The Female Lead Decides to Act Wickedly

Chapter 1308 - 487: Court Intrigue Can’t Compare to Rebellion (Part 24)

"Cutting off the supply?"

Solving the salt monopoly issue from the ground up?!

That’s quite a boast!

He is an Emperor and couldn’t think of a solution, how could Nianer, a mere woman from the inner chambers, have any good strategies?

Zheng Nianer didn’t notice the fleeting expression of doubt in Emperor Yongcheng’s eyes as she began to speak carefully—

"Noble families dare to challenge the court because they occupy the nation’s salt fields, salt mines, and other resources; they also possess unique salt-making techniques."

"They monopolize the nation’s salt, not only acquiring massive wealth but gaining the confidence to resist the court!"

Though Zheng Nianer is not versed in state affairs, she has read countless time-traveling web novels.

Whether battle stories aimed at men or romance stories for women, if set before the Sui and Tang times, they always employ a skill that exists only in later generations—salt making.

"Erlang, if you want to break the monopoly of noble families and completely overhaul the salt industry, you need to introduce better quality and lower-priced salt!"

At this point, Zheng Nianer deliberately paused.

She wanted to see Emperor Yongcheng’s reaction.

Emperor Yongcheng:...

That’s it?

Did I not know that to compete with others, you need to show at least some trump card?!

But the problem is, he doesn’t have any!

Precisely because he doesn’t have a better plan to fundamentally disrupt the monopoly of noble families, Emperor Yongcheng settled for trying to forcibly impose a salt tax.

In the end, he ran into an audacious group of local tyrants!

Seeing Emperor Yongcheng’s disdainful yet annoyed demeanor, Zheng Nianer did not get angry.

There’s no choice, she is a time-traveling woman, possessing knowledge in her mind that surpasses this era by thousands of years.

What she finds ordinary is practically an immortal technique to the natives.

It’s quite normal that Emperor Yongcheng might question her or even think she’s talking big.

Confidently meeting Emperor Yongcheng’s gaze, Zheng Nianer slowly said, "Erlang, I once read in an ancient book about a method for making salt."

"No need for laborious, costly boiling, just evaporation is enough to get better, cheaper salt!"

While saying this, Zheng Nianer silently laughed to herself.

Well, she ended up using the "ancient book trope" that predecessors in time-travel narratives have exhausted.

This was inevitable.

Though the ancient book trope is cliché, it really works, and is the only way to explain how Zheng Nianer, a secluded woman from the inner chambers, could know a salt-making secret that amazes the world!

Zheng Nianer isn’t like others; she grew up with Emperor Yongcheng.

While Emperor Yongcheng wouldn’t know her "inside out," he is very familiar with her life path and growth.

Besides, there have always been maids and servants around Zheng Nianer.

Trying to use another cliché like the "old grandfather" trope wasn’t feasible for her,

so the ancient book trope was the only choice, even though the Zheng Family was born from slaves, they wanted more of what they lacked.

After Lady Hu rose to power, Zheng Youliang, an ignorant farmer who could barely recognize a few characters, spent a fortune collecting books among the populace.

Of course, most of the so-called "ancient books" Zheng Youliang bought were basically fake.

But Zheng Nianer only needed an excuse, not the actual ancient texts.

If Emperor Yongcheng continued to inquire, asking her to produce the original ancient texts, she could also claim she lost them or that those bamboo slips had aged too much and were simply ruined!

"Evaporation? Not boiling?"

Emperor Yongcheng finally listened, and no longer had a dismissive, skeptical attitude.

As someone who has lived in the Imperial Palace for years, Emperor Yongcheng never had the opportunity to experience the people’s lives or understand their livelihood.

However, fortunately, he had Feng Shou, a good mentor.

Feng Shou didn’t agree with the late Emperor favoring the Concubine Son and suppressing the legitimate son; in his heart, he always viewed Emperor Yongcheng, Empress’s legitimate son, as the future Crown Prince.

Therefore, while teaching Emperor Yongcheng, Feng Shou didn’t solely impart the Four Books and Five Classics but would also incorporate anecdotes of hardships among the populace and discuss many common strategies related to national welfare.

Feng Shou certainly didn’t want to raise a clueless Emperor asking why the peasants don’t eat meat.

Well, although Emperor Yongcheng still acted foolishly in other aspects.

But at least regarding the livelihood issues, Emperor Yongcheng has some fundamental insights.

For instance, he knows that the main salt production method today is summed up in one word—boiling!

Boiling brine in large pots, fueled by wood, charcoal, and a fierce boil.

The moisture dries up, leaving crystallized salt, which is then refined through a series of processes.