Midnight.
Qi Chengming suddenly woke up.
To be precise, he had drunk too much porridge in the evening and needed to relieve himself. The young man silently lifted the curtain and woke Xiao Dezi—there was no other choice. Xiao Dezi had been truly foresighted by sleeping in such a spot, making it impossible for Qi Chengming to sneak off to the latrine alone.
“Your Highness?” Xiao Dezi rubbed his eyes, his gaze alert in the night. “What’s wrong?” His hand instinctively reached under the bedding where he kept a specially chosen thick branch, while the little eunuch glanced warily around.
“Don’t be nervous, I just need to answer nature’s call normally,” Qi Chengming said with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Xiao Dezi, likely on his first long journey outside the palace, seemed worried about potential assassins or wild animal attacks in the dead of night.
Leaving aside how Qi Chengming would never recklessly venture alone into danger, even the diligently rotating Imperial Guards nearby were not to be trifled with. No sooner had there been movement in the carriage than the nearest soldier approached to assess the situation.
“We’ll accompany Your Highness,” Xiao Dezi said, looking at the Imperial Guard, his sense of security fully restored.
The three of them made their way in the cool night breeze to the designated latrine pit dug near the campsite. Several Imperial Guards who noticed from a distance signaled and dispatched four additional men to follow—this was the visible escort, while hidden sentinels in the trees and slopes also shifted their focus.
In truth, a proper prince should have used a chamber pot rather than venturing to such a “dangerous” communal open-air latrine. But this was one thing… Qi Chengming had genuinely tried his best and still couldn’t manage it. Being attended to while relieving himself made it fundamentally impossible… Even with servants waiting outside, the mere thought of others having to specially handle his chamber pot made Chengming’s sense of shame flare up instantly. Having endured it by gritting his teeth in the palace until his departure, why should he force himself now?
As the Imperial Guards converged toward the latrine pit, a young craftsman’s son who had been using it was startled by the commotion. He hurriedly finished his business and retreated to a distance.
His youthful face bore poorly concealed astonishment—
Father, your son witnessed a marvel today! His Highness the Prince uses the latrine pit just like we do!
Though ordinarily they wouldn’t bother with such formalities, simply relieving themselves wherever convenient. The Second Prince had explicitly ordered them to use the designated latrine pits.
“…” Qi Chengming’s expression was indescribable. He recognized the face as belonging to the youngest son of a craftsman named Zhao. He had originally intended to seize this chance to privately ask a few questions and learn more about the situation, since daytime was too crowded for discreet conversation. But now… he hadn’t even had time to call the boy back.
As a prince, even though these people were his closest followers and supporters, the distance between them remained vast.
…It was fine for them to revere him, but he wanted to understand their thoughts, personalities, and strengths as much as possible, to quickly familiarize himself with each individual.
Xiao Dezi observed the momentary complexity on His Highness’s face. Thoughtfully, he turned and exchanged meaningful glances with the not-yet-distant craftsman’s son and the nearby Imperial Guards—Xiao Dezi didn’t know what his prince intended, but if His Highness preferred a more approachable demeanor, he would help facilitate it.
He guessed that perhaps His Highness had lived too harshly in the palace, making him unaccustomed to putting on the airs of a prince. But that didn’t matter—His Highness was astute. Earlier, without needing any prompting, he had skillfully weeded out those fickle fence-sitters with wavering loyalties. With such shrewdness and capability, no matter how approachable His Highness chose to be, he would never let those people get out of hand.
…So, after Qi Chengming hurriedly finished his business in the restroom and returned, he found a young lad waiting for him.
Judging by his age, the boy from the artisan household was only a few years older than Qi Chengming. He stood there anxiously, unsure why His Highness had summoned him.
Qi Chengming threw Xiao Dezi an approving glance. He had been planning to take advantage of the journey to chat privately with people from time to time, intending to familiarize himself thoroughly with the Talent Roster recorded in his system—these were his foundation, after all. And here was Xiao Dezi, handing him the perfect opportunity.
Qi Chengming silently browsed through his system and found the name of this Zhao family boy in the Talent Roster: “…You’re Zhao Juer, right?”
For some reason, the boy from the Zhao artisan household didn’t have a formal name—only the nickname “Juer” was listed in the roster. Perhaps because they were face to face, the name glowed faintly. Xiao Dezi’s name and five or six other unfamiliar names were also glowing, though not as brightly as Zhao Juer’s. Those were likely the names of the Imperial Guards stationed nearby.
Zhao Juer’s expression instantly shifted to one of overwhelming honor. His anxiety faded significantly, replaced by sheer excitement that flushed his face:
…Out of so many people, His Highness actually remembered his name?!
Who the hell was he to deserve this?!
