Royal Gold Magistrate

Hearing this, Fang Zheng’s expression became even more unpleasant.

How could this heartless Li Yuanzhao experiment on people around him?

How could my student do such an unethical thing!

Fang Zheng said with a forced smile, “Your Highness, if you know it’s not good, don’t experiment on people.”

“Who doesn’t know that eating rotten meat causes diarrhea!”

“If you want to experiment, use rabbits.”

Li Yuanzhao replied without thinking, “You killed over fifty people with penicillin, I just gave them diarrhea.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng immediately felt his teeth itch with anger!

You’re not going to let this go, are you?

Using death row inmates is completely different from using guards, how can you compare them?

It doesn’t matter what I do as an individual.

But when an organization uses human experiments, that’s a huge problem. If you dare to use death row inmates today, will you be cooperating with human traffickers tomorrow?

Taoyuan County has already explicitly banned human experiments, only allowing the recruitment of volunteers under safe conditions.

You’re the Crown Prince, with a playful nature. If you form a team in the future and continue with this line of thinking… it’s going to cause major problems!

Fang Zheng took a deep breath and smiled, “Your Highness, using monkeys or rabbits for experiments will yield the same results.”

“Using people for experiments is unethical, you’ll have sons without anuses!”

Hearing this, Li Yuanzhao’s face also fell, “Old Fang, we’ve both done it before.”

“Things shouldn’t happen more than three times. Your Highness, please continue, what other discoveries do you have?”

Fang Zheng sighed inwardly, never mind, he’ll guide him slowly in the future.

Hearing the question, Li Yuanzhao regained his enthusiasm and said, “Yes! I discovered that these tiny creatures can be divided into harmful and beneficial insects.”

“There are also many insects in clean water, but drinking it doesn’t cause problems. Boiling the water can also kill the insects.”

Not bad! Fang Zheng nodded, “Continue.”

“The saying ‘disease enters through the mouth’ must be because of these insects.”

“Insects need to eat too, and the places with the worst filth are naturally the restaurants.”

“If harmful insects appear in restaurants, wouldn’t that be a big problem?”

“So I want to start adjusting from the restaurants in Banshan District, what do you think…”

Food safety, huh? The Crown Prince’s awareness is quite ahead of its time.

However, it seems a bit untimely, and it’s not suitable to make such adjustments in Banshan District.

But Fang Zheng didn’t want to discourage his enthusiasm. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Good! Your Highness makes a valid point. Why don’t you arrange for your subordinates to handle it?”

As Li Yuanzhao turned to leave, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but shake his head at his retreating figure.

…….

Three days later, at the court assembly.

The Northern Rong envoy naturally became the main topic at court.

The envoy had been received by the Court of Diplomatic Receptions and was being taught etiquette.

At this time, Chen Hong, the Minister of the Court of Diplomatic Receptions, was reporting the list of gifts brought by the envoy one by one.

Emperor Jing couldn’t help but feel a headache as he listened.

According to custom, receiving gifts required reciprocation.

Although the Northern Rong wasn’t a vassal state of Great Jing, the etiquette had to be observed.

This was already an open rule.

However, the gifts brought by the Northern Rong this time were excessive.

All in all, they added up to over 200,000 taels.

The return gifts would definitely need to exceed this amount.

This sum of money was indispensable.

Emperor Jing now only felt the pain in his flesh.

The Ministry of Revenue’s silver expenditures all had their own arrangements.

Although it wouldn’t be difficult to squeeze out several hundred thousand taels, other areas would inevitably receive less.

With the war over and tax reductions across the country, Emperor Jing felt some regret for his past decisions.

This time… he might even have to use the imperial household’s private funds!

Although money was being earned quickly recently, he felt that it was being spent even faster than it was being earned.

Thinking of this, Emperor Jing couldn’t help but look towards Fang Zheng.

This kid had always been outstanding at making money, perhaps he had some ideas.

Fang Zheng was still listening carefully to the contents of the gift list.

He couldn’t help but inwardly click his tongue.

