Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

After taking a bath, Chen Mo planned to retire to bed with Yi Yao, but suddenly sensed Chun Lan just outside the room.

Chen Mo threw on a robe and pulled her inside.

Yi Yao, having just undressed and wrapped herself in the covers, blushed instantly upon seeing Chun Lan, and nervously said, ”Master, why... why did you bring Chun Lan in?”

Chen Mo didn’t immediately respond to Yi Yao, instead he lifted Chun Lan’s chin, ”What were you sneaking around outside for?”

”I... I just remembered there’s something I haven’t told you, Master.” Chun Lan’s face was flushed so deeply that it could squeeze out water.

But Chen Mo assumed she just wanted to serve him in bed, so he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed, causing both Yi Yao and Chun Lan to scream.

Chen Mo shut the door and approached slowly, ”Since you’re here, might as well not leave.”

Chun Lan was so bashful, her voice quivered slightly as Chen Mo came closer, ”Mas... Master, I really have something to tell you.”

”No worries, speak, I’m listening.” Chen Mo held Chun Lan’s hands, then had Yi Yao help her undress.

But Yi Yao, being newlywed only for a few days, had never witnessed such a scene, and was a bit frozen.

Chun Lan’s face was burning, yet she still spilled the beans about Zhao Jiangning: ”Prince De Ning told me that Grand Commandant Gao wants to kill you, so please be careful, Master.”

Chen Mo abruptly stopped, frowning, ”What’s the exact situation?”

”Prince De Ning didn’t say, she just told you to be careful.” Chun Lan hung her head, daring not to look at Chen Mo.

”It seems he still blames Gao Fen’s death on me.”

With a flick of his hand, there was a ripping sound, and Chun Lan’s clothes tore like paper. Chen Mo pressed down on her, saying, ”But rest assured, he will definitely die before me.”

A peculiar low moaning echoed throughout the room.

...

Naturally occurring soda is actually just baking soda.

At dawn, after finishing his breakfast, Chen Mo called for some sand and natural soda to be delivered, set up a furnace, and began experimenting.

He then mixed the two and heated them constantly.

Given the temperature requirement, Chen Mo utilized the Taiyi Divine Fire.

Once he felt it was close, Chen Mo poured the molten ”glass liquid” into a mold to cool and solidify.

After cooling and setting, Chen Mo picked it up for a closer inspection.

The glass texture was achieved, and it did resemble glass, but why was it black?

Indeed, the glass Chen Mo produced was not transparent, but black, with many impurities.

If this were taken to market, it definitely wouldn’t sell.

But the good news was that a mixture of sand and baking soda could indeed produce glass.

The process, however, was certainly lacking.

And the historical novels Chen Mo read didn’t describe the process in detail.

Unable to do otherwise, Chen Mo had to first have a workshop built, then call in craftsmen to experiment one by one. Chen Mo only provided the direction and a rough idea; he had no time to experiment step by step himself.

Once all these tasks were finished, it was already noon, and Chun Lan called him to have lunch.

Meanwhile, Chen Mo was having cartloads of soybeans purchased and moved into the manor.

”Here, Chun Lan, you came just in time. Have someone bring over the stone mill.” Seeing Chun Lan arrive, Chen Mo quickly motioned her over and then told the guards carrying the soybeans, ”Transport them to the back kitchen, all to the back kitchen.”

”Yes.” The guards responded promptly.

”Master, what are you doing with so many soybeans?” Chun Lan asked puzzledly, ”Master, do you want to eat soybean rice?”

Currently, in the Great Song Dynasty, the ways of consuming soybeans generally include making them into soybean rice, turning them into salted beans, or combining them with flour to make sauce.

Chen Mo shook his head, ”You’ll find out tomorrow, I promise it’ll taste better than soybean rice.”

Although Chen Mo had never made tofu himself, he had seen others make it and read about it in books, so he knew the whole process of making tofu.

First, soak the soybeans. After soaking for a certain period, they can be ground into pulp, which is then boiled to extract soy milk.

Finally, it is solidified and shaped.

The process isn’t too complex, but many details must be attended to, otherwise, it would turn into mush.

...

While Chen Mo was busy with his business ventures, Yi Yao met with Jiang Ruoqing again.

Following the method Jiang Ruoqing had described before.

At Hongfu Restaurant’s third floor on the west side of the city, if the rightmost window was open and hung with a red ribbon, Yi Yao would go upstairs to find her.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they both spoke simultaneously.

”Master, I have something to tell you.”

”Yaoyao, Master has something to tell you.”

They were both taken aback, then Jiang Ruoqing chuckled lightly, ”Yaoyao, you go first.”

”Master, I’ve discussed it with my husband, from now on you should move in and live with us, let your disciple take care of you,” Yi Yao said.

Hearing this, Jiang Ruoqing quickly shook her head. She had already become Chen Mo’s woman, and if she moved to Yi Yao’s home, it wouldn’t be appropriate.

Also...

”Yaoyao, Master is used to traveling alone. I don’t want to disturb you. The main reason I came to you today is to tell you that I need to go on a trip tomorrow and won’t be back for about a week. Take good care of yourself during this time,” Jiang Ruoqing said.

”A trip?” Yi Yao was startled and quickly asked, ”Where? For what? Is it dangerous?”

Yi Yao didn’t want her master to face danger again.

Helping her man with another woman was naturally not something Jiang Ruoqing would mention, she simply said, ”Going to Wuling County to see an old friend, there won’t be any trouble.”

Yi Yao was still a bit worried, ”Should I have my husband arrange some people to accompany you? Things are so chaotic nowadays, I’m worried about you, Master...”

Jiang Ruoqing held Yi Yao’s hand, patting the back of her hand gently, ”Yaoyao, I appreciate your kindness, but Master is not a weak woman, I can protect myself.”

”Do you really have to go? Can’t that old friend meet you in Bianliang?”

Jiang Ruoqing shook her head, saying that the friend was a senior, and how could a senior travel a thousand miles to meet a junior?

Since her master said that, Yi Yao had to give up, ”Master, then travel safely. When you return, my husband and I will host a banquet for you at home.”

Jiang Ruoqing nodded.

...

The tofu-making process went quite smoothly, with no mishaps, so it was only a matter of time before the tofu was ready.

Thus, Chen Mo brought Chun Lan over to discuss opening a restaurant.

As it turned out, Chun Lan told him they already had a restaurant called Hongfu Restaurant.

Back when the Hongfu ice shop business grew, they naturally opened several branches and took over three restaurants that had failed.

Since there were already three restaurants, Chen Mo didn’t bring up opening another one for the time being. He decided to first see what the market reaction would be once the tofu was available.

If the business was good, then there would certainly be more opportunities.

As Chen Mo was busy, Chun Lan came running to tell him.

Prince De Ning has arrived.