The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 047 The Clear Water Flows Eastward
Tang Shen and Yao San had just entered Qianli Tower when Shopkeeper Xing came forward with a smile and said, "Greetings to the newly appointed tanhua."
Tang Shen smiled and replied, "Shopkeeper Xing, why are you behaving like those people who come to my house every day to give gifts?"
"Tang gongzi, you’re extraordinary now. At just sixteen years old, you've become a tanhua. Your future is limitless. How could I neglect you? Please don’t tease me," Shopkeeper Xing said politely. But when he saw that Tang Shen wasn't arrogant or conceited, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Behind Shopkeeper Xing was the Jing Prince Manor. Tang Shen was set to collaborate with the Jing Prince's household. Even if Tang Shen had become the zhuangyuan, he wouldn’t dare to show any disrespect before the Jing Prince Residence. However, the person who frequently interacted with Tang Shen wasn't the Jing Prince or the heir, but him, the shopkeeper! Seeing that Tang Shen was still the same, Shopkeeper Xing felt reassured, thinking that their future cooperation would likely remain unchanged.
He respectfully led Tang Shen to a private room on the fourth floor. As soon as Tang Shen entered, he saw Zhao Qiong already waiting inside.
Zhao Qiong said, "Jing Ze, today we must celebrate your success as tanhua! Here’s a bottle of Monkey Wine that Qianli Pavilion has treasured for years. Let’s drink until we’re drunk!"
Tang Shen cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Heir."
The two laughed heartily and chatted over drinks.
After they finished their meal, Shopkeeper Xing personally entered the private room, cleaned the table, and served a pot of steaming Longjing tea.
Tang Shen and Zhao Qiong sipped tea and discussed business.
Tang Shen said, "Heir, as you may know, I'm from Gusu, and the soap business in Gusu is managed by my uncle's family. In Jinling, it’s handled by the richest family, the Zhengs. Our cooperation with the Zheng family is such that our Tang family workshop produces the soap and other items, which are then shipped directly to Jinling via the Grand Canal."
Zhao Qiong pondered for a moment and said, "From Gusu to Jinling, the journey isn’t far, and the costs are low. Jing Ze, you should know that Shengjing is different from Jinling—it's much farther from Gusu!"
Tang Shen nodded, "Yes, the Heir is right, I’m well aware of that. That’s why I’ve had Yao San keep an eye on the workshops in the outskirts of Shengjing since the beginning of the year. Last month, he managed to acquire one. It was originally a distillery, and the workers haven’t been replaced. With some guidance, they can easily transition to soap production."
Zhao Qiong’s eyes lit up as he understood. "So, you’re planning to set up a soap workshop directly in Shengjing?"
"Exactly."
Zhao Qiong smiled slightly. "Smart. Jing Ze, try this Mingqian Longjing. It’s an imperial tribute tea, not something ordinary people get to taste."
Tang Shen didn’t really understand tea, but he had spent a year learning from Liang Song and another year under Wang Zhen’s tutelage. Imitating Wang Zhen's tea-drinking manner, he gently lifted the tea lid, wafted away the steam, and took a sip.
Tang Shen praised, "It leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth and is truly unforgettable!"
After Tang Shen left, Zhao Qiong called Shopkeeper Xing in, and the master and servant talked for a while.
The next day, Shopkeeper Xing followed Yao San to the soap workshop in the outskirts of Shengjing, confirming the specific output and delivery times.
Back when Tang Shen refused to set up a soap workshop outside Jinling, he feared that the distance from the imperial court would make it difficult for the Tang family to control, leading to potential losses if the local Zheng family took advantage of them. But now, in the unfathomable Shengjing, Tang Shen chose to establish a workshop directly.
First, he was no longer a mere juren. He relied not only on the Tang family but also on himself, being about to settle in Shengjing as the tanhua, a disciple of Fu Wei, and with Wang Zhen as his senior brother. If anyone dared to seize the workshop, Wang Zhen might not act, but Fu Wei certainly wouldn’t stand by.
Second, Tang Shen’s business partner was the Jing Prince Residence. Anyone who wanted to interfere with the Jing Prince’s business would have to think twice. The only risk Tang Shen had to guard against was from the Jing Prince himself.
"There’s no business without risk!" Tang Shen sighed.
Soap wasn’t a novelty among Shengjing’s wealthy families, but its real customer base was the common folk.
The people of Shengjing had heard of soap, a product from Jiangnan similar to lye. However, it wasn’t until Autumn Hall started selling soap that the citizens realized, "This is far better than lye!"
Tang Shen only conducted business in Gusu, Jinling, and Shengjing.
Each of these three places were wealthier than the last!
By late May, the first batch of soap from the workshop was sold out in half a day.
When Tang Shen took up his post at the Hanlin Academy that evening, he visited Fu Wei at the Fu Residence. As Fu Qin led him to the study, he said, "Tang daren, I heard that the soap sold at Autumn Hall is from your family? It’s really excellent. Yesterday, my mother bought a piece and today she told me it’s gentler on the hands than lye and smells better too."
Tang Shen smiled, "Your mother bought some too?"
Fu Qin replied, "My mother is the laundry woman here at the residence. Tang daren once gave Mr. Fu a few pieces of soap, but it wasn’t enough. Now that there’s soap for sale in Shengjing, the residence has switched entirely to using it."
