When the imperial guards left Chengtian Gate and saw the scene before them, they were all dumbfounded.
Hundreds of eunuchs had surrounded the convoy.
"Don't snatch! Whoever snatches mine, I'll deal with them later!"
"Who the hell are you?! We're from the Imperial Kitchen Bureau. Snatch more! If you snatch more, I'll make sure you have no food to eat, believe it or not!"
"So what if you're from the Imperial Kitchen Bureau? Believe it or not, I'll make sure you have no clothes to wear! We're from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau!"
"Snatch more! Stop! That box is mine!"
The eunuchs wouldn't let each other have their way. They threw silver or copper coins onto the carts, grabbed the boxes, and ran.
Fang Er sat on the roof of the cart, smiling, not worried at all that someone would take things without paying in the chaos.
He didn't even need to do anything. Those eunuchs who couldn't get their hands on anything wouldn't let him off.
Including the pickup trucks, seven vehicles only carried a few hundred boxes of sanitary napkins.
The money wasn't much, but the scene was truly amusing.
Seeing the imperial guards lead people out from inside, it was obvious that Li Shimin didn't want him doing business at his doorstep.
He waved at the leading imperial guard.
The imperial guard walked over and first paid his respects to Fang Er.
"Your subordinate Wu Yong greets Marquis."
"His Majesty is a little displeased and wants you to change locations."
Fang Er smiled at him, casually grabbed a handful of broken silver from the carriage, and stuffed it into his hand.
"Brother, don't be troubled. Go back and tell His Majesty that each of these boxes has three hundred coins for him!"
"Perhaps Empress didn't have time to tell him."
"Remember, this matter, you know, I know, His Majesty and Empress know!"
"If anyone else knows, beware of your fifth limb!"
Wu Yong was stunned.
Looking at the frenzied scene of people snatching, he couldn't help but think about the consequences if the news leaked out.
He shivered violently, feeling a chill between his legs.
He directly placed the silver on the cart.
"Marquis, please rest assured. Your subordinate will go in and inform His Majesty now."
After saying that, he didn't even take the silver. He turned back, gathered the people he brought, and rushed towards the palace.
In the Liangji Hall, Li Er was dumbfounded when he heard Wu Yong's words.
The business outside the palace actually had his share?
And it was thirty percent?
This was awkward; he almost ruined his own business!
Suppressing his embarrassment, he looked at Wu Yong.
"Has the palace been very busy lately?"
Wu Yong scratched his head, wondering what His Majesty meant.
Li Shimin didn't even wait for his reply.
He waved his hand and continued,
"If it's very busy, then give the eunuchs and palace maids a day off!"
"Let them relax properly!"
"If one day isn't enough, then two days!"
Wu Xin was shocked!
"Your Majesty, is it good to be so obvious?"
But before he could turn to deliver the message, Li Shimin's next sentence made his heart pound.
"I think you're quite sharp. Hand over your current tasks to someone else, and go to Fang Family Village to join the Skyfire Army."
"Learn skills there, and I will transfer you back to take on important responsibilities in the future!"
"What does this mean?"
"Is it literal?"
"Or do I know too much?"
When he walked out of Liangji Hall with trepidation and had Wu Yong relay His Majesty's decree for a two-day holiday, he felt an emptiness in his heart.
It felt like being abandoned!
But thinking about the impressive artillery of the Skyfire Army, a spark of excitement rekindled in his heart.
Perhaps the Skyfire Army wasn't bad either?
Thinking of this, he turned around, patted his subordinate's shoulder, and sighed softly.
"From now on, you will take over my position. Work hard!"
With that, he turned and walked towards Chengtian Gate, clean and decisive.
Hearing Wu Yong relay the news, Fang Er's mouth twitched.
"Is he afraid one day's earnings aren't enough?"
"He even gave the eunuchs and palace maids two days off?"
"Hehehehe!"
"It's great!"
"Your Majesty is a divine assist!"
