Free alcohol
Xie Zhuo knew that Fu Zhiqiao would return to Qingzhou every year before spring plowing to personally oversee the work. After court, he changed into his everyday clothes and rushed to Fu's residence, urging Fu Zhiqiao to stay in the capital for a while longer. He then revealed to her that the court might purchase alcohol from her.
"You mean the imperial court will increase its procurement of alcohol?"
Xie Zhuo nodded, but did not elaborate on what had happened in the court that morning. He only said, "His Majesty has decreed that all the people in the world should have access to alcohol."
Previously, Xie Zhuo, representing the court, negotiated with Fu Zhiqiao, who was willing to concede 20% of the profits. Now that the purchase volume is increased, the price needs to be renegotiated. Since the court does not want her alcohol formula, it is impossible for them to concede on the profit margin. Xie Zhuo wanted Fu Zhiqiao to be mentally prepared.
Fu Zhiqiao understood what he meant.
Fu Zhiqiao had expected the imperial court to increase its purchases, because the court had bought alcohol from her three times before. Under what circumstances would someone buy alcohol again and again?
It seems the imperial court has fully grasped the wonders of alcohol.
"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." She had to show the emperor her sincerity. After a moment of contemplation, Fu Zhiqiao decided to only charge the court for the raw materials and transportation costs of the alcohol.
Xie Zhuo paused for a moment, then hesitated, "Wouldn't you be at a loss?"
Loss? How could you lose money?
Merchants are driven by profit.
From the perspective of refining alcohol for the imperial court alone, she was losing money, but in the long run, she not only did not lose money but actually made a profit.
The fact that the imperial court is paying for the raw materials for brewing alcohol means that she no longer has to worry about not being able to buy brewing materials. She can even seek help from the imperial court in times of difficulty. It is a small matter that she cannot brew alcohol because she has no grain, but it is a big matter if she delays the brewing of alcohol!
If the imperial court covers the transportation costs, then she will have even less to worry about.
She already had a caravan, and now was the perfect time to expand it by officially turning it into a transport team. The transport team operated under the guise of serving the imperial court, so bandits in the mountains and rivers would think twice before encountering them.
These are all tangible benefits, and the hidden benefits are countless.
Her Taibai Tower, Fuyun Pavilion, and Taibai Wine Shop in Qingzhou could all receive the protection of the imperial court, and she was no longer afraid of being ostracized and suppressed by her peers, since no one dared to go against the imperial court.
On the surface, she was at a disadvantage by producing alcohol for the imperial court for free, but in the long run, she was definitely the one who benefited.
Xie Zhuo, carrying news of Fu Zhiqiao, sought an audience with the Chengde Emperor: "Your Majesty, do you still remember Lady Ming'an?"
The Emperor Chengde frowned. "The Lady of Ming'an County? Who is she?"
He really doesn't remember.
Seeing this, Xie Zhuo whispered a reminder: "It's that woman who invented alcohol; she was later bestowed the title of Lady of Ming'an County by His Majesty."
"It's her, what's wrong?" Emperor Chengde remembered.
"When Lady Ming'an heard that His Majesty intended to use alcohol for the benefit of the people, she felt deeply moved by His Majesty's love for the people and said that she was willing to refine alcohol for the court free of charge, only charging for raw materials and transportation."
"Oh?" The Chengde Emperor was taken aback and hesitated before asking, "Is this true?"
"Absolutely true! I would stake my life on it!"
The Chengde Emperor became interested and said, "Tell me about it properly."
Xie Zhuo bowed: "The Lady of Ming'an County said that His Majesty's benevolence and love for the people is a blessing for the Great Wei and a boon for the people. As a member of the Great Wei, she is willing to serve His Majesty."
"Hahaha!" Emperor Chengde laughed heartily. No one dislikes hearing compliments. The words "the good fortune of the Great Wei and the blessing of the people" made him feel completely pleased.
That's right, he is the ruler of the world!
