Chapter Twenty-Eight: Making Perfume!

Coming out of the Zhou Sacrifice Wine, Liu Quan was in a much more relaxed mood.

However, as soon as he returned to the palace, he met Ji Linglang, the secretary of the Ministry of Works, who came in a hurry.

(The above is wrong, Ji Linglang is the Ministry of Industry, not the Ministry of Households.) The Ministry of Household is in charge of land, household registration, taxation, currency, officials' salaries, and fiscal revenues and expenditures, while the Ministry of Industry is in charge of craftsmen, tuntian, and water conservancy...... If the channel is modified here, it won't change, so I won't change it, so let's explain. ）

Ji Linglang said: "Your Majesty, in recent months, there have been continuous floods in the south, and the affected areas are as many as several states, please ask Your Majesty to allocate funds for disaster relief." In addition, it takes a lot of money to cultivate hybrid rice. ”

Liu Quan nodded slightly, with a solemn expression.

Because of the geographical location of the Great Zhou, every summer and autumn, there will be waterlogging in the south, and there will be drought and no rain in the north.

This year's floods have been particularly severe, and the number of people affected has far exceeded that of previous years.

"I already know about it...... Come on, summon the book of the household department to come over! Liu Quan said.

Hubu Shangshu's name is Xiao Rui, a middle-aged man, as soon as he heard His Majesty's summons, he hurried from Xiao Mansion to the palace.

"Xiao Shangshu, pull out a disaster relief fund to Leizhou, Jiangzhou, Yunzhou and other places in the south." Liu Quan said straight to the point.

Xiao Rui looked embarrassed: "Your Majesty...... This ......"

Liu Quan looked puzzled: "What's wrong?" ”

Xiao Rui lowered his head and said: "Back to Your Majesty, this year, the money has been withdrawn several times, and the taxes in various places have not been collected for the time being, and there is not much money left in the treasury......"

Liu Quan frowned and said, "How much money is left in the treasury?" ”

Xiao Rui took out the account book from his arms and said, "There is less than one million taels of silver left in the treasury. ”

"What? How could that be the only thing left? Liu Quan's face changed slightly.

The fiscal revenue of the first year of the Great Year was about 30 million taels of silver, and now there are less than 1 million taels of silver left in the treasury......

If there was a war at this time, wouldn't the imperial court even have the funds to send troops?

"The minister doesn't dare to deceive Your Majesty, there have been many natural disasters this year, and there have been several disaster allocations, plus military expenditures, six ministry expenses, ministers and ministers, and at the beginning of this year, Your Majesty built a star-picking tower for the Holy Maiden of Tianzong, which cost a huge amount of money, and now there is not much money left in the treasury......" Xiao Rui said in a low voice.

"The huge treasury is so big that there is only this amount of money left...... Liu Quandun was ashamed, and part of the treasury was also spent by her.

"Let's go down!"

Liu Quan was in a bad mood and waved his hand.

Early the next morning, Liu Quan took a sedan chair to Li Mansion on Kangping Street with a heavy heart, but what he was thinking about was last night.

Disaster needs to be funded,

It also takes money to study hybrid rice,

The "flying sword" made by Li Fan some time ago also needs money if it wants to be mass-produced......

Only then did Liu Quan realize how poor he was as an emperor.

"Your Majesty, it's almost time to Li Gongzi's house." Qingfeng reminded.

Liu Quan came back to his senses and said, "Where is Si Jian?" ”

Qingfeng said: "Si Jian has been protecting Li Gongzi near the Li Mansion, this is the book that Si Jian presented to the maid, it is written that a total of two people came to Li Gongzi yesterday, one is Princess Lin'an, and the other is Zhou Sacrifice Wine...... Also, Si Jian found the traces of the Xuan-level monster, but it was just that monster...... She failed to catch up. ”

Qingfeng held a notebook in his hand and told Liu Quan one by one.

Liu Quanliu's eyebrows frowned slightly, "What is Lin'an looking for him?" ”

Qingfeng flipped to the end and said, "Also, Li Gongzi went to the market last night to buy a lot of flowers. ”

"Buying flowers? What does he buy flowers for? Liu Quan looked puzzled, could it be that she wanted to give it to herself?

Thinking of this, Liu Quan couldn't help but smile on her face, it should be, who else can she give it to besides herself?

This Li Fan, after all, he has mastered it!

When the sedan chair came to the door, Si Jian came out of the shadows.

Liu Quan said: "What about Li Gongzi? ”

Si Jian said: "He made a lot of flowers and smashed them in the yard, and I don't know what to mess with." ”

Although Si Jian's tone was still cold, there was a trace of doubt in his eyes.

Liu Quan was even more puzzled, thought about it, lifted the hem of her skirt, and walked into the Li Mansion at a faster pace.

She was tall and beautiful, convex and backward, trotting, her chest trembling, and her charm was endless, and she could only understand it and could not be spoken.

When she arrived at the courtyard, Liu Quan saw some more glassware and colorful flowers on the ground.

And Li Fan was squatting among the flowers, not knowing what he was doing.

"Li Gongzi, what are you doing here?" Liu Quan couldn't help but step forward and ask, and saw a jade bucket in front of Li Fan, holding a jade mortar pestle in his hand, which was slowly pounding.

"I'm making perfume." Li Fan raised his head and saw Liu Quan, and smiled slightly: "Miss Liu, you sit down first, and wait for me to finish the work in hand." ”

Liu Quan couldn't help but look surprised: "Perfume? What is Perfume? ”

"That's it...... You'll know when I make it. Li Fan smiled mysteriously, since he knew that Liu Quan was the county lord, Li Fan wanted to give her something.

When I thought about it, I thought of perfume.

As soon as you come to this world, there is only rouge gouache, and there is no such thing as perfume, and sending perfume will definitely make Liu Quan's heart move.

Second, perfume can not only be given away, but also sold for money.

Fortunately, in his previous life, he was a good student of chemistry and knew how to make perfumes.

First, the flowers are mashed with a pounding bucket, and then distilled to extract the essence, and then proportioned with alcohol and water in a certain proportion, and finally the perfume is refined.

The process is much simpler than making sake, but the proportion of incense must be well controlled, otherwise the aroma will be too choking or too light.

"How? Let me and Qingfeng help you! Liu Quan looked at Li Fan's serious expression, and couldn't help but move in his heart, and said.

"This ...... Well, I'll teach you. ”

Li Fan went back to the house and took out two sets of tools for pounding flowers, and taught them carefully.

Liu Quan immediately tore off the petals and put them in the bucket according to what Li Fan said, and then gently held the thick and long jade mortar pestle with her slender jade fingers, and slowly and gently pounded it into the bucket.

With her movements up and down, under the impact of the jade mortar pestle, the petals inside the jade bucket began to turn bright red, and delicate flower juice flowed out......

When all the petals are mashed, remove the juice and repeat.

This process is repetitive and boring, but Liu Quan and Li Fan do it together, but they feel indescribably comfortable.

When you're with the person you like, you're in a good mood no matter what you do.

I didn't feel the time passing at all, and soon it was noon, and the petals in the courtyard were all refined with essence.

Li Fan let Liu Quan rest on the side, and he began to carry out the final steps.

After several failed experiments, he finally refined his first perfume, which was presented in a glass bottle.

"Miss Liu, I'll give it to you." Li Fan smiled and threw the perfume to Liu Quan.

Liu Quan hurriedly reached out to catch it, opened the bottle cap, and a fragrance came to her nose!

It smells so good!

Liu Quanmei's eyes widened, is this a perfume?