For a moment, Li Chengqi had an idea in his mind.
Ever since his father abdicated, his aunt, Princess Taiping, was sentenced to death.
Among the remaining five brothers, the third brother became the emperor, and the others did not dare to participate in any political affairs.
They could only play during the day, so they might as well do something else.
"Come, come, come, my dear friend. Have a taste of my secret sauce, soy sauce."
Li Yi did not know what Li Chengqi was thinking about. He was trying his best to push the soy sauce.
Li Chengqi came back to his senses and dipped the meatballs in soy sauce.
With a bite, he felt an indescribable comfort. His tongue, mouth, and entire body felt extremely comfortable.
Li Yi looked at him and thought, 'Now you know how powerful sodium glutamate is? It's more direct than the soy sauce, isn't it? '
With that thought in mind, Li Yi turned his head and saw the people hired by this brother taking small bites of the dumplings and dipping them in soy sauce.
Li Yi could not help but shudder. How much water do these people need to drink when they go back? Aren't they afraid of getting stung?
Li Chengqi dipped the meatballs twice, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Brother, do you have more soy sauce?"
"Yes." Li Yi nodded vigorously. "When you go back, bring ten jars of soy sauce with you. Each jar weighs five kilograms."
As he spoke, he glanced at the people who planted the garlic. He meant that they would be paid as wages.
Li Chengqi did not refuse and nodded with a smile.
He asked again, "How about the soybean oil method?"
"Brother, come back tomorrow. This method is not difficult. Qi Min has a lot of knowledge. The oil needs to be crushed. I use a wedge to squeeze it. "
Li Yi told him how people in the past handled vegetable oil.
Sesame oil was the simplest. After grinding, the sesame paste would be formed. After settling, there would be a layer of oil on top.
As for the other plant seeds, they would be crushed.
When the 《Tiangong Kaiwu》 was released, there would be a method to squeeze oil out with a wedge.
Li Chengqi was a little embarrassed. He asked, "Brother, do you have any teachings in your family about the method of squeezing soybeans into oil?"
Li Yi shook his head. "This method was created by me. I don't want to keep it a secret, but it's rare."
Li Chengqi was stunned. He put down his chopsticks and bowed. "Brother, you're so righteous."
"That … Dear friend, take the soy sauce back. If you meet someone who is fated with it, you can speak on my behalf. Ten catties per jar, a shovel of copper coins, no, a bolt of silk."
Li Yi, who had just been praised for his righteousness, immediately began to talk about selling soy sauce.
He originally wanted to sell ten catties for one shovel, which would be a thousand copper coins, but he felt it was too expensive.
In the Kai Yuan period, a single bolt of silk was fifty feet long and one foot and eight inches wide. The discount was five hundred and fifty copper coins.
In that case, a catty of soy sauce would cost 55 copper coins.
Li Yi felt that it was fine. A catty of soy sauce also had a cost, which was almost five copper coins. The main thing was that salt was expensive.
He had brewed a hundred large vats of soy sauce base. This time, he had only opened one vat, and it was the first time the oil came out.
The oil could still be produced two to three more times. The more salt was added, the more oil it would produce. Without salt, the oil would not be produced. Then, distilled water would be added.
How could Li Chengqi know that the young man in front of him was planning to make a huge profit?
He felt embarrassed again. Ten jars of soy sauce cost 5500 copper coins.
He had called a hundred people over, and in one afternoon, each person would be paid 55 copper coins. The wage was too high.
Therefore, he decided to help sell the soy sauce. A prince selling soy sauce should be considered an elegant thing, right?
"Younger brother, don't worry. I will find good food. I am rich."
"Thank you, brother. If I have good things, I will share them with you." Li Yi was in a good mood.
He saw that the other party was quite rich. Maybe his family members were officials in the capital.
***
After the meal, the group of people came in silence and left in silence. They waved their hands and did not take away a drop of soy sauce.
However, the plate used for dipping the soy sauce was clean.
