Unlike in Black Swan City, Alexander reluctantly accepted that securing a decent rental at a fair price within the imperial city was exceedingly difficult. Alexander had considered gritting his teeth to rent a smaller place along the stretch between the relief center and the Black Duke's mansion. Though somewhat pricey, it wasn't entirely unaffordable given his current income. However, Tang Feiliu, fresh from her brother's kidnapping ordeal, was determined not to let him stay too far away and worry.
Yet such was the custom in Nat's lands: prolonged stays as guests typically occurred only when a young lady sought to cultivate relations with an estate's master. Moreover, Alexander was a grown man. The Black Duke's residence belonged to the duke himself. Though Edward himself didn't mind, Tang Feiliu didn't want her brother to feel uncomfortable.
While the brothers wrestled with this dilemma, Edward, upon hearing Ivan's report, promptly allocated one-third of the Black Duke's estate for Alexander's residence.
Alexander was initially quite reluctant. After all, he had his own money and desperately wanted to move out. He didn't want people to later learn of his brother's relationship with the duke and recall this episode, thinking his brother had indulged his family in freeloading at the duke's estate.
But this time was different. With cholera ravaging the city, living outside versus residing in this exclusive district for nobility offered incomparable advantages in population density and sanitation. Thus, Alexander finally yielded under his younger brother's tear-filled blue eyes. Of course, the real catalyst for his capitulation was Edward's pointed remark: "Are you afraid you won't be able to repay this favor later?"
Alexander could endure anything, but he absolutely refused to show weakness before Edward. His pride as the elder brother of Lance and heir to the Doug family demanded it! And so it was settled. Alexander threw himself into making money, determined to pay the duke the market rate for their lodging.
He had been living under immense psychological pressure, but fortunately, money from the soap factory began pouring back in like crazy. Alexander's funds returned with a clatter. Only after paying the rent to Edward did he dare to confidently host a banquet for his friends.
This was precisely why Johnson had never been invited to one of Alexander's gatherings.
As a nouveau riche, Johnson remained blissfully unaware—despite his long association with Alexander! He knew only that Alexander's brother Lance was favored by the Black Duke, and now Alexander himself was in the good graces of Her Majesty Josephine!
But Johnson couldn't attend aristocratic balls, let alone private afternoon tea gatherings! So he remained utterly unaware that that his former friend, Alexander Doug, who belonged to the same gentlemanly class and was looked down upon by the nobility, actually lived next to the Black Duke's residence. Of course, it was only because of his limited perspective that he couldn't see it. Anyone else would have immediately realized that Alexander didn't just live next to the Black Duke—he lived in the Black Duke's residence itself, and his servants all wore the distinctive uniforms of the Black Duke's household!
But sometimes the simple-minded have their own kind of luck. Johnson wasn't frightened by this revelation. He merely marveled for a moment before making a whimsical suggestion to Alexander: "If you ask me, I should buy a house right here too!"
"...You're right," Alexander nodded, smiling. "If anyone ever sells theirs, be sure to let me know."
Johnson sighed gloomily, "Ah, never mind. At least my family managed to buy a house over there next door—that's already pretty lucky."
Today's city was heavily fortified. The areas where the great nobles resided were off-limits to ordinary folk, while the quarters of the lesser nobility were also exorbitantly priced. Merchants clustered together in their own neighborhoods. Since the great nobles all lived in the east, the wealthiest residents of the entire city naturally gathered in the eastern districts. Layers upon layers formed, with the great nobles, nobles, and merchants living side by side. Johnson's current residence lay on the outskirts of the noble district. The surroundings were exceptionally beautiful, featuring its own neighborhood park and maintaining excellent order—a very comfortable place. Unless a family faced financial hardship, few would ever sell such a long-held ancestral home.
Alexander, unable to find a home in such a location, had no choice but to pay exorbitant rent to the Black Duke.
Of course, Alexander was unaware that this money ended up in Tang Feiliu's hands. Holding a chest full of gold coins, Tang Feiliu felt both amused and exasperated, admiring her brother's stubbornness while also finding it touching.
This was no small sum—enough to buy a large garden villa elsewhere. Alexander could have refused, but he paid anyway, fearing Edward might look down on Tang Feiliu and the family behind him.
Tang Feiliu took the money and immediately invested it as capital into the business he planned to start, treating it as a nest egg for his brother's future wife.
Alexander remained utterly unaware, still strutting around showing Johnson his dinner spread—aromatic black pepper roast beef brisket. With a single slice, juices flowed onto the plate, filling the air with savory fragrance. This dish alone stunned Johnson.
Eagerly snatching the plate from the maid, Johnson cut off a small piece and popped it into his mouth. His eyes immediately narrowed in pure delight. The rich, savory beef flavor, intertwined with the salty kick of black pepper and coarse salt, instantly awakened his appetite!
What piqued Johnson's curiosity even more was the thick, creamy substance beside it. Scooping a spoonful into his mouth, he was met with the rich sweetness of potatoes, intertwined with bits of smoked bacon and a hint of creaminess... Johnson found himself utterly speechless! He devoured the meat in big bites, quickly polishing off the mashed potatoes, french fries, and chunks of black pepper beef brisket.
Across the table, Alexander, in high spirits for the occasion, was also enjoying himself immensely. This black pepper beef brisket was Tang Feiliu's recipe, reportedly refined through countless iterations to achieve the perfect blend with Nat's seasonings. Alexander abandoned all pretense of gentlemanly manners the first time he tasted it—he ate until he was stuffed! And then proceeded to belch quite ungracefully!
