "What you said makes sense; it really could be put into practice."
Han Chen knew he was being somewhat naive, but seeing that Qin Mu had taken it seriously, his eyes lit up and he asked, "How do I do it?"
"Purple-leaf orchids and ginseng are merely good medicinal herbs in the eyes of the wolf clan and the Khitan people, and are also among the important commodities they offer in exchange. They are obtainable through trade. We can use these two items to exchange for the Vermilion Fruit Snow Lotus," Qin Mu speculated.
“That’s right! That’s right! Purple Leaf Heart Orchid is the medicinal herb that the Buddhist family needs most. It only grows in large quantities deep in the grasslands. The Buddhist family is willing to exchange one for three.” Han Chen nodded excitedly.
"It's settled then! We'll set up a caravan specifically for this purpose," Qin Mu said, making up his mind.
"Who will be in charge? Getting to the Northeast won't be easy!" Han Chen frowned.
These people all hold important positions and cannot leave for a short period of time.
"Let Pei Shouyue go! Yi'ai will accompany him as an escort! They'll cross from the grasslands and enter through Juyong Pass. Along the way, they can also trade some scattered wolf clan items," Qin Mu said after a moment's thought.
"This is a good idea. Establish caravans directly. The wolf tribe won't make things difficult for merchants, and you're so familiar with Juyong Pass, so crossing the pass will be easy. Going through the grasslands is much easier than going through Guanzhong!" Han Chen agreed.
From the grasslands, you can go straight. You have connections with Juyong Pass and Youzhou on the other side, so you don't need to worry about being taxed by cities along the way.
Currently in the Tang Dynasty, there is no uniform tax for merchant caravans. Generally, customs duties are levied based on the size of the caravan. Almost every city collects some tax. This is too troublesome!
When Qin Mu found Pei Xingjian and told him about it, he accepted the task with great interest. Having known Qin Mu for so long, he admired him and enjoyed working with him.
Although Pei Xingjian was a member of the Pei family, his branch had declined, and all his parents and brothers had died, making him practically an orphan. Naturally, he had no resources left. His job working under Zhang Gongjin was through the help of a friend of his father, who introduced him to the family.
Qin Mu had no prejudice; whether in the secret realm or the grasslands, he treated everyone the same. Gao Kan had once reminded him to get closer to Qin Mu.
What's the point of trading those good medicinal herbs? Isn't it all for their subordinates? Although Qin Mu will probably use most of it himself, even if he can't get the meat, he can still have some soup.
It's no secret among the higher-ups in Shuofang that refined salt is now common knowledge. Qin Mu is even preparing another workshop to collect the coarse salt from the market and refine it into refined salt, so that the people of Shuofang can all have access to refined salt.
Qin Mu was not worried that the people of Shuofang could not afford refined salt. He never thought of selling it for money. He wanted to use the refined salt as a reward, as wages.
Han Chen is having the Six Doors establish a base, which will be a salt shop. The refined salt produced will be sold in these shops run by their own people.
One group buys coarse salt, while another sells it; this way, they can avoid the notice of those with ulterior motives. Li Shimin knows it doesn't matter, but for now, no one else can know that coarse salt can be refined into refined salt. Everything will be pushed to the secret mining area eventually.
Make a profit first, and then gradually promote it as production increases. This will not affect the people. In fact, as refined salt is promoted, the price of coarse salt will definitely drop, which is actually a good thing for the people.
All of this is being prepared in full swing, just waiting for the border city to open and shock the world.
70
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