The eunuchs were too enthusiastic, and in less than fifteen minutes, all seven carts of sanitary napkins were sold out.
They were exchanged for hundreds of taels of silver and copper coins.
Throughout the entire process, Chai Zhewei and the other two were in a state of petrification!
Setting up a stall outside the Imperial Palace, this was probably a unique event in history, like a scorpion defecating – truly one of a kind!
Fang Er laughed heartily.
"Brothers, let's go!"
The vehicles started and headed straight for Fang Family Village.
Upon arriving at the workshop, after ordering Hua Niang to increase production,
The Yan Yun Cavalry loaded their carts again and returned to Chang'an City.
Chai Zhewei and the other two were each given twenty taels of silver by Fang Er as a share of the profits.
Then, they continued to monitor the stalls for Fang Er.
"With such a good stall, it would be a disservice to Old Li not to sell more!"
Fang Er himself leisurely wandered around the workshop.
The river channel was being dredged.
The shipyard was under construction.
The Yangwei Army's arms were almost completed.
Next were the equipment for the expanded Skyfire Army.
This couldn't be rushed. The blacksmith's workshop was already overwhelmed.
Thinking that there was nothing else to do, he took the manuscript of the physics textbook and headed to the academy.
For several consecutive days, the women's quarters and the stalls outside Chengtian Gate were exceptionally popular.
Initially, only two days off were granted, but seeing the silver sent by Fang Er, Li Shimin, without any moral integrity, arranged for the eunuchs and palace maids to work in three shifts!
Fang Er himself was at the academy, teaching the children some basic physics knowledge.
Concepts like the round Earth, flying Kongming lanterns, and the pinhole camera, along with some interesting small experiments, made the children so engrossed that they forgot to go home.
Li Tai, in particular, learned to generalize.
He even proposed, "If we connect the electric motor and the generator, can it run without stopping?"
Fang Er was almost scared to death.
It wasn't until one day, after finishing a class, that Fang Er, carrying his manuscript, emerged from the academy.
From a distance, he saw a large group of Taoists heading towards Fang Family Village.
As they approached, one of them paid his respects to Fang Er.
"This humble Taoist, Niu Jizi, greets Layman. May I ask if Yuan Tiangang, the magistrate of Huojing County, is cultivating in your esteemed abode?"
"Are you all fellow disciples of True Person Yuan?"
Fang Er looked at the dense crowd before him, feeling a bit bewildered.
"How did so many people arrive at once!"
"Also, did your master name you with this Taoist name seriously?"
"If someone with an accent calls you a 'niu bizi' (ox nose), you wouldn't even realize you're being insulted, you hear!"
Niu Jizi smiled slightly.
"Please excuse my layman. We are all juniors of True Person Yuan."
"Our martial uncles and grand-uncles are old and their legs are not good, so they are being served by their juniors. They are still on the road."
Fang Er was even more bewildered!
He looked closely at the crowd, which numbered at least three to five hundred people.
"And there are more behind?"
"Holy cow! No wonder Old Daoist Yuan asked me to build a Taoist temple for him!"
Seeing Fang Er staring blankly and not speaking, Niu Jizi asked again.
"Layman? May I ask, Layman, is True Person Yuan currently on this estate?"
Fang Er pointed his finger towards the academy.
"Your True Person Yuan is in that courtyard. Go find him yourself."
With that, he walked towards the Fang residence with a look of frustration.
Upon reaching the entrance, Huang Sheng was sitting by the door, bored, teasing Wangcai with a large bone.
Seeing Fang Er approaching, he casually stuffed the bone into Wangcai's mouth.
"Marquis."
Fang Er pointed towards the academy.
"Old Yuan summoned hundreds of people. How is the Taoist temple coming along?"
Huang Sheng was also stunned.
"Marquis, wasn't it said there would only be ten or so people?"
"It's useless to talk about it now. Hurry and find people. Even building a thatched shed would do!"
Fang Er's head ached immensely. He directly threw the responsibility to Huang Sheng.