Chapter 138: Using fine salt as bait, Chen Yan is fishing for someone else

Yuwen Yuan's tone suddenly rose, which was indescribably stunned.

She had originally thought it might be a rare night pearl from the East Sea, but she never expected it to be... fine salt, which was rarer and more valuable than a night pearl from the East Sea!

In this era, many people lost their lives because they ate coarse salt for a long time, and even noble families found it very difficult to eat fine salt, let alone ordinary commoners.

"No!"

"More than that!"

Pei Suiwan stared at the fine salt pinched by Chen Yan, her pretty face full of seriousness, and said: "This is also fine salt of extremely high quality..."

"The quality is much higher than the fine salt supplied to the imperial family!"

Without comparison, there is no harm.

The "fine salt" supplied to the imperial family and noble families, in front of this small bag, couldn't even be called fine.

That quality was more than seven or eight streets ahead...

"With the fineness of this salt, if it were put on the black market outside..."

Du Shuying stared straight at the fine salt, pursed her red lips, and said excitedly: "It could be speculated to a sky-high price of a thousand taels of silver at least!"

Fine as snow, delicate as sand, distinct particles; a sky-high price of a thousand taels of silver was a conservative estimate.

After all, the thing Chang'an lacked the least was rich people...

You must know that the fine salt that wasn't so fine before had been speculated to a price of eight hundred taels when it flowed into the black market.

Not to mention this quality.

"A Yan Brother, where did you get this fine salt?"

Pei Suiwan withdrew her thoughts, calmed her mood, looked at Chen Yan's calm gaze, and asked.

After a pause, she continued, "Is it from the Chang'an black market, or Qinzhou..."

Two guesses, one was the place with the greatest possibility, and the other was the path Chen Yan had taken.

Because he had just returned from suppressing the rebellion in Qinzhou, there was a not-small probability that he got it from there...

"Neither."

Chen Yan shook his head, smiled indifferently, and in the focused gaze of everyone, said slowly: "These fine salts were all made by my own hands..."

Actually, Chen Yan had started tinkering with this thing a long time ago...

The reason he only took it out now was because there was a gap between theory and practice.

Plus he was sent to Qinzhou halfway, and it wasn't until recently that he had various effective processes.

"How is that possible?"

"This Palace doesn't believe it!"

Yuwen Yuan was the first to react.

The words were full of disbelief.

Can a person compose poetry, fight wars, be at ease in the officialdom, and also make fine salt? That's too all-around, right? 【138

You must know that every trade has its master; these are all different directions!

Even if the Wenqu Star descended to the mortal world, it would be hard to be proficient in everything, right?

What on earth did he grow up eating?

"If Your Highness does not believe it, you may well make a wager with this official..." Chen Yan said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he proposed with great interest.

"Chief Mirror Officer Chen, are you setting a trap for this Princess?" Yuwen Yuan asked, becoming instantly alert upon hearing this.

A woman's intuition told her that the man before her was just waiting for her right here!

Perhaps, after laying so much groundwork, it was all for this...

"How could that be?"

"It is merely to add some amusement..."

Chen Yan shrugged, naturally refusing to admit it, and said nonchalantly.

He paused, then goaded her: "It just depends on whether Your Highness dares to do it?"

In truth, this clever Eldest Princess was not wrong; this was indeed a trap...

But the target was not her.

And the one Chen Yan was fishing for was someone else...

"Fine."

"This Princess will bet with you!"

Yuwen Yuan pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "What do you want to bet on?"

"Bet on one thing!"

Chen Yan wore a smile that was not quite a smile, held up a finger, and said playfully: "If this official can produce it on the spot, Your Highness shall grant this official one request..."

He paused, then continued: "Conversely, this official shall grant Your Highness one request!"

Although Chen Yan's goal was not her from the start, being able to secure a promise from the Eldest Princess by guiding the situation could be considered an unexpected gain...

Perhaps it would come in handy someday.

"This matter must have limits..."

Yuwen Yuan pursed her lips, her phoenix eyes narrowing slightly as she said: "It must be within the scope of ability, and must not be overstepped!"

If she could witness the refining of fine salt with her own eyes, a promise was not impossible to give.