Tang Shen immediately said, "How can the items Mr. Fu uses be bought? I’ll have Feng Bi send a basket of soap each month. Make sure the household takes as much as they need; there’ll be plenty."
Fu Qin had only mentioned it in passing and hadn’t expected Tang Shen to be so thoughtful. Though it was a small matter, he gratefully said, "Thank you, Tang daren!"
As the capital of the Song Dynasty, Shengjing had a culture that combined the simplicity and robustness of the north with an open and inclusive spirit. People quickly accepted soap, and within a few days, the banks of the mighty Shengjing Canal were filled with women washing clothes with soap!
The workers in the workshop were new to soap making, so Tang Shen temporarily had them produce only original soap, not touching scented soap or essential oils.
In June, the iron tools for essential oil production were brought to the workshop. The workers gathered around the large, dark, iron contraption in amazement as Yao San explained the essential oil production process. As an official of the Hanlin Academy, although it was allowed for officials to engage in commerce in this dynasty, Tang Shen still chose to remain behind the scenes, leaving these matters to Yao San.
Making essential oils is a bit more challenging than making soap. To produce high-quality essential oils, one needs more skill and practice.
Now is the season when all the flowers are in bloom. Back in the spring, Tang Shen had already instructed the workshop staff to collect flower petals. Dried petals are used to make essential oils, but the purity won't be as high, and the scent won't be as strong. These oils are considered low-grade and are sold at a lower price. However, come June, with fresh petals from lotus, jasmine, peony, carnation, and other flowers, the essential oils made are high-grade and can be sold at a higher price.
Above these, there are also mixed essential oils made from various flowers.
At the fourth-floor private room in Qianli Tower:
Shopkeeper Xing first sniffed the low-grade essential oil made from dried petals and commented, "Rich and fragrant!"
Then he smelled the essential oil made from fresh petals and remarked, "Fresh and pure!"
Tang Shen took out the mixed essential oil and said, "This is what I call the limited Golden Wisp."
Shopkeeper Xing immediately took the essential oil with great care. He opened the small lid and gently sniffed it, his expression changing slightly. Then, he closed his eyes and carefully smelled it several more times. Finally, he opened his eyes and gave Tang Shen a wry smile, saying, "Tang gongzi, you truly trouble me. Although Autumn Hall usually only sells jewelry, I am also the shopkeeper of Qianli Tower. While I wouldn't say my sense of smell is extraordinarily keen, it's still better than the average person's. I can tell that your low-grade Golden Wisp, although fragrant, is somewhat inferior to the high-grade one—the difference is there. But as for this limited Golden Wisp, yes, it is a mixture of various floral scents. Perhaps I am dull and lacking in sophistication, but I feel that the mixture doesn't seem that remarkable, and is there really such a significant difference between it and the high-grade one? Personally, I prefer the lotus-scented Golden Wisp, which is elegant and pleasing!"
Tang Shen smiled and said, "I never claimed that the limited Golden Wisp was better than the high-grade one."
Shopkeeper Xing looked puzzled and asked, "Then what is this about?"
"Shopkeeper Xing, what is the most expensive dish in your Qianli Tower?"
"Naturally, it's bear paw and abalone!"
"What makes it expensive?"
"The rarity of the ingredients."
Tang Shen said, "But I’ve heard that there are two bear paw dishes at Qianli Tower—one is indeed very expensive, while the other is not the priciest. There's even a vegetarian dish that is more expensive than the latter."
Shopkeeper Xing replied, "I didn't expect Tang gongzi to know so much about Qianli Tower. That's right, we do have a vegetarian dish called ‘East Flowing Green Water.’ It's made with the first drop of dew collected at dawn, just as the morning sun rises, paired with the season's freshest eight types of vegetables. They are first blanched, then simmered over low heat, and finally stir-fried. When plated, the dew is released from a small hole into a glass tile below, with the vegetables on top. We only serve eight plates per day, and when they're gone, they're gone." Shopkeeper Xing's expression turned proud.
Tang Shen asked, "So, it's basically a stir-fried vegetable dish?"
Shopkeeper Xing hesitated, "Ah, but your words…"
He found himself unable to refute!
Tang Shen continued, "Eight kinds of vegetables, prepared in such a way, can be more expensive than a bear paw. Shopkeeper Xing, who says that something being tasty or something smelling good necessarily makes it more expensive? What people in this world pursue is never the thing itself! The Golden Wisp was never intended to be sold to the common folk. If I were to tell you that this limited Golden Wisp was made from the freshest petals picked every morning, wouldn't you say it’s precious?"
Shopkeeper Xing replied, "Of course, but Tang gongzi, isn't that deceitful?"
"I'm just making an analogy. However, the limited Golden Wisp does require more effort to produce than the high-grade version. How to blend these scents without making them unpleasant—just the process of matching these combinations is enough to make one’s head spin. The formula itself is an art!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Shen suddenly paused, and in the next moment, his eyes lit up. "Shopkeeper Xing, when the Autumn Hall begins selling scented soap and the Golden Wisp during the Qixi Festival, I hope you can do something for me—something I haven't done before in Gusu or Jinling."
Shopkeeper Xing immediately straightened up and said, "Please instruct me!"