Lord Wang rubbed a handful of soil between his fingers and remarked, "The soil quality isn’t bad. Let’s start tilling it now. What does the Junior Mentor plan to plant?"

Yue Fuguang took a box from the tray held by her maid. Inside were various seeds, each stored in palm-sized transparent containers with neatly labeled tags.

As she sifted through the seeds, Yue Fuguang picked out the ones she wanted to grow.

She said, "For fruits, we’ll plant strawberries and watermelons. As for vegetables, we’ll need more variety—tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, baby bok choy, leafy greens, and spinach. We’ll start with these for now. Once the rest of the buildings are finished, we can plant some flowers too."

She had already purchased several types of flower seeds from the system’s marketplace, but due to a shortage of glass, they had to prioritize constructing the greenhouse for vegetables first.

The place wasn’t entirely complete yet. She still wanted to coat the brick exterior with a layer of cement—ugly as it might be, it would provide better insulation.

Then there was the matter of glass production. Her eyes sparkled with an idea as she turned to Xie Zhiyan with a warm smile. "Your Highness, Lord Wang can handle things here. Would you care to join me for tea?"

Xie Zhiyan returned her smile graciously. "Then I shall not decline. After you, Junior Mentor."

Yue Fuguang led him to a pavilion by the pond in the Moonlight Pavilion’s courtyard, where a stone table was already set with fruits and pastries.

Both the pastries and fruits had been bought from the system’s marketplace.

The pastries came in an assortment of flavors and designs, all of which were Yue Fuguang’s personal favorites.

The other plate held an array of brightly colored fruits of varying shapes and sizes—none of which Xie Zhiyan had ever seen before.

Yue Fuguang gestured for him to try them. "These were gifts from a friend. Your Highness, why not sample them and see if they suit your taste?"

After biting into a deep red cherry, Xie Zhiyan nearly exclaimed how perfectly it matched his palate. Each fruit had a distinct texture, yet all were equally delicious.

The pastries, too, were sweet and flavorful, unlike anything he had ever tasted before.

Watching the prince unabashedly sample every dish on the table, Yue Fuguang mused that if this man survived his trials, his sheer audacity alone would make him capable of great things.

She said, "Your Highness, would you like to earn some extra spending money?"

Xie Zhiyan’s first thought was whether Yue Fuguang was short on funds.

If so, he wouldn’t mind dipping into his personal treasury for her.

But instead of voicing that, he asked, "How does the Junior Mentor plan to make money, and what role can I play?"

Good—he understood that nothing came for free. Yue Fuguang nodded in approval. "You saw the glass in the greenhouse earlier. What if we sold that? Do you think it would be profitable?"

Xie Zhiyan’s hand paused mid-air as he set down his cup. Though he already suspected something, he feigned seriousness. "Does the Junior Mentor still have more glass?"

Yue Fuguang spread her hands. "That particular batch is gone for now. But I know how to make it—not just glass panes like those, but also delicate items like this glass teapot, cups, and vases. Even decorative pieces, like the jade horse-and-eagle statue on His Majesty’s desk—all of it can be replicated in glass. Would you be interested in investing?"

Xie Zhiyan was momentarily speechless, struck by the sheer magnitude of the opportunity. It was no wonder he felt dizzy—this was like being hit by a windfall.

As the crown prince, he knew the tastes of the elite all too well. If they could truly produce glass ornaments as Yue Fuguang described, the profits would be astronomical.

They wouldn’t just sell to the wealthy in their own kingdom, Dayan. The other five nations would be untapped markets waiting to be conquered.

Struggling to keep his voice steady, he asked, "Junior Mentor, what would the production cost be?"

Yue Fuguang considered the raw materials—quartz sand, soda ash, feldspar, limestone, and borax. Most of these were cheap, even readily available along riverbanks and mountains.

She replied, "Factoring in labor and site costs, I estimate a seventy percent profit margin. But I’m not familiar with local pricing—you’ll have to calculate the specifics."

She listed all the necessary materials without hesitation, unafraid that he might cut her out of the deal. She had the confidence—and the leverage—to ensure that wouldn’t happen.

After ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌ ‌‌‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌‍all, despite her eight-year-old appearance, none of these people treated her like a child. Ever since they learned she was a "celestial being undergoing trials," their respect had been unwavering.

"As for soda ash and borax, I also know how to extract them. The cost should be manageable. So, is this a viable business?"

Xie Zhiyan was torn between awe and disillusionment. He never imagined that something as exquisite as glass could be made from such ordinary-looking stones.

After steadying himself, he said, "I see no issues. But the profits are too high—we’ll need my father, the Emperor, to safeguard this venture."

Yue Fuguang nodded. "I’ll provide the technology and take forty percent of the profits. The remaining sixty is yours to divide as you see fit."

Truthfully, glass would make them unimaginably wealthy, so whether she took thirty or forty percent didn’t matter much to her.

But she didn’t want to appear too accommodating or naive. Maintaining her persona required a certain distance.

Xie Zhiyan hesitated at the proposed split. "Junior Mentor, isn’t forty percent too little? A fifty-fifty split—or even sixty for you and forty for us—would be fairer. I know the true value lies in your technique."

With such a product, they wouldn’t even need to seek buyers—demand would come to them.

Yue Fuguang shook her head. "Glass will bring in enormous profits. Forty percent is more than enough. When the money comes in, I hope Your Highness will use it to benefit the common people."

Besides, she couldn’t take it with her. Her system lacked storage space—she’d need to buy a storage pouch or ring, and the latter was still beyond her means.

Xie Zhiyan bowed solemnly. "Understood. I will not fail your teachings, and on behalf of Dayan’s people, I thank you."

Yue Fuguang added, "There’s more. I also have a method for producing cement. Its uses are vast—not just for construction, but also for bridges and roads..."

She elaborated on cement’s applications, even painting an ambitious vision of Dayan’s future with paved roads stretching across the land.

Though overwhelmed by her grand promises, Xie Zhiyan eagerly accepted them all and pledged to undertake this venture as well.

Yue Fuguang said, "Cement’s raw materials—limestone, clay, coal, and gypsum—are inexpensive, but labor-intensive. For this, I’ll take twenty percent. The rest is for you and the Emperor to decide."

Xie Zhiyan understood that "you" referred to his father.

......

Emperor Mingxi’s hands trembled slightly as he held the two formulas brought back by the crown prince.

After barely calming his emotions, he carefully examined the contents of the prescription.

Glass! Just by reading the formula, he could already foresee his private treasury soon overflowing with wealth pouring in from all corners of the land.