The Northern Rong people were quite greedy, sending so many gifts, mostly gold, silver, and jewels.

There were only about a thousand or so cattle and sheep, and a mere hundred horses.

Weren’t they just waiting to take advantage?

Fang Zheng had also studied this matter of tribute and reciprocation.

In national interactions, there was no such thing as saving face.

Actual benefits were the real deal.

For this rule to persist throughout thousands of years of Chinese history, there must be an underlying logic to it.

It was the same in Great Jing.

If you can’t understand it, don’t bother trying. Just follow the rules!

Just as the Minister of the Court of Diplomatic Receptions hadn’t finished reciting the gift list, Fang Zheng looked up and caught Emperor Jing’s gaze.

He immediately understood.

His Majesty’s stingy habit was acting up again!

He even wanted to save on this money, but since his future father-in-law was in trouble, I, Fang Zheng, will not hesitate to help.

After the Minister finished reciting,

Fang Zheng immediately stood up.

Emperor Jing’s eyes immediately lit up!

“Your Majesty, I have a proposal.”

“Speak!” A faint smile appeared on Emperor Jing’s face.

“This official believes that since the Northern Rong’s gifts are abundant, the court should reciprocate accordingly.”

“This official suggests that we gift them some of our Great Jing’s precious specialties.”

“What precious specialties?”

“Celestial Immortal Tea!”

Emperor Jing had long ago handed over the tea sales to him to manage.

During his management, he had also launched many new teas.

The quality was all top-notch, and the prices were fair and reasonable.

He had also produced several teas for the common people, which sold quite well.

Tea sales had already normalized and were no longer a high-profit product.

However, the price of Celestial Immortal Tea had never been adjusted, it had just stopped production.

Taoyuan County had also erased all traces of its existence.

But samples of Celestial Immortal Tea were still displayed on the counters of tea shops in the capital.

Whenever anyone asked about it, they were uniformly told it was sold out for the day and to come back tomorrow!

Its prestige was enviable, its price dazzling.

Fang Zheng had used Celestial Immortal Tea for crazy marketing, just to drive the sales of other teas.

At the same time, because production had stopped, the stock in the market had been speculated back and forth, and its price and prestige had actually risen another notch.

Many self-proclaimed experts had even come up with various fancy ways to drink it, and even researched non-existent health benefits.

After all, the name alone sounded incredibly impressive!

Now Celestial Immortal Tea had subtly become a popular investment product in the capital.

Except for a few people around Fang Zheng, no one knew that Celestial Immortal Tea was the cheapest and worst tea in the tea shops…

Emperor Jing’s face lit up with pleasant surprise.

The tea he drank now was all new tea sent by Fang Zheng.

He had long forgotten about that lousy Celestial Immortal Tea.

It was the most unpalatable and ridiculously expensive.

Emperor Jing looked at Fang Zheng with approval and was about to speak when Zhang Shi spoke first.

“Lord Fang, you must not know how difficult it is to buy Celestial Immortal Tea! Don’t we need to spend money to buy tea?”

Zhang Shi glanced faintly at Fang Zheng and continued, “Although Celestial Immortal Tea is good, it’s priceless and unavailable. Reciprocal gifts must also follow protocol.”

“If the silver exceeds the budget, is Lord Fang willing to make up the difference?”

“Your Majesty! This official believes Lord Fang’s words are childish. We should follow the usual practice and reciprocate with gold, silver, and silk.”

Emperor Jing didn’t speak, but his gaze turned back to Fang Zheng.

“Your Majesty, this official requests to be put in charge of the reciprocal gifts! This official guarantees! Not a single tael of silver will be spent from the court’s coffers!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole court was shocked!

Everyone gaped at Fang Zheng.

That’s several hundred thousand taels! You’re just donating it? And you’re announcing it loudly in front of His Majesty, aren’t you afraid of being investigated?

Fang Zheng, you’re really fucking rich!

Emperor Jing knew some inside information, so Fang Zheng naturally had no fear!

For the sake of his wife, for the sake of his father-in-law.

These few hundred thousand taels, I’ll cover it!