Chapter 223: You Think Everyone

Don't say it, but when it comes to candles, Chen Yan actually has some research.

When I was a child living in a mountain village, power would often go out, and at night we had to use candles.

In his previous life, my grandfather was very frugal and liked to make many things himself, including white candles.

There are several ways to make white candles; one relies on beeswax, which is costly, so I'll set that aside for now.

One method for white wax uses a substance called insect white wax, which is the white wax secreted by colonies of male white wax insects that inhabit the branches of Oleaceae or Ligustrum plants.

This thing, you see, is a medicinal material.

Combined with gamboge, melted into hemp oil, it can be applied to wounds to stop bleeding and relieve pain, and it can also be used to make white wax.

Chen Yan vaguely remembers his grandfather saying that making candles with insect white wax only became popular during the Song Dynasty, and now it's virtually nonexistent.

If we could monopolize the market with low‑priced candles made from insect white wax, wouldn't that be a huge profit?

However, before that, we need to figure out the current candle‑making techniques in the Tang Dynasty; if others' costs are also low, monopolizing will be difficult.

"Brother Du Gou, do you know what the methods and costs of making white wax are?"

"White candles?" Du Gou looked at Chen Yan with puzzlement. "You don't intend to make money with white wax, do you?"

"Hehe, it has to be you, Brother Du Gou," Chen Yan said excitedly. "Since this thing is so expensive, why can't we make it?"

"I recall that at night, just a few steps away in the Imperial Palace you can see white wax, lined up in rows; Cheng Bo Bo's house and yours also often have this stuff."

"That proves this thing has great demand; with demand, there's naturally money to earn."

"I advise you not to think about this," Du Gou said, pointing at the candle on the desk. "This stuff does have huge demand, after all candles can be considered a necessity."

"Some high officials and wealthy merchants can't use oil lamps like ordinary folk, so they must choose candles."

"But the cost of candles is very high; I won't even mention the beeswax needed, the labor cost is the biggest factor."

"To make a single white candle, you must purchase beeswax from beekeepers, then go through several months of sun‑drying, making the cost extremely high."

"That's why white wax can sell for such a high price."

"Sometimes, His Majesty even gives white wax as a reward to his subordinate officials."

"Several months?" Chen Yan asked, his head full of question marks.

Du Gou was indeed talking about making candles with beeswax.

But he clearly remembered his grandfather saying that besides insect white wax, the method for making candles with beeswax is to first heat the beeswax, then stir in charcoal powder to adsorb pigments, and finally, while hot, filter through fine hemp cloth or multiple layers of coarse sand to remove the charcoal and impurities.

After cooling, you can obtain the candle.

This process takes at most two days.

Chen Yan blinked, suddenly realizing something was off, "You just said... it takes several months of sun‑drying?"

"Exactly!" Du Gou said matter‑of‑factly. "Otherwise, why do you think beeswax is yellow while white wax is white?"

"It must undergo sun‑drying and many complex steps before it becomes a burnable candle..."

Zi Anxiong, what are you laughing at?

As he spoke, Chen Yan suddenly grinned and burst into laughter, leaving Du Gou utterly confused.

"It's nothing, it's nothing, I just thought of something pleasant," Chen Yan waved his hand, feeling extremely cheerful.

From Du Gou's words just now, people in the Tang Dynasty don't just use insect white wax; even beeswax candles are made by long‑term sun‑drying.

The cost involved is easy to imagine.

Now Chen Yan just wants to say, "Your sun‑drying method is good, but if I employ a charcoal or clay adsorption de‑coloring technique, how will you deal with that?"

Little white wax, take it, take it!

"......"

In the Imperial Palace, within the Twin Instruments Hall, candlelight flickered.

Li Shimin, having just finished the morning court and following protocol to handle memorials here, had not sat down long when Wushe slowly walked to his side, bowing his waist and respectfully saying, "His Majesty, the Grand Historian seeks an audience outside."

"Grand Historian?" Li Shimin was somewhat surprised.

Normally, Grand Historian Li Chunfeng ignores everything outside the window; unless Li Shimin summons him, he basically never seeks Li Shimin.

If Li Chunfeng unusually comes to the door, it must be urgent.

"Xuan!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Soon after, Li Chunfeng slowly entered the hall, bowing respectfully.

"I, your servant, salute Your Majesty!"

"Stand down," Li Shimin said lightly, getting straight to the point: "Grand Historian, why have you suddenly come to me today?"

"What have you calculated?"

Li Chunfeng, not expecting Li Shimin to be so direct, was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it wasn't I who calculated it, but Mr. Chen who did."

"Zi An?" Li Shimin's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Li Chunfeng's lips moved slightly, his voice tinged with bitterness, "Your Majesty, Mr. Chen's earlier prophecy is about to be fulfilled."

Hearing this, Li Shimin thought for a long time, and after recalling what Chen Yan had prophesied, he suddenly stood up, "You mean a flood disaster is about to erupt?"

"Exactly," Li Chunfeng said with admiration. "I observed the heavens last night, saw Mercury trespassing the Dipper, Venus crossing the heavens, while the Yellow River's stellar signs were dim, an inauspicious omen. Combined with Mr. Chen's earlier words, the banks of the Yellow River... may soon face a water disaster."

Li Chunfeng was truly convinced this time.

He only discerned it last night, yet Chen Yan had already seen the flood coming as early as early April.

Regardless of how Chen Yan saw it or what method he used, he simply saw it.

One has to admit his skill.

"Flood disaster, flood disaster," Li Shimin muttered continuously, his heart growing uneasy.

He trusted Chen Yan, so after Chen Yan transferred all the money from selling glassware last month, he secretly arranged for people to go and make preparations.

But he didn't expect the flood disaster to arrive so quickly.

In such a short time, can the people he sent build flood control facilities and settle the populace when the flood breaks out?

Li Shimin is not quite sure.

Ah~

Troubled times, troubled times indeed.

Li Shimin fell silent for a moment, then asked: "Grand Historian, can you calculate when exactly this will break out, so that I may have some mental preparation."

Li Chunfeng shook his head, "Your Majesty, my Dao cultivation is insufficient; I cannot calculate the exact timing of the flood disaster, but... roughly it will be within half a month."

"If Your Majesty wishes to know the exact timing, you could go find Mr. Chen; he might be able to give you a satisfactory answer."

Hearing that, Li Shimin's mouth twitched.

Chen Yan could only give a worthless answer; he doesn't rely on divination like you do.

He infers it from historical clues; he's just an ordinary person.

Do you think everyone's a fraud like you?

"......"