Overlord's Road to Ancient Emperors

Li Xu lived in the villa for a few days, and returned to the city before the sown rice seeds emerged, because Lei Yang sent someone to spread the word that the sugarcane juicer was ready.He brought his people back to the palace, and he saw ten stone mill juicers and sugarcane juice squeezed out of several vats placed aside, and several craftsmen were debugging the equipment.

Lei Yang came to report with a smile on his face, "My lord, this stone mill you made is really useful. It can squeeze several sugar canes together, and the juice comes out quickly and saves effort."

Seeing that they were using human power, Li Xu suggested, "You can also use donkeys to pull the mill, saving some effort."

"Don't worry, I've already recruited hundreds of young and strong hired workers to work alternately day and night, and within a few days all the sugarcane juice will be squeezed out."

Li Xu thought to himself that he didn't know how to save money, how much wages would a hundred laborers pay, but Lei Yang said with a smile: "Two meals a day, and each person will be given ten squares of tofu and a catty of dried tofu. All that’s missing is tofu.”

Well, the labor force at this time is really cheap, like during the slack season, as long as you can take care of the food, you can recruit a lot of free labor. Thinking about it this way, Li Xu felt that it was necessary for him to launch a large-scale recruitment.

The fire in the big stove was already on fire, and the sugarcane juice began to boil in the pot according to Li Xu's request, stirring while boiling to prevent the bottom of the pot from getting burnt.

Lei Yang stepped forward and said excitedly: "My lord is not here these days, the sales of the tofu shop are very good, and thousands of catties of tofu are made every day. Fortunately, you said that you can exchange beans for tofu, otherwise there will not be enough beans." Even so, Lei Yang still asked people to buy soybeans everywhere, because of this, the price of soybeans has increased recently.

"After all, tofu is a cheap product. The common people can make it at home. When they make some money, they will spread the recipe. Our main market will be outside South Vietnam." He doesn't plan to sell anything. Making tofu is a very hard job and doesn't make much money. Instead of spending manpower and material resources here, it is better to do other more profitable businesses.

Lei Yang was a little worried, "In this way, what if the recipe is spread outside?"

"When the time comes, you post the notice and say that the Palace wants to recruit franchisees. Those who are willing to make tofu can sign up. After screening, select some people to stay, sign a non-disclosure agreement, and then tell them the prescription. As for a few years later It doesn't matter if Fang Zi leaks the secret, this thing is not a treasure, why cover it so tightly."

"My lord is righteous." Lei Yang said distressedly.

"Okay, this thing is not difficult to make. Even if you don't spread the word, others can make it very quickly. Brown sugar is the same, and you can't keep it tight." Of course, if Li Xu wants to monopolize the product, he can get an ancient patent, which is not allowed. If other people make these two things, once they find out that they ransacked the family and exterminated the family, then no one would dare to commit crimes against the wind, tsk, wouldn't he be no different from a tyrant.

"Brown sugar should be boiled until it is thick and moderate. Let the craftsmen try more. It is best to let it cool and form it, which is better for storage."

When it came to sugar, Lei Yang immediately put the tofu aside and stayed in the kitchen without leaving his feet.After the first pot was cooked, I couldn't wait to let it cool, so I picked a ball with chopsticks and ate it. The brown sugar just out of the pot was sweet and delicious, and it melted in the mouth. The taste is wonderful.

"It's so sweet!" Lei Yang narrowed his eyes with a smile, licked his lips, and wanted to stick his chopsticks into the pot.

Li Xu pressed his hand, "Brother Lei, pay attention to hygiene, if you want to eat, let them make a bowl for you to eat slowly."

"Yes, I was negligent, it's too fragrant and sweet." For the ancient people who didn't have many snacks, this thing is really hard to put down.

Li Xu remembered that when he was a child, he liked to eat malt candy. He put pieces of white malt candy in his mouth and sucked them slowly, and he was reluctant to eat them all at once.

When the first batch of brown sugar was unmoulded, Li Xu took a piece and boiled a pot of brown sugar water. It was indeed the taste in his memory. The unique aroma of brown sugar was unmatched by white sugar. He couldn't wait to eat brown sugar steamed buns and brown sugar rice cakes. .

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Kou Xiao had just returned to the mansion and met face to face with Liu Shu who was walking towards him. He asked in surprise, "Why didn't Manager Xiao Liu follow the prince?"

Liu Shu saluted and replied politely: "My lord ordered me to bring some food to the family."

"Oh, what delicious food did your lord make again?"

Liu Shu remembered that Li Xu had mentioned General Kou before, saying that he wanted to get a few pieces of land from the Kou family to plant sugar cane, so he smiled sincerely and said, "The brown sugar is made, and His Highness ordered the cook to steam rice cakes and steamed buns." , sent it to all the masters to taste, but I didn’t expect General Kou to go back to the mansion, so there are less gifts, why don’t you go to Xiyuan with my servant to sit down.”

Kou Xiao came back with bad intentions, so of course he was willing to take a trip, and after walking half a street, he asked in surprise: "Didn't you open a small gate at the wall, why did you take a long detour?"