The Chengde Emperor was very pleased with Fu Zhiqiao and exclaimed, "It is said that merchants value profit, but it is remarkable that a woman like her has such a strong sense of righteousness."
Xie Zhuo readily agreed: "It's all because Your Majesty sets a good example. The people of the world have seen your benevolence!"
"Hahaha..." Laughter echoed again from the Imperial Study.
With Xie Zhuo acting as a go-between, the imperial court quickly signed a formal contract with Fu Zhiqiao.
Holding the newly signed contract, Fu Zhi Qiao beamed with a wide smile. With the promise of making alcohol available to all the people, the court's demand for alcohol would undoubtedly surge this year, only stabilizing in the next two years. Therefore, this year would be her year to shine, a time for her career to take off!
With a new planting plan, a new alcohol production line, and a whole host of other things to do, Fu Zhiqiao decided to rush to Qingzhou immediately to finalize the sorghum planting before the farmers started plowing the fields.
The matter was of great importance, and she was not comfortable entrusting it to her subordinates; she needed to personally oversee it to feel at ease.
Xie Zhuo was quite resentful about her having to return to Qingzhou. He didn't say anything, but the resentment in his eyes was undisguised.
She won't be back for at least a month or two, and Xie Zhuo doesn't want to be separated from Fu Zhi Qiao for so long.
Seeing this, Fu Zhiqiao was both amused and exasperated, and felt a little guilty. Xie Zhuo had played a crucial role in her successful connection with the imperial court. She immediately promised, "After I return from Qingzhou, I will stay in the capital for three months, no, half a year, more than half a year. I will never leave!"
Xie Zhuo hesitated, lowering his eyelids without speaking.
Fu Zhi Qiao pretended not to notice his awkwardness and changed her approach, "I'll stay by your side for the rest of the year, okay?"
Her eyes were smiling, and her tone was gentle, like a spring breeze in March. Xie Zhuo couldn't resist her and glanced at her: "A gentleman's word is his bond."
"A journey of a thousand miles cannot be overtaken."
*
Yu Roulan personally helped Fu Zhiqiao pack her luggage, and asked, "Do you want your mother to go back to Qingzhou with you?"
She didn't really want her daughter to leave her. Fu Zhi Qiao knew what she was thinking. "Mother, I'll be back as soon as I've arranged things."
Sighing inwardly, Yu Roulan thought to herself, her daughter was too smart and capable, but she, as her mother, couldn't help her much. In order not to cause trouble for Fu Zhiqiao, she decided not to suggest going back together.
Fu Zhiqiao instructed Defu and Chunlan to manage Taibai Tower and Fuyun Pavilion well, and to come to the mansion to discuss matters with the lady if needed.
Rejecting Xie Zhuo's offer to send her guards, Fu Zhi Qiao only planned to take Yin Xing and Cheng Ye Xuan back to Qingzhou. She didn't even bring Cui Mama, since Huang Mama was there to look after them at their residence in Qingzhou, so she wasn't worried about being left unattended.
As dawn broke, a carriage drove from the Fu residence toward the city gate.
At this moment, in the Prince Duan's residence, Zuo Murui was getting a little anxious.
Because yesterday, the person she sent to keep an eye on him came back and reported that the young master had gone to see Miss Fu again.
She had held back before because she didn't want to make the relationship between mother and son even more strained. Zuo Murui didn't dare to be too obvious in front of Xie Zhuo. She had been suppressing her temper for the past few days, only sending people to secretly guard the entrance of the Fu residence, hoping to warn Fu Zhi Qiao when she appeared.
However, Fu Zhi Qiao always traveled by carriage with maids and guards, so the people she sent out never found a good opportunity.
Now, someone reported that Xie Zhuo had met with that merchant girl again. Zuo Murui could no longer sit still. She wanted to ask Fu Zhiqiao why she had appeared in front of Xie Zhuo again when they had agreed not to.
She couldn't help but be anxious!
Feelings develop over time, and no matter what, she couldn't let their feelings for each other continue to deepen!
