âYour Highness, what is this coal briquette?â Wang Shijie asked, puzzled.
Xiao Ming gave a mysterious smile and signaled Chen Wenlong with a glance.
Understanding the gesture, Chen Wenlong instructed the craftsmen to bring in the coal briquettes they had made.
This coal briquette, also known as honeycomb briquette, was a cylindrical shape about ten centimeters in diameter, with holes running through it. In Xiao Mingâs previous world, this type of coal stove was very popular before the 1970s and 1980s, found in almost every household.
It could be used for boiling water, cooking, and heatingâversatile and practical. Moreover, it was quite simple to manufacture.
Faced with this never-before-seen object, Wang Shijie and the other three were equally confused, waiting for Xiao Mingâs explanation.
âTake a closer look, everyone. This coal stove is essentially a cylinder divided into two parts by an iron rod. The upper part is the furnace, and the lower part is the air intake. Thereâs a vent on the outsideâwhen itâs opened wider, more air enters, and the fire burns stronger. When itâs narrowed, less air enters, and the fire weakens. The coal ball is made by grinding and recasting coal briquettes. When combined with the stove, it produces a miraculous effect.â
After explaining, Xiao Ming personally took charge. He used charcoal and wheat straw to start the fire, then placed a honeycomb briquette at the bottom. He also used a clay tube as a chimney, placing it on top.
Wang Shijie and the other three stood together, whispering among themselves and watching Xiao Mingâs every move intently.
Soon, the fire grew strong, and the honeycomb briquette ignited. Xiao Ming then inserted a second coal into the stove and removed the small chimney.
At this point, blue flames were burning vigorously inside the stove.
âYour Highness, this doesnât seem much different from a charcoal brazier,â Sun Dong, who was always straightforward, said bluntly.
Qin Muâs eyes shifted, and he tapped his fan against his palm, displeased with Sun Dongâs comment. âBrother Sun, youâre mistaken. If His Highness is so invested in this, it must be something extraordinary.â
âBrother Qin, your flattery skills are truly improving by the day, leaving us in awe. However, I think Brother Sun has a point,â Wei Qing said seriously.
If Sun Dong was straightforward, Wei Qing was a bit stubborn. From what Xiao Ming knew, Wei Qing had only passed the provincial examination because his father had spent a considerable amount of silver to buy his way through.
As for Wei Qing himself, he preferred martial arts over scholarly pursuits.
Wang Shijie pondered for a moment, then gave the other three a look of disdain. âWhen it comes to His Highnessâs coal stove, none of you can match my understanding. After His Highnessâs explanation, this coal stove does seem very practicalâmuch more convenient than a charcoal brazier.â
âBrother Wang is indeed insightful, as expected of someone in the coal and iron business,â Xiao Ming praised.
Wang Shijie, who was always quick to seize an opportunity, puffed up with pride like a victorious rooster. âYour Highness, this thing is truly impressive. Where did you learn about it?â
Xiao Ming replied casually, âThatâs a long story. A few days ago, the steward of the princeâs residence bought a book from a foreign merchant. I found many items in it and decided to study them closely.â
Here, the advantage of Xiao Mingâs status as a prince became apparent. He could easily make up an excuse to explain the origin of the devices he planned to develop in the future.
If he were an ordinary person, these wealthy families would likely resort to murder to uncover the truth.
Wang Shijie was half-convinced, but since Xiao Ming had spoken, he didnât dare to press further. After all, while they got along well with Xiao Ming, the hierarchy between them was a different matter.
âYour Highness, it seems fortune favors the noble. This coal stove is indeed impressive. Could Your Highness have the Engineering Department make one for us to try?â
Wang Shijie exchanged glances with Qin Mu and the others. The coal stove was novel, and they were eager to buy one to test it out.
Xiao Ming had been waiting for the fish to bite. It was impossible to sell the coal stove to ordinary households at this stage, as most commoners couldnât afford coal and relied on firewood.
However, wealthy households were different. The psychology of any wealthy family was the sameâthey loved novel things.
âThatâs not impossible, but this coal stove consumes both iron and coal. The Prince of Qiâs residence has always been poorâŠâ
Wang Shijie, being a shrewd man, immediately understood. âYour Highness, no problem. Just tell us how much silver one coal stove costs, and weâll pay.â
Qin Mu and the others nodded in agreement. They wouldnât dare take advantage of Xiao Ming, as he was still a prince.
âHow about fifty taels of silver per coal stove?â Xiao Ming made an outrageous demand.
Wang Shijie was shocked. The Prince of Qi was truly bold.
In his opinion, while the coal stove was much more convenient than a charcoal brazier, it wasnât irreplaceable. At most, it offered some added convenience and wasnât worth that much moneyâthree taels of silver at most.
He said, âYour Highness, fifty taels is too much. Think about itâwealthy families all have servants. Boiling water, cooking, and warming wine may be a bit troublesome, but they donât have to do it themselves. Spending fifty taels on this is no better than buying a maid. Please donât make it difficult for me.â
Qin Mu and the others nodded in agreement. Sun Dong added, âBut Brother Wangâs comment reminded meâthis coal stove could be a business opportunity. We could sell it to wealthy households that have some money but canât afford maids.â
Xiao Ming glanced at the four of them, realizing that the ancients werenât stupid. They were shrewd and calculated, and one couldnât just create something and expect to make a fortune easily.
The first round of deception had failed. Xiao Ming called Chen Wenlong over to ask about the cost of the coal stove.
Wang Shijieâs estimate was quite accurateâthe cost was around two taels of silver, as both coal and iron were expensive.
There would be no easy money from gullible buyers, but Sun Dongâs suggestion was feasible. The coal stove was made to earn silver, after all.
Otherwise, how would he get the funds to build up the industrial base? He couldnât just confiscate the wealth of all the rich families in Qingzhou, could he?
âBrother Sun is truly wise,â Xiao Ming praised.
At this moment, Qin Mu had a sudden idea. âYour Highness, my family is in the water transport business, and we travel all over the Great Yu Kingdom. Why not let my family handle the sales of this coal stove?â
âBrother Qin is indeed the most suitable for this,â Wei Qing said.
âBrother Qinâs suggestion aligns perfectly with my thoughts. As you all know, the tax revenue of Qingzhou has been declining year after year. If this continues, the Prince of Qiâs residence will soon be reduced to living on air. Although you all often help the residence, itâs not a long-term solution,â Xiao Ming sighed deeply.
At this point, all four of them looked somewhat awkward. They were well aware of the root cause of the tax revenue problem.
However, which wealthy family in the Great Yu Empire wasnât holding onto their silver tightly?
Now that the Prince of Qi wanted to start his own business to supplement the residenceâs income, it was only natural. After all, which prince didnât have a group of merchants under him?
These merchants paid silver annually in exchange for business conveniences, and some highly profitable businesses were even directly managed by the princeâs trusted aides.
Similarly, they also paid the Prince of Qi some silver every year, but the prince was so incompetent that he only used the money for his own pleasure.
He didnât even bother with the mines and water transport businesses that other princes tightly controlled.