The Host is Clearly A Scumbag (Quick Travel)

'Amazing!'

Emperor Li finally understood what it meant tobe eloquent.

'I just asked you how to sell cloth, and you hit me with lifting maritime bans, sugar refining, papermaking, and even tying it all to the stability of imperial power?!'

The ideas were so wildly imaginative that if Emperor Li hadn't already grown accustomed to Mingting's divergent thinking, he wouldn't have been able to follow his train of thought.

"Hold on a second! What is white sugar? And what's rock sugar? Also, how do you know about movable-type printing? Explain them to me one by one."

Emperor Li was a little confused.

'Su Hengzhong is a meticulous, taciturn man who kept his head down and worked diligently.'

'Why is his student (son-in-law) end up with such a scatterbrained way of thinking? And so talkative, too?'

"Foster Father, come with me."

Mingting asked Emperor Li to follow him to a room next door.

Inside were rows of yellow-clay water vats, inverted conical pottery jars, and all sorts of equipment crammed together.

"Only because you're my foster father am I showing you this. I wouldn't let anyone else see these… These are my secret weapons."

Mingting put on a mysterious air as he lifted the lid of one of the inverted jars.

When Emperor Li saw the fine, snow-white granules inside, he gasped, "This…"

Mingting scooped some up and fed it to Li Sheng.

"Sugar? This is the white sugar you mentioned? It's so sweet!"

Li Sheng licked his lips, his eyes shining like a thief's, and he immediately snatched the spoon from Mingting's hand.

"Brother Ting, you're unbelievable! I was wondering why you have been sneaking around lately… it turns out that you were making white sugar! Do you even consider me your brother?! This is called hogging the spoils! What happened to sharing fortune and misfortune together?!"

While shooting Mingting an accusing glare, Li Sheng shoveled the white sugar into his mouth.

At this time, most sugar was yellow, brown, or black. This pure white, powdery sugar was something neither Li Sheng nor even Emperor Li had ever seen before.

"Sheng'er, is it sweet?"

Seeing his unfilial son indulging his own appetite without a thought for his old father, Emperor Li was tempted to smack him.

"Sweet!" Li Sheng finally reacted and hurriedly handed the spoon to Emperor Li.

Without hesitation, Emperor Li took a small scoop and tasted it.

'It's so sweet! It melts in my mouth!!'

Seeing that the Emperor and the Crown Prince ate the sugar directly without letting anyone test for poison, the head eunuch's heart leaped into his throat.

'What if Huiyuan Jiang had ulterior motives and that spoonful was poison…?'

The old eunuch shuddered and didn't dare to think about it more.

However, this also proved one thing, that Mingting was truly a favored figure.

"How is this white sugar made?"

After drinking a cup of thick sugar water prepared by Mingting, Emperor Li was thoroughly satisfied.

The name "white sugar" was perfect, as it's white as snow and crystal-clear, far superior to the tribute sugars from foreign lands.

"That's a state secret. I can't tell you."

Mingting shook his head.

"Oh? And how is sugar a state secret?"

Emperor Li laughed, then remembered his current identity was merely a prince and decided to tease Mingting further.

"Come on, explain it to me. How is sugar a matter of national importance?"

"Don't you know that sugar is very profitable?"

Mingting rattled off a series of calculations, " The profits from sugar are enormous, and it also has military applications. It's an excellent strategic resource… during wartime, sugar becomes hard currency."

Mingting briefly explained.

The human body needs glucose, and white sugar is the fastest way to obtain it, as it can be absorbed most quickly. Foods with high sugar content have high calories, making them ideal military rations.

During wartime, caloric intake is very important. Sugar can quickly provide the energy needed by the human body, and a single piece of sugar can stave off hunger.

Moreover, sugar is easy to transport and store. While Grain requires processing, sugar can be consumed directly.

When energy expenditure is high, a small amount of sugar can replenish it efficiently, and its sweetness can even soothe nerves to some extent.

Beyond that, white sugar can be used to produce alcohol for disinfecting wounds, reducing infections, and lowering casualty rates.

Even without alcohol, concentrated sugar solutions can help stop bleeding and help wounds heal.

There was one more use Mingting didn't mention. That when sugar syrup and potassium nitrate are mixed in a specific ratio, they form a powerful explosive. Sugar could even be turned into a weapon.

But introducing war technology far ahead of its time wouldn't bring progress, only disaster.

He couldn't ignore the natural progression of history just because he had foresight.

"I can experiment with using sugar for military rations. It is light and easy to carry, and can also replenish energy."

The more Emperor Li listened, the brighter his eyes grew. His gaze at Mingting was like that of a starving tiger spotting a plump deer.

"Foster Father, don't look at me like that."

"Even if you're my sworn brother's biological father and there is no difference between you and my biological father, but I can't give you the sugar-making method. I have to present it to His Majesty the Emperor."

Mingting took two steps back, eyeing Emperor Li warily.

"This concerns the nation… it's a matter of principle, non-negotiable. Sugar production must be controlled by the court. We can't let private individuals monopolize the technique and grow too powerful."

The young man's nervous demeanor made Emperor Li pause before he burst into laughter.

"You are very good!"

Emperor Li's big hand patted Mingting's shoulder heavily.

At this moment, all Emperor Li saw was a boy of unwavering loyalty.

'Sure enough, I had thought too much before. How could a patriotic and people-loving young man have any bad intentions!'

'Sheng'er still has a good vision. Mingting is truly a man of pure heart, one who kept the court and the people in his thoughts at all times.'

'He's a loyal minister!

'An immensely loyal minister!'

Emperor Li felt a twinge of guilt in his heart, 'I shouldn't have applied the same scheming mindset he used against those crafty old foxes in court to this sincere young man.'

'What an outstanding Huiyuan Jiang!'

'By the time the palace examination came around, I would make Mingting the unprecedented Six-Time Champion! He had to personally name him as the Zhuangyuan!' (T/N: Zhuangyuan means top scholar, the Jinshi who ranked first overall. While Jinshi are those who passed the palace examination.)

Emperor Li couldn't let down this child's heart, so devoted to the nation and its people!

Mingting didn't know what Emperor Li was imagining, but the look in the Emperor's eyes was overflowing with paternal affection.

As someone who had been praised in his past life by Director Chen Geng as a top graduate of the Acting Academy, Mingting reciprocated with a gaze full of filial reverence.

"Foster Father, don't praise me. Even if you do, I still can't give you the method for making white sugar."

"Fine, I won't ask anymore." Seeing how resolute Mingting was, Emperor Li waved his hand.