Chapter 254: Jingshi's Hot Commodity

"Glass!"

Guan Zhong bowed his body before Zhao Heng.

He had been called back by a eunuch from the palace while halfway there.

Zhao Heng had asked what the bottle was, so he had told the truth.

While at the merchant firm, Yang He had already explained it to him.

"Replying to Your Majesty, the material of this bottle is called glass," Guan Zhong said. "It is said that His Highness Yan Wang expended a great deal of effort to create this glass, and then immediately sent it to Your Majesty."

"You mean to say that this thing, like the Perfume and Fine Wine, can be produced? It is just a commodity?" Zhao Heng blinked his eyes.

At this moment, he was fiddling with a Glass Cup, unable to put it down.

"Exactly. From now on, Yanzhou will have a batch of goods specifically loaded in these Glass Bottles to show that they are different from other goods and to manifest nobility," Guan Zhong added.

Zhao Heng nodded.

He looked at the Fine Wine and Perfume in the wooden crate; with this glass to contain them, both the Fine Wine and the Perfume suddenly appeared exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

And as Guan Zhong said, it manifested nobility.

He could already imagine how magnificent it would be to have this glass-encased Fine Wine set out at future imperial banquets.

However, what shocked him most was that Yan Wang could actually produce such exquisite and beautiful things; it truly surprised him.

Guan Zhong's words likewise left the Imperial Concubines stunned.

Xie Huanghou murmured, "Your Majesty, Yan Wang is truly full of surprises. Yesterday it was Fine Wine, today it is Perfume, and now he has brought out glass. This is going to dazzle the eyes of everyone in Jingshi. I wonder what other good things he will send to Jingshi the day after tomorrow."

"This is due to Your Majesty's wise guidance. Without Your Majesty, there would be no him. Furthermore, these are just petty cleverness; they cannot compare to Your Majesty's grand strategy," Mi Fei said hurriedly.

Yan Wang was her son, and now, through a twist of fate, he had achieved such great success.

To her, this was not easy.

Therefore, even though she lived deep in the Hougong, she always defended Yan Wang.

However, before an emperor, there is a type of protection called having merit but not claiming it.

This was also something she had mentioned in her correspondence with Yan Wang.

No matter what one does, one cannot rely on one's own merits, but must attribute everything to the emperor.

In this way, one can both gain the emperor's favor and avoid being suspected by others.

"Hahaha... Mi Fei is right. Without me, there would be no him. He is, after all, my son," Zhao Heng laughed loudly.

Turning to Guan Zhong, he said, "Every time this Yan Wang sends things over, he has some intention in mind. Speak, what does he want to do in Jingshi this time?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, His Highness only wishes to hold an exhibition in Jingshi so that the people of Jingshi can appreciate the new goods from Yanzhou," Guan Zhong said truthfully.

Zhao Heng nodded; he had roughly guessed it. "To think he still remembers me. With such filial piety, I shall fulfill his wish today. Your merchant firm may hold this exhibition outside the Donghua Gate."

Guan Zhong was overjoyed upon hearing this.

The location of the Donghua Gate was the most prosperous place in Jingshi.

Without an official order, no one could hold an event there.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Guan Zhong bowed deeply.

Zhao Heng waved his hand at this moment.

Guan Zhong understood, replied in the affirmative, and turned to leave.

Now that it was clear what this crystal-clear, gem-like thing was.

The Imperial Concubines immediately became relentless.

They did not care about the wine inside, but were instead attracted by the Perfume in the glass containers.

Just like the White Wine, the Perfume, having been switched to Glass Bottles, looked more pleasing the more they watched it.

They instantly did not want the Porcelain Bottles they had used before.

Zhao Heng loved it most when the Imperial Concubines fawned over him.

After laughing happily for a while, he said, "Leave these things to Xie Huanghou; she shall distribute them."

After speaking, he secretly took two bottles of Perfume and, with Liang Cheng, turned and left.

Xie Huanghou saw it, but she deliberately pretended not to.

Her expression, however, was slightly displeased.

