Chapter 560: Letter from Yunnan, an unexpected surprise

Chapter 560: Letter from Yunnan, an unexpected surprise

Chapter 560: Letter from Yunnan, an unexpected surprise

Three days later, in the office of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works,

Lu Yunyi sat behind the desk, holding a document in his hand, his brows furrowed and his expression solemn.

The concrete strength of the initial configuration has been fully tested.
Lu Yunyi was not disappointed. Its hardness was several times greater than that of soil and mortar.

This accurate news shocked the entire court, and the Ministry of Works was even more excited.

Since concrete is cheap,
The Ministry of Works intends to demolish and rebuild some of the fortifications that were planned to be built in the near future.
Ditch the dirt and use concrete instead.

However, this also brought a huge workload, and a large amount of documents poured into the Ministry of Works like snowflakes.

Although Lu Yunyi was only the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works in charge of supervising the manufacture of military equipment,
But in the face of such a huge task, it is difficult to stay out of it.

Since yesterday afternoon, he has been at the Ministry of Industry.
I plunged into the pile of documents and continued reading them until dawn.

Seeing that it was getting increasingly noisy outside, Lu Yunyi slowly raised his head and looked out the door.

The crowd blocked the sunlight, and the light became intermittent.

"Has the court started already?"

A trace of surprise flashed across Lu Yunyi's eyes, and he decisively threw the document in his hand onto the table.
He stretched hard, and all the bones in his body made a "cracking" sound.

He slowly stood up and walked to the square table in the middle of the room.

I picked up the exquisite kettle on the table and opened it with anticipation.

Suddenly, a fragrance and cool air spread out.
Lu Yunyi closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The minty scent filled his nose, making him feel much more energetic.

He took a big gulp, and after a few days of improvement,

This "vanilla cola"-like drink has gradually acquired the taste of sugar-free cola.

Although there was no gas, Lu Yunyi was already very satisfied to be able to taste this flavor.

The coolness of the ice cubes is refreshing, spreading from the mouth to the whole body.

Lu Yunyi let out a comfortable "ah" and his mood instantly relaxed a lot.

He looked at the exquisite kettle in his hand.

After a few days of contact,

The doubts about Zhu Jinyu not only did not decrease, but became even more serious.

The two possibilities of "she is a Jinyiwei" and "she is not a Jinyiwei" are constantly rising.
This made Lu Yunyi a little confused.
I might as well continue to interact with her with caution.

If he is a Jinyiwei, that would be the best. If not, it’s not a big deal.

After all, Zhu Jinyu has outstanding looks and doesn't have to take responsibility.

Lu Yunyi drank the "Coke" in the kettle quickly and stared at the kettle in his hand.

With that sip, he drank at least one penny of silver.

Although Zhu Jinyu said this was a family secret recipe, Lu Yunyi still took a look at it.

In addition to some common herbs,
The most important thing is the white sugar from Shiqing Sugar Factory.

Because of its high price, which accounts for half of the cost, it cannot be reduced at all.

This shattered Lu Yunyi's idea of ​​creating a signature drink.

He doesn't expect to make money from "Coke".
Rather, the construction of the business bank is nearing completion and investment promotion is imminent.

Nowadays, Lu Yunyi will do anything that can attract attention without hesitation.

A "drink" that is both friendly and delicious is a perfect stepping stone.

But the finished pot costs one penny.
Even if Lu Yunyi wanted to promote the product at a loss, he would be discouraged.

After all, the business is the court's business.

"It would be nice to have cheap white sugar."

As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard from outside the door.

Before Lu Yunyi could react,
The door suddenly opened, and Liu Heiying's big face squeezed in.
He looked hurried and excited.

"Brother Yun'er, good news!"

Lu Yunyi was startled by his sudden action, and a trace of helplessness flashed across his face.
"I will be scared to death by you sooner or later."

Liu Heiying didn't have time to explain.

He slammed a document and a package heavily on the square table.

He sat down himself, and while he was busy unpacking the package, he said:

"Brother Yun'er, there's news from Yunnan that the sugar-sprinkling method has been successful."

"What?"

Lu Yunyi's eyebrows suddenly raised, and ecstasy suddenly surged in his eyes:

"Really?"

Liu Heiying had already opened the package and made a "please look" gesture.

A pile of white and somewhat sticky stuff appeared before my eyes, packed in a small wooden box.

Lu Yunyi took a closer look and his eyes widened.

Delicate and soft, like white sand!
Although it was a little rougher than the soft white sugar he remembered,
But compared to the common white sugar in Yingtian City,
I don’t know how much better it is, and the color is even whiter.

Lu Yunyi reached out and pinched it, and could feel its slight stickiness.

He put it in his mouth and licked it, the sweet taste spread around his mouth.

His eyes became brighter.

Yes, that’s what it tastes like!
Lu Yunyi sat up straight, the corners of his mouth curved wider and wider, and he couldn't help but whisper to himself:
“It actually worked.”

There had been no news for nearly half a year, and Lu Yunyi had given up.
I didn't expect it to succeed at this critical moment.

