Chapter 24. The beginning of the storm (Part 2). Two in one chapter
Not far from the front gate of the capital, there is a teahouse called "Ke Lai Tea House". It has elegant decoration, comfortable environment, and excellent refreshments. It has always been the most popular among scholars in the capital. Over the years, it has been quite lively with the coming and going of guests.
Yan Shiqing, the historian of the Hanlin Academy, was a frequent visitor to Ke Lai Tea House.
This Yan Shiqing is now in his mid-forties, has a somewhat withdrawn and old-fashioned temperament, is taciturn, has few close friends, and only likes to immerse himself in the study of knowledge. To put it simply, he is an "old scholar".
However, although Yan Shiqing did not like to interact with others, he liked to patronize this Ke Lai Teahouse.
Here, he often sat alone in front of a certain table, listening to the scholars around him exchanging knowledge and discussing current affairs, either having like-minded interests and hitting it off, or having opposite opinions and arguing loudly, all of which always made him feel good.
Comfortable.
In Yan Shiqing's view, this teahouse seemed ordinary, but in a certain respect, it was a manifestation of the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty's cultural governance.
On this day, Yan Shi had nothing to do and came to the Ke Lai Teahouse as usual.
Yan Shiqing was the historian of the Hanlin Academy. Although he was only a casual post, he had a high status. The waiters who came to the teahouse after seeing Yan Shiqing certainly did not dare to neglect him. They hurriedly greeted him with a flattering smile on his face and said repeatedly: "Hey
, Mr. Yan, you are here, please come inside quickly."
Looking at the waiter who greeted him, Yan Shiqing couldn't help but frown. In the past, he was always greeted personally by the shopkeeper of the teahouse.
Feeling that he had been neglected, Yan Shiqing felt a little dissatisfied. He looked at the waiter in front of him and asked slowly: "Where is your shopkeeper?"
After hearing Yan Shiqing's inquiry, the waiter's expression became strange, as if he was envious, but also seemed embarrassed, but he said, "Sir, please forgive me. My shopkeeper has something to do and has not been in the store for two or three days."
Hearing what the waiter said, Yan Shiqing nodded and said, "In that case, forget it. Take me to my old place and bring me another pot of good tea and two snacks."
The waiter graciously agreed, led Yan Shiqing to sit down at his old seat, apologized, and went to prepare tea for Yan Shiqing.
When Yan Shiqing saw the scene in the teahouse, he couldn't help but frown.
Without him, the always bustling guest-lai teahouse had only a few guests today, making it quite deserted.
There were only a few shabby-dressed guests drinking tea in the teahouse, but their expressions showed some inexplicable turmoil and loss.
"How come there are so few customers in this teahouse today? Could something have happened and I don't know about it?"
Looking at the scene in the teahouse, Yan Shiqing thought to himself.
While Yan Shiqing was thinking deeply, the conversation between two tea guests not far away caught Yan Shiqing's attention.
"Brother Zhao, why don't you see Brother Zhang here today?"
"Brother Li, don't you know? What else can be done? He went to Yihong Tower last night and only came out this morning. At this time, he is probably sleeping with his head covered."
"Oh? It is said that the price of the girl in Yihong Mansion has changed every day in the past two days, and now it has more than doubled. Brother Zhang is rich, so he can still afford it."
"Ha, how could he be worth anything? He seems to have sold off an antique bottle that was passed down from his family."
"Having a family heirloom antique bottle doesn't mean that Brother Zhang's family is rich? Unlike you and me, we just couldn't afford it after going there once or twice. The Yihong Building was originally one of the best in the capital.
In the brothel, the price of girls is also one of the most expensive, and now it has more than doubled. I am greedy to see it, but I am short of money."
"If Brother Li feels angry, just find a cheaper brothel."
"Brother Zhao, you are making fun of me again. After going to Yihong Mansion and looking at the other women in the brothel, they are all ugly and look like unsalted girls. How can I like them?"
After a pause, the "Brother Li" said again: "Brother Zhao, how come the girls from Yihonglou suddenly become as beautiful as gods? The ancients once said, 'Skin as white as snow, that is,
"Slippery and condensed," I just thought it was an exaggeration, but now I know that the ancients did not deceive me. Isn't the girl from Yihonglou like this now? I'm afraid even Xishi Diaochan is nothing more than this, right? "
As he spoke, anyone could hear the admiration in "Brother Li's" voice.
