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. (lingdiankanshu)
Yan Shiqing, the historian of the Hanlin Academy, was a frequent visitor to the teahouse.
Yan Shiqing is now in his forties. He has a somewhat withdrawn and old-fashioned temperament. He is taciturn and has few close friends. He only likes to immerse himself in studying knowledge. To put it simply, he is an "old scholar".
However, although Yan Shiqing does not like to interact with others, he likes 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 seems ordinary, but in a certain respect, it is a manifestation of the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty's cultural governance.
On this day, Yan Shiqing 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 sinecure, he had a high status. After seeing Ma Sen, the waiters who came to the teahouse 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 in quickly."
Looking at the waiter who greeted him, Yan Shiqing couldn't help but frown. In the past, it was always the shopkeeper of the teahouse who personally greeted him.
Feeling that he had been neglected, Yan Shiqing looked at the waiter in front of him and asked slowly: "Where is your shopkeeper?"
After listening to Yan Shiqing's inquiry, the waiter's expression became strange. He seemed envious and 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 a 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.
But when Yan Shiqing saw the scene in the teahouse, he couldn't help but frown.
Without him, the teahouse, which is always bustling with guests, today has only a few guests and is quite deserted.
There were only a few shabby-dressed guests drinking tea in the teahouse, but their expressions showed some inexplicable turmoil and loss.
"Why are there 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 he do? 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 prices of girls in Yihong Mansion have changed day by day in the past two days. Now they have more than doubled. Brother Zhang is so rich that 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 largest restaurants in the capital. In brothels, 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 women. 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,' "Slippery yet solid," I thought it was an exaggeration at first, but now I know that the ancients did not deceive me. Isn't that the girl from Yihonglou who is like this now? I'm afraid 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 can be so white, tender and smooth? It is simply unlike what should be found in the world. Not only is it white and tender, but the body fragrance is even more attractive. , I’m not afraid of your jokes, Brother Li. I went to Yihong Mansion with Brother Zhang that day, and I saw those women who looked like gods, their skin under the lamp was as watery as jade, white and tender, dazzling, and there were waves of delicate body odor that hit my nose. , I was actually crazy, as if my soul had been hooked, and I still haven’t found 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 beautiful skins of Sai Xue, as if they can produce water just by rubbing them. It's a pity that I'm short of money, so I can't Live your life in style like Brother Zhang."
While "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" were exchanging stories, the teahouse clerk also brought Yan Shiqing's tea. After placing it, he turned around and said to "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" "Brother," the two said, "Don't you two guests know this? 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 saponins." Almost the same, but the effect is much better. Use it to cleanse the body. Not only will the skin be as white as snow, smooth and delicate, but also have a pleasant fragrance. Hey, who would have thought that after using that soap to cleanse the body, it can make people feel good. To end up so fair?"
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 just by going to a shop called 'Yue Rongfang', so now it's not just Yi Rong Fang." The girls in famous brothels such as Honglou and Wanhualou are using fragrant pancreas. After getting the news, the girls in ordinary brothels also use fragrant 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, like a fairy."
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 the other guests have gone to brothels, and the prices of the girls in those small brothels are not the same." Yihong Tower and Wanhua Tower are as high as each other, but they are still fair and fragrant. Even my shopkeeper has been lingering in a small brothel called "Xunxiang Pavilion" in the past few days. Except for returning yesterday to collect money, I can no longer take care of the 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 the home 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, snorted heavily.
After glaring at the three of them, Yan Shiqing stood up and stopped drinking tea. After throwing the tea money on the table with a cold face, he turned around and left without hesitation, as if he didn't bother to be with 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 like this, the three of them looked embarrassed, but Yan Shiqing was a frequent visitor here. They all knew that Yan Shiqing served in the Hanlin Academy and had a distinguished status, but they did not dare to say anything.
As for Yan Shiqing, after leaving the Ke Lai Teahouse without looking back, his mind kept thinking about the conversation he just heard, words such as "pleasant fragrance", "white skin as snow", "smooth and attractive" It kept echoing in his mind.
In this way, after walking a few streets, Yan Shiqing suddenly grabbed a passerby. A trace of embarrassment flashed on his face, but he still asked hesitantly: "Excuse me, do you know about 'Yuerongfang'?" How to get to this store?"