"Dongzhu, this is the account of the oil consumed today." Steward Song De came to Li Yi's study and handed him a piece of paper.
"Steward, thank you for your hard work." Li Yi took the paper and nodded to Song De.
He expressed that he understood what he meant. They did not have enough noodles and could not invite so many people to eat dumplings.
The steward left and Li Yi entered the account.
The steward used the three-pillar accounting method. When he recruited people, he had to know how to read and calculate.
Li Yi entered the account into his own account using the double-entry accounting method.
At the same time, he also made a set of tables.
For example, three tables were equal to two tables plus one table.
He did not need it now, but the rules had to be set.
Including the line chart, the compound pie chart …
***
Li Chengqi rushed home with ten jars of soy sauce and a jar of soybean oil.
He first crossed the Ba River, then seven miles to Tonghua Gate.
However, he did not go to Tonghua Gate. Instead, he ran diagonally from outside the city to Chunming Gate.
From Chunming Gate, there was a large area north of Xingqing Palace.
It was originally called Longqing Square.
Li Chengqi lived here, and his three younger brothers also lived together.
This year, they were moved out and moved to Anxing Square diagonally across the street.
If he returned to Anxing Square, he should go through Tonghua Gate.
After entering Tonghua Gate, he passed by Yongjia Square. Below Yongjia Square was Xingqing Palace.
He ran a long way and circled around.
His goal was to go to the main gate of Xingqing Palace. The main gate of Xingqing Palace was in the south.
He said that he had something important to do, so he asked the person with the jars of soy sauce to give him two jars before he went home.
He thought that if his third brother did not go to Yongxing Square today, when he returned to Xingqing Palace, he would also ask him if he went to the main gate to deliver things.
If he did not return to Xingqing Palace, the people in Xingqing Palace would naturally tell his third brother.
In Li Chengqi's view, soy sauce was a small matter, but soybean oil was a big matter.
With one more type of oil, the people would consume less food.
The key was the oil extraction method. If the oil could be extracted from beans, the oil from other oil crops would be more.
In the palace, Li Longji was still reviewing memorials.
Since he had absolute power, he was even busier.
Deploy the generals in key positions and place the people he trusted there.
Buddhism had annexed too much tax-free land.
The struggle for the throne was too cruel. Many people were killed, and the people were silent. He wanted to build a school to improve the spiritual civilization.
Just after the New Year, he sent troops to fight Khitan. He could not defeat them, but was defeated by them.
A few days later, the Turks took the opportunity to attack. They could not defeat the Tang dynasty, but were defeated by the Tang dynasty. Very good.
In less than 20 days, a group of Western Turks united and rebelled. Fortunately, they were dealt with.
In April, the Turks came to propose again.
Why were there so many things happening every day?
It was going to be a time of shortage soon, and more people were going to starve.
If not for the bowl of soup pancakes sent by the Empress, he would have been hungry now.
Just as he was thinking, someone came to report.
It said that King Song went to the Donghuang Manor today and heard the sound of children studying in the neighboring manor.
At noon, he had a meal in the neighboring manor. After that, he sent a hundred people to the neighboring manor to plant garlic. At night, he returned with a small jar of eleven.
At the main gate of Xingqing Palace, he left two jars of soy sauce and returned to the residence.
Li Longji was feeling frustrated. When he heard that his elder brother had gone out to plant garlic and brought back something, he became interested.
Before he could ask around, another person came to report.
He said that King Song had returned to the residence and ordered someone to send a jar of soy sauce to each of his three younger brothers.
The other two jars were sent to Baifu Hall and the emperor emeritus.
"What is soy sauce?" Li Longji didn't think that his elder brother would use soy sauce to poison everyone.
The person who reported the news hurriedly said, "The supervisor of the Donghuang Manor said that soy sauce is like water and oil. It is more delicious than soy sauce and can be dipped in prison pills."
"He also said that the neighboring manor Li Yi knows how to press beans into oil. The manor has sufficient oil and water, so there is enough food."
