Brambleford City, Goldwynd Residence.

Cedric and Bertram sat facing each other in the main hall, with Walter seated below them.

Ever since Cedric’s visit to the prince’s castle, Bertram had been waiting at the Goldwynd estate for news. Now that Cedric had returned and briefly recounted what had transpired, he slowly said. "Cedric, that was truly a close call. His Highness did not punish the Goldwynd family, which shows that he still values your family."

"Hmph, of course. Over the past five years, my family has spent so much silver on him. The prince will still remember old ties. However, I can no longer read him. This time, we were merely lucky." Cedric said with lingering fear.

"You’re right. His Highness now bears the demeanour of a virtuous prince, and he seems quite close to Baldwin. No one understands why." Bertram said, equally puzzled, like many others.

Cedric furrowed his brows. "Such a drastic change in the prince must be related to the recent assassination attempt. He must have realised the dangers of the imperial succession struggle and is now trying to build up his power to protect himself."

"Hm, you make a good point. Back then, Prince Gerad in the south was just as foolish as the prince now. But after experiencing the brutal reality of the succession struggle, he turned over a new leaf. Now, his domain is one of the most prosperous." Bertram noted.

"Exactly. So, the prince is likely following the same path." Cedric frowned. "But this means we can no longer manipulate him as we once did. Instead, we’ll have to tread carefully around him."

"There’s no other choice. Right now, the Chandlier and Duskry families are eyeing us like starving dogs over a bone; they are our true rivals." Bertram remarked.

Cedric nodded and sighed. "Ah, so be it. The situation has changed, and we must adapt. Lothair will surely try to win His Highness’s favour to counter the allegations of illegal salt. We can’t let them outshine us. I propose that our families each donate 500 Plow oxen. What do you think?"

"500 oxen is acceptable, as long as it helps suppress the Chandlier and Duskry families." Bertram agreed.

"Father, isn’t that a bit too little?" Walter interjected. "From what I gathered, His Highness seems to have a new business venture in mind, something quite profitable. However, he was vague about whether he would give it to the Chandlier family."

Cedric, preoccupied with explaining away the Plough oxen issue, had overlooked this. He quickly asked. "Are you certain His Highness said this?"

"Absolutely. His Highness mentioned that this new thing is as profitable as Brambleford’s Finest." Walter affirmed.

Bertram’s eyes flickered with calculation. Right now, the obvious benefits were being split between the Goldwynd and Chandlier families. While his Redwyck family was allied with the Goldwynd through marriage, he naturally wanted more advantages for himself.

"Cedric, in that case, we must seize this opportunity. I’m willing to donate 1,000 Plough oxen on my own, but if we gain His Highness’s favour, you mustn’t forget about the Redwyck family." Bertram proposed.

"Of course, of course." Cedric replied happily. Since most of the Goldwynd family’s remaining oxen had already been allocated to the government, they had little left. If the Redwyck family contributed extra, it would be a great help.

With their plan settled, they sent Walter to deliver the message to the prince.

---

At the prince’s castle, Walter arrived just in time to see Lothair leaving. He frowned slightly but proceeded inside after being granted an audience.

In the main hall, Simon was holding a piece of paper, grinning widely.

Curious, Walter asked. "Your Highness, what brings you such joy?"

Simon waved the paper in front of him. "The Chandlier and Duskry families, in support of my Land Cultivation Decree, have each donated 500 Plow oxen. They are truly loyal subjects."

Walter sneered. "Your Highness, that’s nothing. I have come for the same purpose. Not only has our Goldwynd family contributed its remaining oxen to the government, but along with the Redwyck family, we are donating an additional 1,500 Plow oxen directly to Your Highness."

Simon feigned surprise. "Walter, are you serious?"

"Your Highness, how could I dare deceive you? Here is the contract." Walter said, handing over a silk document detailing the donation.

"Master Goldwynd and Master Redwyck are truly generous. I would be remiss if I did not value such loyalty." Simon exclaimed in delight.

This time, his joy was genuine. 2,500 Plow oxen could support 25,000 households, significantly advancing his agricultural production plans.

With a total population of over a million households across the six cities, combined with the oxen bought from Ysabeau and those rented by wealthy families, his collective farming system was becoming a reality.

Feeling pleased, Walter carefully broached his main topic. "Your Highness, earlier today, you mentioned a new product. May I ask what it is?"

Simon, in high spirits, replied. "This item is called soap, similar to the traditional animal-fat soap. Do you understand?"

"Traditional animal-fat soap? I do know of it. I was fortunate enough to use it for a while." Walter recalled.

Simon nodded. In the Eldorian Empire, some had already discovered how to make animal-fat soap using pig pancreas and wood ash. However, the process was complicated, and only imperial concubines and nobles could afford it.

Furthermore, traditional soap was crude, dark and unappealing due to the use of raw pig fat and ash.

The reason Simon now intended to produce soap was that he had recently found limestone. With limestone, he could produce alkali, which was essential for mass soap production.

At the same time, this was also the beginning of his chemical industry.

Steel alone could transform an era, but without chemistry, progress would eventually stagnate. Future advancements in alloys, steel refining, and even shipbuilding would all require a strong chemical foundation.

Through soap production, he planned to cultivate a team of chemistry experts and ensure balanced technological growth.

"This soap is far superior to the traditional soap, and once it reaches Eldora, nobles will undoubtedly rush to buy it," Simon explained.

Walter’s heart pounded with excitement. Soap production had always been an exclusive secret. Many merchants had dreamed of entering the business, but they simply did not know how to manufacture it.

"Your Highness, this time, you must not favour the Chandlier family again! Look, we donated 500 more oxen than them, this proves our sincerity." Walter urged.

Simon nodded. "Rest assured, I know what to do. The soap business will go to your family. However, on one condition, you must supply me with oil."

"Oil? What kind of oil?" Walter was momentarily confused.

In the Eldorian Empire, while people knew of traditional soap, they didn’t realise that animal fats and vegetable oils could be used to make soap. They believed only pig pancreas could be used, severely limiting soap production.

Of course, the other key ingredient was alkali. While Simon couldn’t yet extract alkali through electrolysis of saltwater, he knew how to make it using traditional methods. This was why he had been so intent on finding limestone because both limestone and wood ash could be used to produce alkali.