Since Fu Zhi Qiao broke the agreement first, she shouldn't be blamed for using her power to intimidate others.
If Fu Zhi Qiao were present, she would definitely refute her, "I promised not to actively seek out Xie Zhuo, but the current situation clearly shows that Xie Zhuo took the initiative to contact me, so how can this be considered that I broke my promise?"
Little did she know that by the time she made up her mind to take the initiative, Fu Zhi Qiao had already boarded a carriage and left the capital.
At the entrance of the Fu residence, Granny Zhang knocked on the door, "Is your young lady here?"
Gatekeeper: "Who are you?"
Granny Zhang smiled and said, "Please go and inform your young lady that Granny Zhang has something to discuss with her."
The gatekeeper first sized up her clothes, and thought she must be a servant from a wealthy family. Seeing her kind face, he smiled and replied, "It's really unfortunate, my young lady is not in the capital right now. If you have any urgent business, I can go and inform my lady."
"Not in the capital? Wasn't he here yesterday?"
"My daughter left this morning."
Granny Zhang forced a stiff smile. "Hehe, that's really unfortunate. There's no need to inform your mistress. I'll come back when Miss Fu returns."
Once inside the Prince's carriage, Granny Zhang told Zuo Murui that Fu Zhi Qiao had already left the capital.
He was still in the manor yesterday, how come he's not here this morning?
"Could it be that you're deliberately hiding from me and afraid to see me?"
Granny Zhang shook her head. "What I meant was that Madam Zuo wanted to see her. The gatekeeper didn't recognize me, and his reaction didn't seem fake."
Zuo Murui missed her target, and her anger surged rapidly, but she had nowhere to vent it. In her anger, she tore the silk handkerchief in her hand in two.
*
Spring plowing season will be approaching soon after the New Year.
In the colder northern regions, plowing doesn't begin until early April, while in the Jiangnan region, temperatures rise quickly, and plowing and sowing can begin around late February or early March.
On his second day in Qingzhou, Fu Zhiqiao personally visited the surrounding villages to persuade local farmers to plant peach and millet. Several villages around Liujia Village had already signed contracts with Taibai Winery to plant and purchase peach and millet, but that wasn't enough; the planting area needed to be further expanded to meet the winery's needs.
The imperial court plans to distribute a portion of the alcohol to the public, increasing demand and business volume. As a result, wineries need to further expand their production capacity. This requires increasing alcohol production lines, training winemakers, hiring more general workers, and building two new warehouses…
Fu Zhiqiao has been working non-stop. She finally managed to gain some weight on her face during the Spring Festival, but she has lost it all again in the past few days.
With her tiny face and pointed chin, Huang Mama felt sorry for her and tried every day to nourish her body. When Fu Zhi Qiao didn't want to eat, Huang Mama would bring up Yu Rou Lan, saying, "When the young lady returns to the capital, when Madam sees how thin you have become, won't she blame me for not taking good care of you?"
As she spoke, she brought over a bowl of soup. Opening the lid, she found it contained braised pigeon with old ginger, which emitted a rich aroma after being simmered over low heat.
The soup was good, but you get tired of drinking it every few days. Looking at Granny Huang's eager eyes, Fu Zhi Qiao had no choice but to drink the nourishing soup.
Although there were many miscellaneous tasks, fortunately she had two capable assistants, Wen Jiang and Wen Shan. After two years of training, the two brothers had grown into managers who could handle things independently. They managed the winery very well, and Fu Zhi Qiao felt at ease entrusting things to them. She only needed to give instructions and supervise from the side.
More than a month had passed by the time all the arrangements for expanding planting and production were made.
After several light rains, the vegetation grew even more lush.
She changed her thick coat into a thinner silk dress.
During this time, Xie Zhuo also sent a letter. In the letter, he did not say anything about asking her to go back soon, but every word expressed his expectation for her to return.
Fu Zhi Qiao laughed as she watched; Xie Zhuo seemed to be clinging to her even more.
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