Of course, even now, the memory of it was unforgettable. Alexander ate a lot too—that piece of beef brisket weighed roughly five or six pounds. Between Alexander and Johnson, they polished it off completely, along with the mashed potatoes and french fries. Alexander especially loved the ketchup dipped with the fries, devouring every last bit.
"Alexander, you should've treated me to dinner sooner!" Unlike Alexander, who still had some self-control left, Johnson was genuinely stuffed to the gills. Slumped on the couch, he undid his pants button to ease the pressure on his belly, complaining to Alexander with zero dignity, "If you'd invited me earlier, I'd have known everything I ate before was nothing!"
After all, Johnson was a true foodie—a prodigy who could devour saffron-glazed swans with relish. His favorites were all kinds of meats and desserts. Now, suddenly encountering such delicious food, it was perfectly understandable that he'd eat with abandon, losing all sense of decorum.
"I wouldn't dare," Alexander chuckled. "You know how scarce this tomato sauce is—I only have five bottles left. These potatoes are also from Black Swan's stockpile. After treating you today, there's barely any left." He added reassuringly, "But don't worry, the summer harvest is coming soon. When the crops come in, I'll have the steward send you a few crates!"
"Good heavens, these potatoes are incredible," Alexander savored the memory. "Especially paired with meat—absolutely divine."
If Tang Feiliu were here, she'd probably think, "All these high-carb foods—no wonder they taste so good! They'll make you fat!"
"Of course they're delicious, and the yield is incredibly high!" Alexander paused before adding, "We fertilize them with manure from pigs, cows, and sheep."
Johnson's expression froze for a second.
Alexander continued, "Did you enjoy the bread with smoked bacon and salted butter earlier?"
Seeing Johnson nod, Alexander ignored his horrified expression and grinned, adding, "That was grown using human manure."
Johnson's face turned ashen, and he felt like he was about to vomit.
"Seriously? Even you find that hard to accept? Don't underestimate this manure—it's tripled the harvest across all of York!" When Alexander took this task from Her Majesty Josephine, he'd thought it tricky but manageable.
But seeing Johnson's expression now, he realized he might have been overly optimistic. After all, this wasn't the Black Duke's domain. Within his lands, serfs couldn't resist whatever the Black Duke did, and others would at least make a token effort to please him.
Moreover, others could witness the Black Duke's bountiful harvests firsthand. Once people saw the tangible benefits, they wouldn't hesitate. But this was the Imperial City! Years of accumulated manure here could irrigate an astonishingly vast area—far more than the royal family's private lands could possibly use. Now it was summer, and midsummer was approaching. If this wasn't resolved before then, it would spell trouble...
"What did you say? Yields tripled?!" Johnson's face still held a hint of pallor, but he exclaimed in astonishment to Alexander. "You mean His Lordship the Black Duke has actually tried fertilizing with manure... and nothing bad happened?"
"What could possibly go wrong? Human manure, once fermented, is highly nutritious for plants!" Alexander explained patiently to Johnson. As the owner of a small estate, Johnson primarily dealt with merchants who lacked land of their own. This made the concept genuinely difficult to promote.
Perhaps it was Alexander's words that sparked Johnson's idea—or maybe Johnson was simply a lucky charm. Tang Feiliu hadn't even figured out the details himself, yet Johnson pulled off something that would go down in history: selling manure!
A thousand years from now, should another volume of The Absurd History be published, Johnson would surely be a prominent figure within its pages. It was precisely this meal that had Johnson pondering for quite some time. Before long, he exchanged a few whispered words with Alexander. Then, with the strong backing of Tang Feiliu and His Lordship the Black Duke, Johnson hosted a banquet.
The attendees were all nouveau riche—mostly wealthy merchants who had pooled funds for maritime trade, bringing back cutting-edge technologies and goods. Though flush with cash, they held no social standing.
These sharp-minded individuals gathered together, listening intently as Mr. Johnson tapped his wine glass and announced that Her Majesty Josephine was deeply troubled by this matter, and that the nobility were utterly helpless. Realizing their chance to shine had arrived, they were instantly overcome with excitement.
What transpired that night remains unknown. Decades later, countless novels and films would reimagine that evening. In short, just as the first step of reform in the Imperial City of Natt nearly faltered, these merchants became pivotal in one of history's most significant turning points.
They first hired a troupe to perform amusing monologues in York's lower city—essentially early forms of modern stand-up comedy, evolved from farce.
They spun tales about foreign nobles hearing rumors of Nattans eating feces into humorous anecdotes, weaving in stories about manure irrigation and crop yields. This had audiences roaring with laughter while also sparking a startling question: Could that disgusting stuff actually be something beneficial?
As doubts began to spread, the merchants stepped forward and made a sudden, high-profile announcement: they intended to purchase the ownership rights to the entire dung heap!
Suddenly, panic set in. People realized this stuff must be genuinely valuable—otherwise, why would those penny-pinching nouveau riche merchants, who normally split every penny in two, be so willing to shell out for ownership of the dung piles?!
So while the city workers were still hesitant, those living near the imperial palace immediately grabbed their tools and rushed over with oxcarts to snatch up the dung!
Meanwhile, the merchants declared that every person who came must pay them!
The whole thing quickly descended into utter chaos.
Tang Feiliu listened to the entire unfolding drama, utterly speechless with a mix of laughter and exasperation. What kind of nonsense was this? Feeding them and then beating them to snatch their food?
Meanwhile, Duke Maqi commenced his banquet, frequently inviting the Templar's Cardinal Priests to vehemently denounce this "blasphemous, unsettling" affair before the nobility.
Author's Note:
Thanks to Tangyuan Nuonuo for the landmine, and to everyone who nourished this story with their support.
Also... I have drafts ready! So excited!