"Brother Zhao" also nodded repeatedly and said with nostalgia: "Yes, who would have thought that a woman's skin could be so white, smooth and delicate? It is simply unlike what the human world should have, and it is not only white and tender, but also has a gorgeous body fragrance."
Brother Li, I am not afraid of your jokes. I went to Yihong Mansion with Brother Zhang that day, and I saw those women who looked like gods. Their skin was as watery as jade under the lamp, and they were white and dazzling. There were also waves of fragrant body odor.
Xibi, I was actually crazy, as if my soul had been hooked, and I still haven’t gotten it back.”
"Brother Li" said with full approval: "This is not only true for Brother Zhao, but also for my younger brother. Up to now, all I can think about is those Sai Xue's delicate skin, as if water can come out just by rubbing it. It's so tempting. It's a pity.
I am short of money, so I can't live a romantic life like Brother Zhang."
While "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" were exchanging stories, the teahouse clerk also brought Yan Shiqing's refreshments. After placing them, he turned around and said to "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li"
"Brothers," the two said, "Don't you two guest officials know? The reason why the woman from Yihonglou is so white, tender and attractive is that she uses a thing called 'Xiangpan' to cleanse her body. It is said that it is mixed with soap."
It is almost the same, but the effect is much better. Use it to cleanse the body. Not only will the skin be as white as jade, smooth and delicate, but also have a pleasant fragrance. Hey, who would have thought that after washing the body with that soap, it can make people feel better.
Are you born so pure?"
Hearing what the teahouse waiter said, "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" were both stunned, and asked in unison: "Is this really true? How do you know so clearly?"
The teahouse waiter sighed and said: "I don't know clearly, but the news from the two guests is lagging behind. It seems that you can buy the fragrant pancreas at a shop called 'Yue Rong Fang', so now it's not just Yi Rong Fang."
The girls in famous brothels such as Red Mansion and Wanhua House are using scented pancreas. After getting the news, the girls in ordinary brothels also use scented pancreas in order to grab business. As a result, the girls in the brothels in the capital now,
No matter which one they are from, they are all white, tender, fragrant and soft, just like fairies."
As he spoke, the waiter pointed at the empty teahouse and said: "Why do these two guests think the business in this teahouse is so deserted today? Because other guests have gone to brothels, and the prices of girls in those small brothels are not the same.
The Yihong Building and the Wanhua Building are as expensive as the Wanhua Building, but they are just as white and fragrant. Even my shopkeeper has been lingering in a certain brothel these days. Except for coming back yesterday to get money, he never cares about it anymore.
Entering into this teahouse business."
After hearing what the teahouse waiter said, "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" looked at each other and were both ready to make a move.
The teahouse waiter continued: "But you two need to be more prepared. Because of the fragrant pancreas, the brothel business is booming now. Even if it is an ordinary brothel, although it is cheaper than those famous brothels, the prices are the same every day.
, if you don’t have enough money, you might as well go to Yuerongfang like me and buy a piece of fragrant pandan for your mother-in-law. Although domestic flowers are not as fragrant as wild flowers, they are always better than the original ones."
After "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" looked at each other again, they stood up together. Just as they were about to say something, Yan Shiqing, who had been listening for a long time, suddenly snorted heavily.
After glaring at the three of them, Yan Shiqing stood up, stopped drinking tea, threw the tea money on the table with a cold face, and then turned around and left without hesitation, as if he disdained the company of the three of them.
"The world is deteriorating!! Shameless!!"
When passing by the three of them, Yan Shiqing said this in a cold voice.
Seeing Yan Shiqing's appearance, the three of them looked embarrassed. Yan Shiqing was a regular visitor here. They all knew that Yan Shiqing served in the Hanlin Academy and had a distinguished status, but they did not dare to refute anything.
As for Yan Shiqing, after he left the teahouse without looking back, his mind kept thinking about the conversations he just heard. Words like "pleasant aroma", "white skin like snow", "smooth and attractive" kept coming.
The earth echoed in his head.
Just like this, after walking a few streets, Yan Shiqing suddenly grabbed a passerby. A trace of embarrassment flashed across his face, but he still asked hesitantly: "Excuse me for disturbing you, do you know where 'Yue Rong Fang' is going to be?"
How to go?"
After hearing Yan Shiqing's interrogation, the passerby showed a tacit smile on his face, pointed to the south and said: "The business of 'Yue Rong Fang' is quite booming, and now it has opened four stores in central Beijing.
