If there was one thing the common folk of the Capital City were talking about lately, it was the new peanut oil from Wanfeng Grain Store.

This new cooking oil was not only inexpensive but also fragrant, affordable even for ordinary, less-than-affluent farming households.

In the past, they were reluctant to even use salt when stir-frying, let alone oil. It was rare for them to taste even a drop of oil all year round; most of their dishes were simply boiled in water and eaten plain.

But now, with this affordable and delicious peanut oil, they could finally savor the taste of stir-fried food.

Therefore, from the moment it appeared, the peanut oil was met with enthusiastic acclaim from the public.

In just two short days, the entire stock of peanut oil at the estate was sold out.

Steward Jia looked at the new influx of silver and was overjoyed.

He divided the estate’s workers into three shifts to press oil around the clock, then hurried to find the Princess Consort to discuss purchasing more peanuts.

Although the estate had planted a good number of peanuts this year, the amount required for pressing oil was immense. The peanuts stored in the warehouse were already more than half gone. At the current rate of consumption, he feared they would hit the bottom before long.

Steward Jia hoped to seize the opportunity while the peanut oil’s momentum was strong to quickly purchase more peanuts. That way, they could press more oil and earn more money.

Hua Manman agreed without much hesitation.

It just so happened that they had earned a good deal of money from selling the peanut oil, which they could use to buy more peanuts.

Steward Jia was a man of remarkable efficiency.

That very day, he personally led a group to the nearby villages to buy peanuts.

In this era, farmers primarily grew rice and wheat. Not only were these two grains their staple foods, but they were also what the imperial court collected for taxes.

The number of farmers willing to set aside land to grow peanuts was actually quite small.

Steward Jia scoured several villages but only managed to purchase a little over five hundred pounds of peanuts.

Disappointed but not discouraged, he made sure to tell the farmers that his estate needed a large quantity of peanuts, hoping they would consider planting more next year.

Because the villages were close by, the farmers knew who Steward Jia was and understood that he wasn’t the type to make empty promises.

As a result, many of them were persuaded and genuinely considered setting aside a plot of their own land specifically for growing peanuts.

Some of the quicker-witted farmers approached Steward Jia directly to negotiate.

"The peanuts my family sold you—could we exchange them directly for peanut oil?"

They knew full well that the peanut oil from Wanfeng Trading Company in the city was in high demand. People lined up every day to buy it, and even some wealthy families sent their servants to purchase it in bulk.

For ordinary farmers like them living outside the city, they might not be able to get any peanut oil even if they went into the city at the crack of dawn to queue up.

If they could get peanut oil directly from Steward Jia, it would save them a lot of trouble.

Steward Jia didn’t agree on the spot, only saying he would have to consider it.

After returning to the estate, he reported the matter to Princess Consort Zhao and asked for her decision.

Hua Manman readily agreed.

"Of course."

With the Princess Consort’s approval, Steward Jia went to make the arrangements with peace of mind.

He told the farmers that any peanuts they delivered could be exchanged for peanut oil at market value.

The farmers were, naturally, overjoyed.

Upon learning they could trade peanuts directly for peanut oil, even more farmers made up their minds to plant peanuts on their land next year.

Seeing how popular the peanut oil was, it wasn’t as if no one in the city had ideas about it.

But as soon as they heard the owner behind the peanut oil was Princess Consort Zhao, they dropped the idea.

Who in Shangjing City didn’t know how terrifying Prince Zhao was?

Unless they had a death wish, no one dared to provoke him.

Making money was important, but one had to be alive to enjoy it.

Hua Manman scurried over to Prince Zhao, carrying brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

"Your Highness, could you do me a small favor?"

Li Ji was practicing his swordsmanship. At her words, he flicked his longsword, its tip tracing a beautiful arc through the air before landing perfectly in its sheath.

He took a handkerchief from a servant, casually wiped the sweat from his brow, and said nonchalantly,

"Speak."

Hua Manman pleaded with wide, hopeful eyes.

"I was hoping you could help me write a name—’Wanfeng’."

Li Ji looked at her with a half-smile. "What do you want my calligraphy for?"

Hua Manman explained honestly.

"I’m planning to have a batch of jars custom-made for the peanut oil, and I’ll have your writing printed on them.

That way, our peanut oil will have its own brand, making it harder for others to copy."

’Pressing peanut oil isn’t some profound, arcane technique. An expert would only need to put their mind to it and would figure it out soon enough.

She even suspected that someone had already secretly figured out the method for pressing peanut oil.

It was only because of Prince Zhao’s fearsome reputation that no one dared to jump out and steal business from the Wanfeng Grain Store.

But this wasn’t a long-term solution.

Wealth moves the hearts of men. Sooner or later, someone would be unable to resist trying to get a piece of the pie.

Besides, Hua Manman never intended to monopolize the peanut oil business anyway.

There were so many people in the world who wanted to eat oil. She couldn’t possibly feed all of them with just one estate and a single Wanfeng Trading Company.

To take a step back, even if she could achieve that,

what awaited her in the end would not necessarily be a good fate.

One shouldn’t be too greedy. Given her current status, making a small fortune was already good enough.’

Hearing her thoughts, Li Ji chuckled softly. "You’re quite sharp."

Hua Manman thought he was praising her idea of branding the product packaging and smiled even more fawningly.

"It’s all because Your Highness taught me well."

Li Ji tossed the handkerchief aside, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and his brush tip danced swiftly across the Xuan paper.

Soon, he had written the name "Wanfeng" in two large characters.

The brushstrokes were vigorous and powerful, the aura sharp and formidable.

Just looking at it evoked the clang of iron and the charge of armored cavalry.

Hua Manman’s eyes lit up. "Your Highness’s calligraphy is truly beautiful!"

Li Ji found her admiration quite gratifying.

He picked up his longsword again.

"Come, spar with me for a while?"

Hua Manman was instantly reminded of the terror of being thoroughly dominated by Prince Zhao on the ground. She retreated hastily. "No, no, no! I still have things to attend to. I won’t delay your practice any longer."

With that, she scurried away in a flash.

Judging by her panicked retreat, it looked for all the world like she was fleeing for her life.

Li Ji let out a soft chuckle. "Hah!"

The next day, Hua Manman received the sample sent from the earthen kiln.

It was a plump, round, white porcelain jar. Its surface was clean, without any decorative patterns, bearing only the two characters for "Wanfeng."

Extremely simple and clear.

Anyone who saw it would involuntarily remember the name Wanfeng.

Furthermore, because Prince Zhao’s handwriting was so unique, it would be difficult to forge.

This made it even more special.

The owner of the earthen kiln stood by, wringing his hands and waiting, his heart filled with anxiety.

He was desperate to secure this business deal but feared that Princess Consort Zhao would find his craftsmanship unsatisfactory.

It wasn’t until he saw Princess Consort Zhao nod that he finally let out a huge sigh of relief.