Having the palace maids by her side pick out ten bottles to take away, Xie Huanghou put on airs and said to the Imperial Concubines, "This Empress has matters to attend to and shall leave now. You all listen to Mi Fei for the distribution below."

She then gave Mi Fei a stiff smile.

Mi Fei did not mind; Xie Huanghou had been trying to win her over everywhere lately, but she knew very well it was just to win over Yan Wang.

Deep down, she still looked down on her, an Imperial Concubine of humble origins.

Especially since he was becoming increasingly favored these days.

As soon as Xie Huanghou's figure disappeared, the Imperial Concubines no longer had any scruples and rushed up in a swarm.

They pulled and tugged, grabbing from the wooden crate.

Mi Fei had always been gentle and kind in the palace, so they were not afraid of her at all.

Seeing this, Mi Fei could only smile bitterly and just had the palace maids watch to ensure no one got hurt.

Over here.

Guan Zhong returned to the merchant firm and told Yang He and Dong An the news.

Both were overjoyed upon hearing it.

"I didn't expect that I would win the first battle as soon as I arrived in Jingshi. Dong An, are you convinced or not?" Yang He had an arrogant look on his face.

"You just had a stroke of good luck," Dong An rolled his eyes.

He never admitted that he was inferior to Yang He in ability.

But there was one thing he could not deny.

Yang He's luck was indeed better than his own.

And there was Lv Chang, foolish and dull, yet he was also luckier than him.

"Tch, His Highness once said that luck is also a part of one's strength, so go ahead and lament to yourself." Yang He tilted his head back and went off to arrange the exhibition matters.

Dong An was indignant, but His Highness was still His Highness.

He could not help but always be surprised by the commercial goods, and the things he said were always astonishing.

The next day, early morning.

Guan Zhong went to the Donghua Gate first.

After the commander of the Imperial Guards marked out the area for the exhibition, he returned to the trading firm and ordered the clerks of the firm to transport the items over.

Yang He and Dong An arrived at the same time, but when they reached the spot, they discovered that the area around the exhibition was already packed tight.

"What is going on here?" Yang He and Dong An were both puzzled.

Just then, a young man from an official family came before Yang He, cupped his hands, and said, "Vice Manager Dong, I heard that a fight broke out in the palace because of the new goods sent by Yan Wang."

"What?" Dong An looked bewildered.

"You don't know? The news spread all over last night, saying that the things Yan Wang sent this time are earth-shattering, the Imperial Concubines couldn't help but fight over them, and upon learning that you were going to display the latest goods at the Donghua Gate today, all the nobles in the city came over," the young man said.

Then he glanced at Yang He beside Dong An and asked, "Who is this?"

"Yang He, Manager of the Yanzhou Trading Firm, just arrived from Yanzhou..."

"Ah, Manager Yang, long time no see, long time no see." Before Dong An could finish his sentence, the young man fawned over him, offering pleasantries.

Dong An simply went to help the trading firm's clerks set up the goods.

When bottle after bottle of Wine contained in Glass Bottles was brought out, a burst of exclamations immediately erupted from the surroundings.

"Is this the new cargo from the Prince's Mansion? What is that transparent and clear thing?"

"It is said that this thing is called Glass."

"And the Perfume, it's truly beautiful."

"No wonder the Imperial Concubines would fight over them."

"..."

The whispers around him made Yang He feel slightly smug.

He had originally thought it would take some effort to attract people over, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.

"Vice Manager Dong, reserve one hundred bottles of this new cargo for me, Silver is not an issue," said a man dressed in luxurious clothing with a potbelly; he was the British Duke.

"I want to order five hundred bottles of Perfume, you must give them to me first," said a heavily made-up woman; she was the madam of Yuanyaulou.

"I want one thousand bottles of Wine."

"Three hundred bottles."

"..."

The exhibition had only just begun, and requests for orders rose one after another; they didn't even ask about the price anymore.

Yang He and Dong An exchanged a look, their eyes filled with smiles.

Clearly, these high-end goods in Glass would immediately become a hit in Jingshi, and the nobles throughout the city would flock to them.

This time, not only were the Wine and Perfume sold, but the Glass used to hold the Wine and Perfume was also sold.