However, he quickly came to his senses and looked at Liu Heiying:

"Where's the paperwork?"

"here!"

Liu Heiying quickly picked up the document from the side and handed it over.
"Brother Yun'er, this was delivered to the military camp by the postman this morning."

Lu Yunyi opened it and took out the documents inside.

This is a densely written piece of letter paper with a sketch on the back.

"General Lu, I am Ban Yan, the owner of Shangshui Sugar Factory.

General Lu taught me the method of pouring sugar with yellow mud water.

I worked day and night, dedicated to making high-quality and low-priced white sugar.

However, after working for more than a month and trying various methods, I still got nothing.

The villain became discouraged and ignored it.

But things took a turn for the better, and one month after the villain gave up,

The brown sugar placed in the Tang jar actually showed signs of turning white, and I was ecstatic.

I started it again and was busy for more than ten days, but still no results.

The villain learned from his pain and finally found out that
The yellow mud water sugar sprinkling method needs to be used together with the sealing mud method, and kaolin must be used.

Water it once every seven days, seal it, and water it again after another seven days.
This process needs to be continued for more than a month to obtain pure white sugar.

The longer it is sealed, the whiter and finer the sugar will be!

This time it is the result of the first success.

I have reported this matter to the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion and started making sugar without stopping.

If there is any news, I will inform General Lu immediately! "

After reading the letter, Lu Yunyi studied it carefully for a while.

He was stunned for a moment, and then a bright smile appeared on his face:

"I see."

"Did Brother Yuner really succeed?"

Seeing this, Liu Heiying quickly leaned over and kept asking questions.

Lu Yunyi looked at the drawings drawn by Ban Yan and nodded repeatedly:
"It worked. Our direction was correct, but we underestimated the time.

It takes at least a month to turn brown sugar into white sugar.

There is certainly room for improvement.”

"So long? Can you still make money?"

Liu Heiying was not happy when he heard the news.

Lu Yunyi didn't care at all and waved his hands repeatedly:
“As long as the scale is up, this time cost is nothing.

Isn’t it the same with winemaking? It doesn’t hinder people from making money.”

Liu Heiying's eyes lit up, as if this was really the truth.

"Brother Yun'er, are we going to open a sugar-making workshop?"

Lu Yunyi raised his eyebrows:
"Of course we can open it, but we all need to work together to make money.

Isn’t Qin Qing on good terms with you?
Bring all three of these girls in, and give some to the generals in the army. After that, everyone will go their separate ways, and no one can predict what will happen in the future.

By then, distributing some money every year will make their lives better.

The sugar factory can make a lot of money a year just by supplying the army."

Hearing this, Liu Heiying was puzzled and scratched his head anxiously. In the end, he could only utter:
"Brother Yun'er, you are so generous."

"Hey, Black Hawk, don't lose sight of the greater good for the sake of a little gain.

Brothers have followed us through thick and thin, so we must get some benefits.

We can't take all the benefits ourselves, or the people below will complain sooner or later.

I will not be involved in the management of this workshop.

You take care of it and I'll pay for it.

At that time, you will take the lion's share, and the others will get some dividends, and let them not interfere in the specific operations.

Get as much as you can at the end of the year. More is better, but don’t be dissatisfied if you get less.”

"Ah? I'll do it?"

Liu Heiying's expression suddenly became listless, and a feeling of fatigue inexplicably came over him.

Lu Yunyi looked solemn and nodded:

"Yes, and quickly, before we leave Beijing, let's get everything arranged.

The sugar produced by the workshop must be sold in the trading company, with good quality and low price, so that it can be the first to seize the market.

If I get involved, I might end up causing some trouble.

It's not nice to talk about the transfer of money from one hand to the other."

After hearing this, Liu Heiying understood:

“But Brother Yun’er, I think you can make a lot of money from this.

I will give it to you after we divide the money. If you don’t tell me and I don’t tell anyone, no one will know. Hehe.”

"Don't." Lu Yunyi stopped him quickly.
"It would be better to participate openly. If someone finds out, it would be hard to explain.

Besides, you don't have to worry about me.

Sheung Shui Sugar Factory is my mother-in-law's business.
Yunnan is close to Luchuan and Siam.
There are abundant sugarcane resources there, labor is free, and there is almost no cost to make sugar, so the money earned is enough.

Maybe I earn more than you do.”

At this point, Lu Yunyi remembered something and reminded:

"Ah Ju Miao is the deputy general of Siam.

Now that he has shown his face in the Ming Dynasty, his status will definitely be higher when he returns.

You can cooperate with him and buy sugarcane or brown sugar from him.

How much money this business can make depends on the degree of control over the supply chain.
And this is a mutually beneficial thing, you should take good care of it. "

Liu Heiying became increasingly listless. He felt tired before he even started working.

"Brother Yun'er's fruit and vegetable shop hasn't opened yet."

"Why do you always think about your fruit shop?"

“You can make money by selling melons.”

