On the night of the twenty-eighth day of the tenth month of the nineteenth year of Emperor Chongzhen, inside the Chenghua Palace of the Forbidden City.
After punishing Consort Chen severely, Emperor Chongzhen walked to the door and picked up a cigarette. He lit it with a candle flame, took a light puff, and immediately tossed it to the ground with a look of distaste. The taste of this thing was too harsh; he simply could not adapt to it.
Wang Chengen hurriedly picked up the cigarette, carefully extinguished it, and tucked it into his pocket. Do not underestimate this stub; many people wanted to buy it but could not. Especially the cheap, filterless cigarettes, which had become highly sought after by the residents of the Capital as soon as they appeared. Under this trend, everyone from the nobility down to the common folk grew increasingly interested in and dependent on tobacco. The wealthy smoked to follow the trend and integrate into their social circles, while the common people smoked to relieve fatigue. Although their motives differed, both groups drove up sales.
Chapter 597