I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 522 Your presence is a great honor for the Tang family! (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

"Your Majesty, the crystal mines in the Sassanid region are being mined at full capacity, and the Ministry of Works has built many manufacturing workshops in the Sassanid region, which has also solved the employment problem there."

The Minister of Works excitedly reported the latest progress in the court.

In the imperial court, the Minister of Works was excitedly reporting on the progress of chip research and development.

Suddenly, a clear bell rang, interrupting the court discussion.

The Minister of War hurriedly pulled a blue-glowing chip from his sleeve and awkwardly bowed to Li Chen: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I forgot to lock the screen in my pocket, and I may have accidentally touched it."

Li Chen waved his hand to indicate that it was alright, and a burst of good-natured laughter immediately filled the court.

The Minister of Works wiped the sweat from his brow: "Your Majesty, more than three hundred chip-based mobile phones have been prototyped, and the feedback from our colleagues after trying them has been excellent. However, we would like to ask Your Majesty for guidance on the pricing after mass production."

There was a sudden buzz of discussion in the court.

The Vice Minister of Revenue was the first to step forward: "This crystal ore is precious to begin with, and its technological content is substantial, so it should naturally be priced high! In my opinion, it should start at least at a thousand taels of gold."

"Absurd!" the Left Vice Minister of Works immediately retorted. "His Majesty developed this product precisely to benefit all people. If the price is so high, wouldn't that contradict his original intention?"

“But if the price is too low, how will the court recoup its costs? The construction of workshops in the Sassanid region alone has cost millions of taels of silver.” The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was deeply worried.

Amidst the rising and falling arguments, Li Chen simply smiled and remained silent.

Only after the ministers realized their inappropriate behavior and fell silent did he slowly speak.

Li Chen said in a deep voice, "What you all say makes sense. My point is that the first model should be priced high, so high that only noble families and wealthy merchants can afford it."

Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the officials, Li Chen continued, "Imagine, when high-ranking officials and powerful figures from all over the country are using this rare item, what will they be like when they travel?"

He deliberately dragged out the tone.

The Minister of Rites exclaimed excitedly, "Brilliant! These people love to show off, and they'll definitely flaunt it everywhere. Even though ordinary people can't afford it, they'll all know how amazing this thing is!"

Li Chen nodded approvingly: "That's right. After a few seasons, when these VIPs get tired of it, we will launch the second generation, with improved performance and added video calling function. We will also launch both high-end and affordable models."

There was an uproar in the court.

The Minister of Revenue, Liu Minghan, was so excited that his beard trembled: "Your Majesty's reputation is so great. In this way, we can not only recoup the initial investment, but also realize the original intention of benefiting all people!"

The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works exclaimed excitedly, "That's not all! Wealthy households will definitely rush to buy the new models to show off their status. And commoners, who have been saving up for a long time, will finally be able to fulfill their long-cherished wish."

Li Chen chuckled inwardly as he watched the excited expressions of his ministers.

This is nothing more than a common marketing strategy from my past life.

When the time is right, there are plenty of ways to get these people to willingly hand over their money, such as group chat features, ultra-thin designs, and membership services.

Li Chen wouldn't release all the features at once, because he knew that this technology would definitely be imitated by other countries.

Perhaps some small countries lack the capability, but that doesn't mean the Eternal Day Empire is incapable.

They invented this technology themselves, and seeing Li Chen doing it, they would definitely follow suit.

Once they've replicated the first generation, Li Chen will release the second, and so on. The Eternal Day Empire will definitely fall behind by one version.

This morning at court, many officials were engaged in heated discussions about the wealth that mobile phones could bring.

Li Chen couldn't leave work even when he wanted to, and it wasn't until noon that they finished their discussion, at which point Li Chen finally left the court.

Li Chen wouldn't dampen their enthusiasm for discussion, because only by maintaining their passion for their work would they work hard.

You can't just tell your court officials to get out of the house whenever you want to rest. If you do that a few times, they won't work with such enthusiasm anymore.

Selecting capable officials is only the emperor's basic task; the real skill lies in how to inspire the abilities of his ministers. Even though Li Chen was constantly traveling, the court continued to function normally.

After the court session, Li Chen had just returned to the inner palace when his mother, Lady Dai, and his mother, Lady Tang, came to greet him.

The two men, one on each side, attentively massaged Li Chen's shoulders and back.

"Your Majesty has worked hard." Madam Dai said softly, her slender fingers gently pressing on Li Chen's shoulders and neck.

Not to be outdone, Tang's mother skillfully relaxed Li Chen's arms, saying, "Your Majesty works hard on state affairs and should also take a proper rest."

Li Chen closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Just say what you want to say."

Madam Dai and Madam Tang exchanged a glance, and Madam Tang said softly, "Your Majesty, the Tang family knows that you enjoy fine wines, so today we specially dug out the 'Qiongxian Wine,' a treasured vintage of a hundred years, from our ancestral cellar. I wonder if Your Majesty has the time?"

Li Chen opened his eyes: "I haven't had lunch yet, so I'll go to your Tang family's house for a meal."

Tang's mother's fingers trembled slightly with excitement: "Your Majesty is too kind! Your presence is a great honor for our Tang family."

Soon, Li Chen changed into a moon-white brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist, and accompanied by Madam Dai and Madam Tang, he once again left the palace incognito.

The entire Tang family had been waiting for a long time in front of the Tang residence.

To welcome "Young Master Li," the entire Tang residence was given a complete makeover.

The maids all changed into light pink gauze dresses, and the servants all wore brand new indigo short jackets.

The most eye-catching person was Tang Hongxiu, who was standing at the very front.

She abandoned her usual conservative attire and donned a pale yellow low-cut ruqun dress, revealing her fair shoulders and delicate collarbones.

A golden hairpin swayed slightly in her hair as she trembled uneasyly, adding to her charm.

"Young Master Li." Tang Hongxiu bowed with a blush on her face as she saw Li Chen get out of the car, her voice barely audible.

Li Chen's gaze lingered on her for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Miss Tang looks exceptionally radiant and beautiful today."

These words made Tang Hongxiu's ears turn bright red, and she subconsciously hid behind her two sisters-in-law.

Seeing this, Liu Yuran and Su Qinghe quickly gave her a push, signaling her to go forward and greet them.

"Young master, you flatter me." Tang Hongxiu took a deep breath and walked to Li Chen's side with forced composure. "The banquet is ready. Please follow me."

The banquet was held in a pavilion in the back garden of the Tang residence.

Light gauze curtains hang around the pavilion, and a gentle breeze reveals the peonies blooming in the garden.

The table was laden with delicacies, the most eye-catching of which was the old wine sealed in mud in the center.

Tang Zhen personally broke the mud seal, and a rich aroma of wine immediately filled the air: "Young Master Li, this 'Qiongxian Wine' has been stored by my Tang family ancestors for 120 years."

Li Chen took the wine cup, sniffed it lightly, and praised, "Indeed, it is fine wine."

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually became lively.

Tang Hongxiu poured wine beside Li Chen, but she was still too reserved.

Liu Yuran and Su Qinghe watched anxiously from the sidelines, frequently giving her meaningful glances and urging her to take the initiative.

Tang Hongxiu felt she had already taken the initiative quite a bit and didn't know how to continue taking the initiative.

Seeing that Tang Hongxiu was still unable to relax, the two sisters-in-law were so anxious that they stomped their feet.

(End of this chapter)