After Chu Fan produced the first bag of refined salt, he brought his men to purify two more bags of refined salt using mineral salt, and then had Mu Xi and the Changsun sisters each take a bag home. Of course, Liu Xueyu had been living in the palace and didn't need to cook separately, so she didn't need to bring any.
When the women brought the carefully crafted refined salt home, the elders were completely shocked and incredulous. His Majesty not only knew how to make refined salt, but he also created such exquisite and delicate salt. This made people wonder if His Majesty was truly omnipotent.
The elders of the Mu and Changsun families immediately realized the huge profits involved and began to think about how to give their daughters in the palace the opportunity to learn how to make this precious refined salt.
After all, mastering this technology means mastering a steady stream of wealth and influence.
However, the answer they received was that Mu Xi, Changsun Pinting, and the others were all familiar with the method of making refined salt, which made the people of both families feel extremely happy. After the women conveyed Chu Fan's subsequent instructions, everyone fell silent and gradually regained consciousness.
His two families have already received enough benefits. If he wants to take all the benefits, then his family may become the target of hostility of all the nobles and officials of Wei State. Therefore, his family cannot get involved in the refined salt matter this time.
Even though their own families couldn't directly participate, it didn't mean they didn't have other plans. That very evening, the patriarchs of the two families summoned the patriarchs of other families they trusted to hold a meeting in their own families to discuss how to take over the refined salt business from His Majesty.
The next day, Mu Xi arrived at the palace with a very beautiful woman, whom a close friend of his father, Mu Yunfeng, had long begged him to introduce to His Majesty.
But when he was about to enter the palace, Mu Xi stopped. After all, the palace was not a place that anyone could enter.
At this particular moment, Eunuch Li happened to appear in front of the grand gate of the palace. He saw Mu Xi standing at the gate of the palace with a woman, and seemed to be hesitant to go in directly.
Eunuch Li stepped forward with a hint of concern and curiosity, and politely asked, "Miss Mu, why didn't you go directly to the palace today? Did you encounter any trouble or have something special to deal with?"
Mu Xi replied respectfully, "Reporting to Chief Steward Li, this is Wen Xuexuan, the daughter of Imperial Censor Wen Zhengqing. Her father has specifically asked me to send her to the palace."
After hearing Mu Xi's words, Eunuch Li immediately understood the Imperial Censor's plan. However, he didn't directly point it out. Instead, he carefully studied Wen Xuexuan. After all, His Majesty had once instructed him to recruit a civil servant's daughter into the palace, and this woman perfectly met His Majesty's requirements. Furthermore, Wen Xuexuan's appearance was so outstanding that Eunuch Li was sure His Majesty would be attracted to her.
Eunuch Li smiled faintly and looked at Mu Xi. He looked at her gently and said softly, "Miss Mu, since things have come to this, please ask Miss Mu and Miss Wen to accompany me to the palace. His Majesty needs some new faces recently, and perhaps Miss Wen can bring some joy and freshness to His Majesty."
Mu Xi nodded gently, then turned his gaze to Wen Xuexuan and said in a very serious tone, "Xuexuan, let's go in with Eunuch Li. I believe that with your talent and beauty, you will definitely find a place for yourself in the palace. However, you must know what to say and what not to say in the palace. You must know the limits."
Wen Xuexuan lowered her head slightly and nodded, a determined and bright light flashing in her eyes. She was deeply aware that this moment was not just a simple turning point for her, but perhaps a great opportunity to change her destiny.
She understood that this was a moment to fight not just for herself, but for the honor and glory of her family. Entering the palace, she must earn His Majesty's approval; only then would her family gain His Majesty's support. Filled with determination and courage, she prepared to face the impending challenge.
She turned gently and smiled at Mu Xi, who was standing beside her, with gratitude in her eyes. She quietly thanked Mu Xi for his continued support and help. Mu Xi smiled and nodded, his eyes full of trust and encouragement.
Wen Xuexuan then took a deep breath, composed herself, and with determined steps, followed Eunuch Li into the magnificent and mysterious palace. She knew that from this moment on, her life would undergo drastic changes. She would face not only unknown challenges but also the crucial mission of striving for glory for her family.
Eunuch Li led Mu Xi and the others to Chu Fan's location. Mu Xi and Eunuch Li entered the courtyard where Chu Fan had stayed the previous day. Meanwhile, Wen Xuexuan waited outside the door for Chu Fan to summon her.
When Mu Xi entered the room, Chu Fan was busy instructing Changsun Pinting and other assistants, concentrating on the process of refining the salt. Since Chu Fan didn't deal with memorials or attend court, he didn't have many other urgent matters to attend to, so he decided to continue the process of extracting the refined salt.
After completing the first filtration process, Chu Fan was not satisfied. He decided to dissolve the filtered refined salt again, and then go through more detailed filtration and boiling steps in order to obtain purer and finer fine salt.
At this time, Eunuch Li stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, the daughter of the Imperial Censor, Wen Xuexuan, is outside the courtyard requesting an audience."
When Chu Fan heard the words "Grand Censor," his eyes immediately lit up with excitement. Grand Censors were renowned throughout history for their outspokenness and courageous criticism, preferring to leave their names in history rather than give up their honest advice to the emperor.
However, Chu Fan also understood that there weren't many censors who truly sacrificed their lives for speaking out, thus leaving their names in history. In his memory, most of those censors who left a lasting impression on history didn't actually risk their lives for their own remonstrances. They were often able to assess the situation and seize the opportunity.
In some cases, the emperor of a country has made a wrong decision, but it would be too embarrassing to take it back. At this time, an imperial censor needs to step forward and make a death-defying remonstration.
In this way, the emperor could use the excuse of being persuaded to cancel his wrong decision, rather than appearing to have voluntarily abandoned his original decision. In this way, the emperor saved his face and avoided being seen as a person who did not keep his word; and the censor gained a good reputation.
This subtle political game is precisely the important role that the Imperial Censors have played throughout history.
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