, the closest one to here is to the south, and when you reach the intersection, turn left and you’ll be there.”
After Yan Shiqing thanked him, he went in the direction pointed by the passerby.
The "Yerongfang" store is very large and easy to find, but when he arrived at "Yerongfang", Yan Shiqing hesitated.
Without him, the business of "Yue Rong Fang" is really good. The store is actually crowded, and most of them are women. They are vying for the first place and pulling each other away. As Yan Shiqing, the historian of Hanlin Academy, how can he join in?
This excitement?
Suddenly, Yan Shiqing remembered what the teahouse waiter said - "Home flowers are not as fragrant as wild flowers."
After weighing the purse and finding that the weight was sufficient, Yan Shiqing turned around and walked quickly in the direction of Rouge Alley without hesitation.
Rouge Hutong is one of the eight major alleys, where most of the fireworks and more high-end brothels in the capital are concentrated.
However, this time Yan Shiqing was familiar with the road and did not ask passers-by again.
But Yan Shiqing didn't know that when he walked into Rouge Hutong, "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" who had just met at the Ke Lai Teahouse happened to be passing by, but they were going to Shitou Hutong.
, where most of the prostitutes gather, and the prices are relatively cheaper.
Watching Yan Shiqing step into Yihong Building, "Brother Zhao" gritted his teeth with jealousy and said: "Ha, we are going to Yihong Building. This old scholar is quite rich."
"Brother Li" nodded and said: "If someone works in the Hanlin Academy, even though he is just a Qingshui Yamen, he is still richer than poor scholars like us."
Having said this, the two of them looked at each other and spat at Yan Shiqing.
"Prudery!"
"hypocritical!"
………
It is always difficult for a new thing to be accepted by the world in a short period of time, especially in this era of pedantic and conservative thinking.
If he wanted to build the reputation of "Yizi" in the shortest possible time and let the businessmen of this era understand the benefits that "Yizi" can produce and be willing to "succumb to it", Zhao Junchen had to advertise "Yizi".
However, the advertising method chosen by Zhao Junchen is a bit deviant, that is brothel!
Zhao Junchen gave a batch of fragrant pancreas to some famous brothels in the capital for free, and then used a semi-forced method to make the women in those brothels use it frequently.
The effect of pancreatic juice is much stronger than that of saponin. There is no need to replace it with the effect of those brothel girls after using it.
Then, things got out of hand, and the impact was even greater than Zhao Junchen's imagination.
As the saying goes: "One white skin covers a thousand ugliness." It can be seen that fair and clean skin color is the most important standard for people in this era when it comes to aesthetics.
Those brothel visitors were suddenly surprised and delighted to find that the women they were familiar with had changed their appearance overnight - their skin had become so fair and smooth, as if they could knead water.
, unlike what should be found in the mortal world; the fragrance on the body is also so pleasant and natural, which adds to the temptation.
After using Xiangyao, even the ordinary-looking brothel girls suddenly became extremely attractive. As for the leading ladies of each brothel, they appeared one by one like gods, which made people crazy.
Looking at these dazzling white, tender and attractive brothel girls, one can imagine how restless the men in the capital will be.
The business of those brothels that used soap quickly became extremely prosperous and became a veritable "gold-selling kiln." I don't know how many people fell under the pomegranate skirt of the brothel girls, staying away from home all day long and hanging around every night.
.
Faced with the influx of customers, the brothels were overwhelmed and could only raise their prices one after another. However, even if the prices doubled, they still could not stop those high-rollers who were "foody and sexy".
Soon, through these brothels, the magical effects of pancreatic juice began to spread. Under the influence of advertising, the originally sparse "Yue Rong Fang" became popular all of a sudden.
It is the dream of women in this era to make their skin fair and tender, and the temptation of pancreas to them is self-evident.
In particular, those brothel girls who had never used soap were vying for business, and just these brothel businesses caused "Yue Rongfang" to sell most of its inventory in one go.
With the popularity of "xiangpan" in brothels, the brothel business in the capital has become more and more popular.
Therefore, the soaps made by Zhao Junchen have made a great contribution to the brothel business even before they increase the income of the household department. The old madam is smiling, the turtle is busy, and the girls are overwhelmed.
As for Zhao Junchen, after the advertising effect is achieved, he is waiting for the arrival of a large amount of money.
