The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhang Juzheng sent someone to the Yun family to inquire about the lavender essential oil. Min Xi happened to be at home, so he said that the essential oil was refined by himself and would be sent to the Prime Minister regularly in the future.

Speaking of Zhang Juzheng, Min Xi was actually quite worried. He didn't know whether his fate would change or whether he would die early as history had shown. The effect of lavender was actually just a calming effect, and it probably wouldn't have much effect on Zhang Juzheng's illness. Min Xi didn't know what disease Zhang Juzheng had, and even if he knew, he couldn't do anything about it, after all, he wasn't a doctor.

So at present, everything still depends on God's will. In his heart, he still hopes that Zhang Juzheng can live a few more years, so that the Ming Dynasty's serious illness can be treated by Zhang Juzheng for a few more years.

The manufacturing process of the steam engine was quite long, and Min Xi could not rush it, so he could only wait. He had many ideas that needed to be turned into reality, but the conditions for realizing them were very complicated, and many materials did not meet the requirements, so he could only use some substitutes to make do.

Min Xi thought about it and decided that since he had nothing to do, he might as well do some chemistry experiments. Maybe he could come up with some new materials.

For safety reasons, he chose a yard in his home that had been vacant for a long time and far away from people to use as a laboratory.

The equipment for the experiment was pieced together by him bit by bit. He had only studied chemistry for four years and was not proficient in it. He had forgotten many of the things he had learned, so he could only recall, try, and explore bit by bit.

When he was about to do these things, he mentioned it to Yun Ji. When Yun Ji learned that he wanted to get better materials, he readily agreed, because he didn't know that doing chemical experiments was risky.

That day, Yun Ji took Yun Lin home and did not see Min Xi in the yard, so he asked Tao Xing: "Isn't my ninth brother back?"

Tao Xing said: "Master Min is back and is in Xiangxiang Garden."

"What is he doing in Xixiang Garden?" Yun Ji was a little puzzled. Xixiang Garden was very remote and no one had lived there for many years.

Tao Xing explained: "He is researching his new materials in Xiangxiang Garden."

Yun Ji was very confused: "I'll go and take a look." What materials should I get from Xixiangyuan?

Yunlin quickly followed: "I want to go too."

The two brothers passed through countless corridors and gates and finally arrived at Xixiang Garden. Before entering the gate, Yun Ji saw that the yard was in a mess. There were a pile of baskets and a stove with a bellows next to the stove. Min Xi was pulling the bellows to make a fire while something was burning on the stove.

Yun Ji walked in: "Ninth brother, what are you doing?"

Min Xi turned around and looked: "You guys are back? Is it so late?"

Yun Lin saw his face and burst out laughing: "Second brother, why did you become a clown?"

"Really? It must have been caused by the charcoal." Min Xi wiped his face with the back of his hand, but ended up with more black stains on his face. Yun Lin laughed even louder.

Yun Ji walked over and saw the basket on the ground was full of charcoal: "What's burning in the pot?"

Min Xi said, "I want to make some glass measuring vessels."

Yun Ji didn't understand: "What?"

"It's equipment for experiments." Min Xi opened the lid, looked at the quartz stone in the pot, and sighed, "The temperature is still not high enough. It's too difficult. Let's go to the glass workshop tomorrow. The temperature of my stove is still not high enough."

Yun Ji didn't understand what he was going to do, so he could only comfort him: "Don't worry, take your time."

Min Xi smiled: "There is no other way but to take it slow. Let's go, I'll seal up the stove and stop burning it, and let's go eat."

Yun Ji bent down and brushed off the dust on his robe, and glanced around: "Did you move all these things by yourself? Why is there no one here to help you? You still have to light the fire by yourself."

"I asked them to help me move here, and then I drove them away. I did it myself. They don't know how to do anything, and they are just in the way."

"You still have to find someone to help you. It's so tiring to do all this by yourself." When Yun Ji stood up, he saw the blood on Min Xi's hand, grabbed it, and said distressedly, "How did you do this? How did you hurt yourself?"

"It's okay. I just accidentally scratched the edge of the basket when I was picking up something. It just broke my skin a little, it's nothing serious." Min Xi said as he pulled his hand back.

Yun Ji frowned and looked at him without saying anything.

Yun Lin, who was playing with the bellows nearby, said, "Second brother, you must not get hurt. My eldest brother and I will be sad."

Min Xi smiled and said, "What kind of injury is this? Who can guarantee that they will never get bumped or bruised in their lifetime? When you practice martial arts, don't you also occasionally get bruises and bumps?"

Yun Ji looked at him and said, "No matter what you do in the future, let Tao Xing follow you and let him help you."

"Okay." Min Xi was about to leave.

"Wait." Being pulled by Yun Ji, he reached into the bucket, wet his hands, and wiped the dirt off Min Xi's face. Finding that his hands were not working well, he took out a handkerchief to wipe him. After wiping several times, he finally wiped Min Xi's face clean.

Min Xi looked down at his hands, put them in the bucket and washed them.

The three of them left the Osmanthus Garden. Before dinner, Yun Ji took Min Xi back to Xiwei Courtyard and solemnly applied medicine to his hands. Min Xi felt that he was making a fuss. He looked at Yun Ji applying medicine to him and suddenly asked, "Seventh Brother, do you know if there is a sorcerer there?"

"What do you want to do with a sorcerer?" Yun Ji looked at him in confusion. Alchemy by a sorcerer was considered an unorthodox practice. Emperor Shizong was obsessed with alchemy and Taoism, and the status of alchemists was unprecedented. After his death, Emperor Muzong hated the belief in ghosts and gods, and cracked down on alchemists. No one dared to make alchemy openly anymore.

Min Xi replied: "Actually, I just want to find some sorcerers to help me research materials. Although they are refining pills, their methods are actually not much different from what I do, that is, adding various materials to calcine to produce reactions and produce various new substances. Don't worry, I'm not refining pills, I'm researching new materials."

Yun Ji sighed, "There used to be quite a few Taoists who could make elixirs, but after Emperor Muzong ascended the throne, he banned all the alchemy rooms and did not allow Taoists to make elixirs anymore."

Min Xi's eyes lit up: "Yes, then I should go find a Taoist priest!"

Yun Ji said helplessly: "Did you listen to me? Taoist priests can no longer make elixirs."

"I know, I'm not making elixirs, I want to make new materials, this can't be stopped, right? I'm not superstitious, I'm doing scientific experiments!" Min Xi emphasized.

Yun Ji thought about it. It has been seven or eight years since Emperor Muzong passed away. The ban at that time should be relaxed now. It should not be considered as disobeying the emperor's will to refine materials instead of pills. "Then when you look for someone, you have to find someone reliable. Don't think about refining materials while he uses you to secretly refine pills. If something goes wrong, you will have to take the blame."

"Don't worry, I will definitely pay attention." Min Xi said.

As for where to find Taoist priests who can make elixirs, they can only go to Taoist temples. Emperor Muzong, also known as Emperor Longqing, Wanli's father, was in power for only a few years, and Wanli was on the throne for only seven or eight years, so the ban on alchemy was only 13 or 14 years ago. Taoist priests who make elixirs should still be alive unless they are very old.

The next day, after Min Xi checked in at the yamen, he went out. He was going to Baiyun Temple today to try his luck and see if he could find a Taoist priest who could make elixirs.

He did not ride a bicycle, but took a horse carriage. After leaving the yamen, he took off his official uniform and changed into casual clothes. After all, the identity of court officials was sensitive, so it was better to keep a low profile.