But she had to be cautious and keep her guard up, leaving herself some leeway.

To avoid certain people making any excessive demands...

"Of course." Chen Yan nodded.

"Then please, Chief Mirror Officer Chen, demonstrate it on the spot!" Yuwen Yuan lightly raised the folding fan in her hand and made a gesture of invitation.

"I must trouble Suiwan to prepare some tools..."

Chen Yan turned his head to look at Pei Suiwan, smiled faintly, and spoke.

Immediately after, he informed her of the names of the various tools required, one by one.

"Alright."

Pei Suiwan smiled sweetly and replied: "I will send someone to procure them right now."

It was not just Yuwen Yuan; she, Pei Suiwan, was also very expectant...

Pei Mansion.

Study.

Pei Xun was rarely on leave today and was hunched over his desk, tracing calligraphy copybooks to study the art of writing.

"Father." After Pei Xilou knocked on the door and received permission, he pushed the door open, entered, and walked to the desk.

"Xilou, why is the mansion so lively today?"

Pei Xun lifted his brush, raised his head, looked at his beloved son not far before him, and asked casually.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea ago, it had suddenly become noisy outside the study, but because he was in the middle of a flourish of brush and ink, he was too lazy to be distracted.

"Father, you have forgotten; the Zhuque Mirror Master's visiting card is for a visit today to express gratitude..." Pei Xilou replied with a smile upon hearing this.

In his words, there seemed to be a hidden meaning.

"Then what has happened outside?" Pei Xun caught the subtext and cast a glance toward the door.

According to his beloved son's implication, the "liveliness" outside probably had something to do with that Zhuque Mirror Master...

"Chief Mirror Officer Chen has made a bet with the Eldest Princess!" Pei Xilou did not keep him in suspense and stated it directly and truthfully, "Everyone in the mansion has gone over to watch..."

"A bet?"

Pei Xun put down the brush in his hand and asked: "What is it about?"

At that moment, this Heavenly Office Imperial Steward had his interest piqued...

After all, the identities of these two people making a bet were both extraordinary, so the matter they were betting on would not be ordinary either.

"It is about the matter of refining fine salt!" Pei Xilou replied.

He had hurried to the study precisely to report this matter.

"What did you say?"

"Fine salt?!"

"Who is refining it?"

"Chen Yan?"

Even with Pei Xun's composure, hearing these concise keywords, he could not help but be startled.

At this moment, the bet with the Eldest Princess was secondary...

The point was that Chen Yan was refining fine salt!

He even had this ability?!

"Yes."

Pei Xilou nodded, phrased his words slightly, and said in a deep voice: "The cause is that Chief Mirror Officer Chen brought a bag of extremely high-quality fine salt, without any impurities..."

"It is even better than the fine salt specially supplied to the Imperial family and the fine salt in our own mansion!"

"This kid actually has such ability?" Pei Xun laughed, lightly pinched his beard, and said playfully.

"The child is also not clear..."

Pei Xilou's gaze sharpened, and he said: "But the possibility is very high!"

He had great confidence in Chen Yan.

He had already brought too many and too great surprises before...

Especially in recent days, that policy proposal book for the Martyrs' Cemetery was breathtaking to behold.

Even if he really refined fine salt, it would actually not be a surprise.

"But if it is true, then it is a matter that benefits the country and the people!"

Pei Xun stood up, hands behind his back, his gaze looking outside the door becoming profound, and he said in a deep voice.

"The child thinks so too..."

Pei Xilou nodded, very much in agreement, and proposed: "Shall we also go to the scene to take a look?"

"It should not have started yet..."

"Let's go."

Pei Xun did not hesitate and stepped forward, "Let's go see if this Zhuque Mirror Master can bring a surprise this time!"

Pei Mansion.

Back garden.

An extremely spacious venue.

Chen Yan sat cross-legged, with the tools prepared by Pei Suiwan piled in front of him: a small knife, rock salt ore, a mortar, a small pot, a wooden frame, cloth, and a pottery basin...

Yuwen Yuan stood to one side, and after repeatedly examining them, she could not help but shake her head and raised her doubts: "Chief Mirror Officer Chen, with just these few simple tools..."

"Are you sure you can really refine fine salt?"