………
On this day, after Zhao Junchen left the morning court, he did not return home or go to the Yamen. Instead, he came to the head office of "Yue Rongfang".
The decorative style of "Yue Rongfang", under the instructions of Zhao Junchen, is extremely luxurious. At first glance, it looks like a place that poor people cannot enter. According to Zhao Junchen, this is called "class".
At this time, on the top floor of the "Yue Rong Fang" main store, Zhao Junchen was sitting by the window, looking at the customers swarming downstairs, and couldn't help but feel funny.
"Regardless of any era, women are indeed most concerned about their appearance."
Zhao Junchen laughed softly.
At this time, there were only six days left before the deadline for the bet between Zhao Junchen and Prince Zhu Heyu.
Twenty-four days ago, Zhao Junchen promised in front of hundreds of officials in the Manchu Dynasty that he would use "reasonable means" to collect 200,000 taels of silver for the Ministry of Household Affairs within a month.
However, so far, the time limit is getting closer and closer, but the household department has not seen even one tael of silver.
Zhao Junchen didn't care about this. The tempting bait had been thrown down and he didn't have to worry about no big fish taking the bait.
In fact, there are countless big fish staring at the bait nowadays.
On the other side, in front of Zhao Junchen, Zhao An, the shopkeeper of "Yuerongfang", was reporting to Zhao Junchen the income of "Yuerongfang" in the past few days.
Zhao An was originally a steward of the Zhao Mansion. Zhao Junchen saw that he was prudent and careful in his work, so he handed over "Yerongfang" to him.
"Master, in the past three days since our opening, our Yuerongfang has sold a total of nearly 9,000 yuan of pancakes, including 1,400 yuan of ordinary pancakes, 7,100 yuan of various fragrant pancakes, and 7,100 yuan of medicinal pancreas.
It sold for 43 yuan, and because of the soap, the perfume and beauty water in the store also sold very well. Among them, 377 bottles of perfume and 961 bottles of beauty water were sold.
Bottle, putting aside all kinds of expenses, our Yuerongfang has made a total profit of 3,976 taels in the past three days."
After hearing Zhao An's report, Zhao Junchen didn't feel anything yet, but Xu Qingyan's eyes widened with surprise on his face.
Nearly 4,000 taels of silver may seem like a small amount, but this is just the money earned by Yuerongfang in the first three days of its opening! The money is flowing steadily, and who knows how much money can be earned after this business develops?
On the other side, Zhao An continued: "Master, our trouble now is that we sell too much pancakes, and some are in short supply. Even if the workshop is processing overnight, we can't keep up. What's more, compared to the pancake business,
, then the sales of ordinary soap and medicated pancreas are too little. Sir, do you think we should simply reduce the production of ordinary soap and medicated pancreas, and instead go all out to make fragrant pancreas?"
Zhao Junchen nodded, but waved his hand and said: "No, the reason why Xiangpan is so popular is because of the effect brought by those brothels. Ordinary people can't afford it for half a tael of silver after all. When the heat is over, a single piece
The most profitable is medicinal pancreas, and the largest sales volume is ordinary pancreas. As for the problem of short supply, you don’t have to worry. This pancreas is now exclusively manufactured and sold by the internal warehouse. We are just selling it in Beijing to make a little difference. We’ll wait.
If we hand over the production of soap to the inner treasury in a few days, we won’t have to worry about insufficient supply."
Liu An nodded, and after hesitating for a while, he said: "Master, there is one more thing. Since you gave a batch of soap to those brothels for free, your Yuerongfang brand has been established in these days.
, but the reputation of our Yuerongfang has also become worse. Now when people in the capital mention our Yuerongfang, they will first think of brothels, and many people even think that the things we sell are unclean..."
Zhao Junchen smiled and said: "It doesn't matter if we have a bad reputation, as long as we can make money. Even if there are some pedantic people who think that we are famous for our brothel, and even think that the things we sell are unclean, our things are good and they still have to buy them. I'm afraid
What?"
After a pause, Zhao Junchen asked: "I asked you to contact the major businessmen in the capital, have you completed it?"
Liu An nodded repeatedly and said: "The posts have been sent out. After they heard that it was for Yizi's business, each one became more talkative than the other, and they all agreed to get together at Tianhai Tower tonight. Several of them hinted that they wanted to meet with him.
Sir, please talk to me alone."
Zhao Junchen smiled lightly and said, "That's good."