At the mention of the fruit and vegetable business, Liu Heiying immediately became excited and his eyes widened.

Lu Yunyi couldn't do anything to him, so he waved his hand:
"Alright, alright, now that our reputation has spread, let's repair the fruit shop quickly.

Before leaving Beijing, the fruit and vegetable shops and sugar factories must be included in the supply chain of Yingtian Commercial Bank. "

At this point, Liu Heiying scratched his head, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes:
"That Li Zhigang doesn't look like a court official, but more like a profiteer.

Recently, people everywhere in Beijing have been scolding him.

That he sold the place in the business too expensively,
They also kept the prices of some goods extremely low, almost the same as those collected from villages outside the city.

Can I make money by selling melons and candies there?"

“Of course you can, borrow a horse to run fast, don’t be reluctant.

A stable and lasting source of income means that even if it doesn't make money, there will be people willing to work for it, and it will definitely make money.

It doesn't matter if I make less money, at least I can help the sugar mill and fruit shop grow stronger."

“What’s the attitude of the palace?

Although white sugar was not produced by the government, the imperial court attached great importance to it.

It has suddenly become so cheap. If the palace disagrees, it will be difficult to deal with it."

"I will report this to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Just say that the fruit and vegetable trade and sugar production are the key to Daning's commerce, and the prince will most likely agree.

Then we can take the opportunity to open up the trade route between Yingtian and Daning.
That way the message can flow freely.”

Liu Heiying's eyes suddenly lit up.

He never forgot that the purpose of opening a fruit and vegetable business in Yingtian was to open up trade routes to various places.
Realize fast message delivery.

This strengthens their foundation.
So that once you go out to fight, you won't be completely ignorant of what's happening in other places.

Almost instantly, Liu Heiying dispelled his concerns:
"Brother Yun'er, you are so smart."

Now that a big thing has been finalized, both of them feel a lot more relaxed.

Lu Yunyi felt uncomfortable sitting on the stool.
He returned to the chair behind the desk and sat there without any image.

He still held the empty kettle in his hand and asked doubtfully:
"Black Eagle, Zhu Jinyu went to Hua Jieyu's house to check her body, and found nothing unusual?"

Liu Heiying also moved his stool to the wall, sat there, and shook his head comfortably:
"No, Hu Xiaowu is on the rooftop watching carefully with a telescope.
They said less than twenty sentences in total.

There were no unnecessary movements of his hands, and no signs of conveying any message.

Brother Yun'er, are we too suspicious? "

Lu Yunyi rested his head on the chair, frowning slightly:

"That's strange. Could it be that she's not a Jinyiwei and is really interested in me?"

"Maybe." Liu Heiying curled his lips.

"Brother Yun'er, all those noble ladies whose husbands have died in the capital like you very much.

Someone even delivered two letters yesterday with lip prints on them, it’s just too much.”

Liu Heiying scratched his arm and felt goose bumps all over his body.

"You peeked at my letter!" Lu Yunyi's eyes suddenly widened.

Liu Heiying shook his head quickly:
"I didn't see it, the lip print was on the envelope, and there was something written on it.
Linglong dice puts red beans on the bones and knows nothing.

Brother Yun'er, I'm a little scared just by looking at you."

When Lu Yunyi heard this, he shuddered and felt it was very corny.

For some reason, ever since he came into contact with Zhu Jinyu,
The frequency of these ladies sending letters suddenly increased, and no one knew what stimulated them.

"Forget it, let's just slowly get in touch and observe. Have the people who went to Yiwu come back?"

"Not yet, but it should be soon."

"Well, keep an eye on her. If she is really a member of the Imperial Guard, that would be great."

Lu Yunyi pursed his lips and suddenly felt a little expectant.

He is not afraid of the enemy, but he is afraid of not seeing the enemy.

Especially since many dukes and marquises had left the capital,
The Jinyiwei’s space for activities has been greatly increased, so there will definitely be a lot of action.

Liu Heiying suddenly laughed and raised his eyebrows:

"Brother Yun'er, why don't you go and see Feng Qiwu?
She is looking forward to it every day. "

When mentioning her, Lu Yunyi looked worried:
"What's going on with Hua Jieyu? Why did she bring someone here?

I have so much paperwork to look at every day that I don’t have time to take care of her.

By the way, didn’t Hua Jieyu buy a brothel?

If you want her to be a housekeeper there, you have to find her a way to make a living."

"I'm afraid this is not a good idea. If it gets out, people will gossip about it." Liu Heiying had a strange look on his face.

"Yes, then rumors will start to spread all over the place again."

Lu Yunyi was also a little helpless.

He sat up quickly and put the documents on the table in order.
Then he stood up and walked out of the yamen.

"Brother Yun'er, where are you going?"

"Go home and talk to Chu Ting about the sugar factory. Help me close the door when you leave."

Liu Heiying hurriedly stood up, picked up the package and documents on the table, and closed the door.

"Hey, Brother Yun'er, wait for me.

How should Feng Qiwu be accommodated? She can’t live in my house forever.”

(End of this chapter)