“Y-yes… Your Highness, whatever you wish to ask, I—this humble one—will answer thoroughly!” The young lad thumped his chest emphatically, his posture no longer hunched and cautious but now ramrod straight. His eyes shone brightly, as if burning with fervent admiration. If Qi Chengming were to order him to kill or undertake some dangerous task at that moment, he would undoubtedly charge forward without hesitation, weapon in hand.
“Relax, I just want to ask a few casual questions. Are you already working with your father now?” Qi Chengming reassured him, though inwardly, he was marveling at the situation.
In the past, when he read historical accounts or novels, he’d come across scenes where those in power would merely sketch out a grand vision—or sometimes not even that, just offer a casual word of praise—and their subordinates would react as if “a scholar would die for one who appreciates him,” brimming with excitement and willing to offer their lives and loyalty. He had never truly understood the feeling… And now? Without much thought, he had simply uttered the boy’s name, yet to Zhao Juer, it was an immense mark of favor.
It was also because he had been too ignorant. Putting it into perspective:
If the second-in-command of the nation were to suddenly seek him out privately, address him by name, and express interest in entrusting him with important responsibilities…
Damn.
Was this a treatment he could ever enjoy? He’d be over the moon!
Even though Qi Chengming had been thoroughly battered by work, this level of honor and allure was something he still couldn’t resist.
In ancient times, social classes were even more rigid. As the legitimate ruler of this group, his importance would only increase. It seemed he had uncovered another application of the Infrastructure System in the struggle for succession… Just imagine—any talent truly loyal to him, whether meeting again after a long time or someone he had never met before, he could greet them by name upon meeting…
To put it pragmatically, this remembrance was a powerful tool for winning hearts.
While mentally digesting his newly clarified methods of winning people over, Qi Chengming did not neglect practical matters. After chatting and inquiring about the situation for a while, he assigned Zhao Juer and several craftsmen a new task: when purchasing supplies in Yichuan in the morning, they were to buy some zaodou (cleansing grains), fragrant balls, and the miscellaneous materials he had just mentioned.
On the road, they would begin researching the production of handmade soap!
First, they would compare whether the high-end zaodou sold in this world utilized saponification with animal fats. If it only contained soapberry components, then his soap’s cleaning power would be highly competitive. If it was exclusively used in the imperial palace and unavailable elsewhere, well… Qi Chengming wouldn’t hesitate to sell it openly. If zaodou already employed saponification, no matter—Qi Chengming immediately began recalling his high school chemistry, racking his brains to figure out how to produce strongly alkaline solutions under current conditions and how to stabilize the ratio of oil to alkali in the formula.
After completing these experiments, it would be time to purchase ingredients, medicinal herbs, and precious spices… to try adding “value” to the soap.
If you can’t beat them, join them!
Thinking of modern advertising claims, he could focus efforts on efficacy—beautifying, exfoliating, whitening, smoothing, reducing fine lines—just pile it all in that direction. If handmade soap in this era couldn’t achieve a stable, quantifiable formula, he would have to resort to limited edition sales.
Come forth, my high school chemistry!
Qi Chengming’s only advantage now was that he truly possessed technological knowledge centuries ahead of ancient people.
If all else failed, he wouldn’t stubbornly cling to soap-making. At worst, he could take the entire Prince Rui Manor to sell food! Though it would be a slow process, modern dishes would surely become popular and profitable.
Hmm… or perhaps he could pursue both paths simultaneously.
A flash of inspiration struck Qi Chengming, and the more he thought, the more ideas flooded his mind.
With these thoughts, he couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night, tossing and turning in the carriage, straining his memory—
What exactly had he learned during those three years of high school when he gained the most knowledge? Hurry, remember… come back to me, knowledge!!
How regretful it is to realize the inadequacy of one’s knowledge only when needing to use it.
… Qi Chengming could only gaze wistfully, lamentably hoping the Infrastructure System would refresh some knowledge for him.
He now fully understood the meaning of “knowledge is power.”
Author’s Note:
Mini Theater:
In the future—
A certain minister, moved, covered his face: “Your Highness’s memory is usually above average, but for us, it’s truly unforgettable! How have I deserved such honor…”
Minister B, choking up: “Wuwu…”
Minister C, eyes reddened: “Your Highness even remembers a casual remark I once made and invited me to try stir-fried dishes…”
The first two ministers stopped their moved tears and silently turned their heads:
“…Your Highness, only you were invited?”
Minister C proudly stroked his beard and said modestly: “This humble one happens to enjoy spicy food…”
The spicy dishes developed by Your Highness are on a completely different level of heat compared to zhuyu.
The two ministers’ faces turned a mix of green and red.
Damn it, this… is truly impossible to handle!
Minister C laughed heartily: Haha!
The two ministers exchanged glances, then united in turning their heads and rolling up their sleeves.
—Another day of chaos and frantic scurrying in Liuzhou City.