Chapter 78
She walked to the map, stretched out her finger, and pointed heavily at a coastal port.
"here."
Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable firmness.
"Let's go 'boil the sea'."
"Boil the sea?"
Shen Yanzhi and Zhao Lin were stunned at the same time.
This word is both familiar and unfamiliar to them.
It is familiar because it is recorded in history books that the ancients once brought seawater into the beach, exposed it to the sun and wind, and made sea salt.
The reason for its unfamiliarity is that since the founding of Daliang, the salt administration has been controlled by the government. The inland areas are mainly well salt and pond salt, with stable output and high quality.
Although there are sporadic salt-making operations in coastal areas, the craftsmanship is crude and the salt produced is extremely bitter. It is mostly called "bitter salt" and can only be used for pickling fish and cannot be used in daily cooking.
The government cracked down severely on the private production and sale of salt. Over time, the ancient and inefficient method of "boiling sea water to make salt" has almost disappeared.
"No." Shen Yanzhi almost immediately rejected the idea. "Qingyuan, this is too risky. The production process of sea salt is complicated and time-consuming. Not to mention that we don't have anyone knowledgeable in the field, even if we did, producing 50,000 dan of edible refined salt in just over ten days is simply a fantasy."
Zhao Lin echoed, "Princess, please think twice. Besides, illegally producing salt is a serious crime. If someone from the Grand Tutor's Mansion catches you and brings it before His Majesty, the charge will be far more serious than rumors of 'intentional rebellion.'"
Song Qingyuan did not refute. She just looked at the map quietly. Her eyes seemed to penetrate the paper and see the turbulent sea.
"Your Highness, do you still remember that there was an inconspicuous list in my dowry?" She suddenly spoke and asked an irrelevant question.
Shen Yanzhi was slightly startled, then nodded: “Remember.
They are several farms and shops located in the south of the Yangtze River and along the coast. They are in remote areas and do not produce much. I was surprised at the time why the Song family, the richest family in the world, would give you these..."
"That's not the point." Song Qingyuan interrupted him, walked to the desk, picked up a pen, and quickly drew a simple flow chart on the paper. "The point is, my maternal grandfather's family, before they became rich, were salt farmers on the coast."
This news surprised Shen Yanzhi and Zhao Lin. Song Qingyuan's maternal grandfather was a prominent family in Jiangnan, famous for its silk and tea business. They had never expected such a connection.
"My grandfather once told me that salt doesn't come only from wells and ponds. The ocean is the inexhaustible treasure trove. The reason ordinary sea salt tastes bitter is because it's mixed with too many impurities, which they call 'bite'."
As Song Qingyuan painted, he explained, "But my maternal grandfather has a set of ancestral 'brining method'. They filter the salt repeatedly with wood ash to remove the bitterness. Then they use a special method to crystallize it. The resulting salt is snow-white and delicate, and the taste is even better than well salt."
She pushed the finished drawing in front of Shen Yanzhi: “This method is regarded as a secret by my maternal family.
Among the coastal farms I brought with me as a dowry, there was a secret salt field specifically designed to test this salt-making method! There were loyal old subordinates, ready-made salt fields, and tools.
Although the scale is small, as long as we have enough manpower and financial resources, we can succeed in a short period of time!"
Shen Yanzhi looked at the exquisite process on the drawing, then looked at Song Qingyuan's amazingly bright eyes, and was shocked beyond words.
He always thought that he married a cat with sharp claws, but he didn't expect that she was a bottomless treasure that could always bring him unexpected surprises at the most critical moment.
This plan was indeed crazy, but amidst the madness, there was also a hint of rigorous feasibility.
"Okay." A fire also ignited in Shen Yanzhi's eyes. He no longer hesitated and made a quick decision, "Let's do as you say!"
He looked at Zhao Lin and ordered in a deep voice, "Zhao Lin, immediately call upon all the trustworthy guards of Prince Qi's Palace, and secretly transfer 500 elite soldiers from the main camp outside the capital under the pretext of suppressing bandits.
The troops split into two groups, one group traveled day and night to Qingfeng Ferry to assist Lin Feng in minimizing the impact of the shipwreck. They also secretly tracked down clues about the pirates and made sure to find evidence of the mastermind behind the incident!
"Yes!" Zhao Lin clasped his fists and accepted the order.
"Another way," Shen Yanzhi turned his gaze to Song Qingyuan, his voice unconsciously softened, "You will personally lead and escort the princess to the coastal salt fields. As many men and silver as you need, the palace is at your disposal!"
Zhao Lin was shocked when he heard this and blurted out: "Your Majesty, aren't you going in person? This matter is of great importance. The princess is a precious lady. If she goes to that remote place, I'm afraid..."
"I can't go." Shen Yanzhi shook his head, his eyes sharp as a knife. "If I leave the capital, Li Song will definitely notice. I must stay in the capital to attract all the attention for you and stabilize the situation."
He looked at Song Qingyuan and said word by word: "The capital is the front battlefield between you and me. And the coastal areas are your surprise troops. This battle, we will fight separately."
A warm feeling surged in Song Qingyuan's heart.
He did not look down on her plan just because she was a woman, nor did he protect her under his wing. Instead, he gave her the most complete trust and support, allowing her to stand on her own and open up a new battlefield.
The feeling of being treated as a true comrade and fighting side by side moved her more than any sweet words.
"Okay." She nodded solemnly, her eyes no longer showing any hesitation, only a high fighting spirit. "The capital is now in your hands. Within ten days, I will deliver 50,000 shi of refined salt to you!"
"I don't ask for speed, I just ask for your safety." Shen Yanzhi held her hand. The hand that had just been pointing fingers at the world now seemed a little slender in his palm. He used some force, as if to transfer his strength to her.
The two looked at each other, and there were thousands of words that were expressed without words.
The night was as dark as ink. Two teams quietly sailed out of the Prince of Yan's Palace. One team headed west, heading for the turbulent Qingfeng Ferry. The other team headed east, heading for the blue sea full of unknowns and hope.
The capital city still maintains its superficial calm.
The porridge stalls were still crowded with people. The common people, holding their salt coupons, looked forward to the arrival of Sichuan salt, completely unaware of the impending crisis.
Shen Yanzhi was in charge of the palace, handling official business as usual every day, meeting with subordinates, and even invited several famous scholars with great interest to hold a small poetry meeting in the palace, where they talked and laughed as if nothing had happened.
His calmness made Li Song, who had been observing secretly, feel suspicious.
"What the hell is Chen Yanzhi up to?" Inside the Grand Tutor's Mansion, Li Song frowned and said to his aide Wu Jing, "Logically, he should have received the news about Qingfeng Ferry. Why is he still so calm and composed? Could it be that he has some other tricks up his sleeve?"
Wu Jing was also puzzled. "Grand Master, I find this strange too. Logically, after losing 50,000 tons of salt, he should be extremely anxious. But instead of being anxious, he's holding a grand poetry gathering. This doesn't make sense."
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