The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Before the New Year, the doors and windows of the palace were finally replaced with colored glaze windows. In order to complete the work before the New Year, the workers of the Liuli Factory did not stop working during the winter, and only closed the kiln to rest after they had finished making the glass needed for the palace.

Before the Chinese New Year, Min Xi sorted out the account books of the Liulichang and sent them to Wanli. Wanli found that the Liulichang mainly sold mirrors, and the profits could cover most of the expenses of replacing the glazed windows in the palace, which showed that the Liulichang was really profitable.

Min Xi also told Wanli excitedly: "Your Majesty, the glazed windows in the palace have been replaced. After the Chinese New Year, we can make glazed windows for guests. We have received deposits from many families. It will cost at least several hundred taels of silver to replace all the glazed windows of a family, and several thousand taels of silver for more. When all the glazed windows in the capital are replaced, we can earn at least one million taels of silver."

Wanli was stunned: "It's so much!" The annual fiscal revenue of the Ming Dynasty was only two to three million taels of silver. Min Xi must have opened a silver mine.

Min Xi smiled and nodded: "Glass itself is a precious thing. Buying a glass decoration from the West will cost at least dozens of taels of silver. What we sell here is already cheap enough. And those who can afford to install glass windows are not poor people. They are willing to pay for it."

Wanli laughed after hearing this: "What a good idea! Normally when we need donations for disaster relief, we ask the royal family and wealthy families to donate money, but they all cry poor to me and can't donate much. Now I will use this glazed window to make them bleed, and the price can be even higher!"

"I obey your order!" Min Xi accepted the imperial decree. He was ordered to sell at a high price. Anyway, he would not cheat the poor, but plunder the rich.

When Min Xi went to the Tao family to pay New Year's greetings, he was surrounded by the Tao family and asked to talk about the glass mirrors and glass windows.

Tao Lizhi and Tao Jingzhi were in mourning at home. Apart from reading, they were also guiding the brothers Tao Yu and Tao Yuan in writing articles. In their spare time, they also listened to a lot of news and gossip in the city, and naturally knew about the glass shop.

"Min Xi, you are really brave. You are an official appointed by the court. How dare you open a shop to make money? Aren't you afraid that the censor will report you?" Tao Jingzhi said.

Yun Ji explained for him: "Don't worry, uncle. The boss behind my ninth brother's shop is His Majesty, and the shop is not under my ninth brother's name, so you don't have to worry about being reported."

Tao Jingzhi was so surprised that his jaw dropped: "The owner of the shop is His Majesty?"

Min Xi nodded: "Yes. I found His Majesty to be a partner. He paid for the construction of Liulichang, and he got the lion's share of the profits, and I got a very small portion."

Tao Lizhi shook his head: "You are just fooling around. How can you persuade His Majesty to do business?"

Min Xi was unimpressed: "All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the land are his subjects. In this Ming Dynasty, what is not yours? What's wrong with your majesty doing business?"

Tao Lizhi was left speechless.

Tao Yuan said, "I think what Brother Jiu did is a good idea. Mirrors and glass windows are very expensive. Ordinary people cannot afford them. It happens that the nobles buy them. It's good to let them spend some money."

Min Xi winked at him.

"Brother Jiu, you are amazing. How come you know everything? I have to learn from you."

Tao Jingzhi turned around and glared at his youngest son: "The Spring Examination is coming soon, why don't you review your studies!"

After the Chinese New Year, it was time for the triennial imperial examination. The brothers Tao Yu and Tao Yuan did not dare to slack off and studied hard. With the guidance of their father and uncle, they made significant progress. This time, they were eager to get good grades.

Tao Yuan didn't dare to contradict his father in person, but when he was with his cousins ​​in private, he would still say: "It is indeed important to pass the imperial examination. But in my opinion, even if you can't pass the imperial examination, it's also good to be like your ninth brother. There are 360 ​​professions and there are champions in every profession. As long as you are willing to study hard, you can also make achievements."

Min Xi said: "It's good that you think so, but since you have worked so hard for so long, you still have to go all out."

"Of course. I just think that studying is not necessarily the only way out. Look at so many celebrities in history, like Li Bai and Tang Yin, they were not all from the imperial examination, but they were able to leave their names in history. Among so many people who passed the imperial examination, how many of them were able to leave their names in history?" Tao Yuan spread his hands.

"How many Li Bais and Tang Yins are there in history? If you are really capable, even if you pass the imperial examination, it will not prevent you from leaving your name in history. At least there are more imperial scholars who leave their names in history, right?" Yun Ji couldn't help but say to him.

After returning from Tao's residence, Min Xi asked Yun Ji, "Seventh Brother, are you sorry that I couldn't participate in this year's Spring Examination?"

Yun Ji was stunned: "No."

Min Xi asked back: "Really?"

Yun Ji shook his head: "Really! I think it's great for you now, you can be yourself freely." He has figured it out now, and he has no more requirements for Min Xi's studies, as long as he is happy.

"Hehe, then I feel relieved! I really don't want to take the imperial examination again. It's too tiring. Doing experiments is more interesting." Min Xi smiled easily.

Yun Ji took his hand and touched the calluses on his palm: "It's okay to do experiments, but it's not necessary to do ironwork yourself. Your hands will be full of blisters and calluses."

Yunlin said at the side: "Second brother, eldest brother is worried about you! He doesn't want you to suffer."

Min Xi laughed and said, "Well, from now on I won't do any iron work, I'll just give orders with my mouth!"