Liu Shu replied casually: "That door, the servant thought it was indecent, so he was sealed."

The corner of Kou Xiao’s mouth twitched. He had heard that the slaves around some high-ranking officials were difficult to deal with, but he had never seen them. It wasn’t until Liu Shu appeared that he realized that being a slave could achieve his level. Any official in the country is imposing.

Liu Shu looked back at him, and said earnestly: "General Kou is a military general, and he is used to being informal. My prince, on weekdays, is most afraid of troublesome people. I am very grateful for being taken in by the Kou family. It is convenient, but it will only increase the trouble, the servant is reluctant to let my master be wronged, so he sealed the door on his own initiative, and hoped that General Kou will be happy."

Well, you've said that, what else can I say.It was the first time that Kou Xiao found out that his eloquence was not as good as that of an eunuch, and he was deeply annoyed. Besides, there was a door on the fence, and Xiyuan might really have to change his surname in the future.

It's not that Kou Xiao is reluctant to part with a few small courtyards, but in this way, his wishful thinking will come to naught, the two will become neighbors, and they will never see each other under the same roof.

He glanced at Liu Shu and asked with a smile, "How old is Little Manager Liu?"

"Seventeen."

"Yeah, she's one year younger than me. Who else is there in the family?"

"I don't know, I was young when I entered the palace, and I even forgot where my home is." Liu Shu replied indifferently.

"Then you and the prince grew up together. Your relationship must be beyond comparison with ordinary masters and servants."

Although Liu Shu felt the same way, he definitely wouldn't show it, "General Kou was joking, the prince is the master, and with his status as a slave, he dare not talk to the master."

As he talked, he arrived at Xiyuan, but after not coming for a few days, Kou Xiao found that the courtyard separated from his own house had changed a lot, it was not his original courtyard at all.

Liu Shu raised his chin and showed off, "Does the general feel that there has been a big change?"

"Yeah, it's much more elegant. Did Director Xiao Liu find someone to repair it?"

"No, it was arranged randomly by my lord. You see a lot of changes, but in fact, not many things have changed. You can see that there is an extra row of potted plants over there, a stone plank road by the lake, and a small garden over there. A few peach trees were transplanted from ready-made ones, and it took only half a day."

Kou Xiao sighed, "Your Majesty has a unique vision." It would be great if he could decorate his house too. He seldom lives at home and his yard is deserted, so no one is in the mood to decorate his house. The furnishings in the yard are from many years ago, and I usually don’t think there is anything, but when compared with this one, I feel that my yard is like a doghouse.

Thinking of this, he added, "My lord is really wise."

Liu Shu glared at him, "General, don't talk nonsense, virtuous is what describes a woman." He thought to himself that General Kou is really a martial artist, with no culture at all.

The two entered Li Xu's courtyard and saw him writing and drawing in the study room. They didn't look up when they heard the footsteps, and asked naturally: "The things have been delivered? Do they like it?"

Liu Shu trotted a few steps, came up to him and replied, "Of course I like it, the steamed buns and rice cakes are so delicious, I couldn't resist eating several pieces."

Kou Xiao was very dissatisfied, why did this kid turn into a little bastard when he saw Li Xu? Brotherly.

"Ahem, please greet the prince in the future." Kou Xiao said in a rough voice.

Li Xu raised his head when he heard his voice, and asked in surprise, "Why did the general return to the city today?"

"It's Commander Lin and they are leaving, and I will come back to tell you at the end."

Li Xu was startled, it turned out that the Habayashi Army was leaving, after calculation, they had stayed for half a month, and he was very busy during this time, so he didn't go to the barracks to see them.

"When are they leaving?"

"tomorrow."

"Have you bought all the things you asked the general to buy before?" He said at the time that he would prepare a salute for the return trip to the Habayashi Army, because he had no money in his pocket, so he asked Kou Xiao to help buy it, of course, on credit.

One debt does not bother two masters, anyway, he owes Kou Xiao a lot, and he doesn't care about more, and with this relationship, he and Kou Xiao can become closer, right?

"Don't worry, my lord, everything is ready, and the medicinal materials have also been prepared by the medical craftsman."

Li Xu smiled at him, "Thank you for your hard work, General Kou. I just made some money selling tofu these days, so let me pay you part of it first."

Kou Xiao smacked his mouth, seemed to be relishing the taste of tofu, and sincerely praised: "That tofu is really delicious, you can eat it three times a day, forget about the money, the bow and crossbow that the prince gave before are much more valuable than these , and the food here is fresh and delicious, and you can’t find it anywhere else, and if the prince has delicious food in the future, it is enough to leave a portion for the general.”

"It's simple, you haven't had dinner yet." Li Xu simply cleaned up the desk, and then led Kou Xiao to the small restaurant for dinner.

There is a plate of freshly baked brown sugar steamed buns on the dining table. Dark red brown sugar juice flows out of the crack. As soon as you enter the door, you can smell the sweetness. There is also a plate of fried brown sugar rice cakes. Cut the brown sugar rice cakes into thin slices and wrap them in a The layer of egg liquid is fried with oil, the skin is crispy, the inside is soft, and it is also very sweet.