"In addition, the manor has fired bricks, tiles, and mortar to make three methane ponds. Copper pipes are connected to the ponds to store gas in the marsh. It can be ignited when it meets a flame."
"The manor uses methane as a lamp, which is brighter than candles. It can be used by the commoners to study at night. "
Li Longji sucked in a breath of cold air. He was frightened.
There was a Zhuangzi beside the Donghuang Manor. He built a kiln to bake bricks and built a pond like a marsh.
Then, he inserted a pipe and ignited it. It was brighter than candles?
How did he do it? In the future, won't Zhuangzi need to spend money to light the lamps?
As Li Longji thought about it, he glanced at the candles around him.
The rest of the hall was very dark. Only the candles around him were lit.
Wax was expensive.
Oil lamps smelled bad, and they weren't bright enough.
How can a Zhuangzi make something from the marsh be brighter than mine?
Li Longji didn't know why, but he felt a little jealous.
As he thought about it, Li Longji approved a few important memorials and went to find his elder brother Li Chengqi. He had to clarify this matter.
When Li Longji arrived at the King Song Residence, it was already eight o 'clock in the evening.
Li Chengqi was waiting to eat prison pills. He didn't eat much at Li Yi's Zhuangzi. Instead, he asked for the condiments to make the prison pill filling.
When he got home, he asked someone to make the filling and bread prison pills. The condiments were taken from Li Yi's place.
A third of the condiments were mixed together, enough for ten people.
When Li Longji arrived, the others retreated.
The two brothers sat facing each other and ate prison pills.
Li Chengqi first asked his younger brother to eat the prison pills mixed with condiments without dipping anything.
Then, he changed it to soy sauce.
Then, he added garlic.
Vinegar.
Sesame oil.
Li Longji tasted them one by one and finally understood how delicious soy sauce was.
"Elder brother, why are the prison pills more fragrant today?" Li Longji asked.
Li Chengqi smiled, "Your Majesty, third brother, I took the condiments from Li Yi's place. The more meat there is, the more fragrant the prison pills are."
"Look, there is more oil dripping into the plate. I added the soybean oil from Li Yi's place."
"Not to mention the meat, even the prison pills made from vegetables taste good."
He said it was good. The soybean oil mixed with the condiments was better than other oils. Needless to say, there were more condiments.
"What about Li Yi?" Li Longji swallowed the prison pill and asked.
"He has literary talent, knows farming, knows how to cook, and knows how to build fortifications. It seems that he has a broad mind."
Li Chengqi gave an evaluation, or rather, a compliment.
He still hadn't forgotten the shock he felt when the children recited the Thousand Character Classic together in the morning.
That kind of power was as brilliant as the morning sun and as splendid as the clouds.
Then, he saw the children of the tenant farmers wearing the same clothes and carrying beautiful school bags that he had never seen before.
They gave people the feeling that they were like mountains and rivers.
The majesty of the mountains and the murmuring of the rivers.
It was like a painting.
Then, he told Li Longji about the rules of planting garlic. There was nothing in the Essential Skills of Qi People.
Li Longji heard it and his mind was filled with wild and fanciful thoughts.
He really wanted to see that place and that young man.
At night, Li Longji stayed in the King Song Mansion.
Lying on the couch, he couldn't fall asleep for a long time. He muttered, "I'm willing to be an ox."
The next morning, Li Longji still ate prison pills in the King Song Mansion.
But this time, it was steamed and filled with pure beef. Therefore, there was a meatball in the prison pills.
As usual, it was dipped in garlic sauce and vinegar. After eating it, Li Longji packed four portions and left.
First, he went to Baifu Hall and sent two portions of the prison pills to his father and Noble Consort Lu.
He also gave Empress Wang one portion and gave the remaining portion to Gao Lishi. At the same time, he gave soy sauce.
Gao Lishi, the Retired Emperor, and Noble Consort Lu all ate the prison pills themselves.
Empress Wang took a bite and called the palace maids and eunuchs around her. Each of them took one and dipped it in soy sauce.
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