Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved-Chapter 567: They Truly Witnessed the Rise of Great Yan
Chapter 567: Chapter 567: They Truly Witnessed the Rise of Great Yan
The rise of Great Yan was an unstoppable force.
The neighboring smaller states, naturally, tried various means to ingratiate themselves and curry favor.
The reality was such that when a nation was powerful, the surrounding countries would only tremble in fear, trying every possible way to get on good terms with the powerful state to avoid the fate of annihilation.
And the sending of princesses along with envoys was, understandably, a clear indication of their intentions.
Jun Yuyan had only met with the envoys; as for the other princesses, and any kind of singing or dancing girls, as long as it was a woman, he couldn’t be bothered to meet them.
With this, all the envoys understood the intention of the Great Yan Emperor, and did not dare to push their princesses forward anymore.
On the day of the palace banquet, the envoys finally met Her Majesty the Empress of Great Yan.
In that moment, they finally understood why the Emperor of Great Yan showed no interest in other women.
Empress Murong was not only unparalleled in beauty, but more importantly, she possessed an exceptional demeanor and elegance that was unmatched; just one look from her was beyond the comparison of others.
Moreover, it had long been known that Empress Murong had made countless outstanding contributions to Great Yan; when the Emperor went on military expeditions, it was Empress Murong who governed the entire realm, a true example of a woman not yielding to men.
At this time, the envoys also took notice.
In the palace, there were actually patrols of women, their expressions solemn, their bodies flexible, and their movements soundless, clearly exhibiting extraordinary qinggong skills.
This shocked the various envoys.
But the days to come in Capital City would be their most shocking moments.
Walking on the streets, they found many eateries were actually run by women, all of whom possessed a bold and forthright demeanor, yet their affairs were handled with efficiency, and the food they made was both clean and delicious.
Upon inquiring, they learned that Empress Murong encouraged women to engage in commerce.
Especially for women without much to rely on, as long as they had the ability to make money, they could register at the Yamen, where professionals would conduct evaluations. Those who passed the evaluation could enjoy a three-month rent exemption.
This led to a considerable number of women becoming shop owners.
The key point was that their businesses were thriving and colorful, not at all inferior to men.
"Eh, a fragrant soap shop? What is fragrant soap?"
Once inside, fragrant aromas assaulted the senses, and variously colored palm-sized items were neatly displayed on the counters, dazzling to the eyes.
The shop assistant immediately came over with a beaming smile. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Guest must be from out of town. This fragrant soap can be used for washing hands, faces, bathing, shampooing, and even for laundry. Watch this!"
As the assistant spoke, he took a dirty cloth, wetted it, and scrubbed it with fragrant soap. In just a moment, the stain disappeared. Rinsing it with water, the cloth turned spotlessly clean.
Next, the assistant smeared ink on his hand, waited for it to dry, then tried washing it off with just water, leaving a slight residue. But with the addition of soap suds, it was immediately clean.
The envoys and their attendants were astounded.
When did Great Yan have such wonderful items? They had only visited the previous year, and none of these things were to be found then.
Not to mention, the books of Great Yan were also inexpensive; upon further inquiry, they found out that Great Yan had improved the printing technique and the papermaking technique.
On further inquiry, well, they couldn’t find out anything more.
That was a secret held by the Imperial Court of Great Yan, a state secret.
The envoys thought to themselves, if their countries could also make improvements to printing and papermaking like Great Yan, might they advance even further?
It was a pity they could only think about it without daring to steal the secrets.
However, some envoys, without much hope, asked Great Yan officials whether they would sell such technologies. To their surprise, the officials replied the next day, stating that they could sell, but the price was very high.
When the envoys heard there was hope, they inquired about the price and found it staggeringly expensive. They could only wait to discuss it with their Monarchs upon returning to their countries.
As long as it was for sale, that made things simple—it was merely a matter of money.
The envoys from the other countries refused to fall behind and, even before heading back, had already sent word to inform their Monarchs of everything they had seen and heard in the Capital of Great Yan.
In just one year.
The changes in Great Yan were simply unexpected.
Compared with their own nation, they were truly too far behind.
Books are expensive everywhere, but in present-day Great Yan, anyone who wants them can afford to buy them. As a result, the number of literate people has naturally increased, and more people on the streets can read, unlike in their country, where the common people are basically illiterate.
"The craft of papermaking and printing can be sold, but can the formula for fragrant soap also be sold?"
The shrewd envoy inquired only to receive a definitive answer—no selling of the formula.
Because the fragrant soap workshops are also managed by the Imperial Court, all the soap on the market comes from those factories.
Speaking of which, these shops all belong to Imperial Merchants as well, and the shop clerks and assistants are just employees.
The aim is to prevent the technology from reaching outsiders.
Since the advent of fragrant soap, many merchants from other countries have started buying it in large quantities to sell at high prices to the nobility.
By the time these envoys return, they would likely see the nobility using fragrant soap as well.
Just like Great Yan’s tea, porcelain, colored glaze, and silk, these too were for the nobility’s use.
...
The reason for selling the papermaking technique and printing technique
was that when workshops spread across the country in the future, it would be impossible to keep it a secret, as spies are everywhere, infiltrating every crack; coercion or bribery could achieve their goals.
By selling it early, they could add a large amount of revenue to the national treasury.
So why not sell the formula for fragrant soap?
Because, despite the simplicity of making fragrant soap, it’s hard for people nowadays to imagine mixing animal fats with wood ash to create soap.
Plus, with the workshops under control of the Imperial Court and the large quantities being purchased by foreign merchants, there’s currently no need to sell the formula.
What’s sold to foreign merchants can be made finer, with added fragrances, and therefore, naturally, much more expensive.
Meanwhile in Great Yan, ordinary people can now afford fragrant soap as well, thanks to mass production, large output, low cost, and while it may not look as refined, it serves the same purpose.
Nowadays, these foreign merchants think that soap is hard to make, and the Imperial Court has priced it cheaply for the welfare of the people.
The latter part is not wrong—since the introduction of soap, the unsavory smells on the streets have significantly reduced, and the people are more willing to groom themselves.
Moreover, as Empress Murong’s medical book says, keeping the body clean can reduce the incidence of disease, and the frequency of people bathing has increased.
Who doesn’t enjoy a lovely bath with soap, leaving them clean, fresh, and not greasy?
After a shower, people don’t want to be around those who don’t bathe regularly.
Obviously, this is good for the public’s health.
Foreign merchants, on the other hand, don’t need cheap soap. After their long and arduous journeys, traversing oceans, the common people in their countries can’t afford it, only the finer soaps can offer real value.
Before returning to their respective countries, the envoys naturally took a variety of things not available in their homelands.
They arrived fully laden with tributes, and departed just as laden with Great Yan "specialties."
The princesses went from initial resentment to excited shopping frenzy, and then to reluctance to leave.
Capital City of Great Yan, truly the best place under heaven!
Only upon returning to their own capitals did they realize the extent of the disparity.
They had truly witnessed the rise of Great Yan.