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. Now we have opened four stores in Beijing. The closest one to here is to the south, just turn left at the intersection."
After Yan Shiqing thanked him, he went in the direction pointed by the passerby.
The "Yerongfang" store is huge and easy to find, but when he arrived at "Yerongfang", Yan Shiqing hesitated.
Without him, the business of "Yue Rongfang" 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 the 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.
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 Yanzhi Hutong, "Brother Zhao" and "Brother Li" who had just met at the Ke Lai Tea House happened to be passing by, but they went to Shitou Hutong. It is mostly a gathering place for wild prostitutes, and the prices are relatively cheap.
Seeing Yan Shiqing step into Yihong Building, "Brother Zhao" gritted his teeth with jealousy and said: "Ha, I'm going to Yihong Building. This old scholar is actually rich."
"Brother Li" nodded and said, "Although he is serving in the Imperial Academy, he is just a Qingshui Yamen, but he is still richer than poor scholars like us."
At this point, the two of them looked at each other and spat at Yan Shiqing.
"Prude!"
"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 "suffer", 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 them frequently.
The effect of pancreatic juice is far stronger than that of saponin. The women in brothels will not wait to see how effective they are after using it.
Then, things became out of control, 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 whether the skin color is fair and clean is an important criterion for people's aesthetics in this era.
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 like gods one by one, 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.
For a time, 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 skirts of the brothel girls and stayed away from home all day long. Lingering around every night.
Faced with the influx of customers, those brothels were overwhelmed and could only raise prices one after another. However, even if the prices doubled, they still could not stop those high-rollers who were "eating and lustful".
Then, through these brothels, the magical effect of Yizi 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.
But the first customers to patronize "Yue Rong Fang" were those brothels of various sizes who had never used soaps before. And these brothels alone allowed "Yue Rong Fang" to sell most of its inventory in one go.
With the popularity of "xiang pani" in brothels, the brothel business in the capital has become more and more popular.
Therefore, the soap made by Zhao Junchen has made a great contribution to the brothel business even before it increases the income of the household department. The 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 "Yerongfang", under the influence of Zhao Junchen, is quite luxurious. At first glance, it looks like a place that poor people cannot enter. According to Zhao Junchen, this is called "outstanding taste".
At this time, on the top floor of the "Yerongfang" 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 care most 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, so he didn't have to worry about no big fish taking the bait.
In fact, there are countless big fish staring at the bait these days.
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 "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. I bought it for 43 yuan, and because of the soap, the perfume and beauty water in the store were also sold very well. Among them, 377 bottles of perfume and 961 bottles of beauty water were sold. Putting aside all kinds of expenses, our Yuerongfang has made a total profit of 3,976 taels in the past three days."
Hearing Zhao An's report, Zhao Junchen didn't feel anything yet, but Xu Qingyan's eyes widened with surprise on his face.
Nearly four thousand taels of silver may seem like a small amount, but this is just the money earned by Yuerongfang in the three days since it opened! As time goes by, who knows how much money can be made once this business develops?
On the other side, Zhao An continued: "Master, our trouble now is that we sell too much pancake, and some are in short supply. Even if the workshop processes it overnight, we can't make it in time. Also, we sell too much pancake." , and 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 driven by brothels. Ordinary people can't afford it for half a tael of silver. After the craze passes, the ones with the highest profits will be Medicinal pancreas, the biggest 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 exclusively in Beijing to make a little difference. In a few days, the pancreas will be available. If we hand over the manufacturing work to the inner treasury, 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. You gave a batch of soap to the brothels in the capital for free. Although it opened up the name of our Yuerongfang, it also brought us The reputation of Yuerongfang has also become worse. Nowadays, when people mention our Yuerongfang, they first think of brothels. Nowadays, many people even think that our things 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 some people think that we are famous for the brothel, or even think that our things are unclean, they still have to buy them? What are you afraid of?"
After a pause, Zhao Junchen asked: "I asked you to contact the major businessmen in the capital, can you handle it?"
Liu An nodded repeatedly and said: "The posts have been sent out. They heard that it was Yizi's business. Each one was easier to talk to than the other. They all agreed to get together at Tianhai Tower tonight. Several of them hinted that they wanted to meet you, Master. Let’s talk alone.”
Zhao Junchen smiled